I just don't get how a person of God could be racist, sexist, hate Gays, Blacks, Muslims or any other group of people. As a Christian, I am just sick about this case. How anyone could choose to use an other's suffering to promote his/her own sick agenda.  As a Christian, who has just touched the surface of what it means to be "Christian" I believe that    God lives in each of us. Each AND EVERY ONE OF US. He lives in those who believe and those who do not believe. God is the united consciousness that lives within us all. it is that spirit in which Jesus proclaims, "Love each other as I have Loved you." without condition, with all of our flaws and differences. It is this love that should call on us to forgive when needed, to show kindness when it does not feel good. , and to always listen for the god in another, no matter how we feel about the person. Because if we first see god in another we are less likely to demean, hate, berate or treat another in a way that would cause harm.  All we need do is look to Jesus as our model. When he spoke with the woman at the well did he berate her? Hardly, in fact he gently spoke to her as himself as the messiah and of the time to come when God would be worshiped everywhere. In fact later in John 8, He rescued a woman from the Pharisees who had accused her of adultery. He then asked each of them to cast a stone only if they had not sin. Not one could do so. The people who would make an issue of Gay's should also take a second look at this lesson. They are more like the Phrases which Jesus condemned.

I have to say I am a proud mama, Raegan (on the left in the black dress) and her friend Christina sang "What about Love" from the color purple. They are preparing it for the California State Thespian Festival. They have a couple of rough spots to work out before April. This was their first go in front of an audience.

 I threw a fit with  my Landmark coach today because I had a class scheduled tonight.  I threatened to quit the program because I did not want to miss her performance. She told me to just go. I am so glad that I did. But first I drove an hour to the center to assist on the phones and then drove three hours in Friday rush hour traffic to get back home. But I am so proud of my boo. She really loves to perform. She just landed to role of Maggie in 42nd street and Her troupe  was awarded a spot in the Thespian International Festival. So we are off to Lincoln Nebraska in June. Did I mention how proud I am? The video is posted below.. Sorry it is sideways.. I uploaded it from my phone. I will have to figure out the logistics of video posts soon.

This weekend, I finished the Introduction to Leadership Program for Landmark Education www.landmarkeducation.com. WOW! The program is a 6 month long leadership and training program. As with all things Landmark I always get so much out of the classes.

 For those of you who are not familiar with Landmark Education, here  is a little background. The first class is called the Forum. The forum is a three day coaching seminar which promises to deliver for you that which you are most interested in. It really is life changing. I completed the forum on February 21, 2010. In a weekend I was able to make things in my life move, that had not moved in the past. The big aha moment came for me when I realized that I had created a "story" about something that happened in my past and allowed that "story" to continuously impact my future.

When I was  about 9 (1977) my family and I moved  from Pasadena, a racially diverse community. To a small town and  an all white community. As one of the only black families in the neighborhood we were often mistreated . Someone in our neighborhood spray painted the garage and the front of the house with the words "Go back to Africa"  "KKK We hate Niger's" That was pretty mortifying. We lived on a busy street and it stayed on the house a couple of days until my parents could have it removed. I remember hating even getting up to go to school,  everyday on the bus someone would shout "Hey look at  Kizzy and Kunta Kinte (they had obviously watched the series Roots by Alex Haley).

 And later when I was in middle school,  I remember walking home from school. The walk was about a two miles and most of it was up a hill. I was having an asthma attack and could hardly breath. As I was walking up the worst part of the hill, a policeman stopped me and asked me what I was doing there. I remember that he barely looked at me. I told him I was on my way home from school but that I was having an asthma attack. He said to me"Oh,  we got  a call that a drunk black lady was walking up the street."   When I told him I was not drunk but was not able to breathe. He coldly looked at me and left. I walked the rest of the way home in tears and still unable to breathe. From that moment forward, I created the story that I did not belong. In fact, the "story" that I did not belong was so real for me that as an adult I could not walk around my upper middle class mostly white neighborhood without anxiety and fears that I would be stopped and asked to prove that I lived in this neighborhood. I always walked with my identification.  I could not rid myself of those thoughts no matter how I rationalized otherwise. It was not  until I took the Forum and I realized  that what  happened (the racisim I experienced) was an incident and did not define who I was, who other white people were(meaning that not every white person that I met was racist) nor did the past define my future. That weekend seminar gave me freedom from that part of my past  the freedom to introduce myself to people that before I would barely even look at as I walked past.

 I have taken about three seminars from Landmark Education all of which have been very powerful in creating transformation in my life and in the lives of people around me. ( I know that sounds like a tall order but I am living proof that the program is life changing).

Now I am in a program that is training me to be a leader. A role that I never fully allowed myself to step into. I would fall back on being a flake because it was easier than taking responsibility for myself and honoring my word.

Hi, I left my blog unattended for a while.(the blogs before this were from 09) I have never been one to keep a diary, although I can see how rewarding and beneficial it can be to record your life journey. It is a great opportunity to look back at your growth, failures and triumphs and to keep a record of your life. In the days before computers and phones we would write letters and people would keep those letters. They were passed down from generation to generation. The letters were in fact part of a families history.
So here I am at my second attempt to record my life. And hopefully to pass some part of me on to my children and their children.

Here is what I have been up to  since I stopped blogging. My family stopped watching TV. we actually kept the cable off until January of this year. Since January, however, we have all been watching TV. And boy is it easy to get sucked back in. I am a housewives of ATL, BH, NJ and NYC  .  And really all of it is garbage but fun and interesting garbage which is why I am glued to the TV lately. However,  I have been threatening to turn it off again, and permanently this time. I really am done with it.

Also, I have started again cooking well for my family. The Julia Child's thing did not last long. It really was interesting but too intense for me. This month I started cooking and freezing. So that we would have good meals all month long. The idea is to cook in one day for a month. It took me about 4 days to cook for a month. And actually, I did not finish everything . But it really is easier to cook larger portions by tripling or quadrupling the recipes. Chili works our really well.

Finally, I am not a flake, well I choose not to put it that way any longer. In fact I choose not to behave like things that I create do not matter(essentially being flaky). Which means that a commitment (meaning this blog and other things in my life) must be kept.


Here are the commitments that I am willing to keep related to this blog

1. I will keep this blog current. Posting at least weekly.
2. I will use this  blog as a way of communicating what I am up to in life.
3. I will be accountable for what I am up to.

Next blog: What I am up to.




Dated: 2/21/11

I did say that I would write daily... well that has not gone so well has it. I am just a lazy writer and a flake. Not to mention, my life just is not that interesting. Rae has been sick this semester so much so that she has missed about 6 days of school. This worries me because she is taking a pretty heavy load. 5 core and two electives plus track and Basketball. I am not sure how she does it but she always manages to impress me.

My eldest is away at college. I am so proud of her. She seems to be growing into a lady that I respect and want to be friends with. I know that is not going to happen anytime soon because we still slip into the old mother (I tell you my opinion) daughter (she takes it as criticism and then pouts) roles. But I am sure that that too shall pass. I am waiting for her to fall in love. She has not had a boyfriend that she has spoken of yet. And seems super protective. I keep telling her she has to kiss a few frogs. But she says she is just waiting for the prince to show up.  I don't always believe that she is telling me the honest truth.. but Rae slips sometimes and I glean that maybe she is up to more than she says.

I am still off of the TV. in fact it does not call to me anymore. Oh man I have to tell you something very funny. The other day (about a month ago(ok so I have not written in awhile) ) I was flipping through the free channels ie all of the infomercials, I still get the sales channels i.e. QVC and the stupid Jewelry channel, do people really by Semi precious jewelry from the TV? bizarre??? ok so anyway, I was flipping as I said and low and behold I get Bravo and Style channels. My husband thinks I have something going with the cable guy because I get to watch some of my shows (I love top Chef .) While he is still without football. God is good, isn't he. :) hee hee hee hee.

Ok enough for now it is 1 am and I have to get up in the morning.

peace out.

Well it is hard to break old habits.. and I am certainly proof of that! I have become sidetracked as I said in the beginning that I so often am. I have not made all of my food.. but I have made a good majority of it. But I do have the occasional In and Out Burger (I can't resist they are too good) And I have eaten a few things that are in boxes or packages, for example I just ate the canned biscuits that my husband bought this weekend when I was at Brunch with friends, So I made them this morning, And when I told him I made biscuits for him you know what he had the nerve to say "I don't eat that stuff"  Really! Then why did you buy the damn things in the first place! Whatever,, I ate them ..........ALL ... they are soo yummie and horrible for you.

I am working on a few sewing projects one being a wool coat for my daughter. She is soooo particular about things so I have to work extra carefully. The seam ripper is getting much use this time round. If I remember I will post a picture when I am done.

We are still not watching TV... Really the only person that is suffering is My hubbie. He is missing all the Football games. but when I ask if he wants it back he says no... We are really seeing the results with our 14 year old.. she is far more focused on her education and is finding other ways to occupy her time.  So the experiment continues.

I had left my personal trainer for about 2 months. I am now back. I really need the push to get into the gym. I hate getting there, but once I am there I love how I feel.. why can't I remember this when I am at home? I am hoping that after a year with her my body will need excersize and I will just go automatically..(who am I kidding?)

Friday, was such a lazy day and not a great day to discuss my business because I really did not accomplish much on that front. It did not help that I had awful cramps and just generally felt like a lump of dough. Not much happened with my goals. Other than I still have not watched TV and eaten anything from a can box jar or junk.