Soul Banquet

Our neighborhood is definitely on the up-and-up. One of our local mega-stars, Sista Monica, has moved in just a block away, and last night she hosted a wonderful holiday party for her many friends. I was honored to be included with such a great group of people. For the last couple of weeks I've been admiring how she has decorated her place, with an eye-dazzling array of beautiful lights, both inside and out. I knew that she was in a celebrating mood, just looking over there! Sure enough, she planned a blow-out event that was so much fun, so full of heart and celebration. For starters, there was the menu - soul food, soul food, and more soul food. There was an endless supply of fried chicken, coming off the stove in batches every few minutes. There were collard greens in huge quantities, corn bread, coleslaw, biscuits, and a huge German chocolate cake from the Buttery. And more and more delicious things contributed by the guests. Yum! Monica's small house was full to capacity and then some. There was fabulous music playing throughout the evening, soul and blues and more. People were dancing everywhere, in the kitchen, the hallways, the bathroom, on the porch. Best of all, there was Monica herself, singing along with her astonishingly gorgeous voice. Because of her battle with a life-threatening cancer during the last few years, and her amazing recovery and healing, the celebration was all the more joyful. For those of you who have heard her perform, you know that Sista Monica's voice has a power that raises goosebumps and makes people stop in their tracks and listen up. For those of you who don't know her music, come on, get with it! She just released a new CD (Can't Keep a Good Woman Down) and gave each of us a copy of it last night. Go get your own, you won't be disappointed! Thank you Monica for a fabulous evening! I'm so glad you're my neighbor and, now, my friend! You are an amazing inspiration for us all.