I'm sick :-(

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How cute is that kitteh? He looks exactly like the cute little 7 month stray that found his way to my door earlier this week. As much as I loved that cute little nugget (and that's what I named him), I had to take him to the animal shelter after the third day. I'm allergic to most furry animals and with me being sick, Nugget aggravated an already aggravating situation. I miss his cute little self though. Here are a few pictures of Nugget, my Sun, myself and my BFF...

The little nugget

How cute is he? The little rascal was very high energy and loved to run and pounce on EVERYTHING. He was also very affectionate, he loved to jump up into my lap and have me pet him. He had this vibrating purr that reminded me of race car engines, lol.

Here's Nugget bonding with my Sun, me and my BFF. He loved my BFF the best, lol.

I really miss the little nugget but I don't miss the itchy nose, eyes and tons of cat fur floating around. I'm sure someone will adopt him and love him as much (if not more) than I did. but other than that...

I caught a really bad upper respiratory infection from my Sun and daughter last week and I have been so out of commission it's sad. I don't get sick often but when I do, it's usually really bad...and what I'm dealing with is pretty damn bad. As a result of this, I haven't felt like doing much of anything other than drinking lots of hot tea, eating tons of chicken noodle soup and trying to rest. Despite all my efforts though (and plenty of home remedies) I don't seem to be getting better. My next step is to go to a doctor (I hate western medicine) and accept the bottle of antibiotics I know they're going to prescribe. This will no doubt cause additional problems (hello yeast infection, ugh!).

Before I got sick, I filmed a video about an issue that's been weighing heavy on my heart for a while. Check it out...

This video doesn't even begin to scratch the surface about body image, self-esteem, healthy vs. unhealthy habits, etc. but, it's a start. Conversations need to be had, especially with teen girls, about how to maintain their health and self-esteem. Just like there's a natural hair movement picking up steam and empowering women, there should be a movement to empower women and girls to accept/love themselves and respect their journeys. Let's encourage one another starting today!

Brand New Day, Brand New Chance

So for many, today is the beginning of the new year. I acknowledge this simply because I live in America and we use the Gregorian calender. Unlike most I know, my new season doesn't begin until March 20, 2011, which is the day of the Vernal Equinox (first day of Spring in the northern Hemisphere). Spring is the season for rebirth/regeneration, thus, the perfect time for my season of new beginnings. So, though I have not made any resolutions for January 1st (never have and never will), I have goals that I am working towards accomplishing. When those goals are accomplished, I will set new goals and so on and so forth. Along with goals set and awaiting accomplishment, I have daily affirmations and monthly projects I work on. The most important thing I can do for my Self, is to be Self-approved. The body isn't much without a strong mind and spirit so I am constantly working to improve on the triad. One of the aids I'm using is Iyanla VanZant's book "Until Today". I bought this book sometime last year but never started it. Since the first chapter coincides with "the new year", I figured I'd go ahead and start it. Has anyone else read this book? Is anyone currently reading this book? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Today while blog surfing, I came across a wonderful blog post by Sally McGraw of Already Pretty that mirrors many of my daily affirmations. Sally's post titled "The big Secret", reminded me that in our daily lives (especially with being constantly subjected to damaging messages from mass media) we may have many seeds of Self-doubt planted in our psyches. A good way to combat this is to be Self-approved and the best way to accomplish this (IMO) is to use affirmations. To some it may seem hokey and lame, but for me it is the equivalent of a having a suit of shining armor, a shield and a sword. I can protect my Self from the flaming arrows aimed at my psyche and I can cut through all the BS that advertisers, etc. try to feed me about my Self image.But no matter how you do, take the time to honor the divine in your Self. Remember that you are exactly where you need to be and you are doing exactly what needs to be done. Everything will be just fine....now smile :-)