So It's Mothers Day

I always face Mothers Days with sadness and some dread.It's hard to watch everyone while out and about celebrating with their Mother or Mother figures at brunch. I wish mine was still here with me.I lost my mother in 2000 from Ovarian Cancer, and it still feels like yesterday.We were pretty low key and if she was alive we would probably be side by side in the kitchen this Sunday making some sort of feast . She was my best friend and confidant. While she's no longer physically here on this earth , I know she's with me in my heart. That's what she promised  me before she died and I feel it everyday. In a way she lives on through this blog. You see, she was the extraordinary writer and baker, things I never had much interest in before, .It was my mother that encouraged me to dream, dare, and  just be me. She was self sacrificing, nurturing, and full of love . As I grow older I see and understand her more  through my looks, mannerisms, experiences, and journeys . I am her, Little Jackie , as the family likes to say. I'm grateful to all my great aunts and aunts who are still there for me and promised my Mother that they would watch over me. Their support has made these past years more bearable.To all  the mothers and mother figures everywhere, whether here physically or in our hearts. You are loved.

Remember The Soul... Bob Curtis

I had grown up knowing I had this exotic worldly uncle who lived in Rome and was a dancer. When my mother married my stepfather and went to Rome on her honeymoon, she came back with this big Italian Harper's Bazaar , where my uncle was in a fashion spread with fellow Italian dancers decked out in jewels, furs, and watches. That layout made a vivid impression on me and reinforced my desire to study in Europe and one day be a designer. I went onto to Europe at seventeen and never connected with my Uncle Roy, or Bob as he was known to many .
When my mother died in 2000, I picked up the phone to call him. It was our first conversation ever and he immediately flew 'home' for his eldest nieces Memorial service. My mother wanted a cremation and we had a beautiful two day music and dance filled memorial service. I had a cousin show up with her boyfriend at the time who was in the funk group Cameo, and all sorts of people from various walks of life. And then there was Bob, or Roy as he was know to his family . Everyone was blown away when they saw this beautiful man dance down the aisles. He must have been in his mid seventies , but his movement and grace captured all. I could feel my Mommy's spirit beaming at this spectacular service. All who didn't know him were amazed that this man ,who was so fit and had body most people cant attain, was in his seventies. Uncle Bob was home and he reconnected with his surviving siblings.
I next flew to Vienna to visit him later that year with my Auntie Mame. He had a big exposition of his artwork,called Remember The Soul, in which he was focusing on now, that the dance career was winding down. So many friends and admirers turned out for his exhibition, and its seemed as if Vienna was at at our feet. His friends were so eager to see his nieces from America and were curious about us. He was so happy we were there for him.It was truly an artistic and glamorous crowd.That first trip to Vienna was so memorable. I since returned a few more more times , the last being for his grand 80th birthday celebrations in 2004. A book on his life was also released to coincide with this event. He looked a little weaker and thinner as he caught a bug while traveling and teaching in Africa. His heart weakened more and more over time. He gave me some art on that trip and I remember going through photos with him and looking back over his life. He dropped the names of all these glamorous and beautiful people one only reads about. He was frank and real about his life and experiences. His life was one for the books.
His dear friend Christoph came to the US last year for his one man show. While here, he was also working on a documentary of my dear uncle. We were worried as we knew he was getting frailer and older. His manager and good friend had passed away earlier and we all started to wonder what if? Good friends, like Renate continued to look after him. The family gathered at Auntie Mame's condo and we spoke to Uncle Bob via the miracle of Skpe. It was amazing to see this man, born in 1925 in Mississippi, just as chic and slim as ever in his black turtle neck surrounded by his art, talk to his many generations of family via a Mac Book, just after the election of our nations first black president. I guess on some level we all knew. Uncle Bob never wanted to trouble us and kept his health struggles to himself for the most part. As of recently there was talk of a exposition.
On Saturday Auntie Mame and I will fly to Vienna for his funeral.
We will Remember the Soul and toast his beautiful life.

You can read and see more of his amazing life here.

It's February, And That Means It's Black History Month

Did you know February was Black History Month? With all the whirlwind of activity and drama in my life, I forgot for a hot second until Heather over at Gild the Voodoolily asked me to participate in her Black History Month tribute blog. Cynthia has introduced us. Now I have discovered Heather's great blog. Heather is an outspoken, creative, smart, and talented. She “gives it to you straight, without a chaser”. Her questions were thought provoking and gave me a chance to reminisce and vent a bit. Today we are seeing a handful of prominent Black chefs and food and wine types in the industry. I love it when I see “my own” enrolled in the all the culinary schools in Chicago walking to clad with their knive kits, etc. I hope they make it. My personal favorite is Marcus Samuelson, of course. So check out her post.She even made a special dish just for me! Remember my words are “my experience” and I don’t speak for my race as a whole.

Thinking about Black History month, my personal icons came to mind. When I get ‘In those Scorpio moods' I listen to my old late friend Nina Simone. Her music and I have gone through some times from early childhood ( when my parents played it) to my adulthood. An “individualist” who weaved important messages in her song. I have had the honor to see her three times in my life at various venues around the world. I choose Four Woman to show the complexity of who we are. This song has so many messages and was very controversial. This clip was Nina at her best, I believe. Glamorous, forceful, and thought provoking. Tomorrow I’ll get back to sweetness and light when I post a birthday cake I’m working on for a friend’s daughters birthday. In the meantime..

I Have Been Tagged

I feel weird telling people things about myself on demand. Its like a job interview or date. You can totally weird them out or leave strange impression. I'm a complex character and that’s due to my background. My own people and family find me odd but fascinating, and I tend to grow on them. Certain someone once complained that sometimes 'I'm just to over the top”. So that being said the lovely Mary over at Shazam in the Kitchen. Has tagged me. I have seen a person being tagged since I started food blogging .It is a fun way to learn about people outside the standard posting of recipes. I love my blog sphere friends, and while we may never meet, they feel so familiar. So here’s the skinny on me:

1) I was born in Washington D.C to an American mother and Nigerian father who met at Howard University. My mother’s families are African Americans rumored to be descended from the Confederate General Robert E. Lee. My father descends from a very prominent family of tribal chiefs and politicians. He had 48 brothers and sisters. Both parents are deceased. I have family throughout the world. Ironically I have both a paternal and maternal uncle in Vienna Austria, one of my favorite cities. How weird is that!

2) I studied Fashion Design at Parsons School of Design at the American University in Paris France. Some of the best years of my life!

3) I meet Certain Someone a year and half ago at a dinner party. I never would have meet him, if I hadn't had a brief fling with someone who's best forgotten. The night after we met, he went to Stockholm (his previous home) and I went to Minnesota for work. We communicated via Blackberry constantly and the relationship was sealed. A sign from above was when Certain Someone ran into my Swedish Cousins in Stockholm. A freaky coincidence! We have lived together since last December and are very happy. I have traveled to Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Essen Germany. The friends and family seem to approve. Looking forward to another Swedish visit this spring/summer.

4) Barack Obama lives in our neighborhood a few blocks away!. I worked a catering event last summer in which I waited on another candidate ( former) for President Bill Richardson. Six degrees of seperation. And along those lines,I had a friend from college, whose father was pardoned by Bill Clinton right before he left office which caused a big old stink!

5) I love food, drink, and anything culinary related. But that’s not a surprise is it! Oh and I have another blog that has been defunct for a while.But One day I'll get back to it. Check out the links I put in point 3. I made several posts on our vacation last summer to Sweden and Germany.

So thats me! I tag :

Chou

Proud Italian Cook

Finding La Dolce Vita

Rosas Yummy Yums

The Caked Crusader

Oh I forgot! Here are the rules. Post 5 facts about yourself. Link back to the person who tagged you, and tag five additional people at the end of your post, who you also notify in their comment section.Whew!