One year since the loss of Mark:
He was so many things to me - really everything to me. A path to my future self from the moment I first met him. Summer feels particularly empty without him, but I have come a long way since last July and I do not intend to spend this weekend thinking of all I have lost. Rather, I will reflect on all that he did to enrich my life, and the lives of many other people.
I have a friend that tells me she can't cook anything without a recipe. I know that's probably true for a lot of people. But for me, I think about what I want to eat, then might review a recipe for the basics, then just do my own thing. More times than not.
The Girl calls it "making it up as you go along".
That's what I did here with pork Carne Guisada last week. It tasted very much like the dish I have had many times at a Mexican restaurant and I practically licked my bowl clean! Its amazing what spices and slow cooking can do to make pork carnitas so tender and delish.
I hate it when scrub tops have that dart detail in the back, like they're some kind of fashion top. 100% of the time I pick it out with my seam ripper. I would rather have that extra inch of fabric to move in.
I liked the pattern and colors on this top, child-friendly or not, and the fabric feels great (its a rayon/poly blend). Not to mention its a size L, not an XL. So it looks so much more flattering and is so comfy.
Austin has so many breweries - 6 or 7 within a couple miles from my house. There are usually food trucks parked right outside and most of them are pet-friendly, so there are lots of dogs and people just sitting and enjoying beer and living their lives. Heat be damned.
I met a college friend there on Wednesday and we enjoyed some downtime and a couple of beers. Please notice that the garage doors are up and its the hottest part of the day with Austin's high at 104 that day. We probably perspired all of that beer out, but it didn't feel terrible.
Do you use Facebook to connect to people anymore? I feel like I hop on, then right back off, but I love it when old photos pop up in my feed. I grab them and share them with the person they reference - in this case, Bubbie. According to this photo he was 11, going on 12. He was my littlest elf. By this point in the summer he would be so tan from hitting the pool several times a week. I kept all of them busy in the summers and trips for treats were a regular thing.
Such sweet summer memories!
Gina
I comment rarely, but love to read your blog. You are very brave and talented to move forward in a new life, and the projects and repairs you tackle blow me away! I am not handy or crafty at all, and you are a great writer, too.
ReplyDeleteAww, Gina, anniversaries are hard. You should be proud though, you are making your way just fine. I use recipes a lot, but tend to re-write as I go. I also cook without them. In my family (my grandmother, in particular), the recipes would read, "blend together until it 'looks right'." This was mind blowing when I first set up housekeeping. Now I totally get it.
ReplyDeleteThinking about you...and agreeing with Lynda's comment above.
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