Lists, lists, lists...I love making lists.

I make lists of things to I have to do—pay bills, pick up dry cleaning, call mom, clean kitchen.
I make lists of things to buy —bananas, apples, cucumber, cilantro, yogurt.
And, lists of things I want for the house—juicer, bean bag chairs, composter, new computer desk.

Once I write something on a list, it becomes my focus, my obsession, and I must GET IT DONE. Unfortunately, I have a nasty habit of making impossible lists with a flurry of bullet points and a dizzying array tasks, which I then stress over completing.

Since I don't expect to change anytime soon, I've decided to embrace and exploit my OCD this minor character flaw by making a new list. This list will not feature errands to be run or necessities to purchase, instead this list will contain things I have been wanting to do but have not had time to do. I figure that if I make the list, I will make the time.

»» My List

• Speak Spanish more often. I used to speak Spanish fluently, but it's been years since I've used it on a daily basis so my vocabulary and pronunciation are suffering. More importantly, I have lost confidence in my language skills and find myself too shy to speak with Spanish-speaking people. I will suck-it up and shell out the $400+ for Rosetta Stone, levels 4 & 5, and get my practice on and my confidence up.
  
  
• Explore a different neighborhood of Charm City each month and takes lots of photos for my other blog.
  
  
• Design and launch a Web site for my friend Lora's up-and-coming nonprofit Wednesday Spaghetti. A couple of weekends ago I bought a brand-new 24-inch imac and the entire Adobe Web Premium Creative Suite—I've got the tools, so it's time to get crack-a-lackin' on this project!
  
  
• Quit my gym membership and use the monthly savings to justify purchasing an iphone to accompany my new imac. They will play so nicely together!
  
  
• Prepare to "break ground" on my public art mosaic project by the end of next summer or early next fall. The wheels are churning and the ideas flowing. I will write about some of my ideas for this project later this week, so be sure to stop back by!
  
  
• Finish remodeling the basement. Jack and I completely gutted the basement last year, but have done nothing since. We are planning on creating a laundry/mud/storage room, building a bathroom, and having a TV/exercise/dance floor and turntable area. There will be bold color paint and glitter involved.
  
  
• Put together a professional digital portfolio of my Web- and graphic-design projects.
  
  
• Cook one new dish a week. Maybe my Scrumptious Saturday! ladies will volunteer to be my guinea pigs?
  
  
• Make time to practice yoga and pilates more often.
  
  

Scrumptious Saturday: The Back Story

Last night my friends Emily, Christine and Melvin, Alena and their son Andy came over for the first-ever Scrumptious Saturday. We had good conversation, great eats and plenty of wine. The meal was a tribute to my recent Israel trip and consisted of falafel, sesame coated chicken, Israeli salad, labenah, hummus and sour cabbage salad. Emily brought some delicious hamantashen, a cookie with fruit filling that is traditionally served for Purim.

I had made hummus from scratch before, but it was my first time for the other items. Everything turned out fabulously, except the hummus, which was seasoned to perfection but had too crunchy a texture. Anyway, to pull this menu together, I started cooking and grocery shopping at 8 a.m. yesterday morning. I love spending an entire day in the kitchen, with Jack assisting, some happy house music pumping and wine flowing (after noon, of course).

The idea for Scrumptious Saturday--a weekly, low-key dinner that all my fabulous friends are invited to attend each Saturday--is inspired by Lora's Wednesday Spaghetti, as well as by my recent experiences in Israel.

Here's a journal entry I wrote during my trip that explains what I mean:

Written March 7, 2009

This is the first opportunity I've had to sit down and write since my Birthright trip to Israel began. I don't even know where to start.

Traveling in a group of more than forty people has certainly been interesting for me, to say the least. When I travel, I like to blend in, observe my surroundings and take my time. A group of forty is imposing. When we were shopping in Jerusalem at the Mahan Yehuda shuk for rugala, pomella fruit, baklava, "kisses" and other goodies to celebrate Shabbat, we were blocking every sidewalk, stepping into traffic and generally acting like loud, typical American tourists.

Can you tell I'm Jewish? My journal entry about an amazing and FREE trip to Israel begins with bitching. I'll stop now.

This trip really has been amazing so far--full of firsts. This is my first time to the Middle East. Two days ago I experienced a weightless sensation for the first time while floating in the Dead Sea. Yesterday, I hiked for the first time in the desert, around the rim of the Ramon Crater. I also celebrated Shabbat for the first time last night.

While I don't see myself becoming a more religious person, I would like to incorporate the concept of Shabbat into my regular life.

For those of you who don't know, Jewish people believe that you work very hard all week, and then on the seventh day, Saturday, you rest.

Shabbat begins Friday night at sundown with a celebration that includes an elaborate home-cooked meal, plenty of wine and time with family and friends. You share, talk, reflect and enjoy all the things you work so hard for during the rest of the week. Then, on Saturday you take it easy until sundown when you party hardy. (Obviously this is the secular way to observe the Sabbath.)

I will never make it home after work on a Friday night in time to celebrate Shabbat on the proper day, but why not do it Saturday night/Sunday day instead? It's not the day that's important but the idea of celebrating, sharing and feeling thankful for all the things that bring happiness to your life.

Like traditional Shabbat celebrations, the day after Scrumptious Saturday (today) is my "day of rest." For me this means calling to catch up with friends and family, writing blog posts, taking walks through the city and maybe reading a good book. I refuse to cook (luckily, I have plenty of delicious leftovers from last night), clean or think about work, until sundown tonight.

Life is good.

Ramon Crater



Dead Sea


Mahane Yehuda Shuk in Jerusalem