2009 July | Princess Know It All

MISO RECIPE UPDATE & A TIP FROM LENA OUR TECHIE GAL!

July 29th, 2009

MISO UPDATE!!

Week before last while hanging out in NYC Lee and I ate in a few FANTASTIC restaurants and one of them served a rockin’ MISO SOUP! Instead of green onions they rocked red and they added a bunch of veggies!! So now I’ve taken it upon myself to give it a whirl. I chop just a small bit of red onions and add in a handful of ORGANIC frozen mixed veggies. The kids love it, plus it makes my miso a bit heartier!

LENA THE TECHIE GAL’S TIP!

Some of you have been writing in because there are problems with the video. I am using Firefox as my web browser and noticed that a few weeks ago I was having some problems with it. I realized that I needed to do the latest Firefox update (Get it here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/upgrade.html). Now, after having run the update, everything works just fine again…so if you are experiencing issues with our video, give that a try and if it is still not working for ya, please feel free to send me an email at lena@princessknowitall.com

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CANDLES BURN WITH MEMORY….

July 29th, 2009

I wasn’t sure what to expect, 20 years is a long time, and truth be told I’d not acknowledge the fact that 20 years had gone by! Some where in my mind it’s only been about 5 since I’d crossed the threshold of Oberlin High School, never to return…

I flew into the area, picked up my Ford Focus Rental Ride, dropped my kids with my niece and nephew and prepared myself for a meet and greet at the town Inn.
As we rolled into town my mind and heart were flooded with so many memories, every childhood crush, twist and turn flashed before my heart.
Then the big one my house, the house I last lived in before the series of accidents that tore down the walls of who I’d been, leaving only the foundation for me to build upon with my own sought out materials.

As we pulled into the driveway my heart sank and I returned to the last time I’d sat in front of that house.
It’d been about 10 years since leaving high school, Nicole (my older sister) and I had ridden into Oberlin to hang out for the day.
I’d looked up from the street and noticed one single candle burning in my bedroom window.
I said “Nicole, it’s a sign…We’ve got to knock on the door and see if who ever lives here will let us in, just for a minute.”
She agreed, we walked to the back door. As we reached up to knock my knees shook with anxiety. A lady came to the door, peering through the window, I noticed her eyes were red with tears.

My sister began to explain to her who we were, this made the lady sob! She said “I know who you both are, do you know who I am?”
No we answered, come in she said.

As we stepped into the the kitchen I too fell apart, I was home.

I had been out wandering for 10 years searching for a place to belong and for that brief moment I was standing in the exact place my mother had last hugged me.
Now the three of us sat on the kitchen floor, weeping together.

The lady apologized for her tears she said she’d been upstairs having a bit of a sad day herself, then she explained to us who she was. “I was the nurse on duty the night your mom came in, I knew she wasn’t going to make it, I also knew she had the three of you at home. I really tried to help save her.”
I then told her how I’d thought the candle in the window of my old bedroom was a sign for us to knock on the door.
She stared off speaking in just above a whisper ” Your old room was my sons room, he was hit by a car and killed 6 months ago. The candle is to keep his soul from getting lost, guiding him home.”
I looked directly into her eyes, it works…it brought us here.
Then I went upstairs and sat on his bed in our old room…praying and remembering.

Coming back from this memory I heard Nicole ask if I wanted to knock again, no I’m good I said.
As we motored through town my “Hi I’m Good Enough” was trying to take the wheel.
There is something about class reunions that get us all tied up inside, maybe it is our “Hi I’m Good Enough” or should I say “Hi Was I Good Enough Then?”
What ever it is there is a tension within, one that makes you say “do I really want to do this?”
All of that over thinking STOPPED the moment I walked through the doors, looking into the faces of the 60 kids I’d know since 1st grade.

To Be Continued….

Posted in Mee Tracy, Oberlin College, Oberlin High School, PKIA, class reunions, high school reunions, meaghan tracy, past lives, princess know it all, princessknowitall.com, www.princessknowitall.com | No Comments »

PKIA Interview with Hans King

July 24th, 2009

PKIA interviews Hans King

(click below to listen)

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Dreaming Full Circle…

July 20th, 2009

This past week was really a moment in my life that I won’t forget!

As a girl I grew up listening to stories about life in NYC as if it were a charmed land full of my people! My grandmother told tales of bakeries and deli’s loaded with Italian treats. Growing up in Ohio and with few Italians in our tiny town, we would look forward to our summer trips to Cleveland’s Little Italy for the feast celebrations. Of course, Cleveland’s Little Italy wasn’t but a block or two big, but the fact that the streets smelled like home and the folks looked like could be cousins offered a cushion that was needed—one that said, “Hey, this is where you belong.”

I didn’t just long for NYC because of the Italians there, but also because of the other colorful folks that roamed the streets. In my mind’s imagination Greenwich Village was a place where poets and artists covered the curbs, liberal and free in their thinking. This was a place I longed to live. In truth I saw NYC as a place where I could be in balance: Traditional Italian/Irish kid and Creative Artist…PERFECT!

Soon enough I made it to NYC, falling in love hard and fast. I got completely caught up in the speed at which this city vibrates. I fell for the hustle of it all and soon found myself hustling to keep up with it. I was working three jobs and hanging out every night with my friends. I had dreams when I got there–I was going to be a successful artist.
But like most girls, I landed in the land of “Just Something to Look At.” I lost my ability to focus on my art and instead allowed my character to run the show. This character is all caught up in the outside image that she presents…fashion, make-up, hair, jewelry, parties, restaurants, celebrities.

“Just Something to Look At” doesn’t talk – well, not about anything other than superficial things. “Just Something to Look At” is way OK with being a Trophy.
When I was a kid, I’d never seen myself as something to look at. I was skinny, lanky, large featured, topped off with a HUGE SASSY mouth that had NO interest in keeping opinions at bay for the sake of popularity.

Something changed at 21 years of age. Suddenly the waif look was in, full lips were cool and strong features were part of the “ethnic” thing. “Hi I’m Just Something to Look At” grabbed the wheel and away we went…morphing into someone I’d never been.

I guess she served me; it was easy not needing to talk or, for the most part, even think!
But life is tricky for Trophies, and when you don’t talk you can end up in some wack situations. For certain I was caught up in a world that had NOTHING to do with my childhood fantasies of what NYC would be. You’ll have to read my first book for the full scoop….

Anyways, I moved to LA, thinking one day I would return and finish up what I started in New York! LA took me many places: Israel, Mexico, Marriage and Motherhood.
One afternoon a good friend from Oberlin was hanging out with me and asked about my writing, I gave her a run down on all the reasons “I Can’t It’s Hard and You Don’t Understand.”
All she said was, “Your writing will never be a priority for your husband and your daughter, only you can make it one.” Hmmmm…

I heard her.

This week after years of keeping at it and squeezing moments of writing in whenever I could, I flew to NYC with Lee and met with a literary agent (a slammin’ one I might add). Two hours later I’d made a plan and a deal, and I’m completely and totally excited that all this is happening!

As we were leaving and the agent shared with me her list of clients, including PULITZER PRIZE winners. I wondered if she really knew who I was? Did she really read my stuff? Ha,ha..I had to control myself from yelling at Lee, “Hey, come on! Quit talking and let’s run before she changes her mind! Ha, ha…

As we walked home to our hotel, I felt as if I’d just picked up my Google maps directions to my next stop. I was once again walking in two worlds – one as an insecure girl guided by “Just Something To Look At” and now a confident woman with something to say.

Upon arriving in our swanky – groovy hotel room, I put my Gucci Bag down, removed my shoes and jumped up and down on the bed – I did it!

Here we go!!!!

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Eating out in NYC!!!

July 20th, 2009

So I did it, I ate out and was way OK, for certain my wellness had to do with the fact that there are plenty of vegetarian restaurants that get that we all are not down with dairy!
In fact I was JAZZED that I was able to eat just about everywhere we went!!! Check these two places out the next time your in NYC
www.caravanofdreams.net and www.angelicakitchen.com The Angelica Kitchen even has a cook book!
Lee was thrilled, here in Nashville we only go for sushi so this was a big deal to have date night somewhere new!!!

One thing for sure about this site is that I don’t promote ANY thing that I don’t personally eat, use or buy. The gift of running ones own platform is that it’s just that MINE and not part of some corporate plan.