A day in the life

What I wanted to do today was read.  Read NOS4A2 all day.  Because it is due tomorrow with no renewal, because it is a new book.  Instead, I rolled out of bed, cleaned up late night remnants in the kitchen, fed Gem some breakfast, rallied the kids for a stroll, and voted.

Then I made breakfast again.  For Sag and myself, and Gem, who decided to be Hobbit-y and have a second breakfast.

Then I paid some bills and kept Gem company while he worked on some Math.  And called gymnastics to let them know Sag has a sprained wrist and won't be in class.

Then I started to practice Qigong but was interrupted by a request.

Then I drove Cap to work.  He has been in a grading frenzy.

Then I ran some errands since I was going to be out.

Then I sat with Gem again while he worked on some more Math.  And discovered that the second session of swimming is full and put the kids on a wait list.

Then I made lunch.  I love this recipe for kale salad.  It is one of my most favorite, ever.  (The kids don't eat kale.  They had taco leftovers.)

Then Sag asked for cheese dip.  His lunch was nachos with taco fixings and he wished for cheese sauce (but he called it dip).  I started poking around the internet for cheese dip recipes and realized I was missing a crucial ingredient: cream cheese.

Then I started putting dinner together.  I prepped a marinade.  I pulled the chicken thighs out of their pouch (they had been defrosting in water all morning)...and one of the thighs had gone way bad.

Then I hoofed it over to Whole Paycheck and picked up a package of chicken thighs and a box of cream cheese.  I was wearing sweat pants.  And my slouchy knit hat because I still had bedhead.  And my fitted Red Sox hoodie looked awful funny zipped over my very baggy sweatpants.  So I unzipped the hoodie which revealed my baggy worn magenta iKnit t-shirt.  I considered changing for a split second and then decided I really didn't care.

Then I prepped the chicken, set it to marinate, and returned to Internet Land in search of cheese dip inspiration.

Then I made cheese dip.  Sag was ambivalent when he saw it.  It turned out he was expecting something quite a bit more Velveeta-esque.  No matter.  As soon as he took his first bite, he was smitten.

I used this Trisha Yearwood recipe as a base.  I subbed mostly ewegurt (sheep milk plain yogurt) and a bit of mayo for the mayo, I subbed a mystery (delicious) cheese from my mom's the other night for the Monterey Jack, I subbed a splash of sriracha for the cayenne, and I subbed an end slice of Whole Food's GF Light Sandwich bread, crumbed with a couple dashes of salt, for the 8 butter crackers.

Sag and I scooped up a quarter of the 9-inch pie plate with tortilla strips for a snack.  Yum.

And now, now it's time to make dinner.  The rice is in the cooker, my snapshots have been Instagrammed, I need to reprogram the DVR to allow for the Red Sox game to be watched at 8...  Once I am done cleaning up from dinner, I'll likely get a call about picking up my honey.  Then it will be time for the game.  And I have a feeling inertia and pooped-ness will settle down upon me.  I will not practice Qigong.  I will not hole up with my book.  I will sit in my red chair next to my native New Englander in his blue chair...and hopefully not gnash our teeth too much at the tv.

Peace and love.

Sliding into sunday

My eyes are drooping but I wanted to check in before tomorrow's scheduled media-free day.  Here are some pics...

In a fit of...self-care?...self-love?...pushing to get closer to finishing something I started?...inspiration?  I decided to move my personal work/inspirational books to the top shelf.

The fantasy is me curled up reading poetry...some day.

Sweet blooms are studding our hyperlocal landscape.

Went to a community swap today at an elementary school gym in town.  It was sobering to see folks who clearly needed the respite of picking up things they need without having to pay for them.  I felt a little guilty taking anything...but things were pretty picked over by the time I was poking around.  My very interesting find was this this old chopper thingy.  I was completely intrigued having never seen anything like it.

Shifting the old diet back to sugar- grain- and dairy-free on Monday.  Stocked up on animal protein at the farmer's market today and pre-cooked some veg.  Tomorrow I will roast some more veg (sweet potato and rutabaga) and if I have time, brown and grill some meat.  Oh, and hard boil a dozen eggs.

Peace and love.

The week

We've been taking walks and it got hot.

Cooking up carrot-tofu scramble for Gem.

Our meat guy at the farmer's market has had Brussels sprouts for the last few weeks.  Not organic, but so fresh and lovely.

Love noticing the plates we are still using from my childhood.  I remember these plates coming out of the Mikasa box and being so thrilled.  (The steak, a rare boneless rib-eye, was delish.)

Fantastic book.  Loved it.  Gonna buy it.  (This was a library read.)  I'm a wannabe physics geek, but do believe this would appeal to folks from various walks of life.

My body/energy/hormones have been nutty.  Think slog.  Vinny put three of these little pressure things on my right ear to help me this week.

The heat in the atmosphere, the heat gathering in my body, particularly rising to my head...all roads lead to iced coffee!

Lists have been helpful this week to pull my sh*t together.  The universe's gift to ADDishness.

The change in weather has also meant: pesto.

Moments like this serve as a reminder: I am so, so lucky.  And grateful.  This time with my kids...I am so blessed.

Special treat: Grace went to Hawaii and brought back chocolate to sell in the store.  She knows freaks like me will plunk down $10 for a unique bar.

It was worth it.  Fruity and floral, flavorful and bouncy.  Once in a lifetime bar.

This book is a revelation.  Quietly disquieting.  It's making me gawk and making me laugh.  It's breaking my heart.

He has had these Spider-Man pajamas since he was around five.  He loves them and still squeezes into them.

The weather is in transition.  Cold and wet today.

Heard this lovely Roberta Flack cover of a Bee Gees song on The Americans this week.  It was an emotional scene and the song heightened the gorgeousness of the visuals wonderfully.

Peace and love.

Well

Went to the Y.

Enlisting a buddy in this process was critical. I would not have made it out of the cozy confines of home today if not for the plans I'd made with Danielle.

We were early for Zumba so we hopped onto the elliptical machines for 20 minutes. Wow those things are virtuous yet boring.

Zumba was hard to describe. I appreciated many things about it, including the instructor, who was quite inspirational. It was a small class due to the snow and I was grateful for the space and the unobstructed view of the teacher.

I was surprised that I did not hurt myself or feel any pain doing these two activities back-to-back. Also, that I did not have to rest from exertion.

I was less surprised that my mind managed to wander during these activities...but still surprised. Especially during Zumba, which was as much brain gym as body one, the things that popped into my head...

When it was all over, I had so many questions. Such as, how do people not spend hours and hours at the gym? There is so much to do! I so wanted to jump into the pool after Zumba.

My predominant emotion/mental state was confusion. I was tired but energized. Calm and not grumpy. I smiled more than a few times during Zumba, but also regretted going pad-less with all the jumping I was doing.

Once home, I have wanted more than anything to curl up in a blanket. After feeding the kids and myself, going over some Math work, and a long, hot shower, I finally snuggled down with a mug of hot tea at hand.

A few hours later, I am feeling something in my knees, in particular. I will down some Advil with my Americano before heading out to play with/babysit my young friend, Leo.

Since I have plans to go dancing tomorrow night, I have already nixed my plans to go to Athletic Conditioning at 9am. I will return to the gym Sunday for some more Zumba.

Peace and love.

Out and about

Feast or famine.  I was out for over five hours today.  Post office for holiday stamps, leisurely lunch with Donna and lots of holiday shopping.  It was good.  Enervating but not exhausting.  I was frequently parched, which is very unusual for me.

Some shots from the outside world...

The top two are from the library's physical plant.  Details I have not noticed in the over six years I have been (heavily) patronizing the building.  It's so interesting when/why/how that happens.

I had a most unusual craving for hot chocolate this week.  Today, I went for it.  SO sweet.  By the time I drank half, it was no longer enjoyable because what was left was the more concentrated stuff.  I asked for a top off of milk and got it.  Nice and hot, too.

This time out on my own was much needed introvert time...which, for me, is possible to have outside and even in the company of a very good friend.  I've been doing some reflecting, some catching up on American Horror Story : : Asylum and some settling down/grounding.

Peace and love.

Occupy

Thanks to my friend, Elizabeth, who coordinated a hyperlocal effort to donate to the greater Occupy Sandy relief efforts underway in parts of NY/NJ, I was able to do something to help today. Picked up supplies (pet food, instant coffee, and stuff for bagged lunches) and made some vegan sammies. She is on her way to the Rockaways, her Kia loaded to the gills.

(There was homemade hummus meant for the sandwiches...but it ended up locked inside a house this morning... Whole Paycheck to the rescue...)

The NY nieces came over yesterday.  Exhausting but fun.  (One does forget, survival of the species imperative, like forgetting the pain of childbirth, how much energy is required to care for and entertain a toddler.)  Crazy auntie face or crazed auntie face?

Today is day 2 of gluten- and sugar-free.  More to come, decided to do this in phases.  Asleep by 9:30 last night.  Feel both good and bad today, the good outweighing the bad, for sure.

Peace.

And just like that

...I feel much better.

Monday evening as Sandy bore down on us, I think my brain was fried a little bit.  It did something to my chemistry.  I've been dogged by imbalance for days.  Something shifted overnight (perhaps the sugar in the cookies I indulged in at common meal last night?) and when I woke up this morning I could feel a distinct and happy difference...in my mood, my outlook, how my body/mind felt.

Grateful.

...our phone/internet/cable was restored.

On Tuesday morning I used up nearly an hour of my limited mobile phone minutes on hold with Comcast to generate a ticket for a technician to come out at some point in what I thought would be the distant future.  Because the telephone wires had been brought down by the tree section in the driveway, I knew it was going to take more than flipping a switch to restore service.

The landlord cleared the very large tree section (branch doesn't do it justice, it was a big thing) yesterday afternoon, Comcast came by this afternoon (serendipity) and now we are back online.

Grateful.

...Sag was diagnosed and began treatment for strep.

Late last night he began complaining of a very sore throat.  Honey didn't help, salt water gargle didn't help, ice cream did.  But he had a lot of trouble settling to sleep.  A backrub past eleven pm finally did the trick.

This morning, we discovered that our family physician was providing care with a shivering skeleton crew.  With no power and no phones.  She performed a rapid strep test which came back positive and prescribed antibiotics.

He's already starting to feel better.  He took a 3 hour nap.  We are gently feeding him ewegurt (a locally made sheep's milk yogurt) and toast.  By this time tomorrow, I think he'll be close to back to normal. 

If she hadn't been open, if we didn't have a neighborhood doctor, we'd likely be at an emergency room right about now.

Grateful.

Peace, love and light.

P.S.  I will leave our recent exposure to head lice (by a family who knew they had it) for another post...

'Twas sunday

The weekend is quieting.  Cap sits across from me catching the Red Sox on his laptop (The Killing and Next Food Network Star are both recording.)  The kids are chatting in the dark as they usually do before falling asleep.  Barbra is catching up with Audrey on the phone.  The night air wafting in the windows is almost chilly.

Anna came today to visit with Barbra.  We went to a new café in town and I liked it very much.  The latte was fabulous.  (The owner was the longtime barista at Café Eclectic.)  The food was inventive and yummy.  The service left a bit to be desired, hopefully, it will improve as they find their groove.

We had a bit of time before Anna needed to head back to Vermont.  My two friends obliged my hankering for a trip to the bookstore.  I love our bookstore and wanted some comfort.  I am gearing up for chaos upon chaos.  The book goddesses came through for me...more inspiration to shore up my quaking boots.

 

 

Cap made a delish dinner for us and then we ventured out for Rita's.  I debated and then plunged further into the sugar abyss.  The sprinkles were pretty to look at.  The portrait of my four looks like an awkward family photo!

 

 

Barbra leaves tomorrow.  The kids are hoping to film and play Carcassonne.  I think the original plan of going out for a quiet breakfast may be dashed.

 

Peace and love.

Grateful

I realized this morning that 2 1/2 weeks with no kid respite is just a bit too long, for me.  Next time I will plan to embed chunks of time to/for myself.

Last night was a nadir.  I was chowing on pomegranate chocolate chip coconut ice cream (that Sag had picked out to make a milkshake with) while watching Gene Simmons Family Jewels at 11pm.  I'd been in a bad mood all day.  I've been putting the new pickles from the farmer's market to the comfort eating test (finished a quart and free pint bought Saturday tonight) and last night I finally turned to ice cream.

Then, I stayed up till nearly 3am.

Today has been quite fine, despite all that.

After yet another whatever's-in-the-fridge-or-pantry meal, I called the faraway health food store and they are kindly holding two bags of Gem's favorite spice cake mix for us till later this week.  This meant our errands today stayed quite local.

• the post office for some international stamps

• the hardware store to get what turned out to be a super expensive special size battery for our new car flashlight

• the ATM to withdraw cash from the savings account to cover us till pay day (le sigh)

• the bookstore where I sneakily picked up some birthday books for Gem, got some details about tomorrow night's Bloggess event, and plucked some Father's Day/get well/sympathy cards

• the library where this was waiting for me

• my fave cafe where we picked up local eggs, honey and the Irish breakfast tea I fell in love with last Fall

• the supermarket where we bought the bare minimum for today and tomorrow's needs

(I love living in this town...at every stop of our errands we were recognized and treated warmly.)

Once home, we lunched, I made some tea and then we played Carcassonne.  Sag was under the weather again, but the game seemed to cheer him up.  With the recent expansion set we got, the games are now close to two hours long!

Finally, the game ended and it was on to homework and reading for the kids while I made dinner.

After dinner, the kids were showered, the tea basket was decluttered, and the kitchen was cleaned.  Now the kids are watching a birthday gift which arrived in the mail today (thank you, Auntie Barbra :-) and we are all sipping herbal tea with honey.

And so, a pretty productive day draws to an end.  Not without its share of moans/groans and shrieks/eeks from each of us, but relatively mellow.

Here is a song we've been digging lately.  Peace and love.

Glory be

As the atmospheric pressure lifts, so do I.  It is palpable.  Windows have been thrown open and I practiced Qigong just a little bit more than yesterday morning (no great shakes yet, but one step at a time).

I was not surprised...yet was dismayed to see the nocturnal critter(s) was back in action again last night.  There has been some speculation about whether it might be termites which had not occurred to me.  Are termites more active at night/when there is less people activity going on?

Yesterday we had some mid-day drama courtesy of the almost 12-year old.  I think he is feeling the absence of his father in ways he cannot articulate.  He would say he is more attached to me, which is probably true, but he is much more like Cap and I think he is feeling the imbalance of being outnumbered in terms of household personalities.

We made it through and were rewarded with our planned trip to the comic book shop.  I splurged a bit and we picked up The Princess and The Dragon extension for Carcassonne (Jim, who was manning the register loves Carcassonne and was wonderfully attentive to Sag as they discussed some of the finer points of the game), the new Chip Kidd penned Batman graphic novel (he wrote one of the funniest novels I've read in the past few years The Cheese Monkeys) and, finally, a decent Pokemon card pack for me!

We chilled out before heading out in the evening for a quickish shop to Whole Paycheck which saved me the trip today.

After dinner it was showers, Skyping with Cap and the recently requisite episode of America's Funniest Home Videos before heading to bed to read.  And the excitement of a tooth finally coming out for Sag!

Today's learning at home will include:

• vacuuming the kids' room

• vacuuming the living room

• vacuuming the big bedroom

• cleaning the bathroom

• doing homework

•  playing Carcassonne

• going to the library

• hosting a potluck common meal

Off to breakfast...peace and love.