Because I'm Worth It!

How is it that the time goes by so quickly between my blog posts, yet days at work move like molasses? Can someone please explain that to me?

Well...between my last post and this one I've made some changes. Changes to ME.

Anyone who's seen me lately has clearly noticed how much my weight has BALLOONED. I get it, and I don't get it.

No...I haven't been watching what I eat (like I should), and I haven't been physically active (like I shoould). Yet...I've never diligently watched what I've eaten, nor exercised regularly but since February, I have really packed on the pounds. Good golly Miss Molly!

Finally, I decided that enough is enough. I can not gain another pound...not ONE. And I can not KEEP all these pounds that I have.

So...

Last Monday I started back with logging my food on My Fitness Pal. Good, bad or otherwise...if it goes in my mouth, it goes onto My Fitness Pal. Knowing my body as well as I do though, I know that logging my food simply is not enough. Some folks can lose weight simply by changing what they eat. Not this chick. I've got to MOVE if I want the numbers on the scale to MOVE.

So in order to get myself motivated, I bought a FitBit. I know...they're pricey, but I figured that I was investing in ME...and I am certainly worth such an investment. So it was money well spent.

I got it on Thursday and I'm still learning my way around. The toughest struggle has been with accepting friend requests (for some reason the requests aren't coming through), and in sending friend requests. When I try to send it looks like I am inviting them to TRY FitBit. That's not what I want at all. They already KNOW about it. I just wanna be part of their "fitness network". I'm gonna keep playing around with it until I figure it out.

Good news though is that yesterday I earned my first "Sneakers Badge" for getting in 10,000 steps, and today I am on my way to doing the same. At this moment I am at 9,324 steps. Easy to do on a weekend when I am able to freely move about. Not so easy Monday through Friday when I'm locked in a cubicle. We'll see how it goes though because I am DETERMINED to get fit and get rid of this FAT.

I've visited way too many hospitals in the past year and I've seen a WHOLE LOTTA sick folks. I don't want to be one of them, so I've gotta do all I can to keep myself in tip-top shape. As it is right now, I am not on any medication, and don't want to be...EVER. The best way to make sure that happens is to take care of this body that God blessed me with.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you have any fitness devices that help monitor your activity? If so, which one?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

The Little Things

My goodness! So much has happened in the past seven days.

The biggest and BEST thing is that "Joe" came back home after being in DC for four days. As I expected (and hoped), he had a GREAT time.

I think I mentioned in my last post that I recorded the entire event...partly to find out what it was all about, and mostly to spot Joe in the crowd. Well...with all those folks there, I couldn't find him. When we watched it together he IMMEDIATELY pointed out where he was...FOURTH ROW!

He said, "You couldn't find me because you expected to see me in the back. You should know that I was NOT gonna be in the back." He's right. Knowing him...I should've known.

He came back with lots of great pic, stories, and some keepsake items. All in all it was a good trip and I am sooo glad that he went. Even gladder that he's back.

Yesterday was a really good day for us. Not that everyday isn't, it's just that some days are sweeter than others. It's interesting because he's not the "romantic type" AT ALL, yet every now and then he says something that just knocks me off my feet.

Yesterday, he told me that he told God that he loves me.
Then, as he went to leave, he bid me adieu by saying, "I lovest thou." Silly, I know, but I love it when he says that.

And going back to Wednesday he said something that made me realize that my love for him only grows and never lessens. He told me that when he is with me his struggles don't feel like struggles. That may be the best thing he's EVER said.

He struggles a LOT and all that I can ever really do is "be there" to make the struggles a bit easier to bear. Apparently I'm doing that, and that makes my heart happy.

That's about it for now. I could write tons more when it comes to Joe, but for now I'm tired, and I have a whole LIFETIME to write about him...right?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What was the best part of YOUR week?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Answer the Call!

So I'm still going through the eight hour recording of yesterday's march and after 2 hours and 30 minutes I've heard something that I wholeheartedly agree with. Attorney Benjamin Crump encouraged folks to STOP trying to get out of jury duty. I almost wanted to jump through my television when I heard that.

I've always been viewed as a bit of an "oddball" because I LOVE being called in for jury duty. And when I get selected to actually be ON the jury...that's an even greater joy for me.

You see...if we are to be judged by "a jury of our peers", yet none of our peers report for duty...where does that leave us?

I've only served on one case and on that case I learned SOOO MUCH about our judicial system. Things I never would've learned had I shucked my responsibility.

As a Black woman, I feel that it is my OBLIGATORY duty to serve because there was once a time when someone LIKE ME would not have been able to.

So when I get MY summons, I gladly call in to find out if I need to report. And when I do have to report...it's all good.

So to my Black brothers and sisters...YES...I am SPECIFICALLY talking to you...STOP trying to get out of jury duty. Stop it!!!

YOUR peers...MY peers...OUR peers...NEED YOU on that jury as if lives depend on it, because guess what...THEY DO!

Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time YOU served on jury duty?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Much Needed and Overdue

Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March in Washington DC.

I'm not sure what the theme was 20 years ago but I know that yesterday's theme was "Justice or Else". We'll get to that in a bit.

I remember quite clearly the march that took place 20 years ago. At that time my girls were 6 and 3. Days before, if not THE day before, our little family of four spent a day at the park before "Daddy" hopped on the plane to DC. He was so excited to go with his buddies to stand up for "the cause".

On the night of the march I was listening to KJLH and "Levi" had people calling in to tell him what it meant to them. I called in, got through, and shared my feelings. I was glad to be a part of the march, even though remotely.

If memory serves me correctly, that march was specifically for MEN, as it was titled The "Million MAN March", and I think somewhere during the course of the event, the men pledged to honor family, and be positive contributors to society...or something along those lines.

Now we fast forward to 20 years later.

This time my remote participation came by way of "Joe". He's been there since Thursday and I am counting down the hours until he gets back tomorrow. Tick! Tock!!

I remember a few months back when he first heard about the event, he said, "I've gotta go. I don't know HOW I'm gonna get there, but I've gotta go. I missed the last one and I am NOT missing this one." To that, my response was, "You'll get there." For the past few weeks he's been attending committee meetings and has been greatly involved in the process. As I think I've mentioned before, he is pulled in a LOT of directions and I know that at times those have been a distraction for him...almost a deterrent. So I'd find myself having to "reel him back in" and assure him that whatever is here when he goes, will be here when he gets back. No matter what...he was going to DC. I was gonna see to it.

Wednesday night rolled around, I watched him pack (Man...I was SHOCKED by how much stuff he was able to fit into his carry-on...SHOCKED!), and as he zipped the last zipper, he sat back and said, "I can't go. There's too much for me to do here. I'm not going."

I think my neck may have swung a bit at that point and I very quickly, reminded him that he had a plane to catch at 7:25 the next morning and his arse was gonna be on it! Period!! Neither of us said much about it after that.

A few hours later I bid him adieu and headed home, leaving him with whatever decision he was going to make.

At 2:05am he sent a text...and my neck was finally able to stop swingin'. He was going.

He's been there since Thursday and every time we've talked I can just hear the smile and relaxation coming through the phone. Even more than needing to be a part of this event...he needed to GET AWAY from all that weighs him down here at home. Maybe I was a bit selfish in all of this, but my main concern was HIM, and his ability to take in some deep cleansing breaths...if only for a few days.

I told him today that the march was televised on CSPAN and that I recorded it. Told him that I kept trying to spot him but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. He told me where he was positioned (which was a fairly prominent spot), so I'll fast-forward through all 8 hours of it and see if I can find him this time.

The difference between yesterday's march and the one from 20 years ago was that this one was far more diverse, culturally speaking. And women were present. BIG difference from last time.

I understand the JUSTICE part of the march, but I'm a bit unclear on the "OR ELSE" part. That's definitely something that Joe and I will have to talk about when he gets back, because all I keep thinking is, "Or else WHAT?"

I'm sure he'll school me on that quick, fast and in a hurry. He's good at that...spittin' knowledge and "stuff".

I didn't watch ALL eight hours yesterday, and in the small bits that I did watch, there was a lot said that I do NOT agree with. Hopefully as I sit down and watch more attentively, there will be more that I will find agreement with, than what I didn't.

That's about it. I find it a bit of a coinky-dink that two main men in my life have both attended the march, but...God makes no mistakes. I was where I was supposed to be and with who I was supposed to be with back then...and most certainly NOW.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: When you think of JUSTICE, what's the FIRST thing that comes to mind?

Talk to me!

Til next time!!!

Fed and FULL

This evening after my book club meeting I decided to swing by the nearby Soul Food spot and pick up some dinner.

What I ordered required a 15 minute wait which was fine with me because I always have a book handy to help pass the time.

So I take my seat and begin to read.

A few minutes in, one of the servers turns on some music. No biggie. I can read with music.

Soon thereafter, he starts singing.

Then I hear the lady sitting next to me who's also singing. She was pretty good...and so was he.

Well...he got louder, and the louder he got...the BETTER he got. This dude's singing was OFF DA CHAIN!

I was entranced. I closed my book and just watched him and listened.

Next thing I know, the lady sitting next to me has turned her chair around and asked me, "Who is that? Where's that singing coming from?"

I told her that it was the tall, dark, older gentleman behind the counter. She too agreed that his voice was amazing.

Now I don't know if it was because I'm missing "Joe" while he's out of town (which I'll write about in a later post), but I'll be dag-gone if this dude didn't remind me of him. There was something about the heart and soul that he put into the song...something SPECIAL that he added that made the song his own...just like Joe does. It was like I was listening to Joe 20 years from now. I could have listened to this man ALL NIGHT.

As I continued to wait for my food, the lady told me that she'd heard him singing there before but that she doesn't come too often because she lives in Cerritos. I then told her that I'm also not there often because I live near Cerritos (which is no where near the restaraunt we were at).

I then told her that I tend to stop by after my book club meeting and she soon began asking me about the club. Apparently her daughter has been looking for a book club with predominantly African American women and I told the woman that that is exactly what my club is.

What she said next almost made me cry. She said, "I'm gonna tell my daughter about the book club because if YOU'RE in it, then it's where she needs to be. You have AMAZING energy." That was such a compliment to me. I don't know what it is...perhaps it's the "Jesus in me"...I don't really know. What I do know is that there IS something special in me and people just FEEL it when they're around me. I don't say this to toot my own horn...I've just gotten to a point where I accept and acknowledge whatever this is, and if it makes people want to be around me...or know that I'm someone GOOD to be around...then I'll take it...gladly.

She and I talked some more and next thing I knew, we were exchanging numbers. I know...I know...I don't know her from "Eve" but something about it just felt okay.

She wanted my info so that she could give it to her daughter. Sure, she could have just given her daughter the book club info, but before I knew it, she had my number and sent me a text with her info. Something about her just made me so comfortable.

I'm still waiting for my food, and we start talking about books and authors. She tells me about one that I had JUST heard of earlier today. She told me how FANTASTIC this author's books are and that I really need to check out her work.

Next, she tells me about the book club that she's been in for 30 years. She said that the club isn't perfect, but she's been in it so long...she just decided to stick with. Then, she said something that actually did make me tear up a bit. She told me her age. She's 64.

That's the same age that my Mom would have been if she were still here. 64

And at that moment, that whole encounter made sense to me. God was giving me a little bit of what I needed to make me feel better about the ones I'd been missing.

He gave me Teddy (that's the singing server's name)...to remind me of Joe, and make me smile.

And he gave me Katarina (even if just for those few minutes) to remind me of my Mom, and in an odd way...what a Mother's love feels like. The way that I opened up to her just felt so "natural". Now I think I understand why. God just wanted me to feel that motherly connection, even if it was with a complete stranger.

Who knows. Some folks may call me crazy. But in that brief visit to the Soul Food joint, much more than my body got nourished. My soul was fed...and got FULL.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever encountered a stranger who unexpectedly filled a void?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Pins and NEEDLES

So I've had this lower back pain for weeks...maybe even MONTHS.

It's gotten so bad, I finally decided that I needed some relief.

Now, I know that a majority of the pain is caused by all this excess weight that I'm carrying around. I really could stand to lose a good 50 pounds. But for now, ANY relief I can get is GREATLY welcomed.

I was curious about acupuncture but had no idea where to begin or who to see. Thanks to good ol' Facebook, a friend suggested one that he had gone to recently and is right here in my neighborhood.

First thing I did was checked my insurance to see if acupuncture is covered. To my surprise...it is.

Second thing I did was call and made an appointment.

And today...I went to my very first acupuncture session.

It was quite an experience.

The office was very tranquil. The acupuncturist was very friendly and tranquil.

He had me fill out my medical history and from there we discussed my pain. That helped him determine the course of treatment to use.

From there, I went into a small room, loosened my pants a bit, and laid on the massage type bed. Soon there after came the needles. Well...at least I think they did. Truth is...they are so small, I didn't feel a one...not a SINGLE one.

After the needles were placed (there may have been about 20), he turned on this electric thingy, some tranquil music, and had me lay there and relax while the needles and electric thingy did their thing for about 30 minutes. Yes...at some point I'm sure that I drooled.

I've had relaxing massages, but this was a different kind of relaxation. I enjoy them both...this was just...different.

When the time was up, he removed the needles, rubbed some balm on my back, asked how I was feeling...we scheduled my next session, and he sent me on my way.

Now...maybe it's all in my head, but I have to admit...I feel better already. The tightness that has been in my back for almost a month now, has loosened. I can still feel a small bit of pain in my back, but NOTHING like it was before I went in.

So...I'm going back, and I'm looking forward to it.

Apparently, my qi (pronounced chee) was out of whack and I had blockages that were stopping my energy and circulation from flowing properly. Now, I'm sure that to a lot of folks that sounds like a bunch of hocus pocuse mumbo jumbo, but I've gotta go by how I feel...and I feel GOOD!

So for all of you out there who are "afraid of needles", I highly encourage you to just give acupuncture a try. You WON'T feel the needles...you just won't. And you really need to go if you are experiencing any kind of pain that Western medicine hasn't been able to help. Mind you...I'm not knocking Western medicine, and quite honestly, I haven't even been to my doctor for this back pain because I wanted to be open to trying something new and different. I'm so glad that I did. So very glad.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever had acupuncture? If so, what benefits did you gain from it? And if not...why not?

Talk to me (and my qi)!

Til next time...

Pray With Me

For some crazy reason, I still can't post pics to my blog. I'm gonna hafta look into that, but...I didn't want that to stop me from posting, so...here goes.

***

About a month ago I went to see the POWERFUL movie, "War Room". In a nutshell, this movie displayed the power of prayer in a way that really moved me.

Before seeing the movie, I was already one who prayed daily. In the morning, a prayer of thanks for watching over me through the night, and I may have thrown in a few other things before starting my day.

Then in the evening, I would pray again before bed, another prayer of thanks for getting me through the day, and I'd throw in a few other things before ending my day.

But one day...about a week ago...I was praying, and the Lord prompted me to WRITE MY PRAYERS DOWN. Hmmm. I had NEVER done THAT before. But I wanted to be obedient to how I was being led, and I wrote a couple of them down. That left me with wondering what to do with them.

Unlike the women in the movie, I live in an extremely tiny apartment, and have absolutely NO SPACE for anything that can be made into a prayer ROOM...or even a prayer CLOSET. I just don't have it. So I had to think. What do I have? And God showed me an area that had space enough for my prayers while allowing for privacy at the same time.

And so...my prayer WALL began.

I've gotta tell you...since beginning my prayer WALL, I have already felt my prayers growing stronger. They seem to be so much more purposeful. And some of them, even in this very short amount of time, have ALREADY been answered. You can shout HALLELUJAH with me over that!

Other prayers I am still waiting expectantly to see answered. I know that God can, and I know that He will...in His own time.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do believe in the power of prayer. If so, do you have a prayer CLOSET, ROOM or WALL? I'd love to hear about it.

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Are You Ready for some FOOTBALL?!?

I know, I know...I'm a few weeks late.

But better late than never, right?

Before football season began I decided that I wanted to learn about the game. Of course, in order to do that I'd have to WATCH some games.

Now it's kinda boring to watch ANY sport without having someone to root for.

I've always said that my favorite team would be the one that wears BLUE and BROWN...my two favorite colors. Well...none of the teams wear those colors.

So then I said, "Ok. I'll root for whoever wears BLUE then." Well...there are a lot of teams that wear BLUE, but that didn't do much for me. I am a bit partial to the colors that the Seattle Seahawks wear...but nah...that's not my team.

Well...TONIGHT, I decided on a team. And I'll tell you how I came to my decision.

I have decided to root for THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS!!!

My very analytical decision came about as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and one of my die-hard FEMALE Steelers fans posted a picture of four beautifully DARK CHOCOLATE players on the team. Yep!!! Right then and there I decided that a team with that much dark chocolate HAS to be good.

So...I'm all in this season.

I'm gonna get to know the players, and know the game. Whether they win or lose doesn't really matter to me (although I'll ALWAYS be rooting for them to WIN), but the fact that I'll be learning something new, and enjoying some delicious "eye candy" at the same time, is a WIN-WIN in my book.

So...Let the DIALOGUE begin: Are YOU a football fan, and if so...who's your team?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

***For some reason, pics are not uploading to my posts. This happened yesterday too. I'll keep trying, but for now...I hope you can imagine the Pittsburgh Steelers logo that was gonna go with this post.***