Friday Night Lights

I had one of the most memorable Friday nights ever last night! I spent it supporting friends and strangers alike - but most importantly I supported a community and a cause. Last night I participated in the Relay for Life events in conjunction with the American Cancer Society for my first time; it was held at the local fairgrounds. And although it was storming and the event was held inside, the rain didn't seem to deter anyone! I along with many of others sloshed our way through the mud into a common area in an united effort to educate, fundraise, and find a cure.

The room was lively and exhilarated. There were Cancer survivors, Cancer warriors, and of course Cancer victims represented throughout in one form or another. There was dancing and singing, cake walks, raffles, pageant princesses and queens, t-shirts, and and array of foods and beverages. Booths lined the outer perimeter of the building customized by teams who rallied together around a centralized theme and/or loved one to show their support and raise even more money/awareness. All the while people walked nonstop and fundraised.

I was trying to get on a paget queen's/princess' crown all evening to no avail, arrgggg!!!

                                 


Mrs. Smith and a local Mr. Relay

They walked around a constructed course that resembled a racetrack. But this track wasn't enclosed with grass like ordinary tracks. And even if we had been outdoors as planned it would not have been, it would have remained enclosed with memories represented by plain white paper bags - luminaries; if we had been walking a path, it wold had been lined with them. Rows and rows of white paper bags - some with just names, others with pictures, some adorned so much they could barely stand. There were dates of birth so that as you made laps you calculated ages, "that baby was barely 2", I recall saying to myself, and there were names that made me stop dead in my tracks like the name of my aunt that has been missing for well over 2 decades and I had a series of "what ifs" to myself. Inside each bag was a candle and sand and when lit one could not help but feel emotionally overwhelmed as the room darkened the music played and a PowerPoint displayed the names and faces of those still in the battle and those who had lost. And one by one, you could see someone in the audience slip off into themselves with a tissue and have to be consoled. To my immediate left a mother stood holding the wheelchair handles of a young adult, possibly her daughter, her bald head covered in a scarf, I felt unfortable from impose on their moment, but couldn't help but take in thier love through my perihivial - it was too beautiful not to.

Cancer Luminaria Ceremony

We celebrated well into the night as it is a 24-hr event in most places but I left around 10:30pm. Not sure how long everyone else stayed, but as Darryl was home with Rah and his sleep-over crew, I though it was time for his "relief" to show. It was a great night. The intrinsic reward I felt and continue to feel is still bubbling over. If you have never participated in such an event I urge you to do so and/or possibly even form your own team, it makes an impact.

Oh, and let me not forget a major component of the fundraising at this Relay for Life is was our Mr. Relay contest. It's when a man of your team dresses up as a women and runs/walks the track. Well our lovable Mr. Jarden of Carver, E.S. did the honors. I donated my wig and Mrs. Smith, Mary Kay extraordinaire did his make-up, she also lost a tremendous amount of weight so she gave him a dress and shoes (OK, they were too big and he was messing with her all night about the fact that her shoes were too big for him)! LOL. Mrs. Jarden provided his purse and accessories - and we walked with him as his agents snapping pictures with him for a $1 donation into his purse. He even "shimmed" after each donation! LOL! We raised a lot of money, but came in 2nd place to the local bank! He went all "pageant queen" and didn't wanna take the stage (acting all catty) we had to calm him/her down, ha! He had to choose a name so his teenage daughter, Secret, selected "Chocolate Drop" which was a laugh in of itself...did I say I had a ball or what?

Check out the pics of the "transformation".

Mr. Jarden begins his transformation into Chocolate Drop via make-up artist Mrs. Smith

Lipstick application

We told him he looks like a cadaver in this pic! LOL

Gotta add gloss and blot! All in the name of finding a cure. He was such a great sport!

Mr. Jarden said his eyes got stuck closed with the mascara...LOL

Mrs. Jarden keeps a watchful eye...

When we finally let him see himself - the room could no longer hold it together - and clearly neither could he!

socks and sandals, oh my!

Fashion pose

Chocolate Drop and his daughter, Secret

Mr. Jarden was Mr. Relay for "Team Carver" aka Chocolate Drop, continuously walked the Relay for Life track and collecting donations

Chocolate Drop shimming for donations with his son, Ronald II (as I was corrected) made a silly face!

Me and Chocolate Drop - I told him I'd never wear this wig again w/o thinking of him! HA

Chocolate Drop's daughter, Infinity, to the right

 

 

  

Chocolate Drop, on the stroll! HA 

Check out all of the wonderful Mr. Relay contestants!

Preparing to take the stage

Last minute alterations...LOL

The winner was chosen by the contestants who raised the most $$$

Look at the poise of Chocolate Drop! Classic...LOL

Look at our Chocolate Drop!

Such promise and poise, 1st place in our heart!!!

Friday 13th

It's my birthday!

Yay!
So after yet another day of getting Rah ready this morning and having him yell back up at the window as I watched him walk out and I quote "I hope nobody comes to your birthday party!" (this was after I stopped him from heading across the courtyard to a friend's house and "redirected him to the bus stop) - I headed to volunteer with standardized testing at school. After making sure my name was called on the announcements for "birthdays", I completed administering testing and promptly took my seat at the "Birthday Table" in the cafeteria to have lunch with the principal. I think this is the coolest program. Each day birthdays are called after announcements and each week any student who has a birthday gets to sit at the "Birthday Table" on Friday and have lunch with the principal. They also receive a balloon, a goodie bag, a lollipop, and a cupcake. I have been talking about taking advantage of this since I found out that the "Birthday Table" existed and the students and staff alike didn't believe me, they didn't think adults sat at the birthday table. So not only did I sit there - I remained there for the entire rotation of like 4 lunch shifts as line by line of students stared and waved at me in amazement and laughter!

It was brilliant - Check me out at the birthday table with my birthday stickers (thats the lollipop tree behind me in the corner). Mrs. Ford, the librarian, made me an entire sheet of birthday stickers so I put on as many as possible, why not... it's my birthday, after all! And I received a a wonderful gift basket of items to pamper myself!

Loaded up with "Birthday Queen" stickers!

BTW - Rah's school called as soon as I left the campus. He'd gotten sick and vomited everywhere. His teacher said he'd come to her and told her that he felt as if he was gonna throw-up. She then ignored him because he'd been cutting up and she thought he was just being "Robert", well he wasn't and vomited right there in front of her! So when I got there to get him and we left the building he was all lethargic and wanted me to pick him up. Well, the normal nirturing response would have been to comply - but anyone who knows me, should know better. I immediately responded "You know you got sick as a punishment for being mean to me on my birthday." and promptly secured him in his car seat and drove home!

By the time we got home he was playing with my balloons so I showed him my pics at the "Birthday Table" and said "AND...people did come to my party after all, in your face!" He just rolled his eyes and continued playing!

Hmmmm, I wonder where he gets his personality.

Morning Robert

So the film ended with Rah cutting off the bathroom lights and me needing both hands to "wrangle" him down to brush his teeth and wash his face. Followed by the washing of the hands and "Robbie parts" - slathering him with Vaseline (darn eczema and dry skin combo) - and sending him off, stomping still, to his room to get dressed.

But it doesn't end there because by now we have all of 3-minutes to get to the bus stop! I have to "expedite" the clothing process, grease and brush hair, distribute both allergy medicine and a multivitamin, and coax a smile and good mood into him so that his teacher, Mrs. Hailey, won't reap his full wrath as I do each morning!

And yes, some days we miss the bus, but most often we make it miraculously...

And I find that even if I get up at 6am when that alarm first goes off, the same scenario occurs. Even if I put Rah to bed at 7pm, no change! So here it is...it was the same with Garrett and now Robert. Ebby said I'm was a morning person either, so maybe I've simply learned to "get over it" as an adult...

My 5-year old is pretty advanced, any chance he'll stumble upon this epiphany a little early? I guess not...

Good Morning,
From The Swann Family

Fun with Fotos

As most of you know, or have concluded by my wallpaper, April is my birthday month and I'll be turning 34 soon. Well in soon, like Friday, April 13th! I can only remember one other Friday 13th birthday - but it didn't come with any calamities so I'm feeling pretty optimistic. Which brings me to today's blog.

I stumbled across Style #6 on Easter morning when I brushed out my teeny tiny 2-stranded twists and sectioned them into huge sections to style for church. But then being pressed for time I simply combed through each section and 2-strand twisted it. So I ended up looking something similar to Celie from The Color Purple. I had no plan but I had to leave out the house - I could always wash it and pull it into a curly puff, but I kinda didn't wanna...so I decided to randomly pin and loop my "jumbo twists" to my crown and it turned out magnificent! Now, I look more like Nettie but when she returned from Africa with Celie's kids! HA HA HA

I simply love it - so today I went in search of shells and found a few and even stumbled across a couple zebra Bobbi pins!I love my natural hair! Although my locs were considered natural hair, I couldn't play as much with styling on my own as I can now, especially once they crossed the 16" mark. One day I'ma create a slide show of my journey, but for now its just begun (well 2 years this November since I'd completely shaved my head bald).

Check out my latest home photo shoot and since Darryl was at work I had to get creative with the camera's timer option and use furniture for a tripod! LOL

OK, so just in case you got tired of seeing me in this view- I added my "Hater Blockers" as Darryl calls them"

Aerial view



Right profile



Left profile

My attempts at a view from behind (see my zebra?)

I'm trying to master the "far off" stare...

I don't know why this one was so dark

 Now this is when the "Photo Shoot" became interesting! I know I wanted to show you all my hair, but my outfit today was pretty cute too - so I decided that I'd try to showcase it as well!

Props - my hall closet door! LOL

 The hall closet door works pretty well. Since my look is all natural what better staging than my apartment that hasn't been renovated since a good 10-20 years prior to the end of apartheid!

My attempts at an action shot!

I was going for some kinda tranquility pose...hmmm, not quite!

And this one stopped just short with my staring aimlessly - I'ma work on it!



Accessories Shots

I actually rigged the camera in my cleave for this shot! HA HA HA

Prop - Clothes Hamper Top

 I am truly thankful that my parents never stopped me from being creative as a child!!!!

Thanks Mommy & Daddy!