15 days until Christmas… 2 months earlier President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

15 days until  Christmas…The first day was World Aids Day (December 1st)

15 days until Christmas…Two weeks into the month of December talk show host  and business mogul Oprah Winfrey anounces 2010  will be the last season of  her long time daytime  talk show.

15 days until Christmas…A month earlier two  of the biggest shopping days of the  holiday season Black Friday& Cyber Monday  on both days store merchants and consumers  were hopeful that holiday sales will boost a sluggish economy.

15 days of Christmas…the year ended with two of television most viewed reality shows  battling it  out in front of millions of viewers from a public divorce,to an hiatus,&recasting Jon&Kate plus 8 and the Atlanta Housewives

15 days until Christmas…Twitter.com experienced tweet overload

15 days until Christmas..Virgin Mobile introduce a new phone “Rumor”

15 days until Christmas…The popular Blackberry phones occurred an six hour outage  2 days before Christmas .

15 days until Christmas…A  severe winter storm  hits the east coast delaying flights and leaving holiday travelers stranded in airports.

15 days until Christmas… Good Morning America  co-anchor  Diane Sawyer leaves  morning news to anchor Prime  time news.

15 days until Christmas … & Facebook gets a new look

15 days until Christmas…plus Christmas stockings,pointsettas,”365 days of shopping…”and a bright&shining New Year.

15 days until Christmas..2weeks  after Christmas the 67th annual Golden Globes to air on January 17th

15 days until Christmas…within the same month the Grammy MusicAwards on January 31st

Sincerely,

ConsumerAffairs Consultant,Sales&Service Manager

A labourer’s love, the birth,the miracle,the abdunant blessing,the blood, the faithful and the unfaithful,the hopeful and the hopeless,the merciful and the merciless,the doubtful and the undoubted,the old and the young,the lamented and the exulted, the  remorsed and the remorseful the celebrated and uncelebrated, the aged sackcloth and the wine fermented to full flavor.—(Happy New Year)

and on this day I felt hated by many and loved by few.—the cruxification,the resurrection,the Passover,and “the Passion of the Christ”

December 2009:

A Place called Eden“Heaven and Earth,Lift Every voice and sing until Heaven and Earth rings”

Another year is slowly approaching an end; soon it  will be New Years day,although,I did not achieve all of my new years resolution in 2009,recovering from a convalescence,a malicious assault,a brutal attack against my person, refusing to become the victim but instead seeking to be victorious, not focusing on past wrongs,my skin color,my nose,my hair,my five and dime clothes, my surrounding environment or what I have or don’t have I am  thankful for many things,I am also depressed, despondent, and dejected regarding my personal affairs,as well as,at a lost for words to express my  sincere condolences to the family of the men and women my age who didn’t  get to celebrate another birthday,eat a Thanksgiving meal or wrap a present for a loved one. With the recent lost of life, the September11th twin towers,the military women and men whom lost their lives in Iraq an Iran,the young women murdered in the prime of her life,the men and women who lost their lives in Texas  on  military base to a fellow coworker,the abduction and murder of a little girl in North Carolina, Thanksgiving and Christmas for many Americans this holiday season  .As I realized and throughout the years has learned, the holiday is not just about the gifts under the tree,the festive food, and the festive music,it’s a day to be shared with closed friends, family, as well as remembering the lives of those who enriched,enjoyed,enlightened,uplifted,and inspired but is not with us today,As Maya Angelou so poetically wrote “Still I Rise” although on some days it becomes difficult and saturnine “Still I Rise”,I rise to the snow,I rise to sun,I rise to the rain, I rise to be a voice for those who cannot be a voice for themselves,I rise to vote,I rise to a make difference in someone’s life, I rise to ease the pain of another and to be source motivation for others,I rise to high unemployment numbers,I rise to homelessness,I rise to disease and sickness,I rise to catch the bus,I rise to crawl,I rise to walk,I rise to my modified American Dream,most importantly,I rise to me and all of my imperfections“Still I Rise”.. At the same time, whether if  I rise to the tune of  Whitney Houston “I look to you..” or Arethea Franklin and collaborated music artist “A rose is still a rose…baby girl you have the power .. he didn’t make you and he can’t break you because a rose is still a rose..”,  I rise in remembrance of  all those who came before me lest I forget the obstacles, the hardship,the dead, the blood shed, the disease and sickness, the death and  dying of the  young then I am not being truthful with myself ,it’s not of  my own doing but it is a collective work that continues to manifest it self through words,through art,through social activism,and through songs(  ). As a result,amidst the carnage,I continue to strive to be the best me that I am able to be,and undoubtedly to live my life to the fullest not haphazardly,not taking for granted God given gifts and talents,and opportunities fulfilled,but I remain vigilant, hopeful, optimistic that as I was once raised to believe hard work is rewarding and crime doesn’t pay that one person is able to make a difference.“ Si,se puede” coined  phrased during the Obama campaign..

…. it’s not in the books that I’ve read, the tapes I’ve listen to it was and is a god given gift ,talent,embroider in my fabric from birth…to be voice for those who cannot be voice for themselves during this economic upheaval,.. at the the top of getting ahead,getting into the the game and Stepping UP to the plate of responsibility and accountability in other words with one word (ownership.) With all the financial obstacles I continue to encounter which  includes a closed checking accounts,shoes still in shoe repair since July (flip flops in December),a winter coat never purchased,a debt management program awaiting payment to aver bill collector calls ,no first time home buyer ownership,no bankruptcy filed, no turkeys or pies freshly cooked for a house warming party, I remain optimistic that the my current…arrangement is all a  temporary solution to a temporary problem, that I will be better than when I first arrived to the Hampton Roads Area not just in words but physically and mentally . Notably, I of all person understand that it’s not a person’s education but the condition of the mind as well as a person attitude toward recent events and experiences that ultimately will determine the level of success reached,and the of  number of goals achieved. In most instances,learning to be quick to listen,slow to speak, and slow wrath helps eschew unnecessary pitfalls avoid more setbacks …I continue to look forward  the today that www.cacjohnson.com becomes a well known web site on the internet and a source of motivation and inspiration to its followers just as Tyra Banks is to the fashion industry and Martha Stewart is to Better Homes and Gardening and Martha Stewart Everyday Living. Also,I look forward to the day that I am free of debt and living in my own home. In summation ,November was a month full of Thanksgiving, no packing, no pushing, no shoving,no soup kitchens,and no last ditch to seek shelter in a designated homeless shelter in the Hampton Roads Area,Virginia. What began as  power a month,remarkably, ended on a c minor note with an increase in Twitter followers,two books read that I am able to add to my book list,and the completion of my web design available for followers to view in December. Admittedly, the month of  November did not turn out exactly the way I  planned,nonetheless,I am optimistic that the month of December holds better results than the previous month,and in meantime and in between time remains“365 days of shopping,…2be thankful,2be blessed,2be loved,2be a cheerful giver,and 2be a believer in all things,”as I cultivate my mind,grow and learn from my life’s lessons,and from others in my surrounding environment,I’ll continue to press forward towards a higher calling. I continue to remain vigilant,hopeful,optimistic that the landlord doesn’t change the locks on the doors,cut the lights off,call the yard man to put my things on the doorstep,run up a phone bill,or put a foreclosure sign in the yard and move into a hotel all while I search for a place called Eden until then Lift every voice and sing,sing until heaven and earth rings…In search of A Place called Eden.—cacjohnson

Embitter,embattled,emblazoned,embroider,and embodied within these genetics cells remains remnants of the creator:Life’s opposition  has a way of making  the  person  who opposes the opposition to believe he(or)she has become embitter. Denials,delays, and disappoints all to frequently sear the perception  of  life’s  experiences. Hanging onto many of life’s lesson I learned  during my childhood has brought me through many of life’s test and trial  such as ,respect your elders, “you can catch more bees with honey and sugar than  you can with salt and alka  seltzer ,” obey your  mother and father, and brush your teeth after every meal”  all lessons I learned as a child.  Adolescence  an  period  in  one’s existence that  as  a child  one rarely feels embittered about anything. A child quickly learn simple emotions from adults ,for example,  happy,sad,proud,mad,or hurt but to be embittered that’s a grow up emotion. The word embitter has so many negative connotations especially in referencing to women as  scorned, contemptuous, disdain,malicious,and recalcitrant. Embittered a word that takes a bite out of life making life experiences harsh,brutal,and saturnine. While the simple fact remains that living in the moment often brash and done precipitously, for instance,drug addiction,sex addiction,lewd and lascivious behavior,gang banging and alcoholism  leaves many of the users,offenders,and abusers feeling embittered about life. Today, if I am feeling embittered about life that means I ‘ve approached  a brick in the road ,I’ve told myself a lie , I’m not embittered about recent life events experiences “I’m mad as hell.” But as I learned as a child that’s just an emotion that’’s not who I am. “I can be happy for both the rain and the clouds for without both neither would have  meaning”It’s better to embrace  the embitterment then to let the embitterment leave you bitter as Paul stated in Corinthians “in all things I  learned to be content…press towards the mark of  higher calling…” Likewise with conflict,as a child  I learned that conflict most often could be resolved by an supervising adult ,conflict a term used to describe outer turmoil of young teens with surroundings and people. Conflict a term often used in speaking with small children and adolescences more appropriately used and gets the most mileage as a descriptive word than being applied as a verb intransitive when referring to trouble teens. Instead of calling a child or teen a loser,a bad seed,spoil rotten,ADD(attention deficit disorder,) a trouble teen,or a trouble child, certainly,simply stated as a child with a conflict (noun)diminish es the child as a trouble a maker (the child is having conflict not the child is the conflict.) Conflicts occur everyday ,for instance,conflict on the playground,conflict in the lunchroom,conflict at recess,conflict with teachers,conflict with relatives,conflict on the job  as the word conflict transitions itself from verb,noun,to an adjective it lessens the harshness of  it’s meaning. As child , I remember conflict really didn’t exist as a verb but an rather an emotion. Although,as an adolescence I experienced  conflict ,and I felt conflict it didn’t define who I was. The conflict I encountered expressed its  outward self as I was at  conflict with something or someone by the end of the day  the  word,the feeling, the emotion conflict became“I don’t know”. During my adolescences I quickly learned adults resolved conflict, eventually over a given time I’d  learn to resolve conflict from the adults in my life’s circle. To be in conflict with surroundings and people  that’s an childhood emotion but to  be embattled that’s an grownup emotion. I was embattled about going away to college,I was embattled about having sex for the first time,I was embattled about resigning  from my job,I was embattled about relocating to another state,and the most notorious em-battlement occurred recently ,not surprisingly, I  was embattled about donating my car. I’ve been embattled but that’s not who I am “I am not at conflict with my self” but I do experience and feel conflict daily. Whether I’m embittered or embattled,I’m seldom emblazoned to discuss at length the details of  the thread used to intricately wove together my life. However; I am emblazoned  to a degree to know “winners never quit and quitters never win” Also,I am emblazoned to know that learning to pick your fights still remains the number one key to survival.  Most importantly, I am emblazoned to the degree to know each thread  woven into my life holds meaning despite the fact if it’s good or if it’s bad. I’ve been emblazoned but that’s  only a thread  of who I am. Emblazoned to know a  prizefighter attacks the bull head on; he meets his opponent with one objective to win the prize. I’m not attacking any bulls in the near future and by all means if you see one in the street run the other way,definitely,get out of the way don’t try and take the bull alone. It’s not embroider in me to fight every bull or run down every street  looking for a bull .Yes, embroidery was  done  from the day I was born until  day I  went to college “train a child up in the way which they shall go and they will not depart from it” I think the thread starting to overlap,I don’t know, some of the same thread keep showing up  that’s  what  a  hemstress calls double stitch to make sure the hem doesn’t unravel and hangs then  the pant or dress get tattered and torn and that  cost more money to fix now the pant  or dress requires a patch  of the same fabric or new hemstress one .Another one of life’s lesson as a small child I learned to change out my school clothes right after school keep my play clothes seperate from my work clothes and don’t around outside you might scrap your knee and blood is a tough stain to get clothes,you can  wear those same clothes you had on yesterday stop wasting all those people water..laundry piled up  to the ceiling either y’all learn to wash clothes or stop buying  em one after while all y’all gone start looking alike…what  was the Sunday school about on Sunday ,tell me who Jesus was and what did for you,“he died on the cross and pave the way for my sins”,no, “he took a loaf bread and a piece of fish and fed five thousand it does matter if the fish was salt water or fresh, one day old or jumped right out the ocean ,Happy Thanksgiving,never too old for barbie,never too 2learn,never too late 2go back to school, never too late 2 sleep with a male prostitute,I mean  never too late 2get married,never too late 2learn how to drive” what kind  car do yall drive some yall drive cars better than me  and  I did all the work, never too 2late 2find a new line of work,I think yall get the picture…to be embroider,e-m-b-r-o-i-d-e-r, to have embroidery work done from birth througthout a life span…Embroider,embroidered,stitch,sewn,inveterated,inculcated, etched in my on fabric the lessons and experiences I ‘ve learned from each person  I’ve  held a conversation with long or short,from each person I’ve sat at  a table and  shared  a dinner, from each person I’ve met  at the grocery store,movie theater, gas station,restaurant, laundry mat ,club, and church gathering a thread  was woven. Embroider,it’s not stitched in the shirts that I wear like an label,it’s not sewn into the jeans I wear,and it’s not braided into my hair, but its embroider in my memory the lessons of my childhood,adolescence,and college years; etiquette’s and manners  such as, mind your manners,yes madam and no madam ,please and thank you, dot every I  and cross every t, I before e except  after  c” ,the Ten Commandments…(thou shall not  kill,thou shall not steal…honor and obey thy mother and father,)and say your prays every night before you go to sleep.”Now I lay me down to  sleep,if I should die before I wake the Lord I pray my soul to take.” Amen at the same time,embodied within these genetics cells remains remnants of the creator. Imperceptibly,365 days of shopping on one of those days,on more than one of  those days I’ve become embitter,embattled,and emblazoned with images and languages on Twitter,MySpace,&Facebook primarily because not to many people grew up being called “Molly Miss Manners”it’s just something about  being mad, being in conflict,attacking bulls everyday,praying that the thread  doesn’t unravel  as a grownup that makes Goliath  look stronger than David, turns Satan into a Sex symbol, makes Christianity only for sinners and make the saved look lost,yes, I’ve been embittered,embattled and emblazoned but that’s not who I am what’s being embroider in me that’s who I am. Embitter,embattled,emblazoned,embroider,and embodied within these genetics cells remains remnants of the creator:The moral of the story is Jesus fed five thousand,Abuse of power, Right of use,Copy right infringement(how many of those fish did Jesus duplicate,that’s beside the point) or 2Lijit 2Quit.—cacjohnson

Showing up for life is half the battle: To show up in many instances requires (that as an consumer we) putting aside differences and personal agendas to show love, and support of close family members and friends often this requires that a consumer shows up with an open mind being receptive as well as perceptive in mannerism that is condign at that moment in addition to showing propriety. Typically,consumers confront everyday experiences with little prescience of life extremities;however,showing up for life is a prerequisite. Life requires that consumer not be quiescent but instill quietude in a daily routine to seek guidance and direction because not everything is for every consumer (everyone.) Normally, on an quotidian activity, a consumer experiences little interference while performing daily task; therefore, it is not surprising, in some instances that consumers often feelsaturnine or exacerbated because of stymied,delayed, or alternated plans. Although, a consumer thwarted plans causes them to feel exasperated or become lassitude as result of inadequate feelings consumer miss out on many of the p recious moments of life.Usually,the dreaded decisions,the conferences with the supervisor,family gatherings,presentations all require the consumer to show up 4 life. Showing up 4 is 1/2 the battle. American consumers frequently tout successful people that have accomplished their goals and dreams despite the obstacles.Ruefully,veritably, and unceremoniously,altruism a word to define the unselfish concerns for others, thus , often showing up for life requires the full attention of the individual. Unequivocally,as a consumer showing up for life requires taking action becoming actively involved in the lives of the others not becoming completely absorbed in personal melodrama to give concession to special events showing support and altruism,for example showing up at movie premiers,dance recitals,graduations,weddings,birthdays,anniversaries,seminars, beauty pageants and to job interviews Showing up for life requires that as consumers  not be spurious or disingenuous with status quo realizing as consumers when (we) reach an impasse showing up for life is half the battle to discovering an solution. Many times it is the consumers attitude that often precludes success ;more specifically, self esteem, finance,and coquetry.As a consumer overcome fears and dispell the myths about life,love,&money,then  with practice consumers ultimately will experience personal growth that often is far more greater than the actual success achieved. It is particularly important that consumers remember while enduring obstacles, and thwarted plans not all of life dilemmas are irremediable. As consumers we spend 80% percent of our time with coworkers 10% of the time standing in a line and another 10% on vacation or at leisure, all of the following requires that a consumer show up 4 life.

As the articles for cacjohnson become more difficult, I at times  felt exasperated and disconcerted with the progression of  the development cacjohnson.com. Particularly, in  the month of October cacjohnson.com had its high and lows, with outstanding debts and donations slow trickling  in the progess of cacjohnson is  improving;however, the progress is  contingent on the number of readers and followers. Highlights for the month October: I bought eight bags of traditional Halloween candy 1 bag from Walgreens and 7 bags from Rite Aid on sale. The greatest discover : I discovered that Rite Aid Halloween candy was 99cent in comparison to Walgreens $1.39. The Biggest disappoint: I didnt have Halloween candy on Halloween. The biggest disappoint I didn’t get to dress up as PoisonIvy,Snow White,an American Idol, Barbie,orBettyBoop.

Ghost,Ghouls,and Goblins….A month later after my 38^th birthday, I continue  to shop,to clip coupons,as  well as work to reduce my current debt.In the month of August and September I was able to reduce my number of returns and exchanges. Living on less than one third of my income, I am longer able to buy items such as shoes and clothing from the mall . Items I might have perceived in the past as must haves,I have to leave on the rack at clothing stores and food  on the shelf. I have resorted to buying  my shoes at the local thrift store that only ask for an minimal amount, for example,shoe cost $2.50 and boots are $5.00.Getting the designer look ,I have to go to the extreme and shop in the childrens section that offer tops and jeans for less. My greatest moment of weakenss happend in Walmart when I laid eyes on a pair of $20.00 JEANS i RESOLUTELY, left the jeans at the counter, a total disappoint, the fact I stop wearing $65.00 GAP Jeans to wearing $10.00 Levis.At 37th I wrote my self efficacy,at 38th I focused on achieveing my new years resolution Getting out Debt. Unequivocally,in September, I made some tough decisions starting  with my  (tough love)i.e 1985 Toyota Corolla yet I was able to preserver through the month;although, I preserved through the  month on the bare necessities.Nonetheless,the ambiance of the month was not ephemeral yet, the versimilitude of  the mood  and social environment i.e conditions remained a  some strange act faith(Against all odds …but its a chance I got take…) Veritably,as  the example of life making lemonade out oranges,I believe  with all of the obstacles  I encountered in September my 38th Birthday wasn’t that awful.The title section on my web site“At My Bad I’m Good&At My Best I’M Better” clearly  states my thoughts pertaining to the month of September. Egregiously,(I didnt squeeze any grapefruit, and I wont be going a grapefruit  diet any time in the near future.) Incontrovertibly,my social conditions is of a person living in a third world country with exception of access to modern technology. Yet in the midst of my ongoing adversity my sentiments,thoughts,as well asfeelings remain the same that the message of cac is exigent;furthermore,any personal feelings or emotions I might have regarding the surrounding conditions i.e economy,jobs, or housing is inconsequential,instead,it’s my deepest aspiration to remain diligent in providing access  especially for individuals with no credit or bad credit,an opportunity to improve their social condition as I experience first hand effects of the economic recession of 2008&2oo9 directly affecting middle class Americans . ..I Love Lucy, actually, I prefer Carol Burnett,Suzanne Sommers Goldie Hawn, &Meg Ryan—”Saving Private Benjamin/cacjohnson