Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving was nice.

We got out of church late on Wednesday night. Jerry and I picked up the car and then drove to Stephenville. We reached Stephenville a little after 12:00 AM. Everyone was still woke. Us kids, Jerry, Alisha, Jamal, and I played video games, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, until 4:00 AM in the morning. My stepmother was cooking.

We ate breakfast around 9:30 AM. Dinner was not going to be ready for a long while.

Jerry, Jamal, and I played video games (Pac Man) some more.

My daddy was not there for most of the day. He didn't get home until four something. Alisha spoke a word when she said, "It's quiet when Dad isn't here." I thought about it. It was very quiet without Daddy being there. Oh brother.

Dinner was ready at 5:45. I didn't eat that much because I didn't want to have a lot of food sitting on my stomach while we were riding back to Dallas. I must be too use to Jerry's cooking, because Mama Paulette's food did not taste like it had any seasoning on it.

Jerry and I drove back to Dallas.

Friday, I picked up my pay check and did some running around.

We drove to Refugio around 3:00 PM. We called my grandmother to tell her that we were on our way. She was about to begin fussing because we wouldn't get down there until 10:00 or 10:30. I had to tell her to stop fussing. We had to wait until Jerry got off from work.

We went with my mother to get a cellular phone. That was indeed an adventure of epic proportion. Everything was going smooth. We got the phone at Radio Shack. She had picked out one she liked. She picked out the Sprint plan she wanted. The Radio Shack staff was very cordial and helpful. I was very pleased with their customer service. The Radio Shack Staff called Sprint to activate the phone. The phone operator for Sprint acted a fool. He kept trying to get my mother to get a higher plan. She kept refusing. She got upset and handed me the phone. He tried to get me to get a higher plan. I told him no. He asked me to give the phone back to my mother. I did. He went back to trying to get my mother to get a higher plan. My mother went off...

"The people here have already explained this to me. I have told you several times that I don't need a bigger plan. I know I have fourteen days to change my mind, at the rate you are going, I am about to cancel this now!"

When she said that, every member of the Radio Shack Staff stopped what they were doing and looked at my mother. Jerry walked off from my mother. I stared at her. She handed the phone back to the clerk. He talked to the guy.

After all of this, my mother's phone was finally activated. The Radio Shack Staff teased us for a few minutes before we left the store. My mother thanked the Radio Shack Staff and told them that they had done a wonderful job. Jerry and I laughed all the way home, fooling with my Mama.

Jerry and I left Sunday morning. My mother's church was having a 3:00 service, so they didn't have church Sunday morning.

We stopped in San Marcos to go to the outlet mall. Traffic gong back to Dallas was congested and backed up. We stopped at a gas station. There was a line for the restroom. We had to go to another gas station.

We finally made it home.

This Thanksgiving holiday was great!

Being A Woman

Sometimes being a woman stinks. Take that anyway you want.

My Poetry Site

I have created a new poetry site called, My Poet's Voice.

I decided that I wanted a diary devoted solely to my poetry.

Enjoy.

Excuse Me Whilst I Pray

Lord, I just received some bad news. Please help me to hold fast, be strong, keep my joy and to know Your peace.

I will praise you in the midst of this storm.

Thank You, God.

Thank You for the strength to stand.

Thank You for the peace that passes all understanding.

Thank You for Your joy that is my strength.

Thank You, Jesus.

Amen.

Driving A Jaguar While Young and Black

We headed back to Dallas on Monday, 11-11-02. It was smooth sailing until we got into Greenville, Texas. In our home state. They have a billboard as you enter Greenville that says, "Greenville, You'll like the style." That's a lie especially if you are young African-American and driving a Jaguar.

We were stopped by the police of Greenville, Texas. The female officer came to my window and started talking. She says that we were going 80 miles in a 65 mile zone. I question that greatly. Jerry might have been going 75, but he was not going 80. Anyway, she asked Jerry to step out of the car. Then she began to grill me.

Officer: Where are you all coming from?

Me: Tennessee.

Officer: What were you all doing in Tennessee?

Me: We were at a church conference.

She shines her flashlight in the back of the car.

Officer: What are those in the back of the car?

Me: Oxygen tanks.

Officer: Why are they in the back of the car?

Now, I am thinking to myself, "Common sense should tell you that oxygen tanks are used for breathing."

Me: A friend of ours needed them to breath. We are taking them home for her.

Dumb Officer: Why do you have them?

It should be obvious to anyone that either our friend did not have a way to take them home or that our friend did not have enough room for them.

Me: Our friend flew and she asked us to bring them home for her.

Dumb Officer: Who is the driver to you?

Me: Huh. (I couldn't hear her.)

Dumb Officer: Who is the driver to you?

That should have been obvious to her. My brother and I look like my mother spit us both out at the same time instead of three years apart.

Me: He's my brother.

She walks off and goes to where my brother is.

When my brother got back in the car, this is what he told me.

The dumb female officer asked him,

1. Why did he rent a Jag?
2. When did he rent it?
3. When was he going to take it back?
4. How long was he going to keep it for?
5. Why did we have tanks in the back of our car?

1. The rental company gave it to us. (None of her business).
2. It was listed on the rental agreement which I gave her. (Again I say, none of her business).
3. It was listed on the rental agreement which I gave her. (Again I say, none of her business).
4. It was listed on the rental agreement which I gave her. (Again I say, none of her business).
5. We were transporting them. (She had already asked me that.)

I guess a young black man and woman cannot rent a silver Jaguar XJ8.

Dumb officer. Don't get me wrong, I respect police officers, but racism and stupidity is hard to respect.

Needless to say, Jerry and I plan on writing every official we can find an address or email for in the city of Greenville.

It's a bit ironic. On Friday night (11-8-02) at the Back Home Revival Hour of the Convocation, one of the preacher's said this, "He was alright while he was on the Arkansas side of Texarkana, but when he got on the Texas side of Texarkana, he got into trouble. When they say don't mess with Texas, they mean it."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Our crime was... Driving A Jaguar While Young and Black!

Back From Convocation

Jerry and I got back from convocation on Tuesday after 12:00 AM. We would have been back earlier, but we had a complication. (I will get into that later.)

Guess what we drove to Memphis in. A JAGUAR. We were the lick rolling in an XJ8. God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good. All we had to pay for the Jag was $139. Can I say it again? God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good.

Excuse me. I feel a praise break. 1, 2, 3.

Ok, I'm back.

On Wednesday night, 11-6-02, our Aunt Cheryl brought some oxygen tanks to church for us to transport to Memphis for her. Good grief woman. We were told that it was an oxygen tank. We ended up riding down there with count them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; yes five oxygen tanks in the back seat. Good grief woman.

We left Thursday morning at 3:30 AM. We had a nice trip down there. A girl named Dana from the church rode down with us. Dana was fun to hang around. We went to a museum in Arkansas. Dana decided to ride the handicap elevator instead of taking the three steps down to the next level. The girl hit the emergency button instead of the start button. That sent us running through the rest of the museum. When we got back to the first floor, we could still hear the alarm sounding. The security guard was running around on her walkie talkie trying to figure out what was going on. Jerry and I had to catch up with Dana because she was swiftly moving out the door.

Jerry and I did not make it to the main service until Monday. We stayed in until 10:30 each night and went to the Back Home Revival Hour with Madame Emily Bram Bibby and Superintendent McClendon Winbush. The services were nice. I played the drums as usual. I let a few people play this year. I got paid. Mother J gave me a think envelop with a bunch of ones, fives, and tens in it. Hey, money spends no matter what denomination it is.

Monday, we saw all of our people -- Evg. Francis Kelley, Mother Margaret Moore, Evg. Patricia Lewis, Evg. Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Eld. and Sis. Delley.

I spent $100 maybe even more on souvenirs this year. Lord have mercy on me.

We made it home safely. Thank the Lord.

This Here Hair of Mine

Well, I made it to the beauty shop at 5:05 PM. I didn't leave until 9:03 PM. My hair acted crazy. First of all, it wouldn't let go of the perm. Nette was washing my hair for have past forever. Secondly, my hair would not co-operate. She took the back part down three times. she took the front part down over five times. She would put a hair pin in to hold one part of my hair and the other part would pop up. It was working on my nerves. I worked Nette so hard that I felt guilty when I thought about not giving her a tip.

She kept telling me, "Are you telling your hair to act right?" I had told my hair to do right, but it wasn't listening. I even prayed.

I told her to fix it over twice. The back of my hair was not looking nice. I don't want people to be talking about me behind my head.

Anyway, I'm gone to Memphis. I will be back in business on Tuesday.

I'm gon get my praise on.
Up in here (Memphis)
Up in here (Memphis)