on the permeation of food

My bag of rice chips was just sitting next to my banana.

And now my rice chips taste and smell like banana.

I like bananas.

But not with my rice chips.

Phooey.

flowers and rain

The lilies of the valley have finally peaked. Every year, I always feel like I miss them. Of course, they're beautiful and then gone in about 1.7 days, but I feel like I shouldn't be leaving their side for the entirety of those 1.7 days. You know?

They're like heaven on a stem. I wish you could smell these through the screen, really.

That's why this year I made sure to document their growth. In a little photo project I'll put up here soon. (Okay, so I guess "project" is too grand a word for what I really did, but it's still pretty amazing. You'll see.)

I took these pictures yesterday, when the skies were gray and it was sprinkling and I purposely went into work late on account of not being able to mentally get myself there. All I wanted was springtime and sunshine, hoping it would force my mood to shape up and ship out. Now today, it's all sunshine and fresh air (despite being chilly) and I wouldn't mind a little gloominess to just validate my feelings a little.

I think that's a pathological tendency I have. When it's sunny I feel obligated to be chipper and full of energy even when I'm not, but when it's rainy and gray I feel I have no other choice than to match my mood to the air, which I usually do.

It's like how I eat exorbitant amounts of food every time I watch The Biggest Loser. Pathological, I tell you.

I'm just going to go stare at some lilies of the valley and see if that helps.

movin on

Today is the 366th day of my post-college life. I graduated exactly one year ago.

I've just taken the "365" out of my header of "Fearlessly navigating my way through these 365 post-college days."

I suppose that's really over, then.

a dapple of my weekend

busybusybusyfridaythroughsundaycannotwaitfornextweekendsothaticanfinally

sleep.

dear mommy

I hope someday I grow up to be like you.

Thanks very much.

Love,

Ruthie

the weekend, again

Does it feel like it was just the weekend a second ago? I never thought I'd be anything but delighted to see a weekend looming, but lately, I feel like every other day I'm saying, "It's Friday already?"

This weekend I plan on getting down to business and burying my nose in sewing projects. I've recently signed on to sell some pieces at a local farmer's market, so I have plenty of work to do before June surprises me.

Since, you know, the weekends have been in that habit.

Enjoy yours, won't you?

Photos via Candace Meyer Photography, via The Drifter and the Gypsy

the top

It's like when you're spinning a top,

maybe the kind that has the marker on the tip and draws spirals,

(I think that's the only kind of top I've ever spun),

and you sit and watch it spin round

and round

and round,

faster

and faster

and faster,

but then it begins to slow and wobble,

and you can almost hear it shouting,

wobble! wobble! wob-ble! louder and louder,

and you lean in closer to wait for that exact moment you're fearing,

and then all at once

it falls to its side in exhaustion,

sputtering once or twice,

until it completely stops,

and everyone sighs,

and shakes their heads, saying

too bad.

cupcake 21

Totally made Cupcake 21 last night.

And it was totally delicious.

I knew there'd be a use for leftover parsnips, someday.

notes on bliss

Do you ever have that time or moment or second, even, that you look back on and think to yourself, Man, was I happy then or what? It's the strangest thing--there are particular moments I can recall where I remember being perfectly happy and content with life.

Like that time in high school. The boy that I thought I was smitten with asked me to go to the movies with him. I don't think I paid any attention to the movie, on account of being so excited that I was at any movie with this boy. I remember it was the day before Easter, and the thought of being with the boy I liked in a movie theater and the fact that the next day the house would be full of family and friends celebrating . . . . . well, it was a whole lot of happiness for my teenage-self to handle. I was fidget-in-my-seat-trying-to-contain-my-happiness sort of happy. I can distinctly remember thinking to myself, Man, am I happy right now or what?

And last night, as I lay in bed, reading a book beside my open bedroom window with Stella purring at my side, the scent of lilacs from the blossoms below drifted in with the chilly spring air and filled my room from top to bottom with their perfume-y scent.

Even though it doesn't always last, I felt deliriously happy, in that moment.

These are the things I want to write about, so that I'll not forget them.

a dapple of my weekend

I sat in a lawn chair at dusk and read a book.

I went to the beach for the first time this year.

I skipped the gym. Both days.

I reunited with old friends at a spectacular birthday party.

I drank margaritas.

I ate breakfast in the backyard.

I didn't sit at my computer for one minute.



I think this was the first weekend, in a very long time, that I can honestly say I really liked.

Please send more of these my way.