Thread:Superkenzie/@comment-33437691-20200103172834/@comment-33437691-20200129162113

Hi Cheryl:

I'm confused! I wrote a reply following this posting two days ago and it's not here. When I didn't hear from you yesterday or this morning (and yes, I do realize we're both busy and won't always be able to write instantly 😊) I thought I should check and voila, it appears as though it was I who was silent. I seldom preview my postings, so maybe I did that and then thought I had posted and simply closed the page. Many apologies! I don't want either you or Mott to think I'm unappreciative of your thoughts or shared experiences..That is just not who I am. That said, if you don't hear from me over an extended period, I will probably be a very sick little puppy indeed!

SO! To recall what I wrote.... Mott--I think you daughter's painting is just gorgeous. She's handled the whites of the flowers and red of the hair with incredible skill. White and black are so basic and yet it is so easy to wreck a painting with them; her use of shading has made the white burst from the painting like the flowers they are--and all I can see of it is the enlarged image when I double click! It must be even better lifesize. And the whole idea of the painting (as I interpret it) is so lovely; she (and you) must be very open and vibrant people. What a delightful surprise, and thank you for including it in this thread or I would never have seen it.

I'm kind of blown away by your cooking experience, Cheryl. Teenagers, as a rule, wouldn't exactly be thrilled to be thrust into the role of family cook for whatever reason (heavy droleness here, in case you missed it!); they usually can't see that far into the future or truly appreciate the effort their parents make on their behalf, so kudos to you. I had to cook for myself from an early age but for completely different reasons that are best left in the shades of the past. It's behind me!

Bread, in case you ever want to try your hand at it, is super easy to make. It just takes time to rise, during which you can do anything else. I love fresh bread too, so I usually make a Hungarian bread called Kifli, which you form into crescents and can stuff with goodies. When I make a batch, I divide it into four, freeze three, and then make 4 crescents with the remainder. I roll the dough, then dot it with Brie cheese (as the winning choice) and sweet onion, or onion sauteed with garlic and butter, roll it up and....slurp. I've sometimes used Nutella, which is heaven in a bun if you like chocolate and hazelnut.

I know the book "Eats Shoots and Leaves"; I don't have it, but when it came out I looked through it. I already have a lot of books on writing, editing, languages, usage... I was studying to be an editor at one point and had an internship with a local literary magazine here, but my experience there showed me that I would much rather be a writer. The senior editor gave me a chance to assist her on a book she was editing, and I quickly learned that there are many non-writers out there who none the less have a lot to say and expect the editor to write out what they really mean for them. That is ghost writing in my view, and no thanks! I also did some work for a technical writer and that was actually a good experience; likewise for the media executive where I worked as an accountant. She would sometimes bring me pieces that our clients would provide as "press releases" when she didn't know what to do with them; I glow when I recall one compliment: "You've made my words golden!" Preen, preen. Yes, it felt good, but it's not a job I would want. It requires sooooooo much tact, and I'm pretty direct and blunt, because that's what I would prefer to hear about my writing. I know I've got a handle on it, but since I know what I'm writing about, it is very easy to leave out information that the reader doesn't know.

I get your frustration with knowing you've done some work and not being able to find it! I have the additional angst of thinking I've thrown out/ given away/ misplaced something because I've moved so many times and have had to purge my belongings. The great purge came when I returned from Australia, when every extra ounce added hundreds to the cost. I still miss the mushroom samplers I did, as my first cross-stitch projects. Memory insists that there were three of them, but I have a sneaking hunch there were only two. At least I know that I did them: I still have the sorters with the thread on them. I have no idea if they were as pretty as I remember them, but I think so as they were very detailed.

Must go! I have a busy day ahead for a change, as in busy with things I'd rather not do, but have put off for so long that I need to get them done NOW! All the best, and many apologies if you thought I was ignoring you! (I'm not going to check this for typing errors in case I lose it again--argh!)