What do you do on a day that just has too much going on? Today was one of those days.
I'm in a yoga teacher training program that meets one weekend a month, for 12 hours of instruction spread from Friday evening to Sunday mid-day. It is, at the same time, challenging, stimulating, and energy draining.
I'm also president of a composers' group that writes and presents new music, and this evening was our fall concert. I had agreed to help our concert director with logistics, from opening the venue through the reception at the end and finally, closing up. I needed to be there at 5:30 pm and wouldn't be home until about 11 pm. The timing of the two events would also disrupt both our normal lunch and dinner
Pam and I (she is also in phase I of the YTT program) came home at 1:30 both hungry and out of energy, our heads stuffed full of information to digest. I had decided to cook an early dinner, and it was the perfect activity to help me unwind from teacher training and get physically and mentally fortified for the long evening.
Peeling sweet potatoes, slicing apples, grinding nutmeg, chopping pecans - tactile, sensory, physical activity connecting my energy with the foods that would soon be nourishing us. Loosely referring to recipes, I put the meal together. Pork chops with a topping made from dried cherries, dried apricots, and red wine. A baked apple and sweet potato dish, garnished with pecans and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Sauteed vegetables - onion, green pepper, potatoes, and broccoli - my favorite way to use whatever vegetables are handy. For desert, we had a couple of the brownies I baked for the concert reception. A complete and very satisfying meal, both in the eating, and in the preparation.
The concert went well, and though tired, I was able to enjoy the music and reconnecting with other composers and musicians. I'm glad that I understand how engaging in a chore like preparing a meal can be beneficial on many levels. Making dinner was the most important thing I did today.
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