Menu Writing

I have  taken some time to do a lot more reading than writing.  Please know at times writing is much harder when you have been out of practice.  I read over a teenager’s essay last night to offer some advice for gaining word count for an assignment.  I could see how he struggled to make 500 words turn into 1500 on a subject that he was not very passionate about.   I was enthusiastic offering suggestions on how his essay could be expanded.  He too seemed encouraged with the little direction I gave him and decided to do more research to expand his word count with more knowledge. 

I make a lot of mistakes writing. I am not qualified to edit anyone but myself. I admit meeting a minimum word count is a struggle.  Writers usually challenge themselves within these parameters and writing can be easy or extremely difficult.

I haven’t wrote for over a year.  I am creative and I like to create.  Writing used to be my favorite creative outlet. I haven’t had a work space for a few months and have concentrated on other things.  I pick up a paintbrush from time to time or take out the scissors and glue, but I haven’t finished anything.  Scattered in my house there are paintings of people without faces, boats without sails, and strips of burlap laying about silently waiting for my return.  I have been the same way with my writing. People closest to me are worried.  Gifts I received this past year were beautiful blank journals, watercolor tablets, paints and sketch pencils. I loved each gift and I regret they are still blank. 

 I began this 2013 attempting to writing at least one sentence from each day to describe an event or feeling from the day.  It has turned into a food journal : Breakfast – slice of leftover supreme thin crust pizza; Lunch- creamy tomato soup with Harlem pepper spice; Dinner – Gouda stuffed burgers with bacon and apple slices on toasted sesame seed buns.  I do not consider these menu items writing, but at the time they were the best part of my day. 

The food does have a story to tell.  The pizza from the night before was partially eaten over the computer planning a romantic weekend out of town.  The Harlem pepper spice was discovered on a trip to the local flea market one lazy Sunday afternoon. The spice vendor was an excellent saleswoman offering cooking suggestions on each spice mix she had to offer. We bought several spice mixes. Lately we add Harlem pepper to everything, trying for ourselves what compliments it best, from salads, to soups and baked chicken. The Harlem pepper adds a chili-pepper punch to tomato soup and it is my personal favorite. Our friend Jason, who owns a local bar, grilled up the burgers.  He has been on a burger stuffing kick and we are lucky enough to sample his experiments. The burgers were excellent. We stayed at the bar after eating and played trivia with our friends and the bar crowd. Hot L. and J., outwitted us by knowing the car Austin Powers drove in the movie and won the trivia contest.   

I am attempting to write again.  It is like trying to rekindle a romance with an unwilling lover.  If I find some way to win favor with writing, I’m going to complete my novel. Until then, I will attempt to gather my thoughts and express them on this blog. A friend has said many times, “don’t expect anything from me, and you won’t be disappointed.”  Those words are death to any relationship.  I do not want to start this way.  

Let me introduce myself, I am a writer.  I once wrote a few interesting things, and I hope I can write that way again.  Maybe we can be friends. 

If nothing else, you might be interested in what I ate at potluck family dinner last night; pork roast, green rice casserole,(the rice is not green, parsley in the recipe makes it green and it is delicious)  French cut green beans with mushroom slices, coleslaw, and homemade bread. Dessert was a peanut butter cream pie with chocolate graham cracker crust.