LABW UPDATE: New Single Mom Advice for Sandra Bullock and others

I was 24.  The very same age when my mother had me. It was pinnacle to me, but that did not calm my nerves about being a parent. I'd had a C-section, so the stay in the hospital gave me enough time to really get used to having a baby, but once I got home and all the friends had left and I was all alone looking down on this little bundle - I was terrified.  I mean, not the apprehensive like what to do. No, it was worse. I was so scared I was going to hurt her or do something horribly wrong. I was all alone and no one was there to help me. She started to cry. Even after being trained in the hospital, I was at a loss for what this human being wanted. I didn't understand this crying language and it frustrated me that I could not appease her because of this language barrier.  My mother called me that night. "How are you?" she asked. I lied, "I'm good." "You must be tired." "No, I'm fine." My stomach lurched at lying to my mother. She paused for a second, before asking, "How's the baby?" I actually had to look around because I'd forgotten where the baby was. Maggie was sleeping at the time in the crib by my bed. "She's sleep." My mother paused again. "How are you?" Now, I should warn you my mother is no idiot. Matter of fact, I think this woman has some type of special mental abilities better than Professor X to pull what's in your brain out and plant whatever she wants to in.  I knew when she asked that question again, she was not crazy or she had not forgotten she had asked me this before.  "Ma, I'm fine really," I tried to lie again, but this time my voice cracked a little at the end.  "Do you need something?" Taking a deep breath, unable to lie anymore, I said, "I wish you were here." "Well," she said. I could hear her moving around as she continued, "I think I can be there in a couple of days. Can you wait that long?" Tears filled my eyes and ran down my cheek, because I needed my momma so bad. Now to understand the sacrifice this woman was making, I should let you know that I was in Tampa, Florida at the time and she was in Detroit, Michigan.  To make matters worse, It was December. To be more specifically, it was December 20th. I'd just had my baby in early December and this woman was willing to buy an immediate ticket during one of the busiest holiday seasons. There was no way I could give her money on her airfare or travel and the most I could offer her was a pallet on my front room floor to stay at. Nor did I have a car to help get her around while she was here. My mother was fine with this and said she would call me back with her travel arrangements. That night, I got a call from her and she was apologetic. She couldn't get a reasonable flight she could afford until the 26th, but she'd arrive early in the morning and then she had to leave by the New Year because she had to get back to school. One week.  I had one week to learn everything I needed to know to be a mother. Knowing my mother would be there made me feel much much better. During that time, she called every day though to check on me. She made me do a check list of the things I knew I would need to help me take care of the baby and before she got there I started the process of receiving governmental aid. My mother arrived that morning after Christmas and I hugged her like a four year old who had gotten lost and just needed to feel their mother's strong arms around their body. She smelled like heaven. I mean really. She made me feel like I'd walked through the gates of heaven and was standing in front of the throne of God.  I wanted to cry, laugh and shout all at the same time, but then I also knew we had a lot of work to do.  I rolled up my sleeves and prepared to be the student to the master.  I'm taking a pause to enlighten you on how I came up with this post. For the past couple of years, lots of people have given me great compliments about my children. How their raised, how they act and how they treat me.  They like when they come over my house for business meetings, they can barely tell the children are not even in the house. And my four bedroom apartment is not really that big.  They like that when we're out in public, not only do my children assist me, but they don't make me act like a mom in public.  They like that at all times, whether I'm around my children or not, most of the time, my children act as if I'm there and make decisions as if I'm standing over there whether I am or not.  So of course I get asked questions as to how, as a busy single mother and the hardest working woman in the literary world this side of the Mississippi, did this? How was I able to devote such dedicated discipline to three children of all varying ages . And also, I wanted to do this post for Sandra Bullock. (You're in my prayers.) As a new single mother, I was reading the article on Yahoo, which talked about your apprehension of becoming a single mother. I loved you gave ups to us in your speech BTW and you're so right we rarely do get ups and we need them so bad. This post came from all the questions and from Sandra Bullock's secret cry out: What to do? 3 THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET READ MORE: http://loveablackwoman.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-single-mom-advice-for-sandra.html Please support this site by giving a small donation. Click here to download my ebook. Thanks!

O/T: The First-Ever National No Phone Zone Day is Friday! What You Need to Know...

Take the Pledge Today! Make your car a No Phone Zone! Do your part to help put an end to distracted driving. Take Oprah's No Phone Zone pledge » Help Spread the Word Are you passionate about Oprah's No Phone Zone? Grab the No Phone Zone widget, share the pledge and dedicate your Facebook status to National Phone Zone Day on April 30. Help us spread the word » America's New Deadly Obsession Would you get in your car and drive after four drinks? Talking on the phone or texting while driving is just as dangerous! It's the Oprah Show that started the movement. Watch the full episode » Get the Goods Let everyone know your car's a No Phone Zone! Get a bumper sticker, magnet or keychain to remind others to drive responsibly. Get a sneak peek » The Oprah Winfrey Show  |   O Magazine  |   OWN TV Oprah Radio  |   Book Club Spirit  |   Health  |   Style  |   Relationships  |   Home & Garden Food  |   Entertainment  |   Money  |   World O Store  |   Angel Network  |   Message Boards

The Literary World of Sylvia Hubbard NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE & Live Story News

In my exploration around the Internet and a fan of visiting other people's pages, I found a way to easily place by blog on the Kindle. Now originally when I had heard of the concept, I found the process very difficult to do. But you know I'm always shelving things and waiting for the right time. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SITE And how did I accomplish this? Through the wonderful world of Google IT! READ MORE: http://sylviahubbard.com/2010/04/24/now-available-on-kindle-live-story-news

LABW: Most music 2day depends 2much on rhythm beats &bass 2hide the simple plain lyrics. What do u think?

Personal Observation: I think most of the music today depends too much on the rhythm, beats, and bass to hide the simple plain lyrics. Whatever happened to soulful similes' and heart stopping metaphors. Where is the imagination and the passion? I remember how Marvin Gaye would sing about a cause and move a nation. Now Aretha Franklin demanded her R-E-S-P-E-C-T and even TLC would talk about Red Light Specials and you'd giggle wickedly knowing exactly what they were referring to. Now the music leaves no room for imagination and rub our faces in the Benjamins they make. There's no heartbreak unless its done by a baby mama or the stripper taking their dollars. I really feel for the generation as they see music role models only fighting for a cause when its only because they want to sell more records or talking bad about my brothers and sisters and how they are shiftless Tyrones and Tyronette Gold diggers looking for the next meal. I know you're gonna tell me that this person gave money to a good cause or she helped clean up during Hurricane Katrina or even they give a lot of money to urban youths. Now a days I just feel they are just doing it to expose their brand to the ones that don't know them yet. This hip hop artists are only doing this so when those kids get money in their pocket of their own to spend, they'll run to the store and buy a brand, not a sound.   http://loveablackwoman.blogspot.com/2010/04/personal-observation-most-music-2day.html

Writing Tip: Do The Research

click through to read more: http://sylviahubbard.com/2010/04/21/writing-tip-do-the-research/ Writing Tip: Do The Research sylviahubbard1 | April 21, 2010 at 7:16 pm | Tags: creative writing, dreams of reality, groups, library, Mistaken Identity, organizations, research, romance suspense, schools, stone's revenge, sylvia Hubbard, university, wikipedia, writing | Categories: Articles: Promotions | URL: http://wp.me/p8Zp8-kq As a romance suspense writer I find that research is a valuable part of my journey to involve the reader into the story. Read More... Read more of this post Add a comment to this post http://sylviahubbard.com/2010/04/21/writing-tip-do-the-research/

RAWSISTAZ.COM CHAT SCHEDULE THIS WEEK (APRIL 19TH)

Chat Schedule This Week (Apr 19th) Posted: 19 Apr 2010 04:28 PM PDT Hey all!  This week, we're going to be pretty busy with our Black Book Chats from the E-Book Reading Challenge and e-book tours, so as a heads up, here is the remaining part of the schedule.  I hope you will be able to join in with us and the participating authors. CHAT SCHEDULE Monday, April 19th (9PM EST – 10PM EST) Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It by J. D. Mason (click here to buy a copy) Tuesday, April 20th (Noon EST – 8PM EST) When We Were One by Zaji (click here to get the FREE copy if you haven't already) Thursday, April 22nd (Noon EST – 8PM EST) Seeds of Bible Study by Carole McDonnell (click here for the FREE updated version) Friday, April 23rd – (Noon EST – 8PM EST) The Education of Black Dickey by Kenneth Bowens (click here for the FREE copy now) Friday, April 23rd – (Noon EST – 8PM EST) Donna Hill Blog Tour (click here to buy it) The chats will now start at noon (EST) instead of 10AM EST, unless otherwise noted and will end around 8PM EST.  They are held via the blog in the comments section and you DO NOT have to sit there all day waiting on messages. If you want to attend the chat, just go to http://www.blackbookchats.com and you should see the posting for each chat or you can just go to the RAWSISTAZ main page and it'll be there in the second column. If you have any questions, please let me know. SIMILAR POSTS: Chat Schedule for E-Book Reading Challenge Black Book Chat with Donna Hill (Book: What Mother Never Told Me) Black Book Chat with J. D. Mason (Book: Take Your Pleasure Where You Find it) Black Book Chat with Sylvia Hubbard (Book: Love Like This) (THIS IS STILL OPEN FOR COMMENT SO LEAVE YOURS) Send via Email, Print or Share with Social Networks