Writers Workshop Thursday: How Do You Stave Off Boredom?

Usually I eat.

Since I have been on the whole weightloss/healthier me/exercise thing I needed to find another way to keep my brain active.

I redesign the house on the Cape that we rent in my head. Crazy? Yes/no. This house is where my body stays while my soul is resting on Cape Cod. I have been staying in it since I was 8 years old. It is much loved and I have always dreamed of making it mine.

It is pretty plainly furnished, but not in a bad way. I love what is there becuase of what it is to me. I love that the bed matresses are so old that you essentially end up making a nest in them as you sleep. I love that the showerhead in the bathroom is not a low flow one and can pummel your back into massage-like bliss. I love that the sun streams into the dining area in the afternoon bathing the table in watery, relaxing rays.

It I think about the things I would change and then sometimes, change back, not wanting to ruin the feel of the place. I could never change the seagrass rugs or the little desk in the 'office' room. I would keep the Julia Child-like pegboad where all the pots and pans hang along with spatulas and measuring spoons. I would however buy new knives.

Before I know it, I have whiled away an hour, dreaming and placing and relaxing. This is an exercise that I love and one that I think I will always have.

A Green Bean Spit at Me

Seriously. I don't think it was all to happy to be in that boiling water. I bet it liked it even less when after the blanching it got thrown into a sautee pan.

I wrote a phrase today that made me think a little bit the rest of the day. "It's so great when my love of food works with me instead of against me."

Yesterday I picked up my farm share and went into 'what is this and what do I do with it' mode. Yesterday it all clicked. We had turkey burgers with green beans and almonds and a big salad. The lettuce in the salad was crazy fresh and tasted of spring. All it needed was some craisins and a little vinaigrette. I also got some rainbow chard and beets. I promptly chopped up the chard and the greens from the beats and sauteed that in olive oil and garlic and then added left over brown rice, saving it for this evening's feast.

Last night I prepared a Chicken Tikka marinade, using homemade yogurt no less. It is in the fridge waiting for the grill. I still have garlic scapes that are new to me but dying to use and a few small beats and potatoes that I want to roast so badly I don't think I'd even mind the heat of the oven in the humid weather.

Usually my love of food gets me into trouble. I like my cheese. I also like butter and a heavy handed olive oil pour. It just sees like the fresher the food, the less I have to do to it. I am grateful for the veggies every week. I am grateful for the leafy greens that are turning me into a rabbit because as soon I get used to these wonderful things, they will be gone. Replaced by tomatoes and zucchini. Bittersweet.

Where Does Time Go?

I think about this a lot. It's funny that I chose to write about this topic when I have a digital timer next to me counting down the minutes 'till I am supposed to take the rice off the heat. I think about how much time I spend doing things I don't want to do and during those times I am thinking about things I want to do. For instance, there was laundry to be folded when I got home, laundry to be started, dinner to be prepped. There is a huge list and I can't ever figure out why it is that I don't have the time to do the things I was thinking about while I was folding laundry and chopping broccoli (insert music "Choppin' brocoli-he, choppin' broccolee. She was choppin' broccoleee!" must be an SNL fan from the good times for that reference).

People tell you that you need to 'make' time. What the hell does that mean, make time? Time is just there, you have a certain amount and it continually marches on (across your face if you are a woman, yes Steel Magnolias). It seems like other people have the time to do stuff besides house stuff. What are their ingredients for 'made time'? Do they have a spouse who knows how to empty a dishwasher or fold laundry without begging? Is it one cup helpful mate, 1/2 a cup of no one is coming over this weekend let the vacuuming go, a pinch of less control freak and a dab of JUST LET GO? What are your ingredients for made time? I need to know because according to my timer, I have a few precious minutes before I have to leave this blog and make dinner.

Jeez, This Thing Needs Work

Apparently, BlogHer no longer graces my blog with their ads and that has f-ed up my layout. Probably something I should look into but considering I have neglected my blog for about 3 months, it's probably not what will happen right at this moment.

Right now, I have time to eck out a few words. I don't know if I will have time tomorrow. I am still here, I am still thinking about writing but all the "small stuff" is being so sweated over these days that it makes it difficult to type. I keep shorting out keyboards.