Monday, Apr 16, 2012 | Uncategorized |
mushrooms and onions
**Monday’s menu** Ham and scalloped potatoes. Salad. Corn. Fruit with whipped cream for dessert.
**Best of all** An extra Easter dinner, not cooked by me. Prepared and hosted by my dad and stepmom.
**Tuesday’s menu** Udon noodles stir-fried with tofu and veggies.
**Inspired** I’ll admit that a new product at the grocery store inspired this meal. Udon noodles! I mixed everything together and forced everyone to try it. But it was so delicious, I really got no complaints. No more than usual, that is.
**Wednesday’s menu** Baked potatoes. Broccoli. Mushrooms and onions fried with bacon. Sour cream, grated cheese, butter.
**Obstacles** Eldest son was supposed to turn on oven when he got home from school (as I was out with the others at piano lessons). This has worked without a hitch in the past. Except he called to say he was at a friend’s house instead. So the potatoes didn’t start baking until I got home. And on another note … really, if I was going to fry bacon, I should have just fried it into crumbly bits. Instead it got kind of soggy amidst the giant pan of mushrooms and onions. And the kids were not fooled and did not eat their veggies as hoped. They picked the bacon out of the mix and skipped the rest. Sigh. (One package of nitrate-free bacon was an impulse purchase from Bailey’s; clearly not vegetarian.)
**Thursday’s menu** Cranberry beans. Baked rice. Cabbage and carrot salad.
**Beans** The beans smelled delicious simmering all afternoon. But in truth, I like two kinds of beans: black (or turtle) and small red Mexican, and the cranberry beans (aka romano, I think) pale by comparison. They’re a little too fat, a little too mushy. Probably better for a soup than as a stand-alone bean atop a pile of rice. But I have a large bag to get through …
**Friday’s menu** Veggie burgers, hot dogs, and veggies on the BBQ.
**Thanks** to Kevin, who saved supper when I realized I’d planned nothing, had spent the day writing, and was about to leave for swim lessons with the kids.
:::
**Weekend cooking accomplishments** Four loaves of bread.
**Cooking with kids** Fooey’s menu. Breakfast for dinner.
**Truth is** Kevin did all the cooking. Fooey was feeling a bit off, so we thought it best. Albus pitched in on the fried potatoes.
Sunday, Apr 15, 2012 | Uncategorized |
a flying leap
I have done no laundry.
I have cooked nothing.
I have scarcely seen my children.
I have taken no photographs, although it is Sunday, and I try to take photos on Sundays.
I have not been outside.
I have scarcely moved from this desk.
My writing week seems to be starting a day early. I seem to be writing escapist historical fiction. I am next thing to flabbergasted about this turn of events.
But I am not worrying about it. Not today.
:::
Two things. One, if you live in the Waterloo region, look for Green magazine in the KW Record. I’ve got a piece in there about dreaming green. (It is not yet available online.) And two, let me direct you to my conversation with Marita Daschel about The Juliet Stories, photography, and motherhood, among other things.
Friday, Apr 13, 2012 | Blogging, Play, Spirit, Work, Writing, Yoga |
at the farm
When we were driving home from Kingston, post-Easter holidaying at the farm, I was filled with ideas. Future plans. Things I want to do someday. Big things. Let me get them down on the page. (And maybe you’d like to share your big plans in the comments below; I’d love to hear them.)
** Bike trip through Ireland (or another beautiful place). With the whole family, if possible.
** Own a horse. Actually, own two horses, so AppleApple and I can go riding together.
** Write and record an album of songs. (This would require devoting several hours a day to singing and playing.)
** Spend a year training five or six hours a day and run an ultramarathon (like the Canadian Death Race, even though that’s a terrible title for a race).
** Tear down our garage and build a small apartment that could house university-aged children.
** Share a getaway in the country with friends, for retreats, summer holidays, etc.
** Get a dog. (I don’t know why that seems like such a big thing, but it does!)
But upon reflection, this morning, I see that I’ve already accomplished some of the big things I once dreamed of doing, and I want to recognize that too. I wanted to be a mother, and I have children. From a very young age, I intended to be a writer, and I’ve published two books. As a child, I dreamed of being a runner, and now I’ve completed a marathon. As an adult, I was troubled by the fact that I’d never learned how to swim, and I’ve learned. Once upon a time, all of the above were just hopes and imaginings and dreams. I’ve been so fortunate.
Last night I went to a kundalini yoga class. It’s been about a year since I last took kundalini. The experience felt different this time around. In the interim, I’ve pushed my body further than it had ever gone before. But I also learned that my body could be pushed too far, and injured, and that’s changed how I think about effort and pain. I felt so attuned to my own body, last night. It was easy to listen to it, and hear what it was saying — to recognize the difference between the agony of effort and the pain of gone-too-far. I felt more cautious, and yet also more available, more open to the movements, like I could flip a switch and go there. I felt a deep trust — of myself. But here’s the thing. The sense of wonder and discovery is not the same. I’ve learned my body is capable of accomplishing very difficult tasks. I’ve learned that I am strong. When I first started kundalini, now a few years ago, I was utterly amazed, blown away by what my body could do. I had no idea.
Now I know.
That takes away some of the sheen of adventure and discovery. But it also means there is room for a richer, more layered experience. It’s like having the second child. You’re simultaneously more relaxed, more laid-back, and not as blown away by the newness of discovering what it means to be a parent. It’s familiar, it’s known territory.
I think life should have a balance of known and unknown experiences. I’m not sure we get to choose these experiences, at least not all of the time. But I like thinking about what I would choose, if I could. And what I’ve chosen. And how I’m working out that balance in my life right now.
Can I tell you something? I really really really want to write a book in this blog-voice. Not a book based on the blog. But a book that would capture the yearning, reflection, wondering, and experimenting that I feel this blog is really about. Put that on the first list. I have no idea how it would be shaped. But I’m opening my mind to the possibility.
Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 | Blogging, Reading, Writing |
So often, starting a project is the hardest part. Last month, a literary friend, Kristen den Hartog, whom I know only virtually (another reason that I love blogs!) asked whether I’d like to write a guest post on her blog, which is charmingly titled “Blog of Green Gables.” In fact, hers was the first blog I ever subscribed to by email, and I’m always happy to find an update in my inbox. (You can subscribe to my blog the same way, if that sounds appealing.) Kristen posts beautifully illustrated, thoughtful, informative, long-form reflections on reading books with her daughter. Most recently, they’ve been reading through Roald Dahl, and her last post was on Peter Pan.
I was thrilled to be asked to contribute on the subject of reading to/with my kids.
And then I got stuck. I tried this, I tried that. The subject seemed suddenly vast, my thoughts on it scattered and disparate. I set the attempted essay aside. And I waited. It took me several weeks to understand why I was feeling overwhelmed and disorganized: because the shared reading experience has changed so much over the years. There have been more stages than I can count. Many detours. Memorable moments. So many amazing books discovered. And perhaps just as many tedious ones too. When I think about reading with my children an entire photo album of memories comes flooding into my mind.
Once I understood the problem, I embraced it. I decided to write about the many stages of reading. And here is the essay. I love the way Kristen has illustrated it. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
:::
P.S. Met my deadline without breaking a sweat yesterday. Now onward to writing week. Talk about starting being the hardest part …
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 | Big Thoughts, Book Review, Exercise, The Juliet Stories, Work, Writing |
flying
On this morning’s run, my friend and I were talking about exercising. About how exercise keeps us balanced, mentally. Yet when we most need to move, to sweat, to feel alive in our bodies is often when we are least in the mood for it. Mental strength underpins physical strength; and we don’t always feel strong or motivated or inspired. I still find it unpleasant, every morning, when the alarm goes off early. I feel resistant to leaving my warm bed and the sweet state of sleep. Every single morning. There hasn’t been one morning when I’ve greeted the alarm by leaping up with joy in my heart. But I do it. And within minutes I’ve gathered my clothes, I’m brushing my teeth, and I’m already beyond the yucky feeling of I don’t want to. I’m ready to go.
What’s the lesson here? Establish a habit. Make a routine that runs counter to your immediate instinct. I’ve never once regretted getting up early to exercise. Yet somehow my mind forgets that every morning. But that’s okay. Because my habits and routine remind me. Other tips for exercising regularly, even when you don’t feel like it: Meet someone — makes it harder to change your plan last-minute. Set out your clothes the night before. Get up and go. Don’t think about it, just do it.
Okay, enough with the motivational messaging.
Today is the day I dreamed of yesterday. The kids left for school with minimal complaining. Lots of kisses from the two youngest. Hugs from the two oldest. Quick nap. Cup of coffee. Finishing the last of the interviews for this article. Sitting and dreaming. Quiet house.
Have I told you that next week is a writing week? It will be my first writing week in this new office space. It will be my first attempt to dig into the new book. I may not update here on the blog quite as often; then again, I may need to blog more often, who knows.
Here are four things that are making me happy this morning.
One is the status update of a writer friend I know only on Facebook: “A must read. I simply can’t stop underlining this book!” with a link to The Juliet Stories. (Wish I could peek in her copy to see what she’s been drawn to.)
Two is a book review by my friend Nath, who didn’t tell me she’d decided to blog about The Juliet Stories. I love hearing her thoughts. Maybe we’ll even talk about it someday while we’re driving to spin class together (or biking outside together–soon!).
Three is an invitation from the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival to do a writing workshop with high school students, and to meet students, on two different occasions.
Four is doing interviews for this freelance piece. I think of myself as shy, but I’ve been really enjoying interviewing people. Maybe this relates back to my original thought o’ the day: don’t automatically trust your immediate instinct. Why would I think of myself as shy? I enjoy talking to be people, and do it regularly. In high school, I was genuinely shy. But that’s more than half my life ago. Time to update the mental self-image.
