Loooove Reba

Tight pants!

Watch and be happy (er).

Recent infatuations

Broad City.  The Great British Bake Off.  This song. Embroidering inappropriate things (will share later).  Plotting a visit to an amazing garden.

Research

I have made some supremely sexy meals lately.  Only for myself an sometimes the kiddo but that does not make the meals unsexy.

Polenta with roasted mushrooms.

Carmelized onion pasta.

I'm counting this as research for future sexy meal needs.

Unexpected

And on some days, your ex-father-in-law calls you at work to remind you that he still loves you and that you're always welcome to come visit him in Arizona.

Man.

I confess that one of the hardest parts is missing that family.  I knew them for close to half of my life.  I still talk now and then to a sister-in-law or get a facebook message from a niece or nephew or even a call from his grandma so deep in dementia that she thinks we're still together.  "Sorry grandma, he's at class.  Why don't you try his cell..."

It's not avoidance really.  It's partly keeping myself out of the gossip.  Accepting that someone else has stepped hard into my old spot.  And maybe not putting myself into a situation where I let it slip exactly how much lying bullshit I was dealt during that marriage.

Anyway, I thanked him for checking in, told him that I loved him too, and promised to let him know if I was in the area.

Awww man, life is tough some days.

How subtle is the gift of memory?

A friend had a spare ticket to see a play over the weekend, and I jumped at the chance to go.  The show Isolde was interesting.  Spare set, a handful of actors, and a way of telling a story that was a bit new to me.

I adored the character of Patrick and the musings on memory and one's place in the scheme of things.

Recipe-less

This guide to recipe-less lentil soup is pretty great.  Made the version with coconut milk and ginger.

Roasty

Mark Bittman's roast chicken recipe is pretty perfect.

What looks like home

Painted Landscapes has artwork that covers the range of scenery throughout the United States.  The variety is wide, and I found some artists and pieces that resonated with me.  That said, not a whole lot of them looked like my home - my childhood home in rural Ohio.

Still I loved Olancha by Michael Gregory:

Volunteers

Boppy!

Rock candy

I gifted maaaaaaany folks with this cinnamon candy this winter. It's not very hard to make and looks pretty all done up in mason jars. Bonus - it made my house smell like heaven while I was making it.

All kinds of beautiful

Admission

I just hate-read an entire series. I generally don't waste my time with books I don't like. Buuuut I read all three Divergent books in two months. They were so crazy bad. The dystopia was super simplistic; the two leads so pure. Most crazy making was the tone - varying from sending folks to their doom to giggly teenagerness in a single scene. WTF? It was just so batshit and I had to see where it was gonna wind up. It did not redeem itself.

When I stood in line for love

I do so much like this song, and it's only a little because of my recent Hunger Games obsession flare up.

Antidote

This gorgeous documentary about a couple hiking the wilderness for a year is the perfect antidote for holiday craziness: The River of No Return

Kinda obsessed

With the podcast Call Your Girlfriend.

Lately I've been craving more

Obsessed with this song lately.

Vermin

My neighborhood has had a rat problem over the last year. The city cut the program that deals with rodent infestations, and surprise surprise, the little buggers made a comeback. I live in the city. Rats are not totally unexpected but I have yet to see one in my 5 years of living here. Two weeks ago, my neighbor found a dead rat on her driveway. Panic ensued! She called the city to send an inspector out & I gave permission to have my yard looked at as well. Nothing was found. Then a few days later, she found another almost dead rat. Inspector called again. I LOVE my neighbor and totally understand that she's freaked over this. But I also get that she's casting glances over the fence & thinking this is all my fault. She shot me an email about the problem and her panic and listed all the things she does to not attract rodents - all things that I happen to fail at: - She doesn't grow a vegetable garden. - She does not compost. - She picks up her dog poo every single day. (I'm regular but with short days, I don't try picking up poo in the dark.) She left a flyer from the city about how to make your compost pile rodent proof. I'm sure all the tips would work but it would also make my composter into not a composter. Totally enclosed, not touching the earth, apparently just a container for veggie scraps. Sighhhhhhhh. I compost responsibly. I did my research and avoid things that draw rodents. All my eggshells are thoroughly rinsed. A few summers ago she was convinced that I was the cause of our mosquito issues because I have a rain barrel - one I treat religiously to avoid mosquitoes. It was so satisfying at the end of summer when she found out that the breeding ground was her gutters. Anyway, in the world of neighbor drama, this is minor. But a bit frustrating to be honest. The rodents have likely been scared up by all the road work happening in the area. They are replacing all the curbs along the intersections. Hopefully once they are done, the panic will die down.

Lalla

Ain't nothing like your family