I took myself on vacation last week, gave myself a class at Penland, the wonderful craft school about an hour northeast of here.  I'd been there to cater and I'd been there to visit and to blow glass, but had never given myself the gift of a week in a studio.

 

We make dinners to go Monday through Friday.

 

Monday, April 16

Chicken Parmesan with Pasta 7.95

 

Tuesday, April 17

Mushroom, Leek, and Asparagus Crepes 8.25

 

Wednesday, April 18

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Potato Cakes 8.75

 

Thursday,April 19

Chicken Croquettes with Applesauce 8.25

 

Friday,April 20

Citrus Salmon with Spinach Sauté 9.95 (GF)

 

Call by noon and then come pick up between 4 and 7 that day!

 

Casserole of the week:

Wednesday, April 18

Full: 58 Half: 29

 

Lasagna:

Friday, April 20

Right before I left for Penland my mentor came and helped me look into my hives.  A sad story awaited.  Lots of honey.  Lots of room.  Lots of good things.  But no bees. 

 

Around here the same story is prevalent.  Some folks have bees and some, sadly, do not. 

 

I am not quitting.  More will arrive this coming weekend.  I am learning more and more and I will continue to do all I can to nurture these magnificent creatures and to provide a good place for them.  This is a mysterious problem, no bees.  It affect me and my friends and our bees.  And this, in turn affects the honey availability.  Some of us do not use chemicals.  Some of our bees die.  Others, who do, still have bees. And, to be sure, others who do not use chemicals have living bees too.  It breaks my heart to treat with poisons so I do not.  I will keep trying to do this in a good way. 

 

And speaking of bees and honey.  Come join me and some of my beekeeper friends as we guide you through honey tasting.  There are over 300 varietals of honey in the United States, which can seem a daunting task - trying to figure out how to discern the differences in them.

 

Our first honey tasting went very well and folks came away with a clear system to use, with the ability to taste the differences in the varietals (i.e. clover vs. buckwheat vs. avocado). 

 

And all the while our deli case is filled with fresh salads and our gang stands ready to make a daily special sandwich for you.  The cooks make a couple of soups and a hot dish of the day (when it is cold outside.) 

 

Don't forget breakfast with local eggs and meats and fresh fruit and our own granola and our french toast and all sorts of great things.

 

 

Hello my friends,

 

I have been away and just came home yesterday afternoon. First things first: laundry, petting the pups, straightening up, getting a look at the flowers and the lay of the land. And then my sister came for a visit and we had dinner and watched some Downton Abbey (we’re making our way through it as a sister project.)

 

And no, I did not write to you.

 

Today was Jubilee and then a visit to the shop to get some pictures onto my computer and my intention was to write there but my computer was suffering a serious case of “the slows” (know what I mean?) so that was that. Stopped by the store for some gifts for my pups. Lewis now rolls over and over and over before I ask him to. He then grabs his treat and hurries to find a place away from Tye to stash it. This time it was a flower pot on my deck which I can clearly see out my studio's window. But then he came and dug it up and paraded it in front of Tye, dirt and all. Tye had to run around and find hers to flash in front of Lewis. On we go.

 

I had a great week. Though very tired at the beginning, I felt better and better, distracted, no doubt by the color and the new atmosphere and the new ideas. By the end of the week I would say I felt almost back to my normal self. This continues to fill me with pleasure. Day by day it goes, I go, healing goes. I am better. Each day and each day and then, surprise, the next day too. Next week I’ll visit the gym, start with pilates again, dust off my bicycle again, start really believing I’m going to ride across Iowa and that my adventure of the past year is in a nice box. I can open it and look at it, but it feels more and more contained and manageable. And it feels like there is no more to put in. I hope I’m right about that. Really do.

 

I think about The Golden Thread, my image of a path that is barely visible but, when I connect, is my right way. I wonder how all of this current adventure fits onto, into that Golden Thread. I wonder where I am going. I will deliver the main message next week at Jubilee and so I’ve been thinking about telling a story that is not ended. About telling a story whose outcome is unknown. I am not at the beginning and I hope I am not at the end. But how do you tell about being in the middle? The goal, they say, is not the end, or even the goal. But it is the process. Trust the process, they say. Trust it. Trust.

 

Anyway – I’ll see you around this week and more and more. I am now on the countdown for my book so I’ll be in my office. Stop back and say hello, won’t you? And do try to come taste some honey with me on the 25th.