What's on the Mind of the Easterbaby?

Welcome to any first time visitors to my blog! Welcome back to those who've been here before! What we learned about slavery... ok maybe just me... was that slaves were made to pick cotton and then Abraham Lincoln freed us after the Civil War. But what we... ok maybe me.... didn't learn was what was life like for a slave . The movie Roots gave us glimpse but no way Alex Haley could tell the whole story. We're gonna learn what we can though... we're gonna learn.  Slave code, in U.S. history, any of the set of rules based on the concept that enslaved persons were property, not persons. Inherent in the institution of slavery were certain social controls, which enslavers amplified with laws to protect not only the property but also the property owner from the danger of slave violence. The slave codes were forerunners of the Black codes of the mid-19th century. Slaves did not accept their fate without protest. Many instances of rebellion were known to Americans, even in co...

Happy Black History Month! For those who followed me here from FB, I appreciate you. So if my historical posts aren't going to show up over there... I am going to make sure they are seen and read by whoever wants to see and read them. Yesterday on Day 10, we learned about The Middle Passage, the journey of the enslaved Africans to the Americas. Today's post is continues as we get 1st hand accounts of what Slave Auctions were like.  Once in the Americas, slaves were sold, by auction, to the person that bid the most money for them. It was here that family members would find themselves split up, as a bidder may not want to buy the whole family, only the strongest, healthiest member. Slave Auctions were advertised when it was known that a slave ship was due to arrive via posters displayed around the town. When the slave ship docked, the enslaved men, women, and children would be taken off the ship and placed in a pen. In the pen, they would be washed and their skin covered with gr...

HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOG READERS! Told you I'd be back. So did you make any New Year resolutions? Personally, I like to think of them as goals as opposed to resolutions. Anyhoo, one of my 2016 goals is to write, write, write... which includes writing in my little blog. Soooo, welcome to my first blog post of 2016. If by the title of this blog, you guessed this blog was about Facebook or FB, you'd be correct. My history with FB goes back to 2006 when it was only for college students (at the time I was still in graduate school). Then it happened... they opened FB up to the whole world and things have never been the same... NEVER.. EVER!!! Ten years later... I have seen FB evolve into this fascinating world that most of us can't get enough of! With that said, there are many reasons I like FB. I get to connect with people I wouldn't normally chat with on a regular basis. I've been able to watch children grow up right before my very eyes. I've met interesting people ove...

OH...EM...GEE! Who's blogging again? What's funny is OMG wasn't even popular when I wrote my last blog in 2010. Yep it's been that long. So, how y'all been Blog Readers? Healthy, Happy, and Whole, I hope!  To my faithful readers, you might remember that one of my first blogs was about the history of the song, It is Well with My Soul which I wrote in 2005. That was 10 years ago... and guess what? Even So, It Is Well with My Soul! Ain't nothing changed! :) I guess you're wondering what brought me back. Actually, it was this song that brought me back. Here's how... The other day, I went to the mailbox and I had a letter which had a return address but no name. I thought hmmmm, a chain letter no doubt (Can you believe people still send those?). Anyhoo, I opened it and inside was the background story and the words to the song It is Well. I looked at the address again and then it became clear who sent me this song. A friend of mine, who shares the same love...

Blog Readers! Now you know I could not end the year, the DECADE without a shout out, a blog, words of wisdom (ok, maybe I am the only one to think my words are wise) without sharing with my PEEPS!!! You guys are still my peeps, right? Yes, I know my blogs have been few and far between BUT that's going to change in 2011. Oh yes, more of my words of wisdom (there I go again, who do I think I am?) for 2011. So what's changed? Glad you asked. I know you think this is about a resolution to write more. Sort of, but it's more about a resolution to BE WHO I AM! Writing is who I am, it's what I do! So I'm going to do what I do cause it's what I do! How about you? (I must think I'm Dr. Suess! lol!) In all seriousness, I miss writing and I have had so much I've wanted to say. Life Happens of course but I have to thank a few folks who in their own way and unknowingly, showed me why I must REMEMBER WHO I AM (in my Mufasa voice) and be better at it.Thus, the reason fo...

Blog Readers! What's happening? I hope all is well! I've so many things I wanted to write about but of course, it always takes one thing to take my mind in a different direction. So what's on my mind this time? Glad you asked! It was actually something I had comtemplated many times but a single status on Facebook, inspired me to write this blog...Are you single, as in UNMARRIED, then this might be for you! :) Back in the 80's, I guess, the R&B group Cameo, made a hit song entitled "Single Life" and when that song played, folks thought being single was the best thing since sliced bread. But it would seem that as you get older, the single life is not such a good look...to some that is. And my question is, Why is that? I mean, being single is not a disease, it is merely a "state of being". Now can't speak for all single people but I know some of yall have gotten, "the questions". And I often wonder if folks ever think before they spe...

BLOG READERS!!! I tell you I thought I would never make it back to my blog but alas, here I am. I noticed my last blog was back on May of 09...Great Day! So much has transpired since then...I won't bore you with the details since most of you know exactly what I'm talking about. Anyway, some of my beloved blog readers got this message via email, but I decided why not get the ol' blogger up and running again. So I am posting the message I sent to some, for many others to read. I mean, why deny others what's on my mind! LOL! As you know, having to move from NC to VA has brought about the need for me to search for a new place of worship. So each Sunday, I put on my DORA the EXPLORER church hat (figuratively that is) and visit different churches in the area of Fredericksburg. Black congregations, white congregations, doesn't matter to me! (We, Christians really need to work on that whole segregated Sunday worship thing...but I digress). Anyhoo, today was no different; ho...

Happy May Blog Readers! Spring is now among us and so is the pollen! Anybody out there suffer with allergies besides me? LOL! Anyway, since I last blogged lots of things have been on my mind but of course time does not afford me the chance to write about it all. But I decided it was time to communicate with my favorite blog readers. Don't know if you remember in my last blog I said, I had something to write about but the "They are who you thought they were" blog was something I was led to write about at that moment. Anyway, can you believe that after all this time, I still have that previous blog in my head and since it's there, I decided to share. (did I just rhyme? LOL)... Some time ago, back in January 09 in fact, I did some non-scientific research to get some clarification on some commonly used phrases. Phrases that I often heard people say and in particular use as a "status" on social networking sites (ex. Facebook) I bet some are saying what is the big...

Blog readers! Hope all is well with ya! I haven't blogged since before the entrance of 2009, so I know it's late but let me say, HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's February so there is still time to make it happy...right? Anyway, my initial blog was on a whole other topic, one for which I even did a bit of research; however, yall know me, anything can happen that will send me off into another direction, as such I have to go with the flow of where my mind leads me. So an avid NFL football fan probably remembers these famous words by Former Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green. After his team blew a game after being up by 20 points to the Chicago Bears, he had an adult temper tantrum at the post game press conference. His famous line was, "They are who we thought they were and we let 'em off the hook..." He was referring to the Chicago Bears who later went on to the Super Bowl. Anyway, this blog is not about football, but it made me think about something else...being de...

Blog readers! I hope you had a Merry Christmas and as the new year approaches let me be the first to wish you a Happy New Year! I was asked a couple of weeks ago if I were going to write another blog and my answer was sure, if I am so inspired. Well, with the new year approaching, I thought what better way to express myself than put my resolution in a blog. So what is my resolution? It is simple but it is important, I am no longer going to worry about the "haters"! Now I am sure you are asking, "surely Sherry, you don't have haters?" Honestly I don't know if I do or not, but I am serving notice on any past, present, or future ones. As I feel like I need to purge and get some stuff off my chest in order to start the year off fresh! I am not taking anything negative into my new year! No negative vibes and no negative energy! Who's with me? Anyhoo, on facebook, my cousin often uses this expression, "all the haters can go kick rocks!" And I though...

Blog readers!!! I know you are surprised to see a new blog from me as I said I was going on a hiatus. But recently the Spirit of God has been speaking to me and I have to be obediant...Thus here I am bloggin' a blog. Let me preface this blog (cause sometimes you have to preface stuff to let people know up front where you are coming from or they will get all offended...not yall but I know you know someone like that...) by saying I am not writing this to purposely offend anyone, I am not writing this to promote any political agenda and if it is taken anyway other than the spirit in which I am writing (love), I apologize up front. Let's face it folks, this election process has been one of the most exciting, strange, and annoying all at once that I have ever experienced. Yes, I'm gonna say it, most black folks are really happy about Obama's chance at becoming President. No problem with that. Just like there is no problem with some women being excited about Palin having a ch...

"O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!" In case you didn't know these are the words to America the Beautiful. Hmmmmm...America the Beautiful...Is it really? So have you been following the election race? I mean how can you not...unless of course you are the most disconnected person on the planet. So who's your man? Obama or McCain? You don't have to tell me. But you had to know I could not let these historic events go without giving my stance on things. And then I am gonna make a risky move and tell you who I want to be my leader. I think some will be surprised and then some won't b/c well yall know how I do...after all some of you have come to know exactly how my mind works...But first I wanna say a few things...may I? Thanks! MY VOICE So we have an election of epic proportions. We...

I know what you are thinking..."another blog so soon?" Sure, why not? My thoughts always come in spurts and this time I have spurted again. Before I begin, let me just say, Happy early July 4th! Don't pig out too much this weekend. But I hope you do enjoy yourself. At least try to use this weekend not to think about gas prices...that's enough to depress anyone. So anyway, here's what was on my mind. I was actually going to write a continuation to my "friendship" blog as I still have some more to say on the matter BUT something else came along and I decided to blog about this instead. Of course I might spurt again and still write my Friend blog part II, we'll see. So a couple of weeks ago, I received this email which contained a sermon called "Sex and the City" The pastor was using references to the movie about the four friends looking for love as they live in NYC. Now I never watched the tv show so I didn't have any interest in seeing ...

I don't know where you are blog readers but I hope you have some AC. Boy it is hot here in Charlottesville, VA. And while I was complaining about the cold office I sit in, I am not saying a mumbling word about it today. Anyway, it has been a while but time got away from me as I was making my transition to Charlottesville, VA for the summer. Nevertheless, I always have something on my mind but it usually takes the right moment in time for me to put my thoughts into a blog. So here I am and I guess what you wanna know is, what's on my mind this time? Well, some recent, some not-so-recent, and some fairly old events have caused me to re-evaluate the meaning of the term "friend". I know yall are like "uh-oh, who knocked over Sherry's Kool-aid?" Ah well I wish it were so simple. But actually it is a lot deeper for me than you may imagine. It's funny because nowadays, the term friend is used quite loosely. Especially on the internet. You have "myspace...