“The woman I was yesterday, introduced me to the woman I am today, which makes me very excited about meeting the woman I will become tomorrow.” – Poetic Evolution In this picture, I was Ms. New York, at age 40. I had entered my first beauty pageant. Throughout my years, the idea of competing in a beauty pageant crossed my mind occasionally, but on a lazy Saturday afternoon, while watching a pageant for married women on television, I made up my mind that I was going to compete, and before the pageant finished airing, I was on my computer researching competitions designed just for me. At my age ..read more

Some mornings I wake up energized. Some mornings I don’t comb my hair. Some mornings I rush to do things. Some mornings I realize I have too much to do. Most mornings I journal. Most mornings I apply makeup. Most mornings I enjoy my quiet time. Most mornings I listen to the outdoors’ four-legged animals wake up with me. Every morning I wake up early. Every morning I drink mushroom coffee. Every morning I kiss my husband. Every morning I feed my dogs. Every morning I work on something I like. Every morning I admire my view, the mountains and the volcanoes, the sunrise, the defined colors, from ..read more

My nephew and his two girls, along with his girlfriend, were supposed to come and visit this Christmas season but plans changed the last minute. Our family in New Mexico was sad about the change but now look forward to seeing everyone this summer when the girls have more time off from school. Even though our “Christmas Club” had fewer people than planned we still had a wonderful Christmas season. I’m actually sad it’s over now. I haven’t felt this way since I was a kid. The season started the day after Thanksgiving. We put up the tree. It took two days to decorate the house with the spirit of ..read more

I decided to take some time for myself. I started to slip away from my feminine lifestyle and I didn’t like that. So, I am concentrating on living a relaxed, soft, and luxurious (in my own way) lifestyle. My days are full but I am doing things I want to do and things are accomplished at my pace. I am having so much fun organizing my house. For my kitchen, I purchased new designer silverware, storage bins, and created labels. Some of my kitchen drawers now feature a condiment drawer, a zip lock bag drawer, a tin foil drawer, and a stationery drawer. I saw an IKEA commercial in the 90s that spot ..read more

I graduated from Morgan State University. I majored in communications. When I decided to go to Morgan State in the mid-1980s, no one supported my decision. All thought attending an HBCU was wrong. People said, directly to my face, I don’t believe in that; black colleges are not good; you are not going to get a job; the world is not all black; black colleges are party schools; you are not going to learn anything; how are you going to cope in the real world where there are whites? Well, my white husband of 11 years can answer that question best. After my freshman year, I transferred to a PWI, on ..read more

Even though today is Halloween I am thinking about today being the last day for apple picking at most orchards. Apple picking has been a Fall favorite since I was a teenager growing up in Queens, New York. My family and I had several orchards to choose from throughout New York and New Jersey and would go apple picking in September and October. As an adult I continued my family’s Fall tradition and had fun doing so. I would mail apples to my mom who no longer lived in New York but wanted freshly picked apples from New York. Baking apple pies using freshly picked apples is always the best to eat ..read more

I saw Bolo on a professional breeder’s website in Georgia. He was the sweetest-looking thing in the bunch. Joe had an eye on another pup from the same litter, but I was focused on Bolo. I finally said to Joe, “What about this one?” At first glance and one second later Joe was on the telephone with the breeder asking questions about Bolo’s personality. “He comes from champions,” she said. “He’s a spitfire and goes crazy for the broom,” she added. That was all Joe needed. Two weeks later, at eight weeks old, Bolo had flown from Georgia to New Mexico all by himself. Bolo, police code for, “Be on ..read more

There is a new urge for women to become more feminine and I am loving every minute of it. There are several feminine groups available now more than ever before that explain and teach women to embrace their feminine energy. Women are now interested in the femininity movement because ladies are tired of doing it all by themselves. It’s exhausting and also very masculine. Women aren’t made to do it all with no help. Over time the female body will break down and serious health issues will arise. Women are made to relax, receive, and live a soft life. Ladies are speaking to the fact that being a so ..read more

On a cold dark winter morning, while in my front yard, I noticed this orange and yellow sunrise peeking from the Sandia Mountains, trying to make its way through the clouds. So I took a picture. The colors, clouds, and shadowy-visual of the rooftop on the gazebo immediately reminded me of my mud hut during my days as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo more than 30 years ago. Honestly, I think about my experience in the Peace Corps almost every day. I was 22 years old, with a lot of spunk and energy, looking for something grand and wonderful to experience after I co ..read more

My hair is moody. It grows and breaks off whenever it wants to. These semi-tight, dry, thin, nappy curls defy all attempts to gain protection and moisture. My hair is on its own rollercoaster and I am at my wit’s end trying to maintain some sort of stability. Due to constant frustration I was about to give up but changed my mind. Instead, I decided to start a hair journal to note the steps I take for growth and healthy hair, what my hair likes, and what my curls do not like. I know the climate I live in is a major factor in my hair troubles. New Mexico has been my home for 11 years (Wow! Where ..read more