This and That...

It has been one of those days where I have felt the need to be in motion. Beginning at 6:30 this morning, I have been compelled to stay in motion, flitting from one activity to another. While helpful in getting things done, it certainly leaves one feeling a bit more tired at the end of the day. My only hope is that it will help me sleep better tonight than I did last night. Tossing, turning, and waking up every hour does not lend itself to feeling rested.

Of the things I did today, I am most pleased with how my latest baking experiment turned out. Looking for something to bring to welcome a new co-worker tomorrow, I browsed several websites looking for something simple enough to make, that didn't require a special trip to the store for ingredients, and would be well-received by pretty much anyone.  I chose to make "Magic in the Middles," a recipe I found on King Arthur Flour's wesbite. 

Image from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/magic-in-themiddles-recipe

I figure the combo of chocolate and peanut butter is one with which you cannot go wrong. (Unlike other bakers who do an amazing job capturing their work in progress, it is best for me NOT to show a step by step version. Seriously, I am perhaps one of the messiest cooks you will ever encounter, and my stuff, while usually tasting pretty good, never looks all that pretty.)

I also planted some seeds that will hopefully sprout into seedlings over the next couple of weeks. If all goes well, I will have a small garden with tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, and green peppers. Fingers crossed that my notorious black thumb doesn't crush my future plans.

Other than that, it was a lot more yard work (despite the overcast skies and chilly air), a long walk while chatting on the phone with my parents, and a few other random chores. Nothing exciting, but enough to keep me busy. Still, I managed to think of several potential blog posts throughout the day--it is strange how certain activities trigger memories that seem not at all related to what you are doing--but actually writing about any of them has proven to be elusive. Has anyone else ever thought that perhaps it would be better to write out a blog entry then type it up to share? While in grad school, I picked up the habit of handwriting a majority of my papers before finishing the final draft. Considering how I used to write everything only on the computer (except for in-class essays, of course), it seems almost like a step backwards technologically. Yet, I still think that perhaps pencil and paper would help me capture some of these fleeting ideas in a way that I can flesh out at a later date. If you haven't figured it out by now, I have a lot to say, even if no one else cares to hear it :)

Alas, today is not the day that I explore the joys of traveling solo, recollect fond memories of watching my tent fly over a cliff, or reminisce about being a member of the defense team working to prove that Ashley Thornhill was not guilty of murder. So, until I manage to get pencil to paper or break down the mental block preventing me from writing anything remotely interesting, I bid you adieu. Enjoy the rest of your evening, and here is hoping you all have an excellent week ahead!

In the Dirt

I got to play in the mud today, and it felt great. Having tackled the windows last weekend (I washed over twenty  in a little under two hours! Hurray for productivity), I was looking for another task to help out with the spring cleaning. Something that required little thought but plenty of activity. That is how I found myself crawling on the ground this morning, pulling up this pervasive ground cover that will not die. Its infinite tendrils had long since overtaken the garden bed where my grandma has a mix of flowers and ornamental shrubs, and I, in my naive hubris, sought to conquer it once and for all. Um, yeah, complete domination is probably still a couple mornings away, but I made great progress, I promise!

While I was tackling this ungainly foe, I couldn't help but wonder why it is I enjoyed working in the dirt. Usually, most people tend to shy away from getting their hands caked in mud, the legs of their pants stained with grass. On most days, I am one of them. Yet, today, as I was kneeling down, following the vines to their roots, freeing them from the grip of the soft earth, I relished the sensation of working the soil in my hands, not caring that my hands were caked in gray by the time I had finished. I appreciated the fact that I could do something so physical, so active without hesitance or difficulty. And not to get to esoteric or anything, but it really felt like this is what my body is made to do.

So often, in our world of cars and computers, it is easy to forget that in many ways, our bodies were designed to be active. I do my best to remain so, but I admit that sometimes it is so much easier to stay glued to my chair at night than to get up and do anything that requires movement. While our minds have come up with so many brilliant ideas to make our lives easier, the convenience of these inventions leaves something to be desired. I am not giving up my computer, my car, or my indoor plumbing just yet. But I am trying to be more aware of what goes into what I consume, and I would like to be more active in the creation process. As I fought the vines, I decided that this is something I would like to do more often (the gardening part of it all that is). In that vein, I hope to cultivate a small part of the yard and ready it to plant some seeds to grow a few of my favorite vegetables. This is something we did every year growing up, and I miss going out and searching for that night's side dish. Let's hope this year, I will be successful enough to do the same.

When I finally retreated for the day, I stood back a moment to see what I had been able to do. Where there was once a group of flowers choked by an alien being, now they stood out free to grow and breathe to their fullest ability. (Well, the ones that survived the removal process...I try to be careful, but graceful and delicate are not exactly my strengths...) Oftentimes, I feel as if much of what I do at work disappears into an abyss, and it is something I truly struggle with. I like to see results. And at least with this, I was able to.  Sure, I came out a little worse for wear, but what are a few scratches on the arms, sticks in the hair, and errant streaks of mud when you can feel as if you spent a few hours doing something that made a difference? Perhaps tomorrow, I will once again take up my clippers and forge ahead with the next round.