Hey, good people!

I hope life is good to you and you are being good to yourself. I hope you are making great decisions, managing your time well, and have great opportunities available to you. I also hope you are experiencing loving friendships, taking naps, having great moments with your lover, making money, being creative, and experiencing moments of peace and joy.

Kudos to all the mothers and single fathers! I can’t begin to express my appreciation after watching my 13-year-old brother for a month. My Daddy planned a cruise to Japan and would be gone for three weeks, and he asked if I could watch my brother while he was on vacation; I said “Yes” and booked a ticket for five weeks. I had this fantasy that we would have a fantastic time exploring LA. I could take him to some of my favorite restaurants and explore Hollywood and other new places. WRONG!! He stressed me the hell out, and I wanted to run away. 😂 My Daddy has let him get away with so much, but I had to show him who runs the show, and he had a rude awakening!

The first week Daddy was still home, and I observed the routine, but the following week was an all-out WAR in the house because he doesn’t run shit and I was on his territory, but I am the leader of this pack! So, I had to confiscate all his electronics, which helped immensely. He was up for school on time; we did homework and had dinner together. I had to tend to my brother, cook, water the yard and garden, clean, walk my fur baby, do homework, grocery shop, and work. I was like, how people do this shit daily and have multiple children and a husband. HOW DO THEY DO IT? It was a fulfilling and overwhelming experience. Then, I went to a parent-teacher conference, and we were back to square one because he wasn’t turning in his homework. It truly takes a village to raise a child. My hat goes off to parents who are doing this daily! I LOVE YOU!

I never wanted to be a mother because I knew I needed a husband who was a teammate, and it would be all hands on deck for both of us. I needed a marriage where we could both parent and take care of other daily duties together. If my husband looked at me to do everything like being hands-on with the children, cooking daily, handling all the household chores, working, and managing the house, I was not his girl. I felt this way from a very young age, and when I moved to the South, I met quite a few men who were amazing single fathers as well as providers. It was so eye-opening, but not enough to change my mind. Despite not wanting children, I am very nurturing and loving. I enjoy being an aunt and big cousin to the children in my life. However, the way others treat you like you’re a selfish weirdo because you don’t want children is a topic for another day.

I hosted a family BBQ the day before I left, and it was magical. It was filled with so much love, great food, games, and an overall good time. Daddy had just returned from Japan that afternoon, and he had a great time.

The significant part about being home in LA was hanging out with my family and friends, going to my favorite restaurants, and relaxing in the backyard, and feeling the ocean breeze. When my brother behaved, we would go to dinner, or I would cook, and we would laugh, and talk. I went to a jazz festival; I ran into some friends from high school, old coworkers, and an ex from my twenties. The ex from my twenties kept staring, telling me I looked the same, and saying I used to stress him out. 😂😂 I was a spoiled brat, and he was mean, lol. He did well for himself and is doing even better now, and he does seem a bit more relaxed. He taught me a precious lesson when we dated: never to wait until the weekend to live my life and enjoy life every day. He would always say, “Never be a weekend warrior!” I remember going to a restaurant that turned into a club, and I had no clue he would be there. I was walking through the club, and I felt a pull on my jacket that caused me to stumble backwards. He grabbed me around my waist and asked me what I was doing there. I was embarrassed and he was out of line, so I started crying in the club. Then, my friend started slapping his hands and telling him to stop touching me. 😂 it was a mess!

My Mommy came to town, and we hung out. I took her to the Beverly Center to look for a wedding dress, and I haven’t been to that mall in years. The day before, we got facials and visited one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Still, we could not shop much because it was so hot, and we were both irritated with the heat. 😂 We found her a dress, and I did a bra trick with the dress that I discovered on TikTok, 😂 it worked!

The last month was excellent, with some hiccups, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I have a couple more trips this year, but no international trips. 😩

I am in a space of gratitude and enjoying life. 💝

Until Next Time

What’s Next Starts Now