Mission Impossible Assignment: #4 (Hold on!)

Dear readers, this post is totally not like the other Mission Impossible Assignment of Holding On. I was positive then. Right now, that is not the case. Yes, this theme is becoming redundant. I am in the dumps. I have been fighting it, but so far, it’s winning. It’s so bad, I don’t even want [...]

Never Would Have Made it by Marvin Sapp

God Always Has a Plan B! Part 2

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his namesake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me… Thou preparest [...]

True Friendship

1.) When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad, like a spider monkey hopped up on Mountain Dew.
2.) When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3.) When you smile, I will know you are plotting something I must be involved in.
4.) When you are [...]

Ghosts of Hair & Clothes Issues Past!

I wish I felt like this when I was younger, but I didn’t. This book and all it represents reminds me of a situation I’m dealing with right now. I have been very upset lately with someone that I am very close to. It has to do with a young female relative. You see, this [...]

A Pack of $5 Stickers vs. Using What You Already Have!

Yesterday after I picked Phillise & my niece, Melodee, up from school, I decided to stop by Michael’s. We hadn’t been there all summer, so I figured it was high time we did. Initially, I thought about buying some stickers, but thought about the 1,000 we already had at home. (Translation: I was being a [...]

Sister!

Sister
Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don’t just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.
God never said life would be easy.
He just promised [...]

And After That?

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
“Not very long,” answered the Mexican.
“But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.

Time to move on!

I’m not sure if I wrote on this blog before about my dreams. If I did, this is a continuation of that. If not, I got a little story to tell you, like to hear it, here it goes. We, as human beings, are so preoccupied with our daily lives that we don’t pay attention [...]

What’s Your Stress (Relief) Plan?

Well, what is it? Your stress (relief) plan, that is. How do you plan to release the excess stress built up during the day. You know there’s going to be some in any job. There’s especially going to be a whoooooole lot in a high stress job like teaching. That’s what a good friend of [...]

Stepping outside my comfort zone!

My dear readers, I have a story to tell you, like to hear it, here it goes: I don’t like change. I know this is not a good thing, but I sometimes stay in a situation that is not good for me longer than is healthy. Don’t get me wrong, when I have to do [...]

I’m Not Apologizing for Special Education Anymore!

In the immortal words of Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman, ” I was in here yesterday and you wouldn’t wait on me. You work on commission, right? Well, big mistake! Big, big mistake! Huge! Gigantic! Bye, I’m going shopping now.”
This is what she tells the sales clerk who refused to help her the previous day. [...]

Hoping against all hope!

My life has been is such turmoil for the last couple of years that I’ve actually stopped wanting as much as I used to because, quite frankly, I’ve haven’t gotten a whole lot of things I’ve wanted lately.It’s just become a way of life. You get used to it, you know! That’s so not a [...]

Well pulled together me!

Being well pulled together has been a double-edged sword for me. A couple years ago, right before I started teaching, I bought a whole new wardrobe to look the part- wool skirts, crisp white shirts, and a whole host of other little accessories & what-not. Because I was so well put together, most people thought [...]

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day to everyone. Eat, drink & be merry!

Look @ those two!

I called Phillise to ask her for a hug, and got a wet one ’cause the sleeves on her robe was wet.
“Honey, why are you wet? What are you doing?,” I asked her.
“Oh, I was just helping David wash the dishes,” she said.
So, I look in the kitchen after she walked away from me and [...]

Ever hopeful me!

Can I just say that looking for a job is very daunting? I’m lucky. I’ve had help from a very good friend. He has gone out of his way for me. Because of him, I have a very promising lead on a job. If not for him, I think that I could very well get [...]

A New Job? (Thanks George!)

Did I mention that LMU kinda’ screwed me! It’s a long story. N-e way, what does that have to do with a new job? Well, I need an extension on my intern credential. I turned in my paperwork @ the end of June. It is now September, yet my paperwork has not been turned in [...]

Good-bye Reading Rainbow (The End of an Era)

The last episode aired Friday, August 28, 2009 on PBS. It’s the end of an era. Reading Rainbow is gone.
The theme song I’ll always remember:
Butterfly in the sky, I can fly twice as high, Take a look, It’s in a book, The Reading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow aired from 1983-2009, with the last original episodes being taped [...]

Hot me!

I cannot believe this heat. It is too hot. I am sitting under the fan. I want to turn on my air conditioner, but don’t want to see the bill. Last time, it was over $500, when it’s usually about $350. For now, the fan’s good enough. I can’t even imagine being up in La [...]

Happy 1,000th Post To Me!

Yes, dear readers, as the title states, I am celebrating my 1,000th post. It has taken me a little more than two years to reach this milestone, but I’ve finally done it. So, Happy 1,000th post to me!

Hopeful me!

I got a lead on a new job. Hopefully it will all work out. I used Facebook to make connections. That’s what it’s for. After all, it is a social networking site. Hopefully this will pan out. If not, something else will. It always does.

Guess How Smart I Am?

Well, guess! I am so smart that I didn’t know that David started school on Monday. Yes, people, today is Wednesday. The year just started and already, he’s missed 3 days of school. I could just scream.

Inspired me!

I am so inspired. I got a dose of inspiration from last weekend’s Los Angeles Black Book Expo. There were many authors & wanna-be authors there. I am one of them. One of the key things that inspired me was this psychologist/writer/publisher from Texas (I cannot remember her name right now). She gave a workshop [...]

Mission Impossible Assignment # 3: School Shopping on a Budget

Okay, all you shoppers out there. Boy, do I have an assignment for you: School Shopping on a budget. Should you choose to accept this assignment, you may encounter a store full of shoppers, some rude, some not. You may also stop and park @ several locations looking for the perfect deal. Well, lucky for [...]

It’s all about who you know!

I haven’t so many things on plate, I don’t know where to begin. However, this one problem has been the most pressing because it deals with my being able to get and keep a job. Well, God is working it out for me. At the beginning of summer, boredom was one of my biggest problems. [...]

The Day I Saw My Mother-in-Law’s vagina!

Ah, the day I saw my mother-in-law’s vagina. What a catchy title? You just have to read this post now, don’t you? Trust me, this post is not going to be what you thought it was going to be about. This post is about a couple of things. Like to hear them, here they are:

Why [...]

An interesting discussion with Phillise

I just had an interesting discussion with Phillise. As I was writing a book review that E.B. Lewis illustrated, Phillise noticed his name and said,

“Hey, that’s the same person who illustrated I Love My Hair.”
“You are absolutely right,” I said. I missed it. Good job of catching that. Give me a high five. I was [...]

Fretful David!

My little boy, David, frets so much. I just received his CST scores and he performed exceedingly well. He was 8 points away from Advanced in Language Arts, and 11 points away from Advanced in Math. Yet, he was still upset.
“I didn’t get Advanced, mom?” he asked with a whimper.
David, forget about it. You worry [...]

Reflections…

Now that I’ve had a couple week’s downtime, I feel that I am sufficiently rested to be able to reflect upon the school year so far with a clear mind. I cannot believe how overwhelming this thing called teaching can be.
This year and last year, I have alternated between feeling on top of the world [...]

It has to land sometime!

The plane has to land sometime; especially when it’s in a holding pattern and has been that way for quite a long time. I feel like my life is perpetually on hold or in a holding pattern. I’m not moving forward. I think this means that there is still a lesson that I need to [...]

Purposeless me!

I don’t know how I never really made the connection of deep depression in the summer. I have always valued my summers because I had the chance to do absolutely nothing. I could also sleep and read as much as I wanted to. However, I’ve run into a snag this summer. I didn’t have anything [...]

In the money me!

That’s right people, I am in the money. Joe Ryan, from the Career Ladder called me and informed me that the Career Ladder owed me a scholarship payment of (drum roll!!!) $1,500. You could not tell how excited I was from how calm I remained on the phone. Inside I was screaming… Yes, yes, OMG, [...]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAUDIA!

Happy Birthday Saudia! Today is one of my sisters birthdays. She’s 43! I cannot believe we are so old. There are so many birthdays in my family the month of July (15 and counting). We’re having a family party tomorrow @ Saudia’s house. We’re going to eat and have fun. Too bad you can’t be [...]

HAPPY 39th BIRTHDAY TO ME!

As the title says, yes, it is my 39th birthday. Happy, Happy Birthday to me! Next year when I turn 40, it’s on! I’m going to have a week-long celebration!

My Keirsey Temperament Report

Just took the personality Keirsey Temperament Personality test. There were no surprises. Here are the results:

Your Keirsey Temperament Sorter Results indicates that your personality type is that of the

Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with [...]

Happy Birthday Dakota!

I’d like to wish my middle son, Dakota, a very Happy 18th Birthday!
I said it before and I’ll say it again, “My, where did the time go?”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MORIAH!

Yes, dear readers, today is Moriah’s 2nd birthday. I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “Where has the time gone?”

Warehouse 13- My newest Sci-fi pleasure!

One thing about being a Sci-fi junkie is that I don’t have to apologize for loving it. Well, my newest Sci-fi pleasure is Warehouse 13. It show a lot of promise. The only problem I have with the show is the acting skills, or lack thereof, of the female lead character. I can see her [...]

Happy Birthday Danielle!

Today is my little sister’s 23rd birthday. I love her so much. After all, she did give Moriah to the family. Here’s to 23 more. Happy Birthday  Yelli!

Book Club field trip!

Well, I added a new element to Book Club- field trips. I also dropped it to 3 days/week instead of 5. Five days/week was way too much. It made me feel like I was still teaching. I didn’t feel like I was on vacation. Anyway, I digress.
So, we went to FREE TUESDAY @ The LaBrea [...]

HAPPY 4th of July!

Well, the title says it all. Happy 4th of July!

Bored me!

I had a chance to go the theater and didn’t take it. My day didn’t go at all the way that I planned. Now I’m so bored!

Happenings and Things to do in South Central L.A. & surrounding areas

Necessity truly is the mother of invention. While I am grateful for L.A. Parent magazine, all of the happenings are in the outerlying areas of L.A., like Torrance to Pasadena, even as far away as LaCañada Flintridge. I don’t mind traveling sometimes, but LaCañada Flintridge is way too far for a 2 hour event that [...]

Keeping it to a clap!

Keeping it to a clap! Well, what does that mean? It means that I will keep the noise down, as far as my thunder thighs are concerned. They used to make so much noise. I’m embarrassed to admit this but, before I started exercising, they used to rub together. Now, they do not. My inner [...]

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

I would like to say Happy Memorial Day to everyone, especially the Veterans!

Happy 2-Year Anniversary to me!

Wow, it’s my 2-year anniversar of blogging. Today I’ve been blogging for 2 years. Can you believe that I, the original blog-a-holic almost forgot. Yeah, I know! This blog has become so much more than I thought it would. It became my outlet for expressing myself, working things out, and meeting and networking. I’ve met [...]

How can someone do that?

I love my students. For some of them, I am the only love they know. I feel so bad for one of my students who I call Pink Socks. I didn’t see her this morning until after nine. The trouble started when her mom came up to the school because she called her crying. I [...]

Still at it…

Yes, dear readers. I am still at it. What is it? The “It” in question being me sabotaging myself. I have to complete my literature review by Thursday. Yet, I am listening to oh, so important music on YouTube and surfing the oh, so important gossip blogs. Why can’t I just get this out the [...]

The Secret, The Salon, & my friend’s dilemma

I am a big fan of The Secret. I love the tenets presented. The main thing that I love is how the Masters explain that The Law of Attraction is just that- a law. It’s not based on your belief system. You don’t have to be Jewish, or a Christian, or a Buddhist, etc., to [...]