Be Still My Soul...

Come then, my beloved, my lovely one, come.

For see, winter is past, the rains are over and gone.

Flowers are appearing on the earth.

The season of glad songs has come.

The cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land.

The fig tree is forming its first figs

And the blossoming vines give out their fragrance.

Come, then, my beloved, my lovely one, come.

Song of Songs 2:10-13 (NJB)

This is Why...

everyone has their reasons for making things. this is mine.

(note Emma's eyes are closed in the last shot--she was completely in her own world, singing at the top of her lungs, spinning and dancing in their backyard.)

Watch this.

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

this video makes me very happy.

New School

Reform school makes me happy.

ran 12 miles along the sacramento river trail with monique and monica.
saw a skunk, two deer, and a ginormous wild turkey.
wished there was a sacramento river trail where i live.
found out that poor drew had been attacked by a fruit tree while we were gone.
ate a fruit tart for dessert.

Quiet Beauty

the flower from my kitchen for you.

One More Try

*see Strengthsfinders for a definition of "Restorative"

This has been a go-go-go week which, though fun, is not something I'm very good at. I start off strong, like a sprinter on the line (maybe like an overly excited sprinter, flailing my arms and waving to the crowd, 'whoohoo!!') but by lap three, i'm walking and dejected, wishing for a nice hot shower and my bed. I need my sleep, people.

Of course, this description is delightfully overly dramatic--I'm not feeling dejected at the moment, though I am feeling tired, even more so when I think about how I need to pick up a rental car and pack and do laundry and the list goes on for pages after work. But in the midst of it all, so many wonderful things happened this week. In lieu of describing them and because I'm tired and wanting a nap, I'll just list some:

~homemade roasted tomatoes + bread salad. achingly good. will eat again for dinner tonight.

~french-style yogurt cake - (isn't it pretty?) half eaten by lovely friends during a rousing evening of pop culture trivia pursuit (a game I am consistently terrible at, even in all its endless varieties)

~this poem, which catches my breath every time i read it. especially the last three lines.

~my first attempt at making granola (and then subsequent days of trying to not eat it for every meal. thank you, nigella lawson!)...also, a return to making my own yogurt which didn't fair as well. anyone want a quart of runny yogurt?

~cleaning the pantry at the rescue mission on tuesday and laughing til i hurt inside at some of the things we found. (why, oh why, is there even such a thing as canned spinach? or vienna sausages?)

~receiving the most beautiful pendant from bijoutiful for my mom along with a free (!!!!) set of earrings. oh. my. goodness!!! are you kidding me??? am now tempted to ask mom if i can keep the pendant so i can wear it for Easter

~running the 5K with my wonderful roommate who took a plethora of pictures and saw many things that i didn't see as i was too busy trying to not let green shirt guy get out of my line of sight (what, he had a good pace!)

~watching the derby afterwards and realizing that there is a completely open market there to educate those of us who have no clue as to what was going on

~oh, and so much more!

Tomorrow I'll be getting up early to drive the 5 for Easter in Sacramento. I haven't driven north on my own since...well, now that I think about it, maybe I've never driven on my own.

Goodness, an adventure!

I Love You, Banyuls

my first experience with Banyuls vinegar. arugula salad, creamy goat cheese, a few pecans, and yes, shards of dark chocolate.

the concept of pairing Banyuls (and olive oil, of course) with arugula and chocolate came from Molly Wizenberg's obviously brilliant husband. but i threw in the goat cheese and pecans because they were crying to be added. and one should never disregard whimpering food.

this was a nice supper. mmmmmmm

The Perfect Snack

the most wonderful dessert snack in the world...chunks of dark chocolate folded into lightly toasted bread. dear heavens, this is so much better than a doughnut. seriously, go out and try for yourself. if you are particularly patient and wait a moment for the chocolate to melt, you will be given the gift of chocolately goodness.

so simple, really. this is something that makes me sehr, sehr happy.

Summer

a delicious dinner that was eaten so quickly only the red peppers were able to be photographed. but oh, how beautiful they were! summer is nearly here...

Look at Me

two more things before i sign off: jenny fowler's gorgeous silhouettes are breathtaking. some are even cut out of leaves and bark!

and these people are after my own heart. cloud lovers, all.

Flowers in the Window...it's such a lovely day!

flowers in my backyard.
petals the color of fire.
and scones on their way to work this morning.

it's been a good week.

And There She Stood...Alone and Strong

Bijoutiful!

(picture by Amber Yearwood)

Amber Yearwood, aka Bijoutiful, is my new favorite jewelry designer. Organic, magical, and simply lovely pieces fill her etsy shop to the brim. My mom and I share a love for the organic side of life (is there another side?) and though I've laughed over the years at her inability to go on a walk without picking up a seedpod to plant in the garden or a pebble to add to her collection, I find myself doing the same thing.

Have you ever gone on a walk where there seemed to be an out of ordinary amount of beauty? That happened to me last night. My walk began with me stumbling upon two rose petals which resembled flames of fire--bright yellow centers darkening into orange and then into red on their tips. Beautiful.

We need to have more words for the adjective, "Beautiful"...lovely. amazing! gorgeous. Maybe this is why people learn different languages. To shout out words of joy and appreciation when English fails them.

Current Loves...

in love with...cosas mínimas