One of my favorite neighborhoods in Lodi is the one where I work, on the outskirts of downtown and right against rows of homes with big porches and fruit trees growing in the front yards.
Some days, when the clock in the newsroom hovers somewhere around 3 and the hint of sunlight coming through the room’s ceiling-lined windows is too tempting, Maggie and I sneak outside to get fresh air, give our eyes a break from the computer and explore the personality in the street blocks around us.
Instead of smoke breaks, we try to take photo breaks. And instead of cameras, we use our phones, glorious phones.
This is something we don’t do enough, sometimes saying we’re too busy or we’ll go when we finish something. Which can turn into never. But I think everyone in every profession should take those 15 minutes to step away and change the scenery. We always come back in a better mood, refreshed and with a new perspective of whatever it is we’re working on.
So here are a few snaps I took during a couple of our afternoon walks. Enjoy, friends.
Coworkers and I tried the new cuisine at Alebrijes, where chef Ruben showed off his fruit-infused tequilas (no we didn’t drink all of that) and 60+ sauces. I’m big on traditional Mexican food, but we switched it up with samplings of filet mignon, duck, a buffalo taco and more.
I worked a late shift Friday and spent part of my morning having coffee and listening to a table of retired men discuss oatmeal toppings and refrigerators. While there, I snapped this photo because it was refreshing to see people with newspapers in their hands:
What I thought was going to be a quiet Friday night alone turned into dinner, coffee and movie with my sister, her hubby and two of my favorite little kids. I was still the first to fall asleep during the movie. Like always.
After dinner, Joseph got too comfortable at “his” Starbucks. I thought I was a ‘bucks regular, but this 4-year-old definitely has me beat as the baristas knew his name.
I went through some boxes I’ve been storing from college and I found collages I made, including these from my calendar during senior year.
And then I played with my niece Emmelia a little bit. It was too cold outside, but she liked staring out the window at the rain clouds above.
Day 1. You: Me and my nephew, Joseph. Day 2: Breakfast: Starbucks and a free Sunday Times on a Monday.
Day 3: Something you adore — my new niece, Emmelia Rose. 
Day 4: Letterbox — It’s where most of my mail goes, anyway. Day 5: Something you wore: Mardi Gras mask.
Day 7: Favorite: My favorite collection is of old cameras.
Day 10: Childhood. My favorite picture of my mom and me. And also of childhood: Dogs, beach and me pretty much sums it up; some things never change.
Day 11: Where you sleep — Beneath a cluster of paper lanterns.
Also where I sleep: With green paisley and a purple pillow pet.
Day 12: Close up — me and my niece Sophia.
Day 13: In your bag.
Day 14: Something you’re reading — The new issue of Kinfolk.
Day 15. Happiness — Happiness is pups ready for a morning drive.
I got home Friday to a quiet house and found a package from Kinfolk waiting for me. Volume Two of the magazine finally arrived, and I wanted nothing more than to savor it. I waited, though, until Saturday morning. I read a little, but not too much because I didn’t want it to end:
I did spend one entire day this weekend at home. In my PJs. It was awesome, and I highly recommend it. I worked on my website, made Amber a blog 
I made country potatoes in the oven: 
And then we have Sweetie. She is the comedic relief in my life. The other day — and every day since — she hopped in the bathtub and sat there in the dark while she waited for a (second) bath:
Excitement was getting my Christmas gifts from Maggie this week. She knows my love of food memoirs, so she bought me the Best Food Writing of 2011 so I can perhaps discover other food writers. I’m so excited to read it. It’s another book I’ll need to savor, so I haven’t started it yet. I also received the 5-year journal, where you answer one question every day and it repeats for five years. I love it, and I’ll definitely share some entries from this baby. And don’t you love the beaded necklace? She made it with a beautiful charm that says, “You are Loved.”
I’m very thankful that my life is filled with interesting, unique people. This lovely lady is my friend Andrea — and she definitely fits into those categories. She’s an elementary school teacher. She’s on the board of our town’s Slow Food organization. She used to lead overnight backpacking trips through the mountains of Yosemite. And she makes soap — natural, yummy soap — in her home.
Everything in soap making is very specific. That’s probably the most difficult part. The temperature of the lye and water have to be a specific temperature, and get to that temp by soaking in an ice bath. Each of the elements have to be measured perfectly. Timing is everything.
We move inside for the yummy stuff.
In the kitchen, you work with the good stuff: the oils, the wonderful natural scents and you grind oatmeal in a coffee grinder (if you so choose to use oatmeal … on another batch, Andrea make a coffee soap with coffee grounds inside).
When it’s all in a large pot with the cooled lye, you mix and mix with a stick mixer until it looks like your grandma’s banana pudding.
Andrea added honey at the very end, but was careful not to mix too much after.
Then, you pour into a mold of your choice. Silicone is easiest because, once it hardens, getting the soap out is a challenge. With silicone, you can twist and pull and turn the container inside out. 
Then, you cover it with cardboard and wrap it like a tight little baby and let it sit for at least a day. You can feel the chemicals warm the towel as they react inside. Eventually, the lye will be worked out, the soap will cool, and you can finally unveil it. 
I went back to visit Andrea a day or two later, and we worked it out of the mold. A giant bundt cake bar of soap that smelt so yummy.
