Anchors Away
Well, here we are. The kids are back in school, so now we are working our way back into the more regimented routines of the school year. Even though our little birdies have flown the coop, we still feel this transition in our household. Our first born departed this past Wednesday and our second born left just on Friday. So, the we’ve been putting the house back together in their wake. This is not a complaint, or even to say that the boys were messy. It’s just different when four people live here rather than two. So, we’ve been regrouping a bit.
The week was shortened on both ends - Lori and I returned from a great trip to Montana late Monday after seeing dear friends. And I snuck up to Cleveland on Friday ostensibly for a doctor’s appointment, but it was by design for me to be “in the neighborhood” so that I could fart around with our younger son before he jumps into the whitewaters of another semester at Case Western.
This entire year has felt like a re-emergence into the world for me. Post-COVID, post-lots of stuff…with the activities of the last couple of weeks, I feel fully back in the world. In fact, I may need to pump the brakes a little bit. My schedule needs a little breathing room. The week ahead will also be action-packed. But after Labor Day, I think I can dial things back a notch and stay focused on my highest priorities. Summer boondoggles, shenanigans and tomfoolery are now officially over for the year.
I saw a cartoon on LinkedIn this past week depicting a boat with its motor revving, but going nowhere because its anchor was snagged on the lake bed. On the motor was the word “goals,” and on the anchor were the words “bad habits.” The caption of the cartoon reads: “It’s doesn’t matter how hard you work if you don’t address what is really holding you back.” (I would share the cartoon here, but lack the technical savvy to figure out how to do this.)
I found it thought-provoking. No doubt there have been times in my life when I have been super-busy and working very hard, without going very far. The cartoon served as a good reminder to occasionally press pause, reflect and review to ensure that I don’t have any anchors holding me back from making progress on our goals.
I appreciated the reminder, so now I’m sharing it with you. Are there any things in your life that could be reduced or eliminated to make room for higher priority activities? It’s worth a scan. I hope this little nudge creates a little more efficiency or effectiveness for you as we head into the final third of the year (!). If nothing else, I need to create some bandwidth for leaf collection.
Sunday Supper
A friend who I don’t get to see very often is coming for Sunday Supper at our house this evening, and specifically requested barbecue. So I’m lighting my smoker for the first time since Ray Ray’s opened in our fair community. This is not to say that my brisket is any better than Ray Ray’s, just that when a friend makes such a request, I honor it and put all my love into the process of cooking.
Here are the recipes for the full menu, along with some notes:
Kansas City Brisket (from Mike Mills’ must-have book on barbecue, Peace, Love and Barbecue).
Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce
Marinated Tomato, Cucumber & Onion Salad (peak summer freshness and flavor)
Sweet Corn Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette
Mike Mills’ Crunchy Cole Slaw (I cut this recipe in half, then add about 1 cups of mayo to make it creamy to offset the bite of the cider vinegar. I also short the sugar by half.)
For dessert, I’ll be serving fresh-from-the-oven Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies, topped with Jeni’s Milkiest Milk Chocolate ice cream (Vanilla was sold out).
(I don’t expect you to cook all of this, but somewhere in these recipes are some good ideas for tonight.)
Sunday Music
This Sunday I share with you this live performance by Sammy Rae & Friends in Boston right before COVID shut everything down for a while. Enjoy!
If you know anyone who might like this essay, please share it with them.
Have a great week ahead! Offer support to others. Make good use of this day. And let me know how I can help.
Peace & Love,