The Devil's Throat

It can be challengin to not always be the one driving...diversions and potholes will inevitably be on our paths I hope we can navigate them alright.  

I recall losing my dad just over 3 years ago, which was unfortunately followed by an onslaught of repeated death in our family. We had almost had to laugh a bit because it was getting so ridiculous.

When he passed, after only three weeks notice he had cancer, we had three appliances go bad the day of the funeral, had two dogs die in a months time, and we were gifted with what would have been his first grandson. Shortly thereafter our other beloved relatives and holders of tradition started leaving, to the tune of 6; almost 1 every 6 months, sometimes closer together, and other times, more spread out. And this doesn't even include my husbands family. Only recently had I finished reeling from it all....or so I thought. When I was in the midst of it, I thought I was handling it ok and three years later, I realized I was hit so hard that I continued mourning, sometimes subtly, sometimes not so...

I'd like to say I have a cavalier existential attitude about death and human existence, but something in me struggles against this concept and leans on the interconnectedness of the universe and all things part.

This seems a hopeful glimmer of spirit in such times of desperation, with laughter added of course, that makes these moments bearable.

I'm Still Standing

...a bit about the pic I chose for this...La Garganta del Diablo, Iguazu (The Devil's Throat), some waterfalls I've been to in Argentina. Now I don't really believe in a devil, but I will say: I am familiar with having reverence for something that can be a terrifying- even a beautiful natural wonder.

life is short

Got some crazy life changing news to remind me that life is too short to be burdened by the trivial.

more on this later...

Prepping the Garden

It's still rainy and cold out, but I am dreaming of my garden. I am ready to begin my starter plants inside under lights, after all it is January. :)


I keep an organic garden, at least as natural as I can manage. But since, we haven't been at this location for several years, I can't be sure of what the folks before me did to the soil. So, I brought new clean soil into the garden plots I made and begin each season with all organic plants or seeds.

Last year I grew amazing heirloom tomatoes, I bought some seedlings from a local grower, Bountiful Garden, a non-profit that supports sustainable agriculture, often provides food to local homeless, and raises funding for relief programs. I know it' just a little early to think of these hot weather fruits, but I just can't wait.

I will be planting some seeds soon and will report on my picks...

Procrastination Station

I don't know what it is about working under pressure that suits me. I'll say, I don't really procrastinate with every project, but every once in a while I totally wait until the 11th hour. I will say, however, that the work produced is by no means shoddy...I can almost assuredly admit that the beads of sweat and increased heartbeat propel me somehow...thankfully in a forward direction, to finish my task at hand. As many writing tasks, like meeting a project deadline...the prep work is not at all started in the last minute...that would certainly be a no-go because it can really take a lot of planning, but the finishing, polishing, and closing work can take me a while to dredge through.

I drag my feet and tarry for a while...although I 'feel' late,...the work is not actually turned in behind schedule.

I have heard completely stopping a task and working on something entirely different is helpful....let's hope so! Perhaps even writing about the task is not ideal.

I will think of everything else I can do, like writing this post, rather than buckle down and get the project done. errgg. I've tried to change and no matter how much prep work I do....there is almost always a period of rest between the preparation/lining the eggs up and the finished polished product...I suppose I am not alone. And although I meet deadlines, during the lag time I feel like a bit of a slacker. I like to be ahead ...by weeks if I can.

Boiled Mayonnaise

Agristada-one of my favorite Sephardic foods, is made with an egg and lemon sauce, which is delicately tempered to avoid curdling. My family likes the sauce served over long grain rice and homemade meatballs (as opposed to fish)-we refer to the entire meal as Agristada.

During my deliberations over the name of this blog, I looked up Agristada. Oddly enough, one of the meanings I found was "boiled mayonnaise." Initially, I thought this was unusual, grossly comical, and maybe even catchy...well at least potentially.

I was in terrible disagreement with the term as it was defined and while I found it oddly attractive, the longer I sat with it, I grew more and more nauseated at the thought. I thought any reader might well be intrigued at first, but then just repulsed.

Save the repulsion... I had to change the everyday name and solely use, "boiled mayonnaise" for an entry...my first.