Some Southern Cookin'

So one thing that comes along with living in the south is, of course, the Southern Cuisine. Stuff like Grits, Fried Green Tomatoes, Corn Bread, Biscuits, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Pecan Pie, Cobbler, Bread Pudding, Craw fish and even Chicken Livers... And that's all in one meal! Let me elaborate. Since moving down here Kristen and I have become very good friends with the accompanist at my church, Travis. Travis is one of the kindest, most genuine most giving souls I've ever met. We've been hanging out with him a couple times a week and we just have a ball every time we do. Travis has really incredible taste in food and has introduced us to a few of his favorite restaurants.










Our last adventure brought us to a place called South City Kitchen, an upscale southern restaurant. We new we were in for a treat right when we walked in, it smelled amazing. As he does at all of the restaurants we go to, Travis gave us a run down of the menu as he's had just about everything at these restaurants. He then ordered the appetizers and he got ceative: Fried Green Tomatoes with goat cheese (<-------), chicken livers, and scallops. They were all fantastic. I ordered a craw fish penne for dinner(below) , Kristen had buttermilk fried chicken (above left) and Travis ordered shrimp and scallops served over grits (above right). We were all enthralled with the food and the desserts were just as amazing. So as soon as "y'all" want to come down here we can take you out for some incredible southern cookin'. :-)

Standing on the side of love

Something happened in the UU world three weeks ago that I need to write about. On Sunday July 27^th a man walked into the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church with a shotgun and just started firing. He walked in during a children’s play and just fired at random. Two people, Greg McKendry and Linda Kraeger, were killed and six others were seriously injured. There is a deep wound in my community that is healing slowly but it is healing.

I want to write about anger. Anger because someone committed a hate crime against people in my religious community. Anger because this story was pushed aside by many news networks or, in the case of Fox News, ardently defended as not being a hate crime because he was just shooting at liberals. UU churches welcome everybody regardless or race, creed or sexual orientation. To think that someone would want to kill people for being too loving boggles my mind. This man targeted a UU church because or our beliefs, that is in every way a hate crime; a senseless evil act.

Now I want to write about pride and love. I feel great pride for the people of the Tennessee Valley UUC, who decided not to close their doors or let their anger beget more negativity. Pride in the support given to TVUUC from UUs and people of every creed. Pride in the choice to stand on the side of love, not anger or despair.

The Unitarian Universalist Association bought a full page in the New York Times on week after these shootings. On this page Rev. William Sinkford, President of UUA, wrote:

“We will not give in to fear. We will meet hatred with love. We will continue to work for justice. Our hearts and the doors of more that 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations nationwide remain open. Unitarians Universalists stand on the side of love. We invite you to stand with us.”

I didn’t write this to bring anyone down and I didn’t really write this because I’m sad. I wrote this because of the love and the pride that I felt for this religion I’ve become a part of. I wrote this because I hope all groups of people can learn to respond to senseless violence with love. I wrote this because it’s difficult when something stirs up your world yet doesn’t affect the people around you. Thank you for reading this and sharing it with me.

standing on the side of love,

-D

Beantown and Back

So after being in Atlanta for one week, moving things into my office, and starting my job, I took my first business trip: a six day conference in Boston. I agreed to attend this conference before Kristen decided to move here with me and I felt pretty bad leaving her all by herself for a week but she survived, despite some occasional boredom.

The most exciting part of the conference was that it was held mainly at Mark's church (Arlington Street Church) so I got to spend most of my first week at work with Mark. As some of you may know, Mark and I are VERY GOOD FRIENDS and we like to sing songs and dance about whether we're in public or not so it makes for a good time. I got to stay at Mark's great apartment in Jamaica Plain and one night as Mark and I performed a clapping phase by Steve Reich, our friend Jeff Krause heard us from a street over and came to hang out with us.

The conference was exhausting but really great. I learned a lot of great music and met some great people. It was also very spiritually satisfying. I sang a gospel solo at the big service on Sunday which was really fun. Also, Mark and I got to sing one of our favorite covers (Friendship by Tenacious D) in front of a pretty large crowd, many of whom were in their 80's. But the best part of this talent show in which we sang was being totally shown up but an 81 year old woman who played the piano and sang a raunchy song in her old lady voice; it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.

Now I'm back in town having board meetings and planning sessions. This job is going to be so very much work but it's going to be great. We're already talking about ways to change the services and the ministers are very excited about and supportive of my ideas.

Kristen and I have been enjoying some good restaurants and have gone out twice with the former music director at my church (still the accompanist). He's a really fun guy and has taken us to two fabulous restaurants. Tomorrow the adult choir is throwing a party for Kristen and Me which will be a lot of fun and a great chance to meet the members.

Well, I'm going to go back to watching the Olympics. Michael Phelps is the man (GO BLUE!!) and as Kristen says, "Watching the Olympics is like crack."

Sending lots of love to my friends and family.