Writing Through Touch (Day 3)

Assignment:  With dirt or baking soda and a spoon, near a sink.  Close your eyes and pick up the spoon, explore it.  Cover your hands with baking soda or dirt, close your eyes and describe how it feels.  What else could this be?  Wash your hands, feel the water between your hands and the spoon...

I close my eyes and think about the possibilities, and what comes to mind is planting flowers, or in my case, a small cactus.  As my hand closes around the handle of the spoon, it will function as a trowel as I begin to get my hands dirty.  The wooden handle of the spoon is smooth and worn; I've used this spoon many times over the years.  The dirt is soft and spongy; the smell that rises is damp earth.  Breaking up the dirt that has clumped together with my hands, I feel a connection to Mother Earth.  Growing things seems to run in my blood, back through generations of farmers.  Handling the cactus carefully, holding it by the roots, loosening up the root system, it's ready to plant.  With the spoon in hand, I scoop dirt carefully around the cactus that I've named "Spike".  Tamping down the dirt, adding more spoonfuls of dirt to fill the container, tamping it down again.

Cleanup is simple.  Turning on the hose, I rinse my hands under the cool water, rubbing them together, the water burbles out.  It brings me back to my youth, playing in the backyard and getting a drink from the hose, water running crystal clear, with a slight taste of rubber from the hose.  Hands washed, I give Spike a drink and hope he's happy in his new home. 

Food, Glorious Food (Day 2)

Assignment:  I hope you came hungry, or have a great food memory at hand, because today we’re going to practice writing through our taste buds!

When I think about food -- ok, I'll admit, I think of it probably more than I should -- the one day that comes to mind when it comes to food is Thanksgiving.  One of the best holidays of the year:  there are no gift giving requirements.  All that matters is being with family, being thankful for all we've been given during the year, and having a great meal to celebrate.  

When you're young, Thanksgiving wakes you with Mom in the kitchen beginning her day looking at a (hopefully) thawed out turkey that needs to be stuffed and basted, the sound of celery being chopped and sausage frying on the stove.  The smell is glorious, and brings up an anticipation that continues to build from there.  The bread was cubed the day before and is ready to be mixed with the sausage, onion, and celery and stuffed into the bird.  Once the bird is popped into the oven, it won't be long before the smells drift through the house, creating a bit more mouth watering anticipation.

Of course, there's always setting the table - fancy dishes and silverware, pretty crystal goblets that gleam in the light.  Maybe some pretty flowers, or a cornucopia in the center of the table.  Counting out chairs so there's a place for everyone.

Turkey isn't the only thing on the menu.  Mashed potatoes, gravy, yams with those little marshmallows on top... cooked to a golden brown.  The meal is never complete without some kind of cranberry sauce, whether you like it fresh or prefer it to be from a can, holding it's shape and looking like some kind of jello.  And yes!  There's always room for jello.  When I was young, mom made lime jello with shredded carrots in it.  I've never figured out the real appeal for that, but I always enjoyed it. 

For me, the icing on the cake would be the home made rolls.  As a grownup, I'm partial to really good breads, and I think mom's rolls are the reason why.  The smell of bread cooking brings back so many memories of the house I grew up in and the people in my family.  For me, the ultimate comfort food.  For some, bread is just what's holding the delicious insides together.  But I enjoy bread, plain or buttered.  When bread is in the oven, everyone knows it!

No Thanksgiving meal is complete without pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  Some years, we were ready for dessert right after the meal, but most years we were willing to wait a while before trying to stuff ourselves with anything else.  Whether you think of pumpkin as a fruit or a vegetable, when you mix is up with spices and condensed milk, and bake it in the oven, it's delicious.  Topped with some whipped cream (not Cool Whip) it's the perfect end to a glorious meal.