Molly's Questions

will you ever reveal your secret for being drop dead gorgeous?
There's no big secret. It's genetics apparently, drinking a lot of water, and moisturizing. Plus black don't crack.

what's your favorite thing to grow in your garden?
Squash, spinach, mint, and soon i hope, strawberries.

why did you get into gardening?
A way of an escape turned into an effort to share knowledge in a community setting of foster kids and the neighborhood, in hopes it would continue to be shared. Each one teach one.

Nora's Questions

what is the single best thing that's happened to you in the past year?
So many great things happened in the past year. I would have to say witnessing and being part the garden come to fruition.

what do you do to relax at the end of a stressful day?
Make a pot of hot water for tea. Put on a few records or sit in silence to ease some of the tension and take a bath.

you're stuck in an elevator with your worst enemy. who is it and what do you do?
The one that shall not be named, and I'll just vaporize to escape and find another elevator to go to my designation.

what was the last thing you cooked?
I haven't cooked in weeks. Sautéed chicken breast and spinach?

what are you listening to right now?
Waterworld.

what's something you have a very strong opinion about?
I believe most reality television isn't great, especially ones shaped around franchises that exploit conflicts, especially scripted conflicts between women and women of color.

what would someone have to do in order to catch your attention?
To listen and be polite.

how do you feel about unicorns?
Unicorns would be beautiful to see grace this land but I would worry about hunters and poachers.

how far would you go to make someone feel better?
I would try to be there for them, with simply lending an ear. what's your zodiac sign? do you feel that it fits you?
I am a taurus. According to this, I can agree on most of it's assessment.

have you ever cheated on someone? have you ever been cheated on?
I have never cheated on anyone but have been cheated on, sadly.

do you have any phobias?
A few of them, yes.

if the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?
Protect our waters, our land, our children, be kind and listen instead of shooting off at the mouth over everyone.

have you ever felt like just packing up your things and leaving everything behind?
Yes. More times than I would like to admit to.

are you the type of person who can shake insults off easily, or do they tend to stick around in your brain and bother you?
Depends on the insult. I'm not prone to hearing offensive things and when I did, even those small micro aggressions, those seem to stick around the longest.

does anyone make you feel inferior? if so, who and why?
No one has that power over me.

if you could live in any fictional universe, which would you choose?
Wonderland or the land of the Wiz.

who was the last person that made you upset or angry?
Myself.

what could you eat every day of the week and never get tired of?
Beef patties and cocoa bread.

is there someone you wish you could open up to but just can't for fear of them judging you?
No one that comes to mind.

do you wear your heart on your sleeve or do you mainly keep your emotions to yourself?
I keep my emotions to myself most of the time until they have no place to go.

Jamie's Question

What's the last dream you had?
A young child waking up in the middle of rubble from a collapsed building with the scent of death and fear lingering heavy like a dust cloud. Plays in a loop.

Maya's Questions

What is your favorite memory of 2017?
Visiting Kenya and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.

What are your 2018 goals?
Travel more, spend more time with my family, visit nmaahc, visit more museums in general, gain some weight except what just goes right to my behind, work on myself, focus on summer and fall harvests, just live my best life.

Last horror movie you watched that gave you a scare?
Hm. Get Out and The killing of Sacred Deer.

What's your favorite color?
Lavender.

Best way to spend a day off?
In my nightgown clonked out in bed or the couch.

Top three favorite musical artists?
I can't do this! Off the top of my head, Sade, Minnie Riperton and Nina Simone. Can Janet be a bonus?

Last time you laughed out loud?
I can't really remember.

Bobbi's Questions

what's your favorite color?
Lavender.

what are your favorite clothing stores?
TJ MAXX/MARSHALLS, pretty little thing and some small black owned businesses like nakimuli, nubian skin and nubian hueman.

gold or silver jewelry?
I like both for different reasons. Rose gold is my favorite though.

what was your first job?
I worked at the window of Burger King back in the day.

what is your most used emoji?
😁

what's been on your mind lately?
Pain. Leaving Boston momentarily. Palm trees.

knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Leave those musicians alone and love the skin you're in.

Lou's Questions

What's the best and worst nickname you've ever gotten?
Best? My dad used to call me Lady Day after Billy Holiday. The worst was olive oyl.

How many times'a day do you wanna throttle me when I'm testing yer patience?
Lately, zero times. We'll see how long it lasts.

What's a color that you absolutely despise?
Mustard yellow.

Are you happiest at sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise.

What's the best meal you've ever eaten?
A Jamaican version of callaloo.

What's one regret you've had from the past year?
Not spending as much time with my family as I would have liked when life comes at you fast.

Your life's soundtrack consists of 4 songs, 1 for the beginning, 2 for the middle and 1 for the end. What are they?
summertime, rise/weary medley, stormy weather & les fleurs.

What was yer first impression of me?
Ew. Annoying, aggravating. persistent. Nosy as hell. Not a bad dancer. Kind of an enigma.

Have I grown past it?
Still have your aggravating moments.

Close yer eyes and visualize five years from now, what's going on?
Five years from now always changes. Sometimes I'm across the globe doing volunteer work at orphanages or living in a secluded island part of a minimalist lifestyle. Or surrounded by a couple of adopted kids of my own running around a yard or climbing in and out of a treehouse. You're there. Sometimes you're not. I don't know what to think of what's going on anymore.

If ya had one, who would yer celebrity soulmate be?
Patti LaBelle. Or she would be more like my fairy godmother to be honest. Singing and telling me to get my act together while rolling around on the ground after kicking her shoes off.

Are we gonna be the most fly 40 year olds ever this year?
Maybe me but I'm not sure about you. I suppose you have a couple of months to catch up. Kidding.

What makes you feel strongest? Weakest?
Looking back on where my origins began and where I am now. In any way that all I do is useless and in turn feeling helpless.

What comforts you most on bad days?
My records, wine, my plant babies, you, friends and family.

What do you believe in above all other things?
Gaea's might.

How would you describe yourself to others?
A sensitive old soul wired to and protected by the elements.

Sasha's Questions

What's your favorite piece of clothing?
Does a hair bonnet count? If not, a nightgown. I'm talking about the grandma ones that are just comfortable to sleep in.

How different was your life one year ago?
I'm a year older, wiser and a little less stable. Being honest.

What takes up too much of your time?
Oh dear. Working does. Has to happen right?

What do you wish you were better at?
Playing the piano. Keeping my mom in the loop. Prepping food for the week. Staying out of people's business.

What irrational fear do you have?
Losing all of my hair of what little is left..

What feature are you most attracted to in the opposite sex?
ASS ASS ASS. Hands and eyes. Bonus points for peen imprints.

What's the most immature thing that you do?
Shutting down completely when frustrated or going through an extreme emotion. It can come off as immature if it looks like I'm ghosting on someone?

Brandon's Questions

What's the saddest song you've ever heard?
I have heard of so many. Tears of a clown, What would I do, inner city blues & there's a lull in my life.

The one that makes you most wanna move?
robot wine.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being on tv delivering the weather. More of learning the weather business while also learning about the tv news industry. I lie though. I believe the greatest just in recent times is having the privilege of being mentors to kids who I was once in their shoes before as a former foster child.

What's your favorite plant?
I have a few. A pygmy date tree, flaming sword bromeliad, and aloe vera.

Do you have a special recipe for barbecue sauce?
A couple of recipes that i can't give away. One of the two is a partial recipe i can never remember by heart so i'll have to ask my mom the scoop on it.

In a fancy restaurant, would you unknowingly attempt to eat finger foods with utensils?
No, not that I care to do so. Certain foods just require to use your hands so you can get all in there. Forks, spoons, knives won't do. I'm not too prissy to fuss with it.

Phil's Questions

How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
A sensitive old soul wired to and protected by the elements.

What does your perfect day look like?
I'm not sure what a perfect day is anymore if chaos of some sort isn't a threat to the mix. Sleeping in or on the couch while I watch all the crazy run on plots on Lifetime, with a personal chef bringing me meals. Top it all off with a rocky road sundae.

What was the best compliment you've ever received?
Oh goodness. "I wanna be like you when I grow up."

What was the best compliment you've ever given?
"Your heart is made from goodness of a breeze and bright field of daisies."

What do you want your legacy to be?
Legacy? Oh boy. One where none of my faults would overshadow any accomplishments. I think it's started or I hope it will derive from the community garden. As much of a passion project it started off, now feels like it can be carried on long after i'm gone.

What comes to mind when you think of our friendship?
🎹. there was a time i believed when we jammed together that i knew when the rest of the band went their separate ways, that you would still linger on like an unforgettable chord.

Erin's Questions

What lessons have you had to learn the hard way?
Being a people pleaser never ends well for self. Discovering self worth and that took some years. Not everyone is worth your energy being shared with either.

Who inspires you?
The kids I mentor or former mentorees. My sisters. And it's been a strange time to say that their ages, which range from mid 40s to late 20s and 6, with experiences some short and a lifetime collectively, has given me things to ponder over. To learn from. To also motivate me in various ways I've never thought of before.

Can there be happiness without sadness?
Happiness can be cyclical and other emotions or states of being has to fit in between a sandwich of feels. I think one down feeling and overcoming it will make way to be able to experience happiness after knowing the opposite in some form, so no?

Pleasure without pain? Peace without war?
Isn't pain of some facet the driving force of seeking out pleasure? I would say so. Warring seems counterproductive in gaining peace. With the way governments are set up and powers in place that want to minimize the civil rights of their people or meddling in other's affairs, sometimes war becomes an option. Not sure it is ever the best solution if world leaders intentions for doing so isn't exactly to restore peace in place. One question I can never draw a simple answer to.

Where do you find peace?
Peace can be a difficult idea to come by. For a quiet moment to myself where the world isn't spinning as fast before thrown out of alignment, it's in the greenhouse. Currently speaking. More or less it can be extracted from records if in a heavily listening mood that engulfs everything.

What was the last thing you gave up on?
Staying up to date with Riverdale. A mess and a half.

What's your favorite word in the English language?
Between gallivant and vermillion, one cannot choose. I do enjoy other words though. I suppose they speak to me at the moment because of a few dreams in teasing can be summed up with those words.