VernetteOutLoud

I Caught The Bouquet…NOW WHAT?

Yep. That happened. And it was my first time ever. Aaaand I wasn’t even trying. 

But let me start at the beginning…

So this past weekend was my birthday and my original plan was to be in Las Vegas getting my drink on. Long story short…man plans and God laughs. I ended up staying in Trinidad with no real plan for the weekend (and my birthday) other than spending time with family and attending my cousin’s wedding.

Things have a way of working out, you would think after three decades plus on this earth I would know this by now…but somehow that knowledge does not stick and I need reminders.

Anyways, back to my story, my cousin said ‘I do’ in a sweet ceremony that had the bride, the groom and most of the guests in tears. They are such a lovely couple and I wish them all the best life has to offer on this journey they are about to embark on with each other.

Fast forward to the reception, where things really got celebratory. Thanks to Johnny, Jose and Jack. Then, really medieval – because that’s how long DJs have been shaming all the single ladies at weddings. I took a sip of my scotch and LLB (that’s lime, lemon and bitters for you non-Caribbean folks) feeling all superior that I was just standing there making up numbers for the apparently highly anticipated bouquet toss.

*sad trombones* there was a false start. The bouquet hit the bulk head and landed on the back of my cousin’s lovely dress. That silhouette on her was amazing by the way, such a lovely bride!

Bouquet toss take-two was more successful. As it flew through the air…not too high, not too low all.the.single ladies…save one lunged forward, with excited screams and out-stretched arms…

Then the bouquet landed at my feet. And in my scotch infused humor I looked stupidly at it like…oh hey look. With what felt like minutes of hesitation then a slow-mo stoop to pick it up, I realized that the girl next to me was also waiting on my reaction. Which was priceless in itself.

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Oh hey look…I ‘caught’ the bouquet!

So ya’ll I didn’t actually catch the bouquet as much as it landed at my feet and I scooped it up.

My question after the photogs wanted that precious photo of the bride and sexy bouquet-catcher was…what do you do with the bouquet after you catch it? Do you give it back? Although I felt like that might be rude and you know if there is some truth to the legendfairytaletradition about the bouquet-snatcher being the next one to get married, I wouldn’t want to mess that karma up.

Cuz you know, I suck at dating.

All you single ladies…have you ever caught the bouquet at a wedding? What did you do with it afterward…and just out of curiosity *asking this for a friend* were you the next to get married?

Rabbit, Rabbit – 7 for SEVEN

7-for-1Aaaaannnd…we’re back!

I’ve been up to a lot in my time away from this space and I’m just so happy to have proven the little imp on my shoulder wrong and hit publish on this post.

Things have been silent here for two reasons: work – I have been on a new desk since May and it has been draining me, and I have been seriously questioning the value I am adding with this blog.

Those things coupled with a healthy dose of laziness resulted in many unpublished posts. But here we are in August! Freaking August ya’ll…the year is practically over! Here we are in August and the urge to blog finally overcame the fears that I have been letting consume me.

I don’t know about you, but nothing like a new month, new week, in my case new year (my birthday was last Saturday) to inspire a blog post. So I am going to harness the energy of new beginnings – first day of the work week, first day of a new month to share my first 7 for Seven in months – to get going once again and FOCUS.

…every Monday, we post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what we have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.~Key + Arrow

7 for Seven originated at Key + Arrow and now let’s get into my first 7 for August 2016:

Starting. It’s been a struggle to get going. 2016 started with so much promise and but a lot remained the same – sameshit stress, different day – so I spent the better part of the last couple months justifying to myself why it easier not to blog than to hit publish and worry about the value I was adding. But as I stated earlier it’s time to get back to the business of blogging and just start already. So here’s to starting small with joyful hope for great things ahead.

My nephew. Baby S is now five months old and every time I see him, he reminds me that love truly is awesome. Watching him learn and grow and discover the world around him has been an amazing experience thus far. I am awed and grateful.

Adulting. The struggle is real! I wish I could find a way to crawl back into my mother’s uterus and stay there. When you’re a child…nobody tells you how hard adulthood can be sometimes. There are no guide books on how to manoeuver this phase in life. You’re pretty much making it up as you go…mostly by making mistakes and learning from them. When you don’t learn the lesson…that shit comes back to bite you on the ass until you do. Here’s to learning my lessons well.

Which brings me to learning that Not Everything Is About Me. Everybody is fighting their own battle, their own demons. And most times, they are caught up in their own drama. While it might be tough at times, I’m learning not to take things personally.I’m learning this the hard way…but I am learning.

My Cohort of Awesome. The older I get, the more grateful I am for the people I chose to walk this journey with. I would not who I am or where I am without the love and support around me.

Learning to Let Go. Boy has 2016 been about me learning to let go and truly letting God. I had plans for my birthday that totally got turned upside down in the space of a few hours and I had to make a decision that not only cost me money but also a couple friendships as well. However, once the decision was made, I was okay. I was at peace and that was priceless. Then a series of events unfolded that underlined exactly why I need to trust my process and my progress and it reminded me that I am always exactly where I need to be.

And finally, I am grateful for another year of life. I am so full of gratitude for the blessing of another year of life. I have said too many goodbyes this year already not to be grateful when I wake up in the land of the living each day. I spent my entire birthday with family and it was a poignant reminder of who and what is important. I am excited for this new year of life. My intention for this new year of life is to be: Bolder. Braver. Better.

And I am living in joyful hope for another year filled with:
Gratitude.
Really good coffee.
Drinks with my sister.
Tiramisu with friends.
Sun on my skin.
Trust.
Slow mornings.
Rainy Sundays.
Avocado toast.
Red eye sunrises.
Writing my own permission slip.
Sauna on “me-days”.
Family dinners.
Belly-laughs.
Loving with my whole heart.

…and most of all
Abundance.
Adventure.
And Infinite Possibilities!

I’m ready. Let’s do this!

I hope that by paying attention to the little things, the mundane details that make up all the blessings in my life and by sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire.

Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? Feel free to share below!

 

#WeekendCoffeeShare 05/07/16

#WeekendCoffeeShare

I’m up early because I’m back to getting my morning run/walk/run in before sunrise. So I can linger over our coffee today, because I feel like I already accomplished a lot already for the morning. Yay for good decisions!

If we were having coffee, it would be on the sofa of truth…it looks like it might rain sometime during the day, so lets get comfy. I’m feeling an Ethiopian blend for today…as a reward for my morning run and a celebration for all the new things happening in my life. The first week of May was okay, it kinda felt like the first day of school at the office. I am on a new desk and have been trying to find my bearings in a very fast-paced and demanding environment. I’m hoping that I would settle down by next week and not feel so much anxiety hitting ‘send’ on an email. We’ll see.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that Mother’s Day still brings an ache in my chest. Five years and counting…I still miss my mother every day and tomorrow is the (dare I say it?) mother of all things spoil your mum and make sure to snap a photo of it aaaand post it on social media. Already some of the posts are making me tear up, so instead of adding to my sadness, I choose to stay off social media on the day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for all the women who are mothers or mothering children, I just wish that mine was still here to be part of the celebration.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that someone asked me at work yesterday if I would be doing anything special for my mother and I was tempted to say…yes I am, I will be taking a pretty bouquet to her grave. But it wasn’t right and my sadness is my own and the person really didn’t know. So instead I was kind and honest and said the words that still bring a catch to my throat.

I feel some guilt because the conversation just took on a sad note, so I will tell you that despite tomorrow being a wistful day for me…this particular Mother’s Day is not a sad day for my family. We are celebrating our little blessing and my sister-in-law. Praise God for all His blessings.

If we were having coffee, I’m ready for my second cup… and a change of subject so tell me about your week and your plans for the rest of today, I’ll brew while you talk.

*****#WeekendCoffeeShare is an awesome link-up where coffee (or some other awesome beverage) is being shared over great conversations.

#WeekendCoffeeShare originated at Part Time Monster:

I started the Weekend Coffee Share last year after lots of feedback and several months of writing posts that imagined a conversation with my blog readers that started with the “if we were having coffee” line. The coffee share runs on the weekends, and there aren’t a lot of rules—-posts just need to be formatted like a conversation over beverages (we’ve had tea-drinkers and cocktail-hours as well as coffee) AND be written within the past week (so you don’t need to publish on the weekend to join the link-up). The hashtag #weekendcoffeeshare is in use all weekend on Twitter and Facebook, and it is sometimes used a bit during the week as well. .~Part Time Monster

Turkish Coffee In Trinidad

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Years ago, I read a book and the only thing I remember about the story was one main character detail: the guy’s need for a cup of Turkish coffee. Being a coffee lover myself, I totally understood. Thinking at the time that it was probably some special Turkish treat, it was noted and filed away for future reference.

A recent post on my ‘go-to’ blog for all things foodie in Trinidad: TriniChow highlighting a new cafe serving Turkish coffee, brought back the memory of the curiosity I felt after reading about this type coffee all those years ago. I happened to be in the area this weekend and decided to stop in. I was not disappointed.
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Turkish coffee is best enjoyed after your meal and it pairs well with a sweet treat. You DO NOT add milk to your coffee…which was fine by me. You also do not add sugar after it is poured in your cup. Sugar is added up front. Since I was having it with a sweet treat anyway, I chose to have mine with just a little sugar and it was still good.

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Tiny cup of joy.

The delicious blend of finely ground coffee, sugar and spices is served in a long-handled pot made of brass, which you pour into a tiny cup. Though, the serving is small, the coffee is not meant to be rushed. Sip. Savor. Linger…over great conversation and a yummy sweet treat. I enjoyed my coffee with a bit of chocolate cake.

Layali Cafe offers a few options for sweet treats and quick bites. If you’re a coffee lover, it’s worth checking out.

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Thick layer of coffee left at the bottom of the cup.

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Second cup of joy.

#WeekendCoffeeShare 05/01/16

#WeekendCoffeeShare

It’s a dreary, rainy afternoon here on my island in the hidden-for-today sun. A re-run of Sex In The City is on the TV which is almost on mute the volume is so low, because I like a little background noise while I brew. My small, open-concept kitchen and living area, smells deliciously like coffee, so come in and get comfortable.

If we were having coffee, it would be curled up on my sofa, my slippers would be off, legs tucked under me as we share about nothing and everything. My mood and relaxed dress code is a flashing neon sign that you’re probably gonna have to make the coffee for yourself today. But I can direct you so you can find everything you need just fine.

It’s been a tough week all around. Man, it’s been a tough April. I think I felt tired every day of April. I’m happy to see May, but that doesn’t mean dem problems disappear…sigh. I pretty much ate my weight in chocolate this last week. I mean seriously…why oh why does it have to be chocolate? Couldn’t broccoli or water be the feel-good-elixir? Nope. It’s chocolate! And if I’m being reeeeally honest (we are on the ‘sofa of truth’ after all) it’s chocolate, wine and freaking coffee with the whipped cream. This is why I have no thigh gap…and this week I gave zero fucks.

I wimped out on fitness training all week as well. Funny thing about chocolate and wine and freaking coffee with the whipped cream…it comes with a huge side of my-diet-is-shot-to-hell-anyway-so-I-might-as-well-LIVE-out-the-week-in-bliss-and-start-again-next-week. Sometimes, I feel like if we didn’t have Mondays I might not start or finish anything. #StruggleBus #GodBlessMondays

If we were having coffee, I’m already tired of talking…so tell me about your last week in April and your plans for the week and month ahead, as I take a sip and settle in for a good listen.

*****#WeekendCoffeeShare is an awesome link-up where coffee (or some other awesome beverage) is being shared over some great conversations.

#WeekendCoffeeShare originated at Part Time Monster:

I started the Weekend Coffee Share last year after lots of feedback and several months of writing posts that imagined a conversation with my blog readers that started with the “if we were having coffee” line. The coffee share runs on the weekends, and there aren’t a lot of rules—-posts just need to be formatted like a conversation over beverages (we’ve had tea-drinkers and cocktail-hours as well as coffee) AND be written within the past week (so you don’t need to publish on the weekend to join the link-up). The hashtag #weekendcoffeeshare is in use all weekend on Twitter and Facebook, and it is sometimes used a bit during the week as well. .~Part Time Monster