Well, most reasonably modest people keep birthdays to themselves, and certainly, once they pass the age of 12 or so, do NOT ask for presents.

 

I'm breaking with those rules this year.

 

#1. I will be 59 on Tuesday.  (I know, I know...REALLY???)

 

#2.  Though I ask for no wrapped presents for myself, I do, this year, have a few things that I would love to have as a gift.  And I am going to be so bold as to list them here.  Because there are some amazing things going on this week and I am positively gushing with the thrill of them all and so, um, well, read on and do, please, join me at some point, in person or in some other way.

 

#3. Thank you.

 

Okay my friends.  This is my last class for a couple of months.  Come play, watch, learn, and eat. This class is called:

Cooking with flavors and the bounty of spring. 

 

I'll demonstrate, and you take notes and then eat everything.  25.00 gets you a spot in our Garden Room.  

 

Thursday, May 16th 

6:30-8:00 pm.

Call 252-1500 to save your spots.

Lovely. 

Lovely.

Here are dinners to go for this week.  This, if you do not know, if a fabulous way to have dinner.  It's easy - just call us by noon and your dinner will be ready for you to pick up by 3 that very day. 

 

Call by noon and we'll have your dinner ready at 3. You can stop by to pick yours up until we close at 7. Add Salad (3.25) or bread (1.25) if you like.

 

Monday, May 13

Chicken Marsala with Herbed Egg Noodles 8.95

 

Tuesday, May 14          

Spinach-stuffed Portabellas w/ Strawberry Rhubarb Tartlet 7.95

 

Wednesday, May 15     

Braised Pork with Olives and Red Wine 8.95 (GF)

 

Thursday, May 16         

Chicken and Leek Stew 8.95

 

Friday, May 17             

Pan-fried Catfish, Carolina Slaw and Roasted Potatoes 9.95

 The Casserole of the week:

Wednesday, May 15

Chardonnay Chicken and Mushrooms

Whole: 35 Half; 17.50

 

The Lasagna of the week:

Friday May 17

Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Lasagna

Whole: 39 Half: 19.50

The Red Cross here is giving me a pretty unusual birthday present and you can play too.  On my birthday, May 14th (that's Tuesday) they are having a blood drive in my honor.  (um, can't say I've ever had my own blood drive before...)

 

I have received blood in my day and I know how important this is, though I am no longer able to give it myself.

 

STILL - the drive will be from 2-7 on Tuesday at the main Red Cross building - 100 Edgewood Road, which connects to Merrimon Avenue right near the Atlanta Bread Company.

 

I'll come say hi and thanks....

and I'll bring some cookies or something.

 

And by now you must have heard of our JOYride for LiveSTRONG at the YMCA.  The ride is this Sunday, May 19th. 

 

At 1pm there will be a kid's ride at the track in Carrier Park.  Henry is our honorary co-chair of the kid's ride (and self-proclaimed "Director of Laurey's").

 

After the kids get going, the 25 and 50 mile riders will leave.

 

BUT the fun will just get going at that point.  We will have, among other things:

Games

Face Painting

Temporary Body Art

Massages

Food Trucks

Snacks

Bike safety obstacle courses (for the kids)

Photographs

A Wall of Thanks

Card-making area

Wall of Honor

Hula Hoops

4 bands (including Double Take - the kid's classic rock band)

artists

Goody bags for all riders

Livestrong wrist bands for everyone

t-shirts for all 25 and 50 mile riders

 

and more!

 

So even if you are not riding, or are an In SPIRIT rider or you have already donated, please do come.  Bring your kids - we want LOTS of kids! 

Yes, you CAN register on-site. Kid's entry fee is just $5.15. 

Lauren Tamayo is an Asheville gal.

Lauren Tamayo won a silver medal in the London Olympics.

Lauren Tamayo is our very own celebrity Honorary co-chair.

 

and

 

Lauren Tamayo will be riding on Sunday the 19th.  She is focusing on the children so this is another reason to bring your children to the ride.  Not only will she be riding with the kids, but then she will be available for photographs.  We'll have a professional photographer who will take pictures for sale - and he'll donate the proceeds back to the ride. 

 

ALSO - Lauren is the guest of honor at a special dinner at my shop on the night of the 18th.  If you'd like to come to that, we still have some room.  Please jot me a note and I'll connect you with the right people for that.

 

Things with The Fresh Honey Cookbook are coming right along.  It looks like I will be near you in the fall, that is as long as you live in New England or New York City or Charleston, Savannah or Atlanta; or Portland Seattle or San Francisco.  Or Orlando. Or Ann Arbor.  These are some of the places I hope to visit with my book.

 

I will be doing guided honey tastings and readings and book signings.  If you would like me to come to your place please write to me and tell me the name of your favorite independent bookstore or local cooking store.  We'll get in touch with them and see what we can work out.

 

And if you would like to save copies for yourself and all the people on your gift list, you can jot me a list with the names of the recipients (I can sign them for you and can send them too.)  We'll be having book signings and book release events here in September, and I'll be in the shop, as will my book.  BUT, if you want to get a jump on things, this is a way to do it.

 

laurey@laureysyum.com

 

Oh I wanted to tell you that I now have bees at home again!  I brought them home last week and installed them in their new hives on Thursday, getting stung almost immediately.  My pup got stung too and we helped each other and told each other that it was okay, that the bees had had a traumatic journey and that they would calm down. Which they now have done.

 

May 10, 2013

 

Oh my goodness gracious. Have you ever been so filled with life that you can hardly breathe? So much so that you feel like you could explode? Float up on the rafts of love? That’s me today.

 

This is my birthday week. My sister Heather celebrates her birthday MONTH, offering us all a “30 day grace period” both before and AFTER her September 30th birthday. I usually get pumped up in the few days near my day.

 

For the past two years I have said my birth date a LOT. It is the one thing that every nurse, doctor, therapist, and technician asks before poking or weighing or measuring or treating or diagnosing or warning or commiserating.

 

“5/14/54”

 

“May 14, 1954”

 

“Laureymastertonmayfourteenthnineteenfiftyfour.”

 

But this week I get to think of it as my day of birth, not as a password to another infusion or another blood draw. It’s good to have a new frame through which to look. And it is extraordinary to think about all that will happen this week.

 

On Monday I will be interviewed at 4pm on 880 The Revolution with Jeff Messer. Talking about LiveSTRONG at the YMCA and the JOYride.

 

Tuesday, is, um, my birthday! I start off at the doctor, getting my weekly review. I adore all my doctors so this is not really that bad. One little blood draw, one visit to the scales, one blood pressure/temperature/oxygen test. No big deal.

 

I have a big birthday present for everyone at work – but don’t tell them! It’s a secret.

 

And at 5, we are getting a proclamation from our mayor, declaring this week LiveSTRONG week in Asheville. Wow!!!!! Happy Birthday to me and to us and to the YMCA and to LiveSTRONG. (By the way, LiveSTRONG day all over the United States is May 17th.)

 

On Thursday I get to do our cooking class.

 

On Friday I am going to The Orange Peel for a concert.

 

On Saturday we are having the special dinner for the JOYride here at my shop with Lauren Tamayo as our special guest. Come join us, as we still have some seating available.

 

And on Sunday we have the First Annual JOYride for LiveSTRONG at the YMCA. I guess I don’t need to detail this anymore. I do hope you are not tired of hearing about it. It’s a very big deal to me, as you know.

 

And next Tuesday I leave here for a personal pilgrimage. Some of you have figured out that I am going to go to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. As you might imagine, after two years of chemotherapy and surgeries and struggling with my health, a trip away, a pilgrimage, is something I feel I need. Fortunately, I am able to leave for nearly two months to go on this walk because I work with such a topnotch gang here. They took charge when I did not feel well and now, when I am feeling better, they will run the show again.

 

I will tell you a little bit more about the Camino next week. And after that I am stopping the newsletter until I get back. In contrast to the time I rode my bike across the country, I am not going to be so attached this time. I WILL have my phone but I will not be able to promise to keep up. I am going to try to be focused on walking and thinking and regrouping and remembering that I am a person who is capable of being alive and vibrant, not someone who just counts the days until my next treatment. I trust you will understand and will know that I need this very much. I will be back and I’ll be, well, I don’t exactly know. Laurey, still, but a Laurey who has an “I believe I will be okay” solidity. Know what I mean?

 

Okey doke – as you could guess, I have a long list of things to do to get ready for this week and for next week and for being in Paris and Biarritz and Bayonne and St. Jean and then Paris and London and parts north and south and parts I don’t even know about yet. I have to do laundry! I have to pack! AY yi yi!

 

Ciao.

Hasta la settimana prossima!

One final reminder:

 

I do hope you are planning to join me on Sunday, May 19th.  Ride, pretend to ride, ride a little bit, or don't ride.  But come and celebrate Livestrong Weekend in Asheville.  This is a big deal.  BIG!

 

Just a reminder, my friends, this is our first time at this.  I had a little idea and it is going to be a big thing, I hope.  So please come and be a part of this.  Please.

 

Don't Postpone Joy.  Okay?

 

Thanks!

Thanks.