Jersey Green

Yesterday was Saint Patty's Day and we didn't wear any green, but Shirlie made this terrific saag in the time it took me to brush my teeth. Her food blog is too serious to post un-photogenic food shots.


This is Shirlie's lovely family. We think the last time we saw each other was five years ago. Funny: the first time I met Shirlie's husband David was the first time they met--it was New Year's Eve and she was hanging out with me in NYC. The second time I met David, he proposed to her. The third time was their wedding. :) Then the pattern breaks because the next time I saw them their daughter had yet to be born. This is time five and here she is, the cutie pie:

She lives on the Jersey coast so we took a brisk walk along the shore line, you are going to be even more jealous once it gets warmer here, I am.

Shirlie and I made dinner loosely based off of this recipe
I totally busted the basil but somehow the final product was yummy and spicy and David scrubbed the pot, so I was spared most the consequences.

Today, I woke up too late for the morning latte ala David, but Shirlie just sat down with a spinach feta egg scramble she whipped together while I've been posting this. Later we're going into the city to see my friend Anna's mini furniture show.

Regarding my emotional health, my counselor said I'm doing "hard work"* facing some tough issues like shame, trusting that God really truly has a plan for me, translating the affection my dad has for me that he expresses to other people into what I crave which are words of affirmation. BLAH! It does feel good to cry. And do I really need to blog about all this? Well, friends, trying to be real. I'll figure out how much I want to share, and I can always edit.

*Isn't it great to feel affirmed in work when I haven't been gainfully employed in over two months?