Summer 2008

I will be spending 3 weeks in Brazil! Ye-haw! I just finalized the last of the details and finished making travel arrangements. I leave July 16th. I am so excited, I can barely stand myself. I've put all the Brazil books on reserve at the library...(I'm thinking Portuguese lessons). Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Sao Paulo are cities already on the itinerary. In the next few months, I will busy myself with the rest of the finer details. I am just too excited.

Immediately, I need to concentrate on obtaining my entry Visa for the trip. I better get on that.

Time

Ms. Shirley is one of those people that have been in my life since I can remember myself. In my seriously blended, extended and humongous family, Ms. Shirley was the lady who had the cookouts. No one's macaroni and cheese is better than hers! She had the most amazing heart and giving spirit. She was happy when you were happy (and full).

As things would have it, Time hasn't been as generous and Ms. Shirley's health declined. Time sent her to her final home on March 17, 2008. Rest in peace, Ms. Shirley. The pain is gone now.

Time
Alan Parsons Project

Time, flowing like a river
Time,beckoning me
Who knows when we shall meet again
If ever
But time
Keeps flowing like a river
To the sea

Goodbye my love,
Maybe for forever
Goodbye my love,
The tide waits for me
Who knows when we shall meet again
If ever

But time
Keeps flowing like a river (on and on)
To the sea, to the sea

Till it's gone forever
Gone forever
Gone forevermore
Goodbye my friends,
Maybe forever

Goodbye my friends,
The stars wait for me
Who knows where we shall meet again
If ever
But time
Keeps flowing like a river (on and on)
To the sea, to the sea

Till it's gone forever
Gone forever
Gone forevermore

Fall Back...Spring Ahead...

then say goodbye.

Making the jump to Daylight Savings Time means that I busy myself with activities that mean spring has arrived. That means spring cleaning, testing season at work, and summer planning. It also means increased "do you want my course?" chatter that happens every year at this time at my work.

Today, my publications partner let me know that she is heading back to Albuquerque. Her husband finally separated from the Army and they were heading home.

Yeah, I know, people move all the time. People move on. Life goes on. I'll make a new friend. It isn't like she is moving to Europe or Africa or something. But I got use to walking across the hall. I got use to bouncing ideas off of her. I look forward to getting German chocolates from her. Her giggle is absolutely infectious. She has a horse and a goat. Yes, I said a goat. Did I mention that she understands my sense of humor?

Like all things in this universe, life continues to move forward. Sometimes, I wish that I had the power to make things remain as they are. Sigh...

It is Done

I (with the help of my tremendous staff) have finally finished the 2008 Yearbook. Now I just have to sell them all when they come out on May 22.

There is a God.

The Baby Bump

I just Googled it and came up with 1,110,000 hits.

Can someone tell me when the phrase became a part of popular culture? I've sort of gotten my ears accustomed to hearing it on the entertainment news shows, but when I see it in magazines and in newspapers...I just have to wonder.

According to Urban Dictionary.com, baby bump is defined as:

1. baby bump (n.)

The abdomen area of a pregnant woman. As the fetus/baby grows so does a woman's belly. Thus it is referred to as a "baby bump."

I'll guess I will need to join the rest of the members of popular culture and add this one to my lexicon.

Girls Only Weekend

During last Christmas dinner, I got into a conversation with my famous cousin about the concept of "new normals". New normals are those life improvements and habits that you've never done before, but have figured out that the addition of them to your life will make life that much more enjoyable. My mothers birthday is February 28. Our family's "new normal" is to celebrate the occasion for the entire month with a culminating girls weekend at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa. We were there last year and had such a fabulous time that we went back again this year. NOTE: We'll probably return each year for a long time to come.

Think of this place as Ritz Carlton (the one in Paris) being dropped in the middle of rural Pennsylvania. You have everything. Your own personal butler, wine tastings, shopping, 5 star restaurants, oh...and a spa to die for.

We spent the weekend eating (a lot...sigh) and sleeping. We shopped and looked at art (they have an amazing gallery). We went sight seeing and spent the balance of time in the spa. This year we got day passes and went up to the ski lodge. I pouted because snow conditions weren't conducive for me to try cross-country skiing, but mom got some fabulous pictures of herself in her snow suit. What is the most special about our new normal is that all the girls got a chance to reconnect and...laugh. Boy, did we laugh.

I highly recommend that you check out Nemacolin (http://www.nemacolin.com/).

Be sure that you understand, that if you check them out anytime during the last week of February, that room 1121 in Chateau Lafayette is unavailable. ILP and the rest of the girls are probably going to be in there laughing and making some new normals.

Tax Year 2007

Each pay he withholds

Money he freely wasted

I hate Uncle Sam.

Today I made the annual pilgrimage to my CPA on the other side of town. As usual, I had my stacks of papers, W-2's, 1099's, piles of receipts, calendars, appointment books, and canceled checks. He pushed the buttons on the adding machine and went over his check list of questions. I sat and bit my finger nails. BTW: I only bit my nails because he doesn't like people to chew gum when he is "working" and I wasn't about to upset the man who stands between me and those buzzards at the IRS.

So now I wait for Mr. CPA to call me back with the only news that I want to hear from him. The call should go like this:

Me: "Hello."
Mr. CPA: "Ms. ILP? This is Mr. CPA."
Me: "Yes!" [heart begins to race]
Mr. CPA: "You have a refund coming from Federal and a refund coming from the State."
Me: "That's awesome. As usual, Mr. CPA, thanks!"
Mr. CPA: "Would you like to know the amount?"
Me: "No. I'll wait for the surprise."
Mr. CPA: [slightly chuckling] "Ah yes, you only like to hear that you don't owe."
Me: "You know me."
Mr. CPA: "Well then I will mail all your paperwork to you."
Me: "That sounds good. Thanks again."

Keep your fingers crossed that the call isn't like the one I received for Tax Year 2005. I'd hate to have to come up with another Haiku.

The Verdict is In

and it was: not at this time. For the last few weeks I have had my fingers crossed that my cousin, a very talented screenplay writer and editor, would get into the Disney Fellowship Program. She got the call yesterday. They decided to go with another 4 Fellows for 2008.

Well Michelle, although it sounds trite, things do happen for a reason. I have no doubt that you will make it to Hollywood. Something tell me that it will be sooner than you planned. Someone at Disney is going to wish that they reconsidered.

By the way: I'm not just tooting my cousins horn, she really is talented. Check out her BLOG (it is one of my favorites). You can find a link to her place: Girl Child Press on the right.

Simple Pleasures

I did something different this Valentines Day. I celebrated the spirit of the day. I dressed in a pink and red, Valentines Day inspired $5.00 t-shirt (that read, "love...laugh...dream"), took 30 boxes of Necco Sweethearts in hand and went into full swing.


I enlisted the help of the students in my Creative Writing Class. The mission was to open the boxes of sweethearts and to use the corny sayings on the candy to make Valentines Day poems. We decided that we'd give our creations to someone. Each student had to create 3 poems. After laughing about the hearts that had messages like "hottie" and "fax me", oh and I can't forget "so hot", we all got to work.

60 minutes, a ream of colored paper, paper cuts, and hundreds of sweehearts later our mission proved to be a success. How do I know you ask? Cheryl H. (the teacher across the hall) stopped by my room and said, "ILP, your class assignment made my day." When she saw that I didn't know what she was talking about right away, she held out a neon pink valentine poem.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that she didn't get a poem that had "hottie" and "fax me" on it.

Old & Wise

Yesterday while waiting for a ride to a party for my cousin. My mom says... "You know Miss Slize died."

Miss Slize is the woman that raised my mom after my maternal grandmother (whom I have never met) died. As a child it was obvious that my mom didn't have a good experience with Miss Slize. My mom usually told us about her when she wanted us to learn some life lesson. Or when she thought we were being ungrateful, in other words when we were being repremanded. The name Miss Slize is one of those names that I heard over and over again. I knew how she cooked, what made her laugh, how she disciplined, how she hated, how she loved. I knew that she had impeccable taste in clothing and style. I new what frightened her and that she was illiterate. I knew that her husband (my mom's uncle) was an alcoholic. I knew all of this before I met her for the first time in 2001.

When my mom left Jamaica all those years ago, she never went back to see Miss Slize. She had all the opportunities in the world, but she always had one reason (never a good one in my opinion) or another as to why she would "go the next time".

I am grateful for this past summer when all of the girls in the family (except mom) went to see Miss Slize. It was obvious to us that Miss Slize would soon have her final sunset. The ravages of old age had definitely taken its toll. I was kind of ticked with my sisters for putting the camcorder so close to her face. I am grateful, because now we have physical pictures along with mental ones.

Miss Slize connected the dots for me. Meeting her somehow completed the picture of my existance. She is my maternal conduit to Jamaica.

Old and Wise

Alan Parsons Project

As far as my eyes can see

There are shadows approaching me

And to those I left behind

I wanted you to know

You've always shared my deepest thoughts

You follow where I go

And oh... when I'm old and wise

Bitter words mean little to me

Autumn winds will blow right through me

And someday in the mist of time

When they asked me if I knew you

I'd smile and say you were a friend of mine

And the sadness would be lifted from my eyes

Oh when I'm old and wise

As far as my eyes can see

There are shadows surrounding me

And to those I leave behind

I want you all to know

You've always shared my darkest hours

I'll miss you when I go
And oh... when I'm old and wise

Heavy words that tossed and blew me

Like autumn winds that will blow right through me

And someday in the mist of time

When they ask you if you knew me

Remember that you were a frined of mine

As the final curtain falls before my eyes

Oh when I'm old and wise

As far as my eyes can see

Rest in Peace Eliza Higgins.