Good Times...

The Turkey Day Weekend started off with fun times at the airport.
I found out the day before that I was on the same flight as the Uncle.
I offered to meet him at his apartment but he insisted that I would make
him late, so I took the bus.
I arrived before him.
The cool thing is that it was the day before Thanksgiving-the most traveled holiday of the year in the U S of A, and it wasn't overly crowded.
No super long lines coupled with excessive waiting time.
I pretty much zipped in and out.

I started to browse the book store.
I love bookstores!
I have wanted read a Ruth Reichel book, ever since Deb from www.smittenkitchen.com
raved about her.
Well low and behold there was the Ruth Reichel book "Garlic and Saphires", about her journey as restaurant critic of the New York Times.
(great read if you are into that type of thing)

I was pleased as punch as I found a spot and dug into my book.
It was so good.
Then my cell phone rang knocking me out of my book coma.
It was The Uncle telling me to try to get on an earlier flight.

So I put my book away.
And started to make my way to the hostess stand when the phone rang again.
The Uncle told me to forget about it, the plane was sold out.

The Uncle finally showed up and decided that he wanted to tell me that we
were going to be delayed for hours.
He then proceeded to annoy the hostess by asking questions like
"Where was our flight coming from?"
"Has it left its current destination?"

I on the other hand stayed in my seat and tried to read.
He continues his negative talk about us never getting home.
I had to remind him that I don't have faith in him, so I knew that I was getting home.
It got so bad at one point he said "I'm sure you wish I would stop talking and read my book"
"But that would never happen"
Sigh!**

Needless to say we boarded the plane only 45 minutes later than we were scheduled.
Not bad for the day before Thanksgiving.

**I did have a great time with The Uncle. He works hard and is usually in work mode
but he was a load of fun all weekend!

I'm so THANKFUL...

On this Thanksgiving Day 2006 I am thankful for the following:

God's love & grace

Friends

Early Christmas gifts

My health

Unexpected opportunities

The internet

The red headed aunt & co

Julie

Jamma

All of my NY cousins

Self love

The abundance and love of the Universe

Food Network

Blogging

New York City

Democrats running congress

Happy feet teaching kids to take care of the environment

Improv

Writing ability

Ipods

Dr. Oz

My WDW group

imagination

KSD & her organizational abilities

life

the future
the present

100 things to do before love...

I just stumbled on this amazing blog that this lady put together.
It covers 100 things that she wants to accomplish before she falls in love, again.
I thought this was awesome.
As a culture we seem to think we need to do things in pairs.
That singles don't really enjoy life.
They are secretly just waiting to go from me to we.
Well-----
I am a complete person.
I am the perfect manifestation of God!
All by my beautiful black self!
Now when me and my destined do hook up we will be two amazing individuals choosing to create a new life together.
So I'm trying to come up with 100 things that I need to do by my single self before my man gets here:
(in no particular order)
1. Attend Shakepeare in the Park
2. Go see Rocky Horror Picture Show sing along at midnight
3. Take 200 pictures on a digital camera.
4. Add pictures to my blog
5. Travel alone
6. Wear a wig for a day
7. Host a dinner party
8. Read poetry everyday for 2 weeks
9. Change hair color
10. Grow out my natural hair
11. Buy a pair of Manolo Blaniks
12. Get a nose earring
13. Audition for at least 10 things
14. Write my own monologue or short
15. Go on a date from a personal ad or a web dating service.
16. Go on a date with some one non black
17. Bake bread from scratch
18. Get paid for doing something creative.
19. Rollerskate down the westside highway.
20. Go to the Whitney, Moma & Brooklyn museum of Art.
21. Learn to say "I love you" in 5 different languages
22. Make soup from scratch
23. Learn to make homemade pie crust
24. Rent 10 movie classics that I have never seen
25. Read all of August Wilsons plays
26. Rent 5 musicals that I have never seen
27. Rent 5 foreign films that I haven't seen.
28. See every movie nominated for "best picture" academy award.
29. In Manhattan walk from East end to West end.
30 Take a professional picture with my New York cousins.
31.Take voice lessons
32. Become a yoga fanatic
33.Mediate for 10 minutes daily
34.Travel Europe-especially Italy & France! I am a wanna be fracophile.
35. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
36. Write hand written letters to friends and family. Mail them out!
37. Find a signature stationary.
38. Find a signature scent.
39.Try a new exotic cheese every week.
40. Make a complete Rachel Ray 30 minute meal in 30 mintues!
41. Sing at a Karyoke bar.
42. Drive from New York to LA


If you can think of anything leave it in the comments!

Blessed to have...

I am spoiled!
I know this, but I'm ok with it.
My family still spoils me & I know I will find a husband that spoils me too.
All that to say that I will be going home for Thanksgiving!
The mother says that God blessed us because we didn't murmur or complain about me not being able to afford a ticket home.
I refused to beg the father because he has been going through enough of his own problems.
The mother bought a ticket for Labor Day so I couldn't complain.
Then over the weekend, the Uncle asked me if I wanted to go home, but I didn't want to beg.
I was going to enjoy 4 whole days to myself, with movies out, movies in, food and sleep!

I was actually looking forward to it.
Moosh was devastated.
She wanted me to call the Uncle and ask for an early Christmas present.
I refused.
At that point I'm sure she got on her knees and begged for the Almighty to make a way for me
to come home.

I have been watching the Food Network like crazy!
Its "Season's Eating" time.
So I had picked the dishes I would make for myself.
I was excitited.
Then I got an e-mail asking what day did I want to fly home.
Then a confirmation on a ticket that read "Enjoy your early Christmas gift"
Yay!!!
I'm going home!!!
Buddha if you are reading this, I wanted to surprise you!
Don't tell anyone its a surprise!

My worst food experience ever...

Over the weekend I was back in my dear old Bed-Stuy neighborhood.
I actually walked past my old brownstone!
I also walked past the infamous bodega of the neighborhood.
I caught a memory:

Setting:
May 2002
I was in the mood for poptarts for a snack.
I galloped down the 3 flights of stairs and around the corner to the bodega.
I searched the dirty crowded isles.
They didn't have "poptarts" but they had "toaster treats".

**The bodega, like any other NYC bodega, was gross.
I only normally buy drinks or chips from there.
Never food!
Needless to say my poptart craving was strong!**

So I grabbed the toaster treats, paid, and went on my merry way home.
I opened the box and got to the individual packaged pop tart.
I took a bite and thought they tasted really stale.

I turned the poptart over and it had little maggots coming out of it!
I thought I was going to die!
Please believe I never got food out of that Bodega again!!

God keeps blessing me with these good quotes...

"In his heart man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps"-Proverbs 16:19

I'm so on a journey.
I'm traveling to a better me!
Nobody told me the road would be easy but I breathe life into my situation.
I say amazing affirmations everyday.
I am committed to work hard.
I will work through fear.

As my girl Corrine Bailey Rae says-
"Your going to find yourself someway somehow"

So Simple...

I just read the quote that "Things don't change, we do".
I thought how remarkable!
Yet so simple.
Sometimes we outgrow people or places.
(Don't get nervous about London KSD!)
Sometimes we outgrow our old selves.

I respect my old self.
I needed her at the time that I had her.
She protected me when I needed to hide from the world the best that I could.
But all the while "she" had built up protective forces around me,
The new "Sunshine" was was growing inside.
The old me had no idea.
But God knew and He has helped me see the Light.
He is so amazing and loves me so much.
It is quite beautiful!
The way a Father loves his daughter!

Your birth parents may feel like,
"Geez you are 29, its time we stop nurturing you. Stop being there for you so you can stand on your own."
If they don't let you go they figure you will never grow.
It isn't that way with your Spiritual Father.
He is always there for you.
ALWAYS!
There are things that I 've prayed for that he is making a way.
In ways that I never expected.
He has opened my eyes to unexpected resources, that have been in front of me.

Things don't change we do.

Fantastical Quote of the Day /year:

"The Universe conspires with one to let their dreams be realised. HOWEVER one must have unbridled passion in their journey toward achievement."

Unbridled Passion=Hard Work

Fantastical quote of the Day...


The Universe conspires with one to let their dreams be realized, however,
one must have an unbridled passion in their journey toward achievement.

Unbridled passion= hard work!!

Float, Float On...

My soul is out here in this place we call Earth floating.
Growing, learning, loving,laughing, living.
His soul is out there doing the same.
I believe that we chose to come back around the same time to spend part of this life together.
We have been together before, in the words of India Arie:

"Its almost like I knew this man from another life,
like back then maybe I was his husband and maybe he
was my wife"
I read another blog where this chick was saying it blows her mind the way she clicks with her husband.
Then his blog talked about how no one had ever really "gotten" him until he met his wife.
I thought that was cool.
I totally respected that.

One day our souls will collide.
And what a beautiful collision it will be.
To recognize the Divine in another human and have them recognize it in you.
Sunshine has so many different rays, as I do aspects of my personality.
So does he...
and I pray that I am open enough to love and honor all sides of them.

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down...

Its raining in the NYC.
Lots of rain.
I just want to crawl into my bed.
Watch TV or movies.
Dream about the life I want.
One of the therapist called me back today!
Yeah!
God willing I will be out of this rut.
Bear with me, my people!
I'm still the SUNSHINE!!!

Maxwell & Myspace & Jealousy...

I'm a huge Maxwell fan.
I always liked his music, but my BFF Mai loved him & his music.
We went to his concert in Indy in 1999 and my love became real.
I was head over heels!
I'm constantly reading stuff about him online.
I'm on his fan pages.
And I found out that he has a myspace page.
I check it daily.
Even though I'm anti-myspace.
But I can't help checking up on him!

And check up on him I do.
He actually responds to some of his serious fans.
They chat with him!
My heart hurts behind that!

I mean Teddy Riley married a chick he met on Myspace.
I mean they are now getting a divorce but none the less they got married.
I think I'm really nuts over the whole thing because a pyschic told me that my
husband will be mixed black and something else-Asian, Puerto Rican, Indian, etc.
So I've convinced myself that Maxwell is my husband to be.
And I'm not even jealous of Camille the girl he is always taking to public events.
I tell you I am a lil' touched!

If 50 is the new 30 then 30 is the new...

I'm newly 29 and feel every bit "16" but not in a good way.
There are several things I thought I'd have by 30:
Career I love
Husband
House
Money
Car

I have none of the above (yet).
So if it true that 50 is the new 30 and 40 is the new 20 then 30 is the new 10.
So I'm not that messed up then!
I'm looking into moving to London in 2007 or early 2008.
I feel like I need a fresh start.
But I want to do London BIG.
I want to be the cool and sassy American.
I don't know if I should go to Grad school there , I really don't want to study.
Or get a job, but I would want it to be fab!
None of this run of the mill boring stuff that I do here in NYC.

I'm nervous about not being around my family and friends.
But I could make it.
Plus a psychic once told me that I was going to be in London or New York, and later move to LA.
Maybe she was right...

Salty, sour, dilly...

I love all things salty!
When I say I love sour, I don't mean the "super sour" candies of this new generation.
I mean sour cream.
I love dill pickles over sweet pickles.
I detest sweet pickles.
The mother loves them.
I love real mayo.
I hate Miracle Whip.
To the point that if I am making a sandwich and all you have is Miracle Whip then I wont eat.
The mother loves Miracle Whip.
I grew up on Miracle Whip.
In high school at a friends house I discovered, Mayo.
Hellaman's to be exact.
It was so good.
Total perfection.
I grew up thinking that I hated coleslaw.
It was always made with Miracle Whip and very sweet.
(The mother probably added sugar to it, because she adds a spoonful of sugar to everything.
She cringes when Emeril adds a dash of salt to the peach cobbler mixture.)

The redheaded Aunt always makes coleslaw in the summer.
Always!
I told her I hated coleslaw but tried hers after I watched her add scallions, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and Hellmans Mayo to the shreded cabbage.
it was wonderful!
Perfection.
The opposite of Sugar Slaw.
So I know love redheaded Aunt's cole slaw.
I want some...

Mean Mamma...

I already know that I will be a strict mother.
I believe in discipline & well mannered children.
I believe in bed times.
I believe in respect.

I had a mean mamma and I still love her!

If you ask KSD she will tell you that she made me go to bed when the sun was still out.
The brother and I had a very strict bed time of 8pm every night.
Unless it was Thursday and the Cosbys were on or a special like Charlie Browns "Great Pumpkin" was on the television.

She didn't allow back talk and you couldn't question her authority.
We never asked "why not?" when she told us we couldn't do something.
Never.
That would unleash her rath and you didn't want to unleash her rath!

She demanded respect.
We said "yes mam & no sir".
We would get an open hand smack in the mouth for saying "yeah" when we were called.
My mothers friends loved being around us because we were so well mannered.
I remember one account where the brother and I were in the back seat of the car and the mother was having a conversation with her friend in the front seat.
The brother said "Excuse me, Mommy"
The mother replied "In a minute I'm talking"
After about 10 minute the mothers friend said "you never answered your son!"
The mother then apologized to the brother and answered his question.

This was typical.
The mother wasn't into bratty children who demanded attention or sulked because they couldn't have their way.
I think parents need to realize that you are raising children that will grow into adults.
They will be in the workforce one day.
If they are used to you catering to every whim how will they adjust to a boss who says "NO!".

I feel very grounded because the mother set boundaries.
I knew that I couldn't run over her.
She had control of our home, because that was her job.
She didn't take no mess and I think it made me a better person.