What ever happened to Spring?

I miss Spring. The Spring of my childhood. It was a time that let you shake off the cold of Winter slowly and ease into the warmth that promised to be Summer. It appeared slowly, greening bit by bit with occasional rains and sunny days coaxing sprouts. Now plants are yanked to attention with summery weather in March.

Today the lawn service was here cutting the grass for at least the second time and it's only mid-April in Michigan. The plants that were fooled into budding - grapes, fruit trees and more - were dealt a knock out punch when the weather suddenly turned cold and biting frosts snapped them. No Welches this year. Maybe some wine, but not as much. And it promises to be a difficult year for peaches apples and other fruits that were hit after growing far too much for the season.

I miss Spring. Now we seem to totter endlessly between Winter and Summer. I so hope we don't lose Fall too.

The Zen of Eating Consiously

I have a bad habit. I've had it a long time. Since I was small I have bolted my food. I can recall my mother  telling my father and me to "slow down" at the table. Slowing down to appreciate the work she put into the meal would have been reason enough to do it, but for whatever reason, even if we slowed down then, by the next meal we would be shoveling it in again. Not a pretty picture for a little girl or a grown woman.

While I am far better now than I was, the idea of slowing down and truly savoring the taste of what I was eating has been on my mind. Also the idea of chewing each bite deliberately many times to allow better digestion and access to all the nutrients that are there makes total sense. But for me there is another reason to slow down and that is to make a true connection with the act of eating.

As said elsewhere in this blog, Eating Isn't Optional. We must eat to live. However every day we can choose how consciously we eat. The choices we make about what, how it is prepared, with whom we share the experience, the speed at which we attack the meal and the satisfaction we feel are all ours. The most modest meal can be an elegant experience when eaten consciously. The most glorious one taken for granted without paying attention.

Today I found I am not alone....read more...