I don’t know about you, but every time I hear Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, I get all choked up. It means a great deal to me as I believe we are all members of the same race–the human race–and should be treated accordingly. In my opinion, this speech is the pinnacle of the civil rights movement of the 1960′s, and remains as powerful today as it was then.

As a child, my family spent some time in a small Texas town visiting grandparents and other relatives. One of my favorite persons was Rosalee, my grandparents’ “colored maid.” At the end of the day, I often rode along as my dad or granddad would drive Rosalee back to the “other side of town.” I never understood or believed any of their–or anyone else’s–explanations for segregation. In my early teens, we lived in Hawaii. There, I encountered Hawaii’s melting pot of cultures and ethnicity. “This is what it is supposed to be like,” I thought.

At college, a sociology major (what else?), I joined in civil rights marches, studies and programs which encouraged everyone to embrace integration and social justice. Rodney King, whose beating and related consequences are attributed to the 1992 Los Angeles race riots, stole my line, as I often said “I don’t know why we all can’t just get along?”

One of my professors at Southwest Texas State organized a controversial exchange program with Prairie View A&M, which in 1968 was still an all-black college, just west of Houston. Exchange students–just like we were from another country or another planet. On the day King was assassinated, my group was visiting the Prairie View campus. Stunned and disheartened to the core, we were immediately sent home to “avoid any problems.” So many years later, I still have the words, I wrote as a college student:

“When we drove in that night it was black, no light from the heavens sprinkled out. The heavy air laid on us like dark emotion, like the shutting of a coffin lid, a coffin for a black man. But, Martin Luther King Jr. was no plain man for he was dressed in the garbs of a prince of peace and justice; the robes of equality and love; the leader of a cause long fought. And, still, he must lay down his life for that cause. No one person can take his place. It must be all of us joining together to make his dream come true.”

There is still much work to be done, here and around the world. When all of us learn to treat each of us as fellow human beings, then, and only then, can we find peace.

For more information on this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day San Antonio March, click here, or find one in your area.

Loverboy chewing on a feather

This is Loverboy. That’s the name the folks at Animal Defense League gave him.  It fits. If you can catch him, he lovingly lies in your arms and purrs while you pet him.

A decision five years in the making, Richard and I finally felt we were ready for another kitty.  I asked my good friend Gavin, who is the animal no kill guy, to recommend a good place for pet adoptions. He suggested Animal Defense League. After choosing Loverboy from among a good group of kittens and cats, Isabeau helped us with our paperwork in a most efficient and pleasant manner.

This is such a deal! Our new pet came neutered, with all his shots, a bag of food, a carrier and a microchip! For $20.

Having a rambunctious kitty in the house will take some getting used to, but we’re both happy we finally succumbed to the lure of the cat.

BTW this is Day 6 of the 30 day journal project. I never said they were going to be consecutive days ♥

January 2, 2012–Day 5

Many years ago families ate dinner together. They talked about their day, told jokes and laughed till milk came out of their noses, teased their little sisters and helped Mom clear the table. In my family, the table was set with Franciscan dinnerware, hand-painted embossed Apple pattern, and real silverware boasting the Stradivarius pattern. About 25 years ago, my mother packed up the Apple dinnerware set and silverware in a box and gave it to me for Christmas. I kept everything in that box, unpacking the beautiful settings only for special occasions. When my husband and I bought our first (and most likely last) home, I decided to use these beautiful dishes as our everyday set. And, even though I have to actually polish the silverware every few months, we use it as well. It gives me pleasure to take handle these dishes filled with memories, to see them in my cupboard, to know I can pass them down to my son and his family.

So, every day and every meal is a special occasion at our house. How about yours?

Probably not Chef Marissa

January 1, 2012 Day 4 and Happy New Year

Despite the wind and early hour, I wasn’t the only one at the Quarry Farmers and Ranchers Market on New Year’s Day. There were vendors with a variety of organic veggies unlike other markets I’ve visited, homemade canned jams and pickled stuff, baked goodies, farm fresh eggs, and non-hormonal meat

Everything looked very tasty and healthy. One thing I was really glad to see was a gluten-free vendor. Almost by accident, I began eating gluten-free last year. Without going into the gory details, I was amazed at how much better my digestive system worked by following this diet.

Chef Marissa at Good Gluten-Free Foods seems to have taken gluten-free baking to a high art. I’ve never seen the variety in any store as is offered at this venue or on their website. The Red Velvet Cake Squares are to die for. And, I am a Red Velvet Cake connoisseur due to my mother’s awesome cake, which in my taste buds’ opinion has never before been matched. Prices ran a bit high for my current budget, but I think it might be worth a trip next week to pick up a loaf of their bread. I just won’t eat it all in one sitting.

This is not a commercial, but if you are trying to eat healthy—which I highly recommend–this is a good place to start. Sundays, at the Quarry Market (close to Whole Foods) from 9 am -1 pm.

Brentwood Common Townhomes

December 31, 2011 Day 3

What better day to make a decision affecting the new year than December 31st? Yesterday, I made the decision to put my name on the ballot to serve, if elected, on the Homeowners Association Board of Brentwood Common Townhomes. It was not a decision made lightly. For the past two years, I’ve served with four other volunteer homeowners to oversee the property management, create and stick to budgets, deal with emergency issues and distressed homeowners. We’ve had to make some very hard decisions including a raise in the monthly fee. Those who serve on the board establish a real camaraderie. We bring to the table diverse opinions and experience, then come to a consensus making the best decision for our property and homeowners.

It’s an opportunity to continue learning, growing and creating community.

December 30, 2011–Day 2

I fell in love with the movies at about age five when I went to see the “Wizard of Oz” at the neighborhood theater. I remember I was wearing my ballet slippers, because I couldn’t find my ‘real’ shoes. I used to go see every picture that hit the big screen. Now that I discovered Netflix DVDs and streaming from web to TV, I hardly go to the theater at all. Today my husband and I went to see the Hollywood version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” I read all three books and saw all three Swedish movies and still can’t get enough. I thought the movie was good, especially since one of my favorite actors, Stellan Skarsgard, is in it. But, it wasn’t as good as the Swedish version–subtitles and all. What was significant is remembering how good a movie looks and sounds on the big screen. In the future, I’ll make an effort to go to the theater more often.

The other day a friend of mine sent a link to a nifty blog called Marc and Angel Hack Life–practical tips for productive living. The particular post that caught her eye was entitled 30 Challenges for 30 Days of Growth. There are some kick-butt suggestions in this post. Several are suggestions I entertain actually doing. I particularly like the suggestion to “Document every day with one photograph and one paragraph. – For 30 days bring a camera with you wherever you go. Do your best to take one photograph that represents a standout experience from each day. Then, before you go to bed each night, write one paragraph in a notebook or journal that highlights your day.”

 Here is day one of my 30 days.

December 29, 2011

Art is an expression of the human soul.

Today was ‘free Thursday afternoon’ at the McNay Museum. When my husband and I were first together, and really poor, we had three children to entertain every weekend. We went to the McNay regularly because it was always free back then, only asking for a voluntary donation at the door. Our thrifty visits also included trying to instill some culture in the offspring. Several years ago the McNay expanded it’s collection and gallery space. There’s lots of natural light coming through to the halls and a very nice outside area with sculptures.

I once worked at a radio ministry called the Christian Jew Hour. Really. The purpose of the ministry was to convert Jewish people to Christianity by convincing them that Yeshua (Jesus) is, in fact, the Messiah for whom they have all been waiting.

My converted Jewish boss took the liberty to disavow Christmas, for a number of reasons. It originated from a pagan celebration, Jesus couldn’t have been born in winter as the shepherds would not have been pasturing the sheep at that time, and it was a good excuse not to give paid holidays, gifts or bonuses.

I’m not a big fan of Christmas either, which hardly anyone can understand. Mostly, I agree with “A Christmas Hypocrisy?” the Cool Religion blog post by Ubiqutous Rat (his Twitter handle). Substitute “British” for American and the message still works.

Plus, I don’t like spending money on a tree. I feel it can be a financial hardship for a lot of folks, who feel peer pressured into being like every other family by having a tree. Same could apply to presents especially if each Christmas takes most of the next year to pay off.

Since it seems we are now substituting “holidays” for the word Christmas in order not to offend or omit any other religious celebrations that might occur in the same time frame as Christmas. Here’s hoping you have happy holidays, whatever they are.

Over the past few years, I’ve read some pretty enlightening and emotionally heavy books about the treatment of girls and women in some cultures around the world. It started with Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seirstad, and finally, Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn. I had the pleasure of hearing both Sheryl WuDunn and Isabel Allende speak in person about their advocacy of empowering girls and women to bring about more equitable treatment and socioeconomic advances for their communities.

Along the way, the difference girls and women can make in a society is confirmed again and again. Some of the how that happens is by working to bring an awareness to the causes that fight to end sex-trafficking and genital mutilation; provide basic education, job training and micro-lending. It’s absolutely amazing to me that there is still so much gender inequality in the world. In many countries females just don’t matter. Even though, the truth is, that not only do girls and women matter, but often hold the key to the entire community’s prosperity, their family’s well-being, the socioeconomic evolution of subsequent generations.

This video by The Girl Effect lays it right out for you!

Our box this week.

Last week, we received our first delivery from Greenling San Antonio. Greenling is “like a farmers market delivered to your door.”  Greenling will deliver local, seasonal, organically grown produce weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. The local box of goodies costs about $36 and delivery is free. There is a one time deposit on the delivery container. Our box came with pears, oranges, apples, mizuna (had to look it up). Weird little sweet potatoes all twisty like fingerlings and sweet potato greens. Plus onions, zucchini and radishes…oh my.

Several periods in my life, I’ve had the pleasure to grow backyard gardens. Hand-tilled, manure fed, no pesticide gardens. I grew everything from acorn squash to zucchini. One year, I grew mustard greens, an absolute ton of them. Cucumbers were like that, too. And, scarlet runner beans with their beautiful red blossoms. The vegetable I miss the most are the tomatoes, cause nothing tastes like a real garden tomato, except a real garden tomato. My little box of Greenling brought all of that back.

With a little creative cooking, hubby and I have been eating healthier and our taste buds are happier than they have been in a very long time.

Veggie pancakes: Grate potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and onions in a bowl. Add an egg for every cup of grated veggies. Sprinkle flour to coat. Press into patties and fry lightly in some canola oil. I suggest using red or white potatoes, as the sweet potatoes didn’t create enough starch to hold the patties together as well.

Tasty greens: Cut the leaves off the sweet potato greens’ stalks, sauté them with some bacon and onion. Yummy and a bit chewy.

Stuffed acorn squash: chop apples and pears into small cubes. Mix with cooked brown rice and seasonings (your choice). Split an acorn squash, scoop out the seeds and spoon the mix in the middle. Bake at 400° till done–1 hour or more depending on the size of the squash.

Bottom line, I’m hooked and I highly recommend your giving it a try. It is available in Austin and San Antonio. But, I’ll bet there are services like this popping up all over.