A mysterious farmer called Brendan earlier this week offering him (and us) Purslane.  He traded her a lunch and started doing some investigating.  Turns out this is a green miracle. A real, honest to god super food, Brendan says.  It has an amazing amount of Omega-3, huge stores of an assortment of vitamins, life-giving levels of this and that.  A miracle, in short, with much higher level of everything than any manufactured pill would wish to have.

 

Another farmer brought in boxes of broccoli and wax beans.  For us, these are about a month earlier than we're used to having them.  We don't really mind, except for the reminder about warmer temperatures, you know.

 

The broccoli was bigger than my head! 

 

We make dinners to go Monday through Friday.

 

Call 252-1500 by noon or so and then come pick up your dinners between 3 and 7, when we close. Add a salad for 3.25 or bread for 1.25.

 

Monday, June 11

Tuesday, June 12

Wednesday, June 13

 

Thursday, June 14

 

Friday, June 15

Casserole of the week:

Wednesday, June 6

Whole: 39 Half: 20

 

Lasagna of the week:

Friday, June 8

Whole: 45 Half: 22.50

 

I finished my book this week!!!!!

 

Here is my desk, covered with research materials.  The book, the initial manuscript, is now done.  I sent it off on the 29th, wanting to have it arrive before June 1st, the deadline.  The last piece to be written relied heavily on a article I'd read that was written by a writer who lives in Italy.  The publisher requires the manuscript be turned in with all permissions and I did not have this one.  Fortunately my sister is a major sleuth.  She found the writer's agent who found the writer for me.  The writer gave me permission from her iphone while she was traveling from Rome to Calabria (that's in the heel of Italy's boot, my friends.)

 

Check this out!  There I was, sitting at my desk, doing my work.  All of a sudden I looked up and found one and then the other of these two characters in my office!  Connie, in red, and Ann, in yellow were two of the gang with whom I rode across the United States a couple of years ago.

 

They COMPLETELY surprised me (with help from my sister and the awesome Laurey's gang), showing up dressed for a ride.  Hilarious!!!!!  Connie lives in California and Ann in New Jersey so this was a trip involving complex logistics. 

 

And of course, since they took the time to drive here WITH their bikes, I left the office early and rode with them.  Two days in a row.  I'm so happy to be back on my bike and it was a complete pleasure to ride with these buddies of mine. 

 

One of the very best parts about riding with friends is when you are good enough and know each other well enough to ride in a "pace line," which is when you ride very close to each other in a tight line.  The front rider sets the pace and the riders behind take advantage of the windbreak provided by the front, drafting off the front rider's effort.  After a set distance, a mile, let's say, the front rider drops to the back and the second in line takes the lead.  A mile later the lead shifts again. 

 

 

Rabbit, rabbit.

 

You know about this, don’t you? First thing you say out loud on the first day of the month is, “Rabbit, rabbit.” If you do this, you are guaranteed to have good luck. Some people say rabbit three times. No matter. Try it next month and from then on. No guarantees, but it’s a harmless thing and just might work for you too.

 

Things around here are great. Here in the café we have decided to focus on things we make, rather than things that other people make. This is predominantly noticeable in our retail gift section. In my olden days I sought and purchased gourmet products from small companies that I admired. I was pleased to have Coyote Café salsa and Sarabeth’s preserves and The Girl and the Fig jams and Xochitl chips. But over time, as we have started making more of our own things, and, more importantly, as we have wanted more seats here in the café, we have gradually stopped focusing on others and more on us. We recently eliminated the big shelf unit in the front of the café and it looks so much cleaner and neater and open.

 

You’ve probably noticed our new, fun, yellow “communal” table up front. If you’ve ever been to a German beer garden (I haven’t) you’ll recognize the table. About five minutes after we brought it in folks were sitting together, happy to be in the sunny front area. Looks like we bought the right piece of furniture.

 

The big blank wall presents an irresistible canvas and we’re in the process of installing a great big sign which features our “North Star” five-pointed vision, reminding us about what is important to us: great food, great service, care for each other, care for you and care for the Earth.

 

I'm having a fine time, feeling great, feeling strong, feeling happy, feeling full of life and full of relief that I get this time to just be alive and healthy.  Printing "Don't Postpone Joy" on everything does have its way of working itself under a gal's skin, after all.  But even if it is my motto, I admit to not having lived it at every moment.  Now, however, I am very much more aware of those words and am trying to remember that if it does not have joy somewhere in the equation, I don't have a spot in my life for it - whatever IT is.

 

Here's a look at the bicycle jersey that I will wear on the Iowa ride.  I also get to wear a Livestrong jersey, but this is the one that means the most to me.  The design is based on the heart milagro, the folk art piece that I have adopted as my visual image these days.

 

We're making extras and the proceeds of the sale will assist Livestrong at the YMCA here in Asheville.  And if you'd like to be a part of my fundraising efforts for the national Livestrong program for its cancer survivorship work, please click on this link (just below these words.)