1969 is sick (and tired)

Taliban 2 is sick. He is dripping with mucous. His eyes are crusty. He can't sleep. I have been up at 3am every morning for the last four days. He came home from school looking terrible on Friday. I stayed up all night with him and he gave he lots of snotty kisses and hugs. I kissed him right back.

After coughing all night, Mr. 1969 stayed home today and took him to the Doctor. The Doctor accused us of slacking and not bringing him in on time....DOUBLE ear infection. So go ahead, call 1-800-bad-mommy. I thought he just had a bad cold. Now I feel terrible.

In addition, now I am sick. Sore throat, chills....and I have deadlines to meet. So I am sitting here at work with a nice hot cup of tea with honey.
I hate being sick. The only good thing? No appetite. I haven't really eaten in two days. Just soup and tea and NY.QUIL.

Maybe I will lose a few pounds before the reunion? :)

Why 1969 is rooting for the Colts......

Now I am a Giant's fan living in Philly. I know ALL about ignorant, rude and obnoxious fans but this......this was extra. And I heard the fans in Chicago were telling the Saints fans to "go home and wait for their FEMA checks" and "get back to your trailers". Nice.

I know my brown people in Chitown didn't act like this.....but overall....I'm pulling for Tony Dungy in the Soul Bowl. As MAMA 1969 always says....GOD don't like UGLY.

It Goes On.....

Some of you may remember my neighbor.

Yesterday, I check my messages and she leaves me this L-O-N-G message about how she has wanted to be an AKA for 20 years but just wasn't ready. This year she has resolved that she is ready and she wants to talk to me about membership.

Now I have no problem speaking to her about her interests but she also said that her sister is an AKA. My question is this.....who would better know you? Your sister or your next door neighbor that you don't know? Hmmmmm.

After 20 years, why haven't you ever talked it over with your sister? I am wary of this entire situation.

On a side note...last night, Taliban 1 was dancing and was feeling the music I guess, cause all of a sudden he shouted out "Shake your funky aZZ"..............screeech. Music came to a stop and his face was classic. Uh Oh.

"What did you just say?"

"Shake your funky azz?"
** said in the low voice with face looking down at the floor**


"Where did you hear that?"

"From my friends"

"Do you know what those words mean?"

"They're BBBBBAAAAAADDDDD words" **wailing at the top of his lungs**

"Goodnight son"

"I have to go to bed early?" **crying loudly**

"Goodnight son"

"Goodnight mommy" **bawling up the stairs, into his room**

I love Motherhood :)

Friday Flashback

Some of ya'll got issues.

I tend to consider my life to be pretty boring. I get up, dress the Taliban, go to work, come home, feed the army, try and go to the gym, go to sleep. Every now and then I have a little fun. You know...basically, life is NOT a complicated thing.

Maybe we tend to create drama because we like....DRAMA. Seriously, some of us just like having something to talk about. It makes life more exciting, crazy, hectic, etc.

Lately, I have a few friends that are going through some thangs. You know...marriage, work, dating, family...the usual drama. But their situations are so EXTRA. And why are they so extreme? That's right....because they like it that way.

My life is not hunky dory either but I live by the "too blessed to be stressed" mantra. Now, it's different if you have real issues or hardships that are happening to you for no good reason. I will be your friend to the end. Call me anytime and we can disect the situation.

But for the ones that have the same mess going on over and over again? I have to let you in on a little secret....I don't have the time. If this is the fourth guy you've dated that won't call you back, lives with his mama, never takes you out in public, only calls you after 11pm to come over and introduces you as his friend? Why are we still talking about it. You like that abuse cause you keep going back to it.

To quote the wise Whitley Gilbert...Relax, Relate and Release.

Seriously....if everytime I ask "How's work?" you answer with a 30 minute tirade about the whyte man holding us down or the trifling heffa at your job...maybe after ten years....it's time to walk away?

Can we promise to try and take some of these issues by the horns in 2007? Can we take a long look at the recurring problems, whining and dead ends in our lives? Who is really to blame for some of these situations? And if we aren't to blame....are we ready to do what it takes to end it?

I vote for letting the baggage go for the New Year!

Living a Lifetime of Service

On Monday, we will all celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. There is no need to detail the great accomplishments of Dr. King. I just hope that we use the day to actually celebrate his life and his legacy. My sons and I will be at MLK high school here in Philly for a service project. If you are in the area and looking to volunteer. Please come on out. The event will last all day.

On a more personal note, my beloved Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha will celebrate 99 years on January 15th as well. Ninety-Nine years of sisterhood and service. I am so proud to be a part of this organization founded by these dynamic women.



With the new movie "Stomp. The. Yard" coming out, I just want to let you all know that being in a Step Show is not what any of the Divine Nine, Black Greek Organizations is about. These organizations were founded at a time when it was a privilege for black people to attend college.



Education was not taken lightly. The original founders created our sisterhood as a means to promote service to mankind while encouraging high scholastic and ethical standards among African American women and to forge lifetime friendships. To still be doing that 99 years later is a great feat. You don't have to agree with the ideals of sororities or fraternities to know that any Black organization that can stand the test of time and still make a difference almost a century later, should be applauded.

Most of the Organizations are on the verge of reaching the Century mark. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will celebrate our Centennial next year at Howard University in Washington DC. It will be our homecoming and I can't wait.

So to all the Greeks out there....stay active and continue to strive for your organization's ideals. Keep making a difference.

To my Sorors...I know people call us many names. They tend to generalize and sterotype us for the way we stride, our confidence, the AKAtude.

However, I see you building villages in Africa and not getting media attention, like Oprah.

I see you cleaning up those schools in your communities, reading and tutoring children, visiting incarcerated women and not even making the highlight film on CNN.

I see you donating clothing, money and toys for the battered women's shelters and not winning any Nobel Peace Prizes.

I see you choosing to support Black Dollar Days and African American business while not being heralded in the Wall Street Journal or even Black Enterprise.

I see you leading the way in the Arts like Sorors Maya Angelou and Ntozake Shange, in History like Sorors Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, in Science and Space like Soror Mae Jemison (first African American woman in space who carried an AKA flag along with her), in entertainment like Soror Phylicia Rashad, Soror Alicia Keys and Soror Gladys Knight and in the Government like Soror Jewell Jackson McCabe and Soror Constance Baker Motley.



Keep striving for the next 100 years ladies. Happy Founders Day. I will be proud in my pink and green when I see you next year under our Founders window at Rankin Chapel at HU!!!!!

Me but 20 years better!

So as I alluded to in an earlier post, my 20th high school reunion is basically four months away. Four months.

I fancy myself to be a strong minded individual, to rise above the crowd and think for myself. I am not swayed by popular opinion. Independent.

Okay, well bump all of that.....Mrs. 1969 wants to look FIERCE. I want folks to say.."Damn, she looks good." I could care less about the career (although I have that), the great husband and beautiful children (I have that), the nice home (still in renovation mode but, I can check that off my list too).....I want to look HOT.

Yes, it's shallow. Yes, it's reverting back to...well....High School behavior but damn it....I still need the validation. Okay?

I will need the perfect outfit (that looks effortless but actually took 4 months to plan). I need the perfect "oh these, I had these old things in the closet" shoes.

So if I act ridiculously crazy in the next few months, as I obsess about this event, please forgive me. I am allowed to be utterly shallow and selfish for one weekend.
Even Superwoman has flaws.

Simple Pleasures

I was in Brooklyn this past weekend. Went to see my best friend's new baby and to see my mom. While sitting with my friend that I have known for almost twenty years (my 20 yr high school reunion is in April), I had to reflect on the nature of things.

Growing up, you have these huge dreams about what you want to be. A doctor, a lawyer, an athlete...you know....different variations on being RICH and successful. The fancy car, the big house, lots of clothes....pure happiness right?

Well, as I sat holding my nephew, drinking a cup of tea and reflecting on life with the person that probably knows me better than anyone else...I was struck by how the simple things in life are truly the most precious.

Don't get me wrong, I still want to be rich, but there is something to be said for a quiet afternoon of just talking and laughing. Fixing lunch and having some tea.
Waiting for a baby to open it's eyes.

I always think of myself as Wonder Woman. Rushing around from point A to point B trying to get the job done. I wear a lot of hats. Executive, Mother, Sister, Daughter...sometimes I forget to stop and appreciate the small moments. Life's simple pleasures.

This year, I resolve to stop, breathe and appreciate.

Clean Slate

The New Year is upon us all. Two, double o seven.

If you're reading this and feeling sorry for yourself over some stuff from last year...get over it. You are alive and should recognize that everyday you have the opportunity to change your situation and grow. No pity parties in 07.

That being said....I don't really make resolutions. I make statements. I remind myself of things I need to work on.

We all have things that we do, that we KNOW we shouldn't do. We eat the wrong foods, we are mean to people for no reason, we shop too much, we don't save enough.....yada, yada, yada. Enough resoluting (new word, you like it?), I say to just have a nice little chat with yourself and attempt to do better every day.

We are human. We make grandiose promises to ourselves and then get mad when our real lives get in the way of our "perfect scenarios". Then we beat ourselves up over the failure to execute these promises.

Make small steps. If you are trying to eat healthier....instead of swearing that you are going to hit the gym for two hours, four days a week.....give up drinking soda and use 2% or skim milk in the coffee instead of cream. You feel me? Increase your 401 K contribution so the money comes out before taxes instead of swearing you will never shop again.

Trust me, I have lots of things to work on this year, but I always feel better when I can at least look back on the previous year and say I gave up something for good. Even if it was just some cream.

Wishing you all love, peace and soul in the New Year.