My thoughts on The Help

Before I get started on this blog I wanted to let ya'll know that I fixed whatever was wrong with the comment feature, and anyone should be able to comment now regardless if you have a google account or not.


This summer I read the best book I have ever read, The Help. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a few days.

The caption from NPR on the cover of the book says, "This could be one of the most important pieces of fiction since To Kill a Mockingbird... If you read only one book.. let this be it."

I couldn't agree with that statement more! Growing up in the Deep South, I feel like I did not fully understand the major issues that went on in our history 50 years ago. Things have come so far, but still not far enough. There were issues this past year because a Mississippi public high school still had separate black and white proms. In the town my family lives in in Mississippi they have an Azalea Court every year which is kind of like homecoming, but the people are nominated by the garden club. There is still a separate black and white Azalea Court. They justify this in both cases by saying.. everyone likes it because that way more black and white girls get to be on the court.. more black and white girls get the chance to be prom queen. Children are brought up believing that is right to have separation. I saw something on the news a few weeks ago about the new face of the Gerber baby. They said that by 2066 the majority of MIDDLE CLASS American children will be of mixed race. Not necessarily all black or all hispanic, but they will have such a mixture that they won't be identified as one specific race- they will just be Americans.

I think this book is so important to read because it gives both perspectives. I think that as a white person in the south, we were brought up to believe that these black women wanted to be maids. They didn't mind the divide. I am not saying that everyone in the south thinks this way, but it is important to educate ourselves and our children about how much we didn't know, how wrong our ancestors were for thinking this (even though they didn't know it at the time), and we need to learn what still needs to be done.

I found this plaque at the flea market in Raleigh, NC this summer.

This is very hard to read in this picture, but inside the rectangle it says "coloreds to the rear". This is painted (still) on a building in downtown McComb, MS- leftover from before the Civil Rights Movement.

Last night I saw the movie version of The Help. It was so good. I still recommend reading the book because there are so many details in it and it paints each person's story a little more clearly. The movie is still amazing and they both made me double check my own mindset. It will be very exciting to see how far we have come in another fifty years!

the coolest thing

I love flash mobs. They have been popping up all over the world over the past few years- I love the looks on all of the unsuspecting people around. Here are a couple a lot of videos- these make me so happy!

the best thing I ever ate

Have you ever seen that show? I think it comes on Food Network (maybe?). I love the idea, but I just can't watch it. It seems to come on late at night and it makes me hungry and then cranky because I have no possibility of having that food or getting it any time soon.

I love food and I love going out to eat- so I am starting a new series on here called "the best thing I ever ate".. there will be no rhyme or reason- this isn't a Thursday only series.. I just take pictures of food I like and then I'll post it :-)

We have a new restaurant in town called Chimes- we have eaten there a few times, but in general I LOVEEEE oysters and it is understood that if there is bread pudding on a dessert menu- I always get it.

chargrilled oysters- this was my last dozen because they are out of season and milky now

huge hunk of bread pudding that served our table of 4

wind chimes

I have a small wooden wind chime on my front porch- probably from some discount store. It obviously isn't the best wind chime in the world, but I love the sound of it. Do you have a favorite sound? The sound of wind chimes have always been one of my favorites. My grandmother always had big wind chimes hanging on her deck and it is just such a peaceful sound. One of the last presents my grandfather got her  before he died was a big wind chime that she has out on her deck. I got to go with him and help him pick it out.

It is such a pretty day around here I am going to open my doors and enjoy the windy day!

reading

I love to read. Love. To. Read. My problem is that I can't just casually read a book- if I start a good book I can't put it down. If I am forced to put it down it consumes my thoughts until I finish it. I read all 4 Twilight books in less than 2 weeks. Therefore I can't always be reading a book because I will get absolutely nothing accomplished.

I have been following Matt Logelin's blog since spring of 2008. I can't remember how I heard about it or why I started to read it, but he has a terribly sad story. Here is his story in his own words- what happened?

i’ve been hearing
that question
a lot.
so…
for those of you
who don’t know
here goes…
5 weeks of bedrest.
(2 at home, 3 in the hospital).
liz had low amniotic fluid.
baby had her cord around her neck.
baby’s heart rate dropped
(multiple times).
liz almost delivered
(multiple times).
the day finally came
(3/24).
madeline was born via c-section.
everyone was happy
and healthy.
liz was told
to hang out in bed
for another 24 hours
and then she was going to
see madeline.
she waited patiently
hearing stories
and seeing photos
of me
feeding and changing
madeline’s diapers.
(she was soooo jealous and i teased her mercilessly that i was 1, 2, 3 diapers ahead of her and that she had to catch up).
24 hours came
and she got ready
to lay her hands
on madeline
for the very
first
time.
she got up from bed
(with the help of some nurses and me).
we joked about her new-found independence.
i told her that she
had to start waiting on me
because i’d been waiting on her
for 5 weeks.
she laughed,
and said,
“of course.”
she walked to the mirror
and said,
“my hair looks like shit.”
we all laughed
(because her hair looked great, especially for someone who’d been on bed rest for 5 weeks).
the nurse said,
“are you ready to go?”
she said,
“yes.”
her excitement
was overflowing.
she turned around
to sit in her wheelchair
for her ride to see
madeline.
she said,
“i feel lightheaded”
and then she passed out.
we got her in to
her hospital bed.
doctors and nurses
rushed to help her.
but nothing could be done
to bring her
back.
no one to blame.
shitty luck
and
a pulmonary embolism
are what led us to
the saddest,
most horrific moment
of my life.
(and many other people’s lives).

Over the last 3 years I have read along with thousands of other readers as Matt has faced his biggest challenges in his life- dealing with the loss of his wife while caring for his infant daughter- it is such a bittersweet story.

Anyway, yesterday his book came out (I had preordered it on my Nook weeks ago)- Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love. I can't put it down- yesterday after work I blazed through 175 pages of the 238 book and woke up thinking about how much I wanted to finish this book.

Here is one of my favorite quotes in the book:

I've always been of the mind that great art can only come from a place of immense pain (mostly because I hate happy music), and that the resulting work is beautiful because it is motivated by the purest and most authentic of emotions: sadness. I've never believed so strongly in this axiom as I did in these two moments I'm about to describe..

The best thing about Sundays on the internet... continued

I am going to post another 10 of my favorite postsecret postcards that I have saved over the years. If you have not ever heard of postsecret I encourage you to check them out today (click here)- it is a great project. New postcards are added every Sunday.

powerful

Girls Night

Last night I went to New Orleans to have dinner with my best friend Katharine. In my mind I feel like New Orleans is like across the universe, but it is really like 45 minutes away and not that bad of a drive at all.

Katharine and I went to this cutie restaurant in downtown called Cafe Degas.. I didn't take any pictures so these are stolen off of the internet.

We got an awesome cheese board and salads with goat cheese.

Yesterday I saw a commercial for Crayola's Metallic Color Wonder Markers.. I know that the color wonder stuff is a load of crap because you have to have the certain paper and it is a market ploy.. but I need these!!!

the best thing about Sundays on the internet...

http://www.postsecret.com/ If you have never been to this website today is your day! Postsecret posts post cards every Sunday of each week.

What is Postsecret?

It started off as an art project and has spiraled into something a lot bigger- they work in connection with the suicide hotline- people have seen their own secrets within others' and feel less alone- it is a really cool project!

The following postcards are some I have saved as favorites over the last 10 years or so. This is Part 1 of the ones I have saved.