The first two weeks at our local farmer’s market have been a parade of the fattest asparagus. The bigger, the better for us when it comes to this vegetable, in sharp contrast to how we like most of our food. This composed salad celebrates spring. …
Some years back, half of ODB spent several weeks exploring England. After a couple of weeks in London, our first stop was Hampton Court Palace. While built by Cardinal Wolsey, it’s most known for being a favorite of Henry VIII. After a significant disgrace, Wolsey “gave” …
When I first moved to Chicago, I worked to create pathways for folks who found it extremely difficult to find work in our city. It boggles the mind to see how the deck was stacked against the most marginalized of us. My office sat within a once-grand church complex on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Thousands of Chicagoans would walk up to the top floor to our classrooms and offices to the promise of a fair shake. We did our best to make the unlikely probable.
Directly across the street was another church, Liberty Baptist. In the years that I worked a few feet away, I was always curious but never made it over there.
Yesterday, 20 years later, I did. Although it’s a tad rough around the edges, there’s ample evidence of care and love wherever you look. Have you visited this space? If you like architecture, Chicago, is a playground. What are some of your favorites here?
On the eve of our country’s Independence Day, I, like many other Americans, find myself reflecting on what we mean by the words independence, liberty, and freedom. Just two weeks ago, we were celebrating Juneteenth. Almost a century separates these two commemorative moments (and all …
I recently spent an afternoon with a herd of bison, up close and personal, as they grazed on the grassy plain and huddled together with their small calves. It was mind-boggling to think that they were living not far from Chicago, and some compassionate people had set aside space for these ninety bison.
These beings, more than cattle ever has, made me think of the past, future, and present all at once. It’s quite easy to forget that there’s so much life on the planet outside of us humans. In addition to these animals that I associate with America, there were ripening blackberries, butterflies, and a host of prairie flowers.
Back home in the Black Garden, our blackberries are still green but they, too, hold the promise of life and seasonal changes. I can’t wait to enjoy their sweet and tart juiciness. The black currants and hydrangeas, their fruit and flowers clustered together, present the now and later, too. What a beautiful world.
Today we lovingly poured our ruby-colored red drink into champagne flutes that had been purchased with my mom nearly two decades ago. We toasted our ancestors and to love as we reveled in the spiciness of sorrel. It is celebratory. We nibble on boiled peanuts …
We’ll always have Paris. Half of Onion Dip for Breakfast used to call the City of Lights home when she was a young, wide-eyed student soaking up every drop. This city has so much to offer from its aromatic markets, art in and out of …
These three beautiful humans raised me so lovingly that I nearly burst into tears of joy just thinking about them. The woman in the center is my Grandmama, the woman who taught me how to make the tenderest pie dough amongst countless lessons on love. The one facing us on the left, shyly biting her bottom lip, is my Auntie. She encouraged learning, shining brightly, and made the best chocolate chip cookies.
And the one on the right with that sweet smile is my mom. She more than any other has reinforced that anything, I mean anything, is possible. And, of course, she is the reason that there’s an Onion Dip for Breakfast… .
Over the years we have hopped around the planet, learning how others live, love, and celebrate. Our all-time favorite place? Being side-by-side.
Happy Mother’s Day to those who love us. We love you.
We’re making more room for celebrating. There’s enough going on in the world that needs little reminding of how cruel it can be. So we’re having moments to toast to good times, blow out candles, dance here and there, and laugh. Laugh so hard that …
