Sunday, September 6, 2009

Saving the Last Two Chapters of A Homemade Life

A week ago, I admitted it on Twitter, I didn't want to read Molly from Orangette's book "A Homemade Life"  until I was really ready to relax and give it my full attention because I knew I would love it.  I was saving it for a day when I really wanted to read a good book. I was saving it for a rainy day.
Yesterday the rain started.

I have a little story for you about how things change and how people grow. 
You see when I first moved to Seattle, I was very lonely. Not for very long, but lonely.
I started my blog and read blogs and back then (almost 3 years ago) there weren't that many blogs. Of course I fell in love with Molly's blog, like every other person in this world. Her wedding was around the same time that mine was. I felt connected to her. That's what blogs do. They make you feel like you know the person.
This is what I wrote her:  (found this in my gmail)
Hi Molly,

I really enjoy your blog. I especially enjoy your writing style. I realized by your posts that you probably live in Seattle. I am from Seattle and am always looking for fellow foodies to munch with. I have two blogs. One of them is in the Seattle PI http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/franticfoodie/ and one is my own personal one http://savvysavorer.blogspot.com/ . Anyway I was thinking we should have a food blog meeting for some food bloggers in Seattle.
What do you think?

I didn't get an answer.  I was upset so I stopped reading her blog. Sometimes I used to sneak a peak but that was it.
Now it makes me laugh because since then I have put together a Seattle Food Blogger Event almost every month.
I know more than a hundred bloggers and many, many people in Seattle.
The thing is that Molly is really sweet, probably one of the sweetest people around. I only met her a couple times but every time she had this big smile and just a genuine attitude.  I told her this story the last time I saw her and she apologized and she said she tries to answer most emails but she doesn't always get around to it. She probably missed this email with the hundreds of emails, she gets or she was just too busy to write back, or maybe she thought it was creepy to get an email like this.

I thought I would share this, actually I was debating if I should... But the moral of this story is a) a blog is only a fragment of someone's life, although you may feel like you know them, you know only a glimpse of them and you shouldn't expect to think you know them b) If your lonely, do something about it c) life is busy, sometimes people don't get back to you, even the sweetest, most genuine people don't respond.


Now back to the book. I was right. I got it yesterday and I almost finished the book. I have two chapters left. I am saving them. Saving them like when you save a cookie for when you really want it. I usually skip through books to get to recipes. In this book, I skipped the recipes to get to the stories. Not that the recipes aren't amazing, but I really didn't want to go into the kitchen, I wanted to relax for the first time in 9 months since my son was born.

I can just say that the book will blow you away, it will remind you to enjoy life, to enjoy what you eat, you will laugh, you may cry but most of all you will be inspired, to cook, write or just live life to the fullest.

Molly just opened a new pizza restaurant with her husband Brandon called Delancey. I haven't been yet but heard that the place is really great.

Update: A friend  read this post and said that people might not get it. What I really meant to say is that, it's not always about you. Some people are busy and overwhelmed in life and you can't get back to every email. I sometimes miss an email. Especially when I really want to answer. I tag it because I want to think about my answer a little more and then don't get around to it. Now I am not saying I get tons of emails from readers but I do have a lot on my plate, with a business and a small baby at home.  And sometimes people ask me to go for coffee and many times, I just can't. When you work at home, people think you can go out for coffee anytime of the day but it's not really like that. You still need to be working when other people are working. You need to make phone calls when other people can answer. Life is busy.

9 comments:

alice said...

What a lovely and honest post Keren. That is why I love you. I can say that because we are friends.. we talk on the phone and we spend time with one another. I hope the last two chapters complete your day when you read them.
Love,
Alice

eM said...

I often do this with books I cherish. It is like trying to hold onto summer by having a stubborn picnic on a chilly and blustery September day or drinking champagne at a table full of half eaten pieces of fancy cake when a wedding is ending - so bittersweet. I love your honesty.
~Mari

Dana said...

When I love a book, I tend to tear through it and when it is over, I feel like I have lost a friend. Good for you for saving some of it for (yet another) rainy day.

Molly said...

Keren, this post is so honest and so thoughtful, and it made me happy to read it. Thank you, lady.

P.S. When the restaurant settles down, I'm looking forward to finally making it to one of your events!

Siiri said...

Dude. I loved this post. As I was reading it, I realized our thought paths and expression styles are very similar. Maybe because I have context around the new book, who Molly is and Delancy in general, I really appreciated and understood the post right off the bat. I think your point came across clear as day, no need to reclarify, as your friend may have feared.

I too try to savor a good ending or a good book/movie/meal/evening, but usually I don't save it for later, I'll just think to myself (every 30 seconds) "remember this, soak this up, put this in my memory box, this is special" the same way someone does when getting that much needed massage once or twice a year....we think "why don't I do this more? I'm so relaxed! Shut up brain, and enjoy every minute of this!"

I couldn't agree more with knowing that sometimes, even with the best of intentions, things slip through the cracks, and while I am very forgiving of others when this happens, I'm really hard on myself when I'm the one that forgets/drops the ball.

Maybe you and I should hit up Delancy soon so we can both try out a piece and see Molly and Brandon in action....

frantic foodie said...

Alice, you know I love you, thanks so much for the comment

Mari, I really like those analogies

Dana, the friend thing is so true

Molly, Thank You for leaving this comment. I am so looking forward to getting to know you more when things settle down with restaurant.

Oh yes, Siiri , we should do Delancey soon! Did you just notice that we are similar now? I knew it from the day we met.

I love that all the comments are from people that I met through twitter and blogs and I have met you all in person, that just reminds me how special Seattle is!

Kitchen Butterfly said...

I understand....Life is full. This is a heart-2-heart. I sometimes rush home to check my blog to see who's commented...sometimes someone had and other times noone has. I then remind myself why I started blogging. Thanks

Marcella Tomlin said...

What a wonderful post. I agree with you, in that sometimes you get so caught up in the celebrity of another that you forget that they are only human too. BTW, I'm hoping to have the chance to meet both you and Jaden Hair when she comes to Seattle for her book signing. As I am located in Tacoma, it's a true hop, skip and jump to see you all, I just need more details, because I have friends that I have turned on to Steamy Kitchen, and Jaden herself invited me to the event (here I go getting all caught up!). Nonetheless, I get all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed over fellow foodies, so I sure hope to see you all soon.

P.S. Seattle really should be in every food and wine Magazin. Another destination: Bellingham, WA. If you've never been, make your first stop Mallard Ice Cream. Seriously the best I've ever had :). Cheers! Marcella Tomlin

Sippity Sup said...

I got every nuance of your point in this post. From both sides of the issue. When I started my blog 10 months ago I reached out to bloggers I admired. Most blew me off!

Now the tables have turned and I get emails I can't possibly answer. But if someone reaches out to me in a very personal way, remembering my hurt feelings in the past, I do at least respond in a personal way.

But sadly most comments and emails go unanswered but not unappreciated. GREG