Beginning at the beginning

I do things with words. This has always been the beginning, for me. My professional life is a word-heavy occupation -- being a hopeful academic and all -- and for me, that is always a good thing. But I learned in my printing and book-making class back in college that words are not just carriers for ideas -- they are either embodied in our mouths or materialized in ink pressed on paper (or, here, in pixels lighting up on your screen). In other words, saying something and making something -- both are vital.

So, I am starting this space as a personal space, not entirely separate from my public academic life, but full of all the other delights (and perhaps sorrows -- fingers crossed they won't be so bad) in my life.

And now, to begin at the end: tonight I came home to find a sniffly, sick boyfriend in bed, taking a well-deserved nap. I then took this opportunity to make him a lovely, Indian-spiced lentil curry full of spice and fragrance, and planned to pull out all the stops with turmeric-scented potatoes and spicy kale on the side.

But, understandably groggy at 8 p.m., PDK was not so hungry, so I happily turned instead to the brown bag of gorgeous chanterelles picked up at only $15/lb at the Santa Barbara farmers' market yesterday! Quickly simmered and browned in butter and served on garlic toast, they were a perfect dinner, accompanied as they were by red wine and good conversation with our dear roommate Ms. E.

Tomorrow is sure to be much spicier, since those lentils will be sitting in their juices, slowly creating even more heat from the chilis. And I'll be back to the dissertation, since I'm already 4 days behind on my chapter draft, promised to writing partner Kevin last Sunday (damn...... here comes all that workaday life hurtling back in again).