HIGHFLYING

"I could never tell where inspiration begins and impulse leaves off. I supposed the answer is in the outcome. If your hunch proves a good one, you were inspired; if it proves bad, you are guilty of yielding to thoughtless impulse." - beryl markham

Beryl Markham was an adventurer in every sense of the word. British-born she grew up in Kenya with her father, playing and hunting with the natives. On her family's farm, she learned all about horse breeding and training, and became the first licensed female horse trainer in Kenya. By age 24 one of her horses had already won the most prestigious racing prizes in Kenya. And when the world could no longer ground her, she took to the skies with flying lessons. A few months after receiving her pilot's license, she became the first woman in Kenya to get her commercial pilot's license. She was well known for her career as a bush pilot delivering supplies, passengers and mail to remote regions of Africa, as well as for locating big game by air for safaris. She was also a record-breaking aviatrix in the pioneer days of aviation. In 1936 she became the first woman to cross the Atlantic east-to-west solo, and the first person to make it from England to North America non-stop. Markham chronicled her many adventures in her memoir, West with the Night, published in 1942. Throughout her long life she continued to be a non-conformist and trailblazer in both her professional and personal lives.

"There are all kinds of silences and each of them means a different thing. There is the silence that comes with morning in a forest, and this is different from the silence of a sleeping city. There is silence after a rainstorm, and before a rainstorm, and these are not the same. There is the silence of emptiness, the silence of fear, the silence of doubt. There is a certain silence that can emanate from a lifeless object as from a chair lately used, or from a piano with old dust upon its keys, or from anything that has answered to the need of a man, for pleasure or for work. This kind of silence can speak. Its voice may be melancholy, but it is not always so; for the chair may have been left by a laughing child or the last notes of the piano may have been raucous and gay. Whatever the mood or the circumstance, the essence of its quality may linger in the silence that follows. It is a soundless echo." - West with the Night

"Famous Airmen & Air women" - Carreras Ltd. - Series of 50 - (1936)

Cigarette Cards

What makes some people adventurers and explorers who constantly test their boundaries to live the impossible, while others cling to the safety of home and all that is familiar? Is it simple curiosity, a reckless thrill seeking, a need for fame and recognition, or is it something bigger like destiny? Maybe it's simply compulsion, a blind need to seek out the unknown. To live it, learn it, and immerse yourself in its underbelly until you don't know where you end and it begins. I do know that in order to succeed you need adaptability, the ability to modify your beliefs to changing circumstances, and the willingness to embrace the possibility of something even when it conflicts with all that you've been taught before. You also need stamina, self-belief, and doggedness for those times when you want to give up, or turn tail and run the other direction. And without hunger for the unknown there would be no reason to take that next step, to find out what's behind that closed door, or what's beyond the next border or continent. Despite what some believe I don't think it's always fearlessness. You can be afraid, yet still force your foot forward, to run blindly in the dark, to jump, fly and fling yourself into the abyss of the unknown. No, it's something else. But whether that quality is learned or innate, there's no disputing that when you see, feel, or experience something for the first time, the miracle of that moment lives within you forever.

LUSTY TART

This next dessert recipe "To make a Tarte that is courage to a man or woman" was a favorite in Shakespearean times and was found in a 1587 cookbook. In this case the "courage" refers more to sexual prowess than valor or bravery, but since Beryl Markham was known for unconventional lifestyle, including three marriages and countless affairs, I think the tart applies to the topic. Several of the ingredients, including sweet potatoes, wine, dates, and sparrow brain were considered aphrodisiacs in the 16th century. The sparrow brains were omitted for this updated version of Courage Tart by Francine Segan from her book Shakespeare's Kitchen.

The original recipe went like this:

"Take two Quinces and two or three Burre rootes, and a potaton, and pare your Potaton and scrape your rootes and put them into a quart of wine, and let them boyle till they be tender, and put in an ounce of Dates, and when they be boyled tender, draw them through a Strainer, Wine and all, and then putte in the yolkes of eight Egges, and the brains of three or foure cocke Sparrowes, and Straine them into the other and a little Rose water, and seeth them all with Sugar, Synamon and Ginger, and Cloves and Mace, and put in a little Sweete butter, and set it upon a chafingdishe of coles, betweene two platter, and so let it boyle till it be something bigge." - from "A good huswifes handmaide for the kitchin Containing manie principall pointes of cookerie..."; 1594

Courage Tart

1 large sweet potato, peel and diced

2 cups white dessert wine (such as muscat)

2 quince or apples, peeled, cored, and diced

3 dates, chopped

1/2 Renaissance Doug (*see recipe below)

2 tbsp light brown sugar

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground ginger

pinch of clove

1/8 tsp ground mace

2 tbsp butter

4 large egg yolks

1 tsp rosewater

2 large egg whites

1. Place the sweet potato and wine in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the quince and dates and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the quince is tender. (If the mixture becomes too dry add 1 or 2 tbsp of wine.) Purée until smooth.
2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Roll out the Renaissance Dough to 1/8 inch thick on a floured work surface. Press the dough into a pie pan and trim off any excess.
3. Place the sweet potato mixture in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, mace and butter and stir until well combined.
4. Beat the egg yolk and rosewater in a small bowl, add to the filling, and mix well.
5. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold into the filling.
6. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 1 hour, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed.

Renaissance Dough

2 cups of loosely packed pastry flour

1/2 cup ice-cold water

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

1. Mix the flour the ice-cold water, the salt, and the egg together on a cold surface until crumbly.
2. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin and place one-quarter of the butter cubes on the dough. (Keep the remaining butter refrigerated until ready for use.) Roll the butter into the dough, fold the dough over and top with another quarter of the butter cubes and roll it again.
3. Repeat the process 2 more times until all the butter is incorporated.
4. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

STOP, DROP, AND ROCK-N-ROLL

image via kittydaisynlewis

I had to share this amazing band with anyone not yet familiar with them. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis are a trio of London-based siblings who take modern vintage to whole new level with their take on 50's American roots music. The three jump from one instrument to another, which range from guitar, drums, harmonica, piano, lap steel, banjo, ukulele, accordion, xylophone, trombone, and the music is a mix up of dirty R'n'B & blues, whisky soaked country, haunting Hawaiian jungle drums and Gospel fever, with a punch in the face by Daisy's hard beatboxing. Dad plays acoustic guitar and mum learned double bass so she could join to band. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis have built a massive word of mouth audience through gigs and festival appearances. They recently returned from a 6 week US tour opening for Coldplay. You can check them out at their myspace page or get a taste of their music via Late Night with Jimmy Fallon here. Give a listen, I promise you won't be disappointed. And boy, do they have style!

A BIG HUNK O' LOVE

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis grew up listening to the likes of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. And no one had an appetite quite like Elvis. One of his favorite desserts was Sweet Potato Pie, a traditional side dish or dessert in the South and a staple "soul food".

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

1 lb. sweet potatoes (about 2 large)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Peel and cut potatoes into quarters, place in 3-quart saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are very soft, about 40 minutes. It should easily pierce with a fork. Drain and when cool enough to handle, peel.
3. In a medium bowl, combine potatoes, butter, brown sugar and nutmeg.
4. Using a potato masher, cream the potatoes until very smooth.
5. In a small bowl, beat eggs, 1 cup milk and vanilla together.
6. Beat this mixture into the potatoes. Mix thoroughly.
7. Pour into unbaked pie crust.
8. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until inserted knife in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up but will sink down as it cools.

PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE DOUGH

ph: via life

There's a French expression "Il faut mettre la main à la pâte" which means "It is necessary to put your hands in the dough" or loosely translated, "hands-on experience is everything." For the better part of the last year I've been writing a novel. And even though there were times I despaired ever finishing it I'm now at the home stretch, racing for the finish line. The words are flying onto the page faster than I can type them, and I can't begin to describe the elation, the giddiness, the utter glee that finds me mentally jumping up and down for joy. There's a huge sense of both relief and accomplishment wrapped up inside me. There were moments when I felt I'd mistakenly put my whole life on hold, all in expectation of this one book. Some days in my bones I knew it was the right decision, on other days I berated myself on the foolishness of such a task. But I now realize that every waking hour, every unrealized dream was striving for this one moment. I'm not claiming to have written the great novel, American or otherwise, but that was never the goal. Rather it was giving in to a feverish dream, the prodding, pressing, insatiable and unrelenting fervor and compulsion to set pen to paper, even if it left me singed from trying to fly too close to the sun. Because that's what writing means to me. So tightly interwoven into my psyche that it's impossible to distinguish heart from craft. Writing is both affliction and balm, disabling when I'm unable to express myself, and a salve when nothing else will do.

ph: via frolic

When friends and family ask me what type of book I'm writing I think they're surprised by my answer. Because I've in fact written a book for teens and young adults. Not such a stretch if you consider that I've worked in mostly kids entertainment the last several years. I find kids of all ages fascinating not just in their natural exuberance for life, but their unique view of the situations they're forced to contend with. A rapidly changing world dominated by technology, media, and blatant sexuality. In such a hurry to grow up they sometimes forget to be young. Being a kid seemed so different in my youth, my days filled with curiosity, adventure, and daring. When happiness could be found in the bottom of a jar filled with fireflies, chasing down ice cream trucks, or pitching a tent in your own backyard under the brilliant stars. However, I do admit that before last year I never imagined I'd be writing a novel for teens. But when I grasped onto a seedling of an idea I knew that it was the perfect choice for my first book. Getting started was the hardest part, and I find that sometimes the beginning is not always the best place to start a story. At times the middle beckons with such sweet promise. Like skipping stones, it starts a ripple of ideas that reach like greedy fingers for each new tidbit or morsel, too many to limit yourself to just one. And still others start from the end, working their way backwards as they meticulously weed through the tangle that would trap them in immobility. But once you figure out your starting point, then its all the other stuff that bogs you down, self-doubt, writer's block, distractions, over-earnest criticisms, they run the gamut and every writer suffers these maladies. The true test is in being able to work through it all, the ability to keep a your eye on the prize. Even if the prize becomes somewhat murky during the long frustrating process.

Before I began this book someone suggested I read Stephen King's On Writing. It was a wonderful book that was part memoir and part textbook for the beginning writer. It offered a practical view on the writer's craft from the basic tools every writer needed to plot and character development, as well as commonsense advice on how to structure your day. It was funny, perceptive, and inspiring. But what stood out the most for me was the time-frame in which he cranked out a novel - 10 pages a day, 3 months tops start to finish. He made it sound so simple, as if any fool could do it. I took it somewhat as a personal challenge. And felt that if I failed, then I simply wasn't meant to be a writer. It sounds ridiculous now. I mean if we all had the gumption and discipline to write an entire novel, then we all would. But that's not the case. And I had to remind myself during those long periods when I had absolutely nothing to write that this is part of the process. Learning to work through it despite your insecurities, being willing to show up and just stare at the blank screen even if all you do is contribute a single sentence revised a hundred times. The other thing that stuck with me was that King despises adverbs. Whenever I found myself using an adverb I felt a surge of guilt and the undeniable urge to look over my shoulder lest he strike me down. Sure the gratuitous use of adverbs can be tiresome for the reader, but I've always been particularly interested in the how? of things and nothing quite does that than the descriptive modifier.

PIE IN A JAR

My friend Brian sent me a link to Pie in a Jar at ourbestbites. Sheer genius. Little individual-sized pies made in half-pint canning jars. To get started you'll need to get some 1/2-pint wide mouth canning (or mason) jars. You can sometimes find them at hardware stores, but they're available online. I found some at the canningpantry. Make sure you wash the jars in hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly before use.

Just follow these little steps for little pies:

Step 1: Pie Dough

You'll need 1 recipe for a single-crust 9-inch pastry dough. This will make 4 jars. In a pinch, store bought crust will do.

Step 2: Make a topper and line the jar

Roll out a small amount of dough for the tops of your pies. Using the ring part of your jar as a cookie cutter, cut out 4 tops and set aside. Use the rest of the dough to line the jars. No rolling is required, just press pieces of dough into the jars until you reach the lip of the jar.

Step 3: Fill 'er up

You'll need about 1/2 cup of filling for each jar. Type of filling is the pie-maker's choice. Canned prepared pie fillings whether store-bought or home-made require no additional steps - simply pour the filling into the pie crust and bake. However, making your own fillings, fruit or cream, require a few additional steps. Divide filling between the jars and dot a pat of butter on top.

Basic Fruit Filling

4 cups fruit (peeled, pitted, diced)

1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp of cornstarch=3 tbsp instant ClearJel, or 1/3 cup flour, or 1/4 cup tapioca flour

2 tbsp of butter

spices/ flavoring such as cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, citrus zest, lemon juice, etc.

*see additional notes on juicy fruits & thickeners below

Step 4: Top it off

Make sure your "lid" or pie top crust has a vent so steam can escape. You can use the tip of a knife to make a couple of slits or a tiny cookie cutter for a more decorative vent. When the top is ready, slip it onto the top of the pie. It will be large enough that the outside edge goes up the side of the dough-covered jar a bit. Use your finger, or a fork, to press the 2 pieces of dough together to seal. If you prefer, you can also do a lattice topping. Another option is a crumb topping.

Crumb Topping

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 tbsp oats

1/4 tbsp cinnamon

3 tbsp cold butter

Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter. Add oats and stir to combine.

Step 5: Freeze 'em

When the pies are all done and topped, place metal lid back on and seal them tight. Then pop these little cuties in the freezer. Whenever you have a craving for home-baked goodness, just grab one from the freezer, and bake.

Step 6: Bake 'em

These canning jars were made to withstand boiling, pressure cooking, and intense heat. They won't break while baking, but if you're concerned just pop off the lid, and stick the jar in a cold oven. Then turn the oven to 375° F. This will give the frozen jar a chance to warm up slowly as the oven preheats. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the middle bubbly. If baking fresh, not frozen, bake for 45 minutes.

Additional Notes on Juicy Fruit & Thickeners:

Juicy fruit require some type of thickener so the liquid from the fruit when baked gels, otherwise you'll have a puddle of juice. Typical thickeners for fruit pies include flour, cornstarch, tapioca, or arrowroot. The amount needed varies with the kind of fruit and the quantity of sugar used. The sweeter the fruit the less sugar it requires. Certain thickeners work best with certain types of fruit. In general, fruit fillings thickened with arrowroot and tapioca are clear and bright in appearance, and the flavor of the fruit comes through clearly. However, when making a lattice-top, or open crust pie, the tapioca on top of the fruit baked into hard bits. I recommend using potato starch or ClearJel® instead. ClearJel which can be purchased in supermarkets makes a fruit filling that's clear, has no floury or starch taste, is freezer-stable, and is simple to use. Unlike cornstarch, you don't have to precook the fruit in it. Simply whisk together ClearJel and sugar, then sprinkle in mixture over fruit.

Flour is good when baking apple pies. The rule of thumb is about 1/3 cup of flour to each quart of fruit, but each recipe varies. As well as sprinkling the flour directly on the cut fruit, be sure to sprinkle an extra tablespoon on the bottom of the crust before pouring in the filling which help thicken the fruit juices that seep to the bottom when cooking.

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour, but also imparts a slightly starchy taste. This is why you should precook a cup of the fruit with the cornstarch before baking the pie. The cornstarch will not work with fruit high in acidity (cherries) or if you plan to freeze the filling.

Quick-cooking (Pearl) Tapioca is often used as thickener because it can hold more fruit juices than other thickeners without becoming rigid. However, it's not recommended for lattice or open crust pies as it remains hard when exposed to the hot air of the oven. Let the filling mixture stand for at least 15 minutes before spooning into the pie crust. This allows for more efficient thickening. Always mix the thickener with the sugar first to prevent lumps, then add fruit.

READ-BETWEEN-THE-LINES

Monday, Nov 23, 2009

-m4w

You were wearing a green dress with white buttons. We made eye contact at least three times on the 6 train this morning. All of a sudden you have a little secret smile and looked down at your lap, as though at some secret joke. You never looked up again and I had to get off at Bleeker. I wish I could have seen inside your beautiful head.

Craving - an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire, or longing for some particular thing. We all have cravings whether it's for life, love, or even food. But whatever it is, it reveals an emptiness you never knew you had until you recognized it. It can attack at any time, without a single warning, but it won't go away until it's been satisfied. You can't fool it, or provide a substitute to try and appease or divert it. Cravings are clever because they are rooted in our psyche, our hearts, and sometimes even our souls. At its worst, cravings can become addictions. When satisfied they can give you a feeling of euphoria, fleeting but engulfing. But whatever your achilles heel, more often than not cravings disguise a deeper absence of something else, something less tangible. The only way to beat cravings is to recognize it for what it truly is, and not what we need it to be for the immediate gratification. I think cravings are "an appetite for life", born out of a need for connections with ourselves, others, and the world around us. To feel a part of something, of belonging, of mattering.

One of my favorite blogs is Sophie Blackall's MissedConnections who illustrates the random interactions of strangers in New York City and their quests to reconnect via Craigslist. She believes that "everyday hundreds of strangers reach out to other strangers on the strength of a glance, a smile or a blue hat. Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly. I'm trying to pin a few of them down."

Tuesday, Oct 6, 2009

-m4w (L train to Manhattan)

You were reading Catch-22 on the subway this morning. I have never seen such a beautiful profile. I wanted to say hi, but then you'd turn towards me and I wouldn't be able to look at your profile anymore. You were so into your book, I don't think you noticed me falling in love with you. But I thought I'd ask, just in case.

Saturday, Oct 17 2009

-m4w

We shared a bear suit at an apartment party on Saturday night. I asked for your number and you gave it to me, but somehow I don't have an area code written down. I had a great time talking with you, and I don't trust Chance enough to wait until I see you in the elevators...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

-m4m

How come no-one ever "misses" me?

CONSTANT CRAVING

Last week a friend forwarded me a link to the Los Angeles Times food section featuring Momofuku's Crack Pie. Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar is an East Village joint in Manhattan that churns out desserts for both restaurants and the public. Apparently Crack Pie is flying out the door in New York City at $44 a pie. I couldn't help but wonder what a $44 pie taste like. So I spent President's Day testing out the recipe, baking in my tiny, hot kitchen in 70° + weather. It felt like summer, not that I'm complaining. As I skimmed the recipe it looked like a variation on Chess Pie, a standby Southern dessert made with eggs butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. It's also related to vinegar pie, minus the vinegar which cuts the sweetness. Milk Bar pastry chef Christina Tosi's Crack Pie starts with a homemade oat cookie crust pressed into a pie plate, and an addition of milk powder and heavy cream to the custard "base" to give it body. The dessert is served chilled with a dust of powdered sugar.

The following adapted Momofuku recipe was printed in the Los Angeles Times. It makes (2) 10-inch pies. Please note that if using 9-inch pie plates, the increased thickness of the fillings require additional baking time of about 5 minutes. Warning: this is a very sugary sweet dessert.

Momofuku's Crack Pie

2 prepared cookie crusts (*recipe below)

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tbsp light brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup plus 1 tsp milk powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tbsp heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

powdered sugar, garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt, and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.
3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.
4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.
5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325° F and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and gold brown (similar to a pecan pie), about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack. *Note: You will fear the pies are undercooked, but don't worry, it'll be fine.
6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. The pies are meant to be served cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Oat Cookie for pie crust

2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp flour

scant 1/8 tsp baking powder

scant 1/8 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) soften butter

1/3 cup light brown sugar

3 tbsp sugar

1 egg

scant 1 cup rolled oats

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. With the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or an electrical mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.
5. With the mixer running, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated.
6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch by 13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Oat Cookie Pie Crust

crumbled cookie

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1. Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together.)
2. Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie plates. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the plates. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

HOUSE AT LOON LAKE

image via thisamericanlife

Yesterday, on a drive to visit relatives I inadvertently tuned into NPR's This American Life hosted by Ira Glass. The hour long show was dedicated to a "sort of a real-life Hardy Boys mystery" about a young boy, an abandoned house, and the mysterious family who once lived there but seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

Adam Beckman tells a tale about how as a boy in 1977, he and two friends discovered and broke into an abandoned house on Loon Lake Road in the small town of Freedom, New Hampshire. To their delight and amazement, they found it jammed-packed with stuff kids that age would find fascinating. In fact, the house seemed to be a sort of unopened time capsule, containing the personal belongings of the family that abandoned it. There was a stocked pantry, pot and pans in the sink, decaying clothes in the closet, a pair of eye glasses on top of a wallet - all disturbingly intriguing in the fact that these people had "not arranged, sorted, or edited the contents of their lives." It was as if the family simply vanished one day, leaving behind all their possessions, with no trace as to where they'd gone, or why. Reading discarded letters, and pieces of paper that offered tantalizing clues, the boys tried to piece together the sequence of events that might have led to the house's abandonment. Like all kids with big imaginations, and adventure on their minds, they hatched up endless theories of unforeseen catastrophes, including foreclosure, gambling, sickness, and even murder. After a handful of visits, the boys never returned again but did save a few letters and items as keepsakes, and never quite forgot the house or the family that lived there. The second half of the story deals with Adam as an adult, and his trip back to Freedom to finally solve the case he started to investigate as a boy only to find he's not the only one looking for answers.

Hear the full episode of House at Loon Lake here.

image via hardyboys

The original The Hardy Boys paperback book series was created in 1926 by Edward Stratemeyer, who also created Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, the Rover Boys and dozens of other memorable characters.

House at Loon Lake was a mesmerizing story, but I think it really resonated with me because it so reminded me of my own youth. As a kid I was a tomboy, and used to follow my older brother and his friends around determined to show 'em I had the guts for anything they could throw at me, and believe you me they put me through the test. Every day was a dare, or double dare, as we pushed each other to the limit to see who'd cave first and run home crying. If we weren't supposed to be someplace, that's where you'd find us. When not riding our bikes, we were tramping through the woods building forts, or wading through creeks hunting for crawdads and golf balls, but mostly we were looking for trouble if it hadn't found us first. The thing I relished about being part of the boys' club were the outings, which always included some kind of danger, mystery, and intrigue. At eleven, twelve, or even thirteen years-old, who didn't imagined themselves as an adventurer or amateur detective? Every incident was a potential mystery that needed unraveling, or a puzzle that needed solving, and we had the daring, know-how, and fearlessness to do it. Exploring abandoned buildings and houses was just power for the course. Any place dark, creepy, and mysterious was a favored destination. I think the reason was because at that age you were constantly testing your boundaries, not just your physical ones but the emotional ones as well. We're taught young to fear the dark, and anything that goes bump in the night. But the day comes when you find yourself needing to stretch, loosen, and shed the skin of fear that's really just the last remaining remnants of your adolescence. The false bravado we fronted to the world, and our friends, was nothing more than hot-winded bluster hiding chickenheartedness. Somewhere inside you were always afraid of finding something you didn't want to see, like maybe a dead body, and we all knew it. That's why even as we clung to each other tightly, we were also trying to push one another out front. Because that's what it means to be a kid, kind of stupid, definitely reckless, and always out for adventure.

DARED, AND PIED

"Pie-ing" is the act of throwing a pie at a person. It's a staple of slapstick comedy, as in Keystone Cops silent movies, Laurel & Hardy shorts, The Three Stooges, Charlie Chaplin, Soupy Sales, the list is endless. Sometimes being "pied" is a political act, as a means of ridicule to protest the target's political beliefs, or character. Pie "tosses" are also common at charity fundraising events with usually the victim a well-known authority figure, or celebrity. Clowns have been performing the art of pie throwing for years. Circus traditions include pie-ing someone on their birthday with a clown cream pie. The idea is to sneak up and catch them unaware, and then make sure you get a good smear, all over the face. "Clown cream" pies are made with shaving soap, and not whipped cream which both stains and smells if not washed off right away. I don't suggest using custard, or anything toxic. Here's how...

Soupy gets a pie in the face.

Pie-in-the-Face

1 commercial graham cracker crust

1 canned whipped cream

1. Fill crust with whipped cream.
2. Set up the throw. It's a good strategy to come at the victim from the side so they don't see you coming. A forward approach might make for better aiming, but be prepared for an ensuing hand-to-hand pie battle.
3. Take aim at the center of the face and throw the pie. Add a little twist and push to get the cream to stick to the victim's face but do so gently.
4. Turn tail and run!
5. Avoid lawsuit if possible.

BACK TO SENDER

Come back.

Because tonight you are in my hair and eyes,

And every street light that our taxi passes shows me you again, still you,

And because tonight all other nights are black, all other hours are cold and far away, and now, this minute, the stars are very near and bright.

Come back. We will have a celebration to end all celebrations.

- excerpt for a love letter written by Kenneth Fearing

In August of 2008 someone left behind a purple plastic bag on the back of a long-distance coach bus in Bristol, England. In it was the remnants of a love affair told through a series of post-war letters, poems, and photographs between a Miss Anna Paton and a mysterious 'Xavier'. The 70 plus black & white photographs spanned over four decades, and featured the glamorous socialite jet-setting around the world on cruise liners, and attending weddings and parties. Some of her past addresses included Barcelona, Sydney, Antibes, and Lisbon. All the letters addressed to Anna began with 'to my love' and were signed off 'god bless you my darling, my lover, X.' The photographs and airmail letters were bound by a delicate pink ribbon. The bus company having failed to trace the owner of the bag and its contents enlisted the help of the media.

"It's important to love. It doesn't matter who or what, so long as you love." - anna

"T'will be the only pinching I am likely to be allowed, Unless I goose her secretly in the middle of a crowd." - excerpt from Xavier's poems.

"I think so much of you and feel you're very close to me these thousands of miles away." - excerpt from one of Xavier's letter

This past January after almost two years of trying to trace Anna Paton, the letters were finally returned to their rightful owner. Unfortunately, the world-wide interest in the story by both the media and public revealed what the couple had struggled to conceal for so many years, that Anna's passionate affair was with a married Spanish doctor. The still married gentleman, now in his 70's, denied being the 'Xavier' of the love letters. And Anna has chosen not to speak publicly about the incident that inspired such media interest. It must have been devastating to be confronted, in old age, of a past doomed affair through the world-wide publication of a very private relationship. Yet there's something infinitely poignant and touching that 34 years after the exchange of their last letter, Anna still carried with her treasured mementos of their love affair.

photos via mirror, dailymail

SWEETIE-PIE

How about a pie for your sweetie pie? Here's a red cherry treat for the ones you love.

Valentine's Pie

8-oz Neufchatel cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

8-oz container of frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 9-inch prepared graham cracker crust

16-oz can cherry pie filling

1. With electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and the powdered sugar until combined. Add vanilla and beat 2 minutes. Gently fold in whipped topping.
2. Transfer mixture into the pie crust. Top the filling with the cherries. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

image: bella muse cards

EVERYWHERE CHRONICLES

I was on a long stretch of empty road with no destination.

Her lips moved but I couldn't hear what she was saying.

All night I kept hearing footsteps outside my door but no one was ever there.

I pulled off to the side of the road where a psychic offered to read my future.

Follow the story at Everywhere Chronicles where Every Exit is an Entry Somewhere Else.