Boxes, boxes...more boxes

Unlike Miss Serena, who is engaging in some divine de-cluttering, I am in the process of making my apartment a swirling-vortex of boxed chaos. Only twelve days until The Muffin and I can begin moving into our new studio, and I am in total amazement of how much Stuff-with-a-capital-S we have managed to accumulate in the nooks and crannies of current abode. Yesterday I began to wade through our storage closet and have already created a healthy pile of items to donate. I am making a point to only keep the things that are needed or loved. No doubt the donation pile will continue to grow!

This is only the begining of the donation pile! Minus the bike- I need my wheels!

While cleaning the closet I stumbled upon an empty wooden wine giftbox that seemed too useful to discard. It has good bones, but the faux-Tuscan decor is not my bag. With the help of a little tacky glue and fun paper, I now have a cute little box for storing my writing and drawing sticks! And- it was a super simple project to boot!

Before

***Tah-dah! *** After!

Merry writings!

Calm After the Storm

In preparation for our move into the studio apartment, the Muffin and I have been attempting to sell some of the furniture we will no longer need on craigslist. I have quickly learned how weird, annoying, or flat out rude people will be via email. Or that people think it is okay to not show up to pick up an item without any attempt to contact me. Obviously my time is not valuable. I digress...

Last evening someone came to view our sofa. She was very polite and, my favorite, very punctual. She was at my door at 6:30 on the dot. However, her 4 year-old son was like a tornado through my apartment. He made himself right at home- the first thing he did was open my refrigerator to "see if we eat different." The cats were another source of amusement, but they are attention gluttons and enjoyed being chased around and having their chins scratched. And then there were the "giant violins" that he had to touch. Actually, I thought it was rather amusing and was trying hard not to giggle because his mother was obviously horrified about everything. She kept simultaneously scolding him and apologizing to me for his behavior, even though I said not to worry. I asked him, "How would you pet a baby chick?" "Very, very careful," he replied. "Although the bass is big, it needs to be handled very carefully. Do you promise to touch it like you would the softest baby chick?" "Oh, yes, yes, yes!" And he did.

Our little visitor tuckered Simandl out.

Shortly after the little tornado left, Muffin returned home from a rehearsal and we sat down for a casual dinner. I like to call these "peasant dinners" because they are simple meal of bread, cheese, fruit, and wine. My favorite part is that it a satisfying meal with really no cooking involved- just a little slicing. We spent the rest of the evening at the table enjoying our meal and the company of each other.

Peasant dinner.

Merry Writing!

Establishing Balance

Last week I managed to do very little...and it was delightful. Most of the week was cloudy, rain spattered, and unseasonably cool- a perfect week to rest and recuperate from a particularly draining school year. Without a trace of guilt, I spent many hours perusing my favorite design blogs, curled up on my sofa reading books, shamelessly cat napping, and hitting up the new thrift store with Molly.

I imagine this is what I would look like if I were cute, furry & living in Costa Rica.

Sunday was a gorgeous day- perfect for spending the day tinkering in my parents' gardens. It was a rather productive day, with much digging in the dirt, moving rocks, potting, and transplanting. The fragrance of the freshly overturned soil and new blooms was intoxicating, and it was ridiculously fun getting really dirty! Also, I now sport the most fantastic garden glove tan.

Sunday ushered in the end of my sloth-session. It is time to get the proverbial gears moving and make good use of the weeks ahead. I have organized my students and have set the summer oboe lesson schedule. I have also established some personal practice goals, both oboe and bass-wise. My temple deserves much more attention than I have given it these past months. Regular yoga practice (I am as flexible as a light pole right now) will be paired with weekly running goals. I plan to log 16 miles this week, and I already have 4 down! Also, I have a little list of projects to do, books to read, and small trips to make.


I have always felt like this time of the year is a much better time of the year to take stock of oneself and set some personal resolutions than the middle of winter. Nature is unfolding with new growth all around us- why not join in? Ultimately, my goal for the summer is to nurture my physical, intellectual, and creative self. I am lucky to have the summer to rejuvenate, and plan to make the most of it. However, I also want to avoid over scheduling myself or stressing out over meeting my mini-goals. What is the point of that? It is summer! If it is a gorgeous day that deserves to be spent at the lake, I certainly will sacrifice a little reading or practicing to splash in the water.

Do you set goals for the summer?
Merry Writing!