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The Help

I spent last summer reading Alexander McCall Smith’s No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Now that I’m current with that series, I have moved on to the Isabel Dalhousie series. I met another fan of the Mma Ramotswe novels who told me that I would enjoy the Dalhousie books more and more as I moved throughContinue reading “The Help”

Kentucke II

In my effort to begin placing myself into my family’s narrative of the history of black Kentucke, I visited a very good friend who lives in Lexington and we toured places previously of no particular interest. This time, we traveled the city as tourists might. So the Kentucky Horse Park was first on our agenda. There, weContinue reading “Kentucke II”

Kentucke

Yes, I know how Kentucky is spelled on a map but this spelling references a Frank X Walker poem in the book Affrilachia, a work I highly recommend. In my reading, the altered spelling references the difference black folk make to the state even though written out of the history and representation of the region; particularly,Continue reading “Kentucke”

Models Monday: On Free Land

This past weekend, I visited South-View Cemetery with a few friends. South-View was granted its charter on April 21, 1886 and so became the first for-profit cemetery for African Americans in the United States. Beneath the names of the six men who established this charter reads its significance: “To provide a respectable place forContinue reading “Models Monday: On Free Land”

Menu Plan: 27 March — 2 April 2011

Sunday Spinach and Swiss Cheese Quiche Spanish Rice Nachos Chicken Piccata, Mashed Potatoes and Peas Monday Pancakes, Yogurt, Bananas Spanish Rice Nachos/Salad Vegetable Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Tuesday Pancakes, Yogurt, Bananas Spanish Rice Nachos/Salad Leftovers Wednesday Pancakes, Yogurt, Bananas PB and J Pizza/Salad Thursday Pancakes, Yogurt, Bananas PB & J Leftovers Friday Grilled CheeseContinue reading “Menu Plan: 27 March — 2 April 2011”

The Dinner Table

Sometimes I see advertisements that force me to really work at understanding the desires they seek to arouse. More pointedly, I find myself straining to make sense of what I’m supposed to want. The narratives of the ads aren’t always apparent. So while I understand that I’m supposed to want to wear the clothing thatContinue reading “The Dinner Table”

Meal Plan: 13 March-18 March 2011

Sunday: Vanilla Yogurt Parfait with bananas and nuts and Grilled Cheese (B) Sloppy Joe’s (L) Turkey Stew and Salad (I made a recipe for Braised Turkey legs from Simply Recipes that I adapted and it was fantastic) (D) Monday: Vanilla Yogurt Parfait with bananas and nuts (B) Sloppy Joe’s (L) Hamburger Stroganoff (D) Tuesday: Yogurt,Continue reading “Meal Plan: 13 March-18 March 2011”

Duck and Goose: Knowing when to stop

Usually, I end the evening with my son reading first, Duck and Goose followed by Duck, Duck, Goose both by Tad Hills. In the first book, Duck and Goose discover a ball that they mistake for an egg. In responding to what they take to be the egg’s needs, they develop an appreciation for oneContinue reading “Duck and Goose: Knowing when to stop”

Preparing Meals

I am new to meal planning. I have been enjoying several simple and frugal living blogs, which all rave about it. I am finding it an incredibly responsible way to shop, cook, and eat. My first week’s plan reflects a week when I had no outside commitments. Now that that has changed, my plan showsContinue reading “Preparing Meals”

I am Enough

I shared a heartbreaking story with a friend about someone I knew from graduate school who had been exploited, along with her daughter, through her child’s vulnerability. My friend then passed on a mantra that has now deeply impressed everyone I have shared it with: “The first thing I say to myself when I wakeContinue reading “I am Enough”