“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: Lightning Returns Afterthoughts


This weekend, I had a goal to finish playing one game and reading one book. Sadly, I’m still 300 pages shy of completing the 900-page final installment of the Wheel of Time.

But, I did conquer the final day of FF: Lightning Returns! Overall, I really enjoyed it. The story at last came together, and I was generally satisfied with the gameplay. I sort of rushed through the main quests, so I ended up with several days on my hands for nothing but monster-slaying and side-quest completion.

Just when I thought I was at the end, I won yet another day. Sadly, I wasn’t as excited about it as I felt I should’ve been, but the side quests started to get a little dull by this time. I managed to pick up a few that kept me going instead of just standing in the Wildlands until the clock ran out.

The final day gave me the cut scenes that I love in every FF game. While I’d expected to go straight into the final battle, when I was presented with the four trials, I leapt in because who’s gonna turn down more strength before fighting the last guy?

Armed with new spells and new gear, I thought I was ready.

I thought wrong.

After a few tries and some massive shifting of my schemata, I finally managed to take down the boss in a grueling battle of attrition. (Without all those cool new spells.)

Roll ending cut scenes.

In the end, I liked it. It’s not my favorite, and it doesn’t stay with me like some earlier games, but it made up for a lot of the disappointment I’d felt in previous installments.

Now, that I’ve finished Lightning Returns, I have hope that FFXV will blow me away. (Hopefully, I’ll see it in my life time. *stares at Square-Enix*)

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