Celebrate Mother's Day Well!

I’m celebrating mine with a stunning raspberry pastry from Bottega Louie and a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea in my favorite tea cup. How are you celebrating yours?

Simply put, nothing is as I thought it would be. One could argue that I should have been prepared for that revelation or that, in fact, it isn’t really a revelation for anyone over the age of five. Alas, I continue to be surprised by the depths of my self-deceit and the prevalence of fairy-tale thinking that permeates my perceptions and, yep, expectations about the universe and my role in the grand scheme of things.

Valentines Day by EyePoetryPhotography on Etsy

Take relationships, for example. I’m in one at the moment. It terrifies the hell out of me to even type that, much less own it. And yet the number on my driver’s license indicates that I’m an adult.

It’s Valentine’s Day. My heart, my mind, and the messaging created by those good folks currently employed at advertising, marketing, entertainment and publishing companies are in a bit of a tussle for supremacy.

Things are complicated.

I hope someone gave you a kiss today. I hope you gave one to somebody. And, hell, in this case, I vote for anthropomorphizing pets.

xo

I hope it inspires you to a little indulgence…

* * *

Why does everyone go insane on the weekend before Christmas? There is madness on the roads, madness in the malls, madness amongst the trees… The only way to retrieve my equilibrium and, if I’m lucky, regain a pleasurable enough mood to venture out this evening for my social fix, is full submersion in a nice hot bath. Yes, a steamy soak is just the ticket for complete stress-relief. And to help me ignore the lead poisoning risk I am taking by sinking into my desperately-in-need-of-re-enamelling bathtub, I’ll draw attention to other people’s bathtubs.

Most Psychedelic Bathtub: No, this is not just a very large pipe.

By Tetsuya Makamura

Most Mod Bathtub: Perfect for one’s exhibitionist tendencies.

By Wasauna

Most Bachelor-Friendly Bathtub: Has remote-activation capabilities, and definitely not kid-friendly.

By Sorgente

Most Romantic Bathtub: It’s all about those curlycues, and it’s called “Moonlight.”

By Maax

Most Multi-Purpose Bathtub: The ultimate loft accessory.

By Malin Lundmark

Most Bond-esque Bathtub: Just add your favorite Bond Girl in silhouette.

By Mastella

Most Hemingway-esque Bathtub: The Old Man would have sunk in this stone boat for sure.

By Antonio Lupi

Most Cleverly Reused Bathtub: Reuse. Recycle. Save the Planet.

By Reestore.com Designers

Most Outrageous Bathtub: Conceptual only, as far as I can tell, but with a $47K tag and 2 HDTVs, I don’t know whether to be horrified or titillated.

By Water Games Technologies

Just look at what we who own basic white bathtubs are missing! Or, perhaps not?

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this meander into the past as much the second time around.

02-21-11

Celebrations can be intimate, soft and select.

Or they can be explosive, expansive and riotous.

How are you celebrating today?

by jpellgen / flickr

Thanks be given for having full mobility in all my limbs.

Thanks be given for knowing the pleasure of five senses and learning to trust my sixth.

Thanks be given for my family, both blood related and experientially fused.

Thanks be given for being employed in a pocket of respect and – dare I say it? – fun.

Thanks be given for my ability to cry at the beauty of clouds, the stillness of a fawn in the bushes, the innocent intensity of a child, the sound of music and the joy released by creating art.

Thanks be given for hugs. And kisses.

Thanks be given for good cooks, moist chicken, cranberries, mashed potatoes, persimmons and pumpkin pies.

Happy Thanksgiving, my lovelies! What are you thankful for today?

pile of pumpkins

It’s the first day of November and autumn is fully upon us. Halloween is over, though the trail of candy wrappers may linger. The pumpkins have been discarded. The sweaters have been pulled out. I invested in a new pair of boots. I even made a pumpkin pie. Sorta.

I try to avoid dairy as much as possible – that whole lactose aversion thing plus honest-to-goodness allergies. But pumpkin pie, for me, is integral to this season and the impending holidays. When I was in Trader Joe’s on Saturday, I walked by the pyramid of canned pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin pie spices.

I FELT INSPIRED.

I’ve never made a pie before in my life, but that did not stop me from tossing a can of the pumpkin filling into my basket. A jar of the pumpkin pie spices followed the same trajectory. Then, I realized I had no idea what came next. Luckily, the can had a recipe on it and the Trader Joe’s folks kindly made a sign that mentioned they sold pie crust. I went on a hunt for the crust while contemplating how to get around the necessary ingredients listed on the back of the can.

Ingredient #1: Heavy Cream… Heavy cream is dairy.

Ingredient #2: Milk… Milk is dairy.

DILEMMA.

Lo and behold, I had a EUREKA MOMENT!!

Heavy cream is kinda like cream cheese… Cream cheese is kinda like Tofutti imitation non-dairy cream cheese… What if I just mixed the pumpkin pie filling with some Tofutti. Wouldn’t that make a pie?

I purchased my four ingredients – canned pumpkin pie filling, pumpkin pie spices, frozen pie crust and Tofutti.

I arrived home WITH AN AGENDA.

I turned on the stove, set out my ingredients and… realized I DID NOT OWN A PIE COOKING PAN, or whatever they’re called – pie tin? pie plate? pie glass circular thingamajig?

My Martha Stewart baking moment came to a screeching HALT.

I spent an anxious Saturday night, waiting for Halloween day to arrive so I could… purchase a pie baking container!

I dashed out to Target first thing on Sunday morning, tried to avoid the hoards of zombie shoppers as much as possible and acquired my first glass pie  - OH MY GOD, DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THIS THING HAS A PROPER NAME?!? – thing.

And I made a pie. I was a little nervous about whether Tofutti can actually be heated or not, since I’m not exactly sure what it is, but my oven did not explode. It was very easy to stir the canned pumpkin filling and the container of Tofutti together. I may have put too much pumpkin pie spice in the bowl because the teaspoon would not fit into the jar so I had to dump the spice onto the spoon and – WHOOPS! I ignored the recipe’s call for eggs, since I didn’t know what eggs do in a recipe and maybe the Tofutti was already doing that. I also ignored the call for sugar because my sugar is on a very high shelf which would require pulling out the step ladder and that just seemed like unnecessary exertion.

I let the pie bake for 50 minutes. It looked very pretty. Then I let it cool. You’d never know it wasn’t exactly like the pumpkin pie your grandma made.

I even ate a slice.

It. Wasn’t. Bad.

More importantly, I’ve lived to tell the tale.

5-31-10

Whether you are celebrating in the desert or on the beach, up a mountain or down a rabbit hole, by the pool or in front of the TV, I hope you have a glorious Memorial Day that sets the tone for an even more fantastic week!

xo

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Here are a couple fun and impactful reminders of why we should probably listen, generously provided by Annie Leonard.

Doesn’t it all just make you wanna go hug a tree?

Go walk barefoot in the grass for five minutes. Brush your hand against a tree trunk. Take a moment to breathe in the scent of a garden flower. And if you can’t do any of that today, on Earth Day, stop for a moment and ask yourself…

WHY THE HELL NOT?

clockwise via flickr: Timbo8, rainforest_harley, mariomaffioli, arinias1974

Aren’t they beautiful, in a very green and bug-eyed kind of way?

I must admit, after a few pints of Guinness, I might not want to run into this fella in a dark alley…

by Shane Hayes/flickr

But how can you POSSIBLY resist this dude?

by Stephen Barnett/flickr

Happy St. Patty’s Day to all my lovelies!

xo

This blog, right here, is the gift that keeps on giving. I return here to vent my thoughts, share ideas and discoveries I think you might appreciate, and continue a conversation with you, dear readers and friends, that is more valuable and rewarding to me with each passing day. Through the trials and tribulations that 2009 brought, I have been incredibly blessed. You help me remember that. So, perhaps, you all are the true gift. I am filled with gratitude.

Much love and joy.

xo -em