Im not sure about other areas, but the homeless scene in DC is pretty huge.. if calling it a “scene” is even appropriate. Being well traveled in the area, you are absolutely bound to see at least 3 homeless people a day. Some begging for money, others wallowing in an abyss of hopelessness and empty presence. A few days ago I stopped at a bakery to catch up on some work  and grab a cupcake when I noticed a “homeless” man who had a bunch of technological gadgets such as cameras, calculators, remotes, opened with the wires etc. exposed.. He also had abt 3 carts. At first I honestly couldnt tell if he was homeless or not. I stared at him out the window trying to figure him out briefly (im not a creeper, I was just really curious 🙂 ) He appeared to be ‘working’ on this camera.. He had a short Frederick Douglas’ fro, was sitting on a chemistry book, and had a series of keys hanging from his pants (like a janitor.) He also wore a wool sweater and had to be about 90 degrees that day.. #eek

I watched as curious people walked by eyeing him, confused, curious, with wonder, and just that quick, they went on about their day. Who was this man I wondered? Was he a science teacher that fell down on his luck, engineer, future nobel prize winner living a dream deferred? Or was he just another man whose life didn’t go the way he’d plan..

Then it dawned on me.. What makes him different than me? I could be there.. and him looking at me. Life has a way of nudging you at those very moments when you need it. To me, You dont have to be physically homeless to be “homeless.”  You can be mentally homeless. Never reaching your true potential, caught in a tornado of stagnation, seemingly living a pathless, guide free life in some aspect. I can’t be that person.. I can’t be that person I stared at out that window. So many lessons came to me and I was very thankful. Although what he was doing seemed to be going nowhere, he was totally immersed, out of touch w/the world momentarily, driven by a childlike wonder and not giving a crap about onlookers and what they thought. Dont be so quick to judge others or their path. At the same time, focus inward, directing your energy towards guided endeavors. I had never seen that man before, and perhaps will never see him again but he was more than a homeless man. He was a reflection of God. i saw the God in him that day. a mirror. i saw the me in him & the aspects of him which I could use in myself. the total disregard for others. i saw a human being. Perhaps he was an angel?!!My angel.. If so.. to that angel I say Thank You.

The above picture is my green pepper plant and it really had me thinking about something i’ve been pondering over the last few months. What have I been pondering you ask? The idea outgrowing your environment, life, friends, old ways.. Anything. What does this mean? How does it manifest? Can you survive in an evironment you’ve outgrown? Who wins in the end? I have some answers that i’ve concluded for myself.

If you can see, the roots from my green pepper plant are all wrapped around loving and hugging up on each other & began to take the shape of the pot…some of the roots even began to grow out the bottom. However, From the top up w/no plant knowledge, everything seems to be fine. This is just like life, youve outgrown your environment, but to everyone else, things look fine. Well whats the problem? When you dont change environments, you begin to get smothered and die where you are. Your roots are growing and yearning to expand but they cant. With no where to go they wither away & kill the plant.. you. Not literally.. More of a metaphoric killing. you never reach your potential. see your greatness. spread your wings.

Ive noticed some “environments”, people, and experiences, food, ideas ive outgrown that ive been trying desperately to hold on to. im being watered, fed, growing, but my roots need new soil. Theres nothing wrong with the old soil, but ive outgrown the space so it requires more new than old. Have you ever felt like this? Or just stagnant? perhaps its because you too, need something new, fresh, more open.Yield to this feeling or you will be stuck forever. No one wants to die a painful metaphoric death. metaphoric daggers dont feel to good stabbed into a metaphoric heart *cues cyber music*

Change is scary but ultimately more beneficial. When plants are first transplanted from one environment to the next they sometimes go thru transplant shock. This means bc the environment is unfamiliar and sometimes different it may be hard for some plants to become acclimated right away. some even die *gasps*. only the strong survive. But guess what? In a new setting you can hold more, grow more, learn more, get fed more. More is required.

New environments may be a shock, not what you expect at first. but it always gets better. Ive finally let so many things go. Its honestly like a weight off my shoulders that I didnt know was there *spreads eagle wings*. im excited for this new journey. So to fellow humans.. if your roots are dying for new pots, fret not.. have faith and take that leap into newness. you wont regret it… well eventually at least. 🙂 Oh and Most importantly.. I dont take advice from people who’ve been in the same comfortable, complacent pot their whole life. theyve never utilized their faith. so if someone has discouraging words for you, IGNORE. they may not be ill intentioned but everyone isnt supposed to understand YOUR decisions. Your a baby eagle and their full grown chickens. they cant even tell you how to fully get off the ground…

Yum. Who doesnt love strawberries?? Or a dish with strawberries? Funny. I actually didnt start really eating strawberries until I was in my 20s *gasps*. I know. I just didnt like the tiny little seeds in my mouth. But now, I appreciate this delicious fruit fully. Especially local and organic. Really, no other taste compares. Now a lot of us may eat strawberries but never actually inquired just how much benefit you actually get from eating such greatness.. So heres a few facts

Strawberries are loaded with…

• vitamin a
• vitamin c
• vitamin k
• folate
• Contains protein (yes… strawberries have protein.. most fruits and veggies do 😉  )
• fiber
• potassium
• phosphorus
• magnesium

…ill stop there. but, there is more that you can search for yourself.

lowers bad cholesterol, good for digestion, boosts immune function, combats heart disease, good for hair and skin.. Shall I continue??? Go get some organic strawberries today!! They make a great breakfast or snack. Remember, fruit should be eaten alone bc of digestion.. which is usually 20mins. But if you arent there yet, try some with baggie full of granola. Itll be sure to give you just what you need. How do you eat your strawberries?? I know there are endless recipes.. salad concoctions, smoothies… The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!!

Local strawberries.. 🙂

Id like to first say thanks to the service from all of our vets 🙂

So I went biking this weekend and it was pretty good. I suffered just a bit and I will explain why in a second. First we headed to a city called Oxon Hill and parked to bike across the Woodrow Wilson bridge into Virginia. Ive done fitness activity over this bridge so I wasnt to concerned. I was pretty excited. That was until I realized I was not hydrated enough prior to my workout bc I hadnt restocked my water at home. Idk about others but if im not hydrated off of atleast 70oz of water prior or throughout the day, my performance doing anything active drops from a 10 to abt a 7.5… lets add this with the fact that it was in the 90s this weekend 😦 Yea…

Anyway, we biked from Oxon Hill, MD to Mt. Vernon, VA. Roundtrip, 24.1mi was completed.. This ride was unlike my longer miles done to Annapolis mainly bc it was hilly & curvy majority of the way ugh. I hate hills. and I wasnt hydrated.. talk abt torture lol. Can I just say this.. I saw so many (10 y/o+) obese kids riding their bikes on the trail. made me very happy inside. seriously. In this video game generation, having kids enjoying the outdoors & gaining fitness from it is something to be celebrated. Unfortunately, the african american ratio on the trail wasnt equal to others but I know things are changing & I know my people dont like to be out in heat lol. funny bc I feel like melanin folk were built for the sun. Ah well. Anyway.. did I mention I was suffering of major thirst?? Guess what I had to do as a VERY desperate solution. I had to stop at one of the water fountains & fill my bottle. eek. If you know me, im very meticulous abt my water & its source. It has to be alkaline as well. But when your about to pass out… for me alkaline went out the window. As I filled my bottle, bubbles encased the thick liquid as I stared in disgust.. How was I gonna drink this??… pretend it came from a fresh spring in the amazon and was crisp, clear, and bubble free. I know your turning your nose up like me right now. Im sorry im having a snooty American moment. #firstworldproblems

We got to the end of the trail at Mt. Vernon and looped back..

So guess what else was spotted on this trail ride??? An 80 year old lady (75 min)n rollin on her bike w/a black sports bra, bike shorts and sunglasses. You know what the funny thing is, from the glimpse I got riding pass her.. She looked DARN GOOD. Now, here I am, not wanting to flaunt my young body and this lady clearly has powder in her boobs and she doesnt give a crap abt anyone except herself. Talk abt confidence. I still wont bike in my sports bra but I did consider it for 2.5 seconds.

If that old lady can 1. be out not only getting her fitness on but look good doing it whats your excuse???

So this is where things go downhill… *fast forward* get back to the car.. friend loads car. stops for food. gets home. realize my front tire was never loaded into to car *gasps*. I honestly had nothing to say.. except praying my wheel was still where we left. Sped back to the park & ride. get there and guess what??? No wheel. Nope. Gone. I was heartbroken. Id never take anything that didnt belong to me but I guess everyones not me huh? So now I have to get a new front wheel. Sad. *builds cyber bridge…. climbs over*. but its all good. Karma. Anyway that was my memorial day weekend fitness. In the midst of all that eating did anyone else get outside and enjoy this precious planet? PS: The weather people were really on time with this heat, I must say lol.

I consider all herbs year round bc they can be grown in your home year round as long as they have access to sun… So with that, Cilantro is this Wednesdays winner..

A major benefit of cilantro is that it helps removes heavy metals from your body..

• loaded with antioxidants
• contains borneol that kills viruses and germs
• anti-inflammatory
• vitamin k (good for bone density)
• iron
• magnesium and more

Try to get more cilantro in your diet… A simple way is by making fresh guacamole.. you can also add it into your smoothies and other dishes. Enjoy!!