November 21, 2017 THINKING OUT LOUD

ODDBALL THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON:

Vodka, cranberry and lime--enough said                                                  $  25.00
Moisturizers, lotions--that keep me smooth as a baby's bottom          $100.00
Foundation--minimize fine lines                                                                $ 42.00
Hair dye--that enables me to "still" look "45" MAYBE                           $100.00
Eyebrow pencils--for making them look real                                           $  12.00
Mascara--for highlighting my eyes and lashes                                         $  22.00
Floss--that prevents gum disease                                                                $    4.00
Underwear--that don't ride up                                                                     $  15.00
Spanks--for sucking it all in when necessary                                            $  40.00
Cozy socks-- that keep the tootsies warm                                                 $    8.00
Sweatpants--elastic waist                                                                              $  30.00
Scarves--for making me look 10 years younger when                             $  30.00
strategically placed                                                                                ______________

 TOTAL                                                                                                                 $428.00

A SENSE OF HUMOR                                                                         PRICELESS   

Yaa Gyasi's debut novel Homegoing; however, is no laughing matter. This book is a wonderful piece of historical fiction set in the Gold Coast that follows the life of an Asante woman named Maame and her two daughters. As the story opens, Maame has set fire to a Fante village in order to escape bondage leaving her daughter Effia behind. After returning to her village, Maame marries a chief and has another daughter, Esi. Later,  Effia is married off to a British Governor named James Collins, who is in charge of Cape Coast Castle. Her sister Esi is kidnapped from her village, sold into slavery and eventually sent to America. The book follows the lives of both Esi and Effia as well as  their descendants in the Gold Coast (Ghana)  and America in alternating chapters.   Gyasi, although born in Ghana, came to the United States as an infant. In 2009, she returned to Ghana on a research grant from Stanford University. She visited Cape Coast Castle and was  inspired to learn more about the time period including the Anglo-Asante Wars, Slavery and  life in the Gold Coast. For her efforts, Gyasi has earned at least three book awards including the Hemingway Foundation/Pen Award.  This important piece of literature is a must read. It is only 320 pages or a 4 mile run that is both captivating and devastating.