Monthly Archives: August 2013

An Air Of Elegance :: Little acts of kindness and goodness have been paid to me this week: a flower at work, a jacket to borrow in the rain, rockclimbing with a new friend, a run, dinner, and sleepover with an old friend. However, top of my list is this comment I received at random in the hallway from a co-worker today:

“You always have such an air of elegance about you.”

My response with a laugh, “Me!? What on earth do you mean?”

“Whenever I see you walking around or interacting with people you’re just so beautiful and elegant about it.”

Still a little stunned, I get with the program and accept the compliment “Thank you for saying that. It’s actually a really nice thing to hear.”

If only she knew that in the past week I have spent 2 hours sobbing on the sidewalk only to fall asleep on the ground with perfect strangers stepping over me, shown up to work with blackberries literally all over my face and in between every single tooth, and forgotten to wear a bra…on a date!

All to say, elegant is not quite how I usually think of myself, but its good to know that others sometimes and maybe even consistently see the lovely, beautiful and elegant in us even when it is the farthest thing from our own self perception.

4 People; 1 Bathroom.

If you’re looking for  a way to make life more exciting try living with 4 people and one tiny bathroom.  It’s 10:46pm and I’m currently laying on the couch with a splitting headache. Literally I feel like my head should split into two pieces and let its guts flow out everywhere and then maybe that would allow the pain to lesson so that I could fall asleep.

Anyways, a moment ago housemate #1 popped out from his bedroom only to realize that housemate #3 is occupying the bathroom for an indefinite period of time. Big moan from housemate #1 who plops on his shoes and heads out the back door to take a wiz in our backyard. If only I had this option between the hours of 7 and 8 in the morning when, on any given day, I wake up to housemate #1, 2, or 3 occupying our little bathroom. I cross my legs and sit on the stairs and just hold it for what seems like an eternity until the bathroom frees up. How I wish the backyard was an option for me.

Popsicles Make People Happy :: Homemade popsicles are kind of trending right now in the blogosphere. I would like to note that popsicles have been one of my most favorite things since the beginning of time and that I grew up on homemade popsicles in Tupperware molds. I thought they were so lame and wished we could just buy popsicles from the store like everybody else. But alas, the world has caught up to my life and homemade popsicles are all the rage. I bought my very own popsicle molds this summer in time for all my favorite bloggers to share their glamorous popsicle recipes with me. The above creation was my own made up popsicle recipe made from last summer’s last remaining bag of frozen raspberries, but I’m quite excited to try this recipe next: http://foodess.com/2013/07/blackberry-swirl-frozen-yogurt-pops/

Turning 90 :: My grandma turned 90 last week. My sister and I surprised her with a visit and a perfect little dinner party in her backyard – complete with balloons, party hats, favors, and a pinata. She really loved it. I’m so glad I’ve gotten to see so much of her these past couple years. She is wonderful. The end of life is hard.

My sister wrote this poem for her as a birthday gift. It’s so good. While you may not get every nuance and reference it makes – I do. It encapsulates the culture in my life and family – that precious culture that is passed down through generations and created by those people who care for you deeply, who have always offered consistent love and a familiar place to be.

Fresh, fresh oranges

Mandarin, Naval, and Valencia

Waiting for me in the morning

Sitting juicy in glasses on your counter

Climbing up dusty branches in the sunshine

Crafting so many new creations

Lace cookies, crochet, and pillow cases

Watching batter being poured into delicate designs

Tying intricate knots of yarn

Boiling berries and peaches into sweet and sticky jam

Seeking strength and adventure

Iowan cornfields, L.A.’s streetcars, and the fifth wheel

Eloping in Vegas?

Wrap around skirts from Thailand

Alaskan teddy bears snuggling me to sleep

Finding home

Pajama pants, pink afghans, and cheesy potatoes

Sleeping under homemade quilts and yellow curtains

Recording our visits with snapshots under the orange tree

A place where I could always be