Louise Miller's Blog: snapshots - Posts Tagged "passionfruit"

contrasts

This weekend has been deliciously quiet. I have a few plans--mostly in the form of walks and meals with friends. After the adventures of the past couple of weeks, I am really enjoying being at home getting caught up on things like emails and ordering cat food and making handouts for an upcoming workshop I am giving with Kate Racculia.

I've been thinking a lot about the need for this sort of ebb and flow in life. I think all joy comes from these contrasts. It's the thing I love the most about living in New England. Spring feels *so good* after a long winter, in a way that it never could in southern California. Chocolate is in itself good--but it tastes even better after eating french fries. Contrast invites us to have fresh experiences. I think the key is to try and not to play favorites. I am totally enjoying the contrast of being home, even though I loved every minute of traveling.

What I am reading: just finishing up the amazing Kissing in America by Margo Rabb. Next up: no question. It is time to re-read all three books in Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle, starting with The Raven Boys, because the last installment of the series, The Raven King pubs APRIL 26th, PEOPLE. That's just 2 short days after my birthday! I love, love, love these characters so much, and am in awe of Ms. Stiefvater (if you ever need someone to fangirl over The Scorpio Races with, drop me a line) and basically I CAN'T WAIT.

What is on repeat: I've been listening to The Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground and Nico. What else is there to say about this seminal album? Just this piece of advice. If you are home, even when you think you are alone, do not listen to this record with headphones on, because you will start to sing along. And you will start to sing like Nico. You won't even realize that you are doing it. And you will not sound good. At all. And guess what? You left a window open. And your neighbors are unloading their groceries. And they just heard you singing in the accent on an German model-chanteuse.

In the kitchen: My favorite desserts are always concoctions of leftovers, and my best dessert this week was made from just that. I had a quart of extra passionfruit curd and a flat of little ripe mangos in the kitchen...and voile! tropical shortcake with passionfruit cream and fresh mango and pineapple tossed in sugar and lime zest. Yum. It also looked like springtime:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEEGhK2PZ...

Book news: All's quiet on the debut novel front. I have been taking a lot of book two notes, which are starting to come together and feel real to me. At the same time I have been doing a little dreaming (and a little scheming) about The City Baker's Guide to Country Living. I have some ideas for events that I would love to create, and goals I would love to achieve--and August 9th is coming up fast!

It's a strange and funny time, trying to write a new book while letting go of the first. I wrote about it for the Debutante Ball this week: http://www.thedebutanteball.com/book-...
It's a piece where I talk about each novel as a love affair i'm having.

Random cheer: newborn goats in hand-knit sweaters. do you need me to say more? this is what the internet was made for:
http://laughingsquid.com/a-trio-of-ne...

Thanks for reading, friends. May all the contrasts of life bring you joy and not suffering, this and every week.
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snapshots

Louise  Miller
a quick peek into Louise's week--books, music, baking and random cheer. ...more
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