2011 New Year Appreciation & Eradication

Happy New Year Friends and Family.  Thanks for reading my blog.  I appreciate all of you.  We’re 6 days into 2011 and I have been living in a state of Pure Joy ALL 6 of these days.  I woke up feeling great this morning.  I am so thankful that I have discovered this JOY.

My Appreciation/Gratitude List for today January 6, 2011:

• I am thankful God woke me this morning with the energy I needed to start my day.
• Thankful that my children are healthy, wealthy and wise today.
• Thankful for the friends in my life who are loving, kind, funny, supportive and uniquely themselves in so many ways.  (Examples:  Jerrie, Christina, Pele, Sandra, Mama…).  I love them all dearly.
• I appreciate the steady stream of income into my bank account.  LOVE that.
• I am appreciative and thankful for this new sense of self I have.
• I am loving the attitude of this man with the golden voice, Ted Williams.  He is so thankful for everything that comes his way.
• I really appreciate people who are grateful for all of the little things in their lives.
• LOVE my dog, a German Shepherd named Sable.  She brings me so much joy.  Just caring for her and being responsible for her adds value to my life.  I love Sable.

January 4, I did an eradication exercise.  I made 3 three lists.  The first list was a list of all of my achievements and blessings in 2010.  The second list was a list of everything I want to eradicate and get rid of in 2011.  The third list was a list of my desires, hopes, dreams, and wants for 2011.  The exercise of making the lists and burning the lists gave me power and more joy.  I am thankful I did that exercise.

Happy New Year to all of you and many blessings to you this year.

I appreciate all of you and I express this appreciation to all of you from the infinite abundance that is my natural state, knowing that as I do so it will expand and reflect back to me.

~~Namaste~~

When A Parent Loves

As I was cleaning today, I was thinking about the mothers and fathers in my life who LOVE other people’s children.  All of those thoughts brought to mind R.Kelly’s latest hit When A Woman Loves.  If you listen closely it sounds as if he’s singing about his mother or a mother.  During my chores today my thoughts were more focused on when a parent loves.

When a parent loves, the world is loved.  When a parent loves, love is shared with all of us.  When a parent loves another person’s child, they are really loving ALL of our children.

• I remember when TJ was younger and so many of his friends would come over for sleep overs, dinner, lunch, play dates, whatever, anything, time with our family.  Little did I know at the time that us taking in other children to spend some time with was soothing and helpful to their parents.  I’ve been told several times by several different parents that us having their child over was a blessing to them.  We were just loving our child and treating their children as our own.  We had no idea we were really blessing someone else.
• When I was growing up my mom used to work in a daycare center.  EVERY day she would bring home “some stray child” whose parent was not able to pick them up before the center closed.  Although I was a bit selfish during my early teen years, having someone else’s child around really didn’t bother me.  My mother taught me how to love strangers and see past the exterior of people into their souls.  I am so grateful to her for that.  Thanks to my mother, I have several sisters and brothers that neither of my parents created biologically.  My sister Kathy LOVED having someone else’s child to watch over and love.  That was her thing, loving other people’s children.
• Kathy loved other people’s children so much I believe they thought Kathy was their mother.  I remember when Kathy was just 19 or 20, she took in another woman’s baby as her own and practically raised her for years.  I am grateful to Kathy for that because did ALL of us a great service by showing love to a child who needed it.
• Allan spent the weekend with one of his best friends this weekend.  When I went to take him to the meeting place, I realize that my good friend took on 6 children this weekend.  I thought it was just going to be her kids and Allan.  Don’t know why I thought that because every time I go over there, her oldest always has a friend or two hanging around.  Pele always loves our children as if they are her own.  I love her even more for that.  That’s the love of a mother she shows my children.  The love R.Kelly sings of in his hit When A Woman Loves.
• When I was married, my husband had a great camaraderie with children in every neighborhood we lived in.  Before TJ was born, the neighborhood kids would come over and ask if Mr. Tony could come out and play.  He played football with them in our front yard.  When we moved back to Columbia, he played basketball and football with the neighborhood kids.  He always had their best interest at heart.  There was no malice towards them and he genuinely cared about them as if they were his own.  The love of a parent towards another person’s child is what he has always demonstrated.  Even after our divorce I can still see it.  My ex-husband was and still is a father figure to someone else’s children.  I appreciate that he does that.
• My BFF has two daughters of her own.  Well, this weekend she had a total of 4 girls to care for.  One of them is an infant.  She enjoyed every moment of it.   She did it because the mother needed help.  Plain and simple.  She loved all of them as if they were her own too.  I am thankful she does that.
• Jerrie has been taking care of my oldest granddaughter since she was born.  Jerrie has no grandchildren of her own, but she calls mine hers.  She’s a co-grandparent.  As a matter of fact, Ms T is at Jerrie’s right now giving her all of the love a grandchild gives.  I am thankful to Jerrie for the love she has given to my son, my daughter-in-law, and my grands.  Another example of when a parent loves another parent’s child as their own.

This entry is my expression of appreciation to all of the parents who love.  I express this Appreciation from the infinite abundance that is my natural state, knowing that as I do it, this expression will just expand and reflect right back to me.

Namaste

OMG! I Missed THREE Days!

So, I've been participating in NaBloPoMo 2010 and I missed Thursday, Friday, AND Saturday (Nov 11-13, 2010).  Today is Sunday, November 14, 2010 and I have so much to be thankful for:

• Thankful that I didn't miss today.
• Thankful that I missed 3 days because people in my life found me valuable enough to request my time and support.  So so so thankful that I could be of help to my special crew.
• Appreciative to TWC for internet service here at home on my laptop.
• Thankful to RCPL for allowing me to renew Busting Loose from The Business Game AGAIN.
• Overjoyed I got to see Amira today.
• Appreciative to City of Columbia for water to do laundry and to SCE&G for electricity.

I love yall....

Namaste

NaBloPoMo November 9, 2010

Long Day.  Got much done.  Sleepy Now.  Quick Post.  Thankful for the following:

• appreciation for paying my car taxes
• got new tag decals on my car
• Starbucks Soy Caramel Macchiatto
• Allan passing 4 & 5 multiplication tables this week
• good friends like Jerrie Friday
• being a mother and NOT a father (not that anything is wrong with being a father)
• dinner bought, paid for, and cooked all by me
• spoiled rotten puppies in Sable (7mo old German Shepherd) and Lobo (6mo old Siberian Husky)
• me singing in the car.  Man I'm badd but I love singing in the car!  LOVE singing in the car!
• I D E A S  -- luv em.....  got any good ones you wanna share....

Namaste

Christmas For Halloween!

So today I am still thankful for the following post made on my cousin's facebook page on October 21:

Jennifer Manning so i went to a "friends"house and she said come in i want you to see something,when i walked in she had her christmas tree up(with lights)and she was very proud of her tree..please tell me WHO PUTS UP A XMAS TREE IN OCT..and the answer is the only IDIOT i know, Angela Manning i wont call your name but i will tell it,s.m.h

October 21 at 3:08pm · Comment · 

I was even more thankful for the laughs when I found out that Angela dressed up as a Christmas Tree for Halloween.  She is so AWESOME.  I don't care what they say about Angela Manning.  I say Angela Manning is a stone cold genius.  Aunt Bit did right by that one.  Speaking of Christmas, have you started your shopping yet?

Other expressions of Appreciation:

• Sunshine and Blue Skies - I love days like today
• Conversations with Allan - He is really trying hard to leave his current school.  When he got in the car today, I asked him how was his day.  He replied, "Not so good.  I got a half straight face and half frowny face."    Me:  "Really? Why?"        Allan: "I was talking."        Me: "Why?"        Allan: "I was bored."         Me: "What were you talking about?"          Allan: "I don't remember.  More than half the people at my school are obese.  And we don't even get a full recess.  We may get 5 minutes if that."        Me: "Really?  Do you enjoy those 5 minutes?"            Allan: "No.  We are not allowed to run at recess.  AND we can't play tag!  Not even tag football."             Me: "NO TAG PLAYING ALLOWED!!  Now that is just wrong!  We need to do something about that.  Well, tell me something good about your school."                        Allan: "If my school were a high school there would be no teenage sex because all the girls are ugly."  After that I had to give up.  Allan did more talking and I mostly tuned him out because my song was on the CD player.  I heard some of what he said:  "blah blah blah no homework blah not playing blah blah"  I had my mommy filter on so I only heard what really mattered.  Don't judge me for that.  I know all you parents reading this have done that before.  HA.
• Late night ice cream runs before President Blair Underwood comes on TV.
• The fact that I signed up for NaBloPoMo 2010.  I have something to do before bed.

Good Night and Namaste

Solid Old School Love

Today is Sunday, November 7, 2010 and I am still thankful, grateful, and appreciative of living life in a state of Pure Joy.

I was talking with one of my friends today while she was watching Madea's Family Reunion.  We then of course started talking about the beautiful eye candy in the movie:  Blair Underwood and Boris Kodjoe.  She informed me that Boris and his wife broke up.  I immediately thought how unfortunate because I love to see love work for people.

The conversation quickly moved to famous couples who either made love work or are making their love last.  I am so thankful for the following couples who have made it work and continue to be positive love influences for us all:

• Ashford & Simpson  - Solid Love kept them married for 36 years and raised 2 children together.  Solid Love.  Solid as a rock!
• Marilyn McCoo & Billie Davis - Precious Love kept them married for 41 years.  
• Ruby & Ossie Davis - Happily married for 56 years.  They openly discuss their open marriage in this book.
• Michelle & Barack Obama - Married for 18 years.
• Will & Jada  - Married 13 years.
• Courtney Vance & Angela Bassett  - Married 13 years.
• Paula & Denzel Washington - Married 27 years.
• Samuel Jackson & LaTanya Richardson - Married 30 years.

I'd like to express Appreciation to all of the above for keeping LOVE and Hope alive.  God Bless & Namaste.

We Have Dragons!!

Today is Saturday, November 6, 2010 and I am thankful for:

• My Own – So thankful I have my own house, my own car, my own peace of mind.  God Bless The Child That’s Got His Own.
• Family Movie Night – We watched How To Train Your Dragon tonight.  I enjoyed it.
• Peking Wok – Lemon Pepper Chicken and Shrimp Fried Rice for dinner.
• Robert Englund – He’s a much better Freddy Krueger than Jackie Earle Haley.
• Today right now.  Getting much better at Living In The Now.

 

God Bless and Don’t Digress…

 

namaste

Appreciation for November 5, 2010

Every November I usually post about gratitude, gratefulness, thankfulness and just plain old appreciation.

My goal for November 2010 was to post everyday. Well, I got side tracked until I saw a post on blogher about NaBloPoMo. It reminded me of my yearly November activities so I signed up and here I am.

Starting today I will be posting EVERYDAY this month.

Today is Friday, November 5, 2010 and I am most thankful for:

• Paid bills - I have been collecting unemployment since April and God has made it possible for my mortgage and utilities to continue to be paid during this financial diet.
• TJ - TJ finally got his own place and I am happy and appreciative for that.  I've been talking to him this week and he really wants me to come visit him when his dad goes this weekend.  The problem is that my car needs to be serviced and I'm not comfortable driving it that far until I can pay for the full servicing of my car.  Maybe his dad may get the appreciation bug and let me follow him in his car while he drives the u-Haul of furniture we are giving TJ.
• Fresh Air - This change in the weather here in SC has the air very fresh and crisp.  I love that.  Thanks for the fresh air.
• NaBloPoMo and BlogHer - Thanks for bringing it to my attention that I really should do this yet again.
• My Mom - She has been my biggest supporter and fan.  I love Mom and I am so very thankful to have her in my life.
• Music - love it!
• Robert Scheinfeld - I read two of his books this month:  The 11th Element and Busting Loose From The Business Game.  The second book is by far one of the coolest books I have read in a very long time.  I appreciate what I have learned from both of these books thanks to Robert Scheinfeld.
• My Dogs - They are such a pleasure.  I love walking them and I love seeing how much pleasure they get out of a simple walk.  Dogs are so simple.  I've lost 15 pounds since I got them because I have to walk them 2-3 times a day.  My German Shepherd and my Siberian Husky are the best!  So glad we took them to training too.

Today is Tuesday, December 4, 2007

and I am thankful for:

• working close to home. I came home for lunch today.

• sons who love each other. TJ had to walk to another subdivision to pick up his little brother today. Allan really looks up to TJ and admires him. TJ plays well with Allan. They bonded today.

• appreciation. I love people who appreciate the people in their lives.

• more lessons learned. I am the person who is ultimately responsible for the amount of bullshit that enters my life. I can either accept it or reject it. The choice is mine.

See more progress on: be thankful

Today is Friday, November 9, 2007

and I am thankful for:

• delegation. I love delegating work to others who are qualified to do it. I am thankful that I can delegate my work to at least 9 different people who I know will get the job done. That means I can also do more. Delegation is a good thing.
• a job close to home. I know I don't start until the 19th, but I am so thankful that my commute time will be cut in half. Not only will my time be cut in half, but the roundtrip distance will go from 50 miles to 10 miles. That is so beautiful.
• more time with my sons. Because of this new job, I will have more time with the ones I love the most.
• appreciation. I am thankful that the people in my life appreciate me. Shoot, I appreciate me. Don't you?
• self acceptance. I am thankful that I can be the REAL ME without worrying about offending some people. I am a flirt by nature, nothing I do on purpose. I am thankful that I can let the natural me and the natural flirt within me free and the people in my life absolutely LOVE me for it. There is nobody trying to change me or convince me that I need to be a certain way. I am thankful that I can be who I am and not give a DAMN about what others think of the REAL Me.

I love me just the way I am. I love those who accept me just the way I am.