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Year Two: Day 4, St. Zita the Little Cook




In my "office", at the library.  :)
Back in my "office". I do love the library. So much!  I am on my usual computer.  It is a lovely, hot day.  And the A/C here is so refreshing on my sore feet!

Speaking of sore feet, I am doing something very brave today. I plan on going to the gym at the end of my teaching tonight. This is a risky adventure.  I might be too tired, hungry or cranky at the end of the day, but I am packing my gym bag with me. To instill a big dose of guilt, should I start making excuses not to make it to the gym.

Plus, hey, I can do a bit of cardio whilst watching the reality show that is Election 2016. Should be entertaining. It will at least make the time fly. Then I can go soak my tired toes in a hot tub!

I can do this!

I had a busy morning, mostly piano practice and setting up my summer teaching schedule.  Still quite sore. And battling allergies. I drank a bunch of water, tea and chewed some vitamin C tablets.  Felt almost human, but not energetic enough to race off to the gym before teaching.

I know we don't get much sun here in Portland, but it does drain me.

So I took it easy at home.  And had a nice leisurely lunch. Let me tell you, dude, those cabbage rolls I made in my crockpot yesterday were amazing! I had one for dinner last night, another for lunch today.

I had some leftover filling for the cabbage rolls, so I stuffed two green peppers and froze those for a future crockpot meal.  My daughter has a new job and is working many hours, so I told her I would be happy to take over the kitchen. I enjoy cooking, especially since we have this system!

Also, I can't help but feel like I am honoring my grandmother. My Grandma Annie, my mother's mother was from Czechoslovakia. She raised a family of four children on a farm in West, Texas during the depression with just her sister to help. She farmed, baked her own bread and kolaches, butchered her own chickens. Was up at the crack of dawn every morning filling the house with wonderful smells and taking care of her family.

I was always awe of her.  It somehow feels right to come back full circle to cooking for people I care about. It feels me with a deep inner peace.  Must be in my genes.  I was named after a saint, after all. "St. Zita the Little Cook" of Sicily (1218-1272). Apparently her feast day is April 27th - I just missed it! She was known for her baking. I don't think they were gluten free back then. But you can read about her here:

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=582

On that note, I am dusting off my halo and going to the gym!

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