Katandra Shanel's Blog: Life Is Just Awful. Ain't It?, page 6

Slightly Overwhelmed Reading

I must report, at current i'm reading 4 books at once. Is that possible? Technically no, I am not sitting with 4 books open wide before me, each page respecitvely exposed. It all began last October. I attended an event at downtown Atlanta (Auburn Ave. Library), met several motivating women, pulled inspiration from a place I was unaware of, shared a piece of myself with the audience and met Victoria Rowell. I purchased her memoir 'The Women Who Raised Me' I asked her to make the autograph out to my mother (whose favorite book by the way is The Holy Bible). The book was then relinquished to her care. Several months later I found the title collecting dust on her mockery of a bookstand. So I rescued the book during a visit and began only to stop at the end of the prologue. I've been on page 17 forever. During my visit I salvaged several reads from the local library book sale, amongst them 'Island Bliss' the book comprises of 4 stories by 4 different Authors. I completed story 2 about a week ago. A few days ago we went on a family outing. On the list of places we stopped, Barnes and Nobles was on the itenerary. YaY!! I picked up a copy of the 'Tao Te Ching' which I began reading immediately. It's a very deep book so I stop often to get a better understanding. Which leads us to the newest read... 'The Help'. The movie previews look good and I was guessing i'd catch it once it comes out on dvd but then I was invited to a special viewing of the movie, which will lead to a luncheon and questionaire. The event cooridinator stressed owning the book was not neccessary, but I just could not resist the urge which brings us to crazy number 4. It is slightly overwhelmed reading but i'm loving ever minute of it... On a different less hectic note, my first radio appearance was an amazing experience.


Midday Conversations with Cyrus Webb-- http://www.Blogtalkradio.com/middayco...


Katandra Shanel Jackson Taylor ©FreedomInk 2011
Visit my Author site and Like us on Facebook
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@soon2bmrstaylor {twitter}

Strength & Love

There is a nagging persistence, an importance to record my family lineage and pass the knowledge to my children so that they may recite to their own children some day, but more important than this is the need to know from whence one came. I'm afraid too many of us with any African ancestry may never know. How very sad. Still the information i've gathered and been privvy to is precious to me. I'm able to count back 6 generations from my own offspring. To some this is considered a big deal. It is to me. Counting back from their generation, my generation, that of my mothers, her mother, and her mother's mother, and my mother's mother's mother! Which leads me to Mary Collins (her maiden name yet another link, but one that is unfortunately lost). The name my southern family has grown roots from is Mosley... Mary Mosley, my great-great grandmother. This grandmother of whom i've only seen pictures but never heard a single story. Talk of her husband however is family legend. Jasper Mosley, the white councilman from my hometown. Research has led me to an 1880 census and I must admit i'm in a state of shock. The ties that bind-- see 2nd section. #45/#46 JasperMosley-- married male; age 13 and Mary Mosley-- married female; age 11!! 1880 Tattnall County Census. Wow. I can't believe I found em. 6 generations back from my own children. My great-great grandparents. I wonder how the world treated them in the late 1800's... 15 years after slavery ended. Him white and her black. I'm certain if I had the answer to this I could accomplish all things. One thing I do know is that my own branch stems from a seed of strength and love.

census finding-- http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/tatt...

Katandra Shanel Jackson Taylor ©FreedomInk 2011
Visit my Author site and Like us on Facebook
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@soon2bmrstaylor {twitter}

Not A Far Cry

School shopping has bought me face to face with an inevitable part of womanhood. That being, my little girls won't be little girls forever. Sometimes it seems like changes occur overnight. Voice changes, moodiness, height, curves and such... I don't get it! What happened? When did it happen? Did I millisecond blink? No more cami/tanks for my pre-teen "big girl". I'm looking for a 30A, as instucted by the young female sales associate who recently conducted her first fitting. It was like some sacred passage, a right to womanhood, the need (not the want as so many little girls experience the phase) but the 'need' [I reiterate] to wear a BRA. Today has been a crisp reminder that little girls grow up to be women! 30 A..? That's not a far cry from my 36 B. Then it really hits me. Already standing my height, eye to eye... She's still got that sweet cherub/china doll face, but as seasons change this does too... only remnants remain of that beloved 'baby fat'. Her fist pimple was discovered with much ad nauseum... "Mama, what is it? It hurts!" my youngest daughter interjects "You need some proactive." No, I need to freeze this moment in my mind because I know it won't be long before the face staring back at me is much like my own.


Katandra Shanel Jackson Taylor ©FreedomInk 2011
Visit my Author site and Like us on Facebook
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@soon2bmrstaylor {twitter}

Midnight Musings

I'm afraid i'll never claim a decent night's sleep ever again. As if the Insomnia that is a befriended foe was not bad enough. I just have to add to the equation the sleepless life of the Author. Mind you, this is not, I repeat... this is not a complaint but merely a confession. If it takes until daybreak to get my point across via the written word then I pray for eternal midnight..!

Katandra Shanel Jackson Taylor ©FreedomInk 2011
Visit my Author site and Like us on Facebook
http://www.freedomink365.com
@soon2bmrstaylor {twitter}

Allergies Be Damned

It's quite official, i'm the deranged feline chica now. Doesn't that sound so much cooler than Crazy Cat Lady? But in any language or particular play on words, she has become me!! Let me explain... It all began on a mid-summer's day, well actually it was mid-April... After much kitten searching, a visit to Atlanta’s Humane Society, and a very bad allergic reaction to a long haired mix... we're talking runny nose, scratchy throat, and near swollen shut bloodshot eyes. I was on the verge of giving up. Then my sister in law remembered a lady in her neighborhood that was looking for good homes for the strays she had taken in, had 'fixed' and given love to. A call turned into a cat search. Her neighbor, or crazy cat lady as i like to call her, kept calling the invisible cats, this done while frantically scratching her head! Fleas? Perhaps. Lol. Outside, no luck. Inside, cats amuck. They were everywhere. On top of pianos, under chairs, behind curtains. A long hair tuxedo caused me to cringe in pain, allergies! Then i saw her. This pretty girl... A domestic short hair, fur an ebony as black as a starless night with a thick white undercoat. A little skittish at first but sweet just the same. We adopted Justice Mackenzie 04/19/2011. Allergies be damned...

Katandra Shanel Jackson Taylor ©FreedomInk 2011
Visit my Author site and Like us on Facebook
http://www.freedomink365.com
@soon2bmrstaylor {twitter}

Men & Wrestling! Is There No Escape?

I never understood the concept of sitting in a vegetated state, staring at a faux drama unfold. One behind the other soap opera's played out on the television sets of millions. Maybe it was a 90's thing? I dunno, the whole era evades me but nonetheless it did not escape me. Neither then nor now. Subjected to the torture as a teen at the hands of my mother, she was a Bold and Beautiful, Guiding Light, As The World Turns follower. I've since grown up and in doing so have vowed to never let the sounds of such, such, such atrocity fill the confines of my home. Then I met the man of my dreams and he is mildly addicted to WWE and RAW. This is even worse than the melodramas my mother made me watch. No, this is much worst. Men parading in skimpys, all sweaty, muslces and veins popping out from places I wasn't aware of. Then there is the whole thing of a skit. I always thought two men get in a ring, tussle about, somebody rings a bell, holds up the arm of the victor and declare "WINNER"... now don't get me wrong, it goes something like that with what i'd like to call 'additives' sprinkled on top and spread throughout. It's like watching the worst soap opera. The pain is agonizing and i'm still lost. I guess there really is no escape...

Katandra Shanel Jackson Taylor ©FreedomInk 2011
Visit my Author site and Like us on Facebook
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Not so sweet G'Morning

A few months ago I went on this diet binge, forcing everyone in our home to ride this roller coaster with me. Cutting back on the salt and sodium in seasonings, counting calories before placing items in the grocery cart and again collectively at meal times. This was only the tip of the diet iceberg. In my stint I purchased a box of substitute sweetner. Truvia, and truly in my opinion it's substitute to chalk. A slight aftertaste and no likeness to sugar whatsoever. I pushed it behind the bags of sugar that reside in the overhead cabinets. Then the resurrection of the unlikely beast. Upon fixing my morning coffee, hoping today's start is better than my last nights ending... low and behold Truvia staring at me from the cupboards. NO SUGAR! So i'm forced to stir in a few packs, and i'm forced to swallow the semi-bitter coffee. This has turned out to be a not so sweet g'morning =(

Katandra Shanel Jackson Taylor ©FreedomInk 2011
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OW

A few days ago i'm looking for my cell phone charger. My bestie has just text me "lol" in reference to a joke I told. Hey i've got a sense of humer too. Anywho, I ask my teenage son if he knows where the charger is, his reply, "IDK" So i'm thinking WTF, it's a good thing I stay in the loop and was not completely lost, but I was still pretty taken aback. It was not quite the answer I was expecting. OW {oh well}

Katandra Shanel Jackson Taylor ©FreedomInk 2011
Visit my Author site and Like us on Facebook
http://www.freedomink365.com

Ladies...

I am convinced there are two types of men in this world. There is the man that is so selfish in his own need that his happiness is obtained at the death of your dreams. Then there is the man that fuels your every ambition and in doing so is made happy. I've been favored and divinely blessed to have in my life the latter.

Katandra Shanel Jackson Taylor ©FreedomInk 2011
Visit my Author site and Like us on Facebook
http://www.freedomink365.com

Two Days To Go

I'm very excited to be hosting my 1st online book review. I can't wait to get feedback from the readers! I'm dying to know what their opinion of my debut title, favorite part of the book, and what they are looking forward to in book 2 or from the author {ME!!} in general. Two more days to go...

Book review via FreedomInk @ Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/editprofile.p...