A Blast of the Past

I recently went to a concert. Honestly, I don't remember the last time I went to one, so therefore, I've come to the conclusion it's been a loooong time.

We saw Stevie Nicks, and what a treat!

I never saw Fleetwood Mac or Stevie Nicks (solo) in concert before, even though there was a time when I played the Rumors album to death. So many of the songs she sang were very familiar and took me back to days long past. Those days seem like yesterday, but times have changed. My pre-concert ritual was quite different this go round. Brian and I went out to dinner, enjoyed a lighter meal and one glass of wine. Suffice to say, in earlier days, the preparation for concert enjoyment included altered states. I must note, I don't think I had more fun at any other concert regardless of the manner in which I got ready.

The demographic of the concert goers was also different than I remember but then...I am too! I realize the demographic all depends on the performer, his or her genre and age. Time has steadily marched on from when I used to attend concerts even though part of me is in denial of that fact. But some things haven't changed. I still saw someone being forcibly carried out by security, a woman dancing up front (in red) seeking attention and the beer was flowing. One particular modification I noticed evoked laughter. I remember during classic, softer, ballad type songs the Bic lighters would come out and the arena literally lit up. Well, at this concert, I saw one Bic lighter on display but others just activated their cell phones and held them up. :-) Quite a sight! I did laugh and saw a new way in which technology has made it's mark on us all.

Our time spent listening to Stevie struck me in another way, as well. What talent! Some people might not approve of her background or choices. Of course a lot of people would not condone mine either. Does any of that really matter? Stevie's talent is a gift and should be honored as such. I realize we all have our individual taste in music, art, cuisine, entertainment activities, etc. nevertheless, an appreciation for special talent seems compelling. Let's face it, some people are extremely gifted. No matter the area of life, I'm not one of those people! I'm OK with that and marvel at others who are! I am of the mind, however, to downplay, shun, or even attack someone's ability because of political affiliation, spirituality, or questionable personal choices partially robs us of joy and beauty.

I'm not saying we all have to agree! It's a foregone conclusion that we won't. I just think appreciation and honor should be given when due. An untainted perspective regarding giftings is a challenge, one I'll always be working on. But I don't want to miss inspiring creativity.


Photo from Wikipedia.org (Stevie Nicks)

National Coffee Day!

How can I not post on such an auspicious day!? I am compelled to commemorate National Coffee Day with a succinct love letter captured in a poetic photograph. :-)

I also have a treat for you! I found this amazing recipe for your day's ending or a coffee dessert. The Italian word, affogato, you should all know because of it's inherent heavenly combination - gelato and espresso. Yum! Needless to say, I'm a big fan. This recipe takes a wonderful pairing and adds other elements which will send your eyes rolling back in your head. Enjoy!

The original blog post is from Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time. I return to read The Mom Chef's blog not only for the recipes but for her wit and the glimpses into her life.

Affogato with Orange - print this recipe
from Every Day With Rachael Ray Magazine, September 2012

4 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1 pint vanilla ice cream
shaved bittersweet chocolate, for sprinkling
freshly grated nutmeg, for sprinkling
4 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 cup hot espresso

Pour 1 tbsp. liqueur into each of 4 cups. Add 12-cup scoop ice cream to each. Sprinkle with chocolate, nutmeg and orange zest. Spoon 2 tbsp. espresso over ice cream. Serve immediately.

Relationship Minefields

We are onto part two of my online dating experience. Part one you can find at "Dear Jane".

Does any part of life actually progress as you thought it might? In my world it's very rare, if this has ever happened! So, the "normal" dating experience was elusive. All in all, a grand adventure! To read more and learn of the ups and downs please see "Catch of the Day" on Laura's Confessions.

Oh, You Met Online...

Did I ever mention that Brian and I met online? Yes, we are one of those couples.

When someone finds out how we met, typically what happens is an awkward pause in the conversation. However, compelling curiosity usually brings forth a question to get us talking again. Well, you can learn more about my online dating experience on another site! I've been asked to guest blog on Laura's Confessions. I hope you go and check it out! You can come back and tell me what you thought. :)

Old Haunts!

Writing has been on my list to do! With warm affection and relief I received a friend's comment today that she is glad I don't post too often. She can get overwhelmed when her inbox is inundated with update notifications from the blogs she follows. So when I finally do post, she looks forward to it and clicks immediately on the link. OK, she didn't say "immediately" but I'm sure that's what she meant!

So, I did return from Seattle and environs. We went in summer so I packed for the summer - a BIG mistake for Grays Harbor County which is out on the coast, about 2 hours from Seattle. That's where Brian's family is from so it's always a part of our itinerary. No matter the time of year I will never make that mistake again - bringing layers from this point forward. Westport, WA is making itself more of a destination location (for the summer months!). They already have a winery, where my my favorite is the Mermaid Merlot. We've been several times and for those of you who like sweeter wines their Duckleberry Grunt and Bog Berry Blush are dangerously drinkable! New additions have been added to the repertoire in this coastal town. This time we we went to a local brewery (out of someone's barn) with our daughter and her fiancé, Jeremy. Both Jeremy and Brian are into beer so there was much anticipation and enthusiasm about this outing. This was my first beer tasting event, and a very positive one!
I do have to say that after some tooling around town we then stopped at a coffee place - more my cup of "tea"! The Tinderbox was inviting, well appointed and had some killer caramel brownies!! Not to mention the necessary and invigorating espresso I relished. All in all, good family time and the younger generation also showed us new tips and tricks for our technology productivity! Always appreciated. :)

After a week, we were onto Seattle. Surprisingly, we were able to take a couple sightseeing opportunities! I had really hoped that this trip would allow for sometime downtown and it did on 2 occasions!! Naturally, we went to one of my favorite places - Pike's Place Market. There is a relatively recent addition to the area. Yes, it's the Gum Wall - absolutely disgusting! How the idea got started I have no idea. Unfortunately it, the idea, was well embraced and expanded beyond one wall. Much to the chagrin of many businesses I'm sure. Thankfully, this wall is not part of the main flow where people walk. The picturesque produce and colorful blooms are still in place, along with the creative eats and tasteful souvenirs, albeit a bit pricey.
We also made it down to the waterfront. An old haunt for both of us since we worked downtown is Ivar's Pier 54 fish bar, where the feeding of seagulls is encouraged! It was a must for lunch that day. Seattle has added a huge ferris wheel as one of the waterfront attractions. The area is still an awesome place for people watching, wandering the shops on the piers and great vistas of Puget Sound and the Olympics.

We had a wonderful time catching up with family and friends. However, whether or not you have family in this area, I hope you take a trip to Seattle at some point in your life. It's laid back, breathtaking, and has a ton of activities both inside and out. For the best weather go in May, August or September.

Seattle, Where Coffee is King!

In one of my more recent posts, East vs. West, I mentioned I was from Washington State originally - where coffee is king. Actually to be more specific, the castle and, therefore, throne room for this king is in Seattle. I was born and raised in Seattle - I love Seattle. With that being said, I'd like to also say Seattle is the best place to be from! It will always be one of my "homes."

Granted each city is unique; although being a coffee enthusiast, I so appreciate the coffee culture there. In this regard, Seattle is like no other. I found a blog post/article about this wonderful city that I'd thought I'd share in part.

Seattle, The Caffeine City of Gourmet Coffee.
For a lack of better description, Seattle is indeed Caffeine City. Hence it is no wonder that as an avid gourmet coffee drinker, I could not believe my good fortune on my first business trip to Seattle a couple of years ago. The impression is still so vivid, it is like just yesterday. I got up early morning and took a walk near the hotel. The moment I stepped out of the front entrance, a tantalizing, wispy, coffee aroma enveloped and welcomed me. The entire city seemed to permeate a strong coffee culture, perhaps due to the fact it is the birth origin of a certain large international coffee chain.

It does continue and you can read more as the author, Sarah Osborne, wafts her way through the aromas of my beloved Seattle.

In case you might take a trip to Seattle in the future, here are a few of my favorites around town. Pike Place Market is probably my top pick, but you have to be ready for lots of people. Nonetheless, the sites, sounds and smells are amazing! Maybe you'll see a flying fish, and that's no fish story! An added benefit to this area is the oldest location of that "certain large international coffee chain" - Starbucks and another great one nearby. Not far from Pike's Place is the waterfront area with all manner of shops, restaurants, an arcade pier, ferry docks, Ferris wheel, harbor tours and great people watching opportunities. If you want to get out on the water I'd choose a ferry ride to one of the islands and then explore the little town at the other end, getting ice cream to cap off the excursion. The Space Needle is a classic and not to be overlooked, like that's really possible! ;-) For the museum goers, my top three are the Seattle Art Museum, The EMP (music) Museum and the Museum of Flight.

Well, those are a few ideas. Enjoy your time! I'll be there in a couple of days, maybe I'll see you there?!

Marriage as a Partnership

I never wanted the house with the white picket fence, 2.3 children and a husband who went off to work while I kept the house in order. It's a good thing I never wanted it because it never happened! :-) Years ago when I voiced my apathy for that way of life, a lot of people would tilt their heads at me in disbelief or confusion, then shrug their shoulders not knowing what to say.  I was OK with that - both their reaction and my lack of desire for that type of life. I still wanted to get married but was not ravenous (at any age) to be so. It wasn't marriage and kids that I didn't want, it was that particular image. The biggest part I didn't like was the seeming fact that the husband and wife lived such different lives with so little time spent together. I don't think this lifestyle I pictured is bad, it just wasn't appealing to me from what I saw on the outside.

I have struggled in my life at being able to form and articulate my thoughts and beliefs. There have been times when beliefs were presented to me and something wouldn't feel quite right but I wouldn't know why, or the belief was so commonplace I would shrug my shoulders and go along because I couldn't figure out my reaction. When I was asked what I did want in a marriage (since I still wanted to get married), my rather vague response was the kind of life where my husband and I worked together on a project. We didn't have to be joined at the hip 24/7 (probably better not to be) but the work/project/goal was jointly pursued.

Basically, I wanted a partnership, a relationship of mutual respect because we both know that we individually bring qualities that are needed and appreciated. Recently I read a blog to which I could say a big YES! This blog post helped to articulate some of my thoughts over the years. Too often churches would portray marriage in a way that did not sit right with me. What is this whole "covering" business? I got married later in life so I took care of the various aspects of my life all by myself. "...how often do we see this attitude [to be a savior] preached in the way a man is to be to his wife, forgetting that the Proverbs 31 woman worked and ran a vineyard? She did not need saving. If anything the verses imply that the man needs her.Through her competence she will cause him to be respected and make sure that his household does not suffer. How did this get turned around? She can buy things for herself, and take care of others. What she deserves from him is praise for doing so. She does not need a husband to ‘cover’ her. (He is not her husband yet, remember this is an instruction regarding what to look for in a wife.) Instead she needs a man who will appreciate her and everything she brings into the marriage. ..." (You can read the entire post here.)

Don't get me wrong, Brian does take care of certain things and I am thrilled about it. I take care of others. But our relationship is approached as a team effort. Although married we are still individuals (how could we not be!). I am responsible for my own actions, not Brian and vice versa. I appreciate Brian for who he is and all he adds to US. Plus, I still get to be me! We move together through life in a partnership.

East vs. West

The battle of the coasts. Before I launch into a discussion about cultural differences, I hope everyone bears in mind that stereotypes are gross generalizations which have a basis in fact or they wouldn't have become a stereotype. However, no convention of this type is true across the board. There are always layers, derivations, and definite exceptions. The United States is big; we can't deny the "regions" within it. I have a friend who was born and raised on the east coast. In fact, she lives there to this day. When she heard I was moving to "her" side of the country (my term not hers!), she found the concept difficult to imagine. For her, it was easy and enjoyable to visit the west coast but she didn't think she could ever make the switch. And this comes from a woman who has lived in The Netherlands, Hungary, Greece and Albania to name a few places!

On the other hand, since it was Florida in particular, I reasoned the differences would be minimized. I never saw Florida as fully east coast, nor did I consider it part of the deep south. It was neutral in my mind and rather nondescript. Silly me!

The west coast has it's own stereotype, I know. California takes that image even further. Although I have to say that the typical image of California applies more generally to southern California - image obsession, plastic, tanned, and liberal. There is no doubt that I am a product of the west coast environs (Washington in specific), where the living is laid back, recycling is nearly an addiction, and coffee is king!! :-) Granted the coffee is needed to keep the chill off and give a little spark to another dreary day. (However, for me it'a a comfort drink wherever I am.) I would also say that although we are friendly, we are not a warm group of people. Northern climates don't lean in this direction - there are layers to us just like our sweaters and coats!

Now, on this (the east) side perceptions are a little different. I'm still learning about this area so my thinking could change in the future. At the moment, I see "the south" here in customer service - warm and personable, and going to church is a commonplace part of life. As far as "the east" goes, people are more pushy and passionate. Lastly, the driving is just schizophrenic. Either they are beyond aggressive or mighty pokey. Perhaps the "pokeyness" brings out frustration and therefore aggression.

Tomorrow it will be a month since my arrival. Let's face it - I'm a newbie!