Five Minute Friday - A Mood Modification

My romantic nature demands darkness.
Dappled light brings beauty
 down
  to
   depths
unrealized by clear blue sky.
My summer sunshine longs for autumn’s change.

My grandmother hated the fall... something about it being a time when everything is dying. Although I am a great deal like her (and miss her horribly), I've never seen autumn the same way. The smell of decaying leaves, the rusty yellows and reds, the chill in the air, the threat of heavy clouds and cold stormy nights... it's a very special time for me - a space along the veil between this existence and the next. The place where life, half hidden in shadows, shows all sides of itself.

Thanks again to Lisa-Jo for her writing prompt. Join in if you need some inspiration... the rules are simple:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back there and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community...

 

Random Wisdom - Og Mandino

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.” ~ Og Mandino

Corn Bread with a Kick

While this one was put together to use up an overflow of Thai peppers, the recipe is a good one without the heat too. I’ve always preferred my corn bread on the sweeter, moister side (something I never can quite get out of a box mix) so, this exploration into the baking lab sought to accomplish that. Enjoy!

See Burnt Offerings for the latest recipe.

Forcing Verse

Stealing a moment
pregnant with promise,
void of expectation.
Fingers hesitant,
mind racing, fears
of wasting
precious time stymies
inspiration, clogging flow.
Grasping at nothing,
fists finally free
the should-spoon stirring
the murky mind-waters
and the dust settles
leaving lines of
enigmatically arranged thought.

Random Wisdom - Hope Quote

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: You don't give up." ~Anne Lamott

Mango Garden Salsa

With peppers just harvested from plants my brother gave me in the spring, freshly picked tomatoes and a cucumber from my uncle’s garden, and a few sprigs of oregano from my herb garden, fresh salsa was a no-brainer. While I realize most salsa recipes call for cilantro or parsley, the fresh oregano throws in a nice little twist. Fresh mint would work well too. Now that our sinuses are fully cleared thanks to a healthy dose of capsicum, I’ll just have to figure out what we are going to do with the basket that is still full of Sugar chilies and Thai peppers... hmm... maybe cornbread. ;)

See Burnt Offerings for the latest recipe: Mango Garden Salsa