Today: 8 August 2013

Two thunderous booms, one flash of lightning, thirty raindrops on the external side of my bedroom window, and a little post-lightning rumbling... then it's over.  Just an afternoon storm; here and quickly gone.

This song entirely expresses how I feel today:

"Primavera" by Ludovico Einaudi

A Poem - Desiderata, By Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

A Bit O' This and That

It seems like all I write about lately is running (for better or worse).  This week hasn't been much of a week for cooking, being the final stretch before payday tomorrow.  My laptop's screen is fried, so I haven't been able to blog (or upload photos) at home.  I have gotten a lot of reading done, however.  Enough that I can almost justify buying myself another book tomorrow.  (I promised myself that I would read the books I have before I bought any more...)  Hopefully my laptop screen will be replaced this weekend (it's still under warranty) and I can resume blogging more or less "as normal."  It will be nice to include more posts about food, the dogs, and some of my great vintage finds over the past few months (especially Pyrex and glassware!).  If you'd like to see some cute pictures of my dogs, Lola Lulu started writing her own blog again.  You can read it here: Adventures with Lola Lulu

Either Friday night or Saturday morning I will be taking in a 9 year old overweight German shorthaired pointer named Rusty (who was rescued several months ago, with my beloved Lemons and another GSP, Bones).  He has advanced Lyme disease and will be mostly convalescent and on several medications (two antibiotics, anti-inflammatory pain pills, and glucosamine/chondroitin) for quite some time.  I don't know how long I will have him in my care;  hopefully he will be easy to have around my house for time being and can go to another foster home later.  He stayed with me for several days, post-rescue, and was a really sweet boy.  Currently he is having a lot of trouble standing and walking so we'll have to see if we can get him feeling better on the medical regimen that we're developing for him.  I hope that we can help him feel better even if he isn't a very adoptable dog and he might end up in the care of my rescue until it's his time to pass on.

To take a sharp left from that sad note, I may be taking a trip overseas after the holidays.  I am not going to say very much about it at this time, but I have never been abroad and it would be an amazing trip in many ways.  The only foreign country I've ever been to is Canada and when you grew up in Michigan, Ontario is pretty much exactly the same!  I am excited/anxious/nervous/delighted with the prospect all at once.  My mother is buying me a very nice set of houndstooth luggage for my upcoming 30th birthday (which is January 4th).

My "personalized" set of luggage will be the smaller bag here and a larger 29" suitcase, as well.

It is looking more and more like Thanksgiving may be just my dear friend S. and I (with R. stopping by after she spends most of the day with her parents) cooking, baking, and watching movies in our pajamas.  We still haven't worked out a complete menu yet, but I think this recipe (by Joanne of Eats Well With Others) is going to have to be a part of it.  I love (and by love, I mean LOVE) kale and S. makes the BEST roasted brussels sprouts.  The lemony vinaigrette will be a nice bright touch to the squash and greens.  Doesn't it look divine?!  Recipe here: Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Butternut Squash

Photo by Joanne Bruno of Eats Well With Others

On the Brighter Side

Something I try to refrain from doing is going back and reading past posts (especially recent ones).  I tend to get a little extreme with over-editing and seeking unattainable perfection with my writing.  So instead, I've made a habit of writing as my thoughts and the words flow, doing a quick proofread and then flinging the words out into the world.

However... upon second glance, my last post (as much as I tried to still maintain a degree of hopefulness) sounds somewhat depressive.

To counterbalance that tone, I'd like to share some recent wholly positive recent developments.

Today for breakfast (and lunch!) I had two pieces of Magpie's "Mikey's" Lite-R pizza on a whole wheat crust with olive oil & garlic for sauce.  Each slice is only 172 calories and 4 grams of fat.  SERIOUSLY!

Yesterday I got another space heater (dogs count as space heaters when they are over 50 lbs., right?), which helps me gather a bit more courage to get out of bed in the morning.  Tile and wood laminate floors are COLD.  I really need to buy some slippers.  Preferably dust/dirt coloured ones that won't show the ever-present dust/dirt that results from: (a) living in a desert & (b) having very active dogs.

British Invasion Duchess of Pearl Princess Grey Black Tea by local Tucson tea purveyor Ausperitea has changed my life and has ruined most other tea blends for me, forevermore.  A traditional Earl Grey with the addition of lavender and rose buds/petals.  Faintly citrus and delightfully floral on a classic base of black tea.  Absolutely sublime.

Thanksgiving is a little over a week away and I still haven't sorted out what I'm going to be making/baking/what-have-you.  I can't let S. have all the fun!  One thing is for certain... I am going to be baking a "naked apple pie."  (As seen on the Snack Girl blog.)  Or maybe it will be a naked pear pie.  Either way, I'm baking a pie and it will be naked.  ...and yes, I am going to snicker about the pie's lack of attire.  Since I don't have any biological family in Tucson, the holiday will be spent with my friends-who-are-my-family.  Hooray!

I am almost done reading Michael Pollan's well-known literary pillar of food ethics, "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and can dig back into "Empires of Light" by Jill Jonnes (which is about Tesla, Westinghouse, and that jerk Edison).

Afternoon Interlude

I almost put my shoes on... on the wrong feet... for the second time today.

It's just one of those days!  :)

Up and At 'Em?

It's almost two in the morning.  I think I went to bed around 10:30 or 11pm.  Why do I keep waking up in what should be the middle of the night?  Especially when I usually wake up between 4:30-5am.  It's like I'm living in entirely different time zone; at least partially.

I'd make a "Twilight Zone" remark but more and more people seem to think I'm referring to sparkly vampires instead of the cult classic.

This is the world we live in, folks!

Morning Interlude: Speckled Hen Toes

Lola Lulu's feet (or at least, two of  'em)