Harrison Is Pretty Randoms…

Saturday's high bun...For book club meeting

Am I the only one thinks this has been a long week? Geez, I am exhausted.

I am so glad I finally got my Scandal fix. Seriously, these past 3 weeks have been pure torture, what is one to do? I could watch the reruns, but seriously this show takes a lot out you emotionally and I just can’t watch the reruns. Yet. LOL!

So Beyonce is Satan now? Wow! You make a record basically to shut down your haters and folks think you are the devil. Seriously, the media is controlling too many people’s lives. Get you a life. And I ain’t even a Beyonce stan. Nobody has time for this shyte!

Speaking of Satan. I have been watching The Bible series, but I catch it on Lifetime, because I am working when it airs originally. So the Satan looks like President Obama? Seriously, people? Get you a damn life.

I can’t decide if I am doing a raised garden and/or a container garden. I love my flowers and I love saving money on fresh veggies, but I am going to be out of town a bit this summer and I fear my plants will suffer. We shall see. I have some seeds. Need soil and a new raised garden container. The one I have just didn’t survive the rainy winter we had. We shall see.

I need to tell my oldest niece that I will be twerking ala Miley Cyrus at her graduation brunch. I am so serious. Okay, I am kidding, but I want to see her face when I tell her what I am thinking about doing.

I almost got sucked in last Friday thinking Lil Wayne was on his death bed. Almost. But my sister reminded me I was on the slippery slope to being obsessive about it. She went through my bout after Aaliyah died. It was bad.

I need a new recipe for something anything. Nothing right now is grabbing me and seducing me to make right now.

I have a friend who is getting married. I am trying to be supportive. I refused any thoughts of me being in the actual wedding. Been there and am still waiting on a refund on the dress material I paid for. No can do. Plus, she has failed to express the emotional feelings she has for the dude. No mention of feeling cherished, loved or even he is paying all the bills. Sighing…All I hear are what things cost for a wedding, blah, blah, blah. Marriage isn’t the wedding. That is all.

Sighing…We have a “small” family trip ahead for my niece’s graduation. I have to go. I don’t want to go. Why? Because nothing good comes from me traveling to Virginia ever. I always say my mama intervenes because something always happens. It does and I am not exaggerating. The first time after my mama died, we went for my stepfather’s wedding. I told them, meaning the adults, I didn’t want to go and there was no need in me being there. But the “adults” decided I had to go, so they decided we would leave the Friday before and get there early Saturday. Well…they should have listened to me because the van we were traveling in broke down on Jimmy Carter Blvd in Georgia and we couldn’t get it fixed until the next morning. So we were stuck in Georgia and had to sleep in the van. Ugh! After the van was fixed my uncle filled up the van and preceded to hit the car behind us and drive off. I am not kidding. We never turned back. Then we got lost in North Carolina trying to find this hidden church. It was uncomfortable asking for directions from folks with confederate flags on their businesses. To add insult to injury, my stomach decided it boil over. Sorry, folks we had to stop every 15 minutes because of my stomach. (I could be graphic, but I won’t). We made it to the wedding, when it was over. We were hungry, tired and funky. My uncle said he was going inside the church because he wasn’t funky and to be sure we understood that he decided to but cologne over the funk. Thanks. And remember the BVD commercial where the guy goes to the front desk in his underwear because he locks himself out of the hotel room? My uncle did that well before the commercial ever aired. I almost died after my brother’s graduation because my uncle decides to drive us directly into a vehicle luckily the vehicle got out of the way just in time. I saw my life pass before my eyes. Or the time I went and we had to get on 3 different airplanes before we could fly to Norfolk and then when we get there we must circle the airport because of the major thunderstorm. So my nerves were tore up, bad. So I just don’t have this great want to be in VA, because these disasters follow us there. This year 8 of us are going in a 7 passenger van for a 13 hour drive. You know I wanted to die when we went to Myrtle Beach. I gotta to go pray on this some more because the family keeps calling about how long, when, where, hotel blah, blah. I am over it already. Why the hell were they planning to be there for a week? No way. I have been to VA and have lived there briefly. No. I don’t even do beaches. Ugh! Maybe you all should pray with me?

Where will The Guy and I go for some R&R?

Blood pressure is back to normal. Or at least my new normal.

I need a new physician. Badly. I love my doctor, but his office? No so much.

Is your weather wonky? Monday we had a high of 83 degrees and we endured a hail storm, bless it my area got pea size hail (I went to praying when I heard it hitting the house). And today’s high will be 55 degrees. And it is raining…again. We are going to hell…

Can people stop using FB as the place to communicate about personal issues and their woes?  I am easily irked when you post truly personal stuff on social media, but are unable to communicate your issues with actual people and in person.  FB is the devil.

This is what I am finishing and reading this weekend.

I will do a review of Black Water Rising by Attica Lock next week.  Sinners & Saints is book club read for April

Any plans? Not for me except relax.

Enjoy your weekend!

Sorry not kiddie pictures, but my smile will hold you until next time...



The Help...The Movie...

Since I do not want to give away too much about the movie let me tell you about the screening and a few tidbits about the movie. A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a Disney intern asking would my book club be interested in attending the screening of The Help in Montgomery. I received the email the day before book club meeting, which was great and of course members jumped at the opportunity and a couple vowed to read the book before the screening. Not me. I knew about the book, the controversy and the effect it had on readers and reviewers. Plus, I just didn’t want to rush to read a book just because it was coming to the big screen. We all know they have to take some dramatic licensing for the movie to play well to an audience.

Now getting the passes to the screening I felt like I was jumping through hoops. The intern promised to FedEx them that Wednesday, which meant they would get to me on Thursday and no later than Friday. And since they were coming from Atlanta I figured no big deal. Want to guess when I finally got the passes? Wednesday before the Thursday screening. I had to contact the intern about the passes a couple of times and found out she supposedly sent them by mail, I still haven’t received the mailed ones. All I am saying is someone wasn’t being upfront about sending the passes. And if the book club members weren’t so hyped about the outing I would not have followed up as I did. I mean the family vacation would commence the very morning after the screening. Thank goodness they came in time and I emailed my members and told them, you can’t be late, no video cameras and seating was first come, first seated. For once, the members heeded my notice.

I was there well in advance and from what we could tell, the film folks had done their research on women’s groups and book clubs in Montgomery in order to fill the screening. And it was full. The “security” for Disney, Sony and some other film companies was this big, tall African-American guy with the personality of Will Smith, totally witty and fun to converse with.

The film started a few minutes after 7 pm with no previews. Straight screening. LOL! It takes place in 1961 Mississippi during the early happenings of the civil rights movement. A young white college graduate comes home to Mississippi and wants to be a novelist or journalist and after a particular incident decides she wants to write the stories of what is like to be a maid for white women. The movie is funny, insightful and there are moments when you must have tissue ready. I barely recognized Sissy Spacek, “I’m gone have a baby.” I am sorry that is like my favorite line and I say it all country too! You will see Cicely Tyson and will be awed by her appearance. However, the main characters Aibileen and Minnie played by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer respectively give this movie heart and character. FYI – the guy I date (yeah I am still dating) went to high school with Ms. Spencer. I wish I could tell you my favorite line from the movie, but I would be giving too much away. On August 10, find your way to a movie theater and check out this movie, I am sure you will enjoy it!

BTW – One of my book club members told me I embarrassed them with all my damn crying. Whateva!

What can I say?

I have been so lazy lately. All I have felt like doing is going to the two jobs and reading. I owe ya'll some randoms too. I need to write them down because I make myself laugh with my thought processes.


I am currently in Atlanta, Georgia at the National Book Club Conference for the weekend. Got here yesterday about 4 pm. Had a little rain, but not too much, what got me was the 32 miles of construction from right after the Georgia line and 15 miles out of ATL. Ugh! I wanted to scream and speed. Driving 50 mph on the interstate is like driving standing still. Then when I finally get to ATL getting downtown allowed me to be aggressive and I didn't let the traffic work my nerves. What? I was ready to kick someone's azz after driving in slow motion for 32 miles.



The hotel is the same as last year's NBCC, but without the church group of last year. OMG! The service and the elevator use has been great. Seriously, ATL is allowing me to be great. But, um this dayum rain is a mess. I haven't been able to walk to Centennial Park or anything. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to. Did I mention the service here has been impleccable. Loves it!


(Me & Author Eric Pete)


The NBCC is much more organized. I had my doubts, but again ATL is allowing me and NBCC be great! The authors, the readers and the panels today have been just wonderful. It began with the Bebe Campbell Award, but they did a short memoriam for E. Lynn Harris by authors Clarence Nero, Tracie Howard, Kimberla Lawson Roby and Terry McMillan. I cried just a little bit. Then Bertice Berry the receipient got up there and sang, preached and spoke on it! I love her! Last time I saw her, she told me to "Let Love Love Me." I have never forgotten it. I hope I can get my picture with her. I also got to meet author Eric Pete. He is so genuine and just humble. He was gracious and frankly he made it for me today because he really loves his fans. Talking with him before the event was nice. I met other authors and let me tell you the Black Pain panel is the highlight of my experience here. Terrie Williams is so kind and warm she allows you deal with the pain and she knows what it feels like to deal with mental illness. Lovely panel. I hope they do this panel again.

FYI - I retightened this week. Hair looks good!





More to come later! Missed you guys!

Book Review: Orange Mint and Honey by Carleen Brice
Rating: 4.5

When I read the description of this novel in Essence, I knew it was a book I Had to read. In fact, I had hoped it would make the book club’s syllabus, but to no avail. However, it didn’t matter I was going to read this story anyway.

Shay Dixon is at crossroads in her life. She is in grad school and has reached a point where she can no longer do the work and she seems to be enveloped in veil of depression. With no job, and WWNSD (What Would Nina Simone Do?) moment, Shay calls her estranged mother and asks to stay with her for the semester she feels she needs to get back on track. Going to her mother is filled with despair because Shay’s issues with her mother are bone deep. She also will have to meet her little sister, Sunny. What meets Shay is a mother who is a recovering alcoholic who is so different from her childhood memories. Shay has to reconcile the two and in the meantime start to deal with own demons. With a cast of supporting characters, Shay learns to bury the past and live for the moment.

Carleen Brice has written a story that tells of a young girl’s pain and the ugliness of being a child of an alcoholic but she also shows the other side which is redemption. There were moments where I wanted to pop Shay for not recognizing some of us wish we had our mothers around to interact with, but I also knew her painful childhood had to be purged and when the climatic scene occurred I knew withholding such pain and anger could be toxic. The backdrop of the garden and references to orange mint and honey makes the story endearing as well as the well positioned Nina Simone and jazz songs gives a lasting quality to a book that will withstand for years to come. The characters were well-drawn, strong storyline and the pacing was wonderful. Emotional, honest and endearing are some of the adjectives to describe this novel. I like this sentence from the front cover: “Shay begins to realize that, like orange mint and honey, sometimes life tastes better when bitter is followed by sweet.” I highly recommend this story.

Pictures...Finally

I've Been Tagged! by author Angela Benson

I list three categories of books.5 MUST Read Books.5 Books on Your Nightstand.5 Look For These Soon.

Keeping with the theme, I tag bloggers. They should put these same lists on their blog but SUBTRACT one book from each list and ADD one of their own. Then they should tag at least 5 more bloggers.

5 MUST Read Books:

Rhythms of Grace by Marilynn Griffith
Yellow Moon by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Conception by Kalisha Buckhanon
Better Than, Leslie Esdaile
Gather Together in My Name by Tracy Price-Thompson

5 Books on the Nightstand:

Secrets of a Sinner by Yolonda Tonette Sanders
From Harvey River by Lorna Goodison
My Soul Cries Out by Sherri Lewis
Murder Mayhem & a Fine Man, Claudia Mair Burney
Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey

5 Look For These Soon:

Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins
Nailed by Jennifer Lauren
The Hood Life: A Bentley Manor Tale by Meesha Mink and De’nesha Diamond
Wounded by Claudia Mair Burney
Beneath the Bruises by Dywane D. Birch

I'm suppose to tag 5 folks, but I am lazy if you want to do it. Just let me know...

Incidentally, Angela will be at my book club meeting in September. I can't wait to discuss the book of the month with her. Yeah!

Do you ever just wonder?

I consume blogs as I consume the many books I read. And sometimes you will come across an entry that makes you wonder and take an assessment of yourself. Now, I read the hair blogs but before them were the author blogs and the other personal blogs out there. I read them and sometimes reading you get a glimpse into their life, and maybe because I am so nosey - I keep coming back to see what has happened since their last post. Sometimes I come back just to make sure that person is okay, because sometimes, I wonder if they really realize how much of their feelings are out there. I know for some of them, they need them to be out there so they can deal with whatever pain they are feeling at the moment. Or what ever happiness they feel at the time.

There is this one blogger who has some beautiful prose on his site, but there was a moment there I was concerned for his well-being because his depression was so dark its shadow was all over his blog entries. I would check back daily to insure he was okay. I mean, I was worried. As time went on, he was able to deal with what was ailing him and make some personal decisions to change his predicament. And reading his entries I was able to feel his struggles, right now he has taken a hiatus and he was aware how his writing on his blog read and he did apologize, but you know what? I think if he hadn't been able to express his darkness he wouldn't have been able to see the light.

I have an author blog that I read, not just for the wonderful words, but he takes great pictures. A couple of months or so ago he reconnected with an old love and boy when you read his blog and viewed his pictures all you could feel was pure, unadulterated love. Shoot, I was jealous. However, the love was not real at least on the other person's side. And now his blog reads of pure hurt. I feel his pain in his entries, even his pictures have taken on a more introspective view. He is so hurt. However, I know with time his entries will return with more color instead of the gray it is now.

I tend to put some personal stuff on this blog and depending on my mood will determine how the entry will read. And sometimes, just writing it down and putting it out there makes me feel better. Do you wonder what others think when they read your blog? To answer my own question, sometimes. However, for me it the ability to write with feelings and own my words and those who read it can enjoy or not, but know I write with honesty and truth.

What's Your Preference?

I am an avid reader who reads different genres with the passion of pure and unadulterated love. My love of reading encourages me to write, review and support authors. When I started my book club I was determined to support and recognized African-American authors because mainstream media acted like black folks didn't read. Oh we read, but for so long we only had a few folks who looked like us and shared our experiences writing about us. I remember being in high school reading Little Women or Rebecca and loving those books, but the day I discovered one of my favorite genre's with black folk on the cover I abandoned Harlequin - completely.

I am immersed in the literary world because of my book club and my reviewing of novels. And one of the most talked about discussions is the placement of African-American books in mainstream book stores. There are folks who prefer all books segregated by genre not by the color of the author's skin and there are those who don't wish to spend hours in the book store searching for an African-American author's book. There are pros and cons to both positions but here is my story.

One of my favorite books of all times is Waiting in Vain by Colin Channer (my friends know I have a love jones for his writing). I found his book in the front of the book store and was captivated by its cover and when I picked it up I was enthralled with the storyline. So I purchased it and the rest is history. What most readers don't know that in order for Channer's book to be in the placement it was in, his publisher had to pay for that space and in some book stores he would have been put in the African-American section of the bookstore. In either place I would have purchased it. However, if it had been among the hundreds of other fiction titles with only the spine showing, I would have never discover that literary gem. Why? I had never heard of Colin Channer. In fact the African-American section of the bookstores I used to frequent is where I discovered new African-American authors.

Montgomery used to have an African-American bookstore, Roots and Wings and I lived to go there. I would go and take off my shoes and sprawl across the floor with books I may or may not purchased but I was introduced to so many African-American authors. Now the books were a bit costly, but my book club received a discount and we supported them until the very end. I mean we offered to do what ever we could to keep our sanctuary open, but after years of struggling the owners (one was my legal mentor) felt it was time to let the doors close. I miss the many book signings I attended there, I miss the spiritual atmosphere I always felt when I entered its doors and I miss a place of our own.

Now I purchase most of my books online or at conferences. I know for me, if I had to wade through hundreds of books to find one good one in a place that doesn't emote the peacefulness I once took for granted, I know I'll miss out on a literary gem. Yet, I understand authors wanted everyone to read their books and being put in a position where others will read their stories. I often wonder will others think like me a good story is good no matter what? Although, I read 97% African-American literature, if I see a book that catches my appeal I'll purchase it, but my heart wants the stories that represent me wholly.

The literary world is no joke especially on this issue. It is always a hot topic with emotions running rampant. When I enter a mainstream bookstore, which is rare nowadays, and the books all placed together by author's last name I turn the books facing so others can discover the author. I am aware because of my inside knowledge and it is my way of helping the situation, but it is hard.

How do you purchase the books you enjoy?

P.S. I love literary fiction, romance (I like to take my mind off issues with these), contemporary fiction, poetry, thrillers, horror etc.