tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1292510103768586242024-12-18T19:26:06.652-08:00in the intersection of motherhood, marriage, friendship, career, the fight for social justice and peri-menopause (to name a few)Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-9455618937138341432022-07-22T06:55:00.015-07:002022-07-24T08:24:06.867-07:00

There are two Americas. The America that demands we remember the past in order to live up to our founding ideals. And the America that demands we forget the sins of the past in order to build towards our founding ideals. The America that remembers requests acknowledgement of and accountability for historic harm. The America that forgets does not want to be held accountable. The America

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-2373070455277556522022-06-25T13:13:00.002-07:002022-06-25T13:16:12.551-07:00

Last night, I read "she became pregnant." I stopped and had to read that again. "She became pregnant." Oh my gosh. That phrase makes my stomach turn.I have read and heard that phrase throughout my life. Growing up, girls that became pregnant were fast... were asking for it... were considered loose... were not raised right.... were sluts.  Do not become pregnant was my

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-57505053326926307382022-06-20T12:08:00.000-07:002022-06-20T12:08:00.136-07:00

I went running this morning on a one lane country road.  Every now and then, I passed an old mailbox, a house that had been reclaimed by nature, a rusted out car. I wore my headphones, listening to a Juneteenth mix until I lost internet service and as forced to only hear the sound of my own labored breath. Alone with my thoughts...  I began to wonder. What was

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-30531117589283265272022-06-15T04:40:00.001-07:002022-06-15T07:21:39.592-07:00

Last night I listened in on the School Board meeting to hear the outcome of the vote to ban the book  A Place Inside of Me A Poem to Heal the Heart by Zetta ElliotWith such a beautiful title, what is the controversy?Well, if you live in a predominantly white sub-rural community that is desperate to make America great again like Hanover, the biggest problem with this book, in my opinion,

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-58062988624080200612022-06-14T16:57:00.000-07:002022-06-14T16:57:06.675-07:00

 My School Board is voting tonight whether or not to ban the book A Place Inside Me. Here's the letter I sent pleading with the 2 members I work with on the School Board's Equity committee to vote to keep this book:I wish I knew what you were thinking about this vote. As always, I am available to chat if you want to hear my opinion. You already know what I am going to say but allow

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-3320727925946399672022-05-25T13:44:00.002-07:002022-06-10T13:45:42.327-07:00

I’ve been vacillating between anger and sadness and frustration all day today. May 25, 2022. The day after a boy with an assault rifle and handguns, decked out in military garb, shot his grandmother, then walked into an elementary school and ended the lives of 18 beautiful ten  year old children and 2 of their dedicated teachers. This. Is. Bullshit.Since Columbine, American citizens

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-83496251841243214962022-05-13T13:46:00.001-07:002022-06-10T13:46:32.543-07:00

May 13, 2022I heard a story when I was young about Marilyn Monroe. As I recall, she was working in a diner in LA when someone, a famous movie director or a talent scout, saw her and decided to put her in movies.If any parts of that story are true (I’m not looking it up), I believe that Marilyn Monroe experienced a lot of doors closed to her along her journey to becoming an actress. So she made a

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-84784488024021111082022-04-27T13:48:00.000-07:002022-06-10T13:49:05.839-07:00

I woke up this morning agitated thinking about all the ways that I make myself smaller, unobtrusive, quiet and let my accomplishments get diluted to be team victories. I’ve made those concessions in my private and my professional life for as long as I can remember. My parents wanted to confine me to their definition of being a girl. My teachers and counselors wanted to confine me to their

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-57107076358357078002022-04-24T12:09:00.001-07:002022-06-10T13:43:15.125-07:00

 I recently completed a biography on Frederick Douglass. When I completed my first economics course in graduate school, I remember thinking that this course really should have been part of my secondary education. And after finishing this biography, I felt the same way.I studied 19th century history in college so I knew of Frederick Douglass. In hindsight, I studied around him, but never

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-89331085981059226512022-04-19T13:49:00.001-07:002022-06-10T13:49:56.869-07:00

 In high school, my principal was infamous for saying “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten.”  I’m sure the quote is likely attributed to someone else, but my principal is the one who ingrained that saying in my head. And it is a mantra I have both lived by and seen proven time again. If I’m doing something and the result is positive, I

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-67496030360465710002022-03-27T13:50:00.006-07:002022-06-10T14:10:03.492-07:00

Even though I grew up going to church I never learned how to be an adult Christian.As a child, I loved going to church. Before my opa was called home to rest, we visited his church out in the country regularly. My father grew up in this church and I loved everything about it. Before church, my oma would fill our bellies with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, and toast with strawberry jam. My mother

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-9375236996642965192010-05-12T18:12:00.001-07:002010-05-12T18:12:26.574-07:00

There really is nothing more exciting than watching your child do something new. Each successive viewing doesn't really diminish the wonder, amazement & just pure joy of seeing him succeed. It's my new favorite thing ever.Here's Wesley rolling to the left. He seems to like left rolling way more than right rolling. He maybe rolled to the right 10 times or less. Rolling to the left he has

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-4562565836009481222010-05-09T08:13:00.001-07:002010-05-09T08:13:22.217-07:00

Roses & cards from the 2 most important men in my life.

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-73737807254697981122010-05-09T07:32:00.000-07:002010-05-09T07:42:16.031-07:00

I remember waking up last year on Mother's Day and trying to comprehend what was going on. I was 4 months pregnant and we hadn't told our friends yet (well, I had). I was thinking about this life inside me & thought some really deep wonderful thoughts that I intended to write down.But I didn't.Now I'm actually a mom.The funny thing is I'm still trying to comprehend what is going on. How

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-25459563325706029212010-04-30T17:45:00.000-07:002010-05-09T08:47:05.354-07:00

Wes has been watching me eat lately. He watches my hand go to my mouth & has this stunned expression when whatever it was moves away from my mouth a little bit smaller. He is just so cute!Today, I was eating a mango & he was mesmorized. He was so into it, I decided to just give him my mango slice.Nom! Nom! Nom!Wes gnawed on that mango like there was no tomorrow. I think he liked the

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-76759027651843859902010-03-06T10:03:00.001-08:002010-03-06T10:06:10.447-08:00

Sometimes Wes is focused on something that I can't see. He laughs and smiles and coos at that unseen thing as if it is tickling him, making funny faces at him & playing with him. Every time he does this, I think of my father & how much he would love tickling him, making funny faces at him & playing with him.I can't help but feel that in these moments, my father is here, enjoying

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-49450720810886758692010-02-15T16:25:00.001-08:002010-02-15T16:25:27.540-08:00

Wes shows how it is done!

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-42796451016343826432010-02-15T15:44:00.001-08:002010-02-15T15:44:33.804-08:00

The baby really was wearing a diaper!

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-83146606927837800542009-12-03T18:29:00.000-08:002010-02-15T12:24:36.102-08:00

Tuesday, November 24Our actual estimated due date came and went uneventfully & Dean is due home tomorrow. I definitely would prefer to go into labor after Dean gets home so missing our due date wasn't too much of a stressor for me. Since I did not want to continue to be pregnant for much longer after tomorrow, I decided to do some things that might make labor happen sooner:4pm: I go for a "

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-55364288785326642142009-11-24T08:19:00.000-08:002009-11-24T09:12:40.848-08:00

Looking back on how far I've come, I'm amazed!June 4, 2009: Now that's a baby bumpThe post is short & sweet and looking back, kinda funny that I thought that THAT was a baby bump. HA!September 19, 2009: 31 weeks!The real bump is looking bump-tastic... but we clearly weren't done yet...November 24, 2009 - I can't button the shirt over my belly at this point!Our due date was yesterday,

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-39443411593688649802009-11-12T07:56:00.001-08:002009-11-15T11:28:01.298-08:00

Sunday, November 8, 2009.Dean & I spent the day at the Seahawks v. Lions game (Seahawks win!). I came home to nap and he went to the gym. We ate dinner and watched Sunday night football. He ended the evening watching Sports Center while I went to lay down in bed with my book - Joplin's Ghost by Tananarive Due. Sometime close to midnight, he came to bed. Ordinarily, when he comes to bed,

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-19419514613060961152009-11-11T23:28:00.000-08:002009-11-12T08:40:26.227-08:00

1:30 am: Get up to pee.1:50 am: Give up on falling back to sleep, get up to watch some shows on the DVR.4 am: Eat first breakfast (Cheerios with fresh raspberries & non-fat milk plus a glass of cranberry juice and prenatal vitamin).5 am: Go back to bed.10:30 am: Wake up & groggily wander around the condo.11:15 am: Eat second breakfast (1 slice whole wheat toast, fried egg, a slice

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-58424010246460027882009-11-04T18:10:00.000-08:002009-11-05T07:00:23.603-08:00

I'm putting together a mix for my iPod of "relaxing" songs to distract me from the fact that I'm trying to squeeze a human being through my pelvis. A show on the Discovery Channel said, and I quote, "Squeezing a head through the birth canal is like forcing a softball down your throat." FUN! If anytime called for relaxing music, I believe it would be this time.Another fun quote from that show:

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-67460865258964159832009-10-21T00:19:00.000-07:002009-11-04T18:39:24.876-08:00

My third trimester has been a trimester of sleep. My sleeping patterns have been so irregular, I can only deduce that I am in training for future sleepless nights. I love training!The odd thing, though, is during the day, I get sucked into a sleep vortex against which I have little control. I could be doing anything - watching TV, shopping, exercising, eating - when I get a tug. The tug

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129251010376858624.post-31913470840841942762009-10-20T19:12:00.000-07:002009-10-20T20:13:30.677-07:00

I remember several months ago, about the time I first started feeling baby boy move, my friend Darcy was complaining about her baby kicking her ribs.  At the time, I felt something tickling my ribs & figured it must be the same feeling.  Darcy had her baby in in August.As time as moved along, I've learned that what I was feeling was definitely a tickling sensation.Lately, I've found myself

Black Girl On...http://www.blogger.com/profile/09175483401939489305noreply@blogger.com1