My Second Slice

Things I remember from SOL 2023

1. A healthy balance of excited and anxious for my first go around with the Slice of Life Challenge
2. Being very confused by WordPress (it really shouldn’t be so hard! I also acknowledge that it probably isn’t that hard, I am just that unfamiliar with this technology…)
3. The simple goal of posting, commenting and replying every day. Did I revise? Hardly ever, but I let it be enough if I completed the writing and reading requirement.
4. Being inspired by the variety of posts from fellow slices. Poems, pictures, short entries, long entries, silly entries, somber entries. I was able to create a list of ideas, thanks to the creative writers in this community.
5. Attending the St. Patrick’s Day Zoom call. We talked all things writing, from slice ideas to favorite posts to favorite writing routines. It was so nice meeting other writers and building community.

5 Things I am looking forward to about SOL 2024

1. Writing about the small, every day moments in life. Whenever I felt stumped, I simply took in my surroundings. It allowed me to notice the little things in my life that usually passed me by. I am looking forward to practicing that gratitude so intentionally.
2. Having a more engaging Word Press but also understanding that this is a work in progress, so it does not need to be perfect (hear that, Megan! Let it be enough!)
3. A goal of writing whenever I feel inspired to do so, even if it means writing multiple times a day. If anything it gives me a pile of drafts to use on the busier days!
4. Being encouraged by this community to find inspiration every where. Reading other slicers’ posts teaches me writing skills, as well as how to have a healthy approach to life. There is joy all. over. the place .
5. Getting to know more slicers! Happy SOL 2024 everyone!

21 Things About Me

1. I live 20 minutes from where I grew up
2. The first sip of coffee is my favorite part of the day
3. Speaking of coffee, I prefer a ceramic mug over a travel mug
4. My favorite of my five senses is my sense of smell
5. I teach 7th grade English
6. I live by my planner…I am nothing without it
7. I can only speak and understand the English language. Although I tried really hard at French
8. I also tried in math. But here I am, teaching English, so that should tell you something
9. I was a cheerleader for 12 years. 
10. The first book I could read by myself was Junie B. Jones
11. The only book that ever made me cry was “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” by Lori Gottlieb
12. I listen to podcasts every day. When I workout, when I walk, when I drive, when I cook, when I clean
13. Halloween and Thanksgiving are tied as my favorite holidays
14. I am fascinated by the weather. Especially by clouds
15. If I weren’t a teacher, I think I would have liked being a sports psychologist
16. I rewatch a lot of shows from the early 2000s
17. My dog likes my fiance more than me…I am the spare human
18. I have a text group with my family that is active every day, throughout the day
19. I wish I cared more for aesthetics, but I can’t slow down enough to be bothered
20. If I could change one thing about me, it would be the motor that I have constantly running…(see 19 for my need to slow down)
21. This list was not on my (lengthy) to-do list for today, but I am glad I did it

Ten “Top Threes”

Inspired by Sally’s list (see it here) I’ve decided to end this year’s SOL Challenge with a list of favorites. It was a fun exercise that brought back a lot of memories! It’s been great slicing with all of you this year 🙂 See you in 2025!

1. Smells
   • Rain on pavement, especially in the spring
   • The “home” candle from Bath and Body Works
   • A campfire
2. Senses
   • Smell (hence the first of the ten lists)
   • Taste
   • Sight (although my eye sight is terrible. I have a prescription of -8)
3. Months of the Year
   • July (birthday!)
   • October (Halloween)
   • May (spring time)
4. Beverages
   • Coffee
   • La Croix (Limoncello or Key Lime)
   • Ice Water
5. Podcasts
   • Girls Gotta Eat
   • Redhanded
   • Up First
6. Favorite Books
   • Pride and Prejudice
   • A Thousand Splendid Suns
   • Watchers
7. Favorite Movies
   • Titanic
   • She’s Out of My League
   • Something Great
8. Sports Teams I follow
   • University of Richmond football
   • University of Richmond basketball
   • UVA basketball
9. Amazing places I’ve been
   • Florence
   • Grand Tetons
   • Carmel-by-the-Sea
10. Things I love to do on a Saturday
    • Exercise
    • Drink my coffee slowly
    • Take my dog on a long walk

What Grandmothers Do

A poem inspired by Judith Viorst’s poem, What Dads Do

Make popcorn

Make a nest for movie night

Make twin beds into a king bed for a sleepover

Make sure the monsters stay in their hiding space

Play the matching game. Again. And again

Walk swiftly next to the two wheeler bike

Hide where they can be found

Seek so you are always found

Console when your are in trouble

Snuggle when you are scared

Grandmothers explain why we can’t have ice cream for breakfast

But give you a scoop when you’ve finished your eggs

My mother excels at being one

A wedding tasting, told through dialogue

4:30 – “Thank goodness it’s still early…the parking lot is usually full by 5pm”

4:35 – “Is that rain or sleet?! It feels like its pelting us from the side. We haven’t seen wind like this in awhile” “Well, that’s March in the Outer Banks”

4:40 – “Here’s our homemade corn bread, just to start you off while you wait for Immanuel. What can I get you to drink?” “I’ll have champagne…this is a celebratory meal”

4:45 – “Hi y’all, I’m Immanuel, so good to meet you in person. I’ll bring out the first round of samples in just a moment.”

4:52 – “Alright, this is your appetizer sampler. We have the crab cakes, seared tuna tortillas, and the chopped mushroom filo cups. We don’t offer the charcuterie board in the tasting, but that’s the fourth appetizer on your menu. Our charcuterie chef isn’t here right now, and she doesn’t let anyone else put them together!”

4:58 – “Wow…the crab cakes are spectacular. And as a born and raised Maryland-er, that’s high praise”

5:10 – “Can I clear away some of these plates? We will make space for the next round”

5:16 – “And here are the station samples. We have your NC BBQ slider, your taco tortillas with braised beef and pulled chicken, along with the taco toppings, and lastly, your mac and cheese with the bacon and caramelized onion toppings”

5:17 – “I don’t know how I will find room in my stomach, but no way am I missing out on anything!”

5:35 – “Everything is as delicious as we thought it would be. We have a few questions. Can we do the pimento and bacon filo cups as well? Can we add a raw oyster bar? Do you host welcome parties?” “We can do all of that for you!”

5:46 – “We can’t wait to see you all in November!”

A morning in the kitchen

“Now it’s time for me to do my task!” I hear from the living room. The next sound is the pitter patter of tiny feet, running into the kitchen where I stand making coffee.

My five year old nephew has bolted in with his breakfast bowl, now empty of chocolate chip mini muffins. He politely requests a stool so he can wash his bowl and put it in the dishwasher. For the past 12 hours, he has been bound and determined to not only clean his dishes, but everyone else’s as well.

Joining us in the kitchen, my sister proudly looks on as he squirts, swishes and rinses. “Look mama, now you don’t have to worry about dishes no more!” his sweet voice exclaims.

She turns to me, “You heard that too right?” I bear witness to the 5 year old’s promise.

Have you ever gone golfing?

Have you ever gone golfing? If not, I highly recommend it. There is nothing quite like starting your day on the course, plopping down in the cushy seat of the cart, knowing you have a few hours of uninterrupted peace.

There is something about the smell of the course, too. The green grass mixed with the flora and fauna of the local terrain. And the sounds you hear? Barely anything except for the thunk or the tap of the golf ball. And the wildlife of course. Bird calls are common, but if you’re lucky, you will also hear the teeters and the skerts of unknown animals.

Just make sure you’ve checked the weather before you head out. You might want to bring a puffy coat, or even better, a warm blanket. On a hot day, the breeze that accompanies the quick drive from hole to hole is refreshing. If there is even a slight chill in the air though…those breezes turn to gusts and you might as well be on a mountain. In those cases, gloves don’t hurt!

A warm beverage helps with the cold weather, if that is indeed on the forecast for the day. A hot coffee is my personal favorite. Depending on the book I bring, the flavor of the coffee only transports me to the setting more successfully. Which brings me to my last piece of advice. Choose your book wisely! Make sure you aren’t already close to the end. With the amount of time you will spend simply sitting outside, you are sure to get through a number of pages.

I should mention…I don’t ask if you have played golf…I personally have never played golf. I just accompany my fiancé when he wants to play a round while on vacation. And it is the best unbothered reading time I’ve been able to find.

3 things I love, inspired by last night

1. Small music venues. At a strip mall in Vienna, VA, I attended a concert for The Hot Club of Cowtown, a Western swing trio from Texas. You won’t find the genre on my “Most Recently Played” Spotify playlist, but I was in awe of their talent, their energy, and their crowd engagement. In such an intimate environment, they asked questions like “How are you doing out there?” and “What songs haven’t we played yet that you want to hear?” Ahhh, the perks of a small venue.
2. My future family. My future aunt and uncle treated my fiancé, my future father in law, and my future brother in law to the concert, as they are big fans of the group. They are from South Carolina, but when they saw a show was scheduled for Northern Virginia, they decided the concert would be a great excuse to visit. Because we had a table by the stage, we were able to catch up for a bit before the show began.
3. Hot honey on pizza. Seriously, if you haven’t tried it, change your dinner plans. My spice tolerance is embarrassingly low (can’t even eat buffalo wings), but this hot isn’t spicy hot. It gives a kick, but nothing that burns the mouth. Instead, its a sweetness, its a texture. It was the last pizza we ordered for the table and was hands down a favorite for everyone.

(happy) five senses

Happiness looks like a balloon expanding from the heart, filling so much space in the body that it breaks the barrier and extends to those close by.

Happiness tastes like the first bite of pizza, a reward for achieving the impossible…waiting for it to cool down.

Happiness sounds like the chorus of squeals at the end of the happy birthday song, a child’s delight in knowing their slice will soon be served.

Happiness smells like rain evaporating from backyard grass, now warm from the sun rays that begin to poke through the dispersing clouds.

Happiness feels like a child’s birthday. Innocent and untouched by storm clouds that threaten to ruin the day.

Crockpot Queen

Since moving into our new home, I’ve noticed a shift in my identity. A change that has come on slowly but that can no longer be ignored. I’ve become someone new. I’ve become…the crockpot queen. And is that so wrong?

Now, I’ve always loved a good crockpot meal. When I lived with roommates, I would make something in the crockpot on Sunday night for my weekday lunches. I never followed a recipe. I picked what looked good at the grocery store and dumped it into the wide bowl of the crockpot. It was easy. Convenient. Affordable. Tasty enough.

My weekday lunches have evolved, and my weeknight dinners have to be quick, leaving no time for an 8 hour cook on low. So when we moved into our new place, I put the formally beloved kitchen appliance in the cabinet above the stove. High up where I can’t reach. I made sure to fit the cover on, lest it collect dust.

All that being said, we’ve hosted more family and more friends in the past few weeks than we ever achieved in the first months of living in our old apartment. Is it the space we now have? The thrill of a new home we want to show off? Whatever it is, I’ve found myself reaching (literally) for my crockpot. Maturing to real recipes, I follow a formula. Pinterest search. Grocery list. Grocery run. Combine ingredients. Set timer. Done. It is so simple. It is so quick. It. Is. So. Delicious.

I’ve made Tuscan Tortellini Pasta. I’ve made Mediterranean Chicken. And last night, I made a chicken potato roast. With chicken, most recipes only take three hours. But oh, the smell in the kitchen. The steam that comes when I lift the lid. The heat that threatens to burn my tongue if I don’t have patience when taking the first bite. Too much? Absolutely not. Just right.

My latest recipe. Highly recommend crockpot liners for easy clean up!

A rainy Saturday in the city

With a friend from across town and a friend visiting from Chicago, we escaped the rain by exploring the National Portrait Gallery. Expecting to see a portraits, painting and pictures, we experienced so much more!

As w walked in, we were greeted by kind security guards and a fast-paced, dance floor Dua Lipa song. Confused, we walked through the lobby to the courtyard. An entire Cherry Blossom festival was in full swing! Two nice representatives from the museum told us about the performance we stumbled upon a choreographed routine from the Kangaroo Kids, a jump rope team from Maryland. The two also told us about the scavenger hunt we could complete. We jumped at the chance! From there, we adventured around the museum. Here are some pictures from the museum, as well as the performance we enjoyed.

We finished our D.C. day with lunch at a nearby café. I voraciously consumed a sandwich and a chai latte…not picture is the cookie I devoured as soon as the barista passed it to me.

Friday, brought to you by gifs

Thanks for the great idea, Lainie! See her inspiring post here.

When you wake up and realize it’s Friday

When you wake up and realize it’s the Friday before Spring Break

When your first class of the day gets to hear from award winning author, Amina Luqman-Dawson

When you take your car to the nearby autoshop and enjoy a sunny walk back to school

When you share your upcoming plans during Friday lunch with a co-worker.

When you pick up your car after school and finally hit the road towards home.

When you get home and see your couch