3 out of 5

On Friday night I ventured to the lovely city of Decatur to a place I haven't been caught dead or alive in for years...a Baptist church! But for good reason...

The wise and witty Anne Lamott was speaking with her son Sam to promote their new book, Some Assembly Required!

Anne Lamott has been a favorite author of mine since I first read Bird by Bird for my Creative Writing course in college. Her chapter on "shitty first drafts" is some of the best writing advice in existence. Operating Instructions, her memoir about her son's first year, is one of my favorite books ever. And she has written many a heart-wrenching, heart-warming novel, including one called Rosie. (I have a daughter--you see the connection.) She's hilarious and insightful and someone you'd really want to meet, say at a book signing in Decatur.

I attended with my mom, and a good friend, and a stranger-turned-new friend. The four of us arrived an hour early, and good thing. The house o' God quickly became packed with Anne fans. Then she entered the sanctuary with her handsome grown-up son, who we all know from her books, and she made us laugh and nod our heads and generally beam for joy. They each read portions of the new book and then fielded questions from the audience. I can't give you any quotes because I didn't take notes. They talked about belly buttons and diaper changing and church and humanity, and it was hilarious and true and wonderful.

Anne told us that life is hard, and writing is super hard, and nobody really cares about our dreams. But that we are in the world together, and our work is worth the effort, and we can experience the divine in those difficult, vulnerable places. We applauded, and Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog came over the loudspeakers while we lined up for autographs. Camera and book at the ready, all I could think to say when I arrived at the table was "Anne Lamott!" But that said it all, right?

Now I have been lucky enough to meet three of my all-time favorite authors. There is no reason not to believe I'll get the chance someday to shake hands with Martha Beck and Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Who knows, maybe J.K. Rowling's autograph will eventually decorate my box set.

Madeleine L'Engle, 1998

Elizabeth Gilbert, 2010

Anne Lamott, 2012

This life may be hard, but damn straight it is wild and precious, with joy even for the fishies in the deep blue sea.

Another Important Question from Pema

Do the days of our lives add up to further suffering or to increased capacity for joy?

For real, yo. On my 2012 path to fearlessness, I'm diggin' the wisdom of American Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron. We always have a choice, she says, We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder. It's all about opening and softening, man. Open heart, open mind, open dialogue with our fears.* Talk about increasing our capacity for joy!

*For a practical guide on dialoguing with fear, check out this article: How to Take Charge of Your Fears by Stacey Curnow.

Weekly Menu

I got geekily excited about creating a weekly menu on Saturday. I've been focused on healthy living lately, and I felt inspired to make this document before I went grocery shopping. I've never felt so organized when it comes to eating! Though, after printing out my menu, I was overwhelmed with the memory of being a kid and charting a two-week menu on graph paper. Yes, I was the type of kid who bought graph paper for fun. I planned every meal for fourteen days, to be used on rotation when I became an adult. I was so proud of that chart. If only I still had it.

But now I've got my handy dandy Google Doc to tweak each week, use as my shopping guide, and post as a daily reminder for me and my family. Brilliant! It has made food prep fun and easy the past five days. And I must say, every single thing I have eaten this week has been DELICIOUS. So tasty is the food of this earth! Here's the list that has thrilled me in all my domestic dorkiness:

MENU: Week of March 3 - 10

Breakfasts
Sat: Waffles or Steel Cut Oats (l.o.)
S/M: Coconut Pancakes (recipe from Kim)
T/W: Blueberry muffins (Pinterest) (make on Monday)
Th/F: Toast & Fruit, Smoothies
Sat: Eggs & Bacon

Lunches
Sat: Snacky
Sun: Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
M-F: Stella - PB & Honey Sandwiches, Snacks
Jenny - Hazelnut Vinaigrette for salads, Leftovers
Joel & Rosie - school lunch

Dinners
Sat: Scavenge
Sun: Mom & Dad’s
Mon: Turkey & Red Bean Chili (UM Cookbook p. 114)
Tues: leftover chili
Wed: Pan-Browned Tilapia (UM p. 98), Squash w/ Orange-Balsamic Dressing (UM p. 233)
Thurs: Potato-Leek Frittata (E.F. Jan/Feb ‘11, p. 41) with salad greens
Fri: Meat & Veg (fresh/on sale)

Snacks
Popcorn
Almond Date Balls (Pinterest)
Yogurt
Pirate’s Booty (on sale)
Hummus w/ Carrots & Crackers
Fruit: Apples, Bananas, Oranges
Hard Boiled Eggs
Road Mix (Nuts & Fruit)
Fruit Leather

Drinks
Rev Jonquil Blend coffee
Green Tea
Lemon Water
OJ
Whole Milk
Soy/Almond Milk

All In

We can ask ourselves this question: Do I prefer to grow up and relate to life directly, or do I choose to live and die in fear?*

There was a conversation about poker, about going all in. It got me thinking... Am I willing to go all in? Not in a game of Texas Hold 'Em, but in my life? My answer is a resounding, though fearful under the surface, YES. Gone are the days where I just went along in apathy, complacency and unawareness. Here is the day I live intentionally, with all my chips on the table. (Also some potato chips on the table because they are so deliciously munchable.) No cards up my sleeves, no reserving bets for a safer, more predictable round. I am ALL IN in my marriage; I am ALL IN in my motherhood; I am ALL IN in taking care of myself and growing softer, kinder and more open to what scares me. Deal it, Life, because even with my fears, I am a warrior.

**

*quote from Pema Chodron, The Places That Scare You
**image from 2009 trip to Oregon--Warrior Pose during a scary, unpredictable round

Good Books, Bad Books

I've been somewhat obsessed the past few days with a cookbook I checked out of the library. I know I'm starting to sound like the poster girl for Mark Hyman and his "UltraWellness" ways, but his writing and program resonate and work for me. I checked out his UltraMetabolism Cookbook, and I feel like I could cook happily from it for many years. Whole foods, delicious meals. Like the avocado & toasted pumpkin seed salad with cilantro-lime vinaigrette I ate on Saturday night. And the peach quinoa with flax seeds and hazelnuts I ate on Sunday morning. Yum.

I checked out another cookbook called Eating for Life, which has little to do with the life I want to nourish. I'll be dropping it in the the return box today.

A couple weeks ago, before I started perusing these cookbooks, I borrowed two books about marriage. The first one I read was called The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Oy vey. I've heard of Dr. Laura but never listened to her radio show. Had I realized she was so mean to women, I would have left her book on the shelf. Yet I skimmed the entire thing, gleaning a bit of insight despite her attitude toward women. I consider myself a feminist, in that I celebrate feminine qualities and believe that too many cultures have overlooked their power and value for far too long. History has missed out. But Dr. Laura is right...that we should not go so far as to overlook the power and value of masculine qualities. Equal honor and respect for humanity, in all our masculine and feminine glory! (She didn't say it like that. I did. She was more like, "Respect your husband, dumb ass.")

The second marriage book I borrowed is Grown-Up Marriage: What we know, wish we had known, and still need to know about being married by Judith Viorst. First clue that this is a better read: She's the author of the classic children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day! Second clue: She doesn't insult her readers. I'm a few chapters in and savoring her wisdom and prose.

Next on my list: Hunger Games. It's about time I read it, don't you think? I love practical books about everyday life and self-improvement, but a girl needs to get lost in fiction now and then. Either way: