Experiments in ... patriotism.

Happy Memorial Day!  And thank you to all of you who have served to safeguard the lives of Americans - in whatever way you may have served.

xoxo,

Melanie

Experiments in … bliss: Sweet Saturday

Yesterday was sweet, indeed.  Although to many this weekend is a holiday weekend riddled with meticulous plans and high expectations of fun and frolicking, for me, it’s just another weekend.  Now, don’t get me wrong … I’m very thankful for those who have risked much so that I might experience the freedoms that I do.  It is not my intention to belittle the significance of Memorial Day.  I just mean to iterate that I have an unconventional work schedule, and, therefore, the fact that Monday is a “bank holiday” does not affect my schedule the way it affects the majority of Americans. 

Now that my disclaimers are out of the way, I’ll get back to my sweet Saturday. 

Yesterday was only a casually planned event.  And that’s using the word ‘planned’ in the loosest of definitions.  It started out with a trip to the farmers’ market with Sister.  As usual, we had mentioned a proposed meeting time the night before.  Also as usual, we ended up meeting about an hour after that originally proposed time.  So, I got to her house around 9am, and we strolled through town toward the market.  Once there, we were enveloped with the telltale signs of the impending arrival of summer on the farm:  the brilliant greens, yellows and reds of the vegetables on every table; the mouth-wateringly heady aromas of freshly baked breads and pastries; gorgeous bouquets of flowers; the promise of pie reflected in the rows and rows of strawberries, blueberries and peaches; and, of course, the throngs of people emerging from hibernation to celebrate the return of this hot-headed southern sun that lords over us as summer comes to call. 

We were blessed to run into our good friends Chris, JD, Theresa, Lula and Shady.  Isn’t it always nice to share unexpected encounters with the people we love?  I think so.  We strolled the market together for a few moments, made plans to have lunch soon, and parted ways feeling even warmer than we already had in the early morning heat. 

The market and the surrounding areas were even more bustling than usual yesterday.  Apparently there was some kind of road race (or, possibly, a triathlon?) happening downtown.  It generated a good crowd of jolly townsfolk and athletes and even a very stylish gentleman with the most delicious hat I think I’ve ever seen. 

After filling my bag with some of Durham’s finest and freshest produce, Sister and I proceeded to Parker + Otis to share a drink and some conversation.  She had a soda. I had tea.  We both ogled the fine wares of the shop longingly.  We enjoyed sitting for a spell in the fun atmosphere and the good company, before parting ways around noontime.

After coming home to unload my market loot, I headed back into town and to The Carolina Theatre.  This weekend marks the last days of the Alfred Hitchcock retrospective.  I treated myself to a double feature of Strangers on a Train and Notorious.  (Isn’t Cary Grant just the dreamiest?)  I had never seen either film, and enjoyed them both a bunch!  (Today I’ll be seeing Spellbound … Gregory Peck, anyone?)  Then it was back into the sunlight of the early evening for a lovely promenade home. 

I had made no plans for my evening, but after practicing my Spanish during all my walking trips, I decided to lie back on the couch and watch the Spanish-language film, La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon).  I’ve wanted to watch it for ages, and I wasn’t disappointed.  It is such a beautiful story of the bond between a mother and her son.  It also portrays the plight of illegal immigrants in a very poignant way without being overly sentimental about it.  It broke my heart over and over again, but also gave me hope and some valuable insights into a growing group of people who are finding themselves in a sort of purgatory between two cultural identities.  I totally recommend this film.

As I was getting ready to turn in early (yes, on a Saturday night), the phone rang.  As if my day wasn’t already wonderful enough, my parents were calling.  We managed a relative glitch-free trans-world skype video call.  It was great catching up with them and hearing all about their adventures and upcoming birthday plans!  Mom and Dad, if you’re reading, I’m so glad we got to talk last night!

Then it was to bed to read a little before succumbing to the comforting embrace of Sleep.  Aaah.  What a sweet Saturday!

How was your Saturday?  What did you do?  I hope it was sweet, as well!

xoxo,

Melanie

PS:  I'll leave you with some photos from my walks around Durham yesterday.  Durham is beautifully in bloom!

Previously on Days of My Life … plus a Resolution Roundup

When last we met, I had committed to getting my body off my couch and into motion.  Well, I am happy to report that I have been keeping up my end of my bargain with myself.  I have generally been sticking to a 6 days on / one day off plan where workouts are concerned.  I did allow myself a couple extra days off while trying to heal from the worst case of poison ivy I’ve ever endured.  After the first 10 days of my previously mentioned TAM-esque 15-minute muscular structure (MS) workouts followed by 20 minutes of rebounder/floor combination cardio work, I upgraded to a new TAM-esque MS sequence that take about 30-45 minutes followed by 30 minutes of mostly, or all, floor dance cardio.  I began this sequence with 25 reps of each MS move, and have gradually worked up to 40 reps each.  (That’s why the 30-45 minutes.)  As soon as this 10 day period is finished (which is very soon) I will begin the actual Tracy Anderson Method Metamorphosis program.  I would have started it sooner, but there was an ordering glitch and it took forever to get here. 

I am feeling pretty good – physically and mentally/emotionally.  I weathered the whole poison ivy storm.  I managed to slightly injure my foot, but am still getting my cardio in (while taking reasonable precautions, of course).  And while it can feel excruciatingly difficult when I’m doing the work – especially by the time I’m nearing the fortieth rep of an already challenging move – I am finding that I look forward to my workouts.  It’s a pretty amazing feeling.

I referenced the notion of failure in my last post.  That’s a topic that has continued to roll around in my brain lately.  I continue to question my understanding of what failure is and how I perceive failure in my own life.  I have been using these internal discoveries and analyses to help inspire me when I’m feeling like giving up or taking the easy out during my daily experiences.  It has been amazing to notice just what exactly has been playing on my internal radio for years!  So many excuses doled out as inevitabilities … so much power given over to other people and external circumstances … so much bullshit!  As I begin to really listen to all that bogus programming I become much more able to negate it.  I am finally beginning to take responsibility for myself and my situation a little more fully and with a little more presence and prescience to what my internal naysayer is likely to toss at me.  So, I suppose this is part of that “sound mind in a sound body” thing?  Points for me!  Progress is being made already! 

In the spirit of gauging failure and success, it seems a good time to do a resolution roundup.  By that, I mean that we are nearing the halfway point in this calendar year, and it seems like a good time to see how I’m faring with all those resolutions I made back in January.  So, here we go …

1.  I resolve to maintain ample space in my schedule for my Self.

I fixed this one by leaving my job at the inn.  I was finding that the job was consuming way too much of my time and energy leaving me too exhausted to do much else.  Not conducive to Resolution #1!  Now, I have lots of free time and tons of me time.  And I remember why I made this resolution in the first place.

2.  I resolve to regularly take classes to better myself.

Well, this one started strong out of the gate, but has slowly petered out over the long run.  I am hoping to get back to some yoga classes soon, and have signed up for an e-textiles workshop later this month, but am not taking a regular class at present.  Will work on finding a class to rectify this slip.

3.  I resolve to clean up my diet, and eat a sustainable diet of whole foods that nourish the whole me.

Well, this one is a little loosely worded, so it’s tricky.  For the most part, I’d say I’m doing alright here, though I could definitely make some improvements.

4.  I resolve to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep every night.

As mentioned in #1, this was beginning to get bumped during my overworked days at the inn, but now I’m getting a solid 8-10 every night … just like my body likes it!

5.  I resolve to do some form of mindful movement (yoga, stretching, dancing, etc.) every day – even if only for 10 minutes.

As in #1 and #4 … as I started working too much and falling behind on my me time, this didn’t always happen, but I’m back in business now, and that business is boomin’!

6.  I resolve to cultivate a daily meditation practice.

Oops.  This one didn’t last very long … again.  Geez Louise!  Why is it so hard to make time to sit for 10 minutes?  Will have to work on this!

7.  I resolve to get a pedicure every two weeks.

Oops, again!  Haven’t gotten a single one.  Though I still think about it regularly, and hope to figure out how to fit it into my lifestyle.  It seems like when I have the money, I haven’t got the time and when I have the time, I’m not sure it’s the best way to spend my money.  Must remember this is an investment in my Self. 

8.  I resolve to get a massage or other healing bodywork session at least once a month.

Nope.  Have only gotten one massage this year.  Yikes!  That’s terrible!  Why is it that so many people in healing professions have such a hard time making Self care a priority??  Argh!

9.  I resolve to dance at least once a week.

After dance class ended, so did my regular dancing … until I started the cardio dancing a few weeks ago.  Now I dance almost every day.  Hooray!

10.  I resolve to write in my blog at least once a week.

Umm … if you ever read this blog, you will know that’s another fail.  (See … failure!  It’s popping up everywhere!)  But, while weekly posting is still a wonderful goal, I am happy that I am still writing at all.  (Take that, Failure!)

11.  I resolve to cultivate a daily practice of acknowledging and expressing gratitude.

While I have not managed to establish a specific routine of when and where I express gratitude, I do acknowledge the things in my life for which I am grateful on a very regular basis.  In fact, I am grateful that I can report that right now.

12.  I resolve to take at least 2 vacations (min. 3 days) each year.

Well, to be fair, the year’s not even half over yet, so this one gets a free pass for this round up.  (And while, no, I have not taken a vacation yet, I am planning one for next month.)

13.  I resolve to experience at least one social activity with friends every two weeks.

To be truthful, I haven’t really paid too close attention to when my social activities have taken place, but I’ve been more social this year than in many recent years, so I consider it a success!

14.  I resolve to support my local organic farmers by buying much of my food from my local farmers’ market.

Yes, indeed!  This one I’ve been doing!

15.  I resolve to give my Self a full body exfoliation every week.

Bummer.  I forgot all about this resolution.  It’s a good one, though, so I think I’ll work to reinstate it!

16.  I resolve to fast on each full moon and new moon.

Check!

17.  I resolve to observe the power and magick during full moons, new moons, and the holidays of the Wheel of the Year.

Check!

18.  I resolve to avoid looking at my computer screen first thing in the morning, or just before bed at night.

Since I’m typing this at 10:30p, I can’t claim total success with this resolution, but I’ve kept it much more often than not.

19.  I resolve to always resist the temptation to say something negative about my Self, opting, instead, to say something positive and wonderful and maybe even glorious.

I can always improve here, but I think I’m doing pretty well with this one.

20.  I resolve to resist the temptation to mindlessly eat/drink in an attempt to sate my emotional needs.

This is still a huge struggle for me, but I have been making vast improvements here.  I will continue to work on it throughout the year!

21.  I resolve to resist the temptation to beat my Self up if I break my own rules or resolutions.

Done!  (Though I do reserve the right to give my Self  regular pep talks and motivational speeches.)

How are you doing with your resolutions?  I’d love to hear from you!

xoxo,

Melanie

Experiments in ... community!

I hope you did, too.


xoxo,

Melanie

Experiments in … health!

Thomas Edison + light bulb

I recently read a little tidbit about Thomas Edison.  I don’t remember where I read it, but I am sure it has been repeated plenty.  This particular tidbit was regarding the fact that Edison had reportedly had one thousand failures before finally succeeding in inventing the light bulb.  His response to this sentiment was that he had not failed at all.  The light bulb, he claimed, simply took one thousand steps to invent.  Pretty wise fellow, that Edison.  I really appreciate his ability to blend a focused diligence and determination with a humble acceptance of and regard for the fumbles along the way. 

Why is this relevant to health, you may ask?  Well, I have been feeling pretty guilty of late as a result of my failure to maintain the Body Ecology Diet (BED) beyond two months.  (Perhaps it was because I allowed myself to get smug for having lasted that long?)  Over the past several weeks I have been making allowances – small ones at first, then larger ones – for eating cookies, pastries, chocolates, fries, and gasp! an inordinate amount of gluten!  This will not do!  It’s no good at all!  My body’s very angry, and I’ve been tunneling down a shame spiral as a result.  Of course, I also have moments during which I play the spin doctor to my wounded inner conscience.  You don’t really have to do this diet … it was a choice!  You’re only cheating this little bit!  You’ll be better tomorrow!  You can totally make exceptions when you’re out with friends … it’s a special occasion!  (This dialogue chain is very familiar to me.)  Then there’s the Aries rebellion that starts working away on my will.  You can’t spend your whole life worrying so much about what you eat!  Screw that!  Life is for living and enjoying!  You eat well most of the time.  You eat organically and locally and seasonally.  You practically pay the salaries of the Whole Foods staff single-handedly!  Why should you not treat yourself with this little glass of champagne?  Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t have some of that delicious dark chocolate mousse that your friends are enjoying … I mean, it’s right there in front of you!  Eat it!  (This dialogue chain is also very familiar to me.) 

I am learning a great deal about myself here.  I am learning that, like countless others in this world, I have become A.) disillusioned about just how healthy I really am, and B.) a total pansy.  That’s right:  I’m a weak-willed emotional eater who doesn’t exercise nearly enough.  I also seem to forget that I am no longer that twenty-year-old girl with lightning metabolism who works out regularly and goes dancing on the weekends.  In fact, I am a woman in her late thirties who rarely works out and never goes out dancing.  Hm.  That’s quite sad, actually.  No wonder I have a tendency to fall into the moody blues (the emotional state, not the band). 

 Wait, where was I going with this?  Oh yes … I have decided to strike a deal with myself.  And this deal is that I will maintain a basically conscientious eating plan, sticking to many of the BED principles a majority of the time, while allowing myself to have some of those things that really make me happy (ie: granola w/ coconut milk, fruit, and an occasional glass of bubbly wine).  I will be sensible about, but  not fixated upon, the food I eat.  In exchange for this culinary freedom, I will work my body.  I will put in some serious effort to make it stronger, leaner, more pliable and more capable.  And I will begin doing this by committing to Tracy Anderson’s 90-day Metamorphosis program.  No more will I so cavalierly sit on the couch watching fictional characters lead active healthy lives in films or television shows.  I will begin earning that couch time by crafting my body into a formidable and flexible machine.  I will offer my blood, sweat and tears to the fitness gods and pray for healthy results, and maybe some endorphins, in return.  (Though hopefully there will be mostly sweat, and extremely little quantities of blood and tears.)  

Tracy Anderson

I have already experienced Tracy Anderson’s 30-day boot camp.  A little over a year and half ago, a friend and I did that program.  It was hard, and – surprise – I was kinda half-assed in my approach.  I did the muscular structure work really well until the last 10 days when it got really … really … hard.  The cardio dvd was really badly produced, so I used that as an excuse to be sloppy with it.  And I didn’t even bother with her diet plan (which may lead to weight loss, but I believe is too calorie-restrictive).  Unsurprisingly it didn’t change my life.  It did, however, change my body, though in much more subtle ways than if I had done the program all out.  I do believe that her method of working the body is effective and, if done with awareness, better for the joints than most styles of exercise.  Already, for the past week I have been doing a sort of halved version of a Tracy Anderson Method (TAM)-esque workout every morning.  I’ve been doing around 15 minutes of muscular structure work and about 20 minutes of dance cardio on a rebounder.  The Metamorphosis program consists of 30-minutes of muscular structure work and 30-minutes of dance cardio.  (At least that’s what Tracy claims the time commitment will be … that doesn’t include the moments of lying on the ground in a crumpled heap trying to convince yourself to keep going.  I had these during the boot camp, and am sure to have them during the 90-day gig.)  I’m sticking to a combination of rebounder and floor dance cardio to keep from over-stressing my joints – specifically my hips which have been very angry with all my walking.  

So, that’s my deal with myself.  I’ve already ordered the Metamorphosis dvds, so I suppose I’ll begin whenever they get here.  Wish me luck and fortitude, please!

Oh, speaking of my cranky hip joints … (jeez, I really am getting old!)  I have also started wearing a heel insert in my left shoe.  During my last massage appointment, my therapist agreed that my left leg is actually skeletally shorter than my right.  I’ve known for years and years that there was an imbalance, but for a long time I believed it to be muscular.  So, the insert is meant to keep the rest of my body from taking on so much stress in compensation for the imbalance.  This is day 2 of wearing it, and already I’m feeling relief, though I imagine at least part of that is due to the exercising.

Mens sana in corpore sano.  Translated, this familiar phrase reads: A sound mind in a sound body.  It is a common belief that if one creates strength, health, flexibility and endurance of body, then the same traits will naturally be extended to the mind, or even more optimistically, the soul.  Here we go … I’m going to get my body in order, and with any luck, the rest of me will follow. 

Happy experimenting, everyone!  I hope you're enjoying this amazing Spring!

xoxo,

Melanie

PS:  If any of you are interested in joining me on the Metamorphosis challenge, I would love the support and camaraderie.  Send me a message if you’re in!

Experiments in … baking!

Sister enjoying the sweet simplicity of wisteria in bloom.  aaaaaah.

There are some times in life in which all of the disparate ingredients of the moment come together so beautifully as to create an even more perfect experience.  You know those moments, right?  It doesn’t have to be a big event.  In fact, it could be something so simple and sweet that it just takes your breath away with its purity.  A summer sunset after a gentle rain.  A four-leaf clover in a field of weeds.  The first time a baby smiles.  A string of green lights when you’re driving toward your holiday destination. 

Summer Sunset over Pohnpei, FSM - 2011

Baking is like this.  It is like intentionally creating one of these moments and then allowing it to nourish you from the inside out.  The cookies I made this weekend are like this.  They are like little perfect moments to savor whenever you need them. 

In my last post I mentioned making Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies.  You may remember that those cookies came out a little too lavendery … even for someone like me who loves eating lavender.  Well, here I’ve taken that same Joy the Baker recipe and adapted it again.  This time I made them into Coco-Lime Shortbread Cookies.  They weren’t gluten-free as I was running too low on the gluten-free flour, but they were delicious!  Very subtle coconut sweetness peeked out through the rich buttery cookie base.  And the lime brightened the whole thing and kept it from being too rich or heavy.  I was quite pleased.  These little cookies are like serendipitous coins of delight.  Yes, I did just type that.  And, yes, I even meant it, too.  If you whip up a batch yourself, I think you’ll see what I mean.  Go ahead … do it!  You know you want to!  Let yourself have a beautiful moment.  You deserve it!

Coco-Lime Shortbread Cookies

(adapted from Joy the Baker)

Makes about 30 cookies.

Ingredients:

2 T. unsweetened coconut shavings (the little kind, not the big flakes)

zest of 2 limes

½ c. + 1 t. granulated sugar

2 sticks room temperature plugra butter (you can also use regular unsalted butter, if you wish)

2-3/4 c. all-purpose flour

¼ t. Himalayan sea salt

extra sanding sugar, for coating (or, even better, lime sugar to coat!)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, add butter and sugar.  Cream on medium-low speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the coconut and the lime zest.  Mix on low only enough to incorporate.  Add the flour/salt mixture in three turns, mixing on low speed after each turn to combine.  The dough will likely be quite crumbly, but should come together as it mixes.  If, after about 5 minutes of mixing the entire batter, it still isn’t holding its form, then sack the mixer and get your [clean] hands in there and knead it until it is.  Dump the dough out onto a clean surface and for into two logs with your hands.  (If logs are too unwieldy, you can form into balls.)  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper and set aside. 

Place sanding sugar (or lime sugar) in a rectangular container.  (I used a small ceramic baking dish.)  Set aside.

When dough has been cooled sufficiently, remove logs from refrigerator and unwrap.  Roll each log in sanding sugar to coat.  (You may need to cut the log of dough in half to fit inside your sugar container.  No biggie … do what you need to do!)  Once your dough is nicely bathed in sugar, take a very sharp knife and slice it into ¼ inch rounds.  Easy breezy!

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Place rounds on lined cookie sheet(s).  Refrigerate for another 5 minutes while oven is preheating.  Then pop these little buttons in the oven.  Bake for 6 minutes, rotate your pan, and finish baking for 6 more minutes.  (Note: Since ovens vary, your timing may be different.  Keep an eye on your cookies, and don’t let them burn, okay?)

Allow cookies to cool on the pan for about 5 minutes.  Then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cook for another 10 minutes or so. Then … savor each beautiful bite!

Lime Sugar

Ingredients:

Lime zest (how much you add is really up to how limey you like things … I’d start with 1 lime)

½ c. sanding sugar (or whatever sugar you’re feeling, or have on hand, really)

Directions:

In a small spice grinder (or coffee grinder, food processor or mortar + pestle) grind up the sugar the zest.  Presto!  You now have lime sugar!

whirls of wind

This has been a very eventful past several days. Whew! What a whirlwind of occurrences! But it’s all been of the good variety, so I’ll accept this busy-ness with a greedy grin and open arms.

The first thing that happened didn’t start out so good, but turned out very well in the end. Without boring you with the details, I will just announce that I turned in my resignation at the inn. It was kind of unexpected, but, also, kind of inevitable. I had been hoping that I could make things work, but, alas, no puedo. So, I’m here one more month, then it’s back to a hodge-podge of part-time gigs again. This arrangement seems to suit me, anyway, so I’m looking forward to it. And some pocket change advice for all of you out there: If something makes you unhappy or uncomfortable, and you cannot find a way to change it for the better, then dump it and move on! Life’s too short, yo! You know it. I know it. The little old lady who lives on your block knows it. So, do something about it!

ahem … and now back to our regularly scheduled blog post …

Okay, where were we? Oh yes, my crazy days of late. So, on the heels of this fairly major life decision, I was invited to a friend’s 40^th birthday bash. And (gasp!) I actually went! Yes, that’s right! I went out on the town. I got a little tarted up in a 1940’s inspired dress with my seldom worn, but much adored, satin yellow peep-toe wedge sandals with the gold sequins on the heels. My friend, S., went with me, and darned if she didn’t outshine me in the all-dolled-up category! S. is a whiz with a needle and thread, and also happens to be fantastic at creating effortless looking retro hairstyles. (This is a skill I’m trying to hone, though.) So, we went for a bite at Revolution, then made our way over to Fullsteam Brewery where the festivities were taking place. We met Sister there. The Birthday Boy was beaming in the web of love radiating from so many family and friends. His Darling Wife had arranged this bash with a local karaoke band called Voices Carry playing through the evening. The [evil?] genius behind this band is that they play live 80’s hits while audience members get to sign up to fill the role of lead singer. (They provide lyrics, too, which are very helpful. But, in case they are reading this, I might suggest that they offer some kind of prompter so singers will know when to start singing. I’m just saying … it’s not always easy to remember these things when you are all nervous and on stage and likely in some varying state of inebriation.)

Now, I am one who sings in the privacy of my home, or car when I had one. But I don’t normally offer up my vocal stylings for public consumption. That said, I almost always really want to. I mean really, really want to. So, there is this internal battle waging between the me that likes being a performer and the me that is scared silly by the notion. Usually the latter wins. But this night Birthday Boy’s Darling Wife asked Sister and me to do a song with her, so we bravely accepted. I would like to tell you that it was much better than I anticipated … that my fears were unwarranted … that we rocked the party live. Sadly, I cannot tell you that. In fact we were bad. And not just bad, but downright terrible. Not even in a ‘this is so terrible it’s funny’ kind of way. Just terrible. We cleared the room. The whole warehouse-sized room full of people was pretty much a ghost town by the time we left the stage. It was kinda sad, really. I think the main problems were that only Mrs. Darling Wife could see the lyrics book, and we could none of us seem to figure out when our cues were, so we spent half the song just asking each other “What are we supposed to be singing right now? Where are we in this song, anyway?” (Hence the aforementioned suggestion to the band.) But it was still a wonderful feat of bravery that we got on stage at all. And that, to me, means success!

I managed to stay up way past my bedtime helping Birthday Boy celebrate his big day. (I told you this was a big weekend!) I ended up stumbling into the house around 1:00am, and that was a stumble from dance-weary feet, not booze. (That’s right … that karaoke incident was totally sober. Maybe that was the problem?) I spent the next couple days trying to recover from the lack of sleep, but it was totally worth it. I had a brilliant time! Happy Birthday, K.!! Thanks for letting me party with you, dude!

Note: It pains me to admit that I forgot to take my snazzy new camera with me to this shindig. So, I have no photos to share. I’ll do better next time, I promise.

The next couple days were spent catching up on errands and continuing with my spring cleaning and rearranging projects. I’m still not totally finished, of course, but I did manage to make a decent dent in the to-do list. I plan to finish up on my next days off of work. Let’s hope I don’t make too much of a mess in the house before then. One thing of special note that I discovered while trying to clear out the overgrown garden at my rental is this lovely little flowering vine. I think it may be an oak-leaf hydrangea, but I’m not totally sure. In any case, it’s super sweet and totally lovely. I’m so glad I was able to rescue it from the bottom of the jungle of vinca overtaking the lawn. What fortune!

Amid all the drama and celebration this weekend, I also managed to [finally] finish up my taxes. My accountant is awesome, and I am so thankful for him. I was really procrastinating for a while thinking my travels might make things super confusing and time consuming. Turns out, it wasn’t so bad, really. And I’m even getting a nice refund. That’s right: I’m looking at you, Vitamix!

Yesterday, after all my chores and errands were completed, well, all the chores I had energy for, I decided to bake some cookies and watch a movie. Thelma & Louise was the film. I’d rented it from the library and was feeling some lady power was in order! (When is it not?) The cookies were an adaptation of a Joy the Baker recipe. If you aren’t familiar with Joy the Baker, I strongly encourage you to check out her blog. She’s pretty amazing. Seriously, go read her blog right now. You will love it, I’m sure. So, back to the cookies. These were lemon lavender shortbread cookies. I made them gluten free and really lavendery. In fact, I think I made them a little too lavendery. (And yes, I realize lavendery probably isn’t a real word, but it totally should be.) Otherwise, they were pretty delish. I think I’ll try a second batch soon and cut back on some of the lavender. As they were baking, I put a shout out on facebook inviting anyone interested to drop by and pick up some cookies fresh from the oven. I only had one taker, but it was very last minute, and I was glad for the chance to chat with this friend a bit on a balmy night. Next time, I think I’ll aim for more notice and see what happens. I mean, nothing says southern comfort like baked goods and neighbors calling, right?

Today took me back to work. It was a little busy, but I managed to check off an item on my to-do list, during a slow moment. I ordered a Mother’s Day gift for … well … my mother. While I was at it, I went ahead and ordered something lovely for myself, too. win-win! I can’t tell you what I got for mum since she might read this before she gets it, but I can tell you what I got for me! I got the Joy the Baker cookbook. I have wanted it since was released a couple months ago, and finally got myself in gear and ordered it. Yay!

Well, dearies, that’s the update for now. I’ll try to come back soon with some lovely and informative posts. I hope you’ve had a whirlwind of fun and accomplishment and simple treats, too! I wish them for you always!

xoxo,

Melanie

PS: I'll leave you with a few random images I've captured with the new camera. Enjoy!