Fed-up-with-fascism Fennel Frond Pesto
Yesterday I had a basically perfect day in the garden: I got up early to weed the bed that has been covered over with chickweed, that I was waiting until the last frost was past to uncover, then it rained for a week. It was supposed to rain more so I wanted to just...
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...
In Memoriam Gloria Jean Babcock 1963-2020
My baby, you are supposed to have the most glorious Victorian Voodoo Viking funeral New Orleans has ever seen- your body, perfumed and afloat on a boat full of roses, set aflame on the Mississippi and set out to sea. We should be keening and wailing at the gates of...
On Sobriety and Self Love
On New Year’s Day in years past, I had a long-standing tradition of hosting an open-house backyard-bonfire party, welcoming the whole world with black-eyed peas, collard greens, cornbread, and bourbon, always the bourbon. Today, New Year’s Day 2020, I’m happily...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).