What happens when Charlie goes out of town.

Charlie has been in Challis, Idaho for the past week (or so). And I have been so productive.

Of course, I miss him. The cat is a mediocre cuddling substitute what with the claws, the raspy tongue, and the tendency to gnaw on your hand when it's time for breakfast (Charlie only possesses two of the three qualities listed above).

So. SO. What have I been up to?

Sharpening kniiiiiivvvveeeeesss.... (but more on that later).

Taking a few pictures, for starters. I've been giving the camera a little rest this spring and summer. I'm not totally sure why, but the inspiration switch has been off. That's not to say that the joy is gone, or there there isn't good subject matter - but I've been trying to live a little more within my own life rather than outside it looking in. Hopefully the hiatus will be over soon and I'll be back to it. You know how those things go.

Anyhow, all that said, I got a few pretty pictures over the weekend of the sunflower that I sprouted in our back yard. It's far taller than my head, and catches the evening light in the way only a sunflower can.

I also picked us up a compost bin (sparing you any pictures I may have taken of THAT - we'll save those for the loamy brown earth phase that comes later). See, when Charlie leaves town, Ariel's flower child roots start to show. I'm still shaving my legs, but I may be eating things like quinoa and bulgur, roasting beets, sauteing polenta, and liberally loading everything up with chevre from our local co-op. And composting. And making zucchini bread (a big hit at work). And kicking off a couple small-scale sewing projects.

More on all of those later.

Best of all, a package arrived in the mail from my mom today. Enclosed, with just a short "love-you!" note was a book and another present. I'm thrilled about the book (here we go with the flower child again): it's about preserving! Yay! (Did I mention that I haven't used a blow dryer since Charlie left, either? See? As if you needed proof about me. Admit it. You knew it all along.)

But.

The other present.

A knife sharpener.

I know this is a really domestic thing to get excited over, but slicing a perfect wedge out of a peach with a newly-sharpened knife? I felt like a real badass. I may have to sleep with one under my pillow just to show how tough I am (uh, a knife, not a peach) (don't worry, Sue, I won't - that would be a little too weird).

I do wish we were having thunderstorms tonight, because I really wanted to tell people at work that I spent the evening SHARPENING MY KNIVES IN A THUNDERSTORM.

That'd earn me some respect. Or something?