A few words on Trayvon Martin

• Dannaer Fields, Bobby Clark, and William Allen KILLED April 6, 2012, Tusla, OK | more
• Trayvon Martin, KILLED February 26, 2012 in Sanford, Fl | more
• James Anderson KILLED June 26, 2011 in Jackson, Miss | more
• Danroy (DJ) Henry Jr., KILLED October 17, 2010 in Thornwood, NY | more
• James Brisette and Charles Madison along with those wounded in the Danziger Bridge Victims, 2 KILLED 4 WOUNDED September 4, 2005 in New Orleans, LA | more
• Amadou Diallo, KILLED February 4, 1999 in New York, NY | more
• James Byrd, Jr. BRUTALLY MURDERED June 7, 1998 in Jasper TX | more
• Fred Hampton, KILLED December 4, 1969 in Chicago, IL | more
• Emmett Till, ACCUSED AND KILLED August 24th-August 28th, 1955 in Money, Miss | more
• The Scottsboro Boys, ACCUSED AND TORMENTED SINCE March 25, 1936 in Scottsboro, AL | more

Justice is a blind goddess

To this we blacks are wise:

Her bandage hides two festering sores

That once perhaps were eyes.

Langston Hughes penned this and other poems in the wake of the Scottsboro case; the legal lynching that supported the indisputably false claims of two white women who alleged that they were gang raped by nine black teens onboard a Southern railroad freight train headed from Chattanooga to Memphis in 1931.  Despite flawed eye-witness testimony, contrary medical evidence, and the sworn testimony of Ruby Bates, one of the accusers, that she had never been raped let alone touched or even spoken to by any of the defendants, the trials proceeded with guilty verdict after guilty verdict being handed down by all white judges and juries.  Altogether the Scottsboro Boys as these young men came to be called spent years of their lives in Alabama prisons experiencing first hand the horrors of the American prison system and Jim Crow justice.  Being innocent was as inconsequential then, as being young, black and alive is today.

In 1931 it took twelve days for the Scottsboro Boys to be accused, arrested and on trial for their lives, and they were innocent.  Yet it took forty-six days for George Zimmerman to be arrested and charged with killing unarmed Trayvon Martin.

So as supporters and mourners, pundits and politicians discuss the charges of second degree murder against George Zimmerman, I am reminded about those who came before him, the murderers who beat, bludgeoned and drowned Emmett Till; the accusers who sent innocent boys to jail and defamed their character to protect a lie; the badges and bullets that recklessly smoked out the lives of DJ Henry, the Danziger Bridge victims, Amadou Diallo,  and Fred Hampton; and the miscreants who hunt and kill black people for sport.

I am reminded that our life upon this earth is but a breath and that for many in black America this is a bare life.  It is a life lived in juvenile detention halls, prison industrial complexes, urban and rural ghettos, underfunded schools, public housing projects and low paying jobs.  Spaces set outside of the political/moral life of the larger society .  And this bare life subjects us to modes of violence that are steeped in the middle passage, the plantation economy and the Fugitive Slave Act.  You see every generation that comes of age in America has to unlearn these legacies, least they be doomed to repeat them over, and over again.

As the mother of a son, a black boy, I am reminded that he will one day be 17, 18, and 19 years old.  That he will one day walk down a street, perhaps alone, and so to me the President’s comments don’t seem so strange.  What is strange to me is that many would rather focus on the bounty placed on George Zimmerman by the New Black Panther Party, or question black-on-black crime statistics rather than the fact that Trayvon Martin was not the first nor the last victim on this list.

I am sorely reminded of the irony, that statistically many young black people have  the same if not fewer life chances in an emancipated, post-civil rights, supposedly post-racial America than their ancestors did in the aftermath of the Civil War (more).  Finally, I am reminded in my closing thoughts, that this list is incomplete.  That there are hundreds of other names, victims of violence, men women and children who suffered not because of what they said, or did, or wore but because the color of their skin so incited others to violence.

 Sincerely,

Prude

(Re)sources

Hughes, L. (1956). I Wonder As I Wander:  An Autobiographical Journey. New York, NY, Hill and Wang.

Alexander, M. (2010). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In the Age of Colorblindness. Jackson, Tenn, The New Press.

DANZIGER VICTIMS-

James Brissette Jr., 17 – killed

Ronald Madison, 40 – killed

Susan Bartholomew – wounded

Leonard Bartholomew III – wounded

Lesha Bartholomew, 17 – wounded

Jose Holmes, 19 – wounded

“Negroes who have lived South know the dread of being caught alone upon the streets in white neighborhoods after the sun has set. In such a simple situation as this the plight of the Negro in America is graphically symbolized. While white strangers may be in these neighborhoods trying to get home, they can pass unmolested. But the color of a Negro’s skin makes him easily recognizable, makes him suspect, converts him into a defenseless target.” The Ethics of Living Jim Crow, Richard Wright-1937

The Scent of Green Papaya and other ramblings…

Question 1:  What do you do when your toddler helps to clean up by throwing your money in the trash? 

Answer:  Hug the little helper tight and be thankful there were no poopy diapers in there.

Image Credit: Ilocanoyork.com

Question 2:  What do you watch when you want to be entertained without being accosted by unnecessary special effects, dreadful plots and dialog that bores?

Answer:  ”The Scent of Green Papaya.”   For me, this 1993 production is one of those rare jewels of a film that seems to engage every aspect of filmmaking at a multi-sensory level.  You can see, hear and in some cases you even imagine, or if you are lucky remember what it is like to run your fingers through thousands of grains of rice, to smell the air as it settles into a musty – mid morning moment on a humid day, or to taste the flesh of green papaya.  In many ways this film felt like watching a lyric opera in my living room.  And I was so relaxed and inspired by it that I didn’t even mind the ending, or the lack of dialog between the two main characters in the second half of the film.  In fact, I didn’t even mind watching it again, which is rare.

 Question 3:  What is the best way to spend $5 bucks?

Answer:  Buy ingredients to make Green Papaya and Golden Beet Juice.

Green Papaya is a powerhouse fruit, offering benefits from Vitamin C and E, anti-cancer properties (particularly prostate cancer), antioxidant properties and carotenes. In addition Green Papaya helps to not only replenish good bacteria in our intestines, but it also helps to destroy bad bacteria which can lead to constipation and other digestive issues.  It also has anti-inflammatory properties and according to the George Matejan Foundation “Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease.”  Studies have also shown that because a ripe papaya loses some of its enzymes when it ripens, to get the greatest benefits, it is better to eat papaya in its green, unripe stage.  So try this recipe.  If you don’t have a juicer, cut all ingredients into small one inch pieces and put them in your blender with a little water.

Recipe

Makes about four servings

1 Green Papaya (peeled and de-seeded)

1 large golden beet (peeled)

2-3 Carrots

Place ingredients in a power juicer and juice on high.  Use leftover pulp in curries, salads or stews .  Also note that the green papaya juice is on the bitter side, depending on where it is in the ripening stage, but don’t be alarmed, that’s why we added the beet and carrots.  Together they offer a very smooth and nutrient rich finish.  Sorry there are no images I drank it too soon.

Hope you enjoy,

Prude

Mouth Pollution…The New Culture War

Photo Credit: DC Urban Dad

While many of the 2012 Presidential Candidates and other politicians up for re-election are debating a woman’s right to choose, to have access to birth control, to use it or not use it etc…I have a new proposal to bring to the table.  Please do not count me insensitive or out of touch with these issues, it’s just that I find all this political posturing and legislating around women’s bodies by male candidates a bit archaic and more than a little uneasy.  And at the risk of sounding apolitical I will add that there are many areas of our society that do need to be legislated, debated, and amended starting with campaign finance reform, but as a woman I resent the way the female body and the individual choices women make with and for their bodies becomes someone’s soapbox every-time an election rolls around.  That said, I bring to you the new Prude dish for the day, or what I am proposing to be the New Culture War…Mouth Pollution.

Scenario No. 1.

Mouth pollution is when you are working quietly in your cubicle, typing and tinkering away, and then you suddenly hear that sound, “What the F###.”  You are troubled, and wonder what has happened?  Is someone hurt?  By the time you realize there is no need to panic, its stench has already made its way into your workspace.

Scenario No. 2. 

You are sitting alone in a coffee shop or cafe, tinkering away on oh…I don’t know a dissertation.  Your thoughts, oh your thoughts, the ones you struggled to keep in tact for the past twenty-eight hours through dinners and snack times, story books and episodes of Dora the Explorer are finally coming together in some semi-recognizable sequence.  You are thrilled and even a bit excited.  You begin, but then you stop.  Your thoughts have just been invaded by mouth pollution.  The guy sipping on  Pepsi at the table across from yours continues to drop “the F bomb,” along with many other choice words courtesy of every South Park episode he’s seen.  Mission impossible. The stench of his language has settled in and the coffee house/cafe has suddenly become stifling and unbearable, you leave deflated, but determined to begin a new mission.

Photo Credit: Mr. Potter's Funtime Blog

What will it take, this Prude wonders to institute a No Cussing section similar to a non-smoking section in public places?  For me profanity and the flagrant use of it in public spaces is a real issue.  I know the free speech police are already rallying around this one, but I think public profanity, much like public drunkenness and nudity should be regulated.  For example if I am out with my son, and I know that I don’t use certain words in our house, the last thing I want is to take him to pick up a bagel and for his young – innocent  ears to be exposed to every curse word  at least fifteen times before you finish telling your story about what happened the other night.  Yes, call me a Prude, but I think people should refrain from cussing in public places, particularly where there are likely to be small children and families.  Now don’t get me wrong I’m not into policing your every word, I could care less about the content of your conversation, but when you speak loudly – enough for everyone to hear and your profanity reaches my ears, that’s when it becomes my business.

Remember the good ol' days when youth were innocent and garbage pail kids did all the bad stuff?

Also, as a lover of words, writing and the English language, I know that there are so many other choice words that could be used to display the very same sentiment.  For example in Downton Abbey those folks can be bitter, scorned, enraged and passionate all without resorting to four and five letter words.  Also, a very wise mentor once told me that writing, speaking and thinking are deeply connected, and for this reason I believe that a lack of life experience, creativity, inspired thinking or some combination of all three keeps some people on the potty mouth.  Call me a Prude but isn’t it time we found better ways of communicating, and at the very least, shouldn’t we have the courtesy to know that not every person in the room would like their own thinking to become muddled by someone else’s profanity.  After, all, if I were to begin crying loudly in the middle of a restaurant, wouldn’t that spoil your dinner?  Well in a similar way pubic profanity and even some that we find sprinkled through daytime and primetime television, business meetings, conference calls, pop music, rap music, all music and even play-off games has the potential to negatively impact ones thoughts.  I mean, what positive message or connotation can be derived from any swear word?  I know the idea of mouth pollution may sound strange to some and even ridiculous to others, but then again, being a prude isn’t exactly the norm.  I encourage you to share your thoughts on this new culture war with me, are you for or against it…please share, but remember to use your nice words.

Sincerely,

Prude

Sleep Challenge Check In

Image Credit: HowStuffWorks

So…is it working?

Have you been logging 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night.  Awaking refreshed and more focused for the day ahead?  To be honest and better yet, to be fair, I have found this to be quite the challenge.  We are now sixteen days into our twenty-one day sleep challenge and I find myself having to break many other habits to develop this new one.

Namely, no more cups of water past 8pm.  Otherwise it will interrupt my sleep and have me up and down throughout the night.  Secondly, no more using Fridays as excuses to stay up till all hours of the night “catching up” on programs and reading that I didn’t have a chance to get to during the week…it’s just insane to think that one night of staying up late won’t make a difference.  The Friday before last I did that, and I paid for it dearly, because one sleepless night begat a very tired morning, begat unnecessary grazing, which then begat a late night supper, which then begat another restless night.  So folks I committed to walk the straight and narrow to be a prude in every sense of the word and for the rest of this challenge there are no Free Fridays or Whimsical Wednesdays.  To help us complete this challenge I procured some ideas via magazine articles and the web on how to get better sleep.  Please do share your own tried and true methods as well.

7 TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP 

• Do Not Stress - I originally began this list with the Cherry Juice, but in light of many recent events both personal and public I think it best to start with stress because it usually encompasses worry, anxiety and many other issues that can not only disrupt our sleep but also put a lot of strain on our mental and physical health.  That said, many sites and health studies implore us to avoid stress which can help in many areas, sleep included.  If you find you are worried, anxious, angry, mulling over the day while trying to sleep at night, consider one of the following ways of de-stressing your mind and eventually your body.

1. Know what things are in and out of your control, and try to release those things which are beyond your own means.  A couple once shared their new night-time mantra after many years of trying to squeeze 48 hours into a 24 hour day ”What’s done is done, what’s not is not.  And now it’s time to go to bed.
2. Alice Tremaine over at Geranium Seeds recommends turning of your thoughts once in bed.  So that instead of replaying the days or even future events over and over again, she employs her senses and uses visualization techniques to focus on what she is feeling rather than thinking.  To learn more about these exercises check out her full post here.
3.  Prayer is an effective and natural way of relieving stress as it offers an outlet beyond ones core group of friends and family to share life’s burdens with.  Some people find they receive clarity about a situation after praying, because the process of recognizing our own human limits to process everything can be freeing and rewarding in itself.
4.  Maintain a worry journal.  Have a problem write it down.  According to sleepnet.com “Many times thoughts and thinking will keep us from relaxing and getting to sleep. Try keeping a small notebook next to you with a pen and when thinking or thoughts persist write them down using a book light or another source of dim light. Writing them down will help to forget about them and allow for a peaceful sleep onset.”

• Consider Cherry Juice – According to an article in Taste For Life magazine, “A recent study found that participants who drank about an ounce of tart cherry juice concentrate (diluted in about 6 ounces of water) in the morning and in the evening slept more than a half hour longer and had better sleep efficiency than a placebo group (Tasteforlife February 2012)”

• Stick To a Sleep Schedule – The Mayo Clinic advises us to “Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. There’s a caveat, though. If you don’t fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you’re tired. If you agonize over falling asleep, you might find it even tougher to nod off.”

• Create a Bedtime Ritual – This is one of the first things they tell you to do with your baby as a new parent.  Follow the same routine every night, be it a bath, story, and relaxing massage so that baby knows when its time for that big sleep.  And in many cases it works, until they start teething.  So why not let us try it, after all we do have all our adult teeth.

• Turn off Lights, TVs, Phones and other Gadgets that Emit Noise and Ambient Light – I do not like having a television in the bedroom, but then I also don’t have one in any other part of my house.  However, if possible, try to leave televisions, laptops, and work related materials out of the bedroom so that it becomes a place of retreat, slumber, and eventually sleep.  If you find that morning sunlight filters in about a half hour too early, you may also try using black out curtains.  And if you have that nasty habit of falling asleep to the evening news, try using one of these other methods for lulling yourself to sleep.

• Avoid Alcohol as a Sleeping Aid - C. Simmons Over at Dumb Little Man provides this advice stating, “ The most common myth found among people is that they believe alcohol helps in the sleep. But the fact is alcohol may initially act as sedative, but it produces a number of sleep-impairing effects in the long run.”

• Start with the Basics- If you are fortunate, buy a comfortable mattress, a nice pillow good for side lying or back sleep whichever you fancy.  Get good sheets, not scratchy or too warm, too cold or too big.  All of these HGTV type items can really make a difference in terms of comfort level.  Also think about adjusting the temperature in your home when you are sleeping so that you do not end up too warm, or perhaps too cold.

Til next time, sleep well,

Prude

Untitled For Whitney

I did not think I would write this, because there is something about writing about a tragedy as it unfolds that seems premature to me.  Has there been enough time to process, to receive the full story, or even to feel more than just sadness?  Yet it seems that in our multi-connected, always plugged in 24 hour lives the show must go on.  Remembrances are made, stories are told, old interviews resurface, and so after sorting through the myriad of media following her death, I too break with convention and use this post to remember the late Whitney Houston.

To be fair, I never met Whitney Houston, although we did meet her cousin, Dione Warwick some years ago in the eighties at an outdoor festival in L.A, and as my parent’s introduced her to us…I furrowed my brow trying to recall why that name should sound familiar to my eight or nine-year old ears and then my mother said, “She’s related to Whitney Houston.”  Aha…Today of course I know Dione Warwick as a talented singer in her own right, but back then my sisters and I were beyond smitten with Whitney Houston.  Like other little girls, and little black girls in particular who came of age in the 80s Whitney made you want to sing, even if you knew you couldn’t.  When she sang, “How will I know…” She made you want to be that girl, and you dreamed about pink lipstick and big curly hair.  When she said, “The Greatest Love of All,” you believed that you were more than just a little person with no power and no voice, after all, a pop singer had made a whole song about you.

Some years later “The Body Guard” was released, and we spent the better part of one summer visiting our Aunt in D.C. and playing the soundtrack over and over again.  We each took turns Auntie included, choosing our favorite song and trying to belt it out with as many Whitney-like incantations as possible.  And there were so many other memories, other songs and films (“Try It On My Own,” “I’m Every Woman,” “My Love is Your Love” and the made for TV film Cindarella).  One of my all-time favorites Whitney songs is “Yes, Jesus Loves Me,” from “The Preacher’s Wife”  Soundtrack.  She took a simple Sunday School song and infused with soul and experience to make it transcend and reflect ones adolescence and adulthood, though the message was still the same.  As a life-long fan this is why Whitney Houston will be missed, because she made music that children did not have to hide from their parents and parents did not have to hide from their children.  There was no barrage of  dirty lyrics, no too sultry sounds, no questionable content – just great vocals, and classic arrangements.

In this sense, she was already missed, because there are fewer and fewer contemporary singers in my opinion who can really sang, and at the same time have something to sing about.  For our generation Whitney and Michael will be remembered much like Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye for my parents and grandparents:  Having extraordinary talent, ordinary issues, and an abrupt and untimely end.

With Condolences,

Prude

Not So Drunken Noodle

A couple of years ago I was on a roll.  I was in one of those cooking moments when everything you touched turned to edible gold, and your family marvels at how you once again pulled off a delectable wonder.  And while I knew that phase would not and could not last for practical reasons like, we were leaving Northern California and the wonderful farmers markets I frequented to buy my ingredients and receive inspiration.  As well as impractical reasons like it’s Friday and I’m not cooking.  So in preparation for the end, I began to photograph in the best light the meals, desserts and snacks I prepared.  My husband thought I wanted to start my own Smitten Kitchen, but I figured there can only be one Deb, plus I was more so photographing with my novice camera as a way of remembering what I made, in case I went through that inevitable dry spell.  And sure enough it came and went, and then came again.

Only this time I had made the mistake of not backing up my hard drive for oh-say a year and among the precious treasures that I lost like first birthday parties and one of a kind pics with great-grandpa, I lost all those fabulous food images.  So bear with me as I may post an occasional recipe in homage to those that didn’t make it.

Not So Drunken Noodle

This Not-So Drunken Noodle recipe is my go-to middle of the afternoon, need a hot lunch kind of meal.  It can also serve as a great dinner when paired with a spinach salad.  You may notice that it is quite different from the real Thai Drunken Noodle recipes available as they are made with Thai basil and rice noodles.  I make this version using whatever I have on hand that can closely resemble the real thing like Italian basil and fettuccine.  Nonetheless, we enjoy it and I hope you will too.

2 tbs tamari

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs water

1-2 tsp mirin (sweet cooking rice wine) 

1 tbs brown sugar

1/4 cup sunflower oil

10-15 large shrimp peeled and deveined (thawed)

2 bunches of baby bok choy – chopped in big pieces (organic if possible)

1 cup mixed fresh bell peppers sliced (orange, red, green, yellow)

1/2 medium yellow onion sliced

1 shallot sliced 

1-2 tsp fresh ginger minced

2 cloves of garlic minced

3-4 cups pre-cooked whole wheat fettuccine noodles (any 1/4″ wide noodles will do even the traditional rice noodles)

1/2  cup or more of fresh Thai basil leaves or regular basil leaves whole or chopped

1 Thai chili pepper chopped with seeds removed  (optional)

__________________________________________________

Prepare noodles ahead of time according to the package directions, this can even be done the night before.  I like the texture of day-old noodles.  Noodles should be cooked, but not too soft as they will cook again in the pan.

Mix together the tamari, fish sauce, water, mirin and brown sugar in a bowl.  Add the thawed shrimp to the sauce and toss just until each piece has been coated in sauce.

Heat a wok or in my case a large cast iron skillet over med heat, adding 1tbs of the sunflower oil.  Add the shrimp and cook stirring, for 5 minutes.  Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Scrape the skillet clean.  Add the remaining oil and cook the onions, shallots and peppers, stirring until softened about 5 min.  Then add the bok choy and cook together for another 3 min.  Adjust heat as needed.

Add the shrimp along with the minced garlic and ginger, stirring frequently.  Add the cooked noodles and stir for another minute.  While stirring add the sauce and cook just until everything is covered in the sauce.

Add the fresh basil leaves and optional chili pepper and serve.

2012 Challenge #1: Sleep, The Magic Number

I must confess, I have a very serious problem, and I wish I could say that it began a little over two years ago when we had our bundle of joy, but that would be grossly misleading.  Yes, parenthood has brought many sleepless, restless nights beginning around the eighth month of pregnancy.   But in actuality my near misses with a decent sleep habit began earlier, around the time I started graduate school which in itself gave new meaning to the phrase “all-nighter.”

During my first year of grad school I was blessed with a one year fellowship that absolved me from TA or GSR responsibilities to help pay the bills, so instead of taking the typical two courses per quarter, I decided to maximize the time and take three courses each quarter.   As I recall this was also back when I thought it was humanly possible to read everything.  So you can imagine that finals period always rolled around and I wondered how I was going to write three 25+ page research papers in about a week’s time.  Suffice to say by the end of my first quarter I was habituated to sleeplessness, restlessness, late night snacking and a bit of anxiety.  This continued and in fact worsened over the next three years, as I prepared for my qualifying exams and oral defense.  Then came the endless parade of fellowship applications, working, writing, trying to research and of course baby.

I got used to 4-6 hours of sleep and even marveled at how well I “functioned” on less.  Then, like every semi-bad thing, bargain shopping, ice-cream, and late night t.v., it caught up with me.  Today, I routinely find some way to stay up late, with some reasons  being more legitimate than others (note the irony in the timing of this post).  All the while this overgrown bad habit has taken its toll on my body.  In a recent study of 20,000 people conducted in the UK, researchers found that people who struggled with sleep were six times more likely to develop heart disease and type two diabetes.  I’m sure you’ve seen other studies and articles that say persistent sleep deprivation, or getting  six or less hours of sleep per night can have negative effects on the body even after five days.  Sometimes I can experience negative symptoms even after one night.  Most recently after a 3 month teaching stint that sent my already stretched schedule into dangerous territory, I suffered fatigue, bloating, persistently red-itchy eyes, random aches and pain, occasional headaches, and weight gain which eventual lead to my 21 day detox at the end of last year.   In short my chronic sleep deprivation was prematurely aging me on the inside and out.

Don't end up like this, join the Prude Papers 2012 Sleep Challenge

The irony in that is that  The Huffington Post ran a slide show listing the 11 Surprising health benefits of sleep, and among those were:  improved memory, improved quality of life and longevity, curbed inflammation and spurred creativity and weight control.    Also for those of us forever searching for the fountain of youth, sleep promotes cell turn-over and regeneration.  This occurs more at night than during the day, so when we sleep our body naturally gets rid of old-dead skin cells and replaces them with new ones.  As we get our beauty sleep our body cleans up the day-to-day wear so that we can awake and look refreshed.  Thus, quality sleep is a good thing, but how much you get is equally important.  I recently saw a study that said that too much sleep can also be dangerous for the body as it is linked to depression and other underlying health problems, prompting most researchers to recommend adults receive between 7-8 hours max of sleep per night.

So what’s the best medicine for this condition?  In my non-medical opinion it’s to find the right number for you between 7 and 8.  While this really only leaves two options, the good part is that one of them will be the magic number to help improve your overall productivity, health and concentration in the days that follow.  So Prude followers, here it is our first 2012 challenge and it may be one of the most difficult we’ll have…go to sleep for 7-8 hours a night the next 21 days.

I know you had a long day and that show that comes on at 10pm usually unwinds you.  I know you just put the kiddies to bed and have been looking forward to those one or two hours of solace.   I know you took a cat nap and can go another four hours.   I know you haven’t been getting decent-healthy sleep for the past five years, so why start now?  Because this is 2012 and we don’t just want resolutions, we want revolutions so why not start one in the bedroom?

Sincerely,

Prude

Oil of Oregano…where have you been all my life?

Being a Prude, I am not unaccustomed to coming late to the game party.  In fact, I rather revel in it.   Remember back when myspace was all the rage…well I was still developing my cyber-alter ego.  Then when facebook swept myspace, instead of jump on the bandwagon I wrestled with the late but still innovative idea of tweeting.  Finally I gave up all hopes of expanding my direct social network and instead created a blog in 2011, only about a decade or so after everyone else started.  However, I do think there is something to be said for coming late to the party.  For starters I can take my time, evaluate the situation, assess the risks, weigh the outcomes and then when everyone else has exhausted, bored or disgusted themselves, I can very casually say, “you know I never got into that one.”

There are two major exceptions to this trend, when it comes to tech tools that will make my everyday life easier and when it comes to supplements and foods that will make my body stronger.  For this reason I’m almost ashamed to admit that I am just now discovering the “miracle of the mediterranean,” Oil of Oregano.

Oil of Oregano is a natural substance that is extracted from Wild Oregano Plants.  Not to be confused with that thing you shake into your pastas and stews called Origanum Marjoram, Oregano Oil is a highly potent purifier.  Its main and active ingredients are carvacrol and thymol.  And from what I gather it can be taken internally and externally to help rectify a multitude of ailments.  I “discovered,” Oil of Oregano while preparing for my 21 day detox (details coming soon).

Due to its highly effective anti-fungal properties, Oil of Oregano basically dehydrates or kills germs and fungi while leaving good bacteria in the body.  Some general benefits of this supplement, courtesy of homeremediesweb.com are:

• Destroying organisms that contribute to skin infections and digestive problems.
• Strengthening the immune system.
• Increasing joint and muscle flexibility.
• Improving respiratory health.

This and other sites also contend that it will help with skin infections, digestive issues, sinus infections and colds and sore throats.

So like all super supplement folks I hurriedly looked for a brand that was in my price range and had at least 70% carvacrol.  When my package arrived I placed the .5oz bottle in my supplement cabinet and thought “perhaps I’ll use it in a few weeks,”  because I am still taking maintenance supplements from my detox and didn’t want to have too many things going on as it would make it more confusing to discern where my health benefits and changes were actually coming from.  Anyway I put it aside and later that day took my little guy out for a couple of errands.  One of them was a trip to this really fun yarn shop to get a belated birthday present.  While there, little one decided to not only pull all the carefully placed balls of yarn off the shelves, but also to stick something that I can quite honestly only describe as a round piece of wood into his mouth.  By the time I saw him it was already too late.  Contact was made, microscopic germs met a two-year old immune system and later that night he began to cough.  And even later that night he did not sleep.  And in the wee hours of the following morning he was stuffed up.

 

Like all good mothers, I soothed him, gave him a warm bath to break up the congestion and then I made him an anti-oxidant rich smoothie and put one drop of this miracle cold cure into it.  I then prepared another smoothie for myself and put about three drops into it.  From all the reviews I read, it seems that taking this oil at the onset or feeling of a cold is extremely effective in boosting your immune system and combatting the cold before it drags you down.

So what is my review of this miracle oil…this mediterranean treasure.  It is this.  For children under the age of three who will inevitably eat, lick, suck, or snort many things that would make you cringe, its fifty-fifty.  While it doesn’t hurt them to take it even after a cold starts, they also need to build up their immunity, and this stuff can be expensive.   Though you may find it useful to shorten the length and extent of their cold.   Now for moms, dads, grand parents and other care givers who will be tasked with soothing, cooing and kissing the immune compromised little ones, take the stuff – it works.  After all, baby can be sick, but mama’s still got work to do.  Thus far, I have not caught his cold and I will continue taking the oil of oregano for the next four days (3 drop doses), until I am sure there is no way I will catch yet another cold.

Many people have also had success in treating many of the issues listed above.  If you have tried this supplement before please share your thoughts or discoveries.  Also please bear in mind this Prude is working on her PhD, not her MD, so please do your research and ask a professional before taking anything I recommend.

Image courtesy of the really cool yarn store, otherwise known as Stich House

Sincerely,

Prude

 

 

Rumer Has “It”…Musical Musings from a Prude

Perhaps it is because I’m an old soul at heart, and I used to imagine that I belonged to some creative community of writers and musicians who understood that the best art, as Toni Morrison put it, is both irrevocably beautiful and unquestionably political.   Or perhaps it is because I grew up listening to my dad’s massive collection of jazz records, including classic, contemporary and smooth jazz, so by the age of fourteen my idea of unwinding was lying on the floor listening to Sarah Vaughn dip in and out of a jazzy-bluesy ballad or Ella scat like nobody else could on The Great Lady’s of Jazz.

Then again it could be that while everyone else was enthralled with Mary J and Method Man’s take on Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell’s “Your All I Need To Get By,”  I was more preoccupied with Aretha’s inspired take on “You Are My Sunshine” (haven’t heard a better version).  Whatever the reason may be, I found myself absolutely impressed with the music artist Rumer when I first heard selections from her debut album Seasons of My Soul last year.  I like Rumer because her songs transport me to a time when music was simple, and beautiful, yet one could still appreciate the vocal and other complexities that went into  creating a single song. Her sound is jazzy, folksy, still contemporary, but definitely with a lil bit of soul and a lil bit of something else.  She doesn’t try too hard to be different, nor does she strive too much towards nostalgia which can also have an adverse effect. Call me a prude but I enjoy my music clean, memorable, and thought provokingly beautiful.

Every now and then an artist comes along and in that one song you just know you are going to like just about anything they put out, like Sade, Amel Larrieux, or even the late Sam Cooke.  Today, for me it’s Rumer, and rumor has it that on January 24th, 2012 Seasons Of My Soul will finally be available in the U.S (sorry I couldn’t resist).  Oh, and did I mention she’s from across the pond?  Here are two of my favorites,  ”Aretha,” and “Slow.”  I would also suggest looking up “Am I Forgiven”

A New Year’s Revolution

So after about fifteen years of making and breaking New Year’s resolutions, I took a 5-7 year hiatus and just decided to usher in the New Year sans broken promises and guilt come mid January.  Then, last year I did something innovative, at least for me.  While hosting my annual New Year’s Eve appetizer shin-dig, I gathered some pretty note-cards and pens and put them on the table.  Everyone was encouraged to write and address a card to themselves for 2011.  The envelopes were sealed and addressed and I mailed them out about two weeks before Christmas.  When I opened mine and read the funny little note to myself, something remarkable happened…I didn’t feel bad.  There was no gut wrenching guilt from having set higher than life expectations and failed to realize them.  There was no longing to go back about 3 months and begin making amends.  Instead I was comfortable with the me that I had set out to be, because this wasn’t just a list of goals or expectations (although those are all well and good), but instead it was an open letter to myself, a word of  encouragement and in some ways a revolutionary way of meeting goals without expressly setting out to do so.

So now as we are one day more into 2012 I am going to sit down and write myself another note, seal it and address, only to be opened on Dec 11th, 2012.  The best thing about this little activity, is that it is never too late to do it.  And if you are steadfast in wanting to write your massive “To Do” list you may do this in conjunction with that.  But as for me and mine, we say down with New Year’s resolutions, because what we really need at this point in life is a New Year’s Revolution.

And while we are on the topic of change, the word revolution is Latin and comes from the base word revolutio, which means “a turn around.”  Throughout this year on the Prude Papers I would like to turn some things around and hope that you will join me.  I’ll be presenting my first Prude Paper’s challenge later this month, so stay tuned…

Prude