A Month of Sundays

Oh, me, oh my, I can't believe it has actually been a month since I last posted, but seeing as how I have been very busy trying to secure a solid income for my family, while going to school and writing books, I guess something had to suffer.  Well, I decided that today I would post.  So much has happened since the last time that I posted, that I don't even know where to begin.  I'll start with the positive stuff.  Let's see, oh, yeah, Fourteen Year Old is now breaking state records running track for his school.  The boy is a beast on the tracks and if someone had not stolen my digital camera, (oopsie, I'm getting ahead of myself and want to stay positive for a minute), I'd have pictures and videos to prove it.  Anyway, like I was saying, the boy is BAD, in all caps.  To see him run way ahead of the pack is like watching a run-a-way stallion in an open field, and don't let the other racers think they have an edge when one of his teammates who aren't as fast as he gets a little behind and it's his turn to take the baton.  Whoa, Nelly, that boy closes the gap and ensures a victory at the finish line.  Okay, okay, I'm starting to sound like a proud momma, let me move on to something else.

As I stated earlier, I have been busy securing a solid income so that I can continue being able to be a stay-at-home mom.  I won't say that what I have found is solid, but it sure has potential to be solid if everyone cooperates.  See, I have been working as an advisor on an Internet psychic video and chat site.  Yes, you heard me, I have been working as an advisor on an Internet psychic video and chat site.  In my quest for finding a work at home job, I "stumbled" upon this by visiting a work at home mom site.  I'm a great networker, so getting the word out about my desire to counsel people through telephone services led to this opportunity.  I've been working the site for a little over a month and can honestly say that it is rewarding.  I've always been good at advising people and even though the site is for psychics, I still have my place.  I don't advertise myself as a psychic, but I do have psychic abilities that spring forth when I am at my best.  What I do share on the site is my innate wisdom and let's just say, there are a lot of people who can use my services.  I run my free chat room like it's a talk show.  I love it and for the most part, the people love me, too.  Although the site is not free, I get paid $1.99 per minute for a private chat, I give so much free advice during my rants that most just sit and watch as if they are watching Dr. Phil. 

Well, that's about it for the good news, I guess I'll head into the bad.  On the day of Fourteen Year Old's first track meet, someone kicked in my back door and stole my beloved computer.  Yep, my beloved computer, and mind you, they didn't take any of the attachments like my web cam and Internet connection.  Funny thing is, they didn't even take the power cord.  What they did get away with along with my computer was my digital camera, but after the battery runs low, they won't be able to do a damn thing with it, unless they get a replacement cord.  I don't know who did this despicable thing, but they weren't very bright.  After the police left, I sat down and prayed to the heavens.  I asked God to fill the person with so much guilt that they would have no choice but to bring me my beloved computer back.  I wasn't too worried about the camera because it could be replaced faster than the computer, which has become a part of my life.  You know I go to school online as well as work now, so it is a very important part of my existence.  Well I don't know about you, but I do believe in the power of prayer as well as miracles, so when I had to go around and knock on the boys' bedroom window in order to get back into the house after dropping my oldest son off at home, I wasn't too surprised to find my computer patiently waiting for me to retrieve it from my deck's floor.  Yep, whoever had stolen it from it's resting place in my bedroom, had left it for someone to find, out on my back porch.  Thankfully I had to knock on the boys' window that very same night or the elements would have ruined it the next day, as it had rained. 

Well, I think I have done enough catching up.  Oh, I forgot to mention that I flunked my two classes last semester and have to take them over.  It's okay though because I know that everything happens for a reason and seeing as now I have some sort of "stable" income, I can now concentrate on studying and putting in the hours to make some cash at the same time.  Hopefully it won't take me a month to get back to you, but just in case it does, I wish nothing but continued happiness and progress in your lives, as I continuously forge ahead in my quest for finding balance and peace in a sometimes hectic world.  Until next time...live your life by loving yourself. 

Welcome Wednesdays

Today, I'm hopping along with some great blogs and would like to invite you all to check them out as well.  Come join the hop, starting out over at http://takeitfrom-me.blogspot.com/.  Hope to see you hopping around.  Until then..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Triple Threat

Wow, it's hard to believe, but not really, that I am now the author of three books, yes, three books.  It's funny cause Twelve Year Old (Eleven Year Old had a birthday in my absencee) was like, when did you write this book?  He was talking about my second book of poetry, Fed Up Woman.  Actually that book was written a long time ago and it just took me a while to sit down and organize it to the point that it was ready for publication.  Most of the poems are over fifteen or more years old, but it's funny how some of them could have been written just yesterday. 

It's amazing what you can accomplish if you just commit to doing it.  I don't know how many other books I have inside of me waiting to get out, but I do know that I've started several other ones that just need for me to commit to finishing and then my collection of finished products will have grown and before I know it, I'll be looking at more books than I ever imagined I'd be writing.  So now that I have three books in publication, I guess the next thing to do is start marketing, so here goes.  If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy of any one of my books, please feel free to notify me and I'll give you the details on how to purchase them.  I know I really need a team of experts who know how to market properly, but for the time being, hopefully that will do.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

So Sorry

First I must apologize for not posting in a while.  I have been so busy trying to get my life situated to the point that it is flowing a little smoother than it has been in a while.  Along with spring cleaning and doing a little decorating, I've also been trying to clean out the emotional clutter in my life as well.  Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a busy spirit, always trying to fix things and people.  Well that "gift" has opened up a doorway for me to find financial gain while doing what comes naturally for me.  I have awaited this moment for an eternity, it seems, and it is finally here.  For the past week, I've been counseling people online as an advisor of sorts.  I'm still fairly new to this, so I won't give too many details just yet, except to say that it is truly a Godsend.  There will be a major change taking place in my life soon and this couldn't have come at a better moment.  I can say that everything does have its own season and if you believe in a Higher Power, you already know what I'm talking about. 

As the days leading up to the major change in my life pass, I will try to stay as connected to this blog as possible.  Along with working online now, and going to school, I'll do my best to keep providing my fans with material on a semi-daily basis.  I almost feel like a stranger on my own blog since it's been a little while since I've posted.  The days that I have not posted, were truly eventful and would have supplied you with much to read, but I guess since I didn't find my way here to write about it, it just wasn't meant to be.  Sometimes, some things do need to kept under wraps, but most things I will openly share, because that's just who I am. 

Well since I've updated you on some of the haps going on, I guess I better get back to the rest of my to-do list.  It really does help when you write things down and are able to cross them out as you finish them; it's such an easy system once you implement it.  By the time spring has completely sprung, I will be able to enjoy my days and nights in a more organized, smoother running environment and will be all the more happier in my new space.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Finding Balance

If you're a daily visitor, you'll see that I'm not posting on a daily basis anymore.  It's not that I have lost my zest for blogging, that is truly not the case.  It's just that other areas of my life, mainly my scholastic life, has suffered considerably in the past few months.  I'm really trying hard not to beat myself up and keep reminding myself that things like this happen to other people as well and that, even though I'm not doing so great at this moment, once upon a time, not long ago, I was doing a grand job in my studies.

So now, I'm trying to find that balance that I'm sure is out there, where I can be great at everything that I'm involved in.  I'm a great mom and that goes without saying;  and I'm a great writer, when I'm writing.  I have to get back to being a great student.  My degree is very important to me and even though I don't know what line of work I'm going to eventually go into, I'll have my degree to speak to the fact that I was a great enough student to obtain it. 

Finding balance in our daily lives can be as simple as committing to the time it takes to get things accomplished.  Once we make a conscious decision to put things in time frames and get them done, the next thing to do is, do them.  Parenting is a twenty-four seven job and so I stay on point for that.  Taking time to write is something that I am finding easier to do with my blogging platform.  Since my school life has been compromised, I will have to seriously get down to business in that department.  I have four weeks, including this one to get my act together.  I'm not sure if I can recover this semester, but next semester will be a fresh slate and I'm determined to get back to my A-B grade status.  I was thinking about taking some time off from school, but decided against it.  I only have eleven more months to go before I will have my Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice.  I'm pretty sure that I won't try to further my education as it's really not a priority at this point to get a higher degree. 

Speaking of school, I think I better go on and head over to my online classes.  It's Monday and usually not to many people have posted to the discussion area and I certainly don't want to wait until later and be left out of the conversation, as with the past weeks.  If I get a jump start on this week's assignments, I'm sure to be doing a lot better than last week and the previous weeks since I've started blogging.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

To Have Loved and Lost

LOVE GONE WRONG

Pain so intense, I wish I could stop this insanity

heart pumping blood; so full of life,

yet I’m walking around like a zombie

Twisted, wrung tight, gasping for breath

life being choked out, massive cardiac arrest

Mind, soul and body, weak from despair

drowning in sorrow, trying to come up for air

Love gone wrong; sick, twisted, hurts and emotion

take me out with some lethal potion.

Trisha Martin Copyright (c) 2011

This post is being written for THE POETRY CONTEST at Blogjunta.com as a part of WOMAN & BLOGGING month.  Check it out over at http://www.blogjunta.com/

Trisha's Treasures: Gems of Inspiration

Greetings sistas!  Just wanted to share the fact that I've just self-published my book of one-liners.  I've been working on this book for quite some time and can now say that it's done.  I'm very excited because it gives the world, yet another glimpse into my complex mind.  Some of the one-liners you might recognize, but most of them you won't.  The reason I put this book together is because it will remind people to think past themselves and start focusing on sharing themselves in a more positive way.  I'm not sure how well this book will be received, but it will certainly inspire those who have a genuine will to do better and give all something to ponder upon as they flip through the pages.  Thanks in advance for your support.  I'm hoping to have lots of reader comments in the future, but until then..."Live your life by loving yourself." 

Truly Blessed

I'm sitting here watching the steam rise up to my bathroom ceiling as I lay back on my, now deflated spa pillow that I purchased from my local dollar store.  I know you get what you pay for, but I think that the deflation came as a result of my fiance' inadvertently squished it with his dead weight as he took a nap on the couch.  Needless to say, it is still serving it's purpose by keeping my hair from laying up against the "naked" bathtub.  Since it only cost a buck, I'm gonna replace it and while I'm at it, I'm going to purchase my mom one too, because when I showed her this one, she said she always wanted something like that.  It's such a small price to pay for comfort and with it only costing a buck, I might as well get two. 

The steam is steady rising and on occasion, I'm raising a wine glass full of frozen pina colada drink to my lips.  I know it's not yet noon, but sometimes I want to go into chill mode early in my day.  There's a candle in the far left corner of my tub adding a glowing ambiance to my mid-day soak.  The scent is Glade's Relaxing Moments, Cool Serenity.  I just finished a rush job for a client who needed an article on the top three European cruise destinations.  I woke up this morning about 7:00 a.m. to get started.  I had less than four hours to research and write the article, plus proof it.  I had fourteen minutes to spare as I clicked on the submit button.  After finishing the article, I felt like I needed my own little get-a-way and decided to take a mid-day soak amid Vaseline Intensive Care's moisturizing bath beads.  The blue water reminded me of an oceanic scene. 

As I drifted in and out of sleep, I reflected on the previous day's events.  My day started off with me going to the jeweler's to see about them exchanging my peeling ring.  At first it seemed as if I was going to have to get irate, but perhaps the clerk had seen something in my eyes and in her foreign language, explained to the supervisor on the other end of the phone what the problem was.  The first suggestion the supervisor gave was for them to take the ring back to be repaired.  I looked at the clerk incredulously and asked her what was the point of their exchange policy, if I had to go through all of this.  After hanging up with the supervisor, before the clerk could get a word out, the phone rang again.  God must have been looking out for me, or perhaps the clerk, because she informed me that the supervisor said that I could choose another ring.  While waiting for her to write up the paper work, something told me to look at my phone which had a missed call and a voice mail.  Before I could check the voice mail, the phone was ringing again.  It was the school.  Drats, what now?  The person on the other end of the phone wasn't a male, so that put me at ease.  It was the school nurse informing me that Fourteen Year Old had sprang his ankle and couldn't walk on his own.  She said that he had requested that she call me so that I could come pick him up.  Well, at least he wasn't in trouble this time, so I was looking forward to going to collect him.

Laying here soaking, my mind is totally at ease.  Fourteen Year Old is tucked securely in his bed and I must say that his immobility is a breath of fresh air.  Just knowing that he is mere feet away from me, not able to get into mischief at school, takes a gigantic weight off of me, but there's a more serious reason why my mind is at ease at this moment.  Yesterday was a day of events that could have made today a total nightmare, instead of one where I am able to relax while the rest of the world may be upside down.  After leaving Walmart's yesterday, with my mom in tow, I was involved in a four vehicle collision, with me being in the front vehicle.  Me and my mom were on our way to Taco Bell, and I guess Devine Intervention wouldn't allow us to purchase any of the mystery meat.  My family had already had my home-made, world famous tacos days earlier, so I wasn't particularly trying to eat tacos again, but Mommy Dearest wanted to grab something quick to take home to her hubby.

Back to the four vehicle collision.  We were waiting for a red light to turn green and there was pick-up truck in front of us.  After the light turned green, the pick-up didn't move and neither did I.  I consider myself an excellent driver and the fact that I didn't move just because the light turned green proves it.  The truck in front of me must have stalled because it was several minutes before it took off, and just as it took off and I was about to follow, the SUV behind me hit me.  I put my vehicle into park and got out and went to talk to the driver.  There were two more SUVs behind her and they were all touching each other.  I suggested we all pull over to the bank parking lot and so the last vehicle's driver went first and everyone else followed suit with me arriving last.  We all got out and surveyed the damage.  I was the only vehicle that did not acquire any damage.  The vehicle that hit mines had a crunched license plate in the front, but not too much damage in the back.  I saw a glimpse of the other vehicles, but was not too concerned because they had their own issues and mine was clearly with the person immediately behind me. 

After seeing that I had no damage, and knowing that the police were on the way, I excused myself from the premises because, and I'm not too proud of this, but, I did not have any insurance.  The vehicle's driver was relieved that I didn't have any damage and agreed that there wasn't a reason for me to hang around.  I made my great escape down some unfamiliar side streets and back into my own neighborhood within a matter of fifteen minutes.  I know this sounds like something out of a movie and believe me, I've never done anything like this in my life, but it was quite an adventure.  My mom, who is my riding buddy kept saying that she didn't see where I did anything wrong, but aren't moms supposed to defend their children?  I knew that I should have stayed, but given the fact that I didn't have any insurance and that I didn't cause the accident, I thought everything would be alright. 

We arrived in front of my house and discussed what had just happened.  Oddly enough, I wasn't nervous or anything.  We kept saying that I didn't do anything wrong, except leave.  As we sat there, a vehicle turned the corner and guess who it was?  You guessed right, it was the police.  They had found me.  Before they parked, I was out of my vehicle and on my way into my house to retrieve my lottery tickets.  Is that crazy or what?  I came back out and an officer was shining his flashlight on my vehicle.  He greeted me with a hello and I responded back with a, heeeyyy.  It was the most surreal thing I had ever experienced; it felt like a dream.  He asked me was I the driver of the vehicle and I said yes, then he asked for my identification and while I was trying to find it in my purse, he asked me what happened tonight?  I was like, "You mean, what just happened about thirty minutes ago?" and he said, yes.  I calmly told him exactly what happened, from start to finish.  He went over to my mom's side of the vehicle and asked who she was and if anybody was hurt.  We told him we were fine and that the vehicle did not obtain any damage from the collision.  He then explained that since the accident happened somewhere else, the police from that district were on their way over.  He then told me to get back into my truck so that I could stay warm. 

The other district's officers arrived and they were just as friendly as the first two.  They asked me what happened and how many vehicles were involved and wanted to confirm what the other drivers had said.  The last vehicle's driver had lied and said that someone hit him, but the other drivers said that that was not the case.  They went to write down all of my information for future references and then alerted me that although I didn't cause the accident or have any damage, next time I should stay at the scene.  The initial report had come in that there were a certain number of vehicles involved and so they had to come find me.  I know exactly who gave them my information.  It was the passenger of the vehicle who hit me from behind.  I saw him eyeballing my license plates as I was leaving.  Instead of being grateful that their insurance didn't have to pay for any damages, he ratted me out.  Needless to say, this morning after taking my soak, I will be ordering insurance from my former insurance company.  Knowing that the situation could have been far worse, I'm not about to chance not having insurance for another day.  I don't know how long I'll be able to afford it, seeing as that's the reason I didn't have it in the first place, but for the next thirty days I'm covered.  Well until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Woman (in Honor of International Women's Day)

God created Woman from one bone of a man
then He custom built her with His creative hands

From the crown of her head to the soles of her feet
everything about her, He made unique

Her complex mind, her strong, yet fragile heart
He took His time and hand crafted every part

Her real beauty and strength He put on the inside
so she could go within herself if she needed to hide

God created Woman after He created everything
saving His masterpiece for last, a true reason to sing

Today we celebrate Woman and all she stands for
to God be the glory; forevermore.

Trisha Martin Copyright (c) 2005

You Get What You Pay For Part II

So me and Fiance' have rings, purchased just last week.  We were doing a little bling, bling shopping for the boys and decided we'd get ourselves something nice too.  I'm not really into bling but figured since we were spending money on the boys, we might as well treat ourselves too.  What caught our attention was the 45-70% off sign.  Should have known better.  Anyways, that night, everyone was especially feeling good about their new blinging status.  The boys had acquired a pair of nice looking earrings that they shared.  Having one hole guaranteed a discount when it came to purchasing earring ware.  Fiance' felt special with his new ring seeing that a friend and his wife had purchased rings recently.  Even though we're not officially married yet, our rings give the impression that we are, and we've been wearing them proudly.

Today as I was surfing the net, I happened to be admiring my ring.  You can imagine my horror when I saw what looked like copper on one side of my ring.  I investigated it further and saw that the silver was peeling.  What in the world?  I thought this ring was real.  The original price of the ring was $500 plus and the jeweler had sold it to me for $120.00.  Even at $120.00, I don't believe that the ring was worth it, now that it was peeling.  I found the receipt and it said that I had 7 days to return for an exchange, but NO refund.  I called my mother, my riding buddy, and hit the road. 

We arrived at the mall where we had purchased the jewelry and found the same salesman.  I'm wondering if he remembered me or thought he had himself another sucker.  "How may I help you ma'am?" he asked.  "Ummm, I was just in here seven days ago and purchased this ring and now it's peeling," I said.  He then asked me a series of questions starting with had I put any detergent on it, had I tried to wash it, had I applied lotion on while wearing it, do I have allergic reactions to silver?"  "No, no, no, no," I shook my head to each question.  "Well, I've never seen this happen before," he said, acting like I was the first unsatisfied customer he had had in his life.  He told me to come back on Wednesday, which would be nine days after the purchase and therefore, I'm pretty sure, there'll be an issue with the guarantee.  He said his supervisor would be there on Wednesday and that she would take care of me.  I looked at him like he was crazy because I've watched enough court case shows to know that verbal communication is not the business.  Sorry Charlie, I didn't fall off the cabbage truck just last night, I thought to myself.  How dare he think that I was that naive. 

I demanded that he write what he was telling me on the back of the receipt that CLEARLY said that I had seven days, not nine to get an exchange.  By the time his supervisor is on the scene, I probably won't stand nearly as much a chance as I stand talking to this initial salesman, today.  After he wrote on the back of the receipt and scribbled his name, I stood there and texted on my notepad on my phone that on 3/7/2011, I was told by a clerk at Armanii Jewelers to come back on Wednesday to talk to his supervisor about the peeling ring.  I sure hope he knows that I will be back up there on Wednesday.  It's one thing to buy something and know that it is not genuine, but to buy something under the assumption that it is the real deal Holyfield, is something else.  I could have taken the money that I spent on the silver plated ring and spent it on a real ring at a pawn shop.

I don't know if I'll get an exchange for this faulty ring, but one thing is for sure, I will announce to the world, through this blog as well as through Twitter and Facebook, that Armanii Jewelers sell silver plated jewelry and buyer beware.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Advice Anyone???

Hello, hello, hello!!!  It's Sunday and  my day of rest.  Well, you know a woman's work is never done, so I can't say that I am officially resting today, but I'm certainly not fretting over going to my online classes, which have become such a chore for me ever since I've started blogging.  My assignments are due by Saturday at 11:59 p.m. and so usually on Sunday, I take the day off from even thinking about school; so basically that's where my resting comes in.

I'm finishing up my laundry today.  I started yesterday and because I've been without a dryer for over a month, I pretty much am washing up everything in sight and drying it.  Some things are probably already clean, but because of my past un-organizational skills, I'm taking a precaution and washing everything.  I'm nearly done, and once I've finished, I'll go back to doing my laundry on Saturdays.  With everything washed up, all I have to do is maintain a routine to ensure that things don't pile up again.

Getting on topic, I wanted to alert everyone that I am now an advisor for www.msmirpsychics.com.  Although I'm not a practicing psychic, I am very intuitive and full of wisdom.  If you're already calling the infamous, Ms. Cleo, or any of her other "co-workers," you might as well call me for some sound advice; I promise not to steer you wrong.  I've been giving advice to others for years and seeing as I originally started going to school to obtain a degree to have credentials in order to counsel wayward youth, I might as well get my "groove" on by counseling the world at large.  Hope to see you around at Ms. Mir's, and if you're looking for me, I'm Mi3cents.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

M.I.A. But Now I'm Back

Greetings everyone, I've been away for awhile.  I truly apologize for skipping a few days, but had some out of town guest in and couldn't fit blogging into my schedule.  I will say that despite my visitors, I was still able to get a lot of other things accomplished around my house.  Most of my projects have now been completed, and my house is now almost functioning with Grade A status.  I was able to find the two appliances I needed at a resale appliance store.  My "new" stove and dryer were much needed and now I can get back on track with my chore of laundering, which I really missed.  Going to the laundry mat used to be fun and relaxing, but when you've become a home-body such as myself, having to pack up wet clothes is not fun or relaxing.  Now I can wash and dry and fold in less time than it would take me to pack up and drive across town and dry and drive back home.  I haven't tried out my new dryer yet, but Fourteen Year Old says that it dries stuff really fast.  He found out because a couple of his buddies got caught in the down pour that hit our city yesterday evening after they were returning home from the mall.  Of course Fourteen Year Old wanted to go with them, but I don't like last minute plans and so he couldn't tag along.

Anyway, I've been really busy trying to get my house spring-cleaned before spring actually springs.  Once it gets here, I want to be able to get outside into my yard and do some tidying up and planting.  I've been at this location for six years now and have always desired to have vibrant plants growing in my front yard.  Let me tell you that I have attempted to have this in years gone by, but unfortunately that miracle flower rug thing did not work.  I planted it along my front porch and added a few patches in a flower well in my front yard and guess what, this miracle did not happen.  So this year, I'm going with some bulbs as opposed to the packets of flowers I've purchased in the past.  I bought six packs of vibrant flowers and planted them in the well thingy.  To this day, there is only the weed things that I dig up every year in order to make room for the colorful plant life that I've been dreaming of having ever since I first started purchasing my "old" house.  Hopefully this year, I get some beautification going on.

My next projects will be adding some color to my house's walls and getting my basement cleaned out so that Fiance' can chill in his own surroundings.  Step by step I'm getting more organized, which is a part of my whole New Year's resolution.  I'm learning that it doesn't take much to make things happen, but the first step is taking the initiative and getting started.  In one week's time, I've made some small changes and the difference can truly be felt when you walk through the front door.  After getting the basement cleaned out, I plan on doing something different with my bathroom.  This past week we did fix the bathtub faucet issue, which was the handle that determines if the shower is on or the water is running for a bath, was broken.  My poor fiance' who is king in the kitchen, was a court jester when it came to handyman detail, but with a little, okay, a lot, of coaxing, he has now mastered installing a kitchen faucet and remedying the bathtub faucet situation.  I now have three handles that match on my bathtub faucet.  I still have yet to take one of my relaxing, bubble filled baths but that's only because he fixed them just this morning.

Well, it's time for me to take my stepfather to work.  I am a chauffeur for various members of my family which is cool because some of them actually give me gas money to take them where they need to go.  I don't mind because most of the destinations are not that far away from the house and I'm back in within a matter of minutes.  I don't know about you, but I love my own four walls.  If I never left them, it wouldn't bother me one bit.  With my blogging world intact and my school life hanging on by a thread, I just want to be here.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

The Patience of Job

OMG, I am just now getting to my activity of choice.  I spent the better half of the day trying to download and install the new AVG Internet Security 2011 software on my computer.  I've been downloading and installing stuff for years, but I guess today was software's day to aggravate me.  I've had minimal virus protection on my computer and probably could have done without this purchase, seeing as it's been since November since my trial subscription expired.  I bought the full version of AVG Internet Security 2011 to ease my mind.  I live on my computer and would probably emotionally/mentally die if something suddenly happened where I could not function on it.  I did three months at the county library and trust me, it's just not the same.  Each day I would actually have to get up, find something to wear, get in my vehicle and drive up to the library.  It's not that far from where I live at, but it sure was inconvenient and just plain irritating, to say the least.  So now that I'm able to walk out of my bedroom, clothed or unclothed and hop in front of "my" world, I never want to give up.  I feel like my extra Internet protection is my security blanket.

After forking over more than half a C-note, I downloaded the software and thought I was installing it properly.  Once the installation was complete, I had to restart my computer.  Restarting my computer, I felt a sense of relief and accomplishment because I knew that I had done something to ensure the life of my Internet world.  The computer loaded up all the start-up applications, but then to my horror, my Internet service would not start up.  What in the world?!  I've been dealing with computers for quite some time, so I didn't panic, TOO much.  I tried un-installing and reinstalling.  On my final attempt to remedy the problem, I disabled the firewall and my Internet popped on.  Not satisfied simply because I had gotten the Internet to work, I called customer service.  I swear I must have the patience of Job, or simply was hell-bent on getting my money's worth out of this program and wanted to make sure that everything that I paid for was working properly because it was nearly a half hour before someone finally got on the line.  He explained that they were short on staff or something or another.

He walked me through the installation process but unfortunately, I had to restart the computer before we were finished with our business and once the computer started back up, the problem was not fixed.  Me being pretty computer savvy, I un-installed, yet again and even restored the computer to an earlier date.  After this, I started from scratch.  I must have done something right this time because all components of the software are working, my Internet is running and I'm blogging again, listening to Itunes.  I'd say everything in my computer world is a-okay.  Sorry to have kept you waiting for my latest blog entry but now I'm going to have to leave you so that I can get a jump start on my class work.  I am determined to squeeze my school life back into my life's equation and do it successfully.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Silence of the "Lamb"

For the past six or so months, my vehicle has sounded like a souped-up drag racing car.  The younger people in my neighborhood think the sound is very cool, me; not so much.  This was a minor vehicle repair that should have been taken care of when the problem first arose, but with everything else going on in my life, it just had to wait.  Once I found out it was something minor, I knew that when my surplus money came in, I would surely get it fixed. 

Sitting here at the computer deciding what I was going to do next on my to-do list, I decided to take care of the vehicle, since it was a pretty decent day.  My "shade tree" mechanic who I went to grade school with lives right around the corner, so I gave him a call.  He said give him about an hour to get around to my house and he'd take care of the problem for $20.00.  Such a small price to pay for silence.  He arrived and immediately went to work.  It took him no more than thirty minutes to fix the problem.  He knocked on the door to receive his payment and I informed him that I needed to take a ride in order to get the money.  Fiance' thought I should have had the money already, but seeing as I wanted a legitimate reason to drive the vehicle before paying my mechanic, I decided I'd wait.  Me and the mechanic hopped in Big Red and took off down the street; golden silence.  Wow, now my mother along with all my other neighbors wouldn't know when we left the house.  We could actually sneak up on Fourteen and Eleven Year Old now that Big Red's engine was reduced to a soft purr. 

Well, I'm getting ready to take a road trip with Fourteen and Eleven Year Old.  I have to take back the shoes that we bought for Eleven Year Old yesterday.  The boys weren't with me and Fiance' when we left the house yesterday, but I decided to bring them the shoes of their choice, and Eleven Year Old's didn't fit.  He is only eleven but wears a size 8 1/2.  He's going to be taller than me soon, and I'm sure his feet will be pass his brother's shoe size in another year, if not before.  I want to leave out before rush hour starts so...until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

I've Done My Part

Okay, so me and Fourteen Year Old go up to his school to get his homework packet.  I schedule meetings with the administration personnel to voice my concern as to him being suspended for "sexual harassment" and "sexual misconduct".  I visit his counselor who doesn't even know what's been going on.  She's the advocate for the children and also the person that I need to see in regards to his homework packet.  After I tell her what's going on, she leaves her room to talk to the principal who has ordered the suspension.  When I saw him earlier in the halls and asked him had he heard anything, he looks at me like he didn't know what I was talking about. Giving him a look like "Are you serious; you don't remember that I'm waiting on word from the accuser's parent as to how many days my son is to be M.I.A. from classes?"  He all of a sudden "remembers" and says that he left two messages for the parent and she hasn't called back. 

Long story short, the counselor needs to talk to the accuser to get to the bottom of everything.  She is wondering why the young "lady" didn't inform her that my son had been "sexually harassing" her.  If she was really bothered and not just embarrassed, surely she would have informed someone.  I'm wondering where were the boys' enraged parents, who my son had mentioned, who had actually done something to the girl?  I understand that people have to work, but isn't this something that you would take off for?   IF, I was still sitting on some one's time clock, I would have called in to take care of something as serious as this, if my child was involved.  Wouldn't you?

So now I'm waiting for a call back from someone to tell me if my child indeed has to do five days or if he'll only have to do three.  If the mother doesn't call today to set up a meeting in regards to what has happened to her child at school, as well as in her home, all I'm gonna do is shake my head.  When we were leaving the parking lot, my son said that if he was the girl, he'd be scared.  I asked him why?  He said that once her mother finds out what those boys did to her, in her home, the girl should get in trouble with her mom.  I agree.  I'll keep you posted on the outcome of this situation.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Income Tax Refund, Yaaaaaaa!

So I got my "surplus" money and have started my home improvement projects.  The very first thing I wanted to get done is a new kitchen faucet so Fourteen and Eleven Year Old could not have an excuse as to why they "couldn't" wash dishes.  My old faucet had one of those lever thingy things where you had to turn it to the left or the right depending on what temperature of water you wanted to use.  The lever thingy had been broke for a while and although it would still work, the lever thingy was always falling off; how aggravating.  So that was my first order of business because when Fourteen or Eleven Year Old wanted to wash something out for themselves, they would use the bathroom sink.  This created a new problem because the bathroom sink drains slow and whenever they washed something out, the residue would still be in the sink; and who would have to clean that up?  Why, me of course. 

With the new kitchen faucet they won't have a need to go the the bathroom to wash dishes, they could now contribute to the chore of washing dishes without having an excuse.  So Fiance' puts the new kitchen faucet on with some degree of difficulty; he's a cook, not a handyman.  I was going to do it myself, cause I'm that type of girl, but he decided he'd do it.  Well, after being splashed with hot water because we didn't realize you had to cut off the water supply before unhooking any pipes, he finally took off the old and on with the new.  When I first asked him did he know how to install the new faucet he said no and that he'll see if this guy he works for on a VERY part-time basis could do it.  I wasn't cool with that; that's why I was going to do it myself.  Fiance' must have seen the look in my eyes and decided he'd better at least try to put the new one on; he succeeded.  Now he has experience on how to install a new kitchen sink; see how easy it is to learn to do something, after all, it did come with instructions.  Before he moved in with me, I would have done it myself.  I put in a new ball and chain and handle on my bathroom toilet, so I feel like I can do whatever I put my mind to do, especially if there's instructions. 

Anyway, while running up and down the basement steps to turn the water supply off and on, I discovered that the drain where my washing machine water empties out was flooding.  Oh boy, not this problem again.   I haven't been down there much because my dryer is broken and I've been going to the laundry mat, so I don't even know when this problem first started occurring.  All I do know is once a year I have this problem.  Well it could not have come at a better time, because if it had happened last week we surely would have been up a creek without a paddle.  After calling the plumbers, it cost $189.00 and that was after they took off $40.00 dollars cause I had a coupon.  I swear when you get "extra" money, there's always something that arises to take its portion.  I'm just thankful that they came out as fast as they did.  It was the weekend and I truly couldn't imagine going all weekend thinking about every time the toilet flushed or someone took a shower that the basement would flood.  Just the thought of that is making me gag.  I've been there before, and trust me, it's not a pleasant thought.

I still have yet to get my tub faucets fixed.  They didn't have those at Walmart.  That's next on my list.  Right now, the shower is always on when you turn the water on.  The handle that's supposed to turn it on and off is stripped and it is very aggravating to have to deal with that.  I love taking my long, bubble bath soaks and have resorted to taking only showers, which I don't mind, I just don't prefer showers over baths.  I don't know if it will be today or tomorrow, but that's next on my to-do list.  I just want everything to be in working order.  It just seems like your world is more peaceful when everything is working properly.  Once I finish the repairs, I'll work on getting essentials like, a newer/used dryer.  I don't believe in paying full price for something even if I can afford to.  Why buy new, when you can buy nice used products?  Now when I have an excess of money, I'll be able to think excessively, but until then, I spend only what I have to, to get the job done.  The boys need new bunk mattresses, they'll get those this week as well as new dressers.  They've been keeping their room pretty clean ever since I did the mass clean-up about three weeks ago.  They are growing up and probably are getting tired of living in their cluttered environment.  Once I cleaned it from top to bottom, all they had to do is maintain it.  They also need new blinds.  Their "old" ones, which were brand new ended up being casualties when I bought them B.B. guns and their friends came over with theirs and so, the blinds ended up looking like Swiss cheese.  Needless to say, no more B.B. gun purchases for this mom.  Not because of the blinds, but just because they weren't the most smartest purchase I've ever made.  We live in the Murder Capital of the Country, why should I prepare them for future combat? 

After I purchase their needed upgrades, I'm going to buy some paint and give my surroundings a new look.  My living room is a dull beige color and it's not very cheery.  I'm not sure if I'm going to go with a particular color or all white, but I know my walls need a new look.  My "old" house that I had to give up was called the "Crayon House."  Every room was a different vibrant color.  I miss my old house, but don't miss the two house payments that I had to pay.  So much for the trip down memory lane.

With spring in the air, I just want my castle to be a place that I can take pride in.  There are a lot of improvements that need to be made and gradually they will be made.  I'm trying to ration out my surplus money because we all know how easy income tax refunds come and how quickly they leave.  I also want to figure out a way where I can plant a small seed or investment that will give me lasting returns.  I 'm really tired of struggling from day to day and if I could just find something to invest in that will allow my money not to dry up completely to the point that I'm wishing income tax refund season hurry up and gets here, I'll be doing a lot better than the year that just passed.  If anyone has some real suggestions and not any MLM schemes, please let me know.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Sexual Harassment, Really???

I woke up to all zeros on my computer screen when I checked my bank cards online; a sign of a not good day.  After the boys went off to school, I got back in the bed for my after-the-boys-leave nap.  As usual my sleep was invaded by a dream.  In the dream, I had to put my hands on Fourteen Year Old.  The last time I dreamed he was in trouble at school, he was.  He wasn't at school this time, he had actually come back home in my dream and I was getting on him about not going to school.  If only he had stayed home in real life.  Calling my bank card's 1-800 number, I was relieved to know that there was a scheduled direct deposit for the day.  That's all I needed to hear to ease my day, but before I could get off the phone with my good news, my cell phone starts ringing.  I'm still on the computer's Magic Jack phone and so my fiance' answers the cell phone.  I look over at him and he mouths, "It's the school."  "Oh Gawd, not again," I say to myself.  After getting off my happy call, I dial the school back up; it's the Principal's direct dial.  I'm not going to even type out the dialogue cause I just don't want to, but the gist of the conversation is that Fourteen Year Old is cutting up in class.  I have to come up and sit with him or take him home.  Now doesn't that sound like some kindergartner #@$%.

So I get dressed and have already let the principal know that I don't have time to come up and babysit a fourteen year old, so there's probably going to be some corporal punishment, for sure.  He told me to come on up.  After I get there, I walk through the halls like I'm going to war; I am, I am waring against my teenage son acting like he doesn't have any home training.  So I walk into his classroom and motion for him to follow me.  Everybody knows me and knows that I am a no-nonsense kind of mom, so they already know that if I'm up there, I mean business.  My son's crime was "joning" with another classmate.  If you don't know what joning is, it's when they talk about each other or relatives.  In this case the other party to the joning session was a girl who has "issues".  At least that's what the Principal told me when I caught up with him after I slapped my son around a few seconds to see if I could get him to understand the seriousness of my time.  Even though I quit my job six years ago so that I could be contacted on a dime's notice when there was a problem with any of my children at school, I still didn't want to keep running up there because he couldn't keep his mouth shut.  My son said that the girl started it and he finished it.  Finished it to the point that despite the principal telling him to settle down, he did not, thus the phone call to mommy. 

Okay, so this young lady has "issues," so does my son.  As not to divulge too much information about him, I'll just say that the school put a label on him when he was in the first grade that has followed him to this day.  My child is quite bright/intelligent when he wants to be, but sometimes he snaps when he's provoked.  They wanted to put him on Ritalin, but no can do.  I was not going to have my son reduced to a zombie in school because he was hyper-active.  At any rate, there are a lot of kids with "issues" at that school and my son wants to know why is it okay for someone to start something with him and when he takes it to another level, he's the one who gets in trouble?  I understand his question because I have the same question rolling around in my head.  So if a child has "issues" or is "special" and they hit or provoke another student, the other student is supposed to take into consideration that "Oh, they have issues so I have to let them do what they do to me?"  I don't think any fourteen year old or anyone older or younger should have to put up with someone else cause they're special.

So I ask my son do I need to take him home or is he going to be okay for the rest of the day.  I warned him that if I have to come back up, it's not going to be pretty.  He assured me that he would keep his mouth shut, especially if a person who has "issues" says something to him.  I felt like he meant it.  So I tell him that I will see him around 2:50 p.m. because he and his brother have a doctor's appointment to get the second of three shots they need.  I told him to be good and I'll see him later.  That was that.

Fast forward to 2:50 p.m. and I'm walking through the metal detectors of the school.  The security staff doesn't even wand me like they normally do and they're all saying, "Go on baby," sympathetically, like a grandma would say.  So I go to the office to request my son be dismissed for early dismissal.  They get on the two-way radio thingy and ask that someone escort him down to the office from room "whatever."  The security peeps tell me that he's not in room "whatever," he's in the Principal's office and he's been in there for a while.  What in the world?  I thought I left him in good shape. 

I get upstairs and walk into the Principal's office and my son says, "Momma, they trying to say that I sexually harassed a girl."  I'm like, "What?"  The Principal tells me that this girl came to him crying saying that my son has been bothering her for a week.  A week, are you serious?  So you wait a whole week to tell that someone has been bothering you, sexually harassing you at that?  I don't get too excited because I want to hear the whole story so that I can see what's the deal.  I'm going to school for a Criminal Justice degree so that I can help wayward children and at this moment, it's time for me to utilize my twelve months of schooling.  I sit and listen to my son's version.  He doesn't stutter and vehemently says he didn't do anything to that girl; said he didn't even really know her.  The girl's story is that he's been harassing her in the hall; I'm still trying to see where the sexually harassing comes in.  My son said that two of his buddies told him that they inappropriately touched the girl and she didn't have a pleasant smell.  My son says that he laughed.  What else is a fourteen year old supposed to do.  The girl never mentions the buddies, but my son figured since he's getting in trouble for something he didn't do, he's squealing on everybody.  Fourteen Year Old says that he walked into a class that the girl was leaving out and the class smelled musty, so he blurted out, "It stinks in here."  He said he never even said a word to her, just that it stunk in the class.  I can hear him myself.  He has no problem pointing out any one's body odor. 

The girl, thinking he's talking about him, goes to the principal and says that he's been sexually harassing her for about a week; around the time that his buddies disclosed to him what had taken place outside of the school grounds.  I'm still waiting for the sexual harassment part.  One observer of the girl's "performance" in the Principal's office is that you would have thought MY son had touched her or raped her.  Obviously he wasn't buying her story.  Long story short, they wanted to get me up there as soon as possible before the girl's mother arrived since they know that I would be there in case my son needed me.  After listening to everything, here's what I've come up with.  The girl, out of embarrassment for what the buddies were spreading around about her, needed a scapegoat and since my son wasn't involved in the initial "tampering" of the goods, she wanted to take the spotlight off of herself and put it on him since he was now privy to what had taken place.  That's just my perception of everything.  I'm still trying to figure out what the sexual harassment is.  Did my son say something inappropriate to her about what he heard?  He said he didn't, he wouldn't do that to her, he doesn't even know her.  Do I believe him?  Not sure.  All I know is, if those guys were touching that girl in her southern regions and my son laughed about it or even said something to her about it, is that really sexual harassment?  That's such a serious term.  Unfortunately, my son has been suspended for five days so that the school can cover their butts as to taking care of the situation.  I'm not upset about that, but what I am upset about is the fact that they are taking this girl's word over my son's and there are deeper issues that aren't being addressed.  Those boys told my son what they did to that girl, is no one concerned about that?  I am. 

I'm going up to the school on Monday morning to pick up a homework package so that my son won't fall behind.  The Principal said that he's supposed to be meeting with the girl's mother to find out what she wants to do about my son.  If the girl says she just wants my son to leave her alone, then everything is squashed and my son will only have to serve three days of suspension.  If the mother presses charges, then they'll contact me.  They won't have to contact me, I'll already be up there.  Being accused of sexual harassment at the age of fourteen is a serious offense and I'm not sure if what he did was indeed sexual harassment and I'm not going to rest until I find out exactly what's going on.  I'm not sure if they were trying to scare my son into maturity, but he's only fourteen, how many of us were mature at that age?  Threatening him with jail time because he repeated what he had heard to a girl is a bit extreme, if that's what happened, but we are living in extreme times where you can get into trouble for something that, back in the day, would be considered teasing.  Where's my home schooling packet at?  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Who's Nervous

Okay, so I made it through the Black History Month program.  My whole day up until I walked into the gymnasium was a blur.  Time sure slips away from you when you're working on several things at one time.  I decided to wear something that I already had.  In hindsight, I could have done that from the beginning and saved the time I spent trying to purchase something new to wear for something else, like school perhaps?  So I'm trying to get the hairdo together and literally was still working on it while putting on my sweater and grabbing my purse to head out.  The coordinator for the program had told me that me getting there between six and six-fifteen was ideal.  When I hopped into the truck the clock was reading 6:13 p.m.  As I've said in another post, I can get from point A to point Z in seconds if I have to.  By the time we pulled up to the school, there wasn't much room left to park, but lucky for me and my fiance' there was one space left, immediately after turning into the school's driveway.  I wasn't sure if it was an acceptable place to park, but since I was running a wee bit behind, I decided to take the chance.

I jumped out the truck and besides the chilly wind chilling me to the bones, looking at all the cars on the parking lot of the school and the parking lot of the elementary school next to the middle school, I shivered, uncontrollably.  "Baby, what have I gotten myself into?" I asked my fiance' while half running to the entrance.  There was a sign-in table when we first walked in and I saw the coordinator and the look on her face let me know that I looked fabulous.  I felt so thrown together, but apparently I had pulled it off.  She ushered me and my fiance' towards the gymnasium and when I walked in, all the seats on the floor were filled and the side bleachers had minimal seating left.  I kept whispering, "What have I gotten myself into?"  She walked us across the floor and there were two seats left, marked reserved.  Wow, we were sitting in reserved seats.  We sat down and I took a  peek at the program.  I noticed that right after the Black National Anthem, I was to speak.  Well at least I was up first and could get my speaking engagement out the way and enjoy the rest of the evening. 

When they called my name, I stood up, walked up to the stage's steps and silently prayed that I wouldn't trip up them.  "Jesus, help me," I said under my breath, walking up each of the three steps.  I walked up to the podium, thank God for the podium, and grabbed the microphone.  I said good evening to the crowd and they said good evening back.  I proceeded to do as Fourteen Year Old had instructed me not to do and that was introduce myself and let everybody know that I was his mother.  He should have been there, but I was nervous enough without having to worry about saying the right thing in front of him, so I didn't insist on him or his brother coming.  It wasn't like either one of them were interested in the least.

I nervously read one poem out of my book, My Naked Mind: An Intimate Collection of Poetry, and the one that I had barely finished about two hours before the program.  I must have done great because the crowd clapped for me.  While walking back down the steps and passing the girl's basketball team, I heard one young girl say, "I liked your poems."  I thanked her and sank back into my seat, shaking like a leaf.  My fiance' said, "You did great, babe."  The older lady sitting next to him, reached for my book and asked how she could get one.  I pulled out my order form paper that I had brought along and she put her information on it.  I had sold the last of my book supply around December of last year and didn't have any on hand.  I could have sold as many as I had brought, if I had brought some, but I wasn't too worried about book sales as much as I was worried about getting through my speaking engagement. 

Since I had made it through my portion of the evening, I was able to enjoy and appreciate the rest of the evening.  There were young girls reciting the works of others, a projected presentation that brought tears to my eyes because my two poems were in sync with what was being said, the band performed twice and there was also a dance presentation.  I truly felt honored to be a part of the celebration of Black Women in history.  Being included as a guest speaker was a part of the history that I was making; a truly monumental moment.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

A Black Woman Can (Recited at the Black History Program)

A Black Woman can be anything

she puts her mind to be

she can help run a country

or be the richest woman on T.V.

She can even drop out of high school

but then get back on track

all while carrying the weight of her world

heavy on her back

She can lead generations to safety

bringing freedom; guided by a star

getting help from another race

as she traveled near and far

She can even make history

by being the first Black Woman millionaire

showing women how to take pride

in taking care of their hair

She can even go from silent mode

to inspiring the world through her words

never doubting herself, no matter

what she’d heard

A Black Woman can be anything

she puts her mind to be

and every Black Woman in this room

can make her own history.

Uuuuugggggghhhhhh

That is the sound I made as I tried to slip this body trimming thingy over my body-meat.  It was almost painful as I squeezed it over my shoulders and tried to get it past the little rolls on my back.  After struggling to get it untucked and pulled down over my belly, I had to laugh because again I realized, you get what you pay for.  I've been eyeing this body trimming thingy ever since Christmas and I finally needed it and so I bought it.  Well, I'm sitting here with it on, after having to hoist and push my "girls" into the underwire bra thingy like I was hiding them from the titty bandits.  Believe it or not, with all of this discomfort, the thing isn't even hiding what I bought it to hide.  My poochie belly is still sticking out proudly as if to be saying, "Humph, you thought you could smother me and make me go away; not going to happen. 

I don't even want to talk about the outfit that I bought.  I visited the store I used to shop at when I was still wearing a 5/6 because I knew that it would fit my budget.  The visit must have taken me all the way back in time because for some strange reason, I thought I could fit into a size medium pair of leggings and a medium dress thingy.  They both are made out of stretchy material, but guess what, neither of them gave as I pulled and twisted my way into them.  I told you how much I despise shopping for clothes and I'm sure that little cashier was just being polite when she said, "You're barely big as a minute."   People used to say that to me back in the day and it most certainly was true, but now, how dare they patronize me. 

Well the hours are slipping away and I still don't have an outfit for this evening and I have yet to finish that poem.  I guess I better gone and get off of my blog and handle my business.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Crunch Time

Sorry I'm just now posting, for those who've been here and saw no changes.  I've been up since 6:45 trying to get my final edits to the publisher.  I'm done.  I'll be relieved when everything is finished and I'm promoting my second book along with my first one.  Perhaps the second book will jump start the first one's interest again.  Sometimes when people see that you're not a "one-hit wonder" they support you.  I'm banking on that. 

Anyway, now it's time to finish the poem I started for the Black History Month program.  I started it over a week ago and still haven't finished it.  I'm such a procrastinator and really need to get rid of that bad habit.  If I was finished with it, I could spend some time on my school work, which I've been neglecting, this week and all the other weeks since I've started blogging.  I've really got to get my act together so that I can be successful in all areas of my life and not just my blogging life.  I'm really on a roll and the threat of not blogging isn't even on my mind.  It has become a part of my being.

I still have yet to find an outfit for this evening.  I'll probably do that while running my step father around on his errands.  Once I get home from that, I need to make sure my boogie's hair is freshly done.  He still wears his hair braided straight to the back, and I'm his, as well as my sons' hairstylist.  So much to do and so little time, but, hey, that's the life of this mother, student, author, entrepreneur, etc., etc.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

What Outfit

Okay, so you know I was supposed to go get me an outfit for the Black History Month program.  Well, my budget has just gotten a little smaller for my proposed purchase.  I should have gone already to pick something out, but I already told you I don't like buying clothes.  I mean, you buy something and then months or even weeks later, it's too small or tight.  I've told you about my dilemma of not being able to fit into anything except things that are stretchy.  The jeans I bought that are a size eleven, only fit for about a month or so.  If I feel like fighting with my clothes, I try to put them on.  I twist and pull and jump around trying to get the snug fabric up past my thighs.  I haven't been able to fit into them for about a year.  When the funds were slim and the cupboards were bare, I remember being able to slide them on with ease.  I was happy to get back into them seeing as I didn't get much use out of them when I first bought them, but being able to fit into your clothes because you've lost weight due to a limited food supply was a bit extreme.  Those days are over though because I tried to fight my way back into them this past weekend and they won.  No can pull up, was the final answer.  

I held onto my winnings from that lucky day and of course with children, there is always going to be something to spend it on, besides yourself.  So I've given each of the boys three dollars to splurge and that was that.  I figured I'd wait until tomorrow, the day of the program, to go looking for something to wear.  It's not like I'm gonna be all dressed to the nines or anything.  A nice shirt or sweater and a skirt or a pair of slacks would suffice for the occasion.  I know where to shop for bargains so I'm not really worried about finding something nice at the last minute.  Me and the boys are sitting here and I'm working on the poem for tomorrow night's presentation.  A commercial for Papa John's Pizza comes on.  They're advertising a large spinach and Alfredo pizza that looks scrumptious.  Eleven Year Old was like, "Don't that look good, don't you wanna order it?"  I've just polished off some baked chicken left over from yesterday's dinner but the thought of spinach anything is enticing.  It doesn't take much for me to give in to his coaxing.  When I do have money, if my children want something we normally don't buy on a regular basis, I consider it a treat and get it for them.  Well, the treat has been eaten and I still don't have an outfit for tomorrow, but what I do have is two satisfied boys who may not always get what they want, when they want it, but if I've got money on hand, you better believe I'll spend it on them before I spend it on myself.  That's just the way I am.  Tomorrow will be fun because I get to play, "what can you buy for ?$? and still look good?"   Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

You've Got Mail

Okay, so I'm checking my email accounts; yes I said accounts, I have a different one for every phase of my life.  Anyway, I'm checking one of my yahoo accounts this morning and notice three emails from my publishing company.  They came through yesterday afternoon.  I really must check that account more often, or perhaps I've been distracted by my blogging, YET again.  At any rate, I have now, less than 48 hours to proof my next book and make any changes.  I'm so excited because I'm doing what a lot of writers want to do and that's publish; but I'm also nervous because I'm wondering will this book do better than my last book.  Not that it didn't do well, I just think I need a marketing team, other than myself.  For every person I told about my book, they bought it; but as for the masses that I was trying to reach, I think they're still out to lunch. 

So this will be my second book of poetry and I'm wondering will it be my last?  Umm, just answered my own question, of course it's not my last book of poetry.  I still have yet to publish my "good" poetry.  My first book had several subjects and my latest book is about love gone bad.  Now that I'm in a really great relationship, of course I have to write about the good side of love.  I already have that book started and just need to finish it.  I haven't decided on a title for the good poetry, but the current book is titled, Fed Up Woman, Starving for Love and Affection.  Anyone who's been in a not so great relationship will be able to identify themselves between the pages of this book.  I figure it can be a tool for when you need to have that "good cry".  Who wants to read a book that reminds them of some of the saddest days of their life?  Hey, I wrote it, the least you can do is read it.  We can both have a pity party together and get it all out. 

Well, I've attempted to do a little pre-marketing of my latest book, Fed Up Woman.  It should be out in about another three months.  You'll be hearing more about it as I continue blogging about my daily happenings.  Hopefully since I'm blogging these days, I'll be able to reach more people and gain more fans of my writing.  I'll probably post a few excerpts from the book so that you'll know what to expect in case you want to purchase a copy.   Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

You Get What You Pay For

I'm up bright and early, making sure Eleven Year Old is up and at-um.  I heard Fourteen Year Old wake him up as he was leaving.  "You better not go back to sleep," I heard him warn, before I reminded him to mind at manners at school.  I lay in the bed for about ten minutes after Fourteen Year Old has left; no squeaky door opening.  I don't even have to get up to know that Eleven Year Old hasn't made it off the top bunk.  I climb over my sleeping boogie and go into the hallway seperating our room from the boys' room.  I open their door and call out for Eleven Year Old to get up.  He's already taken his bath last night, but I'm sure he'll need time to locate some misplaced article of clothing even after the threat of dismemberment last week. 

As I'm typing this, I'm admiring my lovely nails; all nine (9) of them.  Yep, you read right, nine.  I officially only have nine natural nails because of an accident that occurred on one of my part-time gigs in 2007.  I've since informed the Man upstairs that if He didn't want me working, He could have hinted more sultley.  Instead, after working at the factory for three months, about to get promoted to line leader, the day I was to get paid, was the day I lost my wedding ring finger tip, starting at the first joint closest to my nail.  Although it didn't really hurt because my finger immediately went numb after it was crushed and severed, (sorry for the graphic language) it is an experience that I wished I hadn't had to go through.  I stayed in the hospital for ten(10) whole days.  Imagine leaving for work Thursday evening and not seeing your children for ten (10) days.  Thank God that my two eldest were still at home and very responsible. 

Anyway, I really wasn't trying to send your belly on a rollercoaster ride by telling you this squimmish news.  I started this post because I am sitting here admiring my nails.  I normally spend as less as possible on nail polish since it's really not a neccessity, but on the day that I was feeling selfish and purchased my granny panties, I also bought me a bottle of nail polish for a wopping $6 bucks.  Yep, I spent six dollars on a bottle of nail polish.  I walked around with it for awhile, questioning my sanity and finally decided that I was worth six bucks; after all it was Sally Hansen.  I picked a pretty pink color called Pink Proposal and it is still on after four days.  Normally my nail polish chips and looks a hot mess after I've washed dishes.  I've washed dishes for the past four days and it's still on, looking as lovely as the day I put it on. 

I'm glad I purchased my high end priced nail enamal.  My nails look all girly and well taken care of, even though they are short.  I'm not sure why they aren't growing like they used to, back in the day.  I'm wondering if my constant tapping on these computer keys is slowing their growth.  If that's the case, then they will continue to be short.  As for my tenth finger tip, not to worry.  I had a very kind lady who owns an Etsy shop, custom make me a gold finger tip with a simulated nail tip.  It's a little banged up because I wear it everytime I'm out and about, but hopefully I'll be able to pay her to make me another one when I get some more surplus money.  Well back to blogging about important stuff.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

I Did It

Finally put my new yellow cleaning gloves on and got busy with my bathroom.  I'm happy to report that the dirty deed has been done and I'm all smiles.  I sprayed, squirted, wiped and mopped everything in sight in my "powder room".  I lit a candle after I was done to mark the end of my agonizing chore.  Although it is my least favorite room to clean, it is the room that I'm most proud of when I'm done.  I'm the only woman in the house and although my sweetie can get down in the kitchen, his bathroom cleaning skills leave much to be desired. 

After cleaning the bathroom and mopping my kitchen floor, I even had the nerve to prepare this evening's meal.  Like I said in an earlier post, my boogie does most of the cooking and he did cook brunch today, but since I was in my house-wifey mode, I went on and baked some chicken and mashed potatoes.  It felt good to hand my three men their plates that I had prepared and to hear, "This is good."  I'm usually the one being handed a plate and saying, "Baby, this is good."  I know my sweetie doesn't mind cooking almost all the time, but I bet he doesn't mind when I'm the one sweating it out in the kitchen.

Well, it's been a pretty good day.  No phone calls from the school, no phone calls from anyone looking for a ride, no drama period.  I think I'll go snuggle with my honey.  He's feeling a little under the weather and he's trying to act like he's not getting sick.  I told him that he was going to be sorry for going outside with shorts and a T-shirt on, on the days that the weather was feeling all springy.  I call it "fool's weather" because it is clearly still winter and even if the temperature is in the 70s, I wasn't caught without at least a jacket on.  I saw folks in shorts, T-shirts and flip flops.  I said to myself, "Come next week, they're gonna be sick as a dog."  Let the coughing and sniffling begin.  The temperatures are back in the 40s and most have jumped back into their winter gear.  Me, I'm gonna make sure the calendar reads June before I go putting on any summer attire.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Let's Pay It Forward

Okay my blogging sistas, let's get this party started.  The Paper Princess over at Create With Joy got this idea from one of her blogging sistas, Shirley Ng-Benitz of Shirley's Illustrations and I'm passing the information and love to you my dear reader.  The concept of "Paying it Forward" is to extend an act of kindness to someone just for the pure joy of it, never expecting anything in return, except a warm and fussy feeling.

What each "Pay It Forward" participant is to do is offer your loyal readers something that will let them know how much you appreciate them, you know, share some love.  I'm offering the first three (3) commenters on this post, one of my Message From the Heart Pillows.  After you comment, I will ask that you send me an email with your physical address so that I can send it to you.  If you would like it to go to a P.O. Box, just give me that address.

Anyway, go on over to The Paper Princess' blog and get the official details on how this thing REALLY works.  I'm sure she explains it better than I did.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Alligator Skin Be Gone

Winter will soon be coming to an end, and I sure can't wait.  For the past three months, my skin has been shedding like an anaconda snake.  No matter what I soaked in or applied to my skin, the end result would be, only hours later, scaly skin reappearing on my legs.  I'm not used to rough looking skin.  In the past, I've been accused of being soft as a cotton ball, how so, now that I have alligator skin?  Baby oil should have knocked the problem right out, but I guess my very adult skin was too much for it. 

So I'm out of baby oil and in dire need of some skin emollient.  My sons share whatever I buy, so I really need to get some quick because sometimes, Eleven Year Old looks like he's been playing in flour.  Dry skin after showering leaves my poor baby in need of extra moisture.  I don't spend a lot of money on such things because frankly, I can't afford it any more.  When I was childless, I splurged on all kinds of Victoria Secret scents and Bath and Body Works, but now, on my shoestring budget, I buy whatever goes on smooth from Walgreen's.  I'm at Walgreen's getting some toothpaste and deodorant, I remember that I'm all out of lotion.  There's a jar of Nadinola, Cocoa Butter Creme for only $.99 cents; my kind of price.  If it has cocoa butter in it, I know it has to be worth something.  So I purchase it and wow, does it work. 

I've been using it for three days now and I've noticed a difference in the skin on my legs.  Gone are the scaly flakes that usually are present after I get up in the morning.  I'm really pleased with my $.99 cents purchase.  For $.99 cents, I could not have asked for better results.  Once I get some more surplus money, I'm going to stock up on this product before it goes up or others find out how good it really is.  I'm glad I can't afford or choose not to spend a lot of money on personal care products, just because of the name; except my cleaning products,of course.  I've tried the products from the dollar stores and although they may be knock-offs of name brands, I don't use them unless it's absolutely necessary.  Give me my tried and trusted, old school products that I remember from my childhood.  To find out what those are, read my post after this one.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Just Do It

No, I'm not practicing for a new Nike commercial.  I'm willing myself to get started on my spring cleaning.  The weekend has come and gone and I still haven't popped open my new cleaning supplies.  Hold up, yes I have.  Since I wash my dishes on the daily, I did pop open my brand new gigantic bottle of Ajax dish washing liquid that smells like grapefruits and has bleach alternative.  I did open up my Bounty Basic paper towels since I'm always washing my hands and need something other than my face towel to dry them off.  But my Clorox toilet bowl cleaner and new yellow plastic gloves and double pack of O-Cel-O no scratch foam scrubbers have gone untouched.  Hey wait a minute, what's that wonderful smell in the air?  Okay, I did open up one of my Air Wick Fresh Water scented plug in refills.  What a wonderful smell.  Come to think of it, I did put the can of Glade Crisp Water scented air freshener in the bathroom over the weekend.  I thought I smelled it when Eleven Year Old came out the bathroom yesterday.  I'll be buying another one by next week; he thinks the more he sprays, the less likely he is to share his "business."  He might have a point, but dang, go easy on the poor can. 

Okay, maybe I have started spring cleaning but I'm not too satisfied with my progress.  I still have yet to use my Lysol Bathroom Cleaner, my Pine-Sol Fresh Garden scented cleanser and the Clorox with Bleach toilet bowl cleaner.  Those things will be utilized in my least favorite room of the house.  Don't get me wrong, I just cleaned the bathroom last weekend, so it's not too grimy.  It's just the last place I run to, in my cleaning regime.  It's raining right now and since I'm not expecting to leave out until later on to go look for my outfit, I just might skedaddle in there and get it over with.  If the" aimers" could just learn how to aim for the bowl, I'd be fine.  You're probably wondering why I don't let them clean up the bathroom.  I have, and you know what the old saying is..."If you want something done right, you do it yourself."  Enough said, right?  So there.

Another thing that I just need to do is, get to school.  You will hear me gripe about my lack of interest in school,  right now, ever since I started blogging.  I've really got to get my head back in my books.  It's not that my lessons are hard, I just don't have the same drive as I had before.  Writing on whatever I want to on my blog has left me not wanting to be disciplined in my essay assignments.  I need to focus.  I have twelve more months to go and if I just concentrate, I'll be done before I know it.  Once I get my degree, hopefully I can orchestrate a way to still be self-employed while continuing to blog away.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."

Lucky Day

Yesterday was a pretty lucky/blessed day for me.  Perhaps some of you don't know it, but I live on a shoestring budget, if I can even call it that.  If there is anyone who knows how to stretch a penny, I'm the Stretch-a-Penny Queen.  I don't work outside my home for a number of reasons, number one would probably be, because I don't want to, close at second would be that I've become a recluse and don't think that I could deal with being around idiotic people just because I want to pay my bills, three would be, because I have to be on call when my child's school calls so that I can come mediate a situation that has occurred and fourth, if I'm sitting on someone elses clock, I might miss out on all the golden opportunities that await me out in the "free" world, waiting for me to discover them. 

So I choose to stretch the pennies that I receive through child support, my SMALL secretarial business and the money my boogie makes.  Collectively, they take care of our basic needs.  Any extra money is a surplus and I stretch that too.  Yesterday while hanging out with my mom, she purchased us some scratch offs.  Sometimes we win a few bucks, most times we don't.  It's a game of luck for sure and although there are a lot of lucky people out there, Lady Luck has only shown up a few times to give us anything worth talking about.  So she purchased herself two tickets and then gave me two dollars to purchase two for me.  I purchased the same two that she had purchased.  I get home with my house cleaning products and hand the tickets to my boogie.  He scratches them off, "Hey baby, we won eight dollars!" he exclaimed.  We were going out later that evening and the extra eight bucks would be used instead of going into our budgeted funds.  So we decide we're going to spend some of the money on a couple of personal beers for the party that we're about to attend; the rest was spent on another scratch off.  Lady Luck must have been in the area cause from a three dollar ticket, fifteen dollars was won.  I sit in the truck while my sweetie goes in to cash the tickets.  If Lady Luck was in the area, he figured that she might not be finished with us.  So he took five of the fifteen and bought a ticket labeled, Pure Gold.  Now let me tell you, we have bought so many one buck tickets that were losers, with our luck last night, we were just getting paid back. 

My sweetie sat scratching off the Pure Gold ticket and with the second number 36 scratched off, he knew we were going to be winners.  The number 25 appeared several times as well.  By the time he finished scratching off several more 36s and a few more 25s, our total winnings were $100 bucks.  We both went back into the store to claim OUR winnings.  After getting back into our truck, my baby turns to me and hands me $50 dollars.  He had a broad smile on his face.  Waiting for the spring season to start so that he can start his barbecue business has been draining on him.  Although he does odd jobs with a construction worker from time to time and helps the "Tree Man" when he calls, he does not have a steady income.  Not being able to provide on a consistent basis can take it's toll on a man's ego.  Handing me the $50 dollars and telling me to get me something nice, I'm sure made him feel like he had handed me a thousand dollars.  To me, it was a million dollars. 

I'll take the money and buy a nice outfit to wear to the Black History Month program, next week.  You know I've got to look snazzy because it's at Fourteen Year Old's school.  I can't be standing all in front of people looking like I'm not the mom of the school's star seventh grade football team.  I've got to represent, at least that's what Fourteen Year Old says.  Thanks to Lady Luck, I'll be able to buy something for myself and not feel guilty.  After all, it wasn't taken out of our shoestring budget, Lawd knows that budget's pennies are already stretched to the limit.  So thank you Lady Luck for gracing us with your presence yesterday, we look forward to you dropping a bigger load on us, in the near future.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."