Yemaya dreamz....

My birthday has come and gone it was alright, would've been better if I was in the islands. I spent the day with family and went out to the boat to spend some time with myself. I haven't had a lot of time to put into the bat because I have to work to make more money to spend on the boat. Spoke to my eldest Sun, Peedy and he claimed the boat was his. I actually want him to have that attitude because I want him to be able to have something that is his that he owns. I don't have any property but my goal is to spend time with my eldest Sun, traveling together to a few islands. My Sun's free spirit keeps me grounded because he reminds me of the younger me. Super happy he is out of prison and only has a few months to go to get off probation. I spoke to him and informed him that I think next year would be better to transport the boat to N.C. we will both have some money saved and he has to get a car so he can get back and forth to the boat from Charlotte. I really think once he learns the ropes of sailing he will be an asset to any marina we pull into. The reality is making the money and obtaining a marina slot which is the challenge he will have to face if he decides to tale ownership.

Ervin and I went to Watkins Glen Sate Park and I of course photographed the park again seeing it an different lenses a wide angle...lol

It's been real slow business with droning not that many sales in real estate because haven't been many requests for shoots.

I am excited to be working on another sistah's film '"Poppa was a rolling stone" which is about her family and how they came from slavery to freedom. I have to transfer her footage to a hard drive so she can have it one place. This weekend I'm shooting with her again which should go smooth at least that's what I am anticipating.

I attempted to install my bilge pump but for some reason it os not working . I have connected the positive to positive and ground to ground. Not sure why it is not working I assume it is the wiring. I tried wiring it again yesterday but unfortunately it still didn't kick on. Today it is suppose to rain so I have to go back out to the boat and try again. Home Depot may have sold me the wrong wire for the connect. I noticed it stated the wire had to be 16 gauge and I think I bought 12 which was all they had. Today I will reach out to the boat people that I have the numbers to and see what they say or if they have a boat mechanic they can refer.

Let every day be a blessing...

Sailing Yemaya

I am so super proud of myself. I bought a 30ft. Hunter Sailboat in May. I also took a sailing class in Buffalo, NY just waiting on my certification card. I am eager to register for my next class so I can have all my certifications before leaving upstate New York.

It was costly making the purchase, transporting the boat from Watkins Glen to Rochester Marina was $1,500 and that was just to move it 80 miles. I also had to pay for my Marina slip which was $2,100 and not include the fixing of an old boat. It didn't have to many issues but when maintaining a boat everyone knows the acronym "Break Out Another Thousand"they weren't lying. My biggest challenge is getting the boat insured because of it's age. I am hoping they don't make me take the boat out of the water for an inspection because the boat yard charges $270 each time you take it out. Still waiting to hear back from insurance companies it's like they are taking their time. While I wait I am making small repairs and learning how to change my oil by watching youtube.

Inspired by my purchase I developed a youtube channel "Sailing Yemaya" that name was given to me by my mentor Abiodun Oyewole from the "Last Poets". One afternoon I asked Dune what Orisha do I remind you of and he stated Yemaya.

I asked him why, he stated because I was a mother to everyone and her characteristics were motherly to protect the ones she could. As I read more about this Orisha she was known for being the, Ocean Mother Goddess in Santería, an Afro-Caribbean religion practiced around the world. With anchored roots in the Yoruba religion, Yemaya was brought over to the New World by enslaved Africans as early as the 16th century. Yemaya is perhaps the most nurturing of all the Orishas, and it’s believed that all of life comes from her deep nourishing waters. Her strong and protective energy can be found virtually everywhere, but especially near oceans and lakes. She’s associated with the numbers seven and ten, the colors blue and white, pearls, silver, conch shells, and doves. Offerings for her include molasses, coconut cakes, white flowers, and watermelon. Yemaya has a fierce, nurturing, gentle energy often associated with the moon. As the "Mother of All," she is said to help in matters of self-love, fertility, emotional wounds, trauma, and healing work. But if you cross her, disrespect her terrain, or hurt one of her children, she has a serious anger streak. Wielding a broad blade, she’s known to “bathe in the blood of her enemies,” or manifest in the form of a tidal wave. Yemaya is depicted as a woman of color. Radiantly rising from the sea her dark skin shining under the moon, Yemaya rules over her domain with grace, beauty, and maternal wisdom. Mother of Water, Mother of all Orishas, Patroness and Protector of Children and Fishermen. To call upon Her, the proper greeting is, "Ori Ye Ye O". The number 7 belongs to her, representing the seven seas; her devotees wear seven silver bracelets, and she is often seen wearing full skirts with seven blue-and-white layers. Her necklace, ileke, is made of crystal or crystal and blue beads, sometimes with red coral. She is summoned with a gourd rattle.

Please SUBSCRIBE and LIKE my channel "Sailing Yemaya". I am seeking original music because I bought music online and youtube stated it was copy written even though I bought it online. So confused if you have any suggestions please feel free to hit me up or send me some music that is not copy written that I won't be penalized for. Youtube really finds ways not to pay folks that are starting out. I filmed everything myself so if folks have suggestions please leave them in the comments I would appreciate your support.

In the meantime I asked my Sun, Sachee to give me some wavy music without lyrics to help his Mom. Let's see what he brings to the table next week in my next vlog. Pray for me folks that he doesn't give me some crazy tunes or nothing at all...lol

Blessingz

Staying Disciplined

"It is far better to be free to govern or misgovern yourself than to be governed by anybody else". -Kwame Nkrumah

The quote from Kwame is truly fire for the soul. These are words I live by and why it is truly a challenge to stay discipline with all the distractions we have in our lives. Our phones, tv's, radios and tablets always have alerts that notify us when something uniques happens. I find myself muting the news and avoiding the alerts from Facebook just keep a peace of mind. After a while social media and technology can be annoying and a break is needed to keep your sanity and you're conscious.

Law and Order was on point this week, seemed like Dick Wolf did a great job writing in the script how officers should be trained on how to deal with folks having a mental health breakdown. Olivia's, character did a great job listening and allowing the person to speak and find out what was most important to her. It was good to see on the screen how it should be when a police officer responds to a mental health call. Though I know it is quite different when an officer experiences this in real time but with proper training and patience this approach that Dick Wolf wrote can be done. It is possible to treat Black and Brown people humanely and shot them to death.

I can't help but be concerned when Ervin goes out because the police brutality is so real with the police killing innocent Black men. Erv has never been arrested though we live in a world that will judge him by the color of his skin, than the content of his character. As a person of color we live in a world surrounded by fear and death. If you live in the inner city you pray that it doesn't come to your doorstep if you mind your business. I look forward to leaving the end of the year to spend time with my Sun, Pierre and my mother who is in Georgia. I pray that the creator bless me with the option to get my dream boat so I can dock down south after hurricane season. Just being away from New York I can revamp my goals and how I will spend my time going forward.

I am not sure how I am going to pay for the boat, but I know I am getting one and the creator knows what I need. Next month I am going to see a Beneteau 35 which is in New Rochelle, New York. I am not sure if it this boat for me, but I am shopping for a Beneteau and something I can refit to my liking. Most folks want to own property my dream is to own a few boats and be a woman sailor who can glide to the islands when I need a break. I eventually want a nice place in the Virgin Islands away from all the mayhem in the main land.

The other day I was thinking I have three degrees and two licenses what the hell I am doing driving Lyft. It finally hit me like an epiphany it is time to make my mark and that means treating myself. I have raised kids on my own single handedly. I have struggled for many years unnecessarily and some struggles were good. Getting to be over fifty you realize you may have been existing in life but not living. Living means truly appreciating your family, friends and the time you spend on Earth.

vMy last interviews I asked the college kids what would be your legacy? Some of them stated to know they would want to leave the world better than they found it.

Back to my life of attempting to stay disciplined and challenging myself in situations where I am uncertain. Blessingz....