Posted on by Jessica Dofflemyer

More Kitchen Inspiration

There is only one way to eat these mangos:  standing over the kitchen sink with the spigot ready.  You need a full facial rinse-off and hose down to the elbows after diving into this sticky sweet treat.  The tree in our yard has them falling off in our hands, and when this harvest is over (coming soon) we know that summer will be officially over.

Jessica Dofflemyer ~ all rights reserved

I keep hearing Johnny Mathis singing a Christmas song in my head as I stand in summer grass beneath a coconut palm.  It’s the

chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose

There’s no nipping here, just some perspiration in this tropical heat, along with the Bohemian and his diligent collection of Malabar Chestnuts.  I keep thinking this prolific tree is fairly useless with its bounty of nuts, but he insists they’re tasty and our gardening expert and friend, Mary, says they are, indeed, quite palatable when toasted.  A quick Wikipedia search teaches me this tree is often referred to as the “Money Tree.”  Hmmm…maybe the Bohemian is on to something.  If he’s a squirrel, we’ve got our winter stash.

Jessica Dofflemyer ~ all rights reserved

The green onion chives got a haircut yesterday and now all culinary dishes will be garnished in it.  I guess if our whole household is breathing onions, none of us will notice much.  As for the rest of the world, well, I’ll apologize in advance.  We’ve got to get through this harvest.  Can’t really go in small doses, green onions just don’t freeze well.

Jessica Dofflemyer ~ all rights reserved

And while we’re on the thread of inspiration, can I just include a picture of what I’ve come to selfishly term, “my door”? The “my” only inserted as some feeble attempt to connect myself with one of the most beautiful pieces of art (that is, in fact, functional) that I have ever seen.  I have held a love for doorways (and keys) for quite sometime.  This door from Bali was recently assembled by the Bohemian and a friend.  My camera could not capture the entire 19 foot wall of ornate woodwork that stands of either side of this entryway.  The craftsmanship has me awestruck.

I joke that if this could be my front door, my home could be a simple mat on the ground, and I’d be happy just to spend my days gazing upon the carvings of my entrance.

This door is so inviting!  It just begs of wonderment.  What’s on the other side?

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My Flower

The Bohemian hiked 11 miles, bringing this cutting home to me, saying it was ‘my flower’.  At the time it was a stem with leaves.  Now it roots in a jar on our kitchen counter and these two precious buds have recently revealed themselves.

I’m guessing this plant is related to the hibiscus, but it’s a bit of mystery until I see the flowers in full bloom.  Here’s to the unfolding!

Jessica Dofflemyer ~ all rights reserved
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Published

It’s true, I’m officially published. Not by clicking my own button here at WordPress, but through an anthology put out by the Pacific Writer’s Connection, called Ho’olaule’a (roughly translated as “celebration”).

courtesy of http://www.pacificwriters.org

Not only am I honored to have shared numerous weekend workshops with many of the writer’s highlighted in this compilation, I feel fortunate to be included in this work. But I’ll be honest, it’s not exactly what I expected.

Ok, I’ll admit, when it came time to submit work for consideration for this publication, I was in the chaotic throes of motherhood and work life. I was in a burgeoning romance with the Bohemian. My attention was scattered in a smatter. So I squeaked in by the deadline with a few written pieces I was proud of, though they were perhaps, not my best work. For good measure, I uploaded a few photos to go with my submission, as PWC was also soliciting images for review.

Well, none of my writing made the cut, but I have four photographs included in this beautiful book.

Someone commented recently that these things can often shift our focus and change our course of direction. Am I a photographer, not a writer?

I’m smiling, because I know I’ll never stop writing. And I think that any of the writers in Ho’olaule’a could appreciate my candid questioning, here. Perhaps every artist will occasionally pause to ponder something like this.

For now, I am simply grateful for the Pacific Writer’s Connection for making yearly writing retreats possible here on my little island. I’ve been under the tutelage of Kim Stafford, Kathleen Dean Moore and Hope Edelman, who have honed my writing skills with incredible insight. I have shared rough drafts and polished pieces with the many writers who come to this annual event, year after year.  Their work is now highlighted in this enriching book.

The anthology is soon to be available for purchase, and I have a sense editions may be limited. Check out the experiences, conveyed with exquisite detail and open heart, from writers here in the Pacific.

Here’s to celebrating!