Gone too soon, we watched Kristoff grow from a young Alex Haley in Roots: The Next Generations, to Charlie Jr. in Charlie & Company, to Adam Marshall in Generations, to the successful Neil Winters in The Young and the Restless. He brought to life many gorgeous Black male characters that were sons, fathers, and brothers in heartfelt scenes. Let's take a moment to remember Kristoff today!
I love it when melanated talent start out on soap operas and stay with them, but I'm also happy when they branch out and find success on other stages! Launching from "As the World Turns", Ms. Wen went on to "The Joy Luck Club", ER, and Mulan, to name a few. Let's give it up for Ming-Na Wen!
We had a post recently asking about church attendance. Vacation Bible School had children ranging from the every Sunday attendees to those who never went. Was it something that you did and looked forward to as a child? In my younger years, I tried to go to as many as I could find in my neighborhood! As an adult, I've both attended and volunteered for the kids' sessions.
This got a lot of attention for the award-winning collection of ladies, but I don't hear about it as much now. Here's another call for Freedom on Juneteenth!
From the screen to the stage, Daniel Dae Kim has brought his characters to life. Whether you enjoyed him in Lost, Hawaii Five-0, or The King and I, I'm sure that he left you wanting for more!
From The Young and the Restless to Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria has brought beauty and sassiness to her roles to entertain us. What's your favorite Eva moment?
How did you dress up to go out to the club? Did you have to have a new outfit each week? How did you make sure that your hair was laid and would stay that way?
I have a 2008 Impala that's leaking a lot of oil. I've got a repair quote from a dealer to replace the intake manifold, the oil pan, and transmission pan gasket coming in around $6K. Is this reasonable? Is this something that other mechanics might be able to do? I'm in the Atlanta area and have had a hard time finding mechanics who will work on it due to its age.
OK all you Living Single fans! I just saw a trailer for Tight Like Glue and wanted to find out what my MGX crew thinks of this.
Gen X might be the last generation to send greeting cards on a regular basis. Do you still send greeting cards? Do you still receive them from anyone under 60 years old?
After bringing us hits like If Ever You're in My Arms Again, Tonight I Celebrate My Love, and A Whole New World, Peabo Bryson has entered into eternal rest after suffering a stroke. Share your favorite songs or any other meaningful moments that Peabo Bryson touched for you.
Acid-washed and stone-washed jeans were the most prevalent fashion trend that I can remember from childhood. Did you rock these? Bonus points for having the matching jacket!
Do you still memorize phone numbers? How many are in the Rolodex in your head? Do you only know numbers that people have had for over 25 years, or are there some new entries there? How does it compare to the amount of numbers you had memorized when you were 15 years old?
Since 10-digit dialing became widespread and cell phones have moved to virtually unlimited storage for contacts, memorizing phone numbers has become a bit of a "lost art". Do you think that we lost something important here, or is that brain space put to use on more valuable information now?
The best part of going to K-Mart as a little kid was even the chance at riding one of the rides outside. Whether it was the standalone horse or the carousel, this could make my Saturday (it was a rare treat)! Did you like these rides, or were they always too crowded for you?
A recent episode on Beyond the Gates featured a cotillion. While most of the online discussions that I saw seemed to be mostly from people younger than Gen X, the cotillion storyline didn't seem to be well-received.
I remember debutante balls being a big thing when I was growing up. There were some that had high fundraising amounts that excluded many people from participating, but my city also had one with a much lower floor that allowed more (and me!) to participate. Even though it's seen as an elite activity, the varying amounts and the fact that you could raise funds from others made it feel more inclusive. Were you a debutante or an escort? If not, did you support friends and family who were? Or was it something that you opposed as being too elitist?
Was your favorite toy a yo-yo? Could you do tricks with it (I hope no one got hurt!)? Did you have one that lights up?
I had one, but could never do more than the basic up and down.
William Grant Still (1895-1978) was known as the Dean of Black Composers. He was the first Black composer that I learned about as a young musician! I am sharing one movement from his piece Symphony no. 1 - Afro-American to kick off Black Music Month. An excerpt from his biography on the Library of Congress' website is pasted below:
*William Grant Still’s career was comprised of many “firsts”. He was the first African-American composer to have a symphony performed by a professional orchestra in the U.S., the Symphony no. 1 “Afro-American” (1930). It was premiered by Howard Hanson and the Rochester Philharmonic. The piece’s New York premiere was given by the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in 1935. He also became the first African-American to conduct a major symphony orchestra in the United States when he led the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1936. In the world of opera, his Troubled Island was the first by an African-American to be performed by a major opera company (New York City Opera, 1949) and that same opera was the first by an African-American to be nationally televised.*
(picture found online)
Whether you're a fitness buff or couch denter, we're all getting older. Falls are dangerous and can be life-ending for seniors. Are you doing any specific training now to keep your balance and strength to prevent falls? Are you learning how to fall so that you don't injure yourself? Have you looked at devices like a sit-to-stand or a call button lanyard?