It Takes a Child to Raise a Village

Both of my kids love Legos, and they ask for them at just about every gift-giving occasion.  It's also a way to celebrate certain moments, such as when Sam got his junior black belt, described here.  Sam is rather amazing in his construction abilities.  He loves the complex sets and following the elaborate instructions.  

Anya is good at that too.  But this girl especially loves what I find magical about Legos: free-form play.  She asked for a bunch of random bricks for a couple of gift-giving occasions, and recently she's been using them to build a village.  Seven houses, several people.  Everyone's got a story.  There's the man reading the morning paper, the young people who can only afford "mini-college" and who are rooming together to save money.  There's also the alien who is guarding the mayor, and Hedwig the owl (from Harry Potter, of course) looking over the town.  There is gold for the townspeople to share, and flowers to make the town prettier.  Oh, and what an entertainer in a Wonder Woman outfit and Batman mask!  

It amazes me how building and imagination come together to create a whole world like this.  

Must be October

It must be October when...

• I don't have much time to blog
• The scenery is gorgeous everywhere I go, and even just looking out the window
• Pumpkins abound (this teeny one fills me with delight)
• The farmers' market has the most gorgeous spinach ever
• I'm making hearty stews and eating by candlelight again.

The stew tonight is one of my very fall/winter favorites, found years ago in Ricciotti & Connelly's Pregnancy Cookbook, which I first encountered 13 years ago...!  I make it several times every year.  It's hearty, flavorful, and satisfying.  I think that one could skip the chicken and use vegetable broth to make an excellent vegetarian version (vegan even!).  

Lentil Stew with Chicken and Rosemary

2 Tbsp olive oil

About 1-1 ½ lb chicken breast, cubed

1 Spanish onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 Tbsp & 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

1 ½ tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

2-3 med carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

4 med. red potatoes, cubed small

About 2-3 cups butternut squash, cubed small

Salt to taste

1 ½ cups lentils, picked through and rinsed

1 cup dry red wine (or extra chicken broth)

5-6 cups water or chicken broth

½ lb spinach, roughly chopped, washed, and drained (or, just buy baby spinach)

Pepper to taste

1.     Heat olive oil in large soup pot over high heat.  Add chicken cubes and sear for a few minutes.  Remove chicken and set aside.
2.     Reduce the heat and add the onion, sautéing until soft.  Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
3.     Add the rosemary, basil, and thyme and sauté for 30 seconds.  Add carrots, celery, potatoes, squash, and salt.  Steam sauté the vegetables (covered) for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. 
4.     Add the lentils and return the chicken to the pot.  Stir well, and cook for 2 minutes.  Raise the heat and add the wine and simmer until wine is evaporated (about 3-5 min).
5.     Pour in the broth or water, and bring the stew to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the stew, stirring occasionally, for about 30 min.
6.     Add the spinach and cook the stew until the spinach is wilted, but still bright green.  Add pepper to taste (and more salt if you want).
I often double this recipe and freeze it in dinner-sized portions.  

I do so love the fall...I wish I had more time to enjoy it, but I'm grateful for the moments when I can!

The work-life balance?

So, I have been thinking a lot lately about what we discuss often at my university--the "work-life balance."

There is the old question of whether one works to live or lives to work.  At my institution there are those who seek "balance" between work and life, and others who don't think a measured balance is possible, but who hope for a livable coexistence. 

Most recently, I ran into an insightful bit on this issue on this blog, where the author, Karen Maezer Miller, makes this point:
"Work is not a distraction from your life; it is not a detour, hindrance or necessary evil. If you think this way it is the wrong view. When you are working, work is your life. Care for it as you care for yourself." 
This struck such a chord in me.  I am still not entirely sure that I want to stay in the academic gig that I am in, or live in the city where I live.  But, right now, I am here.  I want to live my work mindfully, and to be, fully, where I am right now.  Isn't that what it's all about anyway?  

This does not mean that I am willing to let work take over my every waking moment.  I am determined not to do that, actually.  But it is about focus and acceptance when the work time comes, and about being able to let it go for other parts of life when it's time for that, too.

I hope that I can stay with this insight and commitment as the craze of October takes over my life...at work.

Perspective

The day isn't ruined if I don't go for my morning walk.

Peanut butter sandwiches (on wheat bread) with fruit and milk for dinner is better for my kids than take-out.  

It's better to have students understand material and fall "behind" on the schedule than to rush in order to keep up.

However, it is worth keeping my house picked up (mostly), because it makes the atmosphere here calmer.  

It's okay to call my new routine of drinking chai latte in the afternoon an affection for the drink rather than an obsession with it.

In short: today I noticed that sanity matters. 

A Day in the Life (perhaps a new theme?)

Last Saturday:

After my usual morning walk, it was coffee in a travel mug and a trip to see my mother in Rockport.  (See all those kitchen cabinets?  My dad built those!)

While there, I had to rip out some knitting...and ended up with a most amusing extra-large skein of yarn.  It kind of looks like a mummy.  Note the ever-present tea cups that always seem to adorn my mother's kitchen table.

The kids also measured their recent growth against Grandma--who used to be 5'4", but at 87 (and after 8 kids) she's now 4'11".

Mid afternoon was occupied with a trip to the grocery store and some work.

The day ended with a novel.  

Some days are just good.

Bracketing my Day

I began my work day punching holes in countless pages of documentation for my promotion portfolio.  I was exhausted by the time that I got to class, and after it completely deflated.  

My day came to a close in the craft room.  Anya drew a picture for friends, Toonces lorded over us all on top of the karate dummy, and I perused my first module from an online wholefoods workshop that I am taking here.  

It was lovely to unwind a bit with such life-affirming course material.  But, did you notice that last picture?  I had to punch more holes in paper.

One task completed, a new adventure started.  Quite a banner day!

More from the "What a Girl" Pile

Tonight Anya said to me "I keep thinking about post-it notes and coffee."  And I told her "That pretty much sums up my life."

Maybe she'll take after her Mum?