Spoken Word @ TILIWT: The Sweetest Thing

The Sweetest Thing

It was the sweetest thing.... Like sugar sucked straight from the womb of the cane. Brown skin brown eyes. So divine I want nothing in between his and mine. Free to smile with my soul... feelings that once again I am whole. Living on the inspiration created by the provocation of his touch. and in each and every instance it is him, him that reminds me to live mind free, him that supplies me with sublime glee...

oh it was soooo sweet the thing that went on between he and me. sweet as fresh lemonade on a southern summer day. Sun shining on the beauty in his face. Warm breezes blowing in between my thighs where he often lay. Peace in my heart wanting nothing more and nothing less than to just stay in his arms grace. Nothing more and nothing less than to be enveloped by his warm embrace. Oh how the invitation in to his world gives me so much inspiration created by him, he is the provocation. Bringing the ultimate cooperation between mind body and soul. His appointment so divine here at the opportune time. Teaching me to live unshackled by questions and answers. Allowing me trust, allowing me to thrive outside of the prison of definite certainty.

Ohh its the sweetest thing in bliss I sing, sing his name as he strokes his brush against the canvas that is me... simple like gray scale colors capture all that he sees in me.. black and white like the simplicity that is we... letting him into me time and time again with no never mind for seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, month. With no never mind for anything but his soul inside of me. Sounds of pleasure escape me created by nothing more than a mental touch. Fingertips laced with a substance of intoxication, a substance of intoxication and the cause of my addictive nature.

Ohh it was soo sweet… Like sugar sucked straight from the womb of the cane…
It was so sweet the thing that went on between he and me…
It was the sweetest thing in bliss I sing…
Ohh it was the sweetest… The sweetest thing to grace me in my dreams…



~ Sabrina K. Garba

Ms. Thang

Budget: Kill The Ugly Monster Behind RETAIL THERAPY

Ok Ladies so I must admit that I have struggled with the thrill of making a purchase (especially when you think you are getting a deal). We all have, but for me during the last seven months my habits have spun out of control. Yea true I can blame it on my trails, tribulations, and stress but to be honest with myself I must have lost touch with reality. To be honest with you and myself for a student I make a nice income topped with assistance from my dad, so I have NO REASON to be living pay check to pay check. Once I sat back and thought about my debt infested life style it all boiled down to realizing two major ideals. Everything is not for everybody AND saving now will guarantee peace of mind later. Now what does that boil down to???

Everything is not for everybody, in otherwise just because the next Tom, Dick, Harry, Sarah, or Marsha can afford it that doesn't mean you can. I found myself moping around because everyone else was in NY, ATL, LA, MIA, CANCUN, and the list goes on and on. The idea that I should be doing this too crept into my mind and next thing you know I was spending Money on Six flags Great America, Trips to NY, Trips to NC, Trips to GA, and the list once again goes on and on. Truth is I didn't realize that I was paying hidden fees for all of those trips. Six Flags for example ran me the cost of admissions, gas from DC to Jersey and back, food, and also the most hidden of them all added mileage to Carmen Corolla (no need to ask who this is I think you get the picture). While all this money was being spent I didn't think about how I am usually sweating as I write the rent check... This is a major problem!

Saving now, guaranteeing peace of mind later is the harder pill to swallow. It is soooo hard to let go of temporary joys in the hopes of attaining one that is intangible. One that will "supposedly" be so great in the future and of course it is our natural instinct to say I WANT IT NOW!! But if we would just hold out on the little things we could have the big things. For example, recently I was searching for apartments in the DC area, now if you are familiar with DC or any metropolitan area you know that my options were cheap and dangerous or expensive and luxurious. I searched fervently and refused to widen my search to Maryland or Virginia to expand my options. I used the commute as an excuse, by saying I work and live in DC and I would be tired etc etc.... All of this was an EXCUSE. As you can imagine the units I found were not impressive or not in my price range. After a Long Talk with a friend of mine reality set in... I realized I was looking for new and modern when the only thing that mattered was my safety and peace of mind. While my current apartment was nice and in a perfect location for me I was paying a whopping $1250 without utilities and this was causing me great strife. I mean think about it I wasn't investing so who cared if it was granite counter tops or not. What mattered what that I could comfortably pay the bills and manage my stress. With this said I chose an apartment in Maryland that is 20 minutes from school and 10 from work. I also chose the most economical of the chooses that they had to offer and I can feel my financial burden being lifted already THANK GOD.

It is of utmost importance for us to remember simple principles such as these. They are the keys to success and stress free financial atmospheres. Cutting corners have led a lot of people happiness. I find someone in particular to be amazing, Ms. Shynea aka the Penny Pinching Diva is a stay at home mother of four who lives off a familial spending budget that would make most of us pull our hair out. Instead she does it with savvy, intelligence, and a smile. I have to admit that I have set forth to follow financially in her foots steps. Ms. PPD has the ability to walk into a grocery store and come out paying sometimes less than half the price we would normally pay and even getting a lot of her items for THE FREE, and I know how much we all love THE FREE.... I mean lets be real she can walk into the store and get two Byers yogurts and walk out having paid NOTHING for them. Her coupon stacking techniques are well worth the time and effort. It is my personal belief that we should all GET LIKE HER!!! Her website http://pennypinchingdiva.com/ features amazing deals and coupons as well as hints to making your spending worth every penny. Allow her to make a contribution to your life by subscribing to her email serve and visiting her site. You will not be disappointed.

With that said, BUDGET... keep the future in mind with every purchase and find ways to improve your quality of life and minimize your level of stress... Trust me you wont regret it....

Liberating myself financially,
Ms. Thang

Learning to Love Being Alone

First off I want to say SORRY!!! It has been a time consuming few weeks and I know that I have left you all stranded. Now to the task at hand:

I must admit that I have been suffering from the ever so present Loneliness that goes along with being single. Each day I have to struggle to keep myself from settling for less, just to feel the warmth of companionship. Ladies it is not easy and I know many of you are aware of this. Tossing and turning at night, trying to absorb warmth and comfort from cuddling your pillow is becoming less and less satisfying, I KNOW THE FEELING. But I have to tell it like it was told, this time by Pastor John K. Jenkins of The First Baptist Church of Glenarden. He mentioned the fact that sometimes we as women will accept anything from a man just to say that we have one. This is not only sad but also alarmingly true.

It is time for us to raise the bar and realize that we have more to offer than the skill of satisfying sexual desires. For once lets look at our ability to be amazing mothers, wives, and business women. It is this that will carry us to the opportunity to be warmed by the comfort of a man instead of the chill of our own pillow.

NO DOUBT you will have desperate times, for example recently I even resorted to calling my successful male associates to ask them where I could find the intelligent successful black men... As you can imagine I got a variety of answers, one even offered his self as an option and of course I fell into the trap... I know I know... shame shame shame... but loneliness is a BEAST and society supports it's hunger by telling us that we should have someone and if we don't we are missing out. While we are programmed to accept this notion we also know that we should not settle. Here is where the internal battle starts. Do I settle with a man or do I not and end up holding onto my pillow for God knows how long.

Well I say you load your bed with heavy comforters, drink some hot tea, and shove a heating pack into your pillow, and call it a night because anything worth having is worth waiting for. Be steadfast and hold on for the right man ladies, protect your assets like they are all you have. Because they are all you have and if every man is privy to them then the will not be worth nearly as much.When the urge comes call a friend, a girl friend that is and talk through it so that you never settle for Mr. Right Now.

It is also important to get to know you, on your own with out the influences of another. The time that we spend alone is at time the most revealing and pure of all encounters. It is these occasion that help us to build our self concept and allow us to become better for not only ourselves but also for the ones that are right for us.... as a wise old woman used to say if you can't be alone with yourself what makes you think anyone else will...



Ladies if you know that you are settling, get the heating pads ready, grab a romance novel, and have a good nights sleep tonight ALONE!



Struggling By Your Side,



Ms. Thang