Drew Gardeners during Earth Day, April 2017
Category Archives: April
Noah helping April
Cooking for Church
The last friday in March, the young adult choir hosted a fish fry for the saints.
When I was a little girl, I would look at the adults cooking in the church kitchen and hope never to have to labor in that way (the big pots and pans scared me and sometimes still do).
However, I am not sure when I started volunteering my cooking services…as I don’t consider myself the best cook around. However, I did and it’s an experience that I only enjoy when it’s all over.
Cooking is not my favorite pastime but I do cook. I cook more for a necessity. The more people in the kitchen with me, the more merrier I become, especially if those around me cook as their hobby…like my sister, April!
Beautification Day
The beginning of April. The start of Spring. April 1st. My sister, April, hosted her first beautification day in the neighborhood. Homeowners, the Youth, dog walkers, teachers, children not yet in school- all were welcome to come and beautify the neighborhood.
Congressman Jose Serrano
Congressman Serrano has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1970. He has basically been representing the Bronx for around 40 plus years.
In his words, he has been in congress since 1974. ‘I’ve been around longer than Buckner [Blvd] was around..I am the longest democratic politician for the Bronx. When I got elected, Nixon was president and Brennan was mayor”.
During his time in office, he created a relationship with the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center.
He is posing with staff and family of the Mary Mitchell: Izzy with his daughter, Veronica, My sister April, Me, Congressman Serrano, Ms. Josefina, & her twin sister, Ms. Yolanda.
Grace & Her Little Brother
Grace just got a little brother over the summer and she is extremely happy.
Happy 2017!!
My eldest and youngest sisters praising God for the New Year. It was so packed, we found out the only way for us to sit together would be to sit on the the choir stand.
And like the man on the bus told me today, may God bless you with peace and prosperity this year and IF many more come (when he told me that, I thought really quick about how 2016 went…)
Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference
I wrote a letter to my mom during the Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference.
Dear Mom,
I am at a Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference. April asked me to tag along with her, so I am pretty much here to support your youngest daughter. We are in two different meetings right now having two different experiences.
This is my first time sitting in a room with a sign on the outside of the door welcoming only brown skin people… It’s also my first time I’ve been asked to give my suggested pronoun.
The commentator just ask me to name three things that make me. You of course were one of those three. I said: Christian, Mother (Family) and Writer (photographer) and she allowed me to take photos during the meeting.
The commentator speaks really weird like, as if she lives in her head. She likes the word, imagine. She is making me think about food in a different way and uses words I never associate with food to talk about food. Who uses intimacy in the same sentence as food? She’s making me think about food in a different way altogether. It’s almost scary.
“ You should create a real relationship with your food…outside of your mother, food is our oldest relationship. Eating should be centered in pleasure…you should know who your grower is and create intimacy with food…”
Mom, remember that time you and Minister Richards thought it was funny that I had a nightmare about cooking? Well, I think the dream is coming to pass right here. Who talks about food in this way?
Mom, I am beginning to like this speaker. While I don’t agree with everything she says about food, some of the things she say are empowering. She is talking about the word liberation and wants to know how we will define it.
There is a yearning to feel connected to the land and to be free…because we were tied to the land, we survived…whenever a people have to heal itself they have to go back to the soil…create a restaurant in your house…build power through stewardship and ownership… How do we own land…how do we break out of capitalism? We must be generous with what we have…
Mom, as I listen to this lady who lives in her head, questions about our family and land comes to mind. I will jot them down later because i don’t want to miss what she is saying about traditions…do you think I am generous enough? I think April picked up your generous creative side which is why we are here at this conference now. Okay, she’s talking…
How do we uplift our traditions? This is our right to steward the land, it’s in our DN. How do we use tools of the oppressors to tell our own story?
Book to Read: The Color of Food by Natasha Bowen
Websites to Visit: Bossip.com, Worldstar.com, Fresh2health.com, civileats.com
Love You Mom
President of Drew Gardens
Congratulations to my sister, April. She has been voted in as the president of Drew Gardens!
A picture collage from my Sister on the 29th
I am visiting April’s garden. She planted and picked the flowers that are in the collage.
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