I'm Grateful For

I'm grateful for life, friends, family, job, health, laughter, money, education, books, movies, animals, USA, Africa, sports, confidante, music, art, writing, clowns, and so much more. I'm grateful that I had the experience of this year. I good year it was nothing exciting and nothing awful isn't that cool.

I'm very thankful for my son, Kirk. He's such a loving young man and I'm so grateful for that. I'm grateful for his daughter, Kaylan. I still miss her very much. I think about her a lot wondering how are things going for her in her first year in high school. She'll be fourteen this year that really amaze me. I hope she loves school and that she continues to do well in school she's such a smart girl.

I'm grateful for my job. I got a new job this year. It wasn't easy working at Vista Meadows. Teenagers are such a challenge and I didn't have the skills to work with them. I'm grateful for the new job it's a challenge too. I work in at ACE Academy in Highland Park in their after school program. I'm respondsable for the program making sure things are running well with the program. This is a very big challenge for me as I never imgained working in an office and there I seat everyday working on the attendance. Sometimes I feel like calling up my superviser and saying I quit I can't do this. I decided to continue to work at the challenge and learn what I can from the experience. I have to say I don't miss working with the students.

I'm grateful for Fawn this year. What a wonderful new, old friend. She has been such a gift to me this year. I've never imgained when we knew each other thirty years ago that she would be editing my book. I do remember her as a teenager reading books a lot just like I did. I liked her as a teenager because she liked to read I use to think that she was such an intelligent girl and imgained her being a professor when we were kids. Reading her work that she has done for me is just a talented woman. I was really blessed seeing her and all the wonderful work she has done on the book. The woman is awesome.

I'm grateful for still working with Donna Marie. Having her in my life has been such a gift. I've gained so much from working with her the last few years. She has encouraged me, supported me and listened to me. She has helped me changed and grow. This is just amazing at so much I have done since I've worked with her. I don't even recognized the woman that I've become since I've worked with her. I love it when she laughs with me.

I'm grateful for Laura and her sharing her talents with me over the years. I just think she's so gifted and has such amazing artistic skills. I do appreciate her so willing to help me with my photo albums. I just love looking at them and working on them it is lots of fun. I appreciate how she calls me and ask me to come over and just sit with her and talk. She dreams for me too which is so cool she wants me to reach all my dreams. She's a cool friend indeed.

I'm grateful for many friends Johanne, Diana, Cathy, Jennifer. It's been so cool spending time with them. I like going over to Canada and spending time with Diana and Cathy. They are such talented women when it comes to quilting. I had a wonderful time with Johanne too this where I took the pic on our little vacation. I am thankful for Jennifer and I miss spending time with her.

I'm grateful for my health and home. I forget to be grateful for how this year was good for me with my health. There were a couple of times when I wasn't feeling to good but over all I'm doing well which is a wonderful thing. I am thankful that I'm able to live here with my sister. I get so worked over what it isn't that I forget to be thankful for what it is. My sister is a very sweet woman and I'm glad that we do get along.

As you can see that I just like the sky and the sea there's so much to be thankful for. What a wonderrful time to think about all those things I am thankful for. The skies the limit. smile

SELL OUT

"I'm coming out I want the world to know got to let it show."

I couldn't believe it the show was a sell out. Ever seat in the thearte was filled people had to sit on the stairs to watch the show. A dream come true. What an amazing event. Last night I did the show the Bag Lady again it's been over a year ago since I did it last. I was so amazed that so many people were there more than I could have imgained. I was expecting 80 people to come the thearte holds 130 people there were people sitting on the stairs. A true gift.

I added one new scene with a little girl dancing with another one of the other dancer it summed up the whole show. Actually the little girl stole the show. I found it to be so much more enriching to have her in the show. This was so awesome being able to create something in my mind then seeing it come full force was a wonderful treat. A beautiful gift indeed.

I am so grateful that I was able to do the show again. I think what was so great about the whole experience was being able to greet everyone that was in the audience after the show. My heart was lifted with so many warm words of appreciation. Many said that they were blessed by the show I was blessed by everyones presents. Thank you everyone of you, thank you so much.

Kim

Blessings

smile

m

SHE'S BACK

Bag Lady is back. Today I went to Donna Maria's class at Oakland Community College to talked about my show and book. I talked to the students about having a dream and moving towards that dream what it take to make your dreams come true. Someone asked what did it take for me to get here realizing my dream and making it happen. I had to say it was my self discovery letting go of old emotions that were holding me down. I know if it wasn't for me going deep inside and looking at my past and facing my fears that I wouldn't be here today seeing my dream come true, the book and Bag Lady. This has been one marvelous adventure.

I sold about twenty tickets at the class today and that felt great. I also went to the Y and got a little tour of the stage and thearte. I was in love. The place is beautiful I know that time on stage is going to be fantastic. I will continue to stay in prayer about the show that who ever gets the opportunity to see it will come out ready to let go and move forward.

Bag Lady is back ready to share her story.

IN BETWEEN MY TEARS

The writing fingers writes and haven't written moves on. I don't know who wrote this beautiful saying I do remember who said it to me. Mrs. Miller was a nurse on the Children's ward and she said that to me while I was there. She motivated me with those words. That was over thirty something years ago. I was also giving a diary from Ms. Graves from the same place. Those two women wated a seed that was buried inside of me the seed to write was beginning to sprout.

I've read many books over my life time. Most of the books were about people who had over come obstacle in their lifes to reach their dreams. I read The Diary of Ann Frank, Go Ask Alice, Daddy Was a Number Runner, The Story of a Slave Girl, I Know Why The Cage Bird Sings, Coffee Will Make You Black, Soul Brother and Sister Lou and there are many more that I haven't added here but these were stories that inspired me. I read and had a secrect desire to write. The written word just seems to bring me joy. I love seeing words in print. The desire was there but I allowed fear to keep me from going towards that dream.

When I was given my diary at fifteen I was placed at Vista Maria Home for girls. I wanted to write my story about that time at Vista Maria. I tried many times during my adult life. I just couldn't make it work. I would look at line paper and write but would ball up the paper and throw it away. I cried about it over the years. Hoping but never getting anywhere. I couldn't imagine what the book would even look like no least writing it.

Four years ago I met Donna Maira, my confidante and she asked me what did I want for my life. I didn't know what to say then the words write my book came out of my mouth.I was so surprise that those words came out of my mouth. The dream was there because the seed was planted so many years ago. I've worked very hard on my inner self letting go of old emotions that have held me back I began to write. The joy returned. I met Marilyn a writer's coach on line. She encouraged me to write my story and the words just flowed right though me as if someone had turned on the water faucet. This is how In Between My Tears came to me. I am almost there now. I am closer than I've ever been. I've been blessed with a new editor an old friend I had when I was a young girl at Vista Maria, Fawn Reeves.

We are looking forward to having the book published by the January of next year. I am so happy about this. This is so exciting for me. The seed was watered and now it has bloomed. I see it come to an end. The writing finger writes and haven't written moves on.

IT'S TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE

Something fell on me today it was light I should have expected it to happen but yet I wasn't ready for it. It was soft and gentle almost like a feather it's color bought a smile to my face. I loved the sight of it. It was a leaf to let me know that it was time to make a change.

Life has it's changes sometimes unexpected and often not. I had several changes in my life the last few years. There were times when I didn't think my life could be any different and then the change. I have a new job now working in a lock up facility for teenage boys. It's a little scary for me being in a place that's surrounded by young men that have commented some type of crime. I have to get use to working though heavy steel doors that can only be open from someone watching from cameras. It makes me cry to see so many African American males behind locked doors. This is such a change for me as I have worked with young boys for over twenty years and they got to play outside no steel doors to go though. I have prayed for years that this wouldn't be their destination one day. A never would want this to be a change for them.

Life is like a leaf that changes so suddenly that you're not really aware of the change. My hope is that I will not work in a place like this for very long. I would like to be an encourager to the young men that I meet there but hope that a change that would bring a much pleasant change for me one day.

Look out for the leaves that this fall.

Workcation and Vacation Awesome

The last two weeks has been a wonderful and delightful experience for me. I've had a wonderful opportunity to see Michigan in a new way. I had the chance to go to Traverse City and Indian City the last two weels and I was thrilled to see the beauty of our state. Both places were just filled with beauty. In Traverse City I had the opportumity to see such lovely landscrapes of green trees, blue skies and lovely vineyards. I was in awe of the beauty of it all. My superviser (friend) and I drove around and visited two vineyards and tasted some delicious wine. We also visited a old store the kind I use to see when I was a child down south. We stopped and had fresh rootbeer soda. That was cool, I don't like root beer but I couldn't pass that up. The best part was discovering Mooners ice cream. We happend to stop on the side of the road to get vegatables (that was cool too.) and he suggested we try the best tasting ice cream in America. We really thought he was giving us a suckers job with that line. When we taste it wenwere sold so we spent the last day hunting down for the diary to purchase more. I bought a half quart home. I can continue to enjoy it.

On friday my friend, Johanne had invited me to come to visit her up in her cabin in Indiana City. We had arranged this before I went on my workcation. Her place first of all is just beautiful. I could live in this place I thought it was going to be some small little log cabin. I was so wrong. She took me to Mackinac Island. I haven't been there in over thrity years. That's if you could believe I'm old enough to say that. I had forgotten how beautiful it was. The water just took my breath away. The bridge wow so long. I was glad we took a boat over so that I could really see how long the bridge was. We walked around for a while then took a carriage ride. I'm glad we didn't go with the bike ride. The ride was just great. All I could think about were the Indiana that once lived on this land. The trees were long and big. Oh my it was such a wonderful site to see. We went inside of a small house with butterfilies. This is when I wanted to just plant my feet and sit down and stay forever. I loved every minute of being there. I nearly cried just watching those beautiful creatures fly.

I totally enjoyed the company of my friend as we walked around for a short time I was snapping pictures left to right hoping to capture the moment. I found what love really meant just by spending time here and in Traverse City because God is just awesome, man (smile) He really is. He really knows how to decorate.

What a wonderful workcation and vacation I had these last two weeks.

smile

ONE IS THE LONELINESS NUMBER

Today I'd cried tears of loneliness. Tears of sadness too. I'd cried because I find myself alone and very blue. I'd spend my days dreaming of dancing with someone arm and arm. I've dreamed of someone sharing all their ups and downs. I realized that its only a dream not reality at all. My life exist without a love and there are times when I get down.

I'm not sure where that poem came from. I just know that today I feel so bad because I've lived all my life without anyone special in my life. I've watched others walk around holding hands and embracing one another with love. I've seen so many marriages that I'm able to recite the vows. Yet, my whole life at 52 has never felt that love for anyone new.

I've dreamed of many things for my life but afraid to dream of loving someone with all my heart. LIfe is grand isn't it. Some people are able to go full force and try to walk against the wind. I to afraid that a storm may come and blow me a cross a field.

Today I'd cried.

Number one that's me.