Family Stories

This is the children's author that I was fortunate enough to meet and hang out with last weekend. She uses a lot of family stories and things that she has experienced(life) to write her books. This weekend I will have the time to pull out my stories again and write, write, write. Our family is so filled with funny stories and history that we could all write for years and not run out of material. I've learned that you can take the little things in life and use them to create a short story or even a book. Here's a funny story. When mama died and we had to break the news to Jada, she was only 3, it was very hard. Jason and Danielle were too emotional at the time so I had to tell her when she came home from daycare that day. She searched the house all over for her Nana. She turned to me and said "is she not ever coming back?" I said no but we will see her again in Heaven. She thought and thought for a while then she said to me....."If she's not coming back," Can I have her wheel chair? I heard Jason and Danielle's sobbing in the next room turn to laughter! That was the funniest thing and the thing that helped us to get througt that January day in 2004. We all have stories within us. It's up to us to preserve these stories for our children. So get yourself a journal or a blog and write you family stories. I wish I had written down every story that Daddy, Mamma and Majane had to share. Now it's too late, so don't wait.

Great Weekend with Books and Friends

This has been a very long two weeks for me. Two weekends working in a row, but it was worth it. The Library's Books Alive Book Festival was this weekend and I had the opportunity to hang out with a wonderful children's author all weekend, Deborah Wiles. She did presentations at two area schools as well as at the Festival. Not only do I love her books but I also really think she is a wonderful person. Some times you meet people that you like instantly and she was one of those kind of people. Her books are based on her life experience and family. I think the family part was what has me hooked on her books. Most of her books contain Black characters, one picture book "Freedom Summer," is based on a fictional story of two friends one black and one white and how they dealt with the closing of the public pool in a small town in Mississippi after the 1964 Civil Rights Act passed. skating rinks, schools, swimming pools, businesses all closed around the south so that our people wouldn't be able to use them. So much history in a 32 page picture book. I bought the book for Jada and had it signed by Deborah. Children need to know where we came from! What a great weekend. I am so inspired to continue with my writing of family stories. With help from God, who knows one day they could be published!

February is Birthday Month!

Smith and Elizabeth seemed to have had the majority of their children in 3 months out of the year. September, June and February. Bee was the only one born in March. We started this month with Barbara Jean on the 4th, Kitty and Bubbee on the 7th and my birthday will be on the 17th (hint). I can't believe that I will be 53. I remember thinking that 53 was old. Now I'm thinking it's the new 40. Seriously, I am happy that God has taken care of all of us this many years. Looking back I can recall Edna dropping me off at preschool as she drove to College. Mayjewel taking us down town to buy clothes for May Day celebration in Elementary school and keeping half the money for herself. And sneaking around the house listening in on guy talk with Bo and Bull and loving every minute of it. Oh and I can't forget about just making Kitty crazy every night cause she couldn't stand for me to touch her in bed (we shared a bed). She still can't stand it when we visit each other and have to sleep together. Well those were the days. For the Younger set reading this blog remember to dream big and follow those dreams. Don't take life for granted, praise God each and every day and learn to love, cause before you know it you too will be 53! Oh and Happy Birthday to Fred Sullivan tooo I forgot to call (sorry). Sonya and Mia also have February birthdays. Mia will be the big 30 on the 19th and I forget how old Sonya will be but her birthday is at the end of February. Happy February Birthdays!

Sunday Best!

Church was wonderful today. We had a great service and dinner afterward. It's great to go to church and get regenerated for the next week to come. Jada was looking quite pretty in church today so I thought I would share her with her kinfolks. Have a good week and God bless you.

Pictures from Pensacola

Here's a few snapshops of my Pensacola visits...........The Pierce Sisters were looking good! As you can see Maya and I were having a good time! Angela was taking the pictures so I didn't get any of her this time.

Long Weekend In Pensacola

Hey, I decided to take a break and go to Pensacola this weekend to visit, Bee, Angie and Maya. It was coooooooold, 27 degrees overnight. I saw Ice on my car! Driving through the pouring rain to get there on Saturday, I thought, "what am I doing?" But it has been so worth it. Shopping on Saturday was fun with Angela. Unfortunately Bee was on her way to a MLK event and fell in her yard. We took her to the ER and she checked out fine, just sore but no breaks or sprains. We went to Foley AL for more shopping on Sunday .......If you know me you KNOW that I am NOT a shopper but Angela is helping me work through my anti shopping issues :) Great bargains in Foley. They have a gigantic area of outlet stores. Deborah Pierce would have loved it! We went to a resturant called Lambert's Cafe, Home of the throwed rolls. That's right they literally throw hot rolls to you on request. Rolls were flying through the air all over the place. And the food..... it was over the top. You get a meat and two veggies plus people come around offering extra fixings....like peas, okra, fried potatos and onions, syrup and delicious apple butter. It was great fun. The waiters and waitresses also play tricks on customers that are just fun. I highly reccommend a weekend of shopping and eating and visitng with family. I will add photos of the trip as soon as I get them from Angela. I forgot my camera!

Wedding Bells

Dom Dom da Dom.....No not me silly, Kenney and Keesha. I got my "save the date" card in the mail and it was beautiful. I am so looking forward to visiting with my family in July in New Jersey. I'm overdue a trip to NJ but with the change of management at my job I've kind of been on lock down. Things have calmed down quite a bit but we are working on overdrive trying to get ready to move to our new location on 11th street. We will not be able to be off during spring break this year and I can only take a few days off this summer but I am going to pray that all goes well and I am able to attend the big day. I hope that all the "Pierce Family" members can make it too! So congratulations Kenney..."He who finds a wife finds a good thing." God Bless you one and all! San