April 25, 2011

spring awakening











Knowing full well that this would be my last weekend in many, many weeks (more accurately, months) to spend at home without being frantically busy, I milked this weekend for all the relaxation and restoration I could get. I found it is not difficult to find inspiration for this in a cat household where the glorious spring sunlight is just beginning to stream through your windows. Cats know exactly what to do with a patch of sunlight and a warm bed. So we lounged around a lot together, I read books and magazines, the internet, and watched a marathon of Parks and Recreation. I also got my hair trimmed, bought myself an indulgent two bouquets of ranunculus to spruce up the apartment, made an amazing Easter brunch, and downloaded Instagram.

I went to the gym at my alma mater just as the sun was setting, and it was so beautiful it almost made my little heart burst. I've been feeling so much gratitude and happiness for the life I've made, and just about elation for what's to come! I'll pop in here and share the little bits as much as I can in the coming months, but if I'm unable to very often or at all, I wanted to put this out there so I can remember what it was like to feel rested and restored.

p.s. If you know the details of the upcoming events of which I speak, please use discretion when speaking of them until I am able to make an "official" announcement on the world wide web. I know I am being overly cautious, but the internet is searchable :)

April 10, 2011

27 candles









I celebrated my 27th birthday this week. Being 27 has a nice, slow, adult rhythm to it that I appreciate. It feels like a year that holds all the possibility and rewards of 27 years of well-laid plans. And boy, do I have plans.

Ingredients for a simply lovely birthday:
-breakfast with Cameron at The Bakery (me: breakfast croissant, him: cinnamon bread french toast)
-a very special workday, attending a luncheon and conference with the president of the foundation I work for. This woman is an inspiration, and it was an honor to meet her and hear her speak.
-flowers artfully delivered to my office during the one hour I happened to be there in between said luncheon and conference (well played, Cameron)
-dinner at Caffe Molise (me: polpette di melanzane (eggplant "meatballs," asparagus, polenta), him: seafood special)
-treats from Hatch Family Chocolates, the neighborhood confectioners (who apparently have a TV show, The Little Chocolatiers? Who knew?)

Cameron made me a map to illustrate my birthday gift: a kayaking and camping trip on the Great Salt Lake. If that sounds like deja vu, it's because this little plan has been cooking since birthday 2009. It remains postponed but realistic. It has continued to snow every single day this week, but at the first sign of sunny skies, we are setting forth on our little lake adventure. I could not be more excited!

Activities to wrap up birthday weekend:
-dinner with my mom at The Tin Angel Cafe (me: quinoa timbal (veggies, swiss chard, quinoa, feta cheese, bulgar wheat pilaf), her: Moroccan spiced shrimp with farfalle pasta)
-full-on popcorn movie treatment at the megaplex to see Hanna!
-attending the How To Train Your Dragon birthday party of one of my favorite four-year-olds