Glorious Girl Talk

Last week was hell at my house. A conversation with the director and assistant director at Joshua's school just about put me over the edge. I thought I was going to lose my mind...I think that I almost did for a couple of days.

What saved me, really saved me, was looking forward to dinner out with my friends, Wendy and Linda, on Thursday night. We've known each other since our kids were two year olds in toddler class at pre-school. Even though the toddlers are now eleven years old, all at different schools, and in 5th grade getting ready to go to middle school in September the three of us have remained good friends. For years we have been getting together for dinner every couple of months (trying a new restaurant each time) to catch up and share life's mysteries.

Each of us had had a hellish week so we took turns ranting and raving in between sips of an, oh so lovely, red wine and mouthfuls of the fabulous food we had ordered. The venting made us all feel vindicated and heard, affirming for us that at least there was something right in the world...namely, our view of it! In addition to the venting there was plenty of laughter which always helps to soothe one's weary soul.

I left that dinner in a completely different emotional state and mindset from the one I began with and I've not looked back since. For me, the camaraderie and support of my girlfriends, in general, is a precious treasure. However, the history I share with Wendy and Linda is particularly meaningful because they are two of my first "mommy friends".  The bond began with our children yet as we continue to share the ever changing arcs of our lives our bond has deepened. I count them both as true blessings in my life.

So, go out today and fortify yourself with a dose of Glorious Girl Talk...it will heal you, it will comfort you, it will remind you of the power you possess from within. I promise that it will make you float on air. But, before you do that, go straight to your kitchen and bake a treat to nurture yourself and then to share with your gals! I suggest CHUNKY LOLA COOKIES from Joanne Chang's new book, FLOUR, which is the name of her famed bakery in Boston. They are chocked full of so many yummy ingredients that there is something for everyone in them.

Amusez-vous bien mes belles filles!

Bisous,

Nanci

The Nirvana of Reading

I can think of few things that I like better (or that make me happier) than to curl up in my bed with a good book...it is absolute nirvana for me. Getting lost in a wonderfully written book is like arriving in paradise...at least my version of it.

I have been voraciously reading since I was a little girl; first pouring over my Girl Scout Handbook, Nancy Drew Mysteries, anything about Helen Keller, even cereal boxes. I graduated rather quickly to 500 page books, mostly novels but some non-fiction, that I borrowed from my mother who was also constantly reading. To this day my night stand is always stacked high with books that I am reading or want to be reading in the near future.

My favorite story about reading is this one...I was about 15 years old. It was an early Sunday afternoon and I was still in my pajamas. Since I was in the middle of an amazing book (though I can't remember which one it was!) I settled myself onto the living room couch knowing I'd be there for hours and hours. Sunlight streamed in through the ceiling high picture windows. The view of the San Fernando Valley below was crisp and clean, a rarity for usually smog laden Los Angeles.

At some point several hours later I had a vague feeling of something going on around me...but it was only a vague feeling. Though this feeling came and went all afternoon it didn't at all distract me from my book. I just kept reading determined to finish my mesmerizing book by the end of the day.

When I finally finished the book as the sun was setting around 6pm I began to sit up. To my utter surprise I realized that my precious cat had been literally sitting on top of my head all afternoon and that that vague feeling I'd been having was her kneading my head and hair. I laughed out loud at the spectacle of it...6 straight hours of reading a book with a cat on top of my head digging her claws into my hair and skull...and I had not a clue. Now, that's a good book!

There is no way I could ever make a comprehensive list of great books to read (I certainly am no scholar) but here are a few (recent and old in no particular order) that have left an impression on my heart and/or soul...I hope that they may do the same for you...

1.  No Language But a Cry...by Richard d'Ambrosio
2.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks...by Rebecca Skloot
3.  Bad Mother...by Ayelet Wladman
4.  Inside, Outside...by Herman Wouk
5. The Drama of the Gifted Child...by Alice Miller
6.  The Alchemist...by Paolo Coelho
7. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius...by Dave Eggers
8.  Angela's Ashes...by Frank McCourt
9.  The World According to Garp and Cider House Rules...by John Irving
10. The Color of Water...by James McBride
11. Stones from the River...by Ursula Hegi
12. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Shanghai Girls...by Lisa See

Nanci's Nirvana Bars

A suggestion before you start...bake yourself a little treat so you are fortified for your literary journey. And I may be bold here but I am going to recommend my new creation, Nanci's Nirvana Bars. I adapted these sinfully rich and delicious bars from a well known San Diego bakery, Bread & Cie, recipe...and it is nirvana. Combine a bar with a cup of coffee or tea and you will be good to go as they say...

Happy Reading! Happy Eating!

xoxo Nanci

P.S. I will post the recipe on the website within a week or so...be patient...it will be well worth it!

Happy New Year!

Well, I am just coming out of the fog of the holiday madness. I still feel a bit drugged to be honest. Having gotten Joshua back to school yesterday was a push in the right direction though it was not a day that began easily. There was a major meltdown (his, not mine, which would come later) at breakfast. I guess all that anxiety about having to once again do some actual school work was simply too much for my little prince. Whatever the reason, by the time I picked him up at the end of the day he was all smiles and good humor. So much for me having spent the day racked with worries about how to make things better.

In any case, I am back at my computer writing this blog, back to the overwhelming task of planning the first annual SUGAR & STILETTOS BAKE SALE EXTRAVAGANZA for charity, back to trying to keep my head above water, financially and emotionally (as opposed to drowning), back to sanity and balance (sort of) and back to exercising after a three month hiatus full of fun physical therapy due to a ripped muscle in my left hip (don't ask). Thus, 2011 begins for me and everyone else on the planet.

As I am getting my sea legs back so to speak I wish you all a year of abundance; good health, joy, love and laughter, not to mention the delicious delight of a few baked treats now and then. I wish you the courage to dream big, to aim high, to take risks and leave your comfort zone for the untold rewards that that bravery will undoubtedly bring you. I wish you precious moments with those you love and an open heart to let new people, places and experiences into your life. I wish you the resolution of old hurts. And, of course, I wish you success, personally and professionally...imbued with a serenity filled inner peace.

Happy New Year one and all..may it be spectacular in every way!

xo Nanci