An Astronauts Perfect Day

OK...so I tried to do a little research on astronauts via the web but I got lost in the technical terminologies. Basically today anyone who travels to space in a spaceship is considered an astronaut. You have to take classes, be exposed to space-like situations before you go but, anyone can go.

My first introduction to space was the concept of God, looking into the sky and wondering what He's doing up there. I remember feeling so small and so insignificant, kind of like an ant under a magnifying glass. It wasn't until my teens that I realized He was a lot closer than I thought. The Bible told me that God formed Adam with His own hands and breathed life into him, taking that personally it would seem that the very air that I breathe IS God. And if that's true than perhaps His proximity to me can be re-positioned from outer space to my very next breath. 

I was 13 years old and completely smitten by Him, falling in love for the first time and it felt overwhelmingly glorious. So my thoughts and understanding of Him through our relationship became more personal and a lot more radical. I began to think that if God was in my next breathe than what could He see and hear and feel concerning me? If He had given me the power to breath and sustain me to live, so closely, then what power did I possess to affect Him? Kind of like when you're on a date and you’ve decided your wardrobe and shoes based on the location and even whether to bring some mints in your back pocket just in case during the movie you want to lean in and whisper something...clever. I felt that God was being so personal with me that it gave me the permission to be personal with Him. I'd want to brush my teeth before I whispered Him a sweet nothing. I'd want to excuse myself after a belch knowing that even if no tangible body was in the room, He'd hear it and I'd owe Him a polite gesture of apology. 

So how do I relate this to an Astronauts perfect day?

Astronauts have the privilege of exploring space, a world that seemed so out of reach until the 1950s, with a front row view of God's front lawn. They suit up and take classes and experience no gravity atmospheres and are usually brilliant in math and science. They train, they build, they eat, breath, and sleep their studies to prepare for this one moment of strapping themselves in a spaceship, that's connected to a rocket (yikes), and launched into the unknown. Hearts beating at 100 beats per second, an overwhelming feeling of elation and success and accomplishment as their eyes feast on a world yet to be conquered or fully explored. WOW! That's so cool! That would be a perfect day; breaking past the Earth's atmosphere into a starry heaven with endless beauty. I suppose I count myself lucky to know Him, that He can take to sights unseen and galaxies untouched by human ambition and that I can count on this Creator of the universe rather than all the other stuff I'd need to do before getting on a spaceship...plus I'm super bad at math! 

An astronaut’s perfect day...knowing the Master of the universe and simply...inhaling.

FB post of 2017

As I look at the blinking cursor on my Facebook page that proceeded grayed out words "write something" I smirk at the irony of being distracted to view friends posts in the middle of writing my second book series. To put down my writing in order to peruse FB and then am reminded to get back to it, like a fortune cookie. But that's the way of the universe when you're in tuned to the Creator of it. It's 2017 and I have published 3 books, a trilogy, about a teenage warrior princess living in this earthly realm while trying to access a heavenly realm. All three have been successfully acknowledged on the New York Best Seller's list and have been shopped around for movie rights.
Personally, my husband and I are about to celebrate our son's 3rd birthday who is obsessed with books and nature and longs to have his birthday party at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. "Mama! Fish!" he says which astounds me that he knows "fish" is already plural but I do miss the way children place "ies" at the end of everything. My Hubby has helped and inspected another hotel opening in Puerto Rico and with all the traveling it'll be nice to be together for Junior's birthday party.
I've become a professional swimmer, in my own humble opinion, to which late night writing and research has demanded of me. Blue pool, cool water, vigorous laps, and soothing respites in between have attributed to my steady writing.
My Bestie Bree has decided to do a destination wedding in St. Thomas which I'm ecstatic about.
My Twinkie has opened her own salon in Los Angeles.
My brother Jovanny is expecting his second child while enjoying flying helicopters for tycoons and celebrities.
My sister Jadi has become an awesome talent scout for a major fashion magazine to which my niece Anira has graced the cover.
My sister Dee lives in Italy with my niece Lia studying how to become the world's most feared and loved pastry chef.
My Mother is happily in love and that's the greatest gift she could ever give me.
4 years have passed since I've embarked on this journey of self discovery and I am full to the brim of God's love and grace and power and presence in my life. I've asked Him to use me in this world and he has shown me the epitome of Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

A Mushy Feast

First Thanksgiving in our home…still renting…and everyone came over because there was so much room for everyone. Giant 1920s colonial home with ample space for an extra table in the sitting room where everyone can commune and eat and talk about what they're so grateful for. Didn't exactly happen that way…rushed to put up Christmas decorations that we only lit once, pine-sol the heck out of the floors, broke out the serving trays and the table cloths, company began to trickle in, setting trays and pots of food on any available surface in the kitchen. Smells of collard greens and turkey, sweet potato pie and Watergate salad with sounds of laughter and the pitter patter of mini schnauzers running after the children. The mood swelling with anticipation of the feast and the annual football game on the big screen. In approximately 30 minutes: grace is said, mouths are chewing, and all the boys end up in the den watching the game while the women eat around the beautifully decorated table rolling their eyes at them. Worst dish among the spread of traditional food is the worst thanksgiving dish I've ever had! Watery, tasteless, spongy stuffing. I had made my own stuffing that came out a little to salty but still very edible…this stuffing was doughy and yet wet! It was weird! You couldn't decipher one taste or texture from the other. You could tell there were veggies from sight but not from bite, it all felt like mush in your mouth, almost like a sponge bloated with dish water. At least my most horrible dishes encountered were describable, and I knew what i didn't like about it immediately but when something is disgusting and then hard to explain it makes it all the more frustrating! Worst thanksgiving dish ever!!

House Plant

       I met this awesome woman from England, Dr. Ligia Szumoski, 87 and still vibrant, still so fully alive. She has dual citizenship in the US and in England, she speaks 7 different languages fluently, and has retired for the United Nations as a correspondent. She married a man who loved her fully. He passed away 10 years ago leaving her with giant jewels wrapped around her fingers marking the length of time they'd been married…50 plus years. He studied in South Africa as an anthropologist surrounded by women with beautiful high breasts, sharp cheekbones, full lips, "cocoa people" she said, as she gently rubbed my left hand to emphasize the color of my skin and the beautiful correlation  between it and these bizarre but enchanting people. I was flattered. She had lived 3 lifetimes and still had a cool fire behind her icy blue eyes. Her accent was as warm as hot chocolate and it felt like she hugged me every time she called me "darling". 

      She was the Phoenix in front of my rainy Tuesday backdrop and so I spoke to her for longer than needed but I couldn't turn her away, I couldn't regard her with such low or even average attention. Her experiences seem to follow her and I couldn't  help but to get caught up in her train of life. Lessons etched in each wrinkle on her face and I wanted to know them all, learn them all just so I could sit and nod and confirm that I knew exactly what she was talking about. 

I gotta get out more! 

     I soaked in her essence like I was as thirsty as a house plants' roots. Parts of me brown and dimmed, close to death but living on the solar power of hope and quenching inspiration. She says she'll be back to see me bringing with her pictures of her Africa and I can't help but anticipate her icy blue eyes and wise wrinkles and bejeweled hands and comforting voice and ageless experiences. I imagine her having a house plant, keeping her company, fully alive and cared for. The mutual respect they have for each other, the evident equality of their present situation. Both with memories, both with a rooted will to live, both knowing that the inevitable "end" will consume their lives but the air of the their existence will permeate this realm. I'd inhale. LIFE. Maybe I'd have a train of life's experiences following me, filling rooms and lives and realms. 

Hey you house plant, don't die…life is worth living. Now I'm off to water my roots.

One Second

One second ago the donut was in my mouth...now my thighs hate me.
One second ago we were in love...now I can't stand to look at her.
One second ago I had beautiful pageant hair...now I'm staring at the fried bleach pieces going down the bathtub drain.
One second ago I had a shot of tequila with a stranger...now you're 13 years old wanting to know who your father is.
One second ago I was driving when I got a text...now I can't try out for the lacrosse team.
One second ago I was scurrying after my umbrella in the storm...now I'm going on my first date in a year.
One second ago our dog was giving puppies...now we're burying her in the yard next to 17 years of bones she's buried here.
One second ago your mother and I were married...now I can't wait until you move out of my house so we can start dating again.

A lot can happen in a second.

It's hard to take it literally when its applied to just about every situation as a reference of regret or shock or luck. I don't think I can apply it to its specific definition; one second.
So if the popular use of "one second", in which the use of time is based on an individual and not any scientific constrictions then when my husband says "Gimme a second." Why do I still want to throttle him like a turkey on Thanksgiving?!!!

Today's entry says, "What can happen in a second?"

Well literally...

You can blink, type, sneeze, microwave something, think, speak, decide, snap, kiss...

Yea the non-technical definition is more fun.

One second ago I was sitting at the kitchen table wondering what to write...now day one of my blog is complete!!!

HERE I GO AGAIN!!!

Hello vast and unyielding universe! It's me again! The crazy lady with the dream of being a professional writer without the drive to see it through. If only my imagination that's located in my mind that's snug in my head, that's on top of my shoulders could possibly get credit just for thinking. But alas I have to yield it to some artistic form of expression, so here I go again! Attempting a blog based on the awesome book "642 Things to Write About" by the San Francisco Writers' Grotto. I received this little gem for Christmas from my Bestie Bree and I've written a few entries but I haven't taken "it" in, the journey this book has to offer that is. So, I'll be posting each entry in the form of a short story or photo or debate or journal entry, either way I'm gonna walk with this book and hopefully inspire others to do the same with whatever artistic deficiency they may be having or just life!!! I'm not gonna rush it but since my biggest issue is consistency I've challenged myself to avoid long periods of absence from posting...let's say 2 day gaps at the most, that means writing every day but posting every other day! I can do this...come on universe, in all your cosmic glory at least meet me half way!