Happy New Year & What to Look Out For

The time has come to close the book on 2011 and say hello to 2012. Before giving you my New Year's wishes, a couple things:

Highlights
It's been an interesting year for yours truly. Some personal matters aside, some great memories came about in 2011:

Hooligans in Wondaland-5/11/11, 5/27/11

The picture above? 'Nuff said.
Oh, and yeah-SHE RETWEETED AND DIRECTLY TWEETED ME!!!

Thrivals 4.0-Louisville ROCKS!!! By the way, if you aren't familiar with Thrivals, check out ideafestival.com and RUN, not walk, to Louisville September 2012 for Thrivals 5.0. Also, read the post on Martin Luther King's dream and thrivals.  Links to Dr. Nathaniel Irvin's definition are there. For information about places to stay in Louisville, check out the September about Central Park B&B about the experience there.

9/29/11-My third decade commences

10/20/11-Campus Consciousness Tour!!! F.A.N.D.R.O.I.D.S. know the deal.

It has been the year of Monae: performances at the Grammys and Nobel Peace Prize concert, multiple magazine cameos, Tightrope appearances in HP and KMart commercials AND Happy Feet 2, AND she announced she'll be releasing not 1 but 2 albums in 2012.

As for life lessons this year: many events occur in life for a reason. That reason may not reveal itself at all or after some time passes. The key is to take it one day at a time, which will not be easy. At all.

What's Happening in 2012
Expect some more words from the mad mind that is moi, including the return of Rita Barbour in the continuation of her adventures. (She's been nagging me for months about it)

My sincere hope and prayer is that the year to come is a most blessed, prosperous, and joyous one for you and yours.

Ms. Rana Dee

"...and we PAINT!"

I am by no means an artist, but I have stepped into the creative side a bit.  Here are some works by yours truly(For more info, leave a comment):

A Figure in Black (2009)

 

Balancing Act Series

Balancing Act

Balancing Act Pt.2/Ode to Jane

La La Land-For the 2010 Detroit Artists Market Box Show

Gifts and giving (in the spirit of the Season)

In attempts to deal with this moment of being under-the-weather, I decided to put the tea set that my good friend gave to me. Using the set immediatly brought thoughts about that friend and the blessing to have someone to share common interests with. In this season where giving (and shopping) is at the forefront, it's nice to pause to reflect on the point of the giving-the people we're sharing them with.  Getting caught up in the details of shopping and budgets can easily veer us away from that fact. Giving  is about the human connection more so than the actual items in themselves. They're meant to be reminders of what lies beneath-the love between family, friends, and others as members of the human species. What's more, gifts and giving are purposed to recall the value of each person given their shared humanity. It's a blessing to be to able to share with someone other than oneself. To be able to receive is a blessing as well considering nothing in life is guaranteed. THAT is the heart of gifts and giving.