2015 The Year of No Fear!

I have decided that this is the year of No Fear. In order not to have fear we need to learn the truth about ourselves. A couple of months ago a co-worker of mine who I have had many great talks about life and love, gave me a book called: Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts. Womanly Arts? Okay I thought what is this going to be about? Ain't I a woman? I already know how to get and keep a man, this is not what I need. Let me just say its not about getting a man but its about how to free yourself in order to have more fun in life.  No who couldn't use a little more fun.I always been known as an upbeat person, but the things she talks about in the book made me feel like I wasn't taking advantage of all of my "Arts." I had to ask myself was I having fun in my life? (Yeah I guess) What was I doing to have fun? (Stuff). Was it really fun? (Not as much as I would like). After reading the book and doing the exercises, I have learned about some of the things that have been holding me back and I am now ready to take on the world! I will not let fear stop me from being who I am and what I want to do. So I'm doing the Daniel Fast, working on a new financial plan courtesy of the "The Budgetnista"and I even joined a dance troupe where we are learning a dance routine that we will be performing this summer! This is the year to take a chance, get out there and live your life! Have Fun!!!

My Table!!!

 

Well Pooka family, I have to admit I wasnt as excited for 2015 as I usually am.  So much going on that the years sometimes blend into each other...BUT.... I found my, rejuvenation, for this month anyway, lol!  Now, you never know where your inspiration is going to come from for me it was............a TABLE!  Yup, lol!  I know it sounds odd but a table has revitalized me for 2015!  Let me explain, I work so much that I don’t really take the time to enjoy my apartment, I go home, get on the computer, slide over to the couch then roll into the bed!  Thats my home experience.  A friend of mine dropped by and said, why don’t you get a small dining room table, it would really do wonders for your space.  I, of course just rolled my eyes, why do I need a dining room table when I don’t dine! So we just dropped the subject but everytime I walked by that space I thought maybe I should.  Last week I was talking to April and I told her about the conversation and she said, let’s go get one!  We went to a furniture liquidator and I found a small round table and some beige leather chairs.  Well let me tell you, I have a NEW apartment!  I love my table!  When my mom calls, I’m at my table!  The girls wanted to go for breakfast but I was....at my Table!!  I even spent New Years Eve...at my TABLE!!  It has done wonders for me, I tried to figure out why and I realized that I don’t have a space.  At Pooka I’m all over the place, sitting, shipping, on my computer but no designated space for me.  At home I was always working on my laptop on my couch because my apartment is small!  Well my new table has given me, MY SPACE!  I had my first breakfast in my apartment, reading the sunday paper, with a vase of flowers...on my TABLE!!  I say all of this to say, you never know where you might find some inspiration or rejuvenation, It could be something very small that gives you some encouragement, some joy!  So take the time to appreciate the small things, they could turn into bigger things than you realized!  Well good people, it is time for me to get back to my TABLE!  Happy New Year!!

I lost my phone!!!!

Horror upon Horrors! I was running to the bus stop with the boys last week, umbrella in one hand keys and gloves in another. I had put my phone in my coat pocket so I wouldn't lose it and what happens I lose it!!!!! I looked up and down that wet street, where is my phone? How could I have lost it so quickly? It just disappeared! I couldn't find it anywhere!

Losing your phone is like having your arm dislocated from your shoulder, you feel soooo disconnected. You can't talk to anyone. For your friends and family it's like your missing. Your face could be on the side of a milk carton. Where is my mother,daughter, friend? I ran back to my house and found two old blackberrys without the chargers of course. I then tried to use my ipad and email everyone but not everyone checks their messages, so I was still missing in action. So I went to work and called the two numbers I remembered, (ok three, mom,bff and brother) because you know once you have a number in your phone you don't remember the actual number. Ultimately I was able to find a charger for that old black berry and now I'm back in business! Moral of the story, next time let the kid miss the bus! lol!

Be Blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving Pooka Family!  This is my favorite holiday; not only because of the food but it’s the one time that I purposely stop and reflect upon God’s blessings.  HE has blessed us with the gift of life, love, family and friends.  Through trials and tribulations we are still here this 11^th month of the year!  Although my heart is heavy with the verdict in Ferguson I am still humbled by God’s blessings and know that with these blessings comes responsibility.  Although I am not out there on the front line marching with my people, I am a supporter of the cause – the dream is still alive and we have a responsibility because change has not come for EVERYONE yet.  So I will continue to support whether it is financially thru Color of Change or on the front line. 

Pooka founder on Our World with Black Enterprise!

The Five Love Languages!

 

Greetings Family!
Well my hubby and I recently started a couple’s book club with some of our friends.  We were trying to get together to do something different besides eating and drinking….a foodie’s first choice for social outings!  We rotate male/female as far as book selection so we read a variety of genres…book club word people lol!  We recently read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.  (Shout out to Brenda for being an amazing facilitator!)    Well, let me tell you how profound it was!  It is not that these were concepts or ideas that we are not aware of.  It was that it made you think about and identify you and your partner’s love language.  Your love language loosely defined is what you need to “receive” from your partner to feel loved.  We all know that it doesn’t always take the same thing for everyone.  The book makes you realize that the love language you are giving your partner is not always the language they need to receive!  Obvious, yet profound at the same time.  The book outlines the five languages as:

Words of Affirmation
Quality Time
Receiving Gifts
Act of Service
Physical Touch

 

Most often, each person has a different love language than their partner.  Also most assume they know their partners language or think it is the same as theirs and they have no idea! So the husband’s language is acts of service ( again what he wants to receive!) and assumes his wife’s must be the same when all she wants is quality time instead of him doing the dishes.  Or the wife gives her husband the loveliest gifts and can’t understand why he doesn’t appreciate them but all he wants to receive for her is praise and not gifts because his love language is words of affirmation.  All of the couples are married for different amounts of time and all of us had aha moments!  From not knowing their own love language, to assuming the wrong language of their partner.  It was a most eye opening book club meeting family!  And the best part was that no one went home with an attitude….you know how we do lol!  Everyone really got it…amazing!  So in conclusion read this book with your partner.  You will be glad you did!  Keep you posted on our next book.

Peace Family!!

 

When enough is enough

As I sat reading the story of London McCabe the 6 year old with autism who's mother threw him off an Oregon bridge. I can't help but think about the terror he must have been in. Yes, there are different degrees of Autism and London was unable to express himself in many different ways. But I am sure he must of felt something when his mother picked him up and dropped him off of the side of the bridge. His mother Jillian McCabe is on some type of medication (not sure what) and was apparently having problems coping herself. I can't even begin to understand her feelings in that she felt this was going to be the only way out of her problem. Or how about Gigi Jordan who was just found guilty of manslaughter for feeding drugs to her autistic 8 year old son, Jude Mirra.

With the mid-term elections over  there were a lot of re-elections and new faces. I hope that the American people will make them realized that there is far more work to be done and they are accountable for some of the solutions to the problems that plague our society:  Mental Illness is REAL people and we need to be doing something about it.


April Reeves-Mathis