Why do I do this

I put off writing on the blog a lot. I come up with great ideas and some of the ideas and recipes I even get done but I never write them. I don't know if it is lazy or priorities that make me put it off.  Maybe that is why I am finding time to write while in the plane. There isn't much else to do at 30,000 feet. If I had downloaded a new book reading might have been a higher priority but alas I did not plan that far ahead. 

Some days I wish I had a bunch of followers and people that felt moved enough to comment on the blog. Other days I comfort myself by remembering that I write this for me not anyone else so if no one reads it that is just fine with me. 

Who am I kidding I would love for people to read this.   

After reading another blog, Bright yellow world, it has helped me gain some insight. When you head over there check out the post The enemy of the good it got me thinking and I have come to realize that while I want to have readers and commenters I do still just write this for me. In that post she linked to a blog that talked about what blogs used to be like years ago when we all started these tiny personal. These posts got me to thinking and while I wouldn't mind making a living doing this that isn't why I started. I started as a hobby as a place to share and maybe create a little community that is interested in the same things I am interested in. I didn't start it to get people to buy what I am selling but to maybe inspire, teach or entertain.

This is my place to chronicle the things I am excited about. My favorite blogs are exactly those type of blogs. The ones that have a contagious excitement that make me want to write. The ones that help me realize there are others like me. That remind me that even at 37 getting excited about something like it is Christmas morning still feels as good as it did when I was 7. I lost a little of the uninhibited excitement that makes me skip down the hall or dance in my chair because I don't want people to think of me as funny.  As I get older I regain some of that inhibition and allow it to show a little more. Most days the only person that sees me that excited though is my husband but that's a step in the right direction. 
Thanks to anyone that reads this I hope you enjoy it mad that it makes you excited about something or reminds you of something that puts a smile on your face. 

Our new adventure

It is official, my time is in the city is over. We are heading for the burbs.  I have lived in San Francisco for just over 4 years. I have loved living in the city and being able have all of these great restaurants, stores, and entertainment so close. It has been such a fun experience but I think I am built for the quieter ways of the suburbs. The word suburb has been a bad word in my head for years. I grew up in a suburb of Indianapolis. My suburb, Windsong, is your traditional maze of streets and cul-de-sacs. So much so that very few made it to our house without getting lost. Every house looks somewhat similar. I pictured the people inside them to have boring lives where they go to work, come home make dinner, watch bad television and go to sleep and get up to do it again. When you grow up you always think that the grass is greener on the other side. Turns out it takes years to realize that your perception paints a funny reality. There is also a time in your life where your priorities and the things that you enjoy are just different. It used to be hanging out with friends and going to shows and feeling alive as I walked through the busy streets and took crowded buses. It used to make me feel special and part of something. Now it makes me tired and yearn for space and calm. Maybe it is my age, maybe it is marriage whatever it is something has changed and I am looking forward to again living on a cul-de-sac.

I am not sure if I am more excited about the granite counter tops that come in the much larger kitchen, the arched brick fireplace, or the large backyard that will provide me with an opportunity to garden again.

The fireplace is going to be great. Growing up the fireplace was always one of my favorite spots on cold nights. I love sitting in front of the fire until my back is so hot I can't take it anymore. Then sit on the couch and lean back. It feels like a heating blanket on your back and feels very relaxing. This year for Christmas instead of watching the DVD of a fireplace we will have real crackling wood.

The yard is huge. A big deck and plenty of area to plant a vegetable garden and other plants. In the backyard of my childhood suburban home we had a large garden and multiple flower beds. Being able to fire up a BBQ again is going to smell so good.

The kitchen is probably the winner though. The space alone is enough to make me giddy. Add in the granite counter tops and the island. Throw in brand new stainless steel appliances and what more could a girl want? Did I mention it is big and I will have room for a dining table and a sitting area with bookcases filled with cookbooks. Yup for a girl like me the kitchen wins.

How I relax

It started by flipping through back issues of Fine Cooking and tearing out recipes. A nice feature on regional Italian ragu caught my eye. It was the duck over pappardelle that really drew me in. I set it to the side and the pork and sausage ragu quickly grabbed Tom's attention.

Then I found the recipe for rice pudding. I don't know if I like rice pudding but my husband does so it seemed like a fun challenge. I set out two sticks of butter and headed to the store list in hand. I didn't scrimp on the ingredients. Got the imported chianti and Pomi tomatoes. Since I had already taken on a few dishes I bought fresh pasta at the store and came home and got to work. After 5 hours in the kitchen I have an amazing ragu, 3 dozen oatmeal raisin cookies and rice pudding. I feel so calm spending a whole day in the kitchen. I look forward to having more time some day so I can do this more often. It is better than a massage.