Things I love Thursday...

Miss Ninertins and her different titles for different days of the week, ie. TILT, and Photobooth Friday. She is also a crafty, optimistic, full of love for others, super-mama in that wholesome, energized, connected, proud, nurturing, wonderfulwifey, coiner of terms not to be forgotten, massaging, quilting, cooking, and so, so, so much more...

Flying through the middle of a misty rainbow while in a puddle jumper over the Caribbean Sea with my then boyfriend, now husband.

Motherhood and how I have grown as a mama since I started mothering at eight for my baby sister and all of the people since to the many more that will bless my life.

The glorious day outside today and the shining sun warming my cheeks as I soaked in the majesty of nature.

The opportunity to elaborate next Thursday on all of the things I love, that will take tons of Thursdays, for my love is boundless, endless, overflowing.

How quickly a day melts into three or four and now here I am almost a week later finally posting again. The week was full of demands of my energy and time. A lot of which was great, football games, times with my house sons, time with my daughters. Some of it was rather stressful, times in the emergency room trying to convince my mother that life is worth fighting for and living. Frustrated times as she stubbornly demands to sign herself out AMA and the doctors assure her, that she will die. My mother has been living with a terminal diagnosis for 18 years now, and with a couple of terminal illnesses for a few years after that. Her emphysema prevents her body from absorbing the necessary oxygen, and then her organs and brain end up compromised with issues of their own. Moving beyond that...

I haven't been working for a week and a few days since my appointment officially ended and I await approval from the union for an extension. They threw out the search which now enables me to be considered, which is cool. Another job has opened up which would be director of the Women of Color Leadership Network, which would be a great thing. The only issue is that I love love love working with the youth, and although the other job offers more money, I think I will hold out for the youth position. I am currently snuggling with my baby girl, while watching a show and catching up online. Little missy should be asleep, but truth is she has been keeping hours with the scholars. I am working on getting her to bed at 8:00 but this had rarely been her bedtime. Until next time...

Wedded Bliss....

On Saturday I went to a wedding of a dear friend from college. She and I have had a most interesting friendship and I have many great memories of times together. Although we communicate but a few times a year, she is close my heart. It was amazing to be present for her and her sweetheart's nuptials. The stars were in perfect alignment, mother nature provided the perfect ambiance, and her loved ones were in abundance. I knew about six people there, but felt I knew more through the years of stories, pictures, and blogs. My husband and daughter drove to MIT, only to be led to the wrong wedding. We got there and there were tons of people, it was on the penthouse floor of some building there. As I was looking around I certainly didn't recognize anyone, and was curious when her circle of friends had become exclusively one culture. She tends to love people for who they are and therefore her circle is not homogeneous. Then they announced the couple and we knew we were in the wrong place.

Luckily there was a cushion for time and we were able to locate the wedding before missing any of it. I have pictures to upload and memories to share but I will do that later when there is more time. I must make sure the guys are starting their homework.

Although I didn't post yesterday, the though crossed my mind. Yesterday had me running from 7am until 12:30am and was filled with bringing people to school (four different schools mind you) working and having meetings, my mother to a doctor's appointment, picking people up, dropping people off, a fun football game that had me doing everything from cheering and eating chips (need to bring my granola next time) to crawling on all four while three wee ones figure out how to share the space of my back, and balance at the same time. Those grass stains may be around for quite some time.

A bit tired and in danger of loosing my voice as I was up until 4ish, and then up at 6ish. I was about to have issues with having nothing to wear. I have nice clothes from oh, I'd say 40 pounds ago. I have some business attire for this weight, but definitely not something worthy of wedding status. Then I thought about it and if there were anyone's wedding who would welcome me with my come as I amness, it would be this one. I loved that on the invitation the dress code gave much wiggle room. So I will not stress, and I will wear something (as I don't want to upstage the wedding party) The wedding isn't until 3:30pm two hours away, but I am up and getting ready as if I have to leave at 10 as I refuse to be late, or miss this wedding. No how, no way. I love the girlies getting married and am so happy to celebrate in their love with them. I will post more about these fantastic super stars later.

One reason for the love and peace in my life.

Little Miss Khalila, she doesn't really look quite like this as this is an expression that exists in between her usual demeanor.

Day two woo hoo

At my staff meeting today my check in went a little like this: "Well, considering that after this week I don't have a job, and a week later no place to live I am doing surprisingly well. I have so much love in my heart and in my life that I am at peace and am not freaking out at the potential instability of my life" and at the time I was right there, in the light. I think for me it is perspective and faith perhaps. My mother was just complaining about poverty, as she is way below the poverty level and struggles so. I get that, as I too live below the poverty level in this country. Globally I am richer then 3/4 of the people who live on this planet. So yes I may not have the all of the fancy toys in this culture, I have so much more then other people. I have electricity, food, clothing, shelter... In some ways though, I think we are less equipped to be self sustainable if or when the time should come. We dependent and I think consumerism is a way we are kept distracted and complacent. Okay, I am getting political, and those thoughts might not be well formed yet, so I will sign off and help the guys with their homework. Pictures to come soon.

HALA

Hopefully third time's a charm for this is the third blogspot blog I have created. The other two never quite got off the ground. I was faithful to live journal once upon a time, but even there haven't posted since before the summer began. I have so much in my head that this blog is necessary. As I contemplated Spaghetti-O's today, I knew I needed some sort of outlet for my thoughts. I love to cook and have learned to love food so much that to talk about Spaghetti-O's to some would be blasphemous. However that when I was growing up it was a good day in the Lord household when we could afford the brand name Spaghetti-O's instead of the generic versions that never ever tasted as good. Of course it usually meant the food stamps had come in so fruit roll ups and Spaghetti-O's here we come. Occasionally I bring a can to work and it hits the spot. So today as my lunch was heating I was contemplating the interesting space of how our past can "shape" us or inform the decisions we make. Sometimes it's an easy connect to where it comes from, and other times to code is much harder to break. Anywho I am grateful my lunch motivated me to make a blog.