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Lunch Ladies

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:19:49 GMT

Blessed are the women who watch over America's children!

The environment of a school cafeteria, especially in elementary and middle school, can be one of isolation. Unpopular kids often eat alone, and those with a lack of funds don't eat at all. Lunch Ladies make all the difference.

Thank God my oldest two were never shunned at school, and the youngest one didn't care if you liked her or not. As for funds, we were fortunate in that regard as well, but it didn't really matter because I loved making homemade lunches. Something about it felt right.

Lunch Ladies feel that, too. Unfortunately, they are stuck in a system of politics and dogma, so they do the best they can with what they have. They dole out food with warm smiles and "hey baby!" along with extra portions for those who might not have had breakfast

My favorite aunt was a Lunch Lady: Ida "Cookie" Minor. My mother's sister and confidante. Man, could they cut up together! The shrieks and laughs and "remember that time.." were always generous and ever- flowing.

My Aunt Cookie shined in the kitchen, and her food was made with love. Like every much-needed cafeteria mom, she served with a light-hearted gladness, and she was always a warm place to land.

Every year when we traveled back to Virginia with my parents, I loved when she got off work, and I could get a glimpse of her. I say “a glimpse” because this was back in the "kids were seen and not heard" era. The last time I saw my aunt was in the summer of '96. I traveled with my husband and my three children–the same way my parents had done with me and my sisters over and over again.

It was an intentional road trip. My sister, Yvette, fried some chicken (just the way my mom used to do), and I tried really hard to find some Wonder Bread…to no avail. It took every bit of three days, no hotel stays, and an automobile issue.

.I couldn't wait for my kids to meet Aunt Cookie. It was exactly as I wanted it to be. By this time, her mobility was impaired by MS, but she still had that Lunch Lady smile, the warmth, and so much love.

Transportation is of no charge to students. School books either. So why are we charging them for school lunches? The stigma of the haves and the have-nots often starts as early as kindergarten. And that is where women like my Aunt Cookie come in. I love these unsung heroes.

My aunt passed away in 2000. In the end, it was cancer and not MS that took her away from her family. Thank God for the lives she touched. At home and in the cafeteria.

Trips, trips and trippin'!

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 03:26:02 GMT

Traveling is my super power!

My first passport picture is of me sitting on my mom’s lap at the age of 17 months. I am surrounded by 3 of my 5 sisters. The youngest two weren't born yet. We traveled to Japan where my mother said I first started to mimic the behavior of others. She said as a toddler, I would sit cross legged and chant the same way I saw many of the Buddhist population do. To this day, my "voice mimicry" game is strong. We ended up living in Okinawa Japan for several years.

Traveling with my parents was my norm and as an adult I began to travel on my own after I enlisted in the United States Army. I love traveling! It isn't about the actual mode of transportation or where I am traveling to. Whether it is another country or a car ride to another city, for me it is all about the opportunity. People watching, new food delicacies, the history surrounding the location and the new relationships formed.

Speaking of which. Once upon a time, I traveled to Chicago to celebrate my son's basic training graduation. I met a woman whose son was also graduating. We became fast friends and hung out the entire weekend. We bar hopped, hung out in each other's rooms and it didn't end when the trip did. One day she called me and told me she was going to be in Vegas on a business trip and wanted me to meet her there. We picked up right where we left off. Several years later, her son called to tell me she had passed away. I mourned the loss.

In November, upon returning home from my last trip of 2025 - it was the 28th, to be exact......I didn't want to get out of the bed. I actually laid in bed the entire first week of December and convinced myself that I just needed to rest. But then it was two weeks and quickly spiraling into 3. I binge watched shows, talked myself out of going to the gym and had hasty phone conversations and minimal business chats.

I initially talked myself into "feeling" better because I was hosting my daughter and one of her Howard college besties and I take hosting extremely seriously. There were bedrooms to spruce up, furniture to dust, a much-needed store run and dishes to prepare. By the time they arrived on the 26th, I was ready but I made a mental note to revisit what might have prompted the doldrums.

My first trip in 2025 was to New York. It was February. It was cold, snowing, expensive, fun, fun and more fun. In April my husband and I attended a professional tennis tournament in Charleston where we splurged on the best seats in the house. Two weeks later, we were in Maryland for my grandmother’s 103rd birthday. In May I went home (the central valley of California) for a friend's 50th wedding Anniversary and then returned to California (Los Angeles) for a business trip, three weeks later. A day after I returned from L.A., we drove to Florida to relax at a resort for a week. It was much needed. August was a short trip to Greensboro for a three-day business conference. I came home really jazzed up about the potential of earning more money based on a new pay structure. I found myself back home in California to help celebrate my Mama's 88th birthday in September. I was there for two weeks and truly, there is no place like home. In November I had two back-to-back trips that had no wiggle room in between. My flight from Dallas landed at almost midnight on the 22nd and on the 24th at 6 am, we were driving to Florida for a thanksgiving trip to Sea World with my girls and grands. ten trips in ten months.

I was tired. I just didn't know it. I didn't feel it. Until I did. I am looking forward to my 2026 travel plans however COMMA it is my intention to be much more strategic about where I go and when. Back-to-back trips aren't reasonable and maybe I don't need to do all of the cooking when I go on the road. What about a massage in a new location or trying out a local spa in a new city? Traveling doesn't have to equal exhaustion.

I will be out of the country this year and it is my goal to create more memories, make new acquaintances, eat extraordinary dishes and explore new places. Stay tuned!

One wish

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 02:16:06 GMT

Bliss

I don’t want to reach old age and become a weight others are forced to carry.

I don’t want my children to feel responsible for me out of obligation, nor do I want my grandchildren to see me as someone they quietly endure.

That’s why, while I still have strength and clarity, I’m learning to take care of myself — to lean on others only when there is truly no other choice.

I refuse to enter later life carrying resentment, disappointment, or demands disguised as affection.

I want to grow old with dignity: with peace in my chest, with a conscience free of heaviness, and with the comfort of knowing that I lived according to what I believed was right.

And when my hands shake and my steps slow, I hope that being around me feels like a choice — not a duty.

If someone helps me then, I want it to be because they care, not because they feel they must.

So I prepare now… because I don’t want to be a burden. I want to be a presence that brings calm, and a memory that softens hearts even long after I’m gone.”

Prepare for your future by doing what you can to help yourself later, get up, get out, move around, walk if you can, get involved with others, live while we’re living. We only go around once grab hold of your gusto

Man In The Mirror

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 18:33:01 GMT

A Daily Exercise........

It has been years since this iconic song was unleashed. January 1988 to be exact. And although we all probably sang along and nodded our heads', I doubt that many of us used it as a self-reflective tool.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I was led to do just that. Self development is a heckuva a journey. It can be transforming if you take it seriously. I learned how powerful it is to talk to your "mirror" image in a positive way and say exactly what you WILL and WON'T do....each and every day. It has made a huge influence on my impact with others.

Check out the lyrics and try the exercise. Cheers to your success!

I'm gonna make a change
For once in my life
It's gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference, gonna make it right

As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat
This wind is blowin' my mind
I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat
Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their needs?

A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top
And a one man's soul
They follow each other on the wind, ya know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change

Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na-na
Uh-huh

I've been a victim of a selfish kinda love
It's time that I realize
There are some with no home, not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me pretending that they're not alone?

A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart
And a washed-out dream (a washed-out dream)
They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see
'Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me

I'm starting with the man in the mirror (who?)
I'm asking him to change his ways (who?)
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change

I'm starting with the man in the mirror (oh, yeah)
I'm asking him to change his ways (oh, you better change)
No message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make the change

You gotta get it right while you got the time
'Cause when you close your heart (you can't)
Then you close your (your) mind (that man, that man)

With the man in the mirror, oh, yeah (that man, that man)
I'm asking him to change his ways (that man, that man, that man)
Oh, you better change (you know, that man)
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that change

Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na-na
(Ooh) gonna feel real good, yeah (oh, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (na-na-na), yeah, yeah (na-na-na, na-na-na-na)
Oh-oh, oh, no

I'm gonna make a change
It's gonna feel real good, shamone (change)
Just lift yourself, you know
You've got to start with yourself (yeah)

I gotta make that change today
(Man in the mirror) you've got to
You got to start with yourself, brother
(Yeah) you know

I've got to be that man, that man
(Man in the mirror) you've got to
You got to move, shamone, shamone
You got to stand up (yeah), stand up (make that change), stand up
Stand up and lift yourself now (man in the mirror)

Go make that change, shamone (man in the mirror)
You know it, you know it, you know it, you know (change)
Make that change

Let Them

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 17:07:00 GMT

Are you controlling?

Anybody else out there trying to control every situation that confronts them? Every annoying habit of a spouse? Every dog-gone thing that you THINK needs to be handled another way? Oh, so I am the only one?!

Mel Robbins book "The Let Them Theory" is absolutely all the rave and for good reason! It's life changing! I was gifted the book and the message is simple yet profound. Below you will find a synopsis and I hope you will do yourself a favor. Read it.

The core premise of " Mel Robbins's "The Let Them Theory" is that we can reclaim our power and happiness by releasing our desire to control others and instead focusing on our own actions, reactions, and choices. The book advocates for the "Let Them" mindset, where we stop striving to change or control others and allow them to be who they are. By letting go of this need to control, we can free ourselves from the frustration and stress that comes with trying to manage the uncontrollable.

Here's a more detailed breakdown of the premise:

Releasing Control:
The book emphasizes that we often waste energy and emotional resources trying to control others, their actions, and their opinions. Robbins argues that this is a futile effort and that focusing on our own control is a more productive approach.
Focus on "Let Me":
Once we embrace the "Let Them" principle, we can redirect our energy towards focusing on what we can control, which is our own responses, boundaries, and choices.
Benefits of the "Let Them" Mindset:
By letting go of control, we can experience greater peace, reduced stress, and improved relationships. The book also highlights the benefits of authenticity and vulnerability, encouraging readers to be their true selves and embrace their own unique path.
Examples and Applications:
The book provides numerous real-life examples and case studies to illustrate how the "Let Them" theory can be applied in various aspects of life, including work, relationships, and personal goals.
Scientifically Grounded:
Robbins draws on principles of neuroscience, psychology, and other relevant fields to support the ideas and techniques presented in the book.

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 22:13:23 GMT

If I knew then, what I know now.......

One of my favorite things to engage in is research. I find the how, why, when, who, and what extremely intriguing. I can sit and watch documentaries for hours on every subject, from wide receivers to why social media is so addictive. To me, there is nothing more fascinating than human behavior.

Ironically enough, this picture of me and my paternal grandparents was taken one month shy of my 11th birthday. Today, as I write this short blog, I am three months into my 65th year. Where did the time go? However, if we've ever interacted, you know age is truly just a number.

At some point, I believe every adult has thought or verbalized the following: "If I knew then what I know now...." There are books written on the topic, lyrics penned, and songs sung, and we can probably agree that the sentiment behind it is relatively simple. What if we had the chance to imagine how our current life might be different based on the insight, information, and wisdom we currently possess? What if we were able to walk through life, seeing around every corner? What if it was possible to avoid life's lessons?

Although some aspects of my life, not unlike yours, have been filled with pain, suffering, mental anguish, and tough times, I am grateful that I remained clueless until I wasn't.

I am embarking on a different journey at 65. Social Security paperwork, Medicare plans that make your head spin, and extreme excitement about the future. My spouse and I have plenty of travel plans and dreams. I have books that I can't wait to devour and loved ones that I want to visit whenever I feel like it. At this point, I can do what I want, when I want, for as long as I want.

The Lord has kept me. I don't need to see my future as long as I know who holds it.