YouTube Video Credit: Lessons Taught by Life
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Monday, May 28, 2018
Motivational Monday – Mothers are Queens
Happy
Memorial Day. Today in the U.S. we honor the memory of fallen soldiers and give
thanks to others for their service. If you know a veteran share a word of
gratitude with him or her. Some veterans were also mothers, today we will focus
on mothers as queens.
It’s not
Mother’s Day, nor does it have to be, for you to recognize and honor mothers
for all that they do. Do you believe mothers should be treated as queens? This
is exactly how they were received at an event in their honor at East Vernor
Church of God in Christ in Detroit.
I was
invited to the event to share comedy with the group, but the event was much
more than that. I also received from the group. As I entered the event, I was
greeted by a smiling face that asked my name. She then announced, “We have
Queen Angie.” She placed a crown on my head and handed me a scepter (ink pen).
Each woman
who entered the event was greeted in the same manner. The women enjoyed love,
laughter, food and fellowship. The catered meal was a delight to our palets –
savory chicken breast, vegetarian lasagna, red skinned potatoes, and seasoned
green beans. Mmm. I’m getting hungry all over again. What was my point? Oh yes,
mothers.
Mothers are
Queens. This event was organized by the First Lady of the church, Donna Payne.
She wanted to honor the mothers of her church for all that they do. She and her
team did a wonderful job of treating everyone like queens. Teamed up with the
ladies at our tables we played a number of games.
It was
obvious the event was well thought out. There were gift bags with a single letter
attached to the front. Together the letters spelled “Mothers are Queens.” Everyone
came away a winner of something. The event ended with women embracing each
other and sharing their enjoyment of the event.
Lady Donna,
job well done. Thank you for making each person feel special.
Mothers are
Queens. Honor your mother or mother figure today.
Friday, May 25, 2018
Fun Friday – What to expect when you’re expecting – The College years
 |
| Home from college |
Saggy diapers
to high school dances; riding in a car seat, to asking to borrow your car.
Twirling in a dance recital to searching for a prom dress. If you have
experienced any of these things, you’ve been in training for College Boot Camp.
The sound of pomp and circumstance fades in the distance, graduation open house
is a memory. What’s next?
After you’ve
submitted college applications and sent your child on college tours, do you
really know what to expect? Maybe, maybe not. Here’s a look at the lighter side
of what to expect during the college years…
1. Your young adult calls and says, “I
need money.”
2. College roommate drama…even with boys
– roommate leaves dirty dishes, uses your stuff, leaves the living space messy.
3. Your young adult will bring his dirty
laundry home for you to wash OR asks you for money for the laundry at school.
4. Your daughter arrives home for the
summer with her car filled with everything from her dorm room.
5. Your living space is no longer serene
– your son has returned his room back to normal…cluttered.
An old model
grey Honda pulled into my driveway. I could see the shadow a head in the
driver’s seat, surrounded by duffel bags, boxes, dishes and football gear. My
son had arrived home for the summer, with more than he took to school.
My son was
so excited to see me that he spent an entire five minutes with me before
leaving to hang out with friends. Hours later he returned to unload everything
from his car and into our living room. My quiet space was overflowing
with…stuff. The college years…
Home from college...car unloaded
No more saggy
diapers, no more riding in car seats and the prom dress search is a memory. The
college years are on the horizon and ready for new experiences.
Have you
experienced the college years with your son or daughter? What has been your
experience?
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Tasty Tuesday – 3 Tips for healthy eating
I...like…food.
There I said it, confession complete. You may be like me in the sense that you
like food, but you don’t want to look like the foods you eat. If you want to
get rid of that muffin top belly, back away from the chocolate chip muffin. Don’t
want to look alike popped can of biscuits? Leave the biscuits for someone else.
So you want
to eat healthy…below are 3 tips to get you started
1. Don’t starve yourself – eating one
meal a day will not necessarily jump start your healthy eating. It can in fact,
cause you to binge eat later. In a nutrition challenge with a group of ladies,
we learned that eating more often, helps with weight loss. Eating 5-6 times a
day of the right foods works.
Eating more often does not mean full course meals. Perhaps you have egg
whites and fruit for your first meal. A few hours later you have nut and a
protein drink. Just an example. Carry healthy snacks with you to keep you from
grabbing a bag of chips.
2. Fill your plate with veggies first - select
your favorite veggies and load up, add some protein and a glass of water. You’re
on your way.
3. Drink Water – always include water in
your day. My goal is no less than 64 ounces per day. During our nutrition
challenge, our goal was 128 ounces of water. We combined fitness and nutrition.
For me, when I workout, it’s easier to achieve my water goal throughout the
day.
I like food
and it’s okay.
And here’s
my disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist, nor am I in the medical field. I’m just
a recovering “big” girl. Consult with your doctor before beginning any health
program.
What is one
thing that you will change in an effort to eat healthy?
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Monday, May 14, 2018
Muffins with Mom – Family Vacation
Do you have
family members who provide so much entertainment that all you have to do is sit
back and smile? That family member may even be you. Here’s how my story
unraveled.
Our first
port of call required us to take a tender (small boat) to the island. Unfamiliar
with traveling by tender, I said to my mom, “we won’t be in a canoe will we?
This brief mode of transportation won’t require use of an oar will it?” None of
the above was necessary.
We stepped
off the cruise ship and wobbled onto the tender, one rocky step at a time. The
waves bounced, the tender rocked. My body swayed, tilted, and leaned and I
hadn’t made it to my seat yet. The 15 passenger tender felt unsteady.
I grabbed
something for balance and finally sat down. The boat swayed again. I think I
converted from Baptist to Catholic in two minutes flat. I was reminded of the
Hail Mary prayer my mom learned in catholic school. “Hail Mary full of grace,
the Lord is with thee, blessed art though amongst women…”
Gripping my
necklace, you would have thought I was holding rosary beads. I cried out like
the rocks in the Bible saying, “My God, my God.” It was only a five minute ride
across the water, yet I felt like singing a gospel hymn. “There’s a storm out
over the ocean and it’s movin’ this way.”
I survived,
and on the ride back to the ship, the waters were smoother. And we were on a
larger watercraft.
Below are
tales involving different relatives…
Mama
During our
elegant dining on our cruise, we were offered a variety of desserts. When mom’s
dessert was placed in front of her, it look like two miniature scoops of ice
cream. I asked her, “Are you having anything with that?”
“Yes, a
spoon.”
That was not
quite the answer I anticipated.
My uncle is
68 years old and participates in competitive power lifting. He’s the Incredible
Hulk of our family. My uncle, brother and I were chatting over lunch. When my
brother asked my uncle, “What size shirt do you wear?”
“Medium,”
was the reply.
My brother
and I looked at each other and started laughing. I said, “If you can fit a
medium shirt, I must need to shop in the Juniors section of the store.” My
uncle’s shirt was clinging to him like a scuba diving suit. I guess that makes
his muscles pop more.
Brother
We all know
airport food can be a bit pricey. On our trip home we had a two hour wait before
boarding our flight. My mom wanted a bag of potato chips to snack on, so my
brother and I trudged off on a quest for chips.
It didn’t
take long to spot the chips. My brother studied the list of prices then turned
to me and said, “Do you want to give me half on this bag of chips? It’s a small
investment.”
What
entertaining things happened on your last family vacation?
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Friday, May 4, 2018
Fun Friday - My funny family
A matter of opinion
All I wanted
to do was to find a nice dress for a special event. I tried on dress after
dress – A-lined dresses, straight dresses, flowers, solid colors. Shopping was
draining. My mother often provides constructive feedback on our rare shopping
excursions. This time she wasn’t with me.
In the
fitting room, I posed in front of the long mirror and snapped a picture. The
blush colored dress was sort of cute, it was knee length and has spaghetti
straps. Just in time for summer vacation. I texted the picture to my mom and
her response was, “that one’s kinda cute. You might want to wear a girdle with
it though.”
“I AM
wearing a girdle.”
I left that
dress in the fitting room and went home to make sure my gym membership had not
expired.
Dishwashing
Passing like
two ships in the night, it’s not uncommon for my son and me to miss seeing each
other. Our schedules don’t always coincide. Many times we correspond through
text messages. As we passed each other in the kitchen one day, I said, “Can you
help me out and wash the dishes?”
“I’ll do
them when I come in form work.”
He must have
been at work for two days, because those dishes did not seem to move. I washed
the dishes. The next afternoon while at work, I received a text from my son.
The message said, “We are going to have to talk about your dishwashing skills
when you get home. It’s ok this time, I’ll let it slide. Lol.”
“I just wanted
to get them done.”
“It looks
like you might have washed them while blindfolded.”
The crying
emoji that followed his comment, told me his sense of humor was at its peak.
What funny
things have your family members said or done lately?
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
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