Sisterhood, sanity, and good vibes #BlackJoy — Black girl magic is real and it has healing powers. Yesterday, I spent the day with my best friend — who I call my sister. I hadn’t seen her or much of anyone else for the last couple of months due to a dangerous bout of #LongCovid induced insomnia. I…

Shh, don’t tell nobody — Gam’s poundcake was really Sara Lee’s — My beloved Gam could almost make anything in her magical cast iron pots and pans. With just a few caveats, she could not make a decent bowl of oatmeal to save her life and she wasn’t a skilled baker, but 9 out of 10 ain’t bad. The cakes from my…

A family recipe that’s changed over the years — just like me — I LOVE CHEESE! All kinds of cheese from good old traditional cheddar to chevre. I love it whether it’s made from cow’s or goat’s milk. I like creamy fontina to salty and somewhat chalky feta. My all-time favorite cheese-centric recipe is macaroni and cheese. It’s just the perfect dish. It’s…

Some quick and creative ways to get readers for your pieces, on Medium and beyond — I’ve been a writer on Medium since 2019, and since co-founding my writing group, Writers and Editors of Color (WEOC), I’ve learned some tips and tricks along the way. I’ve written about growing your audience through the tried-and-true method of reading reciprocity. Here are some more tips and tricks to…

Thanks to all nurses before, during, and after the pandemic — Thanks to all nurses before, during, and after the pandemic It took me six months to try to explain what my and I family went through with COVID-related hospitalizations in West, Northwest Philadelphia, and Montgomery and Delaware counties. My story is a work in progress as I tried to remove…

A poem for my beautiful, natural hair — — Why won’t you stay tight when I want to have a fro? Or stay straight when I want to show -my hang time and how long you’ve grown and continue to grow Why do let my scalp get so dry, and angry? It’s ok — I still love you anyway…

Freedom Day menus, live and virtual celebrations — Juneteenth (June 19th) is now a national holiday and becoming another food-focused celebration and I’m all for it! I’m not from Texas, where the celebration originated, but the common thread woven in all Freedom Celebrations is soul food. Here are some ideas to help you start or refresh your Juneteenth…

Organic strawberries purchased from Aldi, Trader Joes, Walmart, Safeway — If you follow my writing you know I love food and strawberries are one of my favorite fruits. As a matter of fact, I wrote 2 stories about them. However, this is a sad, but important update: Please throw away any FreshKampo or HEB organic strawberries if you purchased them…