THAT ONE THING

Eleanor Roosevelt said "You must do that thing you think you cannot do." I wonder what that would be, for me, right now. Her quote is along the same lines as the one I kept on my refrigerator door for years: Do something every day that scares you!

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to that one. For one thing, it gave me the courage to go back to school and study horticulture, and then to accept that part-time job with the landscape architect - to learn all the stuff they just weren't teaching us in class - which then gave me the courage to start doing landscape designs for friends and family, which then lead to some paying clients (talk about scary)! It also gave me the courage to apply for that job as visual merchandiser at the native plant nursery, just because it was calling my name, even though I had no official training or experience in that field.

It gave us the nudge we needed to go ahead and buy this house, even though it was a real stretch, and not just keep putting it off until it was too late, and we ended up stuck in the 'burbs forever. And, it finally gave me the courage to quit the safety and routine of my life and job in Houston, to move ahead to a life in the Hill Country, and to delve further into my passion for writing. Since then, it has kept me from becoming a hermit, safe in my own little world, and has pushed me out of my comfort zone on a daily basis: tackling the blogosphere; submitting articles to newspapers and magazines, and dealing with the inevitable rejections; attending a conference for memoir writers; volunteering for the board of The Bountiful Sprout; networking with established writers and editors, and even asking for help when I needed it (such a hard thing for me!); taking my blinders off regarding sustainability, and learning to be a better friend and person....well, this list could go on forever!

But these are many small things, and Eleanor said "that thing", which implies that one big thing. What would that one thing, that I think I cannot do, be? Hmm, well... it would probably be having someone ask me what I do, then looking them straight in the eye, while replying "I'm a writer, and an advocate for sustainability." That is the thing I think I cannot do, at least, not yet. Because once I started doing that, I could no longer do either thing half-heartedly. I'd really have to walk the walk, and talk the talk, now wouldn't I?

HILL COUNTRY HIPPIE SONG

Here's a quick message from my favorite singer/songwriter, who wrote my favorite song, Hill Country Hippie! Cast your vote, and give this song the place in history that it deserves:

Hi yall,]
Well, one of the most entertaining parts of being an entertainer is when I find one of my songs gets out somewhere that I didn't know about. Right now, it seems I'm in the top 5 of a song contest, and I would love your help in seeing how far we can take it.
Please go to www.hosstheboss.com and on the opening page you will see the May song voting contest. Click there, scroll down to Hugh fadal Band, and vote for Hill Country Hippie, unless you want to vote otherwise, that's fine too.
We would sincerely appreciate it, it's only for bragging rights, but what the hey.
Thanks so much and have a wonderful day. Oh yeah, you can vote once a day if your into that sort of thing. We'd really appreciate it!

See you soon,
--
Hugh Fadal
210-412-7586
www.hughfadal.com
hfadal@satx.rr.com

P.S. Many thanks to bellyup4blues.com for the above image.

AND THE WINNER IS....

JOANNA JENKINS! Congratulations Joanna! If you will please send your mailing address to becky.lane(at)vownet(dot)net, I will pop this into the mail to you.

Joanna is receiving a book that is very dear to my heart - Under The Tuscan Sun, by Frances Mayes. It is the one that brought it all together for me. As you know, I've spent my life reading books about people who are "living the good life", but it wasn't until this one that I fully understood that common thread that runs through all of them: that thing that keeps our lives balanced and interesting, instead of dull and monotonous; that thing that speaks of the sense of place, the sense of taste, and thus, the taste of place; that thing I call seasonality!

"Where you are is who you are. The further inside you the place moves, the more your identity is intertwined with it. Never casual, the choice of place is the choice of something you crave." -- Frances Mayes

If you have only seen the movie, then you know nothing about this book, for the only thing they hold in common is location. And if you have read this only once, years ago when it first came out, read it again. Then head to the farmers' market, pick up a few things. Come home and cook up some slow food, and while you do that, think about where you have ended up, why you are there, and the things that your soul craves. Happy reading, and eating!

Though her book includes many fabulous recipes, this one comes from her datebook that my niece gave me, after finding out how much I loved the book:

MINESTRONE - "Even better the next day, when you can turn this minestrone into a ribollito by adding hunks of country bread as you reheat it."

1/3 c. olive oil
3 onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
Handful of Italian parsley
Handful of fresh thyme
1 bunch red or green chard, chopped
8 c. chicken stock
1 c. white or red wine
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
3 T. tomato paste
1 c. oven roasted tomatoes
Heel of a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 potatoes, peeled, cubed and steamed
1 c. cooked cannellini beans
salt and pepper

In a large stockpot, saute' the first five ingredients for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and chard and mix. Then add the stock, wine, and the tomatoes, tomato paste, and oven-roasted tomatoes and bring to a boil. Throw in the heel of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, then reduce the heat to low so the soup barely bubbles for 45 minutes. Add the potatoes and beans. Serves 12.

P. S. Many thanks to www.lasocietaitaliana.org, for the above image of the real Bramasole.

ALEJANDRO ROCKS! (and going, going...)

One of the best things about being at UT in the early 70's was the local music scene: going to concerts at Armadillo World Headquarters, where everyone sat on the floor (or stood up and danced, depending on how good the music was) and the security guards walked around with loaded water pistols to discourage people from lighting up doobies; going to the Split Rail and the Broken Spoke to hear people like Willie, Jerry Jeff, and Ray Wylie, up close and personal; sitting an arm's length away from Jimmy Buffet and his imaginary back up band, The Coral Reefers, as they unveiled his brand new song "Why Don't We Get Drunk And (bleep)."

We're just beginning to rediscover live music, since moving back to the Hill Country. I never could get into the massive arena stampede type concerts, but the ones we've been to here, in intimate settings, have been amazing! If you have spent any time at all here, and even if you haven't, one name you have probably heard over and over lately is Alejandro Escavedo (Sister Lost Soul?). He played here in Wimberley at Susanna's Kitchen about a year ago, and when I heard they had to move out of the fellowship hall, where we usually enjoy the music at tables, drinking coffee and eating Wimberley Pie Co.'s wares, and into the main sanctuary, to handle the crowds, I knew we had missed something special. Later in the year, he did a fundraising concert for our local Montessori school, and we missed that too, but we heard the buzz for weeks afterwards.

A couple of weeks ago, when we were at that great party at Fischer Hall, we sat down with a new friend I had just met through TBS, Joy Standefer. She introduced us to her husband Brian, who looked like a rock star, and their two daughters. Sure enough, it turns out Brian has his own recording studio. Then he added, very meekly, "I don't know if you've heard of him, but I also play with a guy named Alejandro Escavedo." What really caught me by surprise was later hearing him tell someone that he spent many years playing in a large metropolitan orchestra. Huh? Rock Star? In an orchestra?

So, last night I'm flipping channels, and who is being featured on Austin City Limits? You guessed it, Alejandro! And there on stage is Brian Standefer, totally rocking out on...the cello! In fact, there were two cellos, and a violin (fiddle?), and the music was so awesome! I tell you what, when they play Susanna's Kitchen again, later this month, you can bet your sweet bippy I won't be missing it this time!

Don't forget, time is running out! You have until sleepy time tonight to leave a comment, and be entered in the drawing for a MAJOR AWARD!)

P.S. Many thanks to twangville.com for the above image.

NEW TO-DO'S

Click To Enlarge

IT'S DEBATABLE

Watching the deer enjoying their usual sunrise smorgasbord - my yard - I was reminded of an assignment we had in my college speech class. We were told to pick from amongst a list of hot issues, then we had to write one paper touting the pro side, another for the anti side, and finally, we had to chose a side for ourselves and give a speech that would convince everyone to support our stance. One guy chose the issue of hunting, and I chose to discuss whether or not having access to birth control pills was making young women more promiscuous.

Hunter Guy launched a very impassioned argument supporting his belief that, due to loss of habitat and overpopulation, hunters were actually doing the deer a favor by saving them from a life of starvation. It made perfect sense, but still...I had to wonder. So, when it came time for Q&A, I raised my hand. "That's a very good argument," I said, "but one thing confuses me. Are you saying that, as you pull the trigger, the thought that's actually going through your head is 'I'm sorry little deer, I'm only doing this for your own good,' rather than 'Hot Damn! Right between the eyes, Suckah!' ?" At least he had the decency to blush and stammer.

Oh, and as for my speech, I said that though it was true that the number of teen pregnancies had climbed steadily in recent years, it was my belief that the girls getting pregnant were probably not on the pill, and perhaps it was something else that was making them so promiscuous. Or, maybe, teenagers have always had sex, and it's just that they are no longer going to such extremes to hide the results. I got an A.

Of course, that was back in the good ol' days, when married couples on TV still slept in twin beds. Maybe I should do a paper now, on whether the media has made kids more promiscuous. I think I might have to argue in favor of it, this time!

Don't forget to leave a comment between now and the wee hours of Monday morning, to be included in this month's big give-away!

P.S. Many thanks to wortblog.blogspot.com for the above image.

WHAT'S IN YOUR PANTRY?

I've been thinking a lot about pantries lately. I know! Weird, huh?

We always used to tease my mom for having so much food in her pantry - especially when we were teenagers, since by that time, she had pretty much given up cooking. I guess it was a hold-over from the depression era, a security blanket of sorts. She used to tell us that the Mormons all kept about a year's worth of food in their pantries, so that if there was ever a disaster, they'd be the ones most likely to survive. I thought it was a bunch of hooey, until a friend of mine bought a house from a Mormon family, and I saw the size of her new pantry!

No one in my immediate family ever grew their own food, nor did any of my grandparents, so the idea of having pantry shelves lined with jewel-colored mason jars was very foreign and exotic to me. Over the years I have had several friends who gifted me with jars of their own preserves, but I could never bring myself to break the seal - I just loved gazing upon them way too much! I kept them out on the counter, or on a windowsill, where I could enjoy the stained-glass effect of sun shining through their rich colors, which of course, only hastened their demise.

Now, thanks to all of the blogs I read about dealing with peak oil and climate change, the subject of pantries is cropping up again. These people are not survivalists. They are not out there stockpiling weapons. They just have enough common sense to realize that it's better to be as self-sufficient as possible. We cannot rely on a system that ships food and other necessities from the far corners of the earth, because that system is not sustainable. We've already seen how easily a glitch in the system can occur, each time there is any kind of natural disaster. Lets talk about hurricanes, since I spent many years on the Gulf Coast, and have some familiarity with those. Oh, I know, if you are forced to evacuate your home, a fat lot of good it does you to have a well-stocked pantry. But what if you were amongst the thousands in the peripheral areas, who were without power for weeks, and all of the restaurants and grocery stores were locked up tight? If you didn't have anything left in your pantry, and your babies were crying, wouldn't you be tempted to break a few windows?

I am not a person who flies off the handle, or goes into a panic at the drop of a hat, but I did watch that TV series Jericho, and I saw what happened when the system broke down completely. The only thing that really mattered was being able to feed one's family and keep them safe. Now I am seeing what is happening with this swine flu scare, and it's got me thinking that there may come a time when it's better to just stay snug in my own little home for a while, and not be running into town every day, to mix and mingle with the masses. I'm thinking, maybe the time has come to have a well-stocked pantry. Like Mom's.

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment, if you wish to be included in Sunday morning's give-away!

P.P.S. Many thanks to blogs.timesunion.com for the first image above, and to treehugger.com for the other two.