may fades
May 29, 2008
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At 5:30 this morning I said goodbye to my sister Lily—the final guest of five. As I puttered around the house helping her pack last night, I realized how much silent support I' ve garnered from the bunches of flowers that have remained dutifully good smelling and colorful through all of my visitors and our shenanigans. 
Never an unkind word from the heavy lilies that blossomed on the liquor cart and faded under bright bulbs of a too-close lamp, left on when we went out for dinner. Nor a peep from the purple peony, even when its water turned dingy, foul smelling and streaked with green. The yellow and pink calla lilies have remained tightly spiraled, despite entertaining in the guest bedroom for nearly two weeks.
As I was wandering around, thinking of how I will miss my sister and the many lilies procured in her honor, I saw the first of the beet colored peony pedals drop. When I ran to get my camera, there was a veritable downpour, covering the table with deep, magenta flecks. I will try changing the water on the remaining bunches at least one more time, hoping to make them last through the weekend. But all of the flowers have reached their peak, and passed it. In my opinion, it' s one of their more remarkable and beautiful moments: when the overripe and once swollen meat of a flower deflates and browns around the edges. I am watching them become frail and transparent, tumble and fall to the ground.
For some reason, I' ve never been one to throw my flowers away at the height of their freshness. I enjoy their liver spots (or whatever floral equivalent they have to that human condition) and their wilt, which still manages to hang on, a day longer than I expect.
Oh time, you are cruel.
I am truly loving the recipes and helpful cooking hints you have shared with others. I have been an avid cook for many years and have thought of starting a blog with some of my recipes too, but yours is truly an inspiration to me. I am enjoying the fact that you are enjoying being a Texan since I know you are originally from the Northeast. I am enjoying reading your tips on some Southern dishes. I have some recipes that I love experimenting with and maybe will try to share them with you and others as time goes on.
I know you like squash as I do and I have a recipe I sort of invented where I take squash and split them long wise down the middle. I stuff them with hamburger with various spices and then wrap then in bacon and bake them. I use various ingredients in the hamburger before I stuff the squash. Sometimes I wrap different things around the squash instead of bacon when I bake them. I would like to try to wrap them in foil and do it on the grill the next time. I made up a silly name for this recipe and my family loves them. I sometimes call them stuffed squash canoes, for that is what they look like after I hollow out the squash and fill them with the center of the squash mixed with the hamburger when I stuff them. They are delightful and easy to do. It was one of those ideas I just came up with one morning when I looked at ingredients I had and decided I would try something different.
I also tried the squeeze of lime in my scrambled eggs this morning and they did fluff a lot better.
Thank you for all your wonderful cooking ideas. I hope I can go to the Farmer’s Market in San Antonio this weekend and pick out some really fresh produce. Again, thank you IsabellyPepper for all your ideas. Keep up the great work, I enjoy it so much.
Calla Lilies .. my favourites