Cooking!

One of the most joyful parts of my day now is the time I spend mixing up various and sundry concoctions over the kitchen stovetop. I'm pretty much madly in love with this art of cooking and mixing up dishes and experimenting. And my dear husband has been so sweet--not only will he try all these concoctions, but he's just the most encouraging ever about the results!

Right now, there's a pot of butternut squash soup simmering and it's got sticks of cinnamon and balls of allspice, leftover from the wedding, and I grab a handful of brown sugar from the jar that graces my countertop with its chalk-scribbled "brown sugar xoxo!". And I just wish I could link you, my blog readers, to smells...because this one would deserve a link!

One of my favorite parts too, of staying home, has been being a one-car-family for now. It just exponentially multiplies the creativity that's necessary. We live about a mile from Wegmans (one of the best places ever!!) and I know that if I had a car I'd probably think of an excuse to dash there everyday. But now, I'm being forced -- and that is hardly the word for it -- to find creative ways to substitute....especially since I haven't fully stocked a pantry yet (it's getting there, but I keep thinking of more things that could be in there!)

Make no mistake -- anyone who says creativity might be squandered in the home is just plain wrong. The home seems, to me at least, the most beautifully gracious gift to my soul--a place for creativity to bud and blossom and flourish. There are simply so many areas just waiting to be filled with experiments and rejoicing and fun!