Converted . . .

From a former vegetable hater to someone who takes great pleasure in cooking and eating vegetables. Do you think growing up with canned green beans and spinach made a difference?
From our trip to the Farmer’s Market this weekend:










And what did you find pleasurable today?

Getting Away

Two weeks ago I was hard-pressed to find many pleasures in daily life. I was stressed, hurried, not sleeping well, and generally cranky.
Then I went on vacation.
Not only did I go on vacation, but I went somewhere peaceful with a goal of spending part of my time doing fun things, and part of my time relaxing. I didn’t have internet access for most of the trip, and that turned out to be a blessing.
It’s so much easier to find pleasure in the smallest details when life is whittled down to the bare vacation essentials: a little shopping, some sightseeing, lots of naps and early morning sunrises, walks, time with my sweetie and our pup, and good food.

I wasn’t the only one, apparently, who found our cabin in the Ozarks relaxing. This little guy stretched out for a full 20-minute power nap in the middle of the afternoon:

Is it possible to overrate the benefits of a vacation? What a luxury to be able to slow down and notice the pleasures that are all around us.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

PS: See additional vacation photos on my other blog, Textile Traveler.

Story People

I just love Brian Andreas. He is an artist and storyteller who creates a line of work called “story people.” His work is charming, whimsical, child-like, and often profound. He combines words and drawings, and I just love them. One of my favorite Andreas writings is this:

I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep & there are no words for that.

We love that story so much that we bought an Andreas story people print of it:

The story still haunted me until I created a frame for the love-o’-my-life with that “story” inscribed on it and her picture in the center, because it says more about how I feel about her than my own words could.

Andreas has a created a lovely website that shows off his Story People art and products available for sale, but you can also send e-cards from the site, engage in discussions through a forum, and sign up for daily stories.

If you need a little whimsical profundity (Andreas proves that this is not an oxymoron), a small life lesson, or an artistic motivator, stop by and visit Brian Andreas at Story People.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

Strawberry Fields

We did manage to make it to Sweet Berry Farm this weekend, and we picked pounds and pounds of luscious strawberries!

The kids had fun picking strawberries; Izabel went for quantity over quality:

But Brandon ate more than ended up in his basket (once he was convinced that a little dirt never hurt anyone):

My son J.B. spent a lot of time finding only the most quality berries:

Everyone petted the horses and donkeys:

And oohed and aahed over the baby:

Mama Donkey fell in love with my lovely partner, especially after she fed her grass and strawberries:

After we got home, we used the last few ounces of our energy to make some strawberry preserves:

English muffins and strawberry preserves for dinner, then strawberry shortcake for dessert. Does it get any better than this?

And what did you find pleasurable today?

The Beauty of Food

I’ve been neglecting my blogs lately.

First there was the surgery, then the recovery (still ongoing, but going nicely, thank you), then general crankiness from quitting smoking (hurray for me, yes, but geez, how much fun can life be with no vices?). So maybe I’m not neglecting this one as much as having a hard time finding anything pleasurable in life right now.
But . . . I did run across this blog, and the photos are so beautiful they make even me—a confirmed vegetable hater—yearn for this lovely food: http://thaicookingwithjam.blogspot.com/

If the weather is nice, we’re going strawberry-picking tomorrow at Straw Berry Farm in Marble Falls. If we do, I think I’ll try the recipe for Strawberry Tapioca Pudding from the blog. Yummy!

Cool and Cozy Cotton

One of the problems with resolving to notice and enjoy more of life’s small pleasures is that it leaves less time for things like blogging.

I’ve been crocheting for almost 30 years, since I was pregnant with my daughter (wow, she’s almost 30!). I’ve only recently discovered, however, that I love cotton yarn. I made this discovery by accident; while shopping one day a few weeks before Christmas, I noticed some huge skeins of cotton yarn on sale for what seemed like a very reasonable price. I picked up a few of them, and crocheted this granny-square afghan for Christmas:

Not only was the cotton a dream to crochet with, I love the feel of the finished afghan.

So, I’ve developed a small obsession with cotton yarn. I’m not sure why I don’t buy enough to just make more cotton afghans. Instead, I buy little bits at a time, patiently explaining to myself that I don’t need more afghans, cotton or otherwise. Then I crochet small items that are even less practical and useful than afghans, such as

crocheted cotton cloths:

and flowers:

I tend to crochet more in the winter, so I’m hoping that over the next month or so my fascination with cotton yarn will wane, and that I’ll even have forgotten about by next winter. If not, I’ll be soliciting ideas from my virtual, online friends for ways to use cotton yarn.

In the meantime, I get a lot of pleasure out of the feel of this cool, cozy cotton.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

A Little Geekiness is a Pleasurable Thing

If it weren’t for all that mathematical equation stuff (and the fact that it helps to have an abnormally high IQ), I wouldn’t mind being a science geek. I think science is fascinating, and I’ve been blessed—or cursed, as the case may be—with an insatiable sense of curiosity about everything and anything.

So, I was thrilled when I discovered a show called “Radiolab.” It was by accident that I ran across this public radio treat from WNYC. During the holidays, my local public radio station replayed former broadcasts from Radiolab, and after hearing an episode that posited a theory connecting a feline parasite with Schizophrenia, I was hooked. Since then, I’ve spent many pleasurable and geeky hours listening to Radiolab podcasts, on subjects as varied as “animal minds,” lying, parasites (more fascinating than I ever could have imagined), laughter, blinking, and the placebo effect, just to name a few.

Here’s how Radio Lab describes itself:

Radiolab believes your ears are a portal to another world. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience. Big questions are investigated, tinkered with, and encouraged to grow. Bring your curiosity, and we'll feed it with possibility.

If you’ve ever felt the least bit geeky when it comes to science, or if you just have a curiosity about the world and how it works, check out Radiolab. You can listen to episodes on your computer, or download them to an IPod or other portable media player.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

Rainy Days . . .

A rainy day, Tazo Awake tea, a soft boucle-yarn crocheted shawl, and an Elizabeth Berg novel. Need I say more?

 

And what did you find pleasurable today?

 

Time Travel

Most of my pleasures over the weekend came from working on various projects (and even finishing one, posted on my other blog).

But I did take a short, virtual trip to some interesting sites. One of my Twitter acquaintances posted a link to this NPR article about a very creative soul who juxtaposes photos of “then” and “now.” Follow the links in the article through to the Flickr site, where more photos are posted; some of them are amazing!

I have an old photo of my home that we took when we moved in 9 years ago; I think I’ll try this and capture my own little slice of “time travel.”

And what did you find pleasurable today?

Afternoon De-Light

To make up for the calories in those rosemary-lemon cookies, I’m going to share another recipe with you: this is the most luscious, low-fat, low-calorie, low-cost frozen coffee drink you’ll find. It’s not my recipe; it comes from Hungry Girl, whose cookbooks I’ve been practically living out of since the new year started. In addition to her cookbooks, she has pages and pages of yummy recipes on her web site.

Some of you may not not be in the mood for frozen coffee, especially if you’re still grappling with the ice outside (here in Texas, we can pretty much use cold drinks year round). If that’s the case, just save this recipe for warmer weather. There’s nothing like it to get you through the afternoon, and Starbucks’ Vanilla Frappuccino has nothing on this one!

Not only does this drink taste amazing, but it has 100 calories and 1 gram of fat (and 7.5 grams of protein, and only 9 grams of sugar!).

Hungry Girl’s Vanillalicious Cafe Freeze:

5 oz. light vanilla soymilk
3 tsp. Fat Free French Vanilla Coffee-mate powder, dissolved in 1 oz. warm water
1 flat tsp. instant coffee
1 oz. sugar-free, calorie-free Vanilla Syrup (you can find this in some grocery stores; I get mine from Starbucks—a huge bottle is $7)
3 packets Splenda
1 cup ice, crushed or cubes
2 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip (or Cool Whip Free)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender, except for the Reddi-wip. Blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into a tall glass, and finish off with whipped topping.

Too good to believe!

And what did you find pleasurable today?

Confessions of a Love-Struck Reader

I mentioned that I love to bake. What I didn’t reveal was my deepest, most secret desire: to own a bakery and coffee shop. Just a small one; red brick walls, glossy wooden floors, lovely little cakes and tarts and pastries hugging each other in neat rows behind glass. Myself, wearing a white apron streaked with chocolate, flour in my hair and on my face, my hands covered with sticky layers of dough. And the smell of coffee and sugar and vanilla everywhere.

So you can imagine that my heart skipped a beat when I saw Confections of Closet Master Baker: A Memoir in the “New Books” section of my library. I was so enthralled that at first I didn’t even notice the Confections in the title, reading it as the traditional Confessions. How clever! I thought later, when I fell so in love with this book that I wanted to memorize everything about it.

I skipped all the traditional courting rituals that come with selecting a book that I’ll commit a precious block of my time to--reading the first paragraph, paging through to see whether the prose catches my eye, lingering over the book jacket description, flipping to the back pages to find the author’s bio—and instead popped it into my book bag without a second thought. I am so glad that I did.

Biting into Confections of Closet Master Baker is just as satisfying as the packaging promises. It’s well-written, it’s interesting and entertaining, and—be still my heart—it has recipes. It’s not a cookbook; it is a story about, as the blurb on the front of the book declares, “One Woman’s Sweet Journey from Unhappy Hollywood Executive to Contented Country Baker.”

I’ll admit to a moment of doubt early on when the author mentioned her famous-actor “sister.” It was only then that I even bothered to look at her name: Gesine Bullock-Prado. Oh. Well. Of course she opened a bakery and got a book published; she’s not a regular person after all. Later, after Gesine wooed me back by infusing every ounce of her story with the kind of joy that many of us feel when creating something we love, I was embarrassed that I had doubted her.

This is how much I love this book: I’m going to return the library’s copy and go directly to the bookstore to buy my own. Or two; I know I’ll run across a kindred baker-soul who will enjoy this book as much as I do. I feel like Gesine Bullock-Prado, the author of Confections of Closet Master Baker, has given me a gift, and I want to pass that gift along. It’s the same kind of desire that prompts me to create rich and luscious chocolate cakes and buttery coconut cookies and then feed them to people, just to watch their faces light up with pleasure.

When I get back from the bookstore, I’m going to read the book all over again. But this time, I’ll make a pot of coffee from freshly ground beans. I’ll set out a little plate of rosemary-lemon cookies, and the fancy creamer that usually collects dust in the cabinet. And I’ll savor all over again the pleasure that is this book.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

P.S.: In the spirit of Confections, here’s the recipe for Rosemary-Lemon Cookies:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg yolk, well beaten
1/2 t. vanilla
2 T. fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1-3/4 t. grated lemon rind
1/8 t. salt
Confectioner’s sugar

Cut butter into the flour with a pastry blender (or two knives, or a fork) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the egg yolk and the vanilla, then the rosemary, lemon rind, and salt and blend. Shape the dough into rolls on parchment or wax paper (I like small cookies, so I make the rolls about 1” in diameter) and wrap. Refrigerate for several hours (or, ideally, overnight).

Slice the rolls about 1/4” thick and place the slices on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Confectioner’s sugar (optional; the sugar makes the cookies a little sweeter, but creates a really lovely glaze on top).

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Pod People

Saturdays are especially special because of a wonderful radio show, Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me! on NPR. Wait Wait is an informative and humorous—sometimes hilarious—overview of the previous week’s news in the form of listener & celebrity-guest contests, with a very funny panel and a wonderful host commentator.

I used to miss the show frequently, since Saturday mornings we often find ourselves running errands, taking day trips to Salado, or just in general too busy to sit down for an hour and listen to radio. Then I discovered podcasts.

It’s astounding how technologically backward I can be, considering that I work as a technical writer and program manager for a high-tech company. I don’t know much about podcasts, but I do know this much: I had iTunes, which is what I use to listen to music on my computer. I had an iPod, which is what I use to listen to music everywhere else. One day I realized that I could download podcasts (chunks of audio, including various radio shows and broadcasts) onto iTunes, hook up my iPod to my computer, and move the podcasts over. Tada! Portable Wait Wait.

Now I listen to the show anywhere and anytime I want, but typically it’s when I’m doing sort of “mindless” work with my hands that still allows me to concentrate on something else—cleaning the studio, machine-quilting, etc. I chuckle along with the panel and the audience, and occasionally laugh out loud, which I know must look slightly deranged to anyone watching me at my machine, head down, cords dangling from my ears.
I don’t know enough about podcasts to explain how to get some of your own, but it should be easy enough to find out. Ask your friends; if you have kids, ask them. Google “podcasts.”

Other podcasts bring me please as well, but I’ll save them for another post. Right now, I have some earplugs waiting for me.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

Eye Confections

What are eye confections? Eye candy, but so much MORE!

I'm an amateur but enthusiastic baker. Not only do I love making and eating yummy baked goods, but a beautiful baked good is a joy to behold. I can't indulge as much as I would like to, of course, and I would think that perusing articles, photos, and illustrations of deliciously baked goodness would just set me up for cravings. Oddly enough, it almost always has the opposite effect of satisfying those sweet urges.

So I can't resist CakeSpy. CakeSpy is a conglomeration of all things confectionery, from recipes to bakery reviews to ideas for fun ways to play with your food. Some of those ideas are almost beyond comprehension; fried cupcakes, anyone?

If by chance my visit to CakeSpy does trigger an uncontrollable urge for something special,  I can always find a recipe on the site, like this one for Almond Tea Cake.

If you visit, be sure to check out artist Jessie Oleson's adorable illustrations.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

A Virtual Stroll through Salado

Salado is a lovely little town about 30 minutes north of us (so about half-way, give or take, between Austin and Temple, Tx). We like to make little day trips to Salado occasionally to pick up the little essentials of life: handmade glycerin and goat’s milk soaps from All Lathered Up, fabric from A Sewing Basket, and, on our latest trip, two hand-thrown pottery salsa bowls from Mud Pies Pottery (plus a piece of Sir Wiggleworth’s homemade fudge, which just happens to be in the same shop and is therefore impossible to avoid):


I love these little bowls, and I can’t wait to use them for some fabulous salsa at our next party.
It makes me sad to see that the economy has affected Salado so negatively; there are way too many “For Sale” and “For Lease” signs in this artsy little town, but one of my greatest pleasures is to stroll through and past the shops when the weather is fine. And there are great opportunities for capturing photos in Salado:




And what did you find pleasurable today?

The Birth of a Blog

I’m so happy you’re here!

This blog has been taking shape in my head for several weeks now, ever since I read Elizabeth Berg’s The Year of Pleasures. I really enjoyed the book, but it ended too quickly.

The idea of savoring pleasures, however, was firmly implanted, and I couldn’t shake the desire to pay more attention to the small pleasures of life, nor the desire to share them with others. Thus, I’m bringing forth A Year of Pleasures. One year of savoring and sharing pleasures is all I’m committing to right now, but maybe this little seedling will take root and become firmly implanted and inextricable from the garden of myself.

Now, the last thing I need is another blog. My life is frustratingly full and joyfully busy. But I find myself at odd moments of the day enjoying little things, and slowing down to savor those moments makes them all the more special. These are the moments I want to share with you, my virtual friends and blog readers. And please, share your own moments with the rest of us! Leave comments and let us know what you found pleasure in today.

Just so you know what to expect, I’ll be sharing whatever strikes my fancy at the moment—anything from books to web sites to blogs to recipes to products to ideas—and causes me to pause during the course of a day (or over several days, depending on time constraints) and savor the pleasure. I don’t have any financial ties or interest in any of the products or web sites I mention in blog postings, with one exception: if you click a link to a book on Amazon.com and then buy a book, I get paid a few cents. Typically, it adds up to enough to buy a gourmet cup of coffee and a scone about once a quarter. In return, I’ll share the experience with you here and also send you warm thoughts of gratitude.

To kick off this blog, I think it’s only right to introduce you to Elizabeth Berg and this blog’s namesake, The Year of Pleasures. I recently discovered Berg, and I can’t get enough of her. She is not a literary genius; her work would never be considered “high art” (or maybe even “art” at all). For me, her books are like comfort food, or that lovely morsel of dark chocolate you savor in the afternoon. Not necessarily nutritious, and definitely lacking fiber, but good for the soul and so carefully wrought that you feel the love the author has for words. Occasional passages in Berg’s novels are more poetry than prose, and I slow down, savor them, let them roll around in my head for a while.

The Year of Pleasures revolves around a recently-widowed woman who is living out the dream she shared with her late husband of leaving the big city and moving to a quiet little town in search of a rhythm different from what they had known. Berg’s novels often incorporate themes of death, but not in a depressing or melodramatic way: sad, yes; regretful, maybe. But the thing I love about her work (aside from the smart, occasionally funny, and often lyrical writing) is the way she opens up her characters so fully and invites us into their frail, petty, noble, beautiful humanness. We’re right there with Berg’s characters as they open their eyes and pay attention to the world around them—including the uncomfortable parts, like death, alongside the pleasurable parts.

You can read the first chapter of The Year of Pleasures online at Amazon.com. If it’s not your cup of tea, maybe you’ll find another book that will pull you into its pleasurable depths for a few moments.

And what did you find pleasurable today?