Bitter

I remember once, as a kid, asking my dad why he drank coffee every day since, obviously, it was "gross."

He replied, "it takes a while to realize that not every beverage you drink has to be sweet."

I thought about this for a bit. Milk isn't really sweet. Water isn't either. And juice...well, yeah, that is. And coke...yeah that definitely is. Okay, I guess Dad has a point. But why would you want to drink something bitter anyway?

In college I learned how to choke down the stuff, with plenty of milk, sugar, blending, whipped cream and caramel topping. By senior year, I had learned to take my coffee with only cream, but it wasn't until last year that I joined the adult world with the routine of the daily cup of joe. Working with children at the day care brought me many joys, one of which being the joy of caffeine. Most Friday mornings, in the months that I biked, I would treat myself to getting up a little earlier and going out for some quiet time and a cup of drip at a nearby coffee shop.

I think of coffee when I think of my response to the question, "how has your JVC experience been?" For some reason, I think people often expect the answer to be along the lines of "wonderful, perfect, awesome, so glad I did it, enjoyed every minute, everyone should do it." Usually I mutter something along the lines, "good, but tough. Worthwhile, but I'll be ready for the next phase of my life." Which leaves me wondering why I haven't been more enthusiastic. Or why when I talk to former JVs they don't go into the dreamy haze of reminiscing the "best days of their life" like people do remembering their college years. Here I am, doing a second year, marrying a former JV, convinced my time with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps has been exactly what I should do. Why aren't my responses "wonderful-perfect-awesome?"

I think I have learned to enjoy these years in the same why I enjoy my coffee. It's not sweet, and that's okay. I can appreciate the fragrant yet earthy aroma as I sip my morning cup. I appreciate the bitter contrast that it provides to a donut or cinnamon roll.

In the same way, I am glad that my years have not been completely sweet, but have provided me with a chance to face the difficult. To confront the bitter. And not only to tolerate life's less-than-sweet moments, but thoroughly be grateful for them.

I blame my mother.

I know its one of those things you aren't supposed to say, but its true. I do. Because of her, I am 23 years old and cannot...

make Kraft mac n cheese worth to save my life.

I also cannot make a grilled cheese sandwich.

Unfortunately, because of her, many of the quintessential JV meals I utterly fail at. And yes, it is possible to mess these up. My mac n cheese is always too watery and I consistently burn my grilled cheese.

I jest. I realize I am lucky that I grew up eating real meals and have learned (somewhat) how to cook. I still haven't made it to my mom's level yet, but I'm getting there slowly.

It's amazing how many barriers there are between low-income or homeless people getting healthy meals. Things which don't expire, are portable, and hearty don't tend to be healthy. Things which are healthy, like fresh fruits and vegetables, require places to cook and a little know-how.

There are many ways to respond to this issue. When we donate food to food banks, we could choose items that are at least healthy versions of non-perishables. We could support local farms to insure that things like fresh fruits and vegetables will still be around. We can support health care reforms which include preventative care so more people can learn about proper nutrition.

But for me, its cooking. Cooking is what teaches me to make choices about what I do and don't put in my body. Chopping each carrot and slicing each rhubarb stalk reminds me of the abundance of the earth. Stirring a pot of soup soothes me after a long day at work. And it reminds me to be grateful. Grateful that I have food on my plate. And grateful to have a mother that taught me how to cook.

So Mom, happy Mother's Day!

I have a new friend

This guy:

On a walk last night, Jen and I stumbled upon this darling terrier wandering the streets of Missoula. We could see it had a number on the dog tag, but it was too dark to read it so we thought "we'll just bring it home, call, its probably one of our neighbors."

Apparently, the number was just to Missoula Animal Control, and not the owners. So we would have a new pet until the shelter was open to call them. [If you are my landlords, we have no intention of keeping her! She slept in the garage last night and I've called the real owners]

But in the mean time...

The girls named it "JV." I think just because its fun to say "good JV. or "Bad JV." And even though we are JVs, and on meager budgets, we have absolutely no dog food in this house. Any ideas on what human food to feed a dog appreciated.

Bike to Work Week

Oh this wonderful time of year. I love Bike to Work Week. And not because of helping the environment, or being healthier, or any of those reasons. No. Because of the free coffee.

Various places around town are giving away free coffee one day this week to encourage people to bike to work. It's like getting paid to do something you would be doing anyway. Granted, I didn't get back on my bike until last week, in part because I knew BTW was coming up. In my defense, this is the forecast for the week:

Sunday: High 51

Monday: High 62

Tuesday: High 63

Wednesday: High 46

Thursday: High 39

Friday: High 45

Saturday: High 49

Lows in the 20s and 30s, chance of snow and rain Tuesday-Saturday.

Anyhow, I am enjoying my free bagel and coffee from Bagels on Broadway. And figuring, if spring never comes, summer eventually will.

P.S. Yes, that is Spokane's BTW logo, but its better looking that Missoula's.

Yesterearth Day

So I wanted to write about how we spent our Earth Day, because we did our first no-energy night! "No Energy" or "Energy Fast" nights are activities that are oft part of the JVC experience, where all lights are turned off, computers and Ipods are put away, the oven isn't used, and depending on the bravery of the community, the heat is turned waaaay down. Ashland, a community in MT did a energy fast weekend back in the winter, and I know a house in Seattle last year did no-energy days once a week. Last year, our house did them a few times, but we ended up debating so much about what the "point" was, we stopped.

For me the point is not save on energy costs or to live in solidarity with anyone. (I don't know many people besides JVs who just turn off their lights for the hell of it). The point is to slow down. It does also help me realize how many times a day I use energy. I enjoy the quiet of having the TV off, the softness of the candles. It's relaxing and energizing at the same time.

Last night, I got home and Jen and I made peanut butter and banana sandwiches, left over quinoa, and cucumbers. The Pov had several overripe bananas and they were perfect. Then, since Karen and Bree were out, we went on a long walk to the university. It was a pretty overcast day, but luckily it didn't rain.

Then we came home, knit for a bit while it was still light out, and after the sun set, we pulled out every candle we had (which ended up being plenty of votive candles we had taken from a retreat!) and sat down to play dominoes. Which lasted about .5 seconds when we realized we had an incomplete set. So we played Apples to Apples instead. It's a game where one person lays down a card with an adjective on it, and everyone else picks one of their 7 cards which have nouns on them to go with it. My favorite combination of the night:

Adjective: Fantastic

Noun: Electricity

Good point. I was very happy to turn on the light this morning as I got ready!

Grateful

Happy Earth Day! I'll write more tomorrow about how we, as JVs, are spending our earth day, but today I wanted to steal an idea from myyearwithoutspending.blogspot.com and write about for what I am grateful.

I am grateful that it smelled like spring this morning. Everything was s lightly wet, slightly green, and slightly overcast. The smell actually reminded me of camping in national parks in the summer.

I am grateful that in the past 23 years, not once have I ever missed a meal from a lack of access to money or food. Considering the number of people in the world suffering from hunger, this is nothing short of miraculous.

I am grateful for my family, which I was reminded of this weekend.

I am grateful that I got the chance to witness a conversation about race this afternoon at the shelter between a Samoan man, a native man, and a white man, just while eating lunch.

I am grateful that the trees are finally budding and flowers are beginning to appear.

I am grateful that I have found someone I with whom I will share a life.