Is it Over Yet?!

This week has been rough! (and I want you to know that I said that as dramatically as I can – and KNOW that I CAN get VERY dramatic!!!)

I was holding off on telling you guys about my weekend – I was savoring every moment, and I was being very selfish about it because it was all I had to carry me through this week :-(  But anyway….guilt trip aside…I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend! 

 I spent some time at the Kiwanis Club of Fort Montague’s ‘Jazz in the Gardens’ event.   Like I mentioned in a previous post (that I am too lazy to give a link to…I think it was last week Friday’s) I was asked to minister in spoken word.  The atmosphere was such a relaxed one and the patrons were receptive.

I have never met a more involved civic group – they truly go beyond their comfort zones to ensure that they make a positive impact on society.  Their theme: ‘Making a Difference by Being a Difference in a Child’s Life’ resonates with a maturity that we should all have with regard to our upcoming generation.  I feel that if we implement a ‘nurture over nature’ attitude in just one life, then we can impact a whole nation…simply imagine what can be done, when a civic group positively affects hundreds of school students, reaches out to young men and women that no one else wants to, and feeds spirits as well as stomachs?!

I salute the Kiwanis Club of Fort Montague for a job well done, and for showing me that they are truly ‘being the change’ that Ghandi has urged us all to be.

I then visited the ‘Total You Purpose Conference’, which was held at the British Colonial Hilton and was

blown away by the information that I received.  With speakers such as Dr. Wayne Thompson of Relationship Management, I left the conference with a second wind.

A positive change truly begins with a mindset change.  I walked away with a better understanding of relational ethics (Bahamians are in a league of their own when it comes to interaction!), financial stability, and personal responsibility.

I should have known it was all a set up! I shall reiterate that I had a beautiful weekend:  I managed to get a bit of rest, was able to refocus, do a bit of editing, and even had the opportunity to fellowship with two congregations PLUS even though I didn’t get to watch the Superbowl COMMERCIALS (Yes, I confess, it’s rare that I watch the actual game), I got some Superbowl FOOD!!! (I just want to take this moment to thank the daughters of Pastor Dixon for such incredible food!!!! I didn’t know that you could infuse seafood into scalloped potatoes like that!!!! I didn’t realize I was a foodie until I was introduced to Long Island cooking – I must visit you guys during one of these holidays! Pastor Dixon – I’m looking forward to all the seafood I can eat!!!!) 

Yes you guys! I had a beautiful weekend! It felt like a bit of the weekend trickled into Monday, but, it was MONDAY after all – what could you really expect? I was already disappointed that the weekend was over, the sidekick started exhibiting a bit of his symptoms…again, but I knew that we REALLY needed to get out of the house - so I went to visit one of my favorite aunties :-) (she was only here for a few days and we had a mini photo session, so I was excited!)  

 It felt so good to spend time with her and reminisce…and I honestly think that if it wasn’t for the time I spent with her and the encouragement, inspiration, and motivation that I received over the weekend I would have exploded by Tuesday when all the negative energy seemed to have magnetically pulled in my direction…but HEY! ‘Hello Monday’ is back! I got to watch the first episode of the new season on Tuesday (lol) and I got a little bit of added oomph to pull me through to Friday!!!! God is, indeed, awe-inspiring!

I’m so thankful because when I look back at the week, I realize that it has made me stronger.  He loved me enough to give me everything I needed to get through the week at the very beginning of it.  I will not pretend that I didn’t feel crushed or depressed, but I know for a fact that I was not destroyed!

So here I am, at the end of another week and a very long blog post (…lol) asking you to be grateful for the little things, and to smile as often as you can - even if it hurts.  I know for a fact that everything is going to be alright.  I survived!!!!

What’s happening next week? Well…I am visiting 'SPEAK!' on Monday with Pen & Tongue to minister in spoken word at their ‘season premiere’, and later on in the week, I spend Valentine’s Day and the remainder of the week at Grace Evangelical Ministries Women’s Conference (I’m ministering in spoken word there also)…I MAY be missing in action for a few days because HELLO, it IS Valentine’s week, and I’m married, and I feel that Valentine’s Day IS for married people (I never celebrated it before marriage...I may explain in a blog post a bit later this week…) But yeah…I’m looking forward to ‘shipping’ my son somewhere for a day or two and spending some REAL quality time with the hubby…Lord knows we haven’t had ‘Us Time’ in a long time….(yet another blog post that I must get to because for some awkward reason I love posting ALL of my business on a blog for the world to read!!! LOL)

…by the way! Shout out to Trinidad and Tobago!!! I see you!!! Thank you for reading my blog! I am honored that you visited! To my Caribbean Massive!!!! I love you guys! Shout outs to the U.S. of A also, for all the love that you have been sending my way! :-) I truly appreciate it! And dear Bahamas…thank you for opening my eyes to the possibilities of sharing OUR culture and my heart to the world.  I bleed aquamarine, gold, and black!

Enjoy your weekend!

Hands up in resilience, heart full of determination,

xoxo Jenna

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Bananas in their early stages.

 These past few months we have been backyard gardening...something that I never thought we would have been able to do, but after googling, researching, and speaking to gardening experts, we realized that it was in fact possible.

Backyard gardening is a fulfilling hobby that we are so glad that we got into. I won't jump up and say that it hasn't had it shares of ups and downs, but I would say that it has taught us so much about the environment, our personal temperaments (LOL!), and life in general.

Trial and error has taught me the patience of gardening and its soothing attributes.  I can not even explain how proud we are when we see the seeds and transplants that we have watered sprout green. (I'm literally dancing around the house singing "YAY!!!! It didn't die!!!!)

It has given me an added boost of confidence and now I'm looking forward to trying new things...it also liberates me by giving me options...

Green Onions!

We don't know how long we are going to be in our present location, but while we are there, we are learning more about the fruits and vegetables that we have planted and are maintaining.  Some of the plants have already produced, but we are looking forward to tasting our very own sweet potatoes (I'm thinking fried, mashed, and baked...twice-baked even...lol).

I can't even begin to explain how good it feels to look up and see my hubby and son in the garden doing their own thing...even better is watching my son pick cherry tomatoes straight of the vine and pop them like candy.

Cherry Tomatoes

I can't wait to start producing more fruits and vegetables on a larger scale...I want to be able to produce enough food to assist with a healthier alternative in a small neighborhood.  I feel that every child should have the opportunity to put their hands in soil and experience growing their own fruits and vegetables.

I'm looking forward to sharing seeds and stories this year!

Hands up in happiness, heart full of hope,

xoxo Jenna

Update: RESEARCH!!!

I want to take this time to say thank you for visiting my blog!

There is so much that I want to share with you, and so I'm doing lots of research! ( I LOVE it!) Until I get all of that cultural research done, I'm going to be sharing my day to day 'doings' with you :-)

The more I study, the more I realize how our Bahamian culture is infused with components from Africa and our neighboring Caribbean brothers and sisters. It is amazing! 

I can't wait to break down our dialect, cooking, and overall culture with you guys (I'm learning as I go along, so this will be a journey for all of us).  There is so much that I want to personally try, and as a matter of fact, I've been given the opportunity to learn some Bahamian dishes...now, I CAN cook, but there is NOTHING like spending time in the kitchen with a master!

I am also visiting our archives, and trying to put together my maternal family tree...I'm trying to go as far back as I can because I basically have my paternal side down (they were Loyalists who came to The Bahamas from America seeking to stay loyal to the British crown).  My mother's side of the tree is a bit trickier because it includes freed men, France, and a Cherokee wife, as well as migration to The Bahamas somewhere along the line...lol.

So far, I can say that I have found a link to the 1920's and I'm drafting my letter to the Diocese of that district so that I can possibly get further information via church records.

I can't wait to share all that I can with you guys...this is going to be an interesting journey, and it would be awesome to have you along for the ride!

Hands up in anticipation, heart full of expectation

xoxo Jenna

Dream Car? (Car Rant)

I want one of these

Nissan Micra (Nissan March) (It has to be left-handed)

or...

one of these

Volkswagen Beetle

But when my husband sees them....he sees THIS!

(Insert HUGE sigh here) So what is a girl to do?

I have always had a thing for these little cars (ever since I was really young and 'buggy-punching') and they are economically sound (gas averages $5.60 here at the moment )

I have been willing to negotiate (because marriage takes COMPROMISE)...sadly, he refuses to do so, even though I promised him that I would leave the Easter colors and pick something more masculine...like black or blue :-P... He will not budge!!! LOL!

My friends think something is officially wrong with me because I make them stop and stare when we pass a parked one...or I ask for a moment of silence when one drives by, just so I can bask in its artistry...LOL (Yes, it's THAT bad!!!)

I think that is my random blog rant for the month....LOL! Thank you for listening, and if you happen to have any ideas that can help me nag persuade him to at least THINK about it, they are welcomed! LOL!

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