I've decided to start composting. One reason is because in a year or two I want to start a kitchen garden, but my soil is so sandy. So I thought if I started composting now, maybe next year I'll have a healthy patch. Also composting is good for the environment in general.

Do any of you compost? Any advice or warnings?

If you've never been to Memphis, you should put it on your list of places to go. Mark & I had so much fun! (Well, he had to work for some of it, but I got to play!)

First let me tell you about the food.
We ate some delicious ribs at The Rendezvous, which has a comically carnivorous menu. While listening to jazz at BB King's, I feasted on fried catfish, sweet onion hushpuppies, french fries, fried green tomatoes and some of Mark's pulled pork bbq. Mmmmm. We decided to pass on the deep fried hamburgers at Dyers, which boasts that they haven't changed their grease in the 90+ years they've been in business, although after watching the video on their website, I think I might have to try it on my return trip.

My drink for the weekend was the Presbyterian, which was mostly ginger ale and bourbon. I figured that counted as church.

On our third day, our bellies were a bit overwhelmed by the grease and the bourbon, so we ate at Circa, a fancy schmancy restaurant on the way to the Orpheum to see the hilarious Menopause, the Musical. Dinner was fantastic and the show was affirming to me, but I think a bit scary to Mark.

When I staggered out of the zoo on Saturday, a bit lost and hungry since only one snack stand was opened and the tremendous line was cluttered with fussy children, I serendipitously found the Cafe Eclectic, which had "regular and rebel side dishes", a wide variety of teas, and my favorite, lemon soup.

It was a good thing I found this little organic haven, because I had just listened to Jane Goodall speak at the award-winning Memphis Zoo and now I don't know what to eat. I'll have to tell you more about her and her various causes in another post.

Of course I went to Graceland, which was mobbed. Elvis seemed very much like a sweet, local boy who loved his momma and his hometown. I wished I had more time to read the graffiti on the gates.

The Civil Rights Museum, built onto the Lorraine Motel was sadly informative, and also mobbed with visitors from all over the world. I was overwhelmed with sadness at the balcony where hate won a battle.

I had wanted to see Mud Island and Sun Studios, but alas, I ran out of time. We did stay at the Peabody and we got to see the famous ducks coming to and from their beautiful fountain and in their ornate rooftop home. I enjoyed a morning in their spa to get my weekend off to a relaxing start.

I'm going to Memphis soon, taking advantage of my sweetheart's federally funded hotel room. He has to go to a conference. I'm going to Graceland. Should I sing at Elvis' grave like the guys in Spinaltap here?



I'm also planning to go the the Civil Rights Museum. The hotel where MLK,Jr. was assassinated has been converted into a museum. So in a way, I guess I'm going on a ghost tour in Memphis.

Has anyone been to Memphis? Do you have any restaurant or club recommendations?

I just drove up to Mark's, where he met me at the door with a kiss and a Cabernet. I passed a truck on the road that had written in big letters on the side TROJAN HORSE. In small letters it said U.S. Mail.


So I wondered what was inside?
Angry Greeks?
Rancid olives?
Dear John letters?
Financial Statements?

Despite the fact that I have excellent opinions, people don't always agree with me. Perhaps it is my manner of delivery. For example, I just got scolded for bad manners on Facebook for calling Rush Limbaugh an ass, which I thought was understated. I held back my whole flaming rant. I can't imagine that I hurt his feelings. I think he traded those long ago.

But at the risk of stirring more controversy...

Did you hear about the latest issue of "Quilter's Home" magazine? It was banned from JoAnn's Fabric stores for being too controversial! Of course, I dashed right out to Barnes & Nobel and picked up their last copy of the magazine for my quilting friend, Anne.

The controversy is the subject of the quilts. I read about it in the Washington Post, but was a bit disappointed by the moderately offensive article. One, for example, is a tribute to Viagra. Another depicts a gun-toting Jesus. Another, called Southern Heritage, shows lynchings.

Who are these radical quilters? Who knew quilters could be radical? I have my fingers crossed to win my friends' quilting bee's pretty beachy quilt in a raffle. Who knows, next year if they stitch something more sensational it will help their fundraising efforts. Have you ever seen a radical quilt?

Judy Chicago is a modern artist who is most famous for her painting, The Dinner Party. The painting shows a table prepared for a dinner party with famous women. Each place setting is unique to the guest.



This is Women's History Month. So stealing Judy Chicago's idea, who would you set the table for? I'd say a table with more than 8 people is not conducive to conversation. So with which 5-7 women would you want to dine? No rules about living, dead, real or imaginary.

So I think I would pick
Mary Magdalene
Margaret Sanger
Sojourner Truth
Laurie Notaro
and probably Amy Ray & Emily Saliers (the Indigo Girls)

Of course I wouldn't mind having dinner with my twin, Michelle Obama. And it would just be nice to have all my girlfriends over to dinner - especially the ones who live far away.
And my grandmas would be great to see again. My son wanted to see Aphrodite, my daughter Ella Fitzgerald.

So without thinking about it too much, with which women would you care to share some fine wine, delicious food, and a few hours of conversations?

So while I haven't been posting, I've had some interesting experiences.

One is that I've had the opportunity to help with the Sudanese quintuplets that are spending their first year of life in America to get good medical care outside of a warzone. You can see a picture of these adorable babies and read a bit of their story here.

I saw a call for help in my church's bulletin. I was happy to join the Church Lady Brigade from all around the area to pitch in a weekly shift to help with the care and feeding of these tiny beauties. I'm at a stage in life between babies, so this was just the fix I needed. I go once a week to help, which also includes laundry, writing thank you notes, running local errands, and eating delicious Sudanese cuisine.

One lucky day I got to help with bath time. Not only did I get to bathe one of these new little people, I got to rub jojoba oil on their dark chocolate skin, the tiniest massage I ever gave.

Their crowded little apartment is actually quite orderly and peaceful.