Why Millicent Rogers Should Be On Durham’s School Board
For many reasons, I have been out of the political scene for years; but when I was contacted about this young, single mother who was running for Durham School Board and met her, she rekindled my hope. I have written this article to explain why and to endorse her.
2Cellos Continue to Entertain and Inspire (with Matt Simons and friends) at the DPAC this Week
This article was published by Triangle Review on April 8, 2022. My first son discovered 2Cellos when he was twelve; and his first “real” concert was the 2Cellos concert at the Durham Performing Arts Center. This year, the 2Cellos performance at the DPAC was his little brother’s first concert experience, which was even more momentous because it’s the 2Cellos last tour together...
A Wrinkle in Time at PlayMakers Rep Is a Worthwhile Family Excursion
This review first appeared in Triangle Review on 4 April 2022. Given its metaphorical construct and how the setting moves across space and time, I wondered whether the book, A Wrinkle in Time, could be successfully transformed into a play. Thanks to this review, I got to find out :-) .
Thank You, Durham Arts Council!
After receiving a grant from the Durham Arts Council to hire a web-designer to rebuild my author homepage to maximize outreach and marketing, I wrote this blog article to thank the DAC and to share my (often anxious) process.
Grace and Mercy at UNC’s Memorial Hall
Although more than 200 Confederate monuments have been removed across the country since 2019, the slabs of Confederate names in UNC's Memorial Hall still stand, rendering the Carolina Performing Arts ' presentation of Grace and Mercy an act of justice in and of itself.
Why We're Cancelling Spotify
This week, my family deleted our Spotify account and became Tidal subscribers. This article explains why. We are happy to report that Tidal’s service and musical quality appear to be better than what we had with Spotify…
Preventing Mass Shootings
There was a mass shooting scare this week at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, where my daughter is a student. Fortunately, the three day waiting period required for gun purchase provided the time that the community and police needed to perceive and prevent the threat.
Ukraine, Green Tea, Saving Young, and the Return to Live Theater
This is what I would have posted on Facebook today if I were not weening myself off Facebook. From facilitating your teenagers’ contributions to their Roth IRA’s (incredibly important if they are ever to have retirement savings) to naturally controlling high blood pressure (or not), this post has several informative nuggets you’ll be happy you consumed.
When it Snows in Dixie
We hesitantly scheduled a ski-trip to Wolf Ridge Lodge near UNC-Asheville, where my son is in school, and anxiously watched the weather as the date approached, knowing full well that snow in NC is always a toss up. Snow storm Izzy hit the night we arrived in Asheville; and, despite the driving calamities we encountered, the “country skiing” couldn’t have been better…
Petition Against the State's Override of Durham's Nomination for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor
Phoebe Gooding is an incredibly qualified BIPOC woman who the Durham Soil and Water Conservation District unanimously nominated for a recently vacated position on the board. In an unprecedented move, the state Soil and Water Conservation Commission chose not to appoint her and instead appointed another old white man with farming roots. This article is an appeal to readers to sign the petition in opposition of the state’s override.
Covid Camping and Bear Hounding
During our 14-day quarantine after contracting Covid, my 5th-grade son, husband and I went camping in West Virginia and got educated in ways no classroom can provide. Despite our generally positive assessments of the Mountain Mama, our introduction to “bear hounding” was the lesson that stuck most…
On Forgiveness
Support Whistle Blowers: I used to harshly judge people who, after having knowingly enriched themselves in an unethical system, call out that system and try to lock the door behind them - hypocrites! But they are far better than the alternative majority, who knowingly enrich themselves in the same unethical system and wholeheartedly support it.
Protect Durham's Crown from Development
The Eno River needs protection from impervious development *again* 🥺. If you live in Durham or North Carolina, please write your elected representatives in support of saving the land surrounding the Eno River and the few remaining pristine places we have left.
To Dr. Mubenga and the DPS Board of Education (re Principal Hiring Process)
This is the letter I sent to the Durham Public Schools Superintendent and School Board to implore them to *truly* choose a parent/teacher/community-oriented principal for my son’s and all Durham public schools, not just by their words but by the expectations that are communicated to prospective candidates as well as their previous records in this regard.
Asking for Forgiveness Later
American society has put layers of rules in place over its existence. Privileged people, who are generally white, have been permitted to bend those rules; while non-privileged people, who are generally people of color, have had to follow them to a T …
Alison Krauss and Dead Raptor Fledglings
On May 20, my neighbor down the street sent a group text that said, “Our back alley pine tree hawk nest has two fledglings. Very fluffy. So cool!” She welcomed everyone to come see. Two weeks later, she sent another group text: “Sad news. We have not seen hawk parents since the big storm Friday. One of the fledglings is now at the foot of the pine tree - fell? I am burying him this AM. Another remains in the tree and is sad…
The Hackensaw Boys and Asheville’s Momentum Gallery: You Will Regret Not Visiting
While visiting UNC-Asheville before my 17YO son begins college there this Fall 🤗, we hesitantly walked into Momentum art gallery with his 19YO sister and 10YO brother and immediately took note of the exquisite (and exquisitely expensive) art surrounding us. “We won’t touch anything,” I said, looking between my youngest and the couple sitting at the card-like table along the wall. As we looked around, awestruck at times, we felt more like we were in a museum than an expensive art store…
Cultural Appropriation and NPR's 2021 Tiny Desk Contest
While at a beach in Costa Rica where many local residents were soliciting business, I suggested to my teenage daughter that she get her hair beaded. She'd done it once when she was little, and we both loved it. We'd support local business, and it'd be fun. My daughter promptly told me that I was being racist and educated me about cultural appropriation…
Pleasant Surprises: Durham Home Hair Stylist
During Covid, my friend Marshunda (the mother of one of my son’s classmates) set up a salon room in her house (she is trained in cosmotology). Meanwhile, my daughter dyed my long hair “Menopausal Covid Red”. I’d never dyed my hair before; and it was fun even if my husband didn’t like it 🙃. It also wasn’t going to grow out any time soon. I watched the line of gray move from the top of my head downward ; and, around the eight-month mark, I texted Marshunda that I wanted her to give me rainbow hair …
N.C. Bill Hinders Local Tree Protection Ordinances, Underscores Need to End Gerrymandering
A couple weeks ago, our tree maintenance company requested that we contact our state legislators to oppose a NC bill requiring localities to receive state approval for future (and many existing) tree protection requirements. For decades, the state-created NC Forest Service has encouraged and assisted local governments in Developing Tree Protection Ordinances. NC State and other NC Universities have also gone to great lengths to educate local governments and the public about the importance and ways to develop tree protection ordinances. And now the Republican-majority NC General Assembly is setting itself up to negate these same local tree protection ordinances.