Say Hello To My Little Friend

What if I upgrade to a smart phone and then I can't function without it? What if I become addicted and walk off the side of a cliff (or into a fountain) while texting? What if it costs too much? All these questions and more went through my mind before I finally decided to take the plunge. But that's all behind me now and I couldn't be happier. All the convenience and peace of mind my new smart phone provides is a definite bonus. No scary stuff here.

I use my phone to provide more accessibility to my electronic calendar and any important emails I may receive when I'm not at my desk. And when it comes to texting, I now have a full keyboard so I can say it fast or even send a short email in seconds. It's not the latest or fanciest smart phone but it allows me to use my WiFi service at home as well as other free hot spots. That saves me money! Another feature I love are the free apps for all kinds of things like my favorite radio morning show, workout plans, and shopping lists. The bells and chimes are the best. Reminders that I program into my phone help keep me on time for appointments and events.

In order to seal the deal, the salesperson said I could try out the new phone for 30 days and return it if I didn't like it. She helped me add the cheapest data plan required in order to get a smart phone and then downgraded other, little-used features on my cell phone account. My overall bill is less than before. So after only two weeks since giving it a go, I'm sure I made the right choice.

Blessings,

Polly

Martin Luther King Day

I've been motivated to hear the MLK speech all day long. It was supposed to be the very first thing I did when I came down to start my day today, but somehow I failed at that. After breakfast, I collapsed on the floor and fell into a slumber as my little one played with her toys, my son cleaned the kitchen and my husband lounged on the sofa. When I woke it was time to put the little one down for her nap and start my week's worth of dinners (more on that in another post).

The day progressed on. I got the laundry washed and folded, put most of it away and looked at a Ghanain movie I borrowed from a friend. Still no MLK speech.

I had committed to begin exercising again today. So as I was trying to get my mind right for that and as my son said 'this is the first day of your recovery'...I grabbed my iphone and searched for the March on Washington footage. I found one that was 17 minutes long and was instantly motivated to hop on my treadmill and listen to it.

I listened to the speech and got my workout in as well. Best 30 minutes of my day so far! Who knew exercise could be so much fun?

Happy Birthday to Martin Luther King, Jr.!

Mini Scholarships for 2011

One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2011 is to dig a bit deeper and give back to my community. I continue to feel that God has a special calling for me to help those in need, especially college bound students who may need a little extra boost from time to time to make ends meet.

At Thanksgiving I visited with family and a conversation came up about one of our family members who is in college. She had called one of her cousins and asked for a few dollars for gas. My mind wandered back to my college days when I used to sit in my apartment wondering where my next meal would come from because I was completely tired of oodles of noodles and had little to no funds left. I remember my sister, who had already graduated from college, sending me a $25 check and writing in the memo section 'for survival'. I can laugh a little about it now, but back then it was no laughing matter. That $25 was like a life line to me. One that came just in the nick of time and I stretched it as far as I could. It gave me the motivation and encouragement I needed to push on and finish my education and I was grateful for it.

So, in addtion to the annual $250 Willie Mae Richardson Memorial Scholarship that is awarded to one incoming college Freshmen from New Hanover High School in Wilmington NC to offset the cost of books, I am awarding 12 mini awards in the amount of $25 for all eligible college students enrolled in a community college, technical college, 4 year college or online college!

Details and guidelines are listed below. Please share with everyone you know.

1. Must be a minority, actively enrolled in college and have proof of enrollment if selected for the award.

2. Must reside in the United States.

3. Must have a GPA of 2.5 or greater (a copy of the latest transcript or grades is sufficient).

4. Must submit two short paragraphs telling us about themselves and their college plans, as well as detailing a time that they went the extra mile to help someone else who was in need and why they feel it is important to help others.

Once the applicant submits their paragraphs, the Willie Mae Richardson Memorial Scholarship committee will vote and select the top three entries. We will post those entries to this blog and then allow the public to vote on which entry they believe is the best and should be the recipient of the mini scholarship/award of a $25 Visa giftcard. Each entry must have atleast 10 votes to qualify for the award. If any entry has the same amount of votes, then the committee will place those names in a drawing and draw one name. All entries must be submitted by January 22, 2010.

Applicants please be sure to include contact information (email, phone, address etc.).