Balcony or Basement?

 

  There's a little book one of the sisters in my forest gave me for Christmas a few years ago.

There is a jewel which I mined from it's pages and have carried in my pocket ever since. 

Here's the heart of it...

Imagine you are standing on a stage in a theater...

above you there is a balcony...

below you a basement.

Balcony People

They are the ones who…

Believe.  

Scaffold.

Pray.

Inspire.

Cheer whether you’re winning or not.

Mentor.

Make burdens light.

Buoy.

Tell the truth.

You know who they are.

Family and friends… authors… singers… ancestors…

You may know them personally, or not. 

Identify Them.

Name them.

Love them.

Listen.

Basement Dwellers
They are the ones who…

Beat you down.

Suffocate.

Discourage.

Curse.

Sabotage.

Revel in loss.

Abandon.

Lose hope.

Manipulate.

Who is in your basement?

Family and friends… authors… singers… ancestors…

You may know them personally, or not.

Identify Them.

Name Them.

Love them.

Do not listen.

I am thankful in this season to have a balcony which is filled to overflowing.

I dare not begin to list the faces which I see when I tilt my head upwards...

I know I would leave someone out. 

Identify your Balcony People.  

(You're probably in their balcony too.)

Call them... write them a letter... tell them.

Where do YOU live in the theater of your friends and family?

Upstairs or down? 

Think about it… and increase your altitude if necessary!

Credit Where Credit is Due ~

The fiery sunset pic is the work of my Colorado Mom...

who is definitely in my balcony! 

C³ ~ Corn on the Cob in a Cooler

A friend sent me this recipe and I tried it that very same evening!

It was so easy and worked like a charm...

When cooking for a crowd it's the only way I'll do it... from this day forward.

Pre-Party Prep

• Shuck and clean corn (or purchase the pre-shucked variety).
• Place the corn in the bottom of a cooler that seals with a tight lid.
  (I'm not sure a Styrofoam cheapie would do the trick in this case...
  It's the insulated quality of a real deal igloo-type cooler that makes this work.)
• Boil enough water in a large pot to cover the corn in the bottom of the cooler (a couple of gallons).
• Pour water over the corn (CAREFUL Peeps!  I'm not kidding... the water is boiling for a reason... it is VERY hot.)
• Close the lid and set the timer for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime... set out all the fixins.
• Butter (of course)
• Salt and Pepper
• Gourmet Salt (Black Sea Salt anyone??)
• Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese (ooh la la)
• Chili Powder and Lime (ole')
• Lemon Pepper
• Garlic Salt
• Cayenne (some like it hot!)
• Times Up!  What are you waiting for??  Open the lid, and chow down!

After-Party Makeover

Happily... I overestimated (just a little) the corny consumption of our crowd... so I sheared the leftover cobs and threw the extra corn in a Ziploc.  The next day the the golden kernels made another star appearance in a simple corn, hominy and black bean relish to accompany fajitas for the family. 
It was just as good in the re-run as it was in the premiere!

Three Cheers for the Ears!!