Thursday, May 27, 2010

Carnival for a Cause!


Hey y'all!

This summer's gonna be a BLAST and one of the things I'm really looking forward to is CARIVIBE, here in Ottawa (Orleans) on June 19th.

Suzan Lavertu, the awesomest of awesome women (and director of The Cultural Arts Studio School Of Afro-Caribbean Dance - where I shake my thang every Sat) is putting togeher an amazing opportunity to both have a blast during Carivibe AND raise some awareness and funds for earthquake victims in Haiti.

Some information is below - take a browse and e-mail or call me if you're interested. It'd be GREAT to have you join in!

Love and hugs!
Allyson

CARIVIBE is an annual celebration of Caribbean culture in the Nation’s Capital. It offers a diverse array of tropical rhythm, cuisine, carnival and culture. The parade will feature a wide variety of floats depicting various themes and creative ideas. The Carnival for a Cause Band will be participating in the parade portion of the festivities.

WANT TO LEND A HAND???????
Talented handimen, artsy crafters, and festive folks, join in!!!
Here are some ways you can join in the fun!

DANCERS
- A $25 fee (all proceeds to benefit earthquake victims in Haiti) gets you a group t-shirt, all the bottled water you need, and an awesome group of dancers to play mas with! Let me know if you're interested and I can send you the form (due by June 4).


ARTSY FOLKS
- Like makeup? We need folks to "sparkle up" the dancers. All the sparkles and glitter will be there - we just need your fancy touch!

HANDS ON HGTV KINDA FOLKS
- We've got to build a wooden hut the night before. Any construction folks in the house?

BIG GUYS
- The Marshalls keep everyone safe and look out if people need water etc…We need at least 2 broad fellas.....cute ones preferred:)
Let me know if you're interested!

Ciao for now!
A

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Flowers for you, my dear?



Some sweet memories of the Tulip Festival a few weeks ago.
Summer has stopped by Ottawa, y'all (it's 91 F/33 C) here.
FINALLY!
It's just a beautiful day in the neighborhood.


ciao for now!

a

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers (Prov. 17:6). In short, my Grandparents are really the bomb!


The Polar Bear and I pulled in early this morning from a whirlwind drive from Ottawa down to Virginia, up to Philly, then back over to Ottawa. It was an amazing 4 days, and we made the absolute best of our time. It's one of my goals to spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6 (see No. 2 in the list to the right), and hanging out with grandparents is a perfect way to do that!!!

My Grandmother (my mom's mom) was placed in an assisted living facility in Virginia a few weeks ago, and I knew she wasn't happy there, so I figured a visit might take her mind off things. I was REALLY glad that I went. She's still a feisty busybody, and it was great to see that she's still got a strong will and spirit:)

A few cool things about Grandma:
  1. She raised me.
  2. What she couldn't teach me, she exposed me to. She put me in ballet, piano lessons, flute lessons, modeling..on and on. The arts that she surrounded me with have become my life.
  3. She encouraged Spanish (when I wanted to take French). While both would be helpful in my career, she knew that Spanish would be essential.
  4. She took me to see the police attack and burning of the MOVE homes when I was in kindergarten. Holding me in her arms, she got on local TV and exclaimed, "This is America! This doesn't happen in America." She started my civil rights and social justice work that day.
  5. When the Navy wouldn't admit Blacks, she joined the Army (and fibbed about her age!)
  6. Every year, she organized a cookout for the local police and fire service units. HUNDREDS of them would pour into our Southwest Philly back yard (actually, my Grandmother got her neighbors involved and used their space too!). We would spend hours peeling potatoes (for the potato salad) and picking corn husks (for BBQ'd corn on the cob!). It was a feeding frenzy!

Then we set off to Philly for a visit with my Pop-pop (my dad's dad). He's a 96 year young chap who still walks at a police officer's pace and doesn't skip a beat. He doesn't drive anymore, so the Polar Bear and I picked him up from Jersey and hung out in South Philly for the afternoon. It was sooooo much fun! He'd lived in Philly for years (that's where my immediate family is originally from) and led us on a tour of his old neighborhood, the stations where he was based as an officer, and spots where he had fond memories.

A few cool things about Pop-Pop:

  1. He repairs EVERYTHING himself.
  2. He was the first black police chief in Philly. He wrote a book about his experience - Black Cops. I'm really proud!
  3. He build a swing for me and hung it in his garage. While he worked on gadgets and gizmos, I played on that swing to my hearts content!
  4. He makes albums for every event. He takes manila folders, binds them together with red tape, and places photos in them with captions that he types up.
  5. He's a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and supported every A-PHI-A pageant I did. When I was in the Miss Massachusetts pageant, he made signs and banners for the family cheering section. It was awesome!


It was such an amazing time to connect with both of them, and especially now when I'm coming into adulthood. Entering adulthood. Knocking on adulthood's door. Yeah - that's more like it:)
Being with grandparents reminded me of my youth, and it was so refreshing. It was also an opportune time to learn more about my family's past, fun traditions, and learn more about our history.

I live pretty far from all of my family, and it's been difficult to get away for a good, juicy visit with folks. This weekend, though, I got it in for sure, and I hope to do it again soon!

ciao for now!
a

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