An Old Friend Comes to Town...

An old friend from Virginia has come to town. The Grand Opening of The Fresh Market on August 18th was a long awaited event. The intersection of Routes 9 and 155 has been transformed and the landscaping alone is a colorful feast for the eyes.

I waited until the initial excitement subsided before paying my "old friend" a visit. Last Wednesday evening I saw many vacant parking spaces and took that as the perfect time to stop in and see the new store. The moment I walked in the front door ... I took a quantum leap back to the early 2000's and back to Virginia Beach. The store was identical to the one I used to frequent. Wonderful !

My tastes in food have changed in the past five years, but Fresh Market was still appealing. I went in to browse ... but soon my cart was becoming a testimony of my new culinary preferences. I bought organic apples and peaches, dried figs grown in California .. not half way around the world in Turkey. I ground some fragrant Fair Trade coffee beans in lieu of the mesmerizing artificially flavored blends like; 'Chocolate Cherry Kiss" or "Caramel Vanilla Macchiato" ... ahhh, but they were tempting !

I was disappointed not to find any organic cheeses... so I traveled around to the gourmet oil and vinegar section. I have long ago abandoned bottled salad dressing in favor of creating my own. A surprisingly easy task if you follow your taste instead of a recipe. The bottle of avocado oil was my first choice. A fragrant healthy choice that unlike olive oil, can be used to cook at high temperatures in addition to using for salads or hummus. Even at $12 a bottle - it is far cheaper than an investment in chemical laden commercial dressings. My second "investment" was a can of walnut oil. I'll add a note about that later. But it too is another healthy tasty option, even at a pricey $9 a can.

At the checkout I was again transported down memory lane as I pushed my funky little two basket cart behind the counter where the cashier stood and she unloaded my cart as she checked out & bagged the items. I had a nice array of treats that would last a long time ... all for less than the cost of a night out on the town.

As I stood in my kitchen later that evening, placing California dried figs, walnut oil, organic apple cider vinegar and a pinch of Mrs. Dash into my blender ... I was content. I would enjoy my dinner salad all the more because the food represented who I have become ... and my visit to Fresh Market reminded me of good times from my far away past.

Bon appetit et bonne sante...
Apetite del bon e buona salute...
Bon apetite und gute Gesundheit...






WELCOME FRESH MARKET !!

My Blog .... My Journal

September is almost upon us. The weather is getting delightfully cooler. 2010 will be gone before we know it.

My 'one word' for 2010 is WELL-BEING. How am I doing?

One facet of me has changed ... and hense I now flourish ! "I worry less"

If the weeds are overtaking my flowerbeds, it is evidence of my abstinence of the use of chemicals. Our health and our planet are suffering, so I let all of God's creation flourish my my yard. That includes weeds and bugs.

I have taken up causes that are slow to catch on, like Fair Trade and organic farming and buying local to limit the carbon imprint. This has taught me patience. I am but one person and my impact on change is quite small. But if I can save one mother and child the pain of forced labor/child labor in an impoverished country, then my efforts are not for naught. It is by the grace of God that I am not that mother and that is not my child ... but were our fates reversed, I would hope that "someone" would care. And I do. The causes for which I now have a voice make me realize my problems are few .. so I worry less.

My friends. A very dear person in my life, Alice, in her genuine and distinctive way, taught me to be accepting, despite knowing not all will "accept me." This is life and it is OK. The friends in my present are just that ... accepting. There is no competition or thought given to 'who is skinniest', the clothes we wear or where we get our hair done, our homes are open & welcoming despite the dust bunnies multiplying in the corners or the stack of mail on the coffee table. We care when someone's cat is missing and we share out deepest secrets during Book Club when a character or plot make us cry. We applaud each other's talents, not envy them. Because of this, I am quite comfortable with my "present" friends and as a result ... I worry less. (Thank you Alice for your wisdom. I shall carry it with me always.)

My blog IS my journal. Even if I am the only soul who reads it ... it is for me to to use as a "growth chart". Unlike the kind our parents used, pencil marks on a door jam to commemorate our growing stature through the years, my growth is internal and less obvious to the viewing eye ... but it is growth all the same. And as a result of this evolution, I am happy, I worry less, AND I am living up to my 2010 "one word" ~ Well-Being."

The Exception to the Rule ....

It is no secret to those who know me that "history" is my least favorite subject. As a matter of fact ... it is the only class I am lacking for a college degree ! I just could not get past my disdain of the dates and places and cause & effect and all the other mundane, inter-connected facts and details that make up "HISTORY."

A few months ago on Facebook.. a former high school friend mentioned her sister had written a great book. Ummm ... no bias there I'm sure. The book was a new release: Yawn .. ho hum.

NEWSFLASH ... the book is now recommended ny Oprah. That is no small feat. But no ~ it is about the Civil War era and women's involvement in the war. NOPE ! Not interested.

Curiously, it is set in NY ~ the Capital District area in the late 1800's. That might be worth looking at. Maybe ....

I went online and requested the first available copy it at the library ... and when it becomes available, I'll decide.
Tum De Dum ... Tum De Dum ... a few weeks pass then "You've Got Mail." Email from the library .. "My Name Is Mary Sutter" is available and ready to be picked up.

I got the book .. and committed myself to reading the first chapter before tossing it aside.

Well folks ... that first sitting went beyond the first chapter. And today I spent 2 1/2 hours sitting outside on my covered patio avoiding the chilly rain ... reading.

I am hooked and I am over halfway through and surprisingly I do not want it to end. This first time author will have her audience waiting with baited breath for her next book ... I know I already am.

Thanks Robin for opening my eyes to the joy of history. You have me yearning for more !

Thank God for Miracles ...

Eight days and nights ~ no food and no water. Locked in an old garage in the summer heat .... Welcome home Duri !!
August 14, 2010 ... a day of thanks.





AND ... despite all

SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE ~~~~~

My 100th Post ....

It took a long time coming....15 months.


C'est La Vie...it is what it is ! The 100th post is a warm fuzzy milestone ...




Here's to the next 100 ~~

The Real Story

The food industry - the dirty secrets - and the plight of the American farmer.

Watch this movie. The truth hurts ~~ all of us !!

Telephone Poles

What is so special about telephone poles?

They are becoming a rarity in new neighborhoods where wires and cables are being run discreetly underground. If they ever become "extinct" - an American icon will be lost to our children.

Later today - I will be seeking out telephone poles. On the poles I will post signs about my lost cat. Signs on telephone poles are a kind of billboard, letting folks know what is going on in the neighborhood.

"Garage Sale"
"Moving Sale"
"Estate Sale"
"Open House"
"Lost Cat"
"Lost Dog"
"School Car Wash"
"Family Reunion"
Signs to tell us what to do "Vote for ...."
And ..signs telling us what not to do.


These are some of the typical signs ... they tell a simple story about a fragment of someone's life.

Running between the telephone poles are wires ... lots of wires ... branching out into people's homes. Those wires cause us to look skyward as we watch squirrels chase each other and perform amazing acrobatic feats. These wires are the social gathering place for birds in the morning where they sing or caw and survey their kingdom. Simple entertainment ~ free entertainment ~ unlike that which runs THRU the wires from giant monopoly cable companies costing much !

Telephone poles. Today - some poles will tell my neighbors that I am hurting. My precious cat is lost. Many will know exactly how I am feeling and stop by to chat. Others - will be a tad more vigilant as they drive through the neighborhood .. keeping a closer eye in hopes of spotting Duri.

Telephone poles. Message Boards. Another part of American communities and "staying in touch."

New home and the view from many angles ...

In the late 1960's my Dad found a rock in the woods. Rock, as in boulder. Dad, my brother Kevin and my unbeknownst to me then - future husband, John, moved the boulder to our home on 25 Teresa Street. Moving the boulder was no small feat ... just ask my brother's 1950's Radio Flyer wagon.

After many years "planted" at 25 Teresa Street (us that is .. and yes, the rock), our family moved ~ most of us in different directions.

This past Spring, almost two years after the death of my father, I mentioned in a family email that if I could have something of Dad's, I would want the rock. But the new owner of 25 Teresa had a built in pool put in the backyard ... so the rock was lost.

Later that week, Mom asked me to walk with her to the very back of her yard, under some overgrown trees. There, half buried, muddy and barely recognizable was "the rock." Dad had salvaged it from its former home .. and here it rested for many years.

The rock was later moved to my house, and today it again stands erect. The mud will slowly wash off to reveal the apricot color. It once again shows off the intricate angles and points that captivated Dad many years ago in the woods. And now, its beauty can once again be enjoyed by those who pass its new home.

"For all my children ..."

I Love You my little one ......

Be safe and stay warm.

I was torn between your happiness and my conscience ... after a year I let your heart soar .... as mother's must do.

Now you are gone and I ache.

Forgive me Duri. I love you.

Tis' a Mystery

These are weeds.
People eradicate weeds to have pristine yards.










It isn't just the weeds that are dying ....
We are slowly destroying Mother Earth.
"Please spray with thoughtful care"
~ Thank You"

Why Yesterday ?? Reminder to self ....

Yesterday was not a good day .. rushed out of the house in the morning because I tried to get just one extra task done and it left me out of time.
Out of time to do my hair ~
Out of time to do my make-up ~
Out of time to take that one last glance in the mirror ~
Out of time meant "out of sync"

Despite this rough start to the day, I decided to stop off at the library on my way home from work to pick-up some items on HOLD. Quick in ... Quick out. I never see anyone I know at the library.

Quickly returned a few items, picked up a few items and went straight to the check-out. Huh Oh !! Do a double-take just in case.

"Oh Hi - it is you."
"Hi Andrea - I did not even recognize you."
"Bye"
"Bye"

Off to the check-out ... "Damn Damn Damn Damn ~ I only see her once or twice a year. Now for the next 6 to 12 months she'll have this 'vision' of how bad I look."

Reminder to self ... NEVER EVER assume you won't run into someone you know."

Ugh! The vision of me that will linger in her mind for months to come .....

New Laptop = New Postings

For months I have been without a laptop ... and a desktop is so cumbersome.

I have once again been liberated and I shall once again write.

Today, I ran into a former friend who looked at me in disdain ... I have changed. Maybe my posts will reflect this.

I am back - hope you will visit.