• poetess
      • hello Diane Lewis
      • Username: poetess
      • In response to: "What do you do on the side?" Whenever and wherever I have time, I write poetry. I love to hang in the atmosphere of creative spirits like other writers, poets, visual artists, dancers or singers.
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    • The Most Difficult Recipe I've Tried

      • Steak Diane Is the Most Difficult Recipe I Have Ever Tried...And The Most Rewarding


        Steak dinner

        Steak Diane. Ironically, Steak Diane has sent me into a stratosphere of culinary curiosity. It all started with my desire to cook a special dinner for a few of my close friends on Valentine's Day. When I began to prepare for the dinner I had a taste for steak. A simple taste for steak. And I thought my guests might like it too.

        So I went to the internet to research steak recipes. There are dozens of them. Fortunately for my taste buds, many of them involve a cup of red wine or brandy. So I felt right at home and I sensed some kind of serendipitous connection to steak Diane. So I decided to investigate further.

        There are about 15 ingredients involved, along with beef tenderloin and filet mignon. Complicated does not begin to describe steak Diane---which is why it so intrigued me that I had to try it. The irony was not lost on me.

        The meal satisfied me to the core. It is now one of my favorite, decadent, this-is-how-I-say-I-love-you recipes. It gives comfort food a whole new meaning I now have friends for life (must have been the cup of brandy) and a new zest for gourmet cooking.

        You can have your own kitchen love affair. Go to http://homecooking.about.com/od/beefrecipes/r/blbeef52.htm

        Bon Appetit!!

      • answered by poetess on 02/03/2011
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    • Everything Happens for a Reason: My Stance

      • A Reminder to Live Life Loved


        To understand that everything happens for a reason, one must first understand the search for purpose. Many spend their entire life seeking to know the purpose and meaning for their lives. They read many books, watch many movies and study others' lives...the lives of those who have what seems to be success. All in order to understand their own life and mimic the lives of others. The drive for success, recognition and acceptance is great, and it pushes people along in their lives.

        Until they stop one day because they realize that all the striving, working and mimicking doesn't get them anywhere near where they wanted to be. Even prayer doesn't take them to the place of purpose in their lives. The only thing that works is love. Simple but effective; it is God's love in our life that gives our life its purpose. He loves us and therefore, whatever happens in our lives is for a reason--to demonstrate and prove that we are loved.

        I read my Daily Message From God. It is November 25th (2010) and God's message to me is that I am loved and I am not alone despite how it appears. This day of thanksgiving has left me with nothing but gratitude in my heart for all that I am blessed with. I am loved and I am grateful for that love. It is all I've ever wanted in life and I have had it all my life. We each have it all our lives and we only have to reach a place where we recognize that the only thing we have is the only thing we need.

        So everything happens for a reason, and the reason is so that God can prove that he loves each one of us.

      • answered by poetess on 11/25/2010
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    • If I Could Go Back in Time

      • If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time...


        piano keys

        If given the opportunity to go back in time, I would take piano lessons more seriously. When i was about 12 or 13 years old, I quit playing the piano and have regretted it ever since.

        If I had stuck with it, who knows, I might have been a contender. i was actually very good, had received training in classical piano. I was well acquainted with Bach, Beethoven, DeBussy, Hayden...all the rock stars of the classical piano world.

        Having the ability to read music has proven advantageous over the years, too. I've sung in several choirs in my lifetime, and invariably someone needs someone else to read music. "Does anyone read?" is the question that comes from somewhere on the other side of the room. A sheepish hand raises and the rest...as they say...is history.

        Mom invested a ton of money in my career as Alicia Keyes and I'm sure if she were here, she would express a disappointment in me that is limitless. Sorry mom, I just didn't understand why I couldn't play with my friends but rather had to practice fingering or chords.

        But hindsight is truly 20/20 and if I could change something in my life, I would be on tour right now.

      • answered by poetess on 10/20/2010
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    • Our Neighbor

      • Good Fences Still Make Good Neighbors


        Chain link

        My long-time, next door neighbor simply is a hoot. She's so funny; i look forward to our over-the-fence chats. She stays so busy that it isn't often that our paths cross, but when they do, I am always entertained.

        My neighbor is a quirky, eccentric older black woman who lives alone. She has 2 dogs, Buddy & Ezra, and a cat named Momma. Momma lives outside most of the time although as the temperatures are dropping in our region, Momma has been seen slipping into the house through the back door more often.

        My neighbor is cool. She is a writer--a poet actually--and she is miraculously able to spend a considerable amount of her time with creative endeavors. Solitude suits her. She's devoted to God and regularly attends church every Sunday. Every time we talk, the subject eventually finds its way back to her faith in God and His ability to do anything. It is always encouraging and uplifting.

        One thing that I admire about my next door neighbor is that she is an advid gardner. I have watched her spend hours in her garden--picking and pruning and pulling in the heat of the sun. Often she is up at the crack of dawn and will retire around 11 in the morning. Other evenings, I can find her bent over a patch of flowers, pulling and neatening away.

        She's lived in her house for about 10 years. I think we moved into our houses about six months apart. She's older than I am by several years and her son is grown and has moved away. I don't notice that she has lots of company and I don't ever recall her having had overnight guests. She leads a solitary life and seems content in it. I don't ever remember seeing the inside of her house and I can only recall one incident in which she stood in my living room.

        I admire her very much. I could not ask for a better neighbor and I hope she never moves away. She gives new meaning to the proverb: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.

      • answered by poetess on 10/03/2010
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    • My Epic Road Trip

      • City of the Angeles


        Toward Los Angeles, California (LOC)

        I was born in Los Angeles, California. When I was very young, my family relocated to another city. I have been land-locked there ever since. Although it's not so bad, I often dream of returning to California. How would I get there? Driving is the only way.

        I have longed to set out on my own in a SUV to drive cross country, west to Los Angeles. My trip would take about 10 days, because I would start with the northern route through Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, then on down the Pacific Coast highway. I hear it is very beautiful there, and of course there would be numerous stops along the way. It would be a leisurely trip and I would not let the clock dictate my motion. Rather, I'd let my motion dictate the clock!

        Once i got to the Pacific Coast Highway, I would travel southward toward Los Angeles. However, I cannot get this far and not stop in the city by the bay--talking bout San Francisco. I love San Francisco, with fog rolling in from the bay, encircling the Golden Gate bridge and engulfing everything around it. I love Chinatown and Haight Asbury. It's all good.

        Then I'd be back in the car looking for another adventure. Eventually I'd get to Los Angeles and when i arrive there, skip Hollywood. I'm going to find the house where i grew up in when i was little. it's very important to me to look at this house. i have it in my head that when i lay eyes on it, a rush of memories will flood my mind and i will remember my long lost childhood with amazing clarity. After all, it's all part of the dream.

        Once i had satisfied my curiosity and my sentimentality about my humble beginnings, it would be time to head home. But the route home would take me through Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico. I'm talking Route 66 all the way. I would finally be able to see the Grand Canyon and find out what all the hoopla is about.

        Okay, that's the epic road trip. LA to set foot on the land where i grew up. Can't wait to get going and don't want to wait until I have only six months to live to do it.

      • answered by poetess on 09/19/2010
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