It works!!!!

Hello People!!!!

How the heck are you???? It has been a while since I was on here…. my computer Internet SUCKED!!! SO I just decided not use it..BUT it is up and running now!!!

YAY!!!! Now I am back on the trail or track or whatever it maybe….

Even though I have been gone for a few days…week or whatever I am too tired to type now.

I am sure something worth typing about will happen tomorrow and I will be off and typing again!!!

It is good to be back.

See ya when I see ya!

Peace!

Mattie

Childhood Memories…..

What's up people! How the heck are you doing? I hope this finds you well and in good health!!!

It is past my bedtime but I thought I would jot these notes down…

Today we had Chalupa for dinner and Cheesecake for dessert…as I was preparing the 'New York' style cheesecake made in my new springform pan (this is only the second time I have used it…) I started thinking about the holidays when we were little. My mom would be in the kitchen for days cooking cakes, pies, cookies, etc.  She never let us help her she would always tell us to get out of her damn kitchen!!  She said that even when my dad told us to go help her…"Y'all gals go help your momma in the kitchen".  BUT we always got sent away….SAD! 

I have a knack for cooking and I am pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.  And while I was cooking I remembered this one Thanksgiving I think? Might have been Christmas... my mom's friend Marge had sent her son over to the house to borrow some chicken broth or chicken stock…something to do with chicken. He came over in Marge's new car, and where we lived there was a corner you had to go around and then a dip as you were leaving the housing development that we lived in. As he turned the corner the 'chicken' stuff spilled and fell on the floor, and I suppose out of instinct he just immediately grabbed for it and drove off the side of the road into the 'canyon'!!! It was crazy! Everybody in Brannen Homes was talking about that for a LONG time especially since Marge's husband had just bought her that car! He was okay obviously he was scared/shook up after driving off the road, but he had no injuries.  I don't think you could say the same for the car though. Those were the days when you could go to your neighbor or friends' house and 'borrow' food, or seasoning, or Kool-Aid… "go down to Ms. Annie T.'s and ask her if she has some…" go around to Ms. Mary Graham's and get me some…" You could always go to the neighbors for stuff….OR go to the 'Little Sto' and get it from Jalisco!!! Good neighbors and good food makes for good childhood memories!

I am going to be selling my house hopefully…actually the best scenario would be that I get to keep this house AND get another in town. I want a house with a big kitchen and a good size pantry, we had a pantry when I was growing up. You can keep lots of stuff in there AND it is a good place to hide at least it was when I was a kid.  Get me a good size kitchen with plenty of counter space there is no telling what kind of memories I can make!!!:D)

See ya when I see ya!

Peace!

Mattie

Conversations….

Hello People!

How the heck are you doing??!!!!! I hope y'all are doing well!

I missed blogging yesterday, I went to happy hour with a friend of mine and her friends, and got home to late to write…coherently!!!:D) Just kidding I have to far to drive to over indulge and there are too many large animals that can jump out at any time! Like elk or as my cousin's husband calls them…moose, deer, etc. OR even big piles of horse $%^&*!!!!

ANYWAY! I went to see my 'hair stylist' today to get my hair done and we were talking and it seems all our conversations centered around previous posts and blogs that I have written.   

It was weird as I don't believe she even knows I write a blog nor is she my friend on Facebook.  Or was it confirmation that as I thought…I am right!

She mentioned that over the holidays she had watched Shawshank Redemption with Morgan Freeman and after the movie they had a biography episode featuring Morgan Freeman.  She said that during the biography they showed Freeman doing an interview with Mike Wallace, and Mike Wallace said to him , "as a "Black" man…", she said Freeman said to Wallace "from now on I am going to start calling you a "White man"! Freeman said, "What does the color of my skin have to do with anything." Mr. Wallace then asked, "that is how society sees you so how do we get pass this then?" Mr. Freeman said "STOP TALKING ABOUT IT! That's how…" I said I agree. In order for something not to be a big deal you have to stop making a big deal out of it. She said yeah, it is just like the gay community they identify themselves by being a 'gay' whatever…Again I agree! Why is that your claim to fame…what else do you have to offer why is that the most important thing we need know about you? The conversation went on from there….I was thinking this is weird…or it just confirms what I have been saying for a while now.

Then we were talking about parents who raise their children but don't teach their children…so actually they are not really raising them they are just providing their needs with the exception of their moral, spiritual and emotional needs.  My hair dresser says she has a roommate who is in her 20s as a matter of fact I believe she turns 21 next week, her parents treated her like "a princess on a shelf". According to my hair dresser, the roommates parents didn't engage her, or interact with her or show her any affection they just gave her money. Now that they are roommates she has had to teach her little things, social things, she said that the roommate even asked her "do you think I should eat this or get something else????" My hair dresser said she told her I have no opinion on anything you are asking me, which upset the roommate because she thought she was saying she doesn't care. She went to explain to her that she needs to find value in her own opinions and choices! When you are asking someone what do they think about every thing you do...Basically that means you don't have enough confidence in yourself to choose anything or do anything…to believe that you can make a choice that is good for you. You want someone else to think for you that way when things don't work out you have someone to blame it on. Parents should go back to raising their children to have respect for themselves and their elders, confidence in their abilities and to be able to do things and make GOOD choices for themselves.  The conversation went on from there…I was in the chair for seven (7) hours so we had time for plenty of conversations...

Conversations are good things to have I think we need to get back to that…like visiting your neighbors and sitting down at the table talking to each other.

You can learn a lot in the salon chair…about people…gossip and you can also find out different ways to change positions when your butt falls asleep!!! 

Start a conversation with someone you will be surprised what you find out!

See ya when I see ya! 

Peace! 

Mattie

Question(s)...

Hello People!

It is the 16th day of January in the year 2014 time appears to be picking up speed and the year just started. Enjoy your moments!!!:D)

I have a question.

Do you have a sexual preference? 

Do you think it is necessary to announce to the world every time someone chooses their sexuality? I mean do you hear or read about every heterosexual that is heterosexual? Do you hear about every virgin that is a virgin? Every celibate person that is celibate Do we need to know that??? Really…

So why do we have to know about every 'Gay' person that "comes out" or "comes out of the closet" or pops up out the cake or busts through the wall…shot out of a cannon whatever….Do we really need to know that???? Really….

Just wondering….

See ya when I see ya! 

Peace! 

Mattie

Don't Forget the Good Times….

Hello People!

I am going to make this short and brief…hopefully!

I hope this blogs finds you all well and smiling!!!!:D) Smiles can show the world that you will not be beaten no matter what comes your way.  AND you won't! Just remember people will only do what you allow them to do…SO don't let them do it!!!

I work in the legal field and unfortunately the area of practice is not one of the most glamorous…is there a glamorous field in law? I don't know I just know that Family Law is not it….well I guess maybe if you were working on getting children adopted that would be good. BUT...

People going through divorces or custody battles seem to lose themselves in the battle, they are so set on being able to 'get' the other person that they do things I don't think they would normally do if they weren't consumed with the fight. It's like once the papers are filed they forget the years they spent,long each other or strongly liking each other, starting a family, raising children or starting a business and growing it from the ground up. What about the good memories…what was it that made you say "I DO" when you said those words. In the throws of divorce or a custody battle nothing seems to be out of bounds, personal attacks and the children are all fair game. SAD!!!  

God forbid any of you should find yourself in this predicament….BUT should this be the path your life takes…try to remember to take the high road, don't wallow in the mud(pain) and drag everybody else in with you(children…personal attacks). Focus on the good times you had during your marriage, remember why you said I DO! And if all else fails remember that just because this door is closing, there is also another one opening…walk through it with your head held high and a smile on your face and you will see how much sooner you will get over it. The good times and a good support system and you will be surprised how quickly things will change. 

I'm just sayin'

See ya when I see ya! 

Peace! 

Mattie

Tuesday...

Hey People!

How the heck are you doing?!

Sorry but I fell asleep yesterday…I was more tired than I thought cause I fell asleep playing Candy Crush. BUT it turned out to be a good thing since I passed a level in my sleep! I don't know how I did that I just know that this morning when I got up and turned on Candy Crush it said Level Completed….WOW!!!! AWESOME!!!!

I was going to skip tonight BUT I thought once I start skipping then I will find an excuse to skip everyday!

Yesterday was my nephew, Michael's birthday. I remember when he was born his mom had to be air vac down to Phoenix, to St. Luke's Children's hospital. His mom didn't know she was pregnant so when she went into labor….SURPRISE! Michael was born with a heart problem and had to be on a heart monitor for the first year of his life. Talk about moving quickly and heart stopping moments when that monitor would go off!!! WHOA NELLY!!!! Thank God that it was usually because the monitor wasn't making a good connection to the leads or something had gotten underneath the lead.  I remember I took him to church one time with that monitor…he was so tiny…I almost dropped him! I was trying to get him, the monitor, the baby bag with the bottles and stuff and then he was wrapped in all these blankets…I lost him somewhere in the blankets and when I got to the car I was freaking out cause I couldn't find him!!!! FINALLY at the bottom of the all the blankets hanging on barely there he was. THANK GOD I DIDN'T DROP HIM!!!!

I don't have any children, God knew better than that! BUT I am currently responsible for two people who are just as helpless as my nephew was at that time. My sister who has brain damage and is "mentally handicapped" and my niece who has Down Syndrome.  I don't know if it is the same as what most mothers go through BUT I can tell you my hair is gray…what little I have left AND sometimes I don't sleep thinking about what could happen to them. How do you moms do it? That is a LOT of pressure!!!!

Happy birthday MICHAEL DOUGLAS WESTBROOK!!!!

Hats off to all you mothers out there!!!! YOU ROCK!!!

See ya when I see ya! 

Peace! 

Mattie

A New Week Is Starting….

Hello People!

I was thinking about this scripture after a conversation I had with someone and I couldn't get it right in my head. Then I talked to my sister and she quoted the same scripture I was trying to say but was getting wrong! Confirmation of what I was thinking….

Matthew 7:6 "Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. (King James Version) 

"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." (Standard English Version)

My translation on this scripture, and it could be completely wrong, but it is what occurred to me is that you should not allow someone to ruin your dreams and discourage you from what you want to do. If you believe you can do it…DO IT!!!

I was thinking that people who have nothing better to do and don't want to see you doing anything will say things whether intentional or unintentional to steal your joy. Don't let them do that…IF you think what they said was hurtful which, I am sure it was, don't wallow in the pain. Acknowledge it, say ouch and move on.  AND forgive them for they are idiots and know not what they do. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do anything. You can do everything you set your mind to do.  JUST DO IT!!! I need one of those big check marks now…

I have been watching The Ultimate Survivor Alaska on National Geographic channel…or NTGEO it is an endurance test of man against nature….in ALASKA! Think about that…they are fighting the elements, glaciers…freezing water, bears…BUGS, etc.  They give them rations of 2 pound of rice and beans for them to travel at least 50 miles in this insane terrain, with 3 days to make it to the 'pick up' point for the next drop off!!!! I think we should all learn to live off the land or at least eat more than the fish…cause if we are all trying to get the fish somebody is going to go hungry! BUT I digress…

Anyway…if you don't remember anything I say to you…just remember this…DON'T LET ANYBODY STEAL YOUR JOY!!!! You can be what you want to be and do what you want to do!!!

See ya when I see ya!

Peace!

Mattie

It's Just Mattie: Saturday….

It's Just Mattie: Saturday….: Hello People! Here is a simple blog…basically it will be my journal for today.   Saturday, January 11, 2014...I have to get up earl...

See ya when I see ya!Peace! Mattie

Saturday….

Hello People!

Here is a simple blog…basically it will be my journal for today.  

Saturday, January 11, 2014...I have to get up early so I can drive an hour to see my niece play basketball, that starts at 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning…really???!!!. OH JOY AND RAPTURE!!!

I get up at 7:30….NOT GOOD! See I don't have to just get myself together…I have to get my sister AND myself together in the midst of Gary talking about how YOU over slept again! You always over sleep when you have something important to do!!! I don't understand how you do that…you know you have to get up and yet you hit the snooze button or don't set your alarm at all! I told you last night to set the alarm….this is about the time when my eyes roll up in the back of my head and I picture someone choking and gasping for air…then it is quiet!!! Aaaahhhh silence is golden…golden…..that's a song isn't it?! Anyway…I digress…

SO I leave the house at 8:10 or 8:15 this is not good I am going to be late and you know my car only goes 65 well actually it is more like 63 miles per hour. UNLESS you want to hear that noise it makes you push it past that point….ttttttwwaaaaaannnnnnngggggggg……ttttttttwwwwwaaaaannnnnngggggg! I finally get to the school…they have just started playing so I didn't miss much. My niece is on the court…now I am 6'2", her dad is about 6'5"and for an 8 year old she is pretty tall so chances are she is going to be in the WNBA. NOT! I played basketball, I was pretty good I always 'fouled' out in the first quarter because when I put my hands up to block, I would BLOCK out the sight of the other girls and since the ref couldn't see them he ASSUMED I was fouling them! Is it my fault that the girls were short and even with their hands up they were maybe 5'8??? No it's not!…Anyway...her dad played basketball he was good but he went into the military instead so what are you going to do. I don't think she likes playing basketball BUT because she is tall you know…(NOTE TO YOU PIGMENTLY CHALLENGED PEOPLE…JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE BLACK or AFRICAN AMERICAN and TALL DOES NOT MEAN YOU PLAY BASKETBALL OR PLAYED BASKETBALL OR EVEN LIKE IT…just saying') Back to the story…

My niece is on the court, they match the kids up as closely as possible to a kid on the other team who is equal in height….the teams consist of boys and girls and they play 8 minute quarters. My niece is guarding her man…she has him behind her and her arms are stretched out to her sides so that no ball can't get by her, she is intense and confused…. throughout the entire game she is playing DEFENSE!!! DEFENSE when the other team has the ball….DEFENSE when her team has the ball…DEFENSE is the word for the day for her! Dribble…NO! Hands up! NO! Can I get a little hustle…NO!!! DEFENSE is all you are going to get! The ball was dropped at her feet…she put her arms down and picked it up and ran down the court for two points! JUST KIDDING!!! She didn't pick it up and the other team got it and they ran down the court and scored two points. DEFENSE…she spent some time on the bench after that one….when the game was over we had a little talk…I showed her how to dribble low center so they can't knock the ball away from you. HEAD UP watching the court looking where you are going….then Ms. Davis told me stop dribbling the ball. I had to do what she said since she is my elder and also she was one of my neighbors growing up…I think she still has cart blanc to whoop my butt…my mom gave it to ALL the neighbors when we were little, so if they see us doing something wrong they could WHOOP ASS!  SO since she shut me down...I will work with her at another time. I also told my niece that if she wants me to get up EARLY on a Saturday to come and watch her play…I am going to need a little hustle!!!

I go to the grocery store to pick up a couple things and as I am putting the things in the car this lady comes up to me and she says, "I know you don't I? You are friends with Pat and Donna." I said I am sorry I don't even know who Pat and Donna are. "What is your name?" I said Mattie. "THEN IT IS YOU! You are the one that was at Pat and Donna's party for their son when he graduated high school!"  Okay…yeah that was me (in my head I am saying just don't make direct eye contact and don't make any sudden moves and MAYBE she will go away…) Then she said I knew it! You were at their house on____street…I said OH! You mean Jacque and Pat!!! Either way I was just going to agree cause she was very adamant that she knew me and that I knew Pat and Donna!  You never want to stir the crazy when it is staring you in the face…

I get home and I want to take a nap but my sister decides that this is the time for her to touch EVERYTHING and make all kinds of NOISE and just be excited about life…WHY???!!! Cause I want a nap...

I am tired and want to go bed now or at least take a nap!!!!

See ya when I see ya! 

Peace! 

Mattie

Friday Night….

It is Friday Night…

I just got paid…I didn't but for purposes of this post I will just say that…I think there was a song about that in the 80s maybe the 90s….Friday night…I just paid…party jumping feeling right….booty shaking all around….I JUST GOT PAID!!! Then the music would escalate into a good stomping the floor beat!!!

80s and the 90s were 'the good ole days'!!! Good music and good movies…then we moved on to the years starting with 2---, sadly that's when things starting going to hell in a hand basket! With pretty corners on the wrapping paper AND wrapped with a bow!!! I was wondering how long will it last and how long will it go on…I feel sorry for the kids that born and being raised during this time, who will teach them right from wrong? Who will teach them how to work hard for things and that everything does not come instantly sometimes you have to wait for things. AND good things come to those who wait. This day and age you want something and presto-bingo there it is! You want to know something…GOOGLE it! No more going to the library and using the 'Dewy' decimal system. They probably don't even teach about that system in school anymore. No more learning to add in your head quickly or otherwise, cause now-a-days calculators are allowed in math class. In fact I think calculators are part of the school supplies that you have to bring when you go to school isn't it? I was pleased to see that my niece was practicing her cursive writing…I had heard that they stopped teaching that, so it was a pleasant surprise to see her write her name. 

How far into the 2000s will we go do you think? Will we become so advanced in our technology that we won't have to do anything for ourselves anymore? I mean will we be able to think…'I am hungry I want some'…and POOF it appears…or scarier yet once you have the thought, then you feel full just like that and you have the sensation that you just ate whatever it is you were thinking about and you're actually full??!!!

I was talking to a friend today and she was telling me that her Uncle is having 'renal' problems…his kidneys are starting to shut down, he has HIV/AIDS and he has had it since the 70s or 80s, he was afforded some experimental treatment because he has a twin and they wanted to try somethings with genetics, transfusions and stuff so he got the best treatment there was! Paid for by your tax dollars. Now he is losing the battle with the failure of his kidneys and she was wondering if there were any options. This is the year of 2014…shouldn't there be some cures for AIDS and CANCER by now? Or for that matter the common cold? We have progressed in a LOT of things but it appears in some other things we are slow to make progress.

Are you excited about the future…I remember being in Elementary School saying I didn't want to be around for the year 2000. I am glad that I am here to see what has happened...Now that it is here there is so much to see and do…yet...

See ya when I see ya! 

Peace! 

Mattie