And The Game Is On!!

I've arrived home from my second night of cake decorating (more on that tomorrow) to find that a very important element to my Gordon Ramsay project has arrived!!! I'm over the moon! I can't wait to dive into this book and learn to cook some amazing dishes and share it with you all!!  What a great way to end Wednesday! :-D

An Update Of Sorts....

OK, nothing says "You NEED to get to work on this Gordon Ramsay project that you keep going on about." like randomly opening a web page and seeing an Amazon ad for Gordon Ramsay cookbooks staring you in the face. So yeah. Maybe I should I get started??

Phew!

What a week it's been! Between working, taking care of my home, getting things ready for Easter, trying to get back into a regular running schedule and starting my cake decorating class, I've been a busy girl since my last post (which was two weeks ago, yikes!!)! I remember waking up at around 4 a.m this past Monday and wondering how in the world I was going to get it all done! But here I find myself on Sunday afternoon still in one piece! It's been nice having some time between yesterday and today to relax for a little bit, but now it's time to get back  business and update you all on what i've been up to :).

So remember in my last post I talked about how impossible it is to find "Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course" book? Well as luck may have it, it turns out that another book entitled "Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking" is being released on April 9th, 2013! I can't find too much info about it but from what I can see it looks like the exact same book (same cover, number of pages, etc) but with a different name. So I'm really looking forward to this coming in the mail and getting started!! I find it so funny that just the other day I was talking about this on the blog and then all of a sudden this new release turns up! Maybe it's just sheer coincidence or something bigger trying to push me in the right direction? Only time will tell ;)

Yesterday I actually got to experiment with cooking Greek food for the first time! I happened to buy some ground lamb the other day and while perusing recipes for it,I came across a dish called "γιουβέτσι με κιμά αρνίσιο" (and for those of you who can't speak or read Greek, that is pronounced "yoo-VET-see meh kee-MAH ar-NEE-seeyoh." Overall I think I did  pretty well with it! It basically consisted of the ground lamb, orzo pasta, chicken broth, tomatoes, onions and celery (and of course, olive oil and spices or else it wouldn't be Greek cooking ;) ). 

Apologies for the pre-packaged broth and tomatoes!  I had very little time this week!

The finished product!

While cooking this delicious dish, I broke one of the cardinal rules of cooking: Make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and ready. Don't just assume you have what you need! The recipe called for chopped tomatoes which I forgot to pick up at the store! All I had to substitute was that can of Pastene ground tomatoes hidden in the background there. It wasn't absolutely correct but didn't taste bad overall in the end. Although it did contribute to the unfortunate end result of overdone Orzo in the final product. Too much liquid +not enough Orzo to soak it all up = a bad time. 

The verdict: Not bad for a first attempt! I brought this dish to a get together at a friend house and it got pretty favorable reviews! Thanks to all who gave it a shot even though it looked odd :). I will most likely make this dish again. Only next time i'll have EVERYTHING I need!

The second dish I attempted yesterday was a dessert called "Peeps S'mores Bars" from a blog called 'Bake at 350'. It's the perfect dish to throw together if you don't know what to do with your leftover Peeps! Of course, you could just EAT your leftover Peeps, but where's the fun in that?? Also why does anyone HAVE leftover Peeps in the first place. Eat them! Anyway....

I improvised a little with this recipe too! But not in a bad way this time :) ! I added some extra chocolate chips and M&M's for flavor! This is was a fun recipe to try out and even more fun to eat in the end! You can't see but in the blue bowl there are rolled oats and in the sauce pan there is butter and dark corn syrup.  My only downfall with this one was not enough Peeps! There wasn't enough marshmallow goodness to make a whole layer. So I ended up cutting the peeps in half to compensate (again, not a bad thing just sad :-/ ).  The end result came out like this: 

Melted Peep-y goodness!

Verdict: Not a smashing success, but better than I imagined. I think i'm just not as big a fan of oats as most people. It was certainly sweet enough! Between the Peeps, the M&M's and the chocolate chips, you might need a glass of milk or water afterwards :). One of my friends who tried this actually used the phrase "It's a lot of things from my childhood rolled into one." The flavor was definitely a familiar one, but oddly enough it tasted completely different than what was in it! Strange, huh? 

I guess that's all for now since this post is pretty long already. I hope the next time I have a dish to share that it will be a Ramsay-inspired one!! I'm so excited to get started on this! 

Tools Of The Trade

About a week ago, I posted about starting a new project inspired by Chef Gordon Ramsay. In the subsequent days that followed I've been getting really excited about it! Even when I stumbled upon someone trying the exact same idea as me, I still didn't let it get me down. I actually find it quite funny! I've even acquired a brand new knife set! Granted it was a free set that my grandmother was about to sell at a flea market and  had never opened before but...it's a start right? The knives are still super sharp!

Starting to get serious over here...

It's important to note that I've never been 100% sure why there are so many different kinds of knives. If they're sharp they'll do the job, right? Apparently not! I know that the tiny paring knife at the bottom is used for peeling ( I actually prefer it to a standard carrot//potato peeler). I can't wait to learn what each knife is best used for and hopefully not lose any fingertips in the process! I also need to invest in a good case for these new shinies! Right now I have them wrapped in a towel and in a cloth shopping bag. I know. Safe, right? Instead of just throwing them in the drawer with the rest of the knives, I want to keep them separate, embrace them (figuratively, not literally), and treat them like a real chef would!

I'm also trying to get my hands on a copy of Gordon's Ultimate Cookery Course book! It's not easy to come by! It seems most copies are currently in the UK and will take over two weeks to get here! I guess I could start with another book of his while I wait? I wish it didn't have to be that way but I'm chomping at the bit and really want to get started soon! 

Over the week, Yeti and I discovered another one of Chef Gordon's shows based strictly in the UK called "Gordon Behind Bars". I must say, if you haven't given Gordon a chance outside of "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares", type Gordon Behind Bars into YouTube and check it out. It's all about the Chef's attempt to teach convicts in HM Brixton Prison how to cook/bake and run a business, which not only provides them with some useful skills when they are eventually released, but also allows them to make money and give back to the prison while serving their sentences. Their operation was named simply: The Bad Boys Bakery. I can't help but applaud such an honorable idea. As someone who watched a loved one go through the prison/rehab process, this hits particularly close to home for me. 

Now i'm not talking about the child molesters, rapists and murderers. They can rot, as they are a danger to our society. I'm talking about those who commit victim-less crimes. Crimes that could be avoided if these people were given a decent chance to try and change their ways. Yes I do know someone who went through the system. I watched as he screwed up over and over again. Every time it would end with the same result: a jail sentence. The ultimate "time-out" to sit and think about what they've done. We thought that all hope was lost for this person. It wasn't until one judge sent him to a rehab facility that we started to see real change. A place were he had to earn privileges by being an upstanding member of the program and attend regular counseling sessions. It was a long, hard, road but eventually I got my brother back. Does he still have his ups and downs now? Of course he does. But he's far better off now then he was. He's not the only person that has come out of the program for the better either, I know a few more who have. All have re-acclimated themselves to the outside world and have become fully function and respectable member of society.

You could tell just by watching this show that Gordon really cares for these men he recruits for the program. His drive to help them learn and actually feel good about DOING SOMETHING for themselves is extraordinary. Even knowing the dangers that can come with working inside of a locked kitchen, he still went in and did it. It's nothing short of inspiring. If he feels that even these people, the ones that society has forgotten, can learn to cook and successfully run a business, then why can't I? Granted I don't have the same stigma attached to me that these inmates do, but it still gives me hope that I CAN do this. I've never been more motivated!

Kudos to you, Chef Ramsay! Kudos to you for inspiring the down-trodden to be better than they are. Even if they aren't up to your standards in the kitchen, that doesn't mean they aren't willing to learn and BECOME great. Everyone has that potential in them. They just need to be given the chance.

The Strangest Idea I've Ever Had (That just Might Work)!!

I've posted on here before about my affinity for baking. It's something I really enjoy doing and I seem to have at least some form of talent for it. But what I haven't gone into much detail about is my relatively new passion for cooking in general! I always thought cooking was fun, but never really took it too seriously. To be honest, I was an extremely picky eater up until just recently. 

Over the past two years or so, however, I'm very proud to say that I've expanded my limited palate. Gone are the days of buying pre-packaged, pre-made foods! For example, one of my favorite things to do is make my own pasta sauce! I can make a giant pot of it and have the confidence of knowing what exactly went INTO that sauce is fresh, free of sodium and preservatives, and most importantly tastes great. This newfound love for food is mostly thanks to my wonderful Yeti. He's even gotten me to try a bunch of different kinds of seafood which I used to LOATHE only a few short years ago. But I also feel like I need to give some credit to another gentleman. A gentleman who has, in fact, inspired the strangest idea I've ever had. And that man is none other than Chef Gordon Ramsay.

Yes, that's right. Gordon Ramsay. Most people here in the states know Gordon as the hot-headed, foul-mouthed Chef from "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares". On the surface he seems abrasive, pompous. and just plain angry. However, in my own opinion, what we see on his American television programs are almost the exact opposite of what is shown in the UK. Take for example his show Cookalong Live!:

The Gordon we see here is happy. SMILING (shocking, right) and enthusiastic! He not only cooks live in the studio with a guest, but fans tune in from around the country via webcam and cook right along with him! His excitement and passion for food shines through! "The F Word" (another UK only show) spotlights Mr. Ramsay's outstanding devotion to his craft. Even on the UK version of "Kitchen Nightmares", the emphasis seems to be more on teaching the chefs and owners how to run a restaurant rather than the makeshift family counselor role Gordon takes on on the Fox version.

But what does any of this have to do with my strangest idea ever, you ask? In my on-going efforts to make myself a better writer, a healthier individual and expand upon my own abilities in the kitchen, I've decided to challenge myself in a way that may seem a bit silly but I think it might just work.One of the observations i've made about Gordon's cooking style is this: simple, fresh and easy. Sometimes the simpler the recipe, the better the quality of meal you'll have. With that said, I've decided that it might be fun to try a "Julie and Julia"-style experiment. Not being a trained chef in any way, shape or form, I plan on using Gordon's amazing cookbook "Ultimate Cookery Course" and trying to make as many of the recipes in it as I can. I fully plan on documenting each attempt and sharing each dish with family and friends! Yes that's right. You will all be my culinary guinea pigs!! I can only hope and wish that my food will come out half as good as the world-renowned Chef who created the recipes, and hopefully not get sued in the process! And who knows? Gordon may actually LIKE the idea ;).

I'm still trying to come up with a title for this ambitious project. Yeti threw out the name "LAMB SAUCE!" because, well, it's hilarious and so very Gordon (any fan of "Hell's Kitchen" will get the reference).  My instinct, however, is to keep it simple. That is the point after all, right? Something along the lines of "Average Jo" which is pretty straightforward and true. Because really that's what I am. I'm not a "Master Chef" and i'm nowhere near ready for "Hells Kitchen". I'm just your average Jo. Literally. 

So get ready, Chef Ramsay. I can't guarantee that the meals will be stellar every time (please don't yell at me!!) but this girl is gonna try really hard to make you proud! 

Finally...a moment to write!

Wow!

I'm not at the gym. I'm not baking something. I'm not even at WORK. I'm just sitting down and relaxing. This is RIDICULOUS and I don't even what to do with myself. I guess i'll use this time wisely and, I dunno, maybe write something for you all! :).

It feels like forever since i've had some down time to just sit and put some thoughts down/finish some of my short stories. That makes me sad. This is what happens when I can't let go of my "go-go-go" mentality where I need to be doing SOMETHING or else I feel lazy. One day I will realize that sitting down to write actually counts as doing something. I may not be burning physical calories by being up and moving (i.e. working, doing dishes, doing other household chores, baking up a storm, exercising, etc) but I know that I'm at least giving my brain a good workout and exercising my thought process.

So what have I been up to since my last post ? Well for starters this happened:

Yeti and George R.R. Martin look strangely alike. I think George was confused.

Just in case you don't know that is Yeti meeting one of his favorite authors (and one of the best fantasy writers in the world currently), George R. R. Martin.  George is the author of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. But you may recognize it by what its more commonly known these days: "Game of Thrones" because of some silly show on HBO or something ;). Two of my favorite authors are dead. I will never get the chance to hear Lovecraft talk about his own stories, and I'll never get the chance to ask Poe for an autograph, so it was important to me that Yeti take advantage of these amazing events with George. It was truly an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to meet him and hear him speak! He read a few chapters of the next book in the series, answered fan questions and offered sound advice to aspiring writers in the crowd. He even took part in a talk and Q&A session with "Star Trek:TNG"writer and his long-time friend, Melinda Snodgrass. It was so much fun hearing and watching them talk together and banter back and forth about what they have learned in the business. It was an educational and eye-opening experience to be a part of. Hopefully now George will get back to work writing the next ASOIAF book so we don't have to wait 6 years for the next installment! Write like the wind, George!!

I also signed up for a cake decorating class while I was away! The Jo-Stess Bakery is really starting to step up it's game now! I'm really good at the baking part of things but when it comes to decorating, I'm  miles away from matching my grandmother and father, and LIGHT YEARS away from modern decorating techniques (i.e. gum paste, fondant). This is basically the extent of my decorating skills:

Princess cookies made for Ms. Ellie's birthday :)

T.A.R.D.I.S. cake that could use some improvement

Yeah, so frosting things and basic line work. That's all I got. I'm hoping that with some formal training and a lot of practice, I will be churning out fantastic cakes and pastries by the end of spring. I've decided that the main focus of the Jo-Stess Bakery will be (drum-roll please)......nerdy cookies and cakes! I may be looking way too far in the future but I'm looking forward to trying my hand at another bigger and better T.A.R.D.I.S. cake like the one I made for my husband last year. Maybe I can even make an edible Enterprise for my parents! The possibilities are endless! 

I'm hoping that over this next week i'll be able to sit down and actually FINISH at least one of the stories I'm working on. My week is filling up really fast but I am resolved to at least dedicating a few hours at a time to conclude a few projects before I start new ones. "The Job" is getting down to the wire with only one part to go and "Amenhotep The Black" is coming together nicely too! "The Lovecraft Paradox" has been sitting in limbo for so long that I think my main character is beginning to give up on me! I really need to get Aloysius Baxter Cunningham moving again! I kinda miss him!

So I before I lose this new found creative momentum, I'm going to stop here for now and concentrate on some of my fiction! My new goal is to post at LEAST once a week rather than everyday since I don't seem to have that kind of time anymore! Keep your eyes peeled for more new content and story updates in the coming weeks! Bear with me! I'm slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things over here :). 

On...What I'm Good At...

“Whatever the Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast….Of course, slowness is bad. Really skillful people never get out of time, and are always deliberate, and never appear busy.” - Miyamoto Musashi

Well, well, well. What have we here? Am I actually updating my blog? Shouldn't I be focused on my other rather important writing project? Probably. But that's partly what this blog is all about. This is about the things i'm good at versus the things i'm really kind of suck at. Case in point: PROCRASTINATION. I'm really great at that!! It's o.k., though. I'll make my deadline for that writing project. I work well under pressure :).

Anyway...

Just the other night I thought about how awesome it was that I could just make brownies because I wanted them. I didn't need to get a "boxed mix" out of the cabinet. I had all the ingredients and all I had to do was put them together and WHAM, I had fresh, hot, chocolate-y brownies! Take that, Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines! But until a recent conversation with Yeti, I didn't realize just how strange and special being able to just DO that is! It's just something that's in my blood, I guess!

Homemade Ring Dings

I've been surrounded by bakers most of my life. It started with my grandmother always making wedding cakes and birthday cakes for everyone, and of course her famous Whoopie Pies that she makes from scratch. I remember the day she showed me how to make them. She didn't even USE a recipe card. She didn't need a book. It was all in her head. It was amazing to watch! The best part is that they come out flawless and consistent. EVERY TIME. I know that if I made those Whoopie Pies as many times as my Nana has, I could do it from memory too!  Can I remember THAT recipe? Absolutely not (which is sads!) But I can make a mean chocolate chip cookie dough almost completely from memory and they come out pretty damn awesome if I do say so myself. 

Not only do I have my Nana to look to for inspiration, but I have my dad as well! He, too, got into the wedding cake and birthday cake baking game. My brother and I had some pretty killer birthday cakes growing up. I remember when he made the cake for my Uncle Warren's wedding. I don't think I had ever seen something so wonderful! I remember watching him make FRESH gingerbread to make houses, not the box you buy at Michael's and put together. He drew out the stencils on cardboard, cut them out, made the icing and decorated it. The level of creativity that went into it was insane! I got to bring one into school and go "My daddy made this!" It was pretty awesome :).

My "Ninjabread Men" and "Gingerdead Men"

So now I guess it's my turn to take up the proverbial spatula and whisk. My hope is that I will not only meet their level of expertise and talent, but also raise the bar!  Hell, I've already resolved to learn how to make the entire line of discontinued Hostess and Drake's snack cakes! So far The Jo-Stess Bakery has successfully recreated Twinkies and Ring Dings! I can't tell you how awesome it makes me feel to be able to do that! Not only do I get to make these treats again for my friends and family, but I can also make them without any JUNK in them. That's right! No preservatives or additives. Just pure sugary goodness. I love it!

Homemade Jo-Stess Winkies!

  The thing that i'm not so good at, however, is math. Yup that's right. I hate math because i'm terrible at it. Basic adding, subtracting, division, multiplication, fractions, etc., I got all that. But I have trouble with long-winded word problems. I have trouble applying formulas to numbers. I've just never gotten it! My academic hierarchy goes like this: English, History, Science, Math. I'm much better with words and phrases and remembering dates and times then I am about solving for "x" and "y".

Right about now you're probably thinking what in the hell this has to do with baking! It's quite simple really. What is math? A shit-ton of formulas. What is a recipe? It's also a formula! Both types of formulas are very specific and you have to follow them correctly in order to achieve the correct answer/make a delicious treat!  For example: The Order of Operations, or Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. There is a specific way that you need to do it or else you're fucked!  In that same vein, if you put the wrong kind of flour (or not enough flour for that matter) in your recipe, you're FUCKED. Your delicious treat will be horrid! 

I guess what I find is odd that I can follow one kind of formula almost perfectly, but can't do the other kind to save my life. My brain turns to mush when you put a paper full of math problems in front of me, but I go into Zen mode when I'm working in the kitchen. I may not be able to figure out percentages quickly but I can make Ring Dings dammit! It's odd that two things that are so strikingly similar cause different outcomes. I don't fully understand why that is. 

The Job: Part 3

Greetings readers!! My apologies for the delay with this part of the story! If you have been following with my previous posts, you must know that there have been a lot of things going on over at  La Casa de Yeti. The death of my aunt, of course, being the most major. After losing someone so close, I did think about putting the kibosh on this story. I wasn't sure that I could finish. I thought I might have to rethink the entire story before I could go on. But my Aunt Sandra wouldn't have wanted me to stop. She always encouraged me to write more. That's why I realized it was important to finish this. Especially this scene. Instead of making this very crucial scene in the story something abrupt. I turned it into something beautiful. At least I think it is anyway. I turned this into a vision of what I believe came for my Aunt. Something more incredible than any of us could ever imagine. So I hope you all enjoy this third installment of "The Job", dedicated to my Auntie. 

Since it has been a long time since I posted Part 2, let me refresh your memory a bit: Our narrator finds himself accompanying Death on a job. Death's Job. On this particular job, Death has transformed from the terrifying specter it was once to a softer image. The spirit is hoping to teach our narrator a lesson regarding respect for his own life. But what  the speaker finds is, something a lot different  than he imagined...

                                                 3.

“From this point on, you are nothing but a mere shadow of yourself.” The voice of Death had also changed. It was soft and reminded me of listening to the choir as a young boy in church. “No one will be able to see you or interact with you. What brings us here today is the true nature of what I do. You seem to think you understand what my job is. Today you will learn. I am more than just a harbinger of sadness and woe.” What could I say to that? I nodded in agreement.

As if it was perfectly timed, the elevators “dinged” and the squeaky old metal doors slid open. I turned just in time to see a disheveled and confused looking young girl run out of the car straight towards us. She barreled right through us like a bullet, never acknowledging our presence. We watched as she stood quietly, mere inches in front of us staring at the two double doors. I could hear her slowly beginning to sob. The girl began to walk closer to the doors when an older man poked his head out from one of the rooms to our left. “Sarah!” he called and she turned. I hadn't noticed the little waiting room until now. Just a small room with a few chairs, an old television and a coffee table. She walked over to his open, comforting arms and he led her over to a seat. I can only imagine that this was Sarah’s father. In the room were a few older people, maybe a grandparent among them, and a few of the younger generation. I couldn't hear what was being discussed among them but I knew that it couldn't be anything good.

“Are you ready?” I heard the voice of my host call out pulling me back to the task at hand.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I presume. I've never accompanied Death before so I don’t exactly know what to be ready for.” The Spirit nodded at me, took my arm and we walked towards those doors that poor Sarah was so fearful of. 
We walked straight through them as if they were made of nothing more than mere mist and found ourselves in front of a busy nurses station. The few patient rooms were situated around it in a circular pattern. I had been in several hospital wards over my lifetime and none had struck me with such a feeling of sadness as this one. The lights were dimmer than that of the bright hallway we were just in. All was quiet, save for some various beeps that rang out from several different directions as we walked around the room. A few white-coated doctors walked by us with furrowed brows, some with haggard looking five o’clock shadows. Eventually we stopped in front of room 504. Inside the room hung a large blue curtain that I could only imagine surrounded a hospital bed. My heart skipped a beat and I gulped. I looked up for some sign of comfort from my escort, yet it’s face was focused on the deed to be done.

As we walked through the doorway, an older nurse emerged from the curtain. I could hear just the faintest sniffle as she passed right through us. She took off her gloves, washed her hands, and grabbed a tissue from a nearby receptacle to dab at her eyes. “Not too much longer now.” I heard her say to one of her coworkers. “The family is here, right? Go get them.” This was it. I wished I could go back home and not have to witness this horrible moment in time, but there was no turning away now. The slightest tug by Death on my arm and we moved swiftly, without a rustle of the fabric, through the curtain. In front of us now, lay a woman who looked to be in her mid-70’s. Her grey hair was combed back away from her weathered and weary face. Her heart monitor beeped intermittently, and her breathing was shallow. “Is she why we are here?” I asked softly.

“She is.” The tender voice of Death responded. With this the older woman began to stir. Her eyes opened slowly and gazed upon us. A faint smile came over her face.

“Have you come for me?” she asked.

“I have, my dear.” The spirit responded. “You have come down such a long, hard road, Marion.Your rest awaits you. This illness that has taken hold of your earthly body will not follow you.”

“I understand.” She nodded. “Can I say goodbye first?”

“As you wish. Whenever you are ready, just close your eyes.” The spirit uttered these words and, without a moments notice, the older man from the waiting area poked his head through the curtain.

“Who are you talking to, sunshine?” he asked quietly. Marion smiled at him.
“Hello, Jack. Oh, you know me, just talking to myself.” She said between breaths. Jack chuckled and moved further into the room. Not far behind were Sarah and her father, accompanied by a few others. As they quietly filed in, each party acknowledged Marion in some way, whether it was a kiss on the head or a quick embrace. I backed away towards the far wall to make some room but forgetting all together that I was invisible to them. I watched as Jack grabbed Marion’s hand and squeezed it tight. His eyes began to water and a single tear rolled down his cheek.”We’ve talked about this, Jack. Don’t cry for me.” she whispered.
“I know, I know. But it’s hard not to become a rain cloud...when i’m losing my sunshine.” Jack began to choke back tears and a series of sniffles passed through the room. I was surprised to feel a tear fall from my eye as well, considering the invisible state we were in. I watched as poor Sarah gripped her father tight.
“I love you, grandma.” Sarah called out. Marion turned slowly towards her granddaughter.  

“I love you too, sweetheart. All of you. But...” Her  breathing slowed even more now. “I’ve seen....we’re i’ll be going next....and it’s beautiful.” Marion said. She looked straight past them all and into the face of Death. Jack leaned in close to her face and kissed her on the head.

“Oh Marion, I wish you didn’t have to leave us. But....if it will take this pain away from you...God, I wish I could take it from you...” Jack began to sob harder now.

“But then...i’d be in your shoes...my dear.” Marion said continuing to stare seemingly into nothingness, that they could see anyway. I looked up at the face of Death, unfazed by this overwhelmingly moving event.

“Don’t hold on for us any longer, my heart. If you can see it...go. Remember that we love you.”
“I will be with you again....one day.” Marion said. A faint smile can over Jack’s face. With that she closed her eyes slowly. At this moment, I looked right to Death for the next move. Her breathing ceased, her heart monitor gave one last lonely beep before it flat lined, and Death raised his hand. A light grew from its outstretched hand. It spoke “Marion, your soul is free now. I release you from your earthly bonds. Sit up, my dear, and join me.”  
As the light from the hand of Death grew and seemingly filled the room, I watched as Marion’s beautiful spirit emerged from her body. It was as amazing as I had envisioned it. The broken and ill woman who laid in that bed was not the same as the energy it embodied. The soul trapped within that earthly shell burst through and had the biggest smile on her face. She was quite the sight to behold. Her hair that was combed back before was now full and curly, with little slivers of silver glinting throughout it. She wore a long sun dress covered in a sunflower pattern. She was Jack’s sunshine after all. She scooted off the bed, walked her way over to Death and grabbed his hand. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself and wonder if this incarnation of Death had a warmer grip. She turned back to take one last look at her family and the smile on her face began to fade. “Angel, “ she said “before we go....can you answer me one question?“
“I will try my level best, dear.” The spirit said with a nod.
“My poor Jack. Will he be taken care of?”
“Always. Do not worry, Marion. Although you have left this Earth, you will always be with them. We will go to a place now where you can watch them always. Until you are reunited once more.”

As the light grew, the images of Marion’s family began to weaken and grow thinner and thinner to the naked eye. Soon we were surrounded by nothing but the light! It was so brilliant and blinding, brighter than any sunny day I have observed throughout all of my days.  Within moments, another picture emerged before my eyes and what a sight it was! There was the most beautiful clear blue sky above us with not a cloud in sight. White daisies and blue wildflowers were scattered all throughout a field of emerald green grass we now stood in.  Amidst all of that, and in front of my very own eyes, were the most beautiful pearly gates I had ever seen! I could swear they were almost 7 feet tall and spanned across the wide field as far as the eye could see. It was encrusted with rubies and sapphires and even had two solid gold handles.I could not contain my happiness any longer. I grinned from ear to ear! This was Heaven after all!

In front of the gates, stood a bearded man with two gold keys that were almost as ornately decorated as the door itself hanging from a brown leather rope tied around his waist. In his hands he held a large book with gold leaf pages. He looked at us and smiled pleasantly. “Who do you bring to me now, Friend?” he said.

“St. Peter, I bring to you Mrs. Marion Jacobs. A fine woman who I believe you will find written in the Book of Life.” The spirit sounded confident in his response, but St. Peter seemed reluctant.

“Mrs. Jacobs has been expected, Friend, of that you are quite true...but who is this one you bring behind her? I do not believe I know this one.” He zeroed his gaze in on me. I gulped. Up until now I thought I was practically invisible to everyone, even Marion! But it was a good question.  What about me? Is this where my journey would end as well? Or was I going elsewhere? If Heaven exists then surely...so did the other place.

“I wouldn’t expect you to, your holiness. This is a task I alone have been entrusted with. I do not wish to bring this soul through the gates. Only Mrs. Jacobs.”

“Very well then, Spirit.” St. Peter nodded.  “This is where we part ways, as you know. Mrs. Jacobs, please, come and stand before me.”

“This is where I leave you, Marion.” Death smiled at her. “Enjoy your new home and remember: Your family will always love you and miss you. Now you go on to prepare a new place, so when they arrive...you may welcome them there. “

“Thank you, Angel. And thank you!” She said turning and looking at me “Good luck to you, wherever you end up.” I was flattered that she acknowledged me, in such a grand locale such as this. She could see me after all! I smiled at her.

“Goodbye ma’am” I said. “It looks lovely from out here!” She smiled and turned back towards St. Peter. Death walked towards me and took hold of my arm once more.

“Spirit, I can’t believe it! You’ve shown me Heaven and it is more beautiful then I could have imagined! So it’s true then, eh? The Christians had it right all along! Ha!”

“Quite the contrary, actually.” Death said as it pulled me along through the field.

“I’m confused, Spirit. Clearly this is Heaven, right?” The spirit began to chuckle as I spoke.

“This is Heaven for Mrs. Marion Jacobs, my friend.”

“So...Heaven...can change?” I asked quizzically.

“Heaven. Hell. Purgatory. Nirvana. The Summerlands. Elysium or the Fields of Aaru as it was once called in the days of old. It can be whatever you want it to be. Just as I have changed to fit the soul I am retrieving.”

“Amazing. The afterlife is purely what you make of it.” My mind was blown, but the concept made so much sense to me. How could it be that such an overwhelmingly beautiful idea of a resting place for the soul could be restricted to just one correct choice? How unfair would it be if a Buddhist was sent to Hell purely because his belief was different than that of a Christian or a Jew? This gave me a comfort I had never known before.

“Now, that’s not to say the alternative isn’t still a possibility. The same thing goes for, well, you know. A life of endless torment cannot be escaped unfortunately. You’d be surprised actually. The amount of folks I bring there and their reactions to it.”

“Do you change for them?”
“Nothing more than what you see now. Why if I were to become a purely demonic form, I imagine it would be horribly difficult to help them cross over, which is purely what I do. ”

“I can see that now.”

“Good. Now are you ready to....” Before the Spirit could finish it’s statement, the heavenly fields gave way to the biting cold vortex we had entered before but more violently and abruptly then the first time, almost chaotic! Only this time it happened violently and more abruptly than the first time, almost chaotic!  I felt no floor below my feet. “Oh no, no. I had hoped this would not happen while you were still with me. Fear not, friend. No harm shall come to you. However I must tell you, this will not be pleasant.” Death tried to reassure me as we began to fall. The stinging frozen breeze hurtled us downward. The spirit held tight to my arm and I could feel those frozen phalanges even  through my clothes! Was this it? Were we being called down to the inferno? Was the Devil himself calling us to him? I braced myself for impact at any moment.

Well there you go guys! Another installment for your reading pleasures. Now I know I'm not very good about adding new content regularly anyway but I feel it's only fair to let you know now that "The Job" may be M.I.A. for a little bit. I'm gonna be working on another project entitled "Amenhotep The Black" that i'm hoping to submit to the Innsmouth Free Press for their "Sword and Sorcery" anthology they are putting together. So sit tight while you wait...and please cross your fingers that they accept my story! 

P.S. I don't know who is responsible for the above image but...it's amazing! Whoever you are, let me know so I can properly give you credit for it!