tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444033359039146312024-03-05T03:03:54.565-06:00The Lotus Sutra ChroniclesYou, O venerable one, are perhaps indeed a seeker, because, in striving for your goal, there are many things that you don't see, even though they are right in front of your eyes.” Hermann Hesse, SiddharthaMarilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.comBlogger262125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-80063807412890920692015-02-15T22:07:00.002-06:002015-02-15T22:16:44.042-06:0050 Shades<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">50 Shades of Gray<br />
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I didn't read the book so I went into this movie totally blind, which for a change is good. I was waiting to see for myself what the hype was all about. I was sitting there waiting to see that something, perhaps it's an indescribable magic, that just is. Some would call it chemistry, but it's more than that. Whatever that missing element for this story was, it wasn't there for me. All I could do was to break it down into predictable elements that were going to progress into areas that were just going to build up with violence against a woman that this Anastasia-character was going to trade in order to get more from Christian, who I guessed had an abusive childhood and felt this need to abuse women and not have any sort of a normal relationship. <br />
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The Anastasia character rejects a boy who has been nice to her for years to accept a rich asshole who has a fetish for chaining and beating women with riding crops and belts. This is the first time in a very long time where I have gone to a movie and actually walked out of the theater because I just didn't want to watch a woman get hit with a belt after she tells the dominant character "I want to see how bad it really is." After the second hit with the belt, I hit the door. It's empty. It's soulless and perhaps pain is the message of needing to feel alive somehow.</div>
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To me, it was the classic cycle of the abused becoming the abuser. However, this guy makes it legitimate with contracts and non-disclosure agreements. The naive girl believes she can fix him and ignores her first instinct to leave him to his untreated sickness. Perhaps I personalized my response to this train wreck of a movie that is making a ton of money worldwide. All I could see was a girl who is being led down a road that would leave her with physical and emotional scars. Her purpose, persumably she's in love with Grey. She's consenting to being physically hit. He's aware that he has issues that he choses not to deal with, but rather he is feeding something very dark indeed.</div>
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Some press has called this a woman's fantasy. I agree, it perhaps is a singular woman's fantasy, I rather think of it as giving up your free will and power over your body. True, there is surrender with sex, but this domination type of sex is a response in a fear of being vulnerable. It reminded me of what Anais Nin wrote, <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“Man can never know the loneliness a woman knows. Man lies in the woman's womb only to gather strength, he nourishes himself from this fusion, and then he rises and goes into the world, into his work, into battle, into art. He is not lonely. He is busy. The memory of the swim in amniotic fluid gives him energy, completion. Woman may be busy too, but she feels empty. Sensuality for her is not only a wave of pleasure in which she is bathed, and a charge of electric joy at contact with another. When man lies in her womb, she is fulfilled, each act of love a taking of man within her, an act of birth and rebirth, of child rearing and man bearing. Man lies in her womb and is reborn each time anew with a desire to act, to </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">be</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">. But for woman, the climax is not in the birth, but in the moment man rests inside of her.” </span> </div>
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And yet, Grey fights this very notion. He fed off her pain and the causing pain. Sadism has never appealed to me for many reasons. Perhaps it is because I would never submit to cruelty in any form in my life. It flies in the face of all that is sensual and passionate. The senses and pleasures have been distorted just so some people can feel they are alive. My brain would not shut up during the movie. I watched and realized I was watching a woman throwing herself at a man, an unrequited love. He saw he could do anything he wanted with her and that made him want her as a vessel to use for his purposes. </div>
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I saw enough. She wan't going to fix him and he was using her. In another socio-economic class this would have been an episode on "Cops" where the man is in a wife beater and the woman has a black eye. Yeah, that's hot. </div>
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Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-90039246864020931072014-12-25T15:08:00.002-06:002014-12-26T00:23:03.774-06:00The Interview - The Streisand Effect in Motion.How do you make a picture go from 'not watch' to 'must see'? Give it global attention. It's called the Streisand Effect. Years ago when Barbara Streisand called attention to how Google maps had included her house, she tried in vain to have the information removed from public view. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><b>The Streisand Effect is now officially defined as a phenomenon whereby an attempt to hide, remove, or censor a piece of information having the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely via the Internet.</b> </span><br />
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I never planned on seeing "The Interview". I am not into the stoner buddy movies. However, it's like being compelled to watch what people thought was worth threatening others over. This was it? It was like watching the antics of high school boys who obsess over the usual things of their lives, drugs, sex, success and how to be more successful, get laid the most and then doing it the "American" way. Weave that in with CIA intrigue, a Leader that people are afraid of because of his access to nuclear weapons laced with emotional daddy issues. A fantasy assasination plot with bitten off fingers. I think none of these are really spoilers for the movie, because it's much like "Christmas Vacation", where you know every time you see it; the cat still gets torched and people still laugh. It's absurd. <br />
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In the movie, you see the battle of censorship to have the removal of mythology of the leader. Absurd myths, such as, President Kim Jong-Un doesn't have an anus. It's this over-the-top nature that this movie takes that quite possibly is viewed as a personal attack of laughter. We are laughing at the situation, the means, Sony pictures, fear, nukes, the CIA, the North Korean hackers and ourselves. I never had any plans of watching this movie. Yet, thoughout this movie, all I could think of was how "The Marriage of Figaro", a comedy, written by Pierre Beaumarchais helped to fire up the French Revolution. </div>
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It's a dangerous movie in North Korea, because they could see their leader is not a God. They could see that all they are led into is just 'honey-dicking'. Because words still hold power and that is why they weren't laughing with the world. So, why was the movie pulled from theaters? Quite possibly for one reason. Perhaps they believe their own caricature of North Korea's Kim Jong-Un. If they believed he was as unstable as their fictions version, maybe they were being socially responsible by pulling the movie from theaters, but at the same time, they are validating the insanity of Kim Jong-Un. </div>
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For the west, who is incredibly used to the satirization of EVERYTHING, where there is nothing sacred, and not used to remaining silent, it's a culture shock. When we don't like something, we joke about it. Create movies that blow up our governments. We don't view it as profane. With our imaginations, we create new worlds to escape from in 120 minute segments. Dreaming for a moment that the world is either worse or better. </div>
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Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw said, "When you tell people the truth, you have better make them laugh, or they will kill you." </div>
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We were laughing so hard that we couldn't hear the silence of North Korea. In a world where everything is a form of propaganda for profit or power, not even a comedy is overlooked. Now that the "Interview" is released into the world, what impact might this have on the people of North Korea? Perhaps that is the next act in this play. <br />
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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to Sony Pictures, President Obama, President Kim Jong-Un, Seth Rogan and Pierre Beaumarchais. I wonder, what is the real revolution? </div>
Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-86086398783051914262014-12-21T01:06:00.000-06:002014-12-21T01:06:18.238-06:00Winter Solstice or The Longest Night<b style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;"> All I do know is I don't have to eat the elephant in one sitting. It's one bite at a time. </b><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I always remind myself that praise and criticism are the same coin. </td></tr>
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A lot of good has come this year. Another 5-Star review, a lot of lobster and today, the shortest day of the year, received word that I have been accepted into a very fine externship (not internship) in Grinnell. <br />
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How many people say you can't do certain things at certain ages? I once saw a flash of an old movie, where the young man had stated he was a failure at 20. Why? What an insane way to view a life. When a person measures their life by the standards of others, is that wise? We may live to be 100. We may only live to be 20. That isn't the point. Those are YOUR years, live them well. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was sad about it being cooked. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't feel very good reading this...kind of stomach churning.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah...better now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why make a fruit tart when you can make a savory one.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Not Quite" Head Cheese. </td></tr>
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So as we, broke bread together, ate curries, drank beers and contemplated our futures...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Motley Crew of Badasses - My Friends</td></tr>
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I thought to myself, what a wonderful year it has been. I wouldn't have had it at all if I would have said to myself, "I am too...(insert disqualifying statement)." I can't think of how many conversations I had with various young people who were concerned with either being too young or too old. Let me just say, that while you are <b><u>ALIVE</u></b> is the time that is just right. When did we start putting a time limit on what we can do with our lives? It's a distracting thought that seems to come up as I continue to do many things with my life. It's a happy day. I keep learning that I know nothing. The more I learn, the more I don't know. It's hard to be arrogant when you know nothing. </blockquote>
So, as I began, I will end with...<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;"> All I do know is I don't have to eat the elephant in one sitting. It's one bite at a time. </b><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></b></blockquote>
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Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-55277002481902376622014-12-13T18:13:00.002-06:002014-12-13T18:19:45.455-06:00Lago Tacos in UptownLago Tacos in Uptown is located at the former Heidi's, where Chef Stuart Woodman once served up an amazing menu and it flamed out in complete chaos. This was a bittersweet visit for me, since I actually love the Heidi's menu more, but I wanted to give Lago Tacos a chance. I sat at the bar, where it is peppered with big screen TVs, happy hour menus and a traditional toast (out of their book of toasts) at sunset, tequila sunset shot glasses are sent around the house. It complements the house margarita I am drinking, and I am on foot, so I feel safe enough to indulge. <br />
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I decided my meal in advance, but look over the menu for about 5 minutes. For the appetizer, I have never had deep fried Avocados. The batter is light, almost like a tempura. The seasoning is great and there is a great balance of heat and the acidity of the ranch dressing. This works. This would be a great appetizer to share, a bit much for one person to consume.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled Chicken Lago Taco served doubled up on Corn Tortillas with Refried Pinto Beans</td></tr>
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From their extensive menu of tacos and burritos, I went a little more traditional and had wanted some heat. I didn't understand why they felt they needed to double up on the tortillas, I tasted more corn than chicken with the first one. After that appetizer, there was no way to finish this. I like the presentation, but I think they could have gone with a hard shell. A doubled up soft shell, without anything in between the tortillas seemed a bit of a carb overload. You walk away feeling bloated. Underwhelmed.<br />
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This is the sole dessert on the menu. The White Chocolate Banana Quesadilla with caramel sauce and cinnamon ice cream. Presentation is nice, but delivery is not. How do you normally eat a quesadilla? You either pick it up with your hands or you use a knife and fork. Utensil provided, a spoon. That caramel sauce is sticky. As soon as you bite into it, the bananas slide around and not to mention, the white chocolate sauce is dripping. You are best served by opening up the quesadilla and taking the bananas and mixing it with the cinnamon ice cream. The ice cream was assertive and smooth. There wasn't a grainy texture, so if this is an in-house concoction, extremely well-made. <br />
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So for me, the appetizer works, but would request a half-order. The tacos didn't work for me, but I would probably order one of their salads instead. The dessert, well, I love the ice cream and the bananas had a nice flavor. So I would order without the cumbersome tortilla. They could restyle this as a banana split and I would love it. I get what they were going for, but unless they bring out a finger bowl, it is honestly too messy to deal with. <br />
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Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-86519834235646119712014-11-03T18:42:00.000-06:002014-11-03T18:43:10.915-06:00Car Karma and Climate Change WarningsThere is the myth of the one owner car. You know, the one with incredibly low mileage in spite of its age. We have heard of this legend, scoffed at it and the truth is, whenever buying a used car, many people are afraid. True, there are internet tools out there to report on title history, because well, people are not always forthcoming when selling a vehicle or even worse, they may not have a clue on how to maintain a vehicle. <br />
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I have not driven since 2008. That is 42 dog years. There has been a certain amount of freedom I have enjoyed by not driving, but the reality is, I do finally have a need for a vehicle. So I turned to Craigslist and was considering a vehicle from a friend of a friend...but timing wasn't right, etc. I was going through my options, reading over everything, when suddenly a new ad was posted for a 1999 VW Jetta, with relatively low miles for its age.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan Jetta when reconditioning is complete.</td></tr>
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I called, I went, I purchased. I have already named her, Joan Jetta. I insured her, registered her and began going through the reconditioning phase. The actual truth was Joan Jetta was not a one-owner vehicle, but she was close to being one. The vehicle was transferred from one family member to another and I decided to run a VIN history report, which can be done on number sites. The title was clean. No hail, no water damage, no accidents and no odometer roll backs...which made me decide, that in concert with the low mileage this was the vehicle to recondition. <br />
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When you run your list of pros and cons, as I ran mine, was the condition of the body was excellent. Minor rust, good bones, and a solid engine. I budgeted a target amount for reconditioning her. I weighed out not having to pay a high sales tax for vehicle registering, no car payment, lower insurance costs and researched existing Jettas, same year and found a lot of them were still on the road, had upwards of 300K on engines and read over maintenance issues and recommendations. So I decided then and there "Joan" was going to be worth the investment.<br />
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So, starting from the inside out, you take care of all of the fluids. replace the timing belt and other drive belts, hoses, spark plugs, distributor cap, ignition wires, oil change, coolant flush, engine flush and it becomes apparent that this girl has got a lot of life left in her. Her battery was changed out and she already had a new exhaust system and new brakes, so she's in pretty good shape for a teen-ager. <br />
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I am going to be honest, I had missed driving, but today, I heard about the new Climate Warnings issued by the UN. "Invest NOW or change will be irreversible." I had just rejoined the millions of drivers on the road and tried to soothe myself by stating that at least it wasn't a gas guzzler and that I was doing my part by reconditioning her. However, what it made me want to ask was what if there was a way to hybridize this vehicle? Since she is getting reconditioned, why not make the existing vehicle greener and not contribute to the waste cycle we seem to have with our vehicle cycle in the USA. That is a huge waste problem right there, but there is change, with more owners holding on to their cars longer with the average vehicle age being 11.4 years old (Autonews.com). <br />
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As a renewed driver on the road, what could I do to minimize my impact? There are some obvious things I can do, like minimize by drive time and whenever I am in the city, I use public transportation. It's when I have to go out to the 'burbs, I need to drive. Car Karma, is one way to look at how to minimize a negative impact and turn it into a positive one. There is use and then there is abuse and disuse. As this journey continues, hopefully we can look at ways for transformation of what we have instead of just trying to sell each other new stuff to replace our old stuff. If we are going to even begin to take climate change seriously, the impact to our food supply, the impact to our environment and all of the steps that this global society needs to take will have to be voluntary for us to thrive. <br />
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It's not really about whether or not anyone believes in climate change...we all have seen the ill-effects of pollution. We are poisoning ourselves, corporately and individually by chasing after little bits of paper, to live. What if chasing after those little bits of paper was what was killing us? Just a thought...that perhaps we could really be smarter than a pigeon in B. F. Skinner's box. <br />
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<br />Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-52164395948133968972014-09-28T19:26:00.000-05:002014-09-28T19:32:47.363-05:00Death Sentence - A Preview<h2>
<i>When I first viewed the art, associated with this film in 2007, it rendered me speechless. At the time I worked with survivors who had lost their military spouses. Many of them had an emotional nakedness about them, often feeling like they were lost in the world without their partners. 2007 had been a particularly hard year for me. It was a year of multiple losses for me, so I did not share the view that others had expressed. Where others saw objectification, I saw vulnerability that made me feel the coldness of a world at war. I thought about our national history. At the time of the first world war, many families were left without any sort of safety net. There was little in the way of death benefits. There was no such thing as "SGLI" or "Survivor's Benefits". During this time, they truly were left to their own devices to survive. Women were not known to serve during the first World War, and often were left destitute. </i></h2>
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<i>The artist, Philip Brooker, started this project after reading a series of letters, the last letters home by servicemen who were often at the front of the war, where real horror visited daily. In that era, men came face to face in conflict. Not at all like the remote warfare that is practiced in our age. This film, aptly reminds us of the real violence of war, no matter where they are fought. It's been seven years since I have seen this series in person, and I still come away with that feeling of being deeply moved by my perception of his work. After nearly a decade of work, it's evolved into this project. This is just a preview that I have been graced with and the privilege of sharing it with you now. For more information about the artist, Philip Brooker, please visit <a href="http://www.brookerworks.com/">www.brookerworks.com</a></i><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yuPtKQXevfM?rel=0" width="640"></iframe></h2>
Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-46950661260357536122014-09-20T21:42:00.001-05:002014-09-20T21:47:48.515-05:00The Hammer and Sickle in Uptown Minneapolis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kvD5CGYpbbE/VB4yqO138VI/AAAAAAAADC0/P_oLAZdW6k0/s1600/IMG_1555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kvD5CGYpbbE/VB4yqO138VI/AAAAAAAADC0/P_oLAZdW6k0/s1600/IMG_1555.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAxlooqdCEk2Rhqt4lFplaXKhg_CuWDsuZk3v2Al69Nx1u6izdIr79KEiAOAFhFvrpOw8rCnWRH3AlcP3z1IotMKfNzykgw0ILi4G0BBLb8rnepGmzqqu14Wxe3DPN-cGDGYHXB5sBzA/s1600/IMG_1562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAxlooqdCEk2Rhqt4lFplaXKhg_CuWDsuZk3v2Al69Nx1u6izdIr79KEiAOAFhFvrpOw8rCnWRH3AlcP3z1IotMKfNzykgw0ILi4G0BBLb8rnepGmzqqu14Wxe3DPN-cGDGYHXB5sBzA/s1600/IMG_1562.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a><br />
In the midst of Apple's release of the iPhone 6 (and plus) this weekend, I happened to get caught in a downpour along Lagoon in Uptown that forced my way into another realm. A little Russian hideaway that I have fallen in love with. However, this is not the Cold War Russian faire with bread lines and MIGs. This is the post-Berlin War era, despite the bathroom poster calling for wealth redistribution through capitalism via gift card purchases (though that would be a gift much appreciated after looking over this menu). The winds of change, after all, had blown me into this venue and I decided it was time to warm up with an Irish coffee, for medicinal purposes. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ls3QvFcI-Sk/VB4yquJhTmI/AAAAAAAADDo/0RcUFmWN54M/s1600/IMG_1558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ls3QvFcI-Sk/VB4yquJhTmI/AAAAAAAADDo/0RcUFmWN54M/s1600/IMG_1558.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VJ6e7Q1wCXM/VB4yrKtzcCI/AAAAAAAADDA/sDRJjaXtvN4/s1600/IMG_1560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VJ6e7Q1wCXM/VB4yrKtzcCI/AAAAAAAADDA/sDRJjaXtvN4/s1600/IMG_1560.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Q1bmhzZUiLBFwd0MBAuEw6dkrbgO9DRDmVGX680pHjbnHF9WQq5kJ7QSBqztaW46SEhGK7F3qJmg7pJzGnbEe30ysWGFqTUDL9Ugq3nmDNpo5LZgiNCzakN5ewJkQHqJKbF2C_ySowY/s1600/IMG_1557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Q1bmhzZUiLBFwd0MBAuEw6dkrbgO9DRDmVGX680pHjbnHF9WQq5kJ7QSBqztaW46SEhGK7F3qJmg7pJzGnbEe30ysWGFqTUDL9Ugq3nmDNpo5LZgiNCzakN5ewJkQHqJKbF2C_ySowY/s1600/IMG_1557.JPG" height="234" width="320" /></a>When is the right time for caviar? It's a luxury, true enough, but if you go through life telling yourself what you can never have, you will never have it. The Hammer and Sickle makes this adventure achievable for many. From domestic roes to true caviar (from Sturgeon), the market price will vary depending on what you select. If you already know what you like, you can order a single caviar and have it presented with the traditional accompaniments. However, this is caviar that is dressed to the 9s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_vmqV331Wv0h4jn3_kq8ChMAUbEVAkFWTv41tdsuS9GdGcePFRsjfkR32fBK8ITkUxVSvJz-PVrRQJ40j_J0lbYYCJmrAsfXqG_VsD_n9vF2-fAS-IL8HAhfBP_DhCPQkG1b0LSEujo/s1600/IMG_1559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_vmqV331Wv0h4jn3_kq8ChMAUbEVAkFWTv41tdsuS9GdGcePFRsjfkR32fBK8ITkUxVSvJz-PVrRQJ40j_J0lbYYCJmrAsfXqG_VsD_n9vF2-fAS-IL8HAhfBP_DhCPQkG1b0LSEujo/s1600/IMG_1559.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>The only thing that didn't make any sense to me was the huge clove of pickled garlic that was served as a garnish. That was the only item that I sent back to the kitchen. Everything else was a straight 9 out of 10 for me. <br />
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The dill infusion vodka is also a must. The wait staff went through an incredible list of choices of in-house infusions, and I was very happy with her recommendation. Incredibly smooth, no queen olives needed.<br />
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Up next, one of their small plates, the Kobe beef sliders. In a word, SUCCULENT. Lardons of bacon, farm cheese, micro greens, and their own crafted ketchup. Just about everything served is made in house. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdKsoFzrqXOwsIBV2oTCw2-4zr2Vb5gB1l_8szHe45t5ev2xvhNRZhrXfz7-JTrCHHXG59HvlUBVo_VkEPsNICN6EfPSOYWzlPZ1zkv5Oh1gsCSvz4eoVVdJlPWH8jjePsXGDre8mvkA/s1600/IMG_1564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdKsoFzrqXOwsIBV2oTCw2-4zr2Vb5gB1l_8szHe45t5ev2xvhNRZhrXfz7-JTrCHHXG59HvlUBVo_VkEPsNICN6EfPSOYWzlPZ1zkv5Oh1gsCSvz4eoVVdJlPWH8jjePsXGDre8mvkA/s1600/IMG_1564.JPG" height="125" width="320" /></a><br />
You do get what you pay for here, great service and great food. <br />
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So if you are ever in Uptown, want something a little different from your normal routine, live a little. The Hammer and Sickle is a must.<br />
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<br />Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-90739433123017706642014-08-03T15:54:00.002-05:002014-08-03T15:56:06.937-05:00Object Displacement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lost or abandoned items always feel as though there is a story associated with them. A random pair of sunglasses, on top of a dustbin, a glove without its mate on top of a snow drift. Things that we seem to drop along the way and never realize they are missing until we go looking for them or feel that void. At the time, I wondered why I noticed these items and photographed them. It's the physical representation of emotion or an intuitive moment perhaps. I use imagery a lot, so forgive me as I indulge myself. <br />
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At times, there are things that happen to us that are not a result of any action we have taken. At times there are events that happen in life that are the consequences of action or inaction, the results of our decisions. A lost mitten doesn't seem like it would have any action except for the owner to get a new pair. The sock that goes missing in a dryer, resulting in a drawer full of mateless socks. We laugh about such things, these little things because we see them all of the time. <br />
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As I walked on, I wondered if in a strange way it was an unconscious form of self-sabotage. My thoughts tend to want to explore the things we ignore on a daily basis. We edit out these things because of the lack of importance. We ignore what we see all of the time and walk by, blinded. So I started a little game of details. Random little details on my walks, that I would note and it has had a surprising effect. It made me aware of subtle changes that happen continuously. Instead of noticing change in accumulated moments, you can see it happening constantly, becoming more aware of your environment, seasons, surroundings and a form of subtle energy that we are blind to. <br />
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We forget how we are like this oasis of life in a 'space desert'. We often get caught up in our life games created here that we forget about everything around us. Intellectually, we acknowledge where we are, see pictures from around the globe, but our limits, well, not everyone has the ability or time to explore. <br />
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How does displaced objects relate to all of this mental masturbation? Actually, it relates to my own blindness and for me, highlights where I may have a lack in my perceptive ability. Things are not always what they seem to be. Like the quote from Hesse. I am trying to see beyond seeing. To see more and to see less at the same time. Sometimes a cigar is not a cigar and at other times it is. The difference is knowing and the beginning of wisdom. Then again, I am getting older and I tend to remember riddles. <br />
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And then I take a deep breath. Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-47667986133813526462014-07-28T19:09:00.002-05:002014-07-28T19:09:39.627-05:00Before I Die...Chalkboard Wishes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In front of an old Victorian House, near the corner of 24th and Lyndale Avenue, in Uptown Minneapolis, stands a chalkboard with the words, "Before I Die". A piece of chalk and a series of blanks is all that is required for the public to respond with their public declarations. Anonymously, I picked up the chalk and decided to write over a wish that had been faded out by the sun and the rain. <br />
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Some of the responses appear to be simple, like falling in love. However, as we get older, perhaps we find that we either didn't make time for love or we realize that we had it, but were so damn busy with the things that other people said were so damn important. The lucky ones, have their priorities straight. <br />
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Others are dreams that require action, to either acquire or do something. Some dreams require action from another, "becoming a grandmother" was a good example. <br />
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Other dreams were more abstract, with changing definitions, such as being happy or successful. Others had dreams of public recognition while others had more simple dreams, like being away from the city and being in a log cabin in the woods. We don't want the same things, but what we all share is that knowledge that we don't have forever. <br />
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This morning, I saw a man with a quote from E.E. Cummings on his shirt. "It takes great courage to grow up and become who you really are." Before I die I want to...hmm, perhaps, I don't want to want. Perhaps I will already have been so I will be ready to die and will not be afraid to close my eyes when I do go. I think I am comforted by the thought that we are not here, in this form, forever. We are always changing and who I am today may only be a glimmer of who I am tomorrow. The same should be thought of every single person that is encountered during this journey, and what a journey it is.Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-8070881406528594182014-07-23T23:04:00.000-05:002014-07-25T07:44:09.842-05:00The 100 Foot Journey - It's Worth It to Cross the Street<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There aren't too many movies without violence, profanity or gratuitous nudity. There are even fewer movies that tell a story with crisp dialogue. Shot in France and India with diverse languages without subtitles, this is the pure art of telling a story. Through Le Cordon Bleu, I had the honor of an advance screening of The 1<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEO1TWeM5JU" target="_blank">00 Foot Journey</a>, starring Helen Mirren and Om Puri. The goal of art is to touch you, from a place you can draw off of your own experiences. For those who haven't read the book, you might have fresh eyes looking at this movie, where there are few surprises, and you have a story arc of tragedy and triumph. It IS a "feel good" movie, with another illustration about following your dreams, but also defining your own success and following your heart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For those of you who read the book, I don't think you will be disappointed as this work translated well to the screen. The rhythm of the dialogue was completely natural, the silent reactions involved the audience. The audience got what they wanted to see, transformation of characters, the clash of cultures as one family emigrates from one nation to another as we grow more culturally diverse wherever we are. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Personally, I loved how it reminded me of my travels abroad, so my nostalgia was sweetened. This movie opens on 8 August, so foodies will love seeing the displays of technique and plating. If you are in the culinary world, perhaps it might remind you that the kitchen is a real place of magic. I am very fortunate to be in school, learning from some incredibly talented chefs that do speak to me about the heart and soul of the kitchen. The very act of creation is something I never get tired of. </span><br />
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<br />Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-92092108161334862372014-07-20T18:27:00.000-05:002014-07-20T18:28:37.508-05:00Summer in Minneapolis or Food Trucks and Baseball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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People don't like staying indoors when its summertime in Minnesota. Lou Holtz once described Minnesotans as the land of "Blonde hair and Blue Ears" when he coached at the University of Minnesota. Our winters are particularly vicious and our summers can be just a touch humid, mosiquito populated and have that touch of pine in the air. In the cities, there has been a sort of resurgence in the streets. You feel this hope that better days are not just here, but there will be more of them. Fears have been pushed aside, and as I wander around, it's just so carefree feeling. People get in the habit of business and consuming. There are so many festivals that happen during the summer, that it can be hard to keep track of what is going on, when. A few weeks ago, there was a food truck festival, and since the food truck season is rather short here, they were out in full force, trying to be as distinctive as possible in design and public offerings.<br />
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Business was brisk, lines were long and some of the more adventurous eaters were going for every and anything they could get. Some of them, well, I just couldn't marry up their concept with my sense of taste and my imagination. I couldn't visualize how a 'Donut Burger' would taste. I recalled how a burger would taste, how I preferred it and tried to will a donut mashup and it made my stomach churn just thinking about it. I would have rather had some pan fried termites, sautéed in a garlic oil and sea salt. So I was rather surprised to see anyone ponying up to sacrifice their greenbacks for a taste of the bizarre.<br />
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The other day, I had gone to the Mall of America, en route to some where else, but still kind of look at this mecca of capitalism to see people still chasing a good time. It's a bit excessive to me, but not so many were walking around with huge shopping bags and still many spots were open for leasing. In a way, the Mall of America has done much to shut down a lot of the malls that once did spry business in Minnesota. We had a "-dale" at every corner of the city. They were the places to go to people watch in the winters when we would get so full of cabin fever that we couldn't stand it anymore. Malls were the places to check everyone out and to see what was the fashion of the moment. The last mall I went to was occupied at maybe 50%. I thought that meant we were buying less, but with the latest numbers, Minnesota is down to about a 4 percent unemployment rate. Most of the business being created within the state is coming from companies who no longer think it's cheaper to make things in China anymore.<br />
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In Downtown Minneapolis, we were getting ready to show off out city, the All-Star Week was hosted in my humble city. The all new "Target" field really did kind of impress me. I still held my childhood memories of the old Metropolitan Stadium, watching Rod Carew play at my first baseball game. It was live, not on television and we beat the Oakland A's. Now the Mall of America is built over baseball history and our football history as well. Things change. The game was moved downtown into a shared dome, which was demolished this year to make way for a new stadium for the Vikings. I don't recall if some corporate entity has purchased naming rights. <br />
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The inside of the stadium was being spruced up, with everything being washed down. Our little part of baseball history being sold to the national audience. Right now the adding machines are rolling, trying to figure out how much of a profit was being made, or if something would come out of this for future events. I kind of lost my love of the game. It was a slow death, but maybe the game had changed to such a point that filled my mouth full of bile when I went into the merchandising store. People will spend with their hearts and not their minds. The mark-up on the Merchandise was crazy. All of the product was made abroad, with China being a primary manufacturer. With all of the hype about our food being locally sourced, we have a long way to go. <br />
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Our Downtown is beautiful, with high vacancy rates, but strangely it has grown, changed and evolved since my childhood, when the Foshay tower used to be the tallest building on our skyline. The IDS tower opened in 1972, as a sort of Monolith that ushered in a new era, a modern era. Other buildings have come to join in to create a skyline and skyway system so you could traverse the city without ever going outside. But we love the outdoors and nature and perhaps that's why we don't have that many cities here in Minnesota. We like that small town feel, where every neighborhood is like a village and our villages all link up to make our urban sprawl look somehow manageable. It's still home, and though I feel the urge to get out there in the world, to go abroad and walk in dusty streets, sit in nondescript cafes and just feel the pulse of a far away place, I'll stay put for a while. Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-88244359386306704612014-06-29T23:42:00.000-05:002014-06-29T23:42:05.513-05:00Street Philosophers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know I have lapsed in posting something for a touch, but familiarity does breed contempt, or so it's said. One has to step away in order to be missed. I have to say that I have enjoyed actually experiencing life again, away from social media and being completely invisible again. My own observations, are my own and it's really not that important to be heard. Often, the first jaded impressions are miles away from the truth and are contaminated by opinions that have influenced others. So how does one have an uncontaminated view of the world?<br />
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Today I had a random conversation with an anonymous stranger who said, "I left Facebook for 6 months and I felt so much freedom. It was like I got my life back." I didn't ask why she went back on, but considered a key remark, "I was so happy." We are in an age of self promotion, tweeting, texting, posting and to a lesser extent, even blogging all about the me, myself, and I...the importance of self and obsess over<br />
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Sitting out on the street, drinking a libation or two and minding my own business, sort of, with intrusions of conversations that would wander past. Was Eleanor Roosevelt right or would I hear street philosophers cut through the white noise or garbled thought? <br />
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Uptown Minneapolis is a road show of avatars. You see the flash of fashion plates, the indie goth, the 1980 Yuppies, Sid and Nancy punkers, Illustrated men and women, your transitional people, trangenders, fettish people, bikers, desperate housewives, afraid of dying mid-life crisis guy with daughter/girlfriend, visiting UK tourists and then there's me. The native who returns home to see that Uptown Minneapolis is still the same, stuck in the 1980s and somehow is viewed as 'cutting edge'. This is why we are the inspiration for "Portlandia'. <br />
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Uptown is uptight when it comes to being Politically Correct and incredibly sensitive about offending anyone. You can find the uptight conservative Harley guy with leather and chains that hugs his M-16 at night sitting next to a guy named "Sue" who used to be a gal with black light tattoos and gages and piercings to ward off personal contact from anyone. The strange and bizarre is glorified with a latte and a vegan lettuce wrap from a sustainable farm to table food truck that is powered by solar energy. <br />
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Politics are discussed in hush tones, though it's really no secret that the city is Democratic and the state is Republican. It's kind of dysfunctional, because there is a kind of 'us vs. them' mentality though no one really knows who is 'us' and who is 'them'. Like I said, I am invisible here. I wasn't abroad, or at least when I was in Asia, I tried to be invisible, but was forced to accept the fact that I was going to stick out no matter where I went. It was a good exercise in self acceptance. Here, it's too easy to get comfortable with not being 'anything special'. <br />
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So as I sat back I listened to the ramblings of others. A lot of people talked about people in a very, "I'm better than..." sort of way. It's quite possible that's why reality television has dominated our lives. We can't believe they are famous and we can't believe we are talking about them and aren't we so much better than them. We turn our noses up at them and they cash their checks for being our freak show. <br />
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When I went abroad, one thing that amazed me was that due to our television industry, I became aware that I shattered the minds of many because of the image of America that is blasted all over the world. "You're not fat, lazy, uneducated, chasing money or (insert favorite stereo-type here of a white middle-aged former military woman, who is divorced with hispanic last name and graying hair)." When we bust up an image that is assigned due to our lack of time (we aren't going to know everyone in the world). We profile people each and every day and we often rely on the views of others to give us a snapshot of how it is.<br />
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We only get the backside of the world, the Cliff notes version of our existence is not about knowing the world at all, but trying to survive in this world by playing a game to collect as much monopoly money to pay for our place at the table. Kind of crazy, isn't it? <br />
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So, in my small minded way, I have discussed people, events, ideas and myself, because the world is composed of all of it. I am not justifying anything. I am not defending our condition. I am not even saying that Eleanor Roosevelt is wrong or right. We are human and we discuss what we see, what we don't see and what we would like to see. We are still little children that are learning the difference between our wants and needs. We die and a new generation goes through it all again and so on it continues until one day we get it. Hopefully the stuff we don't need doesn't get passed on to future generations and the ideas we do need makes it into the future. Perhaps that is what Eleanor Roosevelt meant for us to glean from this remark, however, she never said this quote. It's one of our great myths. The earliest citation is quoted as an unknown sage. Whenever there is an 'unknown sage' or street philosopher, it's a reminder that wisdom or common sense doesn't need an author, it just needs to be practiced. <br />
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So whatever is written about, places, ideas, people, good food or art...it's all related. Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-87728314874080607552014-06-14T20:54:00.001-05:002014-07-21T20:20:13.180-05:00Does Life Imitate Art or Does Art Imitate Life? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I Don't Love You"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mother hated flowers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden Flowers</td></tr>
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Too often we ignore what surrounds us, perhaps because when you see something everyday, it becomes the ordinary and we edit it out. We grow blind to the flowers that somehow power through the asphalt of life. Or maybe I am jaded and cynical. I don't think so and then there are moments when I see something, like a commuter going ballistic, as though something pushed them over a fragile edge that the rest of us didn't see. I witnessed a woman scream at a bus driver over disabled seats and even though another passenger offered her a seat, she went on a tirade that seemed totally out of context. "I am going to sue you if I fall down. I am going to complain. I am going to write every paper in this country, because that's what I do." And that folks is how we alienate every single person in the world, with a flash of all consuming anger. What if she for a moment stopped and listened? She kept trying to get a single person to consent to her opinion. She kept trying to hear someone say she was right, "This is going to be fun," she hissed like a snake, waiting to strike. No one played her game. This self-important woman, with her luggage, probably fresh from the airport was expecting the world to cater to her. Immediately the headphones came out and people started either tuning her out or engaging themselves with private conversations. No one fed the troll on the bus. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her anymore, she melted into the seat that was offered to her. Her stand lasted a better part of 3 minutes. She sniped periodically, but she didn't even receive eye contact from fellow passengers. It's important to know what are real battles and which ones are solely ego-driven. So if by chance, the newspapers receives a letter of complaint about a bus with disengaged seats, I would simply reply to her, "Jesus loves you" or "Have a Nice Day". We have bigger issues in the world to change, rather than to be disgruntled with seats that were disabled by a manufacturer for safety reasons. All the bus driver wants to do is to drive the route.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abandoned Books</td></tr>
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Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-15437536917230134492014-06-14T10:58:00.001-05:002014-06-14T11:03:07.603-05:00True Gemini - Herschael DeJong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't write book reviews. I don't write press releases and I am not doing either one of those on this temperate Saturday, where instead of a sunny day, the clouds shine overhead. The skies have all of the appeal of a lead balloon. In other words, the perfect day to read a book. I finally opened the book that my long lost brother sent to me. I haven't seen him since he was seven-years-old and I honestly don't know that I want or need to see him again. Forgive me, but that sounds cold and unfeeling. It's not cold and unfeeling, but rather because I feel way too much and I have no desire for either one of us to awaken memories that are best forgiven and forgotten. I don't want to remember our childhood, and though I have faced it to the best of my ability and dealt with the adults that were in charge at that time, the person I cannot see is the one who was victimized the most. <br />
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For those of you who have been through war, it's kind of a form of survivor's guilt. It's hard to explain, but, the reality is, it's like reliving a living hell all over again. After I wrote, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/An-Appearance-Glass-Marilyn-Campiz/dp/1451591810" target="_blank">An Appearance of Glass</a>", I had self published it because I had no desire to promote it and I wanted to use my pain in a positive way. It was a release. I shared it with my brother and he wrote the introduction and with his permission, I included it in the work. From a safe distance, we view each other and really only know only the faintest outline of each other's lives. My brother has come out with his own book and had hoped that our sister would write the third part, which she has no desire to complete that work, quite possibly for the same reason I can't see my brother again. Our pain thresholds are all different. I don't hate him, but my wounds are very deep and it would be inappropriate to open them again.<br />
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Regarding <a href="http://www.amazon.com/True-Gemini-Herschael-Dejong/dp/1105192709/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402761435&sr=1-2&keywords=True+Gemini" target="_blank">his work</a>, I am not going to say that this is a work of art. I am not also going to say it's horrible. It's a rendering, that reminds me of medicine. The kind of medicine that is part of an individual's healing process to let others know that it's possible to go forward. It's a survivor's account that gave a person permission to go forward with his life, but I have to be honest, it angers me. I cannot say why. I feel there has been no resolution and parts that lack personal ownership until much later on. I do hope, sincerely hope, that this man does take ownership for his life at long last, and begins to thrive in ways that he only dreamed of. <br />
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This may appear to be too personal to post. The response is a mirror reflection of the work rendered. The work was very personal. The response, proportional in manner since my name was cited. My recommendation for the public to read it or not carries no weight. People will do as they will and wonder what the hell this was all about for a micro-second of their lives and move on. Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-3060890061791942152014-06-13T18:12:00.002-05:002014-06-13T18:35:40.380-05:00Asian Culinary Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk with me...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp Wontons 3-ways<br />
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<span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">This week we explored a region of the world where the bulk of the world population resides. The ancient world were the Peking Man was said to originate 300,000 B.C.E. In my humble opinion, we will never really know until we figure out a more precise way to measure time, but after living in China for a year out of my life, it has a feel that is far older than many places I have been on earth and are a very diverse nation. Our Western problem is too much television and not enough exploring the world with the right mindset. That also can be said for our lack of food experimentation. So it was a pleasure to learn to make a variety of foods in countries I have been to in the past. In some ways, I see other touches that have been elevated, in other ways it made me feel an incredible urge to pack my suitcases and go back to the cooks abroad where I would eat at their food stands and watch them work with incredible speed and care. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork Egg Rolls with scallions and cilantro</td></tr>
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These are a couple of dishes we made this week. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Taste of Southeast Asia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southeast Asia </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVr5NkeJZT3cMjbCINTJB_-6PIJz2jrx2K8yMGtJD001RFFMUk2qc0XvuVVwtf9SDzTW-j3oi2n615TL_dWAuPAhTaS1tF_t__15sEiqCBifLHCYWnP-UYiOZDAGjr792ecFgLd_RqvgI/s1600/IMG_1273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVr5NkeJZT3cMjbCINTJB_-6PIJz2jrx2K8yMGtJD001RFFMUk2qc0XvuVVwtf9SDzTW-j3oi2n615TL_dWAuPAhTaS1tF_t__15sEiqCBifLHCYWnP-UYiOZDAGjr792ecFgLd_RqvgI/s1600/IMG_1273.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sushi</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sushi Sampler</td></tr>
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Just a note on sushi. The first ingredient a westerner thinks about when the word 'sushi' is said, most probably is fish. Sushi, is not sushi without proper vinegared (to be seasoned with) rice. The rinsing and drying process is crucial to rice preparation so that the right amount of starch is in your rice. The same mixture of water used to season the finished rice is used for forming your sushi. We learned a lot about the apprenticeship process in Japan. 7 years for rice, 10 years for filleting various saltwater fishes. It takes a lifetime to master sushi, so I do not expect that I will master it after 1 class. It's a high art and after working with various techniques, styles and my sushi knives, I have an idea what those sushi practitioners must go through, a lot of rejection until one day their head chef approves. The persistence in never quitting their practice is a prerequisite if anyone desires to create some stunning dishes. I have mastered nothing, but I think I have the rice down. That is a great start.<br />
<br />Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-86279795206112632342014-06-12T19:20:00.002-05:002014-06-12T19:21:52.754-05:00Bison Lettuce Wraps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bison is becoming more accessible in the marketplace. Bison is a very lean meat with no polyunsaturated fats, bison contains just 122 calories in a 3 ounce serving and 70 mg of cholesterol. <br />
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As far as taste is concerned, Bison was very surprising to me. I was worried about a gamey taste, but there was none. It had a rich taste, as though I was eating a prime cut of beef. Consider this, bison is not corn fed and a lot of bison that is sold in the market actually not <a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2013/nov-dec/bison.html" target="_blank">100 percent wild bison</a>. The bison is genetically testing, those that are not some sort of bovine hybrid, are released to the herd. The others, are auctioned and become what is known as 'bison'. <br />
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It's important to understand where our food comes from and not just to mindlessly eat. <br />
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I created a very healthy alternative to beef tacos, simply called a Bison lettuce wrap. <br />
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Total calories for this dish is only 201 calories. <br />
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The lettuce greens were from my garden. <br />
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Here's what you will need.<br />
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1 lb of ground bison<br />
15.5 oz of black beans (if canned, rinse thoroughly)<br />
15.5 oz of chickpeas (if canned, rinse thoroughly)<br />
4 oz of corn<br />
15.5 oz of crushed tomatoes<br />
1 tablespoon of tomato paste<br />
1/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper<br />
pinch of nutmeg<br />
Chives<br />
1 roasted Jalapeño, diced and deseeded<br />
1 carrot, small dice<br />
1 stalk of celery, small dice<br />
1 clove of garlic, finely minced with a pinch of salt<br />
1 head of Lettuce of your choice, washed gently and separate the leaves<br />
1/2 cup of Asiago Cheese, finely grated<br />
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Here's what to do:<br />
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In a medium saucepan, simmer the beans, chickpeas and spices together for about 20 - 30 minutes and add tomatoes, jalapeño and corn to the beans for an additional 5-10 minutes. Do not add any salt until the end.<br />
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While the beans are simmering, in a large skillet, use a <b><u>small amount </u></b>of olive oil or canola oil, add the garlic and the celery and carrots. Crumble in the bison and add dry seasoning of your choice that will mirror the spices that are used in the beans. When the bison has been browned, make a space on the bottom of the frying pan and add the tomato paste, the color with change to a rust color and incorporate with the bison. There should be very little fat, drain off any excess. <br />
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Add the bison to the beans, fully incorporate them together. Season lightly with salt (if desired).<br />
Spoon the mixture into lettuce leaves, sprinkle finely grated Asiago cheese.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-8521773996165722002014-06-09T18:43:00.001-05:002014-06-09T18:44:36.645-05:00Open Streets Minneapolis: A Day Without Cars on Lyndale Avenue <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Would your city do this, shut down one of you most travelled streets? What would happen? What would people do? In Uptown Minneapolis, the cars were all pulled off the streets and the party started. I thought I would share a few pictures of the day, because as we hear more and more about our growing dependency on oil, the residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota decided to come together to bike, walk, skateboard and draw in the streets for an annual event called "Open Streets Minneapolis". <br />
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Right next to Lyndale Avenue, the Harleys were parked, the street was closed off to any motorized traffic and slowly, on Sunday morning the people began to emerge from the neighborhood. A group set up their ping pong table. The tables and chair came out for all of the small eateries in the neighborhood. There was an air of enjoyment of the warm weather that we crave. After a long hard winter, these are the days we live for. The only ones who stay inside are either sick or dying. No one is watching TV or on a computer. It's time to get out there and just explore. <br />
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Parents took their children out to play, and it almost seemed like a memory of simpler days. The kids were doing what they do best, play.<br />
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A whole 8 hours of no traffic jams, no cars, no trucks, no deliveries and no emissions. There was nothing competing with the song birds. For about a mile there wasn't a single car on the road and the people came. Sounds odd, doesn't it? All of this just so that people could ride their bikes up and down the street, enjoy the sunshine and look at how peaceful it could be. But there was a purpose for this. One of the reasons Open Streets exists is to promote our bike trails. Minneapolis has an incredible amount of bike paths, trails and bike lanes, ranking within the top 5 in the nation. As far as commuting to work, we're also near the top, and that's saying something, because our winters can be incredibly vicious.<br />
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So on this day of chalk drawings on the asphalt, instead of cars, the residents came to show we care (and also like to have a good time). The kind smiles, the friendly hand shakes, the good natured feeling as people just exhaled, made me feel glad to be home. <br />
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To be able to see scenes that seem to go by the wayside in other places and see them here, reminded me why I call this city home. A lemonade stand set up by an industrious little boy who bellowed out, "ALL NATURAL LEMONADE, 100 PERCENT REAL" made me realize our kids are paying attention and also know how to take advantage of a hot day outside. <br />
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I also saw that we are putting into practice what we need to do to change. If Germany, with a similar climate to ours can change to more solar energy usage, so can we. This new solar program gives a person credit for allowing solar panels to be installed. I gladly shared their information with a few friends that were wanting to reduce their energy bills. <br />
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All in all it was a very beneficial day.<br />
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And the gas stations were idle.<br />
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And the kids...<br />
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well, they were having fun too.<br />
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The garage bands moved their shows to their front lawns.<br />
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And the dancers showed off their moves.<br />
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It's good to be home.Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-68407094102628152312014-06-06T16:50:00.002-05:002014-06-06T16:51:46.524-05:00Reinvesting Myself Here, Facebook is Dead to Me<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EfnKmPQdapw" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQ3Yh9PWRqA/U5IuDuTK_SI/AAAAAAAACyU/w_jjUsD5fxE/s1600/IMG_0966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQ3Yh9PWRqA/U5IuDuTK_SI/AAAAAAAACyU/w_jjUsD5fxE/s1600/IMG_0966.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>In my love/hate relationship with social media, I find that for me it's time to cut out Facebook. I found that line in the sand, which very simply relates to privacy. I know that when I was in the Air Force I had no privacy and I expected no privacy. Everything within my life would be reviewed and I understood why. However, as a private citizen, FB unleashed a new feature with the phone application called, "listen". I don't want anyone to listen unless I am talking to them and not everything you or I say needs to be heard by everyone. I don't want to hear a story of why this is useful and I am simply not going to be 'sold' on it. <b><u>This is MY decision</u></b>. Everyone may have their own views about whether or not they want to stay on FB. I think a lot about what freedom means. It's a privilege. People die protecting what we have. People fight to not live in an oppressive regime and so many good changes have been made with regard to civil liberties, equal rights, gender and race equality. Why on earth do we need to live in a cold war era type of mentality? Those are the kinds of questions I asked myself. Life is about living with risk, to have a free and open society is WORTH it. </div>
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So, I guess, that means I am going to delete my <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Permanently-Delete-a-Facebook-Account" target="_blank">FB account </a>and actually start to use my blog again. This page is NOT monetized and I post links to other non-profits that I found around the world that are doing some pretty amazing things. So, this actually might be a good thing, since I have been thinking about wanting to create again. </div>
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What will I be writing about? </div>
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Life, food, appetites and whatever happens along the way. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mOCyxaGbzwE/U5It1btMIoI/AAAAAAAACx8/dnPM46-Uawc/s1600/IMG_0951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mOCyxaGbzwE/U5It1btMIoI/AAAAAAAACx8/dnPM46-Uawc/s1600/IMG_0951.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>I have been enjoying the stress of being a student again. I have been a great student of not knowing it all and I have been learning from a lot of very gifted people that have kind of given me that za zen notion of what it really takes to become a great chef. A chef offends everyone and pleases no one at the same time. Think about what that really means. Everyone is so different when it comes to taste and what they are able to digest. There are people who can eat absolutely everything and others that have to restrict their diets for a whole host of reasons. </div>
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So view this blog as a menu, with a lot of options. It's just a journey, a story, a perspective and at times it might be an ego-driven nightmare where there are a few crash and burns along the way. Maybe I vent. Maybe I don't. Maybe I just spontaneously explore an idea and beat it to death. We're all friends here and for whatever reason, people still do read my blog, finding me through a random act of a key word search. It's all good. On this web plain, we are all citizens of the world. <br />
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Hello world!</div>
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The fixed price menu is a great way to sample a chef's skills. Today, I walked by <a href="http://thegrayhouseeats.com/" target="_blank">The Gray House</a>, in Uptown Minneapolis, where <a href="https://twitter.com/chefiangray" target="_blank">Chef Ian Gray</a>, personally greeted me and talked about his technique, good food and sourcing his seasonal menus from as many local farms and food cooperatives as possible throughout the year. Though, during our harsh winters, he does source with farms out in California. It was before dinner rush and he looked fresh for battle. It had been a long cold winter and everyone is ready for spring. So are the local businesses.<br />
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Drinks are priced well, with an excellent selection of IPA beers that are handcrafted in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The wine list was a good mix of domestic and international blended, white, red and sparkling wines. I am sure I could have asked for a pairing recommendation, but I felt in the mood for a nice Italian sparkling white wine. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VlM3uMzjhrY/Ux-jGOZHCRI/AAAAAAAACwE/h8ASIX6NSgU/s1600/IMG_0713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VlM3uMzjhrY/Ux-jGOZHCRI/AAAAAAAACwE/h8ASIX6NSgU/s1600/IMG_0713.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a> Though the space is small, it feels wide open and the interior is kind of designed like an exterior of a Gray house. It's simple, clean, almost zen-like, but not in an antiseptic kind of way. You feel like you could come here with a group of friends and just hang out or have a business lunch/dinner here. It's intimate enough for a date-night and casual enough to wear jeans. That's hard to pull off. <br />
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Tonight I decided to try the three-course for $20, for a couple of reasons, it's economical and I wanted to see what $20 will get you in terms of a high quality chef and I wanted to see what kind of ingredients he would use. That's tough in this industry when you are trying to keep your doors open and at the same time, attract new clients. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rS8sga2s3w0/Ux-jaL3Uo-I/AAAAAAAACw0/Q-DfPKSwfMg/s1600/IMG_0715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rS8sga2s3w0/Ux-jaL3Uo-I/AAAAAAAACw0/Q-DfPKSwfMg/s1600/IMG_0715.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a> The first course is the same. You have your mixed greens in a vinaigrette. As more people are getting educated about their food and the technique that goes into making a salad, I can tell you this is not a sloppy salad. The knife cuts that demonstrate technique are as precise as a surgeon with a scalpel. Paper thin textures of assorted root vegetables that showcases skill, fine julienned red onions danced with the brussel sprout leaves and greens. This salad was not drenched, but perfectly coated with vinaigrette.<br />
This was the perfect opener. <br />
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My palate was clean and ready for the next course.<br />
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The next course was a savory sausage over a bed of cheesy polenta. The flavors just complemented each other incredibly well, great mouth feel and the portion size was good for a hearty lunch or a light, but substantial enough, dinner. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2SQG5zStqhw/Ux-joEkdOZI/AAAAAAAACxU/eoHIKTpxUQQ/s1600/IMG_0724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2SQG5zStqhw/Ux-joEkdOZI/AAAAAAAACxU/eoHIKTpxUQQ/s1600/IMG_0724.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a>The final act in this play is a hand crafted gelato. Pictured is the salted caramel, which was sinful enough to want more, but it does satiate the sweet tooth. <br />
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For $20, yes, you can have a gourmet experience and have quality service. <br />
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Of course, The Gray House does have a full menu, with an incredible assortment that is always changing as the seasons change. <br />
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"I just checked the posts and there was something rather depressing. Some people are so jaded, only posting about what their needs are and giving a whole list that when you sum it up, they might be better off with a prostitute to service them. To be incredibly honest, no one is looking for anything lasting. Perhaps a bandage for their emotionally mangled lives. If it sounds like I am being judgmental, I am. We all are when we read these posts. The real questions we should be asking is do we really even know how to love? Seriously, if all you are looking for is sex, you might have a great relationship with your hand, but another living, breathing person who is this illusion of who your ideal might be isn't really going to cut it for any of us looking. We grow intolerant as the years go by, perhaps less forgiving, less patient and the honest truth is we are incredibly selfish people who are basically trying to find our own reflection in a stranger's eyes. I have my ideals, you will have yours, but what if we tried to be the kind of person we were searching for? Or are we trying to find a person that compliments our shortcomings? Chances are, if there is a person I don't like, I can't image doing anything with you. If you are a person I want to get to know, I would go through hell and back just to be with you. That's how it works. I wouldn't have to like what you like, or live the way you live, but I would have to feel some incredible force that would draw me to you and THAT is what I am looking for. To be honest, it's rare, but it's real. I don't settle for anything fake in my life. I don't have time for that kind of crap and neither do you. I don't care what you believe. I only care that you are in possession of a heart. Who we are, essentially is what we decide to reveal to the world, and frankly people mostly lie or identify solely with a title of their choosing to create an identity because they have forgotten long ago what has given them life. The type of man that I have been attracted to in the past, well, he's a man. I have had long term relationships, they tend to teach me more than having a high body count (that was when I was young, and I wouldn't qualify those as relationships, more like editing along the way the kind of man I don't want to be with). So, if you are still out there, in this city, and you happen to be reading this, it's your choice. Either we find each other in the most serendipitous way possibly, or you reply and start a conversation. For the young men who are looking to fulfill some "Mrs. Robinson" fantasy, no thanks boys. I have a son who is older than you, and for me, that is NOT a fantasy I am going to enact in this lifetime. AGE: 48 -58. Fellas, I have only one physical requirement. Be in shape (mentally, emotionally and physically). I have one relationship requirement: Be unattached (I am not looking for a Duece Biggalo). Be yourself.
I may have to face the reality that a lot of you are married and that I may be single for the rest of my life. That's fine. I am OK with that. However, I thought I would toss this note in a bottle for one last attempt to try to meet you. This imaginary person in my head, the construction of my own imagination or somewhere out there. Don't worry, I am not looking for someone to save me. I most certainly am not going to try to save or change you." That love...that ultimate intangible."<br />
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The response wasn't that I was necessarily looking for attention, but I was expressing what I was seeing. Had we really just come to a point where we stop seeking relationships and just use message boards to hit up each other for sex, because no one is willing to risk their hearts? I considered my own life. Seriously, I hadn't WANTED to open up myself. I hadn't wanted to be vulnerable. By being anonymous, I found that I was feeling the freedom to simply express the observations of what I was seeing. From 2 am - 10:21 am today, I received 50 responses before my ad was flagged for being 'inappropriate'.<br />
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I only received three replies that unleashed a world of hate towards me, waiting to bait me with the ever popular C--- and unleashing assorted personal attacks. Sadly, they personalized my observations and didn't realize that they were about the general quality of Craigslist posts.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>47 messages were incredibly encouraging.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">"im 25 years old and I AM NOT LOOKING TO HOOK UP WITH YOU !!!! i just wanted to wish you the best in finding someone to love and spend the rest of your life with, i was in a relationship for 6 years, and ive been single for a little over a year now and i have pretty much givin up on even trying to find anyone..."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">That means the MAJORITY are also tired of the meaningless kinds of 'relationships' that are advertised on Craigslist. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"I sincerely hope you connect with someone worthy of the mind and heart you so obviously have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't do online dating at all and have only recently perused the CL lists out of lonely curiosity, originally only looking for a cheap bed (the furniture kind, that is), but from the few days I've peeked in on these personals I can heartily agree with how sad so much of the people's atittudes are towards approaching a relationship. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We've both made it through a very hard winter that is perhaps a good metaphor for the state of our hearts, and I wish you luck and hope the Spring finds you some joy."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">"What you said in your post so eloquently describes what's wrong with many of us, men and women, in today's society. I'm 25, and I hate how my generation defines Love and Relationships. I can't find anyone compatible because I get labeled "Old-Fashioned" and "Desperate" because I'm paying attention to what emotions a person invokes in me and vice versa. Your words stated that perfectly and it's refreshing to read.</span> "</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"(Begins slow clapping)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Good morning,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm glad that someone has FINALLY had the guts and nerve to address the issues with a lot of these posts and the impossible matches they're looking for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I agree that almost all men on here are looking for sex and that's it, there's nothing wrong with wanting to have sex but it doesn't compare to making love with that special person who you connect with on multiple levels. I've had two partners in my life and it's by choice, I'm a gentleman who takes the time to know someone before just jumping into bed with them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wish you the best of luck on your search and wish you happiness."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But mainly this response was what I was seeking, a confirmation that I wasn't the ONLY one who was seeing this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Enjoyed Reading your posting!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am a bit too old for you at 59, But yust wanted to let you know</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">there are guys out there looking for the same things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Again Well Said! and Best wishes in your search."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">No, I really am not seeking anyone through the virtual world and I am NOT criticizing people who do find love that way. If it happens for me, I want it to be in the real world through an imperfect situation in the course of everyday life. That's how I would love for it to happen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">However bleak it may look, there are others out there wanting to believe again, but this time, I think we are all realizing that a list doesn't really work. What does work is being that person that is loving and kind in order to attract the good in the world. Or something like that. We are NOT alone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's to love and not giving up. Love still exists, with or without someone to share it with. </span></div>
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Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-55135315919705123912014-02-07T08:21:00.002-06:002014-02-07T08:21:55.221-06:00A Chateau in France for 10 Euros<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In France, to love money is evil. To give the poor a chance of owning a home for 10 Euros (approximately $14 USD based on today's rate of exchange)? A beautiful woman who was trying to sell her home for what she needed/wanted wasn't able to secure her asking price. So, she consulted with her lawyer and decided to hold a contest. You pay 10 Euros via PayPal. She sends you two questions. If you are the winner, you get the<a href="http://devenezproprietairedemamaison.over-blog.com/" target="_blank"> home </a><br />
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Sounds simple? Well, it reminded me of the classic mythology where you are asked a question. The wisest answer will win, not the smartest one.<br />
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If you feel like helping this lovely woman out, enter the contest. Use your best French. <br />
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And, for a moment, be like me, a co-owner in this house with a vested interest until that day when a winner is declared.<br />
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Bon Chance!<br />
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<br />Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-64007483440976554122013-12-23T18:36:00.000-06:002013-12-23T21:25:01.211-06:00Not an "Appetite for Destruction" nor is it "Eat, Love, Pray"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecRAZYBf_gC-qaxwExG2sF8Rem2gTI4vNXA0m6xoXq94xcOnbeNMgOmp_QygDffinDHEsaOr_xE99xo1c5w_NQetW1GEJhSN6lW8I6JM1G0AtP7DJrzQtdQFkSDrozZtDPu5hJrbk2wA/s1600/DSCN4727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecRAZYBf_gC-qaxwExG2sF8Rem2gTI4vNXA0m6xoXq94xcOnbeNMgOmp_QygDffinDHEsaOr_xE99xo1c5w_NQetW1GEJhSN6lW8I6JM1G0AtP7DJrzQtdQFkSDrozZtDPu5hJrbk2wA/s200/DSCN4727.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Moeschell's Pope Soap and Candle</td></tr>
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It's been a very busy time in my life. It's kind of like turning soil to get the oxygen back into it. I decided to update this blog with a visual representation of things I have been involved with or acquiring sans the philosophies I tend to regurgitate here. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahY2hvGXaPeYbZ9d0PZsHI0t3euMOEsb6CowUYmdTUXGkOxKAQD-PgI1HS9f5icc7tHZpOlT4anbFEI-9pN7lkTd8Ztl_e1yWbRSGEiJansvqWs38aqYVgKtDuGDAUN1c37R3apmmVf4/s1600/Photo+on+11-2-13+at+8.11+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahY2hvGXaPeYbZ9d0PZsHI0t3euMOEsb6CowUYmdTUXGkOxKAQD-PgI1HS9f5icc7tHZpOlT4anbFEI-9pN7lkTd8Ztl_e1yWbRSGEiJansvqWs38aqYVgKtDuGDAUN1c37R3apmmVf4/s200/Photo+on+11-2-13+at+8.11+PM.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Hippie Self</td></tr>
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Also I would like to thank the 40,000 global visitors to my little world. I tend to think of myself as a global citizen, since I have walked down some of your streets, been in your valleys and have seen some of your mountain tops. By no means am I done exploring. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UNqToflKXCY/UrjCJWWqTTI/AAAAAAAACqw/z7n9El8FpOo/s1600/DSCN4729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UNqToflKXCY/UrjCJWWqTTI/AAAAAAAACqw/z7n9El8FpOo/s200/DSCN4729.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Chausser, Rice Pilaf and Glazed Carrots</td></tr>
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This summer, I decided to return to school, to do something I love, for the benefit of others. I am in culinary school, doing well, and I thought I would share some of the things I am learning. As one of the chefs shared with me, "you must learn the rules---then you can break them." How many things does this proverb apply to? Countless. At least for me, I found a number of times in my life where I followed everything to the letter only to scrap all of the 'rules'. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Approaches</td></tr>
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It's winter. It's Christmastime. It's the end of a year where you shouldn't really ever look back, but look at where you are right now in order to see where you will be in the future, and ahem, not really so damn much about the future IF you are happy doing what you are DOING right now. The future does take care of itself. I didn't get that for a long time. I was so damn busy planning my life, I don't think I was really living my life. The consequences, well, I may have slept through about 17 years of my life. Maybe that's a bit harsh, but when I think about it, I may have been operating on auto-pilot for a bit there. A living coma where one day bled into the other and I forgot how to live. There were so many promises I made to myself that I almost forgot about them. (I know, good for me...yadda, yadda, yadda).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V7hsdkqyB5E/UrjCKjHgXMI/AAAAAAAACrE/N9U96-94bi0/s1600/IMG_0070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V7hsdkqyB5E/UrjCKjHgXMI/AAAAAAAACrE/N9U96-94bi0/s200/IMG_0070.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sausage</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E9NrRRYcw5U/UrjCJsl2j_I/AAAAAAAACq0/eTcLJWHFl3Y/s1600/IMG_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E9NrRRYcw5U/UrjCJsl2j_I/AAAAAAAACq0/eTcLJWHFl3Y/s200/IMG_0029.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Primal pork cuts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKw5m656RX0Mi9aIi0iC1kyApYyP8gnHvNn1ljAHmcG9Zc5BUD-jdkiwLft2SoXqjk0SEePKIa-4g3-_kRbw62VUbd2m6mBfGNOVJQrvXp_dMp7G23uV9GtTUzm63icCkKskDag0-2nk/s1600/IMG_0071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKw5m656RX0Mi9aIi0iC1kyApYyP8gnHvNn1ljAHmcG9Zc5BUD-jdkiwLft2SoXqjk0SEePKIa-4g3-_kRbw62VUbd2m6mBfGNOVJQrvXp_dMp7G23uV9GtTUzm63icCkKskDag0-2nk/s200/IMG_0071.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tastings</td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A nice transition point, just doesn't seem to be found. There was a lot of taking dead animals, processing them into beautiful meals to nourish others. I had been a practicing vegetarian, most of my time abroad. I started thinking about life, death, the way we deal with death as a culture and how we tend to judge others by what we eat. Everything has life. Everything dies. We sometimes have different experiences that take us into different experiences. </blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gnocchi and Pork</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scallops</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner at French Meadow</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olives</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scallops</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vQzOgQksFNY/UrjCOXuYLlI/AAAAAAAACr8/vEM5iXbwugA/s1600/IMG_0185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vQzOgQksFNY/UrjCOXuYLlI/AAAAAAAACr8/vEM5iXbwugA/s200/IMG_0185.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brussel Sprouts</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indulgences</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--9vmpWBlVsU/UrjCPsSQLWI/AAAAAAAACsQ/GtqFivzQR6Q/s1600/IMG_0211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--9vmpWBlVsU/UrjCPsSQLWI/AAAAAAAACsQ/GtqFivzQR6Q/s200/IMG_0211.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lapin with Risotto </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K5_7wC-G6cs/UrjCQCTyQEI/AAAAAAAACso/Xr5WeOfg7yo/s1600/IMG_0264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K5_7wC-G6cs/UrjCQCTyQEI/AAAAAAAACso/Xr5WeOfg7yo/s200/IMG_0264.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liver and Onions</td></tr>
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There I was, eating meat again. I made the decision before I went to culinary school. However, there was a difference in my approach. I held a deeper respect for what I was consuming, whether it was plant or animal. Their lives were sustaining mine and made me think of how we all sustain each other. It's a very intricate system of life/death. It made me a lot less judgmental, yet, that doesn't lessen the need for us to be more respectful and balanced in our utilization of our resources, no matter what they are. Some people eat the way they do for a reason or a season. They change for a variety of reasons they came into on their own. We all own our decisions, live with the consequences and go from there. If we really tried to please everyone, we please no one, not even our fragile little ego is horribly damaged by catering to others.<br />
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So I came into this experience, telling myself, "I know nothing." I ate everything, even things I would have never dreamt of ever eating again. </div>
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It was a slaughter of indulgences. However, I was careful to keep track of how much I was eating. And it was A LOT OF FOOD.</div>
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To be fair, I did give a lot away because I did listen to my body and cut myself off before that critical explosive point.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PpKgzJ4-qWI/UrjCQR8ofpI/AAAAAAAACsc/sKPdV7u_tac/s1600/IMG_0299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PpKgzJ4-qWI/UrjCQR8ofpI/AAAAAAAACsc/sKPdV7u_tac/s200/IMG_0299.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veal Blanquette</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EOJV8skYALs/UrjCTr3MdoI/AAAAAAAACtU/0_SMtVez3Pc/s1600/P112013_1348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EOJV8skYALs/UrjCTr3MdoI/AAAAAAAACtU/0_SMtVez3Pc/s200/P112013_1348.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LTgmiDy5r4g/UrjCQ3eoLdI/AAAAAAAACsk/bgqRZuIhf8s/s1600/IMG_0314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LTgmiDy5r4g/UrjCQ3eoLdI/AAAAAAAACsk/bgqRZuIhf8s/s200/IMG_0314.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Avenue</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0eWGS1Bn2s/UrjCRg9UhFI/AAAAAAAACsw/LDuwdjSjGYI/s1600/IMG_0316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0eWGS1Bn2s/UrjCRg9UhFI/AAAAAAAACsw/LDuwdjSjGYI/s200/IMG_0316.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Complete emptiness </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzSDb0Ke0Nk/UrjCSuX6qTI/AAAAAAAACtA/prT1r5z8c7c/s1600/IMG_0318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzSDb0Ke0Nk/UrjCSuX6qTI/AAAAAAAACtA/prT1r5z8c7c/s320/IMG_0318.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mayor R.T. Rybak's Farewell Bash</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HFKp6r0AvJI/UrjCSi590zI/AAAAAAAACs8/WgnQd_I3WeI/s1600/IMG_0335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HFKp6r0AvJI/UrjCSi590zI/AAAAAAAACs8/WgnQd_I3WeI/s320/IMG_0335.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chastity Brown</td></tr>
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In the midst of all of this creating and replicating I was discovering all of the rules I wanted to break in the future.<br />
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I was really learning about was our bodies have for wants and needs. Like realizing we really do need protein and there are things that animals to give our bodies to help them heal.<br />
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I also had the pleasure of meeting a local Minnesota Folk Singer, Chastity Brown. I actually didn't really know who she was when I met her, which is good. We had a nice conversation about literature, words and Ernest Hemingway. I was talking about myself, which more about my excitement about being home and how bizarre it seemed to me. It's kind of like waking up from a coma, though I was away for 23 years, my friends are older, the places have changed with time and I wasn't here to see it all. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b1Z2EZLwqxo/UrjCWfWvvLI/AAAAAAAACt0/MH1fqBPvzKY/s1600/P113013_2339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b1Z2EZLwqxo/UrjCWfWvvLI/AAAAAAAACt0/MH1fqBPvzKY/s320/P113013_2339.jpg" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First USA Edition Acquired</td></tr>
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Chastity was gracious and patient as she listened to me quote Hemingway's theory of life, as being a "moveable feast". Perhaps there is a certain bit of gluttony on my part. The same kind that Henry Miller had about life, wanting to experience the zealousness of the eternal moment. In any event, I am glad I discovered the music of Chastity Brown. I liked what I heard, she uses and choses words well and has a powerful voice. It's authentic.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much great food</td></tr>
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So as I go through the pictures of some of my culinary productions from this year, I pinch myself because I have never worked in a professional kitchen and I realized that not once did I say to myself, "I can't do this."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scallops</td></tr>
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Perhaps I said to myself, "don't know a damn thing." When I realized I wasn't the expert I was able to do by 'not doing'. <b><i>"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." -- Socrates</i></b> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writing Again</td></tr>
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So, after all, of what I could, or should, or would be doing is right in front of me. Lessons or no lessons. The action of inaction was my teacher during these wonderful months of learning how NOT to know it all, and meeting a lot of wonderful people along the way. It's a break for a season. In the depths of the cold snows of Minnesota, where life is just waiting under the surface to be reborn. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking forward by looking at my present</td></tr>
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That really is why I love being here. You witness rebirth every year. A clean slate for the world. Isn't that beautiful?</div>
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Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-67519295117094086492013-11-19T23:05:00.001-06:002013-11-19T23:05:58.677-06:00Culinary Photo death<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the very last image my Nikon shot. I squeezed every bit of life out of my camera I could. This object, that was a companion in South Korea, China, throughout Europe, in Washington DC, New York City, and now home here in Minneapolis threw itself into spasms while I was taking photographs of a duck that I had respectfully fabricated. <br />
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An object that ceased to be useful, yet I was accustomed to its usefulness. That is how technology has been for me this year. I was really impressed with how it lasted. Almost all of the images on this blog were taken with that camera which I had purchased in South Korea, when my other camera could no longer handle the task. <br />
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I have to say, I haven't wanted to migrate to a smart phone. I spent hours looking it over, and each time, I close the window without a purchase. It's just not the same. I don't want to post every picture. Sometimes, I just want to look at something differently. Sometimes, its a random moment that I am trying to capture. Sometimes, I learn from the simple things, by how they stack up and I just stare and I think about what I learned through those pixels. <br />
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Those are my lessons. I chose to learn something for the moment that made it tangible to me. Just as all of you, out there, do for yourself. I opened the cart, looked at the new phone, with built in camera, but I don't have that same excitement. I made a realization, that I don't want that jazzed up phone. I realized in a moment, when my camera died, why I loved my camera. The editing I can do and though I don't have to 'share' those images, I just don't want them on a phone. I think it's kind of strange to all of a sudden feel this strange aversion to technology I normally love. I just can't explain it. So I opened the cart and closed it a few more times this week. <br />
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And I realize I just want another camera. I don't want or need the other gadget. I am thankful for what I already had. So I will pick up another camera. One that I feel good about using. That if I drop it, it won't shatter on me in tough times. I need a workhorse. I need a good shot. Down to the last kill, with over 48,000 miles under its belt, through x-ray machines, ceremonies, artists homes, strangers on the street, to solar eclipses on the other side of the world. It was a well used, and somewhat abused piece of equipment that served me well since 2009. It died in the presence of me. One knows the difference between a low battery and equipment failure and this was equipment death, the screen went black. <br />
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I tried to coax it back to life, pushing the power button, taking out and reinserting the battery, and it flipped open its lens for one last shot, I photographed my efforts and then the screen went into all assorted colors, withdrew its lens and closed up for good. It was dead. Even mechanical things die. We also die. <br />
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I recently got news that I wasn't so excited about hearing. I have a growth. I have to have it removed. I have to make other decisions. The last thing I wanted to die around me was an object that had nurtured my global voyeurism. <br />
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I am going to be fine. So many of my friends have survived so many forms of cancer, it's become an expected thing to go through it. As I told one of my friends, "death has kissed both of my cheeks and forehead, it has yet to kiss my mouth." <br />
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As many of you, who have taken the time to read my blog, by now realize that I like to use everything around me to tell a story. Sometimes it's in a very old parable sort of way. Sometimes, you get the point right away and sometimes, I just let you figure it out for yourself. <br />
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Truth, will, for most of our lives, be debated as absolute knowledge. It's never that way because life is always changing. We one were babes who couldn't walk. One day we could run for miles and never tire. Nothing is wholly one thing or another forever. <br />
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I am enjoying my culinary life. I am taking pictures. I am making wonderful food and I am writing again. <br />
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This blog was special, because it was my note behind to let friends and family and whoever else was interested, that I was OK. I am horrible with talking on the phone. Always have been. I wanted them to know what I was seeing and learning along the way and that I loved them very much without ever having to say the words. <br />
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This is going to be my only public confession of my struggle, because I don't want to talk about it. We all die, but a friend of mine said to me, dying is easy. Not everyone really lives. <br />
This is what I am taking with me, my heart and my memories. I have already had an intense life and it's going to be that way until I die. It's too easy to love sadness.<br />
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I recently received a ring, with my birthstone, the inscription simply says "Life goes on with you or without you." Life is life, and for many, it's not really a full comprehension of what it really means to get this experience of actually being. <br />
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I cannot afford to be negative. I remind myself of a very important fact. Without death, there is no life. It would be merely, existence. That is why everything will always change. So even if I win or lose this battle, it really doesn't matter. It's inevitable. Death is coming because we all live. We aren't merely existing.<br />
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One of my favorite lines is, "The darkness doesn't last forever." <br />
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To be able to do what you love with complete enjoyment is a rare and treasured gift. Perhaps that is a horrible way to end this piece, but when you start trying to think of a profound thought to finish with, it just comes out forced and preachy. We all go through something. Big things, little things like paper cuts on our hearts. It's the little things we ignore, that we shouldn't. They set the tone for our life. <br />
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<br />Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-71309598406255004622013-10-20T01:40:00.001-05:002013-10-20T01:40:04.518-05:00The Joy of Art and Supporting the Artists You Love<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-19aR7s4MzT4/UmNtZww6GSI/AAAAAAAACps/1YdzaYiPovY/s1600/995197_10151961818853487_1362883124_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-19aR7s4MzT4/UmNtZww6GSI/AAAAAAAACps/1YdzaYiPovY/s400/995197_10151961818853487_1362883124_n.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bride - By <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PaulMoschell/media_set?set=a.42591703486.67629.693433486&type=3" target="_blank">Paul Moeschell</a></td></tr>
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Recently I came into possession of a wonderful watercolor by Paul Moeschell, an artist, whose career I have been following for around 5 years. What fascinated me about Paul, was that he loved art and he creates art because he LOVES his creations. When I met him in Denver, Colorado for an interview, one thing immediately struck me, he also wanted to make his art within reach of people who loved his work. Money was not a huge driver in his life. He was prosperous, but not greedy, not arrogant, very approachable and you get a feeling whenever you look at his world of work, you are looking through his eyes at how he would imagine the world. <br />
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I had been waiting and waiting for that one work that he would post on his facebook page that said I had to have. This beautiful relationship of how an artist connects and creates their work multiplies when the viewer comes in and then that work connects to them. I knew the second I saw Paul's posting two things; I wanted to support his work and I wanted to look at this work on my wall. Something about it excited me. It was more. I was excited about the acquisition for so many reasons. Paul had survived a stroke this year. I wanted to tangibly not just give lip service to someone I genuinely believed in. His brush with death reminded me of how often we take for granted all of those who are around us, that create on a daily basis. It's not enough to tell someone you really like their work, their art, their creation (no matter what it is). Instead of buying prints from a large nameless corporation, search for that local person that inspires you with their work. What would you like to see on the walls of your home?? Original works from artists within your community or a boring mass-produced print that is little more than a corporate inspirational poster? <br />
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I think why people are afraid to buy art is because they think they have to know what art is supposed to be. The truth is, art is just a word that gets in the way. Anything that you make a connection to, for whatever reason and is something that provokes you, inspires you, thrills you is something YOU have made a connection to. YOU are the one 'getting' whatever you are looking at. The rest of it, doesn't really matter. That's the deep truth about art, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder.' <br />
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For me, the multi-eyed Bride has a significant meaning. For Paul Moeschell, it was a vision he had during a period of time and he just created what he saw. There didn't have to be a meaning, but he did have to just go with the flow. <br />
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There's a framing shop two blocks away, I realized I am going to be more acquainted with them and I am going to be looking for more work that I fall in love with, to put on my bare walls. Happy Hunting.<br />
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<br />Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-644403335903914631.post-13369958060259017642013-10-15T20:23:00.002-05:002013-10-15T20:23:51.377-05:00Photo time and Random Thoughts, Just because it's My Thing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZpXlcshLGo/Ul3XsVT6aQI/AAAAAAAACo4/QQ04WcKqT-o/s1600/DSCN4696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZpXlcshLGo/Ul3XsVT6aQI/AAAAAAAACo4/QQ04WcKqT-o/s320/DSCN4696.JPG" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Minneapolis on a Summer Day 2013</td></tr>
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Where's my camera? I am sorry. I still love my camera and I KNOW there is a camera on my phone and it can do all sorts of wonderful things, but I love my camera. I have taken my Nikon with me around the world. I have edited my own imperfect pictures because it was as it happened, while I was out and about doing whatever it was that I was doing, seeing, perceiving, observing...you know, those action word things, called verbs. I didn't say I did it well, good, or qualified the quality. I was using and living those -ING words. The chant of "ING". Today, I felt a hunger for my camera. It started again. I saw moments that I was livING, that felt the familiar crush of words, <i style="font-weight: bold;">'Haya YOU! Take a picture it's gonna last longer!</i>' Really, my skull screams at times. So, I fished it out and realized with incredible sadness that my camera is dying. <br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X-oiJMXeVwI/Ul3XwJSUCNI/AAAAAAAACpE/LoiG4WzAMiQ/s1600/DSCN4699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X-oiJMXeVwI/Ul3XwJSUCNI/AAAAAAAACpE/LoiG4WzAMiQ/s320/DSCN4699.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Urban Art of Lake Street</td></tr>
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I retrieved the memory card and saw images I hadn't played with yet. A forgotten walk, with a few pictures that actually warmed me up when I saw them. The active walkING, the Art viewING, the doINGs of LivING. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-clqqMU--LEc/Ul3XrRy29DI/AAAAAAAACo0/_ZY8EH9PUko/s1600/DSCN4700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-clqqMU--LEc/Ul3XrRy29DI/AAAAAAAACo0/_ZY8EH9PUko/s320/DSCN4700.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Si </td></tr>
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So why is there this emphasis on the INGs of LivING? Two words: "I WISH". I hate "I WISH". I read a piece that has been circulated on the webisphere for a few years and I happened to see it again. The first time I read it, I thought it was so-so. I shared it. I became part of that blase meme by sharing it. I saw it today. I shared it again. Top 5 regrets of dyING people. Notice the action...even in death there is a process. I stopped and READ it, which means to actually CONSULT, CONSUME, to INGEST the contents. Not just to let the words flicker, but to let it finally reveal itself to some dark recess in my mind. And in my case, the nut finally cracked open with a mustard seed of truth. Two words. "I WISH".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikkYlMxXkxgHCP9-j8I7B5HLb65DHVOtNSA07xPJmr5RuS-iZvrmp_N04Qm1hEh0S_SjCNp-IonFEixX4Y-4rV-YV_Zbb2HzBluyOGFDMG23S5xym3hNFHcmbcuDIXYVgnLldYRbnk-I/s1600/DSCN4706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikkYlMxXkxgHCP9-j8I7B5HLb65DHVOtNSA07xPJmr5RuS-iZvrmp_N04Qm1hEh0S_SjCNp-IonFEixX4Y-4rV-YV_Zbb2HzBluyOGFDMG23S5xym3hNFHcmbcuDIXYVgnLldYRbnk-I/s320/DSCN4706.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minneapolis to the Left and St Paul to the Right.</td></tr>
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Wishes are like prayers. Prayers are like wishes. "PLEASE, SOMEONE ELSE..." wait, are you following this train or are you ON the train yet? Chuga-chuga, chuga...wait. The whistle is going to blow...<br />
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"I wish I had..." Nothing is more annoying than a person, who had all of the time in the world and didn't realize they didn't come to the understandING that life is NOT about a passive experience. ExperiencING life means you GOTTA GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GwfPemTdn-4/Ul3X4pwpAKI/AAAAAAAACpU/kD9hpOH8ce0/s1600/DSCN4716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GwfPemTdn-4/Ul3X4pwpAKI/AAAAAAAACpU/kD9hpOH8ce0/s320/DSCN4716.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaves for Pressing</td></tr>
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You can't be afraid. You have to talk. You have to act. You have to stop on the side of the road and pick up the leaves out of the dirt. You have to OPEN the door and get out there. Those words are FOR ME...<div>
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Do whatever YOU want to do. I found my camera, my dying camera. I recharged the battery, but it's still dying. Even my camera doesn't have to wish. It traveled around the world with me and it helped me to remember that I didn't wish to live. I smiled. I hope I find a really good camera that can take as many pictures as this one did, suffer being dropped without breaking, and an ever faithful companion in strange lands and questionable venues. </div>
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-ING doesn't include wishING. wastING nor wantING. That's the way I am goING to think about it. That's my choice. It's not an absolute truth...there is no such thing because life constantly is movING.</div>
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Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090687138872179144noreply@blogger.com0