Lift every voice and sing

 Today ends the month long celebration of Black History Month. What better way to end this month's celebration  than to share a portion of the lyric's from James Weldon Johnson's song, Lift Every Voice and Sing. 

Lift every voice and sing

Till earth and heaven ring

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the listening skies

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea

Sing a song full of the faith the dark past has 

taught us

Sing a song full of hope that the present has

brought us

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun

Let us march on till victory is won

Stony the road we trod

Bitter the chastening rod

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died

Yet with a steady beat

Have not our weary feet

Come to the place for which our fathers sighed? 

We have come over a way that with tears have been 

watered ...

James Weldon Johnson had originally written this as a poem. It was later set to music by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson.  James Weldon Johnson was an American author, educator, attorney, diplomat ,  civil rights activist, and songwriter.

Jaz, Pet of the week

The definition of Jazz: A genre of American music that originated in New Orleans circa 1900 characterized by strong, prominent meter, improvisation, distinctive tone colors and performance techniques, and dotted or syncopated rhythmic patterns. This definition is  from Britannica. 

The pet of the week shares the same name, with the exception of the spelling.  This little cutie is three months old and is a Shih-Poo. What a bundle of cuteness.  His name is Jaz.  His black and white colors remind me of the colors of a piano keyboard.  Special thanks to my cousin for sharing this picture. 

Friendship Friday

Real friendships are not about the adding of favors or gifts or the subtraction of all the missteps. It is a wonderful mixture countless texts, phone calls, emails, lunches, brunches, trips, meetings, shopping trips, celebrations, tears, miscommunication, anniversaries, birthdays, virtual meetings, and reconnection. Paulo Coelho states it so much better. 

"Friendship isn't a

big thing 

it's a 

million little things.

Paulo Coelho

Tasty Tuesday

 "A cupcake is a small cake designed to serve one person, which may baked in small thin paper or aluminum cup. As with larger cakes, frosting and other cake decorations such as fruit and candy may be applied." Wikipedia

Look at the artful decoration on this cupcake. It was as delicious! 

Monday Musings ... happiest

 "The happiest people

are those 

that do 

the most

for others."

Booker T. Washington 

Football Friday

 While the temperature may be 22 degrees it does not keep our neighbors from throwing the football. It is such dedication! What is your passion in life? Where do you invest you time, talent and treasure. 

Dedication to practicing football can translation into other areas of our lives...  

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

"Your TALENT determines what you can do. Your MOTIVATION determines how much you are willing to do. Your ATTITUDE determines how well you will do it." Lou Holtz

Earlier this afternoon, our neighbors were practicing throwing the football. What do I see... talent, motivation and great attitudes.  

Snow

 "He had read somewhere that the Eskimos had over two hundred different words for snow without which their conversations would have probably have got very monotonous. So they would distinguish between thin snow and thick snow, light snow and heavy snow, sludgy snow, brittle snow, snow that came in flurries, snow that came in drifts, snow that came in on the bottom of your neighbors boots all over your nice clean igloo floor, the snows of winter, the snows of spring, the snows you remember from your childhood that much better that any of your modern snow, fine snow." 

Author:  Douglas Adams

... in our day

"A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. 

On shigionoth

LORD, I have heard of your fame;

I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.

Repeat them in our day,

in our time make them known;

in wrath remember mercy.

Pet of the week, Luna

 

Luna is a  Shih Tzu!  Did you know that this is a toy breed and was bred in Tibet? Where is Tibet? According to Wikipedia, Tibet is on the northern side of the Himalayas and is an autonomous region of China. 

It is a coincidence, that I am posting Luna's picture during the beginning of the Chinese New Year. Chinese communities around the world  will celebrate 15 day festival until the new moon. 

Special thanks to Laura (my neighbor) for allowing me to take Luna's picture.  

Friendship Friday

 "A friend is someone who helps you when you're down,

and if they can't,

they lay down beside you and listen."

Winnie the Pooh

traveling by train ...

 Around seven years ago, I traveled from Ohio to Oregon.  Traveling by train was both thrilling and scary. I was also  able to enjoy some breathtaking views of the United States.

Traveling by train had been a dream of mine for years.  This dream was not shared by  my husband, relatives or friends.  I had to muster the courage and take the trip by alone. Why did I want to travel by train? The trip was purely for pleasure and to visit friends in Oregon and California.

Nearly two generations earlier... the reasons for traveling by train were vastly different. 

In 1916  thousands of African Americans would travel by train from the Deep South to the North in the hopes of creating a better life. Historians call this the Great Migration. According to www.britannica.com "The Great Migration was the movement of some six million African Americans from the rural areas of the Southern States of the United States to urban areas in the Northern states between 1916 and 1970. It came in two waves, basically before and after the Great Depression. " 

I wish I knew more about this picture I am sharing. The people, the luggage,  and their facial expressions all tell a story. I wonder why they were traveling by train. I also wish I give credit to the photographer. 

Wonder

 "I wonder

how the sky 

makes peace with 

every storm and 

then clears itself like

nothing happened. "

Funny Leone 

Tasty Tuesday

 I have been on culinary search for the best Chicken  Soup. Well, I have found a delicious recipe!  Giving a nod to Jonathan for finding this recipe for me. 

Tom Yum Gai (Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Soup)

This soup is delicious. I wish I had a better picture to share. 

Monday Musings ... happy endings

"Not everything in this life

has a happy ending, but this life is not the

end of the story."

Rick Warren

... this life is not the end of the story

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

Pink Goes Red Day

" Today, Alpha Kappa Alpha observes Pink Goes Red  Impact Day for Heart Health.  The facts are unconverted. Women of African descent have a 50 percent greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than any other racial group.  These same women have a higher rate of obesity and diabetes which puts this population at a higher risk for heart disease." Glenda Glovcr, President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. 

Information regarding heart health is available at your local American Heart Association. Heart Disease Resource is also available at the CDC Website. 

Exercise and eating healthy are staples of my daily life. Now, I am striving to  go to the next level by increasing exercise and trying new healthy recipes. What will you do to increase your heart healthy habits? 

Monday Musings

" It is easier to build strong children

that to repair

broken men."

Fredrick Douglass