Food for Thought, Serenity Style: "Someone's got a New House!!!!"

*LadyLee skips up and down the street, yelling hard through a bullhorn!*

Somebody's got a new hooooooussssssssse!


*LadyLee snatches rose petals off a bush and tosses them high in the air*

Somebody's got a new hooooooousssssssssse!!!!!

*LadyLee does the HARD Rockette kick and follows it up with a back flip*

Somebody's got a new hooooooousssssssssse!!!!!

*LadyLee sheds crocodile tears from overwhelming glee, and from busting her behind on the hard concrete after doing that back flip.*

Nope. It's not I, LadyLee.

BUT... It is another Platinum Plus Card Carrying Original Oldgirl!

Serenity 3-0!!!!

My homegirl. . . My baby blog sista.

Serenity 3-0 has a new houuuusssssssse!!!

Look here... come close. . .

Can you tell how ecstatic I am about this!!

Can you??

Shoot, I'm all excited. Serenity 3-0 closed on her first home yesterday. June 26, 2008 will FOREVER be an important day for THAT Oldgirl.

I knew she was closing sometime yesterday, in the morning. I remember being back deep in the lab, concentrating hard on some work, and looking down at the cord that held my badge, and realizing that I did not have my cell phone clipped to the cord. I immediately thought, "I gotta get back to my desk, cause that Serenity is going to be sending out a mass text about this closing.
I hate texting. I'm old school. Pick up the phone and call ya girl, you hear me?

But I like texts from Serenity. Afterall, she taught me how to text. LOL!! (Really, she did).

Anyway, I rushed to my desk and saw my cell phone blinking. Sure enough, she'd sent out a text:
"Everything went well and I am now a homeowner!"

All I could do is smile like Celie smiled.

So congrats girl... I can just see you strutting up in that office and throwing down your Original Oldgirl Platinum Plus Card. . .

BAM. . .

*Everyone at the closing table jumping from fright*

*Serenity 3-0 staring down everyone around the table and saying ever so softly... Gimme a pen- let's do this*

LOL!!

I'm sure it didn't quite go like that (Or did it, S?)

Anyway, our convos of late have been about the house. I remember talking to her, either by phone or on IM (shoot man, trust me, it's ALL running together), asking certain questions.

"Serenity, you got your money together?"
"Yes."
"Whatever the closing amount, take some extra money with you, about a third as much."
"OK, Lee."
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, Bl-, Bl-, Bl-, BLAAAAAAAH, Serenity?!?!?"
"OK, Lee."

Ya'll just don't understand.

Serenity, I erased a bunch of your email the other day, maybe about 6 months worth.

All 1037 of them.

Goodness.

Ya'll just don't understand.

So maybe I'll explain.

Everyone sees the LadyLee blog as FUNNY, FUNNY. . . I like to skip along like a smurf, you see.

But one day, back in late 2005 I believe, a youngster named Serenity23, came stomping HARD all over my blog, talking MUCH trash about "Why don't you post something that could help a sista out!!"

I believed she even cussed at me a couple of times.

I didn't know this chick well enough, not enough for her to show up in MY house (blog), acting a plumb fool.

But for all the ladies that read her blog. . . Well, you know how good it is. I'd go over there and blog outta control in her comment section, and then skip right back over to my blog and have fun, fun, FUN!!!

So she was reading, and she was like "What the hell?"

LOL!!!

So those "Food for Thought" posts I do ever so often, the very serious posts... those are mandated by her, those are for her. (I can't STAND her fussing at me about my smurfiness so I must do something to sedate her. LOL!).

Serenity, you've really pulled the best out of me over the past few years here. You truly have...

So in honor of your FABULOUS accomplishment, I offer a little, uh- "Food for Thought"

It won't be long, hon...

But I think it will give you the gist of how I'm feeling right now.

How excruciatingly happy I am for you.

Food for Thought: Serenity Style.

When I think of Serenity 3-0 over the past few years, I think of something interesting:

Words, jumbles of words.

Words, words, words, a plethora of words.

When I think of Serenity and her blog, I think of how-

Words produce thoughts…
Thoughts produce action…
Actions produce our destiny…

Last fall, I believe, I'd gone to one of my book club sista's homes for a meeting, and I saw something on one of the end tables of her living room. It was a family vision of sorts. The kids of the family had even memorized it.

I came back to work the following weekend, and mentioned on the crazy email thread that me and my blog sistas kick during the day, this "vision statement" I saw, and how I wished that I'd had something like that growing up. I suggested that we should all come up with our personal visions for our own lives. Where do we want to be financially, emotionally, spiritually, etc? What are our goals? Stuff like that.

I threw it out there and forgot about it. Afterall, I had a good 4 months to think on it, you see.

Of course, Serenity didn't forget about it. She's in that "mode" anyway.

I do remember going over to her blog, that following week, and seeing her blog out of control concerning the vision for each area of her life - financially, spiritually, emotionally, physically. I mean, the girl ran with it HARD.

And that's when I REALLY understood the power of words. Of course, she'd been documenting and goal setting anyway, but she got real "gazelle intense" about it. She set goals, she made calls.

When she fell down, she dusted herself off and got right back up. . . and kept it moving.

Ya'll know how she do.

She's accomplishing everything she sets out to do. . . with a vengeance.

I was talking to her the other day, about house stuff and planning and all that. And I just had to mention, that I was in awe. Not just in the accomplishment she was about to achieve

But in how all this began. . . with mere words.

Words produce thoughts…
Thoughts produce action…
Actions produce our destiny…

I've heard her talk about how she has cried at times, getting a bit discouraged. . . and that has been the time we have, on email or blog or wherever, gathered around and encourage her.

Everything's a process, you know. . .

"Success is in the process, and if you don't quit you will succeed."

Really though.

Serenity, I've seen you burn through "The Process" over the past 3 years. The good, the bad, all of it. You've constantly talked about it, asked us to get in agreement in prayer with you about things. Heck, you even asked us to fast for a day over some things. (Uh, don't do that no more because an Oldgirl's stomach was growling hard THAT day. LOL!)

But seriously, S? I am happy for YOU!

So, something for you all to think about for the weekend:

Start thinking of where you are and where you want to be. Start writing it down. Keep writing about it. If you have fears concerning what you want to do, write about that too. Just get something on paper where you can see it. Stick it up on the refrigerator, on the bathroom mirror, in the car, whereever.

I am totally convinced from all of this, something important is born: VISION.

Secondly, who's around you? Do you have people around you supporting your agenda, or are they discouraging you? Sit down, evaluate who's around you. You got people around you who got your back, who praying for you? You got people around you who pour into your spirit, and they pour into yours? Or are you dealing with some straight up bootleg suckas?

I am totally convinced today, right here, right now, that us attaining our vision for our lives is DIRECTLY related to our support systems, the types of people we have around us. Who are you talking to? What words are coming out of your mouth? What are they saying to you?

We get this figured out? I'm talking about our vision for ourselves and getting support for our visions?

I have no doubt that we've solved 99% of our problems and issues. Prove to me that that ain't the case. Look at your own life, especially them bootleg times, and more importantly, the days of success, and tell me that ain't the case.

Relationships and frienships are important. They are either bridges to your destiny or they are holding you back, keeping you in bondage. One or the other, there’s no in between.

I've said it before, I'll scream it again. If I'm a good support for you, good. That's what you need.

But if you're around people who don't support your goals? Leave them alone. RUN in the other direction. Especially if I'm that person. Run real fast from me. (I'm for real, man. You're just that important that you shouldn't have to deal with the bootleg.

I've learned to understand these truths in my 38 years, but it has been an HONOR to watch my baby blog sista Serenity be real intense in these areas...

She started with words, a plethora of words, words, words.

She has an OUTSTANDING fan base/blog fam over at her blog, who lift her up, encourage her, and push her forward. I mean, I get encouraged my own doggone self when I read her comment section.

I'm convinced with those ingredients in the mix... you can do anything.

She's proven that quite nicely.

Congratulations, Chicken. (my pet name for her. Inside joke).

You're doing the darn thing. Can't wait for the housewarming.

Serenity said something the other night on IM that made me frickin' shudder in my shoes. She said something that just about snatched the breath out of my body...

"I feel so good. I want to reach out and help others. I did it, they can do it to. I just want to help others."

When I read that? I was like... whoa. I could tell, just from what she was writing, that she's working some things out in her head. Not for herself, but for others.

Already thinking. . . about she can sow some of the things she has learned into other's lives.

Oh... the things this girl is about to do. Who's gonna benefit from her knowledge?

Goodness.

I. can't. wait. to. see.

Congratulations Serenity on that new home.

I am so proud or you.

So with that said. . . the virtual blog party is ON and POPPING. We celebrating, and we celebrating HARD!!!

You know how we get down with the get down at the House of LadyLee...

Ain't no party like a LadyLee party, cuz a LadyLee party don't STOPPPPPP!!!!

We got music (check out that playlist to the right!)

And we got plenty of food. Grab a plate, get your eat on...

And we got it all here. You know I had to fire up the grill:

Serenity love herself some Mexican food, especially fajitas, so we got that for the party!


Ya'll know how Serenity considers herself a wine sommieler of sorts. So we can't have a party without good wine. I got several bottles of Bee-yotch on ice!

And you KNOW there's always someone hollerin' about they don't eat pork. GEEZ!! So for them, I grilled up some shrimp and crab!





I cooked up some gumbo...

And for you REAL country folk: My grandma brought over some chittlins!



The salmon and biscuits are almost ready!



And for the super health counscious folks, we have all the stir-fry you can eat!








Grab a plate, and Party ON!!!

Oh, and don't forget to leave room for dessert.

"Grab that doggone ice cream out the freezer, playa!" LadyLee yells to her neighbor Tiny.



Party People, make sure you have a few of LadyLee's Oatmeal Raisin walnut cookies and Chocalate Chip Pecan cookies.


We got more dessert: double chocolate cake!!

Yeah, you know I got it covered...

"Ain't no party like a LadyLee party,

'Cuz a Ladylee party don't... STOP!!!!!!!!!!!"

LOL!!

Congrats again, You Homeowner You!!! Can't wait to see what you do NEXT.