I'm surrounded. The shop is full of flowers and berries and leaves and corn. My kitchen is bursting with potatoes and red cabbage and a 14 lb. organic turkey. The Hai is en route, the guests are calling for dinner time and recipes and GG is getting excited.
And the question that begs to be answered? Can I cope with all of this goodness?
Many years ago when I stopped drinking I had to relearn my craft. I literally had to take arrangements apart and start them over again. I had to learn to design from a different angle. A straight angle so to speak.
And without the nicotine (and massive cocktail of chemicals in each cigarette) to propel me through the day I seem to have to lost both my appetite and my desire to cook. Want a salad? I'm your girl. Turkey, cut in half and marinated in lemon and olive oil and herbs and garlic for 24 hours before roasting? We'll see.
I'm a bit slower and a little awkward at work too. And all the centerpieces waiting to be assembled? I've taken to going into the shop a little early and taking time just to warm up, hoping to get myself in the zone by the time the game starts.
The good news? I'm not alone in either arena. At work I'm flanked by hard working, talented designers, retail staff who juggle phones and customers plus listen to me freak my way through the day without a smoke.
At home in the kitchen I have GG on one side and a hungry trusting lab on the other.
And in the dining room you ask? A cat on a box of course and a praying mantis.
Wait, did I just find a praying mantis on the table?
You're right. Everything is going to be just fine.
