the turbo hot chocolate with sprinkles

because i'm feeling a bit chatty, and a little bit uncreative with my thoughts. I decided to blog this week about food. I am so intrigued by food - the way that it brings people together, the entire process of growing/buying/cooking/eating, the nutritive value and the satisfaction that it brings to our lives.

I just wanted to share some of the foods that I cooked last summer on our river trips. We cooked Chorizo pasta, enchiladas, and a turbo hot chocolate with coffee, whip cream, and SPRINKLES... we packed everything on our river trips with us and cooked along the 90 miles of river using dutch ovens, coal, and wood. It was so much fun and so satisfying to row all day, cook at night and eat a meal with friends and co-workers in perhaps one of the most beautiful and secluded places in the country.

i spent my summer here last year. i lived in a house that overlooked lake pond-orielle and whenever i was in town (i was river-guiding a few hundred miles away on most days), i made it a point to watch these sunsets. i live for those moments when nothing else matters. when you'd give anything to share what you're seeing and doing with the people you love. moments like that are unique - i love when you can be somewhere completely different, close your eyes and see, feel, smell and taste the memory of another place in time. i love that you can remember how your heart felt at that time and remember that state of mind. these memories and places are different for everybody - and not everyone will understand why another's memories are remarkable - that's what makes them special, the belong completely to the person who houses them. pretty neat.

Let me tell you how much I love this girl. She helped me to appreciate the importance of good girlfriends. She was there for me when I seriously thought the world might end. It didn't... she does not care one bit about being different or quirky and we fight like we love eachother by speaking our minds, accepting our differences and knowing that when it comes down to it there is nothing but love abounding. She loves to sit around and drink wine and make earrings (beautiful ones to be more exact) and she has a knack for thrift store and flea market goods that makes you want her as your personal shopper, she's so unique.
A truly wonderful friend, indeed.

I went to Memphis this past weekend. It was so good for a multitude of reasons...
Visiting a set of my friends that I rarely get to see... friends from summer camp, where I spent my childhood and some of my pre-"adult" summers. It was great. They remind me of certain aspects about myself that often go un-appreciated - even aspects that I, myself, under-appreciate.

Flying. I L-O-V-E LOVE to fly. It's something like to an out of body experience - a chance to leave life for a little while, relax, be away from my cell phone, computer, away from school, away from confusing relationships. It's a great view of sunrises, sunsets, lightning (in my case), and the stars! I can think clearly about my plans, aspirations and beliefs.

I wonder why flying is so refreshing? Could the changes in pressure and oxygen content be the reason? Certainly the preparation for flight is not... missed flights, security lines, taking off your shoes and walking where thousands of people walk bare-footed each day... yuck! But nonetheless, the flight, itself, is wonderful.

if given the chance, people will talk.

my dad always told me that you can make someone comfortable my letting them talk about themselves, ask them questions about themselves and let them talk about what they know best, themselves...

i think this has been true for me in most situations. i can think of one where it was absolutely not, but for the most part people have a lot to say. we have a lot to learn from each other and people have a lot of knowledge (however random it may be) that they are just bursting to share with someone else.

a few examples
my aunt is super quiet, she's very humble and does not often talk about herself. HOWEVER, tonight I was telling her about my nursing school experiences and a few of the things that i've seen and learned, etc and she is a nurse, and boy did i get her talking! not only did a learn a lot about nursing, but i learned a TON about my aunt!! it was great!

gosh, there's so much more to say about this. gotta sleep now though.
jw