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Portsia Faces LifeBy Portsia Smith
Oct. 15, 2009 4:03 pm
I know it's been a while since I have posted here, but there hasn't been a dull moment in my life as a mom. My son Izaiah is now 20 months and just as cute as he can be. But he has decided to reach his terrible two stage a few months early. Here are just a few of memorable moments featuring Izaiah and mommy.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1255637005
Tags: Izaiah
June 25, 2009 8:32 pm
One of my earliest memories was of Michael Jackson. I was about 2 years old, and my family traveled up to D.C. to see him perform. I don't remember the songs he sung that night, or the dancing he did. But what I do remember is him throwing his hat into the audience and wishing I had caught it. After that, I was an MJ fan for life. You have to admit, Michael Jackson is an American icon. An international superstar! Especially in the 80's, he was the MAN! Who was hotter than Michael Jackson when he graced the cover of the Thriller album? If you weren't singing his songs, you were imitating his moves. And if you weren't imitating his moves, you were just confused by some of his personal decisions. (Think Bubbles, skin tone, dangling baby, pajama pants and Lisa Marie Presley.) But despite all the weirdness and legal troubles, Michael Jackson will be remembered for what made him the King of Pop. Thriller The Moonwalk Billie Jean I'm Bad The Silver glove PYT Beat it Jackson 5 The Pepsi Commercial The way you make me feel You are not Alone Black or white Don't stop til you get enough Heal the World Remember the time and my most recent favorite...Butterflies and if you've ever seen The Wiz, you'd remember how MJ (as the scarecrow) grooved down the yellow brick road while singing "Ease on down, ease on down the road." Michael Jackson was a big part of my childhood. He stands right in line with Skittles, hightop sneakers and the 4-H pledge. Even the basics. Who do you think helped us remember that ABC was easy as 123 and do re mi? I love Michael Jackson. I love his music. and I love the legacy he left behind. Michael Jackson dead at 50. He will be dearly missed.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1245976366
Tags: RIP Michael Jackson
May 22, 2009 4:38 pm
CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING May 26, 2009 COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER MILFORD, VIRGINIA AGENDA 6:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER INVOCATION PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
OPENING BOARD COMMENTS 1. PRESENTATIONS/REPORTS
2. APPOINTMENTS
3. CONSENT AGENDA
7:30 P.M. PUBLIC COMMENTS PUBLIC HEARINGS
UNFINISHED BUSINESS8. Discussion of Timbering in M-1 Zoning District
11. Adoption of Fiscal Year 2009/2010 Budget 12. INFORMATIONAL/CALENDAR ITEMSCLOSING BOARD COMMENTS CLOSED MEETING
ADJOURNMENT
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1243024680
Tags: Board of Supervisors
Apr. 27, 2009 4:46 pm
On April 20, 2009, Deputy K. Digravio-Ferguson responded to a domestic in Milford. After investigating, Michele A. Anderson, 52, of Milford was charged with malicious wounding. She was ordered held without bond and a court date of April 21, 2009 was set. On April 21, 2009, Deputy D. W. Mundie stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. After investigating, Joan A. Quested, 69, of Port Royal was charged with driving under the influence. She was ordered held under a $2,000 bond and a court date of May 6, 2009 was set. On April 25, 2009, Sergeant R. L. Hixson stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. After investigating, Gilbert W. Holmes, 34, of Aylett was charged with driving under the influence – 2nd offense, driving on a revoked license and refusal to submit to a breath test. He was ordered held under a $3,000 bond and a court date of May 6, 2009 was set. Caroline County Sheriff's Office Wrap UpAccording to Sheriff Tony Lippa, Caroline Deputies made 3 drug arrests, 1 DUI arrests, 10 domestic violence arrests, 81 other criminal arrests and issued 2 animal control summons or arrests during the past week. The deputies served 257 civil papers, issued 207 traffic summonses, handled 4 motor vehicle crashes, responded to 32 alarm calls, and dealt with 4 juvenile offender(s). The Sheriff’s Office Communications Center dispatched 392 calls for service and handled 1,659 telephone inquiries. The CCSO also logged 28 calls assisting outside agencies and had 190 self-initiated calls.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1240865203
Tags: crime
Apr. 22, 2009 4:25 pm
I will admit. It took me some time and a little bit of arm-twisting to get me to join this Facebook phenomenon. But I finally did. And boy was it an experience. I signed up last Friday--and ended up spending the entire weekend 'friending.' I was hesitant at first because I was already on MySpace and LinkedIn and another social networking site that I barely visit. And I didn't want anyone or anything involved with these sites to bite me in the butt later. (Trust me, it has before by no fault of my own, let me add). But anyway, I joined mostly so I can be an admin on the fredericksburg.com Facebook page (which you all should join). So as I sat in my living room wondering who I could look up, a very, very, very, very, very, very old friend came to mind. Let's just call her Lisa. When I was a young girl, maybe 8 or 9, (I really can't remember), I met Lisa while on a family vacation out of town. We had stayed at the same hotel. We hit it off OK, and our parents suggested we become pen pals. I lived in Warsaw at the time, and she was from Northern Virgina. We wrote each other maybe once or twice, but like the attention span of a third grader, our pen pal partnership was short. Every now and then, I wondered what happened to my pen pal. Until Friday night. I searched for her on Facebook, and 1 match showed up. I sent her a message that was kind of like, "This may be weird, but are you the Lisa that was my pen pal back in the day?" Send. A couple of hours later, I got a response. "Holy Crap! This is totally me!" We chatted for a while about what we've been up to over the years and what we're looking forward to. I told her I was working in Fredericksburg and she is in school pursuing a career as a chef. We talked about old boyfriends and our current ones, the child I have and the child she lost. It really was amazing to talk to her after all those years. Before we had realized it, it was nearly 1 a.m. and we ended our chat. I'd bet my bottom dollar that I probably would have never heard from her again if it wasn't for Facebook. The same goes for some other friends that I had lost contact with. One of my good friends from high school, I found out is married and just had a baby this month. My 3rd grade teacher, who I loved, is on there. Come to find out she lives in Stafford now. And one of the "cool high school girls" when I was in middle school requested to be my friend. How cool is that? Thanks to those of you who twisted my arm. Now friend me! :)
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1240431903
Tags: facebook,, pen pal,, old friends
Apr. 1, 2009 5:02 pm
I know I am going to get a lot of flack over what I'm about to say, I am going to support Chris Brown. Yes, I said Chris Brown. Yes, I am aware of the allegations that he beat his superstar And yes, I am aware that he is facing some serious charges. But I am going to continue to support him. I am not saying that it was OK for him to attack her the way he did, But what I am saying is that he is a 19-year-old who made a mistake No one really knows what happened the night of Feb. 8, just hours And no one, except for them, knows what really "transpired." But what I do know is that outside of this incident Chris Brown is a good guy. I followed Chris Brown ever since his #1 hit "Run it" hit the airwaves. I remember the day I first heard the song and I loved it. So you can imagine how excited I was to hear that the newbie was from Then come to find out there was less than six degrees of separation between us. I grew up with his cousins. My sister went to high school with his So I know his people, where he grew up and have been impressed by his Another thing I admire about Chris Brown is that he didn't forget Anyway, my point is we are from the same community, which makes him my I'm not going to throw him under the bus because of one incident. I'd Let me also add that Rihanna has forgiven Chris, and if she has, who I know a lot of people will say he is a role model and he should know I really would like to hear Chris Brown's side of the story. He has apologized to Rihanna. He is supposed to be taking Anger I don't know what else people want from him. Blood? Hopefully Chris can get past this and move on with his career.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1238619775
Tags: Chris Brown
No burning after 4 p.m. starting Sunday Feb. 13, 2009 12:59 pm
The Commonwealth’s 4 p.m. Burning Law goes into effect Sunday, Feb. 15 – the start of spring fire season in Virginia. This law prohibits burning before 4 p.m. each day (Feb. 15 – April 30) if the fire is in, or within 300 feet of, woodland, brushland or fields containing dry grass or other flammable materials. A violation of this law is a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine. In addition to the criminal violation, those who allow a fire to escape are liable for the cost of suppressing the fire as well as any damage caused to others’ property. So be careful, just yesterday there was a bad house fire next door in Hanover County due to it being dry and high winds. Read the Va. Department of Forestry's Frequently Asked Questions: Can I Burn? to learn more and help prevent forest fires.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1234547942
Trying Economic Times Cause Furloughs Feb. 13, 2009 12:49 pm
Here's a press release from the Caroline County Sheriff's Department Sheriff Tony Lippa announced Wednesday that due to the budgetary difficulties Caroline County is facing, all employees of the Sheriff’s Office will be taking a minimum of 4 unpaid leave days over the next few months. “Due to the financial situation being experienced across this county, this Commonwealth, and the entire nation, the County has mandated that each full time employee, including sworn law enforcement employees, take 4 days of unpaid leave. While I am not happy about furloughing public safety workers, I am committed to doing our part in this crisis without sacrificing the services we provide to our residents, business owners, and visitors,” said Sheriff Lippa. Sheriff Lippa continued, “We will be doing our best to work through this crisis and giving our employees time off in ways that will have the least impact on our delivery of vital law enforcement services. Originally, I was asked to give each employee 6 days off, but by delaying the filling of 2 deputy positions that just became vacant, I was able to lessen that number to 4.” Caroline County required the Sheriff’s Office to return approximately $65,000 in deputy salaries to close a deficit in the Caroline County budget.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1234547381
Dec. 17, 2008 4:37 pm
This week I was thinking about the holidays and realized that this is my first Christmas as a parent. Granted, my son is only 10 months old, so whether he gets a candy cane or just a cane, it wont matter to him as long as he can teethe on it. But as he grows up, I not only have to worry about finding the perfect toy that'll make him smile. I also want to make sure he understands what Christmas is all about and what it stands for. He should know its not all about gifts and Santa Claus. He should understand that its a time to spend with the ones you love and to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I want him to learn about giving and receiving, but also faith and believing. Sharing and love. That's what I want to do. Not sure how I'm gonna do it. Back when I was a kid, my family would celebrate Christmas at my mom's house in Warsaw. I got to open my gifts first because I was the baby, then my sister. We always got a shoebox filled with fruit, nuts and candy. My dad said it came from Santa Claus, but I don't think Santa wore size 10 snake-skin shoes. I remember getting some of the best gifts over the years--an Alvin and the Chipmunks tape, a Teddy Ruxpin, a doll named Gem and she had flashy earrings. Somebody must have thought I was a very good girl because I always got the best stuff. After the gift-unwrapping ceremony, we would all huddle in the dining room for Christmas breakfast--the second biggest feast after Thanksgiving. I couldn't wait to eat the fried oysters. And every year it never failed, some of our annoying neighbors always managed to know what time we were eating because that's when we would hear the doorbell ring. Despite me and my sister's wishes, my mom would invite them to join us every time. " Merry Christmas, come on in," she would say. And then I would remember that sharing your special time with others is just as much a part of Christmas as sharing gifts. The way my mom put it, they could have spent Christmas with anybody else they wanted to, but they decided to spend it with us and we should be honored. When I thought of it like that, it made a lot of sense. And that is what Christmas is all about. Now that time has passed, my mom is gone, my sister and I are grown and my dad has remarried, we don't really do that Christmas tradition anymore. But I hope to rekindle it with my son, his half-brother and his dad from now on. Here's a semi-recent pic of my little man. Merry Christmas, everyone.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1229549868
Tags: family, Christmas, traditions, , ,
Obama and Palin were here, now what? Oct. 27, 2008 5:11 pm
Barack Obama was here Sept. 27th at UMW. Sarah Palin was here today at Hurkamp park. These two 'political celebrities' thought Fredericksburg was important enough to add to their campaign list of places to go. And I appreciate that! And either way you look at it, whoever wins, it'll be a historic event. The first black president or the first woman VP. Now, me being a journalist, I'm not "allowed" to voice my opinion publicly--(well, I can, but not if I want to keep my job). But, with me being a black woman, I'm at some sort of a crossroad. First, let me say, I think that people should base their vote on who they feel are the most qualified and what issues they agree with. Second, I don't believe the President of the United States should be someone "just like me or someone I would want to have a beer with." In that case, ANYONE could be in charge of this country and I really don't think the President should be chilling with me drinking a beer...he (or she) should be working hard getting us out of debt, war, etc. OK. Back to what I was saying. Being a black woman, I sat and thought one day, which is MORE important of an event for ME personally. The achievement of a black person or the achievement of a woman. Because after all, I am both. But which one am I first? Like I said, because of my job, I can't really give an answer on how I feel, but I'd like to open it up for discussion to see what you all think. Thoughts?
Also, I want to give a blog shout out to one of my readers. Hey there, Shantae Collins!
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1225141872
Tags: election, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, President
Oct. 15, 2008 4:51 pm
So I was at home on Monday and I heard this loud noise outside. I looked out the window and saw a big Dominion Power truck in my driveway. So, I'm thinking to myself, "What in the world are they doing here." I knew I paid the bill, so they better not be trying to cut of my power, I thought. So the guy starts walking to the door. I picked up my (cutie-pie) son and answered the door. I mean, what decent human being would cut the lights out on a lady with a little baby? I open the door, bounce my son on my hip and say, "Can we help you?" He says, "Yes, is that your tree over there?" And he points to my pear tree at the edge of the road. And now I'm thinking they want to cut my tree down to protect the lines. I don't think so. That tree was part of the reason I bought the house. We call it the 'partridge and a pear tree.' They produce big, juicy pears every year. There's no way I'm cutting it down! I said, "Yes, why?" And he says something about he raises deer and would I mind if he picked a few off. I breathe a sigh of relief and tell him to have at it. He jumps in the bucket on the truck and raises himself up to the top and gets to picking. This isn't the first stranger to come to my door asking to go pear-picking. A few random people have. One day when they first blossomed, a guy came by and asked could he pick some for his wife. A few weeks later the wife came by and gave me a jar of pear preserves she made from the pears off my tree. And let me tell you, it is yummy! Reminds me of the preserves my grandma used to make. Then there are the rude people who just walk up in my yard and start picking without asking. I don't mind them picking, I can't possible eat all those pears, but at least have the courtesy to ask instead of trespassing on my lawn. My sister was visiting and we saw someone doing that and she asked him if his momma taught him any manners. LOL. But anyway, back to the preserves. I'd like to learn how to make them myself. I've been online and have seen a bunch of recipes but I want "Grandma's preserves." Anybody got a good recipe? Let me know.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1224103897
Tags: pear tree, preserves, recipe
Aug. 14, 2008 2:43 pm
Today is three years to the day that my mom passed away. The time has flew by and so much has changed since she's been gone, yet my memories of her are still fresh. It seems just like yesterday she surprised me with a graduation gift of a trip to the Bahamas. Me, her and my best friend enjoyed ourselves as we walked the sandy beaches, danced to soka and calypso music and ate conch, one of the signature foods in the carribean country. That was summer 2004. A few weeks later, she surprised my sister with the same trip. She didn't exactly do anything to deserve that trip like I did. But I guess my mom wanted to be fair. My sister and my mom went by themselves on that trip. That was about June 2004. Then October 4, 2004 was the day my mom had the paralyzing stroke that eventually killed her 10 months later. In a way, it's sort of like she knew her time was coming to an end and she used those vacations with me and my sister as a last memorable moment. Her way of spending time with us before she had to say goodbye. Same thing happened with my current boyfriend's aunt. Me and her daughter were really good friends and she thought of me as a daughter too. About two weeks before she died, she sent me a hand-written letter saying that she was proud of me and to always obey my mom and dad (her daughter was a bit rebellious). I thought nothing of the letter until i got the news that she died. That was 1997 and I still have the letter. I never told anyone about it until 2006 when I started dating her nephew. He got emotional after reading it. She was like a mom to him, too. Anyway, I just wanted to take out some blog time to remember my mom. She really was an incredible woman, and I'm not just saying that because she was my mom. RIP Ola J. Mullins Smith 01/07/46 - 08/14/05
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=5&p=1218739387
Tags: In memoriam, mothers
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Portsia Smith is the online content producer for Fredericksburg.com.
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