Bele Chere

      Living here in the southeast, we are fortunate to have a plethora of festivals, one of which is Bele Chere.  I should say The Festival is Bele Chere.  It is the largest FREE festival in the southeast, and is an event worth visiting at least once...just to say, "Yeah I've been to Bele Chere".  If you've never heard of it, here is a brief history.  Bele Chere began in 1979 as a collaboration between local merchants to help boost a struggling economy.  In an ancient Scottish dialect, it means Beautiful Living.  There couldn't be a better name for this 3 day celebration of art, food, music, people and just enjoying the beauty of life in general.  If you get curious you can go to www.belecherefestival.com and check it out.  


    With that being said, if you ask the locals about Bele Chere, their response is usually something close to "it's when all the freaks come out".  I kid you not, every person I talked to about the festival always asked me "Have you been before?" then replied with widened eyes, "you have to go, just to experience the people."  There's no real good way to fully share the experience of Bele Chere with you through pictures, it's something you just have to see for yourself. As a preface to my pictures, I need to include that many of the artists had signs on their booths stating "No Pictures, Please Don't Steal My Artistic Expression". Sorry, but you won't see any pictures of their work. In this blog I will be sharing my newly gained appreciation for the term "Ashevillians".  

Music obviously can't be conveyed through pictures, but Bele Chere hosts several stages set up through out downtown (all free) featuring different bands.  Every kind of music that you can imagine.  Rock, country, folk, and of course bluegrass.  While walking through the streets it is common to see bands or groups set up on the sidewalk.   

This little bluegrass group caught quite a bit of attention, not only for their totally awesome suspenders, but because they were actually really good.  

This downtown resident decided to have a little fun, making their balcony into a bathtub complete with rubber duckies and even bubbles.  It possibly could have been a subtle hint to the thousands of people roaming the streets, saying "Your sweaty stench is wafting up through our window, please take a bath."

Here area few of the thousands upon thousands of people who need a bath.

I have a confession to make...I am a confirmed Foodie.  Hi, my name is Kelly, I'm a Foodie.  Because of this affliction, every event I attend is budgeted with the recognition of my food defects.  I have come to accept, and even embrace these defects. With that, I have also adopted the rule that I have to try something new, whether it's something I've never tried before, or maybe never even heard of before.  This time around it was something I had never heard of before for my Friday dinner, and an all-time favorite for Saturday dinner.

Sweet Potato+Goat Cheese+Walnuts =Sweet Potato Nachos.  Whatever your first reaction is, all I can say is I know, right?!  I had every possible reaction go through my mind when I saw this, finally settling on, "sure, why not."  The verdict is still out.  

Saturday evening I had a melt-in-your-mouth Crab Cake Sandwich and a Shrimp Skewer, seasoned with Old Bay and a side of dipping sauce. Delicious. Delectable. Down right luscious, and just plain yummy!  






With my food infirmity satisfied, I was then able to take a good look around me at the people who joined together in the streets of Asheville.  Everywhere I looked, I would see a celebration of diversity and individuality. The phrase "It takes all kinds" comes to mind.  

Yes, she has fairy wings. And a tiara. And a craft-foam flower purse. And bubbles (orange tube).  I couldn't help but wonder if this was her vain attempt at being Sookie Stackhouse from HBO'S True Blood.
"A f-----  fairy?!?!"  You have to be a fan to understand that one.   

       


This kid's balloon octopus hat was just fun.  I had to take a picture because I knew no one would believe me when I said I saw a kid with an octopus on his head.

Yes! Rainbow Bright is still with us!

These two decided to flex their entrepreneurial muscles by advertising Free Hugs, with tips accepted.  I thought briefly about adding to the tips they had stuffed in their shorts, but decided that the ego-boost I was giving them by taking their picture was payment enough.

Personally, I have to agree with the girl's "I'm with
Stupid" sign...Anyone wearing a suit in 95 degree
heat for hours on end can't be the brightest crayon
in the pack.  Just sayin'.

With every festival in the Bible Belt, there are always the warriors for Christ making sure all the fornicators and sinners are aware that "Most people go to hell when they die" and "You are all sinners." Very encouraging and enlightening. And of course the aforementioned sinners and fornicators have a right to oppose that opinion, with as much vigor and passion. 

Even the human statue got involved by playing her snare drum to drown out the preaching. Although I'm not sure if it was to support her right to religious, political and sexual freedoms or simply good business. Apparently fornicators and sinners are loose with their money as well as with other things.  As soon as she began to play, the tips started flying in.
 

This proselytiser's (red shirt and bull horn) message was that "if you support Obama, then you support homo sex".  Who knew?  The little guy used a whistle to do his talking.  By the end of the day it really didn't matter which side you were on, we all had a headache.  

This is just a peak into Bele Chere.  Whether you are a fellow Foodie like me who likes to enjoy an eclectic atmosphere, or just looking to hear the good word, this is clearly an eye-opening adventure. Look it up for next year and add it too your "to do" list and enjoy the celebration.   

The Spoils of Summer, or Spoiled in Summer?

My father-in-law, Ed, has the most beautiful garden every year. I think
the trick is hanging pie plates to keep the crows away.  
This year's garden features cantaloupe, tomatoes, yellow squash,
green peppers, cucumbers, and okra.   

Justin in the cantaloupe patch.

Ed's cunning nemesis...he has a twin brother hiding in the trees.

Malea hiding behind the blueberry bush.

Justin picked a few, and ate a few,
picked a few, and ate a few...

Every year we look forward to green tomatoes,
by far my favorite southern tradition is to
make.....

Fried Green Tomatoes!!!!
Nummmmm!

Actually these are baked.   Here's the recipe from Southern Living Magazine.


                  Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes
                       
  4 large green tomatoes                        1 1/2 cups buttermilk            
  2 tsp. salt                                         2 cups Panko
  1 tsp. pepper                                     1 Tb. Creole Seasoning
  Vegetable Cooking Spray                     1 tsp. paprika
   Parchment Paper                               1 cup all-purpose flour

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Sprinkle both sides of tomatoes evenly with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper.
2.  Place a wire rack coated with cooking spray in a parchment paper-lined     15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan.
3.  Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish or pie plate.  Stir together panko, Creole seasoning, and paprika in another shallow dish or pie plate.
4.  Dredge tomatoes in flour.  Dip tomatoes in buttermilk, and dredge in the panko mixture.  Lightly coat tomatoes on each side with cooking spray; arrange on wire rack.
5.  Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning once after 10 minutes.

We eat ours with either remoulade or marinara sauce.  These go great as a side dish with lasagna, or you can even make Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches which are delish!

How quickly can you get out?

How quickly can you be ready if you are told to evacuate?  12 hours? 2 hours? What if you only had 15 minutes?   
In the last two weeks, we have had strong reminders of how disrupting and destructive natural disasters can be to our lives.  My father-in-law's vacation home in Florida was effected by Tropical Storm Debby when up to 25 inches of rain fell.  In the Northwest, fires in Montana have been threatening many homes across the state.  Helena banned fireworks for the 4th due to fire danger, and the last information I saw was that 3 homes had burned and many others had been evacuated just in Helena alone. Needless to say, Colorado has been hit hard as well.  The fire threat is so high that my mom was concerned about leaving her home to go to Cabo for vacation.  Sure, mom worries a lot, but to not want to go to Cabo...
                        

damage after 6 ft of water
flooded the home

This is what Mike opened the door to.

The neighbors pool

  

Coral Fire on the outskirts of Helena

           In the event of a flood, house fire or wild fire, hurricane, earthquake or tornado would you be able to leave your home and get to safety as quickly as possible?  Do you know where to go?  If your family is separated, would they all know where to meet at?  It's scary to think about, but imagine how terrifying it would be if one of these situations presented itself and you weren't ready?  

One quick and easy step to help you in the right direction is to have a 72 hr kit ready.  There are tons of sites where you can find more information, but here are a couple that I used to make my own...

http://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/checklist_1.pdf 

http://beprepared.com/images/art/72hourchecklist.pdf 

My kit doubles as my emergency bag in case I get stuck out of town.  In the winter I will add shoes suitable for snow, a blanket and extra coat, hat and gloves to keep in my trunk.  This is a habit that most Montanans develop, however simplified, especially if you travel fairly long distances for any reason.  My extra shoes and coats came in handy more than once while I was out and about.  I'll never forget getting a flat tire on the stretch between Three Forks and Townsend. at about 11:30 at night.  Standing on the side of the road in pitch black, and of course my batteries had died in my flashlight, ugh. Listening to the critters move around in the grass was not my idea of a good time.  Coyotes are not my friends, nasty little buggers.  But I digress...

My 72 hr kit I keep in my car.

My bag contains...

• cash, legal documents, social security cards, credit card (kept at home in the fire safe to be grabbed if necessary)
• NC road map
• change of clothes, shoes and socks
• feminine and oral hygiene products
• first aid kit (all contents fit inside the water bottle, you can find DIY lists on line)
• food/drink mix
• baby wipes
• emergency contact info
• medicine
• flash light, extra batteries
• multi-tool, emergency cable saw, pocket knife
• trash bags 
• rubber gloves
• emergency blanket

The only thing I am missing is my water...1 person=1 gallon per day.

Keep in mind any specific needs you have that would cause need for specific tools, clothing, medicines.  For example, my son's bag has extra pull-ups and toys.  Another example is when I was staying at Canyon Ferry Lake with my parents I would keep a screwdriver in my console.  If  I ever were to drive into the lake, a screwdriver could be an invaluable tool to break out the windows as an escape route. Anyone who drives across the dam will notice a cross on the Yacht Basin side that stands as a reminder of how easily it could happen.  

I remember a woman's story about how thankful she was for her 72 hr. kit.  Her husband had had a heart attack and was in ICU for several days.  She had her kit ready with all his medical history, medication list, insurance cards etc. ready to give the hospital.  At the same time she had everything she needed to camp out at the hospital, including coin change for the vending machines and a crossword puzzle book to keep her thoughts focused on something other than her husband's state.  She was also able to immediately call all their family and friends to let them know what was going on so they could get to the hospital more quickly and to also make sure her dog was taken care of at home.  If she hadn't had her kit ready, how much more stressful would her situation have been?  You certainly can't make a bad situation like that better, but there are steps you can take to prevent it from getting worse.  

Natural disasters, or even every day hiccups like my flat tire in the middle of the night, can create disasters in our lives.  We can't make them less horrible, and we certainly can't prevent them.  However, if we take just a small amount of time to prepare (my kit took 20 minutes), recovery from these disasters can be that much easier.