Vacations Are Great

If you can not guess I will tell you. I went to Florida for vacation in May and had a wonderful time looking at all of the flowers. There were so many topiary that it was hard not to fall in love with flowers. I found out that I do not take a lot of pictures while I am on vacation, but I don't think that will change.

The Picture of me is on Wall Street, in New York. We know how bullish the market has been lately. I went to New York just before Thanksgiving and the New Yorkers let us know that we were having unseasonably early cold (that accounts a little for the mitch match winter wear). I have to say that I love New York and was surprised at how it was not as it is depicted on t.v. (I was in Manhattan across from Madison Square Gardens so maybe I did not truely experience New York).

I enjoyed going to China Town, Little Italy, SoHo and various other places. I rode the subway and was asked to play the violin by a subway performer. I saw the Rocketts at Radio City Music Hall and the wax museum was beyond my expectations. I took a boat out past the Statue of Liberty and visited Ellis Island (how magnificent). I went up the 86 floors to the Empire State Building. Life is great.

I don't know what my next adventure will be but stay tuned.

What great vacations have you been on in 2008 and where you plan or hope to go in 2009?

Book Review: The Collard Patch

Thanks to Mary Lou Cheatham and Paul Elliot for allowing me to review their book. Look forward to doing more reviews with them and other authors. You can order this book at: Blue Moon Books-Louisiana. 207 N. Service Rd., E. #213. Ruston, LA 71270.

I found the breakdown of the opening chapters as helpful but was confused as to how they actually related to the rest of the book sections. The information under each chapter heading was enthralling. I enjoyed the history of the collard greens and even the helpful hints that I will definitely use to help with garden pests. The information in regards to the African American heritage and use of collard greens was an interesting addition. The book was written in a way to give the collard lover and the novice collard eater a deeper appreciation of the vegetable.

The interweaving of humor helped to balance the technical aspects of recipes and dietary information. The personal recipes, bios, and other stories shared makes this book a timeless treasure that can be handed down from generation to generation for "comfort food encouragement." The personal touches of the individual stories encourages one to try one or two of the inspirational recipes. The diversity and range that the authors incorporated will definitely touch many people as well as palates.

Additional website information encourages the reader to delve deeper into the great world of collard greens. The addition of childhood recollections add to the charm of The Collard Patch. The book is not just a book of recipes, but of history and experiences that go along with living a good life filled with laughter and eating right filled with love.

I would recommend The Collard Patch to adventurous cooks, the garden lover, and to those interested in restoration of the mind, body, and spirit. I was delightfully surprised at the down-home feel that I was left with after reading the book. A true experience of relaxation filled with delicious, easy to follow recipes that once tried are destined to be favorites.