tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59219190424126470502024-11-01T06:38:13.654-04:00Steeped in sweet tea, from the land of Jesse Helms."Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-67727115769002059132009-01-23T16:25:00.367-05:002009-02-01T11:54:55.906-05:00

Are you nourishing yourself with a toxic stew of fear, trepidation and resentment, given Barack Obama's Inauguration? Some are, and they continue to "reach out" to me and Democratic friends with baseless complaints and venom.I'm not naming names, because I'm not one to gossip. And I'm not referring to the millions of people who didn't vote for Obama; I'm referring to the millions of bitter people

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-37961213608921572802008-12-29T17:40:00.076-05:002008-12-29T22:52:47.034-05:00

In Winston Salem, piles of rotting leaves languish on busy thoroughfares, narrowing two-way roads to one-way and forcing cars to slow.The City has abandoned its customary pickup of leaves, brush, and limbs. Huge piles of organic material block roadways for months at a time.The controversial strategy is part of an innovative program designed to calm traffic all over town, even in rich old white

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-71740241425879906512008-12-23T18:25:00.111-05:002008-12-27T08:01:49.887-05:00

I enjoy cooking for the holidays. Tofurky roast, my grandmother's stuffing, cranberry sauce. It's fun to plan the menu, and I'm quite happy with my local grocery store. But on the day before Christmas Eve, shopping grew harrowing.It was so crowded, and I dearly hate people. Some customers careened wildly through the store with their carts, seemingly oblivious to the crowd and the fact that the

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-10054999776843829262008-12-22T23:26:00.066-05:002008-12-27T07:59:52.540-05:00

Updated 12/27 to add fund information below.I had trouble sleeping last night after what I read. A horrific hate crime was visited last week upon an openly gay woman in Richmond, California.Police believe the woman was targeted due to the suspects' anti-gay bias. The victim got out of her car to visit a friend, and was attacked and raped by a multi-ethnic posse of hate-filled men.Why do I mention

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-27289213972394674802008-12-16T21:03:00.057-05:002008-12-17T08:29:14.660-05:00

When my husband was out of town recently, I made some executive decisions and broke some unwritten rules.I foraged in pantries, closets and other dark places; gathering clothing and items we had 'outgrown.' I made piles around the house; grabbing any unflattering sweaters, whether they belonged to me or not.Unused Christmas gifts from last year, still in their original boxes, went in a pile. No-

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-84919024647300963542008-12-15T21:06:00.208-05:002008-12-17T09:05:51.368-05:00

The West End neighborhood of Winston Salem is an intriguing mix of beautiful historic homes, apartment buildings, and dilapidated rental properties. It was planned in 1890 by Jacob Lott Ludlow.I feel as if I was born to live in the West End; I just haven't been able to make that happen yet. So with my first Christmas in Winston Salem drawing near, I partook in the annual Historic West End Holiday

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-8079454917968925892008-12-13T16:34:00.134-05:002008-12-21T13:56:31.205-05:00

I enjoy listening to a little Christmas music during this season ofvoracious consumption. While the Carpenters and Manilow can induce agitation and hysteria, they receive relatively scant airplay at present.God is good!Sadly, the festive spirit is all too quickly dampened when tortured bygodawful Christmas songs in super-heavy, nonstop rotation.Here, my list of most hated Xmas tunes:Santa Claus

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-7057917152730017602008-12-11T21:41:00.001-05:002008-12-23T08:52:15.884-05:00

In our capital city, racist graffiti threatening the life of Barack Obama was painted in NCSU's free expression tunnel. In Cullowee, a dead bear wearing Obama political signs was dumped at WCU. A "prank?" Or a message?Twenty-eight organizations identified as "hate groups" blanket the state from Southport to Waynesville. Is North Carolina a haven for hate?The Southern Poverty Law Center has

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-47696263150782636732008-12-07T09:15:00.054-05:002008-12-08T09:24:41.534-05:00

On winter walks,Nests once hidden are revealed in bare limbs.Weak sunlight brightens trunks and branches.Huge black crows gather in tree tops.Sycamore seed balls move with the wind.In the cold,Looking up.

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-51459393667234492072008-12-05T12:26:00.001-05:002008-12-05T12:28:02.371-05:00

You remember this.Don't you?

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-72150062683619541522008-12-03T22:23:00.011-05:002008-12-04T22:17:25.983-05:00

President George W. Bush is still doing it. I wish I could believe the lies he told Charlie Gibson; maybe I'd feel better about the war, the carnage, and the mob evil that put us there.I can't. I'm not able to fall for the crying in beer routine; the disgusting appeal for sympathy. The mound of untruths grows higher and higher, like a nasty pile of steaming, rotting garbage.A profound conversion

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-56611970193018242072008-12-03T19:48:00.041-05:002008-12-05T08:55:38.011-05:00

Hordes of hopeful Democrats are expected to descend upon the Triad this weekend (Friday, December 5 & Saturday, December 6) as Greensboro hosts the 2008 Convention and Progressive Summit for the Progressive Democrats of North Carolina.Saturday's keynote speaker will be Tim Carpenter, National Director of The Progressive Democrats of America. Founded in 2004, the group seeksto build a party

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-2989174355719755142008-12-03T12:47:00.024-05:002008-12-05T08:50:00.777-05:00

Be afraid.Be very afraid.Teams of Obama operatives are reportedly "swarming" federal agencies in Washington.They are asking, among other things, "Which is the division that has really run amok?"I can smell the fear.Fear is good.Cross posted at BlueNC.

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-84076504384263365682008-12-02T10:18:00.092-05:002008-12-04T10:22:34.132-05:00

"Oh my God," I said this morning, waking with a start. "It's tonight. The Minister is coming tonight!"The fact that I initiated contact with a Minister of the church we've been attending is, well, shocking. He will visit us tonight to talk about our becoming members, my son and I--as well as having our son baptized.I grew up in a conservative Church of Christ. After I turned eighteen, it seemed I

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-83706586949445584182008-12-01T17:58:00.070-05:002008-12-05T08:49:10.810-05:00

Soprano Elizabeth Pacheco Rose will sing in the local Mozart Club's presentation of George Frideric Handel's "Messiah" next weekend in Winston Salem. The Mozart Club describes Winston as...a link in this "great chain of harmony" as the approximately 300 singers, representing the more than 225 church choirs and choral organizations of the Triad area and vicinity, unite their voices under the

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-88341732706419068472008-11-30T14:49:00.106-05:002008-12-13T20:24:47.628-05:00

Last night I was rocking my restless toddler, trying to have him fall asleep and stay asleep. I was exhausted, and it was almost midnight--nearly four hours past his normal bedtime.While rocking him I am often quiet and mindful; even more so if I feel tested. I take in the sensations of my arms around him; feeling the weight of his little body in my lap. His babyhood is passing quickly, and I

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-69443053144918063272008-11-27T21:51:00.003-05:002008-11-30T23:12:30.873-05:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about an incident of racism at a Winston Salem KFC. Allegedly a white male was refused service by an African American woman working at the restaurant. (Read the inital report and subsequent discussion at Triad Forum).Was I wrong to be skeptical the incident had occurred at all?Why had I been immediately disbelieving? Was it because the victim is a white male? Was it about

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-36742898937335996942008-11-22T21:50:00.001-05:002008-11-30T23:12:57.781-05:00

The Speakeasy jazz club in Winston is gone. It closed last month.A friend gave me the sad news on Election night.The town we moved from had a jazz venue, too. But I was never comfortable there. Folding chairs were lined up side by side, in rows, like little toy soldiers. I felt like I was at a child's dance recital or in a church fellowship hall. The atmosphere seemed stuffy; almost somber.The

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-25304060298736709272008-11-21T21:45:00.005-05:002008-12-29T13:18:32.109-05:00

I went to the drugstore today. Better living through chemistry, and all.For the second time since I voted, I saw the man who helped me with my touch machine at election time. A big bear of a man, a white senior citizen, oozing friendliness and goodwill.This time, in the drugstore, I decided to say hello. "Did you work at the polls?" I asked. "Yes," he said, "for early voting." "I thought you

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-44469527790039913322008-11-20T21:46:00.002-05:002008-12-08T09:25:13.566-05:00

At noon I went for a walk, and thought of my son.When I returned, the water in the birdbath was still frozen; several leaves rigid in the ice.As I looked admiringly, I heard him call "Mama" from inside the house, where he played with his father.This month, two years ago, the three of us became a family together.A beautiful and innocent baby; his path forever entwined with ours.Every day I am

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-48215758157430542512008-11-20T18:41:00.002-05:002008-11-30T23:14:32.356-05:00

Several years ago I temped for a few months in a church office, while continuing to look for a social work job. I attended services there sporadically, but never became a member.After I moved on, the monthly church newsletter continued to arrive. I'll never forget the night I opened it up and read the customary letter from the minister to the congregation.She expressed hope for a new year that

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-68474888004117277092008-11-15T22:08:00.002-05:002008-12-05T08:55:55.785-05:00

I made it to the protest today in Greensboro, which was smaller than I expected. Hopefully lots of Triad folks attended the Raleigh event instead.There were no frenzied groups of rabid wingnuts in sight.I remarked on this to a fellow protester. "There wasn't enough time for them to organize," he said; holding a sign referencing Britney Spears' 55-hour marriage."Yeah, I guess most of the publicity

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-84089763508514449172008-11-13T21:44:00.001-05:002008-11-30T23:15:47.426-05:00

As Barack Obama delivered his magnificent victory speech on election night, he began a now-familiar refrain:It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled.Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-56433391476724436772008-11-08T21:41:00.001-05:002008-11-30T23:16:10.649-05:00

I ran across an "unconfirmed" report this morning that a white man was refused service by a black Obama supporter at a Winston Salem Kentucky Fried Chicken a few days ago.THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!!What the hell was he doing there? Meat is murder.I'm skeptical of this report. Very, very skeptical. Ok, I'm more than skeptical. I think it's bull. Not only bull, but predictable bull.I'm going back to

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5921919042412647050.post-42774702461457004292008-10-17T11:47:00.004-04:002008-12-01T09:34:19.376-05:00

John McCain defended his peeps Wednesday night. Damn straight. The folk turning out for McCain-Palin rallies are peace loving people, the lot of them. Kind of like Unitarians. Those veterans and women surely aren't deserving of Obama's hatred.Though Sarah Palin may not move to Washington next year, disappointment will be assuaged as she rakes in millions with eloquent speeches and brisk sales of

"Carly Dawn Kickslaw"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05325338934425041731noreply@blogger.com0