What I Want vs. What I Need

Hi, Everybody!

Let me preface today’s blog post by saying that I really do enjoy my time at the Culver City Children’s Center. Yes, I’ve got about a week and a half left before it all ends, but I am cherishing every moment.

Now, having said that, I gotta admit that a huge part of me is sad right now. You see, my cousins from Nashville are still out here, and I really wanted to hang out with them today; they said something about heading up to the Santa Monica Pier, and then hittin’ up the Pacific Coast Highway. Well, as y’all can see, the beach ain’t nowhere in my present, given that I’m with these little ones. Heaven knows that I love these little ones, but yet and still, I wanted so bad to call out today, just because I enjoy spending time with my cousins, and I also love the beach. Now, inasmuch as I wanted to play hooky, I knew that I needed to fulfill my commitment at the Culver City Children’s Center—and as y’all can see, as much as it hurt me to do so, I made the right decision.

And then, the cutest thing happened to me after quitting time today: While I was cleaning up the kiddies’ play area, one of the little ones—a fresh-faced towheaded little fella who had to be no more than four years old—approached me and said that I looked sad. Well, I told the little fella about my dilemma (such as it was), and I kid y’all not—this little guy gave me a great big hug and said, “Oh, don’t be sad, Miss Natasha. You still have your family with you, and I’m sure that they love you very much.”

Out of the mouth of babes, though!

Right then and there, a lightbulb went off in my head. That little fella gave me something to think about: Granted, I may not have been able to hang out with my cousins at the beach today, but I still have this weekend to hang out with them! Well, I thanked the little guy for his words of wisdom, and I let him know that he was very wise beyond his years. He simply smiled and gave me another big hug.

So, this is what I’ve learned: Yes, I have a commitment to fulfill, and I’m gonnafulfill that commitment no matter what. At the same time, Cousin Keith ‘nim don’t have to leave until this Sunday—they’re taking Cousin Erica back to Fisk University; she begins her junior year on this upcoming Monday. And besides which, Gramma Jewel is planning on treating all of us to dinner at Mr. Chuck’s restaurant this Friday evening.

Oh, I sure do hope that Mr. Chuck is ready for the whole lot of us. After all, we are notorious for shutting down restaurants… I’m just sayin’!

Well, now that I’ve cleared my soul and spoken my piece, I feel so much better than I did. I guess I just needed to express my frustrations, is all… and now I feel like a thirty-pound weight has been lifted off of me.

With that said, I’ll holla at y’all later.

 

 

Smooches,

Natasha

And The Fun Continues!

Happy Monday, Everybody!

Well, the weekend has come and gone, and I’m on my lunch break at the moment. I managed to sneak in a little time to holla at y’all, if only for a moment or two.

Even though the family reunion festivities of this past weekend are completed, the fun is still running rampant… matter of fact, the fun ain’t never gonna stop. I have come to the conclusion that when the Joneses celebrate a family reunion, we celebrate it to the max! Ever since last year’s festivities, Gramma Jewel has made it a point to celebrate our family gatherings as if it was a combination of the World Series, the SuperBowl, the NBA Championship, The Stanley Cup, and WrestleMania all rolled up into one. You see, the Jones Family Reunion is more than just a family gathering—it is an annual summertime event!

And suffice it to say, we are still creating magical moments that will be talked about for years to come. Future generations of my family will look back on these moments with fondness and say: “Wow, our ancestors really knew how to party!”

Well, seeing as how I’ve got about twenty minutes or so left in my lunch break, I had better close this blog post, but I’ll will definitely holla at y’all sometime this week… I tell y’all what: I will see y’all right here on Friday, August 14, 2015!

Until then, y’all take care and be good.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Rebecca's Baptism

Happy Sunday, Everybody!

Well, let’s not waste any more time—let’s follow Gladys Knight’s advice and get on down to the real nitty-gritty, shalt we?

So, this morning at First Baptist Church of Culver City, where the Reverend Stanley D. Richardson is pastor, my family showed up and showed out! In addition to filling up the church to near capacity, we all witnessed our very own Rebecca Ann Morgan get baptized. I gotta tell y’all—it was truly a sight to behold. I’ve never been one to deny that I’m a big ol’ softie, and this morning in church was no different. When I saw Rebecca get submerged in the water and come out praising The Lord, I had tears in my eyes. It was as if I was right there with her… and in a way, I was with her.

I really wish that y’all were in church with us to witness Rebecca’s baptism. For one thing, she looked so cute up there in the baptismal pool with her bright but shy grin on her face… and incidentally, Pastor Rich mentioned that Rebecca was easy to baptize, which was very true; she didn’t put up a struggle or a fight—she just fell back naturally and re-emerged naturally.

And of course, Uncle Ronnie jokingly told Rebecca that, now that she’s been baptized, she is not allowed to cuss anymore—she can’t even think those bad words, much less say them. Naturally, Rebecca knew that Uncle Ronnie was teasing her, so she played along.

Afterwards, we all celebrated at California Pizza Kitchen in Manhattan Beach, and Rebecca gave a speech of gratitude. Still sporting a big beaming smile, she declared that she is the happiest that she has ever been, and she is still humbled, honored, and grateful that we took her up under our wings and taught her how to fly again. Rebecca went on to say: “Trust me when I tell y’all—this has been the best three years of my life thus far, and I have all-a-y’all to thank. Oh, and by the way, I still thinking about changing my last name to Jones—that way, I’ll finally be able to keep up with y’all!”

We all applauded and congratulated Rebecca again, then Gramma Jewel got up and spoke on behalf of all of us.

“Becky-Baby, I am flattered that you want to be a Jones, but you know that you ain’t gotta change your name for that—hell, you already are a Jones. And by the way, we are grateful that you look up to us, but we were nothing more than vessels used by God to guide you in the right direction. It wasn’t us that you saw—it was The Lord.”

And then Rebecca bounced back with quite a profound statement:

“Well, Aunt Tea—believe me when I tell you: I thank The Lord that He allow all-a-y’all to be my guardian angels.”

In the famous words of Mother Thelma Jean Davis: It’s all in a day’s work for The Lord’s children!

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Jones Family Reunion 2015—Rockin' It Ol' Skool!

Hi, Everybody!

Well, as you can probably guess, it’s on and crack-a-lackin’ over here at my Auntie Cherri and Uncle Alex’s house! Our family reunion kicked off yesterday afternoon when Gramma Jewel had a chili cheese party—burgers, hot dogs, fries, and nachos. But that was yesterday—today, we Joneses kicked off this beautiful Saturday afternoon in full gear and in full force, right here in Long Beach, California! And as the title of today’s blog post suggests, we are rockin’ the party that’s rockin’ the body!

I guess you can say that the Joneses are here in Long Beach to kick ass and chew bubblegum. There’s just one problem , though: My cousin Vanessa only has one piece of bubblegum left… hahahaha!

And of course, we’ve got some very special guests with us—friends who may as well be family, if you weeeeeeeeeee… and yes, I gave a tribute to Big Dust and Hot Rod, all in one setting.

But back to the lecture at hand: My Gramma Jewel invited her friend Mr. Hawkins, who in turn brought along his family—daughter Ms. Janet, son-in-law Mr. Adam, and grandson Michael. I think I mentioned it last week, but it’s worth repeating again: If Gramma Jewel loves you, then you are automatically set for life. And that’s exactly the case with Mr. Hawkins and his peeps.

You know, I can’t seem to put it in words, but it seems as though everytime my family gets together, we seem to outdo ourselves. Y’all may recall our great big family photo that we took last year… well, per Gramma Jewel’s request, we took a family photo this year. Gramma Jewel explained that she wanted us to take a family photo every year for every family reunion, as our own special family tradition.

Uncle Ronnie’s response: “Whatever the Queen wants, is what the Queen will receive.”

Well, I reckon I’d better get back to the fun. Besides, I don’t want to miss the talent show. The Brown Sugar Trio is back by popular demand, and they’re gonna perform “Rappers Delight” again, much like they did last year. I can’t wait to hear Great Aunt Reesie perform Master Gee’s part again.

Okay, y’all—I holla at’cha tomorrow after church!

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

An Update on the Family Reunion Countdown

Hey, Everybody!

Well, I’ve not long been home, and my mom and dad have informed my about ten minutes ago that Great Aunt Reesie, Cousin Keith, Cousin Jade, and Cousin Erica have arrived at LAX, and y’all know what that means—it’s on and crack-a-lackin’ up in this piece! I know, I know—it’s not even the weekend yet, but the Jones Family Reunion is already up and runnin’, y’all!

Now, I have it on great authority that Great Aunt Donna, Auntie Gladys, and Auntie Millie will be arriving very shortly. According to Gramma Jewel, their plane will be arriving either later this evening or sometime tomorrow morning. Suffice it to say, the countdown to our family reunion has begun, and we are all so excited.

Now, check this out: Gramma Jewel’s other bestie Mrs. Davis will be joining us once again… and lest I forget, Gramma Jewel also invited her good friend Mr. Hawkins and his family to celebrate with us. Y’all already know Gramma Jewel’s frame of mind—if she thinks of you as family, then you’re locked in for life!

Well, I reckon that I’ll sign off for today, but I will be talking to y’all again real soon. Until then, y’all take care and be good.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Cousin Calvin's Dilemma

Happy Monday, Everybody!

Now, y’all should already know by now: Whenever I have an interesting subject title (such as the one you see right now), y’all automatically know it’s a gooden!

So, my cousin Calvin picked me up from work this afternoon, and treated me to lunch… good ol’ Calvin! Anyway, he had a great story to tell me.

“Tasha, I’ve been hit by love,” he says with a cheesy grin.

Apparently, he has become totally smitten over one Karen Michelle Duncan, a girl who lives two houses down from my Gramma Jewel.

Now, I’m gonna be flat-out honest with y’all: I can really see Miss Karen in a long-term relationship with my cousin Calvin. I’ve held conversations with Miss Karen over the years, and she is definitely a rare breed. Much like me, Miss Karen is in college, and she is ten months away from graduating. She’s career-oriented, ambitious, and she’s willing to work toward her dreams.

Here’s the other jewel in the story: Miss Karen knows that she has piqued the interest of my lovestricken cousin; this was actually evident in last year’s Sapphire Street Block Party. If I remember correctly, Calvin took one look at Miss Karen, and that was all she wrote.

Now, here’s the dramatic part of this story: Calvin is having a hard time trying to figure out why he’s a stuttering mess whenever he’s around Karen, yet he can recite the Declaration of Independence when he’s around this other girl named Jasmine. Of course, I teased Calvin a little bit, but I had a very logical answer for him. I let Calvin know that he was maturing into an intelligent young man. You see, while I have never met this Jasmine chick, I can tell that she sounds like Ginger Grant, whereas Miss Karen is the epitome of Mary Ann Summers… and yes, I made references to Gilligan’s Island. Call it insight, call it a woman’s intuition, call it a hunch—the bottom line is this: I truly believe that Karen is the one for Calvin.

Now, in terms of Calvin’s difference of demeanor around both women, it’s a very simple explanation: You see, Calvin’s feelings for this Jasmine chick are nothing more than a physical attraction, hence the reason why he’s so comfortable around her. However, Karen is clearly a woman after Calvin’s own heart. Again, I have never met Jasmine—and for all I know, she’s probably a cool chick—but from what I gather, Karen is Calvin’s ideal. In the same light, the reason why Calvin is a stuttering mess around Karen is because he doesn’t want to come off as foolish or nonsensical. I assured Calvin that if Karen is anything like the women in our family (true-to-life, down-to-earth, and real from the heart), then she would appreciate Calvin a great deal if he just stays true to who he is.

By the way: Isn’t that a cute picture of Calvin and Karen?

I’ll let y’all know how this romance story pans out, but until then, y’all take care, and say a prayer for my cousin Calvin.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

In Loving Memory of Rowdy Roddy Piper

Hi, Everyone!

I'm getting ready for church, but I had to pause for a moment and deliver some bittersweet news.

Today’s blog post is a special tribute to the legendary WWE Hall of Famer Roderick George Toombs, whom we in the wrestling world affectionately knew and loved as… ROWDY RODDY PIPER!!!

For those of you who don’t know, the lovable Hot Rod passed away just three days ago at the young age of 61 years old. He was truly one of the greatest legends in the business—he was both loved and hated in the professional world, and he knew how to draw in a crowd.

The following are quotes from the one and only Hot Rod:

·         “I’ve come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I’m all out of bubblegum!”

·         “Just when you think you’ve got the answers, I changed the questions!”

·         “I was here [in the WWE] when WrestleMania didn’t have a number. I was pissin’ Vince McMahon off when the red on your neck was just diaper rash, Buddy!” (to Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 21)

·         “Hi, there. I started WrestleMania. I’m the reason Hogan’s got no hair—I pulled it all out!”

·         “I don’t think so—Roddy don’t play that!”

·          “I scare Flair!”

·         “You don’t throw rocks at a man with a machine gun!”

·         “Sooner or later, everybody pays the Piper!”

·         “I don’t need to know how tough I am, to know how tough I am!”

 

Just for the record, I personally love that quote about him kicking ass and chewing bubblegum... hahahaha!

Thanks for the memories, Hot Rod! We love you!


Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha