Closing the Year with Intention: A Reflection on 2025 and What’s Coming in 2026

December 29, 2025 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

As the year comes to an end, I’ve been taking time to slow down, breathe, and look back at everything 2025 brought into my life — the growth, the challenges, the small joys, and the big victories. This year has been a season of showing up for myself in deeper, more intentional ways. It has been a year of rediscovering my voice, nurturing my creativity, strengthening my body, and creating traditions that reflect who I am becoming.

I entered this year wanting stability and connection — and I’m ending it feeling grounded, hopeful, and proud.

Here is a look back at the year through each of the four corners of this blog: health & fitness, reading, gardening, and recipes — the spaces where so much of my growth took root.

💪 Health & Fitness: A Year of Movement and Milestones

This year, I ran more races than I ever have before — and I pushed myself farther than I knew I could go. From the Turkey Trot I ran with my daughter to the Blue and Gray Half Marathon, each finish line taught me something new about my resilience, discipline, and joy.

I set personal records. I found strength in early mornings and in quiet miles. I learned to trust my body again. And perhaps most importantly, I found confidence — the kind that comes from showing up even when you’re tired, overwhelmed, or unsure.

Running became a reflection of my healing: slow, steady, and deeply personal.

📚 Book Club: Choosing Courage, Creativity, and Connection

My book of the month, Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, could not have been more timely. Reading it reminded me to stretch, to take up space, and to lean into the opportunities that make me feel alive. Her voice pushed me to say “yes” to myself — yes to rest, yes to creativity, yes to courage.

And that energy followed me straight into my writing.

Book Two of my Tidewalker series began taking shape in new and exciting ways. I made progress on Ezra’s internal journey, deepened Grandmother Fatu’s backstory, and built the tension between the two worlds in ways that feel richer and more purposeful.

This was also the year I became more consistent with my blog — saying “yes” to sharing my voice, my journey, and my creativity with others.

🌱 Garden: Lessons from the Soil

My garden was one of my grounding spaces this year. From planting collards that ended up on our Thanksgiving table to experimenting with new vegetables and learning more about what my soil needs, gardening reminded me to slow down, stay patient, and trust the process.

Some plants thrived, some didn’t, and all of it taught me something.

Next year, I’m excited to bring the garden back to life in the spring — with new layouts, new crops, and a renewed appreciation for what grows when you nurture it with intention.

🍽️ Recipes: A Year of Flavor, Culture, and Tradition

Cooking has always been a form of connection for me — to my family, to my culture, and to my creativity. This year, I shared some of my favorite recipes, from sweet potato pie to sweet potato rolls (the only version my youngest gladly accepts!).

Food remains a place where tradition meets innovation in my home — a way to honor my Sierra Leonean roots while creating new memories with my children.

In 2026, I’m planning to share more dishes inspired by Mama Africa, more home-baked favorites, and possibly a cultural cooking series that highlights flavors from across the continent.

✨ Looking Ahead: What’s Coming in 2026

As I step into the new year, I’m carrying a deep sense of clarity about what I want — and what I’m ready to grow into.

Here’s a preview of what’s ahead:

📘 Book Two Release Timeline

I’ll be sharing more concrete updates early in the year, including sneak peeks, character insights, and details on when you can expect the next Tidewalker installment.

🌿 A New Garden Season

I’m already planning my spring planting: herbs, collards, vegetables, and maybe a few new experiments.

🍲 New Recipes + A Cultural Cooking Series

2026 will bring new flavors to the blog — including traditional dishes, West African favorites, and original recipes inspired by my roots.

📝 2026 Blog Themes

Next year, I’ll continue rotating through Health & Fitness, Book Club, Gardening, and Recipes — with a deeper commitment to consistency, reflection, and creativity.

❤️ Personal Goals

Above all, 2026 will be a year of:

emotional wellness
rest
travel
continued healing
and choosing courage, both quietly and boldly

Thank You for Being Here

Ending this year with gratitude feels right. Thank you for reading, for showing up, and for taking this journey with me. Whether you’re here for the recipes, the reflections, the stories, or the updates — I’m truly grateful.

Here’s to a year of growth behind us, and a year of intention ahead.

See you in 2026. 🌿✨

Book Club

📚 Book Club Chat: When the Sea Remembers 🌊❤️

August 18, 2025 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

Hi friends,

I’m so excited to share a little about Book Two in my three-part series — When the Sea Remembers. This story follows the intertwined destinies of Ezra, a Land walker, and Neri, a Sea walker. Their love was written in the stars, but the path ahead is anything but simple.

In Book One, fate brought them together. In Book Two, we see just how many forces will rise to pull them apart. Powerful beings — some ancient, some cunning — have their own reasons for keeping the land and sea divided. Ezra and Neri must decide how much they’re willing to risk. They also need to consider what they’re willing to lose to stay together.

This installment dives deeper into the spirit realm, the old ways, and the fragile balance between two worlds. It’s a story about love under pressure, and the cost of defying destiny.

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts once you meet these new challenges alongside Ezra and Neri. If you’ve read Book One, what do you hope happens for them in this next chapter? And what do you fear happen?

Your turn — let’s chat. 📖💬

Book Club

Empowering Children Through Literature

August 4, 2025 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

I have always loved reading, my grandmother taught me to read before I started grade school. She was big on education and that is probably because she was not formally educated. She learned to read and write after she married my grandfather. She fell in love with learning and did her best to share that with me. I believe the first book I read was “My Book of Bible Stories”…this is a book published by the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Organization. I was raised in the organization and was a practicing member up till about 2020. I left for personal reasons but I learned a lot about the importance of using critical thinking skills. My critical thinking skills were sharpen because of the books I was exposed to in my formative years.

One of the most formative books I read was “Their Eyes Were Watching God” By Zora Neale Hurston. The writing style was done in a conversational manner and it was raw in nature. Ms. Hurston use of colloquial dialect and standard English was unique and this was seen as controversial by some. The main character, Janine was strong and independent. She was not afraid to challenge the status quo. For a black woman in those days, this was considered a taboo.

I fell in love with this book in my senior year of high school. This also the book that led to me taking a break from writing regularly. My English teacher, assigned this book and we were also asked to complete an in class essay. I was her student teaching assistant that year. I took that role very seriously and I helped my peers who struggled with understanding some of the dialogue. I took pride in helping my peers while also working on my essay during class. It was one of my favorite experiences in high school. Everything changed when that same teacher accused me of cheating on the essay. She had asked me to be her teaching assistant. She accused me despite the essay being done in class. I never took it home with me. She reported me to the principal for cheating and was going to give me an F for the assignment. Thankfully, though my mom fought with me to get the grade I had earned.

The principal sided with me and my mom and I was given the grade I deserved. When asked why she believed I cheated. My English teacher noted that she did not believe I was smart enough. She doubted a girl like me understood the nuances of the material. Because I was an ESOL student, she did not believe I truly understood English. She assumed I must have copied my analysis from an outside source. That incident shock my confidence and for years I shied away from writing for fun. It took years of work on my self esteem for me to feel safe again as a writer.

I decided to share this. Educators must remember the type of influence they have on the students. This influence extends to both the classrooms and school hallways. I still love reading and I have passed the baton to my children. They all love reading and writing. We once had a family book club. It was a wonderful time for us as a family.

Reading is not only fun, it is a necessity that we must keep encouraging. Below, is a list of books I have read and shared with my kids.

Othello, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Gift, Midnight Library, The Bible, The Stranger, The Contender. A Streetcar Named Desire, The Great Gatsby, and The Glass Menagerie.

The above list is simply a small sample of books I have read and enjoyed. I have a much longer list. My children are into fantasy books, historical fiction novels, and non-fictional novels. We love to have discussions about the themes of books we have read.

Health & Fitness · Health & Fitness

Seasons of Growth: Running, Writing, and Tending to my heart.

July 11, 2025 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

On the Run: Training and Races

Running has become more than a routine — it’s been a return to discipline, breath, and strength. Over the past few months, I’ve trained consistently and challenged myself in new ways. I’ve completed a few races so far. The first was the Shamrock 5K in March. Then there the Race Towards Autism Acceptance 5K in April, Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in May. The Father’s Legacy Inaugural 5K was held first. The most recent race was the Fallen Heroes 5 Miler on July 4th, 2025. Each race brought its own lessons — in perseverance, in honoring the moment, and in trusting my body’s quiet power.

Some mornings were hard. Some finishes were emotional. But every step has been worth it.

Right now, I’m deep in training for something big — my very first full marathon! I’ll be running the Richmond Marathon this October. I couldn’t be more excited. I am also a little nervous for the journey ahead. It’s a milestone I’ve dreamed about for years, and I’m ready to meet it head-on.

On the Page: Stories Taking Root

Writing has been both refuge and revelation. I recently completed my debut novel, Songs of the Eleven Suns. It is the first book in a trilogy that explores the delicate balance between land and sea. It delves into memory and myth, as well as love and legacy. It’s a story rooted in ancestry and longing — and one that’s been with me for a long time.

Working on this book stretched me in every way. I poured so much of myself into its pages. It was not just the craft of writing, but the emotional truth beneath the story. Seeing it finished felt like watching a dream step into the light.

Alongside that, I’ve been working on a deeply personal poetry chapbook titled Dark, Still Rising. It’s a collection centered on themes of defiance, self-love, childhood, ancestry, and healing. It is written as a lyrical tribute to dark brown skin, identity, and survival. These poems have helped me rediscover voice, power, and presence in the quietest corners of myself.

Now, I’m continuing the journey with Book Two of the trilogy. I am expanding the world, deepening the characters, and raising the stakes. It’s thrilling to return to a place I know so well and keep discovering new depths.

There’s more to come — and I can’t wait to bring you along as these stories continue to unfold.

Below are the links for the books…if you are interested!!

Songs of the Eleven Suns https://a.co/d/iALittq

Dark, Still Rising https://a.co/d/43TsNRY

Thank you for stopping by and for the support 🙂