All around the country, it sounds brutally hot and gazpacho is a wonderful light and cool dish just perfect for this kind of weather. While I was planning to post all the gazpacho recipes I could find, I’ve decided to share a link that offers lots of other delicious ideas instead. I hope you find something that adds to your summer repertoire! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/03/gazpacho-recipes_n_1645922.html#slide=1178639
Even tho the heat around the country is miserable, I took the chance to get out of town for a few weeks while my daughter was away. She got home last night and I am so grateful that I had some “me” time when she was gone, because I painfully needed to drop my own oxygen mask in order to help her breathe. I was clearly out of air by Spring. I knew I was struggling, but it wasn’t til an old friend from HS saw me and really validated my sense that the pounds had crept on and my beloved Leo’s mane was less then flattering (“half mullet, half duck’s ass”).
At that point in time, all I had on the summer books was a trip to Santa Fe with my Mom. And while I was looking forward to seeing her, the thought of NM in the summer was drying – and I definitely needed to be watered. Thankfully, my HS friend flies for an airline and lives on the water in Annapolis. She offered me a buddy pass and the chance to rejuvenate under her care. She, too, needed some lovin’ and we could help each other. After all, isn’t that what friends are for?
Off I went to a new haircut, a supportive nudge towards Weight Watchers, new underwear and plenty of vodka sodas. By the end of the week, I was feeling hopeful. Armed with her darling daughter’s phrase, “Hunt The Good”, I returned home, washed my clothes and re-packed with a new perspective on Santa Fe. There, with ease and insight, I walked and talked with my wonderful momma, saw an Opera and splurged on new clothes that fit and jewelry that delighted. I was starting to feel like myself again. In the center of town, I found even more words to hold onto, thanks to a beautiful statue of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha that graced the St. Agassi’s Church. To reinforce what I was seeking to remember, I bought a small case of lavender lip salve in a bright and happy gallery. When I rub it on my lips, it serves as intention that all that passes through them be soft.
When I returned home, I had a few days left to myself and every morning, I walked my neighborhood. I was happy to be home and yet longed for more visits, with other friends and family that I knew I could not get to this summer. One morning, when I was particularly feeling the pull, I came across this posting on a neighbor’s fence. With the seasons and holidays, these clever folks change the clothes of the goose in their yard. I was reminded to notice this happy corner – and to “Hunt The Good” in my own backyard.
As I laid down last night with my daughter and heard her struggle to re-enter her own backyard after spending the last 3 weeks with bright, kind and fun kids she fit with, I was able to listen with an open heart and ease vs trying to fix what was starting to sound like regret for the present. I wasn’t entirely successful, as I do admit to tossing out some ideas to build on the joy she had just experienced, but I was also less scared and wanting to make it all better. She is resilient, insightful and filled with possibility. She doesn’t need my fixing. I need my own fixing. And we both need our own ease. Afterall, that’s what summer is for. And we still have a month to enjoy.
How do you MindFULLY deal with Re-Entry after being away? Let us know!
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