Where I've Been...

 

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.' ~ John Muir

Hello.  My name is Renee.  Maybe you remember me?  I write a food blog called Sweetsugarbean.  I know, I know.  I can be a cheeky wench.  But seriously.  Where have I been lately?  This space has been so quiet.  But life surely hasn't.  Let me tell you that.  You know when you least expect it, shit just happens.  In this case it's been all good.  So good.  I adopted another kitten.  Yes, for real.  She lived under my bed for two weeks.  Long story; all of it coming soon.  Also, I met a boy.  Who turned out to be my boyfriend.  Long story; all of it coming soon.  Maybe now the blog silence is beginning to make sense?  Ren's been busy!  Plus it's planting time and I've been busy digging in dirt rather than in computerland.  If you want to get in touch, I won't be on Twitter of Facebook very much, but in my garden and with my friends.  You know.  Interacting with real life.  Speaking of real life, at the beginning of May I made another visit to the yurt.  Maybe you'll remember when I took a little retreat there in the fall?  Well, as a birthday present to myself I went back for a couple of sweet days, just to unwind and regroup from the general unpleasantness of winter.  It was a long one here, and as you'll see from the following photos, winter was still clinging on a bit up in Northern Sask, but I didn't mind.  It was just as spectacular as the first time I went - a tonic for this soul, if there ever was one.  Flora Bora is definitely one of my favourite places on the planet, and since my stay there life has been so good.  Knock wood, touch wood, whatever you call it.  Good feeling, stay with me just a little longer.

A Hello & A How-To

Oh my word.  It has been ages since I last checked in here.  Please forgive?  You know how life sometimes takes over and you just don't want to turn the computer on?  Yeah.  I got that happening right now.  But never fear, it's all good things, which I'll fill ya in on soon.  In the meantime, take a look at my latest article in Culinaire magazine (pg 23-24).  If you've ever wondered how to make beef carpaccio all by your little ol' self, I have all of the tips and tricks you need.  Plus a few recipes.  It's good stuff.  Hope everyone is enjoying these glorious spring days.  I admit to spending a little time in the garden tonight, admiring the rhubarb.  As you should.  Chat soon.  Renee xoxo

Befitting: Baked Doughnuts, Two Ways

"I suppose this is what I mean when I say we cannot possibly know what will manifest in our lives. We live and have experiences and leave people we love and get left by them. People we thought would be with us forever aren't and people we didn't know would come into our lives do. Our work here is to keep faith with that, to put it in a box and wait. To trust that someday we will know what it means, so that when the ordinary miraculous is revealed to us we will be there ... grateful for the smallest things."  ~ Cheryl Strayed

That quote really is a kick in the pants, isn't it?  (By the way, if you haven't read any Cheryl Strayed, by all means you have my permission to leave this blog immediately and go get your hands on her books.)  Of course she's right.  And now that I've gotten a year older, ahem, I'm finally starting to understand what she means.  In my late twenties, I would have been:  Whatever.  I'm sad, leave me be.  In my thirties I was almost there, but not quite.  But now that I find myself firmly planted in my forties, I see the wisdom in the leaving and being left behind.  The down-right necessity of faith.  That holding on means just that.  Hold on.  You never know what will manifest in your life.  One day it will all make sense.  Each experience means something.  You'll be grateful for all of the bumps in the road that landed you where you need to be today.