The Lost Paycheck

Robert checked his watch. 8:30A.M. He had just enough time to stop in at Arlene's to pick up a coffee, before clocking in at Vegload Press. Three minutes for chitchat with Arlene, the owner.

"Hey, Arlene, how's it shaking this morning?" Arlene picked up the tips jar and gave it a toss, back and forth.
"Pretty slim, but it's only 8:30. We got all day to fill this baby!
"Well, here's a boost," Robert took a $5.00 bill  from his wallet and stuffed it into the tips jar.
Arlene gushed, " Awww, Bobby......on your way out, grab a cheese danish, You're too sweet!
Robert waved goodbye and ran out the door. 

Clink-clack. 9:00 at the time clock.

Robert was relieved...right on time. It being payday, well, late would have been a"bad look." The office was quiet. No one in his section had arrived yet. He settled in with his coffee and savored the peace. He heard Diane, his assistant and Betty, the high school temp aide, get off the elevator.Yak, yak, yak. Diane had been with him for eight years, but Betty just came to help a couple of weeks ago.

"Good morning. " Robert threw Diane a kiss and she reached up in the air to catch it.
"You two are so corny." Betty was not impressed. Matter-of-fact, nothing really impressed Betty. The only time he saw her exhibit any kind of excitement, was when she'd tell Diane about some jazzy dress in the window at Macy's or about the "fly" boots she had on lay-a-way at Filene's. Seemed to him, Betty had a chip on her shoulder. They'd gotten her through a city-sponsored program that helped juvenile, recovering addicts get jobs. Who knew what she'd been through.....He  let Diane supervise her. So far, so good.

"Diane, I'm going to HR to pick up the checks. It's 9:30; they should be ready." Diane nodded her approval and off he went.

He was humming on his way back from HR. Payday made him hum. He was planning a weekend trip to Martha's Vineyard and today, instead of depositing his check, he would tell the teller, "All 50's...cash please!" He didn't want to use his credit cards this weekend-all greenbacks!

"Somebody's happy!"
"You know what payday does for me, Diane!"
"I thought only ghetto people felt that way." Betty, really.
Diane glance over at Robert and his look of distaste didn't surprise her. She tried to calm the situation.
"Yea, well you know Betty, we're more alike than different. Work hard and payday is the happy reward...that's universal."
"Whatever, I'm off to cash my check...see y'all around two." She threw up a peace sign with her fingers and exited.

"That girl is trying my last nerve...what's her problem?
"She's juggling a lot, Robert. Recovery, school, motherhood....
"Motherhood....that girl's a mother???
"Yes, that WOMAN has a three year old son at home. Sharing a place with six other people. She's trying but it's hard.
"I'm going to trust your judgement, Diane, but she might be a better fit in another department. She doesn't seem to be too happy with us.
"That's just her way...give her some time, she'll come around.
"Fine, here's the deal....I'm off to the bank...see you in about an hour!"

The bank wasn't crowded. Robert was in and out in an half an hour; ten 50's and five $100 bills lined his coat pocket. He had to remember to put the money in the safe, once he got back to the office.
Back upstairs, he found his cubicle to be empty...no Betty and no Diane.

"2:30, where are these ladies? Oh, well,I'm not going to let them ruin my Martha Vineyard mood!"

Sitting at his desk, finishing up some reports, he looked up and Betty was coming through the door.

"Sorry I'm late. The line at the check cashing place was all the way down the street."
"Why don't you think of opening an account at the bank?No long lines and no check-cashing fees." He started looking through his drawer for a sign-up application for her.

"Hold up, Mr. Robert. Right now I can't do "banks". I'll think about it for the future...thanks.

"Okay , Betty and .... that reminds me. Hold on a minute." Robert ran to the closet to check his coat pocket. He checked the right pocket, then the left one- nothing. He pulled the coat off the hanger and shook it. No $1,000.00. He looked all around the closet floor-nothing. He came back to his desk and calmly sat down. Betty was making copies at the Xerox machine. A few minutes passed...Diane entered the cubicle.

"La la la, you know Robby, that payday song...I got some slick lyrics myself! Money, money, mo....What's wrong, you look sick!

"My pay is missing outta my coat pocket! Every dollar of my $1,000. is gone." He was out of breath and now his attention was directed to  Betty at the Xerox machine.
"Calm down! Did you look carefully, all around the floor? May be it dropped out on the street!
"It was in my coat pocket. I felt it in my pocket on the ride up here. I hung up my coat and forgot to put the money in the safe! She came right in behind me!" He pointed over to Betty at the Xerox machine.

"You blaming me, Mr. Robert? I didn't take your money..CHECK ME!!!"
"No, he won't check you...go to the cafeteria and wait for me there, okay? Me and Mr. Robert going to talk." Betty exited. Robert glared at her as she left the room.

"That girl stole my money. You know it and I know it."

Diane sat down besides Robert."

"Today, Betty told me she owed a lot of money to a drug dealer she used to sell for-somebody from her past. He threatened her son's life and he said he would shoot up the house if she didn't get the money to him by 6pm today. She was so desperate, she asked me for the money, but I couldn't get my hands on that kind of money by 6:00. She's trying to make a clean cut, from an old life. Please, Robert,maybe you dropped it on the sidewalk, on the way into the building." She started bawling.

"Diane, you're taking this so hard...I didn't know you connected so strongly with this young girl."

"That young WOMAN was me some 20 years ago, Robert. Only the kindness of strangers saved me. Be that stranger for her, Robby." He held Diane. She was trembling.

"The money fell on the sidewalk. You take that young woman under your wing and mentor her while she's here. Let her know what she means to you and how much you care. Right now, girlfriend, I gotta get to the bank and stop by Arlene's to check up on that tips jar!"   



THE END







 

Joy to the world...the Lord has come!

She loves....

Shining!

GOOD MORNING!!!!! \O/
I saw an ad, this morning, "Broken china made into elegant jewelry..."
I immediately thought about Father and His amazing way! He'll take your broken life and turn it into "elegant jewelry" for His kingdom!
Roman 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Have a wonderful day~ SHINE!

When I was a little girl,we didn't have Jiffy Pop or Orville Redenbacher; our family used a pot, popcorn seeds with a little cooking oil in the bottom. If I close my eyes, I can still smell the pungent odor of the popping kernels. I can still see Dad standing by the stove waiting for the last grain to explode!

"Here he comes!", hot pot in hand. I anticipate the crunchy morsels, waiting to salt them. I turn right, he turns left and the pot edge slides down my forearm.

"Ouchhh!"

A slender red line, horizontal to my pinkie, immediately appears. In a mad dash, Dad runs to the medicine cabinet for ointment. But I smile hoping he takes "the long way around" 'cause I'm not even thinking about that burn, the hot pot or nothing else as the puffy salted "pillows" sneak down my throat and into my soul. They settle in waiting to be revived and labeled, "Favored Memories'....

Please.

"Why would a person hide their light under a bushel?

1) Their special-ness is evident, but they lack the self-confidence needed to present it!

2) They don't want to show up  the lackluster crowd, they hang with...their friends.

3) Their light was pushed down early in childhood. They start to believe that's the way things should be.

4) They don't want to do the work to cultivate it...hone it!

5) Fear

Which one of these reasons is shouting out at you?

In order to live a life of abundance and greatness, to stay in the light, you must "step-up" and showcase your God-given talents! DON'T HOLD BACK and DON'T HIDE!
Rise above the negative talk (from self and insignificant others) and show your stuff to the world!

Mt 5:16
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."

.....sometimes we tend to self criticize, harshly.Today, embrace this idea.."I am not perfect, but the fact that I always do my best, keeps me shining and on point!"
... Stay in the light! ♥

The Little Things by Paula Brown

Marie took one more bow from the stage; the cheering crowd was on it's feet. Shouts of "Bravo!",resounded in the Music Hall, as she finally exited the stage to her dressing room. Once there, she sat at her vanity and read congratulatory notes from all over the world. Well wishes and flowers from kings and queens lined the tiny dressing room wall. Her performance tonight was exceptional; she was at the top of her game. No one had gained such adulation in such a short period of time.

"Thank-you, Father", she prayed.

Just thinking of it, made her begin to sob tears of joy and appreciation. In between the sobs, she realized she was having trouble catching her breath! What was happening? Heart attack? She managed to get out of the chair and fell onto the floor clutching her throat. She could feel something lodged inside. "I'm choking to death!" Although she was beginning to black out, Marie heard a faint knock at the door. She struggled, gave it all she had and crawled over to grasp the  doorknob. She slowly pulled the door open.

There stood Pete, the Music Hall concierge, holding a tray with a glass of water atop of it. Of course, he was shocked to find her in that condition, but he was able to perform first aid and within seconds out popped a mint candy she'd thought was long dissolved.

"Pete, if it had not been for your thoughtfulness and kindness, I'd surely be dead."

So many high honors surrounded Marie in her dressing room that night, but it was the simple kindness of a glass of water after a tiring performance that mattered the most.

Rita and Grady

The gentleness of the breeze off  Evon River was contrary to what was going on upstairs,Hempton Towers, Apartment 2E.

Rita motioned for Grady to come close.She was looking out the window, marveling at the way the moon's glow played on the water. He came over and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Look how the moon is all yellow and bright ...like a big, golden coin...isn't it beautiful?
 
"Yeah, it's awesome...by the way, where were you today, around noon? I came up and rang your bell... thought you told me you were working in today. I had pizza-trying to have lunch with you!"

"You should have called." Rita eased up from under Grady's hand and plopped down on the couch. She hated to be cross-examined.

"Why you getting a attitude?"

"I'm as close as your cell. You should have called. I had to step out."

"Thought I'd surprise you.... Rita,?" he came and sat by her on the couch,"everything alright?"


~TO BE CONTINUED~

From Girl to Woman: Being an adult

I first realized I was an adult when I prepared to move out of my parents' home. My boyfriend (who later became my husband) and I were both feeling "grown" and ready to set up housekeeping together. I'd started breaking curfew and doing other things that would have, in the long run, damaged my relationship with my Mom and Dad. It was time to step up to the plate. Still with this new feeling of adulthood came a heavy dose of regret. I had to muster up the nerve to break the news to my parents.

Even though I was in my late twenties, I had never lived away from their home. Upon high school graduation, when I had the chance to go far away to college, I chose one in my hometown so that I could be close to them. Leaving from their home to live with *Leon had me feeling unsure and exhilarated all at once! I was transitioning from child to adult, taking responsibility for my own actions. It showed a Dad, who teased that I'd be applying for social security benefits at age sixty-five from under his roof, that I was serious about living out  this new feeling of "adultness."

Looking back now, I realize coming to terms with being an adult gave my parents the ability to "exhale." I knew I could always come back home if my new housekeeping venture didn't pan out. But Mom and Dad knew this event was a big step toward autonomy and that once tasting the sweet flavor of freedom, it would be impossible for me to live under their roof again. I never returned.

Realizing you're an adult can sneak up on you and take you by surprise or you can see it coming from a mile away. Being an adult is not measured by how many years you have under your belt, but by how you accept challenges that come your way;  handling life's problems in a mature manner.
*name changed

The Dubai Mall & The Dubai Fountain

Dedicated to the mamas that serve on Sunday

Mama! we call as she rushes in the door
gone from early this morning
FINALLY done with the "AMENS"-

she prepares dinner
we are hungry
we are hungry

the pots and pans clanging
are music to our ears
are hymns and Selah
pews and preacher

because
Jesus is planted in HER heart
we eat
we eat
blessings. Our table is 4ever life.....

True(HOME) love(HOME)is(HOME)waiting(HOME) for(HOME)me

I.

i smell "home" in my juniper- berried mind
deep lavender breathes in the crevices
making me open
to the waiting life air
that longs to greet me there


II.


i giggle in the honey air
that surrounds us
'cause he's funny
and I'm happy...


III.


the sunny air, that invited me in
decides to keep me bright~
daffodils fill in the empty spaces
the smell of pineapple blows
through the crevices, NOW
and
those that waited? They promise to cover and court forever...

Father, put me on
to your daughter, where is she?
pleasant and sweet like the morning lilacs, your flower
Sincere and real
Living for you in all the ways that matter

Father, put me on
to your son, where is he?
straight, right and righteous, like you planned from the beginning
Sincere and real
Living for you in all the ways that matter

Evil, deceit, lies, phony ghosts
Enough already
Send a reprieve, a cool drink
for a weary traveler...
Father, put me on.





Excerpt from "FAVOR"

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!"

Today a big, ferocious-looking woman approached me and Q. as we sat timidly on the grey, shelter benches.

"Hey, I don't know if anyone told you or not, but our stuff is over here and WE SIT OVER HERE, MOVE!

She pointed to the other side of the room. 
Q. and I looked at each other, immediately scurried out of her "apt." and relocated ourselves ~

Territory is a big thing at the shelter property. Everyone has their own special space sanctioned off and it is piled up with clothes, furniture, TVs, etc........





Excerpt from "FAVOR"

In the day, I live in the shelter...in the night I live in Harlem

Around 8:00pm, Q.(my son) and I are dispatched to a little hotel in Harlem, off Lenox Avenue, to spend the night. The school bus carries us off into the breezy evening and I feel free from the dingy gray shelter.
"Oh, look Q, " I say, "there's Sylvia's Soulfood Restaurant, the Lenox Lounge!" I've always loved Harlem...but here we arrive at our destination.

It's seedy and the crackheads are acting "a fool" in the lobby. This can NOT be real as one crackhead picks up a long, steel pipe and threatens the other one. I'm sweating bullets, as I don't want to witness a murder! Things finally calm down and the hotel clerk signs us in, giving us our sheets, towels and toilet paper rations.
We ride the elevator to the 5th floor and push open the door. A guy holding a "40" is standing in the hallway corner, sneering at me and Q. We hurry to our room and lock the door behind us.

The room is not bad. Two single beds and a sink, the bathroom in the hallway. "Yeah, I can spend the night here." Glancing around the room, I look for the obligatory roach.

It's 9pm and Q. and I get ready for bed. You'd be surprised at how tired you can get just sitting around the shelter all day, doing nothing. We are exhausted. I ask Q. if I can leave the light on...he doesn't want to, but he allows it. We open our soda and chips. This is a no-no at the shelter property. It tastes soooo good...the simple things....

We plug the speakers into the CD player. The rapper's crooning and for a minute, I can believe we're on vacation, diggin' the scene....
 

Whitney Houston - Count On Me Featuring CeCe Winans~LISTEN!

Savages can only feed if you're standing still...so....

1) Write your memoir

2) Teach a class

3) Color, paint, draw...a picture

4) Learn a foreign language

5) Start a business

6) Make some incense

7) See a play

8) Walk

9) Learn how to play chess, skate....ride a bike

10) Tie dye a ___________.


HAPPY  IS THE NEW HEALTHY!
DO SOMETHING!!!!!

10 things I love about the world I live in!

1) I can live anywhere. The opportunity to relocate is only limited by my resources.

2) I can worship and honor Father God.

3) I can travel to experience all of the seasons, within a weeks' time.

4) I can do business in any hemisphere.

5) I can Skype, seeing and talking to my neighbors in distant lands.

6) I am not forced to join any specific political party.

7) I can get information about any topic within minutes via the world wide web.

8) I can publish and be read, instantly.

9) I can put on a pair of 3D glasses in the cinema and be smack dab in the middle of  the movie's action.

10) Although darkness lurks, I am safe.

This is what I love about MY world. How about you? List your 10 things in the comments and Have a prosperous day!

rendezvous: a servant waits...

until then, I'll dream

of sunsets on Maldives
of honeyed whispers appreciating Chianti cushions
 
inducing
Sambuca slumber...

ZZzzzzzzzzz

sand crusted toes
giggly hands
ocean flows
cupids' arrow?
Heaven knows...  sigh

until then, I'll dream.

Love to more love.....

As you leave a fragrant and lush garden

                                    Don't look back.

The road ahead is beckoning

with emerald eyes
set in an "evergreen glow".

Folks Facts:Small-minded people are Hope repellents!

While we're talking of prosperity and newness of life, small-minded people are still talking about the same nonsense they talked about in the 60's...joint in one hand, a "tall one " in the other. Childish dribble about somebody's clothes, their hair and /or some other physical characteristic of their neighbor.    Insignificant stuff to tear down- NEVER to lift up and encourage.

                                                 Small-minded people kill dreams...
                                                 They've buried their own, NOW                                                    they're working on yours!
                                                 Expel small-minded people aka   DEAD WEIGHT!!!                     

We in dis mess.......*

Fenced in on all sides
Hours, minutes, seconds
                         collide


Nothing to do-trouble is wide..FREE ME!


pray? 
I tried
but
all I see is cry faces
all I see is dark places
all I see is missed races


What we need is Gods' graces. Amen.



*inspired by "The Interrupters"
Frontline documentary, re: the Chicago street gangs

Loving the possibilities!

Five original ways to dress up a Fall beret!

The easiest, least expensive way to dress up a Fall outfit is with a beret! Below are five artistic ways to make your beret....YOURS!

1) Purchase some colorful beads and stitch them into a decorative, abstract design.Your imagination is your only limitation!

2) Handstitch your name or a familiar saying on your beret! Tell the world how you feel about a particular current event, family member or pop idol!

3) Buy a Bedazzler and add studs. For a classy look, use pearl or rhinestone studs. Want to be a little "laid-back"? Use stars or hearts. Bedazzler is a stud machine that's an economical choice for an upgrade- it's only $19.95!

4) Cut out the top of your plain beret and sew in a colorful patterned fabric! For instance, purchase a plain brown beret, cut out the top. Make a run to your local fabric store and purchase a yard of African  Brown Mudcloth( exhibits a very vibrant print). You can bet, you'll have a Fall original!

5) Visit different thrift shops for unusual vintage buttons! Sew a few around the edge of your beret for a classic look.


The chill in the air, says it's time to cover up! Make that "cover-up" completely YOURS...let your Fall beret make a creative statement!

Loc/smith

A
sudsy, savory array
of moving feelers
my locs
caressed, loved by the water...
the bubbles

Tangerine, ginger, patchouli
burn the air
above my hair,
as it's massaged into an
aromatic hint of "what's to come."

rinsed probes reach
for the Musk Oil,

warm
mysterious
direct
sensual...

thirsty, perfumed antennae
drink
and are cleared;
receptive to wise obedience...

My hair is silver, but how he adores it, is GOLDEN

I.

...he's lovin' my salt n' pepper locs
   the feel of merino
   my "fleece peace"
   infatuated with every twist-
   intertwining finger and strand

  he slips them into a bright orange oil and
  amber flames light the atmosphere
  forming a smoky
  tangerine cloud

  with every swing and sway
  of my head
  a marigold falls from HEAVEN...

Benjamin

My job at the drugstore was very enlightening on so many levels, but one thing I learned stands out; How Father can, almost immediately, change your heart about a person. For my relationship with one co-worker, it meant going from pure hatred to heavenly love!

Benjamin* was, by all appearances, your average inner-city, young adult male. Hair in cornrows, jeans and tee, part-time student...really nothing out of the ordinary. But within a few days of his hiring, his attitude turned severely hostile towards me. Among other things, he would wait until I came into the area, where the other employees would be lounging, and tell crude jokes waiting to see my reaction. He would taunt me from the balcony above the cash register where I worked, making crude noises. He would turn the lights out while I was still in the storage area doing cleanup....the list goes on.

I examined myself. I got along well with the other young people that worked at the store, always being treated in a business-like way. I used to pray every night that Benjamin would call out sick for the shift. I never complained to my supervisor, because I didn't want any confrontation AT ALL! He was so very vulgar and it was solely directed towards me. My distaste for him was also very strong.

Then "it" happened, suddenly! I came into work one night , saw Benjamin and all hatred for him was gone! I was, delivered supernaturally, of all the mean and ugly feelings I had for him.He seemed to be relieved, too.
Father turned our hearts, for each other, from cold to hot. After that, he began bringing the heavy tubs of supplies into the store for me,taking my register duty for me during my lunch break,  offering happy salutations and expressing general kindness.

Truthfully, I believe he was planted in that drugstore by Father to show me many things. The most important thing? How He can change hearts and minds, supernaturally, for HIS PURPOSES!

As I move forward with my work for Father, I know Benjamin will play a very important part in the plans He has for me to execute into the world. Although I haven't seen Benjamin in over two years, when it is time, we'll connect to do Kingdom business! He'll be a friend....closer than a brother!


GOD IS ABLE!

*not his real name.

black, patent leather Mary Janes
my Sunday shoes
kept
clean and shiny
with just a touch of Vaseline,
skip, skip
away from Saturday's woes
into worship morning

jumping down 4 flights of steps
on the way to St. Lukes,
                           Jesus,
                           redemption and
                           my friend, Cookie

Hallelujah!
and my black, patent leather Mary Janes
are bouncing and clapping 
to Rev. James Cleveland...

on bended knee, Sunday shoes
bottom-side UP
 pray  love  and  honor Father
AMEN!
                          then
                          Jesus,
                          me,
                          redemption,
                          Cookie,
and my black, patent leather Mary Janes
run to penny candy, the monkeybars, Sunday dinner and slumber~

black, patent leather Mary Janes
tucked under my bed

my deliverance. secure.
                     

1978

                                                                Boogaloo          
                                
                                                 sat. nite

                                                honky-tonk

                                 evelyn shouting, jukebox blaring

                                                 "shame"

                                              swish, swish
                                           booty-swinging
                                              left then right
                                    like some wild, frenzied metronome
                                           ticking down a gin and tonic haze
                                      movement and music
                                      music and movement
                                                sat. nite
    
                                misery is sent running for it's life

                                down the road to a Sunday mourn

                                                full of regrets...

Sprinkles on Cupcakes

Ivy rushed home to make the cupcakes for Mal's party! Mal loved her cupcakes; the way she iced them and decorated them with sprinkles. He appreciated the tender-loving care she took bringing them to him. You'd think he was five years old, again, when she'd visit, sweets in tow.

Tonight was very special. Mal was coming home with her. His stay in the hospice was only supposed to be for a month, but a month turned into three years. Health problems, after his stroke, forced Ivy to put him in a hospice to get 24 hour care. He wasn't talking, needed a feeding tube and had lost all feeling in his left side. She had no choice.  On what happened to be his 30th birthday, she wheeled him into Dangle Blue Hospice, thousands of miles away from their home.

"My husband...home." She smiled at the thought of having her man around the house again.

She dressed into her "gonna get my man outfit" and packed her cupcakes. Thoughts of the staff's well-wishes humbled her and made her warm on the inside. It was their idea to have this party, as they called Mal "the most perfect resident." He had made such great progress; you could hardly tell he'd been chronically ill.

When she arrived at the hospice entrance, she expected to hear music blasting and the sounds of people partying- but it was silent. Sam Bivens, the hospice director, met her at the door.

"Come, sit down, Ivy." He led her to the sofa.
"Where's Mal? Did y'all cancel the party? Why?
"Ivy, Mal died during the night. He had a massive heart attack. We couldn't revive him. I'm so sorry....

Ivy cried uncontrollably for about three minutes. Then, all of a sudden, she gained her composure! She looked up and there was Mal where Mr. Bivens had been sitting!

"Don't cry, Ivy. I'm o.k. now...no more pain, not even a little bit." He grabbed her hand. "I wanted to touch you one more time, let you know how deeply I LOVE YOU. You stayed my true wife, sticking by me during my illness, seeing that I got the best of care. You traveled thousands of miles to see me every week, did conferencing with my doctors to make sure I was kept with state-of-the-art equipment. Your calls were the highlight of my day, keeping me until our next visit. And you know, with all of that, what I especially loved you for?

"No, what?" Ivy asked, expecting to pass out at any moment.
"The cupcakes with the sprinkles on them."

She reached into her bag and handed him one, only the "him" was Mr. Bevins! He looked puzzeled, but he took the cupcake and put it away on the chair besides him.

"How should I proceed, Ivy?"
"Go into the kitchen for some ice-cream and plates for our cupcakes....

\O/ \O/ \O/ (Hands in the air!)

Cozy Innovation! Take a look!

https://www.joyus.com/shop/channel/home/video-sale/1-376/a-fireplace-you-can-take-anywhere-hosted-by-kelley-moore?utm_source=social-share-link&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=ZLK04NI0001&utm_content=vp376_afireplace

Accept the mate that's perfect for you!

So many of us fall, again and again, in our love relationships. We want, only, to be involved with the person of our dreams, physically and financially speaking! We have to be open to the fact that our compatible mate may not come in the package we expect. Putting specifications about looks, finances, etc. on our incoming mate may block our blessing of true love.

It's a good idea to rethink how we  "look" at the person who could be a potential spouse. From wherever your blessings flow ask, "Please send me a mate that fits my heart and personality." THEN PUT A PERIOD!

Actually, the asking is not the hard part. The challenge is to be ready and willing to fully accept your blessing, no matter what the outside looks like or what's in his/her pockets!


How do you feel about this? Would you try this viewpoint to turn your life around? Leave your helpful comments below! Thank-you and Have a nice day!

Try-ology

A Body Luxuriance for a Tuesday evening!

Ah Tuesday afternoon!... collect all the oils for this preparation to enjoy a relaxing, fragrant Tuesday evening. Splash it in your bath water, smooth it lovingly over body parts, inhale and release! Don't forget an amber-colored bottle to store it in....

Sunflower Oil - 4 ounces

Hazelnut Oil - 1 tsp.

Macadamia Nut- 1 tsp.

Evening of Primrose oil- 1 tsp.

Vitamin E Oil- 20 drops

Mix well, store in your bottle and refrigerate for longer shelf life!




recipe from the internet

Three NEW Girlfriend Retreat Themes!

Our girlfriends...can't live without 'em! Sometimes a message chat, call or email just won't do... so, pack your bags and meet for a Girlfriend's Retreat!

These themes have elements that have to be worked out months in advance and for no more than ten ladies, to be effective....Which one would you try?:

1) A Read Away

As a group, have your girlfriends pick and read a novel before meeting for the retreat. Then assign everyone a character from the novel before they leave home.  Give them options:

• Cook a recipe, while on retreat, that your character would prepare.
• Come dressed as your assigned character.
• Use your character's speech pattern during the retreat.
• Write and perform a soliloquy based on tension your character presents.
• Write your character's obituary.

It'll be interesting and FUN, to see the novel come to life in front of you and your girlfriends!

Approx. time for retreat= 1week to 10 days

2) Meet My Mentoree

This retreat is for girlfriends mentoring a young lady!

Come together for some fun and family bonding time. Agenda events could include theatre nights, spa, shopping, and roundtables (pick discussion topics in advance)

Cook, eat, laugh, sleep, run, and play!

Approx. time for retreat= 3 days

3) 120 hour Craft-A- Thon

Months in advance, send a survey out to the retreat invitees and ask, "What craft would you like to teach?" Ask them to prepare enough kits for the girlfriends that will be attending the retreat! 10 girlfriends=10 craft kits. Individuals will be responsible for all the "bells and whistles" that go along with their teaching presentation. 

Surely, that's going to be a Crafty, good time! It'll be so much fun to learn something new and share something dear to your heart!

Approx. time for retreat= 1 week

There's a time to work....and a Girlfriend's Retreat is a time to play! Make unforgettable memories on these retreats- bond and cement friendships..By the way, Who's got the Handycam?

Increasing sales means connecting to the public!

August 25, 2012

Mix and mingle with the public, on your down time to make sales go sky HIGH!

1) By donating your product to online auctions, you give the public a chance to see and own your product, up close and personal, without purchasing it. You increase visibility and chatter about your business!

2) Come into the community with music, food, loudspeaker and give out samples and discount coupons!

3) Hold contests and offer your product as the prize. Don’t forget to include your marketing materials!

4) Implement classes and programs in the general area of your business. For example, you own a Auto Parts store. Teach a hands-on class entitled,”How to Change a tire.” You could invite an expert in to talk about car insurance options!

5) Give incentives to your employees for volunteering at local hospitals,nursing homes and food pantries. Put them in caps and t-shirts with your company name and logo on them.It’s a win-win-win situation!

BE VISIBLE, connecting to the public, and get sales above and beyond your competition!

the enemy strikes out...we are happy forever!