On a milestone trip around the sun

 Your humble blogger began a new trip around the sun yesterday and it's a milestone one. I'm now officially in my mid 40s. As the subject of aging has been hot in the internet sphere lately,  the phenomenon has compelled me to share some feelings in contemplating it.

To begin with an oft said point. aging is a blessing. Personally,  it's been something I've at least tried to not take for granted. Life does what it does, though,  and sometimes there's moments where it can be a challenge to not get caught up in the hard times. Balance is key.

On a related note, aging doesn't mean that there's no lessons to learn. There's the truism that one should "know better" by a certain point in life. As people are individuals, though, said knowledge might not be gained until later on in life. There's also the issue of taking the lessons learned to heart. Giving yourself grace while taking accountability when necessary shows itself a worthwhile practice in such circumstances.

Given the above said, there's no shame in aging. There's no running away from it. What time we  have here on this plane, though, is an opportunity to lean into continuously working on progressing so we and the world can be the best we can be.

Lean into serendipity

 

(Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Since last post, a related theme has made itself present in your humble blogger 's life- leaning into serendipity. It goes without saying that the unexpected is a part of life. Consiously finding the good in said moments is something worth keeping in mind. 

A great illustration of this is this article by Paula de la Cruz. While it explores serendipity in the context of business, something could be said to its application to life more broadly. What makes this more home hitting is its focus on the idea of the key nature of agency in serendipity. In other words, you have to lean into serendipity.

How did this whole concept play out for your humble blogger? Let's just say a couple of instances came up in my personal life.  One I will share is a fashion moment where I never would have thought of putting navy pants together with a white, black, orange and green printed top,  but with a time crunch it somehow worked and I went with it. What resulted was a pretty good mood.

Many times in life things we don't expect to have any value cross our path, and we dismiss them as insignificant. It may behoove us, though,  to lean into the serendipitous moments and see where they take us.

The Little Things

The theme for your humble blogger as we're getting into the depths of Summer has been the "little things". I may have mused on the subject before,  but it has been hitting close to home again recently. Things like drinks on an café patio or coffee table books at the Siren Hotel here in Detroit have been nice "little" moments for yours truly. It's become a truism that you can turn what may not seem significant into a moment of joy and presence, but it can be a bit of wisdom that can be easy to forget sometimes. Sometimes it can be nice to enjoy that tree (or trees) in the forest that is life. Yours truly is working on that this season.

 

What's on my mind at the moment

 Inspired by C.G.

Where are your hands?

Are they in the clay

Shaping the future 

They say God made dirt 

And dirt don't hurt

Let that Ruah through 

Let it grow into 

the good, beautiful and true 

Newness at Black Catholic Messenger

 Your humble blogger is back with the newness at Black Catholic Messengers

https://www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/when-its-darkness-on-the-delta-review/

An update

 It's been a while since your humble blogger has shared any updates on the plant situation. Thus far, Asia is still alive and kicking, which is a moment for gratitude. As of late, it has been serving as a reminder that there's many things in life that are a marathon,  not a sprint. 

Until next time,

MsRanaDee

Put it over a turtleneck, part umpteen

A while back, your humble blogger shared some top over turtleneck looks. The affinity for that look hasn't changed. Here's one I've particularly enjoyed as of late, featuring an Ulla Johnson cami and jeans. The cool thing is you can dress it up or down

On this moment

We stand up

We bear witness 

We sing

We shout

We rise 

Through the trampling 

Because our resolve

Is ample

On this strike day

 In solidarity with today's strike, your humble blogger wants to share information about a local organization doing the work. Please donate if you can.

That new new at Black Catholic Messenger

Your humble blogger is back at it at Black Catholic Messenger with a review of Dr. Tia N. Pratt's Black and Catholic: Racism, Identity and Religion:

 https://www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/black-and-catholic-pratt-review/

Happy day

 

Was your humble blogger prompted to draw a turkey while at a club on Turkey day? Yes. I'm keeping it simple to recognize genocide of the Wampanoag people. Blessed day, though, to one and all

Yet another leaving this here moment

Once again, it behooves your humble blogger to amplify something that speaks to the needs of the moment.  What's been crying from the rooftops as of late is the food insecurity may are and will be facing. While we've been far overdue to not be numb to those dealing with hunger, now is as good a time as any to not just listen, but hear the cry of those in need. 

Version 4.4

Your humble blogger is one year older.  What has been the lesson? Perseverance. Persevere in community,  love, faith hope, and positive priorities. It may not be a walk in the park, but it will be well worth it. 

Ms

RanaDee 

In which your humble blogger puts her Cabaret fan hat back on

If you were to have met yours truly around 25 years ago, chances are you would hear about her fandom of the musical Cabaret.  Unfortunately, my proto-blog from that time is off in the ether so it's hard to provide receipts. Fast forward to now, it feels apropos to put the fandom cap back on, given the latest Broadway production is getting buzz with Billy Porter and Marisha Wallace closing the show's run as Emcee and Sally Bowles. 

 Never in a million years would 20 year old Ms.RanaDee have imagined that two Broadway heavyweights that look like her would be the leads in her favorite show, let alone close out its' run on the Great White Way. To understand why this means so much, watch this video:

https://youtu.be/_qmyW1NAXew?si=XiwPxKZ1fuZDzlXu 

Learning lessons and not being too late

 What's been on your humble blogger's mind as of late is the idea of not being too late to learn important life lessons. A person's pace is a person's pace. Sometimes it takes a while for important things to sink in. Once the lessons are being learned, though,  the process is not easy. Part of that is regretting not have learned earlier (for fellow Catholics out there, you may be familiar with Teresa Tomeo 's reference to the old school V8 commercial "I could have a V8"). Within that, though,  it seems like the more time passes,  the more one has to given themselves grace when learning an important life lesson they didn't before. Is it easy? No. One day at a time, though.

Yours truly,

Msranadee 

Another "leaving this here" moment

Again, some points are so good they need to just be shared and reiterated, no commentary. Word to Prof. Sunn M'cheaux.

 

Celebrating Small Business Month

 It's Small Business Month and your humble blogger is excited to highlight Small business, especially BIPOC ones. Here's some that I've personally patronized:

Denisio Truitt Atelier- denisiotruitt.com 

(The crop top and earrings are from this shop)

This store has been mentioned before on this blog, but Denisio Truitt Atelier deserves all the love. Denisio is an artist through and through and her wares definitely deserve to be in your closet, jewelry chest or on your wall.

Woodward Throwbacks -https://www.throwbackshome.com/

Love home goods? Shop Woodward Throwbacks. Bo Shepherd and Kyle Dubay bring new life to salvaged pieces in their furniture work. Check out their home decor and drinkware as well. If you're in Detroit, check out their showroom in Hamtramck.

Studio Nena- https://studionena.co/

Based in Miami, Studio Nena has one of a kind pieces begging to be part of your wardrobe .

Baobab Fare- https://baobabfare.com/

Of course your humble blogger has to highlight another Detroit spot. When in town, grab a bite at the restaurant. Their east African fare is sure to please. For those unable to make it to the Motor city, order a bag of their Burundian coffee or other east African goods through their Soko Market.

Nur Ceramics- https://www.nurceramics.com/

(Incense from Soulful Vibes Co. https://soulfulvibesco.com)

Anyone in love with design, especially minimal design, will love Dina Nur Satti's ceramics. In fact, to speak of Nur Ceramics strictly in terms of design is an understatement. As stockist  Covet + Lou notes, Satti's pieces are "vessels rich in culture"

If you have the chance to enjoy any of these brands, don't hesitate to do so.

-Msranadee

Back again at U.S. Catholic

Check out the April 2025 issue of U.S. Catholic 

Help Tahiri Broom's Family

 You may have heard of the murder of Tahiri Broom last month. On this Trans Day of Visibility, it behooves your humble blogger to boost her family 's GoFundMe. They're almost at goal. She deserves to be remembered with dignity and her family deserves all the support they need. If you're able to do so, please donate or share 

https://gofund.me/fe5f2938

-Msranadee

Leaving this here

Once again, Janelle Monáe comes with a quote that stops you in your tracks and begs to be shared.  This time, it's in their forward for Octavia Butler's Kindred:

The idea of a 'hero' asks that we think about not only their bravery but also who or what is being saved

Humanity has been enamored with the hero's journey since time immemorial. It seems to be always taught as a lesson on how to behave,  especially in trying times. Yet, Janelle breaks down the idea of heroism so well in just one sentence. It's something to meditate on and take to heart, as life calls us to always stand for what's right and those most vulnerable.