Depleting the Larder

Throwing good food away goes against the grain, such a waste. How many people go without enough in their larder.  Our upcoming travel however, means leaving the RV on its own for a couple of weeks while we take the clan to Israel for a long dreamed-of family reunion.  Necessity means use it or loose it; the perishables in the rig refrigerator or fruit and veggies in the drawer.  Creative juices must be called upon to blend what is left together to avoid any waste.

I love a challenge and like most of us "cooks" never follow a recipe anyway.  Paul prepares his non-veggie part of any meal on his own. So I will deal with the rest of the menu. Our latke intake suffered this Chanukah, because I did not care to purchase anything so close to our departure. Therefore, the first night of Chanukah, I made delicious lentil/spinach veggie burgers that Paul grilled along with small peppers and onion and tomato slices.  This year, we chose to deprive ourselves of latkes or Sufganiyot (Israeli jelly donuts), but made sure the oil of the Maccabees still played a role in our celebration in preparing the burgers for sauteeing the spinach, onion and garlic. They were delicious and satisfied our needs.

So far, we have feasted upon buttercup squash filled with a kale, mushroom, bean saute and baked, omelets filled with veggies and cheese, a Tamali casserole topped with corn bread that bake gloriously together, Southern Tomato Pie, Tortilla and veggie Jambalaya soup, roasted sweet potato, onion and carrots, the lentil burgers and gorgeous salads chock full of avocado, jicama, fennel, more kale, edamame and nuts along with the usual suspects. The final contenders as we approach our departure date include onion, garlic, mushrooms, pinto beans, eggs, carrots, celery that could be paired with pasta, couscous or a lovely brown pecan rice grown and purchased in Louisiana. What fun, and nothing to throw away.

Off we go to delight in seeing our beloved Israel through our grandson's eyes, to catch up with family and friends, to refresh our sense of history, of belonging and of returning "home" and to feast on Israeli and Mediterranean meals and the renowned milk and honey of the land of Israel. This is just a small way of getting to repeat again to all of you, wishes for a happy and special holiday season and a healthy, wish fulfilling new year.

Last year's Latkes

Southern Tomato Pie

Fess up

In my last post, I confessed an obsession based on recording too much info in the form of electronic data bases, having succumbed to modernity and putting my collection of yellow-lined pads to rest. My book lists go back many years and wading through available book synopsis, reviews, Goodreads, word of mouth and the best-of book lists in search for the next read gets harder and harder. We live in the age of too much info at our fingertips. My fingertips are calloused for sure.

In the "old" days of wandering through the candy store-a.k.a libraries with physical shelves, I was endlessly overwhelmed at the number of tempting tomes I lugged to the check out desk to consume before the due date (online renewal being an option). It is even harder now, since my quest for each book to be a great read, a literary gem that I "can't put down."  Not every book fits that bill of course, it is what I anticipate and hope for with each choice.

Decision making is truly an art. What gets in my way is my confessed tendency to become too "cerebral," defined as a tendency to intellectualize and over-analyze every step of the way instead of just zeroing in on the decisive moment. I know I am not alone. Picking a "good" read is usually not life threatening, not as essential to our careers, health, or well being as the larger decisions we have to make through out life, but, none-the-less, remains a challenge.

So, as a follow up to my last blog and my data base library and the desire for word of mouth recommendations from revered family and friends with similar obsessions, I am asking for your input. In trade for suggestions of your favorite reads, I offer the following list for your consideration to read and some images from my book projects.

A few quickly chosen favorites starting with fiction (especially expressing my tendency towards historical fiction) All the Light you Cannot see, Anthony Doerr, The Invention of Wings, Susan Monk Kidd, TransAtlantic, Colum McCann, Twelve Years a Slave, Solomon Northup, The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, Discovery of Chocolate, James, Runcie, The Reader, Bernhard Schlink and many more.

Some non fiction favorites: 1491, New Revelations of America Before Columbus, Charles Mann.

Reading Lolita in Tehran, Nafisi, Azar, The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, Thad Carhart, Sixpence House, Paul Collins, Prague Winter, Madeline Albright--her autobiography, True North and Road from Coorain, autobiography by Conway, Jill Ker, Longitude, Dava Sobel, Evangaline, Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth.  I best stop there short of listing favorite authors, genres and themes. I look forward to your offerings, especially to download on my Kindle for our forthcoming trip to Israel with our family. There will be much more to share upon our return. Happy holidays to all, good health, good weather and good times. Grafiti found along the way Book of graphics Open book sculpture, 3 gorges project, China

A legacy from Our Learned Sages

a Thought for the day

Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.

Titus Maccius Plautus, Rudens

Roman comic dramatist (254 BC - 184 BC)

Note nothing is new; Patience has been an issue through the ages

Source:  http://www.quotationspage.com/

Patience is a virtue; Overcoming feelings of anger, anxiety and frustration is a big step toward solving problems when faced with circumstances beyond control, leading to acceptable outcomes and solutions. With that said, those who know us well as travelers and RVers realize that we are both antsy. We can't sit still for long, or stay in one place for long either. 3-5 days and we are ready to move on. I admit, at times we do long to put down the jacks and stay awhile, perhaps to get to know an area well, to sign up as volunteers to work camp or just visit long term with family or friends. But we tend to move on--until time stops and is out of our control. 

Our current "residency" is Red Bay, Alabama located in the NW corner of Alabama. It is the birthplace of our Tiffin motor home and we have come to Red Bay for service work and repairs. Our plan was 2-3 weeks at most to get through the to do list. Tomorrow it will be one month and the situation is still out of hand. Parts are promised to be en route, so we sit and wait, working at being patient, calm, cool and (mostly) collected. That's our current state of mind, knowing we can't change the situation, knowing we will move on eventually and surviving on the humor of it all, practicing acceptance and sharing feelings with other folks in the same situation.

Patience is learned and we have had a lifetime for those lessons. In the scheme of things, this is very minor and I accept that. It is not health related, we are not in danger and all of our needs are met, even beyond any expectations. The current "camp site" is a bit out of the ordinary. On the coldest days of the year to date, our rig is inside a  huge building and is hooked up to electric and water. The temperature is in the mid 50's in our place of refuge, the outdoors will go into the lower 20's. Lo and behold we save on propane for heat, we are hooked up to electricity and city water that won't freeze overnight. This is the home of McKinney RV Sales and Service and for us, a warehouse with a view.  

The view is not an eye popping lakeside, or vivid blue ocean with a sandy beach, nor a glorious mountain caked in snow, or a forest in full fall color.  The view is indeed quite funky.

 In a building seemingly as long as a football field, it is 1/3 repair bay and 2/3's inventory and storage. The inventory includes anything and everything that make up parts of a motor home, the ancient, the old, and the new.  Could so vast a collection of stuff be entered on a data base or are the parts located only through the memory of the older members of the McKinney family?  More stuff is stored outside the building as well. What stories must lurk in the history of this place. There is hope and promise that we will only be here 2 more days. Our patience, hard at times, pays off, avoiding displays of anger, abusiveness or giving up hope. It has been a good few weeks in a corner of the country we have not experienced. We visited several museums, galleries, toured the Coon Dog Cemetery, The Helen Keller birthplace, hiked in Dismals Canyons and met more wonderful folks. What a life style we lead. More surprises lay ahead. We are ready.

Looking Beyond Helen Keller's Story

Helen Keller as we all know is renowned for overcoming severe sight and hearing handicaps devoting her adult life to improving the lot of the disabled. Her name is recognized by millions, her life story is familiar to so many. In a recent visit to her birthplace and museum in Florence, AL, I learned so much more about her family life beyond the classic stories of her growth, development and nurturing by tutor and governess Annie Sullivan.  

Helen lost her sight and hearing at 19 months and quickly became the focus of attention by her parents Arthur and Kate Adams Keller. In that regard, I wondered about the impact of her afflictions on her siblings and the reactions of her 4 siblings; two half brothers, James and William Simpson, sister Mildred Campbell Keller and brother, Phillip Brooks Keller. Did they feel equally loved by their parents or ignored in deference to the energy, anguish and devotion given to Helen in learning to overcome her handicaps.  In her 9th year, she was enrolled in the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA and left her birthplace in Florence. She reportedly did not return home to live after this move.

On the museum tour, the docents highlighted her parents success and wealth, living on a 640 acre plot of land. They touted the continuing success and brilliance of the modern day Keller family engaging in highly regarded careers,  The continuation of the family line reportedly is due to Helen's sister Mildred with three daughters to carry on.  

Little is known or documented of the lives of Helen's two older half sibs; James Keller b abt 1869-In 1900 living with cousins and grandmother in AL, unmarried and William Simpson Keller b abt 1876-In 1929 living in Alabama married to Annie, Civil Engineer (Highway) for the State of Alabama. Neither James or William had children to carry on the name. Not unexpectedly we learned that her half siblings were quite affected by their neglectful upbringing, both leaving Florence for elsewhere in AL.  James is quoted as saying "I feel overlooked much of the time with Helen getting all of the attention."  James is believed to have died young, in the early 1900's, but the circumstances are unknown.    

Her full fledged sibs were Phillips Brooks Keller b abt 1892-1n 1920 living in TX, unmarried, Civil engineer and sister Mildred Campbell Keller 1886-1969 in Montgomery AL, married to Laban Tyson. their 3 children were: Katherine b abt 1910, Patty b abt 1915 and Mildred b abt 1918, responsible for carrying on the family name. 

William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher said of Helen Keller in 1908, "Whatever you were or are, you're a blessing." http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_James
Indeed she was a blessing to many but how often we do not learn of the realities of life and living and the affects individuals have upon one another. I just wanted to share these glimpses into the back stories of a personality we have all come to know and revere. 

The images; the Helen Keller museum and the famous pump, site of the triumph of Annie Sullivan tapping Helen's understanding of language. 

Coon Dog Cemetary

Tasks on this day; Seeking a little humor and distraction on this day after the election debacle. Seeking sights to see while we wait for service on our motor coach in Red Bay, Al;  trying to see it all as we travel down new roads.

After lunch at Swamp Johns, mentioned in the former blog, we set off toward the Coon Dog Cemetery a few miles down the road we are on. This is certainly a remote part of Alabama and is listed as a must see, worth the drive.  The site is unique, peaceful and quiet and there are no crowds. Paul and I were alone.

The Coon dog is highly regarded in this part of the US and the love of these pets certainly shines in this Cemetery. The first grave was dug in 1937 and took off from there. It is a field of graves, all adorned with plastic flowers, American flags, dog collars, photos, loving comments and a great variety of headstones dating from '37 to the present. We were joined by a mom and daughter from Birmingham, Al trying to see as many highlights of the area as possible in two days. We talked, suggested places to visit and pranced together among the graves exclaiming over the dogs names, ages at death (up to 18 years old) and delighted with our visit to yet another unique site.

Enough gab, photos tell it best.

Guiltless(?) Eating

Situation; Monday morning, 7:00AM, byline; Red Bay, Al. 

Our Motor Coach is in the repair bay at Tiffin Motor Homes and we are on our own for the day on a search for breakfast in this southern hard scrap working town supported by two major manufacturers: Tiffin and Sunshine, a major brand of dog food. Breakfast choices become a different breed in this town—no bagel shops, coffee houses or upscale restaurants, just a few chains, Subway, McD's  and 2 down-home southern eateries--Jacks, and Swamp Johns. They have atmosphere with several cars pulled up to their doors. Jacks it was, a shorter drive. 

I studied the menu board long and hard. Two issues, I am a veggie with a small capacity and I harbor a dread of too much salt, sugar, fat and feel guilty when I do indulge.  The counter waitress was very patient with me and I was able to order a listed menu item with caveats.  A scrambled egg plate without meat. Two large bowls were set on my tray, 1 with scrambled eggs, and a bowl of grits in melted butter plus a to die for biscuit which must be made with all butter, hot, soft and tasty. Paul had similar with no meat but his also included deep fried rounds of hash brown. I was determined to enjoy and giggle my way to feeling guilt-free and just have fun. The food was very filling and delicious, the ambiance homey, engaging and rustic.  I managed to bury and rise above my qualms.

We left Jacks in time to take the Tiffin factory tour at 9:00 outfitted with headphones and safety glasses, focused on the tour until 11:15.  The staff set us free, encouraging us to return to any work station, ask questions of the crew while they worked and then tour the rigs in the finishing stations or lined up on the “yellow brick road” just hot off the production line. We learned that our coach has 2 miles of electric wire, thousands of nuts, bolts and latches, and a potpourri of machinery and parts beyond the ability to comprehend. Somehow it all works most of the time. 

Current time; 12:35 pm. To the Jeep to look for lunch. I had apples with me for fall back as we  elected to try Swamp Johns a bit out of town  but arriving at closing time—their hours 5:00 am to 1:00 pm.  Back to the Jeep and skipping Subway, we headed right back to the other home owned choice, to Jacks. Paul had a burger and I ordered another biscuit and loved it with the juicy Braeburn apple that I shared with Paul. I confess, I succumbed (burying my “guilt” once again) savoring a scoop of Blue Belle butter crunch ice cream. Delicious. 

Tiffin repair work stops at 3:00 PM, so we picked up our rig and set up our campsite for the 6th or 7th time with more work time to come. Tomorrow to McKinneys paint shop by 8:00 am for repair work. Breakfast will be cereal on board, Lunch, most likely another battle with my psyche, but I intend to enjoy every bite. Back to exercise and whole grains, yogurt, tofu and my full share of fruits and veggies after our stint in Red Bay. You would be amazed at what there is to do in this seemingly remote spot in North Western Alabama. Off to the local history museum with a special room devoted to their home grown celeb, Tammy Wynette.

Ann Carol Goldberg

virtual surrealism, scattered thoughts

Picture me sitting in my RV, working on my new website after being tutored by my son Dan, the expert computer geek. I am attempting to apply what I have learned, have been working for hours and now I find myself staring out the window, my eyes a bit glazed and tired. I see golden sunlight glinting off the rows of neighboring motor homes nestled in their campsites. My mind wanders, my mood is verging on the surreal, the affects of striving to go with the flow, changing my routine from expectations to getting to the correct bay when expected. Work has progressed and now a weekend will give us all rest and reprieve. 

It is quiet now, not much movement after a rain and wind storm that has suddenly changed to blue sky and the dawning of sunset. This has been a strange week of waiting for calls to the repair bays coming on the spur of the moment at any time of day. It is a scramble to button up the RV securely enough to go a short distance without items flying as we go. Yes, life is like that, but somehow I have a different mind set in this campground setting. Perhaps because we have made many quick decisions, seen so many hard working folks tend to their work without a flinch or hesitation, knowing how to tackle a problem with finesse and then sending us our way back to site 65. 

The wind has picked up again. No one is outside doing their usual tending to their rig, walking a dog (or cat), visiting with neighbors. hustling to the factory office or parts store to complete the list of wants and needs. They are most likely tucked into their warm rigs, perhaps sipping beer, wine or other beverages, preparing dinner, watching the news, awaiting the coming election, discussing goals and other matters, speaking on the phone or dozing off on the comfy sofa. My mood is perhaps distorted by the aura I see out the window, the review of this strange week with at least one more like it to come and my quest to get back into blogging (hopefully a bit more coherently in the future.) but satisfied and looking forward to the week to come. 

No trick and treaters have banged on our door, I is time to get get my head back on track, to get dinner together and catch up with the news, Shabbat and take stock of what is to come.

Ann Carol Goldberg

Take a Breather

Such a strange turn of events this week, the Supreme Court does not reign so Supreme, The Hobby Lobby decision forces yet another setback for women thwarting individual needs and valuable health care choices, Israel mourns young lives once again, Iraq is burning, the Ukraine is burning, Afghanistan is electing, GM is scorched, the first major hurricane is brewing, Brazil is raising the global popularity of football (soccer), Cuba's face is changing, Great Britain is weighing major decisions toward loyalties and affiliations, illegal aliens are getting younger and younger and more desperate and I just learned that Willie Nelson is releasing a new album featuring his original compositions at 81 years of age and in April, earned his fifth-degree black belt in the martial art of Gong Kwon Yu Sul. This just skims the top of the barrell of world news. 

It puts in my mind Walter Cronkite hosting the TV show, You Are There. The first telecast took place on February 1, 1953, a favorite news show of yesteryear, before the Web and before hand held devices.  In movie houses, news reels reviewed the weeks' events before the feature film at the movies, when movies were only available by purchasing a ticket and bag of popcorn.  As attraction to audiences you could win a prize dinner dish, water glass, toaster or waffle iron at the theaters' raffles. And daily newspapers really reported the news. You Are There could not happen in 2014. Life is too fast, events occur at the speed of light.  Instead, You are there constantly with on the spot reporting and transmission. News reports are followed up with constant analysis, some real, some (most) biased and distorted.  Facts are challenged, propaganda grows, lobbying distorts agendas and the popularity of Comedy Central characters present news that some folks regard as true news reporting. 

I will stop so we can all return to the media via our preferred devices for another overdose of daily events, sound bytes and endless talking heads. Will there ever be a quiet moment to give us a reprieve from all of the hype;  adds that run 6-7 at a time, bombarding us with products and services and then returning back to the show for a just a few minutes before the next addtion of advertising.  A breather would be welcome but unlikely in this fast paced world.  Besides, taking a clean deep breath requires wearing a face mask of course. Time check; it is almost time for the 10:00 PM news.

Ann Carol Goldberg

My Message to John

My message to John goes like this; but, first of all, John is John Nugent, Producer/Artistic Director Extraordinaire of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, version 13. June, 2014.

Dear John;
Here it is, so fast in coming, the days just after the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival ends. The question is now what to do today...the rest of the week. How to fill the time that for nine explosive days were filled with listening to samples, picking the first draft of our schedule for the evening, striving to get to several events in one evening on our beloved Jazz pass.

What a shining festival year this has been, so fully packed and over in a blink. The 13th season of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival was grand. For me, this was the year of the vocalist. While many of the instrumental groups still place high on my favorites list, I was struck by the supreme talents of female singers such as Cecile McLorin Salvant, Lorraine Klaasen, Karrin Allyson, Phaedra Kwant, Cyrille Aimee, Ester Rada, and of course, Catherine Russell, Diane Shuur (both known and loved) and so many more.

You have broken last year's record for number of attendees, offered and exceptional number of varied performances, feature the luxury of all venues within walking distance negating the need for long drives, shuttles or other hassles to get between events and kept Rochester top on the map for international jazz festivals. How I thank you for the opportunity to sample and hear music I would not find on my own, to meet new people that often lead to lasting friendships, and to renew other friendships.  No more to be said as you hear from a multitude of attendees with advice and their own words of wisdom.  So I wish you a good year and will go now to my playlist to listen to some of the gems from this years 13th edition of the Jazz Festival.

Ann Carol Goldberg
cgstudio.net

What Talent

Random thoughts; first of all, thanks everyone for your good wishes for our milestone anniversary. We were blown over by the messages.

Second, as many of you know we are obsessed by the Rochester International Jazz Fest and hardly able to concentrate on our daily life activities without humming, skipping, singing and praising the many memorable performances we are attending. A few highlights have been Akiko Tsuruga (Hammond Organ), Lorraine Klaassen, phenomenal African singer, interpreter and natural-born entertainer, Two Siberians--guitar and violin actually from Siberia and unique and entertaining, Woody Pines, funky and intriguing playing and singing (duo guitars, harmonica, drum, kazoo), The Brubeck Brothers quartet, celebrating their dad's legacy and talented in their own right, Les Doigts De L'Homme Quintet, picking and singing their way into your hearts.

However, I am blown away at the talent of Cecile McLorin Salvant, a singer, interpreter and true entertainer. We saw her first show at Kilbourn and tried to return for the 2nd but word got around so we could not get in. Once in, no one leaves the hall. She revived songs from 1905 and 1920 (Nobody sung in her style was like a mystery story, even though you anticipate the ending--a long, breathy, sigh -- the word "you"). She works the audience, seeming to interact with each and every person in the audience so you feel she is singing for you. Gorgeous in her white rimmed glasses, turquoise/blue dress and bright white HIGH heeled shoes with ankle strap, her apparently 4 octave vocal range, varied uses of intonation, brilliant interpretations, and regard for her band are extraordinary.

And she was introduced as "an up and coming talent."  I think she has reached that category and will hopefully become a house hold name. Now back to the computer to plan our next Jazz festival jaunt. It is so hard to choose.

Ann Carol Goldberg

Fifty Years of Joy!

I haven't written a Message in a Minute in several months--too busy gathering adventures and images, but I have to much to share with you.  Today on my mind the joy of reaching 50 years of bliss married to a great guy. June 21st, 1964, a hot, summer day. We are still so much in love, best of friends and gathering so many adventures, trying to cram everything we have dreamed about into our lives.

I find joy in sharing my thoughts with friends and getting your feedback on your life adventures, ups, downs and the wonders of daily living. My hopes are that human kind will work harder to save the environment for future generations and to lessen the hatred and hopelessness we have seen spread as we travel the world and work together to reach goals that should not be unattainable.

More posts to come. Thanks for being such good friends and acquaintances and a good life to all.

Ann Carol Goldberg