I suppose this could be one of the highlights of my week:
Hushpuppies are a reason, like grits, that I’m glad my parents had the good sense to be Alabama and Mississippi natives.
What was one of the low points of my week? I finally forced myself to take my beloved camera back to Houston Camera Co-op so they could send it to Nikon for repair. Lindsey picked me up Thursday (for a different and more fun errand), and I sucked up my courage and asked her if she’d take me to the camera store first. She did–and was GREAT moral support. Afterward, because she said I was A Very Brave Girl, she bought me a Starbucks Venti Mocha Frappuccino. Heaven! Then she, Rhonda, Tom, Tim, and I got some sandwiches from Jason’s Deli before working on a project, the details of which can’t be revealed for a few days.
I’m already missing the camera. I have a Photo Friday challenge to do, and I keep looking at my Kodak point-and-shoot and saying, “It’s just you and me, kid.” And it keeps replying, “Remember how you loved me when I was new? REMEMBER THAT FIRST PHOTO SHOOT and how everyone enjoyed the results?” I do remember it well. I’m sure Mr. Kodak and I will be fine for a few weeks, as long as I don’t have to shoot in low light.
I’ve been rewriting parts of A COVENTRY WEDDING based on editorial comments from Kensington. Nothing severe, just trying to smooth out some awkward transitions between chapters. Sometimes I feel that I was really off my game when I was writing this novel, but I have to give myself a break because of the past year’s turmoil. I’ve had so many good times with friends and family and had such fantastic visits from out-of-town friends as well as wonderful visits to New Orleans (twice!), that it’s almost impossible to believe that over the last year while writing, I took two contract assignments for major corporations, had home remodeling done, had a seriously ill/hospitalized writing partner/soul mate, lost a lifelong friend in January, helped close up my mother’s apartment and disburse all her belongings, helped take care of my mother through two hospitalizations and two hospice visits before her death–and did much of this with two fractured vertebrae and a slipped disk that required numerous visits to doctors and physical therapists.
The thing is, I don’t think my life is that different from most people’s. These are our realities–good, bad, stressful, wonderful, full of events that uplift us and devastate us. Yet we go on, hopefully with a bit of grace and dignity, and if we’re smart, with a willingness to let those who love us bear our burdens with us. My life is rich with the love of good people–and I’m grateful for you every day.
I just can’t take a decent photo of you for a while–hey! Don’t think I can’t hear the sarcasm in those “sympathetic” comments from some of you.
those are the best looking hush puppies I’ve ever seen
They were tasty, too!
I know I can tell. So let me ask do you put in a hint of onion?
Yes. Chopped onions and a bit of garlic powder. And beyond that, I freely confess that I use Pioneer cornbread mix and its hushpuppy recipe.
However, right now? I’m craving BBQ Fritos. I blame Tim’s photo.
i see no frito’s
Then you didn’t click the link from my first photo shoot.
I can click? I didn’t see that there was something to click …
…wow… It’s very American Beauty .. or in this case American barbaquey
Long before American Beauty, there were Annie Leibowitz and Bette Midler.
Oh my God – I missed that in the debut.
Okay, now I get the whole Fritos appeal.
Salty goodness.
Grits I know about by badgering Greg to describe them, but what are Hushpuppies? (Here in the UK they’re a make of shoe . . .!!).
It’s amazing sometimes when you look back over one year, just how one has achieved, without really being aware of it at the time . . . I’m glad you have come through with dignity and grace.
Have a good weekend, camera or no!
Hushpuppies are little balls of corn meal mixed with diced green onions and deep fried. Mmmmm…..
They sound yummy indeed . . . thanks for that!
Thank you. (I’m not sure I’ve always shown dignity and grace, but I’m trying!)
Greg has already told you what hushpuppies are, but I don’t use green onions, as he said. I use yellow onions. The attempt is to make them as light as possible–I don’t like a dense and heavy hushpuppy.
You can read more about them right here.
Thanks for the link – my American food education is growing in leaps and bounds – they do sound yummy!
Just an unusual name, when one is used to them being shoes . . .
“The thing is, I don’t think my life is that different from most people’s. These are our realities–good, bad, stressful, wonderful, full of events that uplift us and devastate us. Yet we go on, hopefully with a bit of grace and dignity, and if we’re smart, with a willingness to let those who love us bear our burdens with us. My life is rich with the love of good people–and I’m grateful for you every day.”
What a wonderful sentiment!!
Agreed. And beautifully said as well, Becky. (Another keeper post to Memories.) I’m astonished that you could write at all under the circumstances.
Thank you–both you and Gary. Let’s hope the book is readable!
Those hushpuppies do look good! Thanks to Long John Greasyspoons, I do know about them.
I like Captain D’s hushpuppies better than LJS.
Who’s Captain D?
We must not have him around here, but I can look for him on our trip.
Captain D’s ia another fast food seafood restaurant, similar to Lohn John Silver’s. My favortie hushpuppies, after Aunt Nancy’s of course, are from a local place called Donita’s. It is where I got the catfish for my catfish po’ boys for my Mardi Gras themed 40th birthday.
It’s been so long since I ate at either a Captain D’s or Long John Silver that I can’t remember their hushpuppies. Now and again, when traveling in the South, it’s possible to find a local restaurant that serves those really light hushpuppies that no one’s done anything weird to (corn or sugar in the batter, ugh).
No one made them like Lynne’s Aunt Audrey. Hers were the best, even better than my mother’s, who could sometimes produce a heavy batch.
Corn? Sugar? BLASPHEMY!
ohhh i miss captain d’s! and yes, their hushpuppies are sooooo good.
There used to be one right around the block from me when I lived in Lexington and some days I’d drive down and get a double order for my lunch. That’s it, just the hushpuppies, as I don’t like fast food fish.
Now I’m hungry.
I actaully stopped in the meiddle of reading this and made a sandwich. LOL
But now I’m craving hushpuppies.
A few weeks without your baby Nikon sound rough. We’ll get you through it (I have no idea how, but…).
I have several ideas about how. Some of them involve YOU.
Oh no. Have you cleared my schedule with Lisa?
We’re in talks.