Tag: a to z 2020

#AtoZChallenge | Q is for Quince Sorbet and getting our Sugar Rush on at Gross Confection Bar.

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The Netflix algorithm that recommends shows based on your previous viewing history notifies me the millisecond a new dessert cooking show is available. I have my niche. Repeated viewings of the Great British Bake-Off, Sugar Rush and Zumbo’s Just Desserts make me a pseudo expert on anything sugar based.

When my husband and I were out for dinner recently at Chaval, a local Portland restaurant, the waiter mentioned that their Morcilla Puff appetizer was made with choux pastry. My husband looked at me and said, “Honey, it’s choux pastry” and we promptly ordered two to try. He’s been sucked into my candy colored world too. The appetizer was delicious. The chef might have even gotten a handshake from Paul Hollywood if they had baked it under a tent on the grounds of a beautiful rural estate in England.

When my oldest was home for college break over January, we streamed the latest season of Zumbo’s Just Desserts. We enjoyed seeing all the amazing creations these not-so-amateur chef’s came up with during each of the challenges.

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#AtoZChallenge | P is for Puffins and an extra does of cuteness.

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What’s black and white and flies? My favorite seabird, the Atlantic puffin. They’re a cuter version of penguins. No offense to penguins everywhere. You’re pretty cute too.

Maine is one of the nesting grounds for Atlantic puffins and the only place in the states that you can see them. A visit with the puffins had been on my bucket list for many years.

We settled on a trip to Machais Seal Island, where you can get up close and personal with the puffins. Fun fact: this little speck of an island is also the only disputed land between Canada and the United States. Who wouldn’t want to claim ownership of a tiny island covered in puffins?

This trip takes serious planning. You can’t go on a whim. The nesting season is short, running from May to August, and only a couple of boat companies make the trip to the Island. One runs out of the US and the other from Canada. You have to get your tickets in January when the weather is cold, raw and snow filled while hoping the date you pick is warm, clear and beautiful. It’s a risk. Tickets sell out almost immediately.

We booked our tour through Bold Coast Charter Company out of Cutler Maine. The post on their website indicates they’ve already sold out for their summer 2020 tours. I can’t stress enough that you have to book early.

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#AtoZChallenge | O is for the Ocean and the pull of a lifetime of memories.

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The memories of my life are so in step with the rhythm of the ocean that the thought of living anyplace where I couldn’t get to the coast within an hour or two makes me anxious.

My grandparents lived at the beach. My grandmother especially loved the water. It’s one of the reasons my grandfather choose to build their home next to the ocean. The salt air is good for the soul. Maine waters are chilly even in the warmest of summer days but my grandmother was undeterred and continued to swim in the ocean every summer until her health waned. She was happy at the ocean.

My mother spent her school years “in town” and not at the beach. Her grandmother and aunt lived there during those years. They were still living there when I arrived on the scene. My only memories of my visits to the house during those years were of the disturbingly vivid portrait of Jesus wearing the crown of thorns as blood streamed down his face. It hung prominently in their living room. It made an impression on me.

Eventually my grandparents moved back to their home at the beach.

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#AtoZChallenge | N is for New Experiences and moving my bucket list virtual.

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I’ve posted a few annual bucket lists to this blog in the past. However, I didn’t for 2020. I needed to step back and think about what my goals were around my bucket list as typically we’d only cross a few entries off each year. That didn’t make me happy. I’m the kind of person who gets giddy when she finishes a to-do list.

Maybe that was the problem. Had I set them up to be just another thing to cross off?

I’ve read the headlines telling us it is better to invest in experiences rather than things. That it will bring us more joy. I don’t need to be convinced. I definitely would pick an experience over a purchase any day.

Why do new experiences bring bliss into my life? Below are five reasons that I love new experiences:

People. Typically, new experiences involve other people. After years of believing myself to be an introvert, I read Quiet by Susan Cain and realized I’m actually a shy extrovert. Being around other people gives me energy. Often new experiences are something that I do with other people which makes it that much sweeter.

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#AtoZChallenge | M is for Making a pegboard jewelry organizer.

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I always have a craft project in the works. Some fail spectacularly. Others succeed, although often much differently than they originally appeared in my head. Either way, it doesn’t stop me. I love the creative process and enjoy trying new skills. Having something you made yourself is so satisfying.

It is no surprise to me that my daughters both decided on creative career paths. One is a visual artist, the other a creative writer. In the “could have, would have, and should have” of lost opportunities, I would have gotten an art degree. Not that it matters. The beauty of art is you can create it however and whenever you choose. It’s deeply personal.

And there are so many ways to express creativity. Making crafts that I can use in my home is one of the ways that I do.

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