Ponderings...

I think every person has that one thing that he or she does really well, like sew or garden or repair cars.  Me?  I'm still trying to figure out what my 'thing' is.  I know what I want it to be, but I'm not so sure my writing is good enough to be considered the best thing I do (in the running for my 'best thing:' making funfetti birthday cakes, writing thank-cards, finding awesome sales at Target, and reading maps).  It doesn't look like applying to MFA fiction programs is possible right now, so the plan is to writewritewrite and then writewritewrite some more and actively try to get my work published. 

It occurred to me lately that I don't have any friends or colleagues who are also writers. I think that being part of a community would be really helpful and encouraging, and maybe that's what I'm missing.  When I see programs like OneStory's summer workshop, I get unbelievably excited at the prospect of one, having great writers work with me on my fiction, and two, surrounding myself with like-minded peers who could teach me so much.  Maybe not this year for me, but perhaps next year, and it makes me feel better to have something so great floating on my horizon. 

Share: Have you attended a great writing workshop?  And what's the 'thing' you do best?




Photo courtesy of weheartit's odessa

Currently Hearting...

Some of my current loves...

Sugar Baby by Gesine Bullock-Prado: I want to learn how to make those fluffy spun-sugar lollipops.

Jennifer Haigh's Faith: Haigh is one of my favorite authors (I saw her interview Richard Bausch at this year's AWP and it was a highlight for me) and her newest book looks so good.

Bridesmaids: I'm determined to see this movie this weekend.  I hope I laugh until I fall out of my frickin' seat.

Crazy Stupid Love: This movie comes out in a few months but post-Office Steve Carrell with hot Ryan Gosling and super-favorite Emma Stone cannot fail, right?

Smorgasburg at the Brooklyn Flea: This weekly food fest/flea market is a must-do for the summer (the picture below is of Brooklyn Salsa's large variety).  CAN'T WAIT.

Share: what are you loving right now?

Brunch Etiquette

Sunday is Mother's Day and we've invited our families over for brunch. It'll be the first time that they've seen our new place and I'm a little nervous considering about 40% of what we own is still in boxes.  Originally, I thought that I would just serve a 'tea party' kind of spread with homemade muffins, fresh scones, coffee, mimosas and some kind of cake (maybe layered, maybe coconut?), but now I'm having second thoughts.  When people are invited for breakfast, are they expecting eggs, bacon and potatoes of some sort? My initial idea is very carb-heavy, too--the more I look at it, the more I feel like it desperately needs some protein.

Here are a few items that I might add:

Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits from the Pioneer Woman

I've made these once before and they were delicious.

Cinnamon Baked French Toast from the Pioneer Woman

I've never made french toast like this but it looks fast and easy so it may be worth a try.

Home Fries from Smitten Kitchen

I've also made these before and other than cutting up ingredients, this is the fastest way to make great-tasting home fries.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Bacon from Martha Stewart

Bacon makes every meal better, right?

Croq-Télé (Almond Cookies) from Dorie Greenspan/CHOW

I love bite-size cookies.

Add to this list a berry salad and scrambled eggs.  Now, what do you think? Too much or too little?  Nice variety? Any suggestions?

Relief, Finally (and Review of Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen)

 

This weekend marked the last day in our old apartment.  I thought I'd be sad; it was my first place on my own, and later, my first place with Anthony.  But as Anthony and my brother loaded the last of our junk into vehicles and I finished scrubbing the refrigerator, I realized that after four years, I was mostly happy to leave.  There was mold in several places and we started to feel like it wasn't extremely healthy to be living in that environment.  Our new home is nicer and a little bigger, and we finally have a little balcony for a grill.  I'm a little farther from work, Anthony's commute is a little shorter, and we're living very close to my wonderful brother and sister-in-law.  We are finally starting a new chapter in our lives and I'm excited.

In the midst of moving, packing, unpacking, hauling, cleaning and donating unwanted items, I started to read Sarah Pekkanen's new book, Skipping a Beat.  I loved Opposite of Me, which I talked about here, and couldn't want to get my hands on Pekkanen's new book, especially after a friend highly recommended it.  I finished it in just three days and even though I liked it, I didn't love it as much as I thought I would.  The ending was my favorite part but it took a long time to get there.  The main character, Julia, was a bit whiny and guarded for me to actually identify with her.  That being said, the story itself was interesting.  In the first few pages, Michael, Julia's husband, who is the head of a huge company, has a heart attack and dies for four minutes.  When he is revived, he is a completely different person; he wants to give away their millions of dollars and he wants to spend more time with Julia, even though it's an understatement to say they've grown apart.  She resists, then comes around, and when I was two-thirds of the way through, I knew what was going to happen at the end. 

Since Michael and Julia were high school sweethearts in the book, it was scary to think about what I would do if Anthony came home one day and was acting like a stranger (we didn't meet in high school but we've known each other since we were eighteen).  For a fun but thought-provoking read, I'd recommend Skipping a Beat.  It took my mind off of the monotonous task of moving that was at hand, and made me appreciate what was around me other than boxes, namely Anthony.

I hope you all had a great weekend; happy Monday!


Image from Sarah Pekkanen's Official Website

Dreams of Far-Away Places

It's almost May but there have been very few warm, spring days so far.  The last two weeks have been foggy and misty, and I'm still wearing my winter coat more often than not.  Days like this make me think of all of the other places I would love to be (at the top of my list right now is San Diego) but after reading 36 Hours in Amsterdam, which appeared in the New York Times a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of how wonderful Holland is and how magnificient it would be to see the tulip fields in bloom. 

About seven years ago, I was in Amsterdam for less than two days, on the last leg of a 10-day European tour that I booked the winter after I graduated from college.  Even though I went with a group, I was essentially alone among kind strangers.  In Paris, I roamed the Louvre for hours by myself; in London, I walked through parks and neighborhoods away from the Buckingham Palace crowds.  It was February, and England and France had been quite cold but once in Amsterdam, a winter storm hit. The trains were delayed, there were no brave souls riding bicycles on the streets, and no one in my tour group wanted to leave the hotel because it was too cold.  I ventured out myself and waited for over an hour for the train, then trekked to the Anne Frank House, where there was still a line around the block for admission (so worth the wait, obviously).  Afterward, I bought some souvenirs for my family at a shopping complex and just happened to walk into a winter festival of some sort.  There were food vendors and merry-go-rounds, and with everything covered in snow, it was absolutely beautiful. 

There is so much more I wanted to see in this city, like blooming flowers and museums, and after reading this, I just added more to my to-see list.  Maybe a spring trip to Europe for Anthony and I will be possible in a few years. Have you ever been to a place and felt like you missed some major attractions? Where would you love to revisit?


Photo of Van Gogh Museum courtesy of Iamsterdam, official tourism site

First Night

After a long day of moving, Anthony and I are spending tonight in our new home.  Our old apartment is still a mess (we have until May 1st to empty it completely), and even though we are surrounded by dozens of boxes, I'm happy to finally move and start a new life chapter.  As soon as we fix it up a bit, I'll post pictures so stay tuned...

Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Cheesy Goodness

Anthony went to San Francisco last month for work and when he came back, he brought me a wonderful treat: four huge loaves of sourdough bread.  He never brings me back souvenirs from business trips but he knows Boudin Bakery's sourdough bread is something that I dream about, even though I only had it once on a long ago ill-fated 24-hour trip to San Francisco with my mother.  I've had sourdough almost everyday for the past month.  I froze most of it and have been taking it out to thaw little by little. Unfortunately, I'm savoring every bite now since I'm down to my last loaf.

My two favorite things to make with sourdough are toast and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Seriously, nothing tastes better on the tangy slices than melted cheese.  Since we are moving soon, I've decided to try to use most of what we have food-wise so we don't have to lug it to our new apartment.  In the freezer, I found a package of maple bacon.  Even though I hate frying bacon, I knew it would only add to the deliciousness of the bread.  Anthony and I ate on the couch surrounded by boxes of books and DVDs--it was the best dinner we've had in a long time. 


Photo courtesy of Boudin Bakery