Empty Bottle Moments

What a difference a good nights rest and a glass of Theraflu can make....That stuff is better than any thing you can take for crud. The manuscript is complete and now comes the editing....sounds like fun! I cant wait until its all together and we can focus on marketing. (thats where a few of my talents are) I heard an interview with a famous author the other day (Dont ask me for a name..that would be too much to remember) but she compared writing a book to giving birth. Uggg I can already feel the labor pains, I hope I can do this by natural birth and don't need any extra help other than what God has and will do. Yes that is the center of this book. It is not a preaching preachy book but a story of a transformed life or better yet, a life that is in the process of being transformed. My hope would be that people would be inspired by the story to enhance their lives so as to make a difference in others. ..eg: I recently started to teach 2nd graders on Sunday mornings, and over the past 2 months hung out with some 15 kids each week. Yesterday they had a production at school which I went to feeling yucky but left WOW....(A dentist I used to go to told me that he asks for WOW moments that's Walking on Water every day..saying most of us want a sign from God in the form of a burning bush or some miracle but that is not where it will come from miracles are small and powerful that are used to change our heart not our mind) . Their excitement to see me at their production was that motivating. That is what I call in the book an "Empty Bottle " Using the illustration when I used to collect empty bottles in my restaurant as memory markers from special occasions. An empty bottle of wine has more of a story to tell than a full bottle. That works in life too when we pour ourselves into the world around us, especially people and hold onto our treasure and talent loosely we reap WOW moments..........The picture is of my nephew and cousins daughter making cookies when we were in Israel... a WOW moment we had all cooked together and they then took it on their own to make something special for the family "an empty bottle!".......My tendency is to expect others to serve me empty bottle moments and if and when that takes place I will return the moment...50 years in the making I have realised it is better the other way......

My brother got me into this blogging he has http://www.blogcatalog.com/ and I am kinda enjoying it. At the very least it will keep my thoughts and experiences in a place other than my rusty head.

Here is a recipe to try...The next few weeks I am going to have to straighten out all the recipes for the book. Its hard when most of them are in your head and it is by sight and smell that you cook. If anyone has a great recipe they want to share "SEND IT!" I will give you credit (no $$) but a mention......

"The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching yourgoal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach" ...B Mays

Caribbean.doc

Sandpaper

Have you ever been criticized for something you thought was good? Initial responses can be dangerous. I got one this morning from a friend who said the picture I posted was horrible to quote exactly "You look like a butcher with a dirty jacket and apron and your eyes are weird" Then I went to my publisher and he said it looks staged and that is the exact opposite of the message you are trying to write about (true) and then my brother agreed so from initially loving the photograph I am now CONVINCED I don't when I look good (kinda kidding) ..That's OK we took over 500 shots and I am sure (well I hope) a few will be good. I hope to post a few soon..... Then to end it all I am driving home this afternoon with a major headache sniffles and stopped up oh and a cough ..I get to my Loft and was so anxious to just rest but sure enough they were waxing the floor and I could not get in for half an hour. An OOPS, SANDPAPER and A2D moment all wrapped into one.... If you don't understand what those today you will soon..

As I said how you respond could be dangerous because criticism is destructive and encouragement motivating at first I looked a criticism but on further review and soul searching I realised it was just a defence mechanism and no one meant it as a criticism but constructive feedback.... lesson learnt..

Quote for today by Sir Lawrence Olivier: Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is...Its your excuse to yourself for not doing anything. Instead, strive for excellence, doing your best....... I like that...

The day after

The way i feel today reminds me of days gone by when i used to taste 30 plus wines (small samples for the most part) and wake up the next morning with a big head (that's not the emotional side) and feel yuggggggggggggg. I have post shot yugggggggg. But this too shall pass and I must go to the publisher today and go though another edit. I read , or actually flipped through a cook book at one of the homes we had the shoot at, it was a beautiful book and really got me thinking or wondering why I am doing my book... I can not at this point produce a book like that, present food like that!!! But then this am it came to me: Not many people in the world could either! That is the exact message of Cooking with Clive . As my publisher says "Excellence with Grace" The presentation is extremely important but goes as far as the first bite...If the taste is not great there may be no second or third bite...So Good presentation Great Preparation and Taste...

Opening Day

It is all happening. The past three days have been filled with what seems like non stop photo shot.. http://www.dmcimages.com/ The photographer and myself staged 4 different shoots at 4 different locations in 3 days. We used friends houses (real cool ones) that each had a different look. I got a florist (another friend( to supply flowers) and each host to allow me to use their china and flatware for different shots. It was amazing a lot of work but I think we got some awesome shots. David said he was planning on 4oo and got over 600. The book is scheduled to be out by the end of May......"Cooking with Clive" ...recipes for life a practical easy to read approach to life and the kitchen. Most of the chapters have been written...Opening line "Whats a good Jewish boy like you doing in the kitchen?" The book goes through my childhood and shows how I was influenced by my family to enter the restaurant business. A mother who was an actress and a Chemical Engineer as a father produces a chef/restaurateur. One section (who knows how many chapters will be devoted to the 9 lessons I learnt from the restaurant business. Only 6 weeks ago I was complaining about my direction in life and how I could never write a book..Now its almost written and ready for major editing....