Week's End

By Friday, I am tired. TIRED. A full week of commuting, pretty intense work, pretty intense kids (2), and a great husband. If I can manage to do laundry, pay bills, contribute to dinner, and the like, it's a lucky strike extra.

I could leave this post at "I'm tired." However, I can't. The reason is simple: I've been blessed with a pretty terrific life. So to wrap up the week, here's what I'm grateful for (not exhaustive, but representative):

A warm, strong hug from my dear husband, my best friend
Snuggles and reading with my two beloved kids
A challenging job to engage my heart and mind
A ready supply of books to offer me both distraction and challenge
A home in what I consider to be paradise: Palo Alto, CA

I could go on . . . and I will. Posting what I'm grateful for will be a significant part of this month's posts.

The very act of writing down what I'm grateful for makes my spirit a bit lighter. More to come.

Halloween Pumpkins

I live with a master pumpkin carver. At least, it seems that I do. Trick or treat time brought families, known and unknown to us, in search of sweets. More often than not, kids and adults would stop to say "Wow! Great/cool/scary pumpkins!" I would explain that Mark created the magic.

Over the past two Halloweens, Mark has become a bit obsessed with pumpkin carving. This year, he purchased two fine Japanese saws to help in the effort. What can I say--they worked!

In some ways, pumpkins are an art form and one given to impermanence. As the fall rains began to fall last night, we gathed the pumpkins together under the eaves. Perhaps we can preserve them a few days longer for all of us to enjoy.

You may be asking, why a Halloween posting on November 2? It seems to be bad karma to light the pumpkins before the magical night.

November, the Writing Month

Okay, I'm trying to balance desire and reality here. I learned of NaNoWriMo in the past several weeks. NaNoWriMo is also known as National Novel Writing Month or "write a 50,000 word novel in a month." Part of me is actually up for the challenge. Another part . . . is seriously not. That second part is paralyzed with fear, actually. I seem to have no "big idea," let alone an outline.

There's another option: posting something every day for a National Blog Posting Month--NaBloPoMo. Daily posting, still an accomplishment for erratic me, seems achievable. As for the novel, well . . . we'll see.

Here's to NaBloPoMo. To day one. To new beginnings. I'm posting. Today, words. Tomorrow, photos. Everything is a journey.

Wishing you all the best on your own journey!

Time to Fall in Love Again

Ah, Fall. Here in Northern California, the air is crisper. The leaves will drop soon. There's a delicious chill in the mornings and evenings. Honestly, I can't wait for rain. I think I may be happiest with a blanket of grey clouds across the horizon. It's a kind of cushion for the soul that bright sun discourages. It's time for books, sweaters, blankets, and hearty food.

Farmer's markets are reflecting the shift in seasons; we're seeing more hearty greens, squashes and root vegetables and the end of the tomato season. Another month or so and Dungeness crabs will be at their peak.

I need to fall in love again . . . with the kitchen. Like every other foodie, I have the master plan for kitchen renovation at hand should Fortune smile this way. Still, I can't help feeling it's not about the equipment. I need to crack open those cookbooks gathering dust at the hand of the summer grill season. I look forward to immersing myself (figuratively and a somewhat literally) in soups, stews, and hearty, slow food. These books literally let me explore the world. Even more importantly, they let me express my spirit. I also want to involve my kids more in the kitchen this season, encouraging them to create, taste, and savor.

As the sun sinks ever earlier and the year turns, our hearth needs to grow brighter. It's a right and good balance.

As I Sit . . .

As I sit reading and writing, the giggles and squeaks of my two children waft to me from the family room.

Okay, we live in Northern California . . . it's the family space or zone. Room would be an overstatement.

Nevertheless, the sheer joy in those voices, individually, together as in melody and harmony, lift my spirit. Laughter is magical. They are magical. They make life sweet as honey. I love them beyond measure.

A Good Day

Today was a good day. Strong, hot coffee in the morning. Quiet time to read a book. Watching the kids at swimming lessons. Grocery shopping with the little ones. My daughter declaring "I could eat cheese morning, noon, and night!" Sharing sushi with my little guy. A playdate with very cool Moms (and kids) from Graham's room at Ohlone. Now, a glass of wine and time to reflect. Hubby returns from a week of travel late tonight. Tomorrow promises to be just as sweet. Life is good.

Happy Labor Day . . . and Welcome Fall

It's Labor Day. I am laboring. Six gigantic bags of outgrown kids clothes and shoes bundled up for Goodwill. It really is energizing to clean and, importantly, share. Hubby is doing various chores around the house. Kids are careening about but harmlessly enough. Three day weekends are grand.

Organization is this weekend's theme. Old clothing gets donated. The Master Calendar with all of the kids activities, school and otherwise, is updated. Healthy take-along lunch and snack foods have been identified and the proper gear purchased. Now if we can just get to filing the mountains of paper around here . . . .

Labor Day marks the coming of my favorite season--Fall. Palo Alto is glorious this time of year--warm days and cool, crisp nights. The leaves are starting to turn (somewhat) and will drop from trees, giving me as much of a signal as I need that fall is here.

I've lived by the academic calendar as far back as I can remember, becoming more energized with the cooler weather and the start of school. With both kids now sharing the routine, I feel the cycle of seasons even more deeply. Graham is into Week 2 of Kindergarten and loving it. Lauren has started pre-school at The Friends School and is adjusting well. She hasn't shed a tear. My babies are secure little beings and this will be a big year for both of them.

My personal challenge is to jumpstart my own learning: physically, emotionally and intellectually. I must--simply must--find a way to embrace physical fitness. I'm not getting any younger and I need to be in shape. This is a BIG challenge and this new phase of the year is a good time to face that head-on. I need to attend to emotional growth--for myself and my family. I am more often kind and generous with those around me than those closest to me. That balance needs to be redressed. I also need to keep learning. This is less an issue than a joy for me. I need to map out the classes, communities, and individual endeavors that will keep me learning and being creative this year.

At the start of a new season, it's all good. I'm ready for my favorite season and trying my best to live life to its fullest.

One Giant Step

Graham starts kindergarten tomorrow. A giant step indeed. Am I sad? Absolutely not. My little boy is about to embark on a journey of learning that will hopefully carry through his entire life. He's off to the Ohlone School, a Palo Alto school that focuses on progressive, whole child education. Admission is by lottery. We are truly fortunate.

My wish is that he learns how to learn and that he develops a profound curiosity for the world around him. He has a wonderful teacher, kind and engaging classmates. The school features mixed classes (Kindergarten/1st Grade), no grades but extensive teacher evaluations, self-directed learning (accelerating over the years), and minimal homework. This special place even has its own farm.

One giant step, indeed. Here's to you, Graham, and here's to learning. May the life of the mind find you young and stay with you. I'll be here to help any way I can.

Animal Style

We moved as a pack to In 'N Out Burger after doing store checks (marketing pays the mortgage, after all). I've been a fan of In 'n Out Burger since we moved to the Golden State but had no idea that a secret menu existed.

My colleagues took good care of me, introducing me to "Animal Style" burgers. I was intrigued, delighted, and included. The burger really is better with mustard, griddled onions and special sauce.

I've been all over the web searching for more. Yes, In 'N Out Burger has a more extensive menu. It's pretty staightforward--more meat, more cheese--after "Animal Style."

Nevertheless, it's fun to be an insider. Maybe I'll try the extra crispy fries next time . . . .

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day! Today marks a day of freedom, of resolve, and of vision for the nation. That's a reason to celebrate, certainly. On a much smaller scale, today marked the first Delman family bike ride, when all four us mounted bicycles and rode to Palo Verde, our neighborhood school, for chasing, climbing, and general mirth, and rode home again. It's been a quiet day. We're firing up the grills (yes, plural) for tonight's and tomorrow's meal . . . prime rib and bistro-style duck, respectively. The right to grill, to harness fire, is part of the American character.

Cookies

I don't really understand why, but I cannot stop thinking of one of my favorite (store-bought) cookies today: Leibniz Cookies. These cookies are a crisp, buttery shortbread topped with a slab of delicious dark, bittersweet chocolate. They are not overly sweet and are immensely satisfying. I also love the fact that the cookies bear the name of the great philosopher and founder of Calculus.

Banished

I love my children. I love the people they are right now. Yes, they fight. They also play delightfully together. It's all good. It seems like daily the kids say something that causes me to stop in my tracks. Lauren, age 3, announced that she was going to "banish Graham to the highest tower." It was well timed and perfectly delivered. Okay then, Ms. Lauren.

Monthly?

Oh my. It's almost as if I've forgotten I have a blog. I look at the recent posts and see they're MONTHLY. Not good blog commitment. Geesh.

Taking the writing class meant I was writing on paper, not the web. I also hit a rather intense patch of business travel. And, hey, life gets busy with a husband, two careers, two kids, two dogs, etc.

I realize I've been in the mode of taking in, versus reflecting out. I've been reading books and magazines voraciously, listening to audio books, reading blogs by the dozen. All those words and images going in, filling me up, seemingly endlessly. Now it seems time to reverse that trend.

I have been thinking about what this blog should be. I don't have a single theme but neither does my life. I do want to be posting images online. Of course, that requires picking up the camera--a good thing. It also challenges me to draw, something I've been reading about and want to put into action.

I struggle with getting these pages to do what I want, to look the way I want. I'd like to be posting more reviews of what I'm reading, have read, and have queued up. Getting the Amazon links is still a bit of a procedure. I struggle with how to get in-line links (and haven't won that battle yet). I sometimes look lustily at blogs from Typepad--they're more visual and seem to show links effortlessly.

Ah well, here's to re-engaging. Let's see where this road leads.

Sweet Sorrow

I just finished my last class in a series on food writing at Stanford University; it is a bittersweet day indeed. The title of the course is "Soup to Nuts," the professor is Jeanette Ferrary. For the last five weeks, I have thought hard, done research, and written essays. It has been terrific, a bit like stretching heretofore undiscovered muscles. Alas, all good things must end and today marked the end of the class. We celebrated with food and shared words (what else, for a class of food writers). I appreciate the feedback and inspiration from my colleagues. I have the utmost respect for the experience and insight of our instructor, Jeanette. Want a great read? Check out Jeanette Ferrary's Out of the Kitchen: Adventures of a Food Writer (her memoir) and M.F.K. Fisher and Me (her perspective on a special relationship with the legendary M.F.K. Fisher). For me, I expect more time at the keyboard. Trust me, that's a good thing.

Did I Miss Something?

I have been surfing around this morning exploring blogs linked from favorite sites. I came to the activity happy. I was surprised at the number of blogs I have found that are closing, ending, ceasing to be. Right now. This very day (or so). is there an anti-blog movement? Are people just tired? Are they out of words? I enjoy the glimpses into others' worlds: their thinking, their images, their expressions. I hope this connected space does not fade.

Checking In, Albeit Lightly

I'm feeling the need to comment on progress--both forward and not--with The Artist's Way.

What's working for me is reading the book and tackling at least two to three exercises each week. As I've said before, Cameron's tone often makes me feel like I should be coming from a wounded or at least denied place. I simply don't feel that. If I've been less than I could be creatively, it's more a case of benign neglect than anything else. I enjoy the exercises . . . especially imagined lives. I really am making progress taking steps to bring those imagined and desired lives into the present, step by step. I've taken the haiku workshop at Stanford. I'm registered for a class in food writing beginning April 4. Yes, it's out of my comfort zone. No, on the surface of it, I don't have the time. However, I need to do this. My wonderful husband is supportive. Hey, I have nothing to lose.

The Artist's Dates are a big win for me. Despite work, family, and a harried schedule, I have no trouble carving out time for the Artist's Dates. I love them. They give me real joy and a sense of space that carry me through the week. Planning those little escapes is pure magic.

I'm still struggling with morning pages. I've come to realize that journaling and free writing are immensely valuable. I need to keep at this. I'm not sure whether I'm resisting because there's a barrier there I don't want to deal with or whether I really just am crazed from a time perspective. I realize there is value in this daily writing and will find a way to do it.

At the moment, I can say the Artist's Way has truly propelled me to experiencing new things and new thoughts, staking out more time for myself, stretching my thinking about who I am and what I want to be, seeing the value in regular personal expression, and accumulating a variety of Moleskine journals.

Not bad. I'll call this a win. I'll also be looking to revisit parts of the the Artist's Way to deepen the experience and looking to the community for other worthwhile explorations.

The big next goal is to start drawing. More on that soon.

Sadly, Another One Bites the Dust

I just learned that one of my favorite book sellers, A Common Reader, is no more. They did business through their catalog and website. I could not have wished for a more articulate and interesting partner in finding new and interesting books. From "thumping good reads" to staff recommendations to challenging new work, A Common Reader was always smart, reliable, and right on target. They leave a void that I cannot imagine how I will fill.

It was only late last year that Keplers, a Menlo Park bookselling institution, declared bankruptcy. The good news for Keplers is that they were able to put together a group of angel investors and stage a comeback. I try to support them with my purchases at every turn. Understandably, their stock is more limited than before but still a good experience.

I hate that original, independent booksellers are increasingly being put out of business. Their idiosyncratic voices are valuable ones. I am truly saddened by the growing lack of these sages in the world of books.

Mama Says Om Theme: 20 Things

At Mama says Om this week, the theme is to list 20 things about yourself. I can do that. So here we are.

Note that the capitalization is meant to complement a staggered layout on the page that didn't quite translate to the Blogger environment. C'est la vie.

20 Things (in no particular order) . . .

I love BOOKS

I collect FOUNTAIN PENS, which I use, and JOURNALS, which I too often don’t

I enjoy the ritual of using INK FROM A BOTTLE

I love PHOTOGRAPHY—both MAKING pictures and LOOKING at others’ work

I am trying to learn to DRAW

I could not survive without AUDIO BOOKS, PODCASTS, and NPR

I FLIRT with technology

I adore my husband MARK and my two children, GRAHAM and LAUREN

I desperately want to RENOVATE MY HOUSE

I am INSPIRED by WORDS and want to write

I have LIVED in Decatur, IL, Chicago, IL, Brooklyn, NY, Seattle, WA,
Tokyo, Japan, Rochester, NY, and Palo Alto, CA.

I consider WINE a food group

I love to COOK and confess to being a foodie

I love things JAPANESE

I am promiscuous with TOOTHPASTE brands

I dislike being BAREFOOT

I enjoy my two big, lumbering LABS, Hamish and Isla

I think God intended BAGELS to be savory and MARTINIS to be made only with gin or vodka and vermouth, an olive or a twist of lemon

I love getting up EARLY in the morning and seeing the SUN rise

I sincerely try to do GOOD THINGS in this world

Checking In--The Artist's Way, Weeks Four and Five

I'm running behind in the AW. I'm okay with it. I have to be. I'll catch up and this is the week.

First, the good news. My Week Four Artist's Date was nothing short of terrific. Stanford offered a haiku workshop for an afternoon and I jumped at it. I found our instructor, Gary Gach, had a quiet but strong presence. He provided a good foundation for the mechanics and the beauty of haiku. Importantly, he was clear about not being bound by the form (e.g., 5-7-5 syllables) if something worked better--even if that something were a single line. Then we walked and wrote. We walked all of 100 feet into a grove of trees. I walked 100 feet or less and had a whole universe open up to me. I wrote a number of poems. We returned to class and Gary read our chosen poems, aloud. This was a first for me. This was stepping outside my comfort zone in a big way. I admit that it felt great.

The two poems I shared with the class are as follows:

Vinca majora
Five purple petals
Signal spring ahead

and, with Gary's advice and counsel,

Reaching across chasm
Of twinned redwood trees
The spider's web

I sincerely hope we have the chance to do another workshop. The afternoon was a pleasure. Whenever I feel the notebook in my pocket, my spirit soars. I will keep seeing and writing.

Week Five was simply lost to me. My father-in-law passed away. My focus has been on my husband, where it needs to be. I hug my children a bit more tightly and whisper "I love you" a bit more frequently. This is a new part of life's journey for us. This is a source of much reflection for me.

No Complaints

Today'sWeather.JPG
Originally uploaded by sharon_delman.

For the second day in a row, my flight from San Francisco to New York City has been cancelled. Completely cancelled. No chance to get out and get to work. I can enjoy this (see photo) or keep struggling to get to NYC and the 22+ inches of snow in Central Park (not that I wouldn't like to see that). Go ahead, twist my arm. I'm staying put. I'm getting to like this California thing.