CHERYCE F. THOMPSON
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At times I have stuff on my mind that I want to share. It doesn't always warrant a phone call or text to friends, but often it IS something I need to get off my chest beyond a journal entry. So, here we are. Welcome to my random thoughts. Enjoy!
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12/30/2020 4 Comments

It Was the Best of Times...

So I was thinking that 2020 was one HELLUVA year, heavy on the hell! Amirite?? I know I've mentioned/written about it a few times already, but I think a year like this is worth the talk! I do try to accentuate the positive as often as possible and that's what I want to do with this last post of the year. Many times it seemed as though the bad times outweighed the good and there was plenty to complain about, but I want to end the year by highlighting 20 positive things in my life from the last year. In no particular order...some big, some small, some heart warming, some silly and ALL good!
  1. Hip-hip hooray, for HSA! - For those who don't know, HSA stands for Health Savings Account and it is an account where you set aside money, pre-tax, usually through your employer. You receive a Visa or MC debit card and it can be used for medical expenses such as co-pays or prescriptions. But did you know it can also be used for certain over the counter medicines as well as items like lotions and feminine products? 🙌🏾
  2. All God's children got robes - Well at least I do! LOL...I've been asking for a nice robe for Christmas for years and never got it, so this year I ordered one for myself; nice and cozy with a hood from...you'll never guess...Fashion Nova! Little did I know, my mother had decided to finally grant my request and she got me a robe for Christmas! Now this child's got TWO robes! 😆
  3. Let's take a long walk... - This summer, into the early fall, I spent lots of time outside. I didn't feel comfortable going to anybody's gym, even after they opened back up, so I found other ways to stay active. I participated in a couple outdoor classes, went bike riding a time or two, walked the track a few days a week at 5AM and went to several different trails for long walks/light hikes. I would walk anywhere from 3 up to 10 miles! (I did 10 miles twice and thought I was gonna die. 😰I learned that 8 miles is my safe limit!) It was refreshing to be out and about in that way, especially since there wasn't much else to do this summer. Now if I could only get an indoor exercise routine in place while it's cold...
  4. Comfort is key - I have never worn, let alone owned so may joggers, leggings, and hoodies before in my entire life. For 9 months, from morning to evening, my main wardrobe has consisted of those things along with t-shirts, sports bras, shorts, and pajamas. This is probably the most consistent physical comfort I've felt in all my 15,000+ days.
  5. Who needs a library card? - Not me! I ordered a gang of extraordinary books and I can't wait to get more. I think I'm into books like some folk are into shoes. I can never have too many, even if I don't quite get around to reading them all, lol. You're welcome Amazon, Target, and ThriftBooks.
  6. Every penny counts... - ...so I'm thankful for the lil raise I got at work. Seriously, with many people having lost their jobs, to even be able to still work every day is a blessing. 
  7. Paid in full. - With travel and other extracurricular activities being limited, it was a bit easier to be disciplined. I paid off some bills, made arrangements on others, and I'm excited about the path I'm on as a result.
  8. I found my person! - Probably not who you think though, lol! After years of botched haircuts, barbers over promising and under delivering, and disappointing referrals, I found the perfect barber! I received the best haircut of my life in Februrary, then COVID hit, barber shops were closed for a while, and I started back letting my hair grow. At least I know where to go now when I get the next big chop urge!
  9. I'm alive! - I never stayed sleep, had no fatal accidents, and didn't succumb to any diseases. I'm thankful for that now more than ever!
  10. Pomp and Circumstance - My son graduated from high school. Coronavirus (in my Cardi B voice) was a blessing in disguise to my household. The sudden transition to remote learning was a life saver. The virtual graduation wasn't ideal, but I've never been so ecstatic to see somebody's name and picture pop up on a screen!
  11. Hi, I'm a Couch Potato. Nice to meet you! - Growing up, I LOVED TV and movies. I can remember and sing most commercials and theme songs from my childhood. When I hit my late 20s, early 30s, I got rid of cable and didn't miss it because good programming had become scarce anyway. When I did have cable, I only watched a couple channels. It got to the point where I could go for months without even turning the television on. When the various streaming services were introduced, there was more variety and better programming, but I could still go without for an extended period of time. I have definitely made up for all the time I missed. And it isn't only because I'm "stuck" in the house, but the quality of television just really seems to be at an all time high. Some of my favorites? Schitt's Creek, Jingle Jangle, This is Us, Good Girls, Little Fires Everywhere, Black-ish, Love is Blind, and Love on the Spectrum...just to name a few. I must admit, I do feel like I'll need to take a break from the "idiot box" at some point. Lol!!
  12. I love the 90s! - Speaking of good TV, the revival of black sitcoms from the 90s (and early 2000s) on Netflix has been a treat. The sweet nostalgia was welcomed during these times, not to mention how shows like Girlfriends hit different since I've lived some life!
  13. I'm obsessed. - The other way to my heart besides books? Some good pens and cute, yet efficient planners and journals! You can never have too many of these either!! I just snagged some really great journals (I have my every day journal, a prayer journal, and a therapy journal), my MKOS planner, and some nifty Rae Dunn pens. I'm super excited. It's the little things. 😉
  14. Young Frankenstein - My youngest niece started walking a little before her 1st birthday in October and y'all KNOW when babies first start walking they look like a mix between Frankenstein and Fred Sanford! 😂It's the cutest thing to watch and brings me so much joy. 😍🥰
  15. Surf, no turf - Lobster tails + 8 minutes in the air fryer = pescatarian bliss!
  16. Teddy Riley and Babyface - Enough said. Unless you've been under a rock, you know what went down. Watching these 2 legends in a Verzuz battle was entertaining and the memes that came after kept me in stitches for days...maybe even weeks. It was just what we needed.
  17. Allow me to reintroduce myself. - I revamped and relaunched my blog and business. It was on my to-do list for the year and I'm proud of myself for seeing it through. Onward and upward from here!
  18. Creative juices are flowing. - I've been blessed with some awesome writing and creative opportunities this year and have been diligently working on some projects that will be revealed to the masses throughout 2021! I'm uber excited, a tad nervous, and all the way ready. It's my time!
  19. Joe, we did it! - Biden/Harris 2020. History making. They're not perfect (who is?), but undoubtedly an improvement. Let's work!
  20. My therapist said... - Last but certainly not least, I found my other person! I've been unsuccessful in my search for a therapist over the years. I've done a lot of the "work" on my own, but I was still in search of a professional touch to help me do the rest. I've only had 2 sessions and it has been a bit overwhelming, but not in a bad way. It's just that so much stuff has come up and been presented to me to think about and unpack, ALREADY! Another thing I'm ready for though! Anything to make me better and help me grow.
I hope you're also able to reflect on some good from 2020 and not just dwell on the bad. I pray for better days ahead for each of us and am thankful for the strength and resiliency that has been revealed in many of us. I am walking into 2021 with great expectation! Please feel free to share any 2020 reflections in the comments. I love to hear from you! Happy New Year!!

4 Comments

12/23/2020 7 Comments

I'll Say a Little Prayer for You

So I was thinking about the holidays and all the loss so many have experienced this year. 2020 has been a year unlike any that the majority of us have seen in our lifetime. The pandemic has managed to increase unemployment, cancel major milestone celebrations, postpone travel, steal hope, opportunity, and even lives. All of this added to the usual trials and tribulations of life. I have NEVER extended so many condolences in one year as I have in 2020. During this holiday season, my heart goes out to all who have experienced such major losses this year. It breaks my heart that we can't gather to not only celebrate the good times that have snuck in here and there, but to mourn with and comfort those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one. 
The holidays are rough for a lot of people anyway, myself included at times, but this year takes the cake. I sincerely pray that during this season, people are able to see at least a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel. I pray that they are able to realize and grasp on to an ounce of hope at minimum. I pray that people are able to maintain faith like the grain of a mustard seed at best. I pray that we are able to feel and accept love being bestowed upon us and that it is enough to encourage our hearts and help us to hold on to the light and the hope and the faith. 
What is your prayer for this holiday season? Share with me in the comments!

​

7 Comments

12/16/2020 9 Comments

Sticky Situation

So I was thinking about the debacle I was part of last week. It was a mess...

I had just gotten home from a bit of Christmas shopping. I was pleased with my purchases and the wind down I had planned before bed was to sit and admire what I bought while going over the remainder of my list. But first things first, I had to do my last social media scroll of the night. When I got to my room earlier, I sat my bookbag on a shelf next to my bed and the store bags on the floor. As I was sitting on my bed, scrolling contently and basking in the after glow of a successful shopping excursion, I began to hear a faint rustle. I thought maybe there was a plastic bag under my bookbag and everything was settling, but I glanced and that bag was just on top of a couple magazines. The rustling persisted and I thought maybe it was my biggest shopping bag settling on top of my smaller bags, so I moved those bags and as I did, I noticed a small mouse stuck on a trap, but still wriggling around!! Now, this sticky trap had been under my bed for the longest and I guess when Mickey Jr got stuck, but didn’t die, he was able to scoot itself out😩😩.
Y’all. I screamed, dropped the bags on the bed, and hopped my big grown self up there all in one fell swoop! I was standing on my bed having a complete conniption fit! I didn’t know WHAT to do! My landlord lives in the building, so I called him twice and didn’t get an answer. I even texted him in all caps, to no avail. Then, I called my brother who lives like 5 minutes away. I was hollering in his ear like, “IT’S A MOUSE! Help me!! HELP MEEEEEEEEEE!!” I was hysterically yelling at him to come get this mouse all while bouncing on my bed in fear and disgust as I watched MJ try to wriggle and climb his way off the sticky trap! My brother refused to come because he claimed to be just as afraid as me. He’s actually friends with my landlord’s son, so I asked for his number since I was all sorts of discombobulated and couldn’t find his name in my phone. I called and texted him, NO ANSWER! Keep in mind, that everything that you’re reading is happening as I simultaneously stand on my bed, bouncing around in fear, with sporadic outbursts of screams, tears, prayers, and cussing. 😩 I’m sure I was quite the sight to behold. I made one more call to a friend, she knows who she is, lol. I have no idea why I called her because she couldn't come to help, but I think I just needed someone to share in this horror I was experiencing. I'm so grateful to her because, even though she laughed at me, she allowed me to cry and scream, and cuss, and call Jesus without (much 😆) judgment. She even tried to give me tips that I dismissed because that would mean me getting close to MJ! Somewhere during our call, after I discovered that 24 hr exterminator services are just to give quotes and send somebody out during business hours, my landlord's son got back to me.
Now let me see if I can make a long story shorter. I finally got in touch with my landlord's son and he graciously came over to help me. He caught me just in time because I had packed a bag to go to my mother's house for the night...or the week if needed. He laughed at me too, but graciously came and scooped lil MJ up and carried him into the night, which took all of 2 minutes after about 45 minutes of me LOSING it! 
MJ was finally gone, my heart rate slowed down to normal, I sanitized the area, and the fear and panic left just as quickly as it came. And honestly, I felt a bit foolish. MJ was trying to get himself off that trap because he was probably way more afraid of me. He was also pretty small and unless the glue of the trap was going to mutate him into some sort of human sized rodent, I really didn't have anything to worry about. Now don't get me wrong, critters make me feel violated, burglarized even. They're disgusting, but nothing to spaz over. I got a couple revelations from this experience.
  • I shouldn't sweat the small stuff - I'm sure my blood pressure was elevated because I had a headache when it was all over. Fear had gripped me and rid me of all courage and rational thinking. It reminded me of an acronym that my old pastor and a former Sunday School teacher used all the time back in the day: False. Evidence. Appearing. Real. I envisioned the most awful, worst case scenarios when I saw MJ. How many times have I/we fretted over the most minute things, only to find that it was no big deal and the stories we made up in our head were non factors?
  • God laughs - He MUST have a sense of humor. I can imagine Him cracking up at me/us when we're worried and stressing and throwing tantrums, when all the while He's got everything under control and has proven Himself time and time again, but for whatever reason we forget. 
I will strive to not be overcome with fear and hold on to my faith and the memories of past triumphs. Thanks for the lesson MJ, but you and the rest of your lil homies need to stay OUT! 😉
9 Comments

12/9/2020 2 Comments

It's Funny...NOW!

So I was thinking about some of the stories I share on social media. Sometimes things that happen to me seem so ridiculous or like something from a sitcom or movie, that I just HAVE to share. And depending on the nature of the experience, sometimes writing about it has a calming, therapeutic effect (affect?? I still can't get that right. 🤦🏾‍♀️) I thought I'd share one of my favorites with my blog readers. I hope you enjoy!

July 2017

Nothing wakes you up in the morning like some pitbulls barking and charging at you. I swear my life flashed before my eyes. Then, I had like 12 other thoughts all at once: I envisioned myself running and trying to jump fences and I don't even know why I had that thought because there was only like one fence nearby. But I thought about how people say running is what makes a dog chase you and I'm wondering if I can out run these dogs. The answer I came up with is hell to the naw to the naw naw naw. It was a mama pit and like 4 pit babies. And I'm like oh LAWD I don't wanna be dog food!! All the while I'm standing in the street and these dogs are running toward me and I have my keys in hand kinda like stuck in a walk/run/bounce panic stance, quietly exclaiming, "OH JESUS OH JESUS OH JESUS!!" Then the babies are kinda just going in circles, but the mama is still barking toward me but not running. So I take a step to the left, I don't know where the heck I was gonna go, and mama pit starts running toward me again. I take my keys like I'm gonna throw them, MP (mama pit) pauses, then runs toward me again and I DO throw my keys this time. I thought maybe the lock on my keys could knock the MP out. But, of course I throw like a girl so the keys don't even graze MP. So now all of them are running​ toward me, my keys are in the grass by them, and I run in this yard behind me, ducking behind the gate and tree like they couldn't just take a couple steps to see me. Finally they just turn around running down the block barking like some dog gang or something while I'm still ducked in these folks yard, hoping they don't come shooing me out of their yard, trying to figure out how I'm going to get my keys, and realizing​ the last bus I need to get to work on time rolled by at some point during this whole ordeal. I frantically called my mommy to come save me. As I type I realize how much this sounds like a scene in some slapstick comedy, lol. I KNOW I looked ridiculous. Anyway, I'm safe and sound heading to work now. MP and the Dogg Pound didn't get me!


I remember that I was still nervous and trembling as I typed this on Facebook. Sharing and laughing about it relieved me of any anxious residue and allowed me to go on with my day.
Laughter is always great medicine for me. I was also writing with gratefulness in my heart, because I am aware that there are more unfortunate stories when it comes to people's encounters with loose dogs.🙏🏾But chile, nothing makes your life flash before your eyes like being chased by dogs or slipping in the shower! LOL!! And being chased by dogs has always been one of my biggest fears! One of my other fears is having someone vomit on me or in my car. I pray I never get to write about that...lol! So what are you thinking? Has anything happened to you that was not amusing at the time, but funny in hindsight? Please, share with me in the comments. I LOVE to hear from you!


2 Comments

12/2/2020 4 Comments

Meh

So I was thinking about how this blog post almost didn't get written because I just feel icky...not physically, but emotionally. For the last 2 days or so, I've been feeling pretty melancholy and slightly anxious. I can't pinpoint what brought this on. As I think about it, I'm sure there isn't ONE thing that sent me spinning. My mind is cluttered with a plethora of thoughts, so it could be a number of things that got me here. I'll share a few. Lemme see how transparent I wanna be...
  • I'm feeling overwhelmed, nervous, and slightly fearful - I work a 9-5, I've relaunched my blog/business, and I'm embarking on a few other major things in my life. I have a considerable amount of accomplishments I'm working toward and I'm wondering if I'll be successful at completing them. 
  • I'm worried about my man-child - And irritated because of the decisions he has made/is making. I thought this phase of parenting would be a tad easier, but it isn't and I'm *BLEEEEEEEEEEEPing* tired.
  • I'm on edge about COVID - Wondering if I'm sanitizing enough, am I being safe enough, missing the things that the pandemic has restricted, and on and on.
  • Let's not forget the COVID weight - I already had about 10-15 lbs I wanted to lose, then I gained about 10 lbs after the shelter in place, but I lost that 10. That was possible because at about the end of July, I started going outside walking, hiking, taking classes, and even biked a time or 2. I was pretty consistent with exercise/activity until about mid-November and now I'm afraid to get on the scale. 🤦🏾‍♀️ My goal this week is to find some indoor things to do and stick to it until the weather breaks again. Oh and to step awaaaaaaaay from the fridge and Grubhub and Doordash. 🙃
I'll stop here and save the rest for my new therapist! Lol...How are y'all feeling? Share with me in the comments! I love to hear from you.
4 Comments

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