Sunday, March 29, 2020

Nothing is promised…

If you would’ve asked me four weeks ago what my plans were for today, the response would’ve been, “We are going to Miami!” This was the first year in quite a while that Campbell and I had spring break scheduled for the same week. Our family planned a trip to Miami to celebrate! We haven’t gone somewhere warm for spring break in a really long time; like 15 years or so… Are we disappointed, yes but I am also grateful. We are healthy and we are safe, that’s what matters most of all! There will be other trips, just in due time.

This morning’s weather was so warm and sunny! It felt great to get outside in short sleeves and crops. We took a walk downtown, families were walking and a couple was eating breakfast on a park bench. A It didn’t last long, by noon cloudy and cool Michigan weather returned.

This afternoon’s plans consisted of watching a cocktail class with David Lebovitz, cleaning my kitchen and taking a drumming class with Kristen Arant aka the drumlady.

I followed David Lebovitz’s blog when I was planning our trip to France. He is from America but moved to France and started working as a pastry chef. His blog had lots of great restaurant recommendations. I found out about a Boulangerie Chambelland and Raccoons and Bears from his blog. He is hosting daily cocktail videos on his Instagram feed. He is a great storyteller and also makes great cocktails. The best part about his videos is that you get to see his kitchen. His videos are archived on Instagram for your viewing pleasure. If you’re a francophile he also references Oliver G, and his podcast The Earful Tower. Check it out!

I really cleaned my kitchen today. You know how you get to those points where you don’t realize how dirty a room really is until you start deep cleaning. That was today’s epiphany. I do some things really well, housekeeping isn’t one of them. I’m okay with that!

I went to Truman Stare University in Kirksville, Missouri for my undergrad. The music department was close and tight-knit like one big family. There wasn’t much to do in Kirksville so we really had to make our own fun which meant we all spent a lot of time together. Kristen Arant went to Truman for a few years. She now lives in Washington DC and teaches drum classes. I received some grant money and bought some Djembes from her for my classroom. I’ve always wanted to take a class from her. Due to Covid 19 she did a live Facebook class. I brought a Djembe home from school and took her class. It was awesome! I learned so much today!

Tonight’s dinner was: Tortilla soup in the Instant Pot and Cranberry Upside Down Cake for dessert. I haven’t made the tortilla soup before and it was really good. The instant pot made it simple too.