Category: Uncategorized

I love Spoilers

As a playwright, I’m not afraid of a good spoiler.  I love them.  Makes no difference to me.

If you don’t already know, I love Downton Abbey.  So I was so excited to catch it on Sunday and have watched it again since then.

Maybe it’s my slightly impatient nature (probably), but I accidentally found a DowntonAbbeyWikia site when I trying to remember the storyline behind Lady Cora’s new Lady Maid.  Well, I was hooked and read a few descriptions that go through what happens to some of the characters this season and WOW!

Another article I read, said that this series felt as if the show was getting back to the excitement of series 1… which was pretty exciting.  I have to agree.  Nonetheless, It was so sad not to have Matthew around… or Mr. Matthew to me….

After reading what happens to some of the characters this season, I can’t wait to watch it.

It has to be said that however upsetting it is that Mary lost her husband after he saw their newborn son, Julian Fellows has handled it pretty brilliantly.  There is life after death as Mary realizes half-way through the opening episode ( with the help of her brother in-law, Tom Branson, her grandmother and the beloved Carson), and so must we, the audience…because so much more awaits us over the next few months.

Click the 1st two links if you love spoilers too!

Record-Breaking Lows Call for Cookies!

What does one do when it´s nearly 0 degrees outside … Why, bake cookies of course! And not just any cookies… Flour-less, sugarless, peanut butter, white chocolate chip cookies!

20140107-175529.jpg

I got the recipe from a wonderful blog, A Cup of Jo, she got it from Monique at Ambitious Kitchen.

I’ve pasted the recipe as Monique described it below. I used almond extract instead of vanilla and white chocolate chunks because that is what I had. Besides that, I followed all of her directions.

THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!
Who needs sugar when you have white chocolate chips and honey!

Delicious and I am sure they will be gone by Thursday if not before!

ENJOY!

_____

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
By Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen

There’s something incredibly special about a classic, crunchy peanut butter cookie. It reminds me of cold winter evenings spent baking with my family. Over the years, though, I’ve really grown to love chewy and soft cookies—you know, the ones with crispy edges and a warm, gooey middle. They’re the best of both worlds.

Because my blog focuses on unique, better-for-you treats, I wanted to challenge myself to create a chewy peanut butter cookie without flour, butter or gluten—and, of course, I wanted it to taste extraordinary, too! It took me five different tries to stumble on one that I’m proud of, but I did it.

These cookies are made with all-natural peanut butter, honey, eggs and vanilla, and the result is truly beautiful: puffy, soft cookies with a crispy bottom that are unbelievably easy to make. In fact, you can have one in your belly in less than 30 minutes.

To make these cookies your own, I suggest chopping up one of your favorite chocolate bars and folding it into the dough—the chocolate is really what makes these cookie shine! I’ve tried a few special bars, but my absolute favorite is dark chocolate with toffee and sea salt. White chocolate would be great, too. Just remember: a unique chocolate bar makes for a unique cookie!

Also, if you like a hearty cookie with a bit of chew, just fold in ¾ cup of oats to the dough. A little sprinkle of sea salt also makes these shine. Any way you do it, you won’t be disappointed. Happy baking!

Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes approx. 20 cookies

You’ll need:
1 1/2 cups all-natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs at room temperature
½ tsp. baking soda
3.5 oz. of your favorite chocolate bar, coarsely chopped

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, honey, vanilla, eggs and baking soda until smooth and well combined. Gently fold in chopped chocolate.

Roll cookies into 2-inch dough balls and place onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Then BARELY flatten the top of each cookie with your hand. The dough will be sticky, so if you find this method difficult, simply use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies may not be as round in shape and perhaps a bit thicker, but that’s okay—they will still be delicious!

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes and remove when edges barely begin to turn a golden brown. The cookies may look a little underdone, but they will continue to cook once you remove them from the oven. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

I love Spoilers

As a playwright, I’m not afraid of a good spoiler.  I love them.  Makes no difference to me.

If you don’t already know, I love Downton Abbey.  So I was so excited to catch it on Sunday and have watched it again since then.

Maybe it’s my slightly impatient nature (probably), but I accidentally found a DowntonAbbeyWikia site when I trying to remember the storyline behind Lady Cora’s new Lady Maid.  Well, I was hooked and read a few descriptions that go through what happens to some of the characters this season and WOW!

Another article I read, said that this series felt as if the show was getting back to the excitement of series 1… which was pretty exciting.  I have to agree.  Nonetheless, It was so sad not to have Matthew around… or Mr. Matthew to me….

After reading what happens to some of the characters this season, I can’t wait to watch it.

It has to be said that however upsetting it is that Mary lost her husband after he saw their newborn son, Julian Fellows has handled it pretty brilliantly.  There is life after death as Mary realizes half-way through the opening episode ( with the help of her brother in-law, Tom Branson, her grandmother and the beloved Carson), and so must we, the audience…because so much more awaits us over the next few months.

Click the 1st two links if you love spoilers too!

Our Mother’s didn’t have Facebook…

Staying in touch these days can be a little overwhelming – everyone is there – all the time – tweeting and updating and while we know now that cyber breaks are necessary, it is sometimes sad to think about what has happened.

I hate change – it’s a bad trait…. The worst… I fear it and yet think about it constantly. Facebook is full of change- it can even document it for you and one can get lost in the change we see from people who were in our elementary school, high school or university.

Divorce is an ugly word for some and maybe a release for others. Having not had that experience, I write as an observer to how public our life’s have become and the need to explain everything via social media. I love social media, I really do – I operate multiple channels across various platforms and I delight in mentions, re-tweets, Likes and tags. But, I have also kept life-altering news from being the main headline of my feeds. I’m married, but you will see no wedding photos, I have a daughter, and probably post the least out of most people I know with a child / children, and I like it that way.

There has been a lot of talk about Facebook and Divorce, with Facebook as the cause, but what happens when you document these life events and the unexpected happens. Is there a “divorced” relationship status? It is such a personal thing – like the ending of a relationship on Facebook where you have to then remove the photos of you and your now-ex that were plastered across your wall.

We had a conversation over the holidays about people who had passed away, and how their Facebook pages became shrines/ memorials. It is definitely comforting to some, maybe is who have experienced the loss and uneasy for others.

It looks as though Facebook is here to stay, and our lives are forever changed – many would say for the better.

But how much is too much…

Our Mother’s didn’t have Facebook…

Staying in touch these days can be a little overwhelming – everyone is there – all the time – tweeting and updating and while we know now that cyber breaks are necessary, it is sometimes sad to think about what has happened.

I hate change – it’s a bad trait…. The worst… I fear it and yet think about it constantly. Facebook is full of change- it can even document it for you and one can get lost in the change we see from people who were in our elementary school, high school or university.

Divorce is an ugly word for some and maybe a release for others. Having not had that experience, I write as an observer to how public our life’s have become and the need to explain everything via social media. I love social media, I really do – I operate multiple channels across various platforms and I delight in mentions, re-tweets, Likes and tags. But, I have also kept life-altering news from being the main headline of my feeds. I’m married, but you will see no wedding photos, I have a daughter, and probably post the least out of most people I know with a child / children, and I like it that way.

There has been a lot of talk about Facebook and Divorce, with Facebook as the cause, but what happens when you document these life events and the unexpected happens. Is there a “divorced” relationship status? It is such a personal thing – like the ending of a relationship on Facebook where you have to then remove the photos of you and your now-ex that were plastered across your wall.

We had a conversation over the holidays about people who had passed away, and how their Facebook pages became shrines/ memorials. It is definitely comforting to some, maybe is who have experienced the loss and uneasy for others.

It looks as though Facebook is here to stay, and our lives are forever changed – many would say for the better.

But how much is too much…

Remembering Sarah Baartman and the Rented Negro

4 Comments

On June 6th, 3 Black women stood in New York’s Union Square holding signs that read,” You can touch my hair.” The photos were posted across social media and debated in the days to follow. (#youcantouchmyhair)

In 1810, Sarah Baartman stood on display while her buttocks and other parts of her barely covered body, were examined in a sideshow. Europeans flocked to marvel at her exhibition, pointing and staring at her exotic parts.

Sarah Baartman had little to no choice and was persuaded to make a “living” being on display until her death in 1816. She was posthumously on display and dissected in France until her remains were finally sent back to South Africa in 2002.

While it is clear from the articles and discussions in the past week that “Un-ruly’s” exhibition was meant as a social experiment and as a way of examining the “tactile fascination”, as they described it, with black hair – I was still (as many black women were and are), a little bit…disturbed.

Upon seeing the discussion on twitter and then viewing the photos on Instagram, I immediately thought of Sarah Baartman.

Black. Woman. On Display.

Voluntary or involuntary, they were being examined, just as Sarah was. They were being looked at and rented, as Damali Ayo might have put it.

You see, the other place my mind went after learning about this “phenomenon” was the bottom of a dresser drawer, where lay a t-shirt that read, “touch your own hair“.20130620-055438.jpg

Pretty simple.

I bought this particular shirt during my Afro days, my “say it loud, I’m Black and I’m proud” days when I needed everyone to know how Black I was. I purchased it from “rent-a-negro.com“, Damali Ayo‘s web-art-performance that allowed people to apply for rental Negroes. The site is now “out of business”, but the shirts are still available, as well as the book version of the site.

In another time (pre-motherhood), I might have stood alongside the women with my t-shirt juxtaposing their signs and behavior.

The best I could do as a response was to post a photo of the shirt.

Looking beyond race, how age appropriate is it for adults to run around touching each others hair. You don’t see 9-5 professionals groping each other at the office, in fact, there are rules against that.

My response to un-ruly might not be congratulatory, but I’m not furious at their exhibition. It did what I believe it was supposed to do. Spark Discussion. Most people might be shy to openly discuss Black hair when asked, so if an exhibit is in a public space and everyone else seems to be doing it. It must be ok…right?

In a time where Kim Khardashian’s baby is at the top of our lists, it was at least refreshing to see a more intellectual debate trying to surface for longer than a week.

Black people throughout the Diaspora are no longer for sale or rent. These days of putting ourselves on display should be coming to an end. I believe discussions of race in this country need to continue and maybe factor in other things, like economic status.

I believe the few non-Blacks that showed interest in touching Black hair were genuinely curious, but …curiosity killed the cat, and if you want to touch my hair, like I said – become a hair stylist.

Remembering Sarah Baartman and the Rented Negro

On June 6th, 3 Black women stood in New York’s Union Square holding signs that read,” You can touch my hair.” The photos were posted across social media and debated in the days to follow. (#youcantouchmyhair)
In 1810, Sarah Baartman stood on display while her buttocks and other parts of her barely covered body, were examined in a sideshow. Europeans flocked to marvel at her exhibition, pointing and staring at her exotic parts.
Sarah Baartman had little to no choice and was persuaded to make a “living” being on display until her death in 1816. She was posthumously on display and dissected in France until her remains were finally sent back to South Africa in 2002.
While it is clear from the articles and discussions in the past week that “Un-ruly’s” exhibition was meant as a social experiment and as a way of examining the “tactile fascination”, as they described it, with black hair – I was still (as many black women were and are), a little bit…disturbed.
Upon seeing the discussion on twitter and then viewing the photos on Instagram, I immediately thought of Sarah Baartman.
Black. Woman. On Display.
Voluntary or involuntary, they were being examined, just as Sarah was. They were being looked at and rented, as Damali Ayo might have put it.

You see, the other place my mind went after learning about this “phenomenon” was the bottom of a dresser drawer, where lay a t-shirt that read, “touch your own hair“.20130620-055438.jpg

Pretty simple.
I bought this particular shirt during my Afro days, my “say it loud, I’m Black and I’m proud” days when I needed everyone to know how Black I was. I purchased it from “rent-a-negro.com“, Damali Ayo‘s web-art-performance that allowed people to apply for rental Negroes. The site is now “out of business”, but the shirts are still available, as well as the book version of the site.
In another time (pre-motherhood), I might have stood alongside the women with my t-shirt juxtaposing their signs and behavior.
The best I could do as a response was to post a photo of the shirt.
Looking beyond race, how age appropriate is it for adults to run around touching each others hair. You don’t see 9-5 professionals groping each other at the office, in fact, there are rules against that.
My response to un-ruly might not be congratulatory, but I’m not furious at their exhibition. It did what I believe it was supposed to do. Spark Discussion. Most people might be shy to openly discuss Black hair when asked, so if an exhibit is in a public space and everyone else seems to be doing it. It must be ok…right?
In a time where Kim Khardashian’s baby is at the top of our lists, it was at least refreshing to see a more intellectual debate trying to surface for longer than a week.
Black people throughout the Diaspora are no longer for sale or rent. These days of putting ourselves on display should be coming to an end. I believe discussions of race in this country need to continue and maybe factor in other things, like economic status.
I believe the few non-Blacks that showed interest in touching Black hair were genuinely curious, but …curiosity killed the cat, and if you want to touch my hair, like I said – become a hair stylist.

The Artist-Parent-Parent-Artist Balance…

With Mother’s Day approaching – I thought it fitting to re-post this blog or “re-blog” this post from March. Motherhood has certainly taught me a lot and I have no doubt that this is a post I will constantly mentally “re-something” every couple months as a sort of reminder.

The Artist-Parent-Parent-Artist Balance…

With Mother’s Day approaching – I thought it fitting to re-post this blog or “re-blog” this post from March. Motherhood has certainly taught me a lot and I have no doubt that this is a post I will constantly mentally “re-something” every couple months as a sort of reminder.

Malfunctioning Hardware

There’s nothing like a computer problem to put it all into perspective.

For nearly the last month and a half, I have been working really hard on my boutique photography business (Shameless plug… GarBaby’s Photos). I had some sessions over the weekend that really excited me and with the party I shot a few weeks ago – I was eager to finally post photos and share some sneak peaks. Everything finally felt like it was going to move forward in a very positive and successful manner.

Until…

I took a break.

I had a great photo to post for Earth Day, but when you spend your days and nights with Adobe Bridge, Photoshop and Aperture… isn’t a break allowed…

I left my desk and did some other non-photo / computer related things.

I came back to my computer to post the Earth Day photo and saw a message that the Time Machine Back-up Failed. I found this odd and then saw a yellow exclamation point on one of the photos I was going to edit. Odd. I noticed that the hard drive was that awful translucent blue/grey and then the dreaded message The disk you entered was not readable by this computer. So direct – so cold. I mean… what kind of a message is that. Seriously….

Yellow alert_2My husband, the professional IT man was equally as direct. It’s dead.

But no… that’s impossible, I thought. Because I – the non-IT-artistic-magical person want to tap my magic wand and have everything back – working again – in minutes…

There are a list of technical terms and jargon that no go with repairing hard drives: sectors, blocks, bad blocks, format… I could go on, but the words are too dry for me… So technical – not creative – MEAN!

I’ve dealt with hard drive issues before – in particular this hard drive… so I should have known. I had stopped using it once before… but now – I dumped everything on there. literally. The photos from this past weekend’s shoot that I was so excited about were on there in organized in folders for my editing delight. Talk about feeling hopeless… When all you want is to transform .ARW and .NEF raw images and you can’t – it’s an incredibly hopeless feeling. No one can do anything quickly and you have to wait… Patience is a virtue indeed, but when it’s your business and the only employee is you… this is potential panic mode.

After a melancholy dinner, I retreated back to my office in silence to plug, unplug and listen to the sounds of potential death that were emitting from my not-so-darling hard drive. How tragic this was – but why wasn’t I crying… I was sad, yes – but always hopeful…

Soon thereafter, my magical IT husband presented me with recovery software! HOPE! I smiled a larger than life smile as I downloaded it onto my computer. I read what I needed to read, all the while dreaming of my photos from upload sessions past.

The most frustrating part of this whole thing is that just when I felt like things were going to stabalize with this business and just when I felt like I had a flow going… a system in place… it imploded! It flashed a yellow alert and was over. Just like that.

The scan didn’t work. It was plugged in for nearly two days and no file was recovered. In fact, all I got was a message that MR. IT read to me this morning. It’s dead…like I said the other day.

Each night I dreamed that one file would appear— hope… but nothing appeared. My husband was obviously not nearly as hopeful.

There’s something about IT professionals. So factual. So matter-of-fact. Where’s the emotion… where’s the love…

While I was crying the tears of my soul last night over my lost photos and “failed” business, MR. IT was likely thinking of solutions… Thank Goodness for him!

The light at the other end of the tunnel was scanning my SD cards… where the photos came from in the first place… at least the ones from 2013. I had no idea how much was going to be recovered, but gave it a try!

2 disks and 2 recovery programs later, my weekend session photos are recovered.

I found a place in the city to take my “dead drive”. The commercial looks promising…

It makes me dream of the day when my lovely data is back on the sectors of another device that I will triple back-up!

For now, I will edit away and pray that recovery is possible and that the quote isn’t too high.

To Be Continued…