An Ode to a New England Summer

This year I've adapted pretty well to the desert-- I get cold just at the thought of weather in the 70s and 90s seem comfortable. I'm in love with the mountains and brilliant sunsets. Potlucks with more Mexican food than pasta dishes make my afternoon. The cacti have been blooming, and I've nearly been able to convince myself that it's spring time here. . . and I guess it is a desert spring, but there are no daffodils, no town greens to lounge on, no natural water in which one can escape the humidity. . . no humidity to escape. Instead we've got sunshine, with a side of cloudless days. Or, as a radio announcer put it this weekend-- plenty of sand, no beach.

Maybe because schools are getting out here (Kaitlyn finished teaching last week!), because it was memorial day weekend, because I know the 4th is just around the corner. . . but for whatever reason, when Jen, Kaitlyn and I went to see "Something Borrowed" this weekend, the ocean scenes made my ache for seasons and salt water.

[Narragansett Towers]

Keep in mind, this is me speaking... the same me who sleeps with at least five blankets in the winter and can only warm up with regular doses of peppermint tea... but this heat has even made me miss winter! Last night I made my housemates listen to this song by Dar Williams (granted it's about southern California and western New York, two places I've never lived, but go with it)-- And there's another part of the country, with a land that gently creaks and thuds, where heavy snows make faucets leak, in bathrooms with free standing tubs. . . and [southern California] wants to have a snow day, that turns its parents into kids. Or, as Catie Curtis puts it (again, go with me on the whole I live in Arizona but the song is written about California thing): Hey California, I'm about to get my mind blown by spring. Because, the truth is, vibrant as the cacti flowers may be, they don't mean as much as cherry blossoms, or lilacs, or fresh picked strawberries. I guess the thing is that here, you don't have to earn summer. . . you earn winter.

While old adobe homes continue to inspire my imagination and the feeling of cool tile underneath my feet makes my mornings, right now I'd love to see a stained wood beach house, enjoy a cup of del's and even eat a sandy peanut butter sandwich. I want to fall asleep after spending all day in the water, my body still remembering the movement of the waves. I even want humidity, and despite being a vegetarian have starting craving clam cakes.

[Pt. Judith]

As much as Tucson may try to celebrate summer, most of the city clears out until September and the 4th of July fireworks always end up setting Mt. Lemmon on fire.

As the radio commercials proclaim:

Tucson, the only place in the world where you run INSIDE during the summer.

Recipe for a great month?

So, somehow I let another whole month go by without blogging! This year has started to fly by so fast, that I can't believe it's May already-- much less that May is nearly over! As has been the trend this year, it was a packed (and wonderful) month.

[photo taken on one of my walks during the retreat,

not in sepia, just another awesome sunset]

It started with a 3 day Silent Retreat (well, really 2 full days and 2 half days), at a retreat center just north of the city. It was so good and so rejuvenating to take the time to be quiet and contemplative. Even though we do a lot of regular reflection as a house, there is something so different about taking days away from the chaos of life as usual to focus inward. I spent a lot of time reading, sleeping, walking through the desert (the retreat center was right on the edge of Saguaro National Park), and listening.

Also- the cacti are blooming (and I'm obsessed with them)! Okay, so really I love all flowers, but there is something so awe-some about the cacti flowers... maybe it's the dusty desert that makes them stand out more? Or the fact that something so delicate can grow off of something so prickly? Regardless, they allow me to kind of make pretend we have spring and so I am grateful

In other news-- Casa Nacho has continued on the making from scratch binge and we've had some more great food! Below, is a picture of the garlic naan I've made twice now. My favorite part of this recipe is that garlic is not only kneaded into the dough but also sauted with the butter that is brushed on top, making for a deliciously garlicky contribution to whatever Indian dish we eat it with :)

This past month, with the encouragement of my wonderful housemates, I started running again! On May 1st Jen, Kaitlyn and I ran in Tucson's Cinco de Mayo 10 K and when I realized I could do that, I decided to train for a half marathon. [Background: Kaitlyn is currently training for a full marathon and Jen for a half... and I guess their enthusiasm is kind of contagious!] The first weekend in June we'll be roadtripping out to San Diego for their Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 and full race. Since I waited so long to decide if I was up to running, I decided not to register, but just to run here in Tucson.

Thursday nights we started doing house runs, all four of us! This past Thursday we were all kind of a wreck (well, really, us as a wreck may have begun on Monday when we made a late night trip for ice cream, then spontaneously decided to rent Harry Potter on Tuesday, and just continued from there to make really enjoyably indulgent decisions...), but wanted to run anyway. So we did. And while we ran, we sang out loud (who needs ipods when they have housemates?)-- everything from Elephant Love Medley (Moulin Rouge) to Cee lo Green and Beatles. Running, singing, dancing, channeling Phoebe, and laughing we somehow made it to the University and back!

Then, Saturday-- Kaitlyn, Jen and I did our long run, and I decided, instead of waiting any longer, to do my own half marathon then! After we did the 10 that the training calls for, Kaitlyn finished off the last 3.1 with me! So while we may not have been raptured, I still count it as a damn good day :)