The ABC Life Blog

December, my “C” month has started. And, baby, it’s cold outside. Better heat things up with new experiences.

2 points

A new activity this month is starting a CLUB – a book club. Hadn’t done this intentionally to match up with my “c” month. Just started planning with my sister and then realized it worked out. Already firmly entrenched in one book club and get my feet wet every now and then in another. The members of the new club, Reading Between the Wines, with the exception of two, are all new to the book club experience, so it should be quite an interesting adventure for all. Our first meeting is in January and, alas, not with a “D” book. We’re reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova – a rather risky undertaking for the first book out.

2 points

This month was all about BRIDES. Earlier this month I went to my friend’s daughter’s wedding and this past Saturday, I went to my daughter’s BRIDAL SHOWER. Nothing brings a mother more joy than sharing in her children’s happy moments. Sometimes it’s all about me, but I’m happiest when it’s all about them.

The pressure is mounting. Just today and tomorrow to catch up with my entries for my B month. Here they are, in no particular order time-wise:

2 points
Went to BISHOP Arts District, five minutes from downtown Dallas. This is an artsy, quirky composite of roughly 50 local merchants, restaurants and boutiques all within a few blocks.  My favorite place: the Artisans Collective, full of fascinating sculptures, jewelry, paintings – all by local artists and craftspeople. Worth several followup visits, preferably with a bit of money to spend. My favorite restaurant: Hatties. Hands-down the best Southern comfort food place around. Made me long for a leisurely lunch with Pat Conroy. Ya think that might happen?

2 points
A total new discovery: Indian food. Tried so many new tastes…new spices. My favorites: BUTTERED Chicken and BIRYANI. Went with several friends and was personally escorted through the buffet by one of the ladies who is very familiar with all the dishes. I totally loved the new experience and the company!

1 point
The guest speaker for my woman’s club this month was Richard BARRY, “The Man of Many Voices.” How very accommodating that for the second month in a row the club has been faithful to my abc life.

2 points
Studied BONOBOS this month. Unbelievable!  Sharing more than 98% of our DNA, they are humankind’s closest relative, along with chimpanzees. Have you ever heard of a bonobo? Many people haven’t, yet they are complex beings with profound intelligence and a wide range of emotions and sensitivities. They’re capable of reason and carrying on deep relationships and can be taught sign language to communicate with humans. Read Sara Gruen’s novel, Ape House, for an appreciation of this great animal. It will shock you on how little we know about our friends in the wild.

More “B’s” yet to come.

2 points
A week ago I went with a friend to hear a BAND – the Texas Instruments Jazz Band. Imagine 18 engineers and scientists cranking out jazz and then upgrade that image. This band was talented, entertaining, versatile and well worth the $5 admission. Since they represent TI (love those shirts), do they get time off to practice? Inquiring minds want to know.

2 points
Secrets of Eden by Chris BOHJALIAN is described as a novel of “shattered faith, intimate secrets and the delicate nature of sacrifice.” I found nothing delicate about this story. Can domestic violence have a delicate side? Bohjalian is a master at his craft and I have been a follower of his for some time. This book, however, was not one of my favorites. I guessed the ending way too soon and wasn’t particularly emotionally invested in any of the characters. My favorite book by him: Midwives.

1/2 point
This is a new rating but I had lunch at Lavendou BISTRO Provencal. Had been curious about this restaurant and my sister and I were in search of a “girl’s lunch.” Was undecided about whether this would count since the B stood for Bistro, which could be construed as a substitute for “restaurant.” However, the word bistro is thought to be derived from the Russian word “bistra” meaning “quickly.” So to honor the word, I’ve made a quick decision to give this a 1/2 point in the ABC life.  After all, it’s all about new experiences.

2 points

Started off the month with a new BURGER – one from a cow that grazed only on grass. No hormones, additives or oyster bars for this bovine. Great place called The Grazing Cow, with the best pomegranate lemonade ever. My burger was topped with a generous heap of goat cheese and I really should have taken half home. (Notice I said “should.”) Now I realize BURGER isn’t a completely new experience but this burger was worth tasting and talking about.

1 point

Second on the food lineup was the BLUE MESA. Love this place but I have been here before – even if it was quite some time ago. The new experience: a BLUE margarita. Thought maybe the blue came from food coloring but fortunately it’s from a liquer. Tasty and trippy.

October, my A month, went by so quickly. Need to tidy up loose ends so I can begin my B month.

Last-minute accomplishments:
2 points
Having never baked an apple pie, I decided to give it a try but on a smaller scale. Went for an APPLE torte, which was more like an apple crumbly pie. Came out okay but not necessarily a keeper. Tasted better when I sampled it earlier in the month from someone else’s efforts. Also tried an AMARETTI torte, which was more successful but I went too heavy on the Almond Extract. But I tried! Lesson learned: when measuring liquids, do not do it over the entire batter. Spillage cannot be retrieved.

2 points
Attended an ACTING performance: The Curse of the Castle Mongrew at Dallas Childrens’ Theater. Very enjoyable even though I felt the actors/actresses were stronger than the script. The best part: I sat next to someone who heartily laughed at every little nuance. It was contagious. Naturally, my friends and I were soon hysterical as well. Turned out he was the director of development. Understandably, it’s much easier to laugh at the performances given by people you know. I’ll get to experience that in my “C” month when a friend performs in Christmas Belles in a nearby city.

Aborted activity:
Was all set to read ANNA KARENINA. But it’s 800 pages. Just not going to happen now. But oh how intriguing is the opening: “Happy families are all alike. Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

2 Points
Choosing a new subject to study each month is part of living the abc life. For A, it’s ANTELOPES. They’re beautiful and, if nothing else, have some of the best names: the dik-dik, eland, klipspringer, bushbuck, tsessebe, kudu, addax and oryx. (The last three are great scrabble words.) Since there are 91 different types, it’s obviously a big task to study them all – so I’m not.

The most interesting fact I’ve discovered (okay, my knowledge is admittedly limited)) is that antelopes, although commonly thought to be part of the deer family, are actually part of the Bovidae family, which also includes cattle, goats, sheep, bison and buffalo. So the lyric, “home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play,” is taking creative license. The truth is they do not play together. They’re quite different beasts – but you’ll never hear a discouraging word from the antelope on the misguided national anthem. They’re way too dignified.

1 Point

Robert Hinkle, the author of Call Me Lucky, A Texan in Hollywood, writes about his days in Hollywood, where he taught Rock Hudson to talk like a Texan and James Dean to act like a cowboy for the movie Giant. Now that’s entrepreneurial – taking your experiences with famous people and flushing/puffing them out to have a semi-continuous income stream. I heard him talk recently at my woman’s club. Mr. Hinkle is in his 80s now so and still going strong – so I bought his book, complete with the AUTHOR’S AUTOGRAPH.

It’s amazing how those A’s can pile up fast – this time all under “activities.”

2 Points:
This past weekend, it was all about ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATING. Motivated by an article in Southern Living that raved about a fabulous restaurant, Rancho Loma, where the charm is abundant and the food is extraordinary, we met up with our close friends, Bill and Carol (from ARIZONA – can’t count that one) for a Texas style getaway. With the lure of a gourmet, farm-fresh, five course meal stretched out over three hours, that place exceeded our expectations. No wonder Bobby Flay is a fan. (No, he wasn’t there but his cookbooks were well represented at the Owl Drugstore where you can still get a great breakfast for $1.99.)

Since Rancho Loma is in Valera, Texas, we stayed at nearby Hords Creek Ranch in Coleman. What a find that was too. Clean and roomy, two-story, two-bedroom ranch house with fabulous cowboy ambiance.

2 Points:
On the ranch, I tried my hand at ANGLING. Didn’t catch anything but I did get a pull on the line. Hey, that was enough. I had finally “gone fishing.”

2 Points:
An 800-acre ranch has its share of critters. And who can resist horses’ hooves and cattle calls? Took some great shots during my brush with ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHY.

2 Points:
Whenever I go to a new town, ANTIQUING is a must to get a flavor of the past. Although “true” antique stores were not abundant, we did find some rarities among items being readied for a Sunday auction. Interesting collection but nothing had my name on it.

What a great weekend.

How’s your ABC life been going?