Writing and editing more than 100 recipes for a cookbook that I'm doing is no easy task. In fact, it's quite a bit more intense than I had ever imagined. The more-than-occasional brain farts and writer's block are tough, and usually I can deal with those moments by distracting myself with a massive, industrial-sized roll of bubble wrap. It's uniquely satisfying, covering three out of five senses in less than two seconds. Pop! Pip! Pop! ...more

July 1, 2008

SEBRING — Green isn't the only color cultivated and prized by Highlands County groundskeepers. Eileen Beck, groundskeeper supervisor, oversees a crew of three county employees who trim, plant, irrigate, mow and maintain the 40 county-owned building sites, from nearly end-to-end. "We like to have color," Beck said, "and something is always in bloom." All three municipal libraries, the health department, the courthouse and the Agri-Civic Center are just a few of the rotating stops the crew hits at least once a week, or sometimes twice weekly during the rainy summer months. The landscaping around the sign at the Highlands County Government Center recently got a sprucing up from the crew. Marigolds, croton plants, Indian hawthorns and crepe myrtles, separated by mulch, surround the county marker. ...more

February 10, 2008

Around lunchtime, when the day betrays itself as endless and you find yourself doodling distractedly, your mind hears your stomach grumble and wanders toward that wrapped package you carried in from home. ...more

September 12, 2007