Sweet Sunday

I usually log on early in the morning, but today I slept in..and slept..and slept. (Which is funny, because I had gone to bed reading Roddy Doyle's story "Sleep" in The New Yorker.) Then I read the New York Times, eagerly consuming all the election coverage – and marveling at the paper cut-out images of the Oval Office in the Sunday Magazine: would we have known if they hadn't told us? (I do see a cut mark on the edge of that table..)

There was also a sweet piece on root cellars, one of my favorite topics: "Food Storage as Grandma Knew It." I'm hoping that we now have a president who will think ahead with respect to food, consulting our great public intellectual, Michael Pollan, and others who know how to draw the link between what we eat and the potential for a vastly improved environment.

I found myself wondering how many other people were relaxed and homebound this week-end (like the Obamas in Chicago), regrouping and recovering from the excitement of this long political contest. It has suddenly turned cold here in Indiana, too, so it was a perfect day to roast vegetables, bake, and make a barley, beef, and vegetable soup.

I ventured out with Sav in mid-afternoon to an open house for two women in town who have renovated an old schoolhouse as home to their businesses. I feel very proud and happy because years ago I had the strong intuition that they would be able to share a space together, and I encouraged them to meet. (Those who know me well know how much pleasure I take in matchmaking of all kinds.)

One thing led to another, and these two entrepreneurial women did for several years share two – make that three – temporary spaces, before finally settling into this beautiful brick building, a former schoolhouse.

Beth Lodge-Rigal started Women Writing for (a) Change Bloomington, while working under the guidance of Mary Pierce Brosmer, of WWf(a)C Cincinnati. Beth is a singer-songwriter, too – you can click on the link on the left to go to her most recent CD, Children on a Ride.

Jo Wohlfeld founded Associates of Integrative Health, an independent healing arts center and massage school. I used to go to AIH once a week, enjoying the $25 an hour (!) massages offered by the students there, and it was at AIH that I met my wonderful massage therapist Anne, who now has her own business.

It was a fun, very crowded, jubilant reception. Alexandra the Extraordinary Seamstress was there, wearing a gorgeous royal blue silk shirt. "I know we are all supposed to be bipartisan now," she confessed, "but I couldn't resist." Beth was wearing red velvet, so there you have it: balance and the momentum to move ahead. Dotty was wearing a bright pink jacket, sporting her "Hot Chicks Dig Obama" button. "Did you get that jacket at Neiman Marcus?" I asked. "No, half-price at Opportunity House!" I think (but can this really be true?) she said it cost only $1.99.