What's That You Say, Mrs. Robinson?

The Art and The Joy

Although it has been brewing for quite a while, I have recently felt a resurgence for wanting to do more cooking. Not just the regular stuff. New stuff. Trying new recipes and techniques and actually picking up some skills is what is really appealing to me right now.

It is highly likely that this cooking bug has been fueled by my recent trip to Italy and France. The food in both places was TO DIE FOR and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I also feel the need to get into the classics rather than just looking for fun recipes on-line the way I usually do. There is something about working from a good cookbook that just feels right.

I have a copy of The Joy of Cooking written by Irma Rombauer (her family also makes my favorite chardonnay). Actually, I have two copies. One that my Mom gave me in 2006 (the 75th anniversary edition) and the copy she got when she was married back in 1970. Sadly, I must admit that other than looking to it for a few basic technique questions, I haven't used either much. Today, however, I can't pull myself away from it as I'm discovering all of the treasures inside. From 'Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew' to 'Skillet Corn Bread' to 'Spicy Chinese Slaw', there seems to be an endless suply of delicious things to work on.

What I don't yet have is the quintisential Mastering the Art of French Cooking by the immortal Julia Child. Have no fear, I bought a copy yesterday on eBay that was printed in 1967 which is also the year I was born. I should have it in my hot little hands in the coming week. I wanted a used copy instead of a new one. I think, perhaps, they have more soul.

I aspire to get straight to work on that one by attempting the crown jewel, boeuf bourguignon. Julia's boef bourguignon. Yes, I saw the movie. Several times. J'adore. I figure, why not? If I can do that, I can do a lot of things. I will NOT however be trying an aspic or boiling lobster any time soon. I wouldn't want to eat either once cooked, so why waste my time? I'm sure there are plenty of other treats between the covers.

And yes, this indulgence is enabled in large part by my continued sabbatical. It's October 9th and I'm still taking time off.

Bon appétit!

Sabbatical - Day 25 - The fog is clearing

I'm not counting weekend days, by the way. I know it's a little confusing, but that's how I see it.

 

It's been five weeks since my last day of work. This week has been the first week that I have felt even a little "normal." The first four weeks felt more like a time for watching and waiting. Watching what and waiting for what, I'm not sure. But that's what it was.

I did get some things accomplished in those weeks. I've lost some weight and, more importantly, gotten stronger and healthier by making a good workout the focus of each day and by taking the time and energy necessary to build other good habits like eating healthier. I have also spent some great time with Dan, took a couple of road trips to see dear friends and my Mom and to see my youngest son play a gig up near Lake Tahoe. Dan arranged for us to see a mid-week, mid-day ballgame at AT&T which was one of the decadent activities I identified early on as a must-do. I have also spent time with several dear friends at dinners, lunches, happy hours, and ballgames. Yes, I'm blessed.

The whole process is fascinating to me and I find myself not only experiencing it first hand, but also having a sort of out-of-body experience with it. I'm an objective observer of my own journey. As I continue to read "Finding Your Own North Star" by Martha Beck, I can't help thinking that there really is something to this that I need to explore further. 

The process of looking within and evaluating what you are really meant to do with your life is so profound and basic and energizing and exhausting and valuable and undervalued.....From an HR perspective I find myself thinking about how great it would be if we could, as employers, give everyone at our companies a couple of days a year (at the very least, once a quarter would be better) off of the regular work schedule to have focused time to be introspective and ask some of these difficult questions. Time to be strategic about our lives. Time to stop and breath and re-focus. How much more engaged would our employees be? 

Sure, some of them might ultimately decide that what they are currently doing isn't what they were really meant to be doing, but better to find that out and deal with it than to have an employee work for several years only partially engaged. Could I make a living at helping people and companies along these journies? 

Is it a career coach or a life coach? Is it in-house or as a consulting practice? How to I gain the expertise needed to do this? Education? Experience? Where do I begin?

I've already begun, really, by taking my own journey and learning first hand the power of the process. Could this be the thing I was meant to do? I need to try it on and see.

Sabbatical Day 17 - It's Not Time Yet

What an interesting journey this is.

I've spent the last couple of weeks kind of going with the flow. The only constant in my routine has been going to the gym in the morning and working my buns off. Beyond that, each day is filled with some combination of the following:

• Being creative (painting, writing, crafting etc.)
• Running errands
• Reading (finishing up "Finding Your Own North Star")
• Going to Darren's gigs
• Spending time with family and friends

The last week or so, I've felt myself in kind of a fog. I haven't had the energy to jump into anything major, physically or mentally. I know now that this has been a liminal period ("limin" is Latin meaning threshold....between identities, not one thing or the other) and is often marked with feelings of disorientation.

I have let myself just experience these feelings without forcing myself to try to "snap out of it." This is my down time, my time to just be and to remember how to breath again. A friend of mine who also took some time off from working told me that it took him about a month to break out of the fog. After a month, his girlfriend even noticed "hey, you got your brain back!"

This makes total sense to me now. I get it. This is week 4 of my time off and I am just beginning to feel like I will soon get to the point where I can formulate a complete thought and be able to make plans and, heaven forbid, put them into action.

But now is not the time for action. Not quite yet. Now is the time for reflection and nurturing and learning. I am attempting to keep myself open to possibilities without actually committing to any of them. The opportunities and possibilities are there. I'm just not ready yet.

Sabbatical - Day 2 - Now what?

HA! I have so many things on my list titled, "what I want to do with my time off" that I should never have to ask this question. But because I don't HAVE to do anything, it does feel a little bit like I don't know what to do.

For starters, it's off to the gym again this morning. I had a GREAT workout yesterday as evidenced by my sore core and shoulders which I worked quite extensively after spending 45 min. on the treadmill. And, as suspected, I had MUCH more energy at 10am than I have had at 4:30pm for hitting the gym. 

I did some paiting yesterday and will do some more today as I'm having great fun with that. I'll also do some writing which I promised myself I would do a bit of everyday and some days a LOT of. If today isn't as windy as it was yesterday, I 'll also try my hand at spraypainting a chair that I got after a friend's move. There is a beautiful can of purple spray paint in my closet just dying to get out.

Let's run down yesterday's activities:

7am - wake up
7:30 - get up, make coffee, write a blog post, putz around on-line
10am - Off to the gym, 1.25 hours of workout, then to Jamba Juice for an apples and greens smoothie with a whey protein boost
Noon - Home, putzing
12:45 - In my "office" for art work
3pm - Clean the kitchen
4pm - More art
5pm - Full house, everyone is home - hang out with the family
6pm - Dinner, tri-tip
8pm - More art 
10:30pm - Bed 

Sabbatical - Day 1 - A Room of One's Own

I started setting up my home office yesterday and got it at least to the point where I could wake up this morning and enjoy it. This photo is the view from my chair. It may not be seaside or a fantastic library or an inspirational art loft, but it is my own and I love it.

Virginia Woolf was right, a woman (and a man, I think) does need a room of one's own. Some place that exists for the sole reason of welcoming you and inviting you to do whatever it is you need to do in that moment. Read, write, sleep, dance, or just be still. 

I will be nurturing this space, and therefore myself over the coming days, weeks, and months. I think we have some wonderful times ahead, this space and I.