Lisa P Writes

“Little bitty tear let me down, spoiled my act as a clown, I had it made up not to make a frown. Oh, but a little bitty tear let me down.” He mumbled and then started humming the song, lightly in and out of notes as he stared straight ahead looking through the train car window. It was a bright day in late spring. A slight hint of sandalwood drifted through the air. His arms were crossed over his cream-colored button down shirt and light blue tailored suit coat. The voice was familiar. He tapped his brown loafers rhythmically on the solid floor. As she appeared to look down into her magazine, she noticed the man next to her seemed youthful in his dark blue jeans. But his voice had the weathered feel of age. No one on the train spoke. The only noise, other than this man, was the screeching of the train wheels from time to time and the overhead announcements of the conductor. People all around either spaced out, had earphones plugged in or like her, were buried in their reading. But this man, sitting next to her was humming and tapping out loud.

There’s one commercial that really bothers me. It’s for one of the travel booking companies (I can’t remember which one) but it shows a man walking down the street or in a city and the voiceover predicts everything that’s going to happen before it happens. Something like, “stroller rolls into street almost taking out man and a dog barks” and then it shows the actor encountering these incidents. This company brags that they can plan your trip with no inconveniences. BORING! Inconveniences equal adventure. It keeps you on your toes and you learn about yourself. This is true especially traveling overseas. I found that you have to be flexible because if your married to you’re plan, you’ll be frustrated. . .

Lucy and Anne wandered up a street of boutiques selling items neither of them could really afford. They each carried a few shopping bags filled with clothes and accessories that they couldn’t pass up. It was a beautiful day and the perfect way to take her mind off her guilt about the wedding. They were both dressed in spaghetti-strap sheer dresses that swayed with the warm breeze. Lucy’s dress had big red flowers on it and fit her hips perfectly. In this online realm, she could be who she wanted to be without hesitation.
Anne steered Lucy into the homemade fudge shop. No diets necessary here because they could eat whatever they wanted and not gain an ounce. The sweet confection smell filtered through Lucy’s imagination as they walked up to the glass cases of fresh delight. She closed her eyes and felt the sweetness on her tongue. The owner came out front smiling, his shirt blended and then moved away from the stripped red and white walls. The ladies pointed at a couple pieces and he bagged the fudge.
Lucy stood on the sidewalk, pulling at the sweet taste on her fingers. Her mouth watered with sugary sensation. She devoured her portion but Anne savored every bite. Lucy’s wide brim hat protected her from the bright day. She normally didn’t wear hats, but felt confident to stand out with fashion when shopping in this world. Anne had tied her hair back with a long scarf that flowed down her back, under her blonde hair. She had never looked so stylish in Lucy’s eyes. As the mother of two, she had given up her looks long before. But here she was free to express herself and the men passing by smiled. . .

Kevin wandered into the kitchen with the cuffs of his splintered jeans dragging on the ground. His feet padded across the wooden floor and up to the coffee pot. He poured a cup for himself.
“We out of sugar?” he asked and rubbed his hand over his damp, dark hair. “Coffee’s ready.”
“What? I don’t use sugar!” Lucy hollered from the living room. She sat on the couch, immersed in a morning entertainment show.
Sure, he thought but didn’t respond. “Eggs?” he asked.
“Yes, please!”
Kevin cracked eggs and dropped sausages into a frying pan and let them sizzle in the heat. The sun filtered in through the windows leaving the space so bright that no overhead light was needed. He pulled at the neck of his sweatshirt to fan himself; it was warm in the kitchen so he opened a couple of the windows to let the cool spring breeze in. As breakfast cooked the toast popped up and he lathered both pieces with butter. After flipping the eggs, he grabbed the plates and divided the food between the two. “It’s ready.”
Lucy jogged into the kitchen and slid across the floor in her red socks, coasting to the counter. She poured a cup of coffee and then, without thinking, reached for the sugar. It lifted lightly which triggered the comments of just moments before. She peaked back to see if Kevin was watching her but his back was to her as he walked towards the door. My two worlds are colliding, she thought and then scolded herself. . .

Not to be mistaken with a crackpot vegan – heheh. . .fall is around the corner and there’s a slight chill in the air, so I broke out the crockpot. For me, it’s the easiest way to cook an awesome vegan meal. I started using a crockpot only in the past few years after a visit to my grandma’s home in Fargo, ND . . . the Midwest is could be called Crockpot Country since our winters are intensely cold. As I was visiting my grandma, she was cleaning out her apartment of things she no longer used. I packed the crockpot tight into my carry-on luggage. Of course, I was stopped at security at the Fargo airport; they’re so bored there that they catch things like my Swiss Army knife with my name engraved on it. I went through O’Hare multiple times and they never caught that . . . I didn’t even realize it was in my bag. The security guy weeded through my clothes only to encounter a crockpot. And just about that time there was a slew of people going through security, gazing over at my under garments and the foreign object in my bag. I was free to go once it was discovered. I have to say that I was a little embarrassed, not because of my under garments and toiletries but because I was lugging a crockpot home. Who’s the nerd with the crockpot? It was my grandma’s; it has to cook good meals.

I’m thrilled now that I have it – the other day I made a tasty Garbanzo Bean Stew. It’s so freakn’ easy, yummy and filling! There’s really no reason you can’t eat a healthy, quick meal. I added a jalapeno instead of red pepper flakes and peppers from my garden. I get a lot of recipes online by searching for crockpot or slow cooker recipes. As the weather turns cold, I’m looking forward to loading it up in the mornings and having healthy meals ready by the end of the day. Thanks grandma!