AfricanKelli

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Tennis, yoga, 5 books,  2 new jobs, 3 gajillion episodes of Mad Men, and one raging crush on Don Draper later… February!

~K

The in between week:

With the celebrations of Christmas behind us and the joy of the New Year still ahead, I look forward to spending the next few days focused on renewal.  Bikram set this mindset on the right foot this morning. After nearly a year of practice, I am getting into new poses and am able to focus on form and breath during class (versus simple survival).  If I could, I’d take Bikram every morning. It seems to get my mood in the right place for the day and my body feels stretchy and happy too.

I heard a rumor a certain Aussie-African golfer is making his return to the Valley and I’m assuming he’ll be my roommate. The renewal goes well with a deadline; I have many things to sort, organize, clean, and send to Goodwill and Freecycle. If I can give 2010 a label, I hope it is a year of simple joys.

Less of everything, but that which we decide to surround ourselves with being the highest quality in craftmanship and significance.

~K

Home simplification project No. 1, complete.

I am still getting used to falling asleep reading vs. watching television, but it is a nice change and I find I’m certainly sleeping better as a result. Not surprisingly, I’m also making a dent in the stack of books at my bedside that had been collecting dust.

Next: a new couch, repurposed art and I’m considering painting a piece to hang about this small table. It feels good to keep things minimal and meaningful.

~K

I’ve been reading, “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” — a short story collection by Sherman Alexie. He is one of my friend Juliann’s favorite authors. This was such a quick and shocking read. I very much enjoyed it.

Alexie describes frankly the disparities of living on the reservation and the cliches that haunt his people.  He writes, “It is hard to be optimistic on the reservation. When a glass sits on the table here, people don’t wonder if it’s half filled or half empty. They just hope it’s good beer. Still, Indians have a way of surviving. But it’s almost like Indians can easily survive the big stuff. Mass murder, loss of language and land rights. It’s the small things that hurt the most. The white waitress who wouldn’t take an order, Tonto, the Washington Redskins.”

In another story, when a police officer offers a Indian child a piece of candy, disease bubbles to the surface. “I’m sorry, Detective Clayton,” my father said. “But my son and I are diabetics.” “Oh, sorry,” the detective said and looked at us with sad eyes. Especially at me. Juvenile diabetes. A tough life. I learned how to use a hypodermic needle before I could ride a bike… The detective looked at us both like he didn’t believe it. All he knew was crinimals and how they worked. He must have figured diabetes worked like a criminal, breaking and entering. But he had it wrong. Diabetes is just like a lover, hurting you from the inside. I was closer to my diabetes than to any of my family or friends. Even when I was all alone, quiet, thinking, wanting no company at all, my diabetes was there. That’s the truth.”

Good, brief read. Three out of five bananas, absoloodle. I’m now (still) reading “Blindness” and have “Anam Cara” on deck. ~K

It’s really Finny’s fault I started gardening. She’s always showing what she’s growing, cooking and eating and my goodness — it is incredible. I thought I could do the same, nevermind she lives in the Bay area and I’m in the desert. Thankfully, after several years of poorly researched attempts, this is getting easier.  And it seems I’m not alone.

According to my latest copy of Real Simple:

19% more Americans are growing their own fruits, veggies and herbs in 2009

54% of households grow their own food to save money on groceries

$70 spent on planting a food garden can yield $530 worth of produce per season

There is a rectangular plot of land between my home and my neighbor’s. When we moved in, it was grassy, with a gorgeous tree in the center. Unexpectedly, the lawn crew decided to cut down the tree and place rock over the grass. My neighbor John and I discussed the state of this nonsense earlier this week and decided a winter garden would certainly make more sense. (Don’t tell our HOA.) I put a plea out for bricks yesterday on Facebook and within three hours had a trunk full, thanks to a sweet couple from church.

Several hours, and countless shovels of gravel removal later, I have a $6 garden plot — spent on compost and manure. Granted, there is nothing yet planted, but the list is long for winter vegetables. This is a great planting calendar, if you are living in the desert and interested in doing something similar.

I think using the earth we have at hand to grow good food makes more sense now than ever. Plus, gardening falls in line with all my other newly acquired domestic skills. If I can do it, so can a trained monkey. Now, what to plant?

~K