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I was a music snob for many years, learning only classical on the violin and piano. Country music? We rarely heard it in the northeast. I barely knew who Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton were but they were a joke in my book.

Not any more. I was weaned on CSNY, Dave Mason, PPM, James Taylor and they were all near and before my time. I missed the 80’s due to work and hating punk rock, then rap.

At age 50 I took up guitar. Guess who I learned from? Johnny Cash. He is such a hero. He was supposed to perform at a venue I worked for and I was supposed to take him to said venue and give my father a check to hand his agent. He was sick, or that’s what we were told (he was in prison in Mexico) so we sent a private plane to pick up Porter Wagoner to take his place.

I love country music. Ten hours in the car listening to only that on the radio with Bible studies on all the other channels is a bit boring. And I don’t relish the music that only says my dog died, wife left me, got fired stuff.

To this day I enjoy looking up lyrics and placing chords to them. I’m still a beginner guitarist. They sent me to learn, private lessons, from a drummer and he didn’t care a whit about me learning music, only wanted me to keep the beat. Yes, we do own Rock Band, Beatles version, but it’s in storage along with my keyboard. I have the guitar here to keep it hydrated.

I’ve never tried before but I see in my head Dolly Parton’s farewell to Porter Wagoner’s show, I Will Always Love You. So simple and perfect. Lyrics would be helpful. I will find the music. It’s in my head. Alas, not my fingers…… Dee

Yes, little one, Mija, miss Lady Zoe. You were six weeks old and you had a kitty come by every day to walk you. What a special girl you are.

Now we’re down to 4-6 outings per day as you’re eleven and will need more as you grow older. I’m up to the challenge. You’ve gone through a lot, crossing the country more than once. You’re a great car dog, Zoe, only awakening at freeway ramps and stop lights.

I have to bring you in for a heartworm test and to get your nails trimmed because the dremel tool your dad bought scares me and I think I’ll hurt you with it.

In addition, I have decided that anything our vet wants to do with you will involve me. I’ve always been the “tech” during nail trims and bloodwork so why not now. You do not want to let your pack leader go. If our vet doesn’t agree we’ll find another vet. You passed your first Senior Panel with honors. We need to stick together good puppy! If I have to go in the back with a mask and gloves I’ll do so.

Even if we go back to 8X walks per day it’s OK with me. I’ll still lift you to bed every night and to the car when it’s OK to transport you. I will always feed you the best food and sometimes when a shred of cheese hits the floor you can eat it.

You’re our girl, Zoe. I’ll be with you no matter what. I promise, Dee

I believe that without failure one cannot achieve success. Lose that ball game, wreck your souffle, get a broken heart. Rise above it.

My first was the EZ-Bake Oven. Pretzels was the first packet they wanted me to make at age six and put through the 120 watt light bulb cooker. It was so sticky I threw it out and spent five minutes getting the goo off my hands. Now I make pizza dough every week with Italian 00 flour and it is gorgeous, easy to work with as was my last mix with 2/3 AP flour and 1/3 whole wheat.

Inspiration. I made a chicken chili for my family years ago and had bought a pepper plant at the farmers’ market that day so decided to use 1/3 of what the recipe suggested. It was a Thai chile plant. The chili was inedible. I added everything but the kitchen sink to it and it was not ready to eat.

Now, due to my familiarity with Texas, its chili and Lady Bird Johnson from a recipe in 1962 for 5,000 at the Ranch in Pedernalaes, TX including JFK, I’ve my riff on her chili with pure spices and scorched chiles and not just powders. My Swedish neighbor taught me how to make meatballs, so I taught him how to make Texas chili.

Way back my cousin visited and I wanted to cook a chicken. I placed it in a small apartment stove and it browned on the outside, then the pilot light went off. After cooking time was done I sliced into it and it was raw inside.

He said I was trying to kill him! We re-lit the pilot light and I broke down and sauteed the chicken sauteed the pieces and he enjoyed his meal. Years later, he makes fun of me for the debacle. I can cook a chicken, even spent an inordinate amount of time finding a capon which we had for Christmas dinner. You’ll see my capon blogs as I had a bit of a problem with Whole Foods Market but farmers came to the rescue, as they always do. roastgoose.com will get you a capon. You can even buy it cooked but I prefer to do it myself, and not in a faulty apartment oven!

As cooks, we make mistakes. That makes us better at home or even in a restaurant. I didn’t put enough salt in this. It was undercooked so I had to place it back in the oven. I just saw a retrospective on Dan Barber and he is a revolutionary chef. With French training, his brigade just says “YES” and not Yes, Chef. He makes me want to go back to the earth to teach us that just because when rock-hard avocados arrive from another country, they’re not what we should be eating today.

Unfortunately, where we live now has a very small window for farmers’ markets and I cannot grow a garden from our current home.

Lately I’ve been roasting the heirloom carrots in all colors and they are delicious. Tonight I’ll make a pasta with pesto and a chicken breast, sliced to fill two plates.

The secret is learning, reading, wanting to do your best as a cook especially for family and friends. There are no mistakes, only learning opportunities. Dee

It’s April 21, windy as all get-out and it’s snowing. Someone told my husband that we need three springs to actually have spring weather! I believe him now. Luckily I haven’t cleaned and put away my down coat or gloves yet. Or taken off my snow tires. Just an update. Dee

Every Friday, at the place that was our old restaurant. He’d get the jalapeno burger and I’d have French Onion Soup. Now it’s a flower shop that has 50% off on Fridays.

Today, after he’s been sick all week, I am having simple spring flowers, daffodils and daisies, delivered to him across the country. He’s not coming home as planned and instead is going to take it easy this weekend, rest and sleep and hopefully watch a couple of action movies I never want to see. We trade on movies which is why after I saw The Ring courtesy of a co-worker he got to see Memoirs of a Geisha…….. twice.

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I am not a fashionista. I did make a stop walking (yes, it’s warm enough to walk this week) to the grocery store at a shop. My husband tells me I need clothing. I agree. I bought a really cool black/white cropped shirt that screamed MM. We’re the same age, OK I’m six weeks older but she’s gorgeous and a model. I brought it home and tried it on over my bodysuit and it was so tiny. I gave it to her with the receipt and tag so she could get something smaller. She’s probably a size two.

It fit her perfectly. I took off the tag and crumpled up the receipt and she will wear it. I suggested that with her deft sewing skills she make it a 3/4 sleeve. MM sold me the 1957 Italian Necce sewing machine, the first that ever did a zig zag stitch. It is all metal and gorgeous and I gave it to my mother-in-law, M.

The fashionista model MM told me I had a good eye for fashion. I just don’t wear it (she didn’t say that). And I think I’m cool with First M. She loves all those cams and learning that new old machine. I married her son, then we gave her a super cool sewing machine and she has no-one to sew for now. I may come up with some legacy ideas.

When laid up after knee surgery she did make some hopsack towels, each embroidered with different herbs and their names. I’ve a great iron and keep them pressed and sometimes use them as napkins at the dinner table. Most guests are afraid to touch them because they’re so special. They are special, as is my family, all. Dee