A PWI's Bitter Ball Had No Answer (Answering Questions)

That is probably the most creative title I have had to date. I'm so proud. Aren't you too? You better not say No.

Q: Why did you choose not to go to an HBCU? Would you go to one if you had a do-over?

A: This question was originally suppose to be recorded. But I kept talking over my allotted time for it. I've apologized to the person who asked it, but I'm so sorry that I have type this answer. I really appreciate how this question was asked. It's not the usual HBCU vs PWI format. But I've talked about it HERE before in 2015. And my feelings are the same. Finances, My Life Experiences, and What Schools Made Me Tingle when I was in high school are the base reasons why I chose where I went to school. And I Will Never Regret Going to a PWI. My college years were just right for me. But then I'm a person with very few regrets in life.

This Post's Q&A Video

If You Can't See the Video, Click HERE

Don't forget, if you have any questions, email them to C.OUT.SPOKEN.DIVA@gmail.com or leave them in the comment section below or on the social media site where you see this post. I will answer them. 

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As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!

Cornbread Dressing...Soul Food? (OUTSPOKEN_DIVA's Favorite Recipes)

If You Don't See the Video, Click HERE

Cornbread Dressing & Greens Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 1 large bunch (about 10 ounces) collard, mustard, turnip, or mixed greens
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poultry or salt-free Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cornbread (broken into pieces)
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  
  
  

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Prepare the greens: Cut the thick center rib out of each green. Stack the rib-less greens and roll them up into a cigar-like shape. Slice over the “cigar” as thinly as possible (⅛″ to ¼″) to make long strands. Shake up the greens and give them a few chops so the strands aren’t so long.
3. Lightly grease a large casserole or baking dish then set aside
4. Saute the onion and the celery in the vegetable oil for 3 to 5 minutes or just until almost soft.
5. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the greens, stir reduce heat to low, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until wilted, stirring occasionally. If you like them softer, cook for 10-15 minutes.
6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the seasoning with the cornbread, mixing everything well to combine.
7. Add the green mixture and stir to combine.
8. Add in the broth just until the bread mixture is lightly moistened, adding more or less broth as needed.
9. Transfer to your prepared large casserole or baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes.
10. Enjoy

So again, start making this dish immediately if you want to "WoW" the people during Thanksgiving. And I don't want any of you being a viral video getting cursed out or teased because you messed up a dish. And if you do, OUTSPOKEN Diva didn't give you that recipe. LoL

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!

But Not in Love With Love Jones

I never have been. I won't call it trash, but it is overrated, to say the least. Don't get me wrong it is a beautiful visual. But Love Jones is not the boy meets girl feel-good story for me. I have felt that way since I watched it 20 plus years ago. I remember watching it alone on premium cable the summer after it premiered. I was home taking summer classes at the community college downtown. I was in a sweet, budding relationship. And even wore my hair the ways Nia Long wore her hair in the movie. I was a flipped hair & side part under fanatic. I don't know why I used the word, Was. Lol But I still remember feeling like I Never wanted a Love Jones type of love. 

And for years, I kept my assessment of this beloved movie to myself.

Within the past year, I heard others in my Xennial (Late Gen Xers & Early Millenials) age peer group say that they feel the same way. I felt like I finally found my tribe. So, before I wrote this post I decided to watch Love Jones with 40+ eyes. Because I think the last time I fully watched the movie was maybe 8 years ago. I knew I felt like:

• Darius Stalked Nina.
• Nina was messy.
• Hollywood broke Friendship Code & was not chin-checked hard enough.
• Matter of fact, why was Hollywood ever in the friend group? What did he bring to the table?
• So, no one thought a married Savon hung out with the homies a little too much.
• A black woman choosing love in the rain over her hair getting rain-drenched is soul-crushing.
• Shelia was the wisest person of them all.

My opinion still holds up!!!

I wish people would tell the truth. Fans of Love Jones only call this movie a classic in the Black Community, because of the cast and soundtrack. Oh, the soundtrack is great. The acting is good also. And though my thighs still need blues in the left & funk in the right, the story itself is not relationship goals folks should want, in my opinion. The only lessons I always take away from this movie are:

• When you meet someone and they use timing & complicated in the reason they are unavailable to date, Believe Them.
• Pay attention to the advice coming from your friend circle.
• Learn to detach your heart from your sex organs if it's going to be just a "sex thing".
• Poetry is a creative but not sustainable way to effectively communicate.

So, do you like the movie, Love Jones? How do you truly feel about it? Let's chat about it in the comments below or on the social media platform you see this on.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!!!

A Little Dry (OUTSPOKEN_DIVA's Favorite Recipes)

Mockmosa

Ingredients

• 64 fl oz orange juice
• 24.5 fl oz sparkling white grape juice

Directions

1. Pour the orange juice into a jug and then pour in the sparkling white grape juice.
2. Serve in a glass of your choice

Virgin Tropical Bellini

Ingredients

• 11.3 fl oz can mango nectar
• 11.3 fl oz can guava nectar
• 1-liter bottle ginger ale

Directions

1. Refrigerate the juices and ginger ale.
2. In a large container or punch bowl mix together the mango and guava nectar; wait until ready to serve to add the ginger ale.

Sometimes the mainstream forgets some people can't, don't, won't drink alcohol. And just because they are living a temperance lifestyle doesn't mean that they have to have non-imaginative drinks only. I truly hope you enjoy the non-alcoholic beverage options.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!!!

The Guilty Windowsill Plan (Answering Questions)

I'm a little proud of the title of this post. I felt my creative juices flow when it came to me. LoL I know. I'm being silly. So, let me get serious and answer your questions.

Q: You record sometimes with a window in your background. What is in the window? I know I see a bottle of water.

A: I saw this meme on Facebook and I decided to finally answer this question on this platform. Folks don't miss crap. There is nothing major there. My bedside table is full of books & an oscillating fan. Also, it's just easier to reach up and get a Bottle of Water, Mini Fan, Vitamins, a pair of Reading Glasses, & Headphones from the bed when I need them. Sometimes you may see a teacup there. I'm just cooling the beverage so I can drink it. That's All!!!

This Post's Q&A Video

Don't forget, if you have any questions, email them to C.OUT.SPOKEN.DIVA@gmail.com or leave them in the comment section below or on the social media site where you see this post. I will answer them.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

Send Off Bag???

I'm so glad social media engagement looked different when I was younger. I can not imagine sharing my silly dating hi-jinks as folks do now. I think my close friends only know most of my goofy stunts, let alone the world wide web.

Have you guys seen the "Send-Off Bag"? I saw it on Facebook. The contents of it were interesting, to say the least.

It is very carb-heavy. I don't smoke, so the weed is of no use for me(FYI It won't get wasted.) And the money is touching the sandwich(I hope it is a sandwich and not just a slice of bread) and that's gross and not edible. I hope somebody tells homeboy if he is going to make this thing, pack a more sanitary bag. Presentation is Key!

But here is my question to the person who posted the photo. Are you going to fool with him again?

If it were me, I wouldn't. Even if this is a hook-up/smash and dash situation, you never let someone give your "sex" value.  This goodie bag, the pre-made gesture seems thoughtful, but so is a text message to see if you made it to your destination safely. This is the same as if he had put the $40 in a pretty card & it said, "Thanks for the Tail". Now would anyone have shown that off on social media? Sometimes just have your "fun" and leave the internet discussion points alone.

But then I wouldn't get a chance to learn & talk about it.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!

Chasing Chasing Destiny

I saw the news that the author, Eric Jerome Dickey passed. And now, I am on the hunt (physically & mentally) for my favorite book by him. I have a craving to hold this book. And it is not on my Favorites bookshelf. (Yes, I have a bookshelf dedicated to my favorite books) Fun Fact About Me: I only own three of my favorite books in e-book format. They are The Bible, The Scarlet Letter, He's Fine But is He Saved. Two were free & the other is The Bible. So, I can't just pull it up on the tablet.

And Looking for This Book is Making Me Sadder.

My college & 20s hands would be emptier without many of the books of Eric Jerome Dickey. I remember staying up and reading his stuff in one sitting at night. Dickey's works are very rich in describing people who look like me, work like me, and love like me.

I remember the book, Friends & Lovers and imagining the comedian faces at a sad event. I remember my friends and I discussing & sometimes giggling at some of the vivid intimate scenes like in Genevieve & Milk in My Coffee. And it is safe to say his books have shaped a few of my viewpoints on heterosexual dating. Matter of fact, if there are any guys with children(teens in particular) interested in dating me, you might want to browse this book I am looking for. Spoiler Alert: Separation is not Divorce.

I Must Find This Book

Eric Jerome Dickey will be missed. I thank him for helping me see myself. I thank him for being an author that help the literary world understand that Black People are not a monolith. I thank him for being him.

I've Located My Copy of the Book! It Will be With Me, Soon!!

As Always Talking You in Adult Terms!