As I write this I am sitting on the back porch, listening to the crickets and a few late evening birds. The week has been filled with shopping, eating, and meeting new people. I was humbled to meet, Pat, a lovely lady who recently read my novel, Summer Storms, and shared with me how it changed her outlook on life. Just in the brief time I spent with her today I could tell she was a woman of God with a deep rooted faith, and her support encouraged me that God has a plan for my writing.
Also during this week of vacation, my mother & I have been cooking recipes from our friend Teodor. While he lives in Australia now, he grew up in Romania & has lived in Italy. His story of growing up under communism, as told in his novel, A Luminous Future, has made me realize how very lucky I was to be born in the United States. The wonder of Twitter has made it possible for me to get to know him and learn more about his experiences, but I am really thankful he shares his recipes. So far my mom & I have made his cakes, Apple & Ricotta. Both were delicious!
Vacation ends in a few more days and I haven’t had the chance to learn any of my great-aunt’s recipes. She has been too busy shopping to cook. Tomorrow I am hoping she will share with me how to make chocolate icing like my grandmother used to make. In the meantime I will leave you with a picture of the Ricotta Cake topped with fresh strawberries.