Today, like yesterday, was a day completely out of my control. I drove over 60 miles today and went basically between our house and the kids' school, which is housed in two different buildings a few blocks away from each other. Did I mention that was over the course of three round trips? As well as a quick run to my parents' house. And here I have been wondering if someone has been syphoning off petrol!
How easy it is for one to be caught off guard from one's plans and feel the happiness drain off, while stress replaces the lost emotions. I tried to be upbeat today and was excited to spend time with one daughter, nursing her back to health. There were originally other plans for the morning that were tossed aside for this new plan, but I was actually not even phased or stressed.
The hard part started when I had to figure out how to fit all this in: soaking dry garbanzo beans, two school drop offs, a market run, a doctor's visit, a pharmacy run, a drop off for a grandparent, a pick up of first well child, a lunch, a donation to Salvation Army, a return and purchase at Target, a pick up of second well child, a pick up of sick child from Grammie's house, cooking garbanzo beans for 1 1/2 hours-2 hours, making dinner from scratch, making kids' dinner (they would never eat the Korma I planned on making for the adults), time for a blog, homework, bedtime routine and finally relaxing for the first time today.
Throughout the day, the only thing that made me smile was the thought of my 75 cent packet of dry garbanzo beans becoming two meals: Korma tonight and Garbanzo stew tomorrow night. Garbanzo beans are one of my favorite foods. I love their versatility and the fact that they are such humble little morsels that are so earthy and just delish.
While I was chopping the vegetables (see a trend here), I started to remember happy snippets from my time in Córdoba, Spain. The land of the Andaluz, through which the once mighty Guadalquivir was a mecca for industry of the region. A place that was once the seat of power for the Muslims. A city where there is a lovely Mezquita (Mosque) that survived thanks to the foresight of a Catholic priest. Where the lovely keyhole arches are juxtaposed next to the oxymoronic Catholic cathedral. A city of intricacies and a city of life. A city that is intoxicating in its history, its people, and its joie de vivre. A place that is dear to my heart.
With all of these memories running amok in my mind, the beautiful guitar driven songs from the Gipsy Kings started to play in my subconscious, reminding me of the nights in the discos. A time in my life when I was free from responsibility, free from major worries, free to enjoy life and free to live life. All this from a little bean that upon arrival in my house was just a dried, little thing. Now, I am a believer in the Garbanzo Effect - a life lesson learned on my own as I navigate these 40 days.
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