It's been so long but JAH know my absence is due to the volume of works I am preparing to bring forth this year (JAH willing). So before I introduce my newest offering I will just give a brief run through of what is going on with me, Ila Addis, at this point.
I am currently on the final editing of my first book to be published: The Lion of God is the working title at this time. It is a five year long expansion of the article I posted back in 2014 The Sun Lion King: Cosmic Messianic Symbolism in Rastafari
I never expected to be taken on this journey but alas it has truly been an enlightening one, where I have come to see that what Rastafari hold dear in our beliefs about His Majesty Haile Sellassie I, are well founded but have not been explored in a collective fullness. So this offering will be my personal exploration into the 'hidden symbolism' and deeper meanings behind the Messianic symbolism of Judeo-Christianity, which we attribute to the Emperor.
Secondly, I have been posting my recipes to www.italpeople.blogspot.com instead of here, so please do connect with that site if you haven't. I am also on instagram as @italpeople. I have been absent for a while there as well but I am preparing to post some more recipes starting today. I also am requesting that Sistren or Brethren email me recipes for not just Ital food but body and home care as well, anything with child care. Ital People is not just about me personally, but about the Ital Livity of the Rastafari collective, so please do contribute! You will be credited. Email me your recipe in article style, with pics and your social media info at italpeople@gmail.com. I would apprecilove it. Ones who work in culinary arts or produce body care items this is a great opportunity for you to get yourself known to the community as well.
Thirdly, my website is still up www.iloveafrika.com Tams and Loc Caps and Wraps are the major sellers at this point. I haven't had the funds to produce my Afrika patchwork skirts like in previous years but I am always hoping to get back to the works.
Fourth, my kingman Jahmaro (instagram @jahmarro) and I have finally been able to produce our own Tshirt line through Amazon. We upload the print and they do all the shipping and so on. So you can find our heartworks by typing in Amazon Search ANCIENT LIONAGE you can find links to the tshirts at www.iloveafrika.com
so far it is just to the USA but we hope to upload to the UK Amazon soon.
Fifth, and to the point of this post, I have FINALLY finished a few of my worksheet printable packs for homeschooling Mamas! It has been a long journey because I have been drawing and digitally colourising the images and creating/formatting the worksheets myself which is a LONG AND TEDIOUS process! Luckily Jahmaro has been helpful with drawing the images of people and animals for me - I am useless when it comes to those types of images haha. So far I only have language arts up but I am working on some Math packs now, and then some Reading Comprehension and Writing packs.
Some of these packs will be freebies at the Teachers Pay Teachers store but on my website I can't offer items free so they will be only $1.00. So I really do hope you will check them out, support the works and also spread the word to other homeschoolers. It is important to bring Rastafari into the classroom and it is very hard to do that without materials that bear the images or themes. Homeschooling is packed with so much subjects to cover, I am pleased to integrate the two. I have developed and used these sheets as I teach my own five year old prince so I myself have been benefiting along the way.
My Rasta Homeschool Store is on Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) and also available at www.iloveafrika.com under Homeschool.
Please leave me some feedback when you download any item on the TpT store. You can also follow my Pinterest Board where I will post up new packs that are available in the store.
Finally, I give thanks for another year ahead, especially since my personal health has improved in the last year (which was why I was also absent - arthritis, anxiety and stress are no joke!)
I am really hoping to once again become more active in the online Rastafari community through Ital People, RastaWifeLine, FariFacts and ILA Designs. It's a lot but my commitment and passion for the works has never ceased, I just need my body to keep up with all the things my mind wants to achieve!
I am also hoping to get back to posting videos on youtube because there are some things I want to re-address in RastaWifeLine, but I need time with QUIET in my house to do so haha!
Everything will forward in JAH Time but I thank you for sticking with me through the years, and I thank the Sistren who take the time to send me an email or post on social media to let me know I am missed! I miss connecting with you too.
Blessed Love and for 2019 let us focus on doing the WORK for Rastafari Upliftment!
Ila Addis