Dream

I found this really cool GREEN shop with very eclectic items and it is hard to find something I don't like. The photo is from website when I looked at it before I left for North Carolina but now of course this item is gone and it was on clearance.

The shop is Viva Terra.

King Arthur Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Oh this recipe looks so good....Chewy Oatmeal Sugar Cookies. It has whole grains and oatmeal in a cookie that actually looks delicious. When I make them, I am sure I will post how they turn out.

Deeds

"Fashion your life as a garland of beautiful deeds."
-- Buddha

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful...

1. that my sister April is getting married!
2. that next week this time I will be at Jessica's
3. for finding the art journal I wanted to bring with me to Jessica's for her to do something in.
4. for having people in my life that get it. That know how to express their feelings and thoughts to me without being cruel or mean.
5. for Michael - there will never be the right words to express what he means to me and what he has done for me during this difficult time. I know I would not get through it as I have been - without him. I love you Michael!

It is hard...

to live so far away from my family. I think the older I get the harder it gets too. I wonder what it is about living so far away at this time in my life that makes it harder?

We even have some family drama going on and I still miss being around them. Plus I just got back from Minnesota and seeing them so I shouldn't be missing them so much. But I do understand that -this- time is different too. I keep wishing I had got to see my Uncle more while there but I completely understand why there just wasn't time. He needs his strength to help fight.

So now I am working hard to a website done before I go to North Carolina. As much as I am missing Michael, I am really glad to get away to see Jessica as I think I just need some down time away from things that deal with my family.

Trouble

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
~Dr. Seuss

Persist in Love

I am home. I arrived in Colorado on Monday but there was a snow storm that didn't allow me to get back to Grand Junction until Wednesday.

I went with the main purpose to see my Uncle. And it went okay. It was really hard.

My Uncle is 53 years old and was diagnosed with a rare aggressive cancer. And so it is most likely he won't be around much longer so I -had- to go see him. I needed to see him and give him a hug and tell him I love - which I did both those things a couple time. I wasn't able to see him as much as I wanted but I am SO GRATEFUL for the time I had with him. And I hope to get to see him in May when I go back for my Mom's 60th birthday.

I was able to see him a couple of times and each have these moments I want to remember.

My Uncle holding my hand and squeezing it. It was hard for me not to cry. When we were getting ready to leave, he hugged me and he said he hates saying good bye. And I said that he would see me again before I went back to Colorado. I just kept my arm around him and told him I loved him.

The next time I was able to see him was Easter. He had his first chemo treatment on Friday. And then Saturday he wasn't suppose to have any visitors and just rest. Then Sunday all my family - extended family went to their house for Easter. We all brought stuff so my Aunt wouldn't have to do anything.

My Uncle was nauseous almost constantly. So there wasn't much visiting with him. Just being with him. And I was fine with that. Then came the time he said he had to lay down and needed to say good bye. So I gave him a hug and told him I loved him. And he told me I give good hugs.

Easter was Sunday of course and then Monday morning I flew out. He isn't doing good at all. So I am hoping that things improve. I know he won't be better. And won't be cancer free. He is most likely not someone that will go into remission. All of this is to help him not suffer so much and give him more time.

I want to go back in May. I am selfish and want to see him again.

Book Review: Wine, Food and Friends

Wine Food & Friends by Karen MacNeil


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I picked up this book, I didn't realize that this author was a host of a PBS show of the same name as the book. I did do a search for the show to see if they carried it on our PBS but it looks like it is a canceled show. I now wish I had read the book earlier as I really enjoyed the book and feel I would have enjoyed the show.

I would give Wine, Food and Friends 4 out of 5 stars. I was looking for a book that gave specific wine suggestions with recipes. And MacNeil did exactly like that.

The layout of the book is great. It is divided into seasons and then has 6 to 8 themed menus for each season. For Autumn it has these menus: Autumn Light, Homestyle Supper, Asian-style supper, Casual Harvest Dinner, Flavors of Fall, Moroccan Nights and Classic Thanksgiving. At the beginning of each menu she tells you which wine(s) to pair with all or some of the courses and why. The food for the recipes she picks are perfect for the season. And all the recipes are from Cooking Light.

MacNeil picks very specific wines and even includes images of the label. She has little side bars of tips and little tidbits about the wines. And at the beginning of the book there are general charts about pairing wine with certain foods plus a quick guide where you can look at the chart to see a wine goes with which recipe in the book. Such if you were wanting to pair something with a bottle of Pinot Noir then you could look at that wine in the chart and it would list the name of the recipe and page number.

My main problem with the book is that some of the wines are very pricy and she doesn't offer alternatives. I wish MacNeil would have done a wider price range. She does do menus with low-cost wines but one of her menus has wines that are $75 and up. And no alternative for other wines in other price ranges. I know I could probably pick a wine that is similar - such as if she recommends a chardonnay out of my price range I could pick another chardonnay but often she has specific reasons why she chose that chardonnay so that might not always work well with the meal just pairing it with another chardonnay. Plus I am not sure I could always find a substitute at all as they are just one of a kind type of wines. But overall the recipes and the pairings are great. And it is a book I would enjoy having on my bookshelf.

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