I’d like to welcome you to Coffee Talk. In case you’re new here, this is where I share some of the great and not~so~great stuff that I find on the web. Topics range from news stories that leave me scratchin’ my head to DIYs that I think are absolutely clever. And, who knows, there may even be a recipe thrown in here or there just for fun.
So grab a cup of coffee {or tea or whatever floats your boat} and let’s talk…
- I need this whole thing to be over with… There are college students who’re claiming they’ve been traumatized because Trump’s name was written in chalk on the sidewalk. Written in chalk, y’all. A little water can solve that problem. Trump and Cruz have turned the whole political process into a sophomoric game of “My Girl is Hotter than Your Girl”. And everyone is looking at the U.S. like what the what, people? Seriously, with all of the people in this country, this is the best we can do? And don’t think that means that I think Hillary or Bernie are better alternatives. I don’t.
- My first post for Teaching United States History went live on Wednesday. I’m pretty stoked about that. Expect the posts to get better and deeper. Sometimes it’s hard shifting out of lifestyle blogger mode into academic blogger mode.
- Next week I plan to review a couple of the products that were in my Ipsy bag. I know this was my first bag, but I’m seriously digging it. I think this is something I’ll continue, at least for the short term.
And, last but certainly not least, I want to offer my condolences to the family of Earl Hamner, the creator of The Waltons. There aren’t many celebrity deaths that get me, but this one affected me deeply. I get teased a lot about my love of that show but it was one of the few shows that dealt with real issues while still maintaining a wholesome, family oriented charm that speaks across the decades. As a kid, I was able to connect with the feelings of invisibility that plagued the middle Walton children, the desire to move beyond the safety of family that filled Mary Ellen with such angst, and the responsibility for living up to the expectations of others that sometimes overwhelmed John Boy… As an adult, I appreciate the sensitive ways in which they dealt with issues like domestic abuse, child loss, the Holocaust, racism, lost love, and the idea of a woman needing to be more. At it’s core, The Waltons was about family. But it was also about faith and loyalty and love and dreams and community. It also didn’t hurt that the setting is my mother’s hometown, so there was that connection to Virginia and the small towns that I visited as a kid. I said it last night, and I’ll say it again: “Goodnight, Mr. Hamner.”
So, talk to me, what’s going on in your world,
