“Freelance' means I can take watermelon breaks and no one can yell at me.” Mandy Ashcraft, American sci-fi writer There are sweet watermelon salads -- think the classic July 4 combo of watermelon, banana slices and blueberries. And, there is this salad, which is simply the best I've ever tasted. Oops! Forgot the strawberries in this… Continue reading Melon-berry-‘mater-mint salad
JOY JOURNAL BLOG
The sole source of joy
"You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French philosopher, priest, scientist They will soon be here. A bit like a monarch, but think bigger stripes and black and white instead of black and orange. Zebra swallowtails… Continue reading The sole source of joy
Refrigerator Pickled Peppers
"It takes a sour woman to make a good pickle." Michael Chabon, "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" It was a case of pantry envy. I was writing a story about low-tech ways of coping with the impending doom many people feared would accompany the year 2000 because of possible computer meltdowns. We walked down to the… Continue reading Refrigerator Pickled Peppers
Learning an author by heart
“I do not know everything; still many things I understand.” Madeleine L'Engle, "A Wrinkle in Time" These three Madeleine L'Engle books are among several that feature the Austin family. They were written over nearly 40 years, although the characters age only four years or so. The way L'Engle fit the same characters into the day… Continue reading Learning an author by heart
Cucumber and onion salad
“It's been a pretty tough day," he said. "No sense making it worse with a salad.” Susan Juby, "Home to Woefield" Honestly, some of my "recipes" are so simple they hardly qualify for that word and I am hesitant to publish them. Then I remember there was a time I had never thought of doing this… Continue reading Cucumber and onion salad
Nora Edinger -- JOY Journal 