Famous Blogger

Voice From Jamaica on Blogging Women

I submitted Voice From Jamaica to Blogging Women for consideration. I have been reading some of the blogs featured there and have found some that are well-written.

This morning when I checked my e-mail, I got the acceptance note. The tagline for Blogging Women is "A manually edited comprehensive directory of some of the best blogs written by women." It is a delight to be added to their ranks!

If, Loyal Reader, you are a woman with her own blog, please submit it to Blogging Women. If you are a man, please encourage any female bloggers you know to submit their blog. Please let Sistren Fay there know that Lady Roots sent you.

Once again, not a paid link or endorsement, just something I like that I wanted to share with you.

Coming Home Is So Sweet

Thank you, Jah, for Your guidance and protection of our going out and coming in.

We have returned home to Jamaica safely to find our home standing and all the animals alive. That is one of the things I prayed for each day we were in America. Now I am giving thanks for answered prayers.

There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. Can you tell I am glad to be back home?

I give thanks to Jah for the four generations of family that got together to hug and kiss and eat and drink and remember and sing and laugh and love and enjoy each other's company. This time, thankfully, there was no death that brought the far-flung family together.

There is so much I want to share with you about our trip, but that will have to come in future posts. Now it is time to start responding to comments left while I was away. Then I need to catch up on what's happening with Sistren Irie Diva. She has been on my mind and in my prayers while I was away.

An Easter Delight

No, you aren't seeing doubles. Yes, this is a portion of the blog page showing the previous post.

What I really want you to see is the wonderful duplication of the message of Easter hope that happened when I pulled back up the post to proof-read it.

I recently added the blogosphere widget to the right hand sidebar on my blog. It randomly lists blog titles of other bloggers who also have the widget on their blog. I or my readers can click and read their posts. (It is one of the many ways to increase your blog exposure.)

To my surprise, in the widget was a post with the same title! Sparks and Butterflies also posted a message of hope represented by His resurrection; His conquering of death and hell to give us I-tinual life.

Using the screen capture software FastStone Capture, I was able to get the image to share here.

This is better than bun & cheese (traditional Jamaican Easter treat) or a Cadbury creme egg (traditional American Easter treat).

You Say Meme, I Say Meme

Shortly after being awarded my first Blog Brag Badge, I have been tagged for my first meme by Sistren Irie Diva of Irie Diva Rambles.

She was also gracious enough to provide an explaination of what a meme is. To quote her comment, "...according to wiki a meme (IPA: rhyming with "theme". Commonly pronounced in the US as rhyming with "gem"), coined in 1976 by the biologist Richard Dawkins, refers to a "unit of cultural information" which can propagate from one mind to another in a manner analogous to genes" which colloquially translates to "an idea, project, statement or even a question that is posted by one blog and responded to by other blogs"."

I had seen the term several times, but was never sufficiently motivated to find out what it involved. Thank you, Sistren Irie Diva, for teaching me. "Each one, teach one!"

Here is my list of 8's.

8 Things I Am Passionate About:

1. My relationship with Jah
2. My relationship with my husband
3. My relationships with my children and grandchildren
4. My relationships with my Mom and my siblings
5. Jamaica
6. Beading
7. Reading
8. Blogging

8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die:

1. Grow closer to Jah
2. Visit Africa
3. Teach another person to read (I'm a trained literacy tutor and have taught adults.)
4. Teach another beading class (I've taught three so far.)
5. Improve my beading skills
6. Increase my blog readership
7. Re-read every book in my personal library
8. Face death without fear, knowing I will be I-ternally safe in Jah’s heavenly mansion

8 Things I Often Say:

1. I love you.
2. Blessed love
3. Jah guide
4. Be safe
5. Call when you get home, so I know you reached safely.
6. I wish there was a decent bead shop in Jamaica.
7. Let’s dance!
8. I need a dip in the sea today.

8 Books I’ve Recently Read

1. Exile – Richard North Patterson
2. Overstanding Rastafari, Jamaica’s Gift to the World – Yasus Afari (3rd reading)
3. Lisey’s Story – Stephen King
4. Salt Roads – Nalo Hopkinson (2nd reading)
5. Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You To Know About – Kevin Trudeau
6. Shalimar the Clown – Salman Rushdie
7. Bloodlines – Jan Burke
8. Prior Bad Acts – Tami Hoag

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over

1. Redemption Song – Bob Marley
2. Black Heart Man – Bunny Wailer
3. Steppin’ Razor – Peter Tosh
4. Young, Gifted and Black – Aretha Franklin
5. Wrong Address - Etana
6. Show Some Emotion – Joan Armatrading
7. For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton (played at our wedding)
8. At This Point In My Life – Tracy Chapman

8 Things That Attract Me To My Best Friends

My best friends are my Mom and my three sisters, all of whom love me unconditionally, even though they can’t fully comprehend why I would choose to live in Jamaica when I have the right to live in America.

8 People Who I Think Should Do The Crazy 8’s Meme

I haven’t been blogging long enough to have established a close relationship with 8 other bloggers. If Sistren Irie Diva hadn’t tagged me for this meme, she would surely be on my list. I do not claim to have a relationship with anyone listed here. I’m just curious.

1. Pearl of Beading Gem's Journal
2. Ann of MoBay Day by Day
3. F. Wade of Moving to Jamaica
4. P. Mordeci of Jah’s World
5. Wallace of Cronicas de Vellila

Looks like I didn’t make it to 8 for the last two categories. Such is life!

You Make My Day or Unnu Mek Mi Day

Sistren Pearl writes a blog from Canada, Beading Gem's Journal, that showcases jewelry designers from around the world, links to beading and jewelry-making tutorials and has nuff-nuff (a lot of) beading eye candy.

She makes my day every time I reflect on the fact that she has invested so much time and effort in helping to increase my blog readership. She has featured several of my jewelry pieces in her posts. Now, she has given a greatly appreciated, “You Make My Day” blog award to Lady Roots here at Voice From Jamaica.

This is my first blogging brag badge! Try saying that three times fast!

Mi know seh pride goeth before di fall, and mi haffi humble miself but mi mus admit mi head an mi heart jus swell up wid one piece of sweetness from mi get di link an know di Ras-pect Sistren Pearl did show by telling her world-wide readership about Lady Roots here inna Jamaica. (I know that when you get full of yourself, you end up with egg on your face, but I have to admit that I felt really, really good when I found out I received this award from someone whom I have come to admire as much as I admire Sistren Pearl. I was so humbled that she used her widely-read blog to let her readers around the world know about Lady Roots.)

The guidelines for the award say that each recipient should:

1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make your day.
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
3. Display the You Make My Day Award logo.
4. Tell the award winners by commenting on their blogs with the news.

Here is my list of awardees. I took the liberty of adding a Jamaican flavour to the award for blogs of Jamaican origin or content.

Sistren Irie Diva on Irie Diva Rambles
I have enjoyed her posts on both Irie Diva Rambles and Fashion Over Style. Her insight into life, for one so young, gives me hope for the future of Jamaica and the world. I am selecting her to receive the “Unnu Mek Mi Day” blog award.

Sistren Ann on Mo Bay Day by Day
Her pictures of Jamaican life delight me. For the joy she brings to me and her many readers, I have selected her to receive the “Unnu Mek Mi Day” blog award.

Idren Francis Wade on Moving to Jamaica
His blog was the first one I ever read. I continue reading it to this day. Even though we moved to Jamaica many years before he and his wife did, I have enjoyed reading about his adjustment. Keep the SKIN BAG safe! For the enlightenment he gives to so many via his various blogs, I have selected him to receive the “Unnu Mek Mi Day” blog award.

Sistren Diane on Diane Fitzgerald Presents Beautiful Beads
Her generosity has allowed me to learn the Zulu Flowerette stitch and to enjoy a beautiful free downloadable beading calendar. In a world where many artisans only want to sell, Sistren Diane gives, as well as sells. For her unselfishness in a selfish world I select Sistren Diane to receive the "You Make My Day" blog award.

Many thanks to Sistrens Pearl, Irie Diva, Ann, Diane and Idren Francis for making my day again and again.

Where My Visitors Are

According to Google Analytics 53% of my blog visitors are from Jamaica. Big up to alla oonu! I know that I owe many thanks to Irie Diva, as her site has been one of the major sources of traffic referrals within Jamaica.

The next highest percentage of visitors are from the US. Canadian visitors make up the third highest percentage. Sistren Pearl, a Canadian blogger, of Beading Gem's Journal has sent many visitors my way also.

I am always curious to find out how visitors find their way to my blog. But in the immortal words of Anita Baker, "I don't care how you get here, just get here right away." I enjoy my visitors, new and repeat.

Google AdSense Update

This is an update for those of you who have continued to query the status of my appeal with Google AdSense. I thought this was a "put down and dun ting". When I filed the appeal and heard nothing from them, I just removed the HTML code for the Google Ads and continued blogging without them.

What a surprise to get this e-mail post from them:

"Thanks for providing us with additional information. However, after thoroughly reviewing your account data and taking your feedback into consideration, we've re-confirmed that your account poses a significant risk to our advertisers. For this reason, we're unable to reinstate your account. Thank you for your understanding. As a reminder, if you have any questions about your account or the actions we've taken, please do not reply to this email. You can find more information by visiting https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=57153.
Sincerely,
The Google AdSense Team"

Mi neva kno seh likkle mi inna mi likkle yaad on fi mi likkle compooter cudda "pose a significant risk" to hinnyboddy at all.

Blog Housekeeping

Over the next several days this blog may look strange. (OK, stranger)

I will be attempting some housekeeping tasks that I was previously avoiding because of my internet access issues. If you stop by to visit with Lady Roots and tings dem a look chaka-chaka, come back soon.

Of course, the purpose of this endeavor is to make the blog more readable and easier to navigate. I am open to suggestions that will make your visit here more enjoyable.

As a relatively new blogger, I am still in the learning curve.

Thank you, Loyal Readers, for your visits, your shared thoughts and your support.

Big-Up & Nuff Nuff Ras-pect to MiPhone

This is a Public Service Announcement for my Jamaican readers who are being held hostage by an uncaring corporation. Now we can kick them to the curb!

I seem to have found the solution to my multiple problems with Chaos & Wutless (Cable & Wireless), the local phone service provider here in Jamaica.

For over 10 years now, I have been subjected to poor or no service from C&W along with a callous disregard for the negative impact this has on my personal and professional life. On the rare ocassions I could get an internet connection, the speed would be a notoriously slow 28.8 kpbs. Dropped calls were the norm.

I was paying JA$2,800 per month for the access and another JA$9,000 per month for the calls to the C&W dial-up number. Since the passage of Tropical Storm Noel, last year, I have had no service at all. Calls to C&W repair were ineffective and aggravating.

So I begin to look for an another ISP (internet service provider) and I found MiPhone! For a one-time start up fee of JA$5,000 and a monthly rate of JA$1,400, I now have unlimited internet access at 115 kbps.

This is a public "THANX!" to Michelle, Mario and Nicole of the Mandeville MiPhone store. Each of them were helpful to me in their own way during the application and setup process. I look forward to many years of satisfied service from MiPhone.

Good-Bye to 2007

Peaceful greetings, Loyal Readers.

Even tho we still don't have phone service at home, after months of broken promises and missed commitments, I had to find a way to post today. I needed to thank those of you who have let me know that this blog has either touched them in some special way or helped them to learn something new.

My prayer for you in 2008 is that your heart is filled with joy, love, and compassion. May your mind and heart remain open to itinual spiritual growth. May you enjoy abundant good health each day that comes.

Here is hoping 2008 brings more prayer warriors on board to heal this world with love!

No Excuses, Just Facts

Since the passage of Tropical Storm Noel last week, I haven't been blogging regularly because we didn't have power for two days. After power is restored, we usually get phone service back within a day. This time we have been without phone service for over a week. Our local phone company, Cable & Wireless, also known as Chaos & Wutless, has advised that they will "add me to the list". No estimated date for clearing the trouble, no commitment to come to the house to check anything...just a promise to "add me to the list".

I have been driving an hour thru the mountains into Mandeville to use a computer at an internet cafe to moderate and respond to shared thoughts and to post the blog. With the recent hike of the price of gas, I don't know how long I can afford that.

I am very grateful to those of you who stop by to visit and I am thrilled when you share your thoughts. Please come back soon, Loyal Reader.