Don't Ration Your Passion

I think blogging is a lifesaver for those who like the creative process, but aren't  necessarily brilliant writers like myself. It is a way to purge the mind of negative energy and get it out there, whether or not anyone is reading it. I guess that is why I named my blog 'ecrivain attempts' as that is what it really is... attempts to be a writer. You can really enjoy doing something and appreciate those who do it well, but how do you get to be that person who could actually make a living doing that thing you love? I ask myself that almost every day when the job that pays the bills does only that, pays the bills and doesn't provide anything else. When Chef Gordan Ramsey on "Hell's Kitchen" says you have to have passion in the kitchen and not merely technique and be quick on your feet, he is saying that he can see the ones who love it and the ones who are going through the motions. Going through the motions is a numbing process. Passion is something that needs to be ignited when what you love gets buried under all the things you don't love at all, but you have to pretend to care about in order to keep your head above water.

So, my question that I leave you with is, can you try to get passionate about something in your life? It may not put bread on the table or be recognized, but try to do it well or make a point of throwing yourself into something that actually brings meaning to life and starts to bring back the tingles that reminds you that living isn't that bad after all.

Summer Wanderlust

After a long winter cooped up with no where to go, when the good weather comes it is exhilarating like you have been reborn. I like to call it the ' creative hiatus' because I am too distracted to focus on things like writing. I miss it, but with long days where the sun is out until 9PM, long walks and sitting on the patio and breathing in fresh air is so appealing. 

One of my favorite things about summer is the farmer's market. Every Thursday I take a trip to my local outdoor market to enjoy all the sights and sensory experiences offered. A farmer's market isn't just vegetables - this is a place for the community and intrepenurial of heart to try their hand at selling unique goods. Some of the variety includes homemade cheeses, salsas, candy and even organic soaps and fragrances. Although the same vendors are there every week, it is comforting to visit the favorite stalls for home baked bread and freshly popped kettle corn. 

A definite change of culture has come about with a return to smaller venues be it restaurants or grocery stores like Trader Joes  and community co-ops. Most of all an appreciation of fresh, small batched food stuffs. To me, this is such a change for the better. Food becomes culture and community and not just mass produced items in warehouse sized grocery stores. To me, every Thursday is a highlight to my week. I know I will share the experience with a close friend and get some fresh air while shopping at my leisure for wholesome, carefully produced products.

To Farmer's Markets and A simpler way of life which is a sort of Joie de vivre.

Austen As We Know It

Bless my soul, I watched Pride and Prejudice for the 100th time today. It filled me with the "je ne sais quoi" that it always does. Something about the organic nature of life and relationships that seems to be so lacking in our modern age. There is chaotic harmony to the Bennett's willy -nilly ways of dancing and prancing, feasting and farming that brings about a feel for what life must be truly like if you are living it to the fullest. Not to mention the breath taking scenes from the campagne, filled with lush green and hilly interest and wild reckless, natural abandon, just like the Bennett's themselves. My all time favorite scene that brings me to tears every time is when Elizabeth tells Mr. Bennett that she loves Fitzwilliam Darcy. All the secret glances of amusement that pass between father and daughter are endearing throughout the film, but this final scene, the crescendo to the symphonic story is the love between these two. So, in honor of the most beloved of characters both in book and acted in film, are a  few Bennettesque items chosen to celebrate them all. Bravo!

Integrity

This shall surely be a ramble of thoughts that have crossed my mind lately, so bear with my license as a blogger to sometimes write less than coherently.

Integrity. This is what is on my mind of late. What does it look like? Do I have it? Does it really exist much anymore? It seems like a big word that can be evident in so many small ways. Although I won't get into the details of why this word is weighing on my mind, let's just say that there seems to be a lack thereof these days.

What does it look like? It is a combination of honesty, selflessness, respect for others and a willingness to  separate yourself from something even if it isn't the most popular thing to do. Well, that is my definition and may be a bit off from Mr. Webster himself. 

Do I possess it? That is the question. Not as much as I would hope. I would love to be an Austen character like Elizabeth who always finds herself doing the right thing even when hard. Wrestling with her own desires in the pursuit of doing what is noble above all else. In a society that is so "me" centered and obsessed with loving oneself, that truly and sometimes thought old fashioned virtue called integrity gets kind of lost in all the narc ism. 

Jane, your wisdom was for the ages and thank goodness for that. No one tells it like an Elizabeth Bennett - full of poignancy and fire that cuts you to the quick.

So, for all those who feel like their tank of integrity is running a little low, pick up some moral morsels from our friend Jane and remember that although sometimes forgotten, integrity never goes out of style...

Sweet Mother of Mine

Oh, for all the fanfare and shameless Hallmark exploitation of Mother's Day, there is nothing wrong with celebrating the one person who makes the world go round who is no other than your mother. 

Someone I know recently commented that he had not called his mother in years on this day as he thought it was so silly and predictable. What I say to that is, "shame on you." If we all appreciated each other everyday as we should, then there truly would be no need for Hallmark to remind us to remember these special ladies. However, the expectation to remember on a special day is a good reason to make much of those we love. Mothers do so much which goes unnoticed. The nights worrying about that conversation with you where you were upset and unhappy, the prayers that went out on your behalf when you had that important interview, the thoughtful check ups just to see how you are. Then there are the home cooked meals, the stories about how cute you were as a baby and the words of encouragement and unconditional love. Who thinks you are beautiful like none other? Of course mom does. Even if you know she may be a little biased, you can't help but smile a little broader and hold your chin a little higher because there is that one person always in your corner.

So, here is to you moms - our number one fans who have kept us in one piece all these years and nursed our hearts and stomaches with all the love in the world.

We love you~

Welcome to A Little Piece of Heaven Called Bryn Mawr

Yesterday was the annual Bryn Mawr Minneapolis Neighborhood Garage Sale. This kind of event is something I anticipate all year long and is always a highlight of the year.

Bryn Mawr is neatly tucked away off Penn Ave and highway 394 - minutes from downtown. A neighborhood that is one of many of Minneapolis's hidden jewels & you kinda have to be a local to know about it. The beauty of this area is that is has preserved its original architectural charm and relatively the geographical landscape as it was when this was a new and booming community. If you are an independent retailer, you will survive here. The locals love to support another of their  assets, unique shops and eateries along the main strip that are not part of a national chain. We started our marathon of garage -saling by starting the day with delicious local java brew at Cuppa Java which is a featured photo in this blog.

If you are not a tag sale - O'phite, then come for a beautiful walk through a hilly, nature filled piece of utopia in the middle of the city. One observation is that this is an eco-centric neighborhood. It is the exception rather than the rule to find a home without a rain garden and their landscape full of plants that contribute to a greener earth. Many of the homes are of the Arts and Crafts Bungalow persuasion, but there are gorgeous rest orated Victorians mixed in as well. Bryn Mawr dwellers have preserved architecture and community to make you feel like you belong to something that matters. Spend a day at the annual garage sale and you will walk away knowing a little bit more about the people that live here and how proud they are to be there. After purchasing several vintage items at a home that I had garage saled the previous year, I told the woman running it I came back as I had been so happy with my purchases the previous year. She was so happy to hear it and she gave me some fun history of the items I was purchasing besides.

At the end of a morning filled with fun, you must stop at the Bryn Mawr community church where freshly grilled brats and dogs await. Stand in line for  cute little cub scouts to serve you as your money goes towards a great cause.

Respite for the Weary

Perhaps you as I are a little weary of all the bad news these days. If the economic crisis wasn't enough to have you wallowing in worry, it is now the media bombardment of swine flu outbreaks. Although you can't live in a cave and avoid reality, you can try to escape now and then and find respite in something frivolous and light. So, how about it? Shall we peruse something to take our minds of the world and lighten the load with a little Etsy eye candy?