Me walking through a bed in my garden carrying a bucket for weeds I gathered.

Me weeding in my garden at dusk.

Me squatting in a patch in my garden, weeding.

Sometimes I think I’m too sensitive for social media and our current world. Everything in the news has made me insulate my biggest feelings inside of me—the safest place I know.

Doing a lot of private wandering lately. My way of processing.

What a cute pup and quilt! 💓

Picture shows a knitted hen that is named “emotional support chicken” in shades of lavender and pink. She is sitting next to Sanrio character stuffed animals.

Everything is breaking my brain and heart, so I did what I said I was never going to do and #knit an #Emotionalsupportchicken that was way more complicated and frustrating to knit than I expected. But, I needed her. 🥲 Meet Pinkie LavHENder. She’s surrounded by frog & bunny pals.

I will never be a monogamous #knitter. 🥲

That part! Folks don’t recognize how expensive it is out here in these California streets. I’m in the IE and can’t go back/afford home. My mama’s 1 B/1ba is just $1k off my mortgage.

I hate grading. It feel likes it sucks the joy out of teaching now that we have to wrestle and check for AI. Ugh.

I just want to knit and eat gluten free cookies, while watching dating shows.

#englishprofessor #grading #academics

I need to get my self into the gym. It’s going to be torture the first week back. 🥹

A package of joy to get me through grading. These kids and they AI is aging me in dog years.

Beautiful and Brave!!

My life for theirs.

#momlife #motherhood #blackmotherhood

A use for the 16 years I put my dreams, goals, & ambitions on hold to #homeschool him & his sister.

A use for my love of trap, rap, sonnets, & literature.

A use for all the times I felt invisible as a housing-insecure 20-year old refusing to throw away my poetry books.

A use for South Central.

A use for all the countless nights I spent writing through the night only to have to get up & teach all day.

A use for my #menopause body up with #insomnia

A use for my #grief of Nikki Giovanni’s transition.

A use for my body, creating & nourishing his—all those nights nursing him alone.

Our 26 minute phone call ended with him saying, “thank you, again” and “I love you.” Moms of newly minted 20-year-old boys know how rare those words are.

I love his mind even when it challenges me with his will to grow up so fast and be his own man, when I miss my sweet little boy.

My son is ending his first semester as a PhD—I’m ~18 months post. The greatest gift is being present while he pulls an all-nighter: offering snacks, encouragement, & space to bounce ideas. He’s writing at the intersection of punk + trap music, poetry, & Afro-futurism.

#blackacademia #academia #phd

Dreaming of Mars and how poetic it must be now. 🪐

Feeling gutted. Her poetry was the universe to me as a 20-year old.

Really devastated the past 30 minutes or so. These were pulled out of my main library and have been bedside the past couple of weeks. Bought them when I was about 20–changed my life. I just knew I would have her sign them one day. 💔

Oh my word! What is the name? I love Hellebores—waiting for mine to bloom. 💗

Black Eyed Susan flowers blooming in an autumn bed. They are rich yellow with deep brown centers that transition into a reddish brown.

These beautiful Rudbeckia/Black Eyed Susans are blooming strong going into their second month. I’m really hoping they behave as perennials in my garden. We always focus on spring & summer blooms, forgetting how wonderful it is to have fall/winter color.

#gardening #garden #flowergarden #grateful

I shouldn’t, but I’ve been dreaming of owning a greenhouse. Absolutely ridiculous of me because

1. I have a #sheshed that gets too hot and too cold because it has windows on every wall and skylights.
2. I live in Zone 9B. Summers are over 110 degrees for consecutive weeks—nothing would survive.

Black woman standing at top of Mt. Rubidoux with view of city and foothills behind. She is wearing a yellow LA Dodgers baseball cap, cream Dodger t-shirt, cream sweats, black and white All Star tennis shoes, and a green fanny pack bag across her body.

Felt good to hike this weekend—Mt. Rubidoux is always a win with great weather.

Of course, I’m sore as heck today—that’s what I get for not being in the gym for 4+ weeks.

Well, today is a #gardening day. Have lots of cleaning and planting to do. I’ll also be seed collecting. There are still zinnias in bloom—California weather is crazy. Zone 9b gardening is rough.

#garden #zone9bgarden #gardeners

Bag of anemone bulbs from Spring 2024. They are dried and wrinkled, leading me to believe they are no longer viable. We’ll see.

Blah! Found old anemone bulbs and ranunculus croms I forgot to plant last season. Going to try and soak them to see if they’re still viable. I have high hopes for the ranunculus, but none for the anemones. When is Costco selling bulbs? Must be January in our area (Southern California).

Did you know Amoeba has a deal if you see the play you get a discount on the vinyl? So cool! We’re vinyl heads.

My daughter wants to go back—both of them loved it. We’ll go early this week. She’s so excited to see the play. Her birthday is in Jan. and they have a showing on her birthday—so we’ll go. Her birthday tradition is Pantages for a play!

Great job!! That’s impressive! The ESC is on my to-knit list and I also need to get back into the swing of spinning—might put this on the long-term project list. Yours is inspiring me! 😍

Oh, this is beautiful! I love my tools as much as I love crafting. My heartbeat is my Aura wheel—she is just gorgeous!

Thank you! 🙏🏾 I’ll head to HD this week to get some. I’m thinking of getting some indoor fruiting plants and this might be good for them. Also have a pothos that probably need some food—though I’m reluctant to feed as we move towards winter. Thanks so much!!

So pretty!! 😍

I might have to look for some. 🧐 I’ve never seen this—where did you get it?