To spend, To enjoy, To have and To hold!!!

I got there late

Wish I had been early

This disrespectful behavior has got to go

But I made it just in time to see the important parts

They got up with slight awkwardness and nerves

All the while looking like they just stepped out of a magazine

They looked deep into each others eyes

And swore to love and cherish each other forever

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She said "your people will be my people"
He said "I have chosen you above all women, to love"

My heart skipped a beat for them

It brought me back to my own special day

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Orange,Rust,Brown,Chocolate,Green

Music,dance,smiles and laughter

Well wishers and on lookers

Seemed the day was charmed from beginning to end

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Rich display of culture,massive head gears

Flashy jewelry, seemingly easy merging of two families

Blessed from God above

Sealed with a kiss as long as they both shall live!!!

I have come to the conclusion that Nigerians are indeed passionate people who go all out when it comes to celebration. I have never met a group of people who enjoy celebrating life like the Nigerians I have been fortunate to know. I always lament over the exorbitant amounts of money Ghanaians spend on funerals and it does make sense that such amounts should be used in the celebration of life as well. Often times, we go through life stressing out over everything and not living like we should to the fullest. Nigerians, do know how to party it up! Talk of opulence! At certain points, I could barely see all the way to the stage because the head gears had taken over but thank God for long range cameras!

I have heard quite a few of my Ghanaian friends speak strongly against being told to go by a certain color code for a wedding or other celebrations. I did not know exactly how I felt about this issue but after seeing how well coordinated and beautiful it turned out, I have concluded that it is not exactly a crime but I understand that it is not a part of our culture. To tell you the truth, I was in awe at how beautiful it all came together.

Some close friends did what they call the ashoebi, however, I opted out because I could not find a tailor within close proximity to sew for me. The families had matching and coordinated fabrics and "geles" too. I could go on for days about the outfits alone! I was made aware by another friend that typically, Yorubas are "booty" dancers! Every dance had a booty move or two in there somewhere. It was quite delightful to watch both young and old shuffling their feet and shaking their behinds to the infectious rhythms.

I have so much to write I'll end here for now...

Alls well that ends well

I have had a really great week thanks to friends but all good things do come to an end on this side of heaven; or must continue somehow. Excited to see my hubby later tomorrow! So excited to return to blogville to share all that I experienced if I can! whoot! whoot!

Wedded Bliss

I'm off to my first Nigerian wedding in Baltimore this weekend. I am very excited about it 'cos I am looking forward to seeing all the beautiful African designs and Ankara people will be wearing. I wish I was going to be decked out in one of these attires but I have worn all the ones I brought from Ghana. I will do my best not to be intimidated by the good Naija folks and their outfits.(we know how y'all do!)...hehe... Anyways, pardon me if I am unable to update my blog as often as I can this week.

In the mean time, let me know if you have any questions for me or anything you would like me to blog about. I promise I will do my best to answer you. Thanks again for following and reading! Blessings!

Thinking...

My sisters and I(Please do not copy)
All along, I have been thinking that God is making me go through this period of uncertainty in order to bring me to a realization in the end. I learned however, that this really could be the lesson. This period of being still and knowing that God is near!...this is the lesson. It can be frustrating though because I am not used to it. There is so much to think about. Growing up is not fun at all...well sometimes it is.

I have been thinking about how much I miss my sisters lately. I really wish they lived close to me. All my life, my sisters have been a very strong force in my life and I can not imagine my life without them. We have our fair share of fights and disagreements but through it all, we have remained friends and I am so grateful for that. My big sister,Judith, is one of the most selfless and fun people you will ever meet!!!...Joana, is very down to earth and very matter-of-factly. She always tells it as it is without embelishing the truth. I really appreciate her honesty. My little sister,Evie Eve, is so thoughtful and she is a lot like me when it comes to the creative arts. She has an amazing voice too. I guess I am just feeling really homesick.

This past weekend, they had a dinner party for my dad's 60th and I really was agonizing over not being there. I know you can not choose your family but to have your family be your friends too, that's just priceless! I miss y'all!

Tag, I'm It!

This Award was passed on from YNC and I was also tagged, so I have to share seven facts about myself which are listed below:

1. I love music and I sing in a choir(contemporary christian)

2. I've known my husband since 5th grade

3. I don't have a brother(got 3 gorgeous sisters!)

4. I can eat up to 6 or 7 times a day and I usually do eat almost every 3-4 hours till I go to bed...lol... (weigh only about 110-115lbs!...can I get an Amen!)

5. I usually say a prayer of thanks soon as I wake up, followed by a 600 ml bottle of water:)

6. I volunteer(or service-learning) a ton and I think volunteering is awesome... OK borderline amazing!

7. I love shoes!... if only I had a ton of money to buy all the ones I wanted! Anybody related to Christian Louboutin? Can you hook a sister up?...hehe

(Below are the bloggers that I am passing this award along to, and

also tagging)

20savvy

Shels

Amina

I Am My Brother's Keeper!

I watched her as tears streamed down her face

Her words were muffled in pain and confusion

She wanted an outlet from the emotional pain

Needed someone to show that they cared

So she turned to drugs and prostitution

'Cos for those brief moments of pleasure

All the pain seemed to disappear

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I watched her as tears streamed down my face

Her words struck a deep chord within

I wanted to reach out and touch her

Needed to show her that I cared

So I turned to reach for my tissue

Realizing that I was shedding tears for a stranger

He saw the pain I felt for her

...And momentarily turned the TV off...

*----------------------------------------------------*

(For the lovely tormented soul I saw on TV today,

wish I could have given you a hug)

Photo by Bluepeep88 via photobucket

Thankful Tuesday

Thanks for reading my blog even if you don't follow it! This piece is for you!

My heart is full of gratitude

For the many wondrous gifts

Gifts bestowed on me freely

Unconditional Love too!

My eyes well up when I think of it

The words of encouragement,

Loving family and friends,

Adoring words from strangers too!

Not many words to express it

I may not utter it many times,

But trully and really,

I am most thankful and grateful too!

Copyright ©2009 Maxine Mosley Totoe

Oh yes, I did!

Gross post alert!!!

I have always been afraid of puking!
Yes you heard me, PUKING!
I seriously get really noxious at times but have never puked
Actually I do not ever recall throwing up in all of my adult life!

Anyways, this weekend, I drove up north to visit a friend
We had a really mellow weekend away from the hubby and boyfriend
It was just me, my girlfriend, and the wide open country!
You know you're in the boons when the site of a JC Penney excites you!

So after walking around the "downtown" area we decided to get some food
I ordered a bruschetta, some lamb chops, yummy stuff
My friend ordered a smoked salmon appetizer and lamb chops too
So delicious!

Then we drove back on the high way and took in the scenery of the country side
I forgot for a minute that I get very car sick, hated raw tomatoes and dairy don't agree with me!
We took a couple different turns 'cos girlfriend wanted to show me her neck'a the woods
First a hiccup, then my mouth begun to water and then oh my God!!! I felt like puking!

Before I could utter the words...
All my food came pouring out! I mean full on projectile type!
It was the weirdest feeling ever!
Why are people bulimic again?

It was quite an eventful weekend for me! First puke!...lol... nope I'm not preggers either!

Whispers of the heart

She said "I love you"

He said "I love you too"... "and I loved you first!"

He took one look at her face and knew she would say "I love you more"

But he kept right on "I loved you from the first day I saw you,

But you, it took you years to love me... (with a smile and head tilted to one side)...

So technically, I loved you first and I have loved you more"

Grrr...

But she could lay there for years,

To have sweet nothin's whispered in her ears...

Copyright ©2009 Maxine Mosley Totoe

Frustration

Tried to express myself in the most articulate way possible

No matter how articulate I was, my expressions fell short

I wish you could have heard my heart speak

'Cos when my mouth tried to form the words, they fell short

Alas, my words failed me.

They say out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks

My heart is full of many beautiful words

But this mouth does not always convey the right message

And my words come out in spurts

It's only a semblance of the image I would like to paint

Only a shadow of what my heart projects...

Copyright ©2009 Maxine Mosley Totoe