September 11th

 In memoriam...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

National Banana Split Day

Image
I’m eating lunch while searching for an idea for today’s topic: a sandwich and a banana that is past its prime. As I scroll, a yummy photo catches my eye, and so it is, National Banana Split Day. This delicious dessert was invented in 1904 by a pharmacist’s apprentice, David Evans Strickler, at Tassel Pharmacy in LaTrobe, Pennsylvania. In the soda fountain era, many counters shared locations with pharmacies. Banana splits were an immediate hit with the college crowd who eagerly paid 10 cents, double the rate of a regular sundae, for this tasty treat. The split became all the rage in ice cream parlors. The  ideal banana split recipe  includes a banana split in half, topped by 3 scoops of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry), fudge sauce, whipped cream, and chopped nuts; crowned with maraschino cherries. You don’t have to stick with the mundane, tried-and-true presentation: be creative. Change up the bananas by carmelizing them like Bananas Foster; dip them in chocolat...
Read more

Service: Paying it Forward

Image
  As a survivor of Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse, and Intimate Partner Violence, I am honored to have served on the Board of Directors of both   Hubbard House   (from 2007–2012) and   The Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, Inc.   (from 2003–2007). Both organizations provide a number of services to individuals who are victims of domestic violence (Intimate Partner Violence). I am also proud to share my story in my new poetry book,  Family Treasons . Are you a victim of domestic violence? Find out more here  NCADV . If you are in immediate danger, call 9–1–1. For an o nymous, confidential help, 24/7, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1–800–799–7233 (SAFE) or 1–800–787–3224 (TTY).
Read more

Signs of Spring

Image
I emerge from my convalescence, much as the Earth unfolds from its winter cloak, stretching towards the Sun. I submit some random observances of Spring. Last week a whippoorwill announced his return in evening gloam. The whir of a hummingbird reminds me to retrieve and fill the nectar feeders.  BirdCast Migration tools  will give you an overview of birds on the move over the US continent. You can also hone in on your local area to see what activity to expect. My neglected gardens called out to me today: lavender buried knee-deep in leaves held a hidden surprise. As I approached, the plant shuddered, and autumn leaves crackled. A poke in the pile unearthed an unhappy snake, slithering off, to curl under the dwarf cherry tree, its dark eyes squinting, tongue flickering warning. Nearby, a nuthatch hangs upside down, a cardinal tells me I’m “pretty”, and yellow finches flutter among chickadees, all vying for tasty morsels of suet, seeds, and fruit. A  dove splashes in the bir...
Read more