Saturday, November 14, 2009

Chicken Soup Kind of Day

It's steaming and bubbling on the stove as I write, the glorious smell of what happens when you combine chicken, onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, collard greens, and a dash of tumeric filling my tiny apartment. A blustery, rainy New York Saturday and the accumulation of too much life-stress begs for the curative powers of homemade chicken soup. And cornbread.

Things have been tough lately. Let's just leave it at that. With so many blessings in my life, it's silly to get down about what's swirling around me, but - hey, it happens. Two steps forward, eighteen steps back. One does tend to get discouraged, even amidst the blessings. So this weekend is the perfect opportunitiy to unplug the stress machine, relax, count blessings, watch good Thanksgiving-themed movies, and eat chicken soup with freshly-made cornbread.

I'm clawing my way toward next Friday, when I head home to Atlanta for ten days, with Thanksgiving mixed in there somewhere. I need family. I need old friends. I need some Southern. It's been six months, and I'm ready for it. And new life will be all around me, with daughter Kate 5 months along (I haven't seen her since she's been pregnant!) and niece Jessica ready to pop with baby Liliana. Yes, I need some "home."

But for today, I'll enjoy the wonderful old New York that's outside my window, a few festive films, bowls of steaming chicken soup, and several well-buttered wedges of jalapeno cornbread. 

Next up in the DVD-player: The Ice Storm, with soup and cornbread on the side.

3 comments:

Chris said...

Yea - I'm definitely visiting soon. Chicken soup AND corn bread.

And, as we say over her : Chin up, old girl, don't let the b******s get you down

Liz Hinds said...

It looks and sounds just perfect. Hope you enjoy your family time down south. We have a word in Welsh that doesn't translate directly into English but means a deep longing for the homeland: hiraeth.

Anonymous said...

Grits. You need a good dose of grits with real butter and salt. Steaming in a bowl on a plate that includes country ham, eggs, and real homemade biscuits so light you have to hold 'em down lest they float off the table.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Love,
Cuz