For Rachel

I don't let go easily. As a matter of fact, I have large hands and a strong grip. And so, you can only imagine that I pack up Halloween and Day of the Dead only when forced to loosen my hold. Saturday, Mother Nature brought a thunderstorm that pried the festivities away from me. It was either be stubborn and remake the forty or so paper flowers again next year or pack it all away while the afterglow still lingered. No contest!

I get The New York Times on Sundays not because it is THE New York Times, but because it is the same paper my kids read and I feel a sense of connection. It's our "neighborhood" paper and we can discuss things. "Hey, did you see that article on..."

Anyway, there was a great piece on Rachel Carson, author of the famed "Silent Spring", that caught my eye and moved me forward. It is an excellent article, "From Calm Leadership, Lasting Change" and I learned so much about her. I never realized that, like me, she is from Pittsburgh and I went to her Alma Mater for my sophomore year in college!

The article is a powerful testimony to each of us...our power of one. More on that in a minute.

I love farmers' markets and wherever I am, try to find them. Same with "Main Street". When I am home here, I have the best of both worlds...a neighborhood and Main Street farmers' market. I go to both and buy from all my favorites, sometimes twice!

Two days in a row I bought broccoli and almost ate both heads myself. If you have never had just picked, absolutely fresh broccoli, get some. It is so amazingly sweet and tender. I used what I didn't eat raw in a salad that I made "for Rachel". In tribute, it was all green.

Tossing all these seemingly random comments and a recipe altogether, I am also thinking about tomorrow. It's a big day. We get to vote.

No matter who wins, we still have our own power...our power of one, just like Rachel. If we don't like something, we can work to change it. We each have the power to do so. For me, I want Main Street to thrive and small "mom and pop" businesses to have my business. And so that's where I shop and hopefully am making some small, lasting changes.

No matter what, we all have a choice every day to exert our power of one. Here's to a great day of choosing well!

Rachel's Green Salad (get local and/or organic!)

Favorite fresh greens
Fresh broccoli broken into florets
Celery, sliced
Avocado, cut into chunks
Pistachios, pan toasted

Favorite vinaigrette with fresh green herb added (try adding parsley, oregano, cilantro or tarragon)

I lightly blanched both the broccoli and celery slices, just for about a minute and then plunged pieces into ice water. To me, they taste a little sweeter, a little crunchier that way. Mix in with greens and some dressing and then add in avocado chunks. Toss with a little more dressing and top with toasted pistachios.