CHANGE

Change can be scary. Learning how to do what is right for you and only you will make change seem less scary. There is ALWAYS time to change your life for the better. Finding your strength will help you realize that life WILL happen no matter what, but when you learn how to embrace it and welcome it, change can inspire you and motivate you to succeed in every way possible. 

POSITIVITY

 “Surround yourself with people that reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel, energies are contagious”. ~Rachel Wolchin~  Because by doing so you are creating an environment that is favorable to your personal and emotional growth. 🙏🏾

Blessings

When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace, love, prosperity, happiness... all the good things.  Although time seems to fly, it never travels faster than one day at a time. Each day is a new opportunity to live your life to the fullest.

Its Been a Long Time

It’s been awhile, almost 9 years to be exact, since I have written anything on this blog. A lot has transpired of course. Losses: my Father, my stepdad, 2 aunts, 2 cousins, 3 or 4 childhood friends. Gains: my granddaughter. But with the recent passing of my Father and the birth of my granddaughter, one things is true. “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.”  In the days, weeks and months to come, I will attempt to empty my feelings on this page. Some good, some bad. But it will be the truth. Gotta a lot of hair to write about, loss loves, family, professional setbacks and future possibilities. So STAY TUNED. Always Be Blessed 

Oven-Poached Salmon in Garlic Broth

The cabbage-and-carrot mixture adds a crispy contrast to this flavorful poached fish. The dish is best served in a large, shallow pasta bowl.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Place coleslaw in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; arrange fish on top of coleslaw. Pour juice mixture over fish; sprinkle with cilantro and pepper. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 salmon fillet and about 1 cup slaw mixture)

Seven Point Creed

John Wooden's Seven Point Creed, given to him by his father Joshua upon his graduation from grammar school:

• Be true to yourself.
• Make each day your masterpiece.
• Help others.
• Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
• Make friendship a fine art.
• Build a shelter against a rainy day.
• Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Wooden’s maxims:

• Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
• Flexibility is the key to stability.
• Be quick, but don’t hurry.

'Best Come Back Line Ever"

The police arrested Patrick Lawrence, 22 year old white male, in a pumpkin patch 11:38 p.m. on Friday night. On Monday, at the Gwinnett County (GA) courthouse, Lawrence was charged with lewd and lascivious behaviour, public indecency, and public intoxication. The suspect explained that as he was passing a pumpkin patch on his way home from a drinking session when he decided to stop, 'You know how a pumpkin is soft and squishy inside, and there was no one around for miles or at least I thought there wasn't anyone around' he stated in a telephone interview.

Lawrence went on to say that he pulled over to the side of the road , picked out a pumpkin that he felt was appropriate to his purpose, cut a hole in it, and proceeded to satisfy his alleged need 'Guess I was really into it, you know?' he commented with evident embarrassment. In the process of doing the deed, Lawrence failed to notice an approaching police car and was unaware of his audience until Officer Brenda Taylor approached him. 'It was an unusual situation, that's for sure,' said Officer Taylor. 'I walked up to Lawrence and he's just banging away at this pumpkin.' Officer Taylor went on to describe what happened when she approached Lawrence.

'I said, 'Excuse me sir, but do you realize that you're having sex with a pumpkin? He froze and was clearly very surprised that I was there, and then he looked me straight in the face and said... 'A pumpkin? Shit... is it midnight already?'

This was in the Washington Post... the title of the article was 'Best Come Back Line Ever.'

Love Recipe

in a soulful life style
add a soul sista
who is funky, eclectic, and feminine
easy to get along with
exotic with a good heart and kind spirit
mix in a soul brotha
who is a devout worshipper of said sista
romantic, passionate and caring
reinforced with a good heart and kind spirit
sent here to be the man he was suppose to be
so you will have no excuse for not being
the woman you were sent here to be
stir in the Most High, Family, Love, Romance
for a spiritual influence
simmer daily
served hot for a lifetime

NOTE: Handle the heart gently to avoid breaking.

Time to Move On

the time has come for me to move on
the sun is up and shining
as my wishes speed toward the sky
the seasons have turned, changing day by day
nothing stands still as time waits for no one
the past has left its mark on me
making me the person that i am
its difficult leaving the things that you know and understand
going on a journey of unfamiliarity
i dont know whats in store
as i walk the pathway of the future
but i do know
a change has come

EQUIPMENT by Edgar A. Guest------------ Dr. George Washington Carver's Favorite Poem

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,

You've all that the greatest of men have had,

Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes

And a brain to use if you would be wise.

With this equipment they all began,

So start for the top and say, "I can."

Look them over, the wise and great

They take their food from a common plate,

And similar knives and forks they use,

With similar laces they tie their shoes.

The world considers them brave and smart,

But you've all they had when they made their start.

You can triumph and come to skill,

You can be great if you only will.

You're well equipped for what fight you choose,

You have legs and arms and a brain to use,

And the man who has risen great deeds to do

Began his life with no more than you.

You are the handicap you must face,

You are the one who must choose your place,

You must say where you want to go,

How much you will study the truth to know.

God has equipped you for life, but He

Lets you decide what you want to be.

Courage must come from the soul within,

The man must furnish the will to win.

So figure it out for yourself, my lad.

You were born with all that the great have had,

With your equipment they all began,

Get hold of yourself and say: "I can."
~Edgar A. Guest~

Cajun Shrimp Boil

Ingredients
1/2 lb. Large shrimp in shell (10 - 15 count)
12 Red Potatoes
1 Ear of corn per person Cut in half
2 medium lemons cut in eighths
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp Cloves ground
1/2 clove Garlic
1/2 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp Black Pepper - coarse ground
2 dashes Tabasco as required
1 lb. Andouille Sausage sliced
2 Small onions

Instructions
In a large boiling pot, bring a gallon of water, lemons, cayenne pepper, cloves, garlic, bay leaf, Old Bay Seasoning, Black Pepper, and Tabasco to a boil. Add potatoes and boil for 10 minutes. Add onions and sausage and boil for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and corn. Boil for 5 minutes more. Drain and serve with crusty bread.

Unconditional Love, Love Without Condition

I love you as you are, as you seek to find
your own special way to relate to the
world.

I honour your choices to learn in the
way you feel is right for you.

I know it is important that you are the
person you want to be and not someone
that I or others think you "should" be. I
realize that I cannot know what is best
for you, although perhaps sometimes I
think I do.

I have not been where you have been,
viewing life from the angle you have. I
do not know what you have chosen to
learn, how you have chosen to learn it,
with whom or in what time period. I
have not walked life looking through
your eyes, so how can I know what you
need.


I allow you to be in the world without a thought or word of judgement from
me about the deeds you undertake. I see no error in the things you say and do.
In this place where I am, I see that there are many ways to perceive and
experience the different facets of our world. I allow without reservation the
choices you make in each moment. I make no judgement of this, for if I would
deny your right to your evolution, then I would deny that right for myself and
all others.

To those who would choose a way I cannot walk, whilst I may
not choose to add my power and my energy to this way, I will
never deny you the gift of love that God has bestowed within
me, for all creation. As I love you, so I shall be loved. As I sow,
so shall I reap.

I allow you the Universal right of Free Will to walk your own path, creating
steps or to sit awhile if that is what is right for you. I will make no judgement
that these steps are large or small, nor light or heavy or that they lead up or
down, for this is just my viewpoint. I may see you do nothing and judge it to be
unworthy and yet it may be that you bring great healing as you stand blessed
the Light of God. I cannot always see the higher picture of Divine Order.

For it is the inalienable right of all life to choose their own
evolution and with great Love I acknowledge your right to
determine your future. In humility I bow to the realization that
the way I see as best for me does not have to mean it is also
right for you. I know that you are led as I am, following the
inner excitement to know your own path.

I know that the many races, religions, customs, nationalities and beliefs within
our world bring us great richness and allow us the benefit and teachings of
such diverseness. I know we each learn in our own unique way in order to
bring that Love and Wisdom back to the whole. I know that if there were only
one way to do something, there would need only be one person.

I will not only love you if you behave in a way I think you should, or believe in
those things I believe in. I understand you are truly my brother and my sister,
though you may have been born in a different place and believe in another
God than I.

The love I feel is for all of God's world. I know that every living thing
is a part of God and I feel a Love deep within for every
person, animal, tree and flower, every bird, river and ocean and
for all the creatures in all the world.

I live my life in loving service, being the best me I can, becoming wiser in the
perfection of Divine Truth, becoming happier in the joy of ...

Unconditional Love



by Sandy Stevenson

DREAMER

the dream that i dream is only being dreamed by me
the characters are the different aspects of myself
it is my dream, therefore; i can change it at any time
should it become a nightmare, i can wake up realizing it is only a dream

i dream i am rich and famous; that i am healthy and fit;
that i am surrounded by a kind and loving family
i dream that i am a teacher, a musician, or any infinite possibility

since it is my dream, i can awaken from it any time i choose;
or fall into a slumber of forgetfulness, mistaking the dream as reality

so i ask myself concerning this dream called Life, "is it that which i desire for myself? "the reality of my being is that i am Spirit, dreaming that i am having a human experience i review the scenes of my life with detached observation to grow in spiritual understanding and to come to know fully:
I Am that I Am.

"Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, said the Lord."
Jeremiah 23:32

The Greatest Performer Ever.

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009).

What moves through us is a silence, a quiet sadness, a longing for one more day, one more word, one more touch, we may not understand why you left this earth so soon, or why you left before we were ready to say good-bye, but little by little, we begin to remember not just that you died, but that you lived. And that your life gave us memories too beautiful to forget.

Steamed Blue Crabs

Place the live crabs in an ice water bath before cooking. This icing process numbs the crabs, making them easier to handle, keeps the crabs from losing their claws during the steaming process, and helps the seasonings stick to the shells.

Ingredients:
2 cans (12 ounces each) flat beer (see below)

2 cups distilled white vinegar

Ice water (optional)

24 live large male blue crabs(jimmies)

3/4 cup Old Bay seasoning

6 tablespoons kosher salt

Directions:
Pour the beer and vinegar into a steamer pot or a large heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a round raised rack that is tall enough to clear the liquid into the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil.
While the pot is coming to a boil, fill a tub with ice water, if desired, and put the crabs in it for 3 minutes or so.
Mix the Old Bay seasoning and salt together in a small bowl. Place a layer of crabs on the rack in the pot. Sprinkle with a generous coating of the seasoning. Working quickly, continue layering and seasoning the crabs until all the blues are in the pot and you have used up all the seasoning. Put on the lid and steam over medium-high heat until the crabs are bright red, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the crabs with tongs.
Serve hot. Leftover crabs may be refrigerated and either eaten cold the next day or picked for crabmeat to use in your favorite recipe.

NOTE: Flat beer does not impart the harsh, almost metallic taste that fresh beer does. To flatten beer, simply pour it into a bowl and leave it at room temperature for an hour or two. A trick used to hasten the flattening process is to sprinkle a little salt into the beer--it flattens the beer quicker.