My long weekend started off great. Mel invited me and Shari over for dinner. She cooked us a delicious vegan udon and tofu dish and a lovely salad. We sat out on Mel and Matt’s porch under the wonderfully warm evening and had fantastic conversation until I started yawning a bit too much and needed to go home to sleep. It was wonderful not having to cook dinner AND getting to hang out with my friends. Oftentimes when we hang out, it’s in larger groups, so having smaller groups is good.
Saturday morning started off with my beloved french toast sticks and Just Egg. Combine that with Shari joining me and it was a pretty perfect breakfast and morning. In the early afternoon I headed over to my cousin Amanda’s house for a bbq lunch and party celebrating her son graduating high school. I got to see my family again and one of my aunts (Amanda’s mom) flew in for the occasion as well so it was great seeing her too. But with that many people in one space for four hours you know I was tired when I got home. I read a bit and made myself some spaghetti for dinner (possible Food Friday post?) and just relaxed.
Sunday morning my friend, Robyn, picked me up and took me and one of her other friends to Cherry Creek Reservoir where we walked around and chatted. I liked getting to meet a new person and I always appreciate a chance to walk and get some fresh air. It was a really pleasant morning. I ran some errands after that so I could bake cookies for my dinner with Carolyn that night and so I could split and repot the spider plant I bought in September 2019 with my friend, Lydia. Way back then it was fairly small, almost three years later and its roots were growing through the pot. It was time. I’ve never done anything quite like that before with plants but it’s been over 24 hours and they both seem to be alive still so I’m pleased. One will go with Shari and one will stay with me.
That evening, after baking some chocolate chip cookies, I went over to my friend Carolyn’s house to have dinner with her and hang out. It was just me and her and we had a really fun time. She showed me the many cool and fantastical items she has in her home (like carnival glass, tiny glass shell salt holders, and a yearbook from the year her mother in law graduated) and talked to me about her backyard dreams. She invited me to make homemade pickled relish with her this summer so you know I said “heck yes”. I love relish on my hotdogs, I love cooking, and I love learning new skills. This is right up my alley. So I had a nice time with her and enjoyed yet another meal I didn’t have to make!
Today was a more relaxing and loosey goosey day, which, generally I’m not fond of but I tried to embrace it today. I finished reading a book and I attempted to paint more of my Howl’s Moving Castle piece I am determined to work on. While I don’t love the progress I made (I went from an all blue canvas to a general shape of the castle with clouds, mountains, and grass), I didn’t trash it. I’ll let it sit in my notebook and when I feel ready to come back to it I’ll see what details and changes I can make to transform it into something I like. I’m still proud of giving it a go and I enjoy painting so it’s not lost time at the very least. Today I also made “beef” stew for the first time since going vegan. I got some Gardein beef cubes and vegan beef granules and off I went. It’s not the same as real beef stew, sadly. I probably should have known that going in but my heart said, “You can make it taste just the same!”. The beef cubes don’t have the right texture and the taste is slightly off. Elisabeth pointed out it’s because it’s not made with real beef and beef drippings and beef fat and I think she’s right. But as she also said, it’s a good first try for a vegan recipe so I have hope that I’ll keep working at it and perfect it one day. If anyone has tips, send them my way. I also need to figure out how to make my cornbread stay together better. I’ll get there.
So Shari, Elisabeth, and I ate soup together and watched the last episode of Moon Knight, Marvel’s latest tv show. Shari came over to my place after where we started the puzzle my parents had brought to our Florida trip. I hadn’t done much of the puzzle then because Kaitlin was a puzzle wizard and completed most of it without me around so I wanted to give it a go again. I finished it after Shari left to go to her boxing class and now I shall continue to relax the rest of the evening. I should take three day weekends more often, they’re just lovely. I hope everyone had as good and relaxing a weekend as I did.
Just Lauren 