Summer Projects

I think the type-A of being a New Englander is something I'm just going to have to accept about myself. This summer is shaping up to be a nice resetting break in my life-- I'm committed to working 3 nights/week, and that's about it at the moment. I have taken it easy for the last week or so; there have been a lot of late nights, and much later sleeping-in mornings (afternoons?), and some serious amounts of sitting on the couch. While I accept that my body and spirit are healing, and that I need to give myself permission to be gentle during this time, I think I can handle a couple of projects too. Namely:

-- I am going to lose 25 lbs by the end of August. I plan to reach this goal by working out 5 days/week, monitoring what I am eating on Livestrong.com, and working to improve my eating habits.

-- I am going to spend less money. Specifically, I will be eating out much less this summer. I aim to have one restaurant meal weekly, and to cook at home at least 4 meals/week.

-- I am going to eat at least 3 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables each and every day. I will have no more than one non-vegan meal daily.

Thoughtful

"There's a myth that time is money. In fact, time is more precious than money. It's a nonrenewable resource. Once you've spent it, and if you've spent it badly, it's gone forever."
Neil Fiore

I wonder, sometimes, about what I'm accomplishing with my time. Goodness knows that I feel behind on many things, including my career. And while I feel as though I waste an inordinate amount of time sleeping-- I'm always exhausted.

For a rainy day

Last night I told my parents about my goal to start a company. When pressed for details, I mentioned something about it would be ideal if I was married, so I'd at least have health insurance.

I've just had a realization, though. When my temp job goes away, I'll still be in great standing with this company. And they have a standing policy that you're eligible for benefits at only 20 hours/week. I could do 20 hours in the evenings, four nights a week.

That would leave plenty of time for cooking during the day....

Ending summer on a high note

Happiness is a Sunday just like today.

It started with early-morning grocery shopping. Don't you just love how pretty the apples and onions and zucchini look in their neat, symmetrical towers-- before the crowds of shoppers pull them down? With produce in hand, I headed home-- with fresh coffee, too-- for some chopping, dicing, roasting and dressing. An hour or so later, my kitchen was filled with the beginnings of a picnic: roasted vegetables, homemade (by Katy) garlic aioli, and a red potato and sweet sugar pea salad.

Purgatory has never been as inviting as it was this afternoon. Once the friends were assembled (and introductions made, as this was an experiment in putting several groups of friends together) we feasted. Everyone brought something. Thanks to Vickie for the most succulent grapes ever; to Ben and Chuck for the sweetest, chunky green salad-- oh! and for the wine (without which our day might have been very different); to Jay for the cheese pizza (he remembered the vegetarians!); to Anthony for the chips (not even damaged by the saddlebags); to Erica for sturdy plates and her travel kit of utensils; and to Katy for indulging my excessiveness and for whisking.

We ate well, we hiked hard, and we ate again. This was my kind of picnic. :) And it was followed by a motorcycle ride (what an amazing feeling, to watch the world pass by so quickly, and so close) and ice cream-- two of my favorite things.

When can we plan a repeat performance, friends?

Marry our daughter?

Part of me is disgusted by the issues that this raises. But another part of me thinks it's genius. If nothing else, it gets you thinking.

Of good food, good cooks, and good writing....

This week, I've been keeping myself entertained at work by discovering a new addition: food blogs. I am in love with Orangette; and also am more than a little desirous of her life. Writing a cookbook? One of my long-term dreams.

The issue with this, though, seems to stem from either being young or not believing in myself enough-- I can't tell which. I am driven, I am ambitious, and I want to change the world; but part of me is still very unsure that I have much to really contribute. Take the cookbook, for example. Yes, I love to cook. Yes, I have a passion for food and all that goes with it: shopping, chopping, cooking, baking, most importantly sharing it. There is little that warms my heart more than my father (or really ANYONE who truly appreciates good eating) mumbling a genuine this is wonderful between bites. But rarely do I create a "recipe" of my own.

Is it even possible to create entirely new things any more? Or is it as in literature-- all of the world's stories have already been told; we are simply retelling in a different manner? I mean, most chocolate cakes have the same ingredients: flour, eggs, chocolate, etc.

And in the end, the question becomes: does it matter? As Mom points out, anyone can follow a recipe-- there has to be talent behind it to make good food. So even if I base my creations on the writings of another, is the finished product still mine? If it is, that makes me a great cook (which we knew), but doesn't really speak to whether I can write a cookbook, does it?

Sara's Wedding

I hope the groomsmen all got what they wanted. Goodness knows they didn't get it from me!