I've been so busy with the new food blog I feel that I have neglected my diary blog.  It's been a good week.  I got to spend some fun time with Aunt Cindy shopping in Cumming.  We went to this store called Charming Charlie's.  It is unusual because the items - clothes, jewelry, handbags, shoes, etc, - are arranged by color.  It was so fun to browse around the different color palettes.





The weather has been beautiful this week.  I haven't even worn a coat.  Right now the sun is shining and the sky is a beautiful shade of light blue.

At Christmas Ben gave me a gift certificate to Barnes & Nobel.  I looked online and found a wonderful bamboo lap desk.  It arrived today and I have my computer sitting on it even as we speak.  I also ordered a tiny travel mouse.  I was getting a little tired of using the pad on the computer.  And I am writing more and more lately so it is important to be comfortable.

I have a food story to tell.  I love to watch Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods.  He'll try any food once, the grosser the better.  This morning he ate some squirming octopus tentacles.  He said he loved the way they wiggled around in his mouth.  Yuck.  I was telling Mom the story and then told her about the tongue I plan to order when Randy and I go to dinner Saturday night.  She proceeded to tell me she had eaten pig tongue before.  Grandmother boiled the offal parts of the pig, tongue, ears, feet, etc. with herbs and spices then formed it into a loaf.  When cool they cut it into slices and made sandwiches from it.  Mom called it Souse.  I Googled souse and learned that what they made was more like head cheese.  Souse is pickled.  Head cheese is not.  Anyway that was the new thing I learned today.  My mom has eaten tongue.

Deborah Ridings, my dear friend, co-worker and cousin, is at the hospital today waiting on her soon to be daughter-in-law to give birth to Deb's third grandchild.  THREE !!  The woman has THREE!!  And I don't have one yet. I'll be an old woman by the time I have grandchildren.  That's ok though, I don't want to rush the kids.

I'm really loving writing again.  It's as if the new meds woke me up from a long, long sleep.  It feels good.  I may not be the best writer in town but it makes me happy to do it.  And life is too short not to do the things that make you happy and content. 

Later...

Check it out

New blog post up on "Fooding Around the South"

Here a Herb, There a Herb, Everywhere a Little Herb

All the little herbs

Greetings from The (growing) Hill,

My sister has a herb garden.  From time to time I've borrowed some fresh herbs and of course they can't be beat.  I also buy fresh herbs at the grocery but so often they go bad before I use them up.  Very frustrating.

The other day I saw a little herb garden kit.  Of course it was an exercise in hope as we all know I have a black thumb.  But I guess I'll never stop trying to grow things.

So with the utmost care I read the directions, planted the seeds, watered as instructed and watched the dirt for little heads popping out.  Sure enough in a few days I started to see sprouts.  YAY !!!!!

I moved the pot near the window and up they came.  Every morning I sprinkle warm water over them.  I have to rotate the pot because they lean toward the sun.

Today I took a picture. The new plants look like little trees pushing up from the forest floor.  I'm a proud mama.  I'll let you know when they are ready to use.

Later ...

Visit my new Blog

I have started a new blog as a spin off of my last post here.  "Fooding Around the South" was created to journal my adventures in Fooding.  Here's the link if you want to visit.  And I hope you do.  http://foodingaroundthesouth.blogspot.com/

Later ...

Eureka I’m not a Foodie …

Greetings from The (excited) Hill,

I often ponder on things and the past couple of days I have been pondering if I am a Foodie or not.  My claim is that I am a “Foodie wanna be”  however as I learned more I realized that doesn’t describe me at all.

The first thing I did was  look up the definition in, where else, Wikipedia.  This is what I found:

Foodies are a distinct hobbyist group. Typical foodie interests and activities include the food industry, wineries and wine tasting, breweries and beer sampling, food science, following restaurant openings and closings,  food distribution, food fads, health and nutrition and restaurant management.  A foodie might develop a particular interest in a specific item, such as the best egg cream or burrito.

I really didn’t see myself anywhere in there.  So I went to another source,  Heather Irwin’s blog “Metroactive Dining” http://bit.ly/hNWybh .  Here’s what she says:

“Let's get one thing incredibly straight here: anyone who talks about food for a paycheck is a foodie…”   “…Here's a definition from Foodie.com that I've come to associate with the true neo-foodie: "The foodie lives to eat, and eating to live is definitive boredom. A true foodie clings to all things culinary. . . . To find the perfect cheese or the best macaroon recipe is life's work." 

“Foodies of the true calling …are true eaters who have a passion for food. …they tend to carry around mental lists of the best places to find not just foie gras, but pork skins, Spanish cheese and tikka masala. They know where to find fish roe at 8am. They tend to congregate and talk a lot about food--yes, maybe sometimes to a fault.”

I didn’t see myself there either.  So what am I?

Right now I am so into the show “Bizarre Foods  with Andrew Zimmern”.  I tape each episode and love to watch him eat all that crazy stuff I’d never even think of going near.  But that’s not the only reason I watch.  Andrew is great about sharing the culture and people of the places he visits.  He immerses himself in a place and takes you with him. I’ve learned so much from him.

Today, I learned that I am not a Foodie.  Here is what I discovered.

Andrew was visiting Paris so naturally he took us to a fine dining restaurant where the $1,000.00 meal of pressed duck was prepared tableside. But then he visited the leader of a food revolution in Paris, food writer, Alexander Cammas.  Alexander has coined the term “Fooding”.   In his words  “(Fooding is a) spirit way of eating.”  When you visit a restaurant and go out ask yourself one thing, “Do you want to go back?”

Andrew went on to say “That may sound obvious but here in Paris it’s a radical idea that great food is the only thing you need for a great restaurant.  The Fooding revolution means world class food served in everyday settings at prices ordinary people can still afford.  And there are bonus points for doing great things with the most ordinary ingredients.” 

In an effort to conclude my research I Googled the term Fooding.  There's not much there that isn't French.  Go here to see what Wikipedia had to say  http://bit.ly/hedNtU.

So the word fooding is really a contraction of the words "food" and "feeling".

Eureka, that’s me, I go Fooding !!!!!!  I search out world class food in everyday settings with prices ordinary people can afford.  My adventures are not only about the food but about the feeling, the setting, the company.

I am going to brazenly steal the term Alexander coined, giving him the utmost credit and respect of course.  Going Fooding has always been what I do I just didn’t know the word to put to it.  And who knew I was a member of a food revolution.  So henceforth when you hear the term Fooding used in America you will know it all began on The Hill at Dandelion Knoll right here and now.

I’m looking forward to an upcoming Girls Night Out with my peeps.  I already have a local restaurant in mind where I know the food is fresh, some of it unique and always delicious.

Later …

Milestone

Greetings from The (hungry) Hill,

When doc put me on my new meds there were a couple of side effects.  First, and most annoying, the meds made me sleepy so I had to cut the dose in half to even function.

The second side effect decreased my appetite. I just really never got hungry. 

While the side effects began immediately the benefits of the meds did not.  It took about 3 weeks or so for the migraines to decrease and the anti-depressant effects to kick in.  Once that happened, I began to feel much better.  I felt happier, more content, more creative, really like my old self - the one that has been missing for years.  However I still didn't have an appetite, until yesterday that is.

Something weird kicked in yesterday and I was actually hungry.  I ate a decent breakfast and lunch like I usually do.  For a while now once I get home I'm just not hungry for supper.  But yesterday I couldn't get enough to eat.  I just piled it in.  It felt so good!!  Of course if I keep this pace up I'll have to come out of Weight Watcher's maintenance and go back to watching my points.  But that's OK.

Not sure how long this will last.  Not even sure I'll be hungry today.  We'll see. In the meantime - bon appétit.

Later ...

My Bucket List

I crossed something off my bucket list today.  I had my first mimosa.  Tick - that one's gone.

Of course you are now wondering what other things I have crossed off my bucket list.  Here is a partial list:

Get saved and baptized.
Marry the man of my dreams.
Have a baby, two actually.
Take piano lessons. 
Fly in an airplane.
Visit Las Vegas.  (Didn't like it too well)
Make a difference in my community.
Write a song that makes someone cry.
Win a poetry writing contest.
Design our house.

Of course there's more I just can't think of them right now.

What is still on my list?

Hold my grandbaby.
Travel in a camper with Ran when we retire.
Get published.
Retire with enough money to be comfortable.
Visit Tuscany.
Visit Scotland.
Be personal friends with a celebrity.(Could be my daughter one day.)


The wonderful thing about bucket lists is that if you enjoy life the list is never finished.  It just keeps growing and growing.

Later...

Back in Saddle

Greetings from The (rainy, wet) Hill,

I am not extremely talented at it but I love to write.  However for the last several years I haven't really written much of anything.  I even fell behind on journaling. Seems I just couldn't take pen to paper (or hands to keyboard).

Well, it appears the drought is over.  Maybe it's the new meds doc put me on.  Seems the right side of my brain woke up and said "Wow, I sure have been asleep for a long time." 

As you can see I've been posting regularly to this blog.  I've also been participating more on Facebook and, if you look to your right you'll see, I even got that Twitter account I said I'd never get. My triangle is a little off now because I spend so much time at this computer writing.  But it's a good thing and feels very satisfying. 

Twitter has actually been more useful than I expected.  I found a guy who posted a link to an article that has helped my attempts at writing dialog.  I love to write short essays but because I'm not good at it I never include dialog.  This article had several tips on originality - how to write a unique story.  One of the sections dealt specifically with writing dialog.

I decided to give it another try.  I'm now working on a fictionalized account of one of my favorite stories about Daddy.  I only know the bare facts of the store as told by him so I'm having to fill in the rest on my own.  It is nowhere near done yet but I will share it when I feel it's ready.

In the meantime, I'm back in the saddle writing again and, for better or worse, it feels so good.

Later...

The Triangle

Greetings from The Hill,

When our son graduated from college he got a good job and moved into his first solo apartment.  We visited often and were so proud of him.  One day he called and wanted me to come over to help him with his finances.  He was worried about how he was handling things.

When we sat down to look things over he told me that he thought of his life as a triangle, the points consisting of work, personal finances and relationships.  He said if finances and work were going good, relationships suffered.  If he had a good relationship going, work or finances suffered.  Seemed he could never balance all three points of the triangle at any given time. 

This week I stared thinking about my triangle.  The points on mine are housework, computer/TV time and Ran time.  As I pondered my triangle I started thinking about what might be the triangle of other members of my family.  Of course I'm just guessing but my daughter's triangle might consist of photography, her other arts pursuits and her dog, Biscuit.  Ran's might consist of flying model airplanes, work and keeping the house and cars maintained. Actually he might have a square with the 4th point being me time.  My sister's might be controlling her fibromyalgia pain, caring for Mom and helping her son with his life skills.

What does your triangle look like and is it balanced today?

Later....