These are my running shoes. They’ve been hanging out with the dust bunnies in my closet for over a month now. I know they miss the pavement – I miss the pavement – but here they are, getting no action. It would be easy to blame the weather. Temps under 40, gusty winds, inches of snow on the sidewalks where they usually roam. But, truth be told, the weather is only half the problem. You see, I’ve just been so darn tired, I haven’t felt like lacing them up. And the nausea. Don’t get me started on the nausea. Who wants to run when you feel like you might lose your lunch along the way? Fortunately, like the Groundhog, I’m looking forward to an early spring. I’m 14 weeks into my second 40 week journey to motherhood and starting to feel like myself again. Yes, my friends, I’m expecting! So, while the weather has made running a challenge, the real challenge has been the first trimester. I’m hoping to continue running at a modified pace through my second trimester and then start training … [Read more...]
Musings About Art
I’m reading The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova for the From Left to Write Book* club. Its a rather long book so its taking me a while to get through it but I am enjoying it. Its a mystery, which I love, about a psychiatrist who’s trying to find out why his deliberately silent patient attacked a painting at the National Gallery in Washington DC. So far, art is a major theme in this book and every time I pick it up I think about my own experiences with art. I’m not much of an artist by any means but long ago and far away I had a love for working with pastels and studying the Impressionists. I think it began the summer after seventh grade when I attended a summer camp focused on writing and painting. We took a field trip to the National Gallery and that’s where I first set my eyes on the works of Monet, Degas and Renoir – Monet, not to be confused with Manet, was my favorite. I spent the rest of my summer sketching in pastel and writing poetry inspired by their works. There’s a … [Read more...]
How to Make Pumpkin Soup
I love soup, especially in the winter, but I stopped buying it when my son was diagnosed with food allergies. I couldn’t find a soup that did not contain a milk product. It was probably for the best given the amount of sodium in most soups. I never thought about making soup myself until this fall when a plethora of butternut squash from the CSA begged to be pureed into a hearty soup. Making the soup was easier than I imagined and the end product was delicious. I was hooked! So when I checked out Kitchen Play’s progressive menu for December, sponsored by My Spice Sage, I knew right away I was going to give the Spicy Pumpkin Soup Shooters a try. I, of course, had to put my own twist on it. (Translation: adjust the recipe to accommodate the ingredients I did and did not have). I used less than a full can of pumpkin puree (hubby had used some for a cheesecake); I substituted soy milk for 2% because we don’t have cow’s milk in our house due to allergies; I added a little bit of sugar … [Read more...]
Eat. Write. Retreat.
Have you ever tried something new and instantly fell in love? Have you ever gone somewhere new and felt a connection right away? Have you ever joined a new-to-you community and realized it was exactly where you belonged? I’ve experienced this a few times in my life… …when I moved to New York City to study publishing …when I met the moms in my food allergy support group …and when I started blogging. Blogging has given me a creative outlet to write about topics that matter to me, including food allergies, and opened networking opportunities. I fell in love with it almost immediately. And the community seemed to welcome me with open arms, as if I was already a member of their vast tribe. When I attended BlogHer last summer, the best part was meeting other bloggers. So, when I heard about Eat, Write, Retreat, an all-inclusive conference for food bloggers, I knew I wanted to attend. It would be a chance to connect with other food bloggers (crossing my fingers there will be a few food … [Read more...]
I’m Finding it Hard to Write This Week
I’m not really sure why. I have so many posts that I’m writing in my head. I just can’t seem to make the time to, or make myself, write them. Maybe its because NaNoWriMo starts on Monday. Maybe its because I’d rather take a nap right now. Maybe its because I’ve been feeling a little off kilter this week. Who knows. Whatever the reason, this post is just me checking in to let you know I haven’t disappeared. I’ll be back to writing in full force very soon. Photo by Rennett Stowe … [Read more...]
