I've been tagged!

OK, Tanya was kind enough to tag me with a request of 5 things you may not know about me, so here goes:

1. 2009 will mark my 20th High School Reunion! I was very active in school and was not only our Senior Class President, but also the first Mascot of our consolidated schools. In 1987 three schools consolidated into one: Richfield Rams, Waco High Tigers and Jefferson Moore Lions. The new school would be on the campus of Richfield, the new name would be "Waco High", and the mascot from my previous school (J-Moore) would now be the Lion. So I was the mascot for two years and to this day many folks remember me as being the mascot but forget I was Senior class President.
2. I owned a miniature Dachshund named Sweet Pea back in 2003. She was the love of my life. Unfortunately she had an accidental death after having her only 5 months at 9 months. I was devastated. January 12th would have been her 4th birthday. I miss my Tuney.
3. I spent my last 6 hours of obtaining my bachelor's degree from Southwest Texas State in Puerto Rico at The University of Puerto Rico the summer of 94'. It was the best class/vacation/graduation present anyone could ask for. My minor was in Spanish and I was determined to grasp the language. I spent a month there and it was fabulous! We had class Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm and took an excursion on the island on Wednesdays. We had the weekends off, so that's why I called it a "vacation". I plan on going back...real soon.
4. I absolutely ahbor/detest/despise receiving forwards in my inbox. Especially silly hoaxes and false forwards that have gone unchecked by Snopes. Those irk me the most! I love Jesus and do not have to email 10 people to prove it! Ugh!!!!!! Check out a website who agrees with me here. I have no problem telling people I have an "anti-forward" email inbox/address.
5. I've been taking pictures since I was 12 years old in the sixth grade! So I guess you can say I've had a 24 year career as an amateur photographer. I've also been writing/journaling for about the same time. I started with my lil' diary documenting all that was going on in my world starting in 3rd grade, I believe. Now it's time to put my passions to work for me.

Who's next? Jamlock, Katika, and Lock Venture.

Are You New To The Natural Hair Blogging Community?

I was asked off-line how to "join-in" on the fun from a person who's new to the online blogging community. Less than two years ago, there were only a few folks actively blogging about their natural hair. Now the online blogging community is growing by the day. Do a Sisterlocks Blog Search and see what I mean. Here's my own personal tips for those beginning the blogging journey. Others may have a different opinion:

Invitation? There's no real "invitation" to join in on the online blog community of natural/locked women/men. The Locked Hair Blog Exchange is by invitation if you'd like your locked hair blog in the Exchange, but for all other groups, you sign up and you're in. A lot of Sisterlocked women began their online connection from what I gather, from three main places: The Yahoo Group Lockitup, on Fotki, and the other largest community of natural hair/locked women, Nappturality. The relationships form as you post your questions and give feedback on other's journeys or your own. If you haven't joined these groups, do so ASAP and begin making comments. Spend time reading the archives, for they will provide a lot of answers to questions you have.

Making your blog a place folks want to visit. The online locked hair community wants to see pictures, pictures, pictures. And believe it or not, getting a good look at your hair is more important than seeing your face. Take good shots in good lighting so your hair can be seen. If it's not a good picture, don't waste your time uploading it.

"We be" an educated group of folk. Most of the bloggers are educated and don't enjoy visiting blogs where there's a lot of slang, typos and just plain bad grammar going on. We all have "slang" moments, but when the blog shows no form of intelligence, it may hamper visitors who will return. Although I will say there's a small niche of folk who dig that stuff. Ask yourself, if you'd enjoy reading your posts and looking at your own pictures a week, month, or year from now. That will help you in determining if posting the content or pictures is worth it. I have quite a few "drafted" posts that I didn't want to delete, but didn't feel needed to be public on my blog for whatever reason.

Keeping it current, will keep them coming. Or maybe not. Keeping your blog fairly current helps. When you are new out, don't expect because you keep your blog current that folks should be visiting it or commenting on what you have to say. You may not have readers yet, but don't stop blogging. However, when a blog isn't updated regularly it's a natural progression to stop visiting it. Trust me, I have a few dormant blogs that need major updating, so I know! I don't even visit my own old stale blogs! Ha! But seriously, try and update regularly. So as to not overwhelm you, regularly doesn't mean once a day. Once a week is just fine, and if time is an issue, once a month. Just try and keep it current.

You've found some blogs you like. What do you do next? Comment, Comment, Comment! Don't ask for comments back, but simply comment on what you like and what you're curious about. That's how the ball gets rolling. It lets one know you've been by to check out their blog/album and liked what you saw. Anyone who's interested in you and your journey will naturally visit your blog/album and comment back. Don't be offended if no one comments or if you comment on someone's blog/fotki and he or she don't return the favor. We never know why folks do or don't do the things they do and there's no use in being over sensitive about it or quivering over it. Try not to take offense or over analyze the situation. Just keep visiting blogs you like and comment on what interests you.

To link or not to link? That is the question. Don't worry about asking to "link" someone else's blog to yours. It's a courtesy to ask, but not really necessary. Most bloggers are honored you've linked to their blogs and that keeps them motivated to blog more often. Don't be offended if you link to someone's blog but they don't link yours back. You linked to theirs because you chose to. Give them that same courtesy to make their own decision to link you and if they don't link you, don't trip. Some folks may be too lazy (like me), too busy(like me) or simply choose not to for their own reasons (like Jen-she told me to add that :-)). Some may not want tons of links on their blogs. Some may not know how to link. Some don't want the pressure or bother. Don't lose sleep over it.

Why link? Linking other's blog to yours helps in search engines as well as gives one a quick reference to their blogs of choice. Blog rolling is helpful also because you can put all your favorite blogs in your blogline and update your settings to show only updated posts in the blogs. That's nice and cuts down on wasted time revisiting someone else's blog only to find out they haven't updated it. Bummer. Us avid bloggers/blog readers can be so demanding. :-)

Everything is "self-selecting" and hopefully not guilt filled when it comes to sharing in the online blog community. Folks will comment if they want to and if they choose not to, that's their prerogative. Some online relationships come fast, and others it takes a while. In some cases, no relationship will come no matter how much you want it, and that's ok, too. It's like seeing that person you'd wish would just acknowledge your presence, and ask you to join in their circle, but they never even notice you. It's like that some times. Nothing to lose sleep over. It's called "Life".

The Whole World Can See You. Remember that your blog can be viewed by the entire world so use discretion in what you say and share. Especially personal info, job related stuff, and anything else that can be used against you in a court of law! If you want to be semi-anonymous, use an online name. Some folks only show pictures of their hair, and block their faces out, which is just fine. Employers/Job Recruiters can google you so make sure you are aware of what you say. Unfortunately there are some real mean folks out there and blogging is a very open and vulnerable venue in which a lot of "you" is shared with the masses. Just be aware and careful.

Watch out for Crazies, including yourself. Unfortunately there will be some bloggers new to the scene who visit other's blogs just to start confusion. I've seen it before and thankfully have experienced it rarely in my blogs. They probably didn't read this blog post or researched on line about how to conduct yourself as a blogger who has blog nettiquite. If you stumble upon a blog that you don't like, do yourself a favor and #1 DO NOT comment on what you don't like, and #2 NEVER visit that blog again. For the most part, the bloggers won't know how you feel, and it's best to just keep it to yourself. Don't go visiting someone's blog to "check" them. Leave them alone. There have been some ugly "cyber cat fights" on line and it's just a shame and a hot mess. If you are a rabble rouser in public, then I'm sure you're gonna start mess on line. Some folks just like drama and have no problem seeking on line. Go back and look at your blog, and if it has more of a negative, complaining, antagonistic spirit about it, you must know that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth (blog) speaks". So watch out for Crazies, including yourself.

Maryee's last piece of advice. If you really want to document your journey on line for others to see, do it! If it's with conditions that you must have "relationships"/Comments to keep you motivated in doing it, then you must check your motives. If you want comments, simply invite those who visit your blog to do so...no pressure. One of the craziest things I've done is visit someone's blog and actually comment in my head but find I'm too tired/lazy to sign on to comment. I'm super busy and zip in and zip out without commenting sometimes. I then re-visit their blogs later and could have "sworn" I commented, but I didn't cause I did it in my head and not in their blog. That always weirds me out!

Why blog? Blog because it's therapeutic for you and you want to chart your growth in all areas of your life. Blog because you are a budding writer and want to hone your craft. Blog because you are tapping into your creative juices and getting real good at technology along the way. Blog because you really want to chart your hair journey. Blog because you want to meet some "like-minded" people on line world wide and need the support and inspiration. Blog to make new friends. Blog to let friends and family see your hair growth and pictures. What ever the case, blog because you want to have fun! But remember, blogging takes work and a bit of commitment. The nicest blogs didn't get that way overnight. Those bloggers "added" a new room to their house, called a "blog". And they've been working on it to make it just right to suit their tastes and all who visit their humble abode. Oh yeah, there's also a Myspace community of Sisterlockers and on FaceBook. Let the revolution begin!!!!!!! Happy Blogging!!!

For more tips on blogging for beginners, check out this link.

DFW Sisterlocks Gathering will be Sunday 2-18-07

Greetings,

I wanted to send a quick "save the date" of the upcoming DFW Sisterlock gathering that will be held in Waco, Tx, Sunday February 18th from 2-5pm at Beatnix Coffeehouse.

Those of you who wanted to come last time prior to the weather cancellation, you can still RSVP until Tuesday February 13th. Prepayment of $17 is requested because this is a catered event. Jen and I are excited to share with everyone in a private and relaxed venue. If you'd like to attend, please email at sweetiepp03-bloggin at yahoo.com with your RSVP and plan of payment. I accept, check/mo, or you can pay me via my paypal (please add an additional $1 as paypal charges me a fee to receive money, please).

If you'd like to see videos from the last event in Dallas, please click on the link below and view almost 2 dozen videos of lovely locked ladies!! Here's my lil' Testimony:

DFW Sisterlock Gathering Testimony Videos

Jennifer Hudson and Dreamgirls

Jen and I went to see Dreamgirls shortly after it's opening in theatres and were pleasantly surprised to see such a mixed audience. We got there early enough to get midway center seats which imho are the best. The movie moved along quite well, but I think somewhere in everyone's mind was this sense of courteous patience, waiting for Jennifer to sing Jennifer Holiday's redention of And I am Telling You. I tell you it was such a trip that as soon as she finished the moment came...the entire theatre broke out in a thunderous applause. I think I even cried. Can't remember if Jen did or not, but perhaps.

I guess there's there this feeling of joy, happiness for humble circumstances, for Jennifer's fortitude and having a "never give up" attitude. It's quite inspiring. I'm happy for Jennifer and hope and pray she has a beautiful successful career. Now, my question is, did the audience you sat in during the movie applaud after she finished? I'd be surprised if they didn't. Let me know.

You wanna be dazzled, see her performing I am Changing on Youtube , The Letterman interview, and the interview with hosts of The View, before they're pulled. Congrats to Jennifer Hudson on her Golden Globe Award and I pray continued success for her future endeavors! More pictures of Jennifer can be viewed at Viewimages.com.

My two favorite songs she sings are And I Am Telling you, of course and Love You I Do. Enjoy!

DFW Waco Gathering Cancellation :-(

It's been raining, cold and thunderous here in Waco since yesterday, but it has been worse in the DFW area and getting worser. With 23 women confirmed to attend tomorrow's gathering, it is with discernment and consideration for the safety of all that we cancel and reschedule the gathering. Since over half the attendees would be traveling from the DFW area, it just isn't safe considering the severe weather alerts of freezing pellet sized rain.

A major winter storm is in the forecast for all of North Texas for the remainder of the weekend through early Monday. This has prompted the National Weather Service to issue an ice storm warning for North Texas until 6 a.m. Monday. Significant accumulations are possible with some locations receiving ?to 1? of ice. Stay tuned for further updates.

Sunday

Thunderstorms and freezing rain. Ice accumulation of one quarter to one half of an inch. Highs in the lower 30s. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

So, I'll be emailing all who RSVP'd with more details on what we need to do for rescheduling with Beatnix Coffeehouse and the caterer. I thank all who emailed me with excitement about attending the gathering. Jen and I were looking forward to showing everyone a great time! Hopefully the reschuled date will be within a couple of weeks. We are all sad that we can't get together, but I'm sure all involved understand that this is pretty much out of our control. What we can control is making the best decision to cancel and reschedule. May God bless ya until I blog again, which will be real soon!!

Maryee

Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance! I Passed the Exam!!

I guess I got something to dance about which is a late Christmas present and a New Year's surprise. I passed the Texas State Board for Educator Certification Exam for Generalist 4-8! Yippee!! Thank you to those of you who sent up a prayer for me! God bless ya real good!

Now if I can just find a job so I can complete my intern and apply for official certification. I take Pedagogy this Spring, starting next weekend. All Saturday classes!! Ugh!! Oh well, for now, it's back to the substitute teacher's grind in the morning. I'll be a PE teacher Mon-Tue, the first days back after Christmas Break. Did I mention, I'm willing to relocate???

Jen was practicing on the drums and I was getting a New Year's workout! Don't laugh too hard, now.

You're Invited to the DFW Sisterlocks Gathering

Yes, the next gathering is being hosted by Jen and me in Waco, Tx. Beatnix Coffeehouse is our regular spot a few days of the week but the day we gather, it will be for our use only, a private engagement! Click here to Map Beatnix to plan your commute. To give those who need time to travel or go to church service first, we'll begin at 2pm and end at 5pm.

The approximate cost is $17 which includes entree and sides, plus good ole' sweet tea. If you want to bring any other beverage or dessert of your choice, you are welcome to do so. The event will be custom catered by Blanek's and the menu will include chicken and seafood selections.

Since the coffeehouse will be closed for our use only I plan on having a special video presentation because they have a nice big screen TV/DVD player. Those of you who have poetry to read or a song you want to share, bring it on!! As you see in the invite flyer, they have a nice stage that we'll use for anyone interested in getting in the spotlight, mic and all! I'll be video taping intros and entertainment.

Ladies, we're gonna have fun!!! I need not remind you to bring your cameras. We were considering inviting husbands and SOs, but we'll do that perhaps on the next run! It will be just girls this time! Car-pooling is encouraged.

I know it's short notice, but I need RSVPs by Monday the 8th! If you'd like to attend, please email me at sweetiepp03-bloggin @yahoo.com. Thanks and we look forward to seeing everyone in two Sundays!

NOTE: Headcount is at 18! Please don't forget to email me your RSVP Thanks!!!!

Maryee's Shadow, Miss Tiana

I guess it may be because I don't have children that I love them so much. I'd just met Tiana Christmas day and after she had a long nap, she was spry and ready to hang out. Somehow she took to me and I found out she was mimicking everything I was doing. This two year old is quick, smart and witty! I was having so much fun with her, we had to get it captured on tape. Isn't she the cutest? Thanks Sheryl for sharing your sweet baby with me!

Jen Twirls Basketball for Ivan

Jen and I went to a nice new spot called Chopsticks III, which is Christian owned. The owners son, Ivan pulled out a basketball and Jen decided to give him a lesson. Ivan only speaks Chinese, so unless you understand Chinese, you won't understand what he's saying. He's my little buddy and I think Jen has taken to this energy filled 3yr old as well. He's so adorable and gives the biggest hugs.

Holiday Updo

Here's a few pictures from Christmas in Galveston with my God-Daughter Kalee. Her sister's friend hooked me up with a Holiday Updo. So ya'll will know whenever I get married, this is the way I'll have my hair. But I'll have more like Shirley Temple curls coming down the side instead of them looking like big waves. I'd say she did an awesome job for a last minute request.
More photos are in my Fotki Album.

Small Sisterlocks or Large Sisterlocks?

That is the question that DejaVu asked both Jen and me. Jen's response is here.
Here's our dialogue below:

Hey DejaVu,

First of all, congratulations on getting your Sisterlocks.
You will just love them!  As you have heard from many,
many folks in their blogs/albums, they are happy they did
get Sisterlocks and wish they did sooner.  I agree.  It's
funny because I wish mine were a lil' thicker than they
are, but for other reasons...I'll get into that on
my blog when I have time to update that particular topic.

Maryee

Deja Vu wrote: Thanks! I'd also be curious to know why you wish
your were thicker?  My consultant typically does a smaller
loc on her clients but I am wanting larger locs because I
will have to do my own maintenance. The fewer the locs,
the more manageable the maintenance as far as I am concerned.
My consultant did mention, however, that with the larger
locs one loses the “distinctive” Sisterlocks look. I’d be
interested in knowing what you see as the drawbacks. Thanks
again for your help.

Deja Vu 

Deja Vu,

Sorry I'm just now emailing you back. It's been busy, busy,
busy!!  I like my size, the problem arose when I went too
long between retightenings.  During that time, IMHO, the
root beds start to thin out, thus making them smaller and
weak.  I've lost more than my share of locks behind that.

But I had no control over moving back home to Waco and not
having money to get my hair reightened for almost 5 months
and taking the retightening class which I now retighten my
own hair.  The closest consultant is in the DFW area.

That's where the major damage came in.  If I continued to
get my hair retightened on schedule it wouldn't be a problem.
But, since that was/is not the case (I still have lazy days
in keeping my own retightening schedule) I have paid dearly
for it.  I like my size, I just don't like small weak root
beds.  You lose locks easily that way, IMHO.  This is no fault
of my initial installation or consultant.  It's me just being
poor and lazy.  Hope this helps.  Take care!!!!!

Maryee

Now my question to those out there in blogland who've had
locks for at least over a year:  How are your rootbeds holding up?
Lose any locks for reasons such as mine?  Are you happy with
the size of your locks?  If so/not why?  Comments please! :-)
Jen's locks in the early stage.

Here's current pics of my hair!

Visit Wiley Dog's Blog

For those of you who know me or have gotten to know me, I love a lot of things. Two in particular are writing and photography. Since I've been teaching and going to school, that has taken away a lot of my "writing" time. The photo time has suffered in the case of "editing" but never snappin' shots where ever I go.

Anywho, since we have 5 days off for the Thanksgiving break, I've been trying to do a little "catch-up" on the dozen or so blogs I have among studying and other things. I know, I really need to get into the "condensing" mode. Well, one of my blogs that's been a bit neglected is that of my Mom's dog named Wiley. According to her AKC records, the dog was born July 17, 1976. Yep, that's right. He's supposedly 30 yrs old. The only confirmation I can give is I was in my early 20s when I met the dog after he was given to my Mom by a previous client she privately sat for. That would have been, 1992 circa. He was old when she got him but she never paid any attention to his actual DOB until I questioned her about him about 2 yrs ago. The rest is history.

Well, Mom and Wiley came over for Thanksgiving yesterday and he did his usual lazing around between trips to the kitchen to see if he needed to help with cleaning the floor. I took a few pics and of course that guilted me into updating his blog for him. I created the blog to help me in my creative writing and I tell you, putting yourself in the "paws" of an old male canine is no easy feat. Feel free to ask him any questions, but be prepared for some doggone straight forward answers from this ole' yet wise Doxie. Also, keep Wiley in your prayers, cause he has congestive heart failure. Jen seems to think he's losing his hearing and eye sight, but that should be no surpise. With that being said, visit Wiley Dog's blog and show him some love. Thanks in advance for visiting.

Blessings!

Maryee
ps
3 yr Sisterlock update coming soon!!!!

Maryee's Amazon Store

Since the holidays are almost upon us, I wanted to share the link to my Amazon Store. Well, it's not that I house any of the products in the store, but I do get credit $$ when you purchase through my store.

If you are thinking of purchasing anything through Amazon, please think of me and enter through my store to do your purchases instead. Since I'm substitute teaching, over the holidays there will not be any income coming in and I'm trying to plan ahead. School has also made it hard for me to list books I usually sell on Ebay for extra income. But, I am close to my first check from Google Adsense, so that's good. I guess I consider it a nice little "stipend" for my blogging efforts. Hope you'll be able to support me. I don't plan on posting on my blog until my 3 yr anniversary, but I will always lurk when I need a break from studying or planning lessons for class. Continue to pray for a sista!

Blessings to all my online friends in blogosphere!