6 Years of Living Black Love - and Counting!

No, that's not how long this blog has been around. It's the number of years some good friends of ours have been married. They celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary this past Saturday. Johnny and I, along with another couple, were there to help them celebrate.

We enjoyed a meal and a show at The Carlyle Club in Alexandria, VA. The show, which featured the music of Gerald LeVert, Teddy Pendergrass, and Barry White was put on by a company called Mad Jazz Poetry Productions. It was a really good time and the food was grrreat! On a side note, I'd love to take my mother to one of their shows whenever she comes to visit - she'd really enjoy it. Unfortunately, we have no pictures. Sadly, we had forgotten the camera in the car.

Getting back to the point...congrats to Mr. and Mrs. P on their 6th anniversary! Wishing you both many more - you deserve all the happiness in the world.

Game Night

If you spent your time listening to all the media hype, you'd believe that all Black women are single, searching for a "good Black man". You'd think that Black men don't want to be married. Excuse my french, but I think that's B.S.

A huge part of the inspiration for this blog are the married couples Johnny and I know. Whenever we spend time with our married friends, we leave feeling excited, encouraged, and recommitted to one another.

We recently attended a game night outing with seven other couples who are Living Black Love. Check out some of the pictures from that night. They are proof that Black love is alive and well.

Love Doesn't Always Last

I just learned that a colleague of mine is in the midst of a divorce. She and her soon-to-be ex-husband had been Living Black Love for 10-plus years. I'm always sad when marriages break up. I wish everyone could experience love and happiness forever, but we have to be realistic - it doesn't always work out that way.

I don't think any married person will deny that marriage is hard work. So let's take this as a reminder to love and enjoy our spouses, every minute of every day.

Honey, Can You Paint My Toes?

Earlier this week, I suffered from a case of naked toenails. I rarely ever go to the nail salon so I usually just paint my own. In recent weeks, I've realized I need to add toenail painting to the ever-growing list of things you can't do while pregnant (that list also includes eating lunch meat, sleeping, and breathing, among other things). So I came up with a great idea - to have Johnny paint my naked toes for me! At the very least, I thought it would be a great way to spend some quality time together.

When I asked, he obliged without hesitation, thought it took him a few days (and some complaining from me) to actually get to the job. But eventually, he painted these tootsies of mine! I taught him the proper technique for achieving a smooth finish, as well as the importance of a topcoat. I have to say, I may have micro-managed the process a little too much - but as with everything in our lives, Johnny was very patient with me.

In the end, he was a little unsure of himself and his potential as a master toe painter, but I am very pleased with the final product. I'm also happy to have a hubby who is there for every part of this pregnancy - even the parts that involve feet. Now that's Living Black Love.

Don't Call it a Comeback

We fell off. It's been well over a year since Living Black Love's last post and the only excuse I have is my teaching job. I started my first year as a teacher last August, and in about a month, I embark on year two. I think it's truly the hardest thing I've ever done. So...that's why I haven't posted since early '09. I've been consumed with getting accepted to my teaching program, training to be a teacher, and actually teaching a classroom of eight and nine year-olds. And since June 16th (teachers' last day of school), I've been taking a break from it all. So, that's my excuse. I hope you buy it. And as you wait patiently for our next post, know that Johnny and I have been Living Black Love the whole time we were gone (really living - we have a baby on the way!).