rainy day fail

We've been having the most spring-like weather in Kentucky today - tempestuous rain and fast-moving skies and warm air. I love it so much. Rain was something I missed acutely during our life in the Middle East and I'm always so appreciative when we have a rainy day and I can grab an afternoon coffee and curl up for some productive writing. Rainy days are writing days to me.

perfect timing

All day today I've been working away, with the sounds of distant thunder and soft rain and cars passing by on wet roads. So when Jacob came back from some errands today, roses in hand, it just made the day that much better.


What did not make the day that much better was that, when I greeted him at the door, I noticed I had left my sunroof open yesterday. My sweet little car was positively drenched. And, most of my friends know I don't keep a very tidy car, so that meant there were lots of things inside to get drenched too. In addition to seats, floor mats and CDs we had to towel off or toss out receipts, my yoga mat, lots of loose change in brimming-over cupholders and one book. Boo. I was about ready to cry. What a fail. 


At least I had help. And roses. Thanks, babe. How did you know? 

lifesavers...

When I started writing this blog, I had in mind trying things that stretched me as well as noting the every day things that are really blessings worth appreciating. It wasn't particularly intended to be a receptacle for product endorsements. That said, did I mention my bathroom ceiling fell in? Oh, I did? Ok, well, I didn't mention that we only have one bathroom...and that Jacob thinks its not a great idea to shower in there until we can get the ceiling repaired and repainted.

Spray or dust, dry shampoo is a must!

So I'll be relying on the kindness of friends to bathe. In the mean time-because hats can't do it all-a product that has been a huge help during this crazy time and that is totally worth a try: dry shampoo.


Rockaholic is one I've used before, and it so easy to use with few slip-ups because it's a spray. Beware, though, it goes quickly. The skinnyskinny is a natural, organic option and smells less chemical. It's also a powder, so be careful. Rockaholic can be found at some drugstores and at various retailers, about $18. Skinnyskinny can be purchased on their web site (http://www.skinnyskinny.com/) and at Anthropologie, about $32.  

is this work?

One of the things I get to spend time on in my writerly pursuits is working with my longtime-friend, fellow-blogger and sometimes-editor, Meredith Lane. She's always sending me out on assignment to talk with the coolest people. People I end up admiring by the end of our too-short times, people with interesting stories and brave pursuits and lots of joie de vivre. People I always wish were my friends...sometimes I get my wish. 

Nathan & Maggie Mick (see page 30), for example. I had the blastiest of blasts with them at their home in Lancaster last year (even though it was an hour each way to get there in a torrential downpour!), where they served up a dinner (so above and beyond for a meeting with a writer) of Garrard-county specialties and some fun stories. Now Nathan is running for state representative. So exciting - good luck Nathan! 

Stella's Kentucky Deli

And then this morning I met with Les Miller and Aumaine Mott of Stella's Kentucky Deli and Al's Bar (and a bunch of other things, actually) for a profile that will be published in the Spring issue of BG Magazine. I left that little get-together with a hankering for my favorite Stella's meal (Fried Green Tomato BLT) and a side of Al's (Hand-Cut Sweet Potato Fries), as well as a total crush on this sweet, enterprising, community-oriented couple. 


Is this work? Come on. Life is too sweet.

growth spurts & cracks

Not a couple of days ago, I was really going on about our sweet old house and all its broken pieces. I love our home, and I'll probably always be a sucker for old houses, old cars, old furniture. Stuff with 'character'. Stuff that is...delicate sometimes. Stuff that, well, breaks.

About 11:00 yesterday morning, I walked into our bathroom and heard a barely-audible crackle, felt a light dust and instinctively backed out, slowly, knowing the time had come. The time for the plaster.

Jacob mentioned to me a few weeks ago that we should probably fix the ceiling - a small crack in the plaster had recently experienced something of a growth spurt. Of course, we never did.

I pulled the door shut and was still staring at it when I heard a heavy crash.

When I peeked in, a huge chunk of antique horse hair plaster (yes, this is the Bluegrass), weighing at least 30 pounds had re-deposited itself onto the floor, the towels, the toilet and the sink. With nothing but some wood slating remaining between us and the attic, the situation in our little powder room looked pretty dire.

Thankfully, I happen to have a very handy husband with very handy friends and we hope to have it all sewn up (plastered up?) this week sometime so we can shower again. I am also thankful that, though I do have a quite prescient husband who suggests we address the growing cracks, he's sweet enough not to say 'I told you so.'

Maybe Tuesday will go a little smoother.

the sweetest winds

Our little home is smack in the middle of a beautiful old neighborhood full of giant trees, historic houses, sweet neighbors and crackly sidewalks. It's really so old fashioned, usually in a good way, pretty much like our piece of town; which is a tiny bungalow with a just-right front porch, original five-panel doors and wooden double-hung windows. 

Illustration by Rebekka Seale

Oh, those windows: the ones that have broken counterweight ropes and faulty locks that make me thankful for storm windows, the ones that allow in just enough chill to huddle a little closer under the covers at night. But even if it takes some waiting, there's usually an up-side, even to broken old things.


And so, when a little breeze pushed through today, the faintest scent of green, earthy air that heralds the season's change swept in with it through all the nooks and crannies in those old windows, and I appreciated their brokenness. 

engaging

Just this week two, yes two, of my friends have announced engagements. Not to mention the one who ties her sweet knot in just a couple of weeks. I positively love weddings - and marriages, for that matter. What a wonderful blessing! I cannot wait to grab a mimosa and dish over these gorgeous girls and their plans, their dresses, their days and their sweethearts, because one thing I know is worth it is stopping to enjoy every single moment of the engagement, the wedding and, yes, even the planning. 

the work of our sweet and wonderfully talented wedding 

photographer, Michelle Young at Endearing Studios

These are, in my humble opinion, the best times of engagement: the very beginning when it's all brunches and planning and dreaming and giggling, and the very end when the anticipation is so delicious and the future so unrevealed but so promising. 


All this talk just reminds me of our engagement and wedding. I'm so truly lucky to have those memories with such wonderful friends and such a wonderful man - and happy for an excuse to reminisce.

delightful details

This time last year was a pretty hectic time for our small family of two. Having recently moved back to Jacob's hometown, and the place we met, we were living in a small apartment that had to accommodate two adults, two home offices, one ornery dog and a seemingly never-ending parade of various employees. The weather was prohibitive to most activities outside the walls of our little place, so cabin fever (along with not-yet-unpacked fever, wish-we-were-moved-into-our-house fever, starting-small-businesses fever, tight-on-cash fever) dogged us. 

maybe snow isn't so bad after all (lexington 2011)

This was not the first time we'd encountered those particular challenges of day-to-day life intimately shared with another human being - let's don't minimize it here, they are the challenges that make you want to scream and pound your head on a wall - but the impact of small gestures can so lighten the every day burdens and put those times into perspective. 

south carolina shores, we miss you (folly beach, 2010)

I've become quite enamored of the small things - in their giving and receiving. They say the devil is in the details, but I think love is in the details - it's simply a matter of which details you choose.

granola

Let's kick this off with something simple and, mercifully, a first-time-tried success. My cooking endeavors, in true manic-depressive fashion, have their highs and lows. I'd detail the hot chicken salad incident right here and now, but there will be plenty of time for that later.

It's precisely because of my amateur nature that I'm thankful for inspirations like the source of this experiment: Rebekka Seale. She's a painter, ponderer, baker, knitter and the kind of girl you just want to be, and to be friends with. I'm so glad we crossed paths.

This morning, I woke up early and started preparing meals for my wonderful sister-in-law and her husband since they've just brought home their first baby (my first nephew!). I never really thought about it, but bringing a little breakfast snack along with dinner can un-complicate things on a whole new level and isn't this the best time to un-complicate things for someone you love? 

It could have very well been a total flop and, in that case, I'm always prepared with a back-up. A back-up called: buy something. But, like I said, I started with a good plan called someone else's recipe for delicious granola. To Rebekka's recipe, I added pecans, almonds and cinnamon and, once it was baked up, dried cranberries.

I'm so happy with it and I have to say this: just in case you are like me and either 1-have had traumatic experiences with gas ovens and maybe you're scared of them or, 2-are impatient when delicious smells are coming from your kitchen; grit your teeth and bake it 6-8 hours. Don't take it out early, not even if you take a little out on a spoon and kind of burn your tongue but it still tastes good and you think maybe it's done. The longer it's in (to a point here, people, to a point), the better it gets! Sort of slowly caramelized and sweeter and richer and warmer. 

1 c olive oil

1 c maple syrup

1 T cinnamon

8 c rolled oats

pecans

almonds

Whisk together the olive oil, syrup and cinnamon. Pour over the oats & nuts, toss to cover and spread on rimmed baking sheets. Bake at 200 (175 or as low as it can go is the real recommendation, but that is as low as I can go - and see fear of gas ovens above) 6-8 hours (overnight is the real recommendation, but again see fear of gas ovens above).