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The Swirl World

Celebrating and Elevating Black Women - mind, body, soul and spirit!


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Archives for April 2016

A Whole New World

April 25, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 3 Comments

stencil.blog-post-image_Chassitie and Josh10

Love is not having someone give you the world. Love is creating a whole new world together.

One person – and one couple – at a time.

 

Today’s featured models are Chassitie and Josh Thornton. To read their interesting love story (HINT:They met on a dating site!), click here.

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please email a nice, high-resolution photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com. Selfies are ok – just make sure they’re not blurry!

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World™ LLC, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo used with permission.

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Filed Under: 2016, 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, We Love Our Military Tagged With: Black women, Chassitie and Josh Thornton, interracial couples, interracial marriage, life, living well, love, military, White men

It’s OK To Be Zany – Zany Is Good!

April 18, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

 Zany Is Good

zany – za-ne

adjective
  1. amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic.
    “zany humor”

A former coworker and professional associate of mine died recently. Nick was not a close friend but was a good guy and a talented meteorologist.

His life was cut short in a tragic way – I’ll spare the details. But suffice to say there were rivers of tears at his memorial service. Several family members spoke, and you could tell that they were just shattered.

But there was also laughter. A fellow meteorologist and close friend of the deceased delivered a short eulogy, the theme of which that Nick was “the proper amount of zany.”

But what did that mean, exactly?

The Proper Amount Of Zany

As his friend recounted, “Nick and I and Scott (another friend) got into the habit of playing cribbage on Sunday afternoon at a picnic table on the Decatur, Georgia courthouse grounds. All the while, we’d talk about the ups and downs of life.”

“Nick became very passionate about cribbage. One day he told us he’d started a blog on the game, because he’d done some checking and as far as he could tell, none existed. And there just NEEDED to be a cribbage blog.”

The Off-Kilter Approach

That slightly off-kilter approach extended to his professional life as well.

Right after a significant earthquake in Japan, his coworkers were trying to get information from the Japanese meteorological and science agencies. The trouble was, in the very early going, everything on their websites was in Japanese.

Suddenly, said his workmate, an email popped up from Nick. He was supposed to be enjoying a day off, but here he was on the computer at home. (Mind you, this was very early in the morning.)

Unprompted by anyone, he’d translated the bulletins into English and was passing them along. That was how his colleagues learned of his ability to speak several languages.

When I worked with Nick in our radio department, our morning shifts started at 3:30 a.m. The rest of us would stumble in, groggy, attend a meteorologist briefing and then head upstairs. We’d flee into our radio booths and close the doors, starting our day hermit-like while quietly and desperately slugging coffee.

Not Nick. His coffee substitute was 90s alternative rock. You could hear it trickle out of the closed door of his booth.  Suddenly, it would momentarily blast full-volume as he’d open his door, run down the hall to ask if we needed help on a busy morning with answering a forecast question, or just simply grin and say “What’s up?”

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Swirling

So how does this apply to life, liberty and the pursuit of swirling?

I think we all need to consider incorporating a little more zany into our lives, and I think that done right, it’s a real conversation-starter and people-attractor.

I’m not suggesting anyone take up cribbage, but I think it’s worth exploring some new activity as a way of giving oneself a mental jolt.

Maybe it’s time to take that finger-painting class. Or to decorate your work cubicle with Mardi Gras beads and Star Wars figurines. Or take some bacon-flavored cupcakes across the street to meet that new neighbor you’ve only waved to in passing. The possibilities are endless.

It’s OK To Be Zany

Zany is good. Zany is interesting. And you never know, you might meet someone that’s “half a bubble off plumb” (as my blue-collar friends used to say) in the exact same way you are.

 

Mark WoolseyMark Woolsey is a veteran broadcaster, freelance writer and aspiring blogger. He enjoys writing for The Swirl World, so expect regular contributions in 2016!

 Essay Copyright ©2016 Mark Woolsey.   Photo of Mark Woolsey used with permission.

 

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World LLC , ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo property of The Swirl World™.

 

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Filed Under: 2016, 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Fun & Games, Mark Woolsey Tagged With: Black women, fun, fun-loving, interracial couple, interracial marriage, interracial relationships, liberty, life, living well, love, Mark Woolsey, quirky, swirling, White men, zany

Bringing The Hot Sauce – And Bringing The Love!

April 12, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Bringing The Hot Sauce - And Bringing The Love

You’re in charge of the hot sauce – what do you bring??

Fresh from a guest appearance on the Steve Harvey Show, Daniel and Patrice Love of “The Detroit Loves” chatted with Adrienne and me about life, love, interracial marriage – and hot sauce!

Needless to say, this couple is hot – and they’re definitely in love! (Yes, puns intended)

They Need Hot Sauce – And You Brought What?!

Here’s the segment from the Steve Harvey Show:

Love Culture

Daniel and Patrice are passionate about their love for each other.

They’re also passionate about diversity and enjoy seeing the rise in the number of Black Women/White Men interracial couples.

In addition to sharing their “how we met” story, Patrice shares advice specifically targeting Black Women and Daniel does the same for White Men.

This conversation is a fun and lively as the couple themselves – enjoy!

If you can’t see the podcast player, click here or here.

If you can’t see the Sound Cloud player, click here. You can also head over and listen to the show on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spreaker or PlayerFM.

To connect with Patrice on Facebook, click here. To connect with Daniel on Facebook, click here. To “Like” their Facebook page, The Detroit Loves, click here. Follow them on Twitter @TheDetroitLoves by clicking here.


Shout Out!

Stepha LaFondOur Shout Out! goes to  Stepha LaFond, creator of the Modern Thriving Mama Program. When speaking of her mission, Stepha says,

“My mission is to empower women to boldly step out into the world and create the life they have always dreamed of.”

Stepha helps ambitious women who feel like they are overwhelmed juggling the demands of life, career, and family. They desire more balance and for now but fear that it will never be their reality. Together with her clients, Stepha addresses the stories that have kept them in their current patterns and works diligently to break these patterns through delegation, boundary setting and ritual development. As a result they feel more empowered and in control and are able to approach life with more ease.

To learn more about Stepha, click here. To connect with Stepha on Twitter @StephaLaFond, click here.


 

Want to be a guest on The Swirl World Podcast, or know someone who should?

Send an email to Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio. You can also hear us on PlayerFM!

Copyright © 2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World™ LLC, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World Podcast™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photos used with permission.

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Filed Under: 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Interracial Families, Podcast Tagged With: Black women, Detroit, hot sauce, interracial couple, interracial marriage, interracial relationships, life, living well, love, podcast, Stepha LaFond, Steve Harvey Show, The Detroit Loves, White men

Get In On The Fun – Join Us For Vetting 101!

April 7, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

#Vetting101 Vetting Series

So, the “April’s Fools” post was extremely popular.

Our meme advised a truth from Joey Adams: “Never let a fool kiss you – or a kiss fool you!”

I thought about the quote and realized there are only a couple of ways we can be assured of not kissing a fool: either we don’t kiss at all, or we vet.

Vet – That’s It!

Thus was born the series I’m doing in the month of April entitled, “Vetting 101.”

So what’s vetting, you ask?

Vetting means “to appraise, verify or check for accuracy, authenticity or validity.”

Possessing and exercising good vetting skills is essential for experiencing dating success.

Want to be kissed by a fool? Don’t vet.

Want to kiss a fool? Don’t vet.

Needless to say, the members of Swirl Nation are not about that foolish life, so if we don’t know how to vet properly, we will learn.

We will learn – and we will apply what we learn!

Join Me For Vetting 101

So consider this your open invitation to join me every weekday during the month of April, when I hop on Facebook Live and on Periscope to share what I trust will be useful information on how to vet properly.

Here’s the Facebook Live video from Day 3:

To join me on Facebook Live, click here. To join me on Periscope, click here.

#Vetting 101 #Periscope

To listen to the podcast episode entitled “Internet Love” featuring The Romance Arsonist Gynger Fyer and her beau, M, click here.

Already married, engaged or otherwise boo-ed up? Then share this post with that family member, friend or co-worker who’s single!

—

 

The Swirl World Team is committed to sharing inspiration in 2016. Our goal is to help you stay motivated and inspired by bringing you positive, uplifting images and corresponding thoughts.

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, high-resolution photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World LLC , ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo property of The Swirl World™.

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Filed Under: 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Facebook Live, Periscope, Series, Swirling Singles Tagged With: Black women, couples, dating, interracial, interracial relationships, interracial romance, life, love, vetting, Vetting101

Don’t You Be Fooled!

April 1, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 3 Comments

Don't Be Fooled!

Never let a fool kiss you – or a kiss fool you!

~Joey Adams

Either way, don’t be fooled!

—

 

The Swirl World Team is committed to sharing inspiration in 2016. Our goal is to help you stay motivated and inspired by bringing you positive, uplifting images and corresponding thoughts.

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, high-resolution photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World LLC , ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo property of The Swirl World™.

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Filed Under: 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, Fun & Games, Holiday Observances Tagged With: April Fool's Day, Black women, life, living well

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Welcome!

I’m Michelle Matthews-Calloway, and I’m A Swirl Girl! Greetings to you from The Swirl World. We encourage Black women to expand their relationship options by dating and marrying interracially. Our overarching mission is to see Black Women live their best life. Come Swirl with us in The Swirl World™, where we celebrate Black women and the diverse men who love us!™

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