Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

Move over Instant Pot. I have a new love. The Air Fryer. Actually, I love you both equally because you each bring such joy to my life. At this moment, I'm happily munching on crispy seasoned tofu. The crispiest tofu I've ever been able to make thanks to the Air Fryer. Yesterday, I swooned over the Japanese sweet potato that came out hot and creamy from the Instant Pot. Yes, life is good. Since going completely vegan (whole foods plant based), I've lost eight pounds. I'm just one pound from my goal. And I did nothing other than change what I eat. I didn't increase my exercise; I'm still just doing the three to four walks a day with Ado, which ends up being anywhere from 3-4 miles for the day. I haven't starved at all, either. I've simply been eating whole foods that are plant based.  Funny Delightful Son came to visit for the weekend. I talked with him about the changes I've made and how it's such a simple thing to do and such a healthy thing to d...

I started this past last Wednesday. This is what I'd written: For the first time in months, probably years actually, I didn't make my bed right after getting up. Or even an hour later. In fact, I didn't make my bed at all today. I know! The horror! I'm not sure why I was such a rebel. I think I just got going on other things and didn't even realize I'd left the bed unmade until after lunch, when I walked into the bedroom to change into shorts. Or maybe it's because I'm getting old and just forgot. When I went to change from jeans to shorts since the day was warming up and saw my unmade bed, it was like meh, whatever. I changed and left it the way it was.  Every day since, I've made my bed like usual, right after getting up. There's just something about the practice, the routine. It's a small accomplishment, keeps my bedroom tidy and comfortable.  With it being just me here, the living spaces remain mostly tidy all the time. Living on one leve...

The smaller apartment works perfectly for me. Each moment I'm here, working or reading or watching something on Netflix, is a moment I feel content. A few years ago I would have never considered myself an apartment kind of person, but for now, it suits me and my needs. My desire to go small, to reduce the amount of stuff in my life, to focus more on experiences rather than having things -- these are all happening.  The simplicity of it all -- less space to have to clean, each piece of furniture serving a purpose instead of just sitting gathering dust and taking up an area -- makes me wonder why anyone would want big. At what point did big become a thing? I know it's always been a thing with the mansions and castles of the rich through the years, but seriously. Big seems overwhelming. Big seems unnecessary. Big seems cold. Give me manageable. Give me purpose. Give me warmth. My carfree life so far is working out. I've not really had any need to go anywhere the days...

So I'm still waiting for a critique on my haiku. Three days. The contest closes May 31st, so several weeks remain for someone to take pity on me and offer up some feedback. I wonder what will happen if my haiku go the rest of the month without being critiqued. All it says in the rules is the entry must be submitted publicly for the duration of the contest. It doesn't say the submission must receive critiques. Honestly, though, I really don't know why of the 25 different entries, mine is the only one without any critique or comment. The snarky side of me is saying, they're just that good! What could possibly be said about them to make them better than they already are? The paranoid critic side of me is saying, they're so bad no one wants to be the first one to say so.  This has been the back and forth in my head for the last three days, and this exchange has been particularly bad today. I finally copied off the haiku and gave them to a poet friend to read and giv...

It is spring break, and we're under a winter weather advisory. Snow. The white fluff is supposed to start later this evening and continue into tomorrow. Several inches, they're saying. Winter's way of shouting, "Hey, hold on a minute. I have eight more days. Then Spring can have her way." I'm secretly hoping Winter stays north of us, smoothing her white blanket over Wisconsin and Michigan.  Today I finally found the courage to tell my husband I have decided to find a place of my own. I'd been rehearsing the talk in my head for the past few days, but like usual, I went off script fairly quickly. I didn't quite know how he was going to respond. I thought maybe he would get angry as that has been his MO when I offer up how his behavior has harmed our relationship. This time, he remained calm. He suggested he understood how I was feeling. He went on to say he doesn't want me to leave, but he does understand. Later, after Angel Baby and I returned fr...

Went for a 21 mile ride today, later in the afternoon. Didn't push it. Didn't watch the computer. Just rode and enjoyed the scenery. Most of the fields are planted, the crops just beginning to peep above ground. The wind has quieted considerably since Sunday, making the ride seem especially easy. Having spent a huge amount of effort battling the wind on Sunday, I could feel some fatigue hanging around in the legs. Today's ride, though, wasn't about distance or speed. It was about being away from the city, away from the noise, away from all the have-to-do's. Blissful simplicity.