home

Last Sunday, I was still basking in the glow from all that was Howard University Homecoming. Though I moved back to DC 17 years ago, I had not been to the festivities for over 25 for various reasons, some that make sense, others that are totally ridiculous now that I think about it. There are no words to describe the warmth of every hug, kiss, greeting, smile from people I knew, just met or still don’t know except to say that I was amongst family and felt the love.

October 2017 has led me to other "homecomings" and as the month comes to a close, I find myself thinking about all that has occurred. It seems like October 3, a milestone birthday for me this year, was just yesterday. Upon that entrance to my next decade, a piece of me that I'd kept on the shelf for too many years jumped off, causing me to ask myself, “Where have you been?!”. The day before that, the ninth collage in a series I’m working on appeared and is now urging me to bring forth a tenth piece in this 10th month, I believe signaling the end of this group of images, two that personally hit home with their messages. Just yesterday during prayer and meditation, I felt a spirit pass through to tell me that I've arrived in a nesting space where enough is in place for me to fully flesh out and put into action a vision; my journals house the notes, my mind is the door through which those notes pass, my heart is the key to unlock everything. The lock turned. 

Speaking of doors and Howard, this month I visited the salon of a friend from my college days. Though we have not spoken in well over 30 years, I was warmly reminded that no time really passes when you’ve had a close friendship with someone even if time has passed. Hours later, that warmth was still hugging me; the minute I stepped foot into that salon I was home. Truly, there’s no place like it, so… 

keep your peepers open!®

#wearewomenwriting #blogher17 #womenwriting #blogpost #blogging #blogger #photographer #photography #selftaughtartist #keepyourpeepersopen #homecoming #HowardHomecoming #Uknow #noplacelikehome #billlawrencesalon

frenzy

I admit that I am obsessed when it comes to jewelry! I’ve known for years of my addiction to acquiring baubles, bangles and beads however, the other night I moved into a whole other orbit. While on Pinterest, I came across a pair of Navajo Native American sterling silver with coral earrings that I decided to pin to my ethnic, tribal & unusual jewelry board. Just as I was about to hit save, I noticed that they had not been saved to very many boards. Were the beauties available? To my delight, they were on ebay; the current bid was low with a little over a day left so I jumped right on in! Nobody topped me for hours and when they did, I bid again and went to bed.

The next morning, there was no answer to my offer; I was far from feeling feel smug as I knew someone from the other 14 watchers would eventually pounce. I set an alarm on my phone to remind me when an hour was left, went on about my day, met someone for dinner, came home, climbed into bed and the countdown was on because while I was eating and chatting, I was outbid. Five minutes before bidding was over, someone topped the person who outbid me. Not only did I see that happening in real time, eBay alerted me via email which startled me since I was focused on watching the bids. My heart began to race, I could feel it beating out of my chest as my body temperature climbed. I logged in and prepared a bid, holding still until the one minute count down began. At 30 seconds, I clicked increase bid and was immediately outbid. WTH!?!? Now I was shaking, quickly tried to recover when something happened that kept me from getting in another bid! THIS WAS NOT HAPPENING!!!!!

I cold barely breathe as my heart jumped into my throat however I know the power of getting centered in the moment, which I did. The clock was at 3 seconds when everything worked and I entered the winning bid; it took me more than 10 minutes to bring my heart rate back to normal. I snuggled down under the covers feeling slightly unnerved by those moments of feeling like I had no control over myself, smiling because I conquered getting what I was after at a very reasonable cost since others who bid were not upping by more than $1 at a time, and wondering…just how many pairs of earrings does one girl need? 

I refused to answer that question as I turned out the lights and I’m still pleading the fifth, so don’t ask and…

keep your peepers open!®

#jewelryfanatic #earringsaremyfriend #breathe #obsession #addictedtothebling #blogher #wearewomenwriting #baublesbanglesbeads

sunday thought

There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any. - Hugh Laurie 

Just sayin’ to myself and to you so, take a deep breath, pull those dreams together, step on out there and…

keep your peepers open!®

#sundaythoughts #motivation #mindfulness #inspiration #blogher #IWWG #wearewomenwriting #peepthis #keepyourpeepersopen

m.e.

During a lively conversation with one of my good gal friends, I found myself thinking about an article/book, I’ve been scribing notes to when she uttered the word stuck in reference to how she is feeling. My entire being shook hearing the word knowing that I’ve been trying to write a cohesive piece about that very feeling at different moments in my life over the course of several years. The more we talked, the more an uncomfortable stickiness set in so I suggested that perhaps we are in limbo. 

Feeling unsure, particularly later in life can be quite unsettling, a little scary even. Couple that with a lack of ME (motivating energy) and that space of uncertainty where the questions at hand have not yet connected with an answer can be beyond daunting! As I dropped my thoughts for this blog into my ongoing document, I took a look at all that I’ve previously written on the topic and decided that trying to pepper past thoughts into present ones was not needed. In actuality, stuck or scared is not what I’m feeling right now, though I can’t articulate the exact thing that currently holds a part of me uncomfortably suspended. I can say that whatever it is has not kept me from being productive in others areas of my life which means I’m not really stuck at all. If I stay open to receive, eventually all will be revealed so hang in there with me and…

keep your peepers open!®

#wearewomenwriting #blogher #blogalicious #keepyourpeepersopen #peepthis #mindfulness #stuck #motivatingenergy

migrating

On a recent morning walk, I was rewarded when I passed through a local garden and witnessed orange and golden wings fluttering all about. I’ve seen monarch butterflies as they migrate to Mexico once before on another morning many years ago as I drove along the ocean between the towns of Rehoboth and Bethany Beach, DE. Hundreds of them floated on the breeze around the car; I was afraid I would run some of the gorgeous little lovelies over so I slowed down since I was the lone driver on the road. It was exhilarating to be amongst them then and now. Which brings me to Ken Burn’s The Vietnam War series…

I binged watched the 10 episodes and let me say, it was an eye-opening education on a war that has intrigued me since I was a young girl whose questions back then went unanswered. I’ve always wanted to know more than I eventually came to know about this moment in history that I lived through, that influenced the world I was to grow up in, that nobody would talk about. I realize things were left out of the series; not everyone is pleased with what was presented and I too felt there were some topics that needed more attention. That said, towards the end of the documentary, the footage of countless people trying to flee conflict, uncertainty and the fear of death held me still in my chair, the desperateness of it all stirring up forgotten emotions because before me were some of the same images I had seen and not fully understood in my younger years. Who knew that a strange pain had wedged somewhere in my being waiting for the right moment to emerge, bring tears to my eyes. 

Though hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese men, women and children who assisted the US perished as they tried to or before they could leave, others successfully migrated to America becoming citizens. Despite what had happened in their homeland, they came to love this country, their new country, our country. Watching the documentary inspired me to revisit the Memorial which is not far from where I reside. I want to spend concentrated time there reflecting on the war, what I watched, and what I've read since the last episode aired. I need to run my hands over the names of people I never knew, my desire to connect something I can't really explain. As I walk  there, I will choose to pass through the gardens where butterflies flutter freely and think about the millions of people who have successfully migrated to the United States, wonder about those who have been and will be turned away, and reflect on the words, what price freedom.

Check out The Vietnam War; it’s worth a watch, form your own opinion and…

keep your peepers open!®

#kenburns #vietnamwar #migration #butterflies #whatpricefreedom #wearewomenwriting #immigration #blogher #blogalicious