The Musings of a Latte Queen: Narratives of Everyday Life

"Sex in the City" was a joyful movie to see on a night when I really needed to laugh. Some of my friends in the St. Louis Chapter of Mocha Moms, Inc. organized a fierce girls-night-out. The evening was to include dinner-movie-dancing. I made it to the movie - courtesy of my husband's always late from work tendencies - and gave up on dancing since it was storming. All that aside, it was nice to be dressed up and able to relax for a 2 1/2 hour journey into the world of Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, and Manalo Blatnik. The New York mavens of the HBO series fame were delightful - even for those of us who hadn't watched the antics of Carrie Bradshaw, Mr. Big, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte. The movie gave me a reason to laugh until tears came to my eyes. I had moments of collective estrogen recognition as the entire theatre in the Galleria Mall released a collective "ah" at the site of the Penthouse closet! We all understood the female need for more space! T...

Jack and Jill Politics: Keith Olbermann's Special Comment from Tonight

Jack and Jill Politics: Thursday Open Thread- Let it all hang out http://tayefosterbradshaw.blogspot.com "Election Thoughts"

Jack and Jill Politics: Thursday Open Thread- Let it all hang out

This morning it is raining outside...and if we aren't careful...it will be raining on this election. Powerful and well connected men stole the election in 2000. Let's admit that first off. It was an outright theft of the highest office in the land. And the result of the thievery? More thievery? Lives have been lost in this unjust war. Yes, 9/11 happened. I was sitting there holding my newborn daughter when the Today Show was interrupted with the breaking news. I grieved, I wondered about family that lives in the city. I watched with horror as the second plane flew into the twin towers. My TV was set to the the news channel, I joined in the nationwide grieving. Then the country lost its mind, thanks to George W. Bush. There were the neo-cons calling for this war - ok - go fight our enemies - but news flash - Iraq did not fly into the Twin Towers! The country was distracted because the super religious, ultra right wing, holier than thou folks were aghast that Bill Cl...

This is National Eosinophilic Awareness Week. May 19-23. What in the world is eo-sin-o-what? I asked the same question over two years ago when the doctors at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri put a name to the mystery of why my youngest child was throwing up colors of the rainbow. This rare, chronic illness has made food top-of-mind for the past few years. Eosinophilic Gastrointenstinal Disorders plagues many children in America and is directly related to food allergies. My daughter, born into a family with asthma and allergies, got a full dose of the allergic condition. She had eczema as a new born, wheezed when I unknowingly ate something with nuts (she was nursed) and essentially became a human geyser when I introduced her to milk. The mystery of this disorder is the reason APFED (American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders, http://www.apfed.org ) went to congress and lobbied for more research and recognition. This disorder can completely alter the liv...

"Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion." Proverbs 11:22NIV We live in an oversexualized society. It seems every time I turn on the TV, open a magazine, or read an email, I'm assaulted with sexual innuendo. I'm an adult, I can tune this out, but what about our daughters? The magazines proudly display scantily-clad young girls like Miley Cyrus or Lindsey Lohan as images of aspiration. CNN's "Showbiz Tonight" and all the other shows like "Entertainment Tonight" all seem to glamorize the risque behavior and near-nakedness of the Paris Hilton and Beyonce of the world. The message that it sends, like the pouty-mouthed Bratz dolls by Mattel, is that only your body matters. Sex, sex, sex. Well the message caught up with one young Houston girl. Senior prom is a time of magic, wonder,and celebration. Girls spend hundreds of dollars on dresses, hair, nails, makeup, shoes, everything for their night in the spotl...

I love people. Someone told me my enthusiasm is infectious! I hope so. I just love God's people. I'm intrigued by cultures and learning new languages, trying new foods (to a point!), and exploring new arts. This is one thing that keeps me searching beyond the racial divide...commonalities. Yesterday was a pivotal day. First I read all the blogs and news reports about Barack Obama's decisive lead over Hillary Clinton. Then I thought about all the Main Stream Media's attempts over the past few weeks to incite a verbal/mental race war just for ratings. I thought about the recent events here in Kirkwood. And I wondered what points of commonality could be reached in the nation, in my state, and in my community. I've been blessed to be a part of brave people in Kirkwood, MO who decided it was time to talk about the 1000lb elephant...white privilege and institutional racism. So we came together every month since the February 7th shooting. We sat in small g...

Today is my birthday. I am 44 years old. I have been without my mother for 40 years. She was 44 years old when she died. I have a 4 year old. I was 4 years old. I am living my dream. She never got to live her dream. I look like her. I have her hands. I carry her dreams. Today is my birthday.

What I'm praying for... 1. The Lord's will to be done! 2. People to store up like Joseph so they won't go hungry as the recession wears on! 3. All the young people! Special prayer for young black men who seem to be a target. 4. Peace in America, we are in deep trouble as a nation of greed, death, and immorality. 5. My son in Japan. 6. My eldest son trying to be a thoughtful, educated, 21, black, American. 7. My youngest daughter and all other kids with chronic illnesses...and their parents. 8. Decent and affordable health care in America. 9. ELECTION DAY 2008 and INAUGURAL DAY 2009...A CHANGE HAS TO COME!!!! 10. My little corner of the world as we work through race relations. 11. The wealthy to know you really don't need another Prada or your 16 year old in a Mercedes! 12. The poor to know God has got your back and stop making Wal*Mart wealthy! 13. White people to stop being scared of black people, we are AMERICANS TOO! 14. White people to stop hating if ...