Fig & Nectarine Granita and a Love Like This

Sometimes in life a moment strikes that sends ripples through our community and life. And when something hits with the force of a thousand tidal waves, we take stock of our place and the people that impact it. That's what happened recently. And it's happening still today.

When we found out that someone in this food blog community lost their loved one, spouse and best friend, we all banded together to do what we could to help. And then, after the lights were turned off, we took comfort in the love we're blessed to be surrounded by. Our family and spouses. That's what I did. I do.
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Happy Birthday Blog and a GIVEAWAY!

Just over a year ago a few things unfolded. We moved into a new house, in a new city. Although just a short drive away, my old connections slowly disappeared. Vanished. Gone. We settled in to a new life, a new together. And we carried on. Everything stayed the same. Well, almost.

It wasn't long after we moved in that my wife and I had a conversation. She knew I wasn't writing with the regularity seen previously. I was cooking with reckless abandon in our new kitchen and my passion there had been reignited but my writing had altogether stopped. Died. She had recently started a blog and suggested I do the same. And so I did.

That was one year ago today. The 22nd of August.

It's been an amazing process. Looking back, I sometimes wonder how I even made it this far, even though this far isn't that far at all. One year ago stats and accomplishments didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was finding an outlet to write. And cook. And thankfully, at the end of the day, that stays true today.
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Saturday Soup and Big Chewy Cookies

It's been a blur of activity these last few weeks. Each day has collapsed into the next one in a steady flow of chaos and confusion and life. Between work and this blog and photography with my wife it seems that I can't catch up. And sometimes, I like it that way. The two of us. Living life.

As much as I love being busy, I do miss the down time that comes with a lack of promises and commitments and allows me the chance to fall back into life at home with my wife, sharing food and conversation. Only her and I, with nothing on the horizon, nothing planned.
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Berry Trifle and Summer's Curtain Call

I've watched summer unfold in front of my eyes and have witnessed sunsets that paint the sky with hope and I continue to romanticize about the last long hours of August as the sun retreats sooner and sooner each night. It has been an incredible summer. Long hot days, family memories, celebrations and a fistful of forget-me-not moments with my wife.

It isn't over yet but I can see small changes as each new day starts with a soft light dew on the ground and ends with a mellow lemon-coloured sun collapsing half an hour before it's mid-July peak. There are still more moments in store, but looking back and looking ahead I'm left with thoughts of a life renewed. A love renewed.

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A moment to remember

I've started this post so many times that I lost count. I've turned the television on and off. I've repeatedly checked my watch, as if I was responsible for some incredibly important moment. I've done everything. Almost.

I have not written this post.

When I hear about stories of loved ones losing loved ones, I'm shook. But because life is frantic and carries on, I carry on with it. I try.
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Happy Birthday Baby and Baked Peaches with Thyme, Yogurt & Honey

It could have all been so different. All of it. One day turned into a year which turned into a decade and before I knew it a lifetime of possibility was slipping through my fingers. I used to lie awake at night with my eyes softly closed while dreaming of a dream that played on repeat in my mind. Would it. Could it. Every day, the same ending. I was alone.

I met W nearly four years ago. On a whim. Chance. The romantic in me likes to believe it was destiny. Yet destiny wasn't kind up until that point so I try not to pin a word on it. After talking for days we set up a time. And just as it was about to appear, the winds of destiny blew it out of my grasp. Here we go again.

Everyone before her had ended in just me. After that first cancelled date I figured it wasn't going to be. But then the first date appeared. And she appeared. We spent the entire night sharing stories and food and wine and it felt like this was it. It was different. Felt different. Was different.
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Smashed Grape Cocktail and a Drive To Nowhere

I can't say I've ever had a thing for them. I know I haven't waxed eloquently about the beautiful chartreuse colour or flesh of a grape, pefectly ripe and sweet and delicous. Not once. I don't recall a moment when I romanticized a bowl of green or red grapes or envisioned myself strolling the market grounds noshing on the little clusters right off the woody vine. Ever.

I can't tell you why either. It is what it is. They're inferior to a rash of other fruits, certainly not in the class of mangoes or passion fruit or berries. I usually pass on by them when I shop, and the rare times I do pick up a small bunch, it often sits in the same spot in the fridge. Alone. Untouched.

It's been this way for years. Eons. And as such I've yet to have the urge to make something with them. Aside from the oh-so-typical jam. Meeting with friends and saying, "Look how lovely this grape tart is!" It's doesn't sound right, yes? No.

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Long Weekends and a Simple Breakfast Sandwich

All of last week was spent counting down the days until the weekend. That regular two day stuff is so passé. Long hard hours at work to be rewarded with a two day pass? No thanks. So last week I paid particular attention to the calendar as days fell off one by one all around me.

We have this thing on Fridays. I call my wife from up the road to tell her I'm close. Really close. I turn into the driveway happy to be home and walk inside where she greets me. I remove my shoes and she puts them in the back spot of the closet, not needed for a few days. And we both smile.

It's been a busy weekend and it's not even over. That's what I love about long weekends, it lets you fall back into every day knowing there's a cushion all around it. There's no guilt if you sleep in, no need to rush around frantically and stressfully and there's rarely a concrete timetable. Rarely. This weekend has been a bit different. A bit of both.
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