A Wicked Life

Photo Source: winetrain.com As racial tension continues to escalate in our fine country, everything is now being scrutinized as racist. The newest target for racial discrimination allegations is The Napa Valley Wine Train.  Over the weekend, a book club made up of mostly black women, were escorted off The Napa Valley Wine Train. Staff claimed the group refused to comply with several requests that their group quiet down. These women are now claiming the actions of the staff were racially charged. These women even went as far as Tweeting the incident with the hashtag #laughingwhileblack to imply if they had been a group of white people, the staff would not have ejected them from the train. Now some Latinos are claiming similar treatment.  I read comments on post threads stating that wine tasting is a white person's hobby and that people of color can afford it and should be able to enjoy it  their  way. Really? What happened to comm...

Photo Source: Huffington Post It is one thing to admire a culture. It is another thing to outright fabricate ethnicity and being a target of racism. Ms. Dolezal pushed the limits. She lied about who her father is and was brazen enough to post it on social media. Introduced her adopted brother as her son. Not only did she lie about her heritage, she falsified hate mail and police reports - playing the victim of racism.  What was her motive? Some say she did it because of her passion to eliminate the country's injustice towards the black community. Others say that she did it for scholarships and other benefits. Only Dolezal, herself, knows the true motive. What her actions have brought forward is more racial discussion. Her own resignation letter even tries to make the claim that society lashed back and only focused on race and its definition. "Many issues face us now that drive at the theme of urgency. Police brutality, biased curriculum in schools, economi...

The Four Agreements 1. Be impeccable with your word. 2. Don’t take anything personally. 3. Don’t make assumptions. 4. Always do your best.   Sometimes there are things you read that stick with you. Other times the words pass by - leaving little impression. I went to my bookshelf to find this book so that I could re-read it. I didn't fully appreciate it the first time around. Well I couldn't find my copy so it looks like I will be ordering a new one soon.  In the meantime, I wanted to share some quotes I found on Good Reads with you all. There are so many listed that I just took the first page and gleaned the ones that spoke to me the most.  Enjoy. :)  “If someone is not treating you with love and respect, it is a gift if they walk away from you. If that person doesn't walk away, you will surely endure many years of suffering with him or her. Walking away may hurt for a while, but your heart will eventually heal. Then you can choose what ...

I am big on coming to the rescue of those being picked on or treated unfairly. You will find me on comment threads speaking up in defense of someone’s opinion if they are being criticized by others. I don’t even have to know the person in real life and they don’t need to be saved... Yes, I’m that person. The one that will call you out on your shit even if you are not talking to me. So when my thirteen year old niece chose not to shave her legs, I immediately imagined all the ridicule she would receive. She was never really girly girly growing up but still, not shaving legs? What female in our family chooses not to shave their legs?! While my sister (her mom) took her daughter’s stance on shaving with an accepting attitude, I on the other hand, was not so accepting. I did not want my niece humiliated at school or have her first crush, well, crush her. At every opportunity, I would try and provide a compelling reason ...

So It's been six months since I initially posted Fit or Fat at 45. I had a lot of hopes and determination. I still do. Although I am not where I want to be health/weight wise, I have made progress. I have dropped about 5 lbs. and lost six inches. I have to remember that i t took me ten years to get this weight on and it isn't going to take six months to lose it. I'm not trying to be a size zero or have the "thigh gap",  I just want to be able to paint my toe nails. Reach my toes.   Well through the course of the last few months I have continued to change my eating habits, kept drinking the same amount of alcohol and didn't increase my activity as much as I should have to reach my already aggressive goals. "K eep doing the things you always do and expect different results." Sound familiar?    So instead of jumping on the bandwagon with all the proud to be plus-sized women or feeling sorry for myself, I'm going to keep on keep...

Okay, we have all seen the memes. The motivational memes that give us the encouragement to love the bodies we were given. I think it is great to embrace what you are and who you are. Shout it from the mountaintops and don't let anyone make you feel like you are garbage.  Here is where it gets a little too much. All these big and beautiful women out there posting statuses like "Real mean love curves, bones are for dogs". Really? That is how we choose to invoke our inner plus size goddess?  First of all real men love real women. It doesn't matter size they happen to be. It doesn't matter what they look like. Anyone that treats anyone poorly simply on their looks needs to take a long hard look at themselves in a mirror.  So why are we attacking slender women? Threat? Sure it is. I haven't been a plus size woman my whole life. I didn't go through high school chubby. I was thin, super thin in fact that I couldn't find clothes that didn't make me lo...

Exactly 6 months from today I will be 45 years old. Like the majority of Americans I am not in shape and need to lose a good amount of weight.  Like everyone else that is overweight I have tried many different ways of getting fit and losing the extra pounds. Fad diets, supplements, personal trainers (2 days, not 2 days a week just 2 days...), and whatever else that seems to be "effective" that's on the market.  I have however gradually changed my diet and activity levels. As of today I don't eat fast food or drink sodas. I am not one that craves sweets so I don't have to worry about a donut temptation. I have started using coconut milk and love it. Kale salads are amazing. I'm finding wonderful healthy foods. I have even reduced my alcohol consumption. Once a week Happy Hour with friends and none at home.  I also do not eat after 8pm and make sure that I am drinking plenty of water.  Coffee has been replaced with green tea. Well, I cheat on the coff...

Which way do you go? Do you go down the left or the right?  If you take the wrong path can others judge you? Whose to say you are headed in the wrong direction in the first place? Is it really so important that everyone believe the same?  Because I don't go to church or worship your god I'm going to burn in hell fire? I haven't killed anyone. I don't cheat or steal. I love my mom and dad. Besides, isn't that up to the big guy to decide anyway?  I took the wrong path once. I doubled back and went the way I was supposed to. Not because someone told me but because the direction I was headed didn't feel right for me. It wasn't where I was meant to be.  I had someone tell me today to repent for "he is coming and I will surely pay for my ways." What a great approach! Unfortunately for that person, I happen to know my way around the Good Book. What about those that don't? Those who are verbally beat up in the name of being sav...