Category Archives: Family

Oh, Back Then!

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I have wonderful memories of back in the day. People were even different than they are today.

Times have changed drastically. Things are nowhere near as they used to be.

I am glad I had a good childhood and grew up during the time/decade that I did.

I was born in the 70’s, came up in the early eighties to being able to leave our doors unlocked in the spring and summertime when us children would and could stay out all day long running/playing around our neighborhood without a care in the world.

Going back and forth to the store to buy goodies, going back and forth in and out of the house for whatever activity or sport we had come up with, or planned. Whether we had to get or take our bikes, hula-hoops, jump ropes, a bathroom break, a drink of water and whatever else tickled our fancy.

And to speak about getting water, us children used to take short cuts just to head to the backyard to splash and drink from the water hose!

Our parents did not constantly have to keep an eye on us- we ran free.

None of us were in danger of violence or any violent act happening, or committed upon us.

We knew to be cautious or careful, in general, but our lives were never in danger as are today with stray bullets flying, assaults, kidnappings, and the such.

All we worried about was not missing out on all our fun, having enough money to catch the ice cream truck on time when he came around, and hoping not to get called in the house too early after nightfall.

We loved to get the chance to stay out until 10pm or a little later enjoying those innocent fun-filled summer nights!

 

Black-Eyed Peas

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If one is from the south, black-eyed peas may be a favorite staple.

I am a born and raised New Yorker, but my mother’s side of the family came from Virginia (My father’s side of the family who I did not grow up around are from South Carolina. My great-grandmother on my mother’s father’s side came from North Carolina).

I had plenty of that delicious variety of hearty southern rooted grub during childhood on up in my household.

I still love and eat black-eyed peas till this day.

These legumes are so quick to prepare compared to other beans and peas and they are very tasty.

Black-eyed peas naturally come with health benefits that impart adequate nutrition toward one’s lifestyle.

One of the downsides of eating peas and beans regularly is that it can cause a build-up of intestinal gas.

Nevertheless, over time some of our bodies learn to adapt and we experience less bloating and other discomfort.

I remember back in the day my mother’s family used to cook neck-bones with black eyed peas, oxtail with black-eyed peas and stew beef with black-eyed peas or potatoes.

I currently love and eat my black-eyed peas seasoned with pepper, onion, garlic, oregano and a little basil over rice.

I never cook with salt.

To me, the flavor of prepared dry black-eyed peas is good enough to go without any herbs or spices added to them.

 

 

 

Cleaning Supplies

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Bending and stretching can seem like a strenuous workout while one is doing household cleaning.

I cleaned my bathroom today.

Nothing comes in handy the way Ajax/Comet and Brillo pads do!

They both get those tough, resistant stains out completely with steady force.

Clorox all purpose, Fantastic with a “k” at the end, Lysol and 409 cleaning and disinfectant sprays additionally help to do a great job too as I also had a few of them on hand!

My family always had Brillo pads and Comet in the house when I was growing up. My mother was fierce when it came to cleaning with these excellent supplies.

Last Night: The Evening Before Christmas Eve 🎄

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People were active and about last night, crowds in the stores doing last minute shopping for Christmas dinner, Christmas presents, and whatever else.

It was cold and windy out, but I braved through the brutal temperatures to pick up extra food and toiletries to cover me for the weekend.

 

The Best Presents Come Unwrapped

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As children and even adults our parents want us to be happy. They always want the best for us.

Christmas used to be a fun, engaging time.

Back in the day the event was magnetically festive and energetic- exhibiting the true nature or spirit of what Christmas inhabited.

Many adults love to anticipate the receiving of gifts, but it is the children which served the ultimate excitement and joy.

Christmas never went by when I did not receive presents under the tree as a kid.

Despite the fact, my mother acknowledged there may come a time during Christmas when she may not be able to get me anything due to possible unpredictable events.

The day did come once, however, I was old enough where it did not matter.

We had a home that was secure, our bills were paid, we had food to eat, we had love around us, we had good health, we had God watching over us and our family members, and we had a long future to look forward to- those were the greatest gifts of all.

So, even though my mother enjoyed wrapping Christmas presents to surprise me the best presents came unwrapped, already out in the open to never be a lack thereof.

 

The Chimney Gave It Away!

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As a child, and far before my time, parents told their children about Santa Claus as well as the tooth fairy.

The tooth fairy I never believed in as the concept made no sense.

I liked the idea and the impersonations of Santa’s at school or at the mall. The actors on television, the animations that portrayed Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Santa’s elves and Santa’s reindeer- I mean who did not love Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?

But when it came to the story of Santa Claus being real, I had my doubts.

I wanted to believe he was real as a kid; however, things just did not add up for me.

Number one, Santa was too heavy for the reindeer to carry his sleigh- and what was there to keep the reindeers able to fly up into the air?

Number two, we did not have a chimney in my family home so where was Santa Claus going to slide down?

It all sounded good for imaginary fun or entertainment, nevertheless, the notion was not easy for me to agree with even at a young age.

I decided to test what I had been told. On Christmas eve I sat up in the two front attic windows of my home before midnight. When midnight came, I did not see Santa, his sleigh, or reindeers loaded with gifts making their way over my neighbors’ rooftops.

I said to myself, “He’s not coming”, Santa Claus’s not showing up a confirmation to the doubts I already had.

After I made my way from the attic steps outside the door, my youngest aunt had said to me inside the hallway, “Toya- there isn’t any Santa Claus”.

My mother laughed when I informed her about my investigation and ended her humor with “Your nosey little butt up in that window”.

It was better for me to know the truth anyhow because it was more exciting for me as a child to have my own parents buy me gifts than to have some old guy who flew in the sky.

Wholesome Fun With Food

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It is a wise idea for parents to teach their children early the importance of healthy eating.

Let it be a part of bonding or a hobby when it comes to spending quality time with one another.

Whether it is shopping at the grocery, preparing recipes, or cooking meals, make eating a fun and exciting activity that outlines the benefits of what good nutrition has to offer.

 

 

Onions And Garlic

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I love onions. They are so strong within smell and taste. Powerful enough to literally bring tears to our eyes while we slice and handle them.

This pungent vegetable has always been a favorite of mine whether eaten raw or cooked. Onions bring out a distinct flavor along with garlic.

I love red onions in my salad. Biting into the crunchiness of the flesh causes a natural tingle and sting that indicates how potent the onions are.

When I swallow red onions a burning sensation flows through my nostrils, sometimes so bad that I have to pause before continuing to eat them.

Garlic burns too, and I love it!

The harsh tingles are nature’s release of inherent nutrients, purifiers, and restoration properties in action. They stimulate to take affect within the body.

Onions and garlic contribute highly to good health and well-being.

My grandfather used to make natural tonics- from onions that worked to knock out the common cold virus quickly. He grew up in the south, learning how to use herbs, spices, and vegetables as healing remedies from his grandmother.

Onion rings were an appetizer I once enjoyed but cut out due to it not being wise to make a habit out of eating fried foods.

When it comes to the spicy vegetable garlic, I use the contents of the bulb on just about everything!

Garlic also works as a beneficial antibiotic. I substituted garlic capsules for one of my dogs years ago until I was able to bring her to the vet to get her some amoxicillin. The garlic had really helped my dog out a lot.

 

 

The Best Times To Feed Our Dogs?

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If we were to directly ask our dogs when is the best time they’d like to eat I am sure their response would be, “Anytime is just fine with me!”- latoya lawrence 

 

I do not want to generalize because dogs all have their own dispositions and distinct preferences just as us people do.

However, I am pretty sure that if most dogs had it their way, they would be ready to eat all day long if we allowed them to.

So, while pet owners have various types of personal relationships with their dogs- some strict, some lenient, some a bit of both, some who just take natural moments of love, care, patience and attentiveness as they come.

Everyone does not tend to feed their dog on a precise day to day schedule, or even three times a day.

Some people feed their dogs throughout the day.

All that matters is what works out best for the pet, their owners, or the family.

If the dogs are being fed a healthy diet with portions suitable to their requirements everything should be fine.

One dog of mine would always get fed regular meals yet still make rounds in the house to other family members for extras.

I remember occasionally her belly would be so full that we could see it, and we would laugh and joke about how she hustled additional food from everybody.

Once she was satisfied, she went and nonchalantly rested her body in total contentment.

This was a healthy dog who ate table food and lived for a long time.

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving is a day celebrated once every year.

A time of gathering for family and friends to spend quality time with one another and to enjoy the feast at a table giving thanks for everything that they fortunately have.

I stopped officially celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas around the age of twelve along with certain other holidays.

To me, they were just ordinary days that were commercialized.

Like I have said many times before- every day is a day to be thankful.

Christmas is really in honor of the birth of Jesus, not a day symbolized to give out and to receive presents.

Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus not a day to acknowledge the relation of any “bunny”.

Nevertheless, Thanksgiving serves a purpose.

Not the purpose in the design of false stories of history or for profit, but for the purpose of a reminder.

A reminder to always be grateful and to show gratitude to God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take The Time To Unwind

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Of course, a bath or a shower is soothing, relaxing, rejuvenating, refreshing and therapeutic.

I loved taking bubble-baths as a child. Back then in the early 80’s there was a popular bath product called Calgon with the television commercial slogan “Calgon take me away”.

I was one in my youth who sat back- even playful- in a hot tub full of foamy bubbles having a good time in the water!

 

 

Everyone should take the time out to pamper themselves alone in private, undisturbed in the quiet of the moment, or with calming/easy listening music.

I use to watch television while in the tub during childhood.

My mother sat a small size black and white TV inside the bathroom from time to time to keep us entertained as we took our separate baths.

I have such fond childhood memories.

 

 

The Beauty And Power Of Love

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I am not one who loves easily. If I love someone they definitely have to be worth it- latoya lawrence

 

Love is beautiful.

I had a lot of love in my life growing up, true unconditional love.

Real love never dies.

There is strength and confidence within love.

 

 

Love cannot be bought or sold. The price of love is invaluable, immeasurable, and worth more than what anyone could ever be able to afford.

So precious is this life-giving emotion, so wonderful is its essence.

Fortunate is those who have loved, and who know the genuine meaning of love.

 

Mirth

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Laughter is indeed the best medicine. A remedy to many situations.

I am talking about genuine amusement and lightheartedness.

Not an act of charade or a phony display of spiritedness.

I come from a family of naturally humorous people and we never tried to be funny.

Of course, what is comical to one or a few is not comical to all as everyone has their own individuality.

Yet, we were one’s who could see and find the humor within the most so called tragic of situations.

We also viewed the brighter, meaningful side of things realistically.

There was literally never a day that went by where my mother and I never laughed or joked around with one another.

Our family members made us laugh, we even laughed at ourselves.

There is a difference between being silly and having a healthy sense of humor.

Mindless, foolish, stupidity is not my idea of hilarity. It is just pure nonsense.

It is very important to not take things too seriously, but know what to take serious if it applies.

Have fun when one can. Enjoy life in the way that appeals to one.

Never let anyone or anything steal away the joy one has inside.

 

 

 

Yesterday Evening Dinner

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I had a nice and quiet enjoyable evening yesterday. Full of peace and comfort.

I stopped personally-in my heart-celebrating Thanksgiving years ago (just like all the repetitive holidays), it’s just another day to me.

Nevertheless, I fixed and served sliced turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy along with string beans and diced carrots.

I didn’t eat any turkey or mashed potatoes.

I ate a purely vegan meal last night. When I eat mashed potatoes for myself I cook and eat them without the use of any animal fats or ingredients.

 

 

Delicious Healthy Oats!

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Above is an actual camera photo I took earlier today of my delicious steel cut oats!

They came out so perfect within taste. As usual, I mixed in some extra thick whole grain rolled oats without any sugar, milk (vegan) or fruit.

I only use and eat Bob’s Red Mill oat products. “Nature’s Path” original instant oatmeal and “Mom’s Best Cereals” quick oats are also both high quality non gmo brands I purchase for my aunt who loves and eats the instant version of oatmeal.

When I purchase oats I look for only natural 100% whole grain oats without any fortified vitamins or sugar added into the product.

I’d rather add my own extra ingredients that I choose to if preferred than to have over-processed unhealthy amounts of derivatives sneaked or placed into my food.

Oatmeal

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Ever since childhood I’ve been a fan of oats/oatmeal ingredients. I loved oatmeal cookies and oatmeal granola.

Now as an adult I’ve developed the taste for hot oatmeal cereal. I didn’t like oatmeal for breakfast growing up. When a lady where I worked at offered and made me a bowl months ago I was hooked.

Wheat farina is what I was raised up on and loved. Then, once I had gotten older and experimented with hot oat bran cereal I no longer desired the farina, and now that I have sampled hot oatmeal again in my latter years I don’t really want anymore of the oat bran cereal too often.

One of my aunts loves oat meal too, she’s always been a fan of the breakfast cereal, though. I fix her a bowl or two just about every day. She eats the instant. I don’t care for the instant oatmeal I eat steel cut oats and mix it in with extra thick rolled oats when I cook them, and those steel cut oats make the cereal all so delicious.

I don’t need or eat my oatmeal with any additives. I boil the oats with water without the use of sugar, milk (vegan) or fruit as the choice is just my preference.

 

 

Sandwiches And Cold Cuts

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I was up and about early yesterday morning trotting around in Manhattan, New York

I had gotten my hands on a heated, cutely packaged, and healthily prepared sandwich.

The roasted onion, garlic, tomato, kale, olive oil and mozzarella melted on chicken layered inside of hero bread was what I picked out to bring as a treat home to my mother.

She praised the sandwich. “It’s on the style of a vegetarian type of sandwich”, she had said to me after eating the food.

My mom loves her sandwiches and I often inspire her to eat healthy.

I buy her boar’s head cold cuts to put on whole wheat bread or the stonefire brand of roasted garlic naan flatbread I introduced her to, though, I’ve never actually eaten the product myself.

I have an eye for what I know she’d probably like and she really enjoyed the flatbread so I continued to get it for her from time to time.

I always read ingredients before making a purchase, however, my mother isn’t as picky as I am when it comes to certain food, and she isn’t vegan, vegetarian, or pollo pescetarian, but she does like vegan and vegetarian dishes.

What I appreciate about boar’s head is they don’t use animal rennet for their cheese only vegetable rennet.

They also have an organic non gmo selection of natural crafted cold cuts to choose from. I purchased the “Simplicity” mild cheddar cheese and roasted turkey breast once.

 

Bad Bodily Odors

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One doesn’t have to work in the medical field or as a caregiver to come across some of the worst odors.

We often smell a lot of funk through out everyday life depending where we’re at and who we are around.

It’s just those of us who’ve held jobs within a healthcare setting tend to and are more prone to encounter bad hygiene at an enormous rate as our workplaces cater primarily to people and wellness issues.

An array of individuals commonly walk through the doors and occupy residence at hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.

Us people who undertake caregiver roles deal with people constantly all day long on a day to day basis with all type of conditions and ailments and are bound to definitely come into contact with notorious odor.

I remember how once, before I ever thought about working in the medical/ healthcare field, my mother and I were inside the emergency room of a hospital when this bum came in drooling from the mouth with a tall can of beer.

After he’d sat and been there for a while, a female medical technician who’d entered the lobby of the place from time to time finally went to respond to him.

Once she fully observed him and paid more attention to him she noticed his behavior, appearance, and the can of beer he had brought in with him.

The medical technician turned to look at my mother and I and said “Why didn’t you tell me he had a can of beer? She then said aloud, “Oh great, now I’m going to have to deal with his stinking feet”.

I internally sympathized with her because she seemed like a decent person of substance.

With all of this lady’s experience and familiarity within her field of work she knew just by looking at the man what she was in for by having to attend to him that evening.

Some people’s feet smell so bad that it’s impossible to get the odor out of fabrics.

There was a guy who came to my house once and he had his bare feet resting against the carpet of the room.

The odor had gotten trapped into the carpet and no matter how much I vacuumed the odor wouldn’t leave or fade away I even tried sprinkling baking soda to kill the smell and that was useless.

I ended up having to eventually pull up the carpet to throw it away.

I’ve also been in a house with a guy who’s odor was so bad the funk had gotten embedded within the mattress and he was well aware of the problem as he told me he had tried everything from ammonia to drive away the smell yet it was still set in.

These occurrences are nothing new.

I remember a neighbor of mine had to throw away her upholstered chair on account of another female neighbor who had smelled it up so bad.

A relative of mine had to throw away an article of clothing she had loaned to one of her great-nieces because her underarms had stunk up the material and ruined the chance of her ever wearing the item again.

There are so many experiences I could share too many to write about, stories in which would make one holler, “Woo!”

Natural Sources Of Vitamin C

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Are you getting enough of that Vitamin C?

If anyone, in general, is a smoker they definitely need some as smoking depletes the body of this wonderful nutrient.

I made sure relatives of mine who smoked had gotten their continuous adequate amounts of vitamin C.

Vitamin C is very good for circulation, blood vessels, wound healing (silica is also excellent for tissue repair), and a healthy immune system. I know, I’ve been taking vitamin C for years, within supplement form as well as in fruit and vegetable form.

Vitamin C is also good for teeth and bone health (silica is also excellent for the bones too) as well as other vital bodily functions.

Some of my favorite juices and foods contain and are naturally high in vitamin C.

I use to buy and eat fresh pineapples constantly in my younger days I still buy and drink pineapple juice in the current, along with the sour temptations of lemons and lemonade.

I eat tomatoes and I love tomato juice as well as tomato soup.

Of course, oranges are full of natural vitamin C and I eat plenty of those as well.

Cantaloupe and watermelon are also good sources of vitamin C.

And, don’t forget apples and apple juice which have their fair share of naturally incorporated vitamin C.

 

Apple Pie And Apple Sauce (Applelicious Is Apple Wholesome)

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I love apples, especially the yellow ones.

I love apples that are both sweet and tart I love biting into the juicy and crisp flesh of the fruit. I don’t like apples that are kind of soft, they’ve got to be firm.

The Red Delicious and the Granny smith variety are my favorites, McIntosh are okay but those other three are my specialties.

I was never a major pie eater as I never cared much for pie the only type of pie I would eat was homemade sweet potato growing up. My mother liked pies and when she tried pumpkin pie for the first time a few years back she told me it tasted similar to sweet potato pie yet it was even better. So she is now fond of pumpkin pie.

I never tried Pumpkin pie though I do love apple pie. Apple pie is my mother’s favorite among all the other pies she’s eaten also. My mother reminisced to me how in down south Virginia our family use to make some yummy apple pies from scratch with fresh granny smith green apples.

I use to eat apple pies frequently during my twenties, I loved biting and chewing into the crust of the pie as the whole entire parts of the pastry was so delicious, and I use to drink cold milk along with eating them.

There were certain types of pie that I didn’t like and didn’t want to eat I’d just nibble on the crust because I wasn’t fond of the fruity sections prepared within the pies. Apple pie was the only pie that I could delightfully stomach down, I guess it all depends on how a pie is crafted.

Applesauce was a dessert I’ve always eaten and enjoyed I also like it blended with cinnamon spice. I had purchased the Santa Cruz brand organic applesauce a few times in the past and the product was of very good quality. Applesauce tastes really good cold and it is a really healthy light food to snack on.

My mother fed me applesauce as a child just as I’m sure a lot of our parents have, and it is loved, and a favorite, among the young and the old. It is a pleasant option for those who have to eat pureed foods and a convenient way for some to help swallow a pill down with, or to mix powdered medicine into for a tolerable intake.

Apple juice, another treasure and extension to indulge in, is a drink we constantly keep in the house as the beverage is both nutritious and healing for the body.

What would we do if we didn’t have apples to incorporate into the various forms of our diets? I don’t even want to imagine a circumstance of that nature, not the way I love to eat apples, apple pie, applesauce, and drink apple juice.

If I loss my “apples” I’d probably end up in the “nut” house. Nevertheless, nuts are nutritious too.

Potatoes

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One can do so many things with potatoes.

They can be baked, fried, boiled, mashed and turned into a variety of scrumptious dishes to enjoy.

I just made some potatoes yesterday. I cut eight whole potatoes in half and placed them into a pot of water seasoned with onion, garlic, cumin, thyme, pepper, salt, oregano and parsley.

When they were done and the majority of water had boiled out of the pot I scooped them onto a plate and spread a plant-based butter made with olive oil over them and they came out fantastic. They were the texture of luscious baked potatoes, they had boiled perfectly.

My favorite of all potato dishes have and will always be French fries.

There is nothing like homemade fries cooked in sunflower oil. I peeled, cut up, and fried so many potatoes when I was younger that I knew which type of oil brought out the best taste within them above all the others.

I even fried and ate so many homemade French fries one night that my body had absorbed too much grease and my stomach felt like it was split in half. I’m so glad my mother knew exactly to give me an alka seltzer back then it had cured the problem almost immediately.

Cigarettes

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I’ve never smoked. I never had the desire to, and I don’t ever plan to.

Everyone within the home I grew up in smoked.

It is a nasty habit and one in which is quite addictive to the point of some individuals lighting and trying to get a drag from the filter of a cigarette butt.

The act of puffing on a stem of tobacco loaded with harmful additives made no sense to me.

The smoke from cigarettes is annoying to me as it goes up my nostrils to burn and to interrupt my breaths of clean, fresh air. It’s bad enough we have to inhale the pollutants and toxins within the outdoor air I didn’t need to inhale the poison in my home too.

These chemicals such as nicotine and the like sneak and get inside our bodies without us even using or indulging in the substance.

My doctor found a touch of nicotine in my urine once and she told me it was from second hand smoke. I was so disgusted.

When I smell people smoking drugs such as marijuana or cess I get sick to my stomach and sometimes have to take a poop as my body is stimulated to release out the toxins I had caught a whiff from.

I’m not knocking anyone who smokes I just don’t understand the point within doing so.

 

Interracial Couples/Relationships

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If some people date and get married outside of their race who cares?

How does it affect the lives of others except for those who are negative and don’t know how to unjustifiably stay out of other peoples business.

I’d be more concerned about an undesirable mating with someone of substance, regardless of whatever race they are from because trash and degenerate people come within all colors, ethnicities, and nationalities, as this is a significant factor to mess up the bloodline.

Those are the type and kinds of people who need to stick with their own kind.

It shouldn’t be about color or race, but about one’s level and mentality, one’s character and dignity.

If specific people are able to relate to one another, love and respect one another, they have every right to peacefully join together with each other, whether in friendship or within companionship.

In reality, there will always be individuals who stubbornly hold their prejudices and cause friction on account of their hatred or intolerance yet it shouldn’t hinder anyone from being with who they want, being who they are, and living how they want to live.

 

Same Sex Couples

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We almost cannot say gay, lesbian, or homosexual, or anything anymore because so many people are taking offense to certain labels and remarks whereas many others of us don’t mean any harm.

People are getting into trouble for just voicing their opinions and truths and some of this nonsense has gone too far.

This “me too” movement and the recognition of intolerance for discrimination against all category of people is indeed great, however, some people need to cool down and at the same time don’t start to take away our freedom of speech within the long run.

People are scared to speak on certain things due to the fact they could lose everything depending on what position and what area of employment and life they’re situated in.

Nevertheless, I’ll continue to speak my mind.

I don’t care who has sexual relations with who. Whether it is two men together, two women together, a man and a woman together, or people who are bisexual and go both ways.

I could care less as their lifestyle and the nature in which some of them were born has absolutely nothing to do with me or my life.

I’ve never had any personal negative feelings towards them. They are regular people just like everyone else who have their own preferences. I like individuals who are different and this is a versatile world.

I’m asexual, and proud to be, and one should be proud of who they are, and able to live in peace. I judge people by their character not by their ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Why people are hostile toward gays, lesbians, and transgender is beyond me. What they do and how they live their life should not matter to anyone if they are not bothering anyone and are not a danger to society. And, anyone can be a danger to society regardless of their sexuality.

People going around hating, assaulting, and killing other people simply because they are not heterosexual is ridiculous.

So Chocolate

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My mother made some chocolate cupcakes a few days ago with cake mix. The aroma smelled so good as the dessert baked.

I don’t eat chocolate. The doctor told me to stay away from chocolate and coca cola when I was a young child. I use to get unbearable stomach aches and my physician had determined the reason was from my consumption of eating the chocolate and drinking the coca cola.

I was allowed to drink 7up and Sprite and other light colored sodas but no Dr. Pepper or Rootbeer. I never liked Dr. Pepper and Rootbeer anyway.

A paramedic once asked me if I had any allergens and I told him about what the doctor had diagnosed many years ago before and the medical technician told me that it was probably due to the caffeine in the chocolate and dark sodas.

Chocolate was my favorite flavor when I was a kid I wanted chocolate everything. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, chocolate donuts, chocolate candy, especially Hershey’s kisses and candy bars.

However, I did of course, leave all of the chocolate alone. Vanilla became my favorite flavor, chiefly french vanilla.

My mother’s cupcakes reminded me of the old days. I remember when we use to bake cakes all of the time and how she would buy chocolate morsels and make homemade chocolate chip cookies from scratch.

As I was growing up I ate yellow cakes with white icing along with oatmeal, ginger, coconut, and vanilla cookies.

I haven’t been too much of a sweets eater since my teens on up into adulthood, however, I do occasionally get those natural “sweet tooth” urges, those moments when I desire to indulge in a tasty dessert, or two. I just eat health consciously, ensuring the products are made with the specific ingredients of quality and preference.

 

The Fourth Of July/Comfort For Our Canine Companions

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Around 3a.m. this morning I was up with my television set tuned to a news broadcast that mentioned the 4th of July being a day in which most dogs run away from home just before switching to a commercial break.

I figured the instance probably had to do with the explosive sounds of the fireworks lit in celebration of Independence day.

When the station switched back to the news program a segment on the issue was aired going further into detail about the anxiety some of our canine companions go through during the July 4th holiday, and as I thought, of course, it pertained to the noise and electrifying sparks of those loud fireworks.

I understood completely. When I was a kid I hated the sounds firecrackers and M-80s made yet loved to see the beautiful arrangement of bursting colors that shot out into the sky with a more appealing explode.

My dog didn’t like the sounds of fireworks either but it was never an annoyance to provoke her to run away from home. She’d either run close to one of us (her family members) for comfort and protection or run under some furniture to hide as she did from the loud harsh sounds of thunder when it rained.

My dog use to hang out with us on the stoop as we’d watch people light up the streets of our block on this holiday occasion back in the day.

 

Obese Children

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I come from a very large family and in the summer of 1983 some relatives from down in my grandmother’s (my mother’s mother) hometown state of Virginia came up to New York to visit us for a week.

It was one of my grandmother’s sisters, her niece, her niece’s husband, and their two sons.

The youngest son was three years of age and looked to be about one hundred pounds. The little boy was so heavy that he had to crawl backwards just to make it down from the staircase.

His mother had brought along for their vacation his packed items of unhealthy snacks which were four cans of corn chips, cheese balls, and some other junk food.

What happened to the old hearty home cooked nourishing meals the family use to constantly prepare, serve, and feed off to the rest of the family?

I guess my grandmother’s niece hadn’t picked up on the tradition of her own mother’s household from years back.

Nevertheless, why let your kid get fat off of a bunch of unhealthy junk food? Shouldn’t she have been feeding him meat and vegetables and feeding him junk snacks sparingly if it was necessary at all for his young age?

I was about eight years old at the time and the three year old boy who was my second cousin cried at the time because I had eaten some dinner that was made for everyone. The child was so spoiled from constantly being fed all kinds of shit by his mother that he wanted to eat up everything there in sight.

My mother nicknamed him butterball.

It wasn’t until I got older and was strolling through the aisle in the supermarket that I realized she was referring him to the likes of a Butterball Turkey.

The mother of this young child was one of my mother’s first cousins, and to me, this kind of behavior was a form of child neglect and abuse. This kid who actually appeared to be one hundred pounds had no business getting to be that size for three years of age.

He was too big and had gained too much weight from eating too much of the wrong things.

My mother had to send her relatives home sooner than the week that was planned for them to stay at our home. The boy was causing too many problems as he whined from walking down the street.

His weight made him tired, sore, and lazy just from keeping mildly active. When he couldn’t get out of the car that his parents drove his mother asked my mother to pick him up and bring him out of the vehicle.

His mother was also on the heavy side and was a bit too lazy herself to go and lift up her son.

We all had took an outing on the circle liner boat ride in Manhattan and he had a fit about getting his way, and so on.

So my mother sent them all on home packing early one 4am morning.

 

 

Full Figured Women

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I come from a family of women that are within all sizes. Some are petite, some are average, and some are heavy.

My relatives are native southerners rooted in Meadville Virginia (Halifax County) and they weren’t ashamed of anything. The women were strong and independent and very hard and good workers. They didn’t get vexed by nonsense and persevered through grave times.

Weight had never been an issue with the women on my mother’s side of the family they weren’t self conscious about anything concerning their bodies. And I relate to them so well within mindset.

Often in general, there is talk among and about many women as well as men who are overweight, plump, or even considered too skinny. I never understood the degree in which some individuals place themselves in as well as others.

I and the particular members of my family would neither desire nor attempt to meet anyone’s criteria of what their appearance should resemble. Approval depends on no one but us and within our own selves and to our own liking. We weren’t the type to seek out acceptance from anyone including the world around us.

I can see if ones weight is a problem due to health matters and ease of comfort and the such but for mere public opinion I don’t see it. If one is happy with oneself that is pounds enough to carry around proudly.

The heavy women in my family were literally beautiful. They kept themselves neat and clean with stern and pleasant attitudes and confidently wore their weight well.

 

 

Hearty Meals

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Most of my family and people who I know are meat eaters and I’m fine with that. To each his or her own.

Everyone isn’t cut out to be vegan, vegetarian, or polo pescetarian (one able to eat chicken and seafood through a modified vegetarian diet yet strictly does not eat any form of red meat or pork).

My mother loves her burgers and pork chops!

We come from a family of farmers from down south Halifax, Virginia where my great-grandmother (my mother’s mother’s mother) and her husband and children would produce and sell their own original goods.

Born into a bloodline of hardworking southern cooks who genuinely dolled up and prepared healthy, nutritious, hearty meals that well-fed the entire household put a stamp on what we was accustomed to and till this day there is no exception.

As long as my mother eats healthy I’m happy for her and just make sure to pick out quality choices when I do the grocery shopping.

Just because an item is labelled vegan/vegetarian doesn’t at all mean that it is necessarily good or nutritious.

My mother does love some of my vegan and vegetarian selections though and agrees that their better than the other traditional products in certain areas. And a few have become her favorites!