Mother is More Than a Word

My maternal grandparents married young, as most did back in the day. And my grandmother died three days after birthing momma. My great grandmother raised her to adulthood in North Carolina, while her father went to find work in Maryland.

Momma has never seen a photo of her mother because as a toddler, the house they lived in burnt down along with any photos of my grandmother.

Did she ever wonder what her mother looked like, etc.? Probably but you would never know whether she had internal issues regarding growing up motherless because of the exuberant love that she expresses to her family and others.

Everyone that she meets calls her momma. She has helped so many people and has too many godchildren for me to publish their names. And don’t forget about her god grandchildren. She absolutely adores them.

But this type of love that my momma has can’t be manufactured but it is a gift from God. It comes from her relationship and faith in Him. And it is so deep that it goes beyond the grave.

A few years ago my eldest sister, Anna, passed away and we buried her the Saturday before Mother’s Day. Although my mother was devastated at the loss, she reached deep down and relied on her faith in God to muster up enough strength to go to church the next day, which was Mother’s Day.

Most said that they didn’t expect her to be at church but her reply was that she had done all she could as a mother for my sister on this side and now she was in Heaven, where God was taking care of her. You see, a mother’s love never dies!

So whether you are a mother, grandmother, aunt, caregiver, guardian, etc. your title doesn’t matter or the fact that you didn’t give birth to a child. What matters are the sacrifices, love, and encouragement that you provide to someone who is longing for a mothers love.

Happy Mother’s Day! Click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ6KzZVPpnM to view your Mother’s Day message.

Take care. :>) Phenola Moore

Are the Holidays a Blur?

By Phenola Moore

November comes and it’s on! From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, some are running around trying to get things prepared for families like shopping, decorating, cooking, traveling, etc. And don’t forget the school and church events that you have to attend.

Before you know it, the holidays are gone and the sad part about it is that it’s mostly a blur. You’re exhausted and why? Because you’ve overextended yourself and didn’t take time to settle down to enjoy the one (God) who made all of this possible?

In the article, “Don't Let Stress Ruin Your Holidays: Some Stress Reduction Strategies,” Lynne Neary, Chicago mother of two said "About two weeks into the season, I feel like I’m ready to capsize" "This year I’m determined to get through the holidays with a minimum amount of stress."

“According to the American Institute of Stress, more than 110 million Americans take medication for stress related causes each week. When the holidays come along, people already predispositioned to stress can find themselves feeling blue and more stressed out than usual” (http://www.healingwell.com/library/health/alden1.asp).

So, stop the madness right now! Re-evaluate your schedule for the next few weeks and edit it by deciding on what you can and cannot do. No, it’s not selfish but it actually may be beneficial to your health.

And using power phrases like, “No, I can’t commit to it.” or “Not this year.” will let others know your boundaries. Because in all that you do, you need to rest, too (now, that’s a catchy phrase – LOL).

And think about what you can do that is fun and relaxing. Maybe a leisurely ride through neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights, attending a sports event with family and/or friends or curling up on the couch, while watching your favorite television show or movie.

You have the power to slow it down, so that the later part of 2012 will not be a blur.

###

To read the rest of my writings, log onto www.pressonwebzine.com. Thank you.

Avon’s Make-up Maven Contest

How are doing?

As an Avon Representative, there is always something new and exciting going on with my business. This week, I entered Avon’s Make-up Maven Contest spotlighting my “fierce” eye makeup application tips.

Click on http://youtu.be/ganogHwA6ww to view the video because I need as many clicks as possible. So please share it with your family, friends, on your page, etc. Thank you so much.

I used the following Avon products to achieve this “fierce” eyeshadow look for the day.

1. Avon’s True Color Eyeshadow Quad - Vibrant Spice – Item No. 770510 -- $4.99 (regularly $9)
2. Avon’s Glimmersticks Eyeliner – Black – Item No. 387801 – 4 for $10 (regularly $7 each)
3. Avon’s Wash-off Waterproof Mascara – Black – Item No. 864301 -- $5.99 each (regularly $9.50)

You can order it at www.youravon.com/pmoore. Thank you.

The Right to Vote Didn't Come Easy

“My grandmother and my uncle experienced circumstances that would break your heart. When they went to vote, they were asked impossible questions like, ‘How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?’ When they couldn't answer, they couldn't vote,” said Dr. Maya Angelou.

She was referring to the “Black Codes” that were passed the same year that all men over the age of 21 were given the right to vote by the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment (1870). The “Black Codes” restricted the freedoms of African Americans. Among the freedoms restricted was the freedom to exercise the right to vote. Literacy tests, poll taxes, hiding the locations of the polls, economic pressures, threats of physical violence, and other strategies to suppress the African American vote were either found in the Black Codes or flowed from them[1].”

When America was founded in 1776, only white men over the age of 21 who owned property had the right to vote, except for Catholics, Jews, and Quakers[2]. But through centuries of suffrage movements, marches, etc. other groups gained the right to vote.

Take a look at the voting timeline to see when different groups got the right to vote.

Voting Timeline

1920 (19th Amendment)	Women – The Nineteenth Amendment (1920) prohibits the United States or the states from denying or abridging the privilege of voting "on account of sex"[3].
1924	Native Americans – Native Americans can vote in 1924 when Congress grants full U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans via the Indian Citizenship Act. This Act declares all Indians who have not yet been granted citizenship through marriage, military service, treaties, or other specialized laws and who were also born within the U.S. to be citizens, giving them the right to vote. However, many Native Americans continue to be denied the right to vote by states until 19482.
1961 (23rd Amendment)	Residents who live in the District of Columbia are granted the right to vote3.
1964 (24th Amendment)	Made it illegal for states to charge poll tax to voters[4].
Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965	It banned literacy tests and provided federal enforcement of voting registration and other rights in several Southern states and Alaska1.
After 1965	Asian Pacific Americans2
1971 (26th Amendment)	Lowered the voting age across the nation to 184.
1975	Latinos2
Voting Rights Act of 1970	A federal law that seeks to prevent voting discrimination based on race, color, or membership in a language minority group3.
Disabilities Act of 1990	It provided for ballot and poll access for those with disabilities1.

###

To read the rest of my writings, log onto www.pressonwebzine.com and www.youtube.com/thephenola to view my videos. Thank you.

---

[1] History of Voting Rights in America. (2004). Cobb-LaMarche '04. Retrieved from www.iwantmyvote.com/recount/history.

[2] Eddins Zabela Geri. (2012). Who Gets To Vote? Retrieved from www.ourwhitehouse.org/whogetsvote.html.

[3] Voting Rights. (2003). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Voting_rights.aspx.

[4] Historical Facts. Retrieved from www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/hancock/pol204/history.htm.

Youtube Channel

How are you doing?

Y’all may not know this but I am writer who loves to sing. Therefore, I am sending out this blog to let you know that I have channel on Youtube, "ThePhenola." Now, it's nothing fancy. Just me singing from my heart and soul. :>0

When you get a chance, click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKrhoq7oduc&feature=plcp to view my latest video, “That Name” originally recorded by Yolanda Adams, my other posts and artists that I have subscribed to. 

Take care and have a great day!

Baby, You Ain’t in the South



Phenola Moore
This is the outfit I was wearing.

“Baby, you ain’t in the South,” yelled the male passenger in the car that zoomed past me. He was pointing to my clothing as I was walking across the street at the shopping center. It was a warm mid-September day and I was decked out in a multi-colored orange/cream/fuchsia top, off-white skirt with matching shoes.

His comment was wrong on two ways. One, Maryland is a southern state. And two, you can wear white after Labor Day.

Although I am not a fashion guru, I was taught that you can wear white. It just depends on how you wear it, where you live, the occasion and thickness of the fabric.

“Dispelling the Myth: Wear White After Labor Day,” article stated, “… beginning in the early 20th century, white clothing was a symbol of “well-to-do” Americans. It was a status symbol for those who were able to change their clothes by season, white during the summer and darker colors in the winter. It wasn’t proper etiquette to wear white after Labor Day, specifically any clothing below the waist.” (http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/08/30/dispelling-the-myth-wear-white-after-labor-day/). Therefore, wearing a pure white blouse, shirt, tie, etc. was acceptable and is still worn without questioning all year round.

And people in warmer clients usually don’t haggle over whether they can wear white after Labor Day. Ryan Patterson, Access Hollywood said, “Here in Southern California and in places like Florida and Hawaii, white can absolutely be worn after Labor Day,” (http://www.accesshollywood.com).

Also, wearing white during certain religious services year round is acceptable. Traditionally, the bride and flower girl wore it during the wedding ceremony. And now, sometimes the groom and other participants in the wedding party wear it, too.

Members of the clergy wear white robes. And congregants in certain denominations wear white during ceremonies like Communion.

A white linen jacket may be too thick to wear during a New England winter. But white clothing in thicker fabrics like that in a downs coat, leather, corduroy, etc will work.

But if you are still uncomfortable with wearing a pure white suit, jacket, pants or dress, other shades of white like ecru, off-white, cream, winter white, will satisfy your white attire requirement.

Finally, Project Runway Mentor, Tim Guinn’s said in a “Shine” article “I really believe most of these rules are made to be broken. Maybe not head-to-toe white after Labor Day, but for goodness sakes, it's still hot out! People should simply dress in a way that they feel confident and that they feel they look good in.” (http://shine.yahoo.com).

Click on http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/short-but-sweet-michelle-obama-talks-about-first-kiss-with-the-president-on-the-steve-harvey-show to view Michelle Obama in her off-white pants suit that she wore on the Steve Harvey Show in October.

###

To read the rest of my writings, log onto www.pressonwebzine.com. Thank you.

9/11 -- Reflecting

So many innocent lives lost in a moment’s time.

Snatched away from us and it’s effects will last a lifetime.

Your death, we prayed for God to deliver our thoughts.

Lonely days and lonely nights are still ripping at our hearts.

You touched us so and we see you in everything that we do.

Whether we’re alone or with family, you are there but we still miss you.

Celebrating, no. Remembering, yes.
Reflecting on your life with us. Remembering, the best of the best.

###

This poem is dedicated to the families whose lives were forever changed. And to all who remember that day as if it were yesterday.