Father's Love Letter

From the first time I stumbled upon this love letter almost 8 years ago, I've been touched and just overwhelmed with the pureness of the love I'm receiving...I pulled it up this morning for quiet time and thought I'd share...

Selah

sad day...

Well I knew it was coming and now its here. I just kissed my hunny goodbye! On a positive note, because of the holidays (thanksgiving) and the University's schedule, I get almost 2 weeks off beginning next week Thursday so I will be flying home for an almost 2 week stay...


but on the other hand the reality that we are now officially a long distance couple AGAIN sucks. like big time. I know its only for a season but I really hope this season doesn't last as long as he's proposing it may. I'll take it semester by semester I guess. and when that gets too hard, I'll have to go week to week....then day by day. I'll be fine.


Overall, I'm truly blessed because tickets are very reasonable (as low as $320 round trip) so with some good planning its not really expensive to come and go..but what about the days and nights in between those rendezvous?


The day is still young and I haven't shed a tear yet and I'm hoping I don't breakdown, I just want to bask in the glow of this month and the fact that he was here being supportive and adding to my reservoir of strength for such a huge move.


Remember me cause I don't know how strong this superwoman is when it comes to being separated from her husband but I'm sure gonna give it a try.


Here we are from our outing Sat night...

smooches!

Hair Porn....

so hair like this makes me drool...

Afro City...picture was first seen on NewlyNatural...

how many more months until my hair can look like that!!!!!!!!!

goal #1: first chic's hair (l-r). I'm thinking, my fro shown above which was taken today can get to that proportion by my birthday (april)...

what you think????

smooches!

a powerful reminder

There is nothing you will ever do that will make God love you more than He does right now.
There is nothing that you will ever do that will make God love you less than He does right now.

God’s love is unconditional. It's not based on what you do or don't do.

taken from Purpose Driven Connection

There are certain truths that I like to be reminded of every now and again...keeps me grounded and renews some sense of purpose and even passion to my life---even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.

The Father's Love.... is one of those truths...for me to fully grasp the extent....

SIMPLY.WOW!

selah

Itchy Scalp?

What's more annoying right????

My scalp is flaking! ugh. From since I cut my hair in Jan, I haven't had to worry about dry scalp because of the increase in washing and all the oils/products I would put on my hair...however, the air here is much dryer than my beloved humid air of the islands and in under a month, I've got a new issue to address...


Background: Before educating myself on all things hair- I lived by grease because I've always struggled with dry scalp, however, it was usually manageable only really flaring up after a relaxer so I haven't really had to deal with finding a substitute since leaving the creamy crack . I used a light "grease" by KeraCare that made my scalp tingle (loved it) but after using all, I never re-ordered because of the mineral oil...

now my dilemma is even intensified because even after doing research and finding an alternative product (which I haven't done yet), I have 1. no transportation to hunt it down and 2. I require international shipping which is usually in excess of $10 added to a bill, so if I purchased something more natural online, I'll probably be spending an arm and a leg! I'm thinking I'll start with accessible oils...maybe something like coconut oil that usually worked well with my hair (not too heavy) and apply to my scalp a couple times per week...

any suggestions?

Welcome to the family!

Two cool additions to the Jones' life:

my new 'neighbor'....this little thing just sat and made noises and stared at me as if I was in his 'space'. :)

from my wish list: my beloved stationary bike...although this is more of an elliptical than bike. i snagged it on clearance for $130 (orig: $370). I haven't consistently been on it though...between the walking to/from school and just being plain ole tired (and sick), my energy level has been really low.

and because I'm vain...here I am trying out a wrap...I have it thicker and more 'ethnic' looking..at least that's what I thought. I'm sure if I was home, I would have had more than one reference to being someone's African Queen...

we did go shopping on Thursday and I managed to snag myself a couple blouses and jeans on clearance at Old Navy, a pair of sneakers and 2 other comfy shoes and a couple scarves (even one for my head!)

of course, no shopping event is complete without finding something else to purchase (at the next designated time)...so here's what's new to my wish list..

I'm not sure how I'm gonna pull this one off...its $45 in the States...however in Canada its $75. Now you feel my pain! I walked through the mall and literally only came home with those 7 items mentioned above. Totally unlike me.
smooches!

getting in gear...

So today marks exactly a week since classes began... and although life has gotten better, its still fairly quick paced and sometimes I'm just all over the place which does nothing to help my sense of getting 'settled'. i.e. randomly encountering headaches throughout the past couple days. I seriously do need to find some relaxation techniques...short and easy so that I don't have to take too much time from reading to do it! any thoughts?

My first unofficial assignment (not class related)... is a scholarship application that's due next Wed. As with most applications, this one requires quite a bit of stuff, including describing a research study proposal that I plan to conduct in the 2010-2011 school year in a concise essay format. Easy right? WRONG. Prior to this week, I have not given much thought to personal research mainly because I wanted to get reaquainted with the principles of research and statistics first. oh well. This is definitely one of those times where my calendar is certainly clashing with the real world's....

Wednesdays at 7pm also marks the beginning of my not-fun-because-i'm-not-allowed-a-social-life long weekend. I don't have class again until Tuesday. Although I'm sure most Wednesday's I'll be in a vegetative state after sitting through classes from 9am - 7pm with only 2.5 hrs break in between. Today in actuality, wasn't that bad and I actualy had a half hour meeting that took away from my 'break'.

The rest of my battles...I've laid to rest. I've gotten over the fact that we don't have a license -insurance-car and won't have any of those elements in place before Friday morning when we turn in the very expensive rental car. So I'll get my heart pumping and blood flowing with a nice brisk walk to and from campus (and anywhere else I need to go). I even had my first test-run on Tuesday. I clocked it in exactly 25mins, however my pace wasn't consistent considering half way through because I started to break a sweat (and that's not cute) and my ankles started hurting (which they normally do when I wear flip flops and do a lot of walking). I anticipate the side effects of walking will be greater since I didn't have any books on my shoulder during this walk...based on classes thus far, I need anywhere from 2 books per class session! So my number one priority right now is to secure myself some good walking shoes...comfort being key. I don't care if they are bright yellow but they need to support me as I walk and not give me blisters etc.

how about these?

NOT.

tommorrow we'll go shopping just because its my last opportunity for a little while and I'll stock up on groceries and hopefully find a pair of sneakers. Of course, since it seems Fall temps are creeping in, I will have to throw in at least one cute scarf and maybe a sweater...

Overall, I really am feeling more positive and mentally in gear to handle this semester now that I know all that is expected from me! Well....I'm out-hopefully I'll get a neck rub from the hubby while I eat dinner.

smooches!

Just a thought....

I'm trying to be grateful and patient in this time of change and adjustment...I passed this plaque everyday since I moved here and never seen it 'till this morning. This will be my Saturday meditation as I stop and realize that I am living a blessed life!

smooches!

Tag You're It!

Tag, You're It!

I was recently tagged by a fellow blogger Shaz, who is as awesome in real life as she is in this "internet world"! ;)

The rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. List six things that make you happy.
3. Tag six bloggers and let them know they're "it".

6 things that make me happy:

1. Knowing that there's more to life than what I see (i.e. my eternity is secured)
2. My husband- just today on one of the crappiest days I've had in a long time, he was just the sweetest, sensitive friend a girl could ask for
3. My support system (including: blood relatives, church family, friends) I'm blessed!
4. Fulfilling/Living out my dreams
5. Traveling and seeing new things/experiencing new cultures
6. Ice cream
   
   (Never did this 'tagging' thing but here is a list of 6 blogs....)
   
   Agrlcanmac
   The Buckeye Bride
   Couture Engagements
   Siditty Mom
   Newly Natural
   Natural Hair Natural Products
   
   
   

I wanna scream!

Life is still helter-skelter in this part of town. The nice thing is the stress isn't school-work related but just getting acquainted to the various aspects of being a graduate student on this campus which just means that once this phase is past, the 'stress' should go to normal. But right now, there are/were orientations and meetings for everything and it seriously has my head swinging.

I know myself and I realize the problem doesn't lie solely in the demands of this week (which will probably flow into next week) but the fact that I don't have enough time and/or energy to adequately organize myself; because in the midst of all the meetings and orientations I'm participating in- are the readings and assignments for class next week that I need to be working on!

And if that isn't enough...I am caught in the midst of a strike! the workers who hold the power to issue/renew drivers' license for drivers in Ontario are on strike. I will never underestimate anyone's role ever again. This little problem has created a huge dilemma for me....We've found a couple reasonable car options which we put offers for and then realize that we need insurance (duh). Then we call the insurance companies and realize we need an Ontario license in order to be insured no. other.options. And no one...and I mean no one has any clue as to when this strike/unrest will be resolved. the last strike occurring in this little city went on to more than 6 weeks...

Where does this leave us? well we are currently in a rental which we just found out will cost us in excess of $500 for this one week and so we can't extend for the next week as we planned because 2 weeks in a rental (a basic Chevy cobalt-v4 engine-no power nothing) will be more than $1k. you've got to be kidding right? nope. dead serious.

The bus doesn't run across my street so I've got to get real acquainted with walking. NOW. the worst part is that I still have to go to school daily for the next week for these same meetings and stuff because normally- I only have to be on campus 3 times a week. I'm more than frustrated now. like seriously...walking is a good 15-20mins and my books are ridiculously heavy. Did I mention I have 2-3 books for each class????????

Can someone please pay those wonderful workers at the driving center so they can process my application, give me an appointment and let me be on my way...After having to wait on them to get back to work- I don't even have the energy to complain about how this silly system is set up and the possibility that I will have to not only take a driving test (yup..think 16years old again) but I will also possibly only be eligible for a provisional drivers license which comes with its own set of limitations.

I need a padded room about 5 x 5 which I can just pummel into the walls and scream without disturbing anyone.

In my state of discouragement, I'm seriously trying to be hopeful...which ended just now when I got off the phone from the insurance company with a tentative quote of $2500.00 for car insurance. I didn't even pay that much when I was a first time driver in my teens with my first car.

I seriously just need to bang my head....

I'm out.

Kinky Curly Curling Custard

I decided to try the Kinky Curly Curling Custard (KCCC) that the lovely Kendra sent me a sample of and I love it! Its light and creamy in consistency- nothing to thick and grease-like. The smell was refreshing and not to sweet or overpowering.

I used it after a fresh wash on Thursday morning with the leave-in Knot Today that I owned and had never used and now 3 days later my hair still has great definition and even some sheen! The only down side was my hair was a bit more crunchier than I typically like but I'm sure I can remedy that. I also *should* have spritzed it the 3rd morning because its feeling kinda dry especially in the back which may be a result of me not sleeping with a satin cap and on a cotton pillow that night when we were travelling and I couldn't find my stuff.

Anyhoo, Sunday is wash and deep conditioning (DC ) day because I'm gonna be putting in my twists for this first week of school. I still have to figure out this hair care thing as it relates to the fall and winter temperatures....but I've got a number of awesome natural bloggers who probaby will be dropping tips over the next couple weeks!

I don't have any pictures because those that I did take don't really show anything, however, my 'ruler' was my husband who noted that this was the 'curliest' he has ever seen my hair!

Its definitely a product I will be purchasing for myself. I'm thinking there's no real need to purchase it now considering the temps already began dropping thus wash 'n'go may not be the wisest option as fall approaches.

smooches!

guess who's back???

picture: Ambassador Bridge which links USA (Detroit) to Canada (Windsor).

ok...so I'm here in Canada with hubster and we are safe and sound.

Yesterday was ROUGH. I just wanted to pack up and turn around and head home. I'm not sure what happened but the denial phase was over and the reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks...I fought through. literally fought back tears (hidden from hubby) and just practiced with breathing exercises to try and remain calm and collect.

Today was a much better day and although I'm still feeling "lost" at least I don't feel like I don't belong here. All of my planning paid off and we are up and fully running. No problems with getting anything (utilities) set up and I even have my first bill!


btw: what kinda place is this where I have moved...I had to pull out a sweater today. in September...are you kidding me? LOL. yea I know...its only gonna get worse from here!

smooches!

The Big Move

that's me and the hubs...except our bags are much bigger....I'll update again when I arrive in Canada!!!!!

smooches!

Throwback Tuesdays

my mother and I circa 1983

so I went wayyyyyyyyy back. :)

I've been M.I.A. partly because my computer was being upgraded (insert Beyonce's "Let me upgrade you" here) and then when I got it back, I've been crazy distracted just trying to get ready for school.

As I was putting my files back on the hard drive I stumbled over this pic and couldn't stop smiling. If only a Smurfs lunch tin and a uniform was all I needed to be 'ready' for this stage of my academic career!

On a great note: I got an awesome financial gift from a church that I volunteered counseling services to; the check was the exact amount of the cost of books for this semester....PRAISE GOD!

so my books are purchased and I'm feeling more and more loose ends have been tied.

We've got 3 full bags packed- to capacity- and I'm beginning laundry of the last bit of clothes.

The vehicle is fully cleaned/detailed and although there will be a delay in sale (my parents need to use it while their car gets repaired)- I'm feeling better about getting the full amount for it because now there's time to fix a minor problem on it.

So that's me - ready for school... no lunch tin but an awesome leather bag with my name engraved on it. A very cool and unexpected gift from my coworkers.

not quite but very similar to this in two shades of brown:

smooches!