Winner.

Charlie Sheen has totally killed that word, or possibly he just brought it to light.  Maybe it was always a bit obnoxious?  It’s 5am, and I couldn’t sleep.  So rather than toss & turn after every “to do” possible crossed my mind, I flipped on the light, waddled out to the kitchen and made myself a cup of tea.  Cause I’ve got news for you, and I might as well use this sleepless time to share.

Thanks to you.  Each and every single one of you.  We won the Mango Mentor Competition!  Can you believe it?  I couldn’t.  Honestly, I was so very excited.  I definitely squealed.  John’s left for South Africa, but he AHHHHH’d via email, and Mom and Dad high-fived me several times.  It was great fun.  First off, I actually won an iPad 2, which I’ve been wanting something fierce, but just didn’t have it in me to purchase given my various other electronic paraphernalia.  I’m gonna use it like crazy.  And secondly, I’ll get to blog on mango.org, and who doesn’t like to talk a bit of mango? So thank you.

I’ll see you again on Sunday…

Vote?

Hi Organic Spark Friends,

On a TOTAL WHIM, I participated in a video contest called “How to Cut a Mango” with the National Mango Board at the recent BlogHer 2011 Conference in Atlanta, GA, and funny enough, I made it to the Final 10. Ha!

I feel like I have finally redeemed myself from my 9th grade run for Student Council, where I used the tagline (my maiden name is Schrecengost) – “What the heck! Vote for Molly Schrec!”  I didn’t win.  And since Chester doesn’t rhyme with heck, you’re spared a similar campaign.

So, I’ll just say… I’d love it if you’d consider taking the time to vote! Here’s the link to see the video and vote: http://www.facebook.com/letsmango?sk=app_208195102528120

Thanks friends!

Molly

We’re in!

Well, maybe not Todd.  He’d been out chasing this guy…

But, the rest of us and our many, many, many boxes of belongings are officially home.  Mom‘s here, too.  She’s come to help and stay for the next two months, while John’s in South Africa for work.  Dad flies in later today for the same reason.  Through the window of my temporary kitchen office, mom walks past, probably switching the laundry and definitely making me wonder how we ever, ever could have done this without her.

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We’re moving!

Please don’t ask me to pass the mustard.  I wouldn’t have a clue where it is right now.  If you’d like to borrow a certain pair of cute shoes, you’re out of luck for at least 3 weeks.  And if I get a paper cut while moving, I’m out of luck because there’s no WAY I could find a band-aid.  We’re (almost) packed up, and I haven’t even gotten back to California yet!  We’ve had help, and John’s there overseeing and taking pictures.  Probably a little heavy on the later, god love him. The cowgirl hat above is standing tall, anxious to be one of the most sought after possessions in less than a week.  Farmers need hats.  And though it’s beyond me how this actually happened, we’ve become farmers.  Yippee!

The clock looks a bit lonely in the picture directly above.  I guess she’s still got teapot, but not for long, I’m sure.  I didn’t call the second picture AFTER because Dad kindly pointed out that the final step in this adventure is really the farmhouse kitchen, whereas DURING was taken mid-pack.  Photos mostly down and appliances moved, I’m going to miss this little (little) kitchen.  She and I wrote a cookbook together.  We learned how to preserve lemons, make a mean pot roast and burn a potholder in the oven (yup.) My neighbors would walk by the kitchen window with a “Hi Molls!”  And, I cooked to the sound of children playing in the courtyard.  It was a great place to live.

Actually, it all looks a bit depressing right now.  No soul.  No happy buzz of daily life.  This is the familiar part where a bit of sadness creeps into the heart and the head gets filled up with very tangible memories.  Each grand stage of life is beautiful.  And, each stage eventually ends no matter how long it lasted: moves, retirement, job changes, children, even death.  Whatever the circumstances, it always gets a bit messy before it gets straight.

xo – Organic Spark

Digging in the dirt.

Lately, I’ve been changing houses, cities and jobs like they’re socks. So let’s change something else, just for kicks…

Our baby Organic Spark has joined forces with a media network comprised of a fantastic group of traditional foods bloggers called Real Food Media.  Organic Spark will be a featured blog, sitting pretty next to the incredible company of blogs such as: Nourished Kitchen, Cheeseslave, Hartke Is Online and Health Home Happy.  As a by-product, a banner advertisement now resides in the right-hand column of our blog.  I was hesitant to incorporate ads into Organic Spark. I simply can’t stomach supporting things for which I don’t believe.  It’s no fun faking a smile.  Luckily, Real Food Media offers a solution without a bit of compromise.  Their standards for sponsors are so high; I feel lucky to have their ads on my site.  Supporting the companies who join Real Food Media is a pleasure for which I am grateful.

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