Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Evening walks. The days are getting longer and the wind warmer. I kinda like going it alone, but often one or both of my boys will want to come along and that's good too.

My brother and sister-in-law met Lils in Madrid last weekend. She soaked up the family time and some first class travel. And even though it was raining, they were smiling in all their pix. Thankfully, Barcelona was perfectly sunny for their stay in what is Lil's city now. This weekend they are in Paris and Lily is in Florence visiting her oldest friend.

Countdown is on. I'm still living vicariously, but not for much longer.

Lily and Grace in Florence and friends who knew you when. The girlies were besties in K4, and then went to different schools in K5. While they stayed in touch, they really reconnected in high school. 

Two girls. One steak.

 

Lily's trying all the things after only eating chicken for years.

 

 

 

Two dates with my guy last weekend. Dinner out Saturday and then a little happy hour after sitting Shiva for my friend's dear father...my friend who I've known and loved since 7th grade. Yea, one of those.

 

Vionics. I finally found the perfect pair (or 6) for traveling: cute and comfortable. I got them on sale, but I still cannot justify keeping them all and I certainly can't bring them. It's a good problem to have.

February girl's birthday brunch. We haven't hosted since Christmas. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was in it. Planning, cooking, decorating was a lot of fun. My Croquet Madams were deliciously decadent, but the birthday cake I made for my girls was the star. I'd forgotten the perfection that is this Strawberries and Cream Cake. It's so good that I'm making another one this weekend.

Setting the table pretty.

Using the good china and crystal.

Fresh flowers. 

Men who can cook...Mike's deviled eggs. Everyone loves them. Most of all me especially when garnished with potato chips. OMG!

Baking. Whether I'm celebrating or comforting, it's the way I show I care. When I bake you a cake, I'm giving you a hug. I was happy to give a couple hugs this week.

 

This face.

 

Sister Hazel. My constant companion.

 

 

M&M. Manny and Meryl. 

On My Mind Monday

 Always go to the funeral means that I have to do the right thing when I really, really don't feel like it. I have to remind myself of it when I could make some small gesture, but I don't really have to and I definitely don't want to. I'm talking about those things that represent only an inconvenience to me, but the world to the other guy. You know, the painfully under-attended birthday party. The hospital visit during happy hour. The Shiva call for one of my ex's uncles. In my humdrum life, the daily battle hasn't been good versus evil. It's hardly so epic. Most days, my real battle is doing good versus nothing.

~ Deidre Sullivan

Grateful Friday

I've been keeping a daily gratitude list in the lovely planner Meryl gifted me this Christmas. Perhaps that's the reason I've skipped coming here, but there is never enough thanks giving and so I'm here to profess that which I'm grateful for today...

The idea that feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. Who does that?

The thought that sometimes surprise is just another word for God. Beautiful.

Last Friday's champs with Candace. I had two bottles of bubbles chilling (literally and figuratively) since before the holidays and we finally got together and drank them both. We didn't set out to and then we did because we were having such a good time catching up.

And this old photo she sent me. We are with my mom in Ixtapa, Mexico at the beautiful Westin Brisas a lifetime ago. Long ago, far away and yet so very close to my heart.

Celebrating Ashley last Sunday. We had a cozy brunch at River Wildlife. Our table was right next to the fire. The tenderloin Shephard's pie was the money bite and the warm molasses cake reminded me and Brad of Mom. We got a warm welcome at Times Remembered where we stopped for a good old Miller toast...not a tap, at Amy's insistence.

 

Country roads and late winter sunsets peaking through the trees. Old barns decorated with American flags. Wide open fields. Open windows for a dose of fresh air. Freedom. Promise. Hope on the horizon.

 

 

Another birthday brunch this weekend for 2 of my 3 February girls. Unfortunately, Meryl works on Sunday and cannot join us, but I sent her home with her very own Red Velvet cake the last time she was here.

Hosting. It's good reason to put away the remaining holiday decor, deep clean the house and buy fresh flowers. 

A recent girl's night out with Sue. I bought tickets to the NYC Contemporary Ballet on a whim. We both enjoyed the athletic, eccentric performance as well as the wine and pizza at The St Kate before and we agreed that we should do more of this...going out...spontaneity. 

Music. I've been loving the Sirius Radio in my car, and while I'm not on the road much, it is a mood booster to croon even for a few minutes. I'm slowly weening myself from constant talk radio.

My Vitronic. Last weekend we sat in the living room listening to records and I felt like a teenager. The sound isn't great, but it was worth the nostalgia.

Lily is in Paris. She booked it last minute because plans changed and she almost didn't, but I convinced her that never in her life will she be able to spend a weekend in Paris for $300. She's halfway through her trip and we'll see her in less than a month. This has been such a life affirming experience. I know she's learned more than she has in any classroom. Yes, about travel and the world, but also about herself. 

 

 

 Cat candids.

My dog Gus, a feline garbage can. And yes, he'll eat pizza and salad.

 

One Day at a Time

 

It's been a minute. I've been insular in the muted sense of the word. Then on the way to work on this chilly, gray day, I was singing along to John Mayer. The broody combination of the weather and the longing lyrics, had me searching for my voice. I'm not going to say I've found it, but I'm here and that's a start.

I'm happily dabbling in the things that make me...me. And slowly I am recognizing myself again, but I'm not ready to shout it from the roof tops yet. I guess I have to make sure she sticks around before I make any grand professions. At the end of the day, I answer only to myself and at the end of all days, well, let's not go there. 

Yesterday was a good one. The measure of that for me is accomplishing most of the things I need to and some of the things I want. My gloves are kid-sized. The things that fill me up are the things I can so easily put off, but not yesterday. I had a productive day at work, I finally made the call to my insurance company I'd been avoiding, I ran an errand, ordered cat food and another pair of walking shoes (fingers crossed this is the pair), and did more research for our Spain trip, but it was lacing up and hitting the trails at the end of it all that really counted. I could easily have passed. It's too cold. Rain's coming. I left my phone at work. I loaded a podcast on Mike's phone and off I went. It wasn't my favorite walk: the sky was spitting, the podcast was annoying, my lower back was sore, and yet it was one of the best hours of my day. After stretching, I got busy in the kitchen trying to perfect the Croque Madame that I'm planning to serve for the birthday brunch I'm hosting on Sunday. For once, I'm not going to make my guests be Guinea pigs. After a hot shower, Hazel curled up on my lap for a little Netflix and then beside me for a few pages before bed. I slept like the dead through strange dreams straight through 'til morning thanks peri-menopause. 

The way I see it, a good life is a series of more good days than bad or blah. More days of creating, producing, reading, writing, moving, singing, thinking, dreaming, scheming, laughing, loving and stopping long enough to give thanks for the privilege to do so.