Thursday Travel Tip

The big "avocado" purse, cheap sunglasses and a scarf - don't leave home without them!

A friend of mine was telling me about her upcoming trip and how she needed to make sure that she had the appropriate clothing to wear when she was in conservative areas.   I let her know about my scarf trick which I learned for traveling in Italy and England.   Many churches and cathedrals require that visitors wear attire which covers your shoulders and does not show too much leg.   I wear a lot of knee length skirts and dresses when I travel anyway because then I look less like a tourist and in the summer they are super comfortable.   To cover up a tank top for a church visit - and for later in the day if it gets chilly - a scarf stashed in your purse or attached to a hat works great!   And if you are needing to dress up an outfit for dinner - then you already have it right there. 

I am still looking for a great summer hat that travels well. I have lots of knit ones to keep me warm on cold weather vacations, but nothing that squishes up just as easy for keeping the sun off me.

And I saving for another time more tips about why I carry a giant purse on vacation and what I put in it!

Words to Remember!

I saw this and just thought "Yes."

Now you can take from it what you will.

Great Combo Dinner

Sometimes you hit on just the right combination for your dinner that fits the moment and your mood.   Here we have the happy comfort food of grilled cheese along with the spring zing of an arugula salad with a lemon vingarette dressing!

Summer Breeze....

Oh the love affair between Americans and their air conditioning....
   I admit it - I heart my AC, especially when it stops working and the temperature goes above 80.   However, it really was kind of nice to sleep with a cool breeze coming in through the windows once the temperature dropped and I also had the ceiling fan going.

 It reminded me of when I lived in Italy for a summer in an apartment with no air conditioning except in the living room.   The cheap little fan I bought saved my life!  I left it there for the next student so she would not have to suffer - kind of paying it forward I guess.




Tito, the cat, checking his email.



Atlanta Dogwood Festival 2012

Celebrating the 75th Atlanta Dogwood Festival

Not only was it great fun to see all the artwork and hear the bands play in the park but the fact that after 75 years the festival is still going strong - it is just great. 

And it was even better to see that the Dogwood Festival is going green!

With the spring weather already here I am thinking about all the good hot-weather food coming soon.  The fruit and vegetables that will be in season, the great salads I will make.....

But right now I am craving something that I associated with summer and the South. 
Pimento cheese sandwiches!

They make me think of family vacations - trips to the beach with a cooler packed full of cokes, apples and 'wiches.  Or going to visit relatives up in the North Carolina mountains.  My cousin has the best homemade pimento cheese spread recipe.  Great for a snack while sitting on the porch and enjoying the full view of the trees and sky extending far into the mountains and the hummingbirds delicately hovering by the flowers and feeders.

And of course there are all the old stories about having your pimento sandwich while walking the course at Augusta.  I have heard for years about the Masters lunchtime tradition, but have yet to experience it myself.   The hard part is just getting the tickets - even for a practice round!

Sometimes I think research is more fun than the actual writing.  Maybe this is because searching for new information can go on endlessly Whereas organizing all the tidbits you have found into a cohesive product is more difficult and requires more final decisions - about what to include, where and how it relates to what you want to say.

For brain food when I am writing, I have found that pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream works better than any other snack or junk food out there.   The balance of sugars and carbs is both a treat and an energy boost.  Plus, it counteracts the gallons of coffee you have consumed if you are as caffeine depended as I am!

This may also be true since most of my research regards food, food related media and the Slow Food movement....  however, I still have not decided what kind of pie goes with which particular topic yet, except that it does vary with the seasons and what fruit is available.