To gain wisdom and knowledge about the world of food it’s important to understand the interconnectedness of eating to history, culture, politics, recipes (or not), new and well-loved cookbooks, community action, thought leaders, and a multitude of stories in this case focusing on the African Diaspora.

Six bites of wisdom this week:

One, start planning your garden now. I, laughingly, say don’t get carried away, but it is an exciting time.

Two, divide up seeds that should be started inside versus those that can be directly sown into the soil once it gets warmer. I’m in zone 8 and that time is around mid- to late April.

Three, if you’re a newbie like me, pull at the heart strings of a local nursery owner, who’ll kindly give you a seed starter tray for free. Plus, go buy a smaller one ‘cause you have gone overboard with your collection of seeds.

Four, start your seeds inside. Place them in the best sunny spot that you have. For me, that’s in front of the kitchen windows. Place a piece of plastic wrap over tray nearest the window to raise the temperature up a bit.

Five, watch them like a hawk. And each day, be utterly amazed at seeing plant life spring forth and lean forward towards the sunlight.

Six, end the week with a glorious distraction when the outside art piece you commissioned over 7 months ago is finally installed. It’s such a sense of accomplishment. The artist, @jgrahamdesign, got my aesthetic and vision.

I think in 3’s. I’m Third Ward Zen, creating community with peace, gratitude and wisdom in mind. In the same vein, I call this new homeplace Three Blessings. The 3 metal arches embody a favorite art piece at the Athens, GA Botanical Garden and their spiraled tops highlight east Indian architecture inspired by my December 2019 trip. Yoga and Adinkra symbols adorn the archway sides. Lastly, the carved wooden centers represent the food and garden side of me. There are sunflowers, fruits and vegetables. There’s, also, a bit of the Native American 3 Sisters spirit represented. Each panel has a carving of corn, squash or beans.

I’ve always wanted an outside art piece. I like to think the Universe brought all my wise woman spirit, resources, vision together and hooked me up with an artist in Mississippi, who got me! Can’t wait for what’s next.