Blessings, affirmations, grace, and reflection

Q1) Three Names You Go By: Berry, Dee, Miss Q2) Three Parts of Your Heritage: Native American, Black and African Q3) Three Things That Scare You: Car accidents, fires, dying alone Q4) Three of Your Everyday Essentials: Soap, money and coffee or tea Q5) Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now: Nighty, fingernail polish and toe nail polish. Q6) Three of Your Favorite Bands or Musical Artists: Anthony Hamilton, Raheem Devaughn and Dwele. Q7) Three of Your Favorite Songs: " A Song For You" (Donny), "Jesus is Love" (Commodores), "Somebody Love You" (Patti) Q8) Three Things You Want in a Relationship: Trust, respect, good communication Q9) Three Physical Things about the Opposite Sex: Eyes, lips, skin Q10) Three of Your Favorite Hobbies: Music, arts and culture, literature Q11) Three Things You want really badly right now: Extra money in my pocket after bills are paid, walks on a beach, rediscovering REAL love Q12) Three Places You Want to go on Vacation: Vegas...

I am finding it hard to be bored these days. So much is stimulating my mind that I am surprised that I can even sleep at night; but I am so exhausted at the end of the day that sleep comes easy. I've even been too busy to even think about Supastar. Sometimes I will miss him or get a little angry about what happened but I quickly get over it. I am enjoying my Crush Groove for as long as it last. That is all I think it is but it is so refreshing since I haven't had one in sooooo long. I am also enjoying my little wild cat. She is so full of energy and growing quickly. The best toy yet? A wine cork! I should videotape her playing with that thing for hours! Her diva qualities are also developing. I am about to name her Naomi if she keeps it up. She can be totally unreasonable, demanding and difficult. Other times she can be absolutely adorable and incredible funny. If only Naomi made a good name for a cat. Last week was soooo busy that all I did last weekend was relax. This...

Dang, not really sure how it happened but um, errr, ahhhh, well...I'm getting pulled in again. That's right, my have a crush. I thought you were supposed to get over those after 12. I am really digging this brother though. I instantly felt comfortable with him and we just seem to vibe. Another brother on his hustle...not sure what is up with that...but I do love a hard working man. Not sure what will come of it but it feels good for now.

Funny how many of these descriptions used animal analogies. They all get on my damn nerves...the worst of the bunch are the nail clippers. Dude, do your personal grooming routine at home! I can understand having to clip an annoying hang nail but giving yourself a full manicure on the train? Don't get me started on the people who eat 8 course meals on the train. A little snack if yuor skipped lunch is okay as long as you aren't throwing the trash on the floor but the people who order a full meal from KFC then proceed to smack and chew with their mouth's opened. Ugh! Can ya be any ruder? BY PETE DONOHUE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER They chew like cows, clip their nails and charge open seats like linebackers. Meet the rudest of the rude subway riders. The Daily News asked readers last week for their subway bad manners pet peeves — and our e-mail boxes filled up faster than the No. 7 trai...

Um, yah! These gems come courtesy of today's Daily News: Some 311 callers have their wires crossed BY LISA L. COLANGELO DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU When New Yorkers have a question, Mayor Bloomberg tells them to call 311. Well, they do — and not all the questions are about the city. One caller wanted to know the capital of the world, while another wanted to know if there is a law saying how often you can flush the toilet. "We tell people to call 911 for emergencies and 311 for everything else," said Sarah Knapp, assistant commissioner for 311 program management and strategic planning. "Some people take it to the next level." Here's a sample of some unusual dialogue: One caller wanted to make a noise complaint about the motor on her refrigerator. Another caller: "How do you spell 12?" Caller: "I would like to apply for the lifeguard job....

Story at 11:00

What a lovely weekend. I won't recap what happened because I have soooo much to do (like logging video and updating calendars) but it was a cool weekend. I made up with an old friend and we are working on a project together that is going to be sooooo hot! Tonight I am back "on-the-air" which is really exciting because I have a lot to say. An even older friend is in town and if I can squeeze him into my tight schedule we might hang out. I haven't seen this brother in EONS. Another southern gentlemen. Anyway, I wanted to share a few things. First, Jewel's Gems are once again on-point. Also, check out Terrence who has scripted a nice Dear (Bobby) John letter on Whitney Houston's behalf. You may not have the house, car or job that you want --- but you know you are still blessed. You may not have someone to call you sweetheart --- but you know you are still blessed, worthy and whole. You may not like the way your body feels or looks right now --- but ...

Nikki For more Nicholiciousness visit flickr.com

Yeah, so sorry for the interruption in regular programming. Sometimes life just grabs a hold and takes you on an unexpected ride. I actually haven't been feeling so hot lately but I've had to press on. Matter of fact, my bed and kitty would love for me hang out tonight but I have a rehearsal instead. This rainy weather doesn't help the situation one bit. In the sometimes things work out category, Lola, the restaurant I mentioned in a previous post (August 1st post) has gotten their liquor license ! Blogger meet-up here we come! So, since I don't have time to get all deep and stuff I will direct you to the two ladies who seem to be holding it down in that department this week. They are both dealing with issues that occassionally haunt you as a "woman of color" especially at the end of a relationship. Any way...point your browsers on over to their blogs and if I can get it together I may update this weekend. If not I'll catch you next week. Princess Dominiqu...

I see things haven't changed much since I left Howard. I found these little gems in the online version of the Hilltop. Anyone who has attended either a black college or a State run college can relate to most of these. I guess they might fall into the category "why we can't rise": "can you be on full scholarship for a Division 1 sport that students and staff don't even know exists." --Iram Abdullah, senior broadcast journalism major and HU women's lacrosse team member "does BET not work." --Christina Burton, sophomore print journalism major "do the dorms have more roaches than residents." --Shanon Morris, senior nutritional sciences major "do you have professors that have already missed 3 out of 4 classes." --Melba Ross, sophomore biology major. "will you spend more time in the "A" building then in class." --Carla Durandisse, sophomore telecommunications management major "can you receive...

that when you HATE on others when they have goodness coursing through their lives that it blocks YOUR blessings? So the next time someone shares good news with you let it touch your heart and actually be happy for them. This message was brought to you Coke...have a Coke and smile, Calgon...take me away...and the letters J, O and Y. Added : I'm only saying this because I want good things to happy for you and as your "friend" I would genuinely be happy for you if you shared good news with me. I learned a long time ago that saying stuff in your head like "how SHE get XYZ??" First of all, you are judging someone else. Second of all, you are insinuating that YOU are better than the other person and that they don't deserve good things. And lastly, it's just negative and ugly. Who wants to be around that...you can try to hide it but it seeps out. Be blessed!

Yesterday I felt a twinge but today, my goodness today I really miss him. Why is the afternoon going by so slowly?

Another 9/11 has come and gone and can I say that it seemed to be a somber day. First of all, it was an eerily light amount of foot traffic in the morning. By the afternoon, there seemed to be more people out. It was an instant reminder to see the firefighters dressed in their formal uniforms standing around the firehouse. By the time I'd left for the day, they were pretty toasted. Anyway, I am quickly becoming one of those people. You know...the kind who blogs about her cat. Shawn already called me out and so what if I become the cat lady. Better than being the evil, lonely, bitter lady. So, back to the cat. Naturally she is the most adorable thing ever. She has settled in and is getting into all kinds of things that require a quick tap, a stern "no, no, no" or a squirt with the water bottle. She is very active and loves to get up every morning and play ------ noisily. I was trying to show her the kitties on dailykitten.com but she was more interested in playin...

OMG, I sooooo want to blog today but I am a little overwhelmed with life in general. If I get a chance I will fill y'all in with my random thoughts and mediocre life events. Love you! -Berry-

Ain't life grande when you've traded in the modelicious man for the funny little kitten. God must be having a good laugh right about now. With 500 things going on this weekend and endless options I am not motivated to do a thing. One would think that with Labor Day coming and going the social calendar would be lighter. All I really want to do is some light cleaning and curling in my bed to read. Lately I have gotten back into the habit of reading. Less TV and more reading is so much better for stimulating my brain cells. Sometimes I wish I could be an airhead with no interest in anything but fashion, celebrities and men. Alas, I actually have interests in other things. and actually prefer mental stimulation to .... well depends on the stimulation being offered. One thing about me, I am selfish when it comes to ending a relationship. I've always wanted to be the one to call the shots when it comes to ending things. He gets to decide when we start things and I get to ...

I am in an uncomfortable place right now. I have one foot on solid ground and the other in the soft soil that pulls you into the place where you want to take to your bed and stare at the walls. I fight to maintain my optimism but it is a struggle to believe that eventually all the negativity will fall away. It's not always blue skies and sunny days but Lord, when it rains it sure does seems to pour. Those are the days when all your hopes seem to wash away. I pray for clear sunny days.

I've added a new member to the household. Haven't named her yet but she is simply delicious. She is a white kitten with light brown eyes, and grey and black spots on her fur. She has the sweetest personality. I will post a pic as soon as she gets settled in. She is busy exploring her new home for now.

"Life is subject to change without notice and without your permission. Sometimes you will choose change and sometimes change chooses you. We struggle when it reshapes the familiar and breaks up the continuity in our lives. Change can bring growth or grief. Change can be minor, radical, life altering, exciting, challenging, even frightening, but it can also be managed. What was happy can turn to sad, things get rearranged and nothing stays the same. You cannot always choose the changes that come your way. But you can always choose your response. Whether you are facing an empty nest, life after divorce, a new city, change in your health or a change in your daily job policy and procedures, change in weather or a change of heart from a friend/lover/spouse, learn to adapt rather than be a victim of change. Sometimes change is needed but you want to hold on in spite of the writing on the wall. The...

Yeah, so I said there was probably one more blog left in me today. I intended to do a weekend wrap up but that never happened since I had to work on my pet project today. After work tonight I rode the train out to New Jersey to pick up my journal that I left at my friend's house last night. I always need to have my journal near and I can't believe that I left it over there. The thing I love/hate most about the train ride to New Jersey is that you have too much damn time to think. So of course my thoughts turned to my current obsession and I came to realize another reason that relationships tend to deteriorate. It is called taking your partner for granted. When you first meet you are all twinkly eyes and cheesy grins but as the relationship matures you start to break eye contact because you forgot to put the clean towels in the closet or not make pillow talk because you had a long day. All of those things are important and can make or break a relationship. Especially when...

That song is my favorite Geto Boys track ever. Buy yeah, my mind is playing tricks on me. First of all it is Tuesday! Second of all my mind is just all over the place. Everything is all topsy-turvy...but remember I said that my goal was to be the perfect shark ( See Aug. 14th post ) so I've got to swim through the changing elements and adapt to the changing landscape. Speaking of sharks how sad is it that dude got killed by the stingray. RIP. Is it me or is the atmosphere charged? Out of the ordinary, bizarre type situations have been cropping up. And although my name ain't Beyonce I swear I'm feeling Deja Vu right now! They've gone and thrown the entire universe off kilter talking about Pluto isn't a planet . Things haven't been right since. Summer has come to an end. Back to school...a chill in the evening air. Change all around. But it's all positive...I have to believe that it is positivity charged energy surrounding me and sometimes we just need...

Dear Supastar Man I almost surrendered my heart to Jerk: You are acting like an asshole. What is your damned problem? One word responses are an ineffective form of communication. If you want me to hate you then fine...that's your bad Karma. Makes me wonder what the hell you've been doing that you can't be real about yours. Whatever it is keep it to yourself 'cause I'm done. Don't call, write, visit or even think about me. I can't do this anymore. I've made everything clear and I release your ass. That is all I can do. ::wiping hands clean and walking away:: Dear Haters: Step off. I have enough to deal with right now and don't need the extra negative vibes. If I am sharing good news with you saying stuff like "I'm jealous" or "lucky you" is negative. Sarcasm has never been a good look for you. How about saying instead I'm happy for you! I'm so excited! Even a simple WOW ! Please don't put your issues on...

...and once the blame fell away I came to realize that I was the one at fault. I'm sorry.

Dear man who I almost completely surrendered my heart to: I'm not really sure what happened to change the nature of our relationship but just know that in spite of the ass that you are being right now I still have a small place in my heart that believes that you are prince charming but an evil witch must have placed a curse on you changing you into an ugly toadtemporarily. Like Fantasia says, "life is not a fairytale" but for a while at least I really thought that you were a dream come true. I wish you happiness, peace and continued success. Dear man who wants to be my friend: Do you remember how you left my apartment and the parting words that left your lips as you walked out of my door with all your bags? You knew those words would hurt me and probably hoped that they would destroy me. You just didn't realize that there was someone on the sidelines ready to help heal me from the pain you inflicted. He is what I considered a real friend. As a friend you might co...

I have some soft bananas I want to bake into a banana bread. Anyone out there with a good, simple recipe?

LORD, I thought I was having relationship issues. Then I watched "Bridezillas" and saw Ms. Marsha reduce her man to sobs! What the hell? Who does that? And he still wants to marry her??? He is just as crazy as she is. That is a lifetime of misery he is setting himself up for. I can't stand to see a grown man begging and weeping. How can she respect her man. She seems the type that start beating him once they get married. That was about as crazy as the chick who pooped on herself on TV. That's entertainment! Here is a little taste of crazy Marsha: You Tube

I woke up feeling a little better than I did yesterday. Don't know where all that anger came from but I was pretty pissed yesterday. I had a few sangrias and talked to my cousin in N.O. until 1 A.M. I emailed my friend in FL and none of us can figure out what the hell his problem is. I had a heated email exchange with him and I let him know that I was [insert appropriate adjective here] pissed/disappointed/upset/angry/mad about his choice of addressing the issue. Before I was feeling confusion which has since turned to anger. I guess that is a healthy progression. Before you know it he will be blink of an eyelash. Someone will mention his name and I will bat my long curly eyelashes and say, Supa who? He certainly woke me up with this one though. We were just skating along and then this giant pothole appeared. If there was any hesitation before it is all gone now. No doubt about the way I feel about him at all. One day you are laying safe in his arms listening to his heart...

i am cold, cranky, sleepy and frustrated. i want my sunshine or i want my bed. did i mention that my throat hurts? i am in a pissy, pissy mood today. i can't remember the last time i was this pissed. the kind of pissed where you feel like the little curly que of smoke is coming from the top of calvin's head from Calvin and Hobbs. the kind of pissed where you listen to fiona apple and totally relate. where you want to wear all black and smoke cigarettes. were you feel angie stone's pain when she is singing about being "so pissed off" and "that time of the month." Yeah, it's pretty bad.

How is it so early in the a.m. and someone has already tried to piss me off. I don't like people who are supposedly friends/acquaintances but feel that it is "cute" to call you some derogatory name. I'm saying if this broad calls me that mess ONE MO' TIME.... Folks like that just need to be cut off. Especially everytime you try to communicate with them or deal with them they have something negative to contribute. Some of you know I have the venture in the works and she is the type who could be a great resource towards helping to build it into something that everyone involved can benefit from. Instead she is trying to scheme...with her own little something in the works yet digging to find out what I am working on. Crabs in a barrell. Then we wonder why we can't rise. Song of the day: >>> Listen Now Have a Nice Day by Kelis when I really want to play Eff them Bs.