Sure Footing

Hi peeps. I hope you all are well.

Me? Lately, I’ve been feeling like that character from Airplane and thinking I’ve picked an awfully bad year to make this the best year of my life. But I’m surging ahead and no, I’m not ready to give up on my claim. It’s way too early in my endeavor. So despite the arthritis not subsiding, but seeming to ramp up along with the migraines and senior stress I’m still forging ahead with my Best Year plan.

Like I was saying my RA has not improved. I had that setback with a run around trip to the city which should have been easy but I suffered way too long after and my doctor has put me on a quicker acting and hopefully more effective medication. It’s week two, I still have to be patient because it takes at least a month. It’s amazing to me now many things I’m waiting on right now. Tick and Tock.

In the meantime I just want to get on more sure footing.

Love You, Love Me,
Kwana

Languid

It's the only word to describe my mood lately and not in the best sense but in the exhausted sense of languid. I'm wishing right now I could do languid like Rosemary Rogers did here in the 70's.

No, I'm afraid my version on languid is nowhere near as glam as a ivory satin wrapper and silver shadow. Tough maybe I could run a comb through my hair. Hmm... now there's a sexy idea.

Have a good one.

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

image from here

Going for the Gold

I'm loving everything about this effortless look.

But most of all I'm feeling her simple gold hoops.

Are you going for the gold this Fall?

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

image from The Satorialist

Tea Time

Today I'll be drinking lots of tea and putting up my sore foot since running across town in 'those' shoes that shall not be named last night was clearly a bad idea. But really folks my ratty New Balances with the orthotics were just not going to cut it for a literary evening in Manhattan. Really.

Sigh-ing.

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

image from here

You Can Get With This Or You Can Get With That

I’m just back from the arthritis doc where I had a good heart to heart. I really do like him with his sweet, kindly presence and long anecdotes. While there I also look a turn (literally) at the foot doctor to assess my orthotics which I still don’t like and had adjusted a bit. We’ll see how that works out.

My rheumatologist and I decided to switch my meds to a slightly more aggressive faster acting drug since the Paquenil is having no effect on me and the shooting pains in my foot are just as strong as ever. I mean it’s not fair to have to pay with a night of pain after only a 20 minute walk. So I’m now trying Methotrexate (big scary name there).

I asked him once again, could I avoid all this with vitamins, diet and exercise? He was kind, and patient, but told me in all seriousness, no. Sure diet and moderate exercise were important and he was not a pill happy doctor by any means, but for my age and with my numbers what we were trying to do was prevent further rapid advancement and without the medication that is what I would have in a few years. Yikes!

I told him how with all the talk of “but you can do it the natural way” or “all you need is to just get out and move more” I feel guilty about taking the medication. But kindly doctor dude set me straight. He told me to tell people to walk a mile in my shoes because right now they are free since I can’t walk a mile in them because of the pain.

Everyone has their own way of dealing with life’s challenges and mine may not be the same as everyone else’s but I don’t have to feel guilty for doing what I think is right for me and you don’t either.


Love You, Love Me,
Kwana

WIP

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

image from here

Peace Out

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

Just Keep It to Yourself

Now this video from Derek Sivers goes so against me and even my blog a bit, but it does kinda goes with my Nana's "keep things close to the vest" way of thinking and gives me pause. Hmm...
This chatty Gemini would love your thoughts.



Love You, Love Me,
Kwana

School's Open

Today is the first day of school. It's always a tough day for me and this one will probably be the toughest since my twins are seniors this year. Mama is feeling mighty old. Oh well I'll try and take it without too many tears.

The first day of school in a way always feels a little like the start of a new year for me. It's all about new beginnings and a chance to make a fresh start. Time to get back in the saddle with staying on top of the old to do lists, health, fitness, nutrition, goals and then there is fashion.

I've got some studying to do. Here is my study guide:

What do you think of during back to school time?

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

How About a Break Today?

You sure deserve it.

Happy Labor Day!

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

Stop and Sniff

I'm stopping to smell the last of my garden's roses (these were clipped by my DH) this holiday weekend as Fall is ushered in by BBQ and a windy storm. I hope you enjoy and get time to stop and smell the roses for yourself!

Love You, Love Me

Kwana

BBF- All the cool kids have one

So while my twins were away the other week with the grandparents I did see Eat, Pray, Love, but for some reason I was hesitant to talk about it here and I wasn’t quite sure why. I enjoyed the movie well enough though I wouldn’t call it a rave. It was clearly a like and something I would see again once it comes out on video or on cable.

The scenery was lush and beautiful as I knew it would be, Javier was lush and beautiful as I knew he would be and Julia was lush and well, you get the point.
But the movie as I feared it would, did not live up to my love of Elizabeth Gilbert's book. The book (which this is part of its criticism) was a perfect escape from life at a time when I truly needed it and the movie somehow made light of that. Turning what were much more real characters in my head into caricatures.

Now my biggest problem with the movie which I had going into it as soon as I saw the trailer many months ago was the Viola Davis character of Delia who for the life of me I could not remember from the original. Where did this Black best friend come from and why is she suddenly in the movie when she wasn’t in the book? The book that sold millions and I thought was near perfect, but suddenly Hollywood thought needed a Black sidekick to what, throw us a bone to get us into the theater? I was insulted and continued to be throughout the movie.

I talked to my DH about this (probably more than he would have liked) getting into characterization and internal dialogue all trying to reason out the reason for this character. In the end I couldn’t do it. I didn’t need to be pandered to in that way. You see I would have seen the movie either way because I loved the book and Julia and well there was Javier.

And being a lover of good acting and people who know their craft I would love to see Viola in her own starring role which this Oscar nominated and Tony award winning actress deserves. It doesn’t matter that she is a Black woman, but me being a black women, yeah that would make me pretty happy too. So are you listening Hollywood? More money from me and I think more women like me if you just smarten up and get a tad bit creative and open minded.

But the bottom line is this….I am over the Black sidekick role. How long is this tired role going to be replayed because at this point Netflix is becoming my BFF.

For more on the BBF check out The Root here.

Love You, Love Me,
Kwana

Brilliant

image from here !





Love You, Love Me,
Kwana

Congrats or Not? NOT

So I’m just sitting down in on my favorite no frills on the water restaurants while my DH goes to order food after one of THE most stressful days ever when I feel a tap on my shoulder. So I turn and it’s a lady I know by face only coming to say hello. She saw me from across the restaurant and wanted to say hi and congrats on my being pregnant. WHAT? Stop the presses. Hold. The. Phone.


Now I have my issues with food and weight that I’m dealing with and this is not the first time I’ve heard this congrats line in the 16 years since I’ve had my twins and my stomach was stretched beyond the great beyond.

After I got a hold of myself I looked at the women and said, no baby here it’s just fat and she tried to cover by saying that she’s got weight to lose herself, but by then I was done. I could barely enjoy my food or my husband’s company (he had returned to our table by then and missed the comment but could see I was put out).



Part of me wanted to say to her what was her deal assuming something like that when she was not sure? What is it about people that makes them think that whatever is in their head can come out of their mouth and we should all be ridiculously food and body obsessed? Can we just get some manners or do I have to wear a tee shirt and label myself?



Maybe I could go couture with Gaultier?

Whatever. I’m going to try and not let it get me too down. When I left the house I thought I looked good, my husband told me I looked good so, I can’t let one comment ruin my self image.


Love You, Love Me,
Kwana