Baked Brussels Sprouts

There’s a virtual party taking place this evening in honor of C. Beth’s birthday and I’ve decided to bring baked brussels sprouts to the party. You take about one pound of brussels sprouts, clean them and then place them evenly on a baking sheet coated in bacon fat. Stick these wonderful green delights in the oven on 400 degrees and bake until they are nice and tender and the leaves begin to scorch just a little.

What a wonderful veggie dish to bring to the party. I hope you all enjoy, a new twist on one of the blandest vegetables out there.

To join the fun of jump-starting your muse, check out the One-Minute Writer here.

Today’s One-Minute Writer Post:

Oh to have the youthful exuberance of a child again. Children have such vivid imaginations and even today they will hold conversations with “imaginary” friends. They see people as people and don’t see color lines. Why if you put a group of children in a room and give them a few toys they will play and interact and make their new “best friend” in an inkling. If only we were all so open and free spirited in our beliefs, this world would be a much better place.

Trying Something A Little Different

About a year ago, I decided to free myself and most importantly, my hair, from my dangerous addiction to heat. Actually, I had been attempting for a couple of years to go free during the summer months, but the look really wasn’t happening. I regularly had ends that would not revert to their natural state and this really boggled my mind, because I had not relaxed my hair; the only chemicals were coloring.
Then last summer it just seemed that nothing was working and I talked with a co-worker who had begun wearing her hair naturally and decided to take the plunge. I cut my hair and began wearing it natural and it really began to curl on its own. The only problem was humidity has never been my friend, and anyone who knows Cleveland summers understands my pain. Instead of the curly ringlets left after a shower or shampoo, the minute the air hit my hair I had what I called a curly ‘fro. Not the look I was hoping for, but I stuck it out, only blow drying and flat ironing my hair once – for my friend’s wedding.
The results have been wonderful. I believe my hair has become a little thicker and I know it is healthier, but I’m still not a fan of the shrinkage.
Fast forward to June and I receive an email from my friend and former writing group member, author Lori Johnson informing me and others that she is preparing a series on Natural Women as a prelude to the release of her next novel, A Natural Woman, and asking if we would like to submit a story. While reading her blog I came across a number of links on natural hair, maintenance and the journey to natural.
So, last week I decided to twist my hair as a change. The picture above is after three days. Not sure if it’s the look I’m after, but the feedback has been great. What do you think?
Check out Lori’s blog to hear more stories on the road to becoming a truly Natural Woman.

President Obama Comes to Cleveland

The news junkie in me was in full force yesterday as I trudged through monsoon like rain (exaggeration intended) to hear President Barack Obama discuss his plans for health care reform at Shaker Heights High School. Shout out to Kelly for hooking me up with a ticket!

Knowing that parking would be a high commodity I drove a couple of blocks and found a decent spot, and as luck would have it the rain begins to come down in torrents, but I would not be deterred and began my trek to the school.

Carrying my straw bag with my 35mm SLR, palm sized digital, Flip video, note pad and othe goodies I arrived soaked from my thighs down. The upper body was insulated by my hooded raincoat. Everything was held in my straw bag because the letter with my ticket said no bags, so I figured my camera bag might not get in – a fact I would later find was probably incorrect.

Again, as luck would have it as soon as I arrived at the line to enter the gymnasium the rain stopped! Luckily I had timed my arrival pretty good, and didn’t have to stand in line more than about fifteen minutes before reaching the security checkpoint. The officers manning security were very nice and conversational, one actually telling me I could ony bring in five items as he checked out all of my electronic equipment. They were also very helpful in assisting me in retrieving my cellphones and bluetooth – inadvertently left at the check in table. I guess I had too many items after all!

Inside I chatted with a few local politicians and media types and awaited the President’s arrival. I was surprised at how punctual he was, starting only about five minutes later than scheduled.

Introducing the President was a retired autoworker who spoke of having to work part-time in order to pay the rising costs for health care.

The president stuck to his message ensuring those present that his proposal is an effort to help more Americans receive adequate health care. He knows the plan is not without some flaws, but that it is desire for the various Congressional Committees to hammer out the details.

When questioned about the timeline, the President said he believes that in order to have anything done in Washington you have to set deadlines, and his true goal is to have reform in place before the end of the year.

Speaking to a largely Democratic audience, President Obama’s message was well received and he closed by urging the attendees to keep the heat on their Congressional representatives.

The Continuing Question of Race in America

Timing is everything, has become cliche’ and I’m not sure who said it first, but it is so apropos to the events of the last week. The topic of race in America has been a very prevalent topic in the various Social Networking sites from Twitter to Facebook, and has extended into the mainstream conversation because of a couple of events.

Last week a question was posted on Facebook by Rhonda Crowder, a reporter for the Call & Post Newspaper, “Do you think we live in a post-racial America? Does racism still exist? Have WE really overcome?” The question prompted a great deal of conversation, with most saying that racism is still strong and present in the United States.

My take on the question was that yes, we have the first black president and life has definitely changed for him, but on “Main Street” things are very similar to what they were prior to January 20, 2009.

My full response was: Racism is a condition that will continue to exist for a long time. The fact that we have a black president does not negate racism, it simply says that more whites and other minorities were willing to vote for President Obama. For main street the issues of racism have not been eradicated and in some ways have been exacerbated by the economic times … that we now find ourselves in. As time continues there may be an end to racism as we know it today, but as human beings I agree with a previous respondent – we will always find a way to see ourselves as better than someone else. Finally, at the heart of racism is power, or a sense of power, so it really depends on who has the ultimate power many years from now as to what shape racism will take on.

The exchange was interesting and thought provoking, but it became very timely on Monday when I learned that Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates had been arrested at his own home. The headlines, blog posts, and tweets spoke of racial profiling and racism. I immediately thought of Rhonda’s question, and thought here is a living example of how things have not changed in America.

Dr. Gates is world-renowned for his documentaries on genealogical research and tracing African American history. He definitely does not look like a thief, but then again what does a thief look like? During an interview on CNN he explained that he would not leave his house because the moment he was out of his house he could be arrested for suspicion of burglary. To think that the officers responding to the call had never heard of him or seen him is astonishing! But it is further proof that there is a long way to go before racism is non-existent.

I don’t think that we will see that day because racism is about more than differences in skin color, it has a great deal to do with perceptions of power and superiority, and while the level of racism felt by people of color may shift as those of color become more powerful the shift will be to another undeserved group.

What do you think? Next…Racism within the race.