Green was my mother's color. I didn't embrace it until she died. And then — there it was, everywhere. New sheets, new checkbook and checks, new pillows, T-shirts, underpants, even socks. When I could choose, I chose green. And so many greens: hunter green, forrest green, moss green, kelly green, lime green, green ochre. One of my favorites is a lively blend of moss and ochre, a color found in nature on the bark of old trees, in the spring after a rain. And then of course, the green of new leaves in spring — that is perfection — at least until summer comes on and the green deepens, and goes right into my heart. I keep my mother with me.
Eat your greens. Kale, collards, spinach, mustard and turnip greens. Even broccoli raab, swiss chard or beet greens. Cook them Southern style with bacon or fatback; Italian style with olive oil and garlic; or steam them and eat them righteously, plain and naked. Make a salad with raw kale. Chop them, or roll a green leaf and fill it with pilaf or cheese. Put them in a soup, add them to a stew. Or even juice them and drink your greens. Eat them every day and you will thrive.
