Weekend In The Mountains - A Kenissa Adventure (September 2013)

So Kendra and I went on a little excursion to the Shenandoah Valley area/Blue Ridge Mountains. We stayed at a wonderful log cabin nestled near the top of a mountain peak! We chronicled our adventure here. Sit back and watch as we explore mountains, caverns, Skyline Drive and a cute little town called Culpeper, Virginia that has the cutest main street I've ever seen. Enjoy!

Florida Seafood Festival Memories

(photo taken from www.apalachicolablueway.com)

What do fried seafood, funnel cakes, autumn air, parades and cotton candy have in common? They are all parts of the Florida Seafood Festival! My memories of the festival and what it means to my family are as much a part of me as DNA. The first memory I recall of attending the festival, was when I was in the fourth grade. I was a member of the Chapman Elementary School marching band and played the Melodica in the festival’s parade that year. The sight of hundreds of people who had come far and wide to cheer us on was splendid. The parade was only a small part of a tradition that has been synonymous with my family’s annual reunions. Family from all around the world would come down during festival time. My aunt Yvette and my cousins Brandon and Brian would come down from Virginia Beach, Virginia. My cousins Jerome, Michelle and their children, CJ and Latoya, would drive from San Antonio, Texas. My cousin Chris came from Germany where he was stationed with the Army. He would meet up with his brother Marcus who would come down from Georgia. My aunt Yvonne and her clan would travel a few miles south from Panama City to partake in the festivities. My mother, sister and grandparents are local and are great hosts for incoming family. When I got older and joined the Air Force, I made the pilgrimage too. It was an opportunity to see each other again, fellowship and feast on some of the best seafood on the planet!

 

The Florida Seafood Festival occurs every year in Apalachicola, Florida on the first weekend of November. Apalachicola, Florida is situated at the lower tip of the Florida panhandle. If you can imagine the state of Florida being shaped like a gun, then Apalachicola would be located at the trigger. The festival began its tradition in 1963 in honor of the Florida fishermen and the star of the show, the seafood. Nearly a thousand patrons visit the festival each year. The first day showcases the Blessing of Fleet in which the King of the Festival and several clergymen from the town, bless the fishing vessels. This occurs at the Battery Park Marina. Battery Park is the site of the food and carnival festivities. There is usually a musical concert by a local or national artist on the first night. My family and I would attend the festival that evening to take in the various seafood items prepared by food vendors and local cooks. We would sample everything from oysters, to fried shrimp, fish and crab.

 

 

(My cousin Martinique riding on top of a car in the parade)

My favorite part of festival is the parade. It would begin at 10 a.m. My family and I would get up early to get dressed and head out to choose a prime location to watch the parade. The weather is usually mild in the fall in Florida. Temperatures would generally hover between the 50’s and 60’s, so sweaters or hoodie’s were enough to keep you comfortable. People cheered at the marching bands, the Kiwanis Lodge members in their tiny cars, and the festival’s main parade float. The float featured the King of the Festival and Miss Florida Seafood. My cousin Martinique was a member of the Miss Florida Seafood festival court which followed the main float. She rode on top of a private motor vehicle and waved to parade patrons as her father slowly drove the car. She, along with other parade participants, threw candy to the on lookers. It was an exciting time!

 

(My sister Jordan, my mom and aunt Yvonne)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(photo taken by Dana Whaley)

After the parade, my family and I would go back to Battery Park and visit the food vendors.  My first stop was to sample the fried shrimp and hush puppies. I’m not particularly fond of fish but other creatures of the sea like shrimp and crab are what get me excited to eat. My aunt Yvonne and my mother would make a beeline for the fresh catch fish of the day which was fried or grilled to perfection. The raw oyster shucking and eating contest was a big event on parade day that drew most of the crowd at the park. Participants would see who could pry into the shell the quickest. Immediately following would be the oyster eating contest. Patrons would sign up to eat the most oysters to win a prize. There were carnival style games like Ring Toss and Free Throw Basketball. I played  basketball during high school so the Free Throw Basketball game was a particular favorite of mine. My younger sister Jordan loved the carousel and would want to ride it many times back to back much to the chagrin of my mother. You could smell the freshly popped popcorn intermingled with the smell of the fried seafood. Music played all around you, from Country to R&B. It was the celebration of a community that came together to celebrate one of the things that proudly united it.

 

 

(photo taken by Dana Whaley)

(photo taken by Dana Whaley)

 

 

 

(My sister Jordan on the carousel at Battery Park)

 



 Back on the “Hill,” which is the name given to the area where my family lives, you could walk down the streets and smell the fragrance of grilled barbecue emanating from any given yard. You could stop almost anywhere and someone would offer you a plate of food. My late aunt Monique, my mother, my cousin Chris and I would play the card game Spades which is my favorite. Every time I play it with other people, I think about the fellowship I shared with them. Young men and women would ride up and down the streets in their newly washed cars and yell pleasantries at you. Sometimes my aunts Yvette and Yvonne would drive my cousins and me around town to visit friends and neighbors. We’d catch up on old times and even share a few beers when we all of drinking age. As the evening drew to a close, local DJ’s would sponsor street parties. They would play all the    latest hits as people danced in the streets. My cousins Marcus and Chris were known for their interesting dancing techniques which cemented the idea that they had two left feet! At evening’s end, we would all congregate at my grandmother’s house and reminisce of days gone by and the new memories we made on the wonderful weekend.

 



(My sister Jordan, me and my cousin Dominique)

(My grandmother enjoying some seafood)

 

I haven’t made the pilgrimage in a few years, but my family still follows the tradition. We reunite, laugh, eat, dance and share the love that we have for each other. That same love is felt by anyone who visits during this time. The tradition extends past the biological. It is communal. If you are in the area this time of year in November, tell them I sent you and stay awhile. You’re with family.

Back In The Saddle

That's right...I'M BAAAACK in the saddle again! According to my last post it's been almost 2 years since I last blogged here. A ton has changed - some for good, some for not so good - but life overall has been great. I've had many people ask when/if I was going to blog again and I kept saying I would be back. I'd like to think that I'm a woman of my word, so I'm here! In this time away, I've had a lot to think about, a lot of perspective to gain. I've learned that you can't live life only looking out the rear view mirror. Sure you have to know where you've come from and what's behind you, but you have a windshield to look out of in front of you. That probably isn't the best analogy but I digress.

Some of the major things that have happened since the last post are as follows:

- I got promoted to E-7 which has been a goal of mine in the Air Force

- I was selected to get stationed overseas (more to come on that later...)

- I finished another degree pertaining to my Air Force gig

- I took guitar lessons finally, albeit for a brief period

- I met a Tuskegee Airman, Mr. Ezra Hill

- I got another tattoo

- I went camping for the first time

I'll elaborate on the aforementioned accomplishments in future posts. I must say that I've missed coming here to dwell, reflect, question, inspire, create reason for laughter and drop knowledge that may be new to you. I hope our journey continues without another long hiatus. Here's to finding ourselves again!

Long Time, No Blog???

Sooo...as you can tell, I haven't been blogging much as of late but I will be back on the grind soon!
Work has been busy and the creative juices haven't had much time to manifest, but I digress.

Enjoy this pic of what I wish I was doing and what I wish I could use as an excuse for the lack of posts.

Stay tuned...

Eyecatcher: iPhone 4

Just like many of you, I am an iPhone Stan and remember the day I got my first one. Well, Apple just released the new iPhone 4 which is already making the other phone titans sweat a little. There are detractors and even reasons not to buy right away.

But I will have one in my hand soon...

The Day The Earth Stands Still - Internet Kill Switch

photo courtesy of http://quadri.files.wordpress

What if one day the whole Internet shut down? No more blogging, surfing, skyping, tweeting, Facebook or for you lovers out there, cybersex. The entire livelihood of some people depend on it's very existence. Some of you may be thinking there is no way that this could happen. Senator Joe Lieberman would kindly ask you to think otherwise.

In the bill that he is sponsoring, a provision would be given to the President to essentially flip the switch on the Internet. The bill entitled Protecting Cyberspace as as National Asset Act (PCNAA), would require Internet Service Providers (ISP's), search engines and software firms to shut down business in the event of a cyber terrorist attack. Talk about a buzz kill when surfing the net for Fantasy Football stats.

Is this another knee jerk reaction in response to 9/11 or is this something that should be strongly considered? Are we drawing nearer and nearer to a totalitarian government? The beauty of the Internet is the vast freedom of access to information one gains from its usage. Just as the Patriot Act became a doorway to full government access with a hint of suspicion, the PCNAA could signal the end of a person's right to surf freely without Uncle Sam having access to their every keystroke.

Some will argue that the government has been doing it all along - monitoring each of us secretly under the guise of protection against terrorism. I want to feel safe as much as the next person but not at the expense of privacy. So next time you log on, think about what it could mean if the Internet shut down. Hopes, dreams, and dollars could all go down the drain at the flip of the switch.

I leave you with a scene from the movie Enemy Of The State starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman. They say art imitates life. Let's hope in the case of cyber privacy, it does not.

What's Your Motivation?

photo courtesy of www.blackart.co.za

So I'm sitting here trying to think of something witty or hopefully enlightening for the blog tonight and am unfortunately drawing a blank. I wouldn't necessarily call it writers block but more a lack of inspiration. It brought me to the question...What's your motivation?

I'd like to know what inspires you to write, sing, blog, read, compose or recite the sincerest and most beautiful form of poetry. We all have something within us that motivates us to get up. It promotes movement of our limbs to bring that "something" to life. I'm curious, and intrigued to see what you bring to the table.