Real Female Beauty:
I’ve been thinking a lot about female beauty lately, mainly as my body begins to (slowly, but surely) change—becoming vegan, doing a 3 month detox, as well as bikram yoga is NOT FOR NOTHING YA’LL. Nevertheless, my standards for female beauty are changing as well. I was never told I was beautiful growing up so I had to base what I thought beauty was on external factors such as peers, movies, TV and magazines. No wonder I had an eating disorder and low self esteem. However, as God heals my heart and restores my spirit from the hurts of my past he is showing me what real female beauty is.
Real beauty is my 72 year old yoga instructor Georgia, with salt and pepper hair who smiles with her eyes and talks with a laugh. When doing the spinal twist yoga pose she sings “Let’s Twist Again” by Chubby Checker while dancing –which makes everyone laugh and forget they are doing ridiculously hot yoga. She is captivating, glowing and beautiful.
Real beauty is my Professor friend Kara with her buzz haircut and bright, mismatched thrift-shop clothes, who laughs with her belly and who challenges her students to think for themselves. When she talks with you, she looks you straight in the eyes and makes you feel like the only person on the planet. She is luminous, charming and beautiful.
Real beauty is Elaine, the vibrant secretary with the spunky earrings at my college who always asked how I was doing, and then stopped whatever she was doing to listen to my response. It was never a stalk question for her, she genuinely wanted to know. She would always have a stash of snacks available so that the students would never go hungry. That kind of motherly, unselfish love is beautiful.
Real beauty is a God who delights in his daughters and brings into fruition our long-ago forgotten secret dreams.
After a lifetime of stumbling in the dark, confused, lost and feeling anything but beautiful—I am humbled, grateful and in awe of a God who turned on the light in my spirit, so that I may recognize real beauty, not only in myself, but in other women, people and the world around me.
Yes, Sarena is right, 2008 is the year of total restoration indeed.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Random Things I Learned Today:
1. The free red Virgin Airline socks that you get when you take a plane overseas totally disintegrate when you wear them in real life. By the time I got to my 8pm Bikram Yoga class, they were paper thin and my feet were pretty much dyed red. I mean, COM'ON I already stand out in a class full of models and athletes in bikinis and speedos (it's HOT up in there ya'll) but RED FEET on a WHITE TOWEL?...Maybe nobody noticed.
2. I will pretend I am creepy stalker just so I will not blow a birthday prank. Lemmme explain...today is co-worker A's b-day (Side Note: it is also my brother's 25th b-day too!!! HAPPY B-DAY BROTHER!). Anywhoo, yesterday I thought it would be funny to change his screen saver to something obnoxious and birthday related before he got in in the morning and turned on his work computer. (His computer is locked by the by but my boss R is homie G's with IT and had them unlock his computer...they would have said no if I asked so THANKS R!!!) Sooo, to make a long story that is not even that funny EVEN longer, I found the perfect pics via the world wide inter-web and was trying to figure out how to arrange them when A walks by my desk and says, "HEY! Why am I on your computer?" and I said "gooo away stupid BOY!" OK, no I didn't but he was all "no really why do you have these pictures of me" and I was all "ahhh crap" and my co-workers were all pretending to work leaving me to think up a lie all on my own.
ME: (with a straight face): "I sorta stalk you."
A: "No really...why do you have pictures of me?"
ME: "No really...I like stalking you on the internet sometimes."
And then he looked at me weired and changed the subject.
HA....but today he got the little prank and was like, "uhh did you change my password too? b/c I can't get in."
Me: "I'm not REALLY stalking you...blame that on IT."
3. I also learned that I have zero tolerance for skinny male dancers in my yoga class complaining about their AND I QUOTE "meaty thighs." OH REALLY. GAG me w/ a spoon yo.
1. The free red Virgin Airline socks that you get when you take a plane overseas totally disintegrate when you wear them in real life. By the time I got to my 8pm Bikram Yoga class, they were paper thin and my feet were pretty much dyed red. I mean, COM'ON I already stand out in a class full of models and athletes in bikinis and speedos (it's HOT up in there ya'll) but RED FEET on a WHITE TOWEL?...Maybe nobody noticed.
2. I will pretend I am creepy stalker just so I will not blow a birthday prank. Lemmme explain...today is co-worker A's b-day (Side Note: it is also my brother's 25th b-day too!!! HAPPY B-DAY BROTHER!). Anywhoo, yesterday I thought it would be funny to change his screen saver to something obnoxious and birthday related before he got in in the morning and turned on his work computer. (His computer is locked by the by but my boss R is homie G's with IT and had them unlock his computer...they would have said no if I asked so THANKS R!!!) Sooo, to make a long story that is not even that funny EVEN longer, I found the perfect pics via the world wide inter-web and was trying to figure out how to arrange them when A walks by my desk and says, "HEY! Why am I on your computer?" and I said "gooo away stupid BOY!" OK, no I didn't but he was all "no really why do you have these pictures of me" and I was all "ahhh crap" and my co-workers were all pretending to work leaving me to think up a lie all on my own.
ME: (with a straight face): "I sorta stalk you."
A: "No really...why do you have pictures of me?"
ME: "No really...I like stalking you on the internet sometimes."
And then he looked at me weired and changed the subject.
HA....but today he got the little prank and was like, "uhh did you change my password too? b/c I can't get in."
Me: "I'm not REALLY stalking you...blame that on IT."
3. I also learned that I have zero tolerance for skinny male dancers in my yoga class complaining about their AND I QUOTE "meaty thighs." OH REALLY. GAG me w/ a spoon yo.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Yesterday at the Union Square's Farmer's Market there were signs advertising A Real Farmer! that was going to be there in person. It was my lunch break and one of the first sunny days we've had since Winter ended (YEAH Spring!) so I mosyed on over to where the Farmer was and lo-and be-hold there were a swarm of New Yorkers around him
-- aaaaaall excited---
"oooooooooo! a REAL LIVE FARMER!"
hil.ar.ious.
-- aaaaaall excited---
"oooooooooo! a REAL LIVE FARMER!"
hil.ar.ious.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Peace Pipes and Bibles.
Happy Easter ya’ll!
Oh wait.
I’m from Los Angeles not Dallas.
Happy Easter dudes!
YEAH West Coast 80’s vernacular still being used today!
Anywhoozies, I was nice and asleep in my bed—it is currently 7:30am on a Sunday and I went to sleep at 3am but something was BUGGING me so much I needed to get up and write it down. It all started yesterday when I saw this picture on a Christian website:
that had this caption:
"Fun Fact: The Pilgrims were radical non-conformists who, unlike the Puritans who maintained their membership to the Church of England, believed worship should be organized independently of the trappings, traditions and organization of a central state church. The above picture is of Pilgrim leader John Carver and Massasoit, leader of the Wampanoag Confederacy, sharing a peace pipe."
But before I get to the picture I want to share what I believe. I am a Christian. People say, of course you are, your parents are both Christians, so it makes total sense. My response to that will forever be ERM…NO. My upbringing was a living nightmare filled poor choices on my “Christian” parents and “Christian” step-parents part and if anything I believe in God DESPITE what the people who raised me believe.
That being said, I am not a conservative person. People seem to think Christians are all from the South are all Republicans, love Bush and hate abortions and gay-marriage.
Unless you count Southern California as part of the South, then ERM…NO to all of that.
But please get me started on abortions and gay folks since most Christians wont touch these topics with a ten-foot pole unless they are saying it is wrong. Abortion. I don’t believe in it…but I will fight with every breath in my body for a woman’s right to chose. I would NEVER impose my morals on somebody else…and the founding fathers chose separation of church and a state for a reason. Gay-marriage. That one is tricky. I am fully aware of what the Bible says—the New Testament Bible at that and I believe that a lot of Christians believe gays are going to Hell anyway. But that is pure ignorance. We ALL have fallen short of the Glory of God and ALL would be Hell bound if it were not for God’s grace. That includes gay people too ya’ll. I mean dudes. A lot of Christians don’t really know any gay people. It’s easy to judge people you don’t know. Or really know--I’ll give an analogy. Just because you have one black friend does not mean you understand inner-city poverty. In addition, although I struggle to see why anybody would want to get married in the first place, I support gay –marriage because I support the fundamental belief--and the foundation of American Democracy—that all men are created equal.
But this blog entry is entitled Peace pipes and Bibles. WTF? You may ask. YES. This is my real struggle. Some Christians are so so busy converting the gay folk and the pregnant girls…but that is not what my Jesus loving heart struggles with. I have brown, white red and black colors (in that order) running through my veins.
YEAH mixed people!
And because of that, "Manifest Destiny" bothers me to my very CORE. And everyone else seems to have moved on. Peace pipes are just as much as my culture as Bibles are and my Cherokee—raised on a reservation in Oklahoma—Peace pipe smoking grandma would roll over in her red ground grave if I said that Manifest Destiny was God’s will. (The fact that my grandma is even from Oklahoma and not Georgia because my peeps had to go on a little hike called the Trail of Tears bothers me too—but I won’t open up THAT CAN OF WORMS.)
This is what I really struggle with. WHERE IS ALL OF THIS COMING FROM ELIDIA?
Seeing that stupid picture! Siiigh.
But back to the picture:
When I saw this picture yesterday along with the caption and it was all, yeaaah we’re progressive Christians! But all I kept on thinking was did he smoke that peace pipe before or after giving dem brown folks small pox infested blankets? I don’t have an answer to this…this is just something that really bothers me…so…
ya'll can put that in your pipe and smoke it.
That's right. I'm back to ya'll.
Feedback would be great::::
hit me up here:
ducontra04 (at) yahoo.com
Happy Easter ya’ll!
Oh wait.
I’m from Los Angeles not Dallas.
Happy Easter dudes!
YEAH West Coast 80’s vernacular still being used today!
Anywhoozies, I was nice and asleep in my bed—it is currently 7:30am on a Sunday and I went to sleep at 3am but something was BUGGING me so much I needed to get up and write it down. It all started yesterday when I saw this picture on a Christian website:
that had this caption:
"Fun Fact: The Pilgrims were radical non-conformists who, unlike the Puritans who maintained their membership to the Church of England, believed worship should be organized independently of the trappings, traditions and organization of a central state church. The above picture is of Pilgrim leader John Carver and Massasoit, leader of the Wampanoag Confederacy, sharing a peace pipe."
But before I get to the picture I want to share what I believe. I am a Christian. People say, of course you are, your parents are both Christians, so it makes total sense. My response to that will forever be ERM…NO. My upbringing was a living nightmare filled poor choices on my “Christian” parents and “Christian” step-parents part and if anything I believe in God DESPITE what the people who raised me believe.
That being said, I am not a conservative person. People seem to think Christians are all from the South are all Republicans, love Bush and hate abortions and gay-marriage.
Unless you count Southern California as part of the South, then ERM…NO to all of that.
But please get me started on abortions and gay folks since most Christians wont touch these topics with a ten-foot pole unless they are saying it is wrong. Abortion. I don’t believe in it…but I will fight with every breath in my body for a woman’s right to chose. I would NEVER impose my morals on somebody else…and the founding fathers chose separation of church and a state for a reason. Gay-marriage. That one is tricky. I am fully aware of what the Bible says—the New Testament Bible at that and I believe that a lot of Christians believe gays are going to Hell anyway. But that is pure ignorance. We ALL have fallen short of the Glory of God and ALL would be Hell bound if it were not for God’s grace. That includes gay people too ya’ll. I mean dudes. A lot of Christians don’t really know any gay people. It’s easy to judge people you don’t know. Or really know--I’ll give an analogy. Just because you have one black friend does not mean you understand inner-city poverty. In addition, although I struggle to see why anybody would want to get married in the first place, I support gay –marriage because I support the fundamental belief--and the foundation of American Democracy—that all men are created equal.
But this blog entry is entitled Peace pipes and Bibles. WTF? You may ask. YES. This is my real struggle. Some Christians are so so busy converting the gay folk and the pregnant girls…but that is not what my Jesus loving heart struggles with. I have brown, white red and black colors (in that order) running through my veins.
YEAH mixed people!
And because of that, "Manifest Destiny" bothers me to my very CORE. And everyone else seems to have moved on. Peace pipes are just as much as my culture as Bibles are and my Cherokee—raised on a reservation in Oklahoma—Peace pipe smoking grandma would roll over in her red ground grave if I said that Manifest Destiny was God’s will. (The fact that my grandma is even from Oklahoma and not Georgia because my peeps had to go on a little hike called the Trail of Tears bothers me too—but I won’t open up THAT CAN OF WORMS.)
This is what I really struggle with. WHERE IS ALL OF THIS COMING FROM ELIDIA?
Seeing that stupid picture! Siiigh.
But back to the picture:
When I saw this picture yesterday along with the caption and it was all, yeaaah we’re progressive Christians! But all I kept on thinking was did he smoke that peace pipe before or after giving dem brown folks small pox infested blankets? I don’t have an answer to this…this is just something that really bothers me…so…
ya'll can put that in your pipe and smoke it.
That's right. I'm back to ya'll.
Feedback would be great::::
hit me up here:
ducontra04 (at) yahoo.com
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Obama is one smart cookie.
Read or watch his Speech on Race here.
This man knows how to get to the heart of the touchiest of subjects in such a honest yet tender way.
I would love to see what would happen with him in office.
Read or watch his Speech on Race here.
This man knows how to get to the heart of the touchiest of subjects in such a honest yet tender way.
I would love to see what would happen with him in office.
Friday, March 14, 2008
For all you science geeks out there:
Today is National "Talk Like a Physicist Day!"
WHY?
"Because we're at least as cool as pirates, that's why."
I LOVE IT!
and
I LOVE HIM!"
Any 71 year old teacher who risks his life for the love of teaching Physics (confident the Laws of Physics will not kill him) is so adorbs to me.
That's right people.
Elidia loves math and science and is not ashamed to admit it.
Monday, March 10, 2008
So, an e-mail was sent out last week to our clients asking them if their titles have changed to let us know so we can update our databook. One of the clients wants his title changed from General Manager to Deputy General Manager.
This is not a joke.
Ummm, does he want me to call him Sherriff too?
On another note, my UCB Improv 301 show on Saturday was so much fun! It was pretty packed even with the crazy rainy weather and flood alerts.
LOVE to those who came out to support!
Although, afterwards we all went out, and I promise you I did not have that much to drink nor was in a restaurant that had ketchup packets, yet I woke up the next morning with like 30 ketchup packets in my purse. I am assuming some prankster put them there as a joke, because the other, more ridonkulous option was that I did it myself and have absolutely no recollection of doing so.
This is not a joke.
Ummm, does he want me to call him Sherriff too?
On another note, my UCB Improv 301 show on Saturday was so much fun! It was pretty packed even with the crazy rainy weather and flood alerts.
LOVE to those who came out to support!
Although, afterwards we all went out, and I promise you I did not have that much to drink nor was in a restaurant that had ketchup packets, yet I woke up the next morning with like 30 ketchup packets in my purse. I am assuming some prankster put them there as a joke, because the other, more ridonkulous option was that I did it myself and have absolutely no recollection of doing so.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
For some reason whenever I feel BLAH, nostalgic / melancholy songs like Sarah McLachlan’s Building A Mystery make me feel better. Isn’t that weird? Shouldn't happy songs like R.E.M’s Shiny Happy People make me feel less blah? I am such a backwards person.
Also, I had a new Bikram Yoga instructor this morning and he was so cute I had no idea he was talking to me--for like five minutes!--because I was busy simply staring at him.
I am such a doof.
A backwards –tongued tied around cute boys-doof.
But, I’m kinda ok with this.
Here are the song lyrics:
Sarah McLachlan – Building A Mystery (HOW can you not love this song?)
You come out at night
That's when the energy comes
And the dark side's light
And the vampires roam
You strut your rasta wear
And your suicide poem
And a cross from a faith that died
Before Jesus came
You're building a mystery
You live in a church
Where you sleep with voodoo dolls
And you won't give up the search
For the ghosts in the halls
You wear sandals in the snow
And a smile that won't wash away
Can you look out the window
Without your shadow getting in the way?
You're so beautiful
With an edge and charm
but so careful
When I'm in your arms
Cause you're working
Building a mystery
Holding on and holding it in
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
And choosing so carefully
You woke up screaming aloud
A prayer from your secret god
You feed off our fears
And hold back your tears, oh
Give us a tantrum
And a know it all grin
Just when we need one
When the evening's thin
You're a beautiful
A beautiful fucked up man
You're setting up your
Razor wire shrine
Cause you're working
Building a mystery
Holding on and holding it in
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
And choosing so carefully
Ooh you're working
Building a mystery
Holding on and holding it in
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
And choosing so carefully
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
Holding on and holding it in
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
And choosing so carefully
You're building a mystery
Also, I had a new Bikram Yoga instructor this morning and he was so cute I had no idea he was talking to me--for like five minutes!--because I was busy simply staring at him.
I am such a doof.
A backwards –tongued tied around cute boys-doof.
But, I’m kinda ok with this.
Here are the song lyrics:
Sarah McLachlan – Building A Mystery (HOW can you not love this song?)
You come out at night
That's when the energy comes
And the dark side's light
And the vampires roam
You strut your rasta wear
And your suicide poem
And a cross from a faith that died
Before Jesus came
You're building a mystery
You live in a church
Where you sleep with voodoo dolls
And you won't give up the search
For the ghosts in the halls
You wear sandals in the snow
And a smile that won't wash away
Can you look out the window
Without your shadow getting in the way?
You're so beautiful
With an edge and charm
but so careful
When I'm in your arms
Cause you're working
Building a mystery
Holding on and holding it in
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
And choosing so carefully
You woke up screaming aloud
A prayer from your secret god
You feed off our fears
And hold back your tears, oh
Give us a tantrum
And a know it all grin
Just when we need one
When the evening's thin
You're a beautiful
A beautiful fucked up man
You're setting up your
Razor wire shrine
Cause you're working
Building a mystery
Holding on and holding it in
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
And choosing so carefully
Ooh you're working
Building a mystery
Holding on and holding it in
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
And choosing so carefully
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
Holding on and holding it in
Yeah you're working
Building a mystery
And choosing so carefully
You're building a mystery
Monday, March 03, 2008
I hate doctors. No really. I have had a ridiculous pain in my right heel and a swollen ankle in said heel since mid November and I refused to go to the doctor because I hate’emhate’emhate’em. Instead I just mastered the art of the discreet limp. But then I googled blog-clot this morning and got freaked out b/c it said you can die if it’s not treated (BAH!) so off I went this afternoon. The doctor laughed at the idea that I thought I had a blood clot because I have excellent circulation (yeah Bikram Yoga!) and was puzzled by my refusal to see a doctor about the intense pain for upwards of what? More than four months? Is that right? Holy Crap I am stubborn. Anywhoo…the doc says no blood clots—I have Plantar Fasciitis and a super Novocain-ed up right footsie—from a cortisone shot with a needle so deep it hit bone. TMI? Yeah..try being the patient who had to watch, pop some meds and then go back to work.
good times.
good times.
Friday, February 29, 2008
I'm way too excited about this:
Here is the full trailer for the Sex and the City Movie!!!
and I own the Fuchsia Complete Series Collector's Giftset...not even gonna lie.
Hey guys... I never pretended to be cool. eep!
Here is the full trailer for the Sex and the City Movie!!!
and I own the Fuchsia Complete Series Collector's Giftset...not even gonna lie.
Hey guys... I never pretended to be cool. eep!
Friday, February 22, 2008
My darling friend R calls me at 6:30 Thursday evening:
R: Do you want to have dinner tonight?
Me: No, I can’t I’m going to yoga in 30 minutes.
…Chattychattychatwordswordswordschattychattychat…
…5, 10 minutes later…
Me: Hmmm…maybe I should skip yoga and have dinner with you.
R: Well here’s the thing. My boss gave me two tickets to see The Color Purple tonight. And BeBe Winans [one of the headliners] gave him the tickets so the seats are amazing. Plus the show is closing soon so I was wondering if you wanted to do that?
Me: WHAT? Why didn’t you open with that? I mean I look scruffy and homeless because I’m about to go to yoga and all…but forget yoga I want to hear sing BeBe sing!
R: Well, you seemed committed to going to yoga and I didn’t want you to have to choose and then feel bad.
-- --
MORAL OF THE STORY: two FREE tickets—worth 120 dollars each—given by the headliner himself—with amazing seats—to a closing Broadway musical TRUMPS doing Hatha Yoga 105 degree heat for 90 minutes ANYDAY. In elidia’s book anyway. So always open with that.
Note i: I use to sing WITH BeBe back in the day with my choir in Los Angeles.
Note ii: That does not mean I sing LIKE BeBe. Truth be told, I was placed in the middle/back so my voice could “blend”.
Note: iii: The musical made my heart smile.
R: Do you want to have dinner tonight?
Me: No, I can’t I’m going to yoga in 30 minutes.
…Chattychattychatwordswordswordschattychattychat…
…5, 10 minutes later…
Me: Hmmm…maybe I should skip yoga and have dinner with you.
R: Well here’s the thing. My boss gave me two tickets to see The Color Purple tonight. And BeBe Winans [one of the headliners] gave him the tickets so the seats are amazing. Plus the show is closing soon so I was wondering if you wanted to do that?
Me: WHAT? Why didn’t you open with that? I mean I look scruffy and homeless because I’m about to go to yoga and all…but forget yoga I want to hear sing BeBe sing!
R: Well, you seemed committed to going to yoga and I didn’t want you to have to choose and then feel bad.
-- --
MORAL OF THE STORY: two FREE tickets—worth 120 dollars each—given by the headliner himself—with amazing seats—to a closing Broadway musical TRUMPS doing Hatha Yoga 105 degree heat for 90 minutes ANYDAY. In elidia’s book anyway. So always open with that.
Note i: I use to sing WITH BeBe back in the day with my choir in Los Angeles.
Note ii: That does not mean I sing LIKE BeBe. Truth be told, I was placed in the middle/back so my voice could “blend”.
Note: iii: The musical made my heart smile.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Remember the TV show Family Matters? It was my favorite show back in the day. Remember the Western episode? Where Aunt Rachel is a madam/showgirl and sings "Rick-a-Shay Rachel"? No? Well, I do. I can actually sing the whole song.
Anywhoo, due to my unhealthy obsession with all things Family Matters I have different cast pictures as my background on my work computer. So, my office messenger guy T comes by today and sees one of the pictures.
Now I love T because he is this sweet old guy who always asks me questions but never gets my answers…but then again few do.
Le Sigh.
One of these days he's going to stop asking me questions all together.
-- --
T: Why do you have a picture of a black man as your background?
Me: That's Steve Urkel!
T: Who?
ME: From the TV Show Family Matters?!
T: What?
Me: Carl Winslow? Laura? Aunt Rachel?
T: Oh. So here's your mail. Bye.
Anywhoo, due to my unhealthy obsession with all things Family Matters I have different cast pictures as my background on my work computer. So, my office messenger guy T comes by today and sees one of the pictures.
Now I love T because he is this sweet old guy who always asks me questions but never gets my answers…but then again few do.
Le Sigh.
One of these days he's going to stop asking me questions all together.
-- --
T: Why do you have a picture of a black man as your background?
Me: That's Steve Urkel!
T: Who?
ME: From the TV Show Family Matters?!
T: What?
Me: Carl Winslow? Laura? Aunt Rachel?
T: Oh. So here's your mail. Bye.
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