Rain, Harvest Moon Salad & The Vintage Pearl

"Rain showers my spirit
and waters my soul."
~Terri Guillemets

I love days like this.

It is so moody and hypnotic with this drizzle of rain ~

splashes of blue fighting to stay noticed as the clouds keep rollin in

overtaking everything in its smokey path...

I wish u all could see it!

or, maybe some of you can and are

sitting under the same sky right now as I type

I'd like to think so.....

I'm reflecting on "change" this morning -

both on the seasons around me

and in the seasons of my own life.

I love watching the trees turn this time of year,

each leaf set free...one by one...

at it's appointed time....

I find myself pulling out sweaters...

cozy-ing up on the chaise lounge...

clutching soothing mugs of herbal tea....

hibernating....

discovering....

contemplating...

Life can just be so messy, can't it?

The questions get so loud that you can't hear yourself think...

But then you remind yourself of how blessed you truly are,

and the person you are becoming,

and of the process along the way...

priceless.

Such a beautiful thing when a soul begins to ripen...isn't it?

~~~~~~~~~

And with that Sweet Bellas,

I have a special treat to warm up your day.

Make that TWO special treats...

Treat #1:

Harvest Moon Salad with Cranberry Lime Vinaigrette

My recipe for a cozy salad that is layered with such texture & flavor, it just may make you bark at the moon!

2 cups of spring mix lettuce

1 small cooked chicken breast, shredded (turkey is a lovely substitute)

1 small cooked sweet potato, shredded (I microwaved mine before shredding!)

1 Hard Boiled Egg, peeled and sliced

2 Tbsp of diced purple onion

3 asparagus spears, lightly sauteed in olive oil

1 small gala apple, sliced

6 Feta Cheese Chunks, battered and fried in olive oil

(I used the large pieces from a container of crumbled feta, dipped in egg, then flour, then egg, then fried until golden on each side)

salt and pepper to taste

Assemble the first seven ingredients as shown, then make the vinaigrette (recipe below), and then fry the feta cheese so it will be warm and fresh and melt in your mouth.

Lastly, drizzle the vinaigrette on top and salt/pepper to taste.

Cranberry Lime Vinaigrette

3 tbsp of lime juice

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2-3 tbsp of whole cranberry sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of olive oil.

In a blender, add first 4 ingredients, blend for 4 to 5 seconds, take lid off and add 1 cup of olive oil while blending appx 10 seconds more, pour over salad.

Mangia!

Treat #2:

In Honor of "Birthday Week"

I am absolutely delighted

to share some spoils with YOU!

The Sweet Bellas of

The Vintage Pearl

have graciously offered a $25 gift certificate

to one of my lucky readers (*details below),

and I couldn't be more thrilled to

introduce their incredible gifts and talents to each of you.

I was privileged to place a very special order of birthday gifts for some very special bellas in my life recently,

and I cannot express to you enough how very pleased I was with

the customer service,

the ease of ordering,

the timely delivery,

and the quality of product.

If you are pondering a unique customizable gift for a very special person in your life

than look no further!

The Vintage Pearl

is just what you are looking for...

click this link above and visit their website today!

Here's how to win:

simply leave me a comment below, winner will be chosen at random

using random.org

deadline to enter is this Sunday, October 24th, Midnight EST

(winner will be announced in the next post, and will have 3 days to respond via email)

36 and Counting...

"Grow old with me!

The best is yet to be."

~Robert Browning

"Birthday Week" has officially begun....LET THE SPOILS BEGIN!

Although a time to celebrate, it is also a time of introspection.

Looking back...

I am reminded of the richness 

of living and learning and losing and loving.

of endings and new beginnings.

I am reminded that life is 
so layered.

so complex.

so fragile.

so precious.

I'm reminded to prioritize.

I'm reminded to remember.

to ponder.

to listen.

and to LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

I'm reminded of how fast it really all goes,

every bit of it.

And how important it is to make the time 

to stop and look around.

Going forward...

I'll make every effort to contemplate more beauty,

savor more moments,

be more spontaneous,

and never stop marveling.

I'll spend as much time as I can 

finding new ways to show mercy

and learning how to be more gracious.

I will continue to cherish the richness of truly FEELING.

To embrace every gray hair, and every new wrinkle, 
because it is part of the story of my life...

I will continue to rest in the Hands of Providence,

cherishing every step of this life journey...

and

I promise to always save a little room in my tummy

for an unexpected nosh...

you never know when a good friend, or,

a new friend will cross your path,

and it could very possibly be "the unpardonable sin" to be "too full"

to share a nibble with another soul :)

A Season for Everything...

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace. ..

He has made everything beautiful in its time."

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,11

The circle of life is on my mind tonight...the sound of "Taps" still resonating in my ears...the 21 gun salute...the presentation of the flag permanently etched into my memory.

World War II Vet. Iron Mike. Grandpa.

As a little girl, I gave my Grandfather such a hard time. I would prance around in my pigtails giving everyone in the room hugs and kisses....EXCEPT him. When he would ask for a kiss, I would sharply turn my head, and with eyes closed simply reply in a tiny breathy voice, "I have a headache" as I walked away - Sarah Bernhardt eat your heart out....

oh how it would drive him crazzzzzzzy.

From then on he

endearingly and affectionately

gave me the nickname

"P. I. F."

"Pain In The Foot"

Years have gone by,

and I've gone from that little girl

to a grown woman

who deeply appreciates the man

who loved his family more than anything ~ there's nothing he wouldn't do for them...

who was strong and courageous ~ "Iron Mike" to those who knew him best...

who was blessed with many gifts and talents ~ a remarkable stained glass artist and one who could fix just about anything.

who worked hard - a plumber by trade.

who was fiercely loyal ~ the best friend a man could have.

who was an avid reader - Although he didn't finish school, he believed if you can read, you can teach yourself to do anything, and he proved that. He taught himself to be fluent in several different languages (including Japanese!).

who served his country mightily ~ He lied about his age so that he could enlist. He was one of the men who was dropped down on the beach in Normandy on D-Day and survived...re-enlisted...and was the recipient of 3 purple hearts.

who lived a full life - filled to the brim with many exciting experiences - He always wanted to ride in a rodeo, so he bought a horse, taught himself to ride, and did. He wanted to learn to fly, so he got his pilot's license, and built a plane with his friend, and flew. He waterskiied, golfed, ballroom danced, shot billiards, traveled, and was never afraid to get up in front of a crowd and work the room, and share a song or two while he was at it...

He's been dubbed a cross between John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart...

But to me

he will always and forever be

"the most interestingggg man in the world"

And from this day forward,

when I think of Mike Messinger,

I won't remember how he died,

but rather

I will remember HOW HE LIVED....

Michael M. Messinger

1923-2010