“Things Every Southern Woman Should Know How to Make”

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Alice clicked on the headline, mildly curious about what yet another stranger thought should be in her kitchen repertoire. Pictures of China plates mounded with crispy fried chicken, greens, cobbler, and a pile of biscuits a mile high flooded the screen, all set off with a pitcher of sweet tea beaded with condensation. The table was set; an apron draped off to the side next to a box labeled “Gramma’s Recipes” in fine calligraphy. She closed the browser and put away her tablet. She was born a Georgia peach, but she couldn’t make a cobbler to save her life. Did that mean she wasn’t southern? Or maybe just not “Southern.” For Alice, there was no recipe box full of family traditions. Her younger years were filled with rental homes in different states and her father’s voice coaxing her toward a text book rather than a cookbook. Metalworking and fabrication held more interest than learning to flambé or sauté. Did it make her less of a woman that her cooking skills consisted of fresh salads...
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Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns--Early Thoughts

I recently started Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns to pull myself out of the rabbit-hole that is Skyrim. It's been a nice change of pace. Instead of leisurely traipsing across the countryside slaying dragons or whatever undead creature gets in my way, I'm now racing time to collect enough souls to populate a new world before the old one collapses.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail the first time around.

And that's okay, I think.

I'm enjoying the open world and not being stuck to a rigorous linear path. The battle system is much improved over the paradigm shift from the previous FFXIII games, flowing smoother from one shift to another with a simple touch of a button. I'm still working on setting up effective skills, but I'm getting closer to having a good set for overall battle.

The graphics are breathtaking, the world beautiful and rich. I like the way random battle is sort of back into play; sometimes you see the fiends way ahead of time, sometimes they pop up right in your face. I'm usually all about slogging through battle after battle, but in this game, with the clock counting down to doomsday, I find myself working a lot of evasive maneuvers.

It's all about the missions. Finishing quests levels Lightning's stats and provides the souls needed to extend the life of the planet. So--ahem--running around monster-hunting and sightseeing isn't the best idea.

I'm feeling a lot closer to the story in this installment as well. Emotions are running deep in this one.

On a lighter note, I'm probably spending way too much time customizing my schemata garb.

Overall, my early experience with FFXIII: Lightning Returns has been revitalizing. I'm eager to dive back in and see what lies in store for Lightning and the world of Nova Chrysalis.   

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