The mundane quotidian routines are both safety net and cage. Somedays I am swept along by the chores that have to get done every day – the care and feeding of children, a family, a house. Other days I resent every inch of them, feeling hemmed in by the demands of that upkeep.
Was rifling through an old box of photographs in search of pictures of Hilary at age 2 – I can’t get over how much Hannah looks like her now and I want to scan some old photos. Didn’t find any of my little sister, but unearthed three forgotten and adored shots of Gracie.
Top is approx age 4, middle is at Hils & T’s wedding, so she is just 2, and bottom is summer 2004, so she is 21 months or so.
From one of my favorite blogs (sweet/salty by Kate Inglis):
I suppose strength is seeing peace despite seeing the precipice. To surrender to its inevitability, and to be grateful despite it.
How fabulous is this bin of goodness that arrived today (and biweekly)? I get excited just thinking about the various things I can make with all of this produce. I spent an hour this afternoon making homemade stock that I turned into chicken noodle soup (from a roast chicken from Monday), and am already scheming beet and spinach items for the weekend. The zucchini is out of control but maybe I’ll make another batch of muffins. I need to put celery on my “no thank you” list for Boston Organics – I mean, WHO eats celery? What to do with it?
I adore the alchemy of cooking, the transformation of disparate ingredients into something whole and delicious. More on this later. Going to sleep!
A day of happy minutiae. Picked up the Subaru this morning with Anastasia along for the ride, then coffee with Natalie, then Whit’s first dentist appointment. He was not such a fan of the dentist, repeatedly turning away from the lovely young hygienist with a polite-and-yet rude squeal of “NO THANK YOU!” Unlike his pleaser sister (and mother), the promise of a sticker and the dentist’s approval was not enough to force him back into the chair. This little rabble-rouser cares not at all about following the rules, about the world’s approval. Long years ahead, I can see it now.
Grace spent the morning at the Science Museum with Jake Elkins. I went for a run around Fresh Pond which was a lovely way to be out in the bright spring day. In the afternoon I made homemade chicken noodle soup, IMed with Lacy for a while, and then headed down by foot to meet Alison and Bouff at Christopher’s. Delightful wine & chicken fingers (and buffalo tofu for Bouff) and now home in couch in pj pants while children sleep. Am going to head to bed before too long with my book.
Sweet dreams all!