Shadows & Reflections

My shadow entry: Miss Puppy, wondering why she is still in the car instead of starting her walk in the park.


And, in a subcategory of Shadow Shot Sunday: Reflection Shot Bonus.

Did you see it?

The waning crescent moon with Mars just off to her bottom left curve? AWESOME! Absolutely worth being outside at 6am.

Dawn at the Crossroads

The crescent moon was in the east

a soft golden-red light on the horizon

the moon is rising late, or very very early

but there is something magical about the moon and the sun sharing space

In the clear light of the new day

with Puppy beside me

I stand in the center of the deserted intersection

for all its mundane appearance

it's still a crossroads

The neighborhood dogs are howling

As I turn my back to the rising sun

and throw the water over my shoulder

We walk away without looking back

leaving what isn't wanted behind us.

It's still in that place of not quite dark

not quite light

and the birds are stirring

as we head home

toward the east

the still-bare trees are black against the sky

and on the branches is the shadow of a squirrel

watching the crescent moon.

twitterpation

You blushed
when I called you 'my hero'
as you came through the door with more paper towels
and blushed again
when I was giving plating instructions
and said " Caitlin, would you place the ladybugs,
and ..my hero, whose name I don't know....
Justin, you said, looking down at me and smiling.
as I was setting out plates
you bent down and said
"you're doing a hell of a job'
and I smiled, saying, yes, I know how to unstack plates
but I wondered
is it a compliment
are you flirting
or are you just making fun of me
because it's my first time on the hotline
It doesn't really matter
because I like this twitterpated feeling
this coming back to life after a long long winter
I don't even mind
that because I was thinking of you
I drowned my cellphone
in the washing machine

Simple yet Complex

Before......

After.........

The finale of our participation in the IACP conference.

Our truffles have wowed the meet&greet of the French Culinary Institute, the board of trustees dinner for Cook Street School of Fine Cooking, and last night we triumphed at the Wild and Rare dinner. Following a menu that included bison, elk and kangaroo, our poached pear with fudge sauce was universally adored. The food editor of Bon Appetit made a point of telling us how fabulous it was. The lovely Italian lady who has a gelato business in Texas loved it - and from what she said about her gelatos (including one with orange and vidalia onion) it would be worth a trip to Texas just to try them. We met a lot of really cool people (the Vidalia onion representative, two R&D people from Smuckers, a couple of very promising students from Johnson & Wales).

I always dread going to public events. I'm shy, introverted, and try to avoid attracting attention. There's a lot of stress leading up to them. Once it starts, I'm busy, people are excited, and the praise begins. I get to see and hear how people react to what I've made. And I blossom. I'm like one of those dried-up tea flowers that blooms when placed in boiling water.

But back to the dessert. A poaching syrup of star anise, saigon cassia cinnamon, tahitian vanilla bean, all spice, clove, black peppercorn, grapefruit, lemon and a reduction of Chateau Roland Sauternes 2006. Organic pear. Chocolate leaf of Kokoleka, from Oahu, only 18 trees of this variety in the world, with 23 karat gold flakes. Fudge sauce of dark cocoa, cream, blackberry schnapps and tamarisk honey. You know you want some.

Seven Years to the Day

I wish you hadn't been alone

and that my sister hadn't been the one to find you

sometimes it's funny that you died on April Fool's Day

and sometimes it seems like spite

I never understood your longing to be gone from this earth

to return to the stars

I didn't understand a lot about you

but enough to know

that the path of motherhood was not your first best destiny

that you loved us as best you could

but in your heart of hearts

we were not the life you would have chosen if you had been just a bit braver

but for myself and my sisters

I'm glad you chose the path you did

And while you are off flying free

the way you always wished to be

I will remember you

with the tangled mess of feelings

that seem inevitable between mother and daughter

with fire and air for you

with water and earth for me

a candle and incense

while I kneel in the snow or the rain that will fall today

and add a plant to the round patch of earth

that still has your pink flamingo in it.