New Year Resolutions

New Year resolutions. Why do we make them, when most are broken within a week or two of making them?

Yes, there are a few people who will make new year resolutions and stick with them but for the most part we don't'.

This year I am not going to make a resolution, I am going to challenge myself to be the best I can be for the new year. Stop spending unnecessarily, try to be more patient with others, and try to have a deeper spiritual connection with who I am.

I will try to work harder at getting where I want to be as a person and not let the little things or the past get in my way.

Blog About meeting new people

Someone asked me what I blog about and my response was "everything and anything".

This morning a young man on the train while on my way to work. We talk a little about where we are from and what we do.

Not often we meet people just by chance who is willing to have a conversation with us knowing they may never see us again. I wonder why that is so?

We are all part of God's creation and we should not be afraid to communicate with each other, we can learn so much when we do.

I remember a long time ago my mother told me that white people (I am Afro-American)are as much afraid of us as we are of them because we don't know each other and no one wants to be the first to reach out.

So I am saying to all my blogging buddies out there, take the time to meet someone new today. You never know who you might run into.

Thanksgiving

Happy thanksgiving to all and remember the less fortunate among us.

Disgust!

Ladies! Ladies, Aren't you tired of looking down a young lady's butt? Well, I for one am.

Where did our femininity go?, from where I sit it looks like right down the toilet.

When did young ladies stop taking pride in the way they dress? They cannot walk up the escalator, sit on a bus or on a park's bench or just standing up in a bus and holding on.

I don't know about the rest of you but I am so sick and tired of seeing a black young girl thinking they are so fine with their behind out in the cold.

Mothers! talk to your daughter, look at them when they leave home, trust me, they will listen.

I have two daughters and thank the Lord I never feel as if I need to wrap my scarf around their waist.

Inspiration

Maureen Pratt is a christian, an author and a woman who live her entire life in pain.

Just recently I read her book of inspiration for the reading program I am in at church and I must say, she has inspired me.

She has lupus, lost her only brother and was not able to attend because his funeral because of her illness, she was discriminated against but was able to keep her cool and to teach other that not all disability is visible.

In all her struggles she is able to wake up each morning praising God.

In July 2000, I had a myonectomy, ( surgery to remove fibroid, which has since grew back) and I am never the same since. I am in pain constantly. Not one day pass that I don't hurt.

My back hurt from an old injury in 1994 but after the surgery it just start hurting. I since found out that I have herniated, and compressed discs. My feet hurts, which I was told it's because of my back injury. Wearing socks and boots are so difficult for me.

Since I live in NY the winter months are most difficult for me. The funny thing is I hurt more at night than in the day (except when I am wearing boots or socks). I wake up every morning so stiff and aching, sometimes I dread getting out of bed because those first few steps are like putting a ton weight on my feet.

Somehow God has given me the strength to get up each day. When I think of Ms Pratt, I can only say, Thank the Lord for another day that I am able to get out of bed.

Missing you

Hi Roots Lady,
Just in case you browsing, I want to let you know that you are missed.

I have always look forward to your beautiful creations and now they are missing.

Anyway, I hope all is well with you

Vacation at a Villa

When planning a vacation to another country and you are making reservation at a villa be sure exactlly what is included in your package.

Yes I went to my sisters wedding and she booked me in a villa, Well the location was nice and quiet with view of the ocean from your balcony and the garden from your bed room, but that is all you get.

There were nothing to eat or drink unless you want to go into town which is about half an hour walk if you don't have a car.

They show beautifull picture with breakfast and all the tropical fruits that are in season, the only thing they forget to tell you is that you have to buy all those thing and have a housekeeper prepare it for you.

To my surprise, the only thing I got was a furnish room with running water.

Even though I went to my sisters wedding and the accomdation was ok I would not recommend this place to anyone unless they are looking for a place to hide out. In my beautifull island of Jamaica, I did not know that there are places that charge that kind of rate and do not even includes breakfast.

Every now and then I pull out my photo albums and loose pictures for a walk down memory lane. The dilemma that I face ( and I know i am not alone) there are so many that are in no order whatsoever. From negatives, cds and tons of photographs.

I would love to have them organize but I don't have the time or any idea how to start.

I have decided going forward, now that I have a digital camera, I will have no more negatives,

I will print only the pictures I want to share with others (family and friends) and for my scrapbook/albums. All other pictures I will save on cds, label it and store in a special cd file box.

Since I got my camera, my computer is where I store my pictures but they are so many I need to save them to cds and take the old ones off my computer.

I will keep an update of my progress on my photo storage.

Going back to Jamaica

Well it's been two years and seven months since I was there last. It was a very sad time for me; I went to say goodbye and to lay to rest my beloved father.
Going back will be bitter sweet for me because daddy won't be there but since I am not really going home, I am going for a happy occasion (my sisters' wedding), I hope I will enjoy my visit.

This is my first sister and she always have a special place in my heart so when she asked me to be her matron of honor at her wedding I was honored.

We are sisters by father only and she has two other sisters out there, and because I am not good with their mother, I was surprised when she asked me.

So on August 27th I will be taking a trip back first the first time after daddy's passing, but since It is not about me, I am going to be the best big sister I can be and hope that her day will be one of happy memories for years to come.

Gifts that are ok to give back

I don't know if he was eating the ice cream or if it was eating him.

Grandchildren are precious gifts that you can spoil and it's ok to send them back.

On May 17th I had seven of my eight grandchildren with me for a BBQ and we had a good ole time.

They had hot dogs, bergers and chicken and afterward they all had ice cream. James saw to it that we all had enough.

Three went home that evening, three went home the next day and Darius and his mother stayed until the end of the week then they went home. I enjoyed having all of them and now they are all back home with moms and dads.

Places I visit

I often hear someone says "what you are looking for is right under your nose". Well I prove that to be so true a few weeks ago. James took me to Brooklyn, just for a drive and it was like being in another state. The streets with cobbler stone and the quietness of the area was different from what one would expect to find in Brooklyn, NY.

Then we went to a little park right on the waterfront, it was so peaceful, I have lived in NY for over 30 years and did not know that there are such beauty right under my nose.

From there we went to the promenade that overlooks all of downtown Manhattan/Brooklyn.

We saw the boats go by and the sunset was awesome.

Sorry I did not get a clearer picture on Manhattan at night.

Me

In Brooklyn, by the river last year

Why do we have children?

How can a mother gives away her children to other people at raise and never spend anytime with them, never take part in their lives, never even let them know that she is alive. Until she found out that they have achieve sometime wonderful or becomes famous, then she want she the whole world to know that these are her children.

However she cannot understands when these children treats her with indifference and the one child who shows her some respect she takes disadvantage of, ex: constantly use asking for favors and to run errands and to take her places. How does that child say enough, or no without being rude or mean?

The Bible say to "honor your mother and your father" but it also says "parents provoke not your children to wrath".

Sometimes life takes us to unexpected places, but wherever it leads we should remember that our children are precious gifts from God and treat them as such.
If you don't want them and give them away you should not come back for them because they achieve something and now fits into your life or make you look good.

When you give away a dress because it no longer fits, do you go to get it back because you lose weight or you found out that you could sell it on EBay for a few dollars?

Whatever seed you sow with your child/children that's the only fruit you should look to harvest.

Are we embarrassed of Love

The experts say it is healthy for couples to be affectionate to each other at all times. Out in public, holding hands, little smooches and hugs, all that they say is ok.

If that's true, Then why are we as a people get so embarrassed when we see public display of love and affection by others?

On my way home from work on a train with standing room only, a couple came on, she held him around his waist and he held on to the pole, but their little play of affection made quite a few people uncomfortable. People were clearly trying not to look at them and from body language one could see how uncomfortable they were. Two stops later another couple came on and they were even worst. They were kissing (smooches) and fooling around with each other's hair and clothes while sharing an ipod.

I was amusing to me to see how many adults had a negative reaction to them.

Are we to show love and affection for each other only behind close doors? I for one don't think so. My partner leaves home at 4:30 in the morning. I get home at 6:30 to 7p.m. at night, that leaves us very little time together. As long as there are no indecent behavior I will let him know that I love him wherever I am.

A Virtual Garden

I think this year I will try to have a virtual garden. I have rented my house and so I do not have any place to plant a garden. I am going to take pictures of the most interesting plants I see this year and post them to my blog.

I have always love exotic plants but the care of them always get the better of me, however I am going to try a few this year. This is my first one. It is an African Violet and right now it sits on the window in my office.

I bought it last while in bloom, so this is the second blooming season for it.

I am going to try my hands at orchids, so if anyone has experience or knowledge of them, please leave me a comment.

To visit my new grandbaby

I will be visiting the newest member of my family on Friday. Flying from LaGuardia to Greensboro NC.

I will be visiting for a few days and helping my daughter settle in her new apartment. I will have lot of pictures on my return.

I am also going to try to do some shopping while I am there.

The Hair Thing

For the past eight years I have been wearing my hair a medium brown. About four weeks ago I asked my hairdresser to put a rinse in because the greys in the front was so much, I remembered telling her not to put that red dye in my hair and she says ok. Well I have been washing it every week and it is still RED.

The next thing I notice that my hair is breaking and she keep telling me that all it needs is condition.

At my last perm I realize the problem, see my colour is permanent and when she start my perm she would stop to tend to just about anything and then try to work it to get my hair bone straight. See, those chemicals are not friends like that and when they are together for too long my hair breaks.

Well I don't want bone straight and I like my medium brown so from now on I am going to bring my own colour and my time clock.

Darius's Blanket

Some time ago I said I was going to stop crocheting and my daughter Sheryl ask me to make her two baby blankets before I stop since all the other grandchildred have blankets made by me and she did not have any children as yet.

So she wanted me to make one for a boy and one for a girl, well I didn't but now little Darius is here and this is his blanket. Now all I have to do is to make one more for a girl and pray that her next baby will be a girl and all my children don't have anymore babies

Grandbaby #8

He came this morning at 8:54am, little Darius weighting 6lb 9 ounces. He is the first child for my baby. Stay tune more to come

The new first family of the USA preparing for the annual Easter egg roll at the White House, April 12, 2009. (picture from the web)

It is said that a President age eight years for every four years in the White House. In four years I will compare this picture to see the change.

Be Gentle with Me,, Do not break my back.

I have often times borrow books from someone who does not care anything about books and instead of enjoying the book I find myself straitening out the pages as I read.

As a child growing up in Jamaica with a very large extended family, we share books because the same books were used every school year, therefore when you move to a higher grade you were expected to give the book to a cousin or sister or brother who would be using it next.
Because of this I always takes care of my books.

Now I cannot stand to see any books being abused. When you look at my bookcase, and it is a small overstuffed one, you cannot tell that my books were actually read, but everyone of them were, sometimes two and three times.

You see I am very choosy as to who I lend my book to. If you can care my book as well as I can? I have no problem sharing with you.

One day on the train going home I was crocheting and the young lady next to me was reading, the next instance she bend the corner of her page ( she was finish reading). I cut my thread right there and crochet a bookmark, but them I could not give it to her. But if it happens again, I sure will make it and give it up.

Snowday

This is the first snowday day I have had in a long time, March 2nd. It felt good just to stay home and watch the snow fall and work on the blanket I am crocheting for my 8th grandbaby due in May.

James went to work but they sent him home, and so here is is shoveling away at the snow.

I think this is the end of the snow for this season.

Cardinals

I have two sets of cardinals, one set at my house and one set at James' house. I love to watch them from my window but I can never get to take a picture of them. Every time I try, they always fly away when I get close enough to take the picture.

One thing I would like to know is which is male and which is female because there are always two of them, one red and the other is grey.

I am going to try to catch them (take a picture) this summer.

Sharing Your Home

A month ago My neighbor and friend ask me if I know anyone who has a furnish apartment she could rent for her niece and family who is coming up from Trinidad.
Without hesitating I told her she could have mine since I am only there once or twice per week and only to get clothes and pick up the mail.

The family came up three weeks ago and I am so happy, not only am I collecting an extra income from them, they keep the house and the ground just as I would and I don't have to worry that someone may see the house empty and break in.

Also I am planing to sell in the next two years and they have express their interest in buying it if I was thinking of selling.
The husband is working for the UN and will be eligible for mortgage in two years so the timing is perfect. So now I am renovating the basement to move my things and so they can have the entire house and I will have an even bigger income and a buyer when I am ready to sell.

Sometimes you have to be willing to open your hands to help others and you might be surprise of what falls in them.

Fight Those Winter Blues

How many of us get depressed in the winter months? Well needless to say quite a lot; the winter months are cold and you feel closed in all the time which gives us a feeling of melancholy, especially for those of us who live alone.

I find to fight those winter blues to get involve in programs in your local community, join the Y, get out and meet new people, go out to dinner, or lunch at least twice per week (yes by yourself). If you go to the same place often enough, soon they will know you and treat you special when you go in.

Become a big brother or sister to a child, it is quite easy from your church or place of worship there are lots of young people who is looking for a place to hang out away from home and someone who they will listen to them and help them with their homework.
It is a win, win, you gets a companion a few nights a week and they get the benefit of having a person who will listen to them other than their parent. Sometimes it is easier for a child to talk about what’s on their mind if they are not talking to their parent.

The only thing is, be careful not to get over involved like I did. I had so much going on that I had to quit some of the things I was in.

Bird Houses in NYC

Here I am again with my story of my city, NYC.

Madison Square Park is a small park, borders 25th street, Madison Ave., 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue.

Well right after christmas I went out for a walk at lunchtime and was surprise to see in the trees in the park bird houses. Who would have thought that amoung the glitz and glaumor of New York City one would see bird houses in trees.

Thanks to the Flatiron Partnership and the City on New York.