TANYA TALKS™

Today's Mood. The hymn, Come Thou Fount, is one of my favorites. It was just ringing in my spirit this morning. I prefer the traditional way the hymn is sung and the Celtic Worship Group sings it beautifully. May you be blessed.  

I built a patio with my own hands and strength. Yup, I did this thing, and I am a rock star! I extended my existing builder brick patio by approximately 200 sqft with pavers from Pavestone , style: Panorama , color: travertine. I'm planning to get my lawn aerated the end of June, once that is done, I will finish the patio area by adding top soil and sod where the patio ends so there is a smooth transition from the patio to the lawn and you won't see the edging. Drama Why did I choose the build the patio myself in 90 degree heat in Houston, TX? Well a few years ago, I planned to extend my patio with concrete. I wanted the concrete to be colored, not stained, but colored throughout the same color as the grout in the bricks on my existing patio so that it would be cohesive. And with a brick surround, so it flowed nicely.  I also wanted to create a walkway on the side of my house, plain concrete.  All of the quotes I received were 2 - 3 times what I estimated. So, I did not go for...

I permanently deleted my twitter account.  There is no customer service at that company. The bots are crazy and they locked my account because they claimed I was harassing lice. See my post  Twitter Loves Sea Lice  for background information on my decision. Microblogging is a great way to communicate instantly. However, it does not serve its purpose if it operates in a sea of toxicity and the company operating the platform does not perform even the most basic customer support and service.

 This is why you won't see my tweets on twitter Twitter locked my account because they claimed I was harassing sea lice. Yeah, that's why Elon Musk purchased it. So, I think I'll just delete my account. Done with that platform.

So, my clothes are old. Like really old. Ok, not that old, but they are old.  I told myself I would not buy any new clothes until I lost weight. I failed. So I have a closet full of clothes I can't wear because of my girth. And I have nothing to wear that makes me feel pretty. Clothes that Fit My Personality I'm on that trend where I want clothes that feel comfortable against my skin, are functional and represents my personality. I don't need monkey suits for work anymore. Now don't get me wrong,  I love a nice tweed blazer, dress pants and a beautiful dress. I just don't need to maintain a closet full of dry clean only items. I also have taken some time to study garment construction, learned to sew, though I still need more classes & practice, and am now presently researching knitting. I looked at the construction of my knitted clothes and realized that the knit construction is just cheap. Instead of seamlessly attaching panels and sleeves, they were sewn quick...

Customized Merch I've placed some products on popular online market places who highlight great art from artists around the world You can view and purchase products here: Fine Art America Store  - Wall Art & Stationery Red Bubble Store  - Clothing, Home & Living, Stationery, & Travel Mugs   Cafe Press Store  - Phone Cases

 I started a new meditation YouTube series on my T-Logic Productions channel titled a Moment of Zen. Mantra Snippets I've also uploaded the mantra portion of the meditation(s) so that you can take a minute of your day, center, focus, reset, recharge, and walk in renewal. Here is an excerpt from my T-Logic Productions blog explaining what a mantra is. I will cross post the mantra's on this blog since they are hosted on my Tanya Talks Soundcloud . Hope Mantra I don't delve into the deep practices of yoga or Hindu. I am using the basic definition of mantra as a focusing point, as a way to renew your mind and melt away the stress. To be intentional. So what is a mantra? According to Chopra   The word mantra can be broken down into two parts: "man," which means mind, and "tra," which means transport or vehicle. In other words, a mantra is an instrument of the mind . . . that you can use to enter a deep state of meditation. Like a seed planted wit...

Sometimes when a song ministers to me I play it over and over and let it wash over my soul, speaking to every crevice of my being. I discovered the song Love Myself , sung by Tracee Ellis Ross in the movie The High Note on January 3, 2021.  Tracee Ellis Ross Singing Credit: Glen Wilson / Focus Features And the song quickly became my anthem for 2021. When I first heard the song while watching the movie on HBO Max  I quickly looked it up on YouTube and played it over and over.  Culture & Society With the world in an upheaval from the COVID-19 virus and America destined to relive every ugly part of her racist past by systemically and systematically killing Black people for: sleeping in their own beds  playing video games in their own homes  watching TV in their own homes  Driving While Black  Calling the police for assistance  just breathing, existing   Then the violent insurrection on January 6, 2021 at the nation's Capitol, the s...

 My Hamstrings I have tight hamstrings. I have had tight hamstrings for this entire millennium, so 20+ years. Why do I have tight hamstrings? I have had sedentary jobs and I live a sedentary life.  Hamstring Muscles by Harold Gibbons I honestly just thought something was wrong with me as I aged out of my 20s into my 30s. I thought these tight hamstrings were an indication that something was wrong with my legs and I was doing something wrong.  Car Accident 2001 In 2001 I was hit by an 18 wheeler tractor trailer while driving on I-78 in the Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania. I was on the side of the mountain, and thank God in that particular stretch of the road they were doing some road construction, which meant there were guardrails, otherwise when my car went into a spin it would've spun off the side of the mountain. Yeah, that happened and still does frequently on that stretch of the road . Heck my accident was so commonplace it didn't make the news because I wasn't maimed or k...

Why the Rebrand? I rebranded the the blog to reflect more of what is driving me to write and soon podcast. The previous title  A Voice Crying in the Desert was more a reflection of my spiritual growth, calling, and evolution. However, my blog postings really revolved more around lifestyle and social issues. Spirituality encompasses all of that, but the name, Tanya Talks  is more a reflection of what I am doing with this blog. And it does not constrict me from branching out to different topics. Will I Discuss Spirituality? Definitely, I am not a woman who lives in compartments. My faith is not a cloak I put on and take off as it pleases me. So when warranted I will touch on matters of faith, or rather matters of the heart and conscience. Look I get deep and this blog will reflect that. I also like the lighter side of life and at times I will blog about that. This is just an eclectic space and I hope you join me for the ride and enjoy the ride. Tone I want this blog to be a casu...