Writer’s block. I think I’ve had it these last few months with this blog. I was writing reviews of Stephen King books I was enjoying, but I haven’t finished a book in a while. And I want to write about cooking, but haven’t had my own kitchen for a while and I haven’t been able to cook. Other things I’ve tried to write about have fallen flat; I would try to write something and I felt that it just didn’t make sense or I just didn’t like what I was writing. On the other hand, I feel so creative and excited to write a little fiction story I am working on. Why is one thing so easy to write, but working on this blog feels so hard? But I really wanted to get something out on this platform; I have things I want to say.
In some exciting news, I found an apartment! I’ll finally have my own kitchen again and am excited to get to cooking and food writing. I can’t wait to get my apartment more set up, because right now it’s basically empty and it feels very strange and lonely there. But I have my own place again, after months of living in the spare bedrooms of other people. I didn’t particularly love doing that, but I also felt strangely homesick to leave my aunt’s basement. It was comfortable there, and there were people around all the time so I didn’t have to come back to an empty house, and it kind of feels scary to live alone again. I miss my family and friends back home, am sad I can’t go on a family camping trip out west, I feel out of the loop to things happening back in Missouri, a stranger now in a place I called home for sixteen years. And yet, people made time for me, they were excited to see me and hear about my new life. And overtop of it all, in visiting Missouri I felt homesick for Ohio, for a place I am happily settling into and the people I am getting to know. These feelings are kind of overwhelming; good thing I have four library cards connected to my Libby account so I have access to a ton of audio books!
I’ve been listening to a mystery series by Peter Mayle. Mayle moved to rural France in the 1980s and wrote about food and all the eccentric people he met. I love his works, with his observational musings and dry humor and insights on travel. I would say his mystery stories border on the “cozy mystery” genre. In the first book, the main character has to travel to France to investigate the theft of some very expensive and rare wines. I think Mayle’s fiction is just an excuse to write more about French food and culture, as the characters go to various restaurants and enjoy multi-course meals cooked by private chefs. I aspire to write like him; informative and witty, stories built on experience and being willing and able to try new things, even if it is strange and unusual.
Soon I will be able to gather some ingredients and make some recipes. I’m considering making some pickles for my grand return to recipe testing. It’s summer, the perfect time for eating them, and I have photos of at least ten different pickle recipes from my great grandma. Hopefully the people at my new church will be willing to try some of my experiments. More to come soon!
~Muriel
Leave a Reply