Mary J Blige Heads to London for #TheLondonSessions

I've done 30-day writing challenges and it's hard to come up with a good, complete, creative project in that amount of time.  It takes dedication and commitment, and, at least for me, a lot of coffee.  Perhaps, next time I should grab a bunch of songwriters and producers from the UK and pull up a seat for them next to my writing desk.  We can listen to Mary J Blige's upcoming album, The London Sessions, while I work.



For The London Sessions, Mary J Blige headed to London to collaborate with UK artists for a month. One of my favorite songs out now is Sam Smith's Stay with Me, so I looked forward to listening to what he and the others would do with her on this album for this review.  

To describe it over all, I'd say London Sessions is grown folks music.  At my particular age, I can say I'm grown folks.  I want to listen to music that I don't have to change when someone walks in the room and I don't have to worry about explicit content warnings.  These songs are about grown folks feelings – missing, loving, healing, wanting to be with that one person.  This is what R&B is supposed to sound like.

Folks are probably already familiar with the single Whole Damn Year that's included on this album.  My two favorites from the rest of the album are Nobody But You and My Loving. Perhaps it's the authentic feelings of love and longing that are the common factor; that, and the make-you-move beat in both songs.

Dancing is not my strong suit, but every time I've listened to My Loving I can't stop tapping my feet and bopping along – you know how you do the little in-your-chair dance while your supposed to be working?  This is the song that's going to have you spinning around, in your chair or on the dance floor.  I like the flirty vulnerability of convincing her man that she's the best girl for him: "I can be the girl you like, the one in your dreams… I'll let you try to think about the other girls, but you can't deny, that what you've got is the best in the whole wide world."  It has a bit of that Ne-Yo style and for a few notes, she even sounds like him.

In Nobody But You she tells her man that she's thinking about "Running away into your arms, a place where I'm gonna stay."  When there's so many songs out about that one-moment of physicalness, it's a welcome change to hear a song about staying for longer than one night.  Again, I like the make-you-dance rhythm of this song, too.

The one song I have to say I haven't put on replay is Therapy. It's unfortunate because I like the bluesy beat and tone to it.  But there's a small grammatical bug that bothers me – she sings "I can go therapy," and it seems that there should be a "to" in that phrase. Perhaps it was dropped to fit into the right number of beats, but it catches me every time.

There are few artists who seem like they are going to be able to stay around for a long time, for a real career beyond a one-hit wonder.  Mary J Blige is one of those artists with staying power, repeatedly coming back since her 1992 debut album.  Perhaps, it's the surprise of what she's going to come out with next.  Most of her albums, I've liked one or two songs, so even if I wasn't crazy about her last song, I liked the next one.  She keeps you interested, she keeps you coming back to see what she's got on the next track.  I would put The London Sessions, with her strong vocals and true R&B tone, as my favorite of her albums thus far.

The London Sessions album will be available on Dec. on Amazon and iTunes.


I participated in the Mary J Blige The London Sessions album review program as a member of bLink Marketing Network. I was provided a free album to review but all opinions are my own.

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Youth Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship: Watching Seeds Grow

When we consider education, we focus on our children being well-read, able to figure out the area of a triangle, knowing who won the Civil War, and knowing what Ag stands for on a periodic table.  We provide little formal education on how to make money and what to do with that money once you have it.  But as a former business education teacher and a parent, I’d argue that financial literacy is just as important to our children’s success.  Or least, for us to successfully get them out of our house as functional, independent adults (the whole goal of parenthood, right?)

What I learned about money (at least before I went to college and actually majored in finance) was from my parents, with money earned through part-time jobs and allowance.  As a teenager, I babysat.  Many of my girlfriends did the same; the guys cut grass and shoveled snow.  We told people we were available to do the work, decided the fee, did the work, collected payment, and figured out what to do with all that money.  We didn’t think about it then, but these tasks are the essentials of being an entrepreneur.  I’ve reviewed the same steps with my little group who are involved in one of the largest youth business operations around – my Girl Scout troop and their cookies.

Watching Seeds Grow is a guide about entrepreneurship for young people written by son and father, Keith Greer and Peter Greer (President & CEO of HOPE International), which offers simple, easy-to-understand lessons for youth about financial management.

The book opens with a few stories of youthful entrepreneurship, starting with Keith’s (the son) haphazard beginning in business, selling beans in a Rwandan market when he came across a few handfuls of leftover beans.  The stories highlight product-related businesses (beans, candles, tacos, donuts), but children should also be reminded that service-related endeavors, such as tutoring, shoveling snow, and painting friends’ nails, also require the same steps.

The second part of the book lists for parents ten steps of entrepreneurship.  Even for the child who has no interest in running their own business, they are important lessons which can be scaled to the appropriate age: understanding finance and the concepts of hard work, ownership, investment, and generosity.

For instance, Step 2: Start a Savings Account.  For the youngest child, the parent can begin this lesson with a simple bank at home – a jar, a plastic piggy bank, an envelope – and the discussion of putting away a little bit of whatever money the child gets for birthdays or holidays or A’s on the report card to save for the future.  Perhaps start with a tangible goal, like a particular toy or activity that’s relatively expensive, but reasonable.  As the child gets older, you can discuss more about short-term (that new iPhone) and long-term (college) savings goals.  Additionally, as the child gets older, parents can introduce them to the process of putting their money in the bank and earning interest (even if it is just a little bit), and then later the concept of investing (Greer’s Step 6).

An interesting parenting issue which Greer includes in the discussion on teaching children the value of hard work, is the debate about allowance.  Should allowance be tied to chores or other required activities or should it be given, no strings attached?  Greer suggests that by relating allowance to chores, parents teach children the concept of working for their money. Parents might even offer the opportunity to do additional chores to make a few more dollars.

The last section of the book is worksheets for the child who is considering their own business, even as simple as their own lemonade stand.  Applying the ten steps of entrepreneurship, the worksheets lead the child and parent through developing a business concept, considering expenses and setting a price, planning marketing and promotions, and selling the product.

Watching Seeds Grow is an easy-to-read guide which breaks down information about financial management into tangible, actionable steps for the young entrepreneur, the kid working a part-time job, or the kid getting an allowance for taking out the trash.

Peter and Keith Greer, Authors of Watching Seeds Grow

A complimentary copy of Watching Seeds Grow was provided for review; all opinions and comments are my own.

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Lessons for My Daughters About #BreakingtheInternet

Many situations in life are what we call “teachable moments.”  They may be times when someone did really well, but sometimes (usually) the best lessons are from when something has gone wrong.

In the past week, there was one celebrity who tried to steal the internet spotlight by baring her a$$ on a magazine cover and everything else on the inside pages (although online, cover and inside pages don’t really matter, so we got a glimpse of it all, but anyway...)  Then, another who quietly donned a white jumpsuit and cape, had her husband-to-be suit up in white, and rode two white bikes to their wedding – and the pictures took the internet by a tidal wave.  Teachable moments.

So what can we teach our daughters from these two examples of womanhood?

Overt, aggressive, look-at-me, love-me self-promotion doesn’t always work out so well.  People don’t like being forced to look at you and give you compliments.  Have you noticed whenever a person or even business entity attempts the “make a meme of me” campaign, it usually backfires? A haughty “break the internet” push actually comes off as a little too much self-absorption, and while the buzz may be out there, it’s not necessarily good. I haven’t heard anyone say “wow, I was so happy that while I was drinking my coffee this morning, sliding through Twitter, her a$$ popped up on my screen.” (Yeah, I know some thought that, but I’m talking about the rest of us.) Same when girls are strutting around in dresses tighter then their underwear and just as short or posting 100 selfies a day.  Lesson: stop begging for compliments and attention; it’s not a good look.

People like genuine-ness.  As much as we thrill in the drama of “reality” lives, in our hearts, we want to see for-real real, true love and friendship (or at least the image of it.)  So when photos of Solange’s wedding in white popped on the screen, there was a big collective “awwww, how lovely!”  Here was a celebrity who got married like a person with some sense who was focused on her own happiness, not “likes” and RT’s.  There were no secret, teasing peek photos at the wedding by the paparazzi hiding in bushes (the cute video of her and her son dancing looks like a friend took it on their phone) or month-long live E! coverage of the preparations.  I’m not naïve enough to think that there wasn’t a little bit of publicity planning involved in all of this, but the feeling was genuine and natural.  Sometimes we like things not being crazy over the top.  Lesson: We like that natural, real you better than the made-for-TV version.

In the real world, where the rest of us live, “breaking the internet” is not a real, tangible goal.  Sure, people like having a bunch of followers and friends, there’s a jolt of cyber-pride when you get some “likes” for a photo or status post. Heck, that’s what we bloggers live for – a share, a tweet, a comment. But all that amounts to very little in your quest to be a real, good, happy person.  Lesson: please, please don’t base your self-worth on electronic clicks, but instead on warm, live hugs and smiles.

And a few more quick ones:

Lesson: How you start is how you will continue.

Lesson: Pick your husband and life partner wisely. 

Lesson: Have more to offer the world than what’s physical.

And one more:

Don’t overstay your welcome.  If you somehow slipped into the party through the backdoor and folks tolerated you to stay – enjoy yourself, grab a drink, dance a little bit, don’t be a nuisance, and realize when it’s time for you to go.  Take your goodie bag, thank your host, and move on.

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Crockpot Cooking Without a Recipe

I've said it before, I'll say it again - my crockpot is one of my most used and favorite kitchen appliances.  Between running around with the kids and scattering to my own community and personal activities, we barely have time to eat - even less time to cook a decent meal.  So getting dinner cooked while I'm not even home is a masterful idea.

The wonderful part about crockpot cooking is that - although there are plenty plenty recipes and cookbooks out there - you really don't need a cookbook or a recipe, if you understand some basic requirements.

• Liquid - there's got to be some liquid in the crockpot. It could be stock, juice, water, sauce, the fat cooking off the meat - but there has to be some liquid to keep the food from drying out.
• Seasoning - the food is being slow-cooked, so there's time for the seasoning to melt into the food. Season generously, but not too heavy-handed.
• Time - obviously, the whole point is cooking for the hours and hours you will be away.  There are times, too, when you will want to use it to keep food and beverages warm for serving, like for hot chocolate for a cookie party!

From there - be creative.

Meats of course are favorites for the crockpot.  Whatever you cook will become so tender and juicy. You can serve as is, straight from the pot, or continue to prepare the meat once cooked.  Chicken, whole or in pieces, is an easy meat to cook. Roast beef or pork is also easy; you can eat as is, or chop it after cooking for sandwich or taco filling.  I like to cook pork loin and then chop it up for bar-be-que.  A very convenient fact? It doesn't even have to be defrosted! Yes, you can throw frozen meat into the crockpot, turn it on low and come back hours later to a fork tender meal.

Grains, beans, and pastas can be cooked on their own or with your meat choice. These especially need enough liquid since they require a lot to cook to tender. Spaghetti is easier than you think and lasagna works well in the crockpot, too - the tomato sauce is your liquid. I've yet to cook overnight oatmeal, but have tasted it and that's really good.  I need a smaller crockpot, since my son and I are the only ones who like oatmeal.

Vegetables can also be cooked alone or thrown in with everything else. I've made some very tender collard greens in the crockpot.  You probably should reserve this for veggies that can withstand the long hours of cooking, nothing too tender.

You can cook all of these separately or throw everything in the pot together for an easy clean-up, easy serve one-pot meal.  A can or two of diced tomatoes or stock and you've got the base for a good stew. Pick up a loaf of Italian bread and a salad on your way home and voila! Dinner is served.

For the chicken meal pictured above: a pack of drumsticks (frozen!); salt, pepper, basil, paprika to season; 2 cans diced tomatoes in sauce + 6 hours in the crockpot while we were at church, a science fair, sorority meeting, and a basketball game.

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Run, walk, skip in the Miracle Marathon for Children

The Miracle Marathon is a unique charity event to benefit a Children's Miracle Network hospital.  For my participation, I've selected the Children's Hospital in Washington DC.  I've been blessed to have not needed the services of Children's yet, with my 4 children, but have heard of the good work that they do.  I've also participated in other events that have benefited the hospital, including Ben's Run in memory of a young boy who was treated there before he passed away from an infection related to his leukemia.

Aside from the charitable aspect, this is probably going to be pretty much my one shot at doing a marathon. I've worked up to 5ks, a mere 3.1 miles, and that's a fair challenge. I even have a sprint triathlon and a swim/run duathlon in my race record. But marathon?  26 miles all at once? I've established my "marathon a month" as an exercise milestone, with the goal of running 26 miles over the course of a month, every month. It generally takes me 12-13 days, all totaled, and I admit, I don't always complete it.  So this is a great push for my own personal goals. Win, win for everybody.

So, what is it? Twenty-seven days to finish a marathon - plus an extra mile for all the kids that it benefits. Walk, run, skip, hop, swim, somersault a mile each, whatever works for you, and then on the last day, Oct. 12 , join with everybody else participating for the final mile, finishing at 2:27 pm (EST).

Join me in supporting this cause to benefit children all over the country. You can join my team, Piddlin' for Miles, or make a donation. I've set a fundraising goal at $270, so I'd appreciate - and so would the hospitals - your support.  Thank you!

My Miracle Marathon kit!  Including a pedometer to track my miles

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Where Does My African-American Child See Herself in Books?

Over the weekend, I went to the National Book Festival with two of my daughters. Elle, a high schooler, is the voracious reader of the family.  Often times, before any of the rest of us can finish reading – or even begin to read – a book that we’ve checked out of the library or bought at the bookstore, she has “borrowed” and finished the book, then handed it back with a quick review.  No book is safe in her arm’s reach (and she has long arms.)  Nat came along, too; still in elementary school, she reads when and if she feels like it.

We came away from the day with two children/teen books.  One was Zero Degree Zombie Zone, a fun, adventure story about an African-American boy and his friends, written by Patrik Henry Bass and illustrated by Jerry Craft.  Since African-American boy adventure books are hard to find, I even willingly paid the hardback price for a copy for my son.  The other book was Sisters by Raina Telgemeier; a graphic novel about the trials and quibbles of sisterly love. The line drawing characters are presumably not African-American, but no matter; Nat connects to the sisters, plus really likes this author’s previous novel, Smile.

What did Elle get? Nothing. My reader child, the one who was anticipating the Book Festival, came away empty handed.  Although, she did read the zombie book on the Metro ride home before handing it over to her brother.  But for her – my African-American, teen girl, who does not like vampires, witches, demons, and spooky stuff, but does like some sci-fi, adventure, and a little teen angst drama – nothing.  And she came away with the conclusion, as she often does when we attend big book events, that there are no books about teenage Black girls.  She can and does read plenty of books about White teens who travel through time, run from crazy parents, fight against scientific experiments, chase and are being chased by other kids, fall apart from their best friends, and fall in love. But kids who look like her? Not so much.

So where are the books for and about Black teens? Ones where they are not the minor character or the jovial sidekick friend.  When does the Black boy get to be the hero of the story for his own strength, not the illiterate downtrodden athlete that will be saved by the loving White family?  When does the Black girl get to be the heroine who shoots the bow and arrow and gets the boy, instead of the runaway slave?  How long before the Black girl meets the great guy and goes on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation before he dies and we all cry uncontrollably over their teen love?

Do a quick search of the top teen books, even Young Adult, as the line seems to blur sometimes.  Go to Barnes and Noble or Amazon, and take a look. Aside from most of the books being about a dystopian society (a popular theme, apparently in teen books) you may notice that all the people on the cover of the books are White.  Even the vampire and ghost children.  I recently read a list of the “20 most anticipated” books for young adults.  A quick tally showed that of the 20 books:

• There were no Black main characters (based on description, cover photo, and/or assumption based on the author’s race)
• There were two Asian characters (the author/co-author of both books were also Asian)
• Thirteen were about someone who has died, is dying, or will die.  More than thirteen people, however, will die in these books as a few were about the dying of multiple and many people.  Happy reading.

I do have some concern that so many of the current books for teens and young adults are about kids trying to kill other kids or scary, demonic beings trying to kill kids, but that’s a whole ‘nother book discussion for another day. For now, let’s get back to the lack of Black characters.

Why does it matter?  As an illustration, let me pose this activity. Think of a classic or contemporary teen book. Let’s say, Charlotte’s Web.  Would it have been a different story if Fern was African-American?  (Feel free to also imagine Fern as any other race, not often found in American teen fiction, such as Asian and Latino.) Wilbur would still have been destined as bacon, Charlotte would still spin words in her web, and they all would still make the journey to the fair. But perhaps it would’ve attracted the attention of a Black child, perhaps it would’ve spurred a love of reading in a little Black girl to see herself as Fern and remember her grandparents’ farm in North Carolina.  Like The Wiz as the African-American version of The Wizard of Oz, there perhaps would’ve been a different spin on the story.  A different child would see people who look like her.

And that’s what diversity in children’s and young people’s books is about. Stories that allow our young people to imagine themselves as the heroes, as the crusaders, as the girl who meets the boy, as the boy who stands up to bullies, as the kid who survives middle school, as the regular ole kid who somehow makes it past all the hurdles of the teen-years and makes it to adulthood.

So I encourage the writers who want to write these stories – write.  That’s how I finally came to write my first novel (an adult novel, not for teens) because, paraphrasing Toni Morrison, we have to write the stories we want to read.  And let’s support those authors who write (good) books about diverse characters.

Final question. Does it matter that there are African-American characters, as well as Asian and Latino?  Answer this first – would it matter if there were no White characters?

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