Gifts of the Blog

It is so often the case that the responses I get to the blogs I post are far more interesting than the blogs themselves; I count myself lucky to be out here, in this generous community.

PoetJane asked if i might describe the machinations that go into a Beth meal (or something like that), I'll put it this way: I somehow have grown into this person who believes (fears?) that every meal she serves is a reflection of her inner self, her value, might I say, worth? I know it's wrong, but I can't help it, so, come 5 or so most evenings, I push back from this desk and head to the local Whole Foods or its equivalent on foot, my reusable plastic bag upon my shoulder. I walk up and down the aisles, gnawing through the possibilities (never enough possibilities) in my head. I seek wholesome, aspire to memorable. I'm a fan of fresh herbs, of organic chicken, of delicate lamb, of plump bread, of bright cheese, of overfat cookies. I walk home, my shoulder aching, my posture askew, the smell of Italian parsley wafting up toward the sky.

Once home, I unshelter each ingredient and buy, give it its space upon my less-than-spacious counter. I begin. On the nights when things don't go quite according to plan, you will hear me apologizing to the gods of gourmet. You'll hear my husband ask, Why don't we just get pizza?

There are two glasses of wine, one for each of us. Usually that's it. A single glass each, because it's healthy—so I've been told, so I wish to believe—and because it says that the night is near, another day is to be honored.

With that confession now rendered, let me celebrate Lenore, who so kindly posted a blog—the very first outside my own!—on Nothing but Ghosts. Let me celebrate S. Krishna who spoke honestly about House of Dance, which didn't quite work for her in those crucial opening pages. Honesty is an essential component of courage, and I've always liked courageous people.

Let me finally say thank you to paperxxflowers (I love that blog name, so I'll use it) for posting an interview she conducted with me a few weeks ago.

Finally, in case you are wondering about the eggplant pictured here—that's Aideen (one of my key characters from House of Dance) sharing a ripe Linvilla Orchard find with my husband.

http://paperxxflowers.blogspot.com/2008/10/authors-in-corner-mini-view-with-beth.html

http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2008/10/waiting-on-wednesday-3-nothing-but.html