Monday, December 11, 2006

Accomplishment

What is accomplishment? Accomplishment is making your first genuine, vegetable-full, home-cooked meal in 7 weeks without puking. I made Chicken Tortilla soup with lime, and I was even able to eat it. And enjoy it. NO GAGGING INVOLVED. Someone call the presses.

I could get used to doing this cooking thing again.

Saturday, December 9, 2006

A visit to North Carolina and a change of weather...










Thanksgiving weekend Paul and I had the pleasure of visiting my Aunt and Uncle and two of their kids from Florida in N. Carolina. They had gone up to Murphy, North Carolina and stayed at a beautiful little cabin in the quickly-dying Appalachians. Whereas a few weeks before the trees were burning with oranges, reds and yellows, most leaves had dropped or faded to nearly brown, leaving bare, tall, skinny trees. However it was so beautiful to get up into the mountains with all its peacefulness. My Aunt and Uncle invited us to come stay with them, and we quickly agreed, it was only an hour and 45 minutes drive! (Did you know Georgia borders both North and South Carolina?)

We stayed in a cozy little cabin Saturday night and Sunday spent a long day fishing in one of the many rivers. It was so much fun! It had been a long time since I trout fished. My Aunt is great at it (as is my mom). My Grandpa and Grandma loved to fish and taught all their kids. They went up to the Eastern Sierras every year when their kids were little and spent a whole month there. When they retired they spent a third of each year as campground hosts near Big Pine. They loved it, staying all summer in their motorhome; fishing, chatting with vacationers, watching kids play, and making friends with other yearly visitors. It was so sad when they could no longer make the drive, no longer meet the host duties. My Grandpa died a year and a half ago. It was nice to fish and think about him. He was probably fishing too, but with a much greater fisherman.

Anyway we each caught a fish, Paul and I each caught a 9 or 10 inch trout (they each looked like they could barely feed a child). But my Aunt caught a big 16 inch trout. It was even a brookie, a native species unlike our rainbow trouts. It was great fun (though under 30 degrees in the morning!) However I will admit I am bad with catching fish. I am afraid of them. Don't ask. When I caught my fish I started screaming as it flopped about near my rock and I nearly dropped the pole. (Similar reactions occur when I try to snorkel. I just don't want them to touch me). Needless to say I didn't help eat the fish. It was a great trip though, beautiful, relaxing, and great to hangout with family. It was like breathing after holding my breath in the city. I am so not a city girl.



P.S. the weather has changed. There were definitely some 80 degree days in Nov, but now its been 20 degrees when I walk the 2 miles to my shuttle. Brr! Baby is cold!