Rainy Days are for Painting

Greetings from the land of the gentle downpour:

the autumn rains have begun in earnest, my favorite of seasonal gifts!!

I sit in our warm kitchen

after having consumed two servings of oatmeal

with toasted pecans and plumped dried cranberries:

full

in more ways than a body has a right to be.

Friends, my morning sickness has departed

and left in its chartreuse wake a nearly insatiable hunger.

My taste for fast food is thankfully past,

and the desire to cram fresh fruit and veggies in has reawakened.

Last night I made a big pot of homemade black beans, tender and simmered until the whole garlic cloves I tossed in disintegrated

a generous steamer full of short grain brown rice,

and a casserole of cauliflower, tomatoes, parmesan and breadcrumbs drizzled in butter

which I baked until it was golden and bubbling.

It has rained both yesterday and today, and the dimness of the studio made the lamplight I worked by all the more romantic - I love painting on rainy days

with the radio on

and something warm in a mug on the table behind me!

I am also getting these fabulous bursts of energy, which are coming in handy -

when I looked at the state of our house after being sick as anything for three months

(I reserved my energy for work, understandably)

it was deplorable.

Note: Anthony helped and certainly asked what he could do but I was not even well enough to notice what had become grimy: it all looked green to me.

The stove got scrubbed

the floors swept

The bathroom sink, which Janey has taken to sleeping and twirling in got disinfected

and scotch-brighted (?) to death

The kitchen floor was mopped with great attention to detail

and the gorgeous big wolf spider the cats had not managed to kill yet when I found it hobbling

got a ride in a cup to the front porch: I hope he's thriving out there, or at least alive.

I love spiders.

I am limiting myself to 1.5 hours of housework per day

(until I get the house back in ship shape),

lest I burn out

too fast: the energy is boundless until about 10:30 PM,

when sleep comes fast and departs at around 7:30 AM.

I am really very taken with the second trimester of pregnancy -

sometimes I sit rubbing my belly clockwise and talking to the small babe in there about the world,

about bravery and bees and all manner of beautiful things.

In just a dot I'll leave for a restorative flow class,

walking to and fro in the rain

under my goldfish umbrella

with my baby.

What are you up to today?

Have a beautiful one,

Sunny