Venus in Retrograde Rose Petal Marmalade
I write this dispatch from late in the day on Mother’s Day. It has been sweet and warm today, after much ado about a potential frost last night, which I don’t think materialized, at least not from what I could tell from my garden. Today marks the end of...
May Baskets are the Perfect Craft for Social Distancing
How y’all doing out there? We’re on Week 7 of quarantine and thankful for our health, the roof over our heads, and a full pantry, even as life (and finances) seem to get more precarious every day. I keep finding myself in the kitchen- my attention span and...
Pandemic Pleasures: How to Make a Violet Simple Syrup
There is nothing good about the devastation, the loss of life, and the havoc that is the COVID-19 pandemic right now, but we can use this time of isolation to find moments of connection- if we know where to look. Springtime obviously DGAF about the petty...
The 15th Annual Retro Pie Contest and a recipe: “Me and My Baby View the Eclipse” Strawberries Romanoff Pie
Few things bring me as much joy as my friend Barbara Swell’s annual Retro Pie Contest. Held in and around her vintage log cabin in the Haw Creek community of East Asheville, the annual pie contest is a beloved gathering of new and old friends. I love the lead-up...About Jodi Rhoden
Jodi Rhoden, LCSW, CAADC is a Philadelphia-based therapist, writer, and organizer. Jodi earned her Master of Social Work degree and Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor license in 2022 and her LCSW in 2025. Jodi works as a therapist specializing in attachment, addiction, and trauma healing. Jodi is the founder and former owner of Short Street Cakes in West Asheville, and the author of Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition (Lark Books, 2011).