I am an over-thinker. I get hung up on what people say and what they don’t say. I obsess about what I say and how I think people may have interpreted what I said. It may be a bit neurotic, but I know I am not the only one with hang ups. I have a co-worker who gets hung up on dirt, so as soon as she comes in to work she starts wiping down everything with Lysol. I know someone else who is obsessed with their food preparation, so they need to know who prepared what they’re going to eat before they eat it. Naturally, this person finds it difficult to eat out. A lot of people have quirky hang-ups. Continue reading
Higher Thoughts: Pre-Problem Solutions
I have the memory of an elephant. An elephant with short term memory loss. So in order to ensure that I get things accomplished I have to make lists and use calendars and the like to remind myself of what I need to do. It doesn’t help that I usually have a million things going on from week to week. Between my ever-changing work schedule, my activities at church, appointments with my family, favors for friends, and the volunteering I manage to squeeze in, I can barely keep track. Continue reading
Masters of our domain
This week, after a long conversation with my best friend about our mutual unfitness, I decided to join the gym. Now if you have ever tried to join a gym, you know they try to upsell you on a whole bunch of extra stuff. In my case they insisted that I do a health assessment with a personal trainer. I did said assessment and turns out that I am overweight (no surprise) and also at risk for lifestyle related diseases (big surprise). Naturally I immediately set out on a mission to lose that extra weight and get my health right (more water, more exercise, more sleep). The problem with all of that however is that it requires a lot of self-discipline on my part – something I have always struggled with. Continue reading
Life and Bin Covers
The other day I was in the storage room at work with one of the kids I supervise, putting away some items after an activity. The storage area is very small, so many things are pushed up against walls and stuck in corners, including a long rectangular bin we use to hold balls, volleyball nets and other sporting equipment.
On this particular afternoon one of the boys was putting a couple balls into the bin. After putting them in he closed the cover of the bin, except it went almost all the way but wouldn’t really close. He tried again – same thing. Then he proceeded to use more strength to try and shove the cover into place, but it wouldn’t fit. I attempted to help him, but of course, he refused my assistance. After about five minutes of this, with him breathing heavy and getting frustrated, and the cover of the plastic bin getting more battered, he finally gave up. When he did, I didn’t say anything, but merely shifted the bin slightly away from the cupboard which it had been shoved against. Without either of our efforts, the cover for the bin fell smoothly into place. Continue reading
Making solid investments
The other day I parked my car at the bank and was walking away when I noticed a rust spot on one of the doors. It was a small spot but knowing how rust spreads I decided to inquire at the bodywork shop next door about what could be done. As I walked around the car with one of the guys from the shop I noticed for the first time a consistent layer of rust underneath the side of the car, an area that had been nicely concealed by layers of snow for the past six months. When the guy gave me an estimate of how much it would cost to fix it I was shocked. I imagine that I would have been plenty upset had I paid many thousands for my car. But since I hadn’t invested very much into it I wasn’t too distraught. Continue reading
Growing Periods
Every spring I have listened to a few inclined girlfriends talk about their gardening. I withstand the stories about mulching, watering and bugs and have even eaten from the harvest of their vegetable plots. I have never been interested. This year however I decided to try sprouting some beans, in preparation for a similar activity I wanted to do with the kids at work, and somehow caught the garden bug. Now I’m watching lentils, kidney beans, basil and chives (don’t laugh. I’m new at this!) sprout in pots near my backyard, as I wait for Toronto weather to make it permissible to replant them outdoors.
I don’t know why this year has been different. Maybe because I am older now and I suppose these are the things that interest women when they get older. Maybe because making things grow has turned out to be therapeutic for me as I face (or avoid) the heartache of other things dying in my life. Whatever the reason, it is becoming more and more of a joy to see the stems on my plants stretching longer each day, to see new leaves opening and growing, and to watch the miracle of life. It just reminds me of how amazing God is, and how he can create something new and beautiful from something small and simple. It is teaching me to hope that He will do the same in me.
Happy Release Day!
My third novel GET YOU GOOD releases today from Kensington Books’ Dafina imprint! It’s been more than a year but at the same time it feels like it happened so fast! Anyway, here’s what its all about: Continue reading
Get You Good Virtual Tour
The virtual tour for my newest release GET YOU GOOD starts this week! Be sure to stop by the blogs listed each day for reviews and interviews. You can also listen in live and call in to ask me questions of your own at my radio stops. Look forward to seeing you there!
Monday, March 18, 2013
- Black Authors Network with Ella Curry (RADIO SHOW) – 8:30 pm EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/black-author-network
Call in at: (646) 200-0402 - All the Buzz Reviews (BLOG STOP)
http://www.allthebuzzreviews.com
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
- Sharvette Mitchell Radio Show – 7:00 pm EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mitchell-productions/
Call in at: 347-945-5907 - Paulette Harper Johnson (BLOG STOP)
http://pauletteharperjohnson.blogspot.com/
Happy Birthday to me!
Yes! That’s right, it’s my birthday!
Okay, so it’s not my birthday today. It was actually last Thursday that I officially increased a year in age. But I have to say this has been my best birthday in a while. Usually I spend my birthday super quietly, on my own. I don’t tell people about it, and I breathe in the ‘joy’ of getting older in solace. This year, it was still pretty low-key, however I did allow myself the company of close friends and family. There are a few things I have learned through this birthday however that I want to share:
1. It’s not the quantity of friends you have, but the quality
As I get older I realize that I don’t have the whole swath of friends I had in my high school, college and early adult days. In fact, my friend pool has condensed down to a few. But the few that I have are people I really love, people I want to be with, and people with whom I have a mutual understanding. That is more priceless than I ever realized.
2. Family rocks
Family have always been an essential part of my life. In fact, in terms of priorities, it has always been God first, family next and everything else after. However, as I get older the value of my family, who make me laugh, cry, scream and sometimes do all three at the same time, has sky rocketed. After all, when you’re old, they’re the difference between nurse-like care and nursing home.
3. Its easier to be honest
I have always admired the way elderly people say whatever they want without caring much what people think of them. I don’t think I am totally there yet, but I am learning that it is easier to be yourself, say what you want, and like what you want (and who you want) without apology than trying to fit into other people’s perception of who you should be. At the end of the day, the people in #1 & #2 will accept you regardless, and that’s all that matters.
And that’s my birthday wisdom for 2013. What have you learnt on your birthday?
Higher Thoughts: Just Stop
I woke up this morning feeling restless. And if I am honest it didn’t just start this morning. In fact, the past couple weeks I have been simmering in a low level of anxiety as I bob from one life drama to another. At the start of the year it was school/work issues. Those kinda got handled and then it was friendship-relationship issues. Then those sorta got dealt with and then came author issues. And these definitely have not been dealt with. In fact, as I sit her typing this I am trying to ignore the unease that comes from knowing that I am less than 6 months from the deadline for my fourth novel and I haven’t even written a chapter yet. I certainly hope my editor doesn’t read this. Continue reading