it’s my island

A Bearded Moment

// March 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // Life Happens, On the Radar, Points In Time

Every man, no matter what age, wants to at one time or another grow a beard.

Then one day they try it and your genetics show through. Patchwork to needles, lay flat or go bushman, only the code knows. While I had a brush with some extended chops and a jowel line a few times in the past 20 years I can’t recall ever just seeing who I was with a beard.

This year in the Carolina’s it’s been much colder than usual and my skin hates dry cold—and being a skydiver hey, let’s face it (heh), some added protection on the way down sounded like a good call. Well that’s the way I’m going to remember it.

As with anything new it created more growth than that on my face. You learn something about how you see yourself, how others see you, and by the way—you can stroke it. New sensory too.

Times are quickly changing. Maybe this has been a bridge for me. As I soon pair back what I let grow I will be left with a memory of visages of who I can be, pondering the different embodiments that I can take.

Save Your Expiring Family Cultures

// December 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Interests, On the Radar, Points In Time

It’s a time of year when families draw near and if yours goes beyond the grabbing, ripping, digesting of the season you might get a tale or two from your peers and elders. If not this is for you to work on that.

Is Your Family History Fading?

Here in America I feel we are so quick to move forward we never take a moment to look back. We may know the big picture but do we know the tapestry threads that binds it all together? You may know how your great grandparents made it to this country but what of the shared memory of their lives, and their parents lives, and that of their countries. To many of us it may already be too late to recover much of this.

Remember Storytelling

While we may have lost some of our oral tradition it’s never too late to start telling tales of what you do know and what your parents may have known. The point is to talk, to spin a tale, to encourage a connection to your lineage. Beyond giving the storyteller a moment to enjoy their own past they can hook a younger generation into the tale and give them something to think on as they mature.

Through the Senses

How many of us have family dishes that have been passed down over the years. We can divine a lot of culture from food. The missing ingredient a lot of the time is how the dish came to be. Whose great-great grandmother cooked this and the family so loved they kept it. Or what meager meal got a family through tough times and thus became a cornerstone of the families recipes throughout the years. Many times we are able to enjoy these meals without their connected meaning but how much richer would we be to know it and to pass that knowledge along.

Next time you’re at a family meal and there is something from the past on the table ask about it, inquire to it’s history and meaning to the family.

It’s All About Context

In my own eyes I have a not too distant connection to relatives that extend from America, to Puerto Rico, to Spain, but I know so little beyond the gestalt. Some of my families stories were written down but they stop only a few generations ago. The greater context of our family and our culture is a mystery to me.

If you have a family dish to an heirloom that is being passed on make sure you tell the context that goes with it. Who made it, how many hands has it passed through, do you know their stories? While you may know the context your children do not.

Dying Libraries

Over the last five years I have heard in many different forms how our elders are passing on but their knowledge is not. For every elder that passes we lose a library. Think of your own wealth of knowledge that is in your head and ponder how much you share of it. When you are gone  how much goes with you and how much will be here for others to share and pass along?

Take a moment and look for the precious moments that you don’t want to lose and begin putting pen to paper or telling stories at your next gathering. Think about the stories you were told growing up and do your children know them?

Our lives are very brief in the way the universe works and it’s a shame how much experience and hard earned wisdom is lost from generation to generation. It’s one reason I started blogging so many years ago. I wanted to make a record of moments, of a person, of a family, that can be shared and looked through to understand who I was and what I was a part of.

I write this because I lost both of my grandparents in 2008 and when I reflect upon their photo albums, letters, and memorabilia I realize I only knew a fraction of what I would have loved to know.  Now it is lost within fragments of my parents and extended family but the easiest connection to it is gone forever.

New Holiday Meaning

So this holiday season, this new year, take it upon yourself to rekindle your families stories and culture. Let it be alive once again and writ or told to others so that it maybe kept alive and fresh. Revel in who you all are, where you came from, and the connection from here to there.

Life is Uncertain, Make the Most of It

// August 17th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Life Happens, Points In Time

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”

—Albert Einstein

The longer I walk forward the more I understand it’s not about the destination. This is something that you are supposed to learn as a child. We’re always reminded to ‘Stop and Smell the Roses’, but we rarely internalize it.

The Old Guard

I think it began with the idea set forth that we find work, we do good work, we have work forever, and then at the end of our work we have retirement. Well we all know that’s idea is pretty much ashes these days. I always thought that I had to get to ‘X’, whether it was a great company or financial success, and I just had to get to that place and then life could begin.

Sacrifice the short for the long.

How wrong I was.

As a youth we’re all foolish. It’s not our faults, our brains they say take a lot longer to develop and that’s why we have a long adolescence. We have to accumulate wisdom and watch the passing of time in the human experience. Our minds unfettered would run faster and farther than most of what our flesh limits us to and it takes us a while to realize that.

Getting lost in a future thought is very easy to do. It’s one many of us get trapped in. All around us are those stuck in the rat or survival race. Everyone always looking at the prize but compulsory glance or with disdain at the journey itself.

Today

So what about today, the now, the moment? Why do we put off tomorrow what we can enjoy today. A hug, a kiss, a moment in the grass, or for me a leap out of an airplane.

It’s all relative but it’s all about the now.

All my life I wanted to work hard so that when it came to rearing children and enjoying what I could consider as my prime years I would be set for it. Life doesn’t work that way, not unless you were gifted/blessed/networked by some circumstances that allowed for early fortune.

It’s ok though. There is nothing wrong with prioritizing for today. Today you can find happiness in an event. You can taste victory even in cleaning up a room of a home.

Relish in it.

Shooting for the Moon, Lands You in the Stars

This doesn’t mean that you obliterate tomorrow for today, but you don’t have to build great structures in the clouds that may never come to fruition. Give yourself goals, fantastic goals, and if you come up short at least you made the effort to try for greatness. Recalibrate, cast out new goals, and strike out again, today, every day.

Enjoy the successes of today!

Transition Times, Goodbye 2008

// December 31st, 2008 // Comments Off // Points In Time

It has been a strange road, but isn’t it always? 2008 marks the tired end of a mixed bag year but a bright glimmer for 2009.

Watching the Water

My father taught me to know a good sailor was to look at his his wake. A clean straight wake leaving the boat was a sign of someone who knew the water and the way to navigate it. To see a wake that zagged around was interpreted as floundering, slipping along.

The metaphor may be a bit mixed, it’s washing through a child’s remembrance, but I wish my wake were straighter.

With Kind Thanks

With 2008 closing I must give thanks to those who stayed close. Who were rocks instead of runners. During tough times the way people work to support one another shows colors that are hard to forget.

Alpha and Omega, I cannot thank my wife Robin enough. She is both inspiration, support, the embodiment of patience and shares my burdens with little complaint.

Love is the best adhesive.
— Flight of the Concords

Thanks to my family who took my challenges in stride and gave providence during my struggles. To my in-laws for whom good fortune rains with a sweet chocolate future.

To my friends, who many while down on their own luck only look for the smile of others. Self sacrifice and bleeding hearts I know well.

The farmers and their families, connecting with you regionally has been a deepening and gratifying experience. Knowing your land, your animals, and the micro/macro environment around it all to bring us a harvest plenty (and safe) is no easy task. Thank you for feeding us well.

Social networking kudos too. I’ve expanded my network of people I know locally by an exponent. The reward is compounding. Not only do I know more people in my area, they are as diverse as I am. Skydivers, foodies, marketing, PR, designers, comedians, small businesses and more. To connect everyone on a regular basis is instant community. I hope to continue to meet many more people that can be part of and share the experience that each of us create.

Healthy Growth through Improving

Of many things I saw in 2008 it was our ability to not finish the sentence that took the award for most needed improvement. There are so many who will pick up the mantle of responsibility only to never hit the finish line.

It’s Easy to Start,
It’s Hard to Finish.
—Jason Calacanis

I’ve had the discussion lately that I’m really curious what the statistical ratio is since I find the reliable in very very short supply. With an administration where accountability was unknown I hope the new year brings transparency and a sense of integrity again.

My Participation

• Nuance Labs shifted resources to consulting.

With the depletion of capital we’ve had to put our ideas in stasis and work more mechanically. It’s been fun bringing new small businesses into the net and seeing them plug in.

• IMI Photography strives for a piece of the market.

Photography in the Queen City is pretty hard to come by for those new to the market. We have over 6k photographers and some seriously talented and firmly implanted people. With a hung and dried economy, new resources are highly contended. I love the form and am applying my skills more to Nuance Labs imaging & The Secret Chocolatier projects. I’m still available and seeking new bookings for 09.

• The Secret Chocolatier brings many smiles to the community.

With a family idea and some organic planned thoughts we planted a chocolate garden and fed it with love and care. It has sprouted quite well. As a sapling of a company it’s filled with a lot of excitement and hope for establishing deeper roots in the community in 2009. Homemade chocolate for all!

2009, You are Welcomed

With the trials and tribulations from local and national economies, wars and unrest, new starts and learned from failures, I am ready for 2009. Again I cannot express my unending thanks to those who support myself or those I am connected with enough. May we all find successes in 2009.

-andy

Fundraising with Friends, Co-Starring Chocolate and Pork

// August 31st, 2008 // Comments Off // Culinary, Points In Time

Warning, if you are a strong vegetarian onwards you should know I am a great omnivore and only have respect for my foodsources. This article is highly doused in the art of pork and I hope you will still love me in the end.

I think I’m finally fully out of my meat-choco-coma. It took a few days and a lot of chocolate bacon flashbacks, but I think I’m well on the mend. Mine and others in our area were struck with this fantastic affliction last Sunday when Lell Trogdon opened her doors for a friends fundraiser like no other.

Lell in conjunction with Serena, the Grateful Growers wonderful products, the Secret Chocolatier, and a cast of friends and family helped us reach far towards our Terra Madre goal!

Some Snapshots

If you are having trouble viewing what is below check out some of the pictures on flickr.
[swfobj src=wp-content/files/Flash/Fundraiser/Lell_Fundraiser.swf /]

A Day of the Porcinus

It cannot be understated what great pork raisers Grateful Growers are. It can also not be understated what Lell Trogdon can do with such fine materials. Pork shoulder, butt, ham, bacon, bratwurst and more were soaked, slathered, slow cooked, grilled, to perfection. Thunder Cats.. Hooo… oh wait. I digress.

In addition there was scones, cream sausage gravy, eggs with sausage and eggs with green chilis, with cheese grits for breakfast. Lunch onward was served the bulk of the meats and a few vegetables and a vegetarian lasagna made an appearance, but it was mostly about pork.

A meat induced coma was seen drifting in peoples eyes all day. It was awesome.

Dirty Little Secret

The Secret Chocolatier brought his upcoming arsenal of chocolate might out for a tour. Bill Dietz is my chocolate superman, he shares that title by many adoring fans in our area. We’re working hard to grow that fan base (join today!) and to that extent are opening up his culinary war chest to bring out some great eats.

The vast chocolate landscape included an almond encrusted triangular chocolate pate with accompanying caramel sauce, a chocolate mousse, a chocolate torte, chocolate chunk brownies dipped in dark chocolate coating, a chocolate fudge cake with chocolate icing, a chocolate fudge cake with cream cheese icing, and a carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Phew.. if the thought of that at your party doesn’t make you quiver, you don’t love a great dessert.

If the meat didn’t do it, The Secret Chocolatier did. Some looked frantically around for a place to nap. An outdoor sofa awaited many.

Pandora Traffle

Did I mention that The Secret Chocolatier donated a Pandora truffle for raffle? Weighing in at 16 oz it is something to behold, and hopefully to be shared by many. It was contended for, fought over, people schemed, but in the end the wonderful Denise Kuntz was given a phone call that she had won the prize (to the devastation of the still hanging crowd). Luckily Denise is sweet and said she would share!

All For Who? What?

All because Robin and I really want to be a part of a great experience with more great people in an effort to grow, capture, and bring back some of the inspiration of Slow Food’s Terra Madre. We’ve been fundraising for a few weeks and have had a great outpouring from family, friends, and even local farmers who share our passion, or want us to bring them back some of the experience.

Quick Terra Madre Primer, bi-ennial event in Turin, Italy:
What do you get when you build a conference around sharing culture, tradition, survival, and growth of the worlds food system.
5000 farmers, 1000 chefs, 2000 students and volunteers to collectively communicate.

We Help Each Other

I’ve taken to heart over the past few years that friends help each other. It’s been a rocky time for everyone I’ve known, across industries, across regions, but we share out support be it with kind words, time, opportunities, and out of pocket. Our friends are pivotal in our growth and we are so very blessed in having good ones.

Thanks to everyone who made our morning, lunch, and afternoon such a delight. To those who could not make it you were missed and while we tried to make up for your loss, we do poorly compared to the real thing.

Our goal is not met and we’re charging on! If you can help us let us know! (It’s a karmic win too!)