Rooftops of Paris

The rooftops of Paris are beautiful and emblematic - of the soaring reach the city makes, in all things. I dream of sleeping on a Parisian rooftop, nestled in a cozy bed amid a potted garden. Maybe you'll enjoy this video!

 

More of the same, with a few tweaks

 Yesterday: good. However this am I have a slightly itchy neck and eyes and some dry skin in both areas - an allergy. Going thru what I ate/drank/wore now, what a pain. Wait. What if cleaning got me all stirred up?? Good grief.  I was home all day, didn't try anything new. I did milk (foamed, in my coffee as a cleaning day treat), I cleaned. Very routine day.  However today some allergic inflammation. 

First Friday of Lent (not that I'm in it for anything but the food) so tonight's dinner is crunchy fish sandwiches on brioche, crinkle cut fries, broccoli and corn. I should do slaw, so scratch the broc and corn.  I am going to make an asian slaw with cabbage, yellow bell, green onion, carrot tossed in sesame oil, rice vinegar and some ginger (perhaps?).    I love a good fish fry but carryout is not a good look on that dish.

xo

Planning on how to think about my day

 Today I plan to clean. My house, some produce. It's cold and snowy, I have no errands and so....perfect.

Then I see on instagram - a huge house inventory sale at RBX. Dreamy. The photos a teaser. My kind of shopping.

But today I clean, curate and contain the treasures I already own and decline to accumulate more, respectfully. 

That's cool, right?

Among those items are a dozen roses that have been so gorgeous in the living room. I believe they are going to either the bedroom or the office today. A couple of pairs of leggings are biting the dust. There will be more change by day's end. 

Music, candles and movement and a cleaning plan. 

HMMM COOKBOOKS - just sayin'

 What is it that makes you want to read a cookbook? Even those without prose per se can be read, literally and  figuratively. But the ones wherein are shards of a life....become the story and the recipes, to me, just lists, amounts, foods not yet matched and married into something a bit different, maybe something so much more delicious than the parts

Cookbooks are by their nature different from most books when they are used. A roughed up old cookbook? Could be interesting.

hmmm 

I like a cookbook with some talking. The best cookbook names seem to be already taken. The I Hate to Cook Book comes to mind. I love that book. 

Clementine in the Kitchen - a good one. It may have slipped by you if your daughter  isn't a Clementine.  Historical fiction is a genre. Is historical cookbook also? If so, that's what this one is.

What do I have to offer? I am funny (shut up), some of my recipes are old and so am I....but I don't think my book is historical/humor in species.

It's family, home kitchen, basic yet not traditional, food we like to eat. With recipes that are precise enough to get you there. So what're my talking points for this cookbook based on that exciting synopsis?

We'll see..

Paris in Lakewood on a Tuesday

Pandemic wise I've been in a pretty good head space. But it's wintery cold, slightly damp today and this follows and proceeds more of the same weather so I'm consciously choosing my thoughts and deeds in an effort to stay calm and carry on. It's a decision. 

We have some shopping and a birthday to look forward to: we're hitting up Saucisson (saucissoncleveland.com) later this week for items for Jake's birthday dinner and the making of his famous Pink Meat Soup. Yesssss, this fabulous recipe will be included in my upcoming cookbook. We need chicken livers (pink meat) and they also carry an assortment of charcuterie that we're going to delve into. They are open 3 days a week and update their website weekly. One of the only excursions we're taking these days is grocery shopping so this is a necessity and a minor road trip as Slavic Village is an 11 mile drive. This female owned butcher shop looks very interesting - check out their website photo!

As far as today, it's already bone chilling, the damp making it so at 34 degrees. I plan to mostly stay in and do some work. My work requires me to go out a few times a week, otherwise I work from home. I will go to Lakewood and get my car washed and grab a nice loaf or a hot drink from Blackbird Bakery as a treat/break midday. 

I'm reading The Custom of the Country - impatiently getting to her life in Paris.

xo

La

Pandemic Self Care

I started a list of all the things I do for myself. This list is stuff I actually do at home, by myself. I love a full body massage with Sheena -she's a wonder, but in the time of coronavirus I have given that up. Grooming is part of self care in my opinion and neither grooming nor self care are optional. There is A LOT of stuff.....and I'm beginning to think that I should examine what I do, why I do it, if it is doing anything noticeable for me and if I should continue, ramp it up or stop it. Note that I don't do all of these things regularly - which is why I want to make some decisions and an action plan that works for me timewise and results-wise. 1)facial massage/lymphatic drainage massage 2)ear massage (part of above) 3)dry brushing 4)pedicure 5)nail care (for a natural nail look) 6)yoga toes 7)drinking warm water: with apple cider vinegar in the am and occasionally thru out the day. 8)amna - tool that releases fascia in the head and face 9)foam roller 10)facial exercises 11)nuface: current and light attachments 12)foot roller/foot massage 13)dermaroller 14)standing at my computer, not sitting also: just not being "on" the computer at all!!! 15)self reflexology 16)really warm, soaking bath 17)dermaplane/shave my face 18)posture awareness 19)refined eating (both food and the polite ingestion of it) 20)yoga and stretching 21)weights and walking workouts This is actually a wonderful list. I'm going to print it to a large index card so I can refer throughout the day. I like to make a card for am and pm routines. xo La