Adding Some Spice to Life

This article is a little different than most of my posts.  I want to share with you a recent experience.  Four adventurers, Debbie, myself and another couple, set out for an excursion this past weekend.  We had heard about a Garlic Festival, it was a nice day to be out and we like cooking with a little garlic powder, roasting garlic for bread or sprinkling some granulated garlic on pizza.  We figured a chance to get some fresh air and hang out, eat a little, sounds simple.  OK, expectations were not set to high.

I guess this falls under the do not judge a book by its cover.  We do this when we meet people.  Sometimes, we have preconceived notions before we step into a situation.  How often do we take the time to learn before we do something?  The festival could have been a handful of booths, a tiny stage for speakers and music and a couple of food trucks.  Boy, were we WAY OFF!  This was a huge event with LOTS of vendors. By stopping and paying attention, we learned that there are over 350+ named garlics, categorized into 10 varieties that were determined via a Federal grant of $65K.  In case of a garlic disaster, the government has four locations where they store seeds to replenish the garlic population.  And there are endless ways to use garlic (think usages like the peanut).

There was no need to look for food trucks (plenty of food vendors).  The best part was all of the samples.  Who would have known?  Some of the things we tasted:

• Garlic Powder
• Garlic Jelly
• Garlic Honey
• Garlic Sauces
• Garlic Knots
• Garlic Fudge
• Garlic Dips
• Garlic Ice Cream
• Garlic Popcorn
• Garlic Drinks
• Raw Garlic on a Cracker
• Garlic on a Stick
• Garlic Pickle
• Pickled Garlic
• Garlic Vinegar
• Garlic Pesto
• Garlic Cookies
• Garlic and Herb Bread
• Garlic Shots

Four and a half hours later, we were well educated, quite full and surrounded by the aura (OK, probably more like aroma) of garlic.  It was great to be doing something different, having a fun afternoon and an opportunity to learn more about the Allium Sativum.  Here’s to garlic!

Variety is the Spice of Life

While visiting my brother, Jeff, in Miami, he took me out to eat at Zuma.  Zuma offers Japanese inspired small plates meals, so that you can taste a variety of excellent food.  We ordered four plates. Each of the items that we ordered had a different taste and texture.  As we sat there savoring every bite (it was that good), it dawned on me how infrequently we take the time to savor the things that take place in our life.

Under the hustle and bustle of daily living, we get up, go to work (or school), come home, eat dinner, be involved in community activity (e.g., rec sports, religious, other), spend time with the kids, and spend time with our spouse.  On the weekends, work is replaced by family activities and spending some time with family and friends.  I know that there are people that promote taking the time each morning to meditate, so that you can ground yourself for the day.  However, during the day, it seems as if we are forever running from one thing to the next and do not really savor the little moments.  As golfer Ben Hogan put, “As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.”

Maybe that is why we need to schedule downtime.  I am talking about an hour or two here and there.  I mean a couple of days now and then, to recharge our batteries and take a few days away from our daily routines to slow things down.  Having a short break does provide the chance to observe what goes on about us; take in different and sometimes new experiences, and sometimes doing something that we would not normally do.  I am not a beach person, but sometimes, it is nice to sit, listen to the waves and enjoy the world around us.  We are here on this earth for a short period of time; it is up to us to maximize our experiences while we are here.  As a friend recently pointed out, “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”