Ruby's Garden: Grandma's Hands

today would have been my maternal grandmother's 86th birthday.  she left this earth quite some time ago, but i still think of her fondly on her day.

she was the essential "big mama" in every way.  and she taught us girls that if our hair and feet looked good, everything in the middle would fall in place.  i still live by that (tryna stay on her level, lol).  she fed us well (and with love).  she gave whatever she could, whenever she could.

i wish i had a picture to post, but as a cousin reminded me today, she hated posing for pictures.  fly as she was.  hm.

happy birthday, Mimi.

be.  fly.
ruby's granddaughter

and i usually don't post videos that i can't embed, but i'll make an exception here (since it's Bill Withers)...just come back and say somethin' when you're done watchin' :)

Friday Flowers: Don't Touch Me Tomatoes

one of my favorite clips.  cedella marley recalls her son bob's first performance:







be.  fly.
rhythm

Ruby's Garden: Zucchini

i was sitting here eating japanese takeout.  as i thought "mmmm, this zucchini is good," i then thought, "[the grandmother] would be so proud."  my maternal grandmother, god rest her soul, was one of many family members who was always up in arms about my eating habits as a child.  i was picky, and i didn't eat much of the few foods i did like.  i can say with certainty my grandmother would be shocked to see a) that i eat quite a bit now and b) that i eat vegetables at all, much less zucchini.  albeit, zucchini really tastes like whatever seasoning it's murrrrinated in, but that's neither here nor there.  whenever i would turn my nose up at [insert food here], my grandmother would say "chile, you don't know what's good!"  this included chitlins, so i'm not conceding that point.  ever.

so during this stream of consciousness, i thought, "i should blog about that," which led to "i should make a regular feature of rubyisms."  i think i'll do that.  and another out of my mother's isms (the lady is hilarious, and i've always joked and said i was going to make a book of them).

in search of my (grand)mother's garden...

be.  fly.
ruby's granddaughter




*photo: i "borrowed" this one since at the time of this writing, mine was devoured.  carry on.

Sister Secret: If You Can Read, You Can Cook

this is just one of the many things my mother has always said to me which has (suprisingly?) turned out to be very true.  i think my grandmother used to say it to her.  let's digest (tee hee).

if you can read, you can cook.

1.  this does not mean you cannot cook if you cannot read.

2.  this does not mean you can cook well simply because you can read.

this simply means that if you happen to not be innately good at cooking, you should be able to learn to cook well by starting with one simple recipe at a time.  following this basic principle, i now have 4-5 signature dishes that i have practiced, improved upon, and made my own.  and they're all crowd favorites.  ask me to deviate from these standards, and a meltdown may ensue.  but as long as i stick to what i know, all is well.  when it's time to add to the menu, i simply experiment on the fiancé until i get it right.  it's usually edible.  he lives.

and whenever i'm asked to contribute to family dinner or a potluck, i make one of my signature dishes (usually vegetarian).  people get over the whole "ewwwww vegetarian?" thing and devour the offering.  and usually (if they don't know me well), they think i'm a really good cook.  and of course i am.  i'm a southern woman, after all.

~rhythm

*pictured: my signature "broccoli hot damn," my modified version of my aunt's "unbeatable broccoli casserole"

Tattoos and "I Do"s

the possibilities are infinite.



chances are i'll be a tattooed bride.

i have quite a few tattoos, of which, 2 pretty sizable ones show in my superfantastical uber vintage-glam wedding gown. initially, the style of dress i was considering would cover the tattoos, though covering them was coincidence; i happened to be interested in more modest gowns. but as most brides will tell you, what you think you want and what you fall in love with may be from two completely different planets (in some cases that applies to the groom himself).

so i guess i already am a tattooed bride. what i should have said is that chances are tattoos will be on full display at my wedding.

even when i thought my own tattoos would be covered by my then undiscovered wedding dress, i was considering having my brideswomen cover theirs with either their dress styles or tattoo makeup. i think it was partly the assumption that most bridesmaids do cover and partly the knowledge that my mom would prefer it that way. but once i found THE dress and it happened to be one that would show the two prominent tattoos on my upper back (i'm being très vague here, as the fiancé occasionally reads sistergarten and he's not privy to dress information), i had to decide: to cover or not to cover. the more i thought about it (all of this happened in the span of a weekend), the more i began to think about why i was thinking about it at all. covering my tattoos won't make me not tattooed. it will just keep wedding guests from seeing the tattoos. and while that practice may serve a very specific purpose in the workplace, it won't serve me on my wedding day. and while my mother doesn't care for any of my body art, she's very loving and supportive, and i'm sure she'll eventually support my decision to completely be myself on my wedding day. or at least i think she will. maybe. i hope :).

the initial conversation went a little something like this (via text):

me: i'm thinking of not covering my tattoos for the wedding.
mama: what you talkin' 'bout willis?
me: we'll talk tomorrow. get some rest.

she's awesome.

so, i've made the decision that all tattoos great and small will be allowed and welcomed on the bride, brideswomen, and groomsmen alike. for some lovely images of tattooed brides, visit the offbeat bride website.