Happy New Year!

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

2016 seemed to really be a crappy year. I consider 2016 to have started in December 2015 with the week-long illness and subsequent death of my 23-year-old nephew, William, a few days after my 42nd birthday and right before Christmas.

His death was followed by a cancer diagnosis of someone close to me and then I had heart surgery for SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) two days before the dawn of 2016. I entered 2016 sad and tired but hopeful....mostly. 

Well, 2016 quickly said "I don't care about your hope" and David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Rene Angelil, Glen Frye and Abe Vigoda, died within days of each other in January.....and it continued from there. 

In fact, I recently looked at a list of all the celebrity deaths in 2016 and there were 46 that I knew and countless other names I didn't personally recognize. People that study these things say that the number is not actually any bigger than any other year, but it feels overwhelmingly large. 

Couple all the deaths with a lot of other things that people I care about have experienced (car theft, home catastrophes, illnesses, job loss) and other world issues (Zika virus, Brexit, Syrian refugee crisis and the US Election).....2016 felt oppressive. 

Well, I went to bed last night determined to have a better year in 2017, but I wasn't sure how. How can I make things better in the world? How can I ensure there is less death and pain? I went to church this morning with that weighing heavily in my heart but determined to start the year worshiping Jesus......and I am so glad I did.

I play viola and was part of the morning worship team.....so powerful and uplifting. Everyone on the worship team and in the congregation was there to worship our Lord and that was all that mattered. Then our lead teaching pastor spoke about Ezra and admonished us to read the Bible more. Ezra was known for his devotion to God and His Word. Ezra was favored by the Lord because of his devotion to God's Word.

All of a sudden it clicked. There is zero that I can do to change the world's negativity (duh) but my reaction to that negativity, if fully enclosed in my worship of God, will change. And truth be told, that is what I really want. Peace in the arms of God.

Gwen Ifill

I haven't posted in a while. I have been gathering my thoughts on what I really want to post about. It has been a long week with election results and news of changes in my church. I was just starting to feel like myself again.....then the news that Gwen Ifill died.


















She had cancer and I feel bad that I had no idea. It appears she didn't tell a lot of people, but I still feel like I should have known and been able to pray for her.

Today I learned so much about her life and realized this woman that I watched on PBS News Hour was really a news powerhouse. She was dedicated to telling the news the way it really was, all while being fair and pleasant. She made the news interesting and informative and for the people. She was a strong, Black woman and I respect her so much.

Learning about Ms. Ifill's life has inspired me to go after my passions and press on, no matter what.

Thank you for all you did. I will miss you.

Blogging....a beginning.

I have decided to start blogging.

There....I said it. That is the first step, right? Admitting what I want to do and why. Oh, wait....why?

I have no earthly idea.

I just have a lot on my mind all the time and feel like I should write it down. So....why not a journal? Well, I always seem to misplace them. The internet is more permanent or something.....easier to keep track of. And hey! Maybe folks will want to read what I write....or, maybe no one will ever see it and that is okay too. This really isn't about fame or fortune (you have to work too hard to make money off this), it is about thoughts that I want to write.

Oh....and about making it pretty. Can't do that easily in a journal. Well...colored pens and a little imagination maybe, but whatever.

So....blogging goal. Hmmmmmm..........

It is September 5th, Labor Day. I would love to set the goal of blogging daily, but I am more realistic than that.......the only thing I do daily is eat (and wash but that shouldn't have to be said). So maybe......3 times a week. I think I can keep that up. 3 times a week through the month of September. Yep....that should work.

So....internet stalkers....GET READY!!!!!!!!!!! The party starts in 3.....2....1.....

via GIPHY

Pissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So....I moved into a new apartment a couple of weeks ago and you know how it is, there is always something wrong when you first move in. For me....it is the washing machine. The entire washing process is a bit louder than I think it should be, but that final spin cycle.....you can't even think when that thing is running. Check it out.....

I mean seriously! That is just unnatural.

Well, I went into the rental office and showed the manager the video.....she was shocked (understandably) and put in a work order. I figured I would get a new machine sometime this week.

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

The lazy maintenance team left me a note saying I overfilled the machine and that is why it was loud. WTF!!! I think I could put an entire chopped up bison in a working washing machine and never get it to make THAT noise. One time I washed a half full load of ladies unmentionables and still got that same noise on the last spin cycle but that dumb-dumb is trying to blame me. NO SIR!

I am so glad I found out about the note during the day so I can handle it before the office closes at 6pm. I called the office and got no answer but then thought....oh no....I am going in that joint and fussing errybody out. Accusing me of overfilling a washing machine. I am gonna overfill their ears with my complaints...big dummy faces!

I cannot stand lazy people. Hell, I don't even really like people all that much so a lazy person.....NOPE!

The funny thing is, I was just waiting until they finished this work order before I put in my other ones.....not waiting no mo'. Them folks gonna have a whole list from me and I don't care. They need to replace that screen door they installed last week that obviously came out of a storage shed somewhere....that joint is dirty, has a bee-sized hole in it and dead spiders on it......too damn lazy to hose it off and repair it before installing it....ugh! Also, one of my vertical blinds is broken and someone thought turning it upside down and sticking it back up there was gonna "fix" it. Oh...and why were there large bugs in my kitchen light fixture when I moved in? I didn't even notice them until like day 4 but there is no way that many accumulated in that short a time period. Sigh.....

I promise I will not cuss....but they will be getting the mama death stare because this mama ain't pleased AT ALL.