Out with a BANG!

My life has been pretty full the past couple of weeks.  Last Wednesday I made a new friend, Melodee (that's her at the rear pottery wheel.)  She is a fun lady with an amazing story.  She has been battling cancer since she was 24 and her journey includes a total bone marrow transplant and several near-death experiences.  She's a potter at heart and has a studio set up in her basement which she is allowing Trina and I to use while we pursue our new-found passion.  It's funny how knowing that I'm going to have my hands in clay on Wednesday can make my whole week brighter!

Friday, I got to try out some of the pieces I made at my introduction to pottery class.  The Amazing Matta is in town and I had her over for dinner.  It was fun serving appetizers in my very own hand-made dishes!

I wanted the meal to be as special as she is.... a hard thing to do for such an amazing lady! I ended up making Moroccan pan-roasted seafood.   The dinner turned out really great and the next day, I enjoyed sitting out on the patio and eating the left-overs for lunch.

Saturday night, Eddy and I celebrated the 4th of July at David and Denise's place out in Kendalville.  They are new friends we made through Randy and Trina.  They have a gorgeous, secluded place on 30 plus acres with a pond nestled in their ginormous backyard.

David is a pretty interesting guy.  Almost everything on the property he has made out of someone else's throw-aways.  He recycles other people's junk!  I was really impressed with the really cool wallpaper he has covering the walls of his "man-cave" and even MORE impressed when he told me that it was nothing but torn up grocery bags slapped on with wallpaper paste.  He has little ponds and water running all over the property.  In a small pond bed next to the back deck, I heard a bullfrog croaking.  Took me a while, but I finally spotted him!

Eddy and I had a great time just chillin' around the pond with new friends and great food.  When it finally got dark, Randy and David began setting off fireworks.

I recently began writing articles for an online magazine called Examiner.com.  My articles are food related with a local focus.  I'm writing an article about a local Burmese restaurant owned and operated by a Burmese immigrant.  The place is just a little whole-in-the wall, but the food is fantastic!  I have an appointment with her in about an hour and she is going to give me an interview and let me watch her cook.  I'm really excited!!  I think it will be a great way to end my 48th year.  Tomorrow is the first day of my 49th!! BANG!!