Taking Time to have a little fun

I haven’t blogged in 6 months because I’ve been constantly busy.  I say that I’m going to add to my blogs, but time doesn’t permit.  I must blog this time and it’s in reference to what we all should do; take time to relax and have a little fun.  We are a social media society; texting, chatting, FB, twitter, and, etc.  We never take the time to push aside the technology and relax.  Each and every day I’m either at my laptop, smart phone or computer emailing, responding to emails, working on a book and or setting up for my next show.  In addition to those tasks, I’m a caregiver, and parent of 2.

On Memorial Day weekend, I took the liberty to walk away from all of this with a friend.  I must say that we had an excellent two day get-away from all of the technology and work.  I never felt so rejuvenated in all my life and now plan to do it again with my family of course and with friends.  My friend and I had planned to attend the music fest in Huntsville.  It was a first for me and for her.  The hotel accommodations were splendid and every place we needed to be was within the area.

Before we partook in the festivities of the blues/music fest, we visited the Botanical Gardens in Huntsville.  The Alice in Wonderland exhibit was at the Botanical Gardens.  We felt like children again.  We seesawed, played on the swings, took pictures of the beautiful flowers and scenery and enjoyed the Butterfly house.  Before we had realized we had spent, 2 ½ hours at the Botanical Gardens.  We learned, played, captured and relaxed. 

As you can see in our picture, we were feeling the bliss at the moment.  This is something that we take time to do at least once a week. We promised ourselves that we should take time out every other month.  We had our smart phones, but we pushed away to enjoy life.    

I recommend that everyone should push away from the technology and have some fun. 

Think about it

First Blog of 2014

2014 is 34 days old, and Friday, January 31st 2014 was also the Chinese New Year- the year of the Horse. Is 2014 what you expected or do you need to wait 6 more months before you decide? So far so good everything is working out for me, and I can’t complain. It’s best to smile and be happy than to frown and make you sick. January 31st was a particularly significant day for me, and I took the time to celebrate with my family.

 If you follow Chinese astrology, the Zodiac sign of this year in the horse. People born under this zodiac sign have ingenious communication techniques and are always the limelight in their community. They are adept, kind, cheerful, perceptive, talented, earthy, but stubborn.

 For 2014 people born under this sign of the horse will be easily offended and will not keep a harmonious relationship with their colleagues. People under this sign will often be in doubt leading to a gradual loss of confidence. This is also an unstable financial year. Financial suggestions for this year are to be careful to make any financial investments.

There are other predictions for this year under the sign of the horse, but why beat a dead horse? All in all, people should be careful and weigh the pros and cons no matter what sign you fall under. Any and everything can happen, but if you keep a calm serene spirit, you may concur all.

I vowed to do something or learn something new each month of this year. So far I've
kept that promise. In this realm, we do not know how much time we have. Of course, there is more time than life, and we need to live it full of joy, love, laughter, and learning and sometimes endure the pain.

Think about it

Until the next blog…

Last blog for 2013

It is now the end of 2013 and whatever problems you have at this particular time, it’s a little too late in the day to change before the clock strike’s twelve or is it? I thought it would be in my best interest and for my own self-gratification to write my last blog for 2013. It’s been a while since I’ve let my fingers do the walking on the keys of my keyboard and type away and release my cracken of a blog. I’ve shed many tears, and had many regrets as well as blessings for the year 2013. All I know is there is no time to feel self-pity or depressing thoughts coming into this new year; 2014. Tonight I’m going to party like its 1999. I do know this; if you are one of those who want to sleep the New Year in, shame on you. You should only be doing such if you are a child whose bed time is at 8 or 9, the sick and or the elderly. The saying goes that whatever you are doing the night before the year end, you will possibly do throughout the new year; something close to that. I do not plan on going out with that stigma. I’m going to spend time with family and very close friends. I’m throwing out all the old and beginning the year as it is; new. If there are any thoughts of regrets and disappointments I’m putting it all to rest. So far I’m ending this year pretty good and I plan to continue the New Year in this same position; blissful. I was a sleeping uncaring person for 10 months. I’ve now awaken out of my coma. If you are one of the lonely ones, get up, get out and do something even if you go into the next room and turn on the television. You can’t start a new without new thoughts. You can’t clean a filthy room by leaving the filth inside. Think happy, breathe happy, and feel happy. Do not sit on your talent. If you don’t know who or what you are, find your purpose. Happy New Year and many happy thoughts to all!

Boycott while protesting

I haven’t blogged in a while because my heart was not in it. I didn’t feel the urge to type and talk about what people should know or do not want to know. I live in a world filled with foolishness with that seems to have no end. My co-worker and I were discussing the hot topic of the weekend; Paula Dean. We discussed the hoopla on how she referred to blacks as Niggers and how black people that work in her establishment were underpaid. As for me, I was not a bit surprised. She’s from the south and her great grandfather owned slaves. Her fans still loves her, and that’s the way it is. If she had made a derogatory statement against the Jewish people or homosexuals, would her fans still adore her? However, my co-worker/associate/friend begins to discuss to me what took place in her community over the weekend. A convenience store owned by Arabs in her community, in Nashville Tennessee is not very kind to black people. The owner of this convenience store refers to black people as slaves. Apparently he called a young black man a slave and this black man attacked him. My co-worker informed me this is something that happens often. I asked, “Why are you and everyone in this neighborhood still patronizing this store”? My co-worker informed me that she would no longer patronize this particular store and she asked if everyone else did the same within her neighborhood. By the way; the store is named “Obama Market”. I believe that was the owner’s method of mockery to make the people in that community believes that he likes black people. I suggested that her community boycotts this store. I proceeded to type up a flyer stating, “Do not patronize the Obama Market (listed the address) because they refer to black people as slaves”. I told her that the only way that this boycott will be affective if everyone sticks to their guns and stay away from that store. I reiterated; do not buy from that store under any circumstances. Pass by the store as if it is the plague. It is too late in the day for such nonsense. Black people aren’t some new discovery that arrived from Mars. Black people were stolen from their land, stripped of everything – their language and culture just to become slaves. That is a heartening situation that no one wants to explore, but keeps reminding black people of our degradation. I’m not prejudiced and I’m most certainly not a racist. I don’t have the money or power to be racist. I don’t count how many friends or associates I have, black, white, blue or pink. I don’t believe it’s fair to make racial slurs or refer to a people that was subjected to years of turmoil (and still today) due to the color of their skin. If you’re not black or have a black child, you will never know how discrimination hurts. I don’t want my children to experience this so I keep them away from people as much as possible, but I can only do this for so long. Eventually they will have to see and experience the hardship of this world and it breaks my heart thinking about it. It’s cruel and inhumane to treat people with such hate. It’s amazing how people are so protective of animals, but don’t give a damn about people. The only way for this owner to know what he has done is to attack his wallet. Protesting is not enough. You can march and picket until the cows come home, but when you stop the cash flow, it’s priceless. Just ask Paula and others that took that path. This world was made for all people not for one race. People need to understand that this is a melting pot. If our creator didn’t want us to be different, everyone would look the same. I do believe that would be a bit boring. Think about it

Titles are useless

It was said to be the end of the word December 31 2012, but here we are today. People really didn’t pay attention to the key words of the Mayans: it was the end of their calendar not the calendar for the entire world. I would also like to add it’s always the end of the world for someone every second, minute, hour and day. This is why I do not pay attention to the prophecies or the rhetoric of today’s media. Now, the Pope has decided to retire as well he should. He has a title and never utilizes his power, so what is the point of the Pope. The Pope has the power to end wars, but I never seen or heard of it happening. The Pope can also invoke infallibility on matters of religious doctrine, but that doesn’t occur either. The Pope is considered the universal leader of churches. The Pope is also the Vicar of Christ, but still there are priest molesting children. Why do we honor the Pope who does absolutely nothing, but ride around from state to state, country to country waving his hand and simply saying “peace be on to you”? Are we truly honoring the Pope or respecting him because of that title? If the Pope has such an influence on religious beliefs and the people why doesn’t he make and take a stand on issues that matters? If the Pope took a stand on certain issues, such a gun laws, would the people really listen? Remember, he has that power because he is the Vicar of Christ. Perhaps people want someone or something to follow and these titled person’s such as the Pope are created to give people some sort of comfort in their times of despair. We all respect titles even when the titles are not being utilized. Let’s take our President for an example. He has the title of commander and chief, but the people still debate and veto every suggestion he interjects for the greater good of the public such as the band on automatic weapons. Why do we need automatic weapons when we’re not at war within our country unless I’m truly missing something? Children in Chicago Illinois are being slaughtered by the day. I understand that guns don’t kill people it’s the people with the guns, but where do these stupid people get these guns? The President may be a good man, outstanding citizen and family oriented, but he is only a puppet President. He is only allowed to do what he’s told to do by congress. He said that he works for the people, but that is only a façade. Don’t get it twisted, I’m honored that they’ve chosen a man of color, but his blood line is a part of the chosen, meaning don’t expect much. He can only give what they allow. Does a title really matter if that title doesn’t do anything to help the world to become a better place? Perhaps titles only matter when you run a mega church! Think about it.

Why Coffee Blog

I’ve received occasional emails in the past in reference to why my blog is called a coffee blog. 3 years ago I began my coffee blog via Dark Mantis Enterprises. I do believe that I did explain why I call my blog the coffee blog. Not to sound snobbish or persnickety as some may say, but let me reiterate why my blogs are called coffee blogs. In Jeanette’s world I awake sometimes from a dream or just from a hard sleep with various thoughts on my mind. Most mornings I reflect on the day before or something that occurred the night before I lay my head to rest. Being that I’m a writer, my mind is always racing. My blogs are often created early in the morning while I’m indulging in a great cup of Joe. This is how my coffee blog began because I was drinking a good cup of java and when I say good I mean the bomb coffee on a Saturday morning and it took control of my brain and quick fingers and that’s how that blog started. Most people need that cup of java in the morning; I do also. That’s why my blog is called “coffee blog” because I’m sipping and then typing to my heart’s content. Typing and sipping is a beautiful thing; try it sometime. I pause occasionally taking a sip of my freshly ground roasted coffee when I type out my blogs. Although my post may not appear until later that afternoon, doesn’t mean that the thought happened at that particular time. My blogs occur during my coffee time. It’s like a thinking mechanism. Okay you may say what if you had a coffee break during the afternoon or evening? Then I may do a blog then too, but for the most part, I try not to do coffee later in the day. It really interrupts your resting period. I already have a hard time putting this beauty down every night as it is. With that being said, what works for you doesn’t necessarily works for the next person. Think about it.

Getting back to life

It has been a months since I’ve last posted a blog. I’ve been so caught up with depression and the death of my father that I’ve basically cut myself off from my best buddy in the world; my lap top. This is the second death that took place that was very close to me. Exactly 2 years and 2 weeks ago, my brother was killed in a car accident. On Tuesday, August 7th 2012 I watched my father take his last breath. I hated to see my father die, but it pained me to see him suffer daily. I will never forget the day I saw him take his last breath. I can literally visualize this every single day. As much as I’m told that I should not have any regrets because I was there for him as much as possible, I still feel it wasn’t enough. I miss seeing his face and I miss hearing him complain. I miss him from calling me by the pet name that he gave me when I was a child. I miss the expression on his face. I miss every aspect of my father and hate that I was born into a world to experience this journey we must all take. Mankind takes for granite the small things. I try to cherish every single moment in life that I have because I don’t know when or where I will take my last breath. I will definitely say this; his death taught some things I need to do. It taught me to live and laugh as much as I can and to savor every single second that I have with my life. It taught me not to waste my time on foolishness or being angry. It took me a month and two weeks to start back with my buddy. I barely check my emails or even nurture my imaginary children; my novels that I’ve written. I spend the bulk of my time with my mother and family because every single moment is very crucial. Death is very much fresh on my mind and I still can’t fathom that the best man and the first man that I ever loved with my whole heart is gone. I think what hurts me the most is that I will never see his face again. This is an experience I will never forget because on most days I feel like something is missing that I can’t get back or restore. Death is very personal. When you lose someone that is close, part of your essence dies too. Think about it.