Lately, whenever not otherwise engaged, my mind has been focusing on several topics: Faux finishes for wood, Cooking shows, How to make my new metal objects look like they are old (like the ones in Restoration Hardware) and…more importantly, Who am I?

My dear friend Robin started the “Who AM I?” conversation a few weeks ago. She brought the topic up with regards to her own multi-talented and multi-leveled life and it really struck me.

In my 20′s I knew who I was. After that I knew who I was each time I changed who I was but these days I’m weary of trying on new “me’s” and…well I’m looking for an answer. “Tell me who I am and I’ll just be that” I would pray in the small spaces between the chatter in my head.

I’ve been getting voice messages from a guy named Larry lately, whom I don’t know, who was looking for a glass person who can drill cylinders. I figured if I ignored the calls long enough he’d go away without my having to make another call that takes time and calories.

Larry called twice today but I was in the studio and working and blah, blah, blah. Then after work I stopped at the Publix to get some salmon and walnuts. And, right there in the baking aisle, a woman starts talking to me about “Truvia”.

“This is the only stuff that works” her New York accent randomly offered.

“Pardon?” said I.

“This stuff works the other stuff doesn’t; Splenda and them, they don’t work”

“Are you diabetic” I asked, “Do you mean to say that Truvia doesn’t spike your blood sugar?”

“Yes!” she said, “It really works”

“Cool” said I, “That’s good to know”

Then she stopped me as I cheerfully eased away and asked me my first name. Sandy was hers, she said.

“Leslie, God is telling me you are a very kind person who is very nice to people is that true?”

“Well…Er…I guess I’d like to think so, Sandy”

“It IS true. God is telling me that you are beautiful with many attributes and you should just be WHO YOU ARE”

Well…I mean as far as manifestations go…that’s pretty literal and yet I can’t help but think of the Lili Tomlin quote, “I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.” I think I meant by “who am I” more like…what am I going to be when I grow up. But, I’ll take a soft-spoken albeit lonely woman in baking goods who needs to tell me I’m nice. I’m good with that.

So, after our lovely salmon dinner, I decided I’d call Larry back. After his two calls today I figured I should just put an end to it. I thought, “I need to call him and tell him he’s got the wrong number”.

Larry was lovely and apologetic but more importantly he told me MORE about metal work and patinas than I could have even known to ASK for. I mean he mentioned he was a metal worker and I just slid in that I had 4-5 pieces on which I was going to create an “old metal” look. Do you know about…etc.” said he.

He told me I could call him anytime for advice. Nice people I have met today.

Moral of the story? 1. Be nice 2. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever stop dreaming.

Many of you may remember this started as a Vlog post right here on “New on a Personal Note”. I got such a HUGELY positive reaction to the Pilot Video that I typed up a formal treatment, registered it with the Writer’s Guild of America and, of course, took down all the feedback for improvement I got from you all.

So I have two episodes in the pipeline: the first one which I’ll edit and the second which will be a combo from Norway and Nashville footage. I’m currently making a beginning segment with my own “theme” music and everything and it’s really going to be great!

By the way…I’m looking for volunteers to do an episode with me; preferably not too far from Nashville. I need more content if I’m going to sign with the Internet Channel that is hot on the series.

Send me your story, your favorite dish to prepare and we’ll TAWK!!!

In the meantime, I have this wonderful logo designed by my good friend, AWARD WINNING Mystery Novelist, David Lennon and some incredible music from my Santa Cruz band, “The Lost Borders” (Me, Mike Strunk, Peter Wilde, Baird Miller) peppered throughout!

Wish me luck, find me on Facebook and Twitter (@Sing4Supper) to follow my progress!

CHEERS!
Leslie

The problem with tying up loose ends is that when everything is sorted, packed up, labeled, logged and placed where it needs to be, you, The “Tie-er” (which rhymes with lair or TIRE or TIRED) is left with no closure, no outlet for anger, no-nothing.

Occasionally I fantasize about my ex-husband’s death. It’s always something horrible like dying during auto erotic esphictiation which, as it turns out, isn’t actually that unlikely. Or, I think about the money he owes me, my dad, my family – that we will never see – ever. (Of course I didn’t think they’d ever find Bin Laden either so I guess you never know).

And then sometimes I think of the trappings; the stuff. When I left I didn’t want much. What I wanted was to run away and come home to myself again. And, I thought, to do so you have to be stealth; you can’t have distractions.

But the stuff was nice…I could use those pillows, or that lovely teak deck furniture. I know he killed the Myer Lemon plant so I don’t think about that but the Kitchen Aid Mixer in cobalt blue would be awfully nice. And the hotel bed and accessories we bought from The W Hotel catalog – king sized – would be lovely.

However, in this year and a half, as I have watched my lovely Aunt Joan decline into the dregs of dementia and I feel in such a raw way how much she means to me, I miss the Ralph Lauren flatware.

Let me clarify: I HATED the Ralph Lauren flatware. That was yet ANOTHER executive decision my ex-husband made because it was shiny and sexy. But, functional? No. The handles were SO heavy that they fell off your plate, out of your bowl and onto the floor. They were clunky and cumbersome but John wanted them so they are what went on the registry.

My beautiful Aunt bought us almost the entire set of 12 for which we registered and then some; there were anniversary cake servers and Christmas side sets. Thank GOD we were only married for 3 years. I can only imagine how much it all cost her; how much she dreamed of the gift she would buy her precious little “curly locks” one day and, frankly, I get a little pissed off.

How could John, that piece of crap I somehow found fit to love and marry, be in possession of such a gift? A gift that was dreamed of, conceived of and which gave such closure and pleasure to a woman who never had children and for whom I was her only “daughter”. How?

Then I remember how it was HE who HAD to have the Ralph Lauren flatware and it was SHE who bought them for us in great faith that we would use them ’til death do us part.

Hey, I know I am obsessing, over-emotionalizing, endowing, etc. But…what is it called when you take things or do things without caring/OH YEAH/sociopathy.

Tonight I thought, “Jeez. I wish Aunt Joan had called and asked me, “Les, what should I get you that you will DEFINITELY walk away with if you get divorced”. I would have said, “A guitar”.  Let’s hear it for dementia: She can’t remember any of this any more.

Bless her heart....

This evening I was swing sitting with my glass of wine and the backyard critters. We have everyone you can imagine for this area: Squirrels, Chipmunks, Chickadees, Blue Jays, Blue Birds, Yellow Finches, Rose Finches, Wrens, Woodpeckers…even PIGEONS *sigh* and Cardinals.

I love the male Cardinals in the winter. They decorate the sparse but snow tipped trees; they deck the halls way past the holidays. The others come and go as the seasons allow.  But, the red, red, red Cardinals are lovely, foppish, dudes.

However, my all time favorites are the FEMALE Cardinals who’s motley, greyish-mauve, molting feathers make them look like mangy dogs. They show up at the feeder rain or shine, to feed their babies – as well as themselves – and they do it all with BAD HAIR. Every day. Gotta love that!

Christmas Plate from the Kro in Låsby, Denmark

When most people go on a vacation to a place they’ve never been, they bring back expensive or at least special treasures that are unique to that area as souvenirs. I did the same on my recent trip to Norway…although treasures are in the eye of the beholder. Suffice to say, I am as interested in the lifestyle of a new place and the anthropology as I am the sight seeing.

While we were staying with our friends Turid and Oddvar, Turid shared with Casey and me some delicious, “seedy” crackers that she makes herself. After having these crackers for breakfast every morning with some wonderful Norwegian cheese and yogurt, I decided I wanted the recipe. The problem is that to achieve that exact grainy consistency, I needed a special kind of Rye flour; coarsely ground. I knew I could get the other ingredients at home but the flour was really special.

So, my entire box of treasures which I brought home from Norway (with the exception of a blue and white plate made in Coppenhagen which a sweet lady at an inn in Denmark gave to me as we checked out) came from the local grocery store: 1 bag Sammalt Rug (Grovmalt), 1 packet bouillon cubes (to compare for ingredients with ours), some hand soap that smelled like eucalyptus, 1 metric liquid measuring cups in Dls, 1 set dry measuring cups in Mls and a pizza wheel…for cutting the crackers.

I got it all through customs after 23 hours of travel. The agent looked at me with concern and then shook his head and said, “That’s all you brought home with you???”

Here is a pictorial essay of my first attempt to make the Crackers from Kristiansand [Note to self: parchment paper....]

All ingredients with rye flour and measuring cup from Norway

Spreading the dough as thin as possible (harder than it looks!)

In the oven, then out after 10 mins. to slice with pizza cutter, then back in

Ready to slice

Cooling and setting up on a rack for 1 day (in the oven because of the CATS!!!)

Finally they are ready to eat and safely in the cracker tin! Fantastisk!

This time I wanted a certain fabric with a certain look and I couldn’t find it anywhere; so I painted my own. Everystep of the way was a problem to be solved: from the color mixing to the measuring out the patterns. I made them as envelope pillows from instructions I found on a YouTube video…gotta love YouTube!

Now, for those of you who are saying, “Um. When did you have the time?” My answer is I’ve been doing this since I bought the fabric in…oh, sometime last summer…one row at a time.

Here is the process in photographs. LOVE IT!

Mixing Colors

Painting the Linen

Several Months of Painting Later....

Laying out the Patterns

Pillow A

Pillow A Back: Envelope Detail

Pillow B

Pillow C

Julie, Casey and I had such a blast filming this first in the series. I thought it was fitting to ask “Jules” to join me for my maiden voyage of “Sing For My Supper” as she’s cooked several authentic Louisiana meals for Casey and me at our shows in Baton Rouge and, besides: it was almost Mardi Gras!

Over the course of the afternoon, Jules and I cooked and Casey caught the highlights on video. Jules regaled us with stories and expressions from her native Louisiana and introduced me to techniques and terminology I didn’t know for cooking this kind of food; like “gradoux” which means the stuff left in the pan after you brown the meat.

The meal was unbelievably delicious and I even had some Mardi Gras beads for us to don!

Over dinner Casey and Jules shared stories of mutual friends, places they knew and crazy happenings from back in the day of the Greek Fountains, Casey’s hit band in which he was known by his real name, Danny Cohen and had hair down to his shoulder blades. This, in turn, sparked a story from Jules about a friend of hers, Bo, who Casey knew as well.

Jules grabbed her phone and dialed Bo’s number to see if she could track him down. As it was ringing, Casey said, “I guarantee if you tell him you’re here with me, He’ll tell you that when I was 19, I went to a crawfish boil he was hosting, and drank chocolate milk with the crawfish – which he’s never gotten over!”

When Bo answered the phone, from one of the many Carnival parties in New Orleans, Jules told him she was sitting having dinner with Danny Cohen from the Greek Fountains. Bo asked, “You mean ‘Hair’ Cohen???” Casey nodded and we all burst out into laughter.

Without skipping a beat, Bo went on to say, “I’ll tell you what about ‘Hair’; that Somv’abitch drank chocolate milk at my crawfish boil” The three of us threw our heads back in huge bursts of belly laughter, tears streaming down our face.

What an amazing day/evening spent with dear friends. I learned how to cook Grillades and Grits, how to make a proper butter roux, how to pronounce gradoux and an extra large time was had by all!

Now you can watch this first installment of “Sing For My Supper” and try out the recipe for yourself!

Thanks to Casey for filming and to my dear Hippy Sister Robin Ruddy for the wonderful Dobro music.

Hanging with the Master Chef, Julie Dugas

So, I had this GREAT idea to get fans from all over the country to teach me to cook a family favorite when I’m in town with them.

We shot this first one in my kitchen in Nashville, when a dear friend, and chef extraordinaire, from Baton Rouge happened to be in town for our latest show at Puckett’s in Downtown Nashville.

Pork Tenderloin Grillades, Served with Cheese Grits

What I had NOT figured on is how difficult video editing is – the arc of the film with the right amount of cooking technique info and personality/stories and local color.

Casey Enjoying Stories and a Surprise Call from Baton Rouge

So here are some photo highlights and the video will be coming soon…almost done…wait for it…you will absolutely learn how to make this dish with Cajun tricks of the trade, special spices Julie brought from BR and a few stories to boot…all during Mardi Gras; how perfect! IF it’s good!

Special Cajun Spices Julie Brought - We used "Who Dat" for This Recipe

Cajun Cooking Right After the King Cake Arrived; Beads and All.

Alex and Me

FLOUR SACK PILLOWS

Country Living Antiques Fair

Although this is a quick and easy post, inasmuch as it wasn’t a hard project, it was my favorite project result to date!

I went to the Country Living Antiques Fair in October with my dear friend and fellow Design Diva, Alex Bernard. I rummaged through a pile of stick and hay covered flour sacks and found one that I liked.

Flour Sack Pillows with Ink Stains

After washing the sack in Orvus paste, I cut the sack in two, sewed the raw end on one with the machine and then hand stitched the pillow fillings inside. Very simple…of course I was careful to leave intact the drawstring holes!

PICKING COTTON

This project is even more simple. It involved Casey pulling over on a two-lane in Alabama and me picking a few stalks of cotton to make into an arrangement in my room.

Contraband in the Back Seat

Hehehehe. Just like a Northern Girl to find cotton-on-the-stalk decorative! Cheers Y’all

Cotton Arrangement

I needed a computer keyboard tray-table that would come out from under most any table but because of issues with my hands, it needed to be low to the ground. So I went crawling around some second hand stores.

Plastic storage bin for candy, weapons, cellphones and other kiddie contraband

I found this metal, particleboard and plastic school desk (below), complete with pencil drawings all over it! It was a good height and a good price at $5.

The first thing I did was remove the plastic “supply storage” bin underneath it. then I removed the top so I could prime and paint the metal legs.

After a coat of primer and 2 coats of black spray paint in a satin finish, I could sand the top down, clean off all the

gossip in pencil and put it back onto the legs.

I decided to cover the top, which was a really special wood-like laminate, with a mat they use to top drafting tables. I found some on the internet, cut it to size and affixed it.

The last things I did were 1. paint the trim on the side of the top and 2. put casters on the bottom of the leg frame.

Et Voilà!

Now, I have it under a desk I fashioned out of a book shelf which I still have to refinish. See that transformation in a Design Diva entry, coming soon along with others.

Naturally, Casey gets credit for helping figure out the construction/engineering elements to these projects but I’m the one with the vision. I’m the derned Design Diva!

COMING SOON:

Distressed Dresser

Bookcase Desk

Nashville Free-Cycle Armoire transforms  into China Cabinet