You know what the worst part about losing one's sense of smell is? Not being able to smell one's own baking, that's what!
But I'm not too bummed. I am re-inspired to work on my health, especially my diet. Today is my son-in-law's birthday. As I pondered what to get him, I remembered he loved the grain free bagels I made last summer. He has a pretty severe reaction to gluten, and I am fairly sensitive too.
Now that I am settling in to family life, I have more time to bake!
So today, in honor of his birthday, and my return to dietary discipline, I baked a half dozen grain free bagels and a sheet of lemon bars!
I only wish I could smell the lovely aromas from the kitchen.
My daughter said it smelled wonderful, like lemons when they got home.
I may find the answer to my loss of smell this week. I have an appointment to see an ENT this Thursday.
This is medical appointment week. The music center is closed. And I start watching Baby Gracie the first week in September on a more regular basis, mostly in the mornings. So I'm committed to getting in top shape in preparation. That little girl crawls like Speed Racer!
I do notice that I am much better spirits today. First of all, the weather is much cooler. And it rained this afternoon - hallelujah!
I also had a wonderful experience playing the piano as a sub for a little Presbyterian church. My postlude, "I Must Tell Jesus", was particularly moving. Goofball that I am, I could feel tears well up as I played - at my OWN playing!
But I wasn't the only one. After the service, one of the retired pastors from that church came up and told me he particularly enjoyed my postlude.
"It was uplifting and filled with the Spirit", he smiled as he shook my hand. I floated out of church. I love when people can feel what I feel when I play the piano.
After church, I had a nice lunch at one of my favorite Portland restaurants: HoHo.
I had Happy Family and hot and sour soup. Their lunch special can't be beat and I think their hot and sour soup is the best in town! It was while I was at lunch that I had the epiphany about baking again. I was looking up recipes on my kindle. I planned on making grain free bagels when I got home that evening. I was jotting down a list and reading recipes. Then it dawned on me that it was my son-in-law's birthday. I thought about making him some gluten free muffins. But did my daughter have a muffin tin?
I called her up while still looking at the recipes.
She answer on the second ring.
Without thinking, I blurted out, "Do you have a muffin tin?"
She started laughing. "I thought you said, 'Do you know the muffin man?"
"The muffin man?" I asked.
"The muffin man!" She said. She was laughing so hard she snorted.
"The one who lives on Drury Lane?" I replied. Suddenly I got the giggles. People at the other tables were looking at me oddly. I couldn't stop laughing. I tried to tell her I wanted to make muffins for her husband, but we just kept laughing.
Soon tears were rolling down my face. I told her people were looking at me.
"I'll call you back", I said between snorts.
The server, who has known me for years came racing over and hugged me.
"Are you ok?" she whispered.
I was so embarrassed. "Yes", I said. "My daughter said something funny. I am laughing. I cry when I laugh".
I noticed several people smiling. I packed up, paid and left in a hurry. But the server came running after me.
"You forgot this Miss!", she hollered after me. She was holding my Kindle.
I thanked her and strode off the bus stop. I was still laughing.
After my hilarious lunch, I set off to teach a piano student. She is a sweet older lady I met in a choir I accompany. I went to her home. We had a wonderful session. She played for me. I shared with her my centering exercise for being in the moment with music.
As I was leaving she told me that she and her husband would be out of town next week. They were attending their nephew's wedding. She confided in me that he had spent much of his young adult years addicted to drugs. She told me he finally got clean, in his early 30's with the help of the Greek Orthodox Church.
I didn't ask how that happened, but told her the family must be relieved. She said they were.
"He has always been such a sweet boy. Just so very lost", she said.
At which point I told her about my son. She nodded. "I hope he finds himself", she said sweetly.
"I do too", I said with a smile.
It felt so good to talk to a kindred soul about this. Addiction is such a scary, dark world. And one can feel so alone. And helpless.
But I am feeling hope, after my last meeting with my son. And after the phone call that came later this afternoon. I had just picked up the ingredients for my grain free bagels (almond meal, mozzarella cheese and cream cheese) and heading home, when my phone rang.
It was my son's girlfriend. My heart froze as it usually does. I would like to say I'm an optimist, but when it comes to him, I often expect the worst.
She told me she was with her dad and she was trying to come up with a word.
"I figured you were the best one to ask", she laughed.
"Sure!" I said in relief.
She asked me what was the word that started with a "s" that meant spending time alone with God.
"Solitude!" I exclaimed. "It's one of my favorite words. I'm not anti-social, but I find I require much solitude, especially to spend time with God!"
"That's it!" She said happily.
"I was actually thinking about asking you and my son to go to the Grotto sometime", I said. "It's a wonderful place to connect to God".
"That's weird", she said. "My dad just mentioned the Grotto".
I smiled and told her we should all have lunch later this week. I told her I missed them.
"We miss you too", she said.
I hung up. I felt a rush of warmth and peace flood my entire body.
"Thank you, God" I whispered.
I am now safe at home. Grace is crawling around on the floor. We each had a bagel. Gracie loves my bagels!
The lemon bars are cooling in the fridge.
Tomorrow I go for a CPAP orientation class. I should be able to bring my machine home and use it tomorrow night!
Life today is very good.
And tomorrow I hope to begin hooping again!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Love,
Zita
But I'm not too bummed. I am re-inspired to work on my health, especially my diet. Today is my son-in-law's birthday. As I pondered what to get him, I remembered he loved the grain free bagels I made last summer. He has a pretty severe reaction to gluten, and I am fairly sensitive too.
Now that I am settling in to family life, I have more time to bake!
So today, in honor of his birthday, and my return to dietary discipline, I baked a half dozen grain free bagels and a sheet of lemon bars!
I only wish I could smell the lovely aromas from the kitchen.
My daughter said it smelled wonderful, like lemons when they got home.
I may find the answer to my loss of smell this week. I have an appointment to see an ENT this Thursday.
This is medical appointment week. The music center is closed. And I start watching Baby Gracie the first week in September on a more regular basis, mostly in the mornings. So I'm committed to getting in top shape in preparation. That little girl crawls like Speed Racer!
I do notice that I am much better spirits today. First of all, the weather is much cooler. And it rained this afternoon - hallelujah!
I also had a wonderful experience playing the piano as a sub for a little Presbyterian church. My postlude, "I Must Tell Jesus", was particularly moving. Goofball that I am, I could feel tears well up as I played - at my OWN playing!
But I wasn't the only one. After the service, one of the retired pastors from that church came up and told me he particularly enjoyed my postlude.
"It was uplifting and filled with the Spirit", he smiled as he shook my hand. I floated out of church. I love when people can feel what I feel when I play the piano.
After church, I had a nice lunch at one of my favorite Portland restaurants: HoHo.
I had Happy Family and hot and sour soup. Their lunch special can't be beat and I think their hot and sour soup is the best in town! It was while I was at lunch that I had the epiphany about baking again. I was looking up recipes on my kindle. I planned on making grain free bagels when I got home that evening. I was jotting down a list and reading recipes. Then it dawned on me that it was my son-in-law's birthday. I thought about making him some gluten free muffins. But did my daughter have a muffin tin?
I called her up while still looking at the recipes.
She answer on the second ring.
Without thinking, I blurted out, "Do you have a muffin tin?"
She started laughing. "I thought you said, 'Do you know the muffin man?"
"The muffin man?" I asked.
"The muffin man!" She said. She was laughing so hard she snorted.
"The one who lives on Drury Lane?" I replied. Suddenly I got the giggles. People at the other tables were looking at me oddly. I couldn't stop laughing. I tried to tell her I wanted to make muffins for her husband, but we just kept laughing.
Soon tears were rolling down my face. I told her people were looking at me.
"I'll call you back", I said between snorts.
The server, who has known me for years came racing over and hugged me.
"Are you ok?" she whispered.
I was so embarrassed. "Yes", I said. "My daughter said something funny. I am laughing. I cry when I laugh".
I noticed several people smiling. I packed up, paid and left in a hurry. But the server came running after me.
"You forgot this Miss!", she hollered after me. She was holding my Kindle.
I thanked her and strode off the bus stop. I was still laughing.
After my hilarious lunch, I set off to teach a piano student. She is a sweet older lady I met in a choir I accompany. I went to her home. We had a wonderful session. She played for me. I shared with her my centering exercise for being in the moment with music.
As I was leaving she told me that she and her husband would be out of town next week. They were attending their nephew's wedding. She confided in me that he had spent much of his young adult years addicted to drugs. She told me he finally got clean, in his early 30's with the help of the Greek Orthodox Church.
I didn't ask how that happened, but told her the family must be relieved. She said they were.
"He has always been such a sweet boy. Just so very lost", she said.
At which point I told her about my son. She nodded. "I hope he finds himself", she said sweetly.
"I do too", I said with a smile.
It felt so good to talk to a kindred soul about this. Addiction is such a scary, dark world. And one can feel so alone. And helpless.
But I am feeling hope, after my last meeting with my son. And after the phone call that came later this afternoon. I had just picked up the ingredients for my grain free bagels (almond meal, mozzarella cheese and cream cheese) and heading home, when my phone rang.
It was my son's girlfriend. My heart froze as it usually does. I would like to say I'm an optimist, but when it comes to him, I often expect the worst.
She told me she was with her dad and she was trying to come up with a word.
"I figured you were the best one to ask", she laughed.
"Sure!" I said in relief.
She asked me what was the word that started with a "s" that meant spending time alone with God.
"Solitude!" I exclaimed. "It's one of my favorite words. I'm not anti-social, but I find I require much solitude, especially to spend time with God!"
"That's it!" She said happily.
"I was actually thinking about asking you and my son to go to the Grotto sometime", I said. "It's a wonderful place to connect to God".
"That's weird", she said. "My dad just mentioned the Grotto".
I smiled and told her we should all have lunch later this week. I told her I missed them.
"We miss you too", she said.
I hung up. I felt a rush of warmth and peace flood my entire body.
"Thank you, God" I whispered.
I am now safe at home. Grace is crawling around on the floor. We each had a bagel. Gracie loves my bagels!
The lemon bars are cooling in the fridge.
Tomorrow I go for a CPAP orientation class. I should be able to bring my machine home and use it tomorrow night!
Life today is very good.
And tomorrow I hope to begin hooping again!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Love,
Zita
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