What's Up in Sherrice's World?

Hey World!

Gluten-free life is proving to be an interesting experience. This week I learned about cross-contamination. Let me break it down for you. Imagine this. You spend hours cleaning your desk at work. It sparkly clean and free of germs, smelling so fresh and so clean. Then your slob of a desk mate comes in coughing, sneezing, and wheezing without covering his mouth. Who does that?He’s just contaminated the entire office with his nasty germs. The same thing happens when non-gluten crops are grown near gluten crops or naturally gluten-free grains are ground in the same mill as gluten grains. So, what’s a gluten-free girl to do? Research! Find out which products aren’t cross-contaminated. I used to wonder why there was a gluten-free label on a bag of oats. Now, I totally get it. The company wants you to know that they don’t handle gluten and gluten-free food in the same location.

So, if you’re living a gluten-free life, beware of cross-contamination. Read your labels and research the claims of these companies to see if they’re telling you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

As many of you know, I’ve decided to take a gluten-free journey. That means the products I consume can’t contain wheat, rye, barley, malt, or spelt. Needless to say, my colon has thanked me because it’s flowing like a freeway at 6am. Excited about this change, I decided to take on a positive perspective and think about what I COULD eat as opposed to what I couldn’t. Then it dawned on me, y’all . . . no more chocolate chip cookies. I started to sweat, in fact, I almost passed out from the anxiety. Just kidding. However I did get a little faint. That’s what a lifetime addiction to chocolate, sugar and wheat does to a sista! It’s safe to say that I’ll live. Thanks to the wonderful internet, I’ve found some gluten-free flour that I plan to try soon then lo and behold, recipes for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Of course, I’ll use cane juice or finely ground Turbinado in place of the white, refined sugar. I wonder will the addiction be the same. Can’t wait to share more with you about this journey. Feel free to post your responses along with some gluten-free recipes in the comments section.

Today, I’ve had the pleasure (well, not exactly) of watching 180. It’s been described as an award winning, shocking documentary. Of course, that’s a matter of opinion. Ray Comfort is an evangelical Christian who interviews average people on the street to spark conversation about Christianity. You may have seen Ray on Way of the Master with Kirk Cameron. I’m not a fan of this show because I disagree with fear-ridden evangelism tactics. Why? Here’s what I’ve seen at church. Most people who become Christians out of fear tend to live extremely legalistic lives and never experience the true love of God. There are others who live a fearful life and rarely seek experiences outside of the evangelical church. In other words, they don’t have a free thought. They’re afraid to experience the joys of life in fear that they might backslide and go to Hell. What a sad way to live life! The Bible says, “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Another passage reads, “For whom the son is set free is free indeed.” God doesn’t want us to serve him because we fear Hell. He wants us to serve him because we love him. And in return, he sets us free from the bondage of our sinful nature. Never does he tell us not to experience life. That’s an entirely different subject, so let’s get back to discussing 180.

Even though I don’t see eye to eye with Mr. Comfort, I admire his dedication to the cause.  In the 180 documentary, Ray Comfort parallels the Holocaust to abortion to convince people to adopt a pro-life perspective. Since this is a topic in an upcoming novel I’m writing, I decided to blog about it. As an advocate for the rights of women AND children, I’m not a fan of abortion. Making people feel like total scum bags for the bad decisions they make only adds more guilt and shame to an already jacked up situation Instead, I believe in equipping people with unbiased information and putting the decision in their hands is a more effective tactic. I find it useless to pump people full of a belief system they may not share or even understand. Here’s my proposal. No matter what you believe about the Holocaust or abortion, I encourage you to check out this documentary. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Over the past year, I’ve reflected on the great honor of raising two more African-American boys to be great men. Having my first child at nineteen was an experience I’ll never forget. With the same enthusiastic spirit, I’m charging forward with my husband to embark on this endeavor with the twins. Thus far, it has also been an experience I’ll never forget. So, what will I do differently this time? Sit down, my friend because you’re in for a great surprise.

I raised Brian to love the Lord and work hard. My constant message was put your trust in the Lord and all things are possible. This blind faith helped us both through trying times when cash was low. Even though I worked, we often struggled in the beginning. When I earned a Master of Business Administration, we were blessed with a variety of opportunities to improve our financial situation. Brian loves to tell the story about being “hood rich” when he was in seventh grade because that’s when I took a job that changed our lives. We were even able to be a blessing to our family members and friends. Then I met Fred and we married, making life even better.

Lately, I’ve been working hard to free my mind from the legalistic lifestyle I adopted over the years. No longer bound to a schedule of events, I’m taking the time to learn about my ancestors. You see, as a believer, I was taught to focus on Christ and not the world. No one told me that the world would still go on whether I was focused on him or not. I was one of those “nice Negros” who believed discrimination didn’t exist and it was all in the imagination of those who claimed to have experienced it. In my mind, slave days were over, so White Americans were beginning to accept us like never before. I had a rude awakening when I watched my dark-skinned son and his friends being followed by police officers when we went to a local mall. The young men were being orderly and actually had the cash flow to shop in any store they liked, but they were still considered potential shoplifters. Since my complexion is lighter than his, they didn’t connect me to him and assumed he was roaming the mall without parental supervision. You know I intervened quickly. He’s also been pulled over for infractions that weren’t legitimate on a number of occassions. I guess it’s hard to believe that a dark-skinned young man blasting music might actually OWN the car he’s driving free and clear. These are just a few examples of the battles we fought. I’m sure you have stories of your own to share, as well.

As a result of these experiences, the nature of my writing has changed. In fact, my entire life has taken a turn for the better. Especially when I was smacked in the face by the realization that I gave birth to two more dark-skinned young men. I refuse to stand back while the world plan’s their demise by the time they reach third grade. The prisons are full of African-American young men to give the state or private owners a source of free labor. The workplace is full of complacent brown men who rarely get past middle management for whatever reason. The streets are full of mentally ill, addicted, and drug-selling young men who would have turned out entirely different had they been told the truth about who they really are. Now, I dedicate my time to educating those around me about the truth. Just as I’m passionate about the Lord, I’m now just as passionate about us knowing who we are, where we come from, and how we can make a strong contribution to the world. I encourage you to stay tuned for more.

When I was a young girl, my father taught me the power of two. Once, when he needed to distract me, he gave me two yummy, crunchy pretzel sticks. Another time, we were in the candy store and I was having trouble making a flavor decision. My dad was an old pro so he didn’t sweat it. Instead, he bought me two lollipops, one for each hand. My best memory of double gifting from my dad involved candy canes. For a Christmas treat, he gave me two fat, striped peppermint sticks to put in my stocking. The power of two was an awesome experience and I’m so glad my dad was able to bring it to life for me. That’s why it shouldn’t have been a surprise when the ultrasound technician informed my husband and I that we were having twins. We believe in the power of two and decided they should have strong names. For this reason, we named them David and Joseph, the wonder twins. Now that they are getting older, I’ve had the privilege of some great learning moments. Some of them are good, others are bad, and there are even a few ugly ones. This is why I’ve decided that twin mamas need a forum. I’m going to start out light and share four tips I’ve learned along the way.

1. Don’t always dress your twins alike, especially if they are identical. At one point, my fraternal twin boys looked so much alike. I made the mistake of dressing them the same, down to their bibs and pacifier holders. Everything was fine until they woke up from their naps and it was feeding time. When I couldn’t identify which child I was holding, I found myself stripping them both down, looking for the birthmark that confirmed David’s identity. I found it and in the spirit of all twin mamas, I saved the day! Whew! What a close call.

2. Be sure to label their bottles, pacifiers, and other items that are easy to mix up with a permanent market. This will help you prevent them from passing germs to one another. There’s nothing worse than taking care of two sick babies at the same time. And of course, we don’t want to add sick parents to that tricky equation. Sterilize! Sterilize! Sterilize! The dishwasher is a good friend for this task. It gets really hot and sanitizes those items quite well. Babies R Us even sells dishwashing powder that’s safe for babies.

3. If you have older children, like I do, prepare them for the transition of having two new little ones in the house. Allow them to share how they can help with the newborns and cut them some slack when they don’t come through. Trust me when I say their intentions are good, however, the focus may not be there.

4. Connect with parents of multiples to discuss best practices and to experience a unique connection. You will grow tremendously as a parent from these relationships. A community of parents of multiples is just what you need when you’re about to pull out your hair and run for the hills.

Well, there you have it. These four ideas aren’t representative of all you’ll need to fulfill your duties as a twin mama, however, it’s a start. The beauty of it all is the ability we have to exchange information in real time. So, let’s keep this discussion going by sharing your experiences in the Comments section. Twin Mamas unite!

Rating: 4 Stars

Who knew that Wilberforce University used to be a hotel resort where slave owners vacationed with their mistresses. Not just any mistress, but that slave mistress that lived in the big house right up under the wifey’s nose. In fact, sometimes the wifey went along for the ride, too. Can you imagine vacationing with your hubby and his mistress? No way! Dolen Perkins-Valdez did an excellent job capturing the spirits of the various women in writing. One woman represented those who thought they loved their slave masters. Another woman represented women who deplored their owners. The others were merely existing to survive, not feeling one way or the other about the situation. That’s the numbness that slavery brought to the lives of many. Even the slave men had a story to tell. This book was chock full of action and drama that the author made so realistic. I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy slave narratives and/or historical fiction. You may get angry with the situation, however, I promise you won’t be disappointed with what you read.

Rating: 5 Stars

What do you get when you combine growing up in the South, 80’s movies, and an ecclectic protagonist who’s trying to find herself? 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter. Carter’s witty writing style along with her ability to create a mind movie with each scene makes this literary work stand out from all the others. Davie’s adventures are so unpredictable which is refreshing in this day and age when most writers follow the same genre formula that leaves no room for surprise. I highly recommend this book to fiction lovers who appreciate a writer with an uncanny sense of humor and the ability to make words jump of the page so that the characters come alive.

Rating: 5 stars

Each one of us have a different perspective on how far we’d go to protect our family. In her sophomore novel, Dasaya Cates, Bloodlines, the Lang clan answers this dilemma as they continually design their own brand of drama. The family has amassed a fortune over the years and will do whatever it takes to keep their riches out of the hands of money hungry scoundrels. Lena Lang, the pit bull matriarch, has a tight clamp on her kin. In her efforts to protect them, she tends to shake out their very lifeblood, bringing out their worst character traits. The decisions they make will simultaneously amaze and appaul you. The drama in this Atlanta family will put you in the mind of the Colby’s of Dynasty, the Ewing’s of Dallas, the Newman’s of Young and the Restless, or the Forrester’s of Bold and the Beautiful. Whichever family you relate to the most, you will find Bloodlines to be an awesome book. The complex characters, colorful setting, and lively scenes will keep you turning the pages. You will be finished before you know it. I strongly encourage you to buy your copy today. Click here to make that happen.

As I reflect on what our soldiers do everyday for our country, it makes me consider what I’m willing to do for my body. Am I willing to get up early to work out and plan my meals? Am I willing to pass up that delicious slice of Creno’s pizza? What about not eating those Girl Scout cookies my niece, Yeke, delivered yesterday? Each day, I look at a picture of my ideal body weight and I’m inspired to do more. So today, I will add some additional conditioning exercises to the routine and I’ll drink even more water. I now understand that freedom comes with a cost – sacrifice. My sacrifice today will pay off tomorrow. What are your willing to sacrifice to be set free?

Hello World! Being on maternity leave has given me the opportunity to watch a variety of episodes from the four seasons Lincoln Heights. When this show was on the air, it was one of my top five shows of all time.  It’s about the family of Eddie and Jen Sutton, who move from a California suburb to a former crackhouse in Lincoln Heights, were Eddie grew up . Together, the Sutton family braves the woos of a middle class family living in the ghetto.

Even though we live in the suburbs, this show was so inspiring to my family. We admired their tenacity to stay together and never give up in the face of adversity. What a contrast to the typical African-American shows we’ve seen in the past. Lincoln Heights is the epitome of what it means to be a family involved in the community, striving to succeed and leave a legacy for the future. Too many times, we’ve stood by and allowed African-American shows to be cancelled for no apparent reason. This time, let’s stand up for our right to have shows that reflect our lifestyles and needs. I propose that we bombard ABC Family with e-mails, phone calls, and letters to demand that this show is brought back on the air. The network leaders need to understand that we will not tolerate this any longer. In the meantime, feel free to post a comment to share your favorite episode and what you enjoyed most about the show. I would love to hear from you.