This past October, I spent two weeks in Provence - one week cooking in a class at Crillon le Brave - time in Provence - time in Cordes
Crillon le Brave is absolutely an amazing place - Relais & Chateaux, 45 minutes from Avignon, with a view of Mount Ventoux - breathtaking views!
Day One - there - I asked for a suggestion for a walk - a tough one - afterall, I have spent 2/3 of my life living on a Dirt Road - so no woosy walks wanted !
so for an hour and a half - all alone along the back roads and trails of Provence - I went on a hike!!! - pommegranates growing wild in the ditch - rosemary in full bloom the size of a shrub - past quarries, a farm or two - sun on my face, breeze in my hair - and for an hour or so - I felt like I was in Heaven - amazing !!!
how could anything top this ? - well the cooking was fab
but like all things I guess, it's the people you meet - and the relationships you make -
like my two friends above here - Guy Kremer & Tai Stanley - from Winchester - characters - so very very fun - kind and generous
late one night - drinking again (Durbin - my new second best friend - see her below - called it getting pickled!) around an amazing fireplace in the lounge - Tai - who nano seconds before seemed passed out to the world - bolted upright - and tossed me what might be the best advice I have had in years -
"f" your daughter Elaine - stop talking about your daughter - you have your own life - you are vibrant fun smart gorgeous & sexy - get on with your life - live your life
damn ! he is right !!!
2010 should be an interesting year !!!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
...you just never know when you wake up in the morning
Gordon Badger - he was the one that first said that to me - a bit of a philosophy on life - he was also the one who taught me how to play Farkle (Cuban Dice) - didn't matter how far behind he was - he'd roll the dice with a big Badger smile on his face and say - I only need 2200 points !!!
yep, Gordon always asked "how do we get to yes?" - and he'd say - with all your planning - in the end - you just never know when you wake up in the morning ! who you will meet - what phone call you will get - just what will transpire -
truth is, the morning I met Badger - I had no idea I was about to meet someone who would be so influential to transform my life - well - and make my New Year's predictions come true -
at Roy & Kelly's, New Year's Eve 2003 just after midnight - sitting around the fireplace in their amazing Post & Beam home - overlooking Valley Shush - (Mono) - hhmmm... who else was there that night - Marcia Lipman, Jim Garrow, Lou Pasqualini....... like a bit of a game - we all declared what outrageous things we'd do that year - you know - get discovered by Hollywood that sort of thing -
came my turn - I thought Roy was going to wet his pants with laughter - which is more funny Elaine? - that you are taking the summer off or falling in love? - yep, I was bravely taking my heart out of that strong box I'd been keeping it in and putting it back on my sleeve where it belonged!
well - I spent the summer of my life on Lake Joe with Gordon
another one of those days - one of those mornings when you wake up - was Christmas Eve 2007
late in the day - still at my studio - been in tears a goodly part of the afternoon - not looking forward to going home really - miserable year and a half - lost everything - Mom died - Gordon died - lost my home - had to start all over again - well this is another entry - I digress
in walked a stranger - Audrey - turns out she hadn't a thing for Christmas organized had literally just moved -having to start her life over again too - and there we were - 2 strangers - hugging - reassuring each other that everything would be fine - that the next year would surely be wonderful
6 months later in a coffee shop line-up - someone behind me said hello - thought maybe I wouldn't remember her - yep - Audrey - and our lives were getting better !
turns out she is an amazing chef - and we started a lavender cookie business together - it was never going to be BIG but it was FUN
this was our 3rd Christmas Eve - an annual event for us now - this year she brought organic eggnog (who knew there was organic eggnog) with Bourbon - my kinda eggnog
and now today - and here is the drumroll - and the punchline .........da da da da !
WE ARE PUBLISHING A BOOK !!!!!!!
ya gotta love a happy beginning !
yep, Gordon always asked "how do we get to yes?" - and he'd say - with all your planning - in the end - you just never know when you wake up in the morning ! who you will meet - what phone call you will get - just what will transpire -
truth is, the morning I met Badger - I had no idea I was about to meet someone who would be so influential to transform my life - well - and make my New Year's predictions come true -
at Roy & Kelly's, New Year's Eve 2003 just after midnight - sitting around the fireplace in their amazing Post & Beam home - overlooking Valley Shush - (Mono) - hhmmm... who else was there that night - Marcia Lipman, Jim Garrow, Lou Pasqualini....... like a bit of a game - we all declared what outrageous things we'd do that year - you know - get discovered by Hollywood that sort of thing -
came my turn - I thought Roy was going to wet his pants with laughter - which is more funny Elaine? - that you are taking the summer off or falling in love? - yep, I was bravely taking my heart out of that strong box I'd been keeping it in and putting it back on my sleeve where it belonged!
well - I spent the summer of my life on Lake Joe with Gordon
another one of those days - one of those mornings when you wake up - was Christmas Eve 2007
late in the day - still at my studio - been in tears a goodly part of the afternoon - not looking forward to going home really - miserable year and a half - lost everything - Mom died - Gordon died - lost my home - had to start all over again - well this is another entry - I digress
in walked a stranger - Audrey - turns out she hadn't a thing for Christmas organized had literally just moved -having to start her life over again too - and there we were - 2 strangers - hugging - reassuring each other that everything would be fine - that the next year would surely be wonderful
6 months later in a coffee shop line-up - someone behind me said hello - thought maybe I wouldn't remember her - yep - Audrey - and our lives were getting better !
turns out she is an amazing chef - and we started a lavender cookie business together - it was never going to be BIG but it was FUN
this was our 3rd Christmas Eve - an annual event for us now - this year she brought organic eggnog (who knew there was organic eggnog) with Bourbon - my kinda eggnog
and now today - and here is the drumroll - and the punchline .........da da da da !
WE ARE PUBLISHING A BOOK !!!!!!!
ya gotta love a happy beginning !
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Ever wonder if you are crazy ?
seems my ol' buddy Wolfgang & I are up to old tricks
he has a super business "Inn at Christie Mill"
and apparently we have decided to join forces once again
(we started Headwaters Tourism Assoc together when he was at The Millcroft Inn and I had a TV show called A Day in the Country) - (well not all by ourselves) but the 1-800 # did ring in my garage when we started with no budget !!!! - but I digress
now what we are planning is a fab week at his Inn - a bit of a dream come true for me - or the start of one !
we're building a Culinary Herb garden at the Inn - and offering courses/sessions/classes
you can learn how to design, dig, plant, create your own Herb Garden - a hands on experience getting dirty with me building the Culinary Herb Garden at the Inn
and then the plan is also to have cooking classes too !
and a massage - ya !!
call us "Weed" & "Feed"
5 stars !
ps - ya gotta love a girl who likes dirt under her nails !
he has a super business "Inn at Christie Mill"
and apparently we have decided to join forces once again
(we started Headwaters Tourism Assoc together when he was at The Millcroft Inn and I had a TV show called A Day in the Country) - (well not all by ourselves) but the 1-800 # did ring in my garage when we started with no budget !!!! - but I digress
now what we are planning is a fab week at his Inn - a bit of a dream come true for me - or the start of one !
we're building a Culinary Herb garden at the Inn - and offering courses/sessions/classes
you can learn how to design, dig, plant, create your own Herb Garden - a hands on experience getting dirty with me building the Culinary Herb Garden at the Inn
and then the plan is also to have cooking classes too !
and a massage - ya !!
call us "Weed" & "Feed"
5 stars !
ps - ya gotta love a girl who likes dirt under her nails !
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