Sunday, August 21, 2011

Missin' My Kitchen


I've been out of commission for almost a month now, due to an old back injury that's acted up. It's amazing how much physical pain can affect you psychologically; I just haven't been feeling like myself. Today, I decided I needed to pull myself out of the pity party. I went for a short walk and started a mental list of all the things I'm grateful for. The list was pretty long, and soon I was smiling. I realized that "life as I know it" isn't over. It's just on pause for a bit while my body heals.

This evening, I was looking through some old pictures and came across this one. It was taken back in November, a pre-Thanksgiving Day dinner at my home with some friends I used to work with. My immediate thought was, "damn, I miss my kitchen." I haven't cooked in almost a month now, and I miss it. I miss the slicing, the dicing, the planning, the cooking, the rummaging through the refrigerator trying to figure out what my latest creation will be. As these thoughts went through my mind, I felt a slight shift in perspective -from one of hopelessness to one of hopefulness. I look forward to being pain free again so I can wander my farmer's market on Sundays, a ritual I have come to look forward to every week. I'm inspired to get well soon so I can get back to doing what I love doing. It helps to look at the smile on my face in the picture and remember that joy.

So... here's to good friends, good food and good health. Salud!

Monday, August 8, 2011

I Heart Eric

"Life is a journey. Some people snap photos along the way. Others write stories. Some sketch. I cook. That’s the best way I know to experience what life has to offer at every turn..." -Chef Eric Rupert