Category Archives: Blogging

So, I love the bloggers on WP!

Posted on by
1

I  have really, really enjoyed getting to know some of the bloggers on WordPress and I have learned so much already.  What I love about bloggers in general is that they are so creative in how they express themselves. I also love the opinions and advice that is freely given by other writers.

It has been a joy and a pleasure to be a part of virtual strangers lives just by reading their musings. It’s like every time I look around, I am at a cocktail party of sorts with interesting conversation and I don’t even have to dress up! I feel honored to be able to read and understand what other people are feeling or how they perceive issues.

What I find most interesting,  is that I feel like from these gifted writers, comes such honesty and truth that is hard to find elsewhere.  I don’t think my own friends would be as open and forthcoming with me about how they feel about me, or my opinions. And I really like the raw truth,  it is rare.

There is a kinship among bloggers that is kind of cool and though I am not a veteran blogger with tons of followers, it feels amazing to call myself a blogger too. I don’t know if meeting some of these people would ever happen, or how different relationships would be if we did. But for now, I am happy to have these open, insightful and mysterious relationships with some of the brightest people I have ever come across. If you are reading this, then I am probably talking about you!

Simply~

Dee

So, are you ashamed to say God is Real???

Posted on by
4

I liked a comment that someone on my Facebook said about God. It was one of those deals where if you comment or like, then you get a message telling you what to post for 7 days. Then you message those people to do the same. It is basically to have positive words of Christianity on Facebook so that it would spread to others.

So, I complied. I will not lie, for a split second I wondered what people will think. I know there are some people on my page who aren’t religious, or who may think it is weird. But why should I worry if this offends them? Aren’t we a nation of offended wimps? Don’t you get sick and tired of someone complaining about a comment upset them, but they can rip into an opposing belief system or viewpoint with the quickness.

Anyway, I challenge you to be bold in your faith. Or in your political stance. Or in your decisions, everyone else be damned. Because so many times, we are worried about losing friends or likes or admiration that we aren’t true to ourselves. I don’t mean to bully people with words or convictions, but instead, be willing to speak up for your principles.  If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for…

Simply~

Dee

So, visiting family down south a few weeks ago made me realize…

Posted on by
Reply

I am such a pampered princess! I’m not totally, because I only do like 2 pedicures a year and rarely shop for myself anymore, but the lifestyle I have gotten accustomed to in the uppity DC area is so different from growing up in the “Durty Durty” (south to those of you not down with the lingo). I was appalled by things that sound so snotty and ridiculous and people noticed:):(.

So, my mom tried so hard to buy my kale and kosher meat and other organic meats and food, but her town frankly doesn’t have much health food, hence the problem with high bp and heart problems in the south. So, she found kale, but it was in this big bunch and I am used to going to Wegman’s and getting it cleaned and washed and chopped and bagged. So apparently I made a deal about this. I wasn’t rude, but I just couldn’t believe that I had to clean my own kale. (Man I must have sounded like a brat) Then I made a comment to my cousin that I could not believe my mom bought me a whole chicken because I only eat boneless skinless chicken breasts.

I really wasn’t trying to be a snob. I brought some of my own healthy veggies to share with the family and everything. I guess that living in an area of excess where everyone is so busy, that people here will pay for everything to be done by someone else, which includes chopping and washing our veggies, darnit!:)

When we got home, my daughter called me a diva. That is funny, because people used to call me that like 15 years ago, but my daughter has never called me that, not that it was a big deal. I said, “why are you calling me that?” She said: “our cousin said you were one and then started laughing.” So, at least when my cousin said it, she was joking about it. But as we all know, when people joke there is often truth behind it.

I guess I am a different person than I was when I lived in the A. I eat healthier, I am more cultured, I care about different things, and I have gotten a little spoiled. I mean, I don’t have a lot of cash flow as I have mentioned before, but I still live a pretty high quality life and always manage to earn money to pay “the man”. But, I never honestly fit in where I grew up in a small town a couple of hours from the A. So, diva is not a new term, but I guess since I rough it now by shopping at Target for my clothes and I because I rarely treat myself besides Starbucks, I assumed that I was far from my former diva status.

Well, it doesn’t take but a few minutes back around people who watched someone grow up, to be called out on one’s crap! I can tell you though, as much as I enjoyed seeing loving faces, I don’t think I could go back without being extremely hesitant to do so. I love the plethora of activities in DC and surrounding suburbs. I love that there are more farmer’s market here per capita than anywhere else. I like how health-conscious people are.

What I miss about the south: genuine people, friendly people and a real sense of culture associated with being a southerner. A sort of pride that comes with being a native sweet tea drinker and peach ice cream eater. Not the confederate, racist deal. Just the accent, nice outfits, and scrumptious (though fattening food). DC and the whole area as a whole lacks that charm and personality.

So, it’s either coconut milk latte and clean eating, or twice the daily amount of sugar consumed and everything fried. I think I will continue dwelling in my clean eating and bike riding habitat, but I will reminisce about days of running through sprinklers and drinking out of water hoses and waving at everyone who rode down the street. Not to mention, watermelon under the weeping willows, with salt on top. Those days are long gone, and I miss them at times and wish my kid could know that more simple life.  If only I could have a bit of both, if only…

So, August holds new challenges for me…

Posted on by
Reply

I started on August 1st in a “secret” group on Facebook, 30 days 30 walks/runs starting August 1st. I also started a meet your goals challenge on Instagram that started the beginning of August. One of things that I wanted to do was take time to write more. I have not been doing as much as I have wanted since I started because I have been fighting these crazy allergies. But, I am glad that I have these plans to motivate me.

It is funny, the internet giveth, but it sure as heck taketh away at the same time. I love the cool party ideas we get online, the motivational aspects, and the connection with new friends that I would never know otherwise. But, with so many negative people like internet trolls, and people that have blogs dedicated to tearing celebrities down or people in general it gets to be a bit much.

I really try to focus on what it offers that will make my life richer and fuller. I love blogging and have tried it many times over the last 10 years. I am proud to say that I have written in this one a lot more than I have in others, but not as much as I would like. But with this IG challenge, it makes me feel more accountable. The same with exercise. I have exercised a lot more because I am being “judged” or noticed by 1000 other people and I want to finish it completely because my friend invited me to do it.

I also want to challenge myself as I did at the beginning of the year to more prayer and devotional time. That is more important than of the other challenges, but I feel I need to dig in more with it because I know that getting closer to God can help me in every area of my life. If I want to live a life that is beyond my dreams, taking the time to reach out to my Heavenly Father is definitely a step that I need to take.I want to take the step to have a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as receive my heart’s desires.

What challenges are you facing? Either self-imposed, or involuntary? Maybe if you let people know what you are going through, or connect with others with similar goals/issues/problems, then whatever you are facing will be easier to surpass or overcome.

Have a blessed night!

Simply~
Dee

So, joys and concerns before the day closes…

Posted on by
2

My joys would be:

We both woke up today.

Actually my mom and cat did too, so yay!!

I got up and went to work today with the kiddos even though I coughed all night.

I am feeling better.

We went to a bakery supply store and bought some cool items to bake all of the treats for my daughter’s party in November, for really cheap-at cost!

I cleaned up and talked to loved ones.

I got some work done.

I wrote in my blog!

I got my 2 miles in for the day at 1 am:)

Concerns:

Need more money.

Seems like there is more to be grateful for than to be concerned about. Try to list yours out, even in private. There is a lot more to be happy about than we think. Even little things like getting cheap cake pop sticks:) Life is to be celebrated.

Good night!

Simply~

Dee

So, perhaps romance and true love is not just for tv dramas…

Posted on by
Reply

Over the last year and a half I have gotten into television dramas. A lot! I have not had cable most of that time, so I have binge-watched shows like Scandal and Parenthood and Nashville. When I had cable, I found myself dumbing down with reality crap.

These dramas have me or have had me wanting to be in love. Cookie and Lucious’ chemistry on Empire and Rayna and Deacon’s true love on Nashville and “Olitz” with their scandalous affair, made me think that those stories had to come from some real life situations correct?

So, there goes the dilemma that I go through at the end of every summer. I have a birthday coming up, then the holidays, and I don’t have fancy parties to go to because I have not significant other. I partially want that part of my life to be revamped and the other part of me wants to enjoy raising my child.

I feel guilty for not looking for romance, and guilty for thinking of it. It’s like I am fulfilled in so many ways, but certain songs or show or movies will spark that desire for the company of a man. Not just any man, but THE man. A man who will change everything for me.

The kind of man who would step in and be a great dad to my kid. The kind of person that would bring change to my life, but not disruptions that are unpleasant. Someone that would fit perfectly in a four-part puzzle. Me, my kid, God and “the guy”.

I go through these phases of trying online dating, and i will respond for a month and then get overwhelmed by so many responses (def.not bragging) that I send them to spam. Then, when I need my ego stroked, I dip back in the pool again. I think that I want a guy, but not with the strings.

I want what is good on paper for the sake of saying that my life is full. But then I feel like a fool for feeling like it is full without a man. Is this confusing to you? Because it sure is heck is confusing for me.

What I get out of these shows besides entertainment, is hope. I get the feeling that I can be that person that someone can’t live without. I can be the person that someone would give up anything for.

I think the real deal is that I want to meet someone organically. I want God to just drop the right person in my lap as I am picking out blueberries or as I wait for my mom at the airport. Or even when I am getting my license renewed.

I don’t want to find someone on my own because I suck at relationships. Or, I suck at the choosing. And because I am not one of those people who can hear God speaking to me, I need for things to happen in a manner that I can be sure that it is all God and not me-if possible.

Signing off for now Hopeless Romantic

aka

Simply Dee~

So, I can plan parties 3 months ahead of time and help fix others’ problems, so why do I not fix…

Posted on by
2

My job situation?? I have been caring for kids in some way/shape or form for 12 years straight. I also have a part-time job that I do from home that I am grateful for, but I am not happy with it. It isn’t a lot of money and it is not fulfilling my dreams. It is helping someone fill their dream-AGAIN. I want to wake up everyday and love what I do in the way that I love and appreciate being a mom.

I can’t imagine what I could do that would give me that sense of fulfillment. I am so traditional in some ways and so non-traditional in others. But, now I understand why some people go to college to “meet a husband”. I never thought that I would love caring for someone so much. Being a mom is what I am so good at and I truly love, which is great for my daughter. If only I could get paid for all that I do as a mom because besides writing and music, there is not much more that I am passionate about.

It’s kind of foolish because I have tried to be a stay-at-home mom as a single mom and it doesn’t work well because I do have to bring home the bacon. Staying home and home schooling my kid while trying to make ends meet is tough, and to some perhaps silly, but it’s a calling to me. I feel led to be here for my daughter and have a great relationship with her, and to raise her in the way that I see fit.

I would be possibly better off if I worked full-time, but with child care costs and being away from my daughter every day all day, I don’t know. I am not judging working moms because I had one. But I really wish my mom could have been around more. Especially since I was a child of divorce. I think that I am trying to fill in the gap that my kid’s dad doesn’t fill since we split up 5 years ago. To be honest, he never filled it. He was just someone who brought extra income to the house, but he was absent in every other way.

So, I try so hard to be supermom (to the best of my ability) because I want to, but also because this little girl needs me to be. It is different from it was when I was growing up. We don’t have the same neighbors forever. We can’t send our kids out to play with no parental supervision. She has tons of friends and we do a lot, but a lot of her life revolves around me.

My whole point in this long monologue is to say that I wish I could do my own thing and do it as well as I parent. I would be rolling in the bucks if I knew how to put that type of dedication into work as I do into child-rearing. I am very bright and quite brainy and funny and so many other things that are positive, but I would never win an award for being focused. I try so hard to be. I have started up businesses. I have come up with great ideas, but nothing has come to fruition.

SO, to all of you praying folk, please pray that I can find a way to support myself and my child in a way that I can enjoy and do well. I want to love waking up not only because I am blessed in my home life, but because my whole life is blessed. It may be a lot to ask for, but I am tired of pinching pennies and still being miserable in what I do.

God Bless you all and good night!

Simply~

Dee