Brunch Advisory Council

After a perspirrrrrry walk in the Sunday morning humidity, the council met at the usual Corner Bakery. Two members ordered Power Flats with sides. One member of the council ordered pancakes. We had a lot of catching up to do.

The council has no by-laws or official leader. Its members offer advice with no expectation of implementation. The council members report, brainstorm, mull over, and shoo away grackles on the patio. General meetings are held at Corner Bakery. Quarterly sessions are held at La Madeleine. Members have no term limits and no actual power. A long shared history and a sense of humor are required for membership. You could say we come from "all walks of life," but the truth is we are old, slightly saggy, walking buddies and former soccer moms just keeping on keeping on through all the stuff life throws our way. In the movie version, I want to be played by Judy Dench.

After a review of the realities of a special education teacher duties, and a report on a police call involving a salty pork chop, we considered the problem of munchies for the team-building emotional intelligence session. One member advocated for donuts and OJ. I countered with reason after reason why this was unacceptable. The third member cut through to the wise course--a bag of Cuties, and a bunch of bananas. The items are naturally packaged in individual servings. Keep it simple.

Edvard Munch, is unfortunately best known as the Oslo painter of "The Scream". Munchies, therefore, have a chilly Scandinavian emotional component. After reading Luncheon of the Boating Party,by Susan Vreeland this week about Renoir's painting (owned by the Philips Collection), I've bounced to a Jo Nesbø audiobook narrated by Patti Smith about a dyslexic Oslo hit man in the Seventies.

As for the council's suggestions, I've taken them all under advisement. Meeting adjourned until the new movie based on Bill Bryson's book, A Walk In the Woods, opens. Thanks to all the many food face posters on the Web for your emotional intelligence. 

Find the sources of the collage. Team-building menu to follow.





© 2013-2015 Nancy L. Ruder

Team-building breakfast challenge

Listening to Marilyn Johnson's  Lives In Ruins, an audiobook about modern day archaeologists, but my cd player is ejecting the discs at random times. This is not a relaxing addition to a morning commute in evil traffic. I'm feeling as disjointed as a Malaysian cave hobbit hominid. Still I caught most of the section about early humans' method of extracting bone grease to make pemmican. If pemmican did not require bone grease and dried meat jerky, it would be the perfect food to take when I host the fourth quarter team-building session on emotional intelligence next week.

The team-to-be-built is composed of nine environmental educators plus one emotional intelligence expert facilitator.

Budget: $20.00 (Coffee will be provided by venue)

Event: Morning meeting

Serving requirements:

1. Minimal waste, aka Zero Waste
2. Organics will be composted
3. Absolutely no individual serving packaging
4. Low carbon footprint
5. Reusable serving utensils 

Menu requirements:

1. Local
2. Vegetarian
3. Low salt
4. Low carb
5. Low refined sugar
6. Preferably untouched by human hands
7. No preservatives
8. Include antioxidants 
9. Unprocessed
10. Brain food
11. Tummy sustaining
12. Respecting all learning styles, especially the nibbler route to knowledge
13. There will be fruit

Personal goals

1. Mildly festive
2. Easy when awakened by alarm clock
3. Educational and/or entertaining
4. Visually appealing presentation
5. Jalapeno jack cheese 
6. Zero kelp/Zero kale
7. Slather on the cream cheese!

Obviously, no vending machine Hostess powdered sugar donuts in this ring of hell. Hunter-gatherers did not have Power Points.

FYI, I found some vegetarian pemmican recipes...

© 2013-2015 Nancy L. Ruder

Galapagos Toes

It'd been a long week and it was only Thursday evening. Took off my shoes, propped my feet, checked my email, and eventually realized I had been staring at my old, tired toes for many minutes. Slow. Old. Plodding. Propped. Toes. And those toes looked just like Galapagos tortoise heads and necks.

Turtles have had an interesting week on social media. Butterflies sipped turtle tears. A sea turtle had a drinking straw extracted from its nostril without anesthesia. And my toes plodded on, slowly but surely to win the race.

"You just need a pedicure, and you'll feel better," a friend advised. "Shoe shopping!," said another. No, I want to draw tortoise eyes and nostrils on my toenails with a Sharpie, but it's such a long reach down there!

Back in the day, Michael Franks had a witty song about "Popsicle Toes". Poor guy probably still has to perform that song in casinos. Kind of sad. I've got turtle tears just imagining, should butterflies want to sip. They are dripping off my nose onto the mildewy shag carpet. The tears, not the butterflies.

Sigh.

© 2013-2015 Nancy L. Ruder