End of a short week! RUTGERS APPLICATION DONE!

One of the things I enjoy the most about the Holidays is that time seems to stand still..we get to stay home and enjoy our loved ones without all the interuptions of stuff getting in the way.

After being back in the swing of things after New Year's Day, I am surprised that the rest and relaxation of the past week is gone in just three brief days. I did so enjoy the time..

Dakota finished his essay for Rutgers and the application has been sent. YES! I hope there are no calls for additonal info. His essay was great. Now the next hurdle, if accepted, is finding pockets of money to help us fund his education.

Jewel seems settled back into school. Ms Johanna her teacher, has been ill and absent. Jewel resumed her Friday afternoon rollerskating with Andrew and Mr. Jan.

Dan finished his week at KPMG and will travel to Texas in two weeks. Things are off to a nice start for him. I took Jewel to school, helped Dakota with the online application to RU, went to Q-Research for a study (extra money), had my hair done. My hair (like most African American hair) is extremely fragile and dry. I go twice a month to a shop that does black hair pretty well.

I put a casserole in the oven, cleaned the house, went to pick up Daniel from the train station and then drove to pick Jewel up from her friend Andrew's house.

The basement is clean, and I bought this RID X stuff to put in the toilets to help prevent clogs. I sure hope that helps.

Gratitude thought: grateful for Saturday and the chance to sleep an extra hour, grateful for New Year's resolutions which I need to get busy on. One goal is to be at my pre pregnancy weight (age 34) before my 50th birthday in 13 months. I am really tired of being heavy and it makes my feet hurt and slows me down!

The weather outside is frightful! My basement is not delightful.

Thursday January 3rd 2008

Brrr...man is it cold outside. Windchill of 5 degrees today and it will continue to drop on Friday.

Jewel was up bright and early to start school again. Daniel was off to work for his 11:00 meeting. He is still doing some training and identifying his job assignments. Dakota and I delivered documents (to support his Rutgers application) to Nancy Pullen and Bill Russo. It turned out to be an interview and chat for half an hour. Dakota has to finalize his essay and hit the send button on the form. I also mailed the petition to the Board of Ed in Trenton to see if Dakota will be issued a high school diploma/GED.

Daniel has a Stake presidency meeting tonight, but is coming home early. Jewel called him as our pipes clogged and flooded out basement again. This is the third time in two weeks that this has happened and I am thinking strongly about moving to Piscataway.

Trivia for the day...2nd Friendship Baptist Church on 122nd and 7th avenue in Harlem burned down tonight. This was the church my parents were married in December 8th 1957. No one was inside.

I was listening to Jill Scott singing a Billy Holiday song 'Good Morning Heartache' and began thinking about the stories Alvin Ailey told me about Billy Holiday and his first time watching her perform. John Butler choreographed a piece called 'Portrait of Billie'. Funny thing as Martin Luther King's birthday approaches...I was thinking about the Fox Theatre in Atlanta GA when I was about to go onstage to perform Talley Beatty's 'The Stack Up'. I saw Coretta Scott King sitting with Alvin and I asked for her autograph. This was sometime in 1983 0r 1984. She looked just like all her photos. I wished I had saved the Playbill she signed. sigh! Her oldest daughter died this year. She was only in her 50's.

Today would have been Hester Blanding's (my grandama) 90th birthday. She was buried the same day that Dakota was born.

Gratitude thought: grateful for a husband who happens to be in town when the basement floods. I could have been here alone with the kids.

grateful that Daniel snaked the pipes and came home early to do so.

...... after bleaching, cleaning and taking out 8 bags of damaged items, I am very grateful that I can go to bed at 12:15 am.

grateful for scriptures to read to put an evening like this into perspective!

January 2nd..back to the old grind!

The holidays are now over =(


Busy, busy day. Daniel went back to work after our long Holiday break. He was so excited to begin this new year at KPMG.

No school yet for Jewel and Dakota. I had to pay half of Dakota's tuition of almost $700. Paying tuition right after Christmas really hurts. In addition I had to pick up a letter of recommenation from his Organic professor Dr. Conley. He wrote a great letter that will hopefully help us get Dakota into Rutgers.

I picked up our Volvo after having the brakes done and went to the DMV to have our inspection done. Yeah, we passed.

I did my regular Clinical Research job, to earn a few dollars in Piscataway.

Jewel passed on ballet today, I think she is really blue that the Holidays are over and is kind of weepy eyed. She is excited to start school tomorrow.

Dakota had YM...he had to cook a Missionary meal in only $4.oo to feed four. He picked spanish rice and beans with sausage.. only $4.oo bucks at Shoprite. Not bad!

We'll see how it went. Now I am off to blowdry Jewel's hair for half an hour and then will begin the task of the online application for Rutgers. Tomorrow, Dakota and I will walk in the other documents to Nancy Pullen who is an Assistant Director in the department of Admissions.

Gratitude thought: so grateful for a little house that is easy to heat and keeps the heat. It is freezing today and temps will continue to drop. Today was 30 degrees with wind chill of 20.

Out with the old, in with the new (Jan.1st) 2008 pt.2

Dakota's best time! Ward members Go Daniel!

My dear, wonderful mother..Mable.

After leaving Kevin's house in Brooklyn on New Year's Eve, we were all in bed by 11:20 pm.

Instead of our traditional bowling and buffet on New Year's, Dakota and Daniel ran in the Resolution 5K Race. Several ward members were there. The Glad family, Pablo Smith (first race), Mike Maldonado, Dori Patterson. Dakota ran his best race coming in just over 24 minutes. Daniel did great again with a a few minutes after Dakota. Jewel and I were cheerleaders. She wants to run the next race. Instead of a buffet, we ordered Chinese food and played Cranium with Mable and Kevin who drove into NJ for a couple of hours. Great way to bring in the year.

Gratitude thought: grateful for a New Year, one more year of life, to be human, to feel, to think, to love..and the chance to make new goals, correct mistakes, improve and soar!

current music fixations: John Legend and Jill Scott ( Jazz, Neo-soul)

Out with the old, in with the new. (Jan 1st 08) part 1

December 31st.....in Brooklyn at Kevin's house

Kevin and Jewel play fighting.

Dakota and his crazy uncle Kevin.

CHRISTMAS 2007 Part 2

Jovie and Mable playing Apples to Apples.

Christopher and Dakota

Poor Uncle Kevin had chills but hung in there.

Christmas menu

Turkey & Stuffing, Ham and potato salad, Mac and cheese, southern 'cow' peas, Pineapple and lime salsa and Pies.

Gratitute thought: I'm so very grateful for families!!

CHRISTMAS DAY 2007 part 1

MERRY CHRISTMAS

TO

MY DEAR FAMILY

Jewel was awake at 6:45 am, not bad at all. Dakota wanted running clothes

She asked for Pixel Chix, My Little Ponies, Wii play and Mario Galaxy.

Glam & Glitter and a camera.

Th e kids played most of the day with Daniel while Patricia cooked for relatives. Her mom (Mable) and brother (Kevin) along with her sister (Kathy) and their kids werre coming over.

Patricia had a bad headcole and Kevin was recovering from a bad flu with a high fever for the past week. Around 5:00, Kevin and Mable went to the ER and he was discharged. They finally made it out to NJ in time for dinner. Mable, Kevin and cousins Jovie (16) and Chris (18).