Day 55 Blue Willow Inn

Hi

This will be the last day that I number the blog entries. Since I am no longer blogging daily, and the 30-day part is finished I will just begin to give it the title that seems appropriate for that day.

I shall continue to blog about my diabetic and food or eating related "adventures" because it still keeps me more on track than anything else. Going over them gives me a more clear perspective on my own habits. I have learned that I have at least three supporters who actively read it -- because they are making similar changes in their lives -- I am encouraged that this may be helpful to them and will continue because that makes it even more worthwhile. Thanks Friends and I pray for your success!!

Today is the day that my Sunday School class went to the popular Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle, Georgia. It was a lovely old building with a beautiful garden atmosphere and plenty of people waiting in line for parties. I most often feel a bit awkward in a restaurant that I am unfamiliar with and with that many people (I believe it may have been in the neighborhood of 50 or so) crowded around five long tables and squeezed in like sardines I felt kind of out of my element.

Being a big person I hate sitting at a table that backs another table so that every time someone wants to get up everybody has to scoot in and try to crunch up close to the table to allow room for the person behind them to maneuver. Or when I get up, I bang into their chairs and cannot make it out without pushing against them which I loathe to do.

It turned out, surprisingly, to be an all-you-can-eat buffet so everybody was getting up periodically to go get more food. I always feel somewhat ashamed that I take up more than the allotted amount of space per person and do not like to impose my big self on their space because it makes me uncomfortable, let alone them. I chose to sit in the extra seat at the end of the table so people could get in and out easier, but then, of course, the servers have to squeeze by, so it was sixes. While it was not awful and I did have a good time visiting, and the service was pretty good, I have not marked that restaurant as one that I will return to often.

The food was mediocre. It was "country cooking" at it's carb laden worst and everyone else was insulted when I later called it mediocre. Of course, they are Southerners who love their cooking and they said nothing offensive to me. But when they turned their backs to me after I said that, I knew I had overstepped my bounds, again. I think they were trying to include me into the group, but my odd Northern behavior really keeps me on the outskirts. Looking back, I wish I had not made the comment and had the presence of mind to say something more kind than that, without telling a bold faced lie. At least the "mediocre" evaluation was honest, if not very kind.

The buffet had plenty of sweet whip-creamy and pudding-type items on the salad bar which left room only for a large bowl of ice berg lettuce, some cherry tomatoes, a few large onion slices, cucumber and some dressing as the only fresh raw salad fixings. I was so bored I skipped the salad and wandered past the warming oven full of bread and the circular round table of sugar and food color laden desserts which were no temptation at all. (Thank God.)

When I got to the U-shaped table with the entrees and side dishes I bypassed the lima beans (they might have been good for me but I don't really care for lima beans), corn souffle, macaroni and cheese, sugared sweet potatoes, butter covered new potatoes and choose some over-cooked green Italian beans and pan fried yellow squash. The only other real vegetable was collard greens, which, again, may have been a good choice, but they are not on my list of favorites.

Then I turned to the meat and ignored the tough little bits of beef in a pan of gravy and the fried chicken which is hard to eat when you are wearing nice clothes. It makes your hands dirty, so I don't like to eat that stuff in a restaurant -- and there is, of course, the "fried" issue, and the "covered-with-flour" issue, too. I probably should have chosen the baked tilapia, but don't really like the texture of tilapia because it is kind of "mushy" and unpalatable.

I ended up with a small plate of green beans, pan fried squash, and chicken tenders covered with grated white cheese (Parmesan) and a minimal amount of breading that was rather dry because it did not have any seasoned tomato sauce on it. I knew I could eat the chicken with a knife and fork and not get food and grease all over me so that guided my choice. I also got a small bowl of what they called "vegetable beef soup" rather than the whatever-it-was white-crusted-creamed soup next to it. There were a few tomatoes, peas, carrots and potatoes in the pot and I did find one small bit of beef and fished that into my bowl of warm and tasty tomato juice feeling satisfied that I had tried to make the circumstances work for me and then started to walk back to my table.

I had mixed feelings as I noticed the plates of my friends all mounded high with food that is not good for humans and compared it to my little plate with two veggies and one protein, and my little bowl of out of bounds soup. I felt glad that I had made choices that were right for me but did not feel comfortable as I walked back to my chair in the aisle. I put on my "I can do this with a smile" hat and sat down to eat. When I was done, I wanted a little more, and had been told that they had brought out some fried green tomatoes after I had left the scene, so got a plate and went to find them. It turned out that they were a boundary pushing item, too, because thin slices of green tomato had been dipped in batter and deep fried -- I chose three slices, simply because I wanted to experience them but only ate two with the batter and scrapped the tasteless batter off of the third one before I ate it. I also got a little more chicken and green beans at the time.

Looking back, I really do see how mediocre it was and am no longer embarrassed that I said so. I also see that my choices were not as perfect as they could have been. If I had chosen the boring salad rather than the mediocre soup that would have been an improvement. The fried green tomatoes could have been left alone, too, but I just had to try them because they are not available in other places. Oddly, I did not want to go back to my table with nothing on my plate so I allowed the "buffet mentality" to kick in and ate two small plates of food. On the plus side, I drank water and ate no dessert. So I consider that, a slightly below average experience, and will attempt to make better choices in the future. You just have to keep getting tighter on the reins. It is a process.

The salad bar at the Golden Corral has many more fresh veggie choices and they have much better side dish choices like steamed broccoli and cauliflower and many more protein choices and cost about half as much. I am glad I finally got to eat at the Blue Willow and to see for myself what it was like. I can mark that one off the list, now. And I think I recall my friend Terri telling me the food was not all that good, anyway, so my experience confirmed her observations, too.

Today is also the day I had the slow-growing skin cancer removed from my left calf. I was surprised to see that my doctor used a looped tool to scrap it off, rather than the razor blade to slice it off, like the biopsy. It is a little painful but nothing unbearable and the wound is dark red, but I am putting anti-biotic/pain killing salve on it and keeping it covered. Doc said to keep it covered for a few days and then to let it breathe but keep putting another salve that he recommended on it. He seemed very upset that the biopsy site had gotten infected and mentioned it two or three times during the visit and procedure and once again as I left. I pointed out that I had one more day to go on the antibiotic in the hope that would ease his mind a little. I will ask for prayer and healing on the wound and for the Lord to ease his conscience, too. It seems that he thinks he caused it. God is good and able to handle both problems, his and mine. I still think he is a good doctor, very kind, and will take any other skin problems to him in the future. I liked him. And he is good looking too, so that adds. ;)

I've been investigating HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) and wanted to blog about that, so perhaps tomorrow or Monday, that will be the subject matter. Going to get a cobb salad and then do a little pantry shopping.  Be back soon. Lord willing.

--Marcia