Reading Challenge 2017 Revamped

I do too much sometimes. That's not a mysterious fact about me. Many of you have thought something to that effect about me anyway. I just hate when I do too much and I get harmed. This time my psyche has taken a hit, but these particular blows stop here.

Nothing about the social climate of the US these days is shocking. The timeline maybe off. I was expecting the new KKK and Neo Nazis to really act a fool since President Bill Clinton was in office. That's when I took notice to skin heads use hate speech in public. And everyday 45 is in office, nothing seems to be weird anymore. People watched a giraffe give birth as oppose to watch him literally try to run this country like one of his businesses.

What is shocking is that I thought I was going to read Huckleberry Finn or To Kill a Mockingbird and stay emotionally healthy. I can't watch slavery or civil right "entertainment" unless I know I won't be leaving the house for a few days. Let's just say, I become very enraged & take my attitude out on those that look like whoever the oppressor was in the show or movie. But I tried to read To Kill a Mockingbird, anyway, My mind was saying stop. I could feel me get emotional. So, I stopped & decided to revamp my Reading Challenge for 2017.

Reading Challenge 2017 was Banned Books in Dallas ISD When I Was In School. Now, it's Classics I Haven't Read I've read Dear God, It Me Margreat & Chocolate Wars. You can read my reviews HERE & HERE. I am still going to read Tom Sawyer, but I am adding

• The Great Gatsby 
• The Grapes of Wrath. 

I think those works are read in the 9th grade of high school. Well, like I said in a previous post, my English/History teacher only taught class for 15 minutes. If wasn't short stories, poetry, and grammary lessons, I didn't learn about it then.

I can wave the white flag at two novels. I couldn't do it to my whole challenge. I finally completed one last year. I must complete one again the next year. I can & I will do it.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

Miss Me Talking About Web Series? (Answering Questions)

Time to answer a question or two.

Q: Have you stop talking about Web Series? Are you still watching them? Are you watching anything new?

A: I'm still live tweeting on Black & Sexy Saturdays. I am still commenting on those show shown on You Tube.  And yes, there are some new titles for you guys to watch. I look at this list and I realize I have been holding out on you guys. Some of these shows have 2nd seasons. I'M SORRY!!! Maybe I was enjoying these shows so much. Charge It To My Head And Not My Heart!!! SMH

The Process
Married couple, a promising actor & a caring social worker manage life.

Tough Love
Six Millennial friends secretly participating in threapy sessions about the dating world.

Giants

Life kicks three friends down in different ways, watch how they enotinally get up.

Makeup and Breakup

A romantic schemer & a relationship dreamer break up. The world becomes their oyster. Do they get pearls or sand.

Black Panties

Four friends experience the vulnerable sides of womanhood.

All of these links are to the trailers of these dramas. All can be found on You Tube. So Enjoy! And thanks for the web series talk reminder. *muah*

Oh Send OutSpoken_Diva Any Questions at C.OUT.SPOKEN.DIVA@GMAIL.COM.
As best I can, I Answer!!!

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

Love Provides Air Conditioning

These questions are for my fellow BBWs & BMHs. Do you see a decline in date offers in the Spring & Summer? Have you gotten more "Hey Big Head" texts once the temperature drops?

This post has been a long time coming. The subject matter has baffled me for years. But recently during a work commute on the DART light rail, I overheard two younger-than-me ladies talking & this post had been birthed.
Right: Girl, F--- him. Bet he'll be in your face when it gets cold.
Left: By Big Girl season, I'll be busy. I ain't gon' want his a--.

All I could do was shake my heard & think, Is Big Girl/Boy Boy Season Real? I hope not. Please be a bad generalization based on their lives. But I see the memes & the tweets. Somebody believes in this.

I've known I live parts of life blessed, for a while. I've never been told, "You're Pretty For a Fat Girl". But I can not negate that many others in the community have been told that. Also, I've never dated a guy who verbally claims to have never dated a big girl before me. Either the dates plus size women exclusively or didn't have a type & dated across the weight board. So, I've never dealt with those backhanded compliments & situations. So, Big Girl & Big Boy season could exist and I legitly could never experience it. God, Life, Fate or whatever you believe in knows I won't handle that mess well.

If it does, Make It Stop!!! Fat Folks aren't the dating world's bed warmers. Get yourself another blanket, if that's the case. If one's attraction is not 365 days of a year, one is not attracted. And don't use sweat as an excuse. Love Provides Air Conditioning. Like has an oscillation fan. Lust at least a ceiling fan. And decency offers people a glass of ice water.

Big Girl & Big Boy season is backhanded. Fat folks don't have to get what they get when they get it. Eff That!!! Every Season is The Season to date a BBW or a BHM. Now run fetch me that glass of ice water, while I chill with the air conditioner, oscillation & ceiling fans running. I'm That Kind of Pretty Hawt And Tempting Lady.

*wink*

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

My Funniest Date Fear

Saw this meme in a Facebook group. I'm a Christian & not keen on a first date being at church. First dates are already awkward & unknown. Imagine some church missionary coming to meet you like this guy's date. Heck, I just got nervous typing that. Going to each other's churches is important. I just think that might be the step after introducing him to my friends, but before introducing him to my family. I definitely don't want to do it for the first date.

I once read a story about a lady meeting a blind date at the church on a Friday night. She thought maybe the guy worked there and they would leave once he got off work. That was not the case. The date was a Church Shut In service. A Shut-In is an all-night worship service in which participants engage in a variety of spiritual educational activities like prayer, testimonies, singing & listening to music to usher in the Holy Spirit into the participants' lives. 

The crazy part is that I have a fear I will end up having a church date like that, someway, somehow. It is probably one of the main reasons why I question people when they want to play matchmaker.
Wanna Be Matchmaker: They have to have a job. Love their mom.
Me: Ok Yeah
Wanna Be Matchmaker: And they have to be into the church
Me: Oh No! Oh No! You are Not qualified to set me up on a date. No! No!! No!!!
That scene is a true story.

So yeah, Let's hold off on the church visits for 4-6 months of exclusivity. Gives us a chance to observe each other outside of the church. Allows me to prepare for the church mother & the pastor. And if a church shut-in is what "spend the night together" means, I'm not your girl.

Love that the guy wants to fully share God with me, but that is very intimate. I think that will go on the engagement or married activity list. While dating, we'll find other ways to show one another our God in other creative ways.

Don't show too much, too soon.

In the comments, let me know if you would go to church as a 1st Date.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

Church Folk + Secular Music Examples = Doing Da Most

Warning: If you usually respond to church "controversies" with "That Is Why I Don't...", LEAVE NOW!!! Never in the mood for those attitudes.

Ok, so there are a couple of video snippets making the rounds of some teenagers dancing to the album version of "The Story of OJ" by Jay Z & "Break Every Chain" by Tasha Cobb. At first I only saw the Jay Z dance. I was horrified & perplexed. Then I saw both snippets(The link is HERE) and I was less horrified, yet still perplexed. Here are my feelings via FaceBook.

But it also brought up another issue I have with secular music or music references being in churches. Why we, church folks have to be extra when presenting it.

I've walked in while visiting a church and people shouting & praising God to "Love Train" by The O'Jay. Once I realized what being sung, I shrugged it off. I've also visited a church were SWV's "Rain" was sung like a worship song. The person I was visiting with just pat my hand & said, "Yeah, I know". I guess they didn't know the song was about orgasmic release.

I guess it takes me back to growing up in Foundation church. There are examples, but one is very clear. We had a guest minister once that pretty much shaped this post.

He said, "You have to make the Bible interesting. If not they'll be Knocking Boots instead of studying the word". My friends & I were cracking up. He also referenced, R. Kelly & Levert in the sermon. It was the early to mid 90s, so it got interesting. Once at home, my grandfather asked me what did that "Knocking Boots" mean. I quickly said what it meant.

And since Youth Ministers were not trusted to not be overly-trendy. I made Pau-Pau a safe slang folder(Oh, he thought the term was some gang initiation.). I wasn't going to have that conversation again. Seemly that wasn't the only time a secular music reference that went awry a with a guest youth minister at Foundation. My childhood church friend, Georgette(Blog Name) mentioned to me a minister rapping UGK. I don't remember that but I don't doubt it & am not shocked about it.

And I know we love to make things creative. But in us being creative the message can get lost in the presentation. Sorry, but less can be more.

Maybe, just maybe had those little ones

were taught to K.I.S.S. stuff, some of us wouldn't be confused about their choice of dance music. I need somebody from this church (other than the messy butt drummer) to speak. My nosy self wants to know about this program. LoL

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

Berry Sneaky!!! (OUTSPOKEN_DIVA's Favorite Recipes)

Pineapple, Carrots, Mint, & Beets

If you hate vegetables & drink a smoothie in my home, vegetables are entering your body. I love the summer because the fresh fruit is varied & plentiful. I just finished a peach before typing this post. Gosh, it was juicy & delicious. But I consume so much fruit, I forget to eat vegetables until dinner time. So, I end up missing out on my recommended daily value of vegetables. After getting a power blender & reading and learning more about smoothies, a few years ago I learned how to add vegetables to them.

The only vegetables I haven't hidden in a smoothie are lettuce, onions, garlic, and the technical tomatoes. I like hiding beets, carrots, green beans & corn with fruit, the most. Green beans, carrots, & corn have a natural sweetness to them. Beets give smoothies a bright aesthetic.
Yep, you think it's all berries & it is not.

The Berry Sneaky

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup beet juice
• 5 strawberries, leaves are removed
• 1/8 cup blueberries
• 1/8 cup green beans
• 1/8 cup corn
• 2 tsp honey (optional)
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a blender
2. Blend until smooth
3. Enjoy

With pan-grilled chicken
&
toast

I don't drink smoothies as a meal replacement. That's like drinking Slim Fast. It is a part of a complete meal, for me. I usually pair it with a bread item(toast, biscuit, or tortilla) with peanut butter, cheese, eggs, or lean meat for protein. Must consume our nutrients anyway we can. Rather Can than Can't.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

What Can You Learn From the Friend Zone?

The Friend Zone! For those who have never understood it a dictionary says, "it is a situation in which a friendship exists between two people, one of whom has an unreciprocated romantic or sexual interest in the other". Many of the population have sent people to that place. Many people have been in the "friend zone".

The interesting part is, few people grow from there. So many are stuck in the image of being in a relationship, they miss the lessons while being there. Being "fat", "too much of a good girl", "nerdy", "not being seen in their forever", and the latest reason, "celibate", I used my time there learning some things.

• Your time, space, feelings, ect are yours.

You don't have to set aside special any thing for a person who isn't intetested in you back. I don't like playing around the edge of romantic rapport while I'm in the friend zone. They want to be friends, I treat them as friends.

• You can give your "representative" a rest.

Let's tell the truth in the beginnings of dating, we send our representative to test the "getting to know you" waters. It's a human condition, I think "dating rules" subconsciously taught. Those rules are followed here. In the friend zone, your representative is not needed. You guys are not dating, so you show the real you, all you.

• You see the true person sooner.

People who send others to the friend zone show their realness, also. Amazing what you see when a person shows you who they really are. Ever realize that the person you were interested is not that interesting after all. Well, in the friend zone, you get to see them without hurting your time, space, & feelings dates resulting in this revelation. And you get to be yourself when you "see" them.

Yes, the lessons come full circle.

These lesson have helped me send guys to the friend zone with some understanding.

If I send him to the friend zone, I keep everything as platonic as if they sent me there. I don't flirt. I pay for myself if we go out, unless he said his treat. Even then, I make sure it's my treat, next time. Why give any inkling I want them, if I don't?

Oh, I haven't even touched the biggest lesson from the Friend Zone.

• You don't have to stay in the Friend Zone

You can take a person's not interested status, remain cordial and move on with life. It makes a cute romantic story. But We are not Steve Urkel wearing Laura Winslow down. I know the heart & loins want what the heart & loins want. I just want us to talk to our brains and make sure being in the Friend Zone make sense to it. Unrequited interested, like, love, lust is still, Unrequited. 

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms