It’s that time of the year
again, when we start making plans for family and friends gatherings. And as it
has been in the last three years, some of these events are tense and contentious—mimicking
the macrocosm in which we all live now. Our new normal isn't.
Time was when politics did
not enter into the holidays, but those days are long gone now. And as much as
we all want peace and love and goodwill to all humanity, tribalism and
partisanship have turned every conversation into a potential minefield.
Getting through
Thanksgiving dinner used to be temporarily traumatic for dysfunctional families,
but now it can cause PTSD in what once were happy ones!
I could call for unity, but
the truth is that I will be spending the holidays with the family I love (Mom)
and skipping people. You can’t attempt to rip somebody’s head off if they don’t
piss you off… But, let’s face it, that’s not realistic for most of you.
So my gift to you is this:
a new and expanded Insatiable
Gourmet Word Search puzzle book. This
is the third edition and it was fun to curate the old list. The categories are based
on cookbook chapters—with topics such as appetizers, breads, cheese, grains,
rice, seafood, and vegetables.
Of course, the book also
offers modern and fun categories—like aphrodisiacs, cookies, sushi and
sandwiches. The third edition expands the offerings—adding cocktails,
condiments, pastries, pizza, salt and pepper, utensils, vegan staples, yummy (a
category dedicated to words used to describe an exceptional meal), and famous
chefs (a few names, some first names only, of the professionals who inspire
foodies, gourmets, and gastronomes).
Especially at the heels of
the midterm elections, 2018 has been a long, stressful and contentious year,
fraught with ugliness and a myriad of tragedies – not to mention lies and insinuations
best left unspoken in polite society.
So these holidays, as you
gather with your family and friends, when, and if, the conversation turns to
unpleasantness of the political nature: don’t engage. Forgive. But if you can’t,
don’t bite your tongue. That just hurts and will make your food taste of blood,
rage, frustration and bitterness. (And remember that violence is never the
answer, no matter what the snowflakes say!)
Don’t huff away in a snit, that’d
be rude and answering rudeness with further rudeness is the foundation of a
vicious cycle. Instead, grab a pen and engage in the escapist joy that is
puzzle solving. Be a good guest and stay. Nicely. Peacefully. Maybe even
learning new words that do not describe colorful ways to self-gratify…
The Insatiable
Gourmet Word Search is available now exclusively
at Amazon
and it can save your next family gathering, your relationships, maybe even your
life!
Get your copy today.
