I did it!

I cooked and cleaned and entertained ... and today I'm celebrating one full month - 31 days - of posting! Now, I have to ask you: Should I keep it up ... or is daily too much? For those who subscribe to get posts by e-mail, were you annoyed ... or entertained or ...? I'm just wondering. I've enjoyed having the daily routine and I appreciate everyone  hanging in there with me.

So last night was my little open house. (Pictured are the remains of the Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad.) I'd say I achieved all of my objectives: got a little cleaning done (which I never would have done if I didn't have a darn good reason), jumped back into cooking, pulled out all my gadgets that had been screaming from disuse ... and mostly, enjoyed hanging out with some of my favorite people. It was a small gathering, but nice. M. Beteh was a big help in helping me pull out food, Share and Amy were fabulous sous chefs, Jake was awesome at salsa seasoning and beer tasting ... I really enjoyed getting to know Deb better - a friend I've known since our girls were in Brownies together and with whom I share all sorts of interests. Molly and her mommy stopped by, and that was a treat. Mike came for a Guinness.

Guacamole bowl before.

Guacamole bowl after.

So I woke up ridiculously early and worked on some stuff. Then went to the Farmers Market with Share and Jake a little after it opened at 9. We were hoping for breakfast burritos with chorizo (I think this was the main reason Jake went) but the Mexican concession was not there today! So we stopped at a grocery store on the way back to my house to pick up chorizo and tortillas, and Jake whipped up some magic brunch burritos! What a treat!

As we three sat down to enjoy our burritos with fresh salsa and guacamole (no guac for Jake), we saw the neighbor outside so invited him to join us in our feast. Then for dessert we had Michigan blueberries and sliced local peaches sprinkled with turbinado sugar and sprigs of basil. I put a dollop of Greek yogurt on mine.

And later, after naptime, I hope some folks will stop by for leftovers.

All righty. Need to go figure out how to make a formless void in my youth room. And then? A nap.

Nuthin' says "party" like ...

... guacamole!

(Pictured is one of my formerly festive, now-deceased avocado trees.)

I don't know what all the fuss is about with my guacamole. The recipe isn't complicated. But I love how excited people get when I make it. And sometimes I don't even do the preparation - I can delegate that to any apprentice and that's even more fun.

I'm entertaining tonight for the first time since December 26, 2009. Hosting a little open house in celebration of seven months post broken ankle. I kept putting it off because a) I first wanted to put down the dust bunny revolution; b) the front entrance has been cluttered with evidence of my pre-painting efforts - hose, mop, broom, shovel, TSP, buckets, piles of dirt, etc.; c) the heat; d) other activities; and d) pure laziness.

I moved the porch clutter to the garage, swept up the dirt piles and put out fresh canvas drop cloths to cover the peely paint on the ledges. Found a rug in the basement to replace the grody one the squirrels chewed up. Ta and da.

There was some frantic vacuuming, dusting and other types of cleaning activity last night. Blech. Hate cleaning. I took little breaks to grill chicken, make fresh salsa, chop onions, slice lemons, carve up veggies, make fresh cocktail sauce, set out more chairs and figure out drink stations and other logistics. I am so proud of me! This is always the stuff I'm doing last minute as guests arrive. Ina Garten I'm not.

If you know me and where I live and you're in the area, please stop by - 6 p.m. until ??? If you know me and need directions, e-mail me at javamama42[at]gmail[dot]com. And if you don't know me? Um, that might be a wee bit creepy, eh?

TGIF!

Good day for Drano

I've been telling friends and family lately that I feel as if someone poured cosmic Drano on the clogged drain that's been my life. All of these things that have been "stuck" are whooshing along.

Today I need the real thing. My stupid shower drain is clogged.

And I woke up at 3:45 and never really got back to sleep. So I'm especially not in the mood to deal with such things.

Happy Thor's Day.

Bloomin' again

M. Beteh and I had a discussion the other day about blooming where we're planted.

I think I'm like this African Violet. All of its blooms fell off. (This photo was obviously before the pretty flowers withered and died.) Is it the pot in which it's planted? The soil? Lack of fertilizer? Location? What?

I know it can bloom again but perhaps more fully somewhere else, with the right nutrients and care.

I'm pondering this.

The forest AND the trees

I have no time to get all deep, contemplative and philosophical with today's post (day 27 of daily posting!) as I have about 6 minutes before I need to jump in the shower and get ready for work.

Don't think I can't hear your sighs of relief.

OK. Just went off on a shiny tangent. Yes, already. I Googled "forest for the trees." I found:

• 
  
  Movies/documentaries - on wide range of topics
• 
  
  Books - also on wide range of topics
• 
  
  Album - psychedelic and chaotic yet "visionary" with Beck, John "coz" Acosta and Papa Bear Martinez (1993)
• 
  
  YouTube videos (with music clips but also other forest/tree topics)
• 
  
  Writings on applying the concept to cardiac medicine and to literary analysis ... and the brain and ecology

Cool.

And now I really have no time to draw comparisons to my own life.

Quel fromage ... er, quelle dommage.

Garbage day

Over in the neighborhood where I grew up, the place where my dad's house is, Monday is garbage day. For the past 2-1/2+ years, I've been going over there on the weekends and whenever I can to sort through a lifetime of memories and the assorted accompanying flotsam and jetsam. Sharon and John often joined me, as thankfully they did yesterday.

After four hours of boxing and hauling, I was surprised that this was all we put out at the road for the garbage pickup. We each took a carload of "family stuff" to our respective homes and there's a smallish pile for Goodwill in the garage.

Amazing.

Believe it or not, we're nearing the end of this project, and are collectively shocked that we never did need to get a Dumpster. The basement still has many stacks of wood in various species and shapes and sizes ... but John decided new owners can use it for woodworking projects or firewood.

We've done our best to minimize the amount of junk going to the landfill, and I'm proud of that. Someone will very likely pick up those two lamps, as they have other household items we've put by the road. They'll live a new life or have parts salvaged. Some time ago, we took a few carloads of dad's assorted paints and solvents and other related items to hazardous waste collection. (An impressive collection of still-good thinners and solvents remains in the workshop.) John took a giant van load of metal to the scrap metal place. The local Habitat ReStore, Goodwill and Partnership Center, plus some churches and schools have been recipients of truckloads and carloads of other items. Family and friends have helped with the rest. (And Craig's List and eBay.)

This weekend was packed - something squeezed into every nook and cranny. But unlike some weekends of that sort, I feel mostly ready to face the new week. In large part, I think, due to the progress that has been made in areas - like dad's house - that have been weighing me down for so long. It's like the garbage is moving out of the way, making room for new and wonderful things. But not things exactly.

In other news, today is Misty's first day at her new job. Gonna miss her. I think y'all already know that though.

Peachy day

After I finished yesterday's post, neighbor C and I went to Dawn of a New Day - a coffee house in Saginaw I'd never been to because the usual hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. M-F. I've always heard good things about this place and was so excited to go!

Dawn sells some of her coffee blends at the Farmer's Market and when I stopped at their booth last Saturday I was told that they were open on some Saturdays since they've been catering to a huge gathering of Jehovah Witnesses (big to-do at TheDow, just down the street). The coffee house is directly across the street from the pretty much vacant Saginaw News building.

Just a normal late morning crowd was there when we arrived ... I think the JW group goes in the afternoon.

My croissant sandwich (it was 11-ish by then) was called Dawn's Deliciousness. Really great chicken salad with chopped grapes, dried cranberries, walnuts and huge chunks of chicken. All held together with mayo. Topped with a lovely bunch of fresh baby spinach leaves. Mmmmmm ... Since I'd already had a few cups of coffee, I followed C's suggestion and tried her favorite: a vanilla French soda. I eyed the extreme whiteness of it a bit dubiously at first, but oh, yum! It was sweet, vanilla-y and fizzy and just truly deliciously refreshing.

I justified this completely low-fat (!) splurge-fest by the fact that it was early-ish in the day and I probably would not eat until dinner and then I'd probably just snack on fruit or veggies or something. And really, all my food groups were covered. I think the spinach tipped the nutrition scale in the right direction.

Yes indeedy.

So then we went back across the street to the Farmers Market, which by then was pretty deserted. Saturdays are hoppingest in the morning. But everyone seemed to have peaches, so I bought some at the Briggs' stall and the Davis booth. (Had to stop in and see my friends.) Of course, I picked the basket that had the darling specimen above with its lovely little sprig of leaves still attached.

So that's what I did up until noon-ish. I need to go get ready for my writing group now - we're doing "flash fiction" today at one of the member's homes instead of our usual coffee house location to celebrate her return from many months of international travel. I'm taking fruit. TTFN!

Chillin'

It's not really that hot today, just off-the-scale humid. Still, that freezer basket does look rather inviting.

The neighbor and I just finished Facebook chatting. Yes, she is about 12 steps from my back door. Thanks for asking. I told her I was estivating (and really, pondering my next move for the day). So now we're going to breakfast somewhere. What fun!

I wonder

I don't think it's a mistake that my attention was grabbed early this morning by this article in the January 2010 issue of Smithsonian. Most interesting to me was the story about Tibetan monks who painstakingly constructed an incredibly beautiful mandala adn then poured it into the Potomac - all to "underscore the transitory nature of material life." See photos here.

Wonderful.

What has caused your heart and soul to leap in wonder recently?

The universe has spoken again

I have another fortune to add to my collection. Misty and I went to the Chinese buffet on Bay Rd. yesterday for lunch (the one that misspells Japanese as Japenese in its sign). There were a few clouds in the sky, so it was OK to go. It's incredibly cheap and the food is amazing - fresh and varied and delicious.

Anyway, can you read the blurry print? It says I will soon be reunited with an old friend. I wonder who it is! How exciting.

Really, recent developments are almost scary in the timing and connectedness and ... just, oh wow.

Project Happy

I used to think I looked fat in the photo at left, so I always displayed the one below instead.

(Am I overly obsessed with handstands?)

But now that I'm trying to drop the weight I've gained being sedentary and slovenly, I look back and think, "Hmmm. Wish I could get back to that level of fitness and flexibility ... and also giddy happiness."

I guess the handstand obsession is symbolic of my whole Project Happy ... project. Which is in full force now.

I'm amazed at all that's happening in my life. So many of the big things that had been looming over my head are being dealt with, one by one.

That makes me happy. I may be jazzed up by three cups of French Roast at the moment, but there is peace in my soul.

Speaking of souls ... check out this post by photographer Dan Denardo titled Waiting for My Soul. It's just lovely (as are all of his words and images).

I'm tired, but in a good way

Yesterday's post fairly wore me out. (But kind of in a more-than-awesome, really good way.) Not the writing of my life's list/list of 100/bucket list - I'd done most of that work over several weeks (and years of dreaming, really). But the thinking about what it means to put it all out there for the world to see all - or a good number of - my hopes and dreams and wishes and wants. Are they too shallow? Too silly? Too ... [your favorite adjective here]?

I know that shouldn't matter. It's MY list. And the exercise of thinking about what I really want out of life is a challenging one, to be sure. Even at the age of 44, I'm not exactly sure but I have a much better idea than I did 20 years ago. And perhaps one of the best pieces of wisdom I've gained is that I don't have to have it all figured out.

So I tried to make it clear that my list is a draft. Something I can let sit and stew for a bit. And revise when necessary. I like to think of it as the beginning of a really deep and interesting conversation. Sure, some of the items would be great topics for chit-chat at a cocktail party. (Because I attend chit-chatty cocktail parties SO often.) But the "why" I want to do some of those things. And how they all fit together to make the me I am and the me I aspire to become.

The type of interaction I've had with some of you as a result of this one post is a big reason I jumped into this blogging thing last year. (I didn't know that then, but I'm realizing it now.) Thank you so much for sharing your comments and your dreams and for hanging with me through the ups and downs and writer's blockages ... I'm looking forward to continuing the wild ride together!

Today's photo is of one of the incredible Gaudi-designed homes we "discovered" traipsing through Barcelona one day back in 2005. One of these days, I'll write more about that trip either here or over on Tuna on Wheatley.

This is it

Life is what we make of it. I've been doing a lot of thinking about this over the past year and a half especially.

I just spent a whirlwind weekend with Lizz. In all the spaces between the stuff we did, we talked and talked and talked ... about little things and Really Big Things. Amid all that, she reviewed the draft of my life list. This is it - approved for publication:

Dear readers: I'd love to see your lists! Please share in the comments with list or link, or e-mail me at nancy.justwrite[at]gmail[dot]com.

1. Try my hand at travel writing. 

2. Go on a gondola ride in Venice.

3. Spend a few weeks – or months – in Provence when the lavender is in bloom.

4. Sleep in a thatched-roof cottage in Ireland.

5. Take a long walk in the Cotswolds, wearing gray flannel pants.

6. Ride an elephant in India.

7. Drink really good coffee in Seattle.

8. Paint the exterior of my house. [about 2/3 done!]

9. Eat a “sacramental Dove Bar” with Anne Lamott.

10. Ride a trolley in San Francisco. [summer 2019!]

11. Drink dark beer in Munich.

12. Tell my “at work they steal pencils” story to a barista in Moscow.

13. Do a handstand in Gorky Park ...

14. and Hyde Park (London) ... [summer 2018!]

15. and le jardin des Tuileries (Paris) ... [summer 2018!]

16. and Villa dei Medici gardens (Rome) ...

17. and Djurgarden (Stockholm) ...

18. and Mirabell (Salzburg) ...

19. and so many more famous parks and gardens (I’ve already done some at Parc Güell in Barcelona).

20. Lose 50 pounds.

21. Go Salsa dancing.

22. Ride a bicycle through the Irish countryside.

23. Re-create (or find) the Watergate Elves story I wrote when I was a little girl.

24. See a Broadway play (on Broadway)

25. Go on a Caribbean cruise.

26. Find – and install – new light fixtures for the living room. Or just cover the damn wiring with good artwork.

27. Learn to Zumba.

28. Fix the fireplace.

29. Take my daughter to Mexico.

30. Go whitewater rafting.

31. De-clutter my home. Simplify.

32. Learn to knit baby booties.

33. Finish the quilt I started for Kay (piece it and have someone else quilt it).

34. Go camping in the Grand Canyon – as footprint-free as possible.

35. Spend a summer on Santorini.

36. Write a cookbook with my sister.

37. Publish one of my mom’s books.

38. Find homes for all of the family photos in my house.

39. See Mount Fuji.

40. Visit every U.S. state and territory.

41. Visit every Canadian province.

42. Go ice skating in Rockefeller Center.

43. Visit Key West.
44. Help build homes with Habitat for Humanity in Papua, New Guinea.

45. Write success stories about Habitat for Humanity homeowners for Habitat World.

46. Try an “egg cream.”
47. Stop biting my nails.

48. And get a manicure.

49. Find my soul mate and marry him.

50.  Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary before I’m 100.

51. Take another group of youth to participate in Appalachia Service Project.

52. Weatherize my house – insulate and seal gaps, cracks, windows, doors, etc.

53. Build and install some bat houses.

54. Visit Chincoteague during the Pony Swim.

55. Spend a week on Tangier Island.

56. Drink a mojito.

57. Hang ceiling fans in the bedrooms of my house.

58. Hula-dance (wearing grass skirt and coconut bra!) in Hawaii.

59. Drink real Kona coffee while gazing at Mauna Loa.

60. Spend a few weeks (or more) driving historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles.

61. Write for National Geographic. At least once.

62. Go to a cooking blowout/retreat at Ree Drummond’s (the Pioneer Woman’s) Lodge.

63. Make one of the projects in my Knitting for Peace book.

64. Post on one of my blogs 365 days in a row.

65. Learn to make paper.

66. Participate in the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Walk.

67. Spend a full year with my mom’s family, learning about my mom and that part of my family tree.

68. Find the original “Tuna on Wheatley” article from 1958.

69. Spend a full year with my dad’s family, learning about my dad and that part of my family tree.

70. Landscape my back yard.

71. Learn about the history of my house and its previous owners. (in process)

72. Learn how to bake really good bread.

73. Take a course at a culinary school.

74. Attend a writing retreat somewhere beautiful.

75. Learn to read music.

76. Sing alto – better.

77. Learn to play the guitar.

78. Learn to grill a really great steak.

79. Go to Banff. Because I really like that name.

80. Find a way to “pay it forward” every day.

81. Begin a morning workout regimen.

82. Pray more.

83. Pay off my credit cards.

84. Dust off my Cannondale hybrid and take it for a ride.

85. Learn how to use the treadmills, elliptical trainers, etc. at the Y.

86. Teach five people how to make perfect pie crust.

87. Create a filing system to manage all of my stupid paperwork. And use it.

88. Teach my grandchildren how to do handstands.

89. Get my own pottery wheel and learn how to use it.

90. Ski in the Alps.

91. Learn a dozen key phrases in one new language every month.

92. Read the entire Bible. Any translation.

93. Take my daughter to Europe. [we took each other - summer 2018!]

94. Start – and finish – Christmas shopping before Dec. 15 at least once.

95. Learn to tango.

96. Swim in the Mediterranean.

97. Make Christmas gifts for everyone on my list at least once.

98. Go fly fishing (and wear the cool hat, vest and waders like in A River Runs Through It).

99. Paint a trompe l’oeil mural on the back of my house.

100. Finish the first draft of my list of 100.

Playing with food

I love that vegetables can be nutritious, educational and FUN.

I'm pretty sure that when I first read about Patty Pan - they're sort of like zucchini/yellow summer squash (only cuter and more squatty) - it was in an issue of Martha Stewart Living. No, really. Martha was putting together some ridiculously elaborate but down-to-earth gathering and all the guests were getting their own stuffed Patty Pans. I thought that was just precious.

When I picked these up at the Farmers Market, I was surprised at how many people didn't know what they were or how to prepare them. I asked a little girl standing near me if she knew what they were called, and her mom piped up that they were "squash, honey." So I leaned down and said, "Yes - squash with a fun name: Patty Pan." She giggled. Her mom then said she'd always wondered what they were and how to prepare them. So I told her: just like you would zucchini.

There were originally three Patty Pan, cuz they always have three-fer deals at the market. I gave one to Misty. She and I had gone to the market at lunch. When we went back to the office, Denise did this:

And G did this:

Oh! So remember the cabbage I fell in love with last week? When we went to the market yesterday, my friends Marilyn and John had another lovely selection of foofy leafy cabbages. I know I'd already picked one up the day before but look at this magnificent specimen:

Wrestling it into a bag to take home was no easy task, let me tell you.


This was not exactly what I'd envisioned for the veggie display I was going to do for John's 60th bash last night, but it's close (we ended up putting some ice cubes in the crater I carved out and set a glass dish of dill dip in the center).

To the lower left of the cabbage-y dip vessel you can see the Southwestern pasta salad that ended up taking more of my time to prepare than I'd intended. It wasn't terribly popular since several people brought really incredible food. Cindy just went crazy. I lost track of all the platters and baskets and dishes of yummy-ness she and her husband toted in.

Ohhhh ... just remembered. Post-party days always mean lots of leftovers. There's a pie I didn't try last night. Hmmm...

Gotta go wake the kid now so we can get ready for church.

Have a great day!

Bean there, done that

Today was crazy busy. We just got home from celebrating Jake's 60th birthday. I hurried home so I could post before midnight and not break my posting streak.

Phew. Just made it.

Sleep tight!

Goin' to market

It's no secret that I'm a farmers market junkie.

I would like to introduce you to John and Marilyn Ayotte of Davis Greenhouse. I'm so glad I now know their names because my sister and I have called Marilyn the basil lady for a few years because of her impressive basil displays.

When they told me they did eight markets a week, I had to scratch my head. Then Marilyn explained that they're at the Saginaw Farmers Market Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and the Downtown Bay City Farmers Market and Chuck's Bay County Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Thursdays (they split up on those days - with one at one location and one at the other).

They had the most gorgeous cabbage last Saturday. I really wanted that cabbage, with all its leafy greenness and Southern belle flounces. I mean this thing really was a sight to behold. I could see it as the centerpiece of a gigantic veggie display, filled with a nice, chilled dilly dip. I told them I would return the following Friday, so when I went today they had one waiting for me. It's like we're old friends. Me and the Ayottes, not me and the cabbage. That cabbage is gonna make history tomorrow night.

The Ayotte's booth is currently filled with a lovely selection of summer squashes, beans, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic and more. You'll also find herbs, annuals, perennials and even a small display of Watkins extracts.

One of the reasons I love going to the market is it helps ground me. I love to talk with the hardworking people, like the Ayottes, who have made farming their life's work. I am such a city girl, with my puny containers of herbs. I've tried to tend a tiny garden in the past - peppers and eggplant and cherry tomatoes. I learned that growing things was just not a core competency of mine. Thus I became a farmers market junkie. It's so different from plucking a bag of tiny sanitized carrots off the pile at Kroger. I like to see some dirt. And I like to be reminded of the seasons.

I always see people I know at the market. Friends from church. Classmates, former teachers and co-workers, neighbors.

Speaking of people I know, I just ran into an old friend today - a nun I worked with when I was with Hidden Harvest and worked out of the Good Neighbors Mission. She told me that the youth in the Houghton-Jones neighborhood are running a farm stand on Fridays from 3-6 p.m. starting next week. Isn't that the coolest? I can go after work!

And tomorrow morning I'm going to Ann Arbor to get Lizz and might just have to pop over to Kerrytown if we have time. I told you I was a junkie. The only intervention I'll need is for volunteers to help consume the bounty.

Duck.

Three mathematicians walk into a bar. You'd think the second one would've ducked.

Ba dum bump.



I had about two hours of sleep last night, and I've been up to my eyebrows in paperwork tonight ... so I'm fresh outta words. But tomorrow I hope to write about my excursions to the Farmers Market this week!

Haji says you need to go get some tropical sno

I stopped by Jan's tropical snow booth again tonight in front of the new Family Dollar (refer to yesterday's post). This time I tried Peaches 'n Cream. Yum.

Driving home after my yoga class and a lovely walk with Misty, I missed my turn so circled around the block. I needed the refreshment that badly.

In case you wondered, you can find tropical sno at that location for 10 more days. So that's until ... July 24, right? Hours are noon-ish to 9 p.m.-ish

Oh! And she's giving out buy-4-get-1 free punch cards! I'm halfway to a freebie!

Thanks for stopping by today. I noticed my traffic doubled. So y'all must really be interested in tropical sno. Sadly, though, I'll need to find a different topic tomorrow. Idears, anyone?

tropical sno!

My trip to take back cans and bottles so I could burn off calories (?) to buy a pint of Imagine Whirled Peace ice cream took an unexpected turn. As I was heading down Court Street, the lights from the new Family Dollar store on State (in the old Kroger) caught my eye. And then my eyes were drawn to the bright red and yellow (SHINY!) tropical sno umbrella when I remembered that my friend Jan told me a few weeks ago that she was setting up her booth for two weeks as part of the store's grand opening festivities.

Bonus!

We first learned about tropical sno two summers ago on our Appalachian Service Project trip to Kentucky. After working at a building site all day in the sweltering heat - and after dinner, after-dinner chorses and ice cold showers in the school parking lot where we were lodged - we would go to town for frozen treats. A group of us went every single night for the week we were there. One evening we went to Dairy Queen, and all I remember about that was Jacob telling a joke that was so funny I shot ice cream out my nose and a couple of us almost fell out of our seats. (Lizz: Do you remember what Jacob said that was so funny?)

Anyway, tropical sno is seriously the best snow cone ever, with flavors and popular concoctions like Passion Fruit, Pina Colada, Tangerango (tangerine and mango), Peach Razzmatazz, Birthday Cake, Green Apple, Rootbeer Float, Fuzzy Navel and just about whatever you can dream up. The ice is finely shaved and fluffy, so it's different from typical snow cone ice. Prices range from just $2 for a small (8 oz) to $4 for a large (16 oz).

Jan's daughter was one of the youth on our mission trip that summer, and when she came home the two of them looked into becoming tropical sno dealers. I knew they started dabbling in something "like" tropical sno last summer but it didn't ever occur to me that they were selling real tropical sno delights at fairs and other venues around Michigan!


Here, Jan is packing a heaping 12 oz. for a young customer.

I think this kid selected every single flavor, creating what Jan calls "trash can." He saw me eyeing the odd combination of colors and flavors, then took a taste and triumphantly proclaimed it delicious.

My choice tonight? Pina colada. And since Jan's gonna be just down the road from me for at least another week, I have all this time to think about the other flavors and combos to try. I can't wait!

If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a trip. When you go, please report back and let me know your favorite flavors.

Cheeeeps and salsa!

I have a feeling there will be lots of chips and salsa in my future this week.

My co-workers and I usually go to Los Cuatro Amigos. It's tradition.

My sister's family prefers the salsa at El Mexicano. Share just came home from her trip to Philly, so we went to El Mexicano tonight so I could hear all about it over 99 cent margaritas, chips and salsa.

Misty will come back tomorrow from her vacation. Chances are very good we'll need to go to Los Cuatro  Amigos for lunch. Only nine more working days with  Misty. Sigh.

There has been a lot of therapeutic chips and salsa consumption by the Writers Block. Some weeks we've gone to Los Cuatro Amigos three or four times. Patty, our usual waitress, knows our standard order by heart. Patty never lets our chip basket get empty. I especially love the cilantro-flecked salsa and can consume an entire carafe of salsa all by myself. One of these days I'm just gonna ask for a straw. Don't think I won't.

Kaleidoscope

When my dear friend Netty brought me this painting, titled "Kaleidoscope," a few weeks ago to "try out" on my unadorned living room wall I was stunned.

Stunned that Netty knew just what that wall needed. Surprised by her generosity. Awed at my good fortune in having such a friend who has known me practically forever.

You might think by now I wouldn't be amazed at the kaleidoscope of blessings that swirls through my life.

The artist, Lisa Doezema, finds inspiration for her art in a wondrous God. I love the way the soft colors illuminate the design from behind. It's even lovelier in person.

Painting the town

Today was a good day.

Dooley was very polite, stayed on his side of the bed and let me sleep until 7:05 a.m. We had a lovely morning. I enjoyed my coffee and got caught up on some writing. Then visited some old neighbors and took Dooley for a short walk, keeping in mind the whole time that he's three times the size of the dog I was walking December 26.

I went to a prayer study at church and then to the Farmers Market. Today was the first day of the Saturday schedule.

I love going to the market on Saturday mornings. I visited all of my favorite stands, plus a few new ones. I took pictures of some of the vendors, but will cover them in another post.

Eric Schantz painted a beautiful flower on my arm. I wore it all day. You would be amazed how many people thought I had a tattoo in my travels the rest of the day.

After I left the market, I went to visit some friends who are working on beginning an urban ministry. I was invited to an impromptu picnic! They shared their chicken, and I shared my tomatoes and corn. It was like Thanksgiving. I ended up staying the entire day and had a fabulous time hanging out with a handful of youth, discussing some really interesting and deep subjects.

And now? I'm reflecting on what a good day it was.

Yes, the ending of this day was decidedly different than the last time I walked a dog and had a body part (my face) painted.

Slumber party

It's my turn to have a slumber party with Dooley, The Dog Who Cannot Sleep Alone. He'd better not want to snuggle. This is not snuggling weather.

Random acts of lunch

This is Denise, a fellow writer person. And no, she didn't just get a new kitty, flirt with a state trooper, find a great deal on yarn or see Riders in the Sky ... the person ahead of her in line at MacDonald's today bought her lunch! (Hey, wait a minute! Does that mean she ate FRENCH FRIES? I thought she couldn't do that until NEXT month????)

But back to the lunch thing ... Have you ever had that happen? Or have you ever done it for the person in line behind you? Or have you performed another random act of kindness?

Crazy bananas

I really don't know who started plastering my name plate at work with Chiquita stickers. But it gives a wonderful first impression when we get visitors or new people at our office.

We had a new artist start today and she got treated to my stickers, the beautiful mandala Catherine G gave me that hangs in my doorway, my cave-like office with its stalagmites of project folders everywhere, and comments about my FitFlops that are making my butt smaller with every step. Not work shoes you say? You think I'm going to miss out on an opportunity to walk my butt off just going back and forth to the printer?

But bananas. I'm going a bit bananas. Our youth are planning and leading the worship service this Sunday. There are to be EIGHT baptisms, which the pastor will do. All the other little pieces and parts are coming together with youth selecting verses and hymns, planning a children's message, learning to be liturgists, ushers and more. One of our young adults is delivering a sermon titled Growing Up. It's so exciting. And I'm going bananas. Planning a youth service any time is bound to be challenging. Doing it in the middle of vacation season especially so. But this was their idea, and I'm so proud of them. And I thank God that I have Lizz to call, e-mail and text for advice every other minute or so.

River of cool

I'm thinking cool thoughts. Imagining myself immersed in the cool water of this river.

Breezes dancing over my skin.

The air is fresh. Crisp, even.

It's peaceful.

Ahhhhhhhh ...

Splat

I'm a tad warm with this fur coat and all.

Can you wave the palm fronds a bit faster? Peel me a mouse?

Happy Independence Day

I was just looking through my photos to find one that spoke "freedom" or "independence" to me. This one is from our short trip to a friend's place on the Au Sable in Grayling early last week. Lizz and I had hoped to canoe but chickened out due to the wind and temps in the 60s. In the shade. Brrr. Some Midwesterners we are.

We chose to hike some trails in nearby Hartwick Pines instead. And we squeezed in plenty of reading, napping, movie-watching and Skip-Bo-playing.

There are so many freedoms I take for granted every day. I can read what I want. Wear what I want. Worship freely when and where I want. That only scratches the surface, I know.

Our pastor and his family are from Zimbabwe. Actually, their country was called Rhodesia when they moved to the United States decades ago. Most of their children and grandchildren have grown up in the U.S. but one daughter is in Africa with her family. A few months back, they sought refuge in South Africa and there they remain, uprooted, homeless and uncertain of what lies ahead. Here, in the safety of this country, it is hard to imagine what they face every day. I know, too, that I cannot comprehend the depth of the concern felt by family members on this side of the Atlantic. These are people of great faith, to be sure, so I wouldn't say they are worried. But I'm certain they cry out to God in prayer for the safety of their loved ones.

I knew we'd sing some patriotic songs at church today, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the quartet who treated us to this hymn, now one of my favorites:



Today and every day, I am grateful to the men and women who serve and have served in our armed forces. To those who have risked, and given, their lives for the love of our nation. I am grateful to all those who work for peace in ways big and small.

Thank you.

Good reads

My Rodney Curtis books came today! Actually, they could have arrived yesterday but I just discovered them this morning. Saw the box on the porch when I went to look out the front window and check progress on the church parking lot while I was brushing my teeth and the coffee was brewing. (I wanted to be sure I wasn't hallucinating last night with the noisy truck and the workmen and such.)

Getting new books to read is like Christmas morning!

Just in time, too, as I've been polishing off each stack as soon as I get 'em.

One of my nieces recently loaned me her copy of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas for a reading group I was invited to join. That was a quick read, and I look forward to discussing it. Maybe I'll Netflix the movie before we meet.

Last weekend at the church yard sale Lizz and I picked up a few titles, including Naked Came the Manatee and The Freedom Writers Diary. Gobbled those right up.

Burp.

I'm getting quite the collection of blogger books. As you can see above there, Claudette is reading Margaret Mason's (Mighty Girl) book No One Cares What You Had for Lunch. Netty gave me that because she knew I had been struggling with writers block. Then I had a Barnes & Noble gift card from my birthday plus found a $10 gift card under my bed (!) and decided to treat myself to The Pioneer Woman Cooks - and while I was on the BN site decided to add on Heather Armstrong's (Dooce) two books: Things I Learned About My Dad in Therapy (read that on Fathers Day) and It Sucked and Then I Cried.

When those books arrived I inhaled them like oxygen. Or really awesome dark chocolate. Pretty much the same thing.

Paint house? What house?

Then I loaned my four blogger books to Misty, so they're probably with her in Kentucky right now. I can see her reading them on the long drive in between bouts of singing "Wheels on the Bus" to her toddler ... and pointing out Big Butter Jesus to her husband. (Hey - I just read the Wiki link on BBJ and I'm pretty sure he would have been sculpted from expanded polystyrene and not extruded polystyrene - STYROFOAM).

I am just giddy with anticipation for the rest of my books to arrive, because do you think I could have just ordered one copy of Spiritual Wanderer the other day? Oh no. First of all, I justified the purchase (because I really do not buy books that often, recent evidence to the contrary; my IV drip is hooked up to the public library right down the street) because it was for a good cause. And I knew I'd spend at least
$25 so I could get the free super saver shipping deal. There were a couple of other books I wanted but they were from other sellers so I ended up buying three copies of Spiritual Wanderer AND a handful of books by Mike Yaconelli - some which I used to own but loaned out long ago - and a few new ones. Easy to justify those purchases - I'm investing in youth ministry for heaven's sake! I love that you can get great, slightly used or even brand new books for little more than the cost of shipping. Seriously - one of the books I ordered was $.01. One was $.15. Shipping for each was $3.99. Crazy. I remember reading Messy Spirituality and Dangerous Wonder years ago and had been wanting to read them again plus some other Yaconelli titles. But oddly, our library system doesn't carry them. Mike Yaconelli was key to my own faith development and I'm eager to share him with others. I think I discovered him either just before or just after he was killed in a truck accident in 2003. But because of the ministries he began and an abundance of printed and digital content, his legacy lives on.

Clearly, I have eclectic reading tastes. I love good writing in general. I also love good trashy chick lit. Ooh - and suspenseful spy thrillers. And all sorts of others. And yes, I do find time to read the Bible. The book. Now there's a topic for another day ...

Well, I sure have rattled on long enough. Do you have some favorite reads to share? Who are your favorite authors? Whose writing inspires and/or influences you the most?

Baby steps

I decided to join NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) last night to challenge myself to post more frequently. Because goodness knows, I'm not doing a very good job pushing myself along to get in the daily habit.

The last time I promised to post daily, I think I came close - but my grand plans of earning ad revenue to help Lizz replace a lost scholarship came to a screeching halt when I unintentionally violated AdSense rules.

Oops. Dang it.

Then, fairly regular posting after my Christmas Break helped me keep a little piece of my sanity during a difficult time. This was my connection with the outside world.

Now, 160 posts after I started this blog thing, I'm still figuring out what I'm doing out here. I'm not outrageously hilarious, tech-savvy, hugely talented, brilliant, polished or connected like June Gardens, Dooce, Pioneer Woman, Mighty Girl or Chookooloonks - just some of the bloggers I follow regularly.

I'm me.

And for the rest of July I'm going to be here every day with something to say. Lord help us.

OK. Shiny moment: Isn't Friday EVENING of the 4th of July weekend an odd time to resurface the church parking lot across the street from my house? I thought so.

The writing on the wall

... or, like, the inside of the cupboard door.

I like to save fortunes from fortune cookies. (Can you read those over there or is the type too tiny? Let me know in the comments section.)

I have fortunes taped to the inside of the kitchen cupboard. They float in my wallet. And the drawer by the bathroom sink. In the junk drawer by the phone. And in my desk at work. A friend of mine used to have a cute little bulletin board with just fortunes tacked on it. I always thought that was cool - and so tidy of her to keep them all in one place like that.

Lately, the fortunes have been sending out a particular vibe. There's a consistent theme. It's growing in frequency and urgency. Now, keep in mind that it's summer so I have not been eating much Chinese food. It's just not right. I can't eat Chinese food when it's warm and sunny. It's cold or rainy weather food. (Lizz says I have a lot of weird rules and this is one of them.) Anyway, it seems the universe is telling me that change is in the air.

The message is not just coming through those little scraps of paper, either. We'll be making another big change at work, for example.

Misty gave her notice today.

Bubbly, fun Misty who fell out of the sky and into our hearts in December - only a few weeks before I fell and broke my ankle and had to work from home with my foot up in the air for two months.

Misty has found a Really Great Opportunity. I'm sad, of course, but I am also very happy for her, as I am always happy for people who have found work with purpose and meaning and balance ... or whatever they seek in their lives.

I've been fortunate to have work like that a couple of times. I'm not really in that place now, though, and I know it's up to me to do something about it. And whether I decide to try to bloom where I'm planted or put down roots elsewhere, it's gonna require a really big change.

Yikes.