I adore Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me. 

Maya Angelou

I love you Dad... just wanted you to know...

So a friend of mine lost her dad this week...   it made me think of mine and how lucky I am to have someone that loves me unconditionally no matter what...    this quote that someone posted on my friends facebook page made me cry...  but boy oh boy is it so true when it comes to my amazing father......

"A father is like a lighthouse standing tall above the sea's. When the storms of life come crashing in, the light from your father you'll see"

Re-post cause it's good!

Charley Harper: Tree of Life Puzzles + iPhone Skin

Mediterranean Diet

Eating a Mediterranean diet 'cuts your heart and stroke risk by a third'

I found this VERY interesting....

Love this...

Listen to the whispers of your heart…

For there resides your strength of spirit…

And the goodness of your soul…

Nathan Hale Inn Wedding Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own personalized photo books at Shutterfly.com.

Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque

I hope it comes out delish!!!!

It's Cookin' Time!!

Ingredients of goodness...

Testing.... this is just a test.... LOL

I am trying out this new feature so bare with me...  I want to see if it works!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I had to share this!

This kid has some MOVES!!!!!

i just love her...

I just love rebecca woolf from girls gone child.  She makes me want to be a better woman and sometimes I feel like she takes the words right out of my mouth.. or my mind... or my heart... She is just a MUCH BETTER writer then I am...  so, take it away sister!!!

morning afterthoughts - CLICK THIS LINK FOR SOME INSPIRATION OR READ BELOW.

NONE OF THIS BELOW IS MINE, I AM JUST REPOSTING IT BECAUSE THE POSTEE OF THE POST IS BADASS AND I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW IT! LOL

morning afterthoughts

by GIRL'S GONE CHILD

Last night my mom posted the following image on facebook, which she reposted via George Takei's page.

At the moment, it has been liked over 83,000 times, shared 105,000 times which says something, I think. And regardless of whether you agree (and I know some of you don't, and that's okay), I wanted to pass it along.

Because so much has been said on both sides, not only last night and this morning but for the past several months, years, forever since the beginning of time - vitriolic, terrible things. By voters and the media and even the candidates themselves.

I learned, yesterday, that one of the women I love and respect most in my life voted for Romney. She is as pro-choice, pro-woman, pro-peace as anyone I've ever known.

She didn't vote for Romney because she was against me, or against herself or against any of you - she voted because, after weighing her options, she felt Romney was the better choice economically for this country. And that was important to her in this election. So, after going back and forth, she voted Mitt.

And that was her choice.

It was her choice.

Just like Barack Obama was mine.

Just like yes on 37 (we lost) and yes on 34 (we lost) and yes on 30 (we won) were mine. 

We are fortunate enough to live in a country that is pro the right to CHOOSE who to vote for. There are people, as I write this, dying for that choice. Wishing and praying and being tortured for that choice.

And whether your choice was Barack Obama or Yes on Prop 34. Whether you "won" or "lost" you likely also "won" and "lost" and that is amazing. It's amazing that we have days like yesterday where we can show that we care and explain to our children why we do - why they will too - and how fortunate they are to have that option. How fortunate ALL OF US ARE.

I voted Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004 and remember how disappointing it felt to wake up the morning after in a country that didn't get me.

"I'm moving to Canada!" I said in 2000.

And then again, in 2004. "I'm SERIOUSLY moving to Canada, you guys!"

It sucked and I meant it. And my roommates meant it and we all meant it.

I realize that there are many people this morning who feel that way.

And I woke up this morning with them in mind as well as those who like me feel empowered and relieved and grateful -- grateful to have elected a leader that best represents them, grateful to have a voice and a platform to share it, to have a readership full of respectful readers from both sides and a family made up of incredible women who can vote for different candidates and at the end of the day, still love and respect each other as much as they did the day before.

THAT is America. THAT is feminism. THAT is why I voted. THAT is why my ancestors immigrated here from Germany and Poland and Hungary and and and...  THAT is why my family was able to survive and thrive. That is why I'm here. That is why many, if not most of us are here.

my great grandmother, Belle (third from left) with her parents and nine siblings, 1916

my girls; this morning

AMERICA, you guys. We are HERE. We are citizens of this place where we win and we lose and we come together to help each other and we rebuild and we stand in lines because we MATTER.

We matter and I believe with all my heart, so do our choices. As voters and parents and human beings,  we can choose to support one side without ripping into the other. We can celebrate our wins without booing those who voted against us, speak our minds without criticizing the minds of those who think differently, hold hands without rolling our eyes.

And to quote Thomas Jefferson (thanks, George Takei and thank you, Wendy Woolf) I believe that not only is it  possible to stay friends with those who share a difference of politics, opinion, religion and philosophy, it is ourduty as citizens of the world and mentors to tomorrow's leaders.

Because if we can't get along as adults how can we expect our children to?

They're watching us.

They're listening and they're watching and they're learning how to be adults. So let's show them. Or at the very least, humor them with grace. 

GGC