Southerner and the City — Small World

Posted on by July 3, 2013
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Jun 21, 2013

On a recent particularly crummy, rainy Friday afternoon, I made my way off the 6 train at 28th Street and Park Ave. I had a 1pm gym appointment and was ready to blast off some extra energy! It was pouring rain as I made my way across Madison Square Park. And that’s when I spotted the bar b q signs.

I had walked into the set-up of an upcoming BBQ weekend at the park. Being a southern gal, I enjoy an occasional BBQ and I’ve not found any that is even close to being as good as what you get in Arkansas. While Manhattan is full of amazing places to eat, no one has quite captured the art of really good BBQ. Or catfish, for that matter, as I recently blog about, too.

I spotted a crew setting up a tent and stopped to ask them what was going on. They told me they were setting up for the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party and that it started the next day. What unfolded next still amazes me. The conversation went something like this.

“So where are you guys from?” -me

“St. Louis” – BBQ guy

“I’m from Arkansas and I can’t get good BBQ here. I think I’ll bring my boys back tomorrow.” – me

Guy says, “where in Arkansas are you from?”

“I grew up in Carlisle.”

BBQ guy says, “I’m from Wynne but I work with these guys out of St Louis. I graduated from ASU. I know several people from Carlisle. Do you know Jill she is a pharmacist? My wife Lean was the made of honor in her wedding!!

I say, “Know her? She is my first cousin. So you are married to Lean?”

BBQ guy says, “Yes, I’m Kelly Dallas.”

“Well I’m DJ Cunningham- Duckworth.”

He says, “DJ from KAIT-TV?”

“Yes, that’s me!”

Then other guy walks up, introduces himself, says he’s from Jonesboro and asks me if know Brian Duckworth.

At this point, I begin to think I’m being punked or something! I say, “Seriously? Brian is my brother in law.”

Kelly and I look at each other like we can’t really believe what is happening. He calls his wife Lean back in Arkansas and tells her the story. She and I chat and catch up on life in a matter of minutes. I text Jill with the details of the sidewalk BBQ mash up all from under a big white tent on a sidewalk in Manhattan. We all start connecting dots. And firing off questions to each other. When did you move to NYC? Why are you cooking BBQ in New York City? And on and on and on.

I walked away with my crappy mood a thing of the past…shaking my head.

Weird how I just walked up to Kelly – who I’d spent a little time with about 20 years ago in a Baptist church in Carlisle at my cousins wedding – asked him a simple question only to realize we knew each other from a previous point in time many years ago.

This exchange still makes me shake my head. It is a small world after all.

You can keep up with DJ’s adventure in the Big Apple by following her on twitter @mrsdjduckworth and on her Facebook page I Am DJ Duckworth. Find out more at www.iamdjduckworth.com DJ is a contributing writer for New York Family magazine and Feast It Forward. She lives in Manhattan with her two boys and the world’s most amazing wiener dog, Leo – woof, woof.

– See more at: http://www.jonesboro.com/newstaffy/item/7239/Southerner+and+the+City+-+Small+World#sthash.8wl9RnLE.dpuf

Southerner and the City: Catfish in the Capitol

Posted on by July 3, 2013

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Southerner and the City on Catfish and Politics

May 30, 2013

I grew up eating my fair share of catfish. Whether it was at a back yard fish fry, at Nick’s in Carlisle or Murry’s in Hazen, I could always count on eating really good fried catfish at any of those places. After eating some of the best southern caviar as I like to call it, I’ve basically decided that I don’t need to eat this delicacy anywhere north of I-40 in Arkansas. Why, you ask? I’ve found it to be a waste of calories and money! Most people just don’t know how to properly cook the stuff.

I made an exception recently on a trip down to Washington, D.C. when Carter Harrison headed to the Capitol to cook for the Catfish Farmer’s of America. Since 1985, Harrison has made a yearly trip to DC cooking for various groups, including senators and congressmen. Hailing from Prairie County, Harrison is the man behind King Kat, which is one of our nations premier mobile catfish catering businesses. My Dad tagged along for the trip as Harrison’s right hand man which made the occasion even more special for me – my Dad and catfish.

With all of Arkansas’ political delegation in attendance, the crowd dined on catfish as they discussed the topic of the evening…catfish inspections. And without going into my old investigative journalist mode here, I’ll just say this. At issue is the government’s inspection of imported catfish. American catfish farmers want the USDA to inspect the imports, while the government is leaning toward having the FDA inspect the fish. The USDA inspects a larger percentage of fish than the FDA. The imported fish is also not held to the same standards as American raised catfish. So, without a more in depth inspection, American catfish farmers claim that the imported fish may raised using banned drugs and chemicals and may in fact not even be catfish at all. The USDA inspections, outlined in the 2008 Farm Bill, have yet to be implemented and may be heading for the chopping block.

As a consumer, we have to arm ourselves with all of the information we can about where our food is being raised and what chemicals are being used on it. Does your fish come from China or a pond in Mississippi? I’ve found it’s best to know the difference between farm raised and wild caught fish. And now, I’ll be asking if the catfish is American raised or imported!

Keep up with DJ’s adventures by following her on Twitter @mrsdjduckworth and on Facebook. Check out www.iamdjduckworth.com for more. DJ is a contributing writer for New York Family magazine. She lives in Manhattan with her two boys and the world’s most amazing wiener dog, Leo!

– See more at: http://www.jonesboro.com/newstaffy/item/7164/Southerner+and+the+City+on+Catfish+and+Politics+#sthash.16EaTmkI.dpuf

The Southerner and the City Goes to NY Fashion Week

Posted on by March 14, 2013


GoldNew York Fashion week as come and gone.  However, some of the world’s leading fashion designers are still unveiling their collections in Milan, Italy this week. I hope to be in Milan in September, but for now I’m still marinating in the excitement and insanity of the Carolina Herrera show I attended during fashion week here in New York City.

Last February I participated in the festivities and fun of fashion week.  With Exclusive Resorts’ Andy Irving and Sage Fennig, I had access to the tents and some amazing shows.  Andy and his team planned four jam packed days of fashion shows, shopping, eating, drinking and of course people watching!  This year ER took their show on the road and is in Milan, as I type this post, taking in Prada, Gucci and well, you know, all of those other amazing Italian brands that make you think about taking out a second mortgage on your home! Hopefully Andy and Sage will share their photos and stories with me when they return.

This year I had access to some of the most sought after shows.  However, the ticket prices … yes you can buy a ticket to a fashion show … were astronomical.  For example, a ticket to the Carolina Herrera show which I really wanted to see was almost $2,000.  And no, that did not include any clothes!  I decided I’d pass on the ticket and check out the collection online for a lot less.

djnyfw1But my dream of seeing the show actually came true!  My friend Mayte ended up with tickets to the show.  Much to my shock and amazement, we had seats on the front row in the middle of the runway.  We could not have been any closer to the action.  And, we were seated next to New York Times fashion photographer and legend, Bill Cunningham.


Like last year, the best part of fashion week and the show is the people watching.  Carolina Herrera is a huge fashion brand with an A-list following of celebrities, fashion editors and stylists.  The show did not disappoint in the people watching department.  Molly Sims, Ivanka Trump, Brad Goreski and Tinsley Mortimer sat behind us.  While Anna Wintour, decked out in her perfect scowl and sunnies, along with the raven haired Grace Coddington sat further down the runway.

“It Girl” Karlie Kloss wore the first look of the show.  The dresses where what you would  expect from Herrera.  The were seriously feminine, flattering to a woman’s body with amazing tailoring and made of the most luxurious fabric.  My favorites included a long red dress and a black two piece ensemble with a sequined hooded top.  Simple and stunning.  The collection’s long emerald green dress trimmed in fur would make any Hollywood It Girl swoon.  The waist cinching belts and perfectly placed brooches were also a great touch from Herrera.  You can see the entire collection atwww.style.com.

Big RubeIf you are a fan of Bill Cunningham’s fashion coverage in the New York Times, then you should also check out Reuben Harley or Big Rube as he likes to be called, from the Philadelphia Daily News  He sat down next to me after the show while I was checking e-mails and returning phone calls.  We started chatting, he asked me about my Wolford stockings, by their EXACT name, and I knew he wasn’t just any photographer! Big Rube and I hit it off immediately.  And we even found a common Southern connection.  He has  an ease and grace about him that doesn’t lend itself to the frantic pace of the fashion world.  But he clearly has an eye for capturing the essence of a woman and all things fashion related. You can find more of his work atwww.streetgazing.com.

In an attempt to capture a photo of me and the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week logo, I ended up looking like a sales person for Mercedes-Benz don’t you think!  Oh, well!  I’ve included it in the mix of photos from the day.

You can keep up with all of DJ’s adventures in the Big Apple by following her on Twitter @mrsdjduckworth and on Facebook at DJ Cunningham Duckworth. DJ is a contributing writer for New York Family magazine. She lives in Manhattan with her three boys; Mark, Corbin and Leo – woof, woof

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The Southerner and the City talks Sundance, Snow and Sex

Posted on by September 26, 2013


JosephGordonLevittplanewindowFor the last six years, I have spent a week in January in Park City, Utah taking in the Sundance Film Festival. It is an action-packed week full of documentary films and premiers sandwiched in between some time on the slopes in Deer Valley and celebrity watching. The festival includes a huge selection of over 100 films to pick from ranging from light hearted comedies to really dark documentaries that leave you in tears.

The word on the street this year was that there was a whole lot of sex at Sundance. As it turns out, that was true. Don Jon’ Addiction set the tone for what really was a festival laced with a lot skin on skin action. The film opens with what I would guess is a triple x-rated sex scene from a pornographic movie. Joseph Gordon-Levitt writes, directs and stars in the film based around his character, New Jersey playboy Jon Martello. He is a modern day Don Juan, who is addicted to on-line porn. He soon finds himself romantically and physically involved with Scarlett Johansson. After realizing she is only interested in yanking his chain, so to speak, he leaves her to return to his first love – porn. A heart broken Juliane Moore infiltrates Gordon-Levitt’s world giving this intensely sexed up film a happy ending.

Afternoon Delight is just what you might imagine it would be! This film tackles the stale and lack luster life of Rachel, a thirty something year old married woman, played by Kathryn Hahn. Rachel is drowning in the monotony of what appears to be her perfect life of planning play dates for her son, volunteering time at school and dealing with the treasures and pitfalls of her perfect life. Through some strategically planned but not so fulfilling midday hook ups with her husband, Rachel decides to really shake things up a bit. After her husband buys her a lap dance in a strip club, Rachel later hires the stripper/sex worker as a live-in nanny proving to be problematic on many levels. Hahn shows you can indeed deliver some very important lines while wearing only nude, control top panty hose, a black bra and a pair of stilettos. Note to self – never EVER let your lover see you in a pair of control-top panty hose.

Between these two highly sexed up movies, I saw the following films and have included my very abbreviated thoughts on them.

Life According to Sam – be thankful for a healthy child
Running From Crazy – be thankful you are not a descendant of Ernest Hemingway
Manhunt, The Search for Osama bin Laden – be thankful your husband let you sleep while he went to see this film with your friend at 9 a.m.
After Tiller – be thankful for the Roe v. Wade decision
jOBS – be thankful for your iDevice so you can snap photos of eye candy Ashtyn Kutcher who plays Steve Jobs in the film

JOBSmovie

You can keep up with DJ’s adventures in the Big Apple and many other places by following her on Twitter @mrsdjduckworth and on Facebook. DJ is a contributing writer for New York Family magazine. She lives in Manhattan with her three boys – Mark, Corbin and Leo – woof, woof

 

Southerner and the City: D.J. Works Out with Celeb Trainer David Kirsch

Posted on by September 26, 2013
DJ on the Beachyellow plumsStaying physically fit has always been a top priority for me. If you ask any of my friends, they will tell you that I’m either heading to a yoga or work out class of some flavor. Spending more than 10 years on television – first as a reporter and later as a spokesperson – added extra pressure to stay trim, too. And of course, you can’t rule out vanity! I want to look good.

However, there have been times when I wasn’t in the best shape. The freshman 15 showed up during the second semester of college. It’s hard to drink beer, eat pizza, study and stay trim. After I got married, a few more pounds made their way onto my frame. We were hop scotching all over the place, eating, drinking and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. When things finally slowed down, I found out I was pregnant. Hello, 40 pounds.

Fast forward seven years, I am looking pretty good physically if I do say so myself. It didn’t happen without a tremendous amount of discipline, hard work and some words of encouragement though. Actually, they were not words of encouragement. They were the words that every married woman NEVER wants to hear her husband say. It went something like this, “Honey, that’s not fat. That’s just a midlife pooch.” Lucky for him and more importantly my son, he is still alive and breathing.

It was all I needed to hear – coupled with the fact that my parents had both recently committed to starting a medically supervised weight loss program. My Father is a two-time heart attack survivor with diabetes. My Mom is in overall good health but needed to drop some weight. They made up there minds they were going to stick to the plan and started with fierce determination. I’ve included a photo of them from Christmas. I am so proud of them for their accomplishments.

My parents’ weight loss, along with my husbands poor choice of words, were all the encouragement I needed to start a serious workout plan. My three times a week yoga sessions were keeping me flexible and calm, but I needed to tone and tighten up my 1970s model body. I was on a mission. I stumbled across a video clip of Heidi Klum’s trainer, David Kirsch. I clicked on it, liked it and started doing some research. During this process ironically, I met David backstage at a fashion show at Lincoln Center in September. He and his adorable twin girls were taking part in the show that I was helping with. After introducing myself, I told him I wanted to start working out and liked his approach to training women, specifically. Shortly afterwards, I called and made an appointment with him at the Madison Square Club.

David is known for whipping Heidi Klum back into runway shape for a Victoria’s Secret show after giving birth. He has also worked with Anne Hathaway, Ellen Barkin, Linda Evangelista and Liv Tyler. While I will never be a supermodel or look like one, I decided it would be great to train like one. David’s approach is all about wellness, focusing on your diet and your workout. He helped me clean up my diet and his team of trainers kicked my butt into shape! I am lean, tone, slimmer and happier about my overall physical health thanks to David and his crew.

So you may be thinking, “That’s great D.J., but how can I work out like that”?

It’s really easy, actually, thanks to technology. David has an online workout/wellness plan called The Ultimate New York Body Plan. It is an online training plan you use at home. Once you sign up, you have to enter information based on your health, physical fitness level, eating habits and most importantly your goals. The work outs are designed for your body type and your fitness level.

Several of my girlfriends have agreed to start The Ultimate New York Body Plan compliments of David. Over the next several weeks, the girls will be doing the workouts, following David’s eating plans and incorporating his supplements into their daily routines. I’m looking forward to seeing their results, gathering feedback and keeping YOU informed on their transformations. This is not all about losing weight. It is about being fit, healthy and well in 2013.

Stay tuned for more on the results from my girlfriends as they get “Kirsched.” Thank you, David Kirsch. You are an inspiration to us all!

Keep up with D.J’s adventures in the Big Apple by following her on Twitter @mrsdjduckworth and on Facebook. DJ is a contributing writer for New York Family magazine. She lives in Manhattan with her three boys, Mark, Corbin and Leo – woof, woof!

 

Happy Birthday to “The Southerner and the City”

Posted on by September 26, 2013


butterflysquare1I celebrated my birthday on Tuesday in the Caribbean aboard The World.  It was a perfectly fabulous day as far as birthdays go. I woke up without the aid of an alarm, worked out, enjoyed a massage at the spa, had some fabulous lunch and read a book poolside as I sipped on a margarita.  The day was stellar on just about every level.

On the eve of my birthday it came to my attention that I’m a rule follower for the most part.  I always have been for whatever reason.  Probably because my older brother Wally was always NOT following the rules and creating all kinds of problems for everyone when we were growing up in Carlisle.  Even today, I’m usually the one following the rules, listening and doing as I’m told.

Birthday with RayIn what I can only describe as one of the best gifts I have ever received, I gave myself this.  Permission to not be such a stickler for rules any more.  Of course, I’m not talking about the big ones but rather some of the smaller things.  Basically I’ve decided to cut myself some slack and make my own rules and stop living by someone else’s rules.  You following me?

On Monday, I dove right into my new gift of ‘breaking some rules’ as I swam with the sting rays in the North Sound of Grand Cayman.  There isn’t any official rule stating you cannot swim with sting rays that I am aware of.  It is, however, advisable not to do such a stupid thing!  After all, they are wild animals.  I’ve been to Cayman twice before and wouldn’t even entertain the thought of jumping in the water.  This time around, I decided, “What the heck?”  But, only after Mark got in the shallow water and fed the sting rays himself.  I may have decided to break a few rules, but I didn’t say I’d also given up being smart about the timing of breaking them!

I tapped into my yoga breathing, tried to relax and just hang with the rays.  It was a fabulous experience.  Our guide, Paul, rounded up a ray for me and explained how to keep her in my arms. It worked!  I have included the photo to prove it.

These floating creatures are nothing more than graceful moving pieces of cartilage that feel a bit like a Portabello mushroom.  We even found some small babies in the mix as we indulged them with squid.  Which begged the question from the ever curious journalist in my brain, “If these are babies, how can we be sure they are tame enough to play this game with us?”  The answer – we weren’t sure and luckily we enjoyed the experience without ending up in the headlines.  Can’t you see it? New York City Tourist Killed By Ray – What A Dumb A** She Was!

Mission accomplished.  I broke a rule or maybe just decided to freaking live a little and stop being so concerned about all of the details.  I decided to be open minded and not attached to my preconceived ideas about the situation I was in at the moment.  There is a saying … have a mind that is open and attached to nothing.  Sounds easy enough, right?  It is not! Keep this in mind when you argue with your spouse, when you are trying to calm down a child and even attempting to listen to someone with different political views than yours.  My mind is already in a retreat mode just contemplating a discussion with a Sarah Palin!

As I start another year on this planet, I’m going to work on keeping an open mind and a couple of other things:

1.   Cut my self some slack.  Break some rules, discard the ones that no longer serve me, make my own and at times break those, too.

2.   Let go of ideas, things, people and situations that no longer serve me.

3.    Spend more time with my friends both old and new, especially those who allow me to be who I am and love me regardless of what I might say or do.  They know I am only sharing with them what I’d like to receive in return – a simplistic human connection.  Pure and simple.

4.    Be present.  Love more.  It really is the best way to live, isn’t it?

You can keep up with DJ’s adventures in the Big Apple by following her on Twitter @mrsdjduckworth and on Facebook.  Find more atwww.djduckworthyoga.com/blog. DJ is a contributing writer for New York Family.  She lives in New York City with her three boys – Mark, Corbin and Leo – woof, woof!