sunday evening post

The summer ragu is simmering ("summer" because I made it with ground pork and white wine...a little lighter than the "winter" ragu usually made with ground beef and red wine). I'm wearing an apron that Gran gave me that takes me back to her kitchen (and will save yet one more shirt from a kitchen splatter!) The laundry is nearly done. My house is clean. My packing for CDA has begun. I've just had a nice phone catch up with different friends. My grocery shopping for the week gave my basket a very colorful look (see photo) and plenty of stuff to make "real" meals from (note to self: do NOT skimp on nutrition right now with two weeks - YIKES - to go to CDA). I'm prepping for the week, enjoying a trout salad with asparagus and other veggies and some goat cheese and the last of the wonderful bread that Jess made last week for Erin's party, and listening to some country music (because, really, sometimes that's just what the mood calls for)...and sometime tonight I'll watch "Up" as I head to bed at a pretty early hour. Life feels very sweet. (Sure, there are always things that I could dwell on. But overall, when I think of the tragedies around the world and the sadnesses and worries in the lives of some people - floods that take people's lives, the BP oil spill, cancer that won't give up, heartaches for other reasons - I have no problem admitting that my life is very, very blessed.) And I'm soaking up the lazy days of summer.
I actually haven't been that lazy, but I do love the different pace that summer (and TAPER!!!) provides. In terms of work, I have really tried to hold myself to the motto that "things can wait until Monday" during the summer so as to preserve a little sense of vacation even when I'm in town because I don't think I'll be getting away for all of my vacation time this summer. Of course, I will always respond to emergencies, but I'm trying to really be better about defining those emergencies. And I'm hearing Hilary's wonderful words, "Elizabeth, we really aren't dealing with life or death matters here...there are VERY few real emergencies in our line of work." True. True. And taper has allowed me more time in my weekend and more energy overall (although that did not stop me from taking a nice nap today!). More time to get together with friends, to do stuff around my house, to take a long overdue load of recycling to school, to make a dent in the big stack of magazines and books that has been growing by my bedside, more excuses (like 95 degrees of them!) to eat popsicles and snocones... Even though summer brings heat and BIG TIME humidity, it also brings these good things. And heirloom tomatoes...and grapes...and peaches...and cherries...and summer squash...and watermelon...and mangoes...and excuses to eat "light" (read lots of salads and smoothies) because it's so incredibly hot!
I also love how the days sort of blur together in the summer because our routine at school is so delightfully altered...I had to remind myself that today was Sunday and that tomorrow is Monday and that I should show up at work! Maybe I have entered "vacation mode" even though I'm still working...that would be a miracle. But miracles do happen. I believe it!