eyes closed.

 Oh! This is what I'm talking about.
Yes, I am one of those girls who pull you aside with wet eyes and say, It goes so fast.
It does, but it doesn’t.
It doesn’t, but it does.

Our days lately have been simple, but full, like slow-churned strawberry ice cream. Rich, sweet, pink.
Thick.

It’s been a summer of bonding. I'm moving into a nice little rhythm here and what is it they say about rhythm? You dance better with your eyes closed?
I suppose that’s it. Eyes closed.

I’ve been closing my eyes to what I hear makes a good daughter, to what I hear makes a good friend. to what makes a good person. I’ve been closing my eyes to my Twitter stream. I’ve been closing my eyes to my desperate temptation to define everything, to fix everything. I have been closing my eyes to my own small mind.

I’ve been closing my eyes to the tomatoes that rotted in my garden, to the laundry room floor that still – what? all these years later?  has ugly linoleum flooring.

I’ve been closing my eyes to the paint drips on the floor, to the growing pains, to the current state of  “my office”.

I’ve been closing my eyes to what yesterday should have been and what tomorrow might look like.
And I’ve been dancing, eyes open to something else.

I read often that it’s not our life’s circumstances that weigh us down, but most often, it’s our expectation of life’s circumstances.

My life wasn’t supposed to look like this.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.
I look around with wide eyes and wonder where the magic has gone.

My current favorite tune to twirl to: Sweet Caroline.

Hands
Touching hands
Reaching out
Touching me
Touching you

Sweet Caroline
(Duh Duh Duh)  Good times never seemed so gooood
I believe they never could…

I'm holing up. Staying home. Working in the garden. Painting walls the color of sunshine. Taking slow, long afternoon naps. Taking care of each other. Dancing in the kitchen. Eyes closed.
Tuning out the noise, turning up Neil Diamond.

What would I like to have for a treat on my birthday asked the hubs?
Ice cream, I think. Strawberry.
(So good. So good.)

I have a sweet little lull in my days before the schedule ramps up, before commitments, before project timelines, before my mornings fill with another person waking up in the same house. But for today and the rest of a hot summer, I'm pushing pause, hoping it will work to slow the churn of strawberry time.

It does, but it doesn’t.
It doesn’t, but it does.

eyes closed.

just sayin'.

 strawberry ice cream
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream (or whipping cream)
1 cup milk
strawberries
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup sugar
juice from 1/2 lemon
zest from 1 lemon (optional)

Combine strawberries, lemon juice/zest, and 1/3 cup sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Once strawberries have refrigerated, prepare the sweet cream base. Whisk eggs in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the sugar and continue whisking for a minute longer. Add the cream and milk, stir until fully combined.
Combine the strawberry mixture into the sweet cream base. Pour into an ice-cream mixer and mix according to mixer instructions. [I use a Cuisinart ice-cream maker which I love]. It took about 35 minutes to reach a soft-serve consistency, at which time I put it into the freezer to finish firming up.