food – Spicy…

February 10, 2026February 10, 2026

Creating Lasting Memories: Our Jubilee Celebration Cruise

Part 3

Jerry Malone took so many photos of us (Pat Kline photo-bombing), Oretha was our guiding star for the Chicago crew.

The Princess Cruise ship set sail with some precious cargo, a group of Golden Age Seniors who don’t know how to act or look their age. Every person we met on the cruise couldn’t believe we were celebrating 75 years of life, especially on the dance floor. But you already heard about those shenanigans in Part 2. Now we’ve got to talk about our island adventures, (Don’t expect any zip lining, hiking, or anything requiring copious exertion). What?!

Sint Maarten/St. Martin

Our first stop was Sint Maarten/St. Martin. Most of you know I lived there for four (4) years, so rather than touring, I went to connect with old friends. I had my own adventure while living there—a four-year separation from my husband. I wanted to connect with my sister friends who embraced and nurtured me during that period.

My quest began when I met my bestie, Karina Castillo, at the dock, and she chauffeured me to where I used to work, Divi Little Bay Resort, then to my daughter’s other mother, Barbara Cannigieter. Afterward, we were off to the French side (Marigot, St. Martin) to meet sisters Alyce and Rosalind Charville at the boulangerie. We reminisced about our ventures too quickly until I finally had to go back to the Dutch side for a late lunch with Dianna Johnson. No tourist sites for me. Funny, Karina, Barbara, Dianna, and I all lived on Sugar Hill Drive, an uphill climb for the kids and me, before we had a car. And they seldom connected with each other. Our goodbye was with a promise that they would at least meet for coffee from time to time.

**Barb, to the right, and her loving daughter, Erika, and husband, Diederick, both now gone. The Cannegieters were my daughter’s surrogate family. on the Island.**

**Alyce, Karina, and Rosalind, with. me at the forefront**

In the meantime, my Golden girlfriends were on a crowded van tour that took them to the Ace Hardware store and pointed out the sites on both the Dutch and French sides. They also shopped in Marigot before returning to the cruise port to board the ship. Here’s the thing: the walk from the port to the boat was treacherous for tired knees. Me? As soon as I was driven to the Port of Entry, I begged the guard, “Please, please…may I have a cart to ride back to the boat?” I plopped my behind on a bench until my prince arrived. However, my friends had to walk a country mile until they got a cart. What?! #hurtknees,backs

Barbados

I love Rihanna, but I swore I would never go back to Barbados. I didn’t care for the way folks treated Black Americans. Y’all know I’m all about the people, and I vowed not to tour the island. After our walk in Sint Maarten, Indria and I decided to leisurely stroll to the Port Mall. Thank God, there was a bus that was packed to the hilt, but we squeezed in and rode on. What?!

As soon as we entered the mall, we came across a kiosk featuring an artist who redeemed my feelings about Barbados: Azizah Onifa of Aziphos Creations. Azizah was so warm and welcoming. She was so engaging, and her jewelry was so lovely that I asked to feature her in an article for Garden Spices Magazine.

We also met Dale Montague, an activist, model, and warm spirit, and the Sales Assistant at Grudge Mode Boutique. Beyond the stunning clothes, this beauty gave us the full lowdown on the island and the Caribbean in general. My positive sentiments about Barbados were restored.

The Truth About Islands

“All islands are the same.” The truth is that each island has its own flavor.

Antigua – known for its shipyards, which Indria and I didn’t want to visit- also has a fine arts gallery that collaborates with artists throughout the Caribbean. Beautiful fashions too.

**Indria, Donna, Pat, and moi in Antigua**

Dominica – Waterfalls, Sulfur ponds, an Ancient Tree, Beautiful panoramas, and a tour guide who needed Indria to interpret him. We met a lovely African couple, Ibou and Jeelan Falls, who looked after us as we got on and off the bus at each stop. By the time the trip was over, I had adopted them.

St. Thomas – America personified in an island. This was said to be the island for shopping. Why did we end up in a mall that had a Marianne’s and a Kmart?! What?! After three tour guides, we never did find the quaint area we were searching for, but the bus ride had us clinging to our seats for dear life. What?! We ended up buying ice cream and went back to the ship.

Events

Our Guide Maggie and her team planned several events for us Jubilee celebrants. We wore a different dress attire for each day, including African attire. On our “all-white” day, we gathered for a lively game of Guess Who? We all submitted baby pictures, and those who weren’t 1950 babies had to guess who each one belonged to. We also had a T-shirt event with everyone wearing an identifying T-shirt. Of course, I had on my Project Say Something shirt, but, as usual, I couldn’t find where the event was held. (Indria wasn’t with me). What?!

Memories

With a penchant for exploring during my travels, I’m not much for cruises, but I was thrilled to spend time with this fabulous group and ended up on a never-to-forget, memorable trip.

See for yourself:

The Jubilee Celebration Cruise

You will meet the young sommelier, J’nai Gaither in Garden Spices Magazine.She and her mom were an active part of our cruise.

ONE LAST THING…

In Dominica, we were walking to the ship when a group of women rushed up to us, saying they could twist our hair in 10 minutes for $20. Pat and I said yes, and 15 minutes later, this is what my hair looked like:

Joy Juice

Guess what? We took this trip in November, and now it’s February 9th. My memory takes me right back to the joy of our wonderful celebration. That’s what we cherish, our memories, but isn’t it wonderful that no matter what the world looks like, we are creating new ones.

These years are valuable. We should love ourselves enough to pursue our passions in our own ways. On that cruise, some of us used wheelchairs or canes, but we were still living our lives! I am grateful to be here, and I express my gratitude daily. Thank you for traveling along with me and my shenanigans.

“It’s all good/love/God” – Victorine

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Victorine, Bio

Author of Be S.A.F.E., StillAware, Faithful, Excellent, now available on Kindle Amazon as an e-book.

“…the book title and its content are intended to be a whisper, reminding us that by connecting with our spiritual self, we can center through anything and that we are forever within the bubble of God’s protection.”

Don’t forget to check out Garden Spices Magazine.

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January 13, 2026January 19, 2026

Dancing Through Life: Cruise Adventures with Old and New Friends

This morning, I browsed a travel video by SugarPearl’s Carla Renae, a contributor to Garden Spices Magazine. Her video was resplendent with vibrant images of Morocco and Abuja, Nigeria– the food, sites, and an African wedding – all punctuated by her beauty. Through browsing these images, I realized…y’all, I’m not too good at travel blogging about places and things. It’s the people who leave me reeling. What?!

Part 2

Get on the Boat!

Last we met in Part 1, my girls and I were ready to board the Grand Princess Cruise Ship. Y’all know we wheelchaired from where we boarded all the way to our cabins, tipping all the way. (An aside: You gon’ do plenty of tipping, so bring fives and ones. )I tell you, wheeling is worth it. No stops at Customs, just traveling straight through. What?!

The ship was neither the most contemporary nor the largest, but it was comfortable for this venture. My roommate, Indria, and I were pleased with our cabin. We were upgraded and had a nice balcony. We barely deposited our luggage before we hit the ship’s dining room. We were famished. In cruise style, the dining room buffet offered traditional and vegetarian fare, but their vegan menu was limited, and Indria is vegan. We greeted a few of our group, but we were so tired; we filled up and were ready to pass out, especially after our night in Puerto Rico. (Read Part 1). We knew we would see the group in its entirety at dinner.

Dining, Dancing, and Declining

It’s amazing how many people I had never come across during my tenure in Chicago. Yes, Chicago is a large city, but you gotta know how we socialized as teens. We had clubs; the clubs had parties, and we were bound to run into many folks at the many gatherings.

This gathering allowed me to meet folks I missed during my teens. We discovered we all belonged to teen clubs; we all went to downtown parties and events, and we all recounted adventures from when we were wild and crazy. What?!

Funny Stories: One person was at a concert at Grant Park in Chicago with her friends, and she had a drink that must have been potent, because when she woke up, she was the only one left in Grant Park! (Some friends, huh.) Another friend knew folks driving back to California who ended up circling Washington Park for three days.

Is it something about Chi Town’s parks? What?!

Of course, I’m telling y’all the benign stories, but it was so nice to meet and dine with various attendees. Most of us were from Chicago, but we lived all over the country. We had a standing reservation at Botticelli’s and enjoyed the conversation more than the food. And we loved getting on the waiters’ nerves. “May I have soft rolls instead of hard? Do you have vanilla vegan ice cream instead of chocolate? Where’s my salad?” After dining, we convened for shows and events, both collectively and individually.

Our first show featured the amazing Terran Brooks. He could really sing and provided great entertainment. Once Eddie Kendricks in the Temptations biopic and Simba in The Lion King, Brooks truly has star quality, and we got to see it.

As a group, we also saw the Grand Princess Dancers perform a tribute to R&B. Now, I don’t want to offend anyone, but we were like, “Y’all couldn’t find one Black dancer or singer?” Let’s just say that Rollin’ on the River waters were rough. What?!

Dancing

Y’all, at least a few nights found us dancing to a DJ spinning music. We had to get him straight, too. He was playing Motown, but not the dance music. Once we put a bug in his ear, we got that floor jumping. On one song, a girl in a wheelchair was rolled by her husband down the middle of the floor jammin’! Some of us didn’t want to dance, but by the time We Are Family started, everyone was on the floor. But there was one or two of us who danced every song, but only one of the two was limping with bad knees the next morning. Guess who?

Here’s the thing. A word to the wise senior… You gotta know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em. Ain’t no way I should’ve been up every single song. Lesson learned.

Stay tuned for Part III

By the time this song played, I was tired, but still jamming. We Are Family!

Terron Brooks singing The Impossible Dream

June 19, 2025August 19, 2025

Exploring Harlem: Local Eats and Iconic Personalities

The Last Go round

It’s Kevin Day!!! What’s so hot about seeing Kevin? He is the ultimate New York talent whose generosity greets my every visit to his city. This time, I insisted on taking him to lunch, so my friend, Pat, and I Ubered to MOM’S KITCHEN & BAR IN NYC to meet him. It was a bit chilly as we waited for our number to be called, but my reunion with Kevin and the delicious food quickly warmed us up. What?

What is it about Kevin?

Kevin Michael-Kennedy

I had to think about it for a moment, but realized it’s his intensity. When he’s with you, he’s all in. He asked about my trip to Paris, and then his eyes went with me with great enthusiasm. I love questioning him about the Business, and he spills the tea on the ins and outs of navigating the entertainment waters.

Y’all, after catching up on travels, the industry, and such, Kevin excused himself. When he returned, I signaled for the check, but Kevin had already paid it! See? That’s what he do! What?!

You can check out the full skivvy on Kevin-Michael Kennedy in Garden Spices Magazine.

Walking in Harlem

We took a stroll to Kevin’s apartment and encountered every genre of restaurant you could ask for. A walk through Harlem is like turning the pages of a United Nations’ Guidebook – food, fashion, and folks from everywhere. We make it to our next destination, The Little Pie Company. You already know.

See? If they were anything other than miniature delicacies in crust, I’d of been OK, but noooo!! Look at what I had to deal with, but I had to do my duty and take home at least three.

Check out their website; your mouth will water, and you will see every pie known to man. We sampled many options, but I ultimately chose the samples that included apple and blackberry. But we walked out with about 6, and I had at least a forkful of them all. What?!

Performance Art Building

We finally made it to Kevin’s apartment. Puleeze, just give me one month in this Manhattan Plaza residential building for Performance Art creatives! It’s in a great location, within walking distance to the heart of the city. It’s rent-controlled, and our friend, Kevin, has resided in a lovely one-bedroom apartment there for years. Kevin and Pat took me to the apartment of one of the early residents, the iconic costumer, Katherine (Kathy) Roberson.

Dolled Up

Recently, Pat has been working for Kathy in costuming and she relied on Kathys city skills to steer us in the direction of free sites in NYC. As a well-seasoned New Yorker, Kathy knows her city, and her apartment reflects her life in this Harlem apartment complex. She collects dolls.

Roberson’s home is decorated with a wide exhibition of dolls in every room, and we sat in their midst as she told me about her dance career turned costumer. Please read Gallery & Studio’s comprehensive profile on Kathy Roberson. What a herstory and how impressive!

Katherine Roberson’s dolls, art, and the lobby of the famous Manhattan Plaza complex for Performance Artists.

Mr. K.’s Visit

While Pat and I were tooling around Harlem, Mr. K. and Pat’s husband, Thomas, were hunting down Mr. K.’s childhood friend. Can you imagine, he got to see his friend after 40+ years, and he lived close to where we were staying – right in the heart of Harlem.

In and Out

That evening, we came home to leftovers, pie, pictures, and goodbyes. New York, we’re out, but you stay in our souls.

Joy Juice

I told y’all this once before; get out of town! I don’t care if you go to the town next door or to Tiimbuktu, spread your wings, breathe, and affirm your life. This is the most precious time we have. We don’t know when it blows into dust, but this life, honor it for the jewel it is.

Perspective is king. It’s such a blessing to explore those that are unfamiliar to your own. Jump in a car, a bus, train, or plane and get going, and tell us about where you went. I love guest bloggers. What?!

Act like it!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”. – Corinthians 5:17

Get movin!

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up, you’d better… – African Proverb

It’s all good/love/God” – Victorine

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May 23, 2025May 31, 2025

Why I Love New York: Soul Food and Jazz Experiences

Part 2:

Why New York?

I live in Florence, AL, but I am originally from Chicago, “Second City.” I love my Southside roots and still sample all the city’s culture and style. While Chi has my heart, my soul pumps when I visit New York. While writing this, I realized the difference between the two – it’s me.

I’m no longer the young woman living on the Northside, walking to work on the Magnificent Mile, singing at the Free Theater, or eating Japanese food with Chris Kobayashi in my building of young hopefuls. Taking a bus, subway, or cab, staying out into the wee hours? No more. However, even at 75, New York invites this lifestyle and more. Don’t get me wrong; my knees hurt in New York, like in Chicago, but I still managed to do what makes me love the Big Apple. What?!

Getting Our Feet Wet

**Schomberg’s Socially relevant artwork from A to Z**

I told y’all about Gypsy in my last post. The next day, my friend Pat, Mr. K, and I went to the Schomberg Center for Research of Black Culture housed in a Harlem library. We viewed a small exhibit by young folks, including all socially relevant artwork, curated alphabetically. While some work was humorous (Take a look at Z!) all was impressive, but the day was early. Where to now? We were guided by a vintage New Yorker, Kathy Roberson, who knew all the free haunts. She sent us to the National Jazz Museum, hoping the early-day concert would be brewing. And boy, was it!

It was. on like a pot of neckbones! This small, colorful venue housed wonderful art, and we caught the last half hour of a jazz trio with a drummer that kept us enthralled. After leaving the concert room, we explored the exhibit area with everything from a cardboard standup of Dizzy Gillespie to one of Duke Ellington’s pianos. My hunger for jazz was satisfied, but now it was time to eat.

Trek to Soul Food Paradise – Sylvia’s

Despite the mild rain, we walked to see what cuisine piqued our interest. We passed an Ethiopian place, a Thai, and an Italian, and finally, Pat suggested we travel for fish. We were game until we ran into the legendary Sylvia’s, the Soul Food restaurant. While we wanted fish, we had to go in and at least have drinks at Sylvia’s. Upon our entry, the cashier and hostess, Sylvia’s granddaughter, were warm and welcoming. After being ushered to our table, we were like, “We eatin’ right here!”

We had a great time with our waitress, carefully placing our order. Mr. K. and Pat had libations (Mr. K. had the nerve to order Long Island Iced Tea, and y’all know he had to share his ministry, Khan Academy. What?!). We ordered baked turkey wings with garlic potatoes, greens, and yams, and Pat ordered the mac’n’cheese. We had cobbler for dessert. When I tell you that food was on point? I never tasted cornbread like those muffins; they were delicious, even to Southern palettes. What?!

Y’all know we like to talk. So when we met Sylvia’s granddaughter, we got the complete lowdown on Sylvia and the family’s participation in making the restaurant what it is today. She recalled days in her childhood when the entire family was called upon for restaurant duties – folding napkins, prepping food, etc. Afterward, we met the owner, Sylvia’s son, Kenneth Woods, and it felt so good to be in this Black historical eatery.

When we made it home, rather than hitting another club, we opted to relax and get ready for the next New York adventure. Can we say MOMA? (The Museum of Modern Art) What?! STAY TUNED…

**Yep! Pat Lewis and I getting down at Sylvia’s**

**Mr. K. and I, with Kenneth Woods, Sylvia’s son**

SLIDE SHOW OF SYLVIA’S FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Barbecued Turkey wings
Candied yas
Cornbread with topping
Bagel and egg with Secret Seasoning
Cornbread muffins wiwth Sylvia’s Cornbread mix

Joy Juice

History is so important. We grab it wherever we can, sometimes even in a restaurant. New York and cities all over the world include sites and centers that continue to recognize the past. These stories continue to be important in shifting the future.

Some, like the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, are being threatened, but we continue to recognize what the exhibits celebrate by living in our greatness. We create our own history, and whether or not we have a museum, our descendants carry our legacy. Our history is us, our stories, and we ain’t going nowhere!

“⁹for we were born but yesterday and know so little; our days here on earth are as transient as shadows. ¹⁰But the wisdom of the past will teach you. ..” – Job

“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
George Santayana

“Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.” – African proverb

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Creating Lasting Memories: Our Jubilee Celebration Cruise

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Dancing Through Life: Cruise Adventures with Old and New Friends

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