Be. Love.

Be. Love.
A Gal Riding the Waves

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I had to borrow and share this

Me again, I've had a very full day. Whew! Life is good.

Earlier, one of my dear friends from highschool posted this poem on Facebook. I think it says what we need to hear perfectly. Have a beautiful night and LOVELY day!!!!
 Girls are like
apples on trees. The best
ones are at the top of the tree.
The boys don't want to reach for
the good ones because they are afraid
of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they
just get the rotten apples from the ground
that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples
at the top think something is wrong with
them, when in reality, they're amazing.
They just have to wait for the right
boy to come along, the one
who's brave enough
to climb
all the way
to the top
of the tree.
borrowed from megan
Sending contentment your way. Tag you're it!





Are you living?

Hello and welcome to a new day! The sun is beaming through the gray clouds here in NYC. It's been all rain the past 2 days.And more today...so they say.

It's so ironic as the summer is fleeting away, I just happen to get a cold over the weekend. :-(  I'm good though. It'll run it's course and by Saturday I will be simply marvelous. lol. I had to stay home and rest these last two days though. My body was like, stop. No trains, no walking a few miles, no running all over the city. Rest. Our bodies always show us how to treat them. :-)

Something was on my heart this morning and I just wanted to ask, are you living? I mean are you enjoying your life right now. Not tomorrow, not when you make your first million, not when you have a partner, not when you lose 20lbs, not when you pay off your debt, but NOW. I had to train my mind, and I'm still working on it, to live in the now, appreciate it, relish what is happening right now. Let go of what happened yesterday, learn from it. Stop worrying about what will occur tomorrow. Let go of regret. Living is being present in the now. Plan for the future, but live in the moment. Be wise and be joyful for all that is so preciously wonderful right now. They say the French are skinny b/c they savor each and every bite of food. They chew slowly, and indulge in the smell, the texture, the feel of the food in their mouth. And guess what, by doing that they eat much less and enjoy it so MUCH more. :-).
I've always eaten a bit too fast. So, I'm practicing how to chew more and savor more. It really takes effort, but I believe in the end, it'll be worth it!


I've learned one of the easiest ways to keep my mind in the present is to think of what I'm grateful for right now. I immediately stop focusing on the errors of yesterday and the "to-do" lists of tomorrow. I appreciate and participate fully in my life at that moment. It makes life so much sweeter!
"Today is life-the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto."~ Dale Carnegie
 “Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.”~Elizabeth Gilbert 
Sending mindfulness your way. Tag you're it!
Madison Mikayla. I wanna feel like this DAILY! 

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Summer highlights

Happy Thursday! I have to say I'm VERY glad to see this day. I'm been anxious to get to the weekend--since Monday. ;-) The sun is beaming through my windows and I can tell it's gonna be a lovely day. The weather in NYC was nice yesterday, barely, if any, humidity. The next 3 days are predicted to be perfect too, 85 sunshiney, non-muggy degress. Yes!!!

So, my sweet summer is approaching it's end. Soon no more long days, no more blazing sun, no more free concerts in the park, and sadly no more beach days. lol. But, all good things soon come to an end. Honestly, I appreciate all seasons, so by the time Fall hits I'll find something to rave about that season too. :-)
In the meantime, let's relish in some of the cool experiences we had this summer & may have in the next 4 weeks of this scrumptious season! Here goes:
***I can't help but mention (again) my pre-summer kickoff (in May), which was attending Oprah's Live Your Best Life Weekend. That was a-w-e-s-o-m-e. Totally motivated me for a supercala summer. :-)

***My first visit to beaches in North Carolina. Who knew. They are lovely. I really enjoyed spending a week with my cousin Candace and her family. I adore my little 3 year old, cousin Cameron. He is the sweetest kid ever! I can't wait to see them again in December. :-)
                                                             Perfect Carolina Sky shot taken by yours truly:-)
***My first vacation with my mom and sister. Mom TRULY enjoyed the beach. Now, I see where I get it from. I'll hold that time in my heart forever.
***Free concerts galore. I went to about 7 free concerts in this great city of NYC. I must admit summer here rocks, for sure. Mary J. Blige, The Roots, The Clark Sisters, Raphael Saadiq and more. They were all worth waiting in line for about an hour and getting up at the crack of dawn (for a couple). Fun!

***Just sitting at Central Park during lunchtime feeeling the warm sun on my forehead as I read. Ahhh. That is pure joy to me!               
                                                            Flick taken by me when I looked up at Central Park.

***Savannah with my BBP. That was precious. We had a beautiful time. I dig Tybee Beach! And I can't wait to go back to St. Simon island to indulge, again, in the best freakin Shrimp Po Boy in the South. Yum!

***Spending a few hours with grandma McP at my aunt Suzanne's home. It felt so GOOD to be around all my girl cousins and aunts at one time--for something special--not a holiday, just to bond and show grandma love. :-)
***Playing with my nephews!

***& My Maddy!

***Mary Poppins!

***Brooklyn Museum's first Saturday in July.

***Brunch at Jolie with BBP. So delightful. Great food. Gorgeous atmosphere and loving company. :-)

***Discovering so many pretty boutiques in Brooklyn on 5th ave and 7th ave. Loving BK!

***& really all the time I got to spend with folks I love whether family or friends. Anytime I got to laugh this summer was and is truly a blessing. I am so very grateful for it all.
What about your summer highlights..spill the beans.
Sending sunshine & smiles your way. Tag you're it!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Two cent tidbits:-)

Good Morning & welcome to Monday! You woke up, YES!!!! I've missed blogging. It's been difficult because my laptop is in need of repair. So, I've not been able to share daily. Soon, it'll be fixed...Until then, at least we have today. :-)
It's a wet day in NYC. Though, I do see the sun pushing her way through the grayness right now.
How was your weekend? I had a lovely one. I got to spend time with my littlest nephew, Makiah. He's 3. It is so amazing listening to him talk, play, discover. Toddlers are so precious, you can see live so differently through their eyes. They marvel at the tiniest things. Makiah is intrigued by pockets. He gets a kick out of putting things in his pants/shorts pockets. He's mini-man. He is now potty-trained too. Once he learned that big boys don't wear pampers, he insisted not to wear them, b/c he's a "man." He's doing really well. I adore my nephew. In fact, I am so blessed to have 4 nephews and they all are like sons to me. It's amazing to see them grow and learn and express parts of you that you never even realized were being observed. They are like clay, everything you do is making an impression on them, whether you intend for it to or not. We must be very mindful of all we practice in their presence. Hopefully, we already are being the best we can be in everyone's presence, anyway. ;-)
Can you believe summer's is almost over? As usual, August seems to speed by. I cherish the long days and warm evening. I like not having to layer on clothing. So, I'm going to relish these last few weeks of sunlight and sundresses!
In the meantime....there's lots going on in the world. As it should be. Here are a few of my 2 cent tidbits. I'd love to hear yours too!
***I was watching the Joy Behar Show and Jamie Foxx was being interviewed by guest host, Shawn Robinson. I think they'd make a cute couple. :-) Jamie is really a triple threat. He's a musician/pianist, singer, comedian and a darn good actor. I was in awe of his portrayal of Ray and I'll never forget his In Living Color days--Wanda was HILARIOUS!!! lol

***Fantasia. My heart goes out to her. No matter what happens, YOU are worth being here--on earth--alive. Never lose sight of that. I pray she has a strong support system to help her through all that she is going through. She CAN rise again.

***I've really shopping like a madwoman. The sales have been awesome. Seriously, 65% and up off of things. I've completed most of my holiday shopping. I have about 4 more gifts I want to buy. :-)
***I'm SO excited Patti Labelle is going to be in FELA and my cousin and I are gonna see it!! Yippeeeeeeeeee!

***Happy belated birthday to my brother, Carl. LOVE YOU MUCHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

***Age is really a state of mind. Really. whoo hooey!

***Wyclef for President of Haiti. Hmmmm? what are you thoughts? I say why not.

***Ground Zero mosque. Ok or not? Live and let live. We must respect each others beliefs. People of all races, creeds, backgrounds perished on 911. Spread love. :-)

***Zsa Zsa Gabor is slowly leaving us. :-( I really like her. She was adorable in Green Acres. She had spunk in life!

***Real Housewive of DC...Dig it or not?

***I love the Obamas. Sasha got a hole-in-one. Precious family time. You can't fake this stuff!

***My latest guilty pleasure--The TO Show. lol. ;-)

***I had a blast at Harlem day yesterday. Delish tilapia and fries! Great conversation with a longtime, dear friend.

***Color therapy works. I make it a point never to wear black on Mondays. Orange is the color of my day today. What's yours?
Sending you overflowing energy. Tag you're it!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Here we go!

Happy Monday! We made it, again. It's a beautiful morning! The sun is glowing through the window and I can already feel the heat. We are in our last few weeks of summer--and I'm enjoying it.
How was your weekend? I had a blast! I got to see one of my all-time favorite gospel groups, The Clark Sisters, perform for free at Summerstage in Central Park. It was exhilirating! Have you ever been through something and you came through stronger, wiser, happier, and just plain better than you were before? I know we all have. I know when I go through a storm and make it back to the sunshine I want to share my joy. What I'm really sharing is a testimony. When we share what we've been through sometimes, it has the power to encourage someone else. That's exactly what the sisters were doing on Saturday. It was an amazing, joyful day. Through their words and through their golden voices I know I was blessed that warm, sunshiney afternoon. :-) God bless them for being a blessing to so many. Music makes my heart happy. There is power in words and song.

I hope everyone reading this right now knows that you are blessed and highly favored. It is no mistake that you are alive right now. You are here for a purpose. You matter. You are necessary. Claim your blessing and continue to be a blessing. Whether you realize it or not, you are making a difference in someone's life right now. Embrace this day. Rejoice and be glad in it! Live! :-)

Today I am so very grateful to be sharing with you again. Gotta celebrate Monday. So here we go.

**I woke up refreshed and blessed. (It may sound silly, but if you woke up with all your senses in check, no aches & pains, and a healthy mind that is something worth celebrating!)

**A wonderful weekend with my BBP.

**Sunshine. I love it. It just makes me feel good to see it beaming in the pale blue sky. :-)
 **My aunt's (twins) Joyce and Janice's 50th bday was yesterday. My mom and others got to celebrate with them on Saturday. They all had a ball! :-)

**My brother called me just to say "hey." That always make me smile. :-)

**School begins today in Georgia. My nephew Simeon starts Kindergarten today. Yes!

**Scallops. They're just yummy. :-)

**A good stretch. It releases tension.

**YOU. I celebrate you! I thank you for reading my blog today.
Your turn! :-)

Sending smiles your way. Tag you're it! May you experience only success, peace, joy and 
laughter this week!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Two Cent Tidbits

Good Morning and welcome to Wednesday! It's a beautiful day. Let's embrace this new day with joy and enthusiasm! :-)
Guess what today is? Our President's 49th Birthday!!!! Happy, happy birthday Mr. President!!! May only goodness continue to bless your life today and always. :-) He really rocks and I hope he has a terrific day!
So, I have a few things on my mind. Things that make me think REALLY? Just some thoughts that I tend to think of as my two cent tidbits. :-) Here goes:

*** Marriage. That seems to be the topic of the month, week, day lately. Everything from sleeping in separate beds, to participating in sharing your hubby to ensure a "good" marriage, to the "Un-divorce."

I was watching Larry King Live last night listening to a woman named Holly Hill said that it's healthy to share your husband if you're not using him, say your best friend needs a man for the night--lend yours. She is in support of infidelity. Really? Ok, am I archaic or living in a fantasy-land because I still believe marriage is sacred. What is marriage if everything is free willy? Isn't marriage a partnership and an agreement before God to be committed to the one you love, care about and intend to share your life with? When did marriage become so open? Why get married if you still want to be free to mix and mingle with others intimately? What's the point? And is it fair to the wife, the hubby, or even the mistress? Whose winning in infidelity? I mean is the man even winning? He may be having his cake and eating it too, but if he has a conscious I'm sure after a while this double life/secret affair will begin to gnaw at him. hmmm.
I do believe every man's journey is his own. He chooses what path(s) to walk, what turns to take, etc. However, where is self-control, respect, honor? What is love and commitment really about?
The fact is marriage takes work, just like anything else we really want in this life. Nothing worth having comes easy. Once you get married the effort you took to hook your mate should now blossom into the work you do to maintain a healthy, loving, evolving relationship/union. There will be trial and waves of disappoint, such is life. The key is to maintain some sense of balance, joy, laughter, love in the midst of the pain. It is possible to have a "happy" and healthy marriage without infidelity. Communicate, have the same life goals, stay on the same page, consistently laugh together, make it a point to have "couple-time", have things you enjoy doing together, and remember that you are still individuals within this union, honor that, support that and encourage each other's dreams.

**Let's talk about our kids. Who is really raising our children? In the last 5 days, I've seen some very troubling scenes with adults and children. Now, I'm not sure if the adults that I saw with these children were there parents, aunts, cousins, etc. I just know the adult was the person in possession of these kids. First scene: a nice, summer eve in Jersey City--I'm sitting on the bench-like structure waiting for the bus, when 2 adult woman probably in their early 20s and two kids a boy around 5 yrs. old and a girl about 4 come along. The kids are yelling and playing roughly. The girl hits the boy and runs, the adult no.1 encourages the little boy to hit the little girl "go get her!" she instigates. Thus the boy hits the little girl, she screams and the chaos begins. Two grown folks encourages violence. In my mind, I'm thinking really? Why oh why oh why. I have a flash forward 15 yrs from now of this little boy now about 21 hitting his girlfriend....Or the little girl accepting that ok to fight with men. The scene was very frustrating and sad on so many levels.
Second scene: yesterday. I am waiting for the Path train at the World Trade Center stop. I am seated diagonally from a cute little girl who looks to be no older than 5 yrs. old. 2 minutes after I glance at her, I hear huff "F-U" to the woman sitting next to her. The woman says nothing, she is apparently her guardian for the day (mother, aunt, friend, cousin, something). Then the little girl says "F-U, M-Fer!" My heart drops, I look her dead in the eye for about 2 seconds, because I'm really amazed. I'm wondering what the folks around me are thinking. No one is saying anything of course. The guardian says something like you think you're bad or some foolishness to the child. Nothing is said that would demonstrate to this child that such language should never roll from her tongue ever, especially not towards an adult. I, again, want to shake someone after witnessing this ridiculousness. What on EARTH is going on? Who is parenting our children? The scary thing is you can't even dare to say anything in a loving way when you see such behavior. You don't want to risk being cursed out by the child, the parent, or both, or even worse hit. What happened to it takes a village? What happened to respecting your elders? What happened to healthy parenting? It is so sad that our kids are not being guided and are not receiving the tools from home that they are truly going to need when they are out in the world. I feel like monsters are being raised out here. And it scares me. I applaud all the parents out there really doing the job they signed up for when they gave birth, which is showing love, teaching love, respect, responsibility and so much more to these little humans. Can these cycles of self-destruction be broken?


***Ok, on a lighter note it's still summertime. :-) The sun is still shining. And we are alive and well today. It's a perfect day for a watermelon slushy! Yum!! There's nothing like seeing things in a new, brighter way. I'm open to your thoughts today. :-)
Sending good energy your way. Tag you're it!


Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Celebrate Monday! :-)

Happy Monday!! It's a new day, a new week, a new month. Are you ready to make it all good? I am. Wow, summer's last month. Time waits for nothing. I'm excited about this month! I have lots of sweet stuff planned. Today is lovely, the sun is beaming brightly through my window. For this I am so very grateful! :-)
Ok, so let's get this show on the road. It's time to celebrate Monday! Let's talk about what we are thankful for right now. My top ten.

* I'm alive. I'm well. I'm energized! whoo hoo.
*This is my 60th blog posting. :-)
*My nephew Carsen is 6 today! I love you Carse!!!! XOXOXOX

*BBP is arrives on Thursday! Yippee!!!

*I'm going to be in the audience of the Nate Berkus show this Friday. :-)

*My nail polish named Lila, who knew when I chose it. Everytime I glance at my nails, I get a high. Color therapy really works! :-)
*END OF SUMMER SALES!!! I got the cutest stuff for under $20 this weekend. lol

*I finished my 3rd GREAT read of the summer. A Fine Balance. Yes!!!
Now for something really happy to read.

*Bookstores. They just make me smile. :-)
*Good relationships. Makes life so much more peaceful!!!!
                 Aunt Sandra & cousin Quinn Rae
Your Turn!

Sending all that tickles your soul today. Tag you're it!