Chimayo On A Whim

Walking onto Chimayo Mission ground on a whim – Adrian having never been there and my having been there with my mom and sisters a couple years prior – I thought maybe he’d like to experience it. It was special and impactful – not for a second expecting that versus the sightseeing detour I assumed it’d be. We walked into the start of an outdoor Mass able to experience that as we entered. Just moments before – getting out of the car and beginning to walk – I noted a tiny heart shaped natural stone on the ground – less than an inch square. I quietly reached down to pick it up and kept walking holding it between my fingers thinking about that unusual moment. Once the service was over – beautiful as it was framed by the mountains behind under a canopy of trees and sun shades – we walked up to the church itself. The legend has to do...

Culinary Learning: Piñon

Just plop me in a new place and tell me to go figure it out. What’s not to love about that kind of geographic adventure? Piñon – Adrian purchased two bags from a Native American couple along a road in Taos while exploring. Pine nuts are not something I know much about – beyond specific recipes that call for them. I get them for that purpose noting they are higher priced than I’d expect having to make sure they don’t go rancid with the high oil content once I purchase them. I’ve tried them as I use them noting oiliness and lack of flavor. With that point of reference, here’s what they were like this time around closer to their original state. I don’t even think I realized how their shell worked I’m so used to buying the meats alone in some plastic container in the supermarket. He jumped in the car showing me the bags saying –...

A Bushel, A Peck, Rain Drops & Tulips

Welcome to our trek to Beloit, WI for a farmers market adventure. It was a last minute decision on the quest for a quick harmless weekend adventure. Those beautiful flowers? A $5 bouquet that lifted the spirits of several people I passed while carrying them – asking me where I got them, telling me they were just plain gorgeous and that they were. We made it through the market as rain began to fall. It was a nice one – lots of different types of booths – range of prices, nice variety, AND stores were open as they framed the streets surrounding the farmers market. We stepped into a store called Bushel & Peck and fell in love…deep soulful love. It was the store you dream about starting over wine with friends. It was this industrial type of old building big open space. Walls lines with book shelves full of used books you can wait to sink your eyes into....

Flowers: Bouquets of Joy

First farmers market of the season this year for us was the Downtown Peoria, IL Riverfront Farmers Market. I think we stopped by the second week when flooding was still an issue pushing it over a few blocks to higher ground. It’s one of my favorites for a few years and I’ve been to more than 50 in that time. I simply love farmers markets. One day I’ll write an entry with my top 10 favorite reasons to love farmers markets. This one has a great variety which are my favorite. I’m not a produce purist – only wanting produce at my farmers markets – as many people prefer. I love it all. I love the sense of community, creativity everywhere from outright plants to jewelry, and different cultural influences that equal new foods to try. Here’s a brand new reason to love this Peoria Riverfront Farmers Market. It is captured in this image of my 10-year-old...

Meow Wolf

I didn’t have any idea what Meow Wolf was walking through the doors in Santa Fe, New Mexico – one of my very favorite communities. Author and Santa Fe resident George R R Martin – the Game of Thrones guy – is at the financial helm of this endeavor was my understanding once I started to investigate what exactly this was we were experiencing. Walking into the immersive and discombobulating environment was a bit scary at the same time it was a thrill. My understanding is reactions to it have often been cut and dried – extremes of – love it or hate it – is not uncommon. I LOVED it. It was soothing and reassuring. I felt I wasn’t alone in my way of thinking as I walked through it. It felt more like life than so much of what we’re exposed to in media day-to-day. Ok – you walk through a refrigerator portal into a type of space travel...

Family Travel Adventures

“And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling.” – Shanti “Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures” – Lewis Carroll  “To travel is to live” – Hans Christian Anderson  “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” – Aristotle La Vina Winery near Old Mesilla – Mesilla, New Mexico When are you heading out? Adventure...

Adventure

“The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” -Eleanor Roosevelt Have an adventure. I have to have them and the best mind for my spirit are outdoor ones. Whitewater rafting is something I have loved every time I’ve done it. Just returned from a trip to New Mexico where we took to the Rio Grande between Taos and Santa Fe. It was one of the best experiences of my life and reminded me – I need to do this more often. We ‘surfed the saddle’ as they called it, experiences several ‘4s’ adding intensity given the high water, and had to duck down flat to make it under two bridges (Whew!) during our day long trip on what’s called the ‘Racecourse’. We’d do this one again in a heartbeat. Here’s what I love about...

Book Talks, Blogs, & Student Journalists

BOOK TALKS UPDATE I’ve had three book talks in libraries and speaking venues in recent weeks and all went really well. One was in my current hometown area and one was back in the hometown where I grew up and the other was in northern Illinois at my brother’s storytelling venue with another author of 13 (!) books. Right at about 40 people showed up between the three and it was good to have a chance to talk with people about it all. Thanks so much to those who made it a point to come and those special experiences with me. BLOG TO LEARN PERSPECTIVE Ever need creative writing breaks? I do. This blog was my effort to give myself a place to practice writing and share some thoughts with clarity. In the journalism classes I teach, one of my assignments is for my students to create and fortify a blog during the semester. Why would I have them do this in a journalism class? I noticed...