Mountains or Beach?
For the most part, there are two kinds of people: mountain people and beach people
Me? Mostly moutain. 
I love the Davis Mountains, and I don’t get to go to our cabin there enough. I find that I love hot, dry climates like west Texas. I love the heat, not crazy about humidity. I love the fact that at the cabin it could be in the 90s and you don’t really feel it much. I also love the peace, tranquility. There’s nothing better than kicking back with a good book, glass of iced tea and laying out in the sun to read. I know a lot of people think west Texas is brown, barren, nothingness. To me, however, I think there is beauty in the different colors of the mountains, the different species of birds, plants, not to mention some spectacular photography.
Don’t get me wrong. . .I enjoy going to the beach, getting in the water, the sand, etc. But there is something about the mountains that speaks to me more.
How about you? Which one calls to you?
Summer recipes!! My favorite pasta salad
This has become my all-time favorite pasta salad. It’s from one of the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks and I’ve adapted it to the things I like best. It makes a great meal! 
Polka Dot Salad
- 1 1/2 c cooked rigatta pasta or other spirally pasta
- 1 cucumber peeled and cubed
- 1 c carrots, chopped (coined)
- 1/2 c sliced radishes
- 2 c ham
For the dressing:
- 1 c Ranch dressing
- 1 T chopped parsley
- 1 T sugar
- 1 T vinegar
Suggestions:
- 1 can peas, drained
- sharp cheddar, cubed
- cherry tomatoes
- sliced green olives
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and set aside. Combine ham and vegetables and add pasta. Combine Ranch dressing, sugar, vinegar, and parsley. Toss with pasta mixture.
On Writing
John Steinbeck once said that the scariest thing to him was a pencil and a blank sheet of paper. Boy do I agree! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve writen a blog post and then erased because either I don’t think it’s interesting, or somehow it didn’t end up being exactly what I wanted. I have so many ideas, and I love jotting them down, but when I get finished with it somehow it doesn’t seem quite as intriguing to me. A friend of mine kindly reminded me to quit worrying about what other people thought – so here goes!
I think the writing ritual is insteresting. I like to have a glass of tea beside me and music in the background – preferrably classical so I can hear myself think. 
Whatever gets the creative juices flowing, right?
In college, I knew several people who were majoring in English along with me who had career goals of ‘writing the great American novel.’ A lofty goal. . .and it makes me wonder what ever happened to them. There are SO many writers out there that it seems like the American novel market is pretty saturated. Particularly with college grads who would like to do just that.
Curently, I’m reading Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes- an amazing read about the author’s adventures in Tuscany renovating an old villa. Her storytelling style reads like a journal, like she’s spillng her thoughts to you as she’s having them. In writing about the countryside, the people, the food – I now have a desire to go there. She includes recipes in the book as well, some of which I would love to try. Anything with truffles I would love to taste, as I’ve never had them before. That reminds me. . .i think I shall add some posts in the recipe section of this blog!
