marmee-lade

I didn’t actually read Little Women until I was in my 20s.  My late 20s.  But, I become familiar with the story much earlier thanks to the 1994 movie remake.  It’s funny that whether it's Winona Ryder or June Allyson, we all love Jo.  She is written so well.  She’s quick-witted and clever.  She’s bumbling and brash.  She’s real.  And she is just one individual of a greater family unit.  You can’t fully fall in love with one piece without falling in love with all those other pieces and their resulting connected wholeness.  Mrs. March, or Marmee as the girls call her, is impetuous Jo's counterpart.  She is insightful, encouraging, correcting, steadfast. 

When considering this weekend’s upcoming celebration of moms everywhere, I can’t help but think about the beautiful mother-daughter relationship modeled through this classic story.  I also think about the beautiful truths modeled through this relationship.  One of my favorites being that we can always share even the little with have with one another to great effect.  At one point in the book, Jo is off on her own and it’s the holidays.  She is a bit down as she is far away from her loved ones and disappointed to think they had forgotten her.  But then she receives a bundle of goodies from them and the best kind of goodies, at that:  “I hugged it and pranced.  It was so homey and refreshing that I sat down on the floor and read and looked and ate and laughed and cried, in my usual absurd way.  The things were just what I wanted and all the better for being made instead of bought.”

Whether you will be delivering your gift in person or sending it with love, let this inspires you to spend some time creating a wonderful gift for your Marmee.  Homemade jam...a handmade card...a homespun gift: these used to be and still are the best kind of gifts!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

As a lover of words, I have often dreamt of a platform on which I could share original stories and ideas. Sarah and I are excited to begin a special project that we hope will serve as that platform. Installments, written by Allison Gibson and edited by Sarah Warren, will be posted on a monthly basis through the home page. Full body text is available through the new Tales of Grace tab found just below the blog title.  

First installment of an ongoing fictional narrative, Tales of Grace:

Tales of Grace: Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover {Letter}

Grace McGraw
111 One Way Street
Nashville, TN 20022
555-555-0110
exceedinglygoodinfo@gmail.com

February 24, 2012

Mrs. Karen Peoples
Director of Human Resources
Non-Profit
P.O. Box 33333
Nashville, TN 20024

Dear Mrs. Peoples:

I am writing you in regards to the Public Image Specialist position posted on your website. I am a recent graduate of City University’s M.A. program and am seeking employment in the Public Image field.

My attention was immediately sparked when reading about the various services Non-Profit offers to its clients. Fulfilling the role of Public Image Specialist would allow me to assist Non-Profit in sharing the stories of each individual served, creating new advances in the visibility of Non-Profit’s mission. During my Master’s program I served as Public Relations Intern for the San Francisco- based PR firm, Allison + Partners.  For a full year I devoted my time working with high profile clients to develop promotional print media and social marketing campaigns, scheduling public appearances to increase product awareness, and establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships within the community.  I learned valuable communication and marketing skills during my time with A + P.  Enclosed is my resume, and there you will find an outline of other education and employment related experiences I believe make me a highly qualified candidate for your organization.

I am very interested in meeting with you to learn more about this position and Non-Profit’s hiring plans. I live in The Gulch and am available to schedule that meeting at your convenience. I will be glad to provide you with any additional information that is needed. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Grace McGraw




*Written by Allison Gibson
Edited by Sarah Warren

{down to} earth

April 22nd brought cool winds and overcast skies to Nashville, but even that unseasonable forecast couldn't squelch our Earth Day celebration! We dug to the bottom of our closets for winter sweaters, bundled up and headed out to join Centennial Park's Earth Day festivities.  A nice crowd of fellow earth lovers were already enjoying the day and out in droves to play frisbee, enjoy the food stands, listen to great live music, watch performances, participate in hands on activities and educate themselves on all things earthy.

We really enjoyed feature performances by Nyamba Drum Ensemble from the Global Education Center and The Farewell Drifters.  We ended the day with a brisk walk around the booths and farewell discussion about the small ways we can help to give our Mother Earth some love:

• use re-usable grocery bags or if you take bags from the store, be sure to re-use those plastic or paper bags
• re-use grocery item or take out containers to store odds and ends, food, crafts..anything!
• walk or bike instead of always grabbing those car keys
• have fun and be creative in ways you can reduce, reuse or recycle

twitter-ma-rinky-dinky-dink

Now on Twitter @lunchboxbuds

Join us for a progressive night of exceedingly good goodness with the girls.

Twitter-
ma-
rinky-
do*

just another {thurs}day

Reunited and it feels so good.

What you may not have known last week was that Sarah was flying solo in the blogosphere. In the spirit of celebrating with family, I was in Manchester engaging in birthday festivities for my mom. That means that today marked TWO weeks since Sarah and I had sat down together to chat, share, and blog it up. 

We decided to simply enjoy one another while participating in some exceedingly good local activities. First we walked to Local Taco for a dinner out on the patio. This was my first trip to Local Taco, but I found it easy to customize their menu to fit my taste preferences {plain chicken taco, please... no really. plain.}

After feeding our face we fed our souls at the McCabe Community Center by catching Gentle Yoga with Robin {if you have the means, we highly recommend it!}. Per her usual, Robin delivered an effective balance of stretching and relaxation, with the grand finale of the Gentle Shoulder Press {aka "the healing touch"}. We love her kind demeanor and lavender scented aromatherapy oil. And for only $3 a class, 

this deal gets two thumbs way up.

For us, Thursdays like this are a relaxing end to a typically busy week and a jump start to the weekend ahead.  

egg{stra} fun

Last week, I recalled an old elementary school memory that I hadn't thought about in years. We were asked to go to several classrooms of younger students and share an activity that represents our family's culture. I went home with brainstorms of Ojo de Dios or homemade tortillas. Instead, Mom rocked my world with cascarones*
Cascarones are confetti filled eggs crushed over someone's head during a celebration to offer good luck. They are fun to make and eggstra fun to use! Click HERE for you recipe'o'fun. Consider making and sharing with your family this Easter.