Proud of Her

I posted a few years ago about my cousin and I making a pact to see the world together. We took a cruise and then things went south (the best laid plans of mice and men). She took on a part-time job and I had a few unexpected car repairs come up that took the "extra" I had planned on using for travel (outside of my scheduled performances).

Well, fast forward a few years and my cousin is now a new mommy! This is something she has wanted for some time but had experienced a great deal of complications in doing so. What makes me so proud of her? Other than the obvious thing of opening your heart and life to a precious life that requires molding and guidance? I am proud of her because she adopted a very lucky baby girl.

African-Americans tend to frown upon adoption but we have adopted for generations. We just called it "so-and-so will come stay with us for a while." Then they never left. What is adoption other than that? Kids living with relatives or friends of the family while their parents "got themselves together." Sound familiar? You had cousins growing up like siblings and friends children being treated like one of their own for many years. Adoption (to me) is just like that but with legal paperwork.

My cousin is single, never been married but knew she wanted to be a mother. She is extremely stable, has two sisters and a brother in immediate proximity who help with the baby along five nieces and nephews who are old enough to baby sit when needed (whom she helped raise and was there for daily). Like I said, this baby will never know what it is like to NOT be loved.

Photo courtesy of her Auntie

Seeing her with her new daughter warms my heart. It is strange to see her with her own child and her sisters fuss over her daughter like she is their own (I often tease her that she adopted a baby for her sisters, she is not the mom :-) Referring to her as "mommy" will take some getting used to but I am so proud of her for going after the life she wants. She knew what wanted, knew what path she wanted her life to go and made it happen. In doing so, she is making life wonderful for a little girl who might not have had the same opportunities she will have now.

One thing I do talk to lucky baby about is our little joke. Her mother and I were the last two women in the family to not have children. Lucky baby and I were lounging on the sofa and I was failing miserably at keeping her awake in an effort for her to sleep at night. Lucky baby -1, KayC - 0. 

I told her, "Your mommy and I had a pact to see the world. We were the last two who did not have babies and then she was blessed with you. Now why did she go and do that to me?"

While sleeping peacefully in my arms she stretched, smiled a little, yawned and continued to sleep.

Lucky baby indeed :-)

Until Next Time,
Peace & Blessings...

Following My Intuition

I was catching up on some blog reading this holiday weekend and one of favorite bloggers was talking about being superficial in her writing. Being shallow in what she writes and the stories she tells about life. It was timely to me. So timely in fact that I could have been reading my own writing.

I started this blog what seemed like a few years back as an outlet. My life was in shambles and I was trying to find my way through the flames. This was the one place I was honest. The one place where I would pour my heart out under pen names and pseudonyms to protect the innocent and not so innocent.

Somehow I got away from that. I stopped putting things down on paper because I never wanted to live through them again. But that is not fair to myself. I need an outlet. I need something to get it out of my head and let go and give it to God. The good and the not so good.

I dusted out my journal yesterday and still have not written a word in it. What I have done is re-read a few things from the last time I put pen to paper over three years ago. I had forgotten all the little things that led up to major decisions at that time. Things that make journaling (and this blog) so important.

What I need to do is learn to follow my intuition. That gut feeling that never seems to steer me wrong. Whenever something goes wrong in my life it is because I went against that feeling. I find myself dealing with things in the end of relationships that I KNEW would be issues because they were nagging in my gut in the beginning. I find myself saying " I KNEW BETTER" whenever I go against that tiny voice inside of me. About anything.

From this point on I have made myself a promise. I will follow that gut instinct.

I will start now...

Until Next Time,
Peace & Blessings from  

Things I learned in Vegas (The Good, Bad and WAY too Ugly)

Another bucket list item crossed off. I finally made it to Las Vegas and I now know why they call it Sin City. I am not the demographic they had in mind when they built the place. We were there for four days and by day three KayC was ready to go home.

Lesson #1 - Do not plan on doing much of anything when you travel all day after starting at 6 in the morning. When we finally fought the herds of people to buy shuttle tickets to the hotel and another massive herd of folks to check into our room, I was ready to curl up and sleep. No drinks for me on night one, I was too damn tired!

Lesson #2 - You will attract all of the drunk people of a certain skin tone who have an affinity for women of color but will never admit it sober. Men ran up behind us to take photos and quickly run off. One grabbed my friend's butt and then tried to pretend he didn't do it. Celebrity life is NOT for me.

Lesson #3 - Drunk women of a certain color will take their heels off and walk barefoot down a nasty street in Vegas for the sake of being "cute" 0_o

Lesson #4 - Yes, whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas but you might have taken it too far when you need two friends to almost carry you to your room. Oh, and drinks are served 24/7 along with no apparent open container law. Drink, drink, gamble, drink is the motto.

Lesson #5 - Dry heat is still heat. I am now an even lovelier shade of brown.

Lesson #6 - You must walk through a casino to get to....well, everything! Your room, the corner cafe, the restrooms, and there is a slot machine in every corner.

Lesson #7 - Take your allergy and/or asthma meds with you! As a matter of fact, refill your prescription before you go because you will need it. The smoke just lingers and attacks you at will. My furry one was sniffing my carry on bag after I returned home like "where in the hell have you been?!?"

Lesson #8 - The USA is the most out of shape, let it all hang out, show it to the world and let it jiggle country in the world! People really need to buy their size and cover it up.

Lesson #9 - If I return to Sin City I will venture off the strip and see hot the locals live. I can't imagine being around that 24/7 without having a severe care of adult ADHD.

It was all worth it with the new dances that were had. All in all it was a good trip and a new experience. The performance went well and all the instructors were full of compliments after we were done. What made this trip EPIC? We had a private lesson with a couple I have admired for years. I always thought she was badazz but seeing her in person...made me feel like a novice. I need to improve my salsa, like yesterday. And to top it off....they were both very humble.

But see for yourself. This clip is a few years old but her body movement is unmatched! And yes, she moves like that all. the. freakin'. time!

Until Next Time,

Peace & Blessings from