AT COMMUNE

Last week when we were in Virginia Beach for our anniversary, after our evening and night away, we picked up the girls to spend the day at the beach. Before making our way to what turned out to be a very crowded and sweaty beach experience, we stopped at a nearby restaurant called Commune, which a friend had recommended to us.  I didn't end up taking a single photo on the beach but I did happily roll around in the sand and the sea, and then we all went to go get oysters afterwards. 

Apparently there's this thing that happens where I think I'm OK and keep going but my body has a way of telling me that actually no, nope, no more and decides to let me know that by breaking down or screeching to a halt. In recent days it has been both my knees and sometimes my elbows that have not been cooperating, especially when I go work out. In hindsight it's not all too surprising. When I do make it out to the gym, it is after a long day, and I know I have nothing left in the tank when I walk into the CrossFit box at 8:45 PM....which isn't the ideal way to be working my body. My body and I, have a history of this sort of thing where I think I can get through with grit and determination and my body says CHILL OUT.  Recent exhaustion and mental fatigue may also be due to the fact that I am weaning Logan this month. Which has been going pretty well! Considering! 

My to-do's long but on those nights when I know that I should be resting I try to keep it to a minimum, like for example last night: drink sparkling water, go to bed early. Sparkling water is so good. It is also very effective at being the substitute for a third vodka tonic. 

Right now I am reading Bill Bryson's book called "At Home: A Short History of a Private Life" and I am utterly captivated. I was charmed by the concept of this book, which is that he goes room by room of his house and dives into the history of how of his modern day house came to be, i.e. Why is salt and pepper the two spices we keep on our table? How did dining rooms come to be? How did people feel about baths two hundred years ago? What is the origination of the term, room and board? What is the origin of the toilet?

This book makes me consider everything in my home differently, at the least, makes me consider it at all, and I appreciate that very much. I think it does such a wonderful night job of putting our homes into the perspective of history, that I want my kids to read it one day. 

In light of my post about creativity and paying attention, my friend reminded me of a short and simple and wonderful quote by Mary Oliver that goes, "Instructions for living a life: Pay attention, be astonished, tell about it." That's what Bryson is doing here in this book. And if I didn't make it clear in my previous post, this is my mantra right now. Not only my mantra, but the thing that helps me write when I feel blocked. If I were to adapt that quote it would be: "Instructions for loving a life: Pay attention, be astonished, write about it."

I was totally into the vibe of this restaurant - it reminded me of Richmond, it reminded me of L.A. and I wanted to try everything on the menu.  I'm such a sucker for places like this where they source locally, emphasize vegetables, and create interesting combinations.

Something else that I'm really into these days is the voice dictation function on my phone! I realized just a few weeks ago that it's a thing, and I can't tell you how much of a help it has been - while texting, making notes for myself, brainstorming, writing emails! It is exactly what this external verbal processor needs.

Sloane took this photo!  She has been more and more eager to take photos with my big camera and most of them turn out really well. I am probably going to end up handing over my photographer duties to her one day. 

The photographer herself. 

And another photo by Sloane; one that she particularly likes. 

This is our attempt at a family photo from that lunch. Logan was really into standing against the wall - 'Oh, is that what we're doing?' But then something else caught her attention and she was off, leaving one shoe behind.