Taco Utopia, and Gal Pal Glory- LOH #151

I don't have nearly as many female friends as I'd like. For whatever reason, American society has made women increasingly caddy. This leaves me with a dilemma... I do not like women who tear other women down to feel better about themselves.

It feels manufactured, caustic, slimy. There really isn't any reason for women to compete outside of pleasing the opposite gender. I think on this all the time. The existence of this mean girl vibe is a big red flag to me, one I won't look past.

"Did you hear she...?"

Who cares? You're boring.



With that in mind, I'd like to say a bit about how I stumbled upon Ladies of Hive. When I first joined, I scanned through communities, like ya do. Clicking on LOH, I took a look over the guidelines. Women empowering and encouraging each other.

I found a space for women to be ourselves, share our joys, passions, and experiences. I subscribed right away, and went on to meet many amazing women! I think it's safe to say that I've more than doubled my gal pal count since joining Hive, and so many of those friends were made here!

This has definitely enriched my life; I felt like this was a home immediately. So, a big happy 3rd birthday to the community, and a hug to all the ladies who make it awesome!

^{Some cupcakes for the squad, hopefully I made enough!}

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I really like writing prompts. Even better, is seeing what people come up with for them. You can find prompts that I've written in a few communities, so it felt right to leave two here for consideration.

I am a mother, and sometimes that is really scary. The world is constantly changing, and in the thick of that, we must do our best to raise kind and aware humans. Sometimes I wish I could run away to a commune of some sort with my two kiddos.

Although I like a lot of alone time, it would bring me joy to communally raise my kids with other like-minded women nearby... Trading baked goods and vegetables along with grains of wisdom. Yeahhhh, that sounds super cool!

Perhaps we could use LOH guidelines as the rules for this space. Empower each other, be cool, no stinky feet energy. A utopia for women who have chosen motherhood!




My first question would be:

If you could design the perfect place to raise kids, what would it look like?

For me it would definitely be some sort of forest village, where everyone lives in hobbit home style earthships or treehouses... The local 'economy' would be based on sustainable practices.

Permaculture and reverence for each other ahead of personal gain. Market days where everyone traded their harvests and creations. A place where you know that you should never plant tomatoes, because Jane down the way grows enough for everyone.

We'd take turns teaching the kids in nature. Foraging, plant medicines, survival. Sure there'd be math and reading and all the other helpful things, but I like to believe the focus could be on enriching life skills vs. commercially relevant ones.

Would you live in this space? And most importantly, would you like a hobbit home, or a treehouse?



I write about my daughter Thea a lot. I'm basically obsessed with her; she's the magic in my world. In the photos above, she's exploring her interest in piano. We have a mini piano in our basement, and it seems likely that she will know how to play it by the time the year is out.

Another of her growing interests is cooking. This has been an opportunity to learn for us both. The thing is, despite what people say about me, I am not a patient person at all. My best friend would disagree with this, but she also tends to give me more grace than perhaps I deserve.



I've had to really slow my mind down and let things be since becoming a mother. In addition to my impatience, I am a perfectionist. This leaves me not wanting anyone to collaborate on my projects, as my eye will begin twitching the second they do something 'wrong'.

This does not coexist with the needs of my daughter. I've taught myself to smile when flour is whisked right out of the bowl by an eager small hand, an egg smashed down its side.

I turn my mind from messes and the desire to move fast in the kitchen. Instead, I focus in on the connection of cooking with Thea. To her, we are scientists, magicians, a force of creation in all things yummy. This is worth so much more than satisfying my pickiness.



Although Thea has a limited palette, being still pretty freshly five, she recently discovered one of my great joys, tacos! I could eat tacos every single day, easily. There are thousands of ways to make a taco. Vegetarian, meat filled, obscure, I like them all!

Above are steak tacos with chimichurri, something I made for the first time just this week. This herbaceous and brightly colored sauce will definitely be making an appearance in my kitchen again soon, it was an instant hit!

Of course, with tacos you can get straight up wild. At a local restaurant, they serve Nashville hot chicken tacos. For those who are unfamiliar, this involves a spicy sauce that hails from Nashville, Tennesse. A masterpiece of fusion, this dish goes to show that tacos are limitless.

My second prompt would have to be:

What toppings go on the taco of your dreams? Is there anywhere that serves this exact taco?

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My son Emory and I, out on a mother son taco date
As for my little guy, he's been on the taco life since day one. He's an incredibly picky eater, prefering the same 6 or so foods exclusively. However, he will GET DOWN on some refried beans, rice, and a flour tortilla. Provided you keep all these things separated, of course.

It just goes to show, tacos are powerfully magic objects! Is there anyone who hates tacos? I've never met one. Throw in a margarita, and it's the best dinner after a long week!



I hope you've enjoyed my response to Ladies of Hive community contest #151. Follow that link if you'd like the details to participate as well! 🤗

All photos are my own, taken with a basic phone camera. Gif is curtesy of Tenor, taken from the gif button-doohickey.