The Sammich's Baptism

Today marks The Sammich's entry into the faith. Today also denotes the end of the Easter season.

As my child accomplishes this milestone, I am reminded of the biblical story behind Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples and literally breathes fire into them to spread the Gospel throughout the known world.

I too need to be reminded not to fear and live with a spirit that isn't afraid so that my children, particularly Sammich, can see and lead despite unexpected turns in life.

In any case, peace be with you baby boy.

The Lenten Challenge

If you haven't read it before, we are Catholic.

Devout.

Every Sunday, holy day, devout. We haven't gotten into weekly prayer service/Rosary but oh that is coming soon.

Anyhoo...Every year we promise to withhold something to remind us that we should seek a closer relationship with God. That plan hasn't worked in years past. Past endeavors included cussing and red meat...again I got pregnant (2009), nursing (2010), or was pregnant again (this past year).

This year, I came up with a wild idea...A TRUE interpretation of Lent - 40 days of fasting. We have come up with rules:

1. No meat except the minis.
2. No complaints
3. Seek God

Each day, I will update you on recipes, the progress of it and how we are holding up.

Wish us luck

Black History and Economic Empowerment

It can be said that it takes buy in from a community in order for that community to improve. I honestly believe that to be true. But my theory doesn't hold water when it is generic applied to the African American community. Because there is no common experience - not all AA's live in inner cities or are in jail or have babies out of wedlock.

There are the successful and the unsuccessful. Ambitious and unambitious. In any case while segregation in its purest form may no longer exist, economic segregation does. Not does it exist but it is legal too. In the 1970's, the US Supreme Court ruled that economic segregation is not unconstitutional thereby allowing disparity between affluent districts and those who don't have a reliable tax base.

How does this fact pertain to race? Typically, minorities be it African American or Latin American immigrants typically live in those less affluent districts. Here in the DC metro, schools are judged to relative geography: Arlington, Fairfax, and Montgomery county schools are good; Prince William and Prince George counties are passable; District schools get the worse reputation. Most residents live in these counties but the quality of education you may receive is spotty at best as you extend out and farther from DC with the exception of DC schools themselves. Within these areas lies even more social strata - the Georgetown students get more with Anacostia may not.

Where do we go from here? I don't know and I don't believe teaching to the test works either. Or holding a teacher accountable for a child that lets face may NOT want to learn . It starts at home with parents who engage. Who fight with their children and for their children.

At home. It starts with you.

It's Black History Month...

Yeah

Not since my triumph in 2009, have I chosen to set my focus back on the achievements of the African Amerrican community.

This go round, I wanted to focus not on historical facts and tidbits bits but grander concepts that affect Everyone regardless of color. Whether it is person economic growth, educational opportunities, colorist, or faith - we all deal with barriers.

Join for this journey...

exercise

After reading for years about running, I have made the jump. I decided that post partum isn't a state I liked to live in and in the year of 30 which I am dubbing 2012-2013, I choose not to be held down by depression.

With that said, I decided to hit the Couch to 5K plan.  I started in October 2011 and I only made one Saturday training session when I found out that I had an ingrown.  I know I know - that should not stop you from trying but when your center is off balance, you don’t want to do anything other than sit down.  

I have decided to get back up again and go for it.  



Granted, it doesn’t seem like much but for someone who has stopped walking, training and every other thing - THIS is a big deal.


***I blame Jen on the Edge for this...her bike bubbles, her running, and just good attitude makes me think that I need to be more active.  Plus I saw Crazy Stupid Love and honestly at the age of 30, I should be a hot piece and trust I’m going to be.  The Hot Piece philosophy I’m blaming on Creole in DC who suggest we be more vain because as women, we take care of ourselves last.    

Simplification of life

I really don’t know where to start.  Life gets hectic.  Life gets complicated.  Life has layers.  Much like life relationships have a cycle.  Relationships are strained.  Relationships end.  I find myself caught up in the mire of life - I should be going out, I should be doing this, I should be....

It gets real hard, real fast.

So I started slowly.

I started scheduling times to go to Mass and Penance Services to get my spiritual house in order.  

Baby steps.

I scoured my basement and threw out every piece of clothing or pair of shoes I have not worn in three years.  Then I started in on crap that I have not used in at least three to four years.  The rest went to the trash or Goodwill.

Getting there.

I created a zone for the Ladybug and Stinkbug to play and a chair for me to sit with my book and an iced tea and rest.  I plan on making this zone pretty this year with a fresh coat of paint, some bookshelves, a desk, a tv stand, a tv and a dvd player for the kids.
Seeing progress.

It is going to take a lifetime to get a simplified version of me and that’s okay but I’m getting there.  I’m working to make me better, like me, love myself so I can be a good mom and wife.  

Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A great novel set in the future. Offred is a Handmaid or the lowest rung in the female caste system. Her only job, procreate and hand her child over to her wife for proper child rearing. The novel tackles great issues such as terrorism and cultural politics on several levels -against the state and against gender.

I find the novel haunting on several levels particularly the relationship and treatment of women that gave me the pause. Women judged by their previous actions created a great riff: the pious are wives; the women who were promiscuous were handmaids; and the submissive women were domestics. Atwell describes a society in which requires promiscuous women to have relations with sterile men and then hand over the kid, if there was a kid. Promiscuous women are the property of men - even their names denote ownership.

One thing that invited questions was the act of conception, this new pious land degrades the sanctity of marriage without intimacy and with a factual sterility that implies process not a sign of faith in love. The society who sets out to be pious becomes fanatical imposing its will upon its people.



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