Vacation Time

Hi Folks,

I'm going to be on vacation July 9 - July 14. Actually it will be a working vacation. I'll be one of the adults accompanying about 8 or 9 of our youth to the Youth Conference in Orlando.

I almost thought that I wouldn't make it. As a result of some excessive sign holding at the FREE Carwash fundraiser two Saturdays ago, yours truly ended up with a muscle spasm of gargantuan proportions. I was a bit sore on Sunday, but I figured that was par for the course. Monday, my day off, I allowed my bountiful blessings to go free for the day and basically bummed around the house.

Tuesday, I was still sore but under control. I had a hair braiding appointment around 12 noon. In hindsight, I think the clincher was when I hefted up my Denise Austin exercise chair to take it from the living room to my bedroom that I did the damage.

I went to Bible Class that night and then to work on Wednesday and Thursday. By the time Thursday night came around I was in deep doo doo. I began taking Ibuprofen and they did nothing. Then my sinuses decided to join the mix so I took an excedrin sinus and two Ibuprofens.

My sinuses were good... but my neck and shoulders were beginning to talk to me and they were calling me anything but a child of God.

I was bedridden. I literally ran out of bed to eat, shower and then ran back in. Saturday morning, I had to call in sick. My supervisor came through for me and covered for the day... but even better than that she came bearing the wonder drug Aleve (generic version of Naproxim Sodium ... you should be hearing the halleluiah chorus by now... I know I was)

Then began the Aleve popping sleep all day long days.

The only position of comfort was laying on my back with my eyes raised to the ceiling or heavens or standing straight up with my hands fully raised and extended above my head. What one would consider the classic praise/surrender position.

I thought to myself, God truly does have a sense of humor. Since I was in the position, I began to praise Him. However as the pain increased ... my praise became a bit shaky then stopped altogether. I didn't have any friends like Job did to rally around me and ask me to examine and confess my sins that might have brought me to this point/situation.

Nor did I have a spouse or significant other who, tired of my suffering, encouraged me to curse God and die.

However, I did receive a visit from a recurring thought I had as a teenager. "Isn't this enough? Why don't you just end it all?" I must guiltily admit that I did entertain the thought for about five minutes or so, instead of treating it as the driveby thought that it was and allowing it to--drive by.

Anyway, I did note something. Knowing the weight of my bountiful blessings, I have always just half raised my arms when in church to avoid shoulder or neck pain. Yet, now in the midst of a muscle spasm... the only position that gives me any relief is the heretofore avoided, full out, hands upraised, classic praise/surrender position.

I was also almost reverted to the position of a baby. My neck could not support my head and my left arm could barely raise past waist level.

In hindsight I can see that I'd been heading down this road for a while. Poor posture at the computer, poor eating habits, poor exercise habits, poor praise habits, poor time management, poor housekeeping skills... I was just a pauper and didn't even realize it!

I now have new appreciation for my temple (Christian talk for body) and resolve to continue the 45 minute walks around my complex, at least three times a week and to do a few more push-a-ways from the table.

My arm can now raise almost to shoulder level from the side, and since I stopped praising... it will no longer lift above my head in the praise/surrender position unless I use my right hand to assist it, however as I leave for Florida, I leave with a sense of expectation. I expect to return from Florida with my spasm totally healed!

That's my rambling, sharing and caring/reflective moment for today.

Peace,
Dee

P.S. I doubt that I'll have any computer access but please do take a moment to stop by my Dee411 Blog on Tuesday the 10th to welcome my hosted Author for that day, Meisha Camm.

Contest - Where Am I?

Hi Folks,

In this contest you get to be the writer!

Check out the pictures of me and write a paragraph of about 200 - 300 words about where you think I am and what I could possibly have been doing at that point in time.

Humor wins major points. The winning paragraph will be printed here and run in one of my newsletters and the author will get $5.00 fat dollars sent via PayPal. I know, I know... I'm a big spender and I shouldn't spend it all in one place... but hey... I gotta share... right?

Oh I forgot... these things should have deadlines right? Okay well how about a month? So the entries will be closed at midnight on May 5th and then we can all decide by poll votes which paragraph wins. In the case of a tie... I'll decide the winner.

Send in your submissions via the Contact Me page of my Website. You may cut and paste your paragraph into the "service you require" section of the form then hit submit.

I'm looking forward to reading your entries. Let's have fun with this!

Peace,
Dee

Avid Reader Alert!

ATWC1.com Used Books is now Live!

Featuring authors like:

Juanita Bynum, Margaret Johnson-Hodge, E. Lynn Harris, Mary B. Morrison and Zane to name a few.

Take a moment to peruse the booklist while supplies last.

Happy Browsing!

Peace,
Dee


P.S. Fifty percent (50%) of all sales will be donated to the Youth Group at my church to aid in sponsoring a youth's trip to the Annual Youth Conference in July. You can read more about the Conference here. (Page 12)

Queens Book Fair

I will be attending the Queens Book Fair on August 19th in Queens, New York. The timing is perfect because it will be four days after the official release of AIJAN (and my 41st birthday). To celebrate both I've set up a new discount opportunity.

Now call me prejudiced and in this instance I must say that I am, based on the fact that I was the proprietor on an online bookstore. It grieved me dearly to go out of business because I know for a fact that there were enough African Americans out there to keep me in business for years to come--yet it seemed as though they preferred to spend their dollars elsewhere.

I now know that it was really not a part of God's plan for me to continue as a bookstore proprietor but a part of His preparation process for my authorship. But the part of me that still whispers at night "I coulda been a contender" feels strongly about African American dollars going towards African American businesses. So to that end I've partnered with the proprietor of The Book ClubHouse, an independent bookseller, so that members of my lists may purchase AIJAN for $10.75 (less additional discount with special coupon code "queens06" at checkout making the cost $9.88 + $1.75 Standard S/H = $11.63 Total Cost).

NOTE: Coupon code expires August 31, 2006.

For those of you in New York:

Want to reserve it and purchase it autographed at the Queens Book Fair?

First 1-20 people to reserve a copy: $8.96 (25% off)
First 21-40 people to reserve a copy: $9.20 (23% off)
First 41-60 people to reserve a copy: $9.56 (20% off)

Remember ... the early bird gets the best discount!

Peace,
Dee

Looking for a Few Good Men ... and Women

MEDIA CALL:

Here's something I received through one of my Yahoo groups that might be of interest to you and forwarding is permissible:

Hello Friends-

I need black men and women. Period.

I put this email out before and got tepid response. I am producing and co-hosting a show (with Ron Claiborne)on ABC News Now that is as yet untitled. It's a public
affairs show for black people... BUT? it is not done in the conventional ABC News way. It is meant to replicate the kinds of conversations that we have when we get
together in the church parking lot, beauty shop, barbershop, dinner table, playing spades? whatever. It will be the TV version of a typical black conversation about current events, music, sports, pop culture, news? With all the energy and bravado, minus the four letter words. To give you an example of what we talk about? During our first two pilots we addressed: Blacks and Immigration, the Duke LaCrosse rape case, Baby Daddies and Baby Mamas, Colin Powel or Condeleeza Rice for President etc.

So I'm putting together a list of potential guests. My first show tapes this Friday and every other Friday at 3:30pm. I don't need any experts. We all know someone
who can turn a conversation into an argument? Besides me!

I just want regular black folks but I'll also take artists, authors, CEO's, professionals.. (Uptight people who are charmed by their own intellect need not respond). If you know someone in NYC who is intelligent, up-on-current-events, witty, lively, funny, opinionated and black -- male or female -- please have them get in touch with me via email. Or send their contact information and I will get in touch with them.

Or if you can or want to be on a future show yourself, please speak up too. (Some of you are definitely qualified). I am really struggling to find SISTERS.

We always complain that there aren't enough on mainstream media about us and for us so here's one. I need all your support to sustain it.

Thank you.
Eddie

eddie.pinder@...
(212) 456 3746