Two Favorite things I've heard in the past 24 hours

1. from the movie "Beauty Shop" with Queen Latifah

Queen: "Do these jeans make my butt look big?"
Daughter: "Yes, mama, they do"
Queen: "Gooooooooood!"

2. on the phone with my friend Kari who believes that one should never shop outside high end department stores

Me: 'I got three pairs of shoes with my Cato gift card. They were $8 each!!!'
Kari: "Are...they...(hesitation stop)..........................cute?"

Polenta

One of my favorite things to make is polenta. If you've never tried it, I believe it's in the grain family...sortof like a grit cake and you slice it...well, I slice it and put it in a baby amount of oil and brown it on both sides. Once it is browned, I put a little wedge of goat cheese on top of one round and then put a round on top of that...like a goat cheese/polenta oreo of sorts. Once this flavor combination meshes, I add some tomato sauce and have a wonderful, not too terrible for me meal. My friend Angie and I made this once for Christmas eve dinner...she the vegetarian came up with the fabulous recipe and I have loved it ever since then. Of course, I added a Prince Michel Merlot and some cracked Italian ripe olives (cracked open, not crazy:) to round off my dinner offering. I love it and feel full afterwards, but not too full.

My point with Polenta is this...it is so very bland by itself that I don't think anyone would bother with it. But, if you add the right stuff, it becomes a splendid meal. After the New Year, I am feeling flat - which is way better than under the tire and not quite as good as giddy. What I am learning is that this new lease on life...the suspended notion of magic, can be seasoned to resemble something close to it. Whatever I believe or don't believe, the world spins on and not carelessy necessarily. Probably carefully as it has forever. My stepping off onto a new path will not disrupt the universe as we know it. It will not stop the magic. It might only save my heart.