Sorry this took so long to post. But here are some of the photos from my recent Orlando visit before I cut it short and went to NY to see my Dad in the hospital.
My nephew,Quinton, at the airport
My niece Chelese and nephews, Alonzo, Quinton and Little Mike
Quinton and Little Mike when then finally got still before bedtime
Little Mike and Quinton running through the condo
My sister Veronica and Chelese on a ride
My sister Cherie and her son Alonzo on ferry ride to Magid Kingdom
Sorry I haven't posted in a week, but I've had a lot going on.
I had to cut my Orlando vacation with my sisters, nieces and nephews short because my Dad fell twice in one week. I flew home to NY after he fractured his left hip, then broke his right hip. His injuries required a right hip replacement along with removal of a rod and pin from a previous surgery because it was not compatible with the new hip.
So he'll be in the hospital for a few more days then he has 3-6 weeks of inpatient rehab.
His spirits are OK. He's in some pain.
The one funny part is that when my Mom was answering questions about him to the ER staff (the second time he fell), they asked her - if he was her father!
Anyone who's met my Mom knows she doesn't look 72!
Joyce with no make-up using new camera for the first time!
Get ready to see better photos on this blog thanks to my brand new Sony Cybershot DSC-W90. It has HD and movie taking capabilities. Plus it's compact and has face detection for better photos of faces. Rechargeable batteries are another plus.
Too bad I haven't gotten around to reading the manual yet. But it's clearly simple enough to use without reading the manual. Like it already and I stayed pretty much within my budget.
I'll also be checking back with Best Buy to see if it goes on sale in the next 14 days to get a credit/refund.
This weekend will be a defining moment for me. I'm going to stop talking about it. And be about it. So I'm going to check the BEST BUY deals in Sunday's paper and take the plunge. I've been debating between a SONY and a Canon. The budget went from $300 to now about $250 (including a case and memory cards). So we'll see. I'm hoping that by posting this to my blog, I'll be more likely to fulfill my promise to myself. Although my Sprint treo is handy and capable, I'd like to get step up my game. So check back for updates!
My Mother's only surviving brother passed away in Philadelphia, PA.
He was a member of "The Blue Notes," the group that launched Teddy Pendergrass' career.
Lawrence Brown is on the far right
This is an article my sister, Belinda, wrote and submitted to the newspaper:
Legendary ‘Blue Note’ Lawrence L. ‘Pop Pop’ Brown, Sr.
Life was never a dress rehearsal for Lawrence Lloyd Brown, Sr. An original member of the R&B/Pop group ‘The Blue Notes’, which ultimately became the world-renowned ‘Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’, Lawrence was an extremely talented singer and dancer from childhood.
Born in Philadelphia, Lawrence was educated in the Philadelphia Public School System. While in junior high and high school, Lawrence ran track and participated in the Penn Relays, which along with his love for singing, sparked his desire to become a performer.
Lawrence started his career performing on street corners and at school functions. In 1957, he and some of his neighborhood friends formed a vocal group called “The Bingos.” They were a popular local attraction that performed at talent shows and clubs. In 1958, he and Bernard Wilson, his lifelong friend, formed another group called the Chordsteppers. Noted for their smooth sound and fancy footwork, they acquired more success and were exposed to much larger audiences outside the Philadelphia area.
It was in 1960 that Lawrence and Bernard joined the original Blue Notes, and with the addition of Harold Melvin, a new and improved unit was born. Although much wider audience acceptance came, show business distinction still seemed elusive.
It was not until the 1970s, after more than ten years with the ‘Blue Notes’, and a name change(to ‘Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes’), that the hits started coming! Teddy Pendergrass, who had been the drummer for the group, became the primary lead singer and the rest is music history. They produced a string of hits such as, ‘I Miss You’, ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’, ‘The Love I Lost’, ‘Bad Luck’, and ‘Wake Up Everybody’ – striking Gold – then Platinum!
With Teddy Pendergrass leaving to pursue his solo career, and Harold (who is now deceased) working with another group, ‘The Original Blue Notes’ have continued to sing, perform and record. Lawrence’s dreams as a performer truly became reality! Although he will be sorely missed, this talented, funny, life-loving man will live on in the hearts of all those who knew and loved him – and the music that inspired him.
He is survived by his wife of 42½ years, the former Patricia Parks, and their son Lawrence Lloyd Brown, Jr.
Service will be held Monday, April 14, 2008, at True Gospel Tabernacle COGIC, 1606 Mifflin St., Philadelphia, PA. The viewing will be from 6 PM to 8 PM, followed immediately by the service at 8 PM.
Sorry this took me so long to post. But I needed to find time to edit the video and upload the pics.
Monday, March 24th I was home in NY for Easter Weekend. Me, my Mom, and family friend Mrs. Dunham first tried to get in to see "Regis and Kelly." But the line was long, even for folks with tickets, let alone folks on standby.
So we took a cab a few blocks over and went to THE VIEW. Since I hadn't called ahead to ask for VIP tickets (the office was closed Good Friday and the weekend), I didn't really expect us to have much luck there either.
Since my Mom is on a cane from her two knee surgeries, she went right into THE VIEW front door and asked for a place to sit in the lobby. Security abliged. I stood in the "stand by" line at first, hoping to get seats that way. Then since it was cold I decided I wanted to sit in the lobby too. An audience coordinator wanted to know what I was doing inside, since they'd only agreed to let Mom and Mrs. Dunham inside. When I told her I worked for an ABC station and showed her my card, she said there's room for us in VIP. THANK GOODNESS. We were put at the front of the line.
While we waited in line to be allowed in the studio several ALL MY CHILDREN actors came through the lobby since both shows are in the same building. We saw Debbie Morgan who plays Angie on AMC. But the biggest treat was when Cameron Mathison stopped by. He was also another one of the nicest celebrities I've ever met. He took about 20 pictures with people waiting in the lobby:
Joyce & Cameron
Cameron & a fan
Cameron & Mrs. Dunham
Pics of the studio before the show:
(Can you tell I need to invest in a digital camera and stop using my camera phone???!!!)
The show was a day of hot topics and the gift was just their new spring mug.
But I got the chance to do the tease/promo of what's coming up in the show with Elisabeth Hasselbeck. I didn't have to chance to call back to Jackson and tell my colleagues I was going to be on. But they got a later feed of the show and ran a clip that night at 10 p.m. It includes video from my first appearance on THE VIEW in 2005:
I promise to upload the rest of the clip from 2005 later this week.
Can you tell I need to get a digital camera and stop using my cell phone?
When Friday's tornado came through the Jackson area, it shook my house and dropped dime sized hail outside my windows.
Power was knocked out to the traffic signals in my neighborhood so I had a heckuva time getting to work.
A 20 minute ride -- took me two hours.
So many trees were down. On my way to work and since I was stuck in stop-and-go traffic, I snapped a few pics with my Treo and e-mailed them to the station.
The day was packed with storm coverage and I stopped at Applebee's on the way home. Ran into a celebrity you've seen in movies, TV shows, even soap operas.
Robert Gossett of TNT's "The Closer" was at the bar with his brother, Neal. Left my Treo in the car so I added a pic of Robert I found online.
Sadly, they were in town for a relative's funeral. But they were in good spirits.
Robert told me he's the cousin of Academy Award nominated actor, Lou Gossett Jr. I encouraged him to attend the Crossroads Film Festival this weekend but he'll probably be busy visiting family. It's his first time in Mississippi.
Source: EpisodeList.com
Robert goes down in my book as a really down-to-earth celebrity. He didn't mind when I approached him or when others did either. So if you ever see him in L.A. or elsewhere know that he's a cool guy.
I'll be posting more celebrity run-ins in the future AND my latest appearance on ABC's THE VIEW when I have a little more time.
His sacrifice and dedication to helping people of ALL COLORS should never be forgotten. If it wasn’t for him, I’m not sure I would have had the opportunities I’ve had as far as my education and career in TV journalism.
Remember him everyday. Not just his birthday or anniversary of his assassination.
Some of my colleagues from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) worked to create a memorable video clip for the Atlanta-Journal & Constitution. It presents a side of Dr. King and his friends you may not know:
I'm a former TV News Anchor/Reporter. Most recently I worked at 16 WAPT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi.
I won't be updated this blog, instead follow me http://MommyTalkShow.com and LIKE my Facebook fan page http://facebook.com/MommyTalkShow
Reach me: Joyce @ MommyTalkShow (dot) com
My sister Cherie and her son Alonzo on
