Happy Birthday To Ya, Happy Birthday to Ya, Happy Birthday...

Twenty-three years ago today at around this time of morning, I was in labor. Little did I know that at 11:06 AM, I would meet one of the nicest people I would ever know. On December 2, 1982 Kameron was born. He was and continues to be a ray of sunshine in my life. Kam was the sweetest baby, the most adorable child, a decent teen, and has grown to be a wonderful man. I am proud to be his mother.

December 2nd is a special day for me. Not only is it my son Kameron's birthday , but it is my mother Marian's birthday as well. So today I want to wish two of my favorite people a very Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday to ya... Happy Birthday to ya... Happy Birthday!!!

What Are the Odds?

My Friend Mark just introduced me to the next level of blogging – "Memes" and "Quizzes".

I took the plunge, why not? Memes are little surveys that you can add to your blog. The one I added below is called "Love." You type in you and your significant other’s name and it gives you a mini love story. Scroll down and give it a try.
Next, came quizzes. There is a company named QuizFarm who haz a gazillion quizzes out there. Well being the big SciFi Fan that I am, and also a Horror fanatic, the next logical step for me was to take the Vampire Quiz (I scored Akasha Queen of the Damned) and Star Trek Quiz (I scored Uhura). Both of these quizzes would tell me which charater I most closly matched. (What fun?)

Now neither of these quizzes had any race/ethnic nor gender questions, however, I managed to match an African American Female charater each time.

What are the Odds?

It is a lot of fun, give it a try!

Giddy-up Horsies

This is one of my favorite photos from the AABCS.

Reshonda, Me, Ruffus, Kendra, Stormy, and Jan horseback riding in Cabo San Lucus. It was SO HOT!!!!

October 21, 2005 

The 6th Annual AABCS

Mary, Pam and Peggy at the Registration Desk. 

A Week to Recoup

I have been back exactly one week from the 6th annual AABCS cruise, and I guess I am finally rested. I had a fantastic time, and really enjoyed hanging out with all of my old and new friends. I look forward to this event each year, as it is the only time I see many of my e-mail/phone buddies and I always leave inspired and ready to write the great American Novel.

It is so amazing to see so much talent on on cruise ship. I must boast that we really do have the "bestest" :-) group of authors in the world attending this event. My friend Nina, actually blogged from the ship, but the ship's connection is SO SLOW, I didn't even try. My son told me that he got all my e-mails after I was back.

Well, thanks to everyone who helped make this event a success. Mary Jones, Peggy Hicks, Jan Emanuel, and of course our hard working husbands! To the authors "MUA" (big kisses), to the participants {{{{{{big hugs}}}}}}}; and to our supports many thanks.

I promise to come back a write a little more, but right now I am trying to post the gazillion pictures we took to shutterfly. Check the AABCS web site (http://www..summitatsea.com) for updates and for the answer to the mystery question... Where to next year???

Home Again, Home Again...

Rita is over, and we are back home. We got power, we got wine, life is good.

O.K. What did I miss? I turned in to watch my favorite night on UPN, Monday, and it was all jacked up!!! On "One on One" the show has gone "Saved by the Bell"; "All of Us" is missing ELISE NEAL, so what all of us is there? As a black women (and trust me I have been one for a long damn time) this show has gone out to left field. Who the hell would move back in with there ex-husband? No one I know. I am watching my FAVORITE show "Girlfriends" now, Lord, I hope you haven't jacked this one up too. Ya' need to talk to your audience before you start messing up a great line-up.

I love me some Chris Rock, but the new show “Everybody Hates Chris” is really jacked up!!!! First, every last scene of the first episode was on the previews/commercials. I feel like I stepped into someone’s diary. HELLO!!!! We do not need someone to narrate an entire show to us, even if it is Chris Rock. And… the little boy that plays Chris, as cute as he can be, IS NOT FUNNY. Work with me people!!!!!

What the hell has happen to “Black People’s Night on TV? Monday night football is looking good to me right now.

Evacuating Rita

On Wednesday, September 21, 2005 we knew that we would soon have to Evacuate. We live in Galveston County, in the coastal area League City. After going into the office and securing all of our computer equipment, we got on the highway heading to Austin. It took us 8 hours to travel the 3-hour trip. But I guess I should not complain seeing that some other people took between 13 and 28 hours to travel the same distance.

With all that said, we safe, high and dry. This has been a true "test" of what we are made of. I am thankful for our good friends the Horton's for housing us "through this storm."

The Birthday Girls!

Wanda, Pam, and Debra celebrated their birthdays!

Debra - July 30th
Wanda - July 31st
Pam - August 2nd

We had a wonderful time at our big birthday Bash. We ate, we danced, we laughed and we ate some more!!!!

Thanks to all of you who came out to join us on Friday Night at the Terrace Cafe and on Saturday night at my home. We had a great time and we are glad you were there to share this special occasion with us.

A special thank you to all of my good friends who came in from out-of-town to celebrate this milestone with me. Robert and Debra Bowie (Memphis, TN); Karan Latimer (Berkeley, CA); Jan Emanuel (Oakland, CA); Paulette Robinson (Memphis, TN) and Dr. Moe Anderson and Lawson (Arlington, TX); and Ted and Arlene (Waco, TX). I love you all, and I feel so special that you wanted to be here to share this moment with me.

Now on to one of my favorite topics....

FOOD

Robert and Ruffus put their foot in the Barbeque Ribs and Chicken! Also, I would like to thank Vickie and Heather Long for preparing the "To Die For" Shrimp; Uncle Eddie, for my wonderful German Chocolate Cake.; Karan Latimer for shipping and restructuring :-) another wonderful German Chocolate cake; and my good friend Deon Brown for all of the "Wine for Days!"

Pretty Birthday Flowers from my good friends Steve and Peggy Hicks! (It is shaped like a cake, it even has candles :-) 

Hey, Hey... It's my birthday, it's my birthday...

OK everyone... as you know this is the year for Wanda's and my BIG 50th Birthday CELEBRATION. (Yes, we realize this is hard to believe! :-)

You want to make sure you are in attendance because it is being compared to the Oprah Birthday Bash - but on a serious budget and without the all the celebrities, but otherwise the same!

Wanda's birthday is July 31 and mine is August the 2nd, and although we will be celebrating for an entire month we have decided to have our Grand Kickoff B-day Blast on the following dates:
Friday, July 29th - Girls Night Out - (But the guys are welcome to come) Happy Hour (Place TBD) Saturday, July 30th - Old School Birthday Bash, bring your dancing shoes! (Pam's House, 7 PM)

We will be sending out an e-vite with more details, but we want you to pencil us in :-)

More details to come....

Go Pam, Go Wanda... It's your birthday... It's your birthday!

Thanks for your prayers

I am so fortunate to be a living witness to a miracle. Most of my friends are aware that I have a good friend, Georgetta Jackson, that has been fighting cancer for the past two years. She initially was diagnosed with leukemia. After a stem-cell/bone marrow transplant and a long tough fight, she was finally in remission. The cancer soon resurfaced in her mouth, which was treated with radiation. Next a lump was found in her breast, then another bout of chemo.

Two weeks ago, she was told that the cancer was in her kidneys, so she would have to have more chemo. Soon after the chemo treatments began, she was placed on morphine. This in conjugation with the chemotherapy caused her to have massive seizures. She slipped into a coma.

For 15 days she laid in a coma, this past Friday I received a call no one wants to receive. I was told that my friend had no brain activity, and kidney failure. We were told to come say our last farewells, because she would not make it through the weekend.

Saturday morning, my phone rang and I did not want to answer the call. To my surprise and to God's glory, I was told that Georgetta not only came out of the coma, but was up and talking. This is truly a miracle, and everyone including the staff at MD Anderson Cancer hospital could not believe their eyes.

I soon spoke to Georgetta, and she was her normal cheerful self. I went to visit her today, and I can not express in words the joy in my heart, to see her wonderful smile and her beautiful spirit. So to all of you, who took the time to whisper a prayer for my friend, I give my heart-felt thanks . Please continue to keep her in your prayers, she is going to beat this. I know this is true. Thanks be to God!

Thanks to Linda J. for these beauties! They multiply like crazy and are so beautiful. (can you tell I also have a new camera :-) 

I'm on a roll... 

More Flowers... 

It is HOT in Texas! So the nice mild outside days are almost over. I only have a few days left to try to get my backyard in some kind of presentable fashion, so I am planting flowers. Of course this is in between me building web sites, cooking, cleaning, and working all day. Oh, but how lovely are the rewards.
Summer Passion

Income Tax Blues

Why in the hell do we have to file taxes? Whose bright idea was that? Whoever it was, they should be shot. I am currently in income tax hell. Papers all over my office, trying so hard not to have to give Uncle Sam my first-born child.

They tax my paycheck; my house, my food and even my SHOES!!! That should be enough.

Well I've got a few more days, to get this baby down to zero. I think I need a drink, as they say "it's five o'clock somewhere."

:-)

Countdown to Vacation….

Only one more day before we set sail on a much needed vacation. This will be my first Princess Cruise, so I am looking forward to it. Princess Cruise Line, the original “Love Boat” is considered more upscale than my favorite cruise line, Carnival. But we will see… Actually Carnival now owns Princess, so this should be a lot of fun.

No, I haven’t finished packing. But I do have everything I own spread out all over my house. So many shoes, so few days, what’s a girl to do.

This cruise goes to Belize, Costa Maya, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. I am going to put fort an effort to Blog my daily adventures, but as you can see I ain’t real good at it.

We set sail tomorrow!