thy winter's bounty

i have been reawakened! my tastebuds, reborn! in the spirit of this season, surrounded by the bounty of sublime citrus, i thought it most appropriate to pay respect to my lifetime nemesis: grapefruit.

i had never been a fan of the grapefruit, with its bitter punch that always impelled my tasetbuds to flee. i would try dousing it with sugar, in an attempt to temper the blow. i would try drinking the juice to capitalize on its nutrients. i would even try fooling my not-so-foolable brain into thinking it was an unripe orange...all to no avail.

but the more time i've been spending at the farmer's market, the more the grapefruit has seduced me. the color of its flesh with its organic perfume, juice dripping down samplers' faces and farmers standing proud beside the mounds...a sure request to come hither.

and so i did. i asked the farmer to choose the best for a grapefruit-virgin such as myself.  as he sliced the fruit open, he taught me how to enjoy the sweetest flavor - by removing ALL the pith. no, this is not an orange, so don't try eating it like one. following the farmer's instruction, my eyes lit up. my tastebuds rushed forward. a revelation! now, not only do i have a newfound respect for grapefruit, i have the rest of this season to enjoy it at its best!

joie de vivre

a most lovely day yesterday, taking joie de vivre quite seriously...

and celebrating a special someone's birthday.

simply amazing.

smitten

once upon a time, there was a girl. she worked one long and exhausting shift. after work, all she could think about was jumping into her jammies and hitting the hay. however, as she walked to her front doorstep, she was taken aback. before her eyes was a pot of white daisies. fresh white daisies. and a card. the girl asked herself, who are these from? why are they here? when she opened the card, she discovered it was from a boy. a thoughtful, loving boy. and the reason for this unexpected pleasure?...just because.

at the end of that exhausting day, the girl was smitten. absolutely smitten.

relax?!

this day will most definitely go into history: my first pelvic exam. OUCH! a small metal speculum sans lubricant, with no idea of what to expect is surely a recipe for disaster.

there i was, legs spread wide, creating a window for clear viewing. the doctor asked me to relax my legs. sure, no problem. legs, relaxed.

she then talked me through the process of the pelvic exam: speculum, pap smear, then her fingers. yes, i understand. let's do this.


as she prepared me (my labia, to be exact), dictating exactly what she was touching, i thought to myself: wow, this isn't so bad. and then the doctor said she was going to begin. what?! i thought she was almost finished.

in it went, the metal speculum. between moans and heart palpitations, i tensed up, locked my legs, and closed my viewing window. OUCH! the doctor asked me to focus on my breathing to help me relax. relax?! how can i relax with this excruciating pain? so out came the speculum. i had to relax so the doctor could finish the exam. again, she asked me to focus on my breathing before she would re-attempt. through my breathing exercises, i thanked the Lord for my practice with yoga and its constant attention to focused, rhythmic breathing. i was ready for attempt number two.

many moans, deep breaths, and a liter of sweat later, i lived through the second speculum, pap smear, and digital exam. clearly, it wasn't the most pleasant experience, but as my doctor said, "women are doing this every day." OUCH!

oh LOVEly day

may this day be another day. another day to say "i love you." may it be one free of exploitation, unconfined by marketing schemes. however you celebrate this "day of love," rejoice in knowing that you are so very loved! 

i do have to admit, it's nice knowing i have a valentine :)

charlie's song

if my car could have a song - a song with which charlie could identify - it would most definitely be wham's wake me up before you go-go. driving back from the market this morning, charlie gave me the "okay" to roll down the windows, open the sun roof, and turn up the volume. although i tried, with all my might, not to embarrass charlie with my vocal accompaniments, i just couldn't help it. life is too short to let those moments go by. 

so thank you, wham, for bringing spirit into my car, for giving me the opportunity to release, and for making this morning's drive a grand head-bopping time. 

words to live by

in knowing my a.) love for simple, yet beautifully orchestrated food b.) appreciation for time spent over a meal and c.) intentional regard for all things meeting my palate, a dear friend bought me alice waters' cookbook, the art of simple food.

alice waters - the pioneer of the local food movement. the founder of chez panisse. a woman who extracts the very best of nature's offerings to create depth in each meal. when reading her cookbook, i am inspired by alice's nine principles. according to her, "they are principles of a delicious revolution, one that can reconnect our families and communities with the most basic human values, provide the deepest delight for all our senses, and assure our well-being for a lifetime."

eat locally and sustainably.
eat seasonally.
shop at farmers' markets.
plant a garden.
conserve, compost & recycle.
cook simply.
cook together.
eat together.
remember food is precious.


i'm convinced these are words to live by.

the little things

last night at work, "the little things in life" was epitomized.

let me begin by prefacing that in my line of duty as a nurse on a perinatal unit, all attempts at modesty are, well, thrown out the window.

my patient had just delivered a beautiful baby boy. first baby! so exciting! such a milestone!  and three weeks early. i've learned through my patients that unexpected deliveries equate to anxiety - not feeling prepared because diapers haven't been bought, a nursery hasn't been furnished, a name hasn't been chosen. however, this patient was different. for her, "three weeks early" meant "no time for adequate grooming."

there i was, checking her vaginal bleeding, manually expressing milk from her breasts, massaging her uterus. in layman's terms, i was up in her space. but all this patient could think about was how embarrassed she felt for not shaving her legs, for not getting a pedicure, and for not grooming "down there."

this had me thinking about the little things - the things that make a huge difference. for this patient, it wasn't all about the new bundle of joy in her arms. nor was it about this nurse all up in her space. instead, it was her hygiene that mattered. that little thing, hygiene. i'm not sure i really understand the prioritization here, but who can judge how someone interprets the little things in life?

she might think just the same if she knew how important a daily treat is to me :)