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I was a nervous wreck, the few days before hitting the stage at Wild Tymes . This Bar is MADE for live music…the tables and chairs are facing the stage, in nice little scattered corners, big comfy booths and a Wild Outside Cafe, right in downtown St. Paul!  . . . I started my drive to St. Paul early, because after 3 years of chatting with Tom, from the Whiskey Sournotes it was high time I met the man! So I finally got there…for those that know me, I have a CRAPPY Sense of direction, and Tom ended up meeting me at a gas station a few blocks away, since for some reason…my google maps was off…or I was… We sat in his apartment, in wooden chairs, across from each other with the perfect table, sharing some beers…our guitars in our hands…Tom is a Crooner…the kind of music, that no matter how the world might look to you or how down our lives can get….it’s instant happiness .. like christmas in a can, like Frank Sinatra sitting at the table…..it was incredible.  After a few hours….we got in our cars and I followed him to WILD TYMES and we had enough time for a quick bite…..Wild Tymes has a sandwhich with chicken and cucumber with this absolutely to DIE for dressing on it..with sage in it and feta cheese…WOW my mouth was dancing!!!   He introduced me to some other musicians…one who had a sweet cane that he used to walk with…..of course, my BATON twirling years (don’t laugh) came rushing back and I quickly found out after a half a dozen twirls…that it just wasn’t like it was, when I was 8….the cane went flying and as I picked it up, I hear a quiet applause from another table. I’m thinking ‘Ooo cocky eh?’ .. and as I turned to look….16 years came at me like a freight train as two room mates of mine from the past…sat there, looking Fantastic!!! I think I hugged them for half a moon….Eli and JoeL. Eli left for New York to pursue his acting many years ago, we said our goodbyes and his former room mate and I shared his old place, for a bit…they have not changed much over the years, Eli now an Instructor for Theatre …WOW!!! Both of them happily married with beautiful families….My head was spinning!!! Read more

It’s been an unforgettable spring so far…and it’s only a few moments away before mother nature marks the beginning of summer.  I’ve been doing some live shows in Minneapolis and spending time with some wonderful friends, that it seems I’ve known my whole life (as far as this life goes in the era of Minnesota)…This past weekend, my mother came to visit and what a fantastic time we had. It started out early Saturday morning, after our coffee it was just throw some clothes on and LETS GO!!!! So off we went to Cambridge, MN…our first stop, for the Thrifting Experience….these are important experiences!!! The “FAMILY PATHWAY” thrift store chain, does such fun and colorful displays, VERY “Shabby Chic’ which is very ‘SUZEN’ if you know me at all, you know this!!! I LOVE a good find, old treasure chests are some of my favorites, and of course, FUNNY hats and boots.  I found out I  buy things based on color, not whether or not I’ll use it, wear it or anything…I just like to lay my eyes upon pretty colors!!!

Tea-Thrift Find

So anytime I find one of these Jar’s or is it called a ‘Carafe’ I’m not sure, but they hold almost 2 quarts..which is just enough to shove in my 3 bags of green tea and 2 bags or the Roobios MMMM~! and then Mom and I are now on Highway 65, and Mom’s driving..and Of course I’m a WRECK..any time I’m not driving, it  pretty much freaks me out ( 2x in my life I’ve been hit at 70mph..so i’m a bit on edge when I’m in a car)….we were on the search for AUTHENTIC Mexican food and an hour later…(6 hours after waking up) we FINALLY come upon an amazing place I used to eat lunch at, when I worked in the Blaine Area, years ago…I was so relieved it was still there.   The rest of the time it was sitting outside around my flowers and plants, looking at the garden we are about to plant..OOOoOoO Can’t wait for that!!!

I missed seeing my sister and dad…but it’s always an experience, to have my Mom time, with the woman who brought me into this world….and is FAR BEYOND a mother to me, she is a soul mate, she is a sister, she is something beyond this life, something that has known me before she herself ever came into this world, by her mother……but that’s a topic for another day.

I received the letter I wrote to Father Mike…I haven’t read it yet. I thought it was 6 pages, it’s actually 9. I can’t believe anyone would even sit down and ready NINE pages…but I was 23 years old and just sooooo desperately needed to pour my soul out to someone… see previous post about Father Mike.

….Moving along to Photos..which is why I even started this in the first place……

If you are interested in any of them, please let me know….they are all 8×10 photos!

Most of the people I am fortunate enough to know in my life, creative minds…no matter what, all have these ideas..ideas and more ideas. Most of them, never do all their ideas, in fact, no one does that I’m aware of, we tend to focus on One…and do all we can to make it happen.  Some of mine include … currently, taking a photograph and detailing the ingredients of everything I eat. Part of me wants to do this, for food awareness, because I believe food plays an incredible part in our emotional states as well as our health/happiness. I’m also fascinated with food synergy, how powerful food is, when combined with certain types of other foods. Would this be something my readers would want to see?  One of the other reasons I want to do this, is for all the people that I speak to ( on the phone and via the world wide web ) Have told me how much they like the ‘food’ things I post on facebook, etc…as well as flickr.

Food plays a big part in moods, just like it does with anything else in life. Diabetics need to be aware of what they ingest, as well as those with a variety of other various challenges in life. I, with my  bipolar, tend to stay away from red meat, as it tends to irritate me, kind of pisses me off really. No reason, but that my body just doesn’t like to digest it perhaps. I’ll NEVER pass up a bite of my husbands Grilling of steaks…because they are just THAT GOOD, but it’s just a bite…I’m satisfied then..I just wanted a taste and have no desire to eat the whole thing (unless it’s slightly  burnt and very red in the center!)

My Chili

That’s one of my ideas…I’ve already got a nice little stash of FOOD PORN photos in flickr…of various things I’ve made…or made up! haa http://www.flickr.com/photos/suzenjuel/sets/72157611594740820/ This is called ‘ARTISTIC CONSUMPTIONS” but that name will likely change to FOOD PORN….:)

If I do this idea, which I’m already doing, really, in a micro blog type way….I’ll be posting photos of at least 1 meal a day, with the basic ingredients and how to’s of it. WARNING! I LOVE FOOD, a LOT! But I’m also a super healthy eater….(don’t mistake this with being healthy..I just EAT healthy!) lmao!….Lots of veggies, lots of color. If you’re into this…let me know, I would Love some loyal Food Connisuers  to share wonderful ideas with!

Here’s one.

I Love taking Ciabatta bread, spraying with olive oil, pressing down on a hot pan……both sides. Sprinkling parm. cheese all over the top, crushing a few lavender flowers on top of that, a shake of fresh ground black pepper…a fresh spray of olive oil, press down in hot pan again for a minute or less…depending on your HOTNESS…….the parm. cheese forms a wonderful crust….(I’m a lover of lavender…this is your preferences here…lavender has a strong, pungent, distinctive flavor, use sparingly)…..

Dried basil sprinkled on it might be good too……..

PEACE n Good eatin’