Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are [Official Video]

when i heard this song, i thought wow, how wonderful this is

Friendship

The other day, I celebrated my birthday with my closest girlfriends that live here in the DC area. We worked together at the same elementary school. Outside of my friendships that I developed in college, I really connected with these women. Through them I really learned about how to be a true sincere friend.

Through them Ive learned that a true friend is someone

-who is there for you and support you when you are going through hard times.

-accepts you for who you are and encourages you to be a better person, even thou sometimes you may not want to hear it and secretly you know they are right.

-does not get upset when good things happen to you, just because its not to them at that time.

-you may not see for days, weeks, months or even years but when you talk to them it seems like you just spoke yesterday.

There are no motives behind a true friendship, they will not only just listen or agree with you but tell you when you are wrong and give you open and honest advice.

I care for them dearly, when I get with them. I realize that I should be doing more with my life. They are what and where I should be in life.

I thank you.

The Oak and the Reeds

Are you and Oak or are you a Reed, think about it

The Oak and the Reeds

A Large Oak was uprooted one day by the violent winds of a hurricane. The great tree was thrown across a stream, where it lay amid some Reeds.

Sadly the Oak said, "Here I lie, overtuned by the strong winds. Yet you Reeds, so light and weak, are still upright. How is that possible?"

"You, Sir Oak, fight against the mighty wind,"the Reeds repiled. "You are too proud to bend a little, and so in the end you are destroyed. But we bow before the gentlest breeze, and so we still stand. We have learned what you have not: it is far better to bend than to break.

Ode to a Great Black Man

Hello, I know it has been awhile since I have posted anything. My life has been quite hectic lately. I had decided to finally release what I feel. I lost my father due to a heart attack on July 30, 2007. His death was sudden and it is still a shock to us all. I loved my father dearly. He was a very positive influence in my life. My father taught me to always be myself, that it was ok to make mistakes as long as you learned from them, to live life to its fullest. He always made sure that my brother and I was always exposed to all different aspects of life. He believed in having a firm education but also teaching that it is up to you to expand on it.

Dont just settle, is what my father always said.

He believed in taking care of his family and home first. Everyday I saw my father get up, select his outfit ( for my father was a very sharp dresser), made sure everything was ok for the day before he left for work. Even after my parents were divorced he still made sure that things where ok. My father didnt like for his family to worry. He would find away to get things done. My father was a strong black man. He was not weak. You hear those stories about how some black men are not active in their childrens' lives. Those who know me well have seen first hand how my father was intricate part of my life. For major decisions, yes I would consult my father and he would give his view point, but the decision was mine.

Im not going to lie. I miss my father. He will always be remembered. He might be gone but his memory will live on.

Phyllis Hyman Living all Alone (video)

Song of the Day

I so love this song, I totally understand how you can be surrounded by people yet still feel alone.

My Passion

Photography is my passion, to me its more than a hobby. I enjoy how the world looks thru a viewfinder.

To capture love

To capture nature's best

Ive been taking photos since I was 7. I started using a Fisher-Price 110 camera. Currently I shoot using a Nikon D90, and for my editing software I use Adobe Elements 7. I do not edit all of my photos, I feel that using too much Photoshop takes away from the true beauty. I use Photoshop to tell a different story. As you can see at the photo below. I took this picture in Center City Philadelphia. It stood out more than rest, but because of where it sat. It was in the corner next to City Hall. I decided to change the picture to black and white and use the dark strokes technique to give it a different effect.

I will take a photo of anything that catches my eye, from nature to kids playing. I don't look for anything special, everything tells a story.

Picture of the Day

I took this photo one spring afternoon. I was getting out of my car and saw this one flower hanging through the fence of my neighbor's yard. It looked so far away from the other blooms. So alone yet, like it was trying to get away from the rest. I decided to take a close-up picture of it. To give the flower its effect, i changed the picture to black and white and added a purple hue to the shadows.

Dwele "What's Not To Love"

Song of the day Dwele "What not to Love"

I love how in this song he talks about the small things that he loves about a women

Do You have N.B.O?

Do YOU have N.B.O?

N.B.O Negative Body Obession. I always heard about it. AndI know that I suffer from it from time to time. Have you ever had a part of your body that you couldnt love, no matter what. It may have had you just hate onyourself and your body for being that way. It may also have had you dp all kinds of crazy things to our bodies.....Diet...Exercise...Starve. We might even find ourselves comparing ourselves to other women or even cry in a dressing room.

For me its my stomach/ab area, Ive been having problem with that area since I graduated from college. I not sure what happen. It seems like from nowhere I developed a pooch. I believe it came from stress and other aspects. And lord knows I have tried alomst everything to get rid of it. From workouts...starving...fad diets...even Weight Watchers it seems like nothing works. Dont let me be in a funk thats the first thing I noticed. Sometimes the only thing I can see is my stomach. I havent had any kids and my body at times look like Ive birthed 3. I wont even wear a bathing suit at times, even thou I LOVE the beach and water. Spending a day on the beach is heaven to me. I have let my N.B.O prevent me from enjoying life at times. I have not gone out,taken pictures, shopped at certain stores, or wear certain clothes due to my N.B.O.

Whats a girl to do?

I really do not like how I have let this have some control in my life. The funny thing is that I know that not everyone woman is suppose to be built with a coke-a-cola bottle shape or have the body of Beyonce' or Marilyn Monroe measurements.

Whats a girl to do?

Corinne Bailey Rae - Closer (Live in Williamsburg)

I love this song......

Random thoughts

As I sit here at work, so many thoughts go thru my mind. Today I decided to just write them down. They wont be in any order, but there are some things that I just have to get off my mind.

I find myself feeling bad for things that I have done or havent done.

I have mixed feelings about being 30.

I have a fear of being alone.

I sometimes think that Im not living up to my potential.

I feel that Im too nice to people, thus they take my kindness for weakness.

I hate to say "no" to people and their requests.

I hate disappointing looks on people's faces.

At times I suffer from low self-esteem.

I was a late-bloomer, and still is at times.

Sometimes I wish that I heared some type of feedback so I wouldnt have all these negative thoughts swirliong in my head. I swear I think that I the only one that is screwed up

Education

Education is responsibility of all Americans, Obama says - Washington Times

I love it I love it I loveit