HELLO!!!

A Visit To Ruby Tuesday

A Gluten Ranger Review:

The following is a letter I sent to Ruby Tuesday restaurants after a recent visit. The images were added here to further illustrate to you what I experienced.

To whom it may concern:

On January 16, 2010 we visited your location in Trumbull, CT at the Westfield mall.

In our travels Ruby Tuesday had been a favorite of my wife and I but we have not visited for a couple years now; since I had been diagnosed with an allergy to Gluten.

Since gluten is an ingredient in so many items I have become a bit shy of eating out because of the painful repercussions my body punishes me with should I make a mistake. However, as more mainstream restaurants offer items I can safely have my wife and I have happily begun to venture out more often.

We have a tradition in our family where the member celebrating a birthday can choose a place to go out to eat and as such we found ourselves at a Ruby Tuesday to celebrate the birthdays of our eldest son and his grandmother.

We were a party of five, seated with no wait, and everyone was friendly and courteous. After we were seated I asked our waitress, Stephani, for a gluten-free menu and, after a moment of confusion where I needed to repeat my request because she seemed at first unaware of what I was referring to, she nodded and went in the back to retrieve the manager. A minute or two later the manager, Danny,  came to our table, warmly welcomed us and placed a sheet before me with items to select from.

Since we have begun to go out more often we have developed an idea of what items are typically going to be available at whatever type of place we go. So I was puzzled by some of the selections on this menu such as wraps and items with cream sauces, the lack of others; ie beef burgers, as well as the lack of any notation that the menu before me was indeed intended for someone with a gluten or wheat allergy. When the waitress returned with our drinks I expressed this concern to her, again she really did not seem to know how to respond to what I was talking about so I asked her if she would please ask that the manager return; which she graciously did.

Danny returned promptly and I pointed out my concerns to him. He apologized, took the sheet from me, and told me that he was not aware that I had asked for a gluten-free menu but rather was under the impression that I had asked for a different type of menu; one that was for folks looking for items low in fat & calories. He apologized again, excused himself and quickly returned with a sheet clearly marked as being for gluten sensitivity. The selections on this menu made more sense.

I was pleased to see that there was a good number of items to choose from, compared to some other place we have visited, but then was disappointed with the number of exclusions many items had listed as well.

I chose the Triple Prime Havarti burger, cooked medium, and reminded the waitress as she wrote my request on her pad that it needed to be the gluten-free version.

There was not a long wait before the waitress and an assistant returned with all our meals. Our waitress placed before me a plate with the burger on a bun, a small dish of ketchup and a side of fries; items, according to the gluten-free menu, I was not supposed to have; I had been given the regular version.

By now I was beginning to get a bit impatient, however I remained polite and told her that I could not eat what she gave me.

She quietly took the plate from me and went back to the kitchen; returning only a moment or two later with the manager, who, genuinely concerned, apologized profusely; stating that the gluten-free request had not been noted on the order slip. He promised that he would personally take care of the replacement and that I would have it as soon as it took to cook it to medium as I had requested. In the meantime he invited me to help myself to the salad bar and assured me that my meal would be excluded from the bill, which it was.

As I passed him on the way back from the salad bar Danny approached me and asked if there was a side order that I would like with my burger and after a bit of confusion as to which ones the menu said I could have I settled on the broccoli without butter.

I was not at the table when my plate was returned but I am told that it was indeed Danny who brought it.

Now I need to elaborate further on something I mentioned above. I found it surprising that the items offered on the menu had so many exclusions tied to them. For instance, in the case of what I ordered the list of exclusions included “no bun, no ketchup, no french fries, no Ruby’s mayonnaise”. Had I ordered a regular ‘Handcrafted Burger’ I would not have been able to have the pickle either.

No bun is pretty much a given; few places stock gluten-free bread products, although Max Burger in Hartford does offer them, at an additional cost, and the Disney theme park/resorts have them as well. At Disney I know that the breads are kept frozen and thawed as needed & there is no extra cost. Believe it or not it really makes a difference in the level of satisfaction when you can eat that burger on a bun. Since few places have fryers dedicated to cooking fries separately from breaded products I am, regrettably, used to having to do without them as well. However, reviewing the entire list of exclusions, things like ketchup, mayo, pickles, butter, sour cream & mashed potatoes?

I am aware that it is the policy of some places to err on the side of caution and suggest items be excluded if they can not be certain that they do not contain ingredients which indeed meet the gluten-free standards required, however there are alternatives out there.

My point is this; I do not know if the substitution of a side dish was simply a generous offer by the manger or a policy for people ordering from the limited menus for restricted diets, however, assuming the first case, since there is no mention of substitutions on the Gluten-Free menu, if I had not had the side of broccoli I would have been left a fairly barren plate consisting of only a burger patty topped with two slices of cheese accompanied by two small slices of tomato on top of a leaf of lettuce. What, I ask, would you think if such a plate were placed before you? In my humble opinion, considering among other things what the meal will cost, that is ridiculous boarding on obscene.

Fortunately, for the most part, everyone else in our group found their meals both fulfilling and tasty and before we left I sought out the manager to sincerely thank him for his efforts to accommodate my needs.

Pitiful portions aside, the primary concerns I would have returning to this restaurant would be in how well your wait staff are trained to handle folks like myself who must police what we eat. For me a mistake is at most a matter of hours or days of extreme discomfort; for others though with more serious issues, a mistake can be life threatening.

Please note: I understand that it can be a royal pain trying to cater to people like myself who need special attention. In the last couple of years since my life long stomach issues were finally diagnosed it has been a burden for my family to find safe yet tasty meals we can all enjoy together and we are truly grateful that a number of mainstream restaurants have taken up the challenge instead of just disregarding what admittedly is still considered to be a minority group in our society. As issues like food intolerance/allergies become recognized as being more widespread though I think that it will prove to be a wise decision on your part.

With almost 10 years previous experience in the food service industry I am well aware that sometimes we do not know of the shortcomings that can cripple a business unless the consumers affected by them bring them to our attention and simply bringing this matter to your attention is my sole intent for contacting you.

I hope that you will be able to take note of the issues I mentioned here and make corrections as necessary; your success in catering to folks like myself is of prime importance to those of us who otherwise would find very limited avenues for dining out.

_____________________________

NOTE: Until I find some place better, Disney will be the standard all others will be compared to.

RATING: I would give this place 2 Mickeys out of 5.

PROS

- I am pleased that they had a GF menu,

- The manager was very concerned and quick to respond to the issues as they arose.

- What little there was for me to eat was at least tasty

CONS

- The waitress was clueless about what I was asking for and that really leaves me unfomfrtable

- Expecting a customer to be satisfied with a meal consisting of a meat patty and garnish is ridiculous.

- The long list of exceptions and lack of substitutions leads one to believe that there is less concern about offering an inviting meal than there is to being able to advertise a GF menu.

The Disney Gluten Free Dining Experience

The Short of it: Main stream chain restaurants are more and more offering gluten free items, however, If you have any type of food allergy or sensitivity you would be, IMHO, hard pressed to find a better place on earth to eat than at a Walt Disney restaurant. The selections at some of their locations might not be as good as others, but there are plenty of places to eat and great food as well..

Click on the images for a larger view.

It is gratifying to see that, with the recognition that people like myself affected by a food allergy or sensitivity are an increasing percentage of the public,  those in the dining industry are wisely taking steps to ensure that this group are not excluded from eating at their establishments. The menu selection available for special diets is still no where near as extensive as the regular menu, however, so long as the food is tasty I do not mind stopping in for a bite to eat.

A concern I do have though is in their avoiding confusion and maintaining a strict control to assure that those of us who have to police what we consume are getting exactly what we require. I worked almost 10 years in the fast food industry and my experience has shown me that, despite their best intentions, the youths who are predominantly the employee base of the industry can be easily overwhelmed in the frantic pace some restaurants experience; especially at peak hours. If a member of the waitstaff grabs the wrong plate and a customer receives a sandwich with the mayonnaise they had requested be withheld because he or she does not like mayonnaise they would of course be annoyed to bite into the sandwich and taste it there. A person who has an allergy to eggs on the other hand taking a bite of that sandwich could find themselves in a potentially serious situation.

I was reminded of this after a recent dining experience. For me the issue is products containing Gluten. Fortunately, for myself, the result of consuming products containing gluten is not fatal, it just leaves me very uncomfortable for hours, sometimes even days. For others though consumption of gluten can be a more serious matter.

On this particular occasion my wife and I had no less than 3 people bringing items to our table and at one point there was a bit of confusion whether or not something we received was indeed gluten free. I had ordered from their gluten free menu, everyone we spoke with during our stay was very attentive to my issue but, still, somewhere an error was made and I had to deal with the results of that for a couple days. As this was a one time event and the assurances I received afterwords showed me that it is a issue they take very seriously I see no reason to make mention of their name here at this time.

In contrast, when dining at a Disney restaurant, the chance of confusion is remote at best. The extra attention they put into taking care of you puts you right at ease and just makes your stay there that much more enjoyable.

As impressed as I am it really does not surprise me. No matter what area of business the Disney Company decides to pursue, be it theme parks, restaurants, cruise lines, hotels/resorts, etc, they seem to approach it with the thought in mind to not offer just a good product or service, but the absolute Best and quickly become the 300 pound gorilla in the room that sets industry standards which other companies strive to emulate.

Anyone who has been to a Disney theme park would of course notice that there is no shortage of hotels and restaurants just outside of the Disney property. Obviously Disney wants to do everything it can to see to it that someone looking to grab something to eat is not leaving their property to go to one of these places. As such there is no shortage of quick serve and full service places to eat at on property and, although I can not say that the selection at every Disney restaurant can cater to your food issues with 100% satisfaction, there are some really great places there you will enjoy.

Since 1998 we have had the pleasure of visiting Walt Disney World about 26 times and although our days in the parks were always fun the one downer every day we were there is how I felt after every meal and the way we had to coordinate our activities after our meals to make sure I did not stray too far from a rest room. The past two trips though have changed all that. Taking advantage of Disney’s efforts to cater to people with food issues has made a huge difference in our vacations there. After spending 40+ years always focusing on how my stomach felt at any given time, having a week or so where absolutely nothing bothered me is truly a blessing.

When we now make dining reservations before our trip to WDW Sue takes care to make the person helping us on the phone aware of my issue and a note is added in the computer to every reservation.

When we are seated at our table we can see on the slip that is left for our server a notation printed out clearly stating the food allergy issue. Just in case, because some servers did not seem to do more than quickly glance at the slip, we did make sure the server was aware of my problem. In response the server would tell us that they will have a Chef come to the table and explain what items I can or can not have. Depending on how busy they were it could take more than a few minutes before the Chef would get there but once there I had their undivided attention and they took great care to explain what was or was not suitable for me to eat and, if possible, how something could be made special without including the gluten containing ingredients; such as a sauce or other topping. As well, when at a buffet, if there is an item you can have but are concerned someone may have switched spoons with something you should avoid, the Chef was more than willing to bring out a fresh portion to our table.

I have thanked a Chef for their offer to make something special but declined because they were so busy and the Chef went and made it anyway; they really make you feel that you are not a bother, they want you to be happy and to enjoy yourself. To a Chef food is their life; it is not just something to provide sustenance, it is their art and their passion – they want you to have as much enjoyment experiencing their dishes as they get making them for us.

One of the things that brings me the greatest piece of mind is knowing that your order does not go through many hands which means there is less chance of confusion or the wrong plate being set before you. It has happened a number of times at chain restaurants we frequent where someone other than our server will bring our order and on my plate are items I cant have so it has to be sent back and I have to wait for a replacement. And since my family doesn’t want to start without me their plates get cold while we all wait. In each of the places we went to at Disney World the same chef, manager, or individual designated to assist people with dietary issues, that took my order prepared  the meal and brought me the plate as well. In the case of the Tokyo Dining restaurant, for instance, at EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion where the chef apparently did not speak English I believe the manager, after taking my order, supervised the preparation of the meal and then brought it out to me.

Incidentally, Tokyo Dining is perhaps the only place we have dined where the selection of what I had to choose from was a disappointment. Sue and the boys are big fans of that style of food, as was I, and, and for them the menu held a rich tantalizing selection which, from what I am told, tasted great. If memory serves correct I had the choice of a piece of steak or a piece of salmon, which is what I chose. Don’t get me wrong; what I had was very tasty, but the few pieces of vegetables and white rice were all I had to go with it and the meal did not stand out as anything special. The staff however was superb.

Foregoing a full service restaurant for a quick serve meal does not mean you are treated any differently. Whether we sat for the full buffet at Tuskar house or just bratwurst and sauerkraut at the Germany Pavililion the same precautions were taken by the waitstaff and a chef or manager would come to the front to take care of us. In fact if we asked the regular order taker if a particular item on the menu was gluten free we were told that, even if they knew the answer, they were not allowed to tell me and promptly requested the manager or chef come to assist me.

Here are some of the Chefs we met on a visit this year as well as some of the meals I enjoyed:

BOMA – Dinner

Allison is a Chef at Boma and was on duty the night we stopped in for dinner. Boma is one of 3 places to eat at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, has been a favorite of ours since the resort opened and is a priority stop in all our trips. Until they changed the menu at the Tuskar House at the Animal Kingdom park Boma always stood out to us with the most unique offerings which are made with an exotic African flare. One of the must have items at Boma are the soups which are second to none. The flavor of all the soups will have your eyes rolling back in your head as you swoon at the heavenly experience. A number of the soups are now forbidden to to me, but my absolute favorite, a squash soup that taste like liquid pumpkin pie, is okay. Although the soup was not being served in that nights rotation, Allison offered to bring some over from the Lodges quick serve restaurant, Mara’s:

Though there were of course items I had to avoid, there was still plenty of great tasting foods to choose from:

To the left is the bowl of squash soup. Another item we always enjoy is the fruit juice cocktail once called Frunch, they now call it Jungle Juice. A non alcoholic blend of fruit juices it is usually offered at breakfast, but if you request it they will bring it out for you at dinner as well.

Cape May

Interestingly, the chef at the restaurant where we ate dinner the following night, Cape May, was also named Allison.

Because all the breads served at the buffet stations contain wheat I have to avoid them. However there are dinner rolls that Disney offers which are made from a tapioca based flour. On their own they are pretty tasty, Chef Allison though went a step further and added melted butter and garlic to them.

Cape May at the Yacht and Beach Club resort is another buffet with a great selection including seafood like clams, mussels, and crab legs. Because Sue has an allergy to shellfish I avoided that stuff but found plenty of other great things to eat.

Crystal Palace

I must have been really starving the night we went to the Crystal Palace; somehow I neglected to take a picture of my plate! But here is Chef Jean.

The Crystal Palace is again a buffet and again there was plenty to chose from. Chef Jean warned me about the gravy’s and, surprisingly, the mashed potatoes as well. It seems the stock they used for flavoring the mashed potatoes was not gluten free. This was the only restaurant  we went to that I could not eat them. A real pleasant surprise though was that I could eat the corn spoon bread; something I loved at Hollywood & Vine but no longer could have. The version at the Crystal Palace contains only corn meal and tasted great.

1900 Park Fare

1900 Park Fare is located in the Grand Floridian resort and is a favorite of Sue for one reason: she loves the cold strawberry soup. Originally we were not able to get a reservation there this trip and had instead booked a table at one of the other places in the GF. However, after taking some photos of the lobby area Sue went over and asked the hostess if they had a table for 2 and they did.

Here now we have a situation where we were not expected but it made no difference at all in the way we were taken care of. We made our server aware of the gluten issue and they promptly asked for the Chef, Chef Gary, to come to our table. As this was a buffet as well he took me around the serving area and made sure I was comfortable with what was available to me. When we had finished he asked if there was something he could bring me and I asked for the gluten free dinner rolls.

In previous years the food selection area was actually smaller; divided in half they served the same food on each side. There was also a pasta bar where they would make up fresh servings of pasta with seafood and such. However the pasta bar was now gone & they had increased the selections in the serving area by offering different things on both sides; so there was quite a bit for me to enjoy.

The Biergarten

The Biergarten at EPCOT’s Germany Pavilion is a restaurant with one of the more unique seating arrangements on property. Instead of having your own table you are sat at a table for 8 and joined by other families whom you are encouraged to get to know. The tables are set in a half circle facing a stage where a group of guys dressed in Lederhosen sing traditional German songs and encourage the audience to sing along and dance with them. Basically it is Oktoberfest every day and a place we like to visit at least once when we go to WDW.

Though we had been there many times, and had reservations for dinner later in the week, we had never used their quick serve area. I do not recall the menu being really expansive; I think the beer selection was larger. I was interested in the Bratwurst with sauerkraut and  asked the cashier taking the orders if the Bratwurst was gluten free. Here was one of those times where the server replied that even if they did know she would not be able to tell me, instead, she said, she would bring a Chef out to assist me.

They were extremely busy that day and we did have to wait about 10 minutes before a Chef came out. Although every Chef we have encountered at Disney since we have had to cater to my gluten issue has been outstanding, Chef Paul Pavlovic stands out among all of them.

Chef Paul assured me that all the sausages they offered were gluten free, and that I should just order the bratwurst without the bun.

A couple of days later when we returned to the Biergarten for dinner it was Chef Paul again who came out and he recognized us immediately.While we made the rounds at the buffet he pointed out how some items could be made special, asked if there were certain things I liked, and if there was anything he could make special for me. If you have ever been to the Biergarten you know that it is a place that is always very busy. I thanked him for his kind offer, pointed out that he had his hands full already and assured him that I would be okay with what he pointed out I could have.  After we parted ways I made a plate for myself and went back to our table to enjoy the meal and the atmosphere. Even though I was beginning to feel pretty full I was considering heading back to the buffet for some of the tasty looking desserts that were safe when Chef Paul returned and placed a mammoth plate of food before me with salmon, mashed potatoes vegetables, some tasty fruit toppings and the tapioca dinner rolls which he had covered with melted grated cheese and garlic.

He also left me a bag with an assortment of Gluten free cookies, some brownies, and promised to return with a waitress to take a photo.

Liberty Tree Tavern

The next dinner we had was at the Liberty Tree Tavern where Chef Sutilak took care of my meal.

A sweet charming lady, she explained what changes she would make to my plate, such as a gluten free gravy, and brought me a order of the dinner rolls as well. They have a honey butter they whip up on premises, but for some reason I had to settle for the regular stuff. My guess is that they may be concerned about the honey (wheat pollen?); if they can not be certain a item they are supplied with is gluten free they then recommend against you using it. Such was the case at another restaurant where I was advised against using the cocktail sauce.

The standard plate they present you contained turkey, beef, ham, mashed potatoes, string beans and a stuffing (which I could not have). Cranberry sauce was available as well and I did enjoy some of that. The food was awesome & you can have as much as you want of everything, but I was full after one plate.

Boma – Breakfast

Most of our breakfasts on our trips are simple things like oatmeal or cold ceral we prepare in our room. However as we had the dining plan on this trip we took advantage of that and instead had a simple fare of either a omelet or scrambled eggs with bacon and a small sausage, both with home fries, either at EPCOT or at the quick serve restaurant at our hotel. Though filling the scrambled eggs were just okay & usually cold by the time we got back to our table. The omelet was not bad and being made to order was at least warm to eat.

The breakfast we really look forward to is at Boma and Sue schedules that meal for our last day of the vacation. I did not expect Chef Eugene to remember us from a previous trip but I remembered him; he had helped us on a previous visit to animal Kingdom Lodge for lunch at Mara’s as well as a breakfast at Boma. He is a warm friendly man but with an air of a drill sergeant about him. For instance, while going over the breakfast buffet with me, he is  also watching everything going on, pointing out to his help in the back what needs to be stocked up and excusing himself to replenish a supply of plates that is running low.

Like the dinner meal, the breakfast offerings are really tasty, flavorful, and I highly recommend them.

I made myself a nice plate to start off with which I enjoyed with the Frunch, aka Jungle Juice, and coffee.

After I finished that Eugene came to the table with a delicious serving of gluten free french toast, and, for the trip home, he included some muffins set in the shape of Mickey.

As I said earlier, all the Chefs and Mangers were really great. I am always concerned, as busy as it is, that I am taking up their valuable time but they do everything they can to assure me otherwise.

Tuskar House

Another full serve restaurant we visited was Tuskar house. Until recently this had been a quick serve eatery now though it is a full serve buffet style place with food similar to Boma. Not only was the staff here outstanding but there was a great selection to choose from as well.

Chef Joseph took care of me here and brought me some delicious portions  of a Caesar salad, a seafood dish and a vegetable medley, all which he had made up for me without the gluten containing ingredients which the regular versions had..

Animal Kingdom park closes much earlier than all the other parks, so our late afternoon/early evening diner reservations meant that the place was not crowded at all. This was a blessing for a number of reasons, one of which is that it was not as noisy in that restaurant as it usually is. After our meal Chef Joseph and some of his staff even stopped to pose for photos with us.

Tokyo Dining

As I stated earlier, though it tasted good and the staff was great, I was disappointed in the small selection of items I could have here. Having had steak already a couple times during our trip I chose the salmon which had a interesting crispy exterior. Served with a ‘ice cream scoop’ of rice and a couple of vegetables it really was not a fulfilling meal.

Quick Serves

Backlot Express

For lunch one afternoon we stopped in at a quick serve called Backlot Express over at the Disney Hollywood Studios. Kind of tucked away this was the first time we had ever eaten there. Though we arrived at what would have been a peak time for lunch it was not excessively busy so we had no trouble finding a table and were served quickly.

Carly, the cashier, was very pleasant and brought over the manger, Candy, right away.

Candy was very friendly and went straight away to fill my meal order of gluten free chicken tenders and fries with the gluten free brownie for dessert.

The chicken tenders are quite good, better I think even then their regular version. Cooked in a fryer set aside for gluten free foods there is no concern of getting some crumbs from a regular batch in your food.

Pizza Planet

This quick serve is located at the Disney Hollywood Studios and is named after the Pizza Planet restaurant in the Toy Story movies. We have never passed this place when it wasn’t packed and have only eaten there on one occasion. To the best of my knowledge all the pizzas served here are pre-made and therefore just heated and served.

When it was our turn at the register we made the cashier aware of my needs, and someone was dispatched to assist us. David came out from the kitchen area with a binder of pages for all kinds of dietary issues.

He then showed us all the ingredients in the gluten free pizzas they offered.

After I made my choice he went back to the kitchen to prepare it. This place is where we had the longest wait time for my meal. I believe that all the pies they serve are frozen. Obviously they are prepared for the customers who do not have any issues and tons of pies are defrosted and ready to heat and serve as needed.  We, along with another customer with a gluten issue, easily waited close to 20 minutes for our orders. For a restaurant like this, which is always busy, I would suggest that if possible you try to get hold of the manager before you even get to the cashier so that  they can get a head start on your order.

Pizza is one of those things I really miss since I have had to make the change in my diet. The pizza they serve at Pizza Planet is not one of those great gooey pizzas where the greasy cheese stretches as far as your arm will reach, but it is not too bad. The ‘crust’ is more spongy; I think that it is corn based, so it is more like eating pizza toppings on a slice of bread.   Which reminds me, the boys looked over at mine with a bit of envy because it actually had more toppings on it than there conventional pizza did.

The cookies you see in this photo are the ones they served as dessert at all the restaurants the first time we went to WDW and asked for gluten free meals. They were not bad, but I only saw them that one time.

Boulangerie Patisserie pastry shop

This little pastry shop is tucked into the France pavilion at EPCOTs World Showcase. We were under orders from Sues mom for Sue to have a Napoleon ‘for her’. As expected, this was not going to be a place I was going to find an abundance of goodies to enjoy. The only thing there I could have was the Creme Brule, which was okay, nothing fabulous, but not bad.

Steven was very pleasant and I think a touch remorseful that all he had to offer me was the one item.

Note: There are two full serve restaurants at the France pavilion as well, Bistro de Paris, and Chef’s de France. In a a segment I heard recently on a Disney related podcast a caller, who has a family of children with a gluten allergy, told how her family had gone to eat at Chef’s de France because of the Ratatouille character they have entertaining the guests but were disappointed to find that the restaurant, apparently, had no gluten free offerings for the children. I find this really surprising, however, as we have never dined at either of these places I can not say with any certainty that there is or is not gluten free meals available. I would strongly suggest then that when you call to make reservations you confirm that they can accommodate you dietary restrictions.

Desserts/treats

Compared to our first time, the second time taking advantage of Disney’s efforts to cater to the gluten free guests appeared to have slightly more dessert offerings available at the restaurants. It still has a a way to go though to really be as enjoyable as the variety of offerings available for those without dietary restrictions. In speaking with some of the chefs they expressed their disappointment that some items, both for desserts and main courses, would be easy for them to make gluten free but that they had not gotten approval yet from HQ to make the changes. Considering how tightly Disney controls its standards for quality, this is not really surprising and, considering the efforts they make to cater to their guests needs, I am confident that eventually there will be more items available..

For now the two basic items offered for dessert, I think in all the Disney locations, are the cookie and the brownie:

Tip: In the restaurants that also have soft serve ice cream, like the Crystal Palace and Hollywood & Vine, ask the chef to heat up the brownie and then add some ice cream to it!

A final thought.

In closing I would like to thank the Walt Disney company, as well as all the wonderful cast members we met, for taking such good care of folks like myself who are forced to restrict our diets. It is really difficult for someone who can eat just about anything they want to really comprehend what a joy it is to be able to just go to a restaurant and without too much effort have a wonderful meal and not have any worries pressing in the back of their mind about the safety of what they are eating.

When Sue and I met I was popping anti-diarrhea medicines like they were peppermints. Though it eventually escalated to a point where I had to seek medical attention, I had had ‘crummy tummy’ issues all my life and thought it was normal. Being able now to go to a place we love, like WDW, and not even worry about it not only gives me relief physically but mentally as well. Food should not be your enemy. Along with the discomfort, the stress and fear one experiences dealing with food allergies or intolerance’s in a environment you can not control can be overwhelming at times.

The Disney parks are a special place Sue and I have been to many times and look forward to many more. Some people, those who have not as of yet been there, shake their heads when we tell them we will be going again; they do not understand why. We have told them of the people you meet, how you are treated, the interesting and fun things to do, etc, etc. Now though we have one more reason to share: it is not just for the fun and all the the rest of those things, but the peace of mind as well.

The Proof Is In The Passion

What do you think that you will be doing when you are 64?  I’ll bet that some folks out there reading this may have started singing the Beatles tune. How about when you are 61?

I so admire people who prove every day just by the example of the life they lead that life is what you make of it. A case in point, Let me tell you about Connie and Bob Muirhead.

I was first introduced to Connie and Bob last year just before the start of New England’s great State Fair, the Eastern States Exposition, aka The Big E. Once I saw their booth however I realized that I had seen them many times before in my previous visits to the fair, which, by the way, those of us local to the area have been known to refer to as the Big Mess because the traffic during those weeks makes it absolutely horrendous to get around if you live in close proximity to the fair grounds.

Connie likes the action, a lull in the crowd leaves her bored. Bob was busy giving a customer rep for American Express the what for because he was not able to take their cards like he was supposed to.

Anyway. Bob and Connie own and operate Connie Crafts and have been a regular vendor at the Big E for 27 years straight. They’re like royalty there. Hugs and hand shakes are frequently exchanged by long time friends, customers, and vendors alike who make sure to stop by, say hello and buy a new Christmas ornament. Connie told me that she is always amazed at how many people recognize her every year; even the attendant who monitors the lady’s bathroom nearest to their booth. Not only does the attendant give her a smile and a hug, she even escorts Connie to one of the stalls and gives the seat a extra wipe to make sure it is clean for her. Now that is service. On one busy night when she did not want to leave Bob alone at the booth she called the Storrowton Tavern restaurant, which is right there on the Exposition grounds, and asked if they could wrap up a meal for her that she would walk over and pick up; the manager did her one better and had it delivered right to her booth; she was amazed that she would receive such service.

This year I met them 3 times, once just after they arrived and were unloading the truck, once during the fair and then again the day after the fair closed as they were breaking the area down and loading up the truck for their next engagement. Though they have a legion of friends and family who will stop by and assist in some of the heavy work, make no mistake about it, both Connie and Bob are fully involved in the whole process; they know where every single thing is and belongs. Bob, a seasoned wood worker, designed and built their display area and though it consists of many components it is quick to set up and break down, which he is closely involved in as well.

The loading and unloading of the truck is closely monitored and choregraphed by Bob; each item placed in almost the same exact place each time, everything fit to stay together and remain firmly in place during the long rides from home and from show to show. And he thinks nothing of it to grab a box, the end of a shelf unit or any other piece of furniture to help carry it to or from the truck.

Connie runs the operation in regards to what is displayed and where items are placed once they are brought off the truck; she has an encyclopedic memory about every little detail; if you have any questions about an item just ask Connie.

Any Ornament you buy at their booth will be personalized free of charge. Bob and Connie do the personalization themselves; with rock steady hands they will print the names or words of your choice in small crisp clear lettering.

Stay still in their booth and you may well get run over; there are no shuffling feet or vacant senile stares here, these folks are spry, sharp as a tack, and rarely stand still for long.

Connie is the little general of the operation, From the moment the door of the truck opens and stuff is being unloaded she is watching everything and making sure things are going smoothly.

She moves with purpose and if you ask her a question she looks you directly in the eye while you’re talking.

Unless she is sitting in the chair to personalize ornaments she can be found stocking or organizing everything in her domain – that is when she is not greeting her long list of fans.

Though the bodies may be wearing, their minds are as sharp as ever. During lunch the other day Connie surprised me when she asked me key questions about my family, job, and other things we had spoke of the year before. Mind you I had only met them at that time and had not spoken to either of them since. But they both remembered the details of what we spoke about.

As you have probably figured out by now, these are not two seniors who just have a little booth to call their own and then have minions running around handling all the work.

After the booth is set up they do have friends who help during various hours throughout the day, but Bob and Connie are there from open to close, every day, for the whole 17 days of the show. Connie told me that they are usually up at about 7am and do not get to bed till midnight or later. It is a tough schedule, but I do not think that she would rather be anywhere else. In fact Connie was asked at the end of this years fair if she was happy to be going home for a bit. “No”, she said flatly, “I want it to go on and on forever”. And you know that she means it; watching her you can tell she really loves what she is doing. She is in her element when it is busy and she is hustling around the booth, answering questions, ringing up orders and taking turns with Bob in the chair to personalize the items their customers have purchased. Some of the people who make purchases are more than customers really, they’re loyal fans who come back year after year to get new items for themselves, their friends, family, even their pets.

Opening this story I asked what you thought that you would be doing when you are 61. The reason I asked is because, according to my math, that is about the age Bob was when he and Connie first came to the Big E twenty seven years ago. That’s right, Bob is 88 and Connie is just about to turn 87.

If they are not proof positive that passion is the elixir of life I don’t know what is.

Connie said that she would give me a call next year when they are in town again for the fair. I told her that now that I’ve met them I am counting on seeing them there at the Big E another 50 years. Her bright eyes beamed as she looked up at me with a big smile and said “Okay!”

Connie knows that time is her enemy; she is determined to keep going as long as she can but she knows that it is getting harder on Bob who has had some health issues over the past 6 months and she fears might be ready to stop touring. I know this much though, if it is any way possible, this is a woman who would move heaven and earth for them to be there for 50 more years…..I just hope that I can keep up with them.

YAY!!! We’re going back to Disney World!!

Sorry, do I sound a bit childish? Well I am. In Fact I often tell people, with a touch of pride, that I am Susan’s oldest child.

WDW has always been a delight for us to visit, but there has been, for me, one part that has always left me uncomfortable, and that has been dining there.

Don’t get me wrong, although Disney does have a few less than stellar restaurants, Susan, in her ever diligent research, has always guided us away from those and we have had some of the best food we have ever had. The problem for me though was that I was always in pain afterwords.
This of course was before my issues with Gluten were Identified. But even after that, try as I would to avoid obvious gluten containing foods, something would still cause me discomfort afterwords.
When we found out that Disney takes food allergies very seriously, we made sure to tell the dining reservation folks we spoke with about my problem and a note was made on the reservations when we called to make our dining plans for our trip last June.

My, my, what a difference. I had ZERO issues the entire trip.

When we got to the restaurants we made sure that they knew about my problem, they always did and we could see it mentioned on the slip the host left on the table for the server. The server would take our drink order and then go to the kitchen and get the chef, or, in the case of the new restraunt at the Japan Pavilion at EPCOT , the manager (the chef didn’t speak English I guess). The chef would come to the table and very politely go over the menu, or if it was a buffet take me to the buffet area, and go over every single item explaining why I could or could not have it, or how they could make it special so that I would be able to have it. At one restaurant the Chef pointed out that I could of course have the shrimp, but advised against the cocktail sauce for the simple reason that they did not make it so they could not be 100 percent certain it was gluten free. If there was a safe item on the buffet that was close to something not safe, to avoid any concerns about cross contamination with a spoon, for instance, the chef would offer to bring me a fresh batch of anything I desired – and let me tell you, there was quite a bit they could get for me, special or otherwise, that I could have.

So that I could be certain that the meal presented to me was indeed made special & gluten free the chef themselves brought it out to me; there was no worry that a busy server had grabbed the wrong plate. It was fantastic and I can not thank enough all the Disney staff, especially the chefs, who made certain I did not feel like I was a bother. The Chef at the newly renovated Tuskar house even posed for pictures with some of his staff. When it comes to making you feel welcome few, if any, can match the folks at Disney.

Two things that touched me the most was when the chef in the new reatraunt at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Vacation club came out after wards to not only bring me my dessert but a little mickey pin as well. The second thing was on our last day there when we had breakfast at Boma’s at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The chef brought out for me a breakfast of delicious freshly made gluten free french toast along with a few muffins for the flight home. It brought a tear to my eye.

Well a couple months back I had made plans with our neighbor, Delores, to drive her car down to Florida for her. She had the year before spent the winter down there with a friend, loved it, and bought a little trailer  to stay at every winter. She bought a second car up here and wanted to have her old car down there to use. I offered to drive it down for her, Susan, after I told her, thought that it would make a great road trip. Not only we would stop off and see my sister on the way down but – surprise surprise – we could go to WDW a few days before we came back! After that she was off and running making plans.

Plans changed and Delores was not going to need me to take the car down for her. Sue though had her mind made up; we’re going anyway. So the plans are made, the reservations are made, with a note about gluten, and we cant wait to head down the day after thanksgiving. We still wanted to see my sister in Virginia, so now we will rent a car and drive down stopping at Sharon’s house along the way for a brief visit and a little rest.

Life is Good

Update: A more recent and extensive review of my experiences with gluten free dining at WDW can be found HERE

The Biplane

So about a week ago Tim, a young boy & one of our Russian neighbors, came knocking on our door.
He told me, rather matter of factly, that he needed my help building a project out of wood.

He needed my help because he didn’t have any nails, or glue, or tools or even wood.

He explained that his cousin was soon to give birth to a baby girl and he wanted to give her something as a gift.

“Fine,” I said, “what do you have in mind?”

“An airplane,” he told me.

I let that sink in a bit then asked about how big he wanted this airplane to be.

“60 inches”

“That is a pretty big plane. In fact it is about as long as she is tall.” I said, pointing towards Susan.

“Hmmmm,” he thought, “maybe 48 inches.”

“That is about how tall you are, how about 12 inches? I don’t think a baby is really interested in a airplane, but, in case I’m wrong, and considering how little she is going to be, the only thing she is going to do with a 60 or 48 inch airplane is lean against it.”

He did not appear to be fully swayed by my argument but finally, albeit reluctantly, agreed.

“So, what kind of plane are we building?” I asked

“One of those ones with two wings, ya know, one above the other?”

“Ah, a biplane”

“Yes”

He then told me he was going to go home and work out the plans for our project and left to get right to work.

About 20 minutes later he knocked on the door again and showed me his step by step plans.

I thanked him and told him I had some ideas as well, I could not start the project right away, but we were certainly going to get it done this week.

He was a bit disappointed but said okay and left.

About 15 minutes later he was at the door again.

“Did you get a chance to review the plans yet?” he asked with a serious look on his face.

“Uhh, just quickly, but I will study them more in detail later.”

He said okay and left again.

The next evening, at about 6:30, he was at my door again ready to get to work. I explained that I could not get to it today, but I will be ready to start tomorrow.  You could plainly see on his face that this disappointed him,

“Why cant you start today?” he asked

“Because I am in the middle of other things.” I replied. His shoulders slumped, and he said “But we’ll be a day behind schedule.”

“Don’t worry, we will be okay. I have some ideas that I think you will like.” He nodded okay and left for home.

At around 2 in the afternoon the next day I rummaged around in the garage for a piece of 8 quarter clear pine I had, some quarter inch plywood and a few scraps of pine and poplar. I squared up a foot long hunk of the 8 quarter, and drew the lines for the shape of the body of the plane.

I  cut out the shape on the table saw and then cut out the area where the tail pieces would fit. I cut the rudder and rear wing pieces from the plywood along with the main wings. From a small piece of 3/4 x 1 inch poplar I made the piece that will hold the wheels (the only thing I bought, $1.25 for 4) and from some scrap pine cut out the pieces that would hold and support the two wings as well as the propeller.

I then sanded and shaped the pieces and prepared to glue them together.

It was at about this time that Tim showed up; I heard him knocking on the back door and called him over to the garage.

“You started without me??” he asked.

“Yeah, I had some ideas I wanted to try, I think that you will like them.” I couldn’t tell him that because of his age I did not want him playing with the power tools without his parents around.

I dry fitted all the pieces together and showed him how it was going to look. His disappointment at my not including him from the beginning vanished and he was ready to help me glue it together.

The glue comes in two parts; there is the glue you apply to one piece and then a spray activator you apply to the other.  Seeing me blowing the activator dry on the first piece  Tim took it upon himself to blow on each other piece I did and then give me the go ahead to fasten the pieces together.

While we were doing the assembly I suggested that perhaps this was not really a toy a girl would appreciate, certainly not an infant, and that maybe he should just go ahead and play with it.

“Yeah, I guess your right.” he replied between blowing on a couple of pieces. “I guess that I could play with it till she gets older”

When it was all assembled it looked like this

Just my guess, but I think that he liked it.

In one of those “Kids say the darndest things” moments, while we were glueing it together, he looks up to me and say’s:

“When I’m older, and your dead, I am going to remember you helping me with this.”

Christmas 2008

Twas the night before Christmas and all about
The Karen’ies were celebrating in our little house

Law Law and Ta Blue,
Eh Law Soe and Hser Tha Blay,
Christine and Sugar Moon. even Moo Gay,
celebrating their first Christmas in the USA

Their stockings were hung on the staircase with care
stuffed with candy canes, toy Rein Deer and iPod Accessories.
Flash Lights, Lip Balm, chocolates and trinkets galore.
But the best gift of all came not from a store.

As we sat down for dinner we took a moment to pray
thanking the Lord above for the love of our new found friends
from half a world away.

What a Blessing, what a treat
Our lives were forever changed that day we stopped to say Hello
to our new neighbors across the street.

This was our neighbors first Christmas in America and it was our pleasure to share it with them.

Sue spoke with the folks at Toys For Tots and they made a special effort to see to it Hser Tha Blay (aka Seth) and Eh Law Soe had presents.

We gave them these presents a day or so before Christmas… which was easier than trying to wrap or hide them all…

You can see they were quite happy with them…

On Christmas Eve we had Law Law and his family over again.

Sugar Moon & , her sister, Christina, came over

as well as their cousin Benny

And Ta Blue’s brother Moo Gay stopped over – a man not afraid to challenge fashion trends.

It was a great night of friendship, dinner and laughter.

Afterward Eh Law Soe went right for the presents under the tree, pointing out each and every one she thought was hers…

But first we opened the stockings.

Both Eh Law Soe and Seth loved the stuffed animals they found in theirs…

And then it was time for the presents!

It was a joyous site to behold; never had they experienced such a thing and it warmed our hearts to be able to be there with them.

December 25 was not only Christmas, but it was Ta Blue’s birthday as well (amazingly Law Law’s birthday is on January 1st).

So after most of the wrapping paper was picked up we went to the kitchen for some cake and cookies.

Here Ta Blue is offering some to our eldest boy Keith

Christmas has long been a difficult time of year for me; too many unpleasant memories, but this year was special, I could not help but be carried away by the fun and excitement our friends were having.

Often we have expectations about the holiday; we have gift wish lists and all that, these folks had no idea what to expect. The smiles on their faces were worth more to us than any material gift and I find myself looking forward al ready to the next Christmas we can spend together.

We have some additional photos here, please feel free to enjoy them as well.

K & S

Dreams Do Come True

photo from Feb 25, 2008.

Wow

It has really only been a short time here in the states for our neighbors, but already they have experienced so much with us.

Law Law and Ta Blu Moo (more of a phonetic spelling of their names) came here in Jan 2008 from Thailand where they had lived as refugees for 20 years or so in the camp Mae La.

Their homeland of Karen, Mynanmar (formerly known as Burma), has been in a state of civil war for over 50 years. These gentile folk are people without a country and over the last number of years are being brought to other countries around the world to start a new life.

Here in Western Massachusetts we are seeing quite a few families moving in around us. I guess that it depends on your perspective; but, good or bad, Massachusetts offers some of the best social services for people in their plight in the US and we are seeing some families, already established in other states, coming here to enjoy them. In fact one of our neighbors has a friend coming today from California to relocate here.

My heart goes out to these people; overall they are some of the sweetest folks I have met and very appreciative of the help Sue, myself, and the sponsoring entities are providing them.

Law Law and his family were brought here by the Lutheran Family Services, Sugar Moon from Jewish Family services, and a couple others I have met recently by some arm of the UN.

I think that the biggest obstacle they face presently is language. Ta Blu can speak a little english, and we are getting better at understanding each other. Law Law really has to work on it though. Hopefully he will now be able to; he has befriended a young man, Min Win Aung, who only arrived four days ago. He speaks very good english though. Until now the only person I met who was as good was Sugar Moon.

Sugar Moon.

I have encouraged him to make use of this advantage; one thing we really need here now is people who can speak in both Karen and english.

We have in this area a large, for lack of a better word, ‘Russian’ community. These are people who have immigrated here themselves within the last 5 -10 years from the former soviet satellite states like the Ukraine, Romania, Kazakhstan and such. Many whom I spoke with during this period when they were arriving were sponsored by churches, and some of them, now working with these churches, are helping the Karen refugees get settled, and doing a wonderful job. If you can imagine how difficult it is for some of the Karen people to communicate in english, add on the difficulty of trying to do so with people who themselves may have some issues with the language and have a heavy dialect on top of that.

If Min Win Aung can also learn some of the russian language he could corner the market on being a interpreter!

The point I wanted him to understand though was this: it will be very difficult to get a decent job if you can not easily communicate. Law Law, and some of the others, are having this trouble right now. Though the market is a bit tight, there is work out there. However an employer is less likely to give the position to someone they can not easily communicate with. Min understands this and has promised to come by our house to improve his english.

Anyway.

This past weekend we took Law Law, his wife, son and another young man, Sher Boe Dow (pronounced Sha Boo Doe), to see the ocean. Regrettably their daughter Eh Law Soo, was away visiting family and could not join us.

Eh Law Soo

In one of their first visits at our home, while we were looking on a map online going over the different legs of their trip coming here, Ta Blu mentioned that they had never seen the ocean before, and would love to not only see it but swim in it as well. Sue assured her then that she would get the opportunity.

Ta Blu

Saturday, June 21st 2008 was that day. We rented a van and headed down to Rhode Island.

We first went to Brenton Park where we had lunch and Seth (again a phonetic pronunciation, the best I can make right now) got to fly his first kite!

Brenton has a spot right next to the coast where the hobbyists display some really exotic kites

Seth’s kite, featuring the fish Nemo, was a dollar store special but it worked well and he had a blast.

We enjoyed a nice lunch of chicken wrap sandwiches with chips and water,

Afterwards Seth and I went to walk on the rocks, followed shortly by Law Law and Sher Boe Dow.

Seth had a grand time climbing and exploring….

I showed them some of the ocean wildlife I found in the area, including Hermit crabs and Starfish, which they were all amazed with.

After our little bit of exploring came time for our next big adventure and we left Brenton to head for Easton’s Beach.

After we settled our belongings Sue took Seth’s hand and led him down and around a bit as he took his first steps in ocean water, you could tell that he was really enjoying it.

At one point he looked up at Sue as he bent down towards the water, seeking permission to play in the surf. Sue said Sure! Well that was all it took – he let go of her hand and plopped down and splashed around. When he stood up his shirt, now wet, was bothering him and he looked to Sue to help him remove it, which she did, then he decided that pants were too much of a burden as well, quickly wrestled out of them, and plopped back into the water!

He ran around a bit till he looked like a human goose bump and Sue took him in to dry off.

It wasn’t too long though before he was back again

Eventually he did come in to stay and Sue helped him dry and warm up.

During all this Ta Blu, Law Law and Sher Boe Dow were wading a bit in the water. Law Law and Sher Boe Dow never made it past that, claiming to be “too cold” and eventually wandered off. Ta Blu though, after a little bit of hesitation, perhaps because of the enormity of the body of water before her, slowly made her way further in, till, standing in waist high water, she plopped down, and just had a ball after that; it was for her a dream come true.

After a half hour or so she came back to shore & excitedly did her best to express the fun she had, I think that it is rather obvious.

Her boy was now dressed again in dry clothes Sue had the foresight to bring with us, and started on his next ‘first’: building a sandcastle!

After Ta Blu changed into something dry and found that her husband and Sher Boe Dow had returned from where ever they had wandered to after leaving the water. She not only told them about the fun she had had but, I think, was chiding them for chickening out of going in the water…that is just my impression though.

We spent a couple hours at the beach then went looking for something to call dinner. Flo’s Clam Shack had been suggested to us by a co-worker of Sue, it was just a stones throw up the beach, but trying to find parking was so frustrating that we sought out something else. Betty, our GPS, had a listing for a place in town, which, after we arrived, we found was now no longer there. A local suggested The Gas Lamp Grille just a few minutes walk away from where we were so we made our way there. Sue was worried that we would have a long wait because we were a party of 6, but it only took a couple minutes for them to get a pair of tables together. Everyone was pleasant to deal with and I would not mind going there again some time.

Sue started us off by ordering a plate of nachos with chili, kind of a taco salad, we also ordered hamburgers all around, although Sue’s was a turkey burger, I had a cup of their clam chowder as well.

Seth dreaming about his first hamburger?

The taco salad arrived and every one had some.

We all enjoyed it quite a bit. and it didn’t last too long.

Then came the burgers.

This was their first hamburger and they looked at it, and me, a bit puzzled about how to proceed eating them. The burgers arrived in a open faced fashion and I demonstrated with mine how to close the sandwich and eat it. While Sue was showing Seth he kept flipping the top of the bun off; he would eat a piece of bacon, Sue would put the top back on, he would flip it of again and eat another piece of bacon. After doing this repeatedly till he had picked off and ate all the bacon on his he spared no time and dug right in!

He has a fascinating way of eating: first stuff in everything you can, then worry about chewing….

I finished mine, Seth much of his, Ta Blu polished off hers, Sue didn’t finish the turkey burger only because she didn’t care for it, I tasted it and it was not anything great; the meat was bland and they seemed to try and make up for it with a sauce that was a bit much for her. We frequently have turkey burgers at home, special flavor blends that she either buys or I make, so she has a high standard for them. The regular Angus beef burgers were tasty though as was the chowder.

But, again, the two other guys just could not keep up, a bit of a disappointment from a macho standpoint, if you ask me<g>.

They, with the excuse of having stuffed themselves with the taco salad, only put a dent in their meal and participated in another ‘first’: the great American custom called The Doggy Bag.

After dinner we started back to the car to go home. However, while passing her booth, a woman convinced us to take a little harbor cruise on a boat called “The Amazing Grace”. It was a pleasant little trip talking about the buildings, boats, and history around the Nantucket harbor. They had never been on any boat like this so we thought that they would have fun, which they did.

Sher Boe Dow

The ride was about a hour, but it wasn’t too long before his heavy eyelids won the battle and Seth drifted off into dreamland…..

It had been a big day for him full of great adventures that I hope he always will remember… I know that I will.

After the harbor cruise we continued back to the van to began the trek home.

Their minds still full of all they had experienced, there was a little chatter between Law Law, Ta Blu and Sher Boe Dow at first, but little by little they drifted off to sleep. Seth, who woke up while we were fastening him to the car seat held out the longest of the four of them, but soon they had all, including Sue, drifted off. Dreaming, I imagine, of magical kites & the great big ocean, tamed at last.

I shall forever be grateful that I could be there with them, and hope to help more of their dreams come true.

More photos of our neighbors can be found HERE

Watching our Garden Grow

How do they know???

The past few weeks I have found myself living a way, I think, most people would love to live.

For the first time in 20+ years I find myself unemployed, and I am not really concerned by it: God, The Universe, will provide.

I have been busy though. Last year Sue began to grow some stuff in pots; her first effort in Organic Gardening. She had mixed results: the three potted Tomatoes did fabulous, we had a great head of Broccoli, some nice Basil and one nice Pepper! We won’t talk about the cabbage.

For this year I told her that I would make up some raised planter beds for her to use. I had some 5/4 cedar pieces form years back and made 3 nice boxes with them:

(Click here for full size image)

Well, Sue and our Burmese neighbors, planted a whole lot more in them little boxes than I expected, plus she brought back some plants from the farm we own shares at – more containers would have to be made. I should point out that Sue practice what she calls “Chaos Gardening”: throw some seed here, some seed there, if it grows great, if not, oh well. Garden aficionados please note: this can make weeding a bit difficult: in the early stages of growth you really do not know what is a flower and what isn’t!

I am a bit more anal about the process. I am by no means a seasoned expert gardener, but if I see something struggling to survive I just gotta do my best to encourage it on. A little while back while pulling some stuff from our compost pile I found that something had sprouted. I have no idea what it is, but I put it in a pot and water it with everything else. My mother-in-law, a expert gardener of many years, and who keeps here beautiful gardens free of anything other than what she wants growing there (she even sifts the dirt to make sure it meets her approval!) does cast a curious if not suspicious eye on my “if it’s green it grows” philosophy. It is a good thing that I am her favorite (read:only) son-in-law.

So, with no more cedar, but plenty of free time, some pallets and other hunks of wood around I have made it my mission to rescue what I can. We now have three more planter boxes, each about six feet long, plus there are numerous pots around the yard. I also used some space in the flower garden area for some of the plants Sue brought home: 2 corn, 3 tomatoes and one pepper plant.

The back yard garden as it getting bigger. For the full size image click HERE.

I also moved some of the bean plants and a hot pepper plant to the front of the garage…

(full size HERE)

By far the thing that amazes me the most is how the climbing plants know where to climb.

Last week I moved one of the Morning Glory plants from in front of the house to the front/side garden I created and made a trellis to hang on the fence for it to eventually climb around. Within only a couple of days two of the Black Berry branches which last year had rooted in the ground and grew into bushes in their own right. made a sharp right turn and are heading directly towards the trellis!

(full size HERE)

There is no doubt about it, these guys went from verticle to horizontal and are heading directly for the trellis.

Last night, knowing that the bean plants would soon want to start climbing, I strung some string on the center planter for them to use when they were ready. Overnight three of the plants reached up and started wrapping around the string:

(full size HERE & HERE)

It really amazes me that the plants know, and affirms, to me, that there is a mass consciousness around us that we do not yet fully appreciate.

Sitting and Thinking

A couple weeks ago a great guy left our world.
Jan Wouter Wildbergh was a mans man. He and my father respected each other deeply and were the strongest most determined men I knew. No challenge they faced was an obstacle; it was an adventure.

Life is full of regrets, and one of mine will always be that I did not get to see more of him over the years; there was a lot of history behind those smiling eyes, and a lot of joy in his presence.

The easy part is going; dying, the hard part is for the rest of us who remain to gather the pieces of our now fractured reality.

His ex-wife Nita. two children; Karin & Mark, and his widow Rose Marie, all the grandchildren & extended family now face a world so alien, so different than the one they were living in only weeks ago. My heart goes out to them and hurts with their sorrow.

My parents are long gone; papa only 6 or 7 years ago, my mom in 1987. Each time, when I stood in their homes afterwards, I felt what I can only describe as a distinct absence of their energy.

When you view the body of one who is deceased you can sense that this form that remains is an empty shell; the life, the spirit, the energy that animated it and made it the person we knew is gone and all that is left behind is their shell.

When you stand in their home; still furnished with what had been their valuables and possessions, there is the same feeling – it is not just quiet…it is empty. It is a emptiness so deep I can only imagine it is because they took with them the energy they had used to create and maintain this world they had shared with us.

A dear friend of mine; now facing her own imminent death once told me that she could feel it whenever I entered the room. I never really understood that till I stood in a room where I could feel my parents energy absent.

I am a great believer in the parallel universe theory in quantum physics. Part of the reason I believe it because despite of physically traumatic event I have experienced I remain relitivly, remarkably, intact. In simple terms; imagine that you come to a fork in the road: you have a choice right or left. No matter which direction you go the other choice will be realized as well – the universe will split and another you will travel down that road and experience life from that perspective until its end.

In some reality my mom is still living; a happier life. As is my father and Wout and myself. The world they live in is to them just as real as this one is to me.
Sometimes I try to yell across that seemingly great divide of space and time; a plea to those other me’s to hug our parents just a little harder; not only so that they will know that they are so special, but because it will hurt so much when that alternate me comes to that point in their future when they are not able to hug them again.

What and why is death? But then again, what and why is life?
I can understand sometimes why some people die; they seem to reach a point where nothing makes sense to them anymore. They no longer can tolerate the way the world is; modern music, films, books, politics, it is so far from what they remember that they no longer feel like they fit in.

Some people live tragic lives and, if this world is a learning place, I wonder if it is for their benefit or ours.

Quantum physics shows us that the image of a solid world is an illusion; if you look down deep enough you find that everything is made out of vibrating energy. Energy we are told can change but not be destroyed. If we, who think ourselves solid are in fact energy which in turn can not be destroyed…where do we go?

Further. If everything is energy, vibrating at different rates then there are no real boundaries between me and this chair I am sitting on or the keyboard under my fingers. If you look at a digital image of your hand on your computer, and you keep zooming in the image, eventually the hand is no longer recognizable as the pixels become larger- you cant even tell where the last pixel that made up your hand ends and the first pixel that makes up the space around it begins. Such is the fabric of our reality – there is no separation. Are our spirits concentrated globs of energy inhabiting even more concentrated globs of energy we call a body?

With the fabric of space being merely a vast field of energy, and linear time being an illusion as well…everything that ever was and will be is always around us.

I envision the “Big Bang” as being Gods urge to know itself; a great big “what if?” reaching out in every conceivable direction.

And I have a theory. As each “what if” in which we inhabit comes to its conclusion then the “I” we were in that reality or universe releases its hold on that reality and then both returns to the One God source as well as the rest of the expressions of itself in their respected realities. I say ‘both’ because, again, there is no separation, only energy. To the person in those realities there is no recognition of such; they are immediatly involved in the alternate reality closeest to the one they just left and never even realize that there was a shift; they’ll thank their lucky stars that they escaped, or maybe experience a reeality where they have more physical limitations, but never knowing that some other expression of themselves has come to its end.

I have broken my neck, had over a dozen pneumonias, been in some horrendous automobile accidents, even damn near eviscerated my self a couple years back in a accident at work. Despite some aches and scars I am fully intact…but did all my alternate selves fair as well? I believe that in a number of those alternate realities those expressions drew to a close and, for however long as I am ‘here’ there may well be others that will end as well.
Eventually there will be only one expression of ‘me’ remaining. That one will have the accumulated experiences of all the alternate me’s that were created and, as well, all the knowledge they gathered. This last remaining me will understand that there is no death because dying implies separation, removing itself from all that is, and that can not happen.

Perhaps the realization will come to that me one morning at dawn; sitting on a favorite rock by a quiet lake. As the sun breaks over the horizon, and understanding breaks through the last barrier of his mind, I can see him standing with a smile, reaching out his arms to embrace the light…and letting go of everything he thought he had to hold on to.