What a Rush!!!!

Today I am prepping for a few things this weekend, but I had to get geared up because there have been so many little odds and ends that I feel like I'm going to be driven crazy!!!! (Thank goodness for to-do lists and voice memos!)

Ministering with Pen & Tongue @ Toastmasters event.
Picture courtesy ThinQ Inc.

My weekend started a bit early because Pen & Tongue had the opportunity to minister at Toastmasters Luminaries (1510789...I think It was) at the College of The Bahamas campus - they had a poetry slam and it was nice to see so many persons interested in the art of spoken word.

This evening I am visiting a Kiwanis event entitled 'Jazz in the Garden'.  I am looking forward to ministry there, and I'm excited about meeting this group.  They have gone above and beyond in civic duty and I have never met such a driven group before.

I'm looking forward to my Fruit & Vegetable box from Chiccharney Farms (and I STILL haven't blogged about my last box - which was wonderful by the way!!!!) If you guys have not inquired about the possible packages they have available, you are truly missing out on the freshest seasonable vegetables and fruits, as well as honey AND authentic hot pepper sauces that you can not find anywhere else here in The Bahamas (Yes, I said it!!!)

We are headed by the in-laws this weekend and I am looking forward to bike-riding, unwinding and spending time with my parents-in-law :-) (I thank God for them!!!)

I pray that you enjoy this weekend you guys! And I'm looking forward to sharing with you this upcoming week!

Hands up in anticipation, heart full of hope,

xoxo Jenna

P. S. It's the WEEKEND!!!!!

A Bit of Encouragement...

We are basically at the end of January, and these past few days I have been reflecting on and assessing my goals from the previous years.  I realize that I came into the New Year with momentum that was charged with the anticipation of what these next few months have to offer. Because of this, I found myself unstable in thoughts, actions, and even speech (I was carrying myself too hard and expecting instantaneous results from my decisions, which sometimes even pulled me into a depression.)

If one thing didn’t work out, I would step away and try something else…I wasn’t  nurturing any gift to give them the chance to bloom…I was not even paying attention to the seasons – seasons which would have helped me realize what to work on and when.  I came to the conclusion that if this is how I feel at times, there must be someone else out there who probably succumbs to this frustration too and I wanted to encourage you.

1)      Success doesn’t happen overnight – it just looks that way because you never see what it takes to get there…in my opinion, success is the process and not the end result. If you are diligent enough to see your process through THAT is success.

2)      Sometimes you just have to keep your mouth shut.  Have you ever been so excited about a dream, vision, goal or idea that you just HAVE to tell someone? Sometimes it’s best if you don’t.  There are dream killers out there who will either try to persuade you put it off or let it go.  Which leads me to the next point:

3)      Surround yourself with diverse people. There is NO WAY that you should be with people who agree with EVERYTHING you say.  You need different points of view – and people who don’t mind playing devil’s advocate to help you see things you probably would have never seen  - these people brighten your horizon and help you to not be bias.  They aren’t the ones who blatantly say “NO.”, they are the ones who say: “Okay…so if you do this, then what happens when THIS happens?

4)      Believe in yourself. So many times people only believe what a person says about them.  We must believe that our thoughts and values are important to the most important person in our lives – us. This isn’t advocating vanity, but we must learn to appreciate, accept, and celebrate who we are…and trust that God made no mistakes when He created us.

5)      Dare to dream. I remember when I used to be afraid of dreaming big. I feared the fact that I didn’t have the finances, the charisma, the degrees etc. and then I realized that God didn’t call me because I was perfect – He called me because I was available.  So, I have written down EVERYTHING that I want to do in life, inclusive of business plans, mission trips, and family adventures because dreaming keeps you excited about life!

6)      Never give up.  You can take as many breaks as you want to.  You can catch your breath. You can even take time to gather your thoughts and calibrate your next step, but don’t you EVER give up. You cannot afford to fail, and if it doesn’t work out, try again. Don’t ever give up on yourself, your dreams, or your goals. 

Hands up in concord, heart full of well-being,

xoxo Jenna

This is interesting...

A friend of mine shared this post on Facebook and I 'couldn't catch' (couldn't stop laughing)  because my husband and I were JUST discussing this...

Now, I didn't deny the fact that this is really how it is in our home, but it was hilarious to know that other people have this same problem situation!

I can't help it though! I love to sleep right under him, and then I don't sleep in one solitary position like he can...so let's call this picture 'Exhibit A', but push this bed up against a wall (and press my hubby right against it...that's what he says anyway...lol) and you technically have us in a nut shell.

I personally think that the person who created this is genius for giving me physical lines where our mental lines would normally be - it's down to a science (because I also share his pillow...LOL).

I'm still trying to find out where I can find these sheets, so if you know where I can purchase them PLEASE don't hesitate to contact me! :-D         

Happy Wednesday you guys!!!!

Hands up in joy, heart full of possibilities,

xoxo Jenna                                                                   

Wedding Weekend!

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Coreado & Ro'Nell Adderley!!!

I LOVE WEDDINGS!!!!!  There is something about two people pledging their undying love to each other in covenant that leaves me in awe every single time.  Working with Lyndah Wells  (blog post here) has been difficult in this regard, because I find myself wanting to cry at EVERY SINGLE WEDDING!!!!!

My muse, the beautiful Ro'Nell Pinder-Adderley

 Each wedding has magic of it's own that is cast by the individual stories of the bride and groom...and to be caught up in that spell is AMAZING!!!

Saturday was just as exciting - I had a wedding to photograph  - but, not just ANY wedding - I had the opportunity to celebrate with my baby cousin!!!!! :-)  There were so many adorable little details that made the event such a special one! And I enjoyed every moment!

I spent the weekend with Nelly, and although we didn't get to talk much, it was an honor to be there with her. I really didn't know what to say - I  wanted her to know how proud I was of her but I kept choking up! There was a point where I just sat there and watched her - she has become such a beautiful young woman, with an elegance and poise all her own.

There is a popular Irish Wedding Blessing that is recited
during these times of celebration, and I felt it would be fitting to share here as they begin their new life together:

"May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and the rain fall soft upon your fields,

And until we meet again my friend,

May God hold you in the hollow (palm) of His hand."

Hands up in celebration, heart full of happiness,

xoxo Jenna

Monday : Birthday Shout Out/ Pen & Tongue :-)

It's Monday! (womp, womp, wooomp....lol)

Firstly, let me say Happy Birthday to my (not so little) cousin, Travis! I can actually remember the day he was born! I was so excited to be a big cousin and hold him!!! :-D
So dearest one, know that I love you and I wish I was there to celebrate with you!!! I am so proud of the young man that you have become! Enjoy your day!

Right now, I'm gearing up for  Pen & Tongue...as I mentioned before (here), the Christian spoken word group is about to present it's second event, entitled "Words Unplugged".  It is going to be open mic, and I'm looking forward to not only sharing but listening to the ministry that will be at the event.  I think I'm REALLY looking forward to the worship experience at the end, more than anything else! ( It is so cool to have worship at the end!!!!)

On Saturday, we shot the event promo and to show everyone just how much fun we had, we also uploaded the
bloopers :-D

If you happen to be in the neighborhood, I hope that you can join us! I will be posting again as we get closer to the date to introduce you to the poets as well as give you a bit more info about the upcoming event.

Mondays is looking a bit bright you guys! I hope that you enjoy your week... :-D

Hands up in celebration, heart full of hope,

xoxo Jenna

Island Teas - Leaf Teas

Here in the islands, you will find that many Bahamians prefer ‘bush teas’ (leaves of plants that can be found in our environments) over store-bought ones.

Leaf teas are usually prepared with fresh leaves, (unlike the dried tea leaves that you would purchase), and in our home (because I can’t wait!), we drink a cup of the tea freshly boiled then steep it overnight for a morning brew. 

This simple recipe can be used for Pear leaf (my favorite), ‘sour’ leaf, lime/lemon leaf, fever grass (lemon grass), peppermint leaf teas and a few others that I can’t remember off the top of my head due to my partiality..lol…

I literally go outside and pick the leaves that I want (sometimes, we find our tea leaves in the ‘bush’, and at times we are gifted with them by family or friends). I rinse and inspect to ensure that no debris or insects are brought inside.  I then place them in a pot (folding or tearing them if necessary) and cover them with enough water to boil. 

Depending on the amount of cups I plan to prepare, I  gauge the amount of leaves and water I place in the pot. I boil them to the desired strength (you will be able to tell how strong it is by the color your water changes to…the darker it gets the stronger it is)
At this point, you can do as I do and prepare a cup with your desired amount of sugar to taste, or you can let it steep overnight (which is what you are SUPPOSED to do, to truly enjoy the full flavor) and reheat it to enjoy in the morning (I do both).

I can’t recall my first time drinking pear leaf tea, but it is definitely my favorite (I think fresh peppermint tea is next, and then lemon grass (fever grass tea).  We drink these teas in moderation because they also have medicinal value (that I can’t remember off the top of my head)…in a future blog post I will talk more about our bush teas & medicines here in The Bahamas.

Hands up in gratitude, heart full of nostalgia,

xoxo Jenna

BREATHE!!!!

It's Friday!!!! Que up the band!

It has been a very interesting week!We had the shoot for Pen & Tongue's (Christian Spoken Word Group) upcoming "Words Unplugged" Event - the video is up...along with the BLOOPERS!!!!! :-D Oh my goodness!!!! That is a blog entry within itself!!!! (Coming soon!!!!)

 I had a successful intro interview (looking forward to a second interview soon, I hope) , spent some time behind the scenes of  Friends, Family & Pastor Gumpa  ( a hilarious new sitcom that will be airing here in April), and I have a wedding session tomorrow morning that I'm setting up for RIGHT now!!!!

Behind the scenes of Friends, Family & Pastor Gumpa

I think my weekends are more hectic than my weekdays, and it's no wonder that it takes me the whole week to recover...LOL!!!

I just found out a few minutes ago that I have been added to the  Caribbean Style Bloggers (CSB) directory!!!! Okay, so I'm two days late, but this is a big deal and I have to celebrate!!!! The link for the page can be found here...now let me tell you what it's all about:

CSB is a blog directory..full of Caribbean flavor :-) Bloggers who are either in the Caribbean or of Caribbean ancestry all share their insights and creativity - and this is JUST the place to find them all....it's like having all of the islands at your fingertips, with an exclusive point of view from the natives. How awesome is that?!?!?!

So, to all of my new readers - Welcome!!!! Thank you for joining me here, and I look forward to hearing from you! I wish to extend a special thank you to all of you who have been with me since the inception of this blog a few weeks ago :-) Your readership is truly appreciated!

There is so much that I want to share with you!

Hands up in excitement, heart full of anticipation,

xoxo Jenna

Out of Sync

I have been having problems with my ISP these days, and it has been really difficult getting online for more than 5 minutes (on a good day)…which, of course, is very frustrating. I’m trying to be as optimistic as possible about this, and I’m trying not to think of all the deadlines that I have been missing – and I should point out that my cell phone is also malfunctioning, so I can’t keep in contact with friends and family like I would wish to.

Right now I am at home, trying to get some work done, and taking care of the sidekick (the weather

changed so quickly here and he now has a stubborn cold). He has been out of school for a few days (doing a bit of work at home to keep him sharp) and keeping me company.

I feel like I’m under quarantine…LOL! I basically have no connection with the outside world right now...so if you are reading this, know that supplies are running low and we are trapped at this location. The beacon has malfunctioned, but we have been managing these past few days.  (LOL!!! I guess I don’t have to tell you that we have resorted to watching every DVD we can find to keep our imaginations going!)

 I will now admit that I have the initial symptoms of cabin fever…in paradise…is that possible?!?!?!

What have we been doing to keep ourselves busy? Writing, playing card match, dominoes ( the national pastime of The Bahamas..lol…have you watched the ‘Hello Monday’ segment , Dominoes yet? Refer to my previous blog post  (HERE)  if you have NO IDEA of what I’m talking about…and if that’s the case, you lead a  sad existence…..LOL), ummm…reading, and stuff… I’ve spent a few hours editing photos, and I did manage to get in contact with a few of my potential models...so there is hope after all.

I’m looking forward to this new week…and the optimist in me(or is it my pessimistic side???) is actually enjoying this bit of freedom from contact (Let’s just chalk it up to me being an introvert, so any side could have said that, and I would have agreed! HA!) 

If it wasn’t so cold, I could have made today a ‘beach day’ in celebration (which would have been killing two birds with one stone, because down here, when you have a cold, a swim is actually on the list of things you should do, along with keeping hydrated and warm).  Mind you, it’s about 65 degrees Fahrenheit…for a Bahamian, it might as well be 20 below zero, let me tell you! The faux fur-lined jackets & boots, tams, scarves, gloves and sweaters that we purchased for a ‘cold moment’ are out, which means ANY island in The Bahamas right now that is experiencing this weather has become a fashion runway! We don’t know when we will get an opportunity to wear all this wooly goodness again!!!

I think that the only reason we aren’t complaining about this drastic change in weather is because we were looking forward to a cold Christmas (well I was) and we never got it…that was difficult for me…I won’t complain about the 79 degrees we got Christmas Day, but it was weird because my tradition of Christmas pajamas alllll day accented by the warmest blanket I could find was shot down, and I actually wore shorts for our newest family tradition: the neighborhood bike ride!

I hope you guys enjoy your week, and I look forward to sharing mine with you!

Hands up in sanguinity, heart full of expectancy,

xoxo Jenna

Of Wings & Dreams

I remember collecting butterflies in mayonnaise jars with whole punched covers;
permitting air, but no escape...
Holding so tightlty to fragile containers with even more fragile contents:
whispers of rainbow on wings that gently kissed air and petals...
Staring for hours at at time; dreaming of flight, the possibility of fairies as friends, and princesses and armor-clad knights.
Learning that release was so much more liberating than capture,
and so,
we spent hours hovering over flowers, anticipating nature's reaction to life;
believing that daintily picked flowers (an offering for the sacrifice of freedom) would prolong the breath they took...
and, when that didn't work, we shook containers free of the burden of death and collected caterpillars and leaves instead...
in the end, understanding that some things are meant to be free,
begrudgingly removing hole-punched covers for imminent release...
And then we learnt how to capture hearts,
and although the same principle remains, there were rule breakers who crammed still-beating hearts with stilled ones;
lacing kill jars with the ethyl acetates of life,
quenching passions
and, they, stunned by the reality of glassine envelopes and it's resistance -
or further persistence of mountings for the world to see...
Display cases lined the walls of the proud while some walked with torn sleeves and empty chest cavities,
no longer flying or enveloped in the color of dreams;
imprisoned by humbled declarations of love,
lured by by the nectar of a brokenness  that they could not understand until they were on the inside, looking out:
A conquest dated with details and then put away until boredom-dusted albums are recalled...springs and summers of lives then suffocated in jars
that were more valuable than life.

It's Friday!!!! WOOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!

I don’t know why, but knowing that it is FINALLY Friday feels like I was releasing a breath that I didn’t know I was holding since Monday! Something about 72 hours where you can do whatever you please is liberating!!!  No school pickups and drop-offs, no more traffic, and most importantly – I don’t have to get out of bed until I feel like it (even though my body is programmed to wake up at 5:30am)!!!

I have not decided the plans for my weekend yet, but that’s okay, because it’s MINE, all mine! (Well, not really because I’m married and have wifely and mommy duties, but yeah….LOL)

I think I’m going to do a bit of house cleaning while I wait on my fruit and veggie box from Chiccharney Farms  :-) They are a 3rd generation agri-business stationed in Andros (one of our beautiful Bahama islands). I will blog all about the experience in short order, and let you know how you can receive YOUR fresh, native fruits and vegetables delivered straight to your doorstep (free of charge in New Providence).  

If you can't wait for my blog post, and wish to receive your fruit and vegetable box this weekend also, that's cool too :-) You can contact them at  (242) 676-2977 or (242) 423-3716 you can also contact them via email: chiccharneyfarmsltd@gmail.com.

I don’t even know what else to say! I'm just so excited that the weekend has FINALLY decided to grace us with it's presence! (I mean we have only been waiting for 4 days, 9 hours and 37 36 secs for this moment, but who's counting?!?!?!?)  I hope that you have a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Hands up in excitement, heart full of EXCITEMENT,  (lol!)

xoxo Jenna 

WEEKEND HERE I COME!!!!!

Is It Baby Season?!?!?!

Is it just me, or are you experiencing a ‘baby boom’ in your neck of the woods too?! Everywhere I turn, there is a little bundle wrapped in blue or pink! It’s bittersweet for me because I miscarried months ago, and this would have been my time of joy too. I do get that tug on my heart, but I’m enjoying the view :-)

 

I get excited when I see new life in the neighborhood, and I think of all the legacies that are strengthened when a little one comes along. Two very close friends of mine are expecting, and I had the opportunity to tag along with one on their clinic visit.  I felt so honored! 

The opportunity also helped me realize that I was feeling so much better about what I went through and was healing beautifully. I got to see the little munchkin and I think I was more excited than mummy! To see her strong heartbeat (yes, we think it’s a girl…lol) was amazing! I think it put so much in perspective for me, and I was able to celebrate genuinely with her.

Since it’s baby season here, I figured I should share a few 

of our Old Wives’ Tales with you …Should I insert a disclaimer here?

The Hiccup Cure  - When a baby gets the hiccups (especially when they are really too young for water) we unceremoniously tear a piece of a brown paper bag (between the size of a dime or a quarter) and attach it to the baby’s forehead with saliva or water (whichever is accessible at the time…lol). I have been told that it simply distracts the baby, but I LIVED by it when I helped raise my little cousins - you couldn’t tell me that it didn’t work! But now that I think about it, the hiccups had to go away eventually, right? 

Nose Shaping (Pinching)  - We have this belief that we can alter the shape of a baby’s nose by pinching the bridge area at least once per day…now I think this one really works because I remember my aunt doing this to my baby cousin.  I would not advise it, because you have to be really careful with a baby’s delicate bone structure…but we were so impressed that I walked around daily with a clothespin on my nose to do what my mother failed to…LOL! (What?!?! I was young…and impressionable!) 

Protection from evil spirits – I don’t know when this started in our culture, but there is a belief that when a baby has restless sleep, or awakens from sleep crying (and sometimes screaming) it means that evil spirits are tormenting them.  We pray for them, but we also tie a black cord around their wrist to keep the evil spirit away.  I read somewhere that another culture does the same, but they use a red cord instead. I don’t know the significance of the band, but in more than one instance I have experienced peaceful sleep times when the cord has been affixed to their wrist.

Talking advancement – There were times when I talked so much, that my grandmother (I grew up with my maternal grandparents) would put her hand to her head and lament: “My God, I don’t recall wiping your mouth with a dish cloth!” The whole ‘dish cloth wiping ‘ reference came from a belief that if you used the same towel you washed the dishes with to clean your baby’s mouth, then the baby would talk quicker than their required milestone time (but it is usually done when the baby hasn’t talked by the required time) – the downside to that would be that your baby would not stop talking! What makes this one funny, and near believable for me was the fact that when I visited my mother on holiday she said: “D*mn. I shouldn’t have wiped that spaghetti off your mouth with the dishcloth!” You better believe that was the VERY FIRST THING I told my grandmother when I returned ;-) 

There are so many more tales…too many for one blog entry!  It’s amazing that we survived!!! My life has revolved around myths, homemade cures, bush teas and medicines, and that could probably explain why we are among the best storytellers in the world!

Hands up in thanksgiving, heart full of anticipation,

xoxo  Jenna