1/1/11: Make this a #1 New Year!
Winter sunrise from my patio. I never tire of seeing the sunrise!
As I considered what to put on the title for January today (Friday), I could not resist that all the numbers are number one. The next time this will happen will be the month of November, when we will have 11/11/11, even more awesome! With so many ones in January it has to be a banner month! The first item on January’s agenda will be a review of a very important book called Pink Ribbon Blues by Gayle Sulik, whom I met in December at her book signing when I went to Williamsport for my friend’s funeral. The book signing took place at my friend Barb Jarmoska’s store, Freshlife. Interestingly enough, the author’s mom volunteered at the hospice where my friend Anna spent her last few days. Also, Gayle’s Mom knows my friend Karen, who went to the funeral with me. And my daughter-in-law Maura, who sent me the book for review, is an editor for Oxford University Press, publisher of the book, and is now Gayle’s editor. There are links and connections everywhere we look. There are no coincidences!
Perhaps January would be a good month to consider which connections you want to keep and which are no longer working for you. This does not have to be a resolution so much as a heightened state of awareness, like becoming more aware of what you eat, or what you see on your way to work, or how you feel around certain people. I am noticing that certain foods don’t taste good to me anymore, so I am focusing on testing my taste buds. One dish I did like that I made is the Rainbow Stir Fry. If you have been reading my posting for a couple of months, you know I am on a “color kick,” ever since I did my Color Me Healthy food demo. The idea of colorful foods that have dense nutrients fascinates me, just like flowers having beautiful colors to attract the bees and birds.
Last month I had hoped to interview Deborah, owner of The Mainline Bakery, because she is doing great things with gluten-free/dairy free breads, muffins, and cakes. My goal is to corner her one day this month and find out why she decided to focus on gluten-free and how she is managing motherhood and being at the bakery at 4 a.m.and baking delicious items.
Deborah taking a rare break in her bakery to pose for her picture.
During January we hope to go away for a few days to one of my wish list vacations: Costa Rica. My stepson and partner were there last year and said it is beautiful, so while I am gone I will probably schedule some winter recipes from previous postings so you will still receive something to cook. Since January is National Soup Month (See list below) I will probably repost some of my favorite soup recipes, like those I make with sweet potatoes.
In deciding how to complete January’s Home Page I looked up holidays and special days in January and this is the list I found:
Month:
- National Bath Safety Month
- National Blood Donor Month
- National Braille Literacy Month
- National Hobby Month
- Hot Tea Month
- National Oatmeal Month
- National Soup Month
Naturally, I want to focus on those related to food, so I will do some thinking on teas, oatmeal and soups. One of the most popular teas is green tea, because of its antioxidants, so that would be a good one for my Product Information Corner:
Loose Green Tea
Finally, we had our first winter storm in late December and I took a picture from my living room window. The cold snap has gone and now the weather is milder. In fact, I am going for a walk with my neighbor Marilyn right now. Happy New Year!
First snowstorm of winter in my neck of the woods.