New apartment, new city

Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!

It's been quite a while, hasn't it?  Things got....exciting and complicated here.  I'm in a new city, across the country, and in a new place.  Six solid months of non-stop work have made me question how I was going to get myself settled and back on a path to happiness.

I've decided to start with my sleeping quarters, and by following the steps laid out in a delightful book called "The Artist's Way".  I have known for a while that I have been losing touch with the parts of myself that make me who I am, and the exercises in the book speak to that path.

It will be hard, it will be scary at times, but hopefully it will help me push through my mental blocks and return to the spiritual person I once was.  

Wish me luck, and stay tuned for the first phase of the bedroom remodel.

First week of new food

Was an incredible success!  I managed to make most of my chosen recipes (except for the quinoa, sadness), and they were all delicious.  I feel better already, and was able to keep the healthy food choices going despite being in Vegas for most of this week for industry awards.  I'm already looking forward to this week's choices - these are all from the new issue of Vegetarian Times, so no links yet :(

Linguine Peperonata with Toasted Rosemary Breadcrumbs
Greek-style chili
Creamy Tomato Basil Agave soup

Those are all at least four servings a piece, so that should be plenty of food.

In other, more fun thoughts, I'm now trying to decide which type of exercise I'd like to try out.  I am starting to slowly but surely get myself practising dance again, which feels great.  I injured myself over a year ago and messed my knee up, so I have been keeping off of it for a while, and I'm anxious to get back moving.

There are a few options near my house, but I believe I'm going to try out Tai Chi first.  I've always been interested in it, and the inherent grace of the movements appeals the the Elven sensibility.  Also, the Tai Chi sword forms are gorgeous.

Official start!

Mae govannen!

Today is my official start!  I'm very excited, despite the slick roads and mushy snow, to get started today.  My first project, besides getting my food together for the week, is this:

That's my instrument pile.  They have been woefully ignored for years now, since I stopped performing at festivals.  First step is to clean them all up, and see which ones need any work done on them.  I've played the flute for years now, but the recorder is a little new to me.  That's the main musical goal for the season:  Play the recorder!

The fingering is essentially the same for both, but the trick is learning to half-hole on the recorder.  It's something you generally want to avoid on the open-hole flute, so there's a bit of a learning curve there.  I'm excited, though.  It's something I always wanted to do, but never made time for it.  I have an upcoming project that will require me to play again, so that means I'll motivate myself to actually practice.  I'm...less than good about that typically.

I'm looking forward to the new challenge!

Getting ready for new foods!

Mae govannen!

The arguably easiest place for me to start living a little more elven is with my food intake.  I'm already vegetarian, with occasional bouts of pescatarianism when I need some more protein, so that makes things fairly easy!  I am, however, terrible with planning out what I want to eat and when, preferring to amble mindlessly through the seasonal produce.  Which is awesome!  Except when I don't use what I buy - a waste of money and the veggies themselves. 

So, this week, I've chosen a few recipes to get myself started.  I adore cooking - it's one of my favorite things to do! Here's what I have decided to make this week from recipes - there will be more made from whatever is left over and stuff in my fridge.

Cinnamon Quinoa - from 101 Cookbooks

Penne with Summer Vegetables - from Food 52 - I just happen to have sweet corn and summer squash in my freezer needing to be used up.

My husband bakes bread constantly, and I've been asking him to start making whole-wheat as well as white bread.  He decided to oblige me, and thus I found this delicious sandwich salad to try:
Chickpea and Avocado Salad - from Two Peas and their Pod

Finally, to use up some of the frozen veggies I've had sitting in my freezer, Here is something a little more savory: Miso Vegetables and Tofu - also from 101 Cookbooks

I will let you know how they go!

There is about four inches or so of snow on the ground right now, and we're expecting a little more tonight.  What a lovely way to ring in the New Year!

A new year, a new start

All my life, I've felt a connection with things of an Elvish bent.  They're my go-to race for RPGs, my favorite reading material, and the inspiration for many of my choices in food, clothing, and decor.

This past year was rough on many levels, and I was forced to set aside many of my previous lifestyle choices to help with everything around me.  When I emerged on the other side, I felt stronger, but less myself.

How to find my way again?  Turn inward, turn outward, look up at the stars, and down at the flowers.  Sing, dance, make music, cook good food, and find again that spark of ... other ... that's inside me.

This is a public place to chronicle my journey of living an Elvish life.  Wish me luck!