Lickin' the Batter: thinking of space, all kinds.

Hi, everyone.

Spring is progressing nicely here, although there is still a chill in the air most days.

I am getting to New Hampshire and the eastern shore of Virginia this month for job interviews. Hoping something good comes out of it ... I am beyond ready to be in a classroom again.

I am making peace with the fact that once again due to the not-knowing of where we'll be in a few months, I will not attempt growing anything this year. Sigh, maybe next. Hoping to be more settled for the next 2-3 years at least ... !

The kitchen is not quite at the cold salad phase yet .... still plenty of cooking and baking going on. Today I'm making (from the whole foods workshop) a spring pea and parsley pesto pasta. And a green smoothie (has become a staple around here) for lunch.

Been into my favorite lately, peppermint tea (hot). We are planning a hike/walk and picnic tomorrow, probably will bring along a big jug of homemade black mango iced tea, and some popcorn made with coconut oil. I love these days the very best of all. When we can get away from the crush of people and development around here, it's a very good thing indeed.

Life isn't perfect around here. Some bloggers seem to pretend it is, but I tell you, it just isn't. There are times when a tiny apartment can get filled with just .... crap (dirty laundry pile, paperwork, etc.) ... so fast it makes my minimalist head spin (i like a TON of space, just most of it empty from material things ... so a tiny space is very hard for me to deal with). And I'm making dinner at 10 p.m. because of my work schedule. And we are eating it in the living room on our laps because we don't have a kitchen table (oh how I dream of a table to eat at! however we do have one on our little outdoor porch ... so soon dinners will def. be out there!). But you know what? Several nights ago, I had this little yet powerful realization that I am still trying my best, within these parameters, to live intentionally. I'm still cooking from scratch. I'm freezing cooked dried beans, I'm soaking legumes and grains and nuts, I'm menu planning, I'm keeping things tidy most of the time. Money is very tight right now, that stresses us out quite a bit and it's hard to think about even the near future (yikes ... wedding!) when bills themselves are just so hard to pay and have any "surviving" money left over at the end of it all. I think the thing to do is just keep on. Make the most of the imperfect. So what if dinner's so late, if it's home-made with love and healthful? Pack a pretty lunch to enjoy in the chaotic break room at work (for those of you who don't know, I currently work at Trader Joe's). Get out to the woods, nature, the park, the ocean, whenever possible. I'm trying to get to bed earlier and have an intention of doing two good, somewhat brisk walks a day (once in the morning and once in the evening). My yoga practice should happen where and when it can, even if I can't always afford class. I need to figure out a space for that.

Through it all, I'm blessed to have found a beautiful man who loves to read, and plays guitar and has the most gorgeous singing voice. And eats my food and loves it, mostly (he's not too fond of goat cheese, bless him for trying it though!). He also loves the long drives out into the country with me. We argue sometimes and we can be annoyed with each other for a day. But he makes me grow in ways I've never grown before, and vice versa. We are struggling, but we are with each other and our love will prevail over challenges and doubt and temporarily difficult life situations. Over the last five months, we've been through a lot together already. He always says, "I just want a simple life." I hear you, love. I do. Each step we take on this journey is a step closer to clarity and throwing out that which doesn't serve us.

If you've made it this far in, you certainly deserve some pictures. I wish you all a blessed Easter if that's what you celebrate. We will be celebrating nature, each other, and the privilege of good food.

this is the setup for our recent "godfather" watching date. food from a local italian restaurant (I made the olive oil and garlic mixture) and bread from a local italian market.