Hey, good people! I hope you are well, healthy, happy, and taking things day by day. Gas is high, and inflation is out of control, so if things are less than stellar for you, it is okay to acknowledge those feelings, too. I hope you are trying new things and doing whatever brings you joy. There is so much going on in the world, so make sure you take moments to relax, try deep breathing, listen to music, dance, sew, stretch, laugh, kiss, hug, hold hands, and do whatever makes you happy!

I am an overthinker, and I have been stressing TF out, but it always works out better than I can imagine, so I need to relax.  In the meantime, I hosted a party at my girlfriend’s house, and we had a ball. First things first, I fell on the steps on my way to her home, and my friend was behind me and caught me. Smh! My leg is healing, and it was probably too soon to have on some damn heels, but I was going out of town the following weekend, so I was doing a test run. Now, I know that stairs might be an issue, and I should step up with the right foot first. I bought each lady body butter, body scrub, and lip balm for the gift bags, so they can have even better skin for the summer.  We ate, drank, and played games in that order.  Everyone is competitive, so the games are always fun, and I appreciate them for always trusting me with the games and directing the fashion show at the end of the night. Hahaha

The next day was Brunch with my other girls, and one of them brought us gifts! It was a nice restaurant on the 13th floor, and the drinks were amazing! We ate, drank, and shared some good laughs. I wore heels again to test them out, and I did not fall that day. HA! They inquired about what I had going on in my life because I always have good stories, and I shared that I have been staying out of trouble but that I was looking forward to my weekend of fun in another city. I also shared that I was in the grocery store, looking crazy with two ponytails, rushing to grab items for the party, and that I ran into a gentleman I met over a year ago, and it was my first time seeing him since we met. 🤭 He is very handsome, and I met his daughter. She was looking at me like Dad, who the hell is this lady? hahaha We exchanged contact info, and he asked me out the following week for vittles and libations. Once he confirmed my availability, he told what day, time, and he was coming to pick me up.

I needed a day to relax, so I went to the Botanical Garden to see a new exhibit. It was hot as hell, so I viewed the exhibit, had a meeting, and went home. Hahaha

I was chatting with my Daddy, and when we spoke about a particular person, he said, “So, are y’all courting or just hanging out?” My Daddy is old school, and no one uses the word courting anymore. I thought it was a great question, but those phrases may have different meanings for everyone, so I figured I would ask around. I found it interesting that my friends in the West and my friends from the South see dating and courting differently. My friends in the South view courting as a relationship, and my friends from the West view courting as getting to know someone before you start dating/relationship. Per AI, dating is more informal and seeing where it goes, and courting is more intentional, aimed towards marriage.

Whether you are dating/ hanging out, or courting, make sure you communicate, be honest with yourself about what you want and if that person is capable, and don’t ignore the red flags! You want to make sure you’re not romanticizing the relationship or person for what it/they could be opposed to what it really is. Like my boss used to say “Fail fast and fix it!” If it doesn’t work out, take some time to recover, if needed, and move on. Dating can be fun! 😜

Until next time!

What’s next starts now!