A while back, my mister and I discovered an Austin, TX based musician called Shakey Graves. It was love at first listen. Last year, while in Austin for a wedding, we got to see him play at Stubb’s and it was just perfect.
Tonight, he’s playing at Soda Bar here in San Diego, which means I got me a hot date with my love!
Today took my breath away, from beginning to end. The whole week, really. It’s been a pretty special time of celebration and reflection; I’m feeling very doted upon and very, very lucky.
My magical friend Jessica gave me a cake. A cake! I haven’t had a birthday cake with candles since before Jade was born. Jessica brought the cake to a restaurant, and everyone sang and then cheered when I blew out my candles. I will never forget that moment for as long as I live, it was that special.
And she caught it on camera!
It’s enough to make any birthday heart burst, and mine has a million times over.
Today is also special because it marks the conclusion of my thirty day writing challenge. Phew! As such, I have decided to link to a few of my favorite posts from the past month:
The one about Emet’s birth. And mine too, really.
The first LINKS + LESSONS post.
That one time I posted an actual recipe!
My thoughts on Independence Day. Plus a video essay from Bill Moyers!
This one was posted on my lovely friend Kate’s blog, which I wrote about here.
I started this particular project with the specific intention of rediscovering my inherent happiness. I’d say it was a smashing success. The Power of Intention, indeed.
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What a wild ride this thirtieth year of mine has been. I have been blessed in the most unexpected and marvelous ways. I have been challenged, and I have grown.
I am happy.
My wish for this year was to find peace, and boy did it ever come true. Even in my most audacious dreams, I could not have imagined a more fulfilling way to enter into this next decade of my life. I am humbled by the way the Universe has conspired in my favor, simply because I trusted that it would.
I can’t wait for what lies ahead. Bring it on, 31!
pardon the poor image quality, but this is one of my all-time favorite shots
I have rebellious chi, is what I learned from my very first acupuncture appointment.
You see, my next door neighbor is the greatest, and when he found out that I wasn’t feeling so well, he insisted that I see his acupuncturist. Being the no-nonsense kind of guy that he is, I was surprised by his enthusiasm for alternative medicine, and I took his recommendation to heart.
I think I told the good doctor that I was nervous at least a half-dozen times during our initial consultation. Needles aren’t really my thing. Except tattoo needles, but that is an entirely different subject.
As it turns out, acupuncture is exactly what I thought: little needles and being still. What I wasn’t expecting, though, was the almost immediate sense of relaxation that resulted. I’ll admit that I have a long way to go before I’m able to fully surrender to the experience – I talked myself out of ringing the bell to call for assistance on three occasions – and I only feel slightly foolish for allowing a silly thing like fear keep me from something that is truly beneficial in maintaining equilibrium.
Today was the first time in over two weeks that I didn’t taken a nap. Not that I didn’t want to take a nap, napping happens to be one of my signature talents, but that I didn’t need to take a nap. A small miracle, I say.
My assignment for the week is to spend more time meditating, in an effort to harness my individual energy.
And by “spend more time” of course I mean “start”.
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My beautiful and brilliant friend Kate writes 365 til 30, a blog based on bringing dreams to life, where she gracefully and humbly shares her journey to becoming her truest self. She is one of the best ladies that I know, and I’m so glad to call her my friend.
Today, I had the honor of being interviewed for a series she created called Project 30. I credit her provocative questionnaire with being something that really got me thinking about what I would like out of this next decade of my life, and also helped to put the last decade – and the last few years – into perspective. In fact, it was months ago that she sent it over, and it was the perfect catalyst to get me writing again. In a lot of ways, I owe her gentle persistence a great deal of thanks. She had a huge part in helping me to find the inspiration I had been missing.
After I shared Emet’s birth story last week, Kate texted me with some of the most thoughtful and encouraging words, and asked (again) if I would share my answers with her and her readers. Maybe it has to do with the fact that my birthday is on Friday, but something about the timing felt utterly serendipitous.
Thank you so much for having me, Kate! And for being patient with me. I’m so proud of all that you have accomplished these last two years, and I’m thrilled for this next adventure in your life. You inspire me with your honesty and your determination, and I’m grateful for our friendship. Love love love you!
I found this recipe last week and have been eager to give it a try ever since. I love a good quick meal, which this is. I made a few adaptations to Deb’s recipe: I replaced half the water with a vegetable broth, and I finished the dish off with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and a few diced olives. Satisfying and so simple to make, I am sure I’ll be enjoying this at least a few times again this summer.
This song has been on constant repeat in our house for the last two days, thanks to a certain little lady who is mildly obsessed.
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On Wednesday I tweeted:
It was the best day. It was the worst day.
— Miss Lynzie (@smalltimecook) July 17, 2013
I’d like to rephrase. It was the best week. It was the worst week.
Oy vey iz mir.
But! We did have a pretty spectacular meal at our favorite Thai spot last night, and I’m wondering why I have never ordered the Fresh Rolls before? Game changer, those things.
Count that as my lesson: trying new things in familiar places might make for a whole new experience.
If your week was anything like mine, I figured you could use a little something to help you cheer up. So here is a video the mister showed me yesterday that really touched my heart.
On a similar topic, I came across this statement from Questlove regarding the Zimmerman verdict, and it’s worth a read.
Back when I was a student at NYU, a few friends and I were faithful ASSSSCAT devotees. I have always thought of that time as the heyday of the UCB Theater and when I read this interview with Amy Poehler and she mentioned the energy of the New York Comedy Scene, I sort of felt like she was talking about those days too. Ranger out!
I’m looking forward to some quiet family time this weekend, and possibly a trip to the beach. And lots and lots of chocolate ice cream.
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All I want tonight is a long bubble bath, an ice cold Topo Chico, and some quiet time with my man.
It’s been that kind of a week.