Baltimore Ukrainian Festival and Your Monday Fortune Cookie

THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO ANYWHERE WORTH GOING.

SNARKY RESPONSE: If you want proof, ask OnStar.

There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

The OnStar comment may seem odd, but believe me, Joe and I have traveled many a winding road because OnStar thought it was the most direct route. We've been on backwoods roads so deep in the wilderness that I would have sworn I heard banjo's playing.

Well, OnStar did it again this last Saturday to get us to the Baltimore Ukrainian Festival and though it took us on a route we had not anticipated, it did get us there in good time. So as the Bard says, all's well that ends well.

The Baltimore Ukrainian Festival is held in Patterson Park in Baltimore, not far from the Inner Harbor. Actually on the other side of Little Italy. This was their 38th year and going strong. The festival is set up around the monument to Poland with food, drink, novelties, and live entertainment.

Saturday in Baltimore was lovely. As we drove through Baltimore to the festival, it rapidly became apparent that it was a very busy day in Baltimore. There was a game at the stadium, and a sudden encounter with people costumed like super heroes revealed that the Baltimore Comic Con was at the Inner Harbor. Then passing through the neighborhood to get to the Ukrainian Festival, we discovered there was a small Polish Festival being held at a church several blocks from the park. Determined to avail ourselves of both events, we parked in a midway area and headed in. 

The Baltimore Ukrainian Festival features booths from four different Ukrainian churches offering Ukrainian foods, a Ukranian Beer Garden where you could enjoy Ukrainian beers, vodka, and honey liquor and vendors with lovely Ukranian decorated eggs and embroidered shirts. Cabbage rolls and pierogi are not photogenic, but they were delicious. I guarantee it.

This was a vegetarian offering of spaetzle, mushrooms, and cabbage. And the beers were very refreshing.

The cabbage rolls and pierogi differed from church booth to church booth in subtle ways, but all were delicious.

Sitting on our blanket in the shade of a tree, Joe and I enjoyed watching a wonderful dancing group performing traditional Ukrainian dances, a talented violinist playing Ukrainian music, and a local Ukrainian acapella group. The temperature was perfect and a steady breeze kept us all comfortable. I admit I did feel for the performers, but honestly, it's been hotter in past years, and none of them were noticeably drooping.

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The Cossack dances are always exciting to watch. The young men leaping about and kicking from squats were impressive. My knees ached just watching them jump up and down. And there was one dance where they whirled the girls in the air. Fun!

The Polish Festival was being held at a nearby church and included entertainment, vendors, historical displays and, of course, food. This was a new event for us and, we loved the smaller venue. Being a one church event, it felt cozier and the food came right out of the kitchen to your plate. Yum!

There's something so delightfully rich about enjoying an event steeped in tradition. Hearing people speaking their native languages and sharing food and stories about their history with welcome strangers. These two cultures are my husband's heritage, and I love that he enjoys sharing it with me. It reminds me how marvelously diverse our country is, the world is, and how much we need to remember and celebrate that diversity with joy and love.

Memories, Good Times, and Your Monday Fortune Cookie 7/22/13

It takes more than a good memory to have good memories.

SNARKY RESPONSE: Too much wine doesn't help either. Then again, it might.

It takes more than a good memory to have good memories.

I've just shared two marvelous weekends with two wonderful writing groups at The Porches in Norwood, VA. As expected, we all dedicated ourselves to writing, editing, and revising our current Works In Progress. Sitting in our rooms or on the famous porches, we typed, scribbled, and pondered. Chapters were written, sections were chopped, and ideas were explored. The glorious quiet was filled with insect and birdsong, the tranquil scenery offered respite when screens grew fuzzy, plots twisted into knots, or ideas seemed to slow. The sense of a shared mission helped keep us all focused and creative. However, writers cannot live on ideas alone. Oh No! All that creativity deserves to be richly rewarded and there was no shortage of delectable rewards to be had.

When evening began it's gentle approach and shadows lengthened, we set aside our works and gathered for dinner and socializing. Not that there weren't brief breaks throughout the day, breakfast, lunch, snacks, but the key word is "brief." The end of the day signalled a shift from isolated creativity to mixing and mingling food, drink, and talk.

The Tea & Strumpets ladies, Sofie Couch and Elvy Howard delighted our tastebuds with Lasagna and Grilled Chicken & Shrimp, respectively.

Even a confirmed veggie-phobe like myself could find nothing to fault in Sofie's lasagna even if it did have spinach in it. No, honestly, I eat the occasional green, and the spinach in the lasagna added color and flavor. Elvy's grilled offerings added zest and the opportunity to eat with my fingers (my favorite utensil, when applicable).

Evening meals flowed into evening drinks. In perfect Tea & Strumpets form, Alexa Day brought a mixed case of wine to be sampled and enjoyed. Sadly, the Strumpets were unable to account for more than six or seven bottles, but it was not for lack of trying. Our efforts were accompanied by the most outrageous and captivating light shows provided by lightning bugs. Of course, discussion of the whys and wherefors of lightning bug displays dissolved into laughing lewdity and speculation. Being Strumpets, would you expect anything less?

The James River Writers dinner cooks, Mike & Shawna Christos and Leila Gaskins provided even more tummy tickling delights with Grilled Chicken and salad and Individual Pizzas with a myriad of fixin's to spread on home-made pizze crusts, respectively.

And to accompany it all were copious amounts of libations ranging from cold, clear artesian well water provided free by The Porches to a seemingly unending array of wine.

The James River Writers showed a comparable level of skill and enthusiasm in the arena of  alcoholic consumption plus nearly polishing off a bottle of whisky which I believe went by a delightful moniker of Larceny (or something - perhaps someone will correct me in the comments). Ah, proof positive that a good memory does not require total recall.

As you can tell, a fabulous time was had by all and we left with words written, ideas hatched, memories made, and connections more perfectly forged. I highly recommend The Porches Writers Retreat for anyone wishing to escape the daily distractions. You can attend solo or in a group, both will provide you results far beyond your expectations.