Will Our “Real” Parents Stand Up Please!

After partying for 3 days in a row, we rested. On Sunday we rested the whole day and night and it was good. I loved laying all over hubby, intertwined with him on our couch. We drifted in and out of sleep that day and it was beautiful. Our kids kept coming over and staring at us, giggling to themselves, laying down with us, and making sure they kept the house quiet. They honored us that day by giving us their healing love and attention.

Our children adore their parents. They’re always smiling at us. They love to see us in love and love to see us enjoying our lives. I’m honored to be their role model, living it up and showing them that life is to be lived, enjoyed, and experienced. When I was growing up I didn’t get to see my parents go out and party, and hang out together. I would have loved it but as many parents start to “think”, when they have kids, the party has to stop because it’s time to set “a good example”. What does that really mean? I think my parents got caught up in the trap that children only need to see what’s considered to be the “good” in their parents. I’m not blaming them for falling prey, I’m just saying it would have benefited me to see them be free of that thinking. I had to learn how to party, experience life, and a whole lot of other things from others and I’m sure it would have been MUCH better had I learned it from them.

My husband and I have a different philosophy about allowing our children to see us for who we truly are. We think it’s best they learn it this way. We know it’ s best they know who their parents truly are and learn to love accept just that. I’m talking about giving your children all of you, your flaws, and being unashamed. Your kids will appreciate the truth and learn to live in their truth. Our kids love this about us and say to us all the time, they want to do the same with their children. I get all creamy inside hearing about the awesome life of my grandchildren and how open-minded their parents will teach them to be.

Parents, let’s stand up together and open up to our kids. Allow them to see you for who you really are. Stop hiding or trying to hide because they’ll know. The best teacher is you, the real you, the raw and uncut you. Your kids will learn to live openly and freely and will not feel as if though they have to hide as well. You don’t want that, now do you? You don’t want kids who grow up feeling ashamed of who they really are.

What you really want your children to know is that it’s ok to be who they are, no matter what that looks like but it has to start with you. If you haven’t been free to just be, it’s never too late to start. At first, they may look at you like your crazy but so what?? When you got up on a bike for the first time I’m sure you looked funny, wobbling all around the place but you kept going (hopefully) and became good at it, great at it. Well, look at living your life freely in front of your children the same way and soon you will be cruising along in no time.

Now go ahead, shake a little tail feather and drop it, drop it low ;-)

Hanging With Ford at The Go Further Tour in Atlanta!

 

Ford Go Further Tour VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

A couple of weeks ago I got an invitation in my inbox to the Ford Motor Company “Go Further Tour”. It mentioned something about an “All Electric car, EcoBoost, and test-drive. I immediately jumped all over it and RSVP’d for the event. I had a thought that flashed through my mind about me driving by, waving to the crowd in a ford vehicle, with a bit a flyness sounded coo, lol. I can dream can’t I??

I had a great time as I always do at events like these and got to whip around in the parking lot in an all electric vehicle that was the quietest little thing. I felt like the danger in that however, is that it’s difficult for pedestrians to hear the car coming and might blindly walk out in front of it like in a parking lot or small street. Everything else about it was pretty cool, like the way it lights up when it’s ready to drive. The attendees got to vote on where an EV charging station would go in Atlanta. If you own and electric vehicle you know how important it is to have charging stations at convenient locations. You will also be happy to know that Walgreens has started setting up their own charging stations.

Ford, City of Atlanta, and Clean Cities-Atlanta teamed up to make this presentation a pleasant one for us folks here in Atlanta. They gave us the opportunity to help spread the good news about the Ford Focus Electric and Ford Escape with EcoBoost. I test drove the Ford Escape with EcoBoost with Tami from @talkingwithtami and we had a blast trying to figure out how to get the car started. This was mine and her first time driving a car like this. It was smooth, quiet, and very, very easy to drive. I can see why this vehicle will be an aid in keeping Atlanta clean because of it’s capacity to use less fuel and according to Ford for it’s CO2 Emmisions. Check out the link, good info.

Getting our drive on! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The presentation was held at the good ‘ole Atlanta Zoo so I, Tami, and Arkeeda from @itsarkeedah got the opportunity to walk around the zoo and visit some of the animals. It was a fun day and I did miss the fact that I was at the Zoo and my babies weren’t with me. There will be another time, I’m sure.

At the Zoo! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Ford Motor Company Go Further Tour Info.

I encourage you to visit www.media.ford.com for additional information on Ford’s Electrification Strategy:

Electrified vehicles: http://media.ford.com/mini_sites/10031/Electrification/

2012 Ford Focus Electric: http://media.ford.com/press_kits.cfm?presskit_id=2139

2013 Ford Escape: http://media.ford.com/press_kits.cfm?presskit_id=2166

EcoBoost: http://media.ford.com/images/10031/EcoBoost.pdf

 

Being Fully Me

 

A gratified woman is someone who constantly experiences the abundance of life itself and the privilege of life itself, because she knows that wherever she is, just by the force of nature that is her being, anything is possible. ~ Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts

 

Atlanta Carnival 2012 Pt. 3

Fun times are the best times. Life is meant to be enjoyed, fully! Enjoy your life in anyway you can and desire to do so, you will not regret it!

Round 3 of our Atlanta Carnival 2012 celebrations landed us in a familiar place, The Royal Peacock Club located in Sweet Auburn Avenue in Atlanta. The Royal Peacock Club has been around for many, many years and is now enjoyed by the very much young at heart who listen to Rap, Reggae, and Soca.

Saturday night we put on our dancing shoes and headed to Peacock. It was Carnival Reload, the night after the parade. This night was all about winding down for some or keeping up the pace from the parade, whatever your flow needed to be you had space to do that. We got there a little before midnight which meant we were getting in free tonight and we ate on the way to maximize on our time. One of the things I love about Peacock is the short lines. We never stand in line longer than a few minutes and then it’s up the infamous red stairs we go.

At Peacock you never could know what to expect. On some nights you think it will be pumping and explosive, but it’s dead and then on other nights it’s like walking into another world where it’s full to capacity. Saturday night we opened the doors and stepped inside to a club that was pumping with music, people dancing, liming, having a good time and well on it’s way to being full. This was just the night we wanted/needed to experience. We were tired after night two and really wanted the night to be worth it so we were happy with what we saw. I loved the all night $3 Margarita drink that was specially made for this occasion. Hubby had a cup and I took some sips, it was delicious.

We ordered a booth and Hookah, got a bucket of beer because we got the booth and spent the night giving it away because I don’t drink beer and it wasn’t Corona – Hubby’s choice of beer. So a mint Hookah was on the tab for the night, a booth, friends, dancing in my lace, and fun! The night was crazy!! The energy in the place was crazy high and stimulated all of my senses. We didn’t close the club down but came close. Looking forward to the next round, which will be the grand finale.

#AtlantaMom, #TeamCaribbean, #TeamWestIndian

The Way You Think of Me

 

I love the way you think of me,

how thoughtful you are to have me in your mind.

The compliments, ohhh how they make me feel.

It puts a little pep in my step,

a little more teeth to my smile,

a little more warmth to my body.

I linger in the mirror a little longer,  

just thinking of you.

I think about your admiration for me,

your appreciation of me,

and your desire for me.

Each time I think of you, I think of me.

Copyright © 2012

This poem was inspired by Bentlily One Poem A Day. Thanks to the founder, Samantha Reynolds, I’ve been getting poems in my inbox for sometime now and have been inspired to start back writing my own poems again. Bentlily was brought to my attention by an amazing woman who also inspires me to live my life fiercely and courageously, Danielle LaPorte. Check out both of these awesome women who have touched my life in a special way.

 

Atlanta Carnival 2012 Pt.2

Friday night was all about Jouvert (pronounced Joo-vay), which means the party before Carnival! There where so many parties going on but we decided to spend the night at the Museum Bar because that’s where DJ Stephen was going to be. DJ Stephen is one of the hottest Soca DJ’s there is who really knows how to get the crowd going and throw a slamming party.

The Museum Bar has two floors to it – one, the upstairs area with dining seating a large bar area with a huge flat screen on the wall that can be seen from anywhere in the bar. It has also has a balcony with tables and chairs that overlooks the wide open area downstairs and has a beautiful view of part of the city. The patio provides a nice alternative to dine when the weather is nice. It’s nicely decorated with white and black furniture and has a banquet hall kind of feel. It’s a great place to throw private parties of any kind and has another section for dancing and late night fun. Side two, the downstairs area is where the club is located. It’s decorated in red and black, has two bars, a dance floor, DJ booth/stage, VIP seating and soft couches located in a few locations around the club.

When we got there it was rather early for these types of events, it was around 10:30, perfect time to get something to eat first. The food is only served upstairs and when we arrived there was a private party being held so in order to eat we had to leave and then come back which would have been a major inconvenience. Fortunately, after we checked, between the security guards and one of the hosts we were given the ok to join the private party upstairs and get us something to eat. We ate at the bar to not intrude upon the party going on who didn’t even notice we were there, so it was cool. We shared the shrimp flatbread which was just ok. It definitely tasted like it was missing something. The music was ok, the sound was so so. We heard the music pumping through the floor from the club downstairs which was tempting us to join in.

We made our way downstairs around 12:00 and was so disappointed. It was dead and DJ Stephen was walking around like he was waiting for more people to come. We were too and by 12:30 we made the tough decision to leave DJ Stephen and The Museum Bar to figure out how in the world they were going to handle this one. We on the other hand were making our way to stone mountain where we knew a live party was taking place, The Atrium.  We got there a little after one and the line was long and the crowd was live. The music was pumping so loud you could hear it outside. We knew we made a good choice. We saw some friends and decided to take the shorter line option and get in as quickly as we could. The place was insane with people, music, and lots of partying. In one huge room the Soca was crazy loud and people where dancing everywhere – on the stage, on the dance floor, in the back of the dance floor, next to the bar, it was crazy live. It was a real Fete! Over in the next room which was twice the size as the first, it was all about the Reggae and the vibes was amazing. When West Indians throw a party you better be prepared to let your hair down, sweat, and have a good time.

That night we got the best of both worlds and didn’t get home until after 5am which during Jouvert is considered an early night.

#AtlantaMom #TeamWestIndian #TeamTrinidad #TeamCaribbean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Atlanta Carnival 2012 Pt.1

It’s Carnival time in Atlanta again and the parties have begun! Last night Hubby and I started off our weekend with dancing and palancin at Esso Night Club in Atlanta. It was Flag Party time so that means bring the flag of whatever country you want to represent and let the music take you there. I was deeply impressed with the vicinity. It’s nicely decorated, large, has multiple areas either to dance, lounge, and or catch your breath. It surpassed my expectations and we enjoyed our time thoroughly. Anytime we go out we enjoy ourselves, but being in a new environment and not knowing what to expect and experiencing what we did was great!

We got to Esso around midnight - a lot later than we had initially planned. The parking lot was full and one of the lines were insanely long so we opted to go in to the other, more shorter line, which costs $40 a ticket. It is Carnival time baby and you have to be prepared for prices to at least be doubled in some locations, this was one of them. We stood in the line and in less than 5 minutes we were in. Things started off slow even though it was after midnight but the vibe had potential. We walked around to get a feel of the place and the people who we were going to be spending our night with. It was good, nothing too big as yet, but it was good. We were ready.

Upon walking in you’ll notice a fairly large bar, nicely lit with blue neon lights surrounding it. A small open area to your right where some people were dancing and a DJ booth. The sounds coming from the booth was pumping and it hit me immediately. This is something I love to experience when walking into the club. It gets me going right away. To your left are the restrooms and another open area that could be for dancing or just hanging out. Right in front of the bar sits soft couches and some small tables that looked sectioned of as if it were VIP. The reason I say that is because there are similar areas further inside the club that are VIP. I loved the double entrances that lead into the larger area of the club itself. Here is where you’ll find a dance floor that is accessible by stairs, two more large bar area, multiple VIP sections, and a DJ booth that sits high above everything else. The club was well lit, not dark and dungy feeling. Neon light in many colors lit up the dance floor, bars a seating areas. They also provide a decent sized finger food menu and drinks galore. Towards the back there are doors that lead to the lovely outdoor/rooftop/patio area where you’ll find it nicely decorated in all white everything. From the tables, to the chairs to the couches, to the drapes that separated each area for an intimate private setting. We ate our shrimp kabobs and fries out here.

(Me standing on the patio)

We didn’t waste anytime finding a place to settle into and as soon as we did one of the lovely, sexy dressed, in lingerie, waitresses appeared ready to take our order. She rocked her uniform and seemed extremely comfortable with her bosom standing at attention. She was sweet and friendly, hot and sassy, I loved that she was our waitress for the night. She took good care of us made sure we had everything we needed.

After we got our drinks we made our way to the dance floor. It was crowded but not overbearing. We found a nice little spot on one of the stairs and took advantage of our view of the dance floor and all the dancing that was taking place. Things started to heat up between me and Hubby especially when our favorite songs were being played. Everything and everyone was blocked out, it was just me and him, our energy, our flags, our songs, our waists, and our groove. These are the moments when fire and passion, and alcohol mix and create explosive waves of sexual energy that we love to conjure up on the dance floor. I’m not surprised when people stop and stare and even want to join in. Men and women are drawn to us and when they come in it has the potential of being one of the best rides they ever had.

Everyone looked like they were having a good time and had their flags in their hands waving it around, representing their country, and dancing to the beat of the music. It was live! We were live! The party was live and was not done until 4am in the morning and tonight we do it all over again! We will be at a another place tonight and this will also be a first so I’m looking forward to this experience.

Club Esso is usually a hip-hop club so the vibes will definitely be different. Last night it was all about Soca, Reggae, chippin, and whinin, and can’t forget about palancin.

Us last year at the end of Carnival

#AtlantaMom, #TeamCaribbean, #TeamWestIndian

Hope, Faith, Community And Survival!

The Good that Comes from Cancer – Guest Post by, Heather Von St. James

There's never a good time to learn you have cancer, especially something as unexpected as pleural mesothelioma cancer, but I doubt the timing could have been much worse.

I had been to the doctor a lot in those months. My pregnancy was virtually textbook easy, no complications, no unusual symptoms, just a difficult delivery ending with an emergency caesarian section on August 4, 2005, to bring my lovely Lily safely to us. They say it takes a village to raise a child and my village certainly rallied around us after we came home. Friends and family, mine and my husband's, came to see us and meet her. We had the kind of happy exhaustion that comes with a newborn and our village surrounding us, supporting us.

I went back to work shortly after Lily was born, but within a few weeks I didn't feel quite right. I was tired, breathless, exhausted. It could have just been working and caring for an infant. New mothers get exhausted.

But this was a different form of tired, so I went to see my doctor and began what felt like an endless succession of tests. On November 21, when I should have been preparing for Thanksgiving and Lily's first Christmas, my doctor broke the news. I had pleural mesothelioma, cancer in the lining of my lungs, primarily caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is most common in those who have worked around asbestos; in my case, I was exposed to the carcinogen 30 years earlier in my own childhood. Now, I had this beautiful little girl, who relied on her father and I for everything and I might not get to stick around to help her grow up. When the doctor gave me the prognosis, I looked at my husband, imaging him having to raise Lily by himself.

The word: I had 15 months to live if we did not find a treatment for the mesothelioma. We took the most extreme solution offered to us and embraced it, deciding we would fight so that Lily could keep her mom. We left our home and flew to Boston, leaving Lily with the people I trusted most to raise her in my absence: my parents. They stepped up from being grandparents back into the parenting role without missing a step and their village, in my hometown in South Dakota, stepped in to support them. After all, they were raising an infant while their daughter was fighting for her life.

Girls I used to babysit for were young women now, some with children of their own, and stepped in to babysit Lily so my parents could continue working full time. Our church family surrounded my parents with love and support. In Boston, new friends, many facing the same struggles we were, kept my husband and I positive and fighting.

On February 2, 2006, they removed my left lung via extrapleural pneumenectomy. I spent 18 days in the hospital, then had 2 months to recover before starting chemotherapy and then radiation therapy. I missed the major milestones of Lily's first year, seeing them via grainy photos my parents emailed to me, which my husband printed off via community computer. My nurses came by often looking for new Lily pictures, and often we all chocked back the tears, reminding ourselves that she was the reason we were there, the reason we were fighting so hard.

Cancer is a funny thing. With all the pain and suffering, comes a lot of good. My diagnosis was dire, the timing was awful and the choices we made were difficult, but Lily has a special bond to her grandparents that time and miles cannot take away. As a family, we have learned that " Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” We embrace our lives, for we know exactly how fragile they can be.

 

Heather Von St James is a mesothelioma survivor and a guest blogger for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Her story is one of hope and inspiration and she hopes to spread her message to anyone who may be going through similar situations to her own. Check out Heather’s story on the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.

Heather Von St. James