Popular Actor James Uche Down With Kidney Problem,Deserted By Wife

 

Unknown to many movie fans and fellow Nollywood practitioners, a former Vice President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria and seasoned actor, Prince James Uche, is still struggling to survive a strange illness that has kept him off the screen for eight years ago.

To make matters worse, Uche’s landlord has just served him a notice, ordering him to quit his residence at 45, Yetunde Brown Street, Gbagada, Lagos.The ailing actor, who now spends most of his time in the premises of a Catholic church near his residence, in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, recounted how he found himself in his present condition.

He said, “All I can remember is that something struck me on the left side of my face about eight years ago, when I was heading for the burial ceremony of Pete Edochie’s mother at Nteje in Anambra State. I had no idea what hit me in the face, but it happened when I arrived at the junction leading to the town.

“I got to the venue of the ceremony and stayed in the town for two days. On the third day, I suddenly found that I could no longer move my body freely. Although I barely managed to get up on my feet, I could not climb up the staircase.

“I had to wait till the following Sunday before deciding to leave for Lagos. But my friend, Edoche, persuaded me to follow him to Enugu where he lived at the time. I slept in Enugu on that day. In the morning I went for treatment in a hospital.

“After the doctor had finished examining me, he stared at me with his mouth half open in shock for a long time. When I asked what was wrong, he said I should have been dead. He took my pulse again and then, sweating, said my blood pressure was abnormally high. He said it had risen up to 300 and it was a miracle that I was still alive.”

The doctor also told the actor that, judging by his blood pressure, he should have been dead or paralysed. That was how Uche initially discovered that he had a heart problem.

Although the doctor in the Enugu hospital prescribed a certain drug for his illness and instructed to take it for the rest of his life, Uche had thought it was nothing to worry about and he hoped to recover quickly.

Unfortunately, eight years after, the actor, whose career has been seriously affected by the ailment, is still battling for his life. Apart from spending all his life savings on hospital bills and drugs, the illness has cost him his marriage. It was gathered that at a point, Uche’s wife was forced to leave their matrimonial home because she could no longer cope with the burden of taking care of him and their three children.

Uche’s case has progressively declined over the past years. Apart from suffering an undefined heart disease, he is gradually losing his memory and sight (he could barely glimpse our correspondent).

Also, to compound the actor’s problem, his kidneys no longer function properly. With financial assistance from members of his church – Our Lady the Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Gbagada, Lagos – he was able to undergo five dialyses in 2013. Yet, it is feared that the kidneys may pack up due to inadequate medical attention.

Bruce Jenner Set To Become A Full Woman

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There has been much speculation about Bruce Jenner‘s sexual state of mind, and now it seems he’s made a decision: female.
People reports, “the former Olympian will soon be living life as a female.”
“Bruce is transitioning to a woman,” says a source close to the family. “He is finally happy and his family is accepting of what he’s doing. He’s in such a great space. That’s why it’s the perfect time to do something like this.”
Bruce has received so much support from his daughters and even ex-wife Kris Jenner.

Jonathan’ll beat Buhari in the north – PDP

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says its Presidential flagbearer, President Goodluck Jonathan will beat the APC candidate, retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari, fair and square in the north, come February 14, 2015.

The party also said with President Jonathan’s soaring popularity among the voting population across the country, it would win more than two-third of the total votes cast as well as the required 25 percent in all the states of the federation.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement, Saturday, said President Jonathan will beat Buhari in the north, not only because the PDP controls 12 out of the 19 states of the region, but also because the citizens are pleased with the numerous development projects he executed in the region.

The party said the various projects and appointments in the north have placed President Jonathan ahead of Buhari especially following the fact that the APC presidential candidate never executed any in the region when he was head of state and has so far failed to articulate an acceptable blue-print for development.

“Indeed, Nigerians in the north are eager to re-elect President Goodluck Jonathan come February 14, 2015. Voters in the region appreciate the direct positive impact of the numerous development projects executed by the Jonathan administration in all sectors of life.

Photo : Olamide and fianceé welcome baby boy

 

YBNL boss and fiancé Adebukunmi Aisha Suleiman welcomed their bouncing baby boy on Friday, January 30, 2014….Bukunmi as she is fondly called took delivery of the child at St Ives Hospital, Ikeja. Mother and child are said to be doing fine.

The couple have already christened the child – his name is Olamidele.

An excited Olamide shared the good news on his Instsgram page;

“Mercy said no, never gonna let you go. Never gonna let you walk away, you don’t have to be afraid , mercy said no. Got you boy New signee

OPEC Oil Output Rises In January As Key Members Stand Firm

OPEC’s oil supply has risen this month due to more Angolan exports and steady to higher output in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers, a sign key members are standing firm in refusing to prop up prices.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries at a November meeting decided to focus on market share rather than cutting output, despite concerns from members such as Iran and Venezuela about falling oil revenue.

Supply from OPEC has averaged 30.37 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, up from a revised 30.24 million bpd in December, according to the survey based on shipping data and information from sources at oil companies, OPEC and consultants.

At the Nov. 27 meeting, OPEC retained its output target of 30 million bpd, sending oil prices to a four-year low close to $71 a barrel. Crude since fell to a near six-year low of $45.19 on Jan. 13 and was trading above $49 on Friday.

OPEC Secretary General Abdulla al-Badri, speaking in London on Monday, defended the no-cut strategy and said prices may have reached a floor, despite oversupply. Other OPEC delegates have since echoed this message.
“Prices are stabilizing,” said a delegate from a Gulf producer. “But the world economy is not very strong and stocks are too high.”

The largest boost this month has come from Angola, which pumped 1.80 million bpd and exported about 57 cargoes, up 160,000 bpd from December. Output would have been higher without some cargo delays, including of new crude Sangos.
OPEC’s other West African producer, Nigeria, also managed to boost exports, the survey showed, although the increase was restrained by outages of the Forcados and Nembe Creek pipelines.
Smaller increases have come from Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Jonathan is not Ijaw President – PDP warns Tompolo, Asari

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned some ex-militants to note that President Goodluck Jonathan is not for the Ijaw nation alone but for the entire country.

The militants have been threatening rain and fire if President Goodluck Jonathan loses the February 14 presidential election.

However, the national Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, in an interview with selected group of journalists in Abuja on Friday, said, “We are not in agreement with their statements and we are cautioning them to mind what they say.

“No individual owns the party. The President could be more loved in Anambra than Ijaw area, he could have support in Adamawa than in Bayelsa. He even said in Adamawa State that he had more votes from there in 2011 than his home state of Bayelsa.

“Jonathan is not the President of Ijaw or South-South. He should not be reduced to just the President of Ijaw alone. He is the president of the whole country.”

He also called on those campaigning for the party and the President to be decent in their languages, saying that those who founded the party were men of honour.

Metuh said, “While we have noted the zeal of individuals of people supporting the president with advertorials and rallies, they should be guided with the ideals of the people who founded the party.
“We respect the sanctity and privacy of individuals. We won’t trade words with issues that are private.

“Support groups and individuals must be guided with this. We want issue-based campaigns. Those showing support for us should be guided by issues and not insults. That’s what we want the campaigns to be.”

Munchies In A Minute: Bible Translation, The Church and Song of Songs

I just have a few minutes, but I really wanted to pass on a few resources that have been on my mind. Per the title, here’s my attempt to write one of my shortest blog entries ever (let’s see how I do)…

A User’s Guide to Bible Translations: Making the Most of Different Versions by David Dewey – My dad got this book for me at Christmas after the conversations we’ve had about Bible translations. Previously, I’ve shared my interest in the topic, here. It’s been a really informative, in depth look at the history and methods of various Bible translations. I am about halfway through – and think it’s a great tool for doing just what the title says: making the most of different versions. I will definitely be blogging a full entry about it when I finish!

Mark Driscoll Messages: At the moment, Pastor Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle is one of my favorite pastors to listen to online (He’s the one who preached the “Real Marriage” series that I blogged about a few months ago, here). There are two more message series in particular that I've listened to recently:

"The Seven" (click here to listen): About God's letters to the seven churches in Revelation. Driscoll preaches the messages from most, if not all, of the actual church locations, and provides context about the church's current state (a number of which no longer exist, for various reasons). I’ve listened to all of the messages, which have reminded me how relevant scripture is to the church today, and the need to pray earnestly for the body of Christ! I'm also reminded of the fact that I'd like to visit some of the areas (especially Ephesus!).

"The Peasant Princess: A Love Story from The Song of Songs" (to listen, click here): A fresh take on this book, which many pastors don’t touch (although I personally have listened to a few series on the topic, along with blogging through it, so I have probably said this before while sharing different message series, lol). I’ve only started message three, but I’ve gotten a lot out of the series already. The first part of Message One is framed by the “Sex as God, Gross or Gift” perspective later shared in the “Real Marriage” Series, but most of it has different content about biblical romantic love. A highlight for me so far is Driscoll’s mention of the five love languages in the second message, one of my favorite topics, which I blogged about a few years ago, here. I think they are a great tool for relating to each other in love and communicating better.

However, in the second message, Driscoll also makes some comments about husbands, wives and working outside the home that are controversial. But the important, relevant barometer is what the Word of God says about what he says, not culture – although I can think of a few modern changes in demographics that I think he could have addressed in the context of scripture but did not, such as delayed marriage (e.g., that, statistically, people are getting married later, and the differing perspectives about the meaning of being “financially secure” and able to provide for a family that sometimes come up between men and women, for example). I also am not necessarily agreeing with the lines he has drawn; I would need to do a study specifically on this topic to know whether I agree on exactly where to draw the line, but I do agree with the underlying biblical principles he presents (which I am not going into detail about in this "minute" entry, lol). Anyway, I do still think that this message is worth listening to, and looking forward to hearing the rest of the series!

Okay, with this last topic I managed to write more than I wanted today (but I’ll still keep the title – and try again next time)! If you’d like to listen to any of the messages mentioned, just click on the link in the section above (on the web site, you'll have the option of listening to or watching each message, including from an iPhone).

As I conclude (finally), I’m reminded of 2 Peter 1: 3-11, about the need for us to constantly seek ways to “add” to our faith so that we grow in Christ and be effective for Him. Let’s constantly consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Feel free to share other resources – and happy listening, and reading!

OPINION: Oyedepo And His Promise Of Hellfire

In a opinion piece written on Daily Trust by Kokoette Akpan (editor, contributor on political issues), the author examines the 2015 elections verdicts given by the most popular pastors, bishops and clergymen.
Akpan argues that the clergymen should keep their opinions to themselves, as they are role models to others.
Read his opinion below:

From the way most of our clerics talk nowadays, it goes to show that they are, after all, businessmen who may ordinarily not know God more than most of their followers.

The only difference is that they make God’s Work (I now scantly believe) their daily calling by reading the Holy Books and interpreting in their own way. Most of them are not mindful of how developed minds would weigh their utterances, which may easily showcase that they are better than the clerics.

Some of these so-called men of God destroy people’s homes in varied ways; they make people steal from their employers in order to enrich them; they make most of their followers poorer while they themselves get richer; they lead people into sin rather than teach them how to make eternal heaven.
My consideration is that clerics in this category are not better than the sinners and extremists abound in various religious beliefs, and I have Boko Haram in mind also.

While Pastor Kumuyi of Deeper Life Bible Church is busy admonishing his followers to pray for violence-free elections, Pastor Adeboye continues asking his followers to pray God to make Nigerians vote the right candidates; Bishop Oyedepo went busy last week telling President Jonathan that he (Oyedepo) would release hell fire to consume those who are against his current re-election bid.

This statement from the once respected bishop could mean that he is the Chief Security Officer of the Hell’s Gate, and that he is in control. Whereas I know and believe that good clerics would pray for peace to be unto all and let God’s will be done. 

I am certain that many members of his church, like myself, are not happy that the bishop we look up to, could throw such a venom to human beings created by God Almighty, or has he assumed the position of God? President Jonathan, being a politician should have people who are against his re-election because they feel not satisfied with his performance so far.

This is expected as we are in a democratic setting. This ‘man of God’ flies in his personal jets bought with his church members’ fund. But are the members as privileged? He has just said that any person who is not on Jonathan’s side should be consumed by the hellfire. I say God forbid! I cease to be a member of his church henceforth because, while I support Jonathan, my parents do not. I do not want hellfire to visit my parents. It can only visit them if I said ‘Amen’ to that prayer of Oyedepo.

If I should say to hell with my Bishop Oyedepo, I believe God may receive my prayer better than his because Oyedepo should know better than me and should be seen to be preaching God’s peace to all mankind. During the 2011 elections, Pastor Tunde Bakare mentioned that most of his colleagues sold their conscience; now I believe him.

Photos: Jonathan's Massive Transformation in the Critical Sectors

This is a sponsored post

It is obvious that President Goodluck Jonathan is a silent performer who gets the job done without making too much noise. No matter what his opponents are telling you, there are incontrovertible FACTS to show that things have changed for the better in the critical sectors of our country from Road to Rail Infrastructure, Agriculture to Health, Trade & Investment to Aviation, Education to Youth Empowerment, etc.

Anybody who tells you that Jonathan has not done anything, tell the person that he is a liar. He has done a lot of good works, especially in the last 4 years, and he is determined to do even much more.

If you cast your vote for Jonathan (as the PDP presidential candidate) on February 14, he wont need to spend about two years studying what is on ground; he has already mastered the systems and no civil servant can deceive him. Don't waste your vote on someone who will come in and start learning what is on ground, vote for Jonathan so that all the good works we will show you can continue.

Below are some of the great transformations President Jonathan has achieved:

6 Million: The Number of Farmers who now receive Farm Inputs directly

This and other achievements by President Jonathan which has led to the availability of foods for Nigerians to eat will be covered extensively in the next Post where we shall focus on Agriculture, but we want you to have it in mind that there is no longer food scarcity in Nigeria and more jobs have been created in this all-important sector due to the intervention of President Jonathan of PDP.

15 Years: The Period most of our Rail Lines where Dead until Jonathan intervened

It is only blind man that will deny what President Jonathan of PDP has achieved in this critical sector. All the way; Lagos-Kano, Port Harcourt-Enugu, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, Abuja-Kaduna and Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri, all these Rail Lines that had been moribond for 15 years have either undergone rehabilitation or modernisation. More routes are undergoing rehabilitation at a fast pace.

In fact, Rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ibadan-Oshogbo-Ilorin-

Minna-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano narrow Gauge Rail Line has been COMPLETED. Also, container cargo freight services from Apapa Port complex in Lagos have commenced. Five million passengers now move by Rail yearly in Nigeria compared to just One million before Jonathan came in and intervened.

24 Hours: Round the clock Operations in Nigeria's Ports

For the first time since 1970, President Jonathan of PDP has ensured that Nigeria's Ports operate all day long, non-stop, to ensure that goods are cleared in record time for the benefit of Nigerians. As a result, clearing time for trouble-free cargo has drastically REDUCED from 39 days to just 7 days.

Also, the number of government agencies at the Ports has been cut down from 13 to just 7, an action that has streamlined bottlenecks and reduced financial requirements for clearance and decongestion.

First Time Ever: Nigeria now has its own Aviation Master Plan

This is the very first time in the history of this country that Nigeria has developed its Aviation Master Plan and Road Map, courtesy of the Transformation Agenda of President Jonathan of PDP. For the first time also, Five modern international passenger terminals are being constructed simultaneously in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu.

All the 22 federally-owned airports across the country are being remodeled, resulting in improved passenger experience and you may wish to know that there has been a robust revision of the Civil Aviation National Policy for the first time in over 12 years.

The Jonathan government has installed cutting-edge Navigation aids and Instruments Landing System (ILS), including runway lights and total radar coverage (TRACON)) to enhance air safety.

State-of-the-art communications and surveillance infrastructure and surveillance infrastructure to aid smooth communication between Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots have also been installed.

Jonathan has ensured that Nigeria now has a fully equipped Accident Investigation and Analysis Laboratory. This is the only one of such facility in West Africa and one of the only four in Africa. Security infrastructure are being upgraded at a fast pace to cope with emerging security challenges.

Courtesy of President Jonathan of the PDP, Six Airports - Lagos, Jos, Yola, Ilorin, Makurdi, Jalingo - which are strategically located in proximity to food baskets have been designated as Perishable Cargo Airports and international standards perishable cargo facilities are being developed at these airports.

* These and many more facts that we will bring to you in subsequent posts are the Silent but Remarkable and Commendable achievements of President Jonathan in Infrastructure and other sectors.

** We will also bring you FACTS on Road, Power, Education, Health, ICT, Creation of Jobs, etc.

This Is What You Will Get, APC has something for Nigerians

ACTNOW RE: BUHARI VS. JONATHAN: BEYOND THE ELECTION BY PROF. SOLUDO
The above titled piece by Prof. Chuwuma Soludo to us is highly welcome at a time like this when those who should know would be doing Nigeria a great injustice by keeping quiet. Any advice given by the former CBN governor, ought to be given critical attention by any serious minded party. 

This piece is to first, appreciate the depth of thought the author has put in, to particularly wake Nigerians up to the reality of the quagmire the PDP government has placed this nation particularly in the last five years. As a former Chief Economic Adviser to the President and later CBN governor Prof. Soludo surely knows what he is talking about.

On our part as a party that is determined to reverse the nation from the march to self-destruction we have taken a long and hard look at most of the issues raised by the erudite professor and we have penned down credible and workable answers to the issues raised...

While not denying the nobility and originality of our ideas for change, the writer only assumed that with the current state of the badly battered public finance, our party when elected into power would not be able to fulfil its promises. This opinion need not be criticised but to be provided with honest answers since its manifest intent and purpose is to engender qualitative debate and not strife.

Based on our track record in the states we presently control, any discerning observer would notice that there is a pattern of governance that APC states are known for. Wherever we lead, one of the first things we do is to bolster the capacity for internally generated revenue through a programmed course of action. Some examples would be apposite here- Lagos state in 1999 was generating a meagre N600 million monthly, but today it generates an average of N20 billion. Osun state in 2010 when we took over was generating a measly N300 million monthly, today it generates an average of N1billion despite the economic and political constraints trying to hinder her progress. Kano state used to raise a meagre N400 million monthly in 2011, today it has grossed over N2 billion monthly. 

All these increased earning were mostly done by blocking leakages, ensuring the integrity of the collection and remitting system and utilising the scarce resources in the best interest of the people. So we believe that with careful planning and transparency, we would double our non-oil revenue in two years, by re-enacting our knack for excellence at the Federal level.

The APC believes that tackling corruption is the singular most important economic initiative we can take as a nation at this time. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria earned N51.50 trillion as proceeds from oil between 1979–2011. Only N3.10 trillion was earned between 1979-1999, from 2000-2011 the sum of N48.40trillion was received. The successive regimes from the civilian to military, were still able to build the longest bridge in Africa, the National Assembly complex, massive roads, refineries, power lines, dams etc. despite the relative low earnings. Our belief is that the opaque nature of our major revenue earning institutions like the NNPC, Customs, Internal Revenue Service etc. needs to change, these institutions can earn far more than they are currently doing. Our government, under Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is set to reverse this trend. Government money must be put in the service of the people and not squandered by a few cabals.
Another important source of leakage and corruption is the procurement system currently in place. 

[SMACKDOWN] As Woman Beats An Official Of War Against Indiscipline In Benin (Pics).

A woman who allegedly beat traffic light, reportedly beat an official of War Against Indiscipline (WAI) on Monday in Benin.

The said woman was stopped by WAI officials along Sapele Road, in Benin.However,she begged the officials she was rushing her ill son to hospital but the officials refused to pay heed to her plea but instead jumped into her car and dragged her steering from her.The car almost hit a passerby while they were trying to drag the steering with her.

According to the woman,one of the officials hit her in the face while the others ran away when the arguement between the woman and the WAI officials got intense.However,she was able to hold the official that hit her in the face.The official was beaten mercilessly by the woman.

Eyewitnesses made no attempt to help the man as they were not happy with the WAI officials. One of the eyewitnesses said:


"WAI officials and Oshiomole boys should be called to order.They always harass people unnecessarily....especially women.It is not advisable for any woman to drive alone in Edo State again. You should have someone in the car with you, specifically, a man unless they could pounce on you....guilty or not."

What Manner Of Change Is APC Chanting?

by Shaka Momodu
As I sit down to write this piece, I cannot but be amused by the change chorus around me. Even though I sense some genuine desire to have things go in a different direction, I get this sneaky feeling that a vast majority of Nigerians are being duped by some smart and clever businessmen masquerading as progressive democrats and agents of change. They sensed resentment and keyed in with the change slogan which seems to have caught on like a wildfire in the harmattan.

But when you ask those clamouring for change; change to what? They just stare blankly at you unsure of how to answer. And when the answer eventually comes, it’s a disappointment, “we just want change.” That is the first inkling you get that some of our choristers of change hardly understand the issues at stake.

Now, are these promoters of change really agents of change?
Are they really the democrats they profess to be? The evidence around me suggests otherwise. I think they are part of the problems Nigerians need change from. The values and virtues of democracy which they profess and claim allegiance are observed more in breach by these people who claim to be the long awaited messiahs destined to liberate our countrymen from the bondage of corrupt managers of public wealth.

They remind us every day of the rot in the system – corruption at the centre, growing unemployment, insecurity in the land, irregular power supply etc. Of course, these are facts that cannot be disputed. But what they fail to tell us is that they have been part and parcel of the rot and share in the responsibility and blame for the situation in the country today. They fail to remind us that they are among the greatest beneficiaries of the weak institutions that have made the country a wobbling giant.

They fail to tell Nigerians that they have become richer and more prosperous on account of their holding public offices in this democracy. They want change not to serve the people but to serve their own interests and those of their cronies. They just want more money to increase their vast wealth to further their private benefits at the expense of public good. But they have found a strap line that resonates well with the people to anchor their quest for power, but no one is guiltier of practices detrimental to public good than these so-called agents of change. Their daily conduct is a mockery of their progressive hymn; the solemnity of their pledges to liberate the people is hollow, impiety and deceptive.

Now, let’s take a look for a moment at the promoters of change. Former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu at the Redemption Rally organised by the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Akure to mobilise support for the party’s candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, in the last Ondo governorship election openly boasted how he funded Olusegun Mimiko’s election with millions of pounds. He said: “Mimiko claimed that I did not spend money when he had problems with his mandate; this is not true. It is a lie. He came to me and begged for support, rolling on the ground.

Eat a Salad Every Day

 

I apologize to those of you in the Northeast who might’ve logged on today in hopes of seeing a recipe that falls under the warm-and-cozy category, and not a dutiful looking kale salad studded with wheat berries.

 The truth of the matter is, the warm-and-cozy stuff happened yesterday in our house, as soon as school sent word of early dismissal due to the impending storm. I crammed in a little work at home (operative word = “little”) then embraced the day off like a kind of maniacal kindergarten teacher. Abby, whose favorite activity when she was six or seven, was “Restaurant” begged her sister and me to turn the living room into “Cafe Juno,” and before I knew it, she was strapping an apron around my waist, table-cloth-ing a coffee table, typing up a menu, and asking for the daily specials.

 Phoebe ordered the fried chickpeas with yogurt and tamarind sauce, Abby went with a “baked ravioli melt” (think baked ziti but with ravioli) and in addition to the 85% tip the girls left me in the fake billfold, I got to gorge on all the food left over in both pots. Score!
Next up: Cookie baking. I wasn’t involved in that project, but I did somehow show up just in time for bowl-licking, and again, 8-10 minutes later, for cookie-testing.

 (Phoebe was making the “playdate cookies” from Dinner: A Love Story, replacing the M&Ms with dark chocolate chunks, so naturally they tested and tasted amazing.) An hour or two, and a cup or two of hot chocolates with whipped cream later, Gabrielle Hamilton’s Cider-braised Chicken was simmering on the stovetop for dinner, Andy’s broccoli was sizzling away in a hot hot oven, and I was assembling a little cheese plate for everyone to nibble on, complete with fig jam. There may or may not have been a bag of Trader Joe’s cheese puffs on the counter just for good measure. For dessert, more of Phoebe’s cookies. Plural.
What is it about Snow Days that wake up the holiday indulgence gene? I have to say, it’s kind of great.
But it’s only great for a day or two before I start to feel like I need to reign it in a little, to get back to my weekday eating routine, where it’s not entirely normal to go through a four-pack of butter in one afternoon. (The bag of cheese doodles, those are another story.) I woke up this morning realizing I have a relatively new philosophy for weekday eating that I haven’t really shared with you, so figured now was as good a time as any. It boils down to this:
 
My friend Lia gave me this advice last fall, after I asked what she was doing that made her look so great — right down to her awesome haircut — and I immediately embraced her words as my new worldview. You know me, every few months I’ll convince myself to omit gluten, or go Vegan, or forgo all carbs, but these all-or-nothing deals never stick. All I have to do is log onto instagram — I don’t know about your feed, but mine is an endless stream of salted caramel baked goods — before I’m raiding the fridge.

 I’m weak. I know this about myself now, which is why Lia’s salad line made so much sense to me. It meant that one meal, usually lunch, would be plant-based and feel-good, and wholesome with enough redemptive power to, say, erase whatever transgressions may be forthcoming at dinner. It’s not a “plan” or a “diet” or a “program,” exactly. It’s more like a forgiving and folksy philosophy about staying healthy.

 I love these mini-philosophies. In fact, I’ve amassed a lot of them over the years, and together I like to think they add up to the official DALS guide to healthy eating. Like Lia’s, all came from friends:

1. From Cynthia: Health is not a number, it’s a feeling.
2. From Rory: Don’t worry about calorie counting, just worry that everything you eat is healthy and wholesome. (And yes, dark chocolate counts.)
3. From Tiffani*: Nothing else really matters if you don’t get enough sleep and water.
4. From Lee: Giving in to temptation is fine. Just not every single time temptation is presented.
I’d like to emphasize that just because these are the philosophies that have stayed with me, and the ones I’m doing my best to pass down to the girls, it doesn’t mean I am faithfully sticking to the script every minute of every day. That’s just silly. Today, though, today I am sticking to the script. Bittersweet Brownies with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting be damned.

A Few Salad Ideas that Fit the Bill

- Way up top is chopped kale with wheat berries, shredded beets, raisins, with a citrus-y dressing. I found it in my iPhone photo library so forgive the fuzziness. I’m pretty sure it was assembled at the Whole Foods salad bar.

- Shown right here is one of my favorites: A mix of greens (Bibb & baby arugula) with beets, feta, scallions, cukes, fresh dill, and (not shown) pistachios or pepitas. The dressing is a simple white balsamic-olive oil emulsion. Followed by lots of freshly ground black pepper.

- I am a huge fan of chopped kale, raw unsalted almond slivers, and raisins. Olive oil and red wine vinegar. So simple, so satisfying.

*OK fine, this “Tiffani” is Tiffani Thiessen, who is not necessarily a “friend” per se, but I did read once that she liked my book enough to buy two copies: one for her LA house and one for her NY apartment. So I’m pretty sure that comes close to counting.

I've been meaning to write about my beautiful surprise birthday party

 

Here's a few photos from the evening... thanks for stopping by today!

I've been meaning to write about my beautiful surprise birthday party for, oh, over a month now... but you know, busy-ness and the holidays and excuses excuses excuses. On this dreary Monday morning, however, I've finally gotten to it, and I'm having such a nice time reliving this oh-so-sweet evening.

On Decemeber 5th, I turned 28, which is weird all unto itself, seeing as how my twenties are creeping to a close and in some ways I still feel so young and others I feel so old. In some ways I feel so accomplished, and others I feel so panicky for not being further along. But that's another post for another day.

Also on December 5th, a few friends threw me a surprise birthday party, which was, indeed, an actual surprise!  In the last year or two, I've grown close to a beauty named Brittany who started her own event rentals company (Birch & Brass Vintage Rentals) here in Austin, of which I've helped to photograph the inventory over the course of many sweaty photo shoots and hundreds of beautiful pieces. Brittany is so, so good at styling perfect tablescapes and vignettes, and I always wished I knew her before our wedding or some other excuse to have her style an event for me.

Well now, thanks to her expertise and kindness, I have this incredibly perfect little party to look back on fondly, much thanks to Shalyn's gorgeous photos of the evening. I was so in shock that night, I barely took in all the details. Another reason that photography is so important: to capture and freeze time so you can go back and enjoy special moments over and over again.

There was fried chicken and other southern-style comfort foods (my absolute favorites), rum punch (another fave), cake and cupcakes and doughnuts (because you KNOW I love my sweets), a ridiculous piñata I had to whack about 47 times before it finally broke, and karaoke and quality time with sweet friends I was so grateful to for taking the time out of their Friday night to attend.

Thank you so much, Brittany, for one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me, and to Celine & Justin for hosting and for handling all of the mess that comes with that, and to Shay for taking the most beautiful photos and creating the most gorgeous little placecards, and to Kelsey & Jona, John & Kirsten, Kate, Emilie, Federico, and of course Matthew, all for attending.