Lazy Sunday Afternoon...

It's not always easy to relax in this city. It is huge, and constantly on the move most of the time. Sunday mornings, before noon, are a pleasant exception. If you can get out before people are up for coffee, brunch, and/or shopping you are set. There is the ability to move around the city with the minimum of hassle. It's bliss.

The ability to foster and cultivate a routine that includes time to go about a few errands quietly and with some detachment is a gift I realize since my return from New Zealand is one I want for myself. The most wonderful part of being there is that it is so relaxed compared to life here.

Today was a first attempt in a while, which I believe - thus far - has been a success. I woke up at about 10:00 AM, finding myself sprawled across the full expanse of the bed. I lay for a few minutes relishing the spread of my body, and then rose with an anticipatory joy for the day ahead. I showered and elected not to shave. I also elected to forgo underarm deodorant, and to wear my most relaxed pair of jeans and a comfy pair of jandles. Then off I set out for the farmers market, shopping tote tucked under my arm.

The local farmers market takes place in a barriered section of Melrose place, off La Cienega. When I first started coming here some years back it was solely fruit, veggies, and flowers. It has now blossomed to include a very good bakery, a purveyor of olive oil, a great hummus and cheese guy, and then an assortment of moderately out-of-place stalls selling jewelery, up-market clothing and a host of "chotchkies" (read "crap").

I try to do my first loop and survey the stalls - where is the apple lady I like, and the young Asian girl with the round face who always smiles sweetly asking me how I'm doing this week. Scanning for the in-season fruit to take home for work/school lunches, etc. I'll make stops and get the things I know we need, before making a second loop to any treats.

Today I bought an emerald bunch of baby bok-choi, a bag of apples, a bag of red, yellow and green peppers, two plump pink grapefruit, and a bag of small rectangular ciabatta. Two plump knobs of ginger, a bulb of jicama, and a tub of cubed salty feta. They will all make for excellent lunches this week.

After making my rounds of the white-tented stalls I strolled back home making a particular effort to do so with curved relaxed shoulders, and a tall flexible erect spine, as the jandles flip-flopped their clip-clop on the pavement.

Once home I carefully unpacked the produce and with equal care placed them in the fridge, before preparing a pot of spicy warm lentils with an "oaky" sauce base I made with liberal amounts of whatever looked good in the kitchen. Some mango chutney, a dollop of red mole, garlic, coriander pods and leaves, cherry tomatoes, and a slow tentative simmer.

I also stole myself down to the pottery gallery to check out the sale, which featured pieces by both of my teachers - Carol and Carlos. I had some of my own pieces which I had left to be glazed before my trip home some two months ago, which I was able to pick up and bring home. I'm very pleased with them. I'll upload photos when I get myself to the drug store and download the chip. But the glazes are subtle like I hoped, and the finished pieces have kept in line with what i had imagined they would look like when finished. I am looking forward to returning to classes in January and taking on a new grade of clay. Yay!