Weekend for One

My sweet has been gone for the weekend, which is the first time since August that we have been apart for more than a night. He's at a manly-men-only-weekend at the cabin of a friend where many husbands and boyfriends of people I know gather to drink beer, bowl, compare the ridiculous mustaches they are required to grow as an admittance requirement and, I'm sure,do other assorted things I care to know nothing about. This weekend gave me some time to spend by myself and with my parents one-on-one.

After a Friday commute home in powerful wind and rain, I stopped by the annual Coalition for Photographic Arts (CoPA) Member Photo Exhibit. My Dad is a part of this local photography group and wanted me to come see the show. I braved the nasty weather and the ridiculous Third Ward Gallery Night parking situation to see the show in what used to be the Aveda Institute building. The show was great and I have not been to any kind gallery show in a very long time (except my sister's culmination BFA show). I schnibbled on some homemade cookies, looked at interesting photos and got to meet some of the people from CoPA that my Dad is always talking about.

A few endearing things about my Dad. One: is that he always refers to his friends and acquaintances by their full names, almost expecting that the listener knows all of these people, which of course I don't, but there is something colorful about that. Two: is that my Dad gives huge bear hugs, sometimes so long that you feel like he won't let go, but there's something endearing about that too. At least you know you are loved in that moment.

I didn't stay at the show long because I'd made a promise to myself that I would visit one of the two Landmark Theaters in Milwaukee to take in a film no matter how exhausted I felt or how far away the East side is from my house. I love the Oriental Theater the most, but ended up at the Downer instead because I picked a new version of Jane Eyre out of the lot of foreign and independent films currently being screened by Landmark in Milwaukee. It's rare that I go to any other movie theaters than these two because I love the selection they play, but also because a movie experience here is like stepping into another era. They are such an amazing gem in this city and if you have never been to one, I say go to both, now!

I used to shy away from going to movies alone, because it made me feel awkward. But now I love it. It's liberating to know that I can go alone and it's no issue, even on a date night like Friday. But it's also an intimate and personal viewing experience that can be a nice contrast to going in a pair every now and then. When I go on my own, I select the film I want to see at the exact moment I want to see it with no compromise and the experience is completely my own. Funny to say that something you do sitting in the dark next to fifty other people can be personal, but it is for me.


Since I didn't eat dinner before hitting the movies, I allowed myself to indulge in a little movie theater gluttony: honest-to-God real buttered popcorn, Dots and a lemon Italian soda.

I was unfamiliar with the story of Jane Eyre having never read any of the Brontes. I guess there are something like 19 film versions of Eyre dating back to the early twentieth century. This version was dark, moody and somewhat slow moving. I liked the story and the themes explored. I liked the British landscapes, the sensuality and the effective projection of the central character's rich, yet also stilted inner life. I liked the chemistry between Jane and Mr. Rochester and the clipped sensuality of their interactions. Overall, the whole of it hit me in the right place for a rainy, evening-for-one kind of night.


The marquee lighting up a misty, cold night on the East side.

On Saturday afternoon my Mom graciously treated me to lunch at Cafe LuLu down in Bayview. This restaurant is a Bayview standard having existed there since before the neighborhood was definitively "cool". My family used to go there together for dinner sometimes before my parents got divorced. It's also where I often go to dine with friends and the first stop when we were celebrating my bachlorette party. Ry will go there with me, but it's not his favorite. So, I was happy to go for an afternoon with my Mom. Afterward we visited several local shops in Bayview and the Third Ward looking at sewing stuff, stationary, mid-century antiques and assorted accessories. We ended our shopping at Home Depot where I bought the tension rods I need to complete my kitchen curtain sewing project.

The rest of my weekend has been utterly devoted to sewing curtains. After completely the panels for the large window which I posted earlier in the week, I was set to start the valences for the other smaller windows. This was going to be a bit more complicated because I had to attach several panels together to make them long enough to cover the window. Even though I was fairly sure I had underestimated the amount of total fabric I needed, I still made an entire valence out of just one panel hoping that it would work. It didn't. It looked silly and I had to rip out the seams and do it over, doubling the length. I measured out my new fabric needs and learned that I'd barely have enough to make valences for the two corner windows and wouldn't have enough for the others.


Guess who kept getting in my way? Every time I got up to press a seam he was sitting on the ironing board. Every time I went to sew a seam he sitting in my chair. What can I say, the little fur ball loves his mommy.

Even though I started out carefully measuring, I eventually got a little more lax and started eyeballing it. I know from the first part of the project that this doesn't work. Remember how I ended up with two different curtain lengths? Well, for some reason I did it anyway and again ended up with valences of two different lengths. The summary of my night and a bit of this morning was seam-ripping, seam-ripping and seam-ripping again!

They are finally done and I am very happy with the look. It's funny how we were used to the windows being naked for almost an entire year. Something as simple as a little curtain makes a big difference for how finished the space looks. It makes me excited to try other home decorating sewing project around the house that will make our home unique.

There is something wonderful about creating something you know can't be bought in a store and is totally yours. Even though it's been challenging, I like that I am developing a handcrafting skill that is not super common place anymore. I know many women and men sew, but comparatively few with how many did fifty years ago when people made their own clothes and home decor items all the time. It feels good to be keeping a handcrafting skill alive in my own fledgling little way!


The almost-finished product. This is before I evened them out. It's not completely apparent in this pic, but there was about an inch different in length between the two. I took 'em down this morning and fixed 'em.

Not Sure What Gives, I Just Keep Running Into Herb Kohl at Eastside Restaurants...

So yeah, I ran into Herb Kohl again last night. Apparently he likes hipster digs and sitting at the lunch counter.

About two years ago Ry and I were out to eat with my Mom at Zaffiro's on the East side of town. An aside, if you haven't been to Zaffiro's and you like pizza, go. It's amazing! We noticed some random older man in a well worn suit and a Buck's trucker hat sitting on the radiator. We weren't sure what was up with that. Apparently, that man was our US Senator Herb Kohl. After chillin' for a while he decided to get up and go table to table greeting people. He eventually came to our table and we had a little small talk. Ry taught a kid who is related to Kohl and he mentioned that. Then Senator Kohl sort of stared at my Mom for a while and gave her a light shoulder punch, a look, and then walked away. Yes, a shoulder punch. It was sort of weird, but made for a good story and didn't turn us off. A man of the people, right? Just a man of the people who likes to hang out at local East side dives and just happens to own our local NBA basketball team.

Last night we dined at Comet Cafe with two sweet people from near-rural Madtown area, Andy and Darcy! In addition to thanking Scott Walker for the clarity of purpose from this whole budget fiasco, I'll also thank him for more time with new, cool, teacher friends. We spent a ridiculously long time waiting for our "uber hip table" among the "uber hip crowd" crowd, but our food was good and we enjoyed drinks and chatter.

Toward the end of the meal, I noticed an old man sitting at the cafe counter. Slightly rumpled suit, adjustable trucker-looking baseball hat and fluffy white hair coming out the sides. Appeared to be reviewing a big pile of papers. I said, that's got to be Herb Kohl. Everyone sort of asked me, "really, you think so?" We recounted the Zaffiro's encounter and I said, yeah, I'm pretty d*mn sure. We mused this idea a bit then I agreed to walk over to the dessert case and feign a look at them so I could feign a look at our senator. Through neat piles of cupcakes and glass, I confirmed, it. Herb Kohl, definitely. Clandestine mission complete, we then debated if we should say hello to him and ask for a pic. Ry decided to go up to him and said "hey". It was a bit awkward, it drew some attention to him, but it was worth it. We thanked him, took a pic that didn't turn out and went on our merry way.

Random, completely random. But makes a good story part two.

New Vintage Finds

This weekend has been kind of a rough and emotional one for me, not sure why. I'm not the kind of person who engages in "retail therapy" as a rule. But today on my way to return the coffee pot fabric ream to Drawstring Studio, I stopped into the Tip-Top Atomic Shop in Bayview. I hoped to come away with a vintage clock for our kitchen, which I did and happily enough came away with two other finds that make me smile. I even threw in a copy of Atomic Ranch magazine! So, I guess on a bad day I will accept the dopamine boost that comes from purchasing stuff.

Slowly but surely we are outfitting our home with sweet, mid-century finds.


I started out my day with yummy, nummy fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Unrelated to vintage items, I know.


Receipt from the Tip Top Atomic Shop!


Telechron wall clock circa 1950's.


Brand new West Bend Co. aluminum kitchen canister set, circa 1950's.


Absolutely awesome pink lamp, no info. Yes, we do have some work to do on the wall where our house's previous owner had her TV mounted. All in good time!

Melt

It's awesome to see little signs of spring popping up everywhere! Since our yard doesn't have much southern exposure we don't really have anything green showing itself just yet. We have, however, seen a massive melt. Nearly all of the six foot tall snow drifts we had are completely gone except for about a little six inch snow mountain.

I was in the Tosa Village earlier this week for an appointment and took some time to walk around. I visited the Little Read Book, Salamander and nosed around near the river. The torrent of water in the river interested me and I caught what I felt was an artful shot. Funny how we went from this just a month or so ago...


Huge wedge after the neighbors snowblowed us.


Snow shoeing on our street before it was plowed.

To this now...


Massive melt!

Not much new happening in our lives except trying to get out from underneath a pile of mess created over the past few weeks as we completely abandoned our personal life for our political life. Ry gets nearly all of the credit for any cleaning that's happened this weekend. Though I managed to cook a few things for the first time today: a nummy soup with ingredients from the new Asian food store around the corner and some Veganomicon banana bread muffins.



Other new things, I'm starting volunteering as a adult literacy tutor this Tuesday and I'm attempting to make curtains for the first time ever. A friend who owns Drawstring Studio ordered the fabric especially for me and even let me take the bolt home to measure out what I needed. Talk about accommodating! Measuring stressed me out because it's my first real sewing project with my sewing machine and even simple math is scary to me. But I accomplished it with Ry's help. He was especially patient with me and my crabbiness at doing something new. New things are very, very hard for me. But hopefully when I am done these curtains will make our retro kitchen look even more awesome!



Lastly, I've apparently become the type of person who writes my municipal officials as well as my state legislators. Today I wrote to my Alderman, Bob Donovan, because there is a new business that opened in a vacant store front around the block from our house that looks absolutely horrible. I guess the owners' idea of advertising is propping a twin mattress wrapped in plastic with a shoddy handwritten sign in Sharpie outside their storefront. This just does not cut it for me. It especially doesn't cut it for me when it's out there in the rain or snow sopping wet.

I guess another good thing about the political ridiculousness of our state right now is that it is getting me more involved at the local level. I now know all of my state and city representatives by name and overall, I am pleased with my representation. At this point there is only room for me to become even more aware, which I fully intend to do.

Speaking of seasonal change and impending spring, I hear thunder outside for the first time in months!

Love For The Library

This week has been utterly swallowed up by work. Not in the same way it used to be, where I'd work until the wee hours of the night responding to emergencies or leading staff meetings. But just days full to the point of bursting and spilling over a bit into the early evening, though largely pleasant and stimulating. I still get several hours of my night time at home, which this week has gone to running errands, doing laundry and unexpected pop-ins from family.

On Tuesday night we made it to the main Milwaukee Public Library in search of a specific book, a memoir, I'd been looking for called Losing The Garden. I heard an NPR interview with the author that was haunting and reflective. The book revolves around Laura Waterman's back-to-the-land-movement-style life as a homesteader in rural Vermont, her husband's long battle with inner demons (likely bipolar disorder), their marriage and his eventual suicide. The thing that makes their story a little different is the fact that he expressed his desire to end his life to Laura and she allowed him to make this choice by hiking up into the White Mountains and freezing to death. Sounds morbid and I'm not too far into it, so I don't know for sure, but what I gathered from the interview was that this memoir was a reflection on their life together and her process of deconstructing this choice and its effect on both of them. The thing that drew me in was the idea of learning more about their successful life as homesteaders for over 20 years and my interest in all things mental health, particularly understanding and preventing suicide.

After I found the book, I spent time roaming the library and exploring. I love this library and I always have. Though it's downtown, my family house was close enough that I could easily scoot down Wisconsin Avenue to spend time there and benefit from the much larger holding than my own near-suburban branch of the library. The grand mosaic-tiled entryway capped by a rotunda, the wide marble columns, the sweet smell of old, humid paper and even the homeless men who are invariably hanging out all the time peppering the steps or enjoying the warmth and comfort of the interior make it a homey and familiar place for me.

On the way in I checked out the display books, which usually peak my interest and I pick something out I didn't expect. This time it was Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating by Erik Marcus. Since I still have a desire to be vegan, but I've been finding it difficult, I thought it might be helpful to gain additional motivation and purpose to move a step back in that direction. Even though it wasn't what I came for, I've read almost the entire book already and found it fascinating.

After I located the book I came for, I wandered up and down the maze of the stacks looking for Ry, but couldn't find him. So, I decided to check out the Children's Library. I'd never been in this part of the library, but when we walked past the large windows outside, I saw the metal cutout of a playful looking lizard on top of one of the pendant lights and it made me giggle. When I was wandering inside, I realized this lamp must be in the kids section, so I decided to visit. I also love children's books and often think it would be interesting to try and write one, perhaps even work with my sister Greta or Ry's brother Steven, both artists who could illustrate. Ah, food for thought, another fleeting idea. Maybe someday. The Children's Library was thoughtfully decorated with several interactive displays, many colorful picture books, a reading area and computers equipt with learning programs.

On my way out I noticed a picture book with print illustrations in the New Arrivals area called Seasons by Blexbolex. It looked colorful and made me smile, so I decided to take it home with me. Upon further inspection, I learned the Blexbolex is a French print-artist who has a very particular style that is both retro and contemporary at the same time. The book was originally released in France last year. When I looked at the pictures and the sentiments it expressed, it seemed utterly French to me. Something that brought me a moment of connection with my French studies in college and even earlier.







My love for the library is strong, as well as many other public ventures that improve peoples' quality of life. Public library, public radio, public television, public healthcare, public education, public parks, public assistance for those who are struggling. In light of the current election cycle, I guess that makes me a communist. A healthy, well-feed, well-read, well-educated and happy communist.

I've been keeping a running tally of the books I've read throughout 2010 and am gearing up for a year-end book-roll where I'll revisit them with synopses and brief reviews. Not sure whether this will truly be interesting to readers, but I think it will be an interesting and useful reflection time for me. So, as the holiday season and new year approaches, get ready!

Finally, there's not been much cooking this week, but I did make my usual Sunday pot of experimental soup with cupboard staples and all leftover vegetables that need to be used up. Ry made homemade sourdough English muffins, a hearty sourdough miche, and a country sourdough round with a leaf stencil decoration.


Tomato, kale, potato soup with rosemary. Michigan brie, Rothkase herbed smoked cheese from Holland. Homemade sourdough. La Vielle Ferme red wine.

Sourdough miche. Ry's own creation.

Leaf stenciled country sourdough round.

Slashing detail.

My Disposition Has Been Lifted Up By Powerful Hot Air Balloons

That title sounds like a bunch of flowery nonsense, but it's what my pre-coffee mind came up with to describe the sudden swell in my heart for everything lately. It's been a very busy, but good several weeks on both work and family fronts. A brief synopsis:

Cabin Life
Ry and I were all set to go camping in the Michigan U.P. with my bro-in-law Jon and his lovely girlfriend, Megan. However, the forecast called for rain and a high of 28 degrees. Instead we rented a cabin on a lake just Northwest of Milwaukee. We had one lovely night with homemade veggie and tapenade pizzas, many bottles of wine, dice games and conversation. We had one night that turned into a bit of a debacle due to an unexpected and ill-behaved guest.


Sunrise on the lake.

Fake deer?

Ry living out some kind of post-apocalyptic fantasy, like he's watching a mushroom cloud or something. At least that's what it looks like to me.

Fall colors from Powder Hill in Pike Lake State Park.

Teenage graffiti up on the watchtower.

Carmel apples from a local orchard's roadside stand.

Awww, sharing carmel apples makes for a cute picture.

Sacs of apples, beautiful.

Carmel apples, delish.

Cider, obviously.

Holy Hill off in the distance.

Campfire.

Guest Ready
We finally got our second bedroom set up into a cozy little den, which means that we can now accommodate guests!


Ry reads about Mormon polygamists in the comfort of our little library.

Sunny afternoon.

Operation Baby Quilt, Check
I finished my newest baby quilt for a little baby boy that will be born next month. If I do say so myself, I am very pleased with the final product as well as the progress I'm making in terms of craftsmanship. This was my third quilt and I can see marked improvement. I'll be starting a new one in just a few weeks.


Little Tucker Stark, this one's for you! Embroidery detail.

Finished product.

Corner detail.

All folded up and ready to go.

ALS Walk
Many of you know that my uncle Mark was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's disease two years ago. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is slowly taking away Mark's ability to control his muscle movement. He has lost use of many of the major muscles in his arms and some in his legs. This muscle movement degeneration makes it very difficult for his to complete daily tasks. This disease has changed his life, our family's life and is very trying. Mark's spirit is very strong and he has a large support network, including a loving advocate in my Godmother (Nouna, is what I call her in Greek) and Aunt Steph. On Sunday October 10th, Ry and I participated in the Milwaukee Walk to Defeat ALS on the Redner's Raiders Team. My mom, mother-in-law and father-in-law all walked in the event to support Wisconsin ALS families. If you don't know much about ALS, please check out the Wisconsin ALS Association website. There are many families out there who need assistance, financial and otherwise, especially because ALS affects a small population and there is little research happening for a cure.


Me and Mark.

The Fam.

As I mentioned above my in-laws Al and Beckie came for the event. They stayed with us in our newly arranged guest bedroom. Together we dined on delish homemade meals, including Ry's homemade sourdough english muffins!

Fall Cooking
We've been doing some creative fall cooking, including these Vegetarian Times recipes for butternut squash with vegetable stew and Indian stuffed cauliflower.


Stuffed squash.

Cut open.

Victorious Marching Band
Last night Ry and I traveled to Whitewater to watch the WSMA State Marching Band Competition. My cousin Greg was recently promoted to Lead Band Director, so we wanted to watch the first landmark show under his direction. I got a bit silly and emotional with a few tears of joy in my eye. I am so proud of Greg, working with this band has been his dream and it's a huge accomplishment for anyone, much less someone who has only been out of college two years! They won the competition sweeping all of the individual category awards. Wow! I told Ry way out, "I can't believe this is his job!" I still think of Greg as a cute curly haired little kid with a big smile and glasses. I bet he is just pinching himself right now. I am swelled up with pride!

Life's Simple Pleasures

Our beautiful little beast finds the sunny spot.

Herbed french brie, olives, homemade sourdough and french wine. Dinner of champions. Ah yes, the presence of cheese. I have officially demoted myself to vegetarian. Do you like the total lack of fan faire around this decision, especially after much waxing and waning about whether I would eat a chocolate donut just a few months ago. Vegan is just too hard.

Finally, I feel like I've turned a corner at work. I've gotten past some of my fear of something new and the challenges of transition. I know I've only been there two months and I don't have it all together, but I feel I am in the right place, working with great people and have much potential for the future. Funny, how sometimes you end up right where you should be. I'm even doing professional development reading at home, for fun, go figure.

Flag, Sedona, Phx AZ And The Long Ride Home

We spent a total of three full days in Flag before heading down to Sedona for a stint in Red Rock Country. I'm proud to say that we hiked Mount Humphrey's up to the saddle, but couldn't summit the peak because of thunderstorms up top. Ry was very bummed about this because we'd started out sufficiently early at 8am. We surmised that even if we'd come earlier we might have actually been up on exposed rock when the storms started, so it was better that we only made it to the saddle. Not willing to risk a lightening strike, we decided to head down and hiked the rest of the trip in the rain. Every time Ry saw Humphrey's or Agassiz from town, which is almost everywhere by the way, he said the peak was taunting him. Next time, next time.











Otherwise, we mostly spent most of our time visiting with old friends and trying to take in some of the mountain splendor. We tried to hike into the Lava Tubes - a cave carved out by a river of molten lava (the peaks in the area are all volcanic) - but two of our light sources died as we were entering the cave. I also pretty much had a full on panic attack descending the craggy rocks into the cave. I don't think Ry has ever seen me as freaked out. I climbed out hyperventilating, did some deep breathing and then decided to try again. I was calmer when we went down the second time but the two light sources failed and we decided it wasn't safe to keep going on slick rock in total darkness. I guess safety issues bogged us down in our Flag physical endeavors twice!

We tooled around the NAU campus, which boasted many exciting new changes including a Union addition, a new conference center and a new residence hall. We visited with folks in the Office of Residence Life (ORL) and my favorite Student Affairs faculty member, Dr. Susan Longerbeam, housed in the College of Education.




















The best part of our trip to Flag was visiting with old friends and co-workers. We dined with my old supervisor Matt (a multi-talented, super-witty Student Affairs professional, pilot and meteorologist) and a former co-worker Veronica, who actually interviewed me and offered me my grad position which helped me launch my illustrious career in Student Affairs! We visited with another old supervisor Gretchen in her office. She has been promoted to a new position, managed to open her own Jazzercise studio and is currently pregnant with her first child...exciting! She was one of my absolute favorites in Flag who provided me with much caring support. We visited a former grad colleague, Mellissa, her husband Trevor and their sweet two-year old daughter Violet in their home and got to catch up on most everything that'd happened in the last few years. Finally, we were able to visit my former co-worker and close friend, Scott when we made a side trip to Phoenix to visit Taliesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright's second home in Scottsdale, AZ).

After Flag we jetted down to Sedona where we stayed in the Baby Quail Inn. Apparently there are many quail in Sedona, but we didn't actually see any (especially not any babies) until we were on the Taliesin West grounds in Phx. For Ry's 36th birthday, we did a lovely, but easy hike on the Little Horse Trail that ended in an ascension of "Chicken Point" where we had great views of Bell Rock and The Courthouse red rock formations. We dined at Elote Cafe, a Mexican fusion place and celebrated quietly with delicious grapefruit margaritas.

































We headed for home last Friday via I-40 with stops overnight stops in Amarillo and Springfield, MO. For our last real tourist attraction we visited the Cadillac Ranch and along the way home we listened to a book on CD called, The Women by T.C. Boyle about Frank Lloyd Wright's four significant wives and mistresses. I'd read the book before, but Ry hadn't and I thought it would be fitting with our visit to Taliesin West. I've actually read a couple of books about FLW and was geeking a bit about seeing Taliesin West (TW). TW was interesting, but I wasn't wowed per say. I also liked the book less than when I initially read it, which I think was thanks to the highly emotive male reader that insisted on doing an intense woman's Southern accent for one of the characters.
















After we finished The Women, we started another TC Boyle book, Talk Talk for the remainder of the trip, but didn't make it through. This is a book about a deaf woman whose identity is stolen. Ironically enough, we returned to find out today that someone got a hold of our credit card number and attempted to use it at a tourist attraction in England of all places. Weird coincidence. I'm pretty in love with TC Boyle as an author (Ry turned me on to him after much insistence). I've read about five of his books, but if I had to recommend just one it would be Drop City. If you are looking for a smart, engaging novel with a highly evolved vocabulary that explores hippie commune life, this one's for you. Besides that, it was a National Book Award finalist in 2003.

Any who, enough about literature, though I have been thinking about incorporating book reviews into my writing here (keep your eyes peeled). We arrived home about 10pm this past Sunday and I was happy, happy, happy to sleep in my own bed. Ry and I have decided definitively that there is no hotel bed in the world as comfortable as our own. Everything was just where is should be. Thanks again to Kevan and Alicia for tending to our home while we were away. Except...the huge tree in front of our house was unexpectedly chopped down by the Milwaukee Forest Service. They cut off of the entire crown, so all that's left is a big trunk with nubs on it and it's slated for de-trunking later this summer. Big bummer. Big, big bummer. I guess it was pretty sick and new tree will be planted in its place, but it changes the whole feel of our abode.

In summary, this third annual road trip was awesome but different. It didn't have all the surprises of somewhere I'd never been before (like the Pacific Northwest) and we weren't able to camp at all due to extreme heat. But we were able to see dear friends, hike over 26 miles in mountain terrain and I was able to share a recent chapter of my life with Ry Ry. I struggled when I lived in Flag but that's only natural being far from home, working on a graduate degree and doing a tough, specific job I'd never even thought about doing before then. I've made peace with all of that. And I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to live in such a majestic place and get to know quality folks.

I can see clearly how that path led me directly to my present endeavors. It's funny that when things seem to make the least sense they can suddenly come into focus and be clear as day. It was wonderful to experience Flag with new eyes, not to mention a nostalgic nose for all of that fresh Ponderosa Pine scent.

So, today as I bought groceries on a leisurely day behind a woman with only $50 in food stamps to feed her family, I had to count my blessings that I just took a two week road trip with my wonderful husband, that I'm enjoying my fourth week off of work and that I was returning home to our lovely new house. I'm pretty lucky and for that it's important to give thanks.

Finally, I'm thankful for garlic sauteed kale and lentil soup. There's nothing like home cooking after a long sojourn.