As I Say Goodbye To 2013...

Good Tuesday Afternoon, Everybody!

Well, here it is, y’all—we have reached the last day of the year 2013. I don’t know about y’all, but this year was definitely full of twists and turns, and a helluva whole lotta surprises. Heck, we even had some had heartbreak, but I am happy to report that this year ended on a great note.

In today’s blog post, I am going to highlight the Top Ten Moments of 2013 in a special “Year In Review.” Just sit right back, and you’ll hear a tale… of the greatest moments of my life in just this year alone.

Oh, as a heads-up: These events are in no particular order.

MY 19TH BIRTHDAY

I knew that I would be celebrating my birthday in Bearcat Country, but I had no idea of the surprise that would be awaiting me at Rust College. I still get goosebumps everytime I think about how my mom, my dad, Gramma Jewel, Becky, and Mrs. Davis flew out to Holly Springs, Mississippi to make sure that I did in fact have a Happy #19. And to think, Ruby and Theo were in on the whole plan!

SAPPHIRE STREET SUMMERTIME BLOCK PARTY

One of the highlights of my summer vacation was to help celebrate Sapphire Street, the neighborhood in which my Gramma Jewel has lived for 35 years. She and her block club members had been planning a block party for months, and with a whole lotta help from the neighbors, great music from KCLD-FM, and good delicious food from Chuck’s Delta Dinin’, the festivities were quite successful. And y’all already know that I’m lookin’ forward to next year’s block party!

SUMMER VACATION—THE HOME MOVIE

One of my goals this year was to make a home movie to take back to Rust with me—that feat was accomplishment this past summer. All I did was document everything that I did for the summer, but in a video format. And believe me when I tell y’all that I had some good memories just in this past summer alone. However, given the recent hell that I went through a couple of weeks ago, I regret documenting one little event in my home movie. I wish that I had known then what I know now…

COUSIN KEITH RETURNS HOME FOR GOOD

I will never forget Cousin Erica’s high school graduation for so many reasons, but none as important as the fact that Cousin Keith returned home from Afghanistan. I still remember Cousin Erica’s face, and how she was at a loss for words—and understandably so. I’ve been saying it since May 31, and I’m gonna keep on saying it… WELCOME BACK HOME, COUSIN KEITH!!!

MR. ARTHUR’S RETIREMENT PARTY

I had the distinct honor of attending the retirement party of a well-loved and well-respected elementary school teacher, Mr. Hal William Arthur; he taught Third Graders at Sapp Elementary School for 36 years, and on June 14 of this year, he had taught his last class. A couple of weeks later, Mr. Arthur was given a retirement party, in which a student from the 1977-78 school year returned to simply say “thank you.” I for one am glad that I attended Mr. Arthur’s retirement party on account of it serves as a reminder that true teachers are to be celebrated… and y’all already know that I am working towards that goal.

THE OFFICIAL BIRTH OF THE TRIPOD

Ruby Jean Hudspeth and Theodore James Campbell have been my besties for about a year now, and we finally made it official a couple of months ago when we became officially known as the Tripod. Truth be told, I’m grateful for Ruby Red and Neo Theo, respectively; they are the bestest friends that I sweet little Cali girl like me could ever have.

THE EVOLUTION OF REBECCA ANN MORGAN

Becky’s story just keeps getting better and better—she truly is a testimony that God loves us in spite of us. We don’t need to travel too far down memory lane on account of we all know Becky’s story, but I can tell you that everyone can see the change in her attitude and her demeanor. No longer does Becky hold her head down in shame; she now walks with a strut and an extra bit of pep in her step. Oh, and lest I forget: I was there on June 21, 2013 to witness Becky finally obtain something that had eluded her for the past eight years. Becky’s action spoke louder than her words, and for that, I admire her so much. She could’ve chosen to settle for a GED, but she went the distance and ultimately obtained her high school diploma. Now Becky is a freshman at Chamberlain University, where she is working on obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education.

HOW SPEECH CLASS BECAME MY FAVORITE CLASS

I talked about it in many blog posts, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to y’all that my favorite class during my freshman year at Rust was Fundamentals of Speech. It was this class where I learned how to hold the audience in the palm of my hand with my words. One of my favorite speech assignments was the last one, in which I had to talk about what makes a house a home. This speech is my absolute favorite because it was the first and only speech that I had given from the heart. I had my notes in front of me, but I didn’t use one single solitary page. I’ll tell y’all this, though: It was this speech that taught me that L.A. is my cornerstone home, but lately I’ve claimed Memphis, Nashville, and even Olive Branch, Mississippi, as my home away from home.

AUNTIE CHERRI BECOMES A CELEBRITY AND A HERO

It’s not everyday that someone in my family makes the news, but on Friday, February 22, 2013, my Auntie Cherri made the news. For those of you who don’t know, my Auntie Cherri became a hero when she not only saved a pregnant woman’s life, but she also helped deliver the woman’s baby. Auntie Cherri really went out of her way to make sure that both mother and baby were doing well. Such a random act of kindness earned Auntie Cherri the Good Samaritan Award, as well as some celebrity status; she was the very first guest of The Dennis Hughes Show, which debuted on Monday, September 23, 2013. Auntie Cherri has since stepped out of the spotlight, but in doing so, she also became a friend and a mentor (and also a godparent) to the woman and baby whom she saved earlier this year.

SAPP ELEMENTARY HALL OF FAME

Even though it took place just a little over a week ago, I will forever remember the Sapp Elementary Hall of Fame, in which we honored the strong and loyal Mr. Hal Arthur, the bright redhead Mrs. Cynthia Harvey, the hilariously popular Mr. Mike Thompson, the humble-hearted Mrs. Betty Bradley, and the true family legend—my Grampa Clark. This was such a momentous and somewhat magical moment, mainly because it was a night in which the retirees were honored by their successors. This award ceremony was that much sweeter when my Uncle Anthony accepted the Hall of Fame Award on behalf of Grampa Clark, and gave a very sweet, poignant speech that was truly heartfelt. Once again, a moment as such was more affirmation that I am on the right track to shaping the lives of these little ones.

Well, y’all—there it is! These are the Top Ten moments of my life in 2013. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t give honorable mention to the late Mrs. Harriette Fields, who passed away earlier this year. And of course, there was the WrestleMania 29 party over at the Hudspeth household, not to mention my fascination with sexy sundresses.

So much that went on this year, and with 2014 literally less than twelve hours away, all I gotta say is: The best is yet to come!

If The Lord says the same, I’ll see y’all tomorrow next year!

Smooches,

Natasha

Happy New Years Eve... Eve!

Good Morning, Everybody!

I’ve got so much to talk about in today’s blog post that I don’t even know where to begin… well, obviously I know to begin at the beginning, but I’m just saying: There’s a lot that has happened to me in just this past weekend alone, and we still have about a day and a half left until 2014 makes its debut.

By the way: Happy New Year’s Eve Eve, Everybody—hahahaha!

We gotta acknowledge the obvious, though—I will be returning to Bearcat Country bright and early on January 3, 2014, which I think is ironic, considering that registration is on that very same day. Thankfully for me, I’ve already pre-registered, so if anything, I just have to get my schedule printed out. I’m actually excited to return to Rust, mainly because of the added incentive—my homies Ruby Red and Neo Theo. We’ve been away from each other for about three whole weeks, and in that time, neither of us has called any of us. Needless to say, we’ve got some catching up to do.

In other news, yesterday at my church, my pastor preached from Philippians 3:13-14, with the subject “Looking Forward to 2014.” Lately, the aforementioned scripture has been on my heart the past couple of days, and y’all could imagine my surprise when Pastor Clark closed out the last Sunday of 2013 with it. Yes, I was really paying close attention to this sermon because Pastor Clark brought out some good points; he made mention that while we are to let go of what happened to us in the past, we should carry the lessons that we learned into the future. And believe me when I tell y’all—there are some lessons that I learned in just a couple weeks ago that I have no problem taking with me into the new year.

By the way, I will have a special “Year In Review” blog post for tomorrow. If y’all remember, I had five favorite things last year, but so much has happened to me this year that I decided to add an additional five moments. Trust me, y’all—tomorrow’s gonna be a great post!

And finally, I got some words of wisdom from my Gramma Jewel… but then again, I enjoy listening to her. She simply pulled me to the side yesterday afternoon and told me that I shouldn’t let the Ray Hernandez incident totally rule me. Gramma Jewel reminded me that Ray, while genuinely considerate and respectful, is still a “confused little boy.” I love these words from Gramma Jewel, though: “If Ray is meant for you, he’ll come back, but if he ain’t meant for you, that just means that The Lord’s got somebody better for you. Until then, you do what makes Natasha Renee Stewart happy.”

I tell y’all—it feels good to know that someone truly loves me for me, but then again, my family has always gone out of their way to let me know how special I am to them.

Okay, y’all—I gotta close today’s blog post and get ready to spend some time with my girls—Becky, Erica, Candace, Vanessa, Trisha, and I are gonna hit up Hollywood today!

Until tomorrow, y’all take care.

Smooches,

Natasha

True Love Is So Beautiful!

Good Saturday Morning, Everybody!

I just want to state for the record: I absolutely LOVE my daddy—he is truly the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be!

As you know, it was in yesterday’s blog post where I mentioned that my daddy would be treating me to a day of a personal celebration. He treated me to breakfast at IHOP, then he took me to the Griffith Park Observatory, where we just walked around and chilled… and yes, we event took a picture in front of the Hollywood sign—like, way out in front (hahaha)!

And then, my dad sat me down and told me something that I know I will forever cherish. Hugging me as tight as he could, he looked me straight in the eyes and said: “Now, Honey Bee—I know that you had your heart broken last week, and you probably feel alone in the world, but I want you to understand me clearly when I say this: As long as I’m your daddy, you’ll never be alone. Natasha Renee Stewart, you are a very special gal and an exciting little lady. Truth be told—long before you were born, I fell in love with you, and when you were finally born some twenty years ago, you had me sititn’ on top of the world, and I ain’t come back down yet.”

Daddy really made me blush in appreciation when he said that, but he wasn’t done.

“Now, I want you to know that you did right when you let Brotha Ray go—it takes a real strong, mature-minded woman to release a brotha. I know you feel like you shoulda done something else, but you did exactly what you needed to do. And trust me when I tell ya: Brotha Ray is gonna realize that he made a horrible mistake… matter of fact, he’s probably kickin’ his own ass right now, but when this new girl drops him like a bad habit, he’s gonna come runnin’ back to you. Oh, and one other thing: While your heart is healing, I want you to know that there is a guy out there looking for a sweetheart like you. Until he shows up, though, I’m gonna keep the keys to your heart. Speaking of which, I would be honored if you were to be my Valentine.”

My daddy is such a sweetie pie, isn’t he? And I don’t need to tell y’all how appreciative I was to hear him speak from his heart like he did. Heck, I probably don’t even need to mention that he made me cry—but they were tears of appreciation.

Well, I guess I’d better close up this blog post and see what the rest of this day will bring about, but until then, y’all take care, and have a good rest-of-the-day.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

And Now, The Healing Begins!

Happy Friday, Everybody!

Wow! What a crazy week this has been, but guess what, y’all—I survived it!

I want you all to know that I’m feeling a lot better than I was, thanks in part to the bestest family in the world—mine! Now, with respect to all of you, I will not bore you with that same old song-and-dance about what happened to me last Friday, but I will say that the experience left me an emotional mess. And yes, I will even admit that I almost let it rule me, but I thank God for my peeps really pulling through for me this past Wednesday. And while it’s yet on my mind, I wanna once again give a shout-out to my girl Becky for her big heart. Y’all just don’t know—she really helped me through this thing called heartbreak. I mean, she was comforting, consoling, and she even threw in a joke or two, just to make me laugh.

What it all boils down to is this: I couldn’t really see the forest for the trees. I was so hung up on the fact that Ray and I had broken up, that I failed to pay attention to the fact that he did in fact tell the truth and admit that he was seeing another girl. I’ll give the brotha credit for telling me the truth—it’s comforting to know that he respected me that much; I guess I was more so hurt behind the fact that it really is over. I gotta admit, folks—I’m still not over Ray, but I reckon that’ll dissipate in due time. I will also say this, too: It doesn’t hurt me as much as it did earlier this week… and maybe this is my mature side acting up, but I really do hope that Ray is happy with this Naomi chick.

I really don’t know what permitted me to make that last statement, but I think what’s scarier is the fact that I mean it—I really don’t wish any ill will towards Naomi, much less Ray.

Well, y’all, I had better get going—I’ve got a breakfast date with the most magnificent man in the world, and he’s always loved me since before I made my debut on February 10, 1994… yes, I’m talking about my daddy dearest. He says it’s just gonna be he and I today, and he wants to spoil the hell out of me on account of I’m his precious little honeybee.

And you know something, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Until tomorrow, y’all have a gooden!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

A Great Christmas, In Spite Of...

Hi, Everyone.

I trust that everyone had a very Merry Christmas. All things considered, I too had a great Christmas, thanks to an understanding family. However, I can’t deny that my heart still hurts from the recent events of last Friday. I really thought I’d be over this ugly feeling, but the truth of the matter is that I’m still not over Ray. I’m so confused—I mean, I set him free and told him to go ahead with this Naomi chick, but yet and still, I have deep feelings for him. After all, he was my first true boyfriend.

And Lord in Heaven knows that I did my damnedest not to think about Ray at all, but to no avail. Everytime I took my mind off of what happened to me last Friday, I was given an ugly reminder of what happened. And I gotta be honest with y’all: It got so bad that I found myself being jealous of my mom and dad, my aunts and uncles, and even Cousin Keith & Cousin Jade. And hell, even Gramma Jewel and Mr. Hawkins didn’t help matters any, sitting next to each other, just laughin’ and shit!

I was so upset that I ran into the bathroom and slammed the door rather aggressively.

I really wanted to be left alone, but I guess God had other plans on account of Becky came in to check on me. All I wanted to do was sit on the edge of the bathtub and weep to myself—I swear that I wasn’t gonna do anything drastic! Well, anyway, Becky sat next to me and just hugged me. Without even saying a word to me, she let me know that it was okay for me to have a good cry on her shoulder. I tell y’all, I really felt a helluva lot better after that. Whether she knew what I was going through or not, I was very grateful that she gave was there for me.

Maybe about forty-five minutes later, I came out and apologized to my family for how I was acting. I let them know the ugly truth behind my attitude, leaving out no detail. And for those of you reading this, I apologize to you as well. Y’all know that I’m really not a bitter person, and believe me when I tell you: I freakin’ hate this feeling. I feel like I’ve lost my joy—that certain spark of life, that certain je ne sais quoi that makes me Natasha Renee Stewart. Well, needless to say, the greatest Christmas present I received this year was that of an understanding and loving family; not only did they forgive me, but they also let me know that they were all there for me. They also warned me about the dangers of bottling up my feelings.

So, in sum, I had a great Christmas with my family yesterday, but yet and still, I’m not over Ray…

The Gift That Continues To Keep On Giving

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

I heard a powerful sermon this morning—I went to Christmas service with my mom and dad for the second year in a row, and Pastor Clark talked about “The Gift That Keeps On Giving.” I especially loved when Pastor Clark showed the many benefits of this very special gift; he made mention that unlike most gifts, God’s Gift is so precious that one size “indeedly” fits all. Pastor Clark also said that God’s Gift is still knocking on the doors of our hearts, even on His Birthday.

Truly, God’s Son is that perfect gift that keeps on giving.

Well, y’all—I’m gonna cut this blog short today on account of Mom, Dad, and I are about to head on over to Auntie Cherri and Uncle Alex’s house in beautiful Long Beach. I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow, though, but until then, I wish you a very Merry Christmas, and remember this one important fact:

JESUS CHRIST IS STILL THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

How Can I Ease The Pain?

Hi, Everyone.

Well, it’s Christmas Eve, and even after having bared my soul to y’all on yesterday, I don’t feel any better.

Right now, I’m listening to a song from one Lisa Fischer entitled “How Can I Ease The Pain?” And I must say that Miss Fischer picked a very apropos title for this song, especially considering how I’m feeling right about now.

And I would like for someone to give me a damn good explanation as to why I’ve been singing this one song by Vanessa Williams, with the following lyrics:

It’s hard to realize, we said our last goodbyes.

Where could the dream have gone to?

Now, I know that there’s no way that I can make you stay,

No matter how I want to.

We made some memories that my heart will always treasure.

Before you close the door, let’s make one more.

And then towards the end of this beautifully heartbreaking song, Ms. Williams makes a simple request:

Come to me, let me dream—this night means everything to me.

All I ask is for tonight—Baby, just hold me tight.

It’s such a sad song, but I’d be lying if I said that this is exactly how I feel right now. And yes, I’ve been singing it for the past two or three days. Heaven knows that I’ve done everything humanly possible to keep from dwelling on the hurt that still lingers. I’ve cleaned my room several times, I’ve rearranged my closet… hell, I’ve even dusted the living room and mopped the kitchen floor, but I still hurt. I think what bothers me the most is the truth, and I don’t know why. I mean, I’m glad that Ray had that much respect for me to tell me the truth (as ugly as it was), but a part of me still wishes that he lied to me. Maybe I’m still trying to make sense of the senses, but I think if Ray would’ve just told me a lie, I’d feel better. I know they say that the truth hurts, but they never specified the severity of the hurt.

Well, I do know this: Tomorrow is Christmas, and I’ll be with my crazy, zany family all day, so it’s all good. The only thing I want for Christmas is for the hurt to go away. If for no one but my family, I want to be in a good mood all day—I don’t even wanna hear what’s-his-name’s name mentioned!

Please say a prayer for me, y’all—I really need it.

Making Sense of the Senses

Hi, Everyone.

There’s a reason why I didn’t post a blog on Saturday or Sunday, and it has everything to do with what I experienced this weekend.

Oh, I trust that you all had a great weekend, but my weekend was rather bittersweet to say the least—and I’m being ultra-nice when I say that… trust me! I will say this, though: Considering t mood that I was in, I had a great time at the Sapp Elementary Hall of Fame. My Uncle Anthony did in fact accept the Hall of Fame Award on behalf of my Grampa Clark, and in doing so, he gave the most beautiful speech that he could ever give. I found that to be amazing, because after seemingly weeks of working on the perfect speech, Uncle Anthony chose to deviate from his script and speak from the heart. My Uncle Anthony did such a beautiful job in representing Grampa Clark, that he even went as far as using Grampa Clark’s legendary quote: “You betta know that’s right!”

And y’all should’ve seen how proud my Uncle Anthony felt to stand alongside Grampa Clark’s fellow Hall of Famers—he admitted that for a moment he felt like Grampa Clark… hahaha! It was just such a beautiful sight to behold.

Now, mind you, that was the sweet part—now I gotta give y’all the bitter part of my weekend, but I gotta warn y’all to brace yourselves because it’s not gonna be anything nice.

Well, I really hate to break the news to y’all, but Ray Hernandez and I are no longer an item! We went out this past Friday (he picked me up around 5pm), and I noticed that he was awfully quiet—even for him. In any event, he treated me to California Pizza Kitchen in Torrance, and right after we left, Ray just caught my hand and told me that he couldn’t lie to me anymore. When I asked him what he was talking about, he broke the news to me about a girl in his class named Naomi. He said that it started innocently enough, what with them both attending Cal State Long Beach and all; they were even study buddies on moe than one occasion. Well, anyway, Ray went on to tell me that a couple of months ago, he and Naomi shared a kiss. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t resist the fact that he was falling in love with this girl. Ray even pointed out that he tried his damnedest to be faithful to me, considering our long distance relationship, and he apologized for hurting me, but he said that I was such a sweet girl that he couldn’t lie to me.

Yes, I was shocked and appalled, to say the least, but I give Ray credit for telling me the ugly ass truth. My only regret is that I went out of my way to make those damn Christmas brownies for him, but perhaps being the better person, I told Ray that he could keep them and do whatever he wanted, so long as he gave me something in return—one last kiss. I know that doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but I explained to Ray that it would mean a whole lot to me if he just kissed me one last time. Well, Ray did so, and he apologized again for hurting me. He even offered to take me home, but I declined and chose to take the bus home.

I think I cried my eyes out this whole weekend. The only time I didn’t cry was during those four and a half hours at the Hall of Fame ceremony. If only for a little while, I was able to block out the pain, the hurt, and anger that I had within me, but once the ceremony was over, I was back to being sad all over again.

I really, really hate this feeling. I surely hope I’m able to have a truly Merry Christmas.

Until next time,

Natasha

Greatly Anticipating My Sweetie Pie

Well, y’all—tonight is the night!

In about two hours, I’ll be going out with my sweetie pie Ray Hernandez.

I don’t need to tell y’all how excited I am; y’all can probably hear it in my voice (in a manner of speaking). Now, I already know that we’re gonna have a great time—he may take me bowling again, or he’ll probably take me up to the Griffith Park Observatory. Either way, I am like, so stoked for this evening.

I am also waiting with great anticipation for this “big blockbuster announcement” that Ray has for me. Now, I want to state for the record that I really haven’t given it a whole lot of thought—I’m been very careful to keep my mind occupied with other things than Ray’s big announcement. Granted, it crossed my mind once or twice yesterday afternoon, but even then, I didn’t dwell too much on it. Besides, I’ve been concentrating more on attending the Hall of Fame ceremony that will take place tomorrow evening, in honor of my beloved Grampa Clark.

Darn it all—I just remembered that I never did tell Ray about the posthumous honor that Sapp Elementary will be giving my Grampa Clark for his excellent exemplary dedication. I reckon it’s too late to send in an RSVP, but it never hurts to try and ask anyway. Yes, it’s very short notice, but I’ll go ahead and take a chance; after all, it is written in the Bible that we have not because we ask not.

And yes, y’all—I actually finished Ray’s special Christmas present, but I did something a little different this go-round: Whereas I made chocolate chip brownies, I added white chocolate chips and almonds… and y’all already know that I made them especially for him, straight from my little ol’ heart. There’s an old saying that still rings true: I made some sweet treats for my sweetie pie… hahaha!

Okay, you guys—I really hate to cut this blog post short, but I’ve gotta get ready to look good for my sweetie pie. I’ll let y’all know the results tomorrow, but until then, y’all take care, and be sure to say a prayer for your girl.

Smooches,

Natasha

Happy Anniversary, Howie & Jessica!

Hi, Everyone!

Before we get on with the subject of today’s blog post, I want to acknowledge a special milestone that took place this past Sunday—I want to wish a special Happy One Year Wedding Anniversary to Howie & Jessica Douglas. It was on Saturday, December 15, 2012, that these two lovebirds were joined together in holy matrimony. Having been a witness to their union, I gotta tell you that their wedding was so sweet and so real. You could really feel the love and life in their ceremony, so I can only imagine that their marriage is just so true to life.

As opposed to my usual (traditional) blog posts, I’ve chosen this song to help celebrate their union, and to show you all that true love is very real.

Once again: Happy Anniversary, Howie & Jessi! God Bless!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Kickin' It With My Girls, Tho!

Hi, Everyone!

Yes, I have a good reason why this blog post is written so early, and it has everything to do with the picture: It was around this time last year that I came home for Christmas, and I had a special “Christmas with the Jones Gals” celebration with Cousin Candace, Cousin Nessa, and Cousin Trisha. If you recall, we did all our Christmas shopping in one setting, and then we culminated with a sisterhood lunch… such as that was! Hahaha! I think we went to Chili’s after we finished our Christmas shopping, and considering that we’re gonna go to the Del Amo Mall in Torrance, I reckon we’ll be going to Chili’s again, or the alternative would be Gramma Jewel’s favorite spot—Rachel’s Sandwich Shoppe.

And speaking of Christmas shopping, I’ve already figured out the Christmas present that I’m gonna get for my sweetie pie Ray Hernandez: I know how much he loves my chocolate chip brownies, so I’ll be making some of those for him. And I think I mentioned that we’re going out this Friday—I am like, so totally super-duper excited to see him, and I’m still going bananas over this special announcement that he has for me. Yes, I know that we’ve been going steady off and on due to the long distance in our relationship, but we knew that would be a challenge going into our relationship. I’m not gonna try to overthink the situation, but I can’t help but be curious on account of so many scenarios are running around in my mind. Like I said yesterday: Whatever Ray’s announcement is, I just pray that I’m mature enough, and just as understanding.

Oh, shoot—I just remembered: I may need to buy a new dress for the Hall of Fame ceremony this Saturday. Everyone’s just about seen all of my dresses, although I could wear my favorite lavender one. I tell y’all what: If I find a tangerine or a peach dress, then I’ll get it; otherwise, I just won’t worry about it and I’ll wear my lavender dress.

Well, y’all, I guess I’d better get my purse and my jacket; my girls will be here pretty soon. Oh, lest I forget, I need to tell y’all about Gramma Jewel—last night, she made her return to center stage (in a manner of speaking, of course). You see, she was in a Christmas play up at Sapp Elementary called “The Christmas Miracle,” and she did a damn good job! Granted, she didn’t have many speaking parts, at least not until the very end—that’s when she really began to shine. In any event, the play was about a girl who wanted a family to call her own, not realizing that she had family, per se, in the form of her elderly next door neighbor. At the end, when the play called for Gramma Jewel to reveal that fact, the girl ultimately realized that she truly had family all along. I tell y’all—the Sapp Elementary Family did a good job in putting together a real good play that made you laugh and think, although I admit that some of us did have tears in our eyes.

Okay, y’all—I gotta get goin’, but y’all take care and have a great rest-of-the-day.


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

A Pretty Full Itinerary List

Hey, Everyone!

Let me start off this blog post by saying: Oooohhhhhhh, I’m really excited, y’all!

Early this morning—like, say around 9am PST—I called my sweetie pie Ray Hernandez, and things haven’t changed! He sounded all surprised and excited to hear from me, saying something about he hopes I’m not busy this upcoming Friday on account of he’s got something to tell me. I tried to get him to give me a clue, but he said that it’s something he needs to tell me directly and face-to-face.

Could it be that Ray wants to propose, or perhaps take our relationship to the next level? Maybe he’s thinking about transferring to Rust with me… well, whatever he’s got to tell me, I’m understanding enough to handle it. After all, I’m Natasha Renee Stewart—Ben & Dani’s onliest child, Gramma Jewel’s little bright eyes, Uncle Alex & Auntie Cherri’s golden star.

I left out Vipress on purpose… hahahaha!

In other news, I got a call from Cousin Trisha this morning, and she said that we’re gonna go on another Christmas shopping spree either tomorrow or Thursday. I already know that Cousin Erica and Cousin Becky will want to go with us; after all, it is a day with the girls. Becky didn’t go with us last year on account of she was working on her high school diploma, and she worked her ass of for real to obtain it—I’m so proud of her! And as for Cousin Erica, she is super-stoked on account of she’s already spending Christmas with us. As a matter of fact, Cousin Erica said that this was the greatest early Christmas present that she could ever receive.

Oh, lest I forget again (because I sho’ forgot it yesterday), we will be celebrating Christmas with Uncle Alex & Auntie Cherri. I don’t know what it is about Uncle Alex and Auntie Cherri’s parties, but they seem to go all out and about! I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that they live in Long Beach, like about a half hour near the coast and everything. Well, anyway, this year’s Christmas party will surely be fun!

Okay, y’all—I guess I’d better get going and close up to today’s blog post, but I shall holla at y’all tomorrow. Until then, y’all take it light.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

A Gal Can't Ask For Anything More!

Good Monday Morning, Everybody!

I tell y’all—a gal couldn’t ask for anything more: I’m back home in Southern Cali, laying in my own bedroom, and not long finished watching the KTLA Morning News… that’s right, y’all! I’m still watching KTLA Morning News ever since last year. For those of you who don’t know, I used to watch Good Day L.A., but when I discovered that Jillian Reynolds and Dorothy Lucey left, so did I. Some of you may think I’m being picky, but y’all need to understand that it just ain’t the same without those two ladies. I’m quite certain that Steve Edwards still keeps in touch with them, though… okay, I will admit that this morning, I tried to watch at least fifteen minutes of Good Day L.A., just for the sake of Steve Edwards, and I wound up turning the channel anyway!

Yes, I know—I’m a tough nut to crack, but that’s who I am, and that’s what I do!

So, yesterday afternoon after church, we all went over to my Gramma Jewel’s house for dinner, and as usual, we had a grand ol’ time. Shoot, even Mother Davis and Bro. Hawkins showed up to celebrate; I don’t know why that’s so surprising to me, considering that they’re Gramma Jewel’s closest friends, but I digress. Anyway, we had so much fun yesterday, just being in each other’s company. Lemme tell y’all: My family is cuckoo-crazy (and that means that I am too), but that’s what makes them so special. At one point, Gramma Jewel broke out singing the theme song to Full House, and we all joined in: “Everywhere you look, everywhere… there’s a heart (there’s a heart), a hand to hold on to…” Of course, we had a serious moment, such as when Gramma Jewel mentioned that Cousin Matthew and Cousin Trisha would be graduating in April 2014, and also how she was proud of Cousin Erica for continuing with the legacy which Grampa Clark began at Fisk University.

And of course, in speaking about Grampa Clark, we talked about the upcoming Sapp Elementary Hall of Fame ceremony that is set to take place this Saturday, December 21, at the Marina Del Rey Marriott. Uncle Anthony mentioned that he is still working on his acceptance speech for when he accepts the award on Grampa Clark’s behalf, but he knows that he’s gonna talk about how Grampa Clark never stopped teaching because he never stopped learning. Uncle Anthony also stated that he didn’t even let Auntie Stephanie review his acceptance speech because he doesn’t want to sound rehearsed on the day of the ceremony, but Gramma Jewel gave the assurance that Uncle Anthony would do a helluva damn good job on account of—and these were her exact words—“you are your daddy’s son.”

I don’t think I need to tell y’all that we’re all gonna be there en masse to see this grand ceremony, do I?

Well, y’all—it’s time for me to hang it up and close today’s blog post. Lest I forget, though, I want to give a personal shout-out to Great Aunt Reesie, Cousin Jade, Cousin Keith, and Cousin Erica. I trust that their Christmas vacation in Southern Cali is gonna be one that they’ll forever remember. For some reason, I feel that Christmas 2013 is gonna be so special to me as well.

Until tomorrow, y’all take care, and take it light.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Brief But Indepth Update

Hi, Everyone!

There is a reason for this blog post being so short and so early: As you are probably aware (for those of you who are following my Gramma Jewel’s official Facebook page), I’m not the only one who is in town for a couple weeks—my Great Aunt Reesie, my cousin Jade, my cousin Keith, and my cousin Erica are spending Christmas with us this year. After we get out of church, we’re all headin’ over to Gramma Jewel’s for a great big ol’ Sunday dinner. I think Gramma Jewel made mention of the TV show Full House… hahaha!

I’m sorry this blog post is so short, but I at least wanted to give y’all an update as to the goings-on in my life, especially now that I’m back home for a couple of weeks. I’ll holla at y’all later, though—it’s almost time for church, and I can’t wait to see Pastor & Mrs. Clark!

Smooches,

Natasha

Happy Saturday from Cali!

Good Morning, Everyone—and Happy Saturday, From Southern Cali!

It goes without saying, but y’all already know that I’m gonna say it anyway—in the famous words of my Gramma Jewel:

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home sweet home on the range! Hahahaha!

Now, y’all already know how happy-glad I am to be back home—that ain’t really nothing new. I know y’all want to hear something new, so check this out: During my flight, I was looking in my bag for my notepad and a pencil, and I happened upon an envelope with my name on it. As it turned out, it was a sweet little Christmas card… from my secret admirer. Apparently, Ruby had to have slid it into my bag… but anyway, the front of the card had a picture of a snowy evening in a neighborhood adorned in Christmas lights and tinsel, and on the inside was a note that was short, sweet, and to the point:

Merry Christmas, Natasha. May you enjoy the love and warmth of your family more so than the Southern Cali weather. I’ll see you around the campus come New Year’s 2014, but until then, take care and God Bless.

Sincerely,

Your Secret Admirer

Do y’all remember when I made mention of my secret admirer in yesterday’s blog post? Remember when I said that I hadn’t heard from him in about a month or so? Well, how ironic is it that I hear from him now (via Ruby, of course)! I still don’t know who he is, but I must say that he’s really doing a damn good job of getting my attention.

Well, y’all, I guess I’d better close up this here blog post; after all, I’m back home now, and I’ve got some catching up to do… and yes, I’m talking about a certain Southern Cali sweetheart of mine named Ray Hernandez. I’m sure he’s been awaiting me to come back home, so I’m gonna call him sometime this evening and see if we can hook up sometime this week.

Okay, y’all—I’ll holla at’cha lata! Peace Out!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

It's Time Again!

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Well, if it wasn’t official yesterday, then it’s officially official today: It is Friday, December 13, 2013!

Y’all, this is the moment that I have been awaiting for the past couple of weeks, and now it’s finally here! It won’t be long until I board that plane leaving Memphis, Tennessee and head to my hometown, the Golden State—Southern Cali, if you will. I’m in the Memphis Airport as we speak, writing this blog post for today. By the way, I wanna give a shout-out and show my appreciation to the good people at the Rust College Mailroom for going out of their way to getting me and Theo to the airport in time and on time. Theo’s flight to Houston leaves at 2pm CST, and y’all already know that my flight to Cali is at 4pm CST, so we just killed two birds with one stone. Granted, I’ve got a little ways to wait, but it’s all good.

I was just checking out the weather report for L.A. on my laptop, and it shows that there will be some sunny days for the next couple of days, like in the late 70s to early 80s. Now, despite the warm Cali weather, I will not be wearing any of my sexy sundresses—it ain’t that warm, Baby! Besides, from what I saw on the weather report, the nights in Southern Cali will be in the forties and fifties, and the last thing I need is a cold during my Christmas vacation.

So, check this out, y’all: Earlier this morning, Ruby and I were chattin’ it up with our homey Neo Theo, and it was the cutest thing. We talked about how we hadn’t really spent a whole lot of time together on account of our respective majors and extracurricular activities within Bearcat Country, but as has been proven in the past, our friendship still remains strong. With that said, we all shared a big group hug, and then Theo put two mistletoes over our heads. Of course, Ruby and I teased him for being so corny, but then again, he’s always been so sweet to us, so we willingly kissed Theo on his cheeks. After turning giddy, Theo reciprocated and kissed us on our cheeks.

Well, I’ve got about an hour or so to kill before we board the plane, so I reckon I’ll check out the shops in this here airport, or maybe I’ll just stay put in my seat and keep myself entertained. I guess I could listen to some music or something… and how apropos is this: They’re playing “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” in one of the stores—I’ve got exceptional hearing, don’tcha know!

I may holla at y’all when I get settled in to town, but just in case I don’t, I’ll definitely holla at y’all tomorrow. Say a prayer for me, that I’ll arrive in L.A. safe and sound.

Smooches,

Natasha