Due to the economy, this blog is going on hiatus.
I am simply too busy keeping my head above water right now to notice the world around me. Perhaps now is precisely when I need to notice the ordinary most, but it has become one more thing in a list of things to do. Rather than writing about it and taking the space to observe it, I simply need to live life right now.
The blog will resume, someday....
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Kitchens
Kitchens are the heart of a home, or at least, my kitchen is the heart of my home. After six months of camping out, my kitchen is once again usable and I am happy. Yesterday found me making granola and pie. Ivan made yogurt. Tonight I will be roasting pork for sandwich meat and making gnocchi with kale. The wonderful rhythms and smells of cooking will fill my house again.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Wood
I adore the smell of wood. When walking into a woodshop, I always take a deep breath to take in all of the different species and their scents.
Perhaps it's because my grandfather was a woodworker or because I have fond memories of building theatrical sets in high school and college. Whatever the reason, driving home last night with a couple of planks made me smile. The car just smelled good.
Perhaps it's because my grandfather was a woodworker or because I have fond memories of building theatrical sets in high school and college. Whatever the reason, driving home last night with a couple of planks made me smile. The car just smelled good.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Breakfast
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. All too often, it is rushed and glossed over, but when I have time (or make it) for a real breakfast, I really enjoy it. Especially when Ivan has the day off and we can sip our coffee together.
This morning, it was mashed-potato hash browns and farm fresh eggs. The potatoes had been in our basement all winter, waiting to be used. Mashed potatoes a few nights ago resulted in leftovers, which were easily warmed in a cast iron pan. The eggs were huge and came from our CSA farm's overproducing chickens. A cup of coffee rounded out the morning. I was late to work, but it was worth it.
This morning, it was mashed-potato hash browns and farm fresh eggs. The potatoes had been in our basement all winter, waiting to be used. Mashed potatoes a few nights ago resulted in leftovers, which were easily warmed in a cast iron pan. The eggs were huge and came from our CSA farm's overproducing chickens. A cup of coffee rounded out the morning. I was late to work, but it was worth it.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Kitchen Sink
You will never hear this again.
Last night, I loved doing the dishes. I have a new kitchen sink, you see. A big, white, double-bowled, enameled cast iron sink. I also have a new faucet with a pull down spray nozzle. Having lost my sink for two days and having put all of my dishes in the shower, doing dishes was a wonderful thing indeed.
I filled one side of the sink with hot soapy water and started in with a new sponge and some good soap. The dishes slid into the water, got wiped, then stacked in the other side of the sink. I sprayed them off and stacked them on the counter, where Ivan picked them up to dry them and put them away. It was the classic domestic scene, complete with a few quick pecks on the cheek for my husband.
I suppose this all goes back to having good tools. They make the most mundane tasks more pleasant.
Last night, I loved doing the dishes. I have a new kitchen sink, you see. A big, white, double-bowled, enameled cast iron sink. I also have a new faucet with a pull down spray nozzle. Having lost my sink for two days and having put all of my dishes in the shower, doing dishes was a wonderful thing indeed.
I filled one side of the sink with hot soapy water and started in with a new sponge and some good soap. The dishes slid into the water, got wiped, then stacked in the other side of the sink. I sprayed them off and stacked them on the counter, where Ivan picked them up to dry them and put them away. It was the classic domestic scene, complete with a few quick pecks on the cheek for my husband.
I suppose this all goes back to having good tools. They make the most mundane tasks more pleasant.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Work
It seems strange to want to sanctify a good day's work, but as I sit here with a pleasantly tired body from yesterday's kitchen renovations, I am reminded that work is a good thing. I sit in front of a computer most days, my body slumping into a fixed position. It is a joy to do real labor, whether in the house, in the garden, or on the farm where we get our vegetables. I realize that saying this puts me in the class of the "wealthy" or something, one of those people who might, in another time, have said that "the poor" ought to labor because "it is good for them." But that's not at all what I mean.
I respect labor and those who do it. Having had jobs that require great physical strength and gotten a few injuries along the way, I understand how a life of labor can be difficult on one's body. Those experiences put me in awe of people who construct, tend plants, or farm for a living. I appreciate the things they make all the more for it.
I respect labor and those who do it. Having had jobs that require great physical strength and gotten a few injuries along the way, I understand how a life of labor can be difficult on one's body. Those experiences put me in awe of people who construct, tend plants, or farm for a living. I appreciate the things they make all the more for it.
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