February 14 2025
Monday Night Poetry. These people, this space. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have y’all in my life. People have no fucking idea what is happening in the lives of those around them. Empathy wrapped in non-judgment is a lost, elusive emotion in our world. However, you will find it in places like this. Find a space like this in your community. It is vital, life saving even.
February 8 2025
January was wild. $21,000 worth of wild. One additional information statement to follow. **Note: I do not owe this much. This is the amount billed to insurance.**
I have my first paid subscriber!!! Thank you to Heather!!! 🎉🎉🎉 99 to go! 😂😂😂
(Team TLC – 2013 C18 Conference in Savannah, Georgia)
So here’s some *fun* news. Team TLC will not have access to the two funding sources we have accessed in the past to be able to attend the yearly C18 Family Conference. Attending the conference typically cost between $3k-$5k. It’s at Niagara Falls this summer so airfare is going to be crazy.
I’ve started a substack account. It’s free to subscribe, or you can pledge an amount. I’ll be sharing poetry, UNR updates, my other writings, and other stuff. I don’t post on here as much.
Lillian will have some ideas, too. Maybe the on demand poetry she did a few years ago??
Thanks to everyone who has supported and assisted Team TLC throughout the years. (Conference photo from 2013 and Thanksgiving 2024)
(Team TLC – November 2024)
February 3 2025
My heart. Monday Night Poetry. Thank you for being the ones I can share the shit of life with. With no judging and no discomfort on your part. Do y’all know how rare that is?? I love y’all. ✊ (photos by @sidewayseightprojects and @isis.atkins)
February 7 2025
Pre-surgery labs and EKG done. Right heart catheter happening next Wednesday to confirm, or not, what the heck is happening with my body. It’s trying to kill me lately. On a different note, check out the cool book my 19 year old, Gigi, picked up.
I’m enjoying this Women in Literature class. Roxana is our first of 8 books. It’s an intense class, 400 level, and a capstone class. Whew! Just turned in my first annotation.
December 31 2024
Here’s to me, myself and I. 🖤🖤🖤 And to my beautiful Team TLC. 🎉🎉🎉
me walking away after burning down the patriarchy
i’m not trying to be humble
it’s frightening how made-up our masks can be
give away our identity
dissolve into a system
not of our creation
not knowing who we are
quietly crumbling
voiceless
nameless
unseeable
the self-esteem
succumbs quickly
effortlessly in children
authenticity we are born with
replaced with layers of masks
gifted to us by family
by society
by media
by teachers
by parents
by friends
by lovers
by enemies
we receive these masks
attaching them to our essence
the weight of the masks from others
smothering the light
shining from our eyes
shining from our smiles
the neighbors yard
lush green grass
tidy flower beds
with no weeds
our yards
dead grass
dandelions decorating
the dry cracked earth
weeds have taken over
mistaken for something else
through the gaze of another
bodies that tell a fictional story
privileged messages surround
messages of their idea of beauty
messages of their idea of love
messages of their idea of relationships
messages rooted in isms and phobias
messages destroying the
childlike wonder
the childhood innocence of
knowing and seeing the bright beauty of the dandelion
the place
the space
we occupy
becoming one with the dandelion
standing alone at first
later being joined by
supportive
empathetic humans
connecting the dots
of our past experiences
as the foundation
for convergence with
our current experiences
the golden years dawn
one by one
shedding the masks
created by others
the self-esteem
resurrected
voiced
named
strong
determined
seen
deconstructing the binary
blowing that shit up
breaking apart the othering
assumptions made
that ain’t got shit to do with this
spread the word
tell everybody y’all
it’s the season of “so what”
it’s the season of rejecting humbleness
it’s the season of unmasking
happy halloween ya’ll!
-camilla Downs, 2024
Theme: What kind of monster would you be
Also inspired by Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
December 29 2024
A weekend of clouds.
December 26 2024
My mom gets us a new Team TLC ornament every Christmas. I present the 2024 ornament. One of my favorites so far. And a few other of my fave ornaments.
Also, Van Morrison. Days Like This. That’s the current vibes.
December 26 2024
Good times, wild convos, and lots of cussing. Happy Holidays from Team TLC and The Romano Duo. 🎄❤️❤️❤️🎄These statuette photo gifts that I gave everyone are pretty cool!
