Weekend Renewal

Our weekend filled with many moments of filling up, resting up, and connecting.  Here’s what felt renewing…

• visiting old friends and their two-week old babe for pizza, playing, rocking and celebrating this new life
• day-tripping to the zoo with Harper’s “best buddy”
• making homemade pesto with all the basil from our CSA and the backyard
• playing Go Fish games, making the “biggest” racetracks, and biking to the park
• resting nearly 12 hours two nights in a row for little Harper–a record, I think!
• making Gourmet‘s Parisian chocolate tart (September 2008) along with Ina Garten’s parmesan chicken

How did you renew this weekend?

CSAing

Have you heard of Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA?  It’s when a farm sells shares to other folks of their harvest and the folks then receive a bundle of produce on a regular basis.  Often, farmers include extra goodies like flowers, herbs, and even things like salsa.  For the last two summers, we’ve had a CSA membership.  It’s been great fun to see what treats will arrive in our basket each week.  And how I must adjust my grocery list based on what has unexpectedly arrived!  I’ve learned how to cook beets, okra, even kale.  We’ve figured out how to make pesto by the bag and freeze for winter pastas.  And about this time each season I tend to make gazpacho and panzanella salad over and over and over.  I just can’t get enough of those cucumbers and tomatoes!  For an amazing list of recipes, check out 100 Cookbooks. 

Last night was pick-up time and this week we’ll enjoy basil, green beans, squash, onion, beets, cucumbers…am I forgetting something?  We already enjoyed grilled zucchini along with tabbouleh (did I mention how much I love cucumbers?) and grilled fish. 

There’s something about supporting a local farmer and eating fresh from the ground veggies that makes my heart happy.  We found our farm, Facing West Farm, through a friend this year but they are also listed online at Local Harvest.  You can find more information about CSAs as well as farms close to you.  Go explore!

Unravelling

This week, I begin an exciting e-course on self discovery called Unravelling, created and led by Susannah Conway.  This online course combines photography and journaling in a group format to “heal the way you see yourself and your world” as Susannah says.  I must admit that although I’m gushing over Susannah already and eager to meet my classmates from around the world, I’m most excited to begin the inner unravelling process.  Of listening to myself.  Of rememember my stories.  My past.  My purpose.  My passions and spark and juice. Reconnecting, if you will.  Or is it excavating?  Either way, I’m eager to dig in!  You can learn more about Susannah at her blog Ink On My Fingers; be sure to sign up for her newsletter as this class filled up in seven hours time!!

Summertime

Summertime has overtaken things a bit around here in the last few weeks.  And as each day passes, I’ve been thinking of more things I needed to post.  I’ve been feeling the pressure of catching up.  And that’s just not what summertime is about.  So I’ve decided to take my own advice and give myself permission.  To breathe.  To love all that is swirling about.  To play messy with this post.  To let go of the nagging voice in my head that says I should have already written about this and that and the other.  What has been renewing as of late? 

• summer teeball and peanut butter and jelly sandwich picnics before the game 
• a holiday party with my folks to play games, eat barbecue, and watch fireworks (Harper fell asleep during the fireworks if that tells you anything!)
• Yogi Detox tea and hot yoga during my yearly clean-eating cleanse
• beach novels (even if we’re not at the beach just yet!)
• fresh veggies from our CSA membership
• a soiree with neighbors where I met so many cool people who live nearby
• a few surprise dates with my hubby while Harper is at Grammy’s house
• fresh muesli with summer berries

How have you been renewing this summer?