“Pick out which ever one you want.” I can still hear my father’s voice. “I want the best one, a really big one!” I’d always say, then we’d sort through the pile of pumpkins at the local supermarket, picking up one, then the next, singling out a few likely candidates, comparing and rejecting until we […]
We Americans have our traditional dishes, the hot dog, the hamburger, barbecue, fried chicken, and of course, apple pie. I like all of them, but I have to admit that apple pie is not really a favorite, and given a choice I’d go with something else. I never felt like it was a complete dessert,
As American as Apple… Tarte? Read More »
Top: Child With Flower, Oil on Canvas, (1945) ~ Pablo Picasso “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso It was a cool clear NYC day in early September 2001 when my life effectively ended. That sounds like a very dramatic and ominous
Blackwater Woods by Mary Oliver To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. Mary Jane Oliver ~ b. September
Just yesterday my mother asked me if I missed New York City. I think she was expecting a different answer than the one I gave her. I miss it every day. I don’t even need to close my eyes to see the busy streets, the lights, the people. I often recall where West 47th, 7th
What We Leave Behind Read More »
Maggie’s Shrimp and Grits Shrimp and Grits are a traditional Carolina Low Country dish. Since I have ancestors from that region, I thought I’d develop a recipe of my own, but give it a little southwestern twist. Based on several different versions I’ve eaten over the years,. I simply added a little Shredded Mexican blend
Maggie’s Shrimp and Grits Read More »
Both simple and elegant, This jazz era cake has all the bells and whistles; from the taste: vanilla sweet, caramelly, and fruity, to the appearance: Golden pineapple rings, and bright red cherries, and a lusccious ooey-gooey syrup, to the catchy convention challenging name: it’s Upside Down! What’s not to love about this tasty treat? Informal
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Read More »
Above: The Arcadian or Pastoral State, Oil on Canvas, a part of The Course of Empire Series, by Thomas Cole, 1836 According to Merriam Webster, the English word “garden” traces its origins back to the Old High German word “gart”, an enclosure or compound. This of course implies a place separated from the outside world.
A Personal Arcadia – Part 2, Blurring the Lines Read More »
Facebook has a feature “On This Day” that shows memories of previous posts, and reminded me this morning why I began a new chapter in my life. In all the excitement and flying dust of researching, planning, and creating a website, with a goal to use social media as a signpost to my Personal and
A Special Post – One Year Ago, August 8, 2019 Read More »
My grandmother, who we called “Mamaw,” was born in northeast Texas, a product of a pioneer family from the southern US that settled in Nacogdoches around the time of its founding in 1779. Like the rest of the family, Mamaw’s speech was peppered with colorful phrases and descriptions I often find myself remembering and sometimes