A home in the making- another one of God's gifts to me.

In some culture, including mine, success is  define as  the acquisition of certain  material things. Whether this is right or not, certain accomplishment does  give  a  different level of satisfaction. For me,  one of my favorite quote is coined by the late Booker T Washington, " Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, but by the obstacles one has to overcome while trying to succeed".

God alone knows literally the challenges and the obstacles that I have overcome only by His grace. In fact, I want to acknowledge God in all of this. He and I have been through so much together. I am amazed how much He tolerates and puts up with me. For years I have whined and fussed with Him about not making this dream a reality despite all what I had tried. So many times I had taken situation in my own hands and time and again these have all ended in futility. I reminded Him over and over again that He knows where I should call home, my street address even before I was conceived in my mama's womb and that He should make the way clear.

Well to His name be all the glory, honor and praise; the way has been made clear and now I AM A HOME OWNER.!!!! I have left country, kindred, friends,  foes, jobs, and a  state. I have traveled far and wide. Some of my colleagues may not have understood why I gave up traveling for a house, if I could pen the sense of accomplishment that I now feel, they would understand.  So thank you Father God. Thank you family. Thank you  friends, and  remember as good as this is, my ultimate goal is to make heaven my home where Daddy is building me a mansion. But until then,  MI CASA SUH CASA. All are welcome.

Purchased: closing day 6/30/11



Night view



Emptying my apartment and dumping everything on island in my house

Mom and dad's bedroom on the first floor. My living quarter's for now

A big back yard where I can hang a hammock and plant a garden

Boxes arriving from NJ after 5 years of storage in my parents basement. What is good and what needs to be thrown away..hmmm. Thanks to my parents for putting up with me for 5 years

sofa, love seat of 10 years.. bought around 9/11

Screened porch...one of my favorite sanctuaries

Making the sofa works in this modern era

Accent for wall

Kitchen slowly getting there

Deciding on fabric vertical blinds for patio

My breakfast nook with dining a curio of 10 years

My kitchen with island minus planned bars stools and pendent lights

Hallway with stairway leading upstairs

Empty dining room awaiting furniture

Screened porch and relaxation zone

Adding the area rug but awaiting my corner and coffee tables plus lamps.

Mantled with style copied from magazine

Home theater system- bose and flat screened

Ensuring all those wires are covered

The brother hard at work...serious about his job.

Yeppie system up and running.

Wires, wires and more wires

Cheaper By The Half Dozen: Top Ten Tuesday

Cheaper By The Half Dozen: Top Ten Tuesday: "Today's Proverbs 31 Devotion is about those tight places of stress and anxiety we find ourselves in. So I thought today I would share ten of..."

Michelle's Media spot light

Spotlight from Advance for Occupational Therapy- 2004


New Jersey Occupational Therapist Receives Prestigious Health Care Award


Michelle Hibbert, OTR, occupational therapist in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) at the University Hospital of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, has received the Francis Black Humanitarian Award in Health Care, an award given to unassuming individuals who practice extraordinary health care.


Aside from consistent delivery of excellent patient care, Hibbert is well known for going above and beyond expectations. "What is truly remarkable about her are the things she does selflessly that fall outside her job requirements. sacrificing her lunch hour to read to patients, playing card games with them-once she stayed after work to watch a rented movie with a patient and his mother," recounts Marcia Downer, senior physical therapist in PM&R.


Her good will also tends to carry over into the community. Her latest contributions to the community included concerted efforts in East Orange and Newark to feed the homeless. Hibbert earned her degree in occupational therapy from Kean University in Union, NJ. She is currently working towards a Masters Degree in Public Health.


The Francis Black Award honors individuals from the 45 affiliate hospitals and healthcare facilities of Friends' Health Connection, of which UMDNJ-UH is an affiliate, who do extraordinary things to help others. Frances Black, mother of FHC Founder and Executive Director Roxanne Black, dedicated her life to improving the health of others. Over the course of her career as a registered nurse and art therapist, she delivered compassionate care to individuals with physical disabilities, behavioral health problems and thousands of other patients with a diverse range of health issues and life challenges.

UMDNJ-UH, one of the country's cutting-edge university medical centers and the flagship hospit
al of UMDNJ, features world class expertise in a variety of medical disciplines. For more information, go to www.theuniversityhospital.com.