travel bug

I've got the travel bug.. or travel itch.. either way I need to get out of New Jersey! I'm trying to distract myself by planning our trip this summer back to France and Spain. But it's oh so far away.. 3 months to be exact. We'll stay at Costa Brava for a week, then rent a car and drive up to Paris. We've done the 10 hour drive before, usually in one very long day. But I've always wanted to take it slow and stop by the quaint little villages we zoom past. So this time we'll stretch it out a few days, spending my birthday visiting Beynac and the neighboring towns. If only July would come sooner.

feverish ramblings

Day 3 being stuck at home with the flu. Luckily the chills and sweats have gone away and now all I have is cabin fever, but don't have enough energy to do anything about it. I started reading Just Food by James E. McWilliams. Daddy got the book a while back to try and understand Tolin and Aelin's interest in Vegetarianism. I saw it in the recycle/resell pile and decided to rescue it because it had a cute cover. Yup, I judge books by their covers.


Anyway, before reading the book I already had a vague idea about the virtues of eating local, organic, being pescatarian, vegetarian or full on vegan. I respect people like Tolin and Aelin, but not enough to jump on the bandwagon. I love food, and I think as long as you eat certain things in moderation, they don't need to be taken off the table entirely. So back to the book. It's actually pretty amazing how much vocabulary is involved in learning about food. Free range, free trade, fair trade, grass fed vs. feedlot cows, food miles, aquaculture... it's all very complex. Now that I've somewhat enlightened myself, I kind of wish I hadn't. Innocence is bliss, isn't it.
I'm not saying I'm converted. But I'll definitely make more of an effort to cook meat and fish less often, and shop more in the organic section. Maybe.

Couch Potato

Today I redefined what it means to be a couch potato. I think the only time I got off the sofa was to pee or grab something from the fridge. I'll blame it on the 2,304,495 pictures I uploaded onto facebook from Puerto Rico. About an hour ago, I finally got off my butt to vacuum, swiffer(is that a verb?) and clean up the kitchen.. something I've been meaning to do all week. I was sitting there all day, zoning out to HGTV, dreading the time I'd have to get up and actually get something done. Now that I've gotten started, I feel so much better!

Why is it that the thing we least want to do, is often what is best for us?

Ogi

I'm not sure what compels me to write, but I guess it's just one of those days when you feel like you need to let something out. Now that I'm here, writing, I don't don't know what to say. I have a quiche in the oven, and a hubby to feed soon. Mixed with the aroma of home cooking, there's something in the air I can't quite place.

I was driving around with my mom today, who I'm realizing more and more is one of my best friends, and she said something so revealing of her character. I grew up in one of those households that always opens their doors to friends and extended family, no matter how many. We had actually just dropped off a mother and daughter from Germany that had stayed over for a week. We were in the car, and I mentioned how she loves to take care of people. And she told me a story from years back.

She had loaned a dress to a woman who like most church moms, don't have a lot of nice clothes. She said this woman looked so beautiful in the dress, and Okaasan had this feeling that maybe she should give it to her. But it was her favorite dress, so she ended up keeping it. She only wore it one more time afterward, and since then always regrets not giving the woman that dress. So whenever she has the opportunity to give something away, she does it before the moment slips away.

I guess that's what was in the air. I love dates with my mom.

our apartment

So we finally have a place all to ourselves. Moving is such a monumental event, I'm happy to be settled in. I had such mixed feelings at first. I loved living with my parents; they have such a big beautiful house with plenty of space for us, but I knew we needed to take this step. And I'm so happy we did. There's this special feeling you experience when you return to a place that's all yours. You turn the key and step into a home that was created just the way you want it. Decorating and furnishing our apartment has been one of the most fun and tiring experience as a couple. It's been our labor of love. But it's ours, all ours.

balance

I love working 2 days and being off for 3. It's one of the perks of working the unusual schedule of a nurse. Except I get so lazy by the third day. You know it's getting bad when even just jumping into the shower seems like a chore. And in just 24 hours I'll be running around like a madwoman, praying that I'll have enough time to finish all I need to get done before the change of shift.
It's all about balance.

blue skies

I don't think I could ever live in the city. Being around trees and nature is so cleansing, so energizing. I love our neighborhood, and if Hideo and I move it would have to be somewhere with a park nearby or a place to walk around. Just the other day there was a wild turkey in our neighbor's backyard; those things fly a lot higher than you'd think. And this morning I saw a groundhog nibbling on something by our pond. I think I'll go take Sunny and Benji for a walk.