Category Archives: family

Thankful for Miles

Posted on December 1, 2019 by

My Mom had a 48 hour notice about the Lake Wales YMCA Turkey Trot. I gave her the option to participate based on how she felt on Thanksgiving morning. She said if it was too hot, she was not doing … Continue reading →

Posted in family, fitness, Florida, running, Travel | Tagged , ,

It’s Fall Good

Posted on November 9, 2019 by

Over the last few months my focus has been setting the tone for a successful school year, keeping a foster care routine, and getting settled into my new home. It is important to set high expectations and to remind my … Continue reading →

Posted in family, running, West Virginia | Tagged , , , ,

Grandma’s 95th Birthday Celebration 🎉

Posted on July 29, 2019 by

My family will be gathering for the 90th annual Smoot Family Reunion in Madison, WV soon. While the fellowship amongst family since 1929 is a rich tradition, the milestone of my Grandma, Lucy L. Smoot, turning 95 is also worthy … Continue reading →

Posted in family, mothers, West Virginia | Tagged | 19 Comments

Long Time, No Sea

Posted on June 30, 2019 by

Summer Break in Full Effect I just returned from a two-week visit with my parents in the Sunshine State.  It was a chilled-out vacation with a visit from our family who lives in Morgantown, WV.  We were game ready for … Continue reading →

Posted in family, Florida, landmarks, Photography, Teachers, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Spotlight on Imane

Posted on April 19, 2019 by

Imane is one of my former Smootents (Ms. Smoot + Students) from Whitney M. Young Job Corps Center.  Her family moved from Chad to Louisville, KY in 2007. We met shortly after when Imane was scheduled to my Reading class. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, family, mothers, Teachers | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Spring Break: By Land, By Sea, By Air

Posted on April 15, 2019 by

Beach Cruisin’ I took my Mom to get a beach cruiser bike. This will give her another fitness option in addition to walking and swimming. My Mom has a few more weeks before she can ride due to another back … Continue reading →

Posted in family, fitness, Florida, health, running, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

French Crêpes Recipe

Posted on February 23, 2019 by

Banana and chocolate with roasted almonds/ Strawberry and chocolate Ingredients: 2 ½ cups milk 2 cups of Flour 3 eggs 4 Tbsp melted butter 4 Tbsp of Rum 3 Tbsp of sugar 2 Tbsp oil Pinch of salt Sliced almonds … Continue reading →

Posted in family, food, Photography, recipes | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration

Posted on July 23, 2018 by

The Black Expo in Indianapolis, IN is a celebration of African American culture.  Underserved communities have a one stop shop with over $2,000 worth of free health screenings, job applications, voter registration and supporting black owned businesses. Being in Indianapolis … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, concerts, Education, family, foster parent, health, Indiana, Indianapolis, landmarks, mothers, Travel | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Don’t Worry, Beach Happy!

Posted on July 16, 2018 by

Summer should get a speeding ticket.  I’m trying to get the most out of Summer Break without doing too much and defeating the purpose.  I flew to Florida for a week to cool off from the 108° heat indexes in … Continue reading →

Posted in concerts, family, Florida, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Biltmore Estate

Posted on July 7, 2018 by

The highlight of our Smoky Mountain road trip was taking a tour of the Biltmore Estate.  George Vanderbilt took his inheritance from his father’s railroad and steamboat monopoly and invested in 125,000 acres of land in Asheville, NC.  The Vanderbilts … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Education, family, foster parent, landmarks, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments