Thursday, August 25, 2011

Plotting The Next Great Adventure


"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the WIDTH of as well." Diane Ackerman

It is time to start planning the next great adventure. Will we go at Thanksgiving, Christmas or after the first of the year. Undecided as yet. Where to go...hmmmmm.
To the warm and sunny tropics, to the frozen north? Somewhere in the middle?

I never tire of traveling, of meeting new people from different places all over the country and the world. It really has become a small world. We have talked about going to Ireland at some point, land of my husband's heritage. I have never traveled in Ireland, but did "land" there once for refueling, and flew over the beautiful and exceptionally green countryside with its rock walls and sheep. I think hubby is actually interested in the Pub Crawl however, and I am not really a drinker, or an eater since I began this diet!

I absolutely love anything to do with water, oceans, lakes, rivers...all call to me, but especially the ocean. I really don't care whether it is the warm Caribbean, or the Pacific and on to Alaska. Of course, the Alaska thing is limited by the time of year...usually May to September. I would love to see Hawaii, having never been there, and if Hawaii, I would love to go in Winter when the great whales are there for mating season. I've been to Sea World, but that would be nothing compared to seeing the whales in their natural habitat.

My son Charles has a job which affords him constant travel. He goes to Hong Kong, and Italy and England on business...what fun.

I have been fortunate enough to see England, France, Monaco, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. Not saying I wouldn't go back again though. I remember so vividly the very first time I stood at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Tears ran down my cheeks, because as a little girl growing up in Marbury, Maryland I never dreamed I would see this place I had visited in books.


It was an incredible experience visiting the Mayan Ruins in Tulum and Labadee Mexico. To hear so much about the Mayan history and culture who were there thousands of years before us. They were such an incredibly advanced civilization.

But, now it is time for yet another adventure. I will start searching out sites and tours and dreaming of the places I have not yet seen. Do you have dreams of places you wish to go? Don't wait...start planning now. Sometimes we get so busy "saving" for the future that we forget to "live" in the present.

As one anonymous author said, "Life is too short to eat vanilla ice cream and dance with boring men!" LOL...life is short...smell the roses and travel when you can.

RECIPE OF THE DAY

Since we are talking about travel today, how about a recipe with a "foreign" twist.
Winter is coming...

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
2 TBSP bread crumbs
1 TBSP Parmesan Cheese
1/2 teasp Dried Basil
1/2 teasp Onion Powder

1. Combine meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil, onion powder, and shape into TINY meatballs.

2. Saute meatballs until lightly browned in large soup pan, add
5 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup finely chopped or grated carrots

Bring to boil...add

1 Cup Orzo pasta (or other tiny pasta)
and COOK until nearly done...add

2 cups thinly sliced escarole or spinach and cook just until tender.

This is a lovely, light and delicious soup. It is a great way to get the spinach into your children, as they are fascinated with the tiny meatballs and pasta.

Eat UP!





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