The Last Friday Freestyle... Before Graduation!

Hey, Y’all!

Before I get into today’s blog post, I do want to announce that I am two days away from my graduation from Rust College. The excitement is definitely in the air, and it seems that every second that passes by, I am that much closer to receiving my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. And I have it on great authority that my entire family has safely arrived from L.A. and are chillin’ in Memphis right now. I also have been informed that Pastor and Mrs. Clark’s flight should be landing sometime this afternoon or this evening. I gotta give my pastor and first lady credit—they said that they would be in attendance at my graduation, and doggone it if they didn’t keep their word. I gotta admit, though, that there’s one person who is missing in the equation, and that’s Mother Harriette Fields… but then again, she’s got the best seat in the house up there in Glory!

Oh, and I’ve already picked up my cap and gown this morning, which garnered yet another signature on my card. Now, check this out: Tomorrow is the actual graduation rehearsal, and y’all already know that my peeps and I are gonna practice strutting up the stage—heck, we may even cut a jig or two… hahahaha! All kidding aside, though, I do have a touch of a problem with the dress apparel: According to protocol, the ladies are to wear black or navy shoes, no jewelry, and little makeup. Now, I don’t wear a lot of makeup anyway, nor do I wear any jewelry other than my earrings. However, I was planning on wearing my lavender shoes to match the dress that I’m gonna wear on Sunday. Now, I don’t mind following protocol, but I hope that Rust is ready to hear me grumble about how my shoes don’t match my dress—I’m just sayin’!

In other news, this has been a rather trying week for the entertainment world. It is often said that certain terms of events happen in threes—well, we lost three entertainers within the course of five days. It began this past Sunday when Doris Roberts (who played Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond) passed away at age 90, then Joanie Laurer (best known by wrestling fans as Chyna) passed away two days ago at age 46, and then Prince (the legend who sang Purple Rain) passed away just yesterday morning at age 57. On behalf of my family, we send our condolences to the family, friends, and fans of these three greats.

Well, I guess that’s gonna do for today. If anything else comes up, I’ll be sure to let y’all know; otherwise, I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow. Either way, y’all will be hearing from me soon, but until then, y’all take care and be good.


Smooches,
Natasha

All Kinds of Happenings Goin' On!

Hi, Everybody!

So much has gone on since my last blog post, and I feel that there’s no time like the present to keep y’all up to date on what’s been going on.

For starters, seeing as how I had y’all waiting all weekend, I’m just gonna go on record and say that I had one helluva time this past Saturday evening with one Winston Campbell! As you all are aware, we went bowling, and we had so much fun. All things considered, I felt like a carefree kid again. And y’all know the amazing thing: It didn’t feel like a date. If anything, it felt like two friends kickin’ it at the bowling alley. When we got to the bowling alley, we decided to have a “Best of Five” series, and I almost pitched a shutout… hahahaha! I won the first two rounds, but Winston rebounded and won the last three. Now, an ordinary individual would’ve taken advantage and gloated all day long, but Winston showed that he didn’t care about winning that fifth and final round. Matter of fact, he simply dropped to his knees and shook his head in disbelief. Like any true sportswoman would, I raised his arm in the air as a sign of victory, and I gave him a congratulatory hug and kiss… and then I challenged him to another “Best of Five” bowling series for the next go-round.

And while we’re on the subject of dating, I am happy to report that my Cousin Calvin and Miss Karen had a lovely first date this past Friday—Calvin called me and told me all about it, and I could hear in his voice that he was beaming with so much excitement. He didn’t go into too much detail, but he said that he treated Karen to an evening at the Santa Monica Pier, and he also made mention that Karen’s smile somehow managed to capture his heart each and every time. Just by those two comments made by Cousin Calvin, I know that he and Karen had a marvelous time. I also know that a second date is in the making, and I wish them the very best.

In other news, we are four days and counting from the fall semester to end, and I’ve got great news: My academic advisor received both my electronic copy and my FedEx copy of my internship report... and not that it comes as some surprise, but your girl did in fact receive an A! Y’all know what this means—I am officially one more class shy of my Bachelor’s Degree. Y’all are looking at one excited Vipress-s-s-s-s-s… hahahaha!

Well, that’s all the news for now, but I’ll holla at y’all later. Besides, my lunch is up, and I’ve got to get back to this here rehearsal for the Christmas play. Until next time, y’all take care and be good.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

The Latest News Stories, with Natasha Renee Stewart

Hi, Everybody!

Notwithstanding my internship at Carter Elementary, there is so much going on that I feel like I should be a newscaster on the KTLA Morning News.

First and foremost, the countdown is officially on! We are literally one week from celebrating my Gramma Jewel’s fourscore birthday. That’s right, y’all—in exactly seven days, my Gramma Jewel will be eighty years old! This past Saturday, my family and I had our last meeting, and we tied up any and all loose ends in order to put together a great celebration for our beloved matriarch. Now, I still can’t tell y’all what we planned, for fear that even the tiniest bit of information may get back to Gramma Jewel, but I can say that she will really love what we have in store for her.

In other news, I got another email from “he who shall not be named” yesterday evening, but I didn’t read it until I got home.  He begins by saying that Rust College must be keeping me pretty busy on account of he hadn’t heard from me in over a month. Just for the record, I love that he still thinks I’m back at Rust—I want that jackass to keep thinking that, too! My plan is working all too well, and that’s a good thing, because I still won’t allow myself to contact him until I feel damn good and ready. Now, check this out, y’all: He also decided to quote Tyrese’s new song and say that he is ashamed of himself for doing me wrong... and when I read that bullshit, I instantly holla’d. If he thinks that singing songs from Tyrese is gonna win me back, then he really needs to go and come again. Besides, my women’s intuition is still cuttin’ up sideways. Like I said a month ago: I was smart enough to forgive him, but I am not stupid enough to trust him. And yes, eventually I will make contact with him, but on my terms—and seeing as how he still believes I’m at Rust, I’m gonna see to it that his ass waits until mid-December.

Well, that’s all the news I have for this evening, but until next time, y’all keep it here for the latest updates… hahahaha!

 

 

Smooches,

Natasha

A Message from Ruby Red!

Hey, Y’all!

So, while I’m up here making the best of my internship here at Carter Elementary, I decided to steal away in the teachers’ lounge for a moment, if for nothing but to tell y’all that I got an email from my girl Ruby Red, with the subject title: “Girl You Missin’ A Whole Lotta Sh…!”

Yes, Ruby wrote the title just like that, and y’all already know that, with such a subject title, things are on a crack-a-lackin’ in Bearcat Country.!

For starters, Ruby informed me that “Picture Day” is sometime next month at Rust—and this is the opportunity for all graduating seniors to get their pictures taken for the upcoming 2015-16 yearbook. Ruby goes on to say: “I know that you’re quoting Homer Simpson right about now, but don’t worry—you’re still graduating, so you’ll have plenty of pictures to take when our big day arrives in just seven months.”

Ruby then informed me that our homey—the Neo One himself—has already thought up of an idea for his senior project for when he goes before the Mass Comm panel next semester. Ruby went on to say that she would much rather Theo tell me the story himself on account of she wouldn’t be able to do it justice. Now, I know that Theo is majoring in Print Journalism with a minor in Broadcast Journalism, so I’m sure that his senior project is based on his major. However, knowing Theo like I do, he probably found some kinda way to add the broadcasting aspect to his senior project.

Finally, Ruby concluded her email by saying that she wants an update from me in regards to my internship, as well as everything else that’s going on in Southern Cali. “What’s it like working alongside your former kindergarten teacher?” she asks. “Just remember one thing, Vipress: You’re still a child in her eyes—yo ass ain’t grown yet… LOL!”

Y’all do know that I’m gonna email Ruby, just as soon as I get the chance… and y’all also know that I gotta tell her about “he who shall not be named.”

Oooooh-weeeee—I can hear Ruby cussin’ already… hahahahaha!

Okay, y’all—My lunch is just about over and I gotta head back in with this little ones. I’ll holla at y’all later!


Hugs & Kisses,
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

The First Freestyle Friday of September

Happy Friday, Everybody!

Back by popular demand—but mainly because I don’t have anything to talk about—it’s Freestyle Friday… hahaha!

Well, for starters, I finished that exclusive term paper in my Biblical Studies class. I trust that my instructor will like it; after all, I did plenty of research and meditation of the scriptures to make sure that I knew exactly what I was talking about. I think I mentioned it earlier this week, but I chose to talk about Psalm 125, particularly that very first verse that reminds us that we who trust in The Lord shall be like Mount Zion—no matter what comes our way, we will not waver in our faith in He who made the heavens and the earth. I may have typed up four or five pages, and that’s not counting the cover page and my references.

In other news, I just mailed off a letter to my sweetie pie Ray Hernandez. I didn’t really write a whole lot, but I did let him know that he really swept a girl off her feet this summer. Seriously, y’all—Ray made me feel so special when I was home for three long summer months. I may have mentioned that my dad and my uncles have always made me feel special, of which they do a great job—they are my family after all. I’m just saying that it means that much more when someone outside my family treats me special like that. Well, Ray went out of his way to treat me like a rare rose. I’m serious, y’all—he is such a gentleman… and yes, I’m gettin’ giddy all over again!

Finally, I want to acknowledge yet another milestone that took place this week: It was exactly twenty years ago that Mr. D became my Grampa Clark’s successor and took the role as kindergarten teacher up at Sapp Elementary School. Well, technically, Mr. D’s official day of teaching fell on Tuesday, September 7, 1993, but yet and still, we celebrate his great milestone. I would personally like to congratulate Mr. D for his big accomplishment, and also wish him many more years with the Sappsters. I’m very certain that Grampa Clark is smiling down from Heaven, just cheesin’ away. And heck—on behalf of Grampa Clark, I’ll just go ahead and say: “Good job well done, Mr. Bert—keep up the good work!”

Hahaha! There were stories of my Grampa Clark intentionally yet humorously mispronouncing Mr. D’s first name, so that’s why I said “Mr. Bert” as opposed to “Mr. Bret”.

Well, y’all—that’s gonna do it for me today. I may holla at y’all tomorrow, and then again, I may not; after all, I am officially an upperclasswoman at Rust College and my social life has seemingly picked up somewhat… hahaha! Hopefully, I’ll be able to carve out some time to holla at y’all, but in the meantime, y’all be good and take it light. Peace Out!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Friday Feestyle, Tho!

No introduction needed—y’all already know that it’s Friday, and that means that it’s time for another edition of my Friday Freestyle segment!

First of all, I want to go on record and state that I had help with yesterday evening’s blog. You see, while I did post yesterday evening’s blog at 8:30pm PST, I gotta admit that I wrote most of it while I was at a computer store in the mall. Honestly, I wouldn’t have written yesterday’s evening’s blog if Gramma Jewel and Ms. Thelma hadn’t inspired me to do so. And speaking of those two ladies, they’re the reason why I’ve got Ice Cube stuck in my head. I can still hear Gramma Jewel loud and clear: “That ain’t poppin’, ain’t no stoppin’, fo-hoppin’, ass-droppin’ Coup Deville…” And then for her to just break out and say: “What, tho!”

Come on, y’all—if you were in my shoes, y’all woulda run straight to the nearest computer to document that. Hell, if I had had a cellphone, I would’ve surely sent Mom and Dad a text!

Other news that is going on in the world: Well, y’all already know that I am super excited about the upcoming Fourth of July holiday. I’ve been mentioning for these past couple of weeks that Auntie Cherri and Uncle Alex are hosting this year’s barbecue bash at their place—and in case y’all forgot, when my family throws a party, we throws a party! Like that song that came out by the late Chuck Brown about six years ago: As long as the beat don’t break and the cider keep poppin’, we gonna keep rockin’ til the cops come knockin’… well, we won’t won’t be partyin’ that hard, but y’all get what I’m sayin’. And yes—I said “cider!” No one in my family drinks anything stronger than Vanilla Pepsi, and that’s the truth!

I am also excited about this weekend for so many reasons. For one thing, I’ve been invited to the retirement party of one Mr. Hal Arthur, who taught Third Graders at Sapp Elementary for 36 years. I think I mentioned that he and my Grampa Clark were the original pillars of Sapp Elementary; they were colleagues, best friends, and twin brothers from separate mothers. Anyway, while Mr. Arthur officially retired two weeks ago, his retirement party is tomorrow evening at 6pm. I know Gramma Jewel is going, and I’ve made the proper plans to go with her. Hey, if I’m gonna be an elementary school teacher (preferably kindergarten), then I must surround myself with the people and events that pertain to my major.

By the way, I forgot to mention a couple weeks ago that I did talk to Principal Wilson about a possible internship at Sapp Elementary, and she told me that she would put me on board immediately. Alls I have to do is let Rust College know ahead of time and then have them talk to Principal Wilson, and I’m good to go. Once again, I’m adhering to the teachings of my Grampa Clark—I’m usin’ my full ass!

Well, anyway, I’ve had fun writing this blog… oh, but I need to mention that I’m on the program at my Gramma Jewel’s church. I think I mentioned that there is a Youth & Young Adult program in the afternoon, and I promised Mrs. D that I would be there to lend my support. Truthfully, I would’ve gone anyway, mainly because of the strong familial ties at First Baptist Church of Culver City.

Okay, I really have to get going now—I’ve got a kitchen to clean, and then I’m gonna work some more on my home video. Holla!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha