June 2019 - The Brick Magazine

BACK TO THE BASICS: THE PEOPLE’S SUPPER, REMINDING AMERICA OF HER GREATNESS

Julie Palmer2019-07-01T10:02:55-04:00

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash By Robyn Afrik In my family, the supper table was more than just a time to eat. It was a symbol for non-negotiable times of day when kid and parent come together. No matter how busy, tired, or distracted one felt, physical presence was expected. And if weekly dinner time wasn’t enough, Sundays stepped it up a notch. The lead matriarch, my grandma, dutifully prepared a homecoming feast for all. She did this representing a Dutch-German blooded father’s side, carrying a quiet but stubborn strength in all her movements. Before pulling up in the [...]

BACK TO THE BASICS: THE PEOPLE’S SUPPER, REMINDING AMERICA OF HER GREATNESSJulie Palmer2019-07-01T10:02:55-04:00

WHEN THE GAME OF LIFE BECOMES A TEST

Julie Palmer2019-06-05T13:33:02-04:00

Photo by Wynand van Poortvliet on Unsplash By Gail Barker, B.A., C.P.C.C. I’ve been accused of being an optimistic visionary. I say “accused” because these descriptors are often thrown my way with a sneer, a suggestion that somehow my outlook on the world isn’t rooted in reality. Generally, I choose to respond to these accusations with a smirk of my own, a wave of my hand, or a verbal “pshaw;” whatever has me stand solidly in my truth. And my truth is that I like to approach life with a certain joie de vivre, as if it’s a game. Not a [...]

WHEN THE GAME OF LIFE BECOMES A TESTJulie Palmer2019-06-05T13:33:02-04:00

NOT YOUR BOOK CLUB’S CHIANTI

Julie Palmer2019-06-05T13:24:57-04:00

Photo by Kelsey Knight on Unsplash By Liz Crowe Ah…Vino. Fruit of the Vine. Plonk (if you’re British. More on this later). The Bubbly. Mama Juice. No matter what you call it, wine is…well, fine. I’m a big fan. Always have been. One of my favorite English ex-pat stories is when my kid’s private school held a “sports day.” This is when each house competes with the others in weird games like “rounders” (funky baseball), “netball” (kind of, but not really basketball—only for girls, btw), and, to my surprise, games that were more or less PTO’d out of existence in the [...]

NOT YOUR BOOK CLUB’S CHIANTIJulie Palmer2019-06-05T13:24:57-04:00

FOR PERSONAL & PLANETARY THRIVING

Julie Palmer2019-06-05T13:20:15-04:00

Photo by Saksham Gangwar on Unsplash By Morella Devost Testing… testing… 1… 2… 3… Test… test… Few things excite me more than the prospect of getting mic-ed up to speak in front of a live audience. The larger the audience, the more excited I get. Public speaking—apparently the single most common fear for people everywhere—is a source of joy and a thrill for me. I come to life speaking from a stage. I was in my twenties when I began to discover this. At the time, I had graduated from college and entered a career in marketing that I hated. Feeling [...]

FOR PERSONAL & PLANETARY THRIVINGJulie Palmer2019-06-05T13:20:15-04:00

ENTERTAINING IS AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3!

Julie Palmer2019-06-05T13:12:26-04:00

Photo by Kelsey Chance on Unsplash By Tiffany Edison I love to entertain! I love beautiful surroundings in my home. These things are a match made in heaven. In fact, being the “hostess with the most-est” was bred into me at a very young age. I have vivid memories of following my mother around the kitchen as she gathered items in preparation for a party. She would stand on a step-stool reaching into the cabinets above, handing down platters, pitchers, and vases in sheer delight! She had a vision that I was not privy to, yet I knew full-well that she [...]

ENTERTAINING IS AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3!Julie Palmer2019-06-05T13:12:26-04:00

TEST YOUR SKILLS: A SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION

Julie Palmer2019-06-05T13:04:43-04:00

Photo by Shubhesh Aggarwal on Unsplash By Jillian Fraioli It’s no secret that I love food. What I love more than eating food is creating food. And to take that further, I love getting into the kitchen with my friends to see what we can create together. We started a tradition a few years ago to celebrate the coming of summer. On the solstice, we ask a handful of our closest friends to come over, bring what they have from their gardens, their fridge, and their pantry. A large part of the fun comes from starting with a blank slate and [...]

TEST YOUR SKILLS: A SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONJulie Palmer2019-06-05T13:04:43-04:00