ME TIME! No Kidding

As we are in the middle of the last month in the first quarter of 2012, I am very reflective on the goals I have set for myself this year. Because I can see my vision board every day, I am constantly reminded of the things I have made a firm commitment to achieving (despite the challenges). I am seriously working towards them, but I also understand the need to be gentle on myself. Sometimes we underestimate the time we need to complete things and get bent out of shape when they do not seem to be completed 'on time'...the important thing, however, is to put the action plan in place. I actually feel very good about my action plan, and I am looking forward to working hard(er) to make those goals into realities in the upcoming months.

I do have to confess that one of my challenges remain finding spare time to do something just for ME. It is not about taking vacations, it is not about hanging out, it is not about spending quality time with others...it is about making time for ME TIME.

I must admit that in recent months I have gotten much better at turning off electronic gadgets, and shutting out external noise, but I am searching for that TIME that is reserved solely for me. The other day I found myself getting very overwhelmed with the many tasks I was doing (especially during this month) and to make things worse, I was getting very antsy with those around me. I just wanted to STOP but am so accustomed to going and going and going that I did not know how to stop! Something internal forced me to stop, and at first it shocked my system so much that I did not understand what was happening to me. Then, I gave in to the feeling and allowed my body to just be still and rest. The great thing is that the world did not end, nothing was an emergency in that moment (which turned out to be hours) and after my brief ME TIME, I felt less miserable and more recharged to continue the works.

Isn't it amazing what REST can do for the body?

Anyway, while we are still in March and many of us ladies are still trying to manage our time management, I encourage you to pause and take at least ONE DAY this month to connect with self. I understand that the 24 hours in a day feel shorter these days, but we must find the time to do it. Try it and then let me know how wonderful it is for your spirit.

Now, since I tend to be on the greedy side and find myself wanting more of the things which make me feel good, I plan to do it again very soon. Please consider joining me on this one day personal retreat during Women's History Month as we get our fabulous selves rejuvenated for the next quarter ahead.

Today, I am sending some positive love and light to Stefanie Belnavis (featured on left side bar).

Let's toast to a happier and healthier spirit,

Rosie "Peppy" Parke

Creative Director

Peppy Entertainment & Promotions

Get the entire Newsletter here:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs011/1101622011376/archive/1109526845732.html

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    Yaa Gyasi Peppy Parke http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs011/1101622011376/archive/1109526845732.html

    

    Ghanaian Queen Mothers Visit DC, Spring has Sprung, and more...weekly News from PEP!

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    March 15 at 2:00pm · ·
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    Yaa Gyasi Peppy Parke

    ‎"I remember I was telling you a while ago about your "going and going and going...". Nice to know that you "see it" now and that you at least a little bit occassionally are taking it easy. It gives those of us concerned about you a littl...See More

    March 15 at 2:25pm · · 1
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    Fiweh Yaad Dis a one good picture a yuh..

    March 15 at 10:22pm · · 1
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    Yaa Gyasi Peppy Parke So y u neva choose da one ya, star? LOL

    March 15 at 10:26pm ·
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LOVE YOUR BODY

This week, I am happy to be speaking about the BODY and why we love it. Many of us have a love/hate relationship with our own bodies based on age, weight increase or decrease, health issues, diseases and dis-eases, mood, and more. Let's face it, no matter how beautiful your body is, there has been at least ONE time in your life when you felt a little hate for it, right? Maybe you were a week before your period (ladies), and the bloating just got on your last nerves. Maybe you had a severe acne breakout and you did not feel so beautiful because you were seeing more bumps or dark spots than your normal skin tone. Maybe you were pregnant and felt very fat and un-sexy because you lost your sex drive and/or was too tired to get in the mood. Let's not leave the men out -- maybe you got a little richer and started over-indulging on those beers and then you looked like you were five months pregnant and you saw another guy with a 6-pack. Maybe you were going through a low period in your life and started abusing your body with alcohol, drugs, over-eating, etc. And since men have two heads, maybe your lower head was going through a "slow period" and you felt a little insecure. Almost all of us have seen someone with an unbelievably incredible body and felt a tad insecure about our own body...it happens. I could go on and on, but I am sure you have been there (at least once in your lifetime). In all honesty, it is pretty normal to have that on and off feeling about our bodies, and when it comes to body consciousness, we are our worst critic. It does not matter who is telling you how great your body is...if you feel (at that time) that your body is not beautiful, they may as well be speaking to a wall. Put those instances and nuances aside, can you really say "I LOVE MY BODY" and mean it?

For me, loving my own body came with loving and accepting myself from a very early age. I grew up on the skinny side and inherited small wrists and calves (and the slimmer genes) from my father's side of the family. When everyone in my neighborhood used to tell me that I am walking on my hands because my calves were noticeably slim (not because I was literally walking on my hands), I just smiled and said "Galang bout yuh bizniz and leff mi cyaaf dem. Betta cyaaf dan cow." Even now when folks tell me "Oh My God, your wrists are sooooo small," I just smile and tell them to buy me custom-made bracelets. When fat or big-boned girls tell me how skinny I am (because they are looking company), I tell them that at least I can touch my toes and don't have to worry about obesity. And these days, when I am getting more mature and seeing very visible changes in and on my body, I just say "WOW" and keep it moving. You see, I have more appreciation for my body now than I ever did, and I have always loved my body. I have taken care of it over the years and I know that my body is healthy, fit and beautiful. I have always been very flexible but have traded in the cartwheels, hand-stands, back flips and walking on my hands because with age comes

2011 Love Your Body Poster Winner

timidity. These days, I push myself by trying to master yoga postures and by staying active. I get a kick out of it when I prove that I am fitter than many decades younger than me. I really get a thrill when I pass myself in the mirror and smile because I love my reflection.

As a female, you will either move from having a coca-cola bottled shape to becoming more of a pear or God forbid, an apple if you do not take care of your body. As a male, you will most likely start looking like your pregnant wife if you are not careful. In an age where the images that our children are seeing in the media are so air-brushed, augmented, lifted, lipo-sucked out (new word alert!) we have to start teaching them to love, respect and accept their God-given bodies. As parents, we also have to lead by example and we have to feed them right. Childhood obesity has been on the rise for many years now, but THAT is another topic.

A beautiful body does increase self-confidence. Feeling good about your body is a great way to start feeling good about your overall self. You do have the power to change your body. If you are not loving YOUR body, start doing whatever it takes to get it beautiful so you can start loving it and then you some more.

Last week, I asked a number of women (and I chose women because we are more body-conscious) to send me one sentence saying why they love their bodies so please scroll down to see what many had to say. I got so many responses and photos that I had to create a special place for all the beautiful women who sent them to me.

Cheers to loving our bodies,

Yaa Gyasi Peppy Parke

Creative Director

Peppy Entertainment & Promotions

I LOVE MY BODY BECAUSE...

Helen Morgan

"I love my body because it has taken a beating and it is still ticking and every scar is a reminder of a battle won!"

Helen Morgan, FL

"I love my body because it is beautiful and it always whispers to me when it feels something just isn't right."

Melrose Parks, Canada

"I love my body because it is invaluable and because it is the most powerful tool-instrument created for the universal purpose of mankind, it is multi faceted and reflects the beauty and creative mind of the Master builder."
Anonymous, MD

"I love my body because it has its own unique way of moving with this fluidity that is quirky and clumsy, yet graceful and sensual that defines who I am and nobody else."

Shauna Chin, CA

Rose Anugah

"I love my body because it is exceptional, and its only me who have this exceptional black beauty body."

Rose Anugah, Ghana

"I love my body because at the moment, I can eat whatever I want and not have to work out."

Jacqueline Hall, Maryland
"I love my body because it's the only one I have thru good and bad times. We work well together."

Claudette Henry, MD
"I've come to love my body more and more as I age because God made it perfect the way it is and I accept it."

Keisha Largie, MD
"I'm blessed with curves, cushion and handles of love, so I feel sultry, juicy and free at 42 -- to just be me!"

Karen Jones, DC

"I love my body because although I have small curves, it reminds me of the beautiful genes I endure from my family."

Shauna Anderson, MD

Ethlyn Grant

"I love my body because it is a reflection of God's magnificent creation and it is the only one that I will ever have."

Ethlyn Grant, MD

"I love my body because it is the core of my everything without this beautiful gift from God nothing would be possible."

Judith Buckley, Canada

"I love my body because even though some may see its imperfections, it was perfectly made in God's sight."

Nicole Wright, MD

"I love my body because it represents my roots." Chardelle Moore, MD

"I love my body because it represents, my beautiful brain, my source of passions, emotions, laughter, pain, creativity, and memories."
Taishi Hyatt, VA

"I love my body because I love me; I stand for me and no one else can give account for me but me. I love myself and my body always."

Andrea Miller, Jamaica

"I love my body because I got the tools and will power to change it!"

Dolly Riley, MD

Ghana has changed me for the better

I went to Ghana and now I know. There is so much I could write about my experience but I am still taking it all in. Suffice it to say, I have never been ANYWHERE in the world that I felt such a strong sense of connection.



My new name is Yaa Gyasi Asantewa Peppy Parke and I love it. TTYL but for now, enjoy some of the photos from my trip by clicking on the links below:

Final Conference in Accra, Ghana.

The First Few Days

Some of My Favorite Moments

Enjoy some of these videos:

Peppy Interviews Professor Nuts at 2011 Jamaica Day Festival

My Mini Interview with Professor Nuts at the 5th Annual Jamaica Day Reggae Festival

Celebrating Caribbean American Heritage Month with DC's Seniors was the BEST Way to End the Month of June

On Thursday, June 30, the Washington Seniors Wellness Center was transformed into a Caribbean Village as “Connecting Cultures” – an inter-generational event in celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month was held. Spearheaded by ERFSC’s director of communications, Rosie Peppy Parke (who is of Jamaican heritage) and WSWC’s interim executive director, Elise T. Nicholls; the event was more exciting than anyone could have imagined. “This is the most fun I have had in years; the Caribbean volunteers are so warm and the food is delicious” remarked one of the over 150 seniors who attended the event. The other comments were along the same lines and the smiles on everyone’s face were additional evidence that the event was awesome.

Seniors enjoyed four hours of nonstop Caribbean music, Caribbean entertainment, Caribbean fashion, Caribbean food, and Caribbean vibes from the many Caribbean volunteers. Hosted by (according to Ms. Nicholls) "the multi-talented Ms. Rosie Peppy Parke who has rightfully earned the name of Ms. Peppy,” the event featured a performance by Ms. Senior DC 2011, Emma P. Ward who showed the younger ones that being fit is important at every age. Her energetic performance to a Michael Jackson song had everyone applauding and her beautiful personality was on display for the entire evening. Steelpannist, Lennard “Sweet Pan” Jack, Jr. who is of Trinidad & Tobago heritage, had the crowd dancing to his wonderful sounds for an hour, and DJ Hector Clarke of Mystic Vibes 6.0 (Jamaica) made sure that the dance floor was kept busy until the very end. Other performers included Chardelle Moore, Ms. Caribbean Metro 2009 who recited her Dominican poem which was a hit. Ruth Ann Brown, a Jamaican reggae singer living in Maryland treated the seniors to her wonderful and sultry voice, and Moye Stephenson who is also Jamaican, performed a poem made favorite by Jamaica’s Louise Bennett. The Caribbean volunteers represented from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Dominica and ranged from ages 21 to 50. According to one volunteer, “the seniors were so fit that they almost wore me out. I had more fun with them than at a Carnival party.” Food was provided by Pimento Grill -- a Jamaican restaurant located in SE, Washington DC.

Dr. John Thompson, executive director of DC Office on Aging insisted on attending the event despite other commitments and reassured the seniors that his office remains committed to ensuring that the District’s seniors are well taken care of. ERFSC’s executive director, Mae Best and ERFSC’s Director of Senior Services, Lisa Bryant also provided greetings and spent the evening having a great time with everyone in attendance. According to Ms. Elise Nicholls “this event was the best the Center has hosted in a long time. Viewing the photos from the event is a great way to relive the joy we felt at WSWC on June 30. We are truly connected for good.” As promised by Ms. Parke, the event was indeed “IRIE!”

To see additional photos from the event, please click on the link below: https://picasaweb.google.com/PeppyPromotions/ConnectingCulturesWSWCEvent?authkey=Gv1sRgCLaXtIXcjtio6gE

It is NOT Deja vu...this happened to me before!

Aaay sah! A wha dis faada? Look like dem set sinting pan mi to rhatid...A wonda why ME so salt? Typically that is what one might say if they were in a situation like the one I am in right now. But not me...remember me saying that this will be a wonderful vacation for me and I will keep smiling? I love to keep my word, so YES, I am smiling even while I am shaking my head at the "is this really happening to me again?-ness" of it all. I am also remembering my friend, Sue saying to me "Rosie, why YOU always have issues when you travel?" and remembering that most times when this happens to me, I am traveling solo. Fact is, I am not the one who has the issues when I travel, but traveling woes seem to "follow me" on my travels. Maybe I should have taken that UK job offer after all? Kidding! I nuh ready fi live ova yahso yet despite how much I enjoyed my time here. Anyway, I digress...Yesterday, I spent the loveliest and maybe the longest last day in London with friends and fans. I wanted to have a more quiet last day so I would not feel tired when I got back to the States but I was having too much fun with friends I had not seen in 10 and 12 years, and the final interview I did for PEP Talk! was pretty awesome. I finally went to bed at 1am London time and set the alarm for 5:15am because my taxi was coming to get me at 6:00am. I hardly slept because I planned to sleep on the 8 hour flight and I was also anxious to get back to my life, so I found myself waking up every hour on the hour in that very short night. Naturally, I woke up before the alarm went off and since I am a seasoned traveler, I know to check my flight status before even washing my face. Can you imagine how outraged I was when I saw that the flight was delayed until 1:00pm? well, outraged is a very strong word...I actually cannot remember feeling anything but the desire to crawl back into bed because I was soooooo sleepy (and a tad thankful that I could get some more sleep). I must have called the taxi driver at least 5 times because the flight kept getting delayed and delayed BUT we were finally off to Gatwick for a 4:20pm flight. Absolutely NO hassle at check-in because I had checked in from the night before. When I got ready to pay for my extra bag, I was told that my debit card was canceled...even that did not phase me because I realized it was MY mistake for not notifying my bank that I was traveling to Europe, and by canceling it, they were protecting me. Luckily I had a credit card which I NEVER use and that took care of that because even though I am a preferred US Airways traveler, they would NOT let me travel if I did not pay for the extra bag! I was almost skipping in the airport because I really was ready to get back home. I spoke to almost everyone in passing in my new British accent and was having way too much fun with my own antics. I spent time window-shopping and could afford to buy the loveliest key chain I ever did see for a dear friend and a "bashment" fan for my mother with my last 12 pounds, because you know how expensive anything at the airport is, right? RIIIIIIGHT! Finally, we were assigned Gate 21 and off I went, waiting in the very long line and almost sitting on the floor until a nice young man offered me his seat (he liked my smile). At 4:30pm, before we all started asking why we were not boarding, we heard via intercom "Ladies and gentlemen, we regret to announce that flight 337 has been canceled..." You can imagine what took place after right? Chaos, cursing, pushing, shoving, threats, etc.? NOPE...It was unbelievable how calm everyone was (especially moi). I just sat there and waited and kept smiling, because I had a premonition it was going to happen, and that little voice inside kept saying "Rosie, just change your flight until tomorrow" and I did not listen! Anyway, all close to 200 of us would have to go back into England (we had officially left the country) showing our travel documents. We had to reclaim our bags, and would be placed on tomorrow's flight. This time, the perks were there so we were housed in the Hilton Gatwick and would get a free dinner and breakfast (served between 4:00am and 4:30am). Now, you tell me, why would anyone of us want to wake up to eat breakfast at 4:00am when we are IN the airport and do not need to check in until about 7:00am? Aaaay sah! Throughout all of this, I was wearing heels, my bags were heavy, I was tired, hungry, and wanted to go home, but I was also patient and kept smiling. Now that I finally have not one, but two beds in my hotel room, I CANNOT sleep because mi waan go a mi yaad inna MY bed. When all is said and done, I cannot say that my vacation was not adventurous to the very end, and I can honestly say that I now have visited England not once, but twice.