Last Day of Summer

Here it is, September 21, the last day of summer, and I'm realizing how tight-lipped I've been this whole season. Geez, I wished I would've blogged about the summer's events as they happened, but the past is the past. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. I will recap...and do better :-)

Mourning, still...
Work is busy as ever.
My mom came to visit twice. She was an awesome house guest even though she didn't cook for me every night like I'd wanted. :-P
Got a chance to hang with my bestie in New Orleans.
Spent time with my DC crew when I could.
Spent A LOT of ME time.
Read some good books from my reading list in the last post.
Still writing.
I didn't visit one beach. How sad is that?
Went to NY a couple of times! Super fun!
Organic Leaves is my growing baby who needed much of my attention. Still does :-)
I was ready for longterm "singlehood." I welcomed it. And then...
Love walked in...
Learned to accept help.
Realized that 3 years to 30 is now 5 months to 30. Wow!!!

Will be back next week with another post. See ya then!

Love,

~Sam

Summer Reading!!!!

It's that time again! Time to compile my list for this summer's reading.

So far I'm reading Toni Morrison's Tar Baby, Bishop T.D. Jakes' Promises From God For Single Women (not ashamed lol), and Organic Leaves (always rereading). I have The Alchemist on the waiting list and I Know This Much Is True. I'm ready to sit on the balcony with a nice drink (innocent stuff like tea :-D-on weekdays) and lose myself in a book.

Any recommendations??!! 

Oh and to feed my addiction, I'm about to buy The Known World, by Pulitzer Prize winner Edward P. Jones. A fellow writer, Kimberly Shorter, wrote great things about it on her blog :-)

What's on your list?

Love,

~Sam

Living...

Girls just wanna have fun…And that’s what I’m doing. Driven by my Organic Leaves, life, death, love, and continued creativity.

#BeOrganic

Update!!

I took a time out from blogging to explore, travel and just live. During this time away from blogging, I continued to ask myself “what’s the point” of my blog? I went from writing about the book and searching for an agent, to writing about personal life situations and changes, to posting journalistic activities…

Three Years to 30- I guess, I’ve done what I set out to do; talk about my life in this 3-year period. I’d like to revert back to the book, as my personal life is so new (it seems) that I don’t know how to really delve into the current happenings. I cannot remember who said this, but to paraphrase, it’s not an easy life to be a writer. For me, it’s hard to be fully present because I’m always viewing my life and many moments with the intention to one day write about them. It’s like being an actress in a film, gazing through the director’s camera. The purpose is to act, be in the moment, not always to analyze and define, then tell. #Shrugs. But if I didn’t have this issue, I doubt I’d be as good a writer. So it’s one those things in life, not bad, nor good. It just is.

See…Here I go talking about my life again! SMH Can’t help it.

Book update coming soon. Good things!! #OrganicLeaves

In the meantime, enjoy these photos of me “acting” and not directing!! Live life :-)

Part of the Process is Me Letting It Out This Way...

Totally missing my sister today...

I'd thought I'd post what I read at her funeral service just over a month ago. It's the realest thing I've ever written.

"I wanted to sit and just observe but Michel would've thought that was odd. So here I am...

God blessed me with an amazing big sister. Ever since I can remember, I'd admired her; the way she walked, how she talked, how people were so attracted to her. I studied her as a child. Whatever charm she possessed, that inner happiness that she carried that made people want to be around her and to do things for her, I knew I'd be able to pick it up and make it my own. And I have, but I never forgot where it came from, and like her, I'd never take advantage. She was graceful and polite. People recognized her light and it made them happy to feed that- strangers, family, friends, the staff at the Dunkin Donuts and Bojangles. People know good when they see it...

If I could compare us to colors, my sister was a fire red, very hot and spicy. I started out baby pink, soft and sheltered, but as I spent time with her, and inherited some of her style, mannerisms, established a better connection with her, she added her red to my pink, and made me fuchsia- my favorite color of the rainbow. She was a teacher, a mentor, an enhancer...

I can't say enough about how wonderful Michel was, or how much we shared. If I tried, we'd be here forever. But I can say she was my cheer leader, my protector, my supporter, one of my best friends. She made any story funny, she made shopping and eating a sensual experience, and her zest for life and adventure pulled me out of my cave of artistic isolation and reminded me to live outside of my head.

I'm blessed to have had a second mother as a child, and a fun-loving, girl-talking, advice-giving best girlfriend that I called sister as an adult.

Michel and I grew up differently but our lives were so in sync it was uncanny. Our personalities are similar in moments when I least expect it- ranging from moments of giving out necessary verbal thrashings to just sitting in the sun and absorbing chi energy. She was human, but most of all she was love. She will forever be my sister."

~Sammi

Finding My Joy

So for all who know me, you know that in the past three months I’ve experienced many losses, Grandparents and sister. I thought that the initial loss was tough… Nope it’s the after effects that are really rough, the things you have to get in order that others just don’t understand, the strong person you have to be because your family needs that, the getting up to go to work when you want to just…not, the elevated intense pain and empathy you feel when another loved one is going through a hard time.

I’ve celebrated a book release, I even had a party (that I’d wished my sister was there to attend- she happened to be number one on my guest list when I was planning it, unbeknownst of what was to come), I’ve hung out, I’ve dated, I’ve had a ball, but in between all of that, I’ve been grieving, sometimes silently, other times not so silently, but always privately.

What I know is that it’s necessary to balance. Joy has to be found somewhere, somehow.

• Soooooo I put a hold on writing book number #2, which was going to be way more serious and quite darker than the first. I’ve started on book #3, lighter, more fun. I need that right now. 
• I’m wearing my hair curly, in it’s natural state. I forgot how pretty it is, and perfect for the warmer weather coming soon. 
• Yesterday, I bought a bright aqua blue, long sundress. It reminds me relaxing times, the sun, cool breezes and iced fruit smoothies…

Annnnnnnd I’m going to L.A….for a visit- for starters ;-)

The End :-)

Love,

Sammi

What’s your joy? What makes you feel great?

Last Night I was Mad...

I think those are the times I write my best. Book #2 coming soon :-)