in hot water

March 02, 2011 candacemorris 4 Comments

As per my previous posts, you may have perspicaciously gathered (smart reader that you are) that I am entrenched in learning to accept the natural change of seasons in my life.  There are such fluctuations in just one human existence...a time when one is happy to squirrel away money, make healthy choices for meals, disciplining oneself to exercise, and call ones mother on a consistent and regular basis.  And then there are times when the VISA is the only family member getting any exercise and when an entire box of macaroni and cheese (organic doesn't erase caloric) disappears in the bowl.  

I myself am continually irritated by these annoying inconsistencies.  If I am going to be healthy, I want to be healthy all the time.  If I am going to be working, I want to be amazing with my money with every single purchase.  But the truth is, that is not me. I am in continual flux, and have decided this is better than a rigid lifestyle with no variety or change.
Unprofound.  I realize.

Anyway, now is one of those times where I am seriously regretting a certain candy bar I had for dessert last night.  I want to spend everything I have on everything I've ever wanted.  I think it's a natural reaction when I want to comfort myself, but I also recognize that I need to comfort myself a bit more soulfully than with watching 3 episodes of Ugly Betty (a rediculous and boring and delicous waste of time) in a row and scarfing down a frozen Milky Way in one gulp.

There is such a fine line between analyzing and observing ones behaviors and swiftly and severely judging them.  I WANTED to veg out and turn off my brain and heart and fill my house with noise.  My judge keeps telling me that I've lost my soul and will never use my free-time well again.  My analyst observes and takes notes.  My child screams to be left the frack alone.  Truth is, I just want to do what will relax me, reengergize me, and release me.  This isn't usually through hours of mind-numbing TV.

But sometimes it can be.
And who am I to judge?

This post took a serious rabbit trail.
All I really wanted to do was share an amusing habit I've been noticing.

It is no secret that I love hot baths and would take 3 daily if my skin and schedule allowed.  However, I must confess that I am never just sitting around in hot water, musing about steam and candlelight.  I always bring a book or a magazine or journal or some sort of diversions (lately, it's been my iPhone 4-to play scrabble...although since this lady (my kindred bather) recently dropped her blackberry and laptop in the bath, I am shying away from expensive technology meeting hot water).  

photo

Diversions aside, I also like to bring in various edibles.  It's usually a modest dark chocolate square or glass of Montepulciano. But the last few nights, I've craved other goods.  One night a tangerine, the next night a bowl of pasta.  I've eaten ice cream, cold pizza, handfuls of spinach, and chips/salsa while soaking.  I find this amusing.

photo

Here, I've paired a decidedly sweet Clementine
  (they are so good rght now!) 
with T.S. Eliot's "The Four Quartets."  


I could just live in hot water.

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4 comments:

Let's go somewhere with some natural hot springs for our get away this year!!!! Love you fun/funny bathy snackies!

Cassie said...

Love your bath tales, and I love that you're still marking up copies of prose like you must have done in college. I really love that. xx, Cass

emilyclare said...

I too bathe with reading material and snacks. I actually felt a sense of comfort every time I walked into your bathroom and saw a bathtub therein. Lately in the tub I've been reading Villette, eating frozen mango, a carrot or frozen mango. It must be an orange time.. Autumn? You know Little Gidding is my favourite of T's quartets, I want to put the whole thing to a faint drawl of cellos

Amanda said...

It's reassuring to read that I'm not the only person who eats while in the tub. :) I tend to bring in a book, a Lush bathbomb, a bottle of Sweet Leaf Mint & Honey tea or Prometheus Springs' Lychee Wasabi drink (both are great- you can't go wrong with either one), and a bag of almonds or a square of mint dark chocolate or some crystallized ginger.