August 22, 2011 Assignment One for MatadorU...

This particular blog is for my travel writing course on MatadorU so for those of you who aren't involved with that, this is just a heads-up as to what's going on here...
Assignment One

Yucatan Food 101

Do you think all Mexican food consists of guacamole, salsa and white flour tortillas filled with ground beef and shredded cheese? If that’s the case come learn about some typical dishes found in the Yucatan Peninsula.

One of the most popular dishes found in restaurants is cochinita pibil or roast suckling pig that’s been marinated in a rich sauce made of achiote paste, sour orange juice, garlic, cumin, and salt, then wrapped in banana leaves and baked until tender.

Sopa de lima is the Yucatan’s idea of chicken soup. A fresh chicken broth filled with shredded chicken, strips of fried corn tortillas, and lime juice. A basic fill-you-up dish that will also help settle your stomach when you’ve had too many margaritas the night before.

Poc chuc is another pork dish. Slices of pork are marinated in a sour orange sauce before cooking, then served with a rich, slightly spicy tomato sauce and pickled red onions.

For those who like a hearty breakfast, try huevos motuleños. A corn tortilla is covered with refried beans and a fried egg, then chopped ham and green peas are added before the mix is covered with a tomato sauce and shredded cheese. This one will need extra napkins to eat!

And for those looking for a light lunch or supper, try panuchos. A slight crispy fried tortilla is covered with cooked shredded chicken, and garnished with shredded lettuce, slices of tomatoes, pickled red onion, and sliced avocado. A quick squeeze of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of salt create the perfect zesty dressing for this meal. A variation on this is the salbute which has refried beans stuffed inside the tortilla before the chicken and other toppings are added.  

Tamales are a typical Yucatan dish. Wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks, the steamed cornmeal dumpling can be filled with just about anything from chicken to pork to rabbit with figs and green olives.

As  I wrote this article, I realized I have no idea where something like this might get published. I know it is part of the assignment to find some spots but the only places I could think of didn't look right when I studied the websites. One place I did find was El Restaurante Mexicano, PO Box 2249, Oak Park IL 60303. It's an industry magazine and requests 800-1200 word articles, so this piece is way too short for them.
Does anyone have any suggestions of markets for food related articles that pertain to Mexico?

And my apologies for taking so long to get started on this course. I wound up having to take on a second job this summer to help pay the bills, which doesn't leave me a lot of time to write these assignments, no matter how much I would like to be doing them.

August 17, 2011--New book review posted...

Hello on this super nice day...I have a new book review out today on the New Maine Times website on The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure. For those of you who might have been or still are fans of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie series, you might find this memoir a fun read. I also had a review out on New Maine Times on July 27. Check them out under the "Culture" button at http://www.newmainetimes.org/.
And for those who like to read book reviews in general, make sure to read William Bushnell's reviews. He is the one who taught me and is a great reviewer and a really nice guy as well.
My first Kirkus Reviews review should be viewable by Sept. 1st, but I'm not sure if you have to be a member to see the whole review. I'll have a couple more for them coming out shortly after the first, too.
If anyone has a suggestion of a new (2011) book to review, drop me a note as New Maine Times is looking for good books to include. Thanks.

August 15, 2011-- A sense of violation...

This morning, while working for the job that I am not supposed to discuss, I landed on a website that had an old virus embedded in it--a W32/ Blaster worm...yeah, I know what the hell is that? Probably the worst virus my computer has contracted, ever, period. It shut down Internet Explorer, Firefox, any access to any kind of Internet help, either through Microsoft or McAfee. I had to use my son's computer to go on-line to look up possible solutions to this issue.
I tried clicking on Systems Restore, going to a version from earlier this morning but that was unsuccessful. Now, I think, am hopeful, that by going to Systems Restore again and clicking on a version from last week, I have finally gotten rid of the hateful thing.
But, I am leery to download Firefox 5 again or to go back into my worksite as my security system doesn't seem to be compatible with their system. Ugh.
I feel violated now--my peaceful, internal space, my work zone and livelihood have been attacked. I empathize with those who  have had their store fronts or homes broken into and items stolen. I am fearful of the Internet and the crazy creeps who put this crud out there. I feel physically traumatized for something that happened in cyber space. Is that a sign of how interconnected I, we, have all become with this new age of information and Internet access? I keep wondering what kinds of info they were able to access before I could get rid of their malware--identity theft, credit card numbers, etc. keep running through my mind, what do I actually have on this machine that might be of use/interest to thieves?
It's creepy and I don't like it but am forced to live with it and try to move on.

August 1, 2011--Rabbit, Rabbit...

Happy August 1st! Wow, July just kind of disappeared in a whirlwind of work, especially firewood. But, the woodshed is half full and there's more than enough dry wood waiting to go inside that we should be all set for this winter and part of next. That is a good feeling.
The garden is cranking out the produce at this point. Plenty of cucumbers, zucchini, kale, and chard to eat with enough extra to make pickles and zucchini bread. My neighbor's raspberry patch is in hyper drive--we picked 4 quarts in about 4 minutes this morning and probably have to do the same every day this week.
I just got an email from UPS telling me another book is on the way from Kirkus Reviews, with a second book waiting for me in the wings.
I am back to writing my novel! Everyone in the house, including visiting family members, is gone for the afternoon, so I have peace and quiet for now. I've been doing a lot of thinking on my novel, of where it might be heading for the past couple of weeks, so now I am getting a chance to try it all out. I'm introducing a new, minor character--it might be a bit late in the game to do so, but the scenes were too static with only one person in them. Now I have some interaction going on again and that feels right to me.
Hope the weeks are going well for you.

July 29, 2011-- Another piece of the puzzle...

Today, another piece of my puzzle (figuring out the life of a freelance writer who has two kids living at home, a husband and numerous outside jobs to do during the summer) slipped into place. I sent my first book review off to Kirkus Reviews. I have my fingers crossed that they like it and send me another book, as I'd much rather be reading and writing reviews than doing my current day job.
Also, for those who might have missed the announcement on Facebook, my first book review for the New Maine Times came out this past Wednesday. The magazine is on-line, so check out the review under 'Culture.'
Funny how I never thought of book reviewer as a career choice and yet, doing them feels like one of the most natural fits for me. I am excited to see if I can land some more gigs with other, hopefully paying, places and really build a future in this new genre of writing. I'll keep you posted.

July 17, 2011-Like pieces of a puzzle...

My apologies for the lack of writing lately--I could blame it on the sudden heat, the sudden reappearance of my youngest son living with us for the summer, the endless stream of workmen who have been arriving on our doorstep on a regular basis lately to do the work my husband is not well enough to do this year, or just plain, I don't have much to say and would rather read or watch a movie than write some a blog destined to bore everyone...
However, I have been busy writing during all of the above said interruptions as well as attended a two-part workshop on how to write book reviews. This was held in Portland--a two+ hour drive each way for me-- and conducted by a very good instructor, William Bushnell and sponsored by the MWPA.
I have been searching for more ways to make a living by writing and may have found another niche job of writing reviews. In fact, I am confident I have an internship with the New Maine Times which will hopefully lead into a paying position sometime this fall or winter. Either way, it will be nice to have my work in print and a real byline.
Plus, I have been researching and querying other book review sites in the hopes I can write reviews for a variety of places and bring in little lumps of money for doing two things I love, reading and writing.
Writing book reviews could be yet another piece of the bigger picture for me, along with travel articles, and someday a book or two. To be a freelance writer and make a living at it, I think I will need many pieces of the puzzle, so I am excited that this latest has been found.

July 1, 2011-- Rabbit, rabbit...

The first of July. Wow! Where did June go? Disappeared in a haze of working for money, splitting wood, tackling Mt. Washmore in the laundry/bathroom, cancer treatments and bleaching the toilet, two weekends away to visit family and friends...I am tired and summer has only really just begun.
My youngest son, Finn, has moved back into the house at 16 after leaving at 14. He seems far older than his years, which is a little unnerving as I keep thinking of him as being around 20 and am surprised when I do finally remember his actual age.
We have a new kitchen roof, more split wood in the backyard than we've ever had, a lush garden that definitely needs weeding tomorrow, and a brand new bed and mattress. So, why do I feel frustrated and frazzled and can barely hear myself think?
I feel I am missing something, caught up as I am in the whirlwind of teenage boys and their friends, my husband and his needs. I think it must be that sense of peace and quiet that I only find while driving alone for hours at a time or writing. I have not found time or space for these pleasures lately and find myself alternating between bursts of strange frustrated anger and weeping. I can do without the anger but actually like the weeping as once I am done in a few minutes time, I feel slightly refreshed, like when a quick shower passes through and lowers the temperature and humidity outside. Here's to hoping this holiday weekend will lend itself to some contemplation and writing.