my sister & a sprig of rosemary: a funny story on the power of synchronicity

Have you ever planned a major meal and browsed through your local grocery store only to find out that a major ingredient is missing? Have you ever felt the heartbreak of such a tragic event when your entire menu seems to crumble into pieces even if you have all the other ingredients for everything else? You simply want to give up your chef’s hat and walk away in defeat but then, something miraculous happens and you know that God is on the look out for the cookout - literally.

Let me tell you the story about my sister and a sprig of rosemary. So this past weekend, my sister planned this elaborate meal for a belated Thanksgiving family celebration. Being the good sister I am, I met up with her the day before to help her prepare for the occasion, including grocery shopping. While going up and down the aisles, we both gathered the necessary items that were on our list with ease until something absolutely horrifying stopped us in our tracks -

There.

was.

no.

rosemary.

via GIPHY

We searched throughout the spice section in hopes to find any brand of rosemary but there was nada, nothing, zilch! I could see the anguish in my sister’s eyes and she told me that the chicken stock would not be the same without this key ingredient. After staring at the sparse section of seasonings, we eventually continued our shopping, a little more empty than we were when we arrived. There was a hole inside of us, especially my sister who was cooking the whole meal, that only that savory rosemary could fill.

To make ourselves feel somewhat better, we decided to put all the groceries away and go out to eat since cooking was out of the question at this point. Also, we love food a little too much. We went to a pretty fancy diner that really felt more like a cozy restaurant; and I immediately went towards the comfort food because the devastation was too much to bare without a warm dinner and a soothing drink. So my sister got her go-to dish - huevos rancheros. She was oddly in the mood for Mexican food. Hey, whatever makes you cope the best. For me, I got meatloaf, mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Now, this is when the hand of God was at work. My plate of food came out first and was placed right in front of me. My sister immediately noticed something magnificent at the center of my mashed potatoes -

A

sprig.

of.

rosemary.

via GIPHY

The way her eyes lit up, you would’ve thought she saw Mother Mary. Who knows? Perhaps, she had something to do with this incredible intervention from God. I mean really, what are the odds that a sprig of rosemary would be standing at attention in the middle of my mashed potatoes, like “Hey…you were looking for me”?

My sister quickly realized, more than ever before, the power of synchronicity and how awesome God can be during times of trouble. God can part the seas for a sprig of rosemary. God can put the thought in my head to get meatloaf (which I rarely get) in order to align everything just right for my sad sister. Her frown turned all the way up into a big smile and I turned into the best little sister ever by laughing at her excitement all the way home.

So let this story be a friendly reminder that when you are aligned with your purpose, God, the Universe, the All That Is, the Source will work with you to see it through, even if your purpose at the moment is cooking the best chicken stock that was hardly used.

5 signs you love food a little too much

There are people that love food and then there are people that LUV food to the point when they can't even spell right. The sight, the smell, even just the mention of food makes their whole world stop and they can only focus on that piece of pie, those french fries, that bbq chicken or that cheese plate. It's an attraction that can't be broken because food is so lovely, so kind, so dependable, especially when you have the taste for something and then you are able to appease that craving with pure delight. That's relationship goals for real. Whether you're #teamcarnivore #teamvegetarian or #teamvegan, one thing that can bind all of us is our level of greediness because we are all truly on the next level with our love for food. So if you're scratching your head and wondering whether you're on our level, then I got you!

Here are 5 key signs that you love food a little too much (if there is such a thing):

1. You can binge-watch cooking videos with no problem. Facebook is the devil when it comes to this or perhaps, Facebook is really a sweet angel. It depends on how you view it. Either case, you find yourself clicking on one cooking video that is randomly on your timeline and end up watching a playlist of 55 other recipes. The funny thing is you don't ever cook any of them. You simply are watching marathons of Buzzfeed's Tasty for the pure joy of it. That is some greediness for ya!

2. Your favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I mean the best thing about the holidays is the food... I mean family. 👀  But you know damn well you are more so thinking about that Thanksgiving spread though. It's like you've waited all year for this moment and then thee food gods just open up a plethora of deliciousness! Yeah, you can tell I love that food porn when I start getting Shakespearean about it. Don't judge me.

3. You plan your whole day around food. Every day, your first thoughts are about what you are going to have for breakfast, what you're bringing for lunch and what you'll have for dinner. Oh and let's not forget about the snacks. The rest of life will just have to just work around those golden moments of flavors and fun.

4. You love going out to eat by yourself or with friends. Sometimes, you give no fucks and decide that food is more important than company so you take yourself out to eat because you remember that succulent steak that you couldn't resist so you, the go-getter that you are, will sit at the fanciest restaurant with your best threads for the best date ever - Filet mignon. I mean who needs friends when food is around? Just saying...  And whenever a friend ask you what you want to do, you immediately say "Let's go to that new restaurant. I heard they got some good food there." You really know you got it bad when you are down to go out to eat no matter the time of day because you're game for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dunch and dinner.

5. You have that signature dance move when you are eating something really good. Let me just let Janet take this one for me.

janet, janet jackson eating, love food dance, food, eating, greedy

Looks familiar? Then you, my fellow greedy friend, may love food a little too much just like me. :)

Now it's your turn, tell me how much do love food? Are you part of the greedy committee? Let's talk about it!

10 Funny Moments that Only Those with the Name Tunisia Would Understand

Shakespeare once asked the noted question, "What's in a name?" If I was able to travel through time in a cool Back To The Future vehicle, I would meet him and immediately reply to the legendary writer, "Quite a bit, sir." A name has the potential to bring folks together for many reasons. I can use a recent experience that happened to me as an example. As most of you probably know due to my large font size for my website's title, my name is Tunisia. A few days ago, I met another Tunisia on Pinterest - Tunisia Nicole to be exact. She sent a private message, asking whether or not that was my real name. I responded with a "Yes" and an instant bond happened. As we were talking back and forth, we noticed that we had some very similar stories regarding people's reactions to our unique name so I thought it would be great to collect those stories (the first five being hers and the last five being mines) and compile a list of ten funny moments that only people with the name, Tunisia can relate to. To all my fellow Tunisias out there, let's compare notes! Have any or all of the following happened to you?

1. Having to break down my name phonetically so that people can understand how to pronounce it.

2. Attaching associations to my name so that people can relate it to something. (ie. Tunisia - like the country." Immediately, people go "Ohhhhhh, what a pretty name!"

3. Having to inform the receptionist at the doctor's office repeatedly that the name is not Tanisha or Tanesha. Even though I've been coming to the same doctor for 5 years.

4. I was once asked if I've ever been to Tunisia and if I know the name of my tribe. This luckily was an exception to the usual responses.

5. Having to repeatedly explain why my parents named me Tunisia. My answer: "My mom was a big history buff."

6. Hearing the craziest mispronunciations of my name that are way off. One fine example is Tundra. I wish I could say that I only heard it once but I heard it a few times in grade school and it wasn't the kids who were saying my name like that.

7. Realizing that everyone's favorite song suddenly becomes A Night In Tunisia when they meet me.

8. I silently judge anyone who is Black and has no clue on how to pronounce my name but then I remember that if my name wasn't Tunisia, I'd probably be tongue-tied too. Therefore, I silently judge myself for silently judging someone else. This is all happening in my head right at the introduction. They have no clue. :)

9. It's pure amusement when I see the confused facial expressions when I say my name for the first time to someone.

10. Getting super creative when trying to explain how to say my name is fun! So far, "Tunisia... like 'I need ya.'" works like a charm.

So that's our list but I'd love to hear yours! Do you have a unique name and can relate to the struggle? Please share! The more, the merrier (and funnier). Also, if anyone has the name, Tunisia, please join us in our convo! We would love to meet you!