Chocolate Pecan Pie
We met Don and Denise years ago because they are good friends of our neighbors Deb and Armo. We’ve all spent time together over dinners, barbecues, and backyard bonfires. It’s been nice being the “friends of friends” and sharing in the ups and downs of life with them. One of the funniest memories I have of them was from a yard sale that they held. At the curb there was a box of stuff and in front of it was a sign that said “Free or Best Offer.” That’s classic, isn’t it?
Denise is an artist specializing in viscosity monoprinting. She also helps others create art in the workshops that she holds in monoprinting, book making, and printing with paste paper. You can see some of her work displayed at her website “Drawing on the Dream.” Though I’ve never taken a class from her I know that Denise would be a good teacher because I’ve listened to her encouraging beginning artists. That is so important because beginners need all the encouragement they can get – and we are all beginners at some point in our lives.
Don is an expert on fire management and his official title is “Incident Information Officer”. Don has worked for the for US Forest Service and then for the Bureau of Land Management. A few years ago I asked for his help with a fire safety plan that I was developing for Sanctuary One located in southern Oregon. My main my concern was how to safely evacuate the animals in the event of a wildfire. Don suggested that I should consider some other possibilities as evacuating animals can be very difficult. He advised the sanctuary staff talk to their neighbors so that they could share resources and ideas and said they should create a phone tree in case of emergencies. He also advocated sheltering in place so that the dangers of evacuation might be avoided.
Since Denise was raised in Georgia, I made them a southern favorite, Pecan Pie, but with a hint of dark chocolate for added sweetness. It’s a small gift to thank them both for their friendship and support over the years.
Every artist was first an amateur.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Pie a Day Give Away 
I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself because arthritis in my knees was especially troublesome yesterday. Out of nowhere Karen and a remarkably and memorably delicious pie appeared at the door. Perfect timing and perfectly unexpected. There are so many people I would like to share this pie with but they would all have to get here in the next few hours and content themselves with a tiny taste. They would also have to break in, because I have stopped answering the door or the phone while the pie persists. Denise had never tasted a more delicious pecan pie, or one with chocolate, in all her travels around the South. If there were pies like this in the South, she would still be there. We are proud and thankful to be #310!
Don (and Denise),
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment! I’m glad I was able to visit with you both for a while and catch up. A perfect pie delivery if ever there was one.
Thanks again,
Karen