day 87.

Today I went to acupuncture and packed for my vacation.

Tomorrow I head to San Francisco for a super exciting weekend of queers, kink, and adventure. I will be off this space for a few days, practicing a different kind of self-care.

I can’t wait!!

day 86.

Act of self-love: home is where the heart is

Today Wyatt and I made our intentions to start a home together known. We gave our notice to our other housemates, which was a bit nerve-wracking but also so necessary. I’m so excited to start an intentional space with just the two of us. Wyatt and I live really well together, and I’m just at the point in my life where I need to live with less people, and live in a house that really feels like a home. I’ve loved living at my house for the past 2+ years, but it is definitely time for a change. I’m not super looking forward to the prospect of packing and moving, but overall I’m super excited. And I’m confident that we will manifest our dream home together. Here’s to a new adventure of living in Portland and to making decisions that ultimately make me happier.

Later in the day, I put my hands in the dirt. Planted some squash plants, and admired the garden at my friends’ house. I feel so fortunate to get the chance to garden again with folks who are super dedicated and sweet.

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day 85.

Cooked a meal on the grill. The first of the season.

Bbq chicken, asparagus, potatoes. All grilled up, charred, delicious.

Played skip-bo. Talked about kink. Had heart time.

Perfection.

day 84.

We made bread!!

Spent the day with my fermentation/pickle club putting our first sourdough starter to use!

The day in pictures:

First, brunch. With strawberries, sourdough hot cakes, marion berry compote, oj, and bacon:

Then, bread making. We chose to make a rustic sourdough using this recipe (for the most part anyway).

Here’s our starter, post-use and replenished. I had been tending it for a few weeks before we finally got a chance to use it:

Combined the starter with more flour and warm water to make a leaven, which developed overnight for about 13 hours or so:

Combined the leaven with more flour, water, and salt to make the dough:

An action shot of the dough being folded:

Forming the dough into rounds (next time I think we’ll   do this part a bit differently):

The bread resting for 3.5 hours before being baked:

After 20 mins. in the oven:

getting there:

Done!:

Cutting into our first loaf:

Look at that!:

Forgot to get a shot of it being eaten, but let me just say, incredible. So delicious.

Making sourdough bread was quite the all-day experience. It was so much fun and I learned a lot. I can’t wait to try it again and apply what I learned. It filled me up so much to dedicate an entire day to a project like this, with folks who have become sweet friends. I’m looking forward to our next meeting and whatever we get up to next!

day 83.

Today I celebrated officially being on SPRING BREAK with more pho with a dear friend, sexy underwear shopping, prepping for an epic baking day tomorrow (my fermentation club is making sourdough bread!!), witnessing a beautiful night sky with the thinnest sliver of moon, and going to bed somewhat early again. I clearly know how to get WILD with the self-care.

I’m so looking forward to the next week of no work or school, the chance to check off so many to-do’s, and going to San Francisco for pervcation.

And sunshine! Everything is better when there is sunshine.

day 82.

I’m worried I might be susceptible to getting sick all of a sudden. I haven’t been sleeping as much/well as I should, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks with wrapping up school and various events going on, and I work at an elementary school where everyone seems sick all of the time. Not to mention that the kiddo that I primarily work with seemed really under the weather today and will most likely be at school tomorrow even if she is really sick. So today I got pho in an attempt to ward off any impending illness. I’ve been drinking lots of water. I also took some jade defense tincture and am going to bed within the hour to get a solid night’s sleep. I am one day away from spring break.

i will not get sick.

i will not get sick.

i will not get sick.

day 81.

Wednesday. Midweek self-care for real.

Today I treated Wyatt and I to brunch at gravy. Brunch is my favorite meal. Seriously, there is something so special and decadent about brunch. Maybe it’s the jew in me (we really value a good brunch, I feel), but brunch will always have a delicious spot in my heart.

Then I had counseling. Which was great and it was really nice to be talking about some different things for a change. I feel like I’ve been processing the same situation for months when I go there (which basically I have been) and it feels really good to be moving on a lot. I’m proud of myself for the work I’ve been doing.

And then acupuncture. Oh how I love acupuncture. One of the best acts of self-care I have prioritized for myself in recent months. It just does wonders for me.

Next Wednesday I’ll be on spring break and headed out of town, so I won’t have my usual midweek replenishment. I’m really looking forward to being off work and school, but I’ll also be looking forward to my next Wednesday self-care extravaganza to come.

day 80.

Today I treated myself to Pina in 3D for finishing my first quarter of grad school. I love dance so much, and I just loved every minute of this film. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. A true experience, especially in 3D. Go see it.

day 79.

Act of self-love: go to grad school

Today was the last class of my first term of graduate school.

The quarter went by so fast. I feel like I learned so much information, my head felt like exploding at times. I also am just really excited about my program still. I was a little worried that the reality of it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, or that it would be too much, but so far, I am really really happy with my decision to be in this program. It is a lot of work, honestly more than I originally expected, but I am expanding in ways as an educator that are so exciting for me.

I’m proud of myself for doing this. For making this decision, loving myself enough to pursue grad school, and believing in myself enough to be really present for it. And for doing it well.

One quarter down, five more to go and I’ll have my special education license. I’m so looking forward to what the rest of the program has in store.

day 77 and day 78.

Another jam-packed weekend.

Saturday I worked for this amazing youth arts camp at a weekend intensive they were having in Portland. I have spent my last two summers working at this camp as a youth advocate, but Saturday was the first time I got to present a lesson as an artist. It was a truly amazing opportunity and it was so great to see the youth get engaged in fiber arts. I’m super bummed I won’t be there again this summer, but grad school is my main priority right now. I do get to head to camp at the end of April for another intensive, so at least there’s that.

Self-care was a bit low on the list on Saturday as I was so busy all day and also just exhausted from the festivities of the night before. But I did manage a nap post teaching and some general relaxation time. And I made it to bed early, which is pretty awesome on the weekend.

Sunday was about wrapping up the last of my homework for the term. I drank delicious tea and got so much work done with friends at the tea house. I finished my big final project and feel so amazing about wrapping up my first term of grad school. Then I took one of my besties to get birthday pedicures! My feet needed that. Then we picked up another bff and went out for wings and ice cream. Kind of the perfect way to wrap up the weekend. And I was in bed by 10:30, with all of my homework done, ready to face my last long Monday of this quarter (although next term’s Mondays are going to be even more intense, yikes!). Can’t beat that.