#but covid took away having more than one cashier on at a time its true for EVERY store this is my conspiracy

[maretriarch]

hour three of a continuous rush, your break is 25 minutes late, you're the only cashier/bagger they have on at the front for the entire store, you have an 7+ line of elderly agitated customers, groceries are 300 dollars for one cart now so every single person in the building wants to commit murder-suicide just by entering the store, and your manager comes to tell you to improve your items per minute scan, the fake gay measurement that only counts towards her bonus

[vamonumentlandscape]

Lexington: VMI, W&L, and more

After traveling from our college campus on a winding road for about an hour through the Blue Ridge Mountains, we reached the historic town of Lexington, Virginia. Home to two notable institutions of higher learning that continue to contemplate their ties to famous Confederate Generals, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, we knew that a stop in this tiny place was an essential stop during our travels. With the varying opinions in the public of what to do with this history, Lexington is ripe with ongoing discussions, and we sought to make a stop at each current site of controversy or recent action.

We were lucky enough to get a decent parking spot that was close to the modest home of General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and Mary Anna Jackson, his second wife. Tickets to see the site were at an affordable price in the gift shop, and we quickly meandered through the small exhibition just beyond the cashier. We learned various facts about Jackson’s life, his legacy, and also that the building housed a hospital from 1907 to 1954 before turning into a museum. Artifacts and displays did not romanticize the life of Jackson, but we were not starstruck by any means. However, when we began the self-guided tour of the home, the first stop was the kitchen and slave quarters in the basement. Right away, we were provided grounds for comparison to the lived experiences of slaves and those of the Jacksons upstairs. Though we were following along okay with tour videos provided on the museum website, we met a historical interpreter named Brian who had been working at the museum for decades. We found out through Brian that the staff had been sharing the enslaved narratives since the house became a museum. Though the Jackson family did not own as many slaves as other rich families in the Antebellum South, we felt some sense of relief that the presence of the enslaved was a permanent element of any visit to the home. We passed through the upstairs dining room, the bedroom, a study, and a sitting room, while also learning about the short-lived marriage between Stonewall and his first wife, Elinor Jackson. The marriage only lasted such a short time because she died in childbirth. Two years before the end of the Civil War in July of 1863, Stonewall was mortally wounded accidentally by one of his men. He never returned to his home in Lexington after leading a brigade out of the nearby Virginia Military Institute, where he had taught for a brief time. By 1865, the Union won the war, and Mrs. Jackson had to free the family’s enslaved workers. David informed us that Mrs. Jackson was dumbfounded in finding out that an enslaved woman was dissatisfied with her family being in bondage. Mary Anna said something along the lines of “We had been through everything together.” Though Stonewall did not speak vehemently in favor of the peculiar institution of enslavement of human beings, he did believe in his Christian faith not giving him any moral right to question its existence. This was probably the most important detail that we learned from David during our visit, and we believe it is grounds for serious discussions of revisions in how Stonewall Jackson is remembered throughout the South, especially in Virginia. While he is a hero to some, he is reviled by others.

On our way to Oak Grove Cemetery, formerly Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery, we saw a few historic churches, a veterans memorial, and historic signs by the Righteous and Rascals of Rockbridge. The best part of our walk however, was my (Tomi’s) trip into the Rockbridge Republicans headquarters. I walked into the headquarters to see a small area, no bigger than 16x12 feet. Two women were in the small room, one at a desk and the other right across from her. It was somewhat dark, filled with signs for Glenn Youngkin, old Trump signs, and other Republican names known to those in Virginia. The sign that caught my eye first was “Retain the Name” in reference to Washington and Lee’s possible name change. I walked in and asked the two women what the organization did in Lexington and that I was a student doing research from Randolph College. The response I got was much more elaborate than I could have asked for. The woman at the desk began to speak, but was cut off by the other. She told me they were trying to defend history. “They were like midnight riders when they came by and took down all the Confederate flags on the bridge”, “They (50 Ways Rockbridge) want to erase all of our history”, “There was no vote to change the name of the cemetery! (Oak Grove) The city just did it!” “The Generals Redoubt is an organization we align with about keeping Washington and Lee’s name the same.” All the things she was saying came from the simple question that I posed. All I could do was smile and nod with the bombardment of information. Her passion for the preservation of the Confederate flags on city bridges, supporting Generals Redoubt, and wishing the cemetery still kept it’s old name are all valid beliefs she is entitled to have. However, the misinformation she believed and was spreading is not. When she said that the city had removed the flags and Stonewall’s name from the cemetery without a vote, I knew that this was not true. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Lexington’s city council voted and made the decision in 2011 to remove the Confederate flags from city poles and in 2020 about the name change for Oak Grove. Nothing good can ever come from the spread of misinformation. I spoke with the other woman, who agreed with the beliefs of her colleague, but did not express them in the same way. She mainly expressed that she wanted to keep the history in Lexington alive. She informed me that she was born in the Stonewall Jackson Hospital in its last year, so she didn’t want to see such an important place to go away. Thankfully, I could enlighten her from our previous visit to the home, they preserved that history and Stonewall Jackson’s as well. In this conversation, I learned from these women how easy it is to be uninformed by choice. Nothing is wrong with being a Republican. Nothing is wrong with having these views. We are all entitled to our opinions as this is America. There is something very wrong with spreading and believing information that is incorrect.

In the last paragraph, 50 Ways Rockbridge was mentioned. This is an organization with “a group of concerned citizens from Rockbridge County, Virginia, working together to research, educate, and act on major issues that affect all of the 50 United States, especially Virginia and our local area. Our guiding political principles are inclusion and fairness.” This organization has worked to help the community with resources like PPE during COVID-19. They have a political agenda and have worked hard to create a more inclusive environment in Lexington. They are on the complete opposite side of the spectrum of the Rockbridge Republicans. It was very interesting to see one group condemning the other. We hope to chat with some of the board members of 50 Ways to see their dynamic in this small town.

Our visit to Oak Grove Cemetery, formerly known as Stonewall Jackson Cemetery, required us to make a short walk in the sweltering Summer heat of Central Virginia. When we reached the cemetery, we were quickly able to find the gravesite of the man whose home we had just visited. There were some strong storms the night before, so a few workers were clearing some downed trees around the tall memorial dedicated to Jackson. Though it was very loud and hard to take in the memorial as intended, we did not find much wrong with the statue or the pedestal. Sure, it was extravagant and grand in size compared to the other gravesites, but there was no troubling Lost Cause language that had bothered us in places like Monument Avenue in Richmond. Perhaps this is because the infamous United Daughters of the Confederacy or Sons of the Confederacy did not have much to do with its placement. Whatever the case may be, we do not feel that this statue has to come down. If a tourist wants to visit Jackson’s grave and leave a lemon (a tradition because he ate one before every battle), they are free to do so. If they do not want to seek it out, they do not have to. A memorial of this size at Jackson’s grave is less problematic than one on a busy municipal street. The renaming of the cemetery by the City government seems to be the most appropriate action and the furthest they should go.

Before stopping at the campus of Washington and Lee University, we got a quick bite at a unique Burger and Doughnut restaurant called Pure Eats. Though this is not a food blog, we thought it would be appropriate to highlight one of our favorite lunches of the Summer. It’s a small dive joint that every college town needs, but their burgers were especially fantastic. If there is one thing that Lexingtonians can agree on in their complicated environment, it is the food. After hydrating and freeing our faces from any embarrassing dribbles of ketchup and mayo, we headed up the hill to see VMI’s campus, their museum, and W&L to see the Lee Chapel, which is soon to be renamed.

After lunch we went to the fortress that is Virginia Military Institute. We drove around the circular campus multiple times to find a good parking spot to start off our visit. Finally reaching the museum after a long hike up stairs, we entered the glass doors to find an interesting smell. Sadly, as we found out from the museum clerk, there had been intense rainstorms that had flooded the lower part of the museum. We were only able to look around the first level, which was the history of VMI. Before looking around the museum, we spoke more with the clerk. We were just chatting about the museum when she got very emotional about how Jackson was being treated on campus. “He was a good man. He actually educated his slaves when it wasn’t allowed. I don’t understand why they are treating him this way. Hopefully something good will end up coming from it.” Her sympathies seemed oddly personal, we all wondered if this is a commonality among staff at VMI. We walked through the museum which went through the history of VMI from the beginnings to the present. The school began in 1839 to train young men for the Virginia Militia. As the oldest state-supported military college, it has a lot to be proud of and shows off the institution's many achievements. The museum did not shy away from talking about the more difficult history, but they did not tackle it in its entirety. The two main examples of the museum lacking the full story is about African American cadet, Adam Randolph and the issue of allowing women to attend. In talking about admitting African Americans to the college and Adam Randolph, the plaque stated he “left VMI after his third year to pursue other opportunities.” While this is true, the reason for him leaving was left out. The Richmond Times-Dispatch quoted Randolph for his reasoning to transfer to Hampton University: “I just kind of had it, VMI is a great school- but it’s not for everybody.” The article explained the institution’s ties to the Confederacy with statues and traditions like playing “Dixie” at sporting events “troubled” Randolph’s mind. With women attending the institution, the museum blatantly left out the firm opposition VMI felt to women becoming cadets. As detailed in Women in the Barracks: The VMI Case and Equal Rights, VMI was firmly against women attending the school and fought hard in court to avoid the integration of women on campus. The museum completely left this out. Going through the museum was an absolute must to understand the complex and interesting history of VMI.

On VMI’s campus we explored around to see where General Jackson’s statue once stood, but what caught our eyes most was the building right behind the former statue. “STONEWALL JACKSON” adorned the notorious barracks building named after the former physics professor at the school. As we were told in the Jackson House by a wonderful guide named David, Jackson wasn’t the beloved professor he has come to be known. He was a firm lecturer who struggled with expanding on the topic more than what the texts from books he read. Former students of Jackson felt as if he was very hard and unwilling to let go of his West Point ties to how he was taught. There is nothing wrong with the school honoring former teachers as they do throughout the campus with the naming of buildings. However, we feel as if Jackson has become a mythologized hero. His legacy at VMI is not one that is more important than another professor, but the institute has made it that way. As we see the building named for him, none of us are shocked or moved as this is understandable and a tradition for the college to do for former professors. But, what shocked us most was the blatant erasure of his name below Jackson’s own quote. “You may be whatever you resolve to be- Stonewall Jackson” is what the building used to read. Now, there is only the quote. There is a difference between reinterpretation and erasure of history. Taking down the statue of Jackson that literally put him on a pedestal makes sense. But, removing his name from his own quote is wrong. As with anything, we must give credit where credit is due. Keep his name with his own words or remove the entire quote. There should be no in between.

Though we were not able to get inside the Lee Chapel, we at least wanted to see the building that had been in the news of late. From what we gathered, the chapel will be split into two components - one being space for campus services at the university and the other being the tombs of Robert E. Lee and Mary Custis Lee. The Recumbent Statue by Edward Valentine depicts General Lee asleep on the battlefield. While the building is being returned to its original name of University Chapel, the tomb will remain intact. In doing so, W&L will continue to allow folks in to visit Lee’s tomb, but will not force all students to feel imposed by his presence while worshipping. Just outside in the quad, the statue of Cyrus McCormick and the obelisk for John Robinson have signage that offers honest interpretation for two men with troubling histories. Though McCormick is credited with inventing the mechanical reaper, his family enslaved many. In 1826, “Jockey” John Robinson sold his land to Washington College, now Washington and Lee University. 73 enslaved African-American women, men, and children were enslaved for ten years as a part of this purchase. By placing signs around these statues for historical context, the institution is acknowledging its past for a more just future. While the Board of Trustees decided that Lee will remain in the school’s name just a few weeks ago, going against the wishes of most of its faculty, the school is confronting its past adequately to appear open to increasing diversity and welcomeness for all.

[foodtheoryblog]

Blog Assignment #1: Culinary Biography

Hi, My Name is Courtney Smith and I am a student in the culinary skills program at George Brown. 

I want to be a chef, because I have a dream of opening vegetarian cafes across the world. I have been vegetarian for almost 4 years now, and while cooking is my passion now and I have improved dramatically at eating more balanced meals, I didnt always eat this way. When I first started, I thought all I had to do was avoid meat but I was so wrong. I found that the food I ate was lacking flavor, texture, and protein! I grew up in a household that had very typical meals with little creativity. There was always some kind of roasted meat, with a starch of either potatos or rice and a salad to finish it off so when I took away the meat my food just tasted boring. After awhile of playing around with spices, sauces and different textures and learning about the exciting world of plant-based foods I can proudly say that I am cooking food that not only tastes delicious to me, but my non-vegetarian friends and family enjoy as well! I would like to further develop my skills and work towards changing the idea that vegetarian food is limited to salads only, and make food for everyone to enjoy as much as I do!

Just about all of my work experience has been in the food industry, starting at the time I was 14 years old. I worked at McDonalds for 3 years where I started as a cashier and then was promoted to crew trainer and was cross trained to work in the kitchen. That was my first taste of working back of house, and I started developing my love for back of house. After that I went to university, and I got a job as a dietary aide in a retirement home. There I got close to many rresidents snad started learning about other dietary restrictions, as well as the process of cultivating a dining experience. An meal isnt only about the food, its about the experience and the ambiance and the company you share the meal with. During this time I was studying psychology at the University of Guelph, and for some reason I could not figure out what I wanted to do with my future, let alone picture it at all. Things got very confusing and dark, and while at school I would spend hours every day cooking to avoid doing my school work and half way through my second year I decided to leave to figure out what I wanted. I knew I had a passion for cooking, so I took a year off and got myself a job as a linecook for a new chain of breakfast resturaunts. Very quickly I started moving up, I was promoted again to crew trainer, and then shift supervisor and it was because I loved going in to work everyday and I was GOOD. Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced me to take some time away but it also gave me time to decide what I was goiing to do when I returned to school. So now here I am with around 5 years of experience in the food industry under my belt, and ready to make a career in the field. 

My personal philosophy for cooking, as I briefly touched on already, is that dining should be an experience. Although the food itself must be phenominal, eating should be an experience, and it should be memorable. If anyone has ever told you about the best food they have ever had, they dont only talk about the how it tasted, but the way it looked and the lovely the resturaunt was and the service they had. When dining there should be an emphasis placed on the overall experience. 

Something that I hope to gain from my blogging experience, is a deeper understanding of culinary writing. How to explain a dish like a story, and be able to capture every little detail. When I eventually own my vegetarian cafe’s, I want to have somebody read my menu, or maybe another blog, and be able to taste any of the dishes simply by reading about about it. 

A culinary quote that I really like is from Paul Prudhomme, “ You dont need a silver fork to eat good food. “ Paul Prudhomme Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved January 22, 2021, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/paul_prudhomme_347636

 I think that could not be any more true. Sometimes people confuse expensive food with good food, like they do with many different things. Just because something might be more costly, does not make it any better than the other. One of my most memorable meals was a small box of assorted macarons that cost almost 10 euros in Paris. My family and I sat over looking the entire city during sunset, and while we could have easily gone down the street to a fancy resturaunt, that small box of macarons is a dining experience I hold close to my heart. 

This is a picture of the cream puffs I made in one of my classes this week. Each time I create something I fall more and more in love with cooking. 

This is a picture of my dad and I in 2015. We went on a trip to South Africa to visit family for a reunion, my cousin was getting married, and my grandpa’s 80th  birthday. In the future I hope to explore the world and further develop my knowlege of cooking a variety of authentic cuisines. 

https://naturallyella.com/ Attached here is a vegetarian food blof called Naturally Ella. I think she does a really good job making it visually appealing, and I actually would like to cook a couple recipes she shows. I really appreciate that she has an entire blof dedicated to being and/or eating vegetarian specifically. Many people still confuse being vegan and vegetarian. I also like how bright and colourful her meals are. If there was something I would do differently with her blog, it would be to possibly improve the organization a little bit. It already is kind of organized of course, but I would make the pictures a little smaller and reduce the amount of space throughout the page so that there is less scrolling.