May 29, 2010
YIPES! It’s almost June!
The funny thing about my job is that I am often thinking about events WAY in the future. And yet there is the every dayness about it too. Makes me dizzy at times, trying to remember if I am in the now or the then.
I drove to Cashiers yesterday, and hour and a half each way, to help plan a wedding that is coming up at the end of June. Yesterday I met with another June bride. And another. I have menus for next year on my desk, notes from future brides on my computer. Reminders about chairs and menu changes and additions. But then there is today: a wedding, another wedding, a bat mitzvah, an anniversary party. On it goes. Bustle and hustle and bring the food in, cook it, and send it out. Nice.
I must admit that my brain is also focused on this coming Friday when, oh-my-gosh, I am going to the White House. THAT white house. Not some old regular white house. I called my sister when I first heard.
“Guess what?! I’m going to the White House!” I said.
“What’s the white house?” she replied, distracted and in an “I’m in the middle of something” sort of way.
“It’s where our PRESIDENT lives,” I teased.
She perked up at that, I’ll tell you!
The story is that I am going to be part of an audience of chefs, twenty of us from Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, who are going to hear Michelle Obama’s plan to get chefs paired with schools to help with the problem of childhood obesity. I may be a tiny speck in a huge gaggle of chefs (well what would YOU call a bunch of white-coated gals?) But still, not many people I know have been invited to go to the White House so, speck or not, I’m excited.
When I come back, that very night, I get to go to be a part of a rehearsal dinner for the youngest son of some close client friends. I’ve done their Christmas party for 19 or 20 years, so I feel like a family member is getting married. And then the next day we cook for the wedding. Big fun!
On Sunday I have no plans but on Monday of the next week I head to Iowa to cook for the National Honey Board and 26 national magazine editors, sharing some recipes I’m developing. And at my home I’m trying really hard to be a good beekeeper. My mentor must think I’m a real slow poke, with my inane questions and less-than-perfect ability. I helped him last week, though he’d probably have done much better without my assistance. A few days later I corralled my sister to help me with my bees at my house. This is NOT an easy hobby, but I am really growing to love the hives full of these magical beings and want to do what I can to help them live and be strong. I tried out those new recipes the other night at home. We sampled, enjoyed, and ended up dipping our fingers into my growing collection of honeys. Delicious!!!
My wish for this week is to move gracefully in and out of the travel and the excitement and the challenge. Things will come up. They always do. But I will try to help spread these important messages from our First Lady and from the bees and I hope that I can help make a difference by doing that work.
Seeing pictures of the oil spill are utterly heartbreaking to me. The Earth is a precious, precious thing and I can hardly stand thinking about what has happened there. I can only try to do what I can do. I cannot go mop up oil, though I would if I could. I really would. But maybe the bees and the children are something. I hope so. I have to believe so. I have to.
I’ll be in touch next week.
