Metamorphic List (Resolutions)


I'm resurrecting my 2008 Resolutions.  How can that be 5 years ago?  Those resolutions were the closest I have come to having a list that I could embrace. I used to keep it by my desk, and I looked at it every day.

Another reason I like this list is that it is not a list so much as a balanced score card--if I made small progress along many fronts, I was going to be exponentially 'better'.  Here it is so that I don't yammer on about it without your seeing it:

I'm sitting down with this 'list' to go over the details of each one (which I've not shown above, just the major categories).

During reflective moments (generally involving an alcoholic beverage and proximity to the wood stove or a cuddly dog or cat), I've been reviewing and revising the details.  Even after 5 years, I see no changes that I would make to the categories themselves. However, renewing my commitment to these goals is something that I'm doing...and nothing is better than renewing commitment than putting in a plan of action to "DO".  Rather than re-jigger, classify categories, I want to work on the more granular items (which you cannot see). 

One category that you see on there is Time.  Most normal people probably do not have a "Time" category.  For myself, time is something that I have to grapple with managing. I think that my testy relationship with time is that I require SPACE to think and create and solve problems.  And the DO function of deadlines and such create a tension between the two. 

My goal of putting time as a classification, is to do a better job of allocating my time.  I have many interests, and I have the ability to work and concentrate very deeply on stuff that is important--like problem solving, or working toward a deadline.  However, ultimately what we produce has to be a product of both our time and our effort.  Not all deadlines can accommodate our best efforts; however, we should always use our best efforts within the time allocated.  Absent a time allocation, perfectionism sneaks in.  For me, the problem is that I've always let work encroach into my personal life. 

Hence the need for balance.  And order--which is why I have "Space" on there. 

You can see that I've detailed out the spaces in my life:  Autos, home, garden, desk.  I don't have any other space that I have any control over--but these are the places that require management and attention.

Now, you may look at all of this and think that it is a strange way to go about one's business.  Perhaps it is.  But the way that my mind is wired, this way makes sense to me, and it helps me succeed with the structure that I need to keep balanced and on track.  You see, if you give me a problem to solve (and my career has been centered on that), then my brain will work full time on it until it comes up with an answer.  And, I always get the answer...just not on demand.  My brain chews away at problems, and only gives me the answer when I find some distance.  I call it the worm in my brain.  It is an industrious little fellow and seldom lets me down.

Except...it will pursue an answer at all costs to other aspects of my life which is why I have to laughingly have a resolution for 'fun'.

Not everyone's brains functions the same, and the better we recognize our own proclivities to think this way over that, the better chance we have of mastering our mind.  As the Buddists monks say, "The mind has no mind of its own".  

So I use my mind maps make my life more harmonious and balance. 

And "Park" is to place things for the worm to chew on--'someday/maybe' types of things.

I do not have "stick to resolutions" parked there!





Eye Doc and other matters

Given that the Mayan calendar did not deliver its doomsday scenario, I rather doubt the fiscal cliff will either, I had some 'stuff' to get done before the close of the year.  I was pleased to see that I'm not the only person waiting until the last minute to spend medical FSA dollars.

My regular eye doctor could not take me, and I had to get my eyes examined.  Once shooting past 50, (I am 52) years turn into dog years relative to eye deterioration.  I used to just flip my distance glasses to see--and while I can do that, I cannot do that very comfortably.  In general, to read comfortably, I need reading glasses.  In general with my glasses on, I cannot see things (like my phone etc).  Surely looking over my glasses is not going to help the forehead wrinkles.

Lens crafters, the eye doc, doc in the box, was there for me.  I had a few surprises (all pleasant).  First, they were available to get an appointment.  Second, their fees are much cheaper than my regular eye doc.  One example is the retinal picture.  They charged $25 for this valuable service.  My eye doctor charges $200.  The eye exam is $99.  My doctors:  $150.  (Oh and I'm self pay).

Glasses/lenses---probably at least 1.5 - 2 times more.  Needless to say they have lost me forever as a patient.  Lenscrafters had the trifecta of service, price and selection.

So with $1300 to spend, I got a pair of progressive lenses and rx sunglasses.  Mark bought some wiley x glasses on line for his motosports activities.  I have enough money left over for Reade to get his eyes examined.  He can wait another couple of days and spend 2013 Medical FSA.  Lots of others were doing the same.

For the second year in a row, I am not having a NY's Eve dinner.  However, I am having a NY's Day dinner around 2 p.m.  My sister gave me a beautiful sugar/salt cured ham.  I will be fix it using the method shown here.  I have had WONDERFUL success with this method, and I cannot imagine cooking a ham any other way.  What is nice about this method is that you do not soak it per se.  Rather, you follow these easy steps:

    •    find a pot that the ham fits into, trimming off the hock if necessary.
    ◦    cover with water to a depth of 3-4 inches above the ham and cover
    ▪    bring it to a boil
    •    take it off heat, wrap it up to hold in heat and let it sit unperturbed for 12 hours (still covered!).
    ▪    Use 1 inch of newspaper on bottom and top and tie chair cushions around.
    •    Wait 12 hours
    •    take out, cut off fat, diamond score and rub with sugar
    •    bake@275F for 2 hours

While ham will be the scrumptious centerpiece of the meal, I'll make spoonbread, black eyed peas, scalloped potatoes and collard greens.  I think a simple jam tart with vanilla ice cream will be the dessert.  I might make a sweet potato pie.....I'll leave something to inspiration.

My FR project closed on Thursday.  I was happy for that milestone to pass.  At the last minute, the settlement agent said, "There was a slip up on the HUD form.  The mortgage company said that since this is a flip house, the seller has to pay for the second appraisal."  I said, "Absolutely not.  This is not in our contract, and this was a requirement by the mortgage underwriting.  I'm not paying for their underwriting costs."

Not a peep more was said about it.  I see why people call bankers "banksters".  They are always looking for someone else to pay.

I've been frightfully busy with all these deadlines that are stuffed into a short period of time.  On top of all of this, I'm undergoing my annual metamorphic list (otherwise known as resolutions)----to  emerge in 2013 as an improved human being.




Tick Tock

We are celebrating the holiday simply this year.  Gift giving is minimized--we all have what we need, and our wants are small.  I have a wreath on the door, but I did not put up a tree.  No, I'm not  bah-humbug, but we are doing the things that are important:  spending time with family.

Oh...and one Christmas ho-ho-ho ended up being the old heave-ho of the hot water heater which gave way yesterday.  We noticed the water (well) was cloudy.  It has been dry; I had been washing clothes all day (but the new dishwashers and clothes washers use less water than a toilet flush), and was hoping that we were not suffering from the well giving out.  Mark said, "Let me look underneath and make sure that we don't have a plumbing leak."  He reported back shortly that we did.

No water heater could be had from Lowe's before the first week in January.  Home Depot (God bless them, every one) had one in stock.  We needed a short one because it is under the house.  It looks like the men-folk have installed it with a minimum of fussing/cussing.  (God bless them, every one).

Earlier in the week, my daughter's well pump failed, and her Christmas heave-ho was a new water pump.  Strange synchronisms this past week.  A former colleague died from a heart attack and another friend was hospitalized with a heart attack.  The man who was installing the 'community sanctioned mailbox' at my FD property (the community association did an inspection and the property was written up for leaves in the yard, gutter, non-compliant mailbox and a heat pump that did not have a screen.

The contractor had the lines marked, and they ran very close to the existing mailbox.  When I came back they were tamping the new mailbox in.  He all of a sudden said, "Whoa! Step back and don't touch the mailbox.   "Call Comcast!  he said to his wife.  I said that I had to go, but that I would be back.  An hour an a half later, I returned, and they were gone.  No caution tape was around the mailbox.  I called him to find out the what of the matter.

The what of the matter was not that the mailbox was electrified.  Rather, his heart defibrillator and jolted him just as he had touched the mailbox.  He promptly went to the doctor once he determined that all was well with the mailbox.  He's fine.

I believe that the two best gifts that we can give one another for Christmas is (1)  the expression of our heartfelt gratitude for the people in our lives and for the comforts, to whatever degree we have them; and (2) forgiving past grievances no matter the magnitude. 

In addition to those, I have a third item:  The gift of homemade cinnamon roles from Pioneer Woman's kitchen. (1) Yes, you can do this, and it isn't too late yet (but almost).  I'm making these for neighbors so that they can enjoy them on Christmas morning.  The dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days--which is a very helpful thing to keep in mind when you want to have 1/2 of the prep done on any yeast product done in advance.

Hope your countdown to the holidays is not stressing you out.

(1) Epilogue:  The reasons why I like this recipe so (and some tips) much are as follows:

Why I like them:
  1. This recipe is not as fussy as other dough recipes.  It is a hybrid between a quick bread and a yeast dough as it has both yeast AND baking powder and soda.  I'm a little uncertain as to why there is soda in it as there is no acidic ingredients.  Nevertheless, I'm not in test kitchen mode, so I do not question.
  2. The rise time is much reduced--so you can syncopate your batches.
  3. That refrigerator thing---which allows you to control the dough.
Some tips:
  • Consider using a baking stone that is warm to put your aluminum pans on to create a favorable environment for the second rise.
  • Do NOT use a medium saucepan to mix your milk, oil and sugar.  Rather, use at least an 8 quart pot.  Choose one that you can put a top on so that you can put it right into the fridge.
  • Consider adding some marscapone cream cheese (about 2-3 oz) (or regular cream cheese) and some sour cream (a couple of tablespoons. ) I found that this deepened the flavor and made it a bit lest cloying (not that cloying is bad, but some foil to the underlying sweetness of the rolls is good.
    • I also used maple syrup instead of maple extract and. .  .
    • I added a 1/2 tsp of vanilla
    • Remember....you are shooting for consistency and balanced taste--so don't be afraid.  Too much liquid?  Just add more confectioner's sugar.  It is very forgivin.
  • I used oblong pans with a plastic top.  There is just not simply enough room in the round pans to give everyone another taste!
  • Don't worry if your pan does not look full.  Space about 3/4 - 1 inch apart.  They spread.
And remember....everyone makes cookies....and they are yummy to be sure. However, you'll stand out from the crowd with this offering. Also....they are NO LESS difficult than handling cookies.  In fact, it is a lots more relaxing.

Catching Up

"No one could accuse me of being prolific," I mutter to myself when I see (1) how long it has been since my last post, and (2) how few posts I've made in any month.

It has been a busy year, and absent specific things to write about (there was always a stock chart or something that I found interesting to share on my other blog), I feel no compulsion to write a soporific post for the sake of writing.

I had expected to today to close on my FR property.  This did not happen because at the 11th hour the bank underwriter indicated that they needed a second appraisal.  Geez.  This is the second time that this has happened.  I guess it stems from FHA underwriting on 'flipped' houses--though it is not an FHA loan.  Likely co-opted underwriting.  Oh, I hate that work as it sounds so 'flip' and belies the amount of expense and work that goes into it.  Nevertheless, if you own it less than a year and sell it...it is a 'flip'.

The second appraiser came out on quick notice.  He indicated to my realtor that he did not see any issues with the house value.  But, I'm waiting for the report.  He was interested in what was done to the house (lots!).  He indicated, too, that he gets lots of these last minute calls.  For the NEXT house I sell, I plan to put some teeth into the contract that requires the buyer's lender to be a bit more on the ball. 


Meaningful Conversations

My friend, Bob Blake, recorded a segment on PBS's "This I Believe".  You can listen to it here.  Bob is a special friend of mine in that he is the one of just a few people (I wrote only, at first, and that seemed too narrow, but that may have been correct) in my off-line life with whom  I can have complex conversations.   My post is entitled "Meaningful Conversations" because I think that meaningful conversations are important.

Bob and I worked together for many years in in volunteer leadership capacities for the Greater Richmond United Way.  In our last year of service together, he was the vice chair on the Allocations and Assessment Committee--the committee that allocated community donations to the United Way member organizations.  After that year, our local UW changed the structure, and I was long gone.

Sometime after my final session with my beloved volunteers,  Bob and I had lunch together.  It turned out to be a very special lunch.  It was a glorious day (I surmise as we we ate outside).

I believe that the lunch was our first lunch...The First Lunch....sounds like a landmark event, and it proved to be such. There we found ourselves on the porch of the restaurant on that lovely day.  Our iced teas were ordered, and in that space between our beverage being served and our order taken, I asked, "So what are you reading?"

I'm quite certain that for non-readers the question puts them on the defensive--though it has taken me about a decade to understand that (I'm working on that).  I regret that I'm neither sensitive nor socially aware enough to recognize that such forward and specific questions yield a bifurcated  answer--an enthusiastic "yes, I'm reading ______" or a mildly embarrassed answer of "no, I'm not reading anything do you think I'm a dolt?"  I never mean the question to end up as an admonishment if the answer is no, and I have learned to soft peddle my question so that it is not so direct.

[Aside:  For so many years, I always had something that I was reading--if only on the tangent (meaning,  it piled up by one of my reading venues).  I have a natural curiosity regarding what others are reading, so I always ask them (unless after bludgeoning with my question I realize after a while that they are not readers).]

At that lunch, on that day, I asked Bob what he was reading (I've since learned (oh who am I kidding, I' haven't) learned my soft-peddling techniques for eliciting the same information).  He was reluctant to to tell me, "Oh, you would not know the author," he offered politely. The human bulldozer does not take such an answer as an answer.  I stepped on the clutched and moved my dozer into gear, "Try me!  I read lots of unusual things, and I might surprise you."

He did not seem convinced but offered up his current reading (I had already scooped him up in the dozer bucket, so how could he refuse?).  "It's a book by Ecknath Easwaran.  I'm sure that you have never heard of him."

I got quite animated, "Of course I know who Ecknath Easwaran is, I have several of his books."  Bob likely had better chances of winning the lottery or getting hit by space trash than finding another person in his immediate circle who had read Easwaran.  It was that lunch that launched many meaningful conversations over the ensuing years.  For myself, I was thrilled to find someone that had a reading list such as my own.  It is indeed winning the friendship lottery!

Over the ensuing years, these meaningful conversations were sometimes heated, and we learned long ago not to have these conversations in the presence of others.  Why?  Because witnessing two people hewing the beliefs of another is quite a violent thing to witness (like elections).  Others have little or no experience in feeling the needle of the respectful (if not animated) inquiry of another digging into the core of their sacred beliefs. Meaningful conversations, then, get at the heart of what we, as individuals, believe and think and force us to come face to face with the laziness of our acquired thoughts and values as they are more often than not "hand me downs" from our culture, family, friends, rather something crafted by our own inquiry.

So much better to wear an ill-fitting garb made of the cloth we've selected, measured, cut and stitched than a beautifully-fitted garb that we've purchased off the rack because it was pretty and fit.  

Many ideas that are set upon us that seemingly fit, do not allow us to grow. Conversely, if we fit ourselves to a particular idea, then we've merely pigeon-holed ourselves.  Enter, meaningful conversations and the prick of the needle of inquiry.  Having friends who have the courage to have these difficult conversations enable us to wrestling in the mud of our suppositions, superstitions, assumptions, presumptions and all manner of confronting our opinions and beliefs.  All the wrestling exposes those ideas for what they are--likely a strange brew of opinions masquerading as facts, myths accepted as truths and authentic embraces of values that are integral to our core being.

If our beliefs fit us and we've gone through that mud wrestling match and still feel that way, then that simply means one of two things:  either we've gone through an inquiry and arrived at valid conclusions, or the mud wrestling was merely a thrown fight. Regardless, we are always the better for it.

Such conversations require a large degree of love and respect for the other person.  I'm not a believer in the quaint opinion that we have to respect the beliefs of others.  Rather, I believe that we respect people and how they comport themselves and treat others, and we respect their right to believe as they may.   (That whole, "I may not defend what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it").  Most importantly, if we seek to understand why a person believes as s/he does, we sometimes get at the root of the issue--either theirs or ours.

The simple question of "What are you reading?" followed by the insensitivity of NOT allowing my friend to 'wave off' the question, led to several years of meaningful conversations that I will have with Bob that will terminate when we leave this plane of existence.  With the New Year looming ahead, perhaps the second best gift you can give yourself is first a sitting down with yourself to write a "What I believe essay". 

What is the first best gift?  Seeking someone in your life who will mud wrestle it to the ground with you.  Get dirty.  Feel the prick of the needle of inquiry. And revel in the expansion of your mind.











Patio



Here it is, the the ungrouted patio on my SR project.  It is beautiful, and I'm thrilled.  Today the brick layers will use a grout bag and mortar the joints.

The patio is just the right size....neither too big, nor too small.  The pattern is herringbone run on a 90 v. a 45.  From every direction it has a beautiful look.

This area will provide a lovely area to which the new owners can provide their own flair.  That this home had NO outdoor space (particularly in the neighborhood that it is in) was a major detriment.  It started to rain, so the bricklayers put up the little tent.  It reminded me of a funeral tent...

My agent and I looked at properties yesterday.  In one I took a tumble.  An old house that had a step down--I made the first step but the second step was a wedge.  No harm done, but thank goodness I have a reflexive ankle that gave immediately (and there were not hard corners to hit my head on).   I sprained my ankle once on a step down into a sunken living room.  Not really a great design for clumsy people like me!

We looked at another property today--absolutely nothing redeeming about it other than the county and the school system.  At the price offered, the location of the property (close to busy road), the poor layout and condition of the home, for the amount of money needed to rehab the property, it just wasn't worth it--even at a steep discount from the current offer.

Patience.

Thanksgiving Post-Post Mortem--and a Purposefully Rambling Post of Elusive Merit

What a joy it was to be a Thanksgiving guest.  My daughter and her husband did an outstanding job. Everything was perfect! (And I did serve as the turkey technical advisor). While it was the first time in 26 years that I've not hosted TG, the happy circumstance, it was also the first time in 34 years that we did not dine with Mark's parents.  My MIL is too fragile to travel, so we missed them--terribly so. The good news is that they are doing fine, but are choosing to limit their travel (albeit a short distance) due to my MIL's fragility.

To assist my Dad who is 80, my son fetched him and took him home.  Night time driving is not something that is comfortable for him--me neither.

Our Virginia weather was stupendous--as is typical for most fall days so long as we are not getting pummeled by a hurricane--either directly or indirectly.

I continued to work around OUR house (rather than a project house this weekend). I am actively looking for another project, but so far, I have not found one despite spending quite a bit of time in front of a computer prospecting over this holiday.   In doing some prospecting, I also came across some homes on the market that were owned by renovators.  I decided to do some research on one of the companies--looking up other renovations, seeing the before (pics &$'s) and the after (pics & $'s).  It was interesting to do this research.It was clear that this company was a full time renovator--turning over the properties in about 90-120 days.

That is of course what a professional renovator would do.  While by definition I would qualify as a professional renovator, I'm having trouble embracing that title.  I now have 4 renovations under my belt (okay....3.75 as I'm still in the throes of finishing this next one)--and I get paid to do it. But it is not my full time vocation--rather it is more of an avocation, and a way to put client money to work--safely and with a good return, and to give me a chance to do something in addition to my real profession.

Now that I decide to couch the distinction of vocation v. avocation in such terms is worth a second look for it is a reminder of how powerful our view of ourselves is.  The fact of the matter is that no matter what vocation I am in, I bring to bear in that endeavor (beekeeper, barmaid, scientist) a specific set of skills and experiences quite apart from my education.  I'm more comfortable in my vocation because that is where my education and experience is centered.  Nevertheless, I have a talents that are just part of my chemical makeup (creativity, ability to integrate diverse 'stuff' and problem solving being the ones that I hold high and dear) coupled with a great desire to help others.

But these named qualities are valuable in any setting.  Identifying and developing our true gifts is perhaps the most important thing that we can do.  I was reading today, Jose Ortega y Gasset's Meditation on Quixote.  Here's a quote that I thought interesting (as I've been writing this post as an interspersed interlude to more mundane things (cleaning, cooking, laundry):
There are men who might reach complete self-fulfillment in a secondary position, but whose eagerness to occupy the forefront destroys all their worth.

 I would see this so often in sales people. All good salespeople want to be a sales manager.  However, the chemical makeup  that makes a good salesperson a good salesperson renders them not so good a manager.  But one must be careful in taking a specific and over generalizing.  I've witnessed the specific many times...but it still may be over generalizing.

The point being what?  The point being the importance of our being authentic in understanding who we are, what we want to accomplish, and how we plan to get there--alongside a frank assessment of whether or not which is independent of trudging down a path.  Warren Bennis offered the following, which I always struck me as being insightful, pragmatic (and of course obvious, but the obvious rarely presents itself so cogently.)

On Becoming a Leader
Warren Bennis
1989, Perseus Books

How can you best express you?

The first test is knowing what you want, knowing your abilities and capacities, and recognizing the difference between the two.

The second test is knowing what drives you, knowing what gives you satisfaction, and knowing the difference between the two.

The third test is knowing what your values and priorities are, knowing what the values and priorities of your organization  (current endeavor) are, and measuring the difference between the two.

The fourth test is - having measured the differences between what you want and what you're able to do, and between what drives you and what satisfies you, and between what your values are and what the organization's (your current endeavor's) values are - are you able and willing to overcome those differences. (pp 123-127) Crossouts and italics shamelessly provide by me



That brings us to what? The courage to frankly address Bennis' points above.  Considering Bennis' points would help us determine if we are giving up self fulfillment (per Gasset's observation) by grasping for something that is beyond our desire, skills, etc.  My son said to me one day some years ago, "I would never want to have a job like yours; you work all the time."  Indeed I did. But I didn't really mind it as it 'suited' me.  He had the presence of mind to know that he wanted a more balanced life.  My SIL said the same thing to me when frustrated with the demands that her work was making on her time--"I don't want to work the hours that you worked."  Well, in my job/position, those hours were required, and my responsibility was always great--what I accomplished (or not) had real consequences to the jobs of people.  I knew what I had to do;  I had the desire to comply; and I believed (and it is true, I think) that bringing to bear my skills and experience in those settings mattered to many (saved jobs, created jobs, etc).  That of course satisfied my need to help.

But in my career, I did do that leapfrog over my self fulfillment to being in the forefront.  It was something that I was asked to do and was honored in being asked.  I felt it was my role to execute what was being asked of me.  In that terrible space, I bumped against my limits--the first time in my entire life. In that space, there is a terrifying clarity, and I understood myself better than ever before.  Ortega y Gasset was not in my reading repertoire at the time. Perhaps if he had been I would have had a more balance perspective of where I had landed!

When was the last time you consciously thought about the who you are authentically v.  what you are currently doing?  Well, the New Year is fast approaching, and that would be something worth considering when you are in a contemplative mood.  For myself, my writing this missive has transformed my 'self-view' into embracing my title as a professional renovator. As I go through the points above, this work (in addition to my vocation) lines up very well with my 'proclivities'.  We are not 'this' or 'that'--if we choose to identify ourselves that way, we become self limiting. If we fear failure, we never take a risk.  But the biggest risk of all is our failing to be self aware.








Here it is Thanksgiving, and for the first time in 26 years, I'm not charged with putting on the dinner.  My daughter and her new husband want to host TG dinner at their home.

I am feeling much like my mother and my mother and law must have felt when I announced the same in 1986--ELATED! In my usual fashion, I would prepare an over-the-top dinner which certainly contributed to the large amount of planning and execution time.  Nevertheless, it was something that I wanted to do. 

However (and importantly), I am serving as the culinary coach on this dinner.  Last evening, I helped my daughter with preparing the brine for the turkey.  I also gave explicit instructions on how to cook the turkey.  If you are looking for a tried and true method that is a perfect combination of art and science, look no further than Alton Brown's Perfect turkey.  It is available on the web, but I have the PDF for you HERE.  My method is identical, and I found it in Bon Appetit far before Alton Brown was on the scene.  Nevertheless, he provides the method here, and I promise you that there is no better method to cook a turkey.  Basting really is not for the birds....trust me. This method browns the turkey on the outside and then provides for tender succulent meat on the inside.  Never dry...rather it is fragrant and moist and will surpass your expectations in every way.

Each year, I would find one new recipe to try--sometimes a side dish, sometimes a dessert.  Some were great successes, and others (like that dreadful brussels sprouts with pearl onions, chestnuts and garlic cream) were a bust!  Undaunted by my busts, my culinary curiosity led to a 'stable' of dishes that perfectly complement each other and are a little different.  I'm not sure why, but my DNA requires that I do things a little differently--and that predilection generally has served me well in both business and personal life.

As if the dinner were not enough to pull off, we also had EPA cleanup.  I always worked many hours and with two children and a husband and animals, the house was always in need of tidying up!  However, as we do things BIG around here...tidying up meant EPA cleanup.  That description is one whisker shy of hyperbole.  Accordingly, after cooking and cleaning, I was pooped--but everyone always looked forward to coming to dinner with gastronomically high expectations (that were generally fully met!).

I'm not completely off the hook, though.  I am charged with bringing the turkey platter (check), making the cranberry sauce (ingredients on hand!) and making the Maple Pecan Chocolate Tart (CLICK for recipe) (ingredients on hand!) and the sausage dressing (we don't stuff) and the spicy cranberry sauce (CLICK for recipe).  This picture anchoring the left hand corner of this post is my picture of that tart.  Served slightly warmed with premium vanilla ice cream, it is pecan pie at a level of sophistication that will never leave you wanting for any other dessert. Yes, it really is that good.

I believe that the recipe originated from  Bon Appetit, but I have long since lost the original, and Epicurious does not have this recipe anywhere.  I've been subscribing to Bon Appetit for quite a long while.  I recently tossed many back issues into the recycle bin.  Before doing so, I found myself sitting down and rifling through back issues--at the very least to save the Thanksgiving issues.  After 5 minutes of nostalgic flipping, I forced myself to get up and unceremoniously consign them to the recycling netherworld.  As I write I have a pang of regret--but if it is not me to toss them, who else?

The spicy cranberry sauce recipe is similar to my Tart Cranberry Sauce--I've made my notations on the PDF, so that you can prepare it as you like.  It looks quite beautiful in a crystal bowl.  Making your own cranberry sauce is really easy, and there are so many ways that you can do it to give it your own flair.  With all of my other experimentations, my cranberry sauce is a staple, and I don't experiment with it as everyone loves it is.

I believe that the recipe came out of Bon Appetit, but I have long since lost the original, and Epicurious does not have this recipe anywhere.  I've been subscribing to Bon Appetit for quite a long while.  I recently tossed many back issues into the recycle bin.  Before doing so, I found myself sitting down and rifling through back issues--at the very least to save the Thanksgiving issues.  After 5 minutes of nostalgic flipping, I forced myself to get up and unceremoniously consign them to the recycling netherworld.  As I write I have a pang of regret--but if it is not me to toss them, who else?


With my daughter hosting, my favorite holiday is made all the more special--watching my daughter begin her own tradition.  This is a holiday that asks nothing of us but to share the bounty of the table and our spirit.

For your convenience, here are the links to the recipes here:








I'm still toying around with my grass pictures that I took a couple of weekends ago.  I sure like this rendition which I achieved using the posterizing and inversion layers. It is just 'hack' work, but something that delights me.




With all the talk of the fiscal cliff, and all manner of gridlock and other related goofiness, I offer this wonderful verse:





In the time of war
Raise in yourself the Mind of Compassion
Help living beings
Abandon the will to fight
Wherever there is a furious battle
Use all you might
To keep both sides' strength equal
And then step into the conflict to reconcile.

Vimalakirti Nirdesa

This sutra has always resonated with me.  There's a dynamic tension in the sutra that might seem at odds with our Western thinking---but it is worth contemplating the ideas of polarity, equality and ultimately reconciliation.  "Step into the conflict to reconcile" is such an action oriented phrase--and it is a useful one for us to follow in our every day life.

You may find Robert Thurman's translation of the Vimalakriti Nirdesa Sutras at this link