From New York to Mexico to Washington, DC

Well, I guess I can say that this is the summer of travel for me. It all started in May when I told my cousin Chris that I wanted to share in the celebration of her getting her bachelor's degree from Monroe College. The graduation was oddly on a Monday, June 11th, but since school was out for us, I was determined to be there. She and are are the same age and I've watched her from a far work two jobs and raise her daughter as a single mom and go to school. She's got a lot of strength and when she has her eyes on the prize, she goes and gets it! Jen decided she'd join me and what do you know, they overbooked our flight from Waco to DFW! We were given $500 in travel voucher and a nice free trip in a white stretch limo in return for giving up our seats. We had a nice relaxing time hanging out with family and just chillin' lazily around good ole' Money Earnin' Mt. Vernon, NY. We even got to check out my cousin's daughter, Jade play a few games of minor league baseball. She just turned nine in May and is a little athlete, I might say!

We spent quality time with my aunt, uncle, and my other cousins and before you knew it, it was time to go! The graduation was beautiful, even though it poured down raining afterwards. During the trip however, I spent a good amount of time chatting back and forth with Sunsail who had planned a trip to see her mother in Brooklyn and Cluizel, who just happens to be a native of Mt. Vernon, about how we could all hook up at Carol's Daughter and perhaps go out to eat in the city. Unfortunately, Sunsail and I didn't get to meet, but we had so much fun chatting and going back and forth about blogging and Sisterlocks. I think I even spoke with her after the quite interesting conversation she had with her mother and aunt. I'll be in her area this week and hope we can get together. Jen and I did get to meet Miss Cluizel and Mr. Nicolay on our last night in town. Please view the slide show.


My trip to Mexico seemed to have flown by. It's hard to believe it's over. Hopefully the pictures will express the beauty of the area I stayed as well as visited. Now all my photos from my Mexico trip aren't organized, but if time permits before school starts, I'll put together a whole video. If not, what you see is what you get. Of course I know eleven days is not enough to soak it all up and return fluent and all, but it was definitely a kick in the pants to get serious about getting my Spanish back. I shall be enrolled in night classes this fall and doing private study on my own. Photos from my fotki album are here.

Now on to Washington, DC. I accepted a position at a school in our district, G.L. Wiley to teach 7th Math. I am scared, nervous, anxious, excited, and all those feelings 1st yr teachers have, I suppose. The school was on the brinks of closure this year but the state is going to give them one more chance to get their act together. The principal was a 6th grade Math teacher and the person I am replacing was promoted to Instructional Specialist at the same school. Also, on top of that, the 8th Math teacher was moved to that school specifically to help improve TAKS test scores because of her experience and expertise. She really turns students around. I say all that to say, he (the principal) assured me I was going to get good support. The school has had several years of a black cloud hanging over it, so it will be a challenge as well as a motivation to do my job and do it well. The student population is predominately black in a cyclical low income, high crime, drop out, high drug etc. area. Even with the negative stigma that has been placed on the school, I am hopeful.

Well in the morning, a group of about 40 of those students from the school will be taking a nine day Civil Rights Heritage Tour. Most of these children would never have an opportunity such as this to leave their home town and visit places in geography and history which focus specifically on Black History. The County Commissioner, Lester Gibson, who organizes this annually, counts it a pleasure to serve this particular black community's youth by exposing them to this type of excursion.

We will depart at 6:30am in the morning en route to West Memphis, Arkansas by tomorrow evening. Friday (20th) we depart for Lenoir, Tennessee by way of Franklin. Saturday (21st) we leave Tennessee for Roanoke, VA, and by Saturday night, we should be in Landover Hills, MD. I'll be calling Sunsail cause she said if I got close, she'd try and catch up with me. We will spend the next three days from Sunday-Tuesday in the DC area with our state Senator, Chet Edwards, Capitol area tour, and a visit to Howard University. We may go to church, too, but I am not sure where. By Wednesday morning (25th), we will make our retreat back to Waco via the same route arriving back home into Waco by 5:30pm Friday July 27th.

Well as usual I have to do the dreaded packing, which I totally abhor, but since we meet at 6:30 in the morn, I guess I'll stay up til I can't stay up no more.

I'll have to attend to the requests in the Locked Hair Blog Exchange in August. I'm too tired right now. Blessings.

Catedral, Las Mananitas and Taxco

Yesterday we visited Catedral y Convento Fanciscano de la Asuncion. Thankfully we arrived just in time for pray and a few pictures before they closed for la comida.


Last night we had dinner at Las Mananitas. It was once a part of El Madrigal, so the ambiance is pretty similar. Check out the peacocks. The picture may be too dark. They really added to the occasion.

Today we will visit Taxco. Hopefully we will have lots of shade to check out the shops. It is about an hour and a half drive from Cuernavaca, where we are staying.

Photos from my Mexico trip can be found here.

Four Days left in Mexico

Thank you to everyone who has checked in me while I am away. This is a picture of my roommate Irene and me at El Madrigal, a beautiful hotel/restaurante in town. I´ll write more later when I get to the internet cafe. They give students limited time while at school. Today is my last day of school. The rest of the trip will be outings and the such! Blessings!

Oh and having Sisterlocks on this trip has been great!

Photos from my Mexico trip can be found here.

I Passed!

On my way to Mexico! I'll try and update when I find an internet cafe! Thanks for the prayers!

Retightening before My trip to Mexico

My neice took most of these photos. I think she did a great job!

PPR Exam tomorrow

Greetings blog family,

I just wanted to drop by and send a quick note and request for prayers for me. Tomorrow at 2pm, I take the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Exam at Baylor for my alternative teacher's certification program. I'm ready to take it and get it behind me. I've been busy as a bee studying and trying to catch up on various tasks since my trip to NY for my cousin's graduation, which was wonderful. I have lots to update everyone on and lots of emails off line to respond to. So, if you think of me, just send up a prayer or even think good thoughts! Those are welcomed, too! I will get the results back on line July 7th! So I'll be checking their website to find out if I passed.

The picture of me is in front of the flagship Carol's Daughter. Since I only had carry on bags for the trip, I could only purchase items under 4 oz. I ended up getting the 2 oz. sizes of the Lemongrass and Geranium Toner and Khoret Amen Hair Oil,

I wanted to get the Wash Away the Oil Gentle Face Wash but they were out. Bummer. I used some of my cousin's and it made my face feel so clean and fresh. I called Creyole while I was there and she said I could pick up what ever I didn't get here at Macy's when we road trip to Dallas again. With that I was well pleased.

**Carol's Daughter can be found at Sephora in the DFW area. Thanks Creyole!!***

Myspace "Hair Stories"

I have a myspace, but am not as active on it as Jen is. I did join a group called Natural Hair and found a nice forum with everyone's "hair stories" shared. Now you know we all have one. Most who have begun blogging have theirs somewhere hidden in their blog. Other's have it summed up in their profile. My Nappy Headed post was only the "beginning." I have to break out more pics and scan them to share the whole story. I found the myspace posts interesting to read. There's quite a bit to read, so check them out here if you like.

One of my favorite hair stories was that of Tuere ™'s. Scroll half way down the posts for her story. Isn't she and her locks just gorgeous? For those of you on myspace, drop by her page and show her some love. She's really down to earth and her voice is silky!

My girl Imani (California Consultant) started at group called Sisters In Locks. Check out her group and meet some new locked sisters. It's a fairly new group that could use a few new members.

Now, what's your hair story? Post it in your blog and comment here to let me know where it is in your blog (date) so it can be read by others . If you haven't shared your hair story, go on and do it today!! I've read lots and love hearing everyone tell their own unique story. It reassures me that I wasn't the only one to have hair care drama for decades. (LOL)

Nappy Headed...and the Gender Crisis

I have a Fotki Photo Album and believe it or not, there's a whole nother world of naturals in that community that rarely mix with the world of bloggers. I enjoy checking in on my fotki friends and we leave comments in each other's albums just like the blogger family.

One Fotki friend in particular, TrifleMC posted a question that I saw, but didn't recognize as a deliberate question to who ever wanted to respond. I decided with all this "Nappy Headed" talk going on, I'd respond to him via my blog.

His photo post is in reference to his birthmark being something that drew negative attention to him in his youth because of ridicule by those who found him to look "different". His post and question is Here.

The question he asked was...

So tell me...What is yours from birth, only cherished now?
Here's my response:

Well, I guess it is my hair, mostly for starters. My mom didn't take care of my hair when I was a child. I was the last (baby girl) and I guess she just ran out of steam or was so depressed from having the four of us (two boys and two girls) within a 4 1/2 yrs time span. She just let go of her responsibilities and was a bit overwhelmed, IMO. I have pics where all you see is the cute little "nappy headed" boy with a big ole' smile all the time. It was me, not a boy. An older white gentleman walked up to me when we were heading into the grocery store and said to my mom, "You have the cutest little boy!" I said, at a tender age of 4 or 5, "I'm not a little boy, I'm a girl!!!!" I never forgot that. I didn't take notice that I could be perceived as a different gender until someone made me aware of it.

Now don't get me wrong, who at a young age in the mid 70's would really look forward to sitting in a hot kitchen for a couple of hours, stove burning, hair sizzling over the open fire and an occasional "Psttt!! You burned me!!" before getting popped on the shoulder and scolded with "Be still" or "You moved!"? It's enough to make a young black girl do some self loathing.

There's no mistaking, I didn't have the most manageable hair. But, it seems to me that after I had this uninvited gender crisis, I was on a mission to never be called out of my gender. I was a girl! I knew what boys looked like and what made boys boys and I knew I was a girl. I demanded to get my ears pierced and I wanted big loopy earrings, like to ladies with the big afros on Soul Train wore when they did the Soul Train Line. So mom numbed my ears with some wooden cloths pins and some ice cubes and in went the sewing needle burned at the end. It was pain I was willing to endure. I picked my own matching wooden stubs off the broom for my "temporary" ear rings. Looking back on it, boy was my Mom country. But it was all worth it, so I thought. I wanted to never be confused with a smelly little boy.

My saving grace was I was a "girly" girl. I loved the colors pink and purple, Tuesday Taylor Barbie dolls and doing "girl" stuff. So then I decided that I'd endure the pain of getting burnt on the ear or sitting for a few hours in the hot kitchen hearing my own hair sizzling on the stove top that it was like my secured rights of passage to remain a girl! I then demanding to get my hair pressed, curled, corn-rolled (although it wasn't long enough for cornrolls), twigged (it was long enough for that). I remember harassing my Mom aggressively right before we took school pictures (see slideshow). That was really important to me. By the time I was nine I'd entered the world of the Jheri Curl.

Now the pain went from a sizzling hot comb to a cool bizarre smelling cream that now sizzled my scalp and yes, still my ears! "When will the pain end?" I thought. Let's not talk about the "drip drip" stay so soft spray and plastic bag and all that that went with having a processed curl. It's funny because looking back, the goal at hand was to have my hair grow. And with a curl, it did, which took some of the pressure off.

But it still didn't keep Whitman Mayo, AKA Grady (see slideshow) from calling me a boy while he gave a fundraiser speech for Sickle Cell Anemia Association in town in 1981. I was invited to the dinner and was representing the YWCA youth group. He was giving the speech and was making a point about children. I must have been the only child there, and he kept saying "Hey boy! I'm talking to you!" I knew he was talking to me. The lady I was with along with everyone else knew he was talking to me. I tried to ignore him cause I kept telling myself I wasn't no boy! Finally someone closer to him said, "That's not a little boy, sir. That's a little girl." He apologized on the mic and was deeply embarrassed. Afterwards, he made sure he called me up to apologize. That's why there's a picture (see slideshow). You could see the hurt in his eyes, even in the picture. He kept saying he'd give me whatever I wanted and how he just didn't know. He kept saying how sorry he was. I guess by that time, I was already used to it. So, I brushed it off, and climbed on his knee and took a picture with him. Years had gone by but I never forgot. About the time of me getting my Sisterlocks, I thought I'd catch up with him, and send him a picture of us back then, and a current picture of me, but it was too late. He'd already passed away in 2001.

So, without going into an extensive "my hair story", with getting Sisterlocks almost 3 1/2 years ago, I'm learning to cherish the nappy natural hair God gave me. It's been a journey of almost 30+ years of trying to get free. I'm a lot better off than where I started. I just wish the consciousness and opportunity to proudly wear our hair in it's natural state was universally accepted years ago. And we now know there's still this stigma about having "Nappy Headed" hair.

Happy Easter and a few updates!

I have two more 8 hr Saturday classes and I'm done with school. So the next two weeks I'll be finishing up getting my portfolio for 20% of my final grade, preparing for the PPR final and TeXeS Exam in June. So with that being said, I'm a lil' behind in updating my blog and getting back to folks off line with "honey-dos". Can't right now. I'm also teaching in another long term assignment (7th Math) til May 1st or so and it's TAKS time so that in itself is quite stressful.

When I take a break I 'll lurk blogs and comment from time to time, but that's about it. It did snow yesterday here in Central Texas and I can only assume the weather may have been unusual in many parts of the nation. I did capture a lil bit for your viewing pleasure. Now remember, we live out in the country. So don't mind the roosters crowing!! Until I update my blog again, here's the Easter Remix.

Maryee

It rained today! Video added

And I was like...BRING IT ON!!!!!! Jen and I went to the store to get some water, juice and stuff and I heard this chic who had long freshly done either press and curl or perm and curled hair going on to another sistah about how she was not trying to go outside and get her hair wet (cause she just got her hair done)! I know it was none of my business, but Jen had headed on down the water aisle and I couldn't help but to "interject" my sentiments about the rain! I turned around to the young lady and said, "I love the rain and my hair loves to get wet!" OK, I know that was down right uncalled for, but I guess I couldn't help it! I went on to say (as if I didn't already say enough) while pointing at her hair, "I don't miss that!" Now ya'll know by this time she was looking at me like, "Lady if you and yo nappy hair don't get away from me!" I flung my hair around and got out of their business. But, I just had to reiterate that it rained today and I love my hair!!!!!!

Dr. Cornwell Meet & Greet

I finally met the lady who started it all in Dallas on 3-24-07. Gigi organized the event.
The rest of the photos are here. Don't forget to check out the special treat below. Click on the video link to hear Miss Praline sing a cappella for the ladies.

11 yr old Praline Singing Long Time Coming -Sam Cooke

Runaway Love- Ludacris featuring Mary J. Blige

I heard this song in Walmart two nights ago and thought to myself, "interesting lyrics". My aunt mentioned it to me tonight and we pulled it up on youtube to check out the video. Many blessings to Ludacris and Mary J. Blige for putting this anthem project out. Here's an outlet for young girls to now speak out and speak up. Permission to tell the truth. Let the cleansing begin.

39 Months compared to 14 Months

Jen took this picture of me today after I shampooed my hair. It's hard to believe that that is MY hair. It has never ever been this long in all my life. Here's another collage.

Here's my hair at 14 months. I thought I was too cute when I took pictures on this sunny day in Brea, California. You can see more of the color in the pictures.

Not sure yet if I will recolor my hair again. I have only colored my hair once, which was two days before getting my Sisterlocks. I love my Sisterlocks!!!!