Presenting thatreofsunshine.com

I've been stalling on this for a while now, but I'm pleased to say the new That Ré of Sunshine website is up and running!  It's finally here folks! It's been a year plus since I got the domain name and started building it. All year, I've had readers of this blog ask when the new website would be launching. I was taking my time because I wanted it to be perfect but now I've realised I've just got to start and create "perfection" as I grow.

It's been almost six years since I started blogging. In this time, I have created seven blogs, two websites and been a contributor on several other websites.

I really should be happy about the launch of the TROS website, but in some way it feels as though a part of me just got taken away. Maybe it's because my blog is personal and the website is more of a formal platform with more content and several other contributors.

The blog will now become a sub menu of the website. So I can continue to share my adventures with you. (Ha ha! You can't get rid of me so easily).

Do tell me what you think of the website: www.thatreofsunshine.com

P.S. If it looks strange, it's because I'm still playing around with the layout.

Have an awesome weekend.

Ré

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Countdown to Christmas

Waiting for dinner at The Wick at Both Ends | Photo credit: Princess Abumere

It's only the 23rd day of June and I've found myself singing songs from Michael Buble's "Christmas" album. I especially like his version of "Santa Baby". (Maybe it's because he asks Santa for luxury gifts I'll never be able to afford on a journalist's salary . . . ). 

Speaking of Christmas, last year, I produced my very first TV package. I stood in the freezing cold for almost 5 hours filming the Christmas lights switch on at Sheffield city centre. Thankfully, my friend Julia was there to help me.  

Changes in spending patterns over Christmas 

With changes in the UK economy and the national debt being up to a trillion pounds consumer spending patterns continue to change. Inflation continues to rise despite fixed salaries and more people depending on welfare. Will this affect Christmas? Princess Abumere has more. 

I admit it's a bit dry, but remember it was my first package. Thanks for watching.  My countdown to Christmas continues. :-)

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5 Things I recently did

Hey guys, the last month has been really eventful for me.  I'll give you a quick catch up of what this Ré has been up to.

1. I resigned from my job.

I miss my desk, I miss my Base fam . . 

Before you scream out loud, keep reading and you'll know why. Enough people have told me I must be crazy for doing this. Well my Base fam were very supportive. Gosh I miss that Base life. (I'm still a Base writer though :-), I couldn't leave completely).

2. I moved to a new city.

The Steel City

It was time for a new adventure . . .  Sometimes you've just got to make that move. I moved to a city in South Yorkshire, England. Loving it so far. Only thing I've got qualms with is the weather. I'm a summer girl; I love the sun.

3. I went back to school.

Looks like a church doesn't it? It's a lecture theatre. 

I'm currently working on getting a master's in Broadcast Journalism. Whoop whoop!

4. I finally found true love.

Brandon and I.  *Insert Beyonce lyrics here { . . . I'll be your baby, now promise not to let you go, love you like crazy}

Love my new MacBook Pro more than a fat kid loves cake!

5. I got a house plant.

Her name is Clara. She's a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Her spines are not as prickly as I thought they would be. She sure brightens up my place.

I'll be honest with you guys, I was afraid of leaving my job, I was afraid of moving to a new city and leaving my family . . . but  I'm happy I took this decision. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr.

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

My name is Princess Irede Abumere, I am a Mongo ma Ndemi native and my journey continues. xx

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The Memory Of You

Wasn't going to write this but hey, it wouldn't hurt right?

We haven't spoken in exactly a year,

Cause you're not here,

And I've got so much to share. 

Life has left us with our emotions bare,

But we don't care because of LOVE.

Because of LOVE 

The memories of you were made even stronger,

Friendship bonds were made tighter,

And our dreams soared higher.

The memory of you has taught me a few things:

The memory of you has taught me to smile,

I remember wanting to run into bed and hide after a hard day at work, but you would never let me,

That's when you remember you'd need to talk to me about something random and make me laugh.  

The memory of you has taught me to express myself,

I remember you constantly remember you telling me to say how I feel and not be afraid to say things as they are.

The memory of you has taught me talk,

I miss your random messages telling me to come outside so we could catch up on work gist, and chat about life, our dreams and future plans.  

The memory of you has taught me to believe in myself,

The memory of you has taught me to chase my dreams,

I wish you were here so I could tell you in person that I finally took that BIG step and my dreams are about to come true. 

The memory of you has taught me to observe and take life easy.

I've missed watching the joggers run past us and watching you pretend not to notice that the girls slow down every time they run past to stare at you. Oh, by the way, your brother told me you were working out. I knew it!

The memory of you has taught me to eat popcorn and not care.

Almost every time I'd catch you with popcorn I'd say I didn't want some because of it getting stuck in my teeth. Even after saying this I'd shamefully eat your whole bag of popcorn. 

The memory of you taught me so much;

To love and to care because that's what you did.

You maybe gone, but the memory of you continues to live in our hearts.

Sometimes when I get back from work, I stand outside for a bit waiting to see if your yellow face would emerge from the black gate.

Continue to rest in peace my friend, Aboyowa 'Abs' Harriman.

Love,

Princess Irede

P.S. I know I said I wouldn't forget but I almost forgot your birthday again this year, (*covers face in shame) but your mum reminded me. :-)

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Of Life

Image via Giorgio Armani

Looks like everyone seems to be on this "Of Life" trend. Everyone has their own meaning of "of life". Let me try and explain this to you . . . So I've got this friend who's really bubbly, friendly, fun to be around, has jokes for day and loves to enjoy life, next thing I know everyone starts calling him *Pierre of life. And then when Hadi's favourite song was Tunde Ednut's "Catching cold" she called described it as a "jam of life".  You get it?

It looks like even Giorgio Armani is jumping on this Of life trend with their new campaign; Frames of Life. The Frames of Life is an eyewear campaign which was initially launched in 2010 by the brand and now it's back with something new. "In every frame of our lives, there are so many stories meeting, crossing and interweaving." They  and Luxottica are now putting together short films surrounding five characters and their eye wear.

I remember the first designer frames I ever got were by Emporio Armani. I was 17 and cool. Lol! There'll always be a bond between me and Armani (still saving to buy a pair of Armani jeans). Check out the trailer for Giorgio Armani Frames of Life below:

Will be sharing a story of me and my frames "of life" soon.

Until then, I am That Ré of life :-)

*Not real name. 

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Talk!

I published this post and then I deleted it because it stirred concern amongst my friends and offended some people. Now I'm publishing it again because the truth is we all need to express ourselves one way or the other. Plus it was my first angry post. Let it be.


I’m the type of girl who keeps her mouth shut.

Almost like I only speak unless I’m spoken to.

You know how they say “the walls have ears”? Well I’m a wall just sitting there and soaking it all in. Now this wall is ready to crack.

I hate to see people disappointed or hurt so rather than express how I truly feel, I just keep quiet.

Even when people hurt or upset me, I hide and scream or hide and cry then appear with a smile (or my ever famous scowl) on my face like everything is OK.

When people say or do stuff, I just figure its cause its who they are or how they are. I am now tired of making excuses for them.

Tired of keeping my mouth shut, I want to talk!

Truth is, this is not me. I love to talk and I can talk.

So you think I’m stupid/ wired cause I keep mum, well I think you are stupid so I’m only going along and listening to your stupid stories.

Dear ex-friend, we are not friends, you hurt me, in ways not words but a knife can better express, so I will not talk to you ever. Don’t bother.

“Me I go talk my mind.”

Share with me, have you ever felt this way before?

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Love Thyself

Sometimes I feel really down and then I get into a mood that I can't get out of. I find it really hard to even smile. The thing is I have a thousand and one reasons . . . scratch that, a million and one reasons to be happy. Yet I let just one silly little thing get me down and start doubting myself. Woke up this morning and decided to stop beating myself up. I thought of all the adjectives people had used to describe me in this week and felt good :-)!

Precious                        Talented

  Great         Wonderful 

Amazing                        GodSent 

      Beautiful                  Angel  

Special     Awesome Ingenious

If there's one thing I've learnt this week don't sweat the small stuff. Everything does happen for a reason. Stop beating yourself up for silly mistakes, wrong decisions and things beyond your control not going your way.

Love thyself no matter the situation. Did I mention I got the promotion I told you I was working towards!!

Like a match to a flame! This girl is on fire!!!!

Have a fab weekend/week ahead!

Ré

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Who Promised You Tomorrow?

Who promised you tomorrow?

Who told you it was yours and you could have it just like that?

Causally throwing around 'tomorrow's day' in conversations. 

See you tomorrow,

Talk to you tomorrow,

Call me tomorrow,

Email me tomorrow,

Why not today?

Who promised you tomorrow?

It's not just another day,

It's totally different from today, 

Extremely different from today.

If it can be done today,

Why tomorrow?

Who promised you tomorrow?

Sitting there dreaming about tomorrow,

A tomorrow where everything is ok,

And everything goes exactly your way,

Wake up!

Who told you to trust tomorrow? 

A day that may be for you or not,

A day filled with unpredictable events.

Do you know where you'll be tomorrow?

Do you know what will happen tomorrow?

What do you know about tomorrow?

What do I know about tomorrow?

All I know is I'm living for today,

Always having God in mind,  

Whilst praying and hoping for tomorrow.

My friend and neighbour Aboyowa 'Abs' Harriman passed away yesterday morning.

Last thing I said to him was see you tomorrow.

Tomorrow came and he wasn't there . . .

I thank God for his life and letting me be a part of it. I'll miss our morning conversations, after work gist and hearing his hearty laugh from over the walls of our house.

Abs

Adieu friend of mine. Till we meet again. 

Princess Re

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Letter To My Grandpa

Grandpa dear,

I’ve been in denial about you passing on for the past couple of months. On the 24^th of February 2011, Tito told me you had gone to heaven.  The minute I heard, time froze. I couldn’t move, my mouth went dry, I couldn’t speak.  It’s just so hard to believe. I knew one day you would go, but silly me, I thought you would be here forever and ever!

Everyone has their own way of handling grief. Not sure I do. Been waiting for you to call and say “Princess dear, why have I not heard from you since?” 

Reality has set in; they're holding a service of songs for you at the Catherdral. It is hard for me to talk about you in past tense. *sigh I miss you.

Now who am I going to talk to about ideas for my book, who is going to proof read my book. Feel bad because I’ve been writing this book for a hundred years. Feel so sad about all the things we never got to do together, like go to the beach or go for a drive in my car.

Feel like I'm dreaming, I can’t believe you are no longer here. Want to drive to papa Ajao so you can ask me what I’m reading now, what I'm writing now and whats on the news.

You taught me so much, how to think, how to write. You have had so much influence on who I am now and who I’m going to be in the next couple of years.

I love you Grandpa!

On the way to your room, there was this poem hanging on the wall and I remember every time after reciting it, I would ask you what it meant and you would say “Princess dear, it’s written in plain English, it’s about a man.”

“That Man Is A Success                        

Who has lived well,

Laughed often and loved much,

Who has gained the respect of

Intelligent men

 and the love of his children;

Who leaves the world better

Than when he found it,

Whether by an improved poppy,

A perfect poem

Or a rescued soul;

Who never lacked appreciation

Of earth’s beauty

Or failed to express it;

Who looked for the best in others

And gave the best he had.”                        -Anonymous

Today I know what that poem means and I know that man is you!

One things for sure, I know you are here with us in spirit. The other day, Grandma told me, she knew you were with us in spirit. She was taking her time in the bathroom like she always does right before breakfast. Then she heard the door slam a couple of times, there was no way it could have been the wind because the door was shut and no wind except a tornado can open that door. She knew it was a sign from you because whenever she takes her time, you would call out “Grandma dear do you want the tea to go cold?” I believe it was you! ☺

Wish you were here to give me some grandpa medicine to take the pain away like you always did when I was younger whenever I was hurt or sad. I miss you granddad, we all do.

Rest in peace Micheal Omiunu Imana. My Grandfather.

Love,

Princess dear. Xxx

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Living Life Danger-Free

“My cigarette packet kindly informs me it will kill me if I consume its contents. My nightdress tells me what will happen to my skin (my largest organ) if I combust in it. Peanuts may asphyxiate me, eggs will clog up my passages, steak will make me moo, sugar will rot my teeth, fluoride will prevent them from rotting but slowly poison the rest of me.

If I ride a bicycle without a mask, I’ll be polluted, if I swim in the sea, I’ll be covered in effluence, if I sunbathe, I’ll look healthy but actually will be suffering from melanoma and prematurely aged skin. If I exercise I will live for a long time but arthritic joints will render me immobile. If I cook in aluminium pans, I will lose my marbles, if acid rain hits my tongue, it may burn through it.

Margarine contains sump oil, butter will sit on my heart. I must eat Fibre in order to excrete but not cereal because it may have been genetically interfered with. Carrots will make my hair see in the dark, spinach will enable me to tear up telephone books. I should drink my own urine and juice my own pomegranites and organic food is worth the extra and tomatoes and chocolate are acidic and kippers come back at you and wheat blows you up and as for milk – here’s what the label said on a piece of Tesco’s Brie de Meaux: ‘Made using unpasteurised milk which will contain naturally occurring bacteria. These maybe harmful to the health of pregnant women, children, the elderly and anyone with a low resistance to infection. People in these groups should not eat this product.’ This was a warning on a piece of cheese! And I bought it!

What can I do that is danger free?” (Lipman, Maureen. (2000). Starter. In M. Lipman, Lip Reading (p. 1). London: Robson Books).

After reading this, I’ve thought and thought, what can I do that is danger free? I've realised there’s absolutely nothing, everyday and everything is a risk. I’m constantly watching what I eat, what I do, where I go. Enough is enough! Life comes with its own risks (everyday) and there’s absolutely no warning on the packet. If anyone else came to this world with a warning well I didn’t. And I’m not about to place myself under house arrest because I'm afraid of what is out there, or not eat or not lift anything (e.g my mobile phone) cause it might drop on my foot (or give me cancer if I place it on the wrong ear).

I just recently discovered you can’t hide from life, eventually you have got to live it, make the best of it and enjoy!

Off to watch telly (without my glasses), eat a bowl of butter popcorn with chocolate and honey syrup poured over it and drink water directly from the bottle (too lazy to get a glass).

Will be blogging again soon. x

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