How Alan Got His Groove Back
Some months are better forgotten. The last six weeks have been a rollercoaster ride: my sister's wedding, a 90th birthday bash for Dzia Dzia, several weeks on the mainland sleeping on someone else's pillow, a strategic shift at work, a new employee to train and a move from Liliha to Palolo Valley. We survived, and even enjoyed the time, but schedules were disrupted and with them, the easy rhythm of writing.
This blog was the main casualty. Days then weeks passed where there was neither space nor energy to write. The more time that passed, the harder it became to start up again. Like something from Little Shop of Horrors, maona called out, "Feed me!" as it grew larger and more oppressive. Life is too short to stress about a hobby, so I let go and relaxed. The blog could wait. I'd start writing again when I was ready. Someday.
Yesterday was the kind of weather that brings people to vacation in Hawaii. Blue skies, fluffy clouds, warm temperatures, but with a gentle trade wind to stir the air. It was the perfect day for a trip to the Saturday Farmer's Market at KCC.
Walking among the aisles, I remembered everything I like about this market. It's a bustling but friendly place, with just the right mix of high-end and down-home. Do you want to buy the same Nalo Farms mixed greens featured on the best menus in Honolulu? Check. A batch of fresh lumpia? Got that, too. Joan Namkoong was there, autographing copies of her new book, Food Lover's Guide to Honolulu and generally being charming. Everywhere I turned, it was about good, fresh food.
And that's when the spark struck. Food is my mistress, and I love letting people in on the details of our affair. Saturday morning at KCC stirred up that enjoyment again and got the creative juices flowing. Already I've got dozens of ideas bouncing around my head, clambering to see the light of day.
I'm back.
Yes, yes there are tons of things going on here too but blogging is something I try to stay on top of. Sorry to hear that your past months have been so hectic, not good for your stress levels I bet. So glad you are back and looking forward to more Ma'ona posts.
has been wondering about your whereabouts, or rather lack of it, just the other day so happy to hear you are all safe and sound. welcome back
sam
Hi Alan - Ah yes, finding your muse, is sometimes such a difficult thing. Good to "hear your voice again". And yet, you keep me connected with "home". Funny, no????
Hi Alan,
Glad to have you back. I can only agree with everything you've said here. I have so much to say, but yet little will to write. I actually get inspiration from other blogs and when I don't "visit" anyone, I don't feel like I have anything to say. Besides work has been tough. If I told you where I worked, you'd understand I'm sure.
Gia, I'm (hopefully) back at a place where I can make that same choice to stay on top. We'll see how long it lasts!
Sam, thanks!
Kirk, glad I can do my part. Hey, how often do you come to visit?
Reid, that's interesting that you draw inspiration from the "community." I suspect that's true of me too-- I'll read something brilliant elsewhere and it inspires or reminds me why I like this.
Hi Alan - I "check-in" at least 4 times a week - unless I'm out of town.
Glad to have you back. I agree with Reid - other food blogs inspire me, as well!
Welcome back, Alan! I empathize with you!!! I've been so busy at work from the first of the year that I haven't posted anywhere (or felt like it when I had a moment) since January. We went through a completely different computer system conversion, lost 4 tellers & our head teller all at once. I was working too much overtime to care about anything but surviving the next day. Now we have new people up and trained & I finally got a week off - in which I actually spent some coherent time with my hubby, slept & ate when I wanted & napped when I needed. I loved being able to cook fun dishes instead of subsistence eating as I had been. I spent a whole hour in the grocery store looking at all the veggies, fresh fruit and meats & feeling very inspired. I felt bad being incommunicado all those months (tho' I did stop by Ma'ona at least once a week to see if you were back, ^_^), but as you said, sometimes it can't be helped... thank you for that bit of perspective, Alan. It helps to hear those thoughts from someone else. Ofttimes, they just sound like cop-outs when their rolling around in MY brain.
Also, I've been meaning to thank you for your encouragement on starting my own blog... someday I very much want to do that exact thing. Your kind words make it seem like a possibility and not as intimidating as it once seemed. I love food & cooking and get such joy talking with people like you about it. For now, I think that will be enough. I'm putting alot of my free time energy into getting a work space set up in my house for my jewelry making... I am REALLY wanting to start doing it professionally and eventually move to only working at home. After that's in full swing, I would LOVE to start my own blog on cooking. It would be something like: Three Homes, One World. I've lived in Illinois, Hawaii & Arizona; cooked Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Hopi, Navaho, German, Greek, Middle Eastern & just good ole', Mid-West, stick-to-your-ribs kinda food. I love it all! I can't wait to read a new cookbook, learn a new technique or play around with an ingredient that I've never used before. Then I take those techniques, recipes, & ingredients and try to mix them together in ways that no one has thought of before. I constantly design new recipes. I live for the thrill of mixing together oddball things and having something NEW to taste. Sometimes the dish will flop, tho' believe it or not, that's extremely rare. Even if it doesn't work quite the way I envisioned, I still have LEARNED something. You know, I CAN'T stop cooking! It's really the only art form I can think where you can make something beautiful and enjoy the intimacy of eating it... you can enjoy food with ALL of your senses & must taste it to fully enjoy it. What a joy!
Well, welcome back Alan!!! Aloha & Mahalo!!! Laurel