Thanks to

jesse_the_k  for this meme.  I've been away from DW and most blogging for over a month, probably late on this.  Late summer was lovely in some ways -- quiet personal times & opportunities to see friends.  Some had experienced personal sorrow recently; it was nice to be among the people who they cold spend relaxed social time with and ( Read more... )

 Journalist Steve Osunsami wrote Hunger at Home, a brief, but poignant post about the day-to-day reality of living in an American household where his parents worked, but still experienced food insecurity.  Avoid the comments, which include usual 'blame the poor' rhetoric.

Osunsami's experiences felt familiar -- not from direct experience, but of ( Read more... )

Every part of the world has its regional humor, and I think that most longtime Northern California or Pacific Northwest/Inland Empire residents would laugh in knowing agreement when someone complains about a summer turning into 'June-uary': what little sunlight there is is filtered through a heavy cloud cover; cool days, cold evenings requiring ( Read more... )

Greetings, y'all! Spring is crawling toward the light here, slowly but sweetly. In this post: personal stuff & the usual reposted announcements. If you're a writer who loves cats, a pet food corporation may pay you up to $50K to travel the U.S. and write about felines (yes, this is a real opportunity). Other opportunities: a call for fiction, ( Read more... )

A happy Christmas to those who celebrate!
Best wishes for a peaceful, healthy, and creative 2011 to all.

I'll be off to enjoy my Anglo-Catholic Episcopalian self at Midnight Mass several hours from now.  This week, I have averaged 2 cakes or pies baked per day. Last night'sdinner was well stir-fried tofu & veg, a final nod to delicious but ( Read more... )

Rather handy, should one find oneself craving comfort/junk food while traveling.

International french fries

Of course, you'll probably be able to smell them from a block away. You may not need to search for the appropriate vernacular term before you stop a local resident to ask where you can buy some.

Forwarded from Racialicious.

CFP: Food and mass culture

Submission deadline is July 1, 2010

Notification to contributing authors: Dec 15, 2010

Tentative publication date: May 1, 2011

We particularly encourage essays that address some combination of the following issues:

Food and mass culture, Technology and changing ways of food production and ( Read more... )

Back at home base, not unpacked, plunging back into work and spring cleaning and planning and ongoing projects and triathlon training.

This was my first visit to WisCon. I met some delightful people, had books signed by Andrea Hairston, Nnedi Okorafor, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Moondancer Drake (I didn't have my books by Nisi Shawl and other authors with ( Read more... )