Gratitude Pies

Hi there!

What a whirlwind week this has been.  As I mentioned last week, my friend John delivered two pecks of Red Haven peaches last Sunday.  This propelled me into a glorious two-day baking frenzy, juggling all sorts of other responsibilities at the same time.  

I made a bunch of hand pies on Monday, but they are fairly time-intensive.  So on Tuesday I kept things simple and made four large tarts to make use of the rest of my dough and fruit.  It was so fun to surprise people with these treats.  As I type this, I’m thinking of everyone I didn’t get to with this effort.  Somehow my brain is able to find an opportunity for self-criticism even in the course of doing something generous.  I recognize this for what it is - just a monkey chattering in a tree at me.  Any friends who might read this and didn’t get in on the action - please know that I love you, and will do something nice for you soon.

This little baking diversion could have been better-timed, given everything else going on in my world - especially the fact that we are preparing to move our oldest child off to grad school in North Carolina.  As you read this, we are down there, settling him in.

Because I am frugal, I waited until the movie Everything, Everywhere, All At Once was available for online rental.  I watched it last Sunday night, and wow was it great.  It’s a beautiful, surreal story told in a unique fashion - one that requires something extra of the viewer compared to more traditional movies.  But the extra investment is very much worth it.  What a lovely, lovely story - I highly recommend it.  Hang in through the first 1/3rd and you will be glad you did.

An extra element of sweetness comes from the fact that many of the actors were also in a movie that was released about five years ago called Crazy Rich Asians.  

In 2018, when we were taking this same child off to Butler University to start his undergraduate studies, you could cut the tension in the air with a knife as we drove to Indianapolis.  It was as if we all were counting in our heads the number of times he had slept somewhere other than his own bed, and let me tell you, I didn’t need both hands to do this.  Now he would be living three hours from home, with a strange roommate…the reality was sinking in and intimidating him something fierce.

After we got him settled into his dorm, the three of us retreated to a nearby movie theater and watched Crazy Rich Asians as a diversion.  For a couple of hours we were able to relax in brisk air conditioned-comfort, delaying our eventual departure.

So it was especially poignant to see these same actors give amazing performances in a much more sophisticated film.  It’s as if they all grew up and matured, just like my son.

Sunday Supper
While all the local produce is fresh and abundant, let’s keep leaning into it!  Serious Eats offers up three great recipes for this week’s Sunday Supper.  First is this Grilled Tarragon-Mustard Chicken Skewer, complemented by this Spicy Summer Tomato Salad and Creamy Corn Dip with Feta, Mint and Tomatoes.  Enjoy!

Sunday Music
My Sunday Music recommendation this week is this wonderful acoustic jazz trio performance from 2018 by Chick Corey (piano), John Patitucci (bass) and Dave Weckl (bass).  

Have a great week ahead!  Offer support to others.  Make good use of this day.  And let me know how I can help.

Peace & Love,

Neal