Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

After a year and a half absence, this blog is back. I wouldn't say it's "better than ever," but this writer has grown a bit.

When I started this blog in 2008, I was nearing 50, single, and the pet parent of two cats. The latter two descriptions still apply, but I'm in my early 60s. 

The biggest difference is that I'm writing for an audience of one -- me. If you come along for the ride, you're more than welcome.

So, a few things about me. Don't say I didn't warn you!

• As you can see from my latest photo, I'm an African American woman. I'm a fifth-generation Californian whose late father migrated here from the Jim Crow South. (I call my siblings and myself "Southern by proxy.") Although I was born and raised in Sacramento, I spent nearly half of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area (Walnut Creek, Fairfield, and Vacaville) and a year in Bellingham, Washington.
• I live in a simple halfplex in an established Sacramento neighborhood with home prices ranging from the $400,000s to more than a million dollars. I don't want or need a big house. 🏡 My halfplex is a fixer-upper, but I love it. Like me, my home is a work in progress. (In a future entry, I will write about how I ended up with this house.)
  
• My Christian faith anchors my emotional and mental well-being. However, my path in following Jesus is rough, and I fall down often. My biggest flaw is that I have the mouth of a longshoreman. I take responsibility for it. If I were to explain how I got such a foul mouth with which I struggle, working in a newsroom for 12 years contributed a great deal.
• Speaking of my faith, I don't proselytize. If you ever want to know my "testimony," I will sit with you and tell you. My Christian beliefs align mostly with those of pastor John Pavlovitz, who writes a blog title "Stuff That Needs to Be Said" and wrote the book If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk. 
• Jumping to politics, my views are left-centrist. I believe strongly in contributing to a social net for the disadvantaged. But there has to be accountability in how all tax money is spent. And I believe that corporations and millionaires on up should pay their fair share in taxes. Close those loopholes! 
• Finally, I love animals. I have two cats and hope to adopt a rescue dog someday. In the meantime, Lady Marmalade is my "attack cat." 🐈

I'm going to try to submit my entries weekly. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Writing Diva