Saturday, September 10, 2011

A little perspective


I went to Boston last night on a comfort mileage run - one where my upgrades were confirmed. I had a lot of ticket value to use up and this seemed to be a good use of an otherwise chore filled weekend.

I needed a little distance from my not so stress free life right now.

It worked.

I walked the common, went on a photo tour of beacon hill, had a nice relaxing breakfast and lunch. I could have gone with someone, TH for example, but it felt good to go by myself.

I missed her terribly when I had a frappe at Algiers. I want to take her to see the glass flowers at the natural history museum. However, this time it just didn't work out.

We'll be back next month. We will make it back to Cambridge - frappe together and walk the Arnold Arboretum, but today by myself was perfect.

Friday, September 09, 2011

A harbinger?

Seen at miles 4 and 6 today. I am so over training for the MDI marathon and I am sure you are sick of me bitching about it.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Don't look back unless you have something pretty to see.

I love you Annie banani.

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Thursday, September 01, 2011

1 september 2011

photo.JPG

It's the Labor Day weekend here and without kids and back to school obligations, it just becomes another farewell to summer weekend. We have been pretty lucky - most weekends we have had nothing to do.

Nothing.

And. It. Was. Awesome.

We spent a lot of weekends with our friends at their house on Orcas Island. The house reminds me of the house I grew up in and the house my brother now owns - Northwest classic with soaring windows and lots of wood beams. The house also has a garden - one that had been neglected for so long but called out for a little love and reorganization. Clearly someone once had loved this garden as it was full of perennials and beautiful - oh so beautiful. Beds made with river rock, a bit crooked, a bit rustic, but with good bones. The garden is away from the house, in an area that gets lots of sun and wisely enclosed with a deer fence.

photo.JPG

We spent a few weekends making plans, pulling weeds, moving plants, mulching and spreading wood chips and made a garden for our friends. The weather here has not been so cooperative, so things are not as big or magnificent as we had expected, but we have an idea of what is to come.

photo.JPG

And now we rest- we take lots of naps, walk dogs, cook good food and walk on the beach. Other than weeding and picking peas, lettuce and kale, we can sit back and enjoy a garden that will once again, be loved and tended.

Maybe the same will happen with my blogging.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Thirty. Eight. Twenty eleven

Or maybe I'll just go back to Barcelona. The world is replete with possibilities.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Moving on

At some point, you have to stop waiting for something to happen and start making plans.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Towards the end of the month

First of 3 20 milers done, sangria drunk, dinner catch up with a dear friend and the smell of ripe blackberries hitting the warm trail...

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

One day next year

We'll be able to look at today and wonder what the fuss was all about. Until then, life is just shit.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

19 august

Cookies bake while I roast. That, friends is a deep thought.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

17 august 2011

We lose 3 minutes of daylight each day - those 7 am starts are soon going to be dark. I hate that.

Monday, August 15, 2011

15th of august

I think one should celebrate a marathon by traveling to Helsinki. What say you?

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Monday, August 08, 2011

Sunday, August 07, 2011

Friday, August 05, 2011

Thursday, August 04, 2011

August the fourth/forth

Honestly, it is just time to stop. Regroup. Think outside the box you put yourself in - for once.

The third in a series

At least we are seeing progress on one of many fronts we're fighting.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Life and Death 2.0

Heartfelt

This evening, I briefly saw a friend of mine at a food blogger event.
She is one of the most ebullient people I know. Tonight she was very distant and standoffish, and definitely not her cheerful self. She excused herself and left early.

Soon after, I sat down at a table with friends and checked my "streams" It was then that I saw a Facebook post mentioning the passing of Kim Ricketts, literary event promoter and genuinely amazing person. I was shocked, not just by the devastating news, but also in the delivery. RIP via Social Media? Do we no longer send black edged cards announcing the passing of family or friends? That is too slow and requires postage. We now do things quickly, instantaneously, and sometimes without thought. Like it or not, life does happen in 140 characters or less - but is it always appropriate?

My memory is filled with the exact place, time and delivery of the news of the death of loved ones. When I was little, I grew to dread the middle of night telephone calls that usually meant that someone back home had died. Later, we would receive telegrams and letters expressing sorrow. It seemed to prolong, yet at the same time soften the blow of loss - 6000 miles and staticky phone lines help, along with a touch of youthful innocence.

Making phone calls to family and friends after the death is also something I have grown accustomed to. After the death of TH's father, I remember sitting with the phone book in my lap making call after call. I hoped that the phone would ring and no one would answer so that I could hang up. I was relieved when I heard a friendly voice would pick up on the other end. The first words are the hardest, and I dread silence on other end - wanting to fill the gaps of comprehension.

I cannot say enough about the grace of my friend who while consuming her own grief and shock, did not announce to the world her mourning and loss. She is a class act.

We all have our ways of processing loss and expressing grief. I did post on my Facebook wall about my shock of her death and my sadness. She was an amazing person that had the knack and gift of building a community of food lovers, chefs and writers. I read others' twitter streams and realize that having an one to many conversation about loss is how they deal with grief. This is something I cannot do well in 140 characters or less, I need more bandwidth.

I will honor Kim by continuing to cherish books and the written word. TH and I will toast her with hot cocoa and wish you all had had the good fortune to have crossed paths with her.

Monday, March 14, 2011

I am in on the Gulf coast of Mississippi today. We passed through many towns flattened by Katrina. It was the furthest East on the coast I have been since the hurricane. I wish I could say that there is a lot of coastal resilience here. It is hard to rebuild when insurance companies deny you claims. It is hard to rebuild when your livelihood is gone. It is hard to see so many vacant lots where grand summer houses once stood. It is a lot different from New Orleans, it is homey (apart from the casinos) and life is slower here.

Rebuilding takes time, community, money, faith, compassion, patience and hope. Things will never be the same here, the sea and the wind are powerful forces and we should forget that.

I still can't talk about Japan, this time it cut too close to home.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Haiku for Sunday

second honeymoon

My upgrade to Dallas hasn't cleared. It won't, hipsters are thronging to Austin for sxsw. Have at it.

Clunky boots
Musky patchouli
Twitter haikus in short
bursts

My evening will be spent in a casino in Bay St.Louis, MS. Don't feel sorry for me, because hopefully on Saturday, I'll be spending my lunch time on the Ile st. Louis in Paris.

I still can't write about Japan.

Sorry.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Tuesday

Baby bassets, crocii, catching up with new/old friends, pancakes, beagles, did I mention baby bassets?

Sunday, March 06, 2011

now we are five
Ernest and Phracey turned five today. Geez, where has the time gone? I have had this blog longer than we have had Ernest. Everyday with him is different. Maybe we treat our animals as children, sainted objects of our affection and dote on them too much. Honestly, this dog is the love of my life. Everyday with Ernest is a new day - things to do, smells to smell and people to meet. His life becomes our life and this is not a bad thing.

I never intended to fall in love with a fifty pound basset hound with buns of steel. Nor, did I ever think we would be blessed to have built up a friendship with his breeder and her husband. Having them in our lives has also been a joy.

Ernest, may your curiosity, stubbornness, good nature and boyish good humor bring us all joy for the next year.
love,
nmom

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Saturday

A day that made me glad that I was not hurtling through the air @ 500 mph. We need more of those.

Friday, March 04, 2011