December 7th.

It's a day that I feel gets overlooked a bit amongst the younger crowd and a day I like to be aware of each year.

I visited the USS Arizona memorial Hawaii when I was in college but I definitely didn't get it the way I feel about these things now {an effect of "growing up"?}. I was certainly touched at the time but I think I'll feel even more strongly the next time I visit, whenever that may be.
 
I hope we all think about what happened 72 years ago today and hug a veteran while we're at it if we get a chance.
xoxo, natty ♥

Dear country, we love you.

xoxo, natty ♥

Facetious?

Mikey's at soccer tonight so it's been a completely quiet evening.
Which is actually really nice. No music, no TV, just me.
And my soul needs that once a week.

In other nourishing news...

1} I saw this today:

IS this tongue-in-cheek? Or not? Never knowing is half the fun?

2} I used my cat mug this evening.

We have a beautiful and colorful dinnerware set that is a wedding gift and includes coffee mugs. But I've also inherited a dangerous penchant for mismatched and humorous mugs. My dear aunt gifted me this beauty and it gets good use in our home.

3}

4} California's on my agenda in two weeks' time. ♥

5} Though muggy, temperatures are high this week and a happy me that makes.

I hope you're well in your corner of the world this evening. Say a little prayer for those in Oklahoma and Texas tonight and count your own blessings while you're at it.

xoxo, natty ♥ 

Le Lentil.

It's been rainy and cool here, but not entirely unpleasant, so the windows are open and airing out our little hovel.
In other news...
1. I made "French Lentil Soup" tonight, an old favorite and standby that hadn't graced our bowls in a long time.

It's not really French, it's Trader Joe-ian. 

I've always been a fan of TJ's and several years ago {5?!} a coworker showed me her Trader Joe's cookbook. It's made not by the grocery store chain but by Trader Joe's admirers and puts to use many of their unique products. There are actually many of these cookbooks out now but I treasure this {& a few others [Sag Paneer Lasagne!]} photocopied recipe from a several years past, thought it is so easy I actually know it by heart still. Recipe to come at a later date.

2} After several days of feeling nasty I got myself some Z-Pac action. Turns out I'm still allergy immune but still susceptible to sinus infections.

3 - Prom was fun! They had a yummy dessert table!

4...Our table {which is glass...shudder [this apartment came furnished]} has a fine layer of yellow pollen on it thanks to the sycamores that are all over our neighborhood and our love of a good cross breeze.

5) There's a scruffy dog, many friends around this country, beautiful family from whence we came, hilarious inside jokes, miles to be run, visits to be had, and so much more to be grateful for in this beautiful life.

I hope that today, two weeks out from a very bad day, you're looking up and ahead, seeing joy in your life, or at least enjoying a little bit of the day.

xoxo, natty ♥

Interlude.

I'm sitting on our couch enjoying the breeze. We live in a bit of a turret so there's absolutely wonderful cross-circulation if we open all of our windows. There's also a tornado watch out which translates to some of my favorite spring weather; dark skies when the sun is still in the sky {it's illuminating!}, a somewhat high temperature, and wind {warm wind: so nice}.

Guinness is sniffing without stopping since there's so much outside air coming in.

There's strawberry flavored chapstick brand chapstick on my lips {thanks to our local Target which NEVER has exactly what I'm looking for; I use cherry flavored Carmex in the solid tube form [very exacting] and this was the best compromise} which is a surprising throwback to adolescence {what is it about smells and how they can TAKE.YOU.BACK?}.

I've just recently gotten home from some busy-ness and I'm waiting for all of our family who's visiting this weekend to be ready for dinner.

It's quiet in our home and I'm enjoying a peaceful interlude.

I don't think I'm the only person in the country who's happy to see the tail end of this week.

Have a weekend folks. Have a weekend.

xoxo, natty ♥

As a runner.

As a runner, American, and a global citizen, today is not a marvelous day. It started out as a wonderful and happy day but most certainly has taken a horrible turn.
Tonight my heart is with Boston.
xoxo, natty ♥

Processing.

Though I'm home in California and enjoying {very much} my time here, I'm still processing Friday's events.
I think that my friend Becs summed it up very well and I agree that quiet time and talking it through is valuable for everyone when it comes to trying to understand and come to terms with the violence we've been witness to since Friday.
I know that I value my loved ones and I'm grateful for their presences and our relationships and memories.
I also know that concrete answers don't come easily outside the realm of, say, a math or chemistry class, and I think that putting one's faith in the power{s} that be is the best that can be done.
And so we attempt to move on.
xoxo, natty ♥