weekending

It was Lily's last weekend home so we spent lots of time together. Yes, I already miss her, but she is ready to get back to the grind while not overly excited to leave the creature comforts of home, or the creatures. I mean look at that face!

These faces.

She had a good break. She reconnected with friends, had lots of fun and even more r&r, made some money, watched lots of movies, ate a gazillion berries (and half a gazillion Christmas cookies), enjoyed her first massage, had a couple quick trips to Chicago and went back with much more than she brought home in December as evidenced below. I should also add to the list that she did a bit of shopping too, hence the load. Three girls in one room makes for a well-stocked closet full of options.

Uncle Mark accepted a spontaneous invite for dinner Friday night. Lil's choice was nachos...good and easy. We played a few games and enjoyed some quality family time. We are really having fun with Blank Slate and the decades music trivia on Amazon. Saturday we were busy getting ready to move her back and getting things organized for our quickly approaching trip to Mexico. We took down both trees and put the house back together. I always miss the lights, but it felt good to return to normal. I'm happy to report that we didn't lose a single ornament even with three curious cats.

After a busy day, we were happy to head to the family room for a chill movie night. Lil's choice, a thriller of course, was entertaining. It was early to bed because we had plans for a last walk Sunday morning. It was exciting to wake to the sweetest soft flurries. The fresh, snowy air was delicious. So was a slice of the Sour Cherry Tart I made the day before that I enjoyed with my coffee. That's a shortbread crust btw.

We made a quick pit stop to meet Grandma and Grandpa for lunch in route to Madison. It was a spontaneous and smart decision. I may not have made the best choice for lunch. The Pickle Pizza was good, but so rich. I brought most of it home and it's still in the fridge. 

We pulled into Madison just before sundown on a gloomy day. Lake Monona was speckled with ice fishermen and the streets were abuzz with students returning for spring semester in the middle of winter. These months will go fast and soon it the days will lengthen on the isthmus, which is sort of magic as I recall.

We left Lily in a sea of Ikea bags and made a stop at Ted's to pick up some things he requested. I'll be happy when he's only living between two cities. That being said, he's fully immersed in life in the city again. Here is is at Ralph Lauren getting some new duds for his trip to London in a few weeks. The shopping spree was a generous treat from Uncle B and Aunt A who came to Chicago for the weekend.

This time next week, I'll be in Mexico. So far so good.

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Meryl gave Ted a journal and he's using it. Journaling is such a profound practice and I am happy he is taking it up. I think this is the perfect time for me to write a final post in the journal I keep for him. I mean journals...he has a library spanning his lifetime. It's time for him to keep his own history and tell his own stories.

The head Lily has on her shoulders. She is so tuned in to herself and to others.

Transitions. Solo end of day walks in the brisk evening air. Walks instead of naps. I love my naps, but this week I only took one because I have been going to bed earlier and making better use of my evenings.

A date with my aunt last Friday. She brought the Mama Mia's and I got the wine. We stayed up until the wee hours because she's moving west soon.

A week together somewhere warm in March before her big move.

A lunch date with Candace Monday. MLK Day, just like old times. Mike and Jess joined us for bar food and beers.

Movie nights. Game nights. Girl's nights. Family dinner. 

last night I whipped up a super simple, surprisingly delicious Tomato Chicken and Orzo soup that will become part of the regular rotation.

Everything in moderation. A life in balance responsible for avoiding the post-holiday slump.

Sumo orange season.

Webb Lake August 2023. We have our usual week reserved for a family vacation at summer's end.

Time to de-Christmas this weekend.

 And to get ready for Mexico.

Two Steps Forward

This day is not off to a good start. I woke up and 9:15 feeling like I needed no more sleep. Of course, I didn't...I slept for 10 hours. Lily neglected to wake me up before she left for work. I missed my morning workout. I also missed washing my hair. Thank the powers that be for dry shampoo. I couldn't find my phone anywhere and I looked everywhere. Mike assures me it's somewhere in the bowels of Casa Wags so at least I don't have to worry, but being phoneless is almost like missing an appendage. It's sad, but true.

Lils and I had another great night together. We finally made it to Nordstrom Rack and we made some lucky finds. A super cute beach hat for me and an adorable fair aisle sweater for her. Matching body suits in different sizes obviously, and beauty products. My girl is quite the connoisseur and she didn't get it from me. In fact, she's teaching me tricks. While my routine is no longer au natural, it is still minimalist and also dated. I had my make-up done professionally about a decade ago and I have changed nada since then while my skin has most definitely changed. 

I thought about taking her out for dinner, but we both were feeling home. She made a pan of her sweet and spicy Brussel's sprouts and I mad a big pot of spinach, and we ate our greens, which allowed us dishes of ice cream with our nightly feature film. It's all about balance. Finn took her lap and Gus had mine and all was right with the night...the world. That is until we had to disturb them to go to bed.

When I woke up this morning, the Kit Kats had gotten into a craft bin and there were pipe cleaners all over the house. Hazel was particularly enthralled, but the boys were enjoying them too. They have such distinct personalities, likes and dislikes. It's rare to find something that entices all three. Finn is a tough sell on most toys. Hazel still loves to fetch bright colored balls, furry mice and springs just like a dog. Gus loves and plays with everything...even crumbs on the floor. I feel a cat post coming. They deserve a headline all their own.

That's all I got. I came here wanting to capture the now, not to proselytize, profess or lament. I guess this is part of my practice in presence. So far, I'm doing justice to my 2023 word. I am in a good place thanks to some changes I'm making. There are more in the purview, but long ago I learned that too much is really too much. Changing everything at once leads to my imminent failure. So baby steps it is and if I'm being honest, likely two steps forward, one step back, which is still in the right direction.

Little Things

The sun peaked out yesterday. It's feeling more like spring than winter. Last night I went for a walk in a heavy sweatshirt and was plenty warm. Something tells me we are in for a brutal late winter/early spring. That will be interesting after spending the first part of February in Mexico.

I'm gearing up for our trip. I'm back and forth between excited and panicked. It's how I'm wired. I love old Mexico, but watching the news at night makes me question traveling there right now. I tell myself that Zihua is far from the unrest...that it's safe, yet I cannot shake the feeling. Once I'm there with an icy cerveza in hand, I know I'll feel at peace.

Speaking of peace, Ted is finally settled in Chicago for the semester or until he books a ticket to visit Meryl in London. He arrived home from Vancouver Sunday in the wee hours. Instead of taking an Uber to his apartment in the Loop 16 miles away, he took an Uber 90 miles home to Milwaukee and showed up at 2:30 a.m. rarin' to go. He had a myriad of stories, pictures and videos from his 10 days of travel. Lily arrived home shortly thereafter and was in one of her chatty moods. I made her a midnight snack and we stayed up until 4:30 talking. When my adult children want to dish, I'll stay up all night.

 

Ted was still sleeping Sunday morning when I left for a date with Jess. I had all of his laundry washed and folded: two suitcases worth, before going. We had tickets to see My Fair Lady. It was a first for the both of us, and despite the fact that I started to drift off in the second act, I was mostly enjoying it.

Truth is I enjoyed it more than the Packer game that night, but it was a good time to gather with family in front of the tv. I made an enormous crock of Chicken Tortilla Soup and Ted's favorite French Silk Pie. I never got the chance to bake him a birthday cake. Lils came home from Chicago in time to join us. She drove down to the city to visit her roomie.

Monday morning came too soon. I was up at 5 o'clock to make sure that Ted would be ready for his 6 a.m. train. He went straight from Union Station to the office and later let me know that his first day was "super!" I appreciated that so much more than good or fine.

Lils is home for another week and a half. When she came home in December, it seemed like she would be here for so long, but alas it goes and too soon. I'm going to really spoil her these next 10 days. Despite the fact that she refuses to put any clothes away or throw away the almost empty pint of blueberries or stop leaving a pile of rice cake crumbs under her seat, and leaves her shoes all over for me to trip on, I'm going to miss her when she goes. Gus too. The two of them have bonded and tight. When we don't know where he is these days, we can usually find him curled up in her bed that she refuses to make.

It's been so lovely spending lots of quality time together. She rarely escapes to her room for very long. Last night she returned from her workout and asked to help me make dinner. That's my favorite: cooking together. We are a good team too and we put together an impressive pot of Butter Chicken. It was scrumptious over a bowl of Basmati rice with a side of garlicky naan. She helped me clean up too. After dinner, we headed to the family room the three of us with our three cats and watched a movie. It was a great night...what I call the extraordinary ordinary. More of that please.

Happy New Year

 

 

2023 arrived not so much with a bang, but rather a hug. We spent the night in with old friends and for me that is the best way. I made a hearty spread of appetizers (the mezze platter being the hit) to counter the champs cocktails and such. We were all awake and still together to ring in the new year and then we even played a game after midnight. The party may have gone well into the next day, but NYE is not meant to end early unless by early we mean the next day.

We slept in New Years Day because  our only plan was to get to Chicago for a 7:15 dinner reserve. We unloaded the car (can I tell you how much I love doormen) with enough time to have a cocktail and enjoy the view before heading to Lincoln Park for tapas. As quiet as the city was, the restaurant was bustling, bursting. Also cozy and warm and quite delicious. Our favorite dish being the potatas bravas we ordered two and then promptly hit the couch post dinner for a movie.

 It was a good plan because we woke refreshed the next day and eager to get out and about. First thing Lils went for a workout on the 44th floor and Mike and I walked through the city and out onto Navy Pier where the skyline view is nothing short of sublime. I'm really learning to love this city. 

Our Monday mission was to shop. Well, my mission was to marvel at the beautiful holiday lights and decor up and down Michigan Avenue, which no photograph can capture. Mike indulged us both patiently. It was a busy day in the city and  the shops were pretty picked over much to Lil's dismay. She also had a bit of sticker shock at the big city prices and IL State tax. We each ended up with only a small bag, but we had fun and that's what counts. We stopped at Eataly for our first and only meal of the day at 4 o'clock. The pizza neopolitana is what you want when this is the case. My single glass of Chianti was almost as much as the pizza, but boy did I enjoy it. We were home after 27 hours feeling tired, but also energized. 

In the hour and a half it took us to get home, I took a personal inventory. It's good to reflect and then set my intentions for the new year. They are always the same or similar, but I admit I am a work in progress...perpetual progress. The holiday season was different this year, but ultimately one of my favorites. When my spirit was waning, I slowed down and leaned in...I listened. As much as I preach be.here.now, it's so often easier said than done. Somehow it came naturally this holiday season. Call it a Christmas miracle.

I want to carry this mindful immersion with me into the new year. My word for 2023 revealed itself to me slowly and then all at once. That word is presence.