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Friday, March 25, 2011

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

I love bread but I always try to avoid the kitchen. When we lived in Florida I felt an obligation to volunteer at a homeless shelter called "The Daily Bread." I was willing to chop veggies, serve and do dishes. One day, none of the cooks showed up so I had to do the cooking. ME !!!! I can't cook. No kidding. I was scared out of my mind. We never knew what the menu would be because we were at the mercy of the local merchants who dropped day-old food at the door. We also had a large reserve of food in a walk-in freezer. I had helpers and we struggled to get a meal for 200. We made dirty rice, Ky Fried dropped off chicken, Publix dropped off salad stuff, bread and fruit. A high-five for us and the wonderful merchants. It wasn't "that bad," as I continued to cook for the Daily Bread. One of my life's lessons!!!!!

All my life I've loved mysteries. I always went for the old lady cozy and collected every book written by Agatha Christy. I loaned them to my brother years ago. and recently saw my big box of them sitting in his garage. Oh well, I know where they are!!! Getting a plot for a good mystery is mind boggling. I've tried it many times but they come up trite. Bloggy friend JJ recently launched a new blog with some of his short mysteries. I still feel a sense of evil fore-boding. He's a brilliant writer. JJ Botta Freelance Writer

Do you ever fall in love with a word and want to use it but can't work it in? I want to use jejune but don't quite know how. Think think think. Oh I know, "Cody dog is behaving in a jejune manner as she paces for her breakfast." (Is that right?) So I better get my bum off this computer chair and feed her.
Adios

24 comments:

  1. The ending made me laugh out loud. This is sort of a mixed tape of life. Love it. Thank you.

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  2. Jejeune is a fantastic word - I may have to try to work that into my conversation somehow! Thank you. :)

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  3. Manzi: You humble me. Thank you!

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  4. LOL. Funny!

    Glad you turned out to be such an efficient cook.

    As for books, I prefer memoirs. True life is so fascinating, better than anything made up.

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  5. what you shared is definitely not a jejune! :)

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  6. Teresa,
    I didn't think it was so funny when I wrote it but now that I re-read it, I guess it is sort of bizarre. Ha.

    Talli,
    Me too but the only one around to talk to is my dog.

    Texwisgirl,
    Thanks for the smile.

    jj,
    I take that as a yes. :)

    gigi,
    I like biographies too. If I ever read a fiction novel, I always want to know all about the author.

    I wasn't ever efficient in the kitchen.... just learned how to make use of what was on available and the people were getting free meals so they were grateful for anything. I think that was the best part, feeding people who really needed food. In the winter, Florida attracted every homeless person in the US. Is Hawaii like that?

    bendedspoon,
    oooohhhh, I love your words. Thanks for stopping.

    Thank you everyone. Love you all .... Manzanita

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  7. Once again, Manzi, we have commonality. My library contains a sizable selection of Christie Mysteries (particularly the Hercules Poirot series). She has been a favorite since my teen years.

    Jejune bugs will make an appearance in 2 months or so...

    ;*) xoxoxo, cd

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  8. I volunteer at a similar kitchen every 3rd Friday. like the kitchen you were at you are the mercy of what is on hand. I have come to call my cooked "Chopped" after that show on the Food Network. But i wouldn't cook something I wouldn't myself eat so i always sit down and share the meal with the patrons :-)

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  9. Sometimes I use words in the wrong context, just because I think they sound right that way!

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  10. Good for you to take up the cooking challenge! That's so brave, cooking for 200, and I can relate since cooking is not one of my strengths. I love mysteries too and I realize now that I haven't read one in a while. Jejune I think is a word that can be applied to the behavior of any canine critter. If I'm wrong, remember that English is not my native language, but I did study Latin a very, very long time ago. I'm so glad you liked my post of today.--Inger

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  11. I suffer from jejune every full moon! LOL!!

    Anyway!! Yay for whipping up a lovely 3/4 course meal for 200 souls!!! High Five all round!!

    I love Agathie Christie!! Her books kept me company last time I was laid up in bed - she's a fiendish plotter, truly!! Yay for your friend!!

    I hope gorgeous Cody is no longe have jejune moments! :-) Take care
    x

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  12. Manzi, I went back to your post about your husband so my husband could read it (he was on a buz trip at the time.) As he read, his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Hub then proceeded to give me your hub's awesome bio (as only b-ball people can do), from the Wash. Senators to the Twins.

    Just wanted to share that it was totally awesome, your blog up on the screen, my hub talking baseball and me soaking it up. (Thought I'd write this here as I wasn't sure you'd go to past posts.)

    Don't know much about jejeune but lejeune is a big name in South Louisiana!

    When I lived in Macedonia and studied the language, for some reason 'chuma' stuck in my brain. It means 'plague' - er, Medieval type plague. I kept trying to use it in a sentence so it became a game among my Macedonian friends to find a fit -- we decided that politicians and chuma fit, LOL.

    Have a great weekend!

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  13. Haha! The only time I've ever seen 'jejeune' in print was in a Margaret Atwood novel. But here's my attempt at correct usage - 'I'd love to stick my tongue out at crap drivers, but that would be jejeune'!! Not sure if that's correct either ... have a good weekend!!

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  14. I am impressed. Had I been faced with 200 hungry people, I probably would have maxed out my credit card and ordered in. Nice save and cool merchants to have pitched in so well.

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  15. Clare,
    You made me giggle out loud with your bug description .... Ha..I'm glad we both like Agatha. How can anyone think of so many intricate plots and red herrings??

    Jeff,
    You're a chef !!! I love men who cook. I think of cooking as a "man thing." My sons are the cooks in their families too. I have one daughter in law who doesn't know where the kitchen is. This is not sarcasm, I love them for living the role reversal.

    Beth,
    I like it when people make up new words, too. Good for you !!!

    Inger,
    I didn't have much choice at the time.... Either cook or run and never show my face again. Once I got into it, it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated.

    Love you all... Manzanita

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  16. Old Kitty,
    You make me laugh. Hey you used jejune twice. Good girl !!!! I don't know what kind of a mind Agatha has but she's written soooo many books and each one has such intricate plots. Red Herrings galore. Take care, my dear.

    Kittie,
    How sweet of you to show Hubs but if he's a stanch BB fan, he enjoyed talking about it. I've seen Calvin enter a room of strangers and they all talk baseball for hours and hours. Calvin could remember every play from every game throughout his whole life. Hubs most likely has the same BB memory. Give Hubs my regards and I know Calvin would have enjoyed meeting him.

    Dear Red,
    You're good. I told you that on your post. Plus, you make me laugh.

    Patti,
    You crack me up.... ordering dinner for 200 homeless people on your credit card. That would make a good movie. I bet you really remember Publix. They don't have the stores up North. Do they go as far as Arkansas? I still have a shopping bag with Publix written on it. I lived across the street from one. Used to walk there.... BUT the street was A1A. I took my life in my hands each time I tried to cross it. I felt safer in a car.

    Thanks everyone for the smiley comments. Love to all, Manzanita

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  17. I find hockey, soccer and golf very jejune when it comes to television viewing.

    Love learning new words!

    I love making bread in my bread machine.

    I think that's noble of you to take on a task you weren't comfortable with and rocked it! Kudos to you!


    I've bestowed a prestigious award for you:
    http://ryoko861.wordpress.com/id-like-to-thank-the-academy/

    Enjoy!

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  18. I've read everything by Agatha Christie and a biography about her life. I shall have to check out JJ.
    Not heard jejeune used for ages. My mother used to make me learn a word from the dictionary every day but as I suffer frequently from using malapropisms I end up making a fool out of myself with jejeune sentences such as 'The boys were attempting to ejaculate from the aeroplane'. (eject was the correct word)
    Enjoyed your post again.

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  19. Oh yes! I was a big Agatha Christie fan too. Hercule was such fun to read about. I also loved Miss Marple. It's been a while since I've read her books. Now that you've reminded me, I shall have to find one of her books.

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  20. I write mysteries.
    I have never used the word jejune.
    I love to cook!
    Hope your weekend has been wonderful :)

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  21. Hi, Manzi! Hub beamed from ear to ear! And thanks you for your wishes. He's in total awe and refers to you by your married name..."She's baseball royalty," he says.

    Yes, you're right, the two would have gotten along famously. We have a friend who comes up from Georgia upon occasion. He and hub talk baseball into the late hours. Of course, they play Gotcha with obscure facts and so on with lots of laughs all around. On a biz trip to Fla., hub got to see his Red Sox at spring training. He's been on air ever since! In fact, he's watching b-ball now...

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  22. Haha! Just read 'Facing 50's' comment!! Yes, I do come back to read replies (mostly) - thanx so much for your kind words!!

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  23. I think I would have gone in the corner and cried if I was told I had to cook for all those people. I'm so not surprised that you rolled up your sleeves and got cooking!

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