It feels like surreal times. On more that one occasion I’ve been sitting alone, lost in thoughts that range from essential survival to entirely trivial, and had to squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head, letting some of the realities of our current times out of my brain. News is increasingly bizarre and entirely troubling and we can’t ignore it as much as we’d like.
Good grief.
This week, just after the conviction and sentencing of the twisted, misguided and small-minded young man who killed nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina… I was reminded of the eulogy that President Obama gave for senior pastor and state senator Clementa C. Pinckney. I relistened to the entire speech here, but THIS is the most powerful part of that speech in my opinion:
“When there were laws banning all-black church gatherings, services happened here anyway, in defiance of unjust laws. When there was a righteous movement to dismantle Jim Crow, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached from its pulpit, and marches began from its steps. A sacred place, this church. Not just for blacks, not just for Christians, but for every American who cares about the steady expansion — of human rights and human dignity in this country; a foundation stone for liberty and justice for all. That’s what the church meant.
We do not know whether the killer of Reverend Pinckney and eight others knew all of this history. But he surely sensed the meaning of his violent act. It was an act that drew on a long history of bombs and arson and shots fired at churches, not random, but as a means of control, a way to terrorize and oppress. An act that he imagined would incite fear and recrimination; violence and suspicion. An act that he presumed would deepen divisions that trace back to our nation’s original sin.
Oh, but God works in mysterious ways. God has different ideas.
He didn’t know he was being used by God. Blinded by hatred, the alleged killer could not see the grace surrounding Reverend Pinckney and that Bible study group — the light of love that shone as they opened the church doors and invited a stranger to join in their prayer circle. The alleged killer could have never anticipated the way the families of the fallen would respond when they saw him in court — in the midst of unspeakable grief, with words of forgiveness. He couldn’t imagine that.”
– President Obama’s eulogy for Clementa Pickney I will miss President Obama’s grace and generosity of spirit as our leader.
• See also, NPR’s exit interview with President Obama
• I’ve read a lot about football concussions lately. It’s a big deal: What Happened Within This Player’s Skull?
• Still we’ve got to take in the good. How To Build A Happier Brain
• This Billy Barr is a gem of a human. Live the way you want, and see it all (even if that just means you’re bored and tired of cutting wood.) The Hermit Who Inadvertently Shaped Climate Change Science
• Podcast alert: The Lively Show, the latest episode is Quantum Living: Why we don’t have to work as hard as we think. Wait, what!? The Lively Show is a positive, inspiring, honest listen… and it’s not about murder. I listen to a weird amount of podcasts about murder and this is not one.
• Similar to the Mark Burnett article I posted last week, this week something on Real Housewives creator, Andy Cohen. Like Burnett, he didn’t invent the our culture, he just predicted it. Once again, reality creators at the helm of the stories we intake: Living in Andy Cohen’s America (Also.. no shade, I’ve seen all the housewives.)
• For the pockets alone, glory be: I wore men’s clothes for a month and it changed my life.
• A new study linking profanity to honesty shows people who curse are more authentic. I believe it.
• Here’s what I ate one Saturday morning stuck in standstill traffic on the interstate. Kept me from eating fast food french fries which is a small miracle, obviously. Yum Butter Sunflower Seed Butter
• A delicious and edible kitchen project for the week: Shrimp Tempura Sushi Burritos.
• I love this from Food52: The Classic Soup Combination You’ll Riff on 100 Times This Winter. Kitchen versatility is the key to success.
• Some interesting bits from TheKitchn. I didn’t know that coffee grounds clog up pipes! The more you know: Five things to know about cleaning up breakfast.
Have a very fine day. We’re ok. We’re better than ok.
xo Joy
Nancy Nicholls
I enjoy your posts a great deal. Living in Canada and watching since I was a little girl “My United States of America” as I used to say as I lived in Toronto growing up, our news back then was American and we all have Americans friends. My very best girlfriend is married to an American, my parents lived half the year, the winter’s in Florida. My ties are bound by memories and love. I wanted to grow up and move to the U.S. when I was young. I have watched with silence in my heart how backward the country seems to be going, rather than the powerful super country that was so progressive, so talented with their way of dealing with Foreign policies and the movement to allow all to be equal and now I fear that whoever they may be, want the country to go backwards, rather than forward and I’m sad about it. As a Canadian you don’t like to dip into the political scene to much. There have been many President’s that you have had, on both sides that I’ve enjoyed. I do feel you just saw one of the most humble and beautiful people leave office recently. Oh sure you might say, he wasn’t strong enough, he didn’t do this, he didn’t do that. He didn’t stand a chance is what I think, and with class he kept his mind about him, his dignity about him and I can’t imagine how difficult it was for him, but you can say one thing, he never bullied someone, he didn’t tweet insults and he can hold his head high for his entire life that he was a peace loving man. Hang on my American friends, the ride has not yet began. Remember Obama, remember dignity and remember peace and love, you can do amazing things with that spirit, but not much with violence and anger, it only as Ms. Streep put it, breeds more of the same.
Sally
Beautifully said.
Geri McCarthy
Was looking for baking advice, but…..To put this politely, ‘As a Canadian you don’t like to dip into the political scene too (to: spelling corrected) much’ — so, please don’t. You have absolutely no idea of what the toll of outsourced jobs and very high taxes to pay for illegal care and education, has done to our middle class footing the bill. The last thing we want to do is remember Obama and his lies to us re: health care, and his plan to ‘fundamentally change the United States of America’ and who knows what that exactly means. Thank God we will not be dragged over that cliff.
BTW, Ms. Streep, is a wonderful actress, however, she speaks for no one but the left elitists whose dislike and condemnation of conservative thinking, continues to attack and divide us, rather than unite us. Surely you will disagree with my comments so I politely leave your site.
Melissa
I am American-born and living in Canada. I am saddened to see the rift in the US citizenry but at the same time am glad to be north of the border for the next few years.
Danielle
Hi Geri,
I am an American. My mom works for a large company that will have to outsource almost all of their tech operations if the republicans succeed in raising the minimum salary to $130,000 as they have proposed. Not enough Americans are studying certain tech functions like mainframe so most large corporations will be outsourcing thousands of jobs if they can’t hire a few hundred south asians (NOT cheap labor cannibalizing american jobs- it would be way cheaper to hire an american to do these jobs..). This isn’t a political opinion, so much as a fact of life that they all have to discuss now.
Unemployment rate has dropped steadily since Obama has been in office. I really can’t understand the economic argument for republican policies.
Alexis
Joy, what murder podcasts are you listening to? I listened to ‘In the dark’ and ‘Serial’ and now ‘stranglers.’ I’m totally addicted and also disturbed by my fascination. Any further recommendations?
Erika
So glad you linked the lively show. The things she’s doing lately are amazing! More people need to know! Too good!!!
Claire, UK
Hello. I’ve been labouring under the delusion that you’d taken a little Christmas/New Year hiatus as none of your posts have been appearing in my Feedly lately. After another Sunday with no post, I thought I would check your site for myself. I’m very happy to find lots of new posts for me to read, but concerned that Feedly doesn’t seem to have picked up any of your posts since the Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls. Any idea what the problem might be?
Kim
I second this! Thought you had stopped posting because nothing new has shown up in Feedly for the past month. Can’t figure out what the issue is!
joythebaker
Awful I’m so sorry! Working to fix it!
Claire, UK
It’s working! Thank you :-)
joythebaker
Got it!
LJ
Me too. So happy to see that was not the case. Also, I’m sorry that I didn’t see this comment sooner. :)
Joy, I always look forward to the “Let it Be Sunday” posts. I read it with a cup of coffee; it’s become a tradition. :)
Amber
I love that I never know what links will be in your Sunday posts and I always end up reading and learning something new. What a surprise to see an article about an exceptional man (billy barr) I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and a place (Gothic and the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory) I’ve had the pleasure of visiting about a topic (climate change) worth spreading. We need more people being their authentic selves. Thanks for sharing Joy!
italian girl cooks
Always look forward to Let It Be Sunday! Wise words. I have anxiety about the future, but fear is my enemy so I’ll be working to not let it in.
Carly
Great post. Love, compassion, empathy, inclusion, & acceptance over hate and fear. What a beautiful reminder. We all need it. Here’s to remaining hopeful in 2017! Peace.
Karen
I enjoyed this week’s blog as I always do! I agree with Nancy that our compassionate leader of all the people is finishing his term this week and that whenever I hear about the incoming President’s new tweets, I cringe! I am worried about what comes next! Thanks for honest blogging with so many interesting and thought provoking articles.
Leaming
Coffee grounds make an excellent addition to your garden;especially acid loving bushes and trees (azaleas, rhododendrons, yews and other evergreens). They help acidify the soil. Crushed eggshells are also good for the soil.
Karyn
Love to you, Joy! As I sit in the sunshine of my kitchen on another freezing day in Minnesota, your thoughts help bring warmth to my morning. Thank you.
Leslie
Thank you, Joy. My Sunday wouldn’t be complete without you and you’ve helped this particular one immensely.
Sue
From what I learned from a plumber, coffee grounds help clean your garbage disposal, not the pipes.
Nancy K
Thank you for posting that piece of President Obama’s eulogy for Reverend Pickney. Reading it, I started to tear up…not only because of the meaning conveyed in the passage but also for the realization that our country no longer will have a leader with grace, compassion and a spirit of inclusion and equality. I fear the 4 years ahead will be filled with so many steps backwards, so much divisiveness and so little reason for hope. I am trying to be positive but honestly, every time out soon to be President opens his mouth or sends out a tweet, my fears are confirmed.
Your know your Sunday posts are so appreciated and so thought provoking. I enjoy them immensely.
seritasunflower
AWESOME! I enjoyed reading your reflection and share your sentiments.
Betty
Nancy K . . . My sentiments are exactly as yours. I hear the rhetoric that has come out of the mouth of the incoming president and it couldn’t be more crude or rude. Something HAS to be wrong with him to think this is okay. AND then you see the Obamas that have handled 8 years with style and grace. The concern and kindness they show in different situations is sincere and heartfelt! I try to picture the president-elect in similar situations – and I cannot imagine how he will handle events that require some empathy.
Beth
Joy, I love your “Let it Be Sunday” column so much. Right after the election I stopped watching and reading the news. I stopped listening to political podcasts. I really just cut myself off. I’m easing myself back in, recommitting to groups like Planned Parenthood and preparing to drive up to Chicago to join family for the Women’s March on Chicago. But, what I wanted to say is that I love the articles you feature here. You always make me feel hopeful. And, you make me laugh. I loved the article about men’s clothing. In the early 80s, when I was on the debate team in high school, I had this lovely tie that I used to wear–it always made me fell very powerful, along with my great grandfather’s big black overcoat. I’ve always been a brogue over heels kind of girl too. Your new cookbook looks wonderful. I still return often to recipes from your first book–the avocado poundcake is still one of my husband’s favs. Thanks again!
francetaste
My husband swears coffee grounds CLEAN pipes.
One of my mottos when selecting clothes has become “would a guy put up with this?” About the only uncomfortable thing they wear are ties.