My Must Have Kitchen Ingredient – Tony Chachere’s

What’s the one item in your kitchen you can’t possibly cook without? A spice, your grandma’s measuring cup, instant ramen — what’s your magic ingredient, and why? When I moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1992, I was introduced to this magical seasoning  “Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning” by my various authentic Louisiana born friends. We […]

Nightmares

Mental Health Pittsburgh

We all loathe nightmares. Mine tend to come and go in spurts, usually linked to some stressor but lately a “spurt” has been hanging around. I wake up with adrenaline coursing through me so I can’t sleep, but I’m exhausted after a week of this. I’ve tried all sorts of things – soothing cups of […]

My Pierogie Pillow

What is my most prized possession? Well, I excluded living creatures so I went searching the house. And I picked this:   Ledcat found this adorable pillow via Commonwealth Press and purchased one as a Christmas Gift for me. It is adorable, but it is also practical – I prop my head up with it […]

An Embarrassment of Status Updates

When was the last time you were embarrassed? How do you react to embarrassment?  In the year 2010, I decided to lose weight so I started a rigorous exercise (walking) program and monitored what I ate. It was successful in that I lost 50 pounds in about 6 months. Unfortunately, the reason I was successful […]

Why I’ll Never Be a Great Blogger

The Sincerest Form of Flattery Publish a post in the style of a favorite author/blogger or photographer. I’m not sure that I have favorite bloggers or I pay close attention to their writing style, close enough to copy it. The thing I like about their blogging is that they write well. Notice how I shifted […]

The Reese’s Discussion

Laura looks askance at my Reese’s Cups. “Didn’t you buy those for me?” Me, clutching candy to my chest. “That’s another package. I bought these for me, they were in my purse.” Laura glances to the kitchen. “Then where are mine?” Me “Well, where did you put them? I am not in charge of candy distribution. I […]

When I Broke Up With Coke

Happy Endings Tell us about something you’ve tried to quit. Did you go cold turkey, or for gradual change? Did it stick? I grew up with pop (soda) as a treat. My parents were firm about drinking milk for dinner whether at home or in a restaurant (in those days, no restaurants served juice.) Occasionally, […]

Are Lesbians a Little Too Tart?

Did you feel a lot of pressure with January’s NaBloPoMo? As I wrap up my fourth month of continuous daily blogging, I have to admit that January was a pressure month.  A few times, I felt pressured to come up with something – anything – to write about on my blog. Other days, the ideas […]

Why Do Young People Think ‘Just One Step’ =s Accessibility?

Generation XYZ Think about the generation immediately younger or older than you. What do you understand least about them — and what can you learn from them? I am a member of Generation X (born in 1970) so this is a difficult question for me to address. Technically, the next generation would be Millenials (born […]

Can A Lesbian Be Influential in Pittsburgh?

Are you good at influencing other people? No.