Dipping My Toe into the Virtual Pond

For anyone who has known me for more than five minutes, you could say that I am one of three things: impetuous, cautious or a juxtapose. I live my life as someone who has only another week to live might do. I throw all caution to the wind when it comes to finances, I worry that I might have spent my last few minutes on earth doing all the wrong things, and ultimately, I throw myself wholehartedly into whatever I am doing at the moment.

I am not ashamed to admit that quite often my impetuous hobbies have been acquired by observing others first and then trying it out for myself. Once I see that the coast is clear and the waters are safe, I then dive into the deep end without so much as a life preserver.

Case in point. Last year some of my co-workers were telling me about their scrapbooking hobby. While it seemed fun at the time, it also seemed a bit daunting, and overzealous, to keep up the scrapping with fervor every time you had a spare moment. I had a change of heart when I returned from my first trip to New York with my husband, Sean. Rather than compile a bland, and generic album, I figured what the hell, why not go all the way with a few stickers and some pretty backround paper?

What began as an innocent pursuit quickly turned into a full-on obsession. I went to all kinds of scrapbooking stores looking for special scissors, punches, vellum paper, special glue, little hammers. I didn't stop at the specialty boutiques either, I went to the mecca of it's world: the EXPO.

A $5 ticket gave way to an approximate $1000 dollar shopping spree for totes, sheets, sheets and more specialty sheets, stickers, flowers you name it. Everything a new (or moderate) scrapbooker could ever want. My purchases littered the entire 6 person dining room table and I became consumed with my new hobby, often working until all hours of the night to get in a few more pages.

Then, one morning, I woke up and decided that I didn't want to scrap any more. I wasn't retiring per se but I also wasn't about to pick up a pair of scissors any time soon. That day my husband and I put everything into massive, plastic bins from Target and stored all my beautiful (and expensive) supplies into our shed in the backyard.

I feel that it is necessary to explain to you, dear reader, that I am cautious and impetuous in one. If you knew me for ten minutes more you would also know that technology is not a forte of mine, and because of that I find it to be kind of a miracle that I am writing this to you today.

What I am setting out to do, is to share how my one constant passion: food, has molded my perception of live and love. I have learned this in my day-to-day and in my limited travels. While I am not anywhere near the maestro, Mr. Flay's, level of expertise, I admit that I would like very much to be the Iron Chef of my own little kitchen and remind the world that you control the ingredients you work with, they do not control you!

As I had previously mentioned, I learn by observing and only when I see that it is safe to do, can I begin for myself. This blog is inspired by the film Julie and Julia. I admit to watching the movie first and am only now coming around to reading the book. The truth is that while this blog might look like a poor imitation, it is a coincidence and not an intention of mine that our common subject is food. I find that so many people can relate through the joy of eating which is why the universal pastime of friendships new and old is to break bread and pass along the wine.