I went looking for a clean dishcloth tonight, and couldn’t find one. The kitchen drawer was empty, and there weren’t any in the basket of laundry waiting to be folded nor in the folded piles waiting to be put away. I can only surmise that they’re all dirty, but I have done so. much. laundry over the past seven days that I simply to refuse to believe that’s the case (dishes and laundry: the never-ending chores). Interestingly, my inclination was to pull out my knitting bag and cast on for another, because clearly we don’t have enough. And I realized that I must have come a long way if my first thought is to make one, and not to write dishcloth on the shopping list hanging on the fridge.

We have not been living as slowly as I’d like, though I’m still making the effort to live intentionally. I have the faint sense that we are close to finding our stride with this new schedule, the way we do at the end of each semester or the beginning of a new adventure. I’m looking forward to putting this frenzied pace back to sleep for another few months.

The quiet nights at home while J is at work are welcome, though still different for me. I find that when he’s here I don’t do much in the evenings, preferring instead to be in the same room with him. If he’s doing homework, I’ll read or knit, but it’s nice to just be together. Now that I’m getting used to the relative solitude, I’m tackling those little tasks that make our daytimes run more smoothly and comfortably, like dirtying those dishcloths to wash up the pots and pans that don’t go in the dishwasher. It’s nice to wake up to an empty sink and clean countertop.

Tonight when those dishes were done, I refreshed our supply of homemade taco seasoning. I’ve been mixing our own for a number of years now, and while the flavor isn’t as complex as some store bought packets, it tastes cleaner. I use two parts garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and cumin, and one part red pepper flakes, usually in increments of a teaspoon until the jar is filled. It’s simple, and I’m sure I could kick it up a notch, but simple is the point. I hate DIY recipes that require a million ingredients you’ll never use for anything else; they defeat the purpose. These are standard spices, and won’t go to waste. I use a 4 ounce jelly jar that must have originally come to us as a gift, because I know I didn’t buy it, though I don’t remember what was in it to start. Most likely something homemade, and actually, a little jar of seasoning would make a nice gift.

I joked to J the other night that it must be summertime here in Vacationland, as our calendar is suddenly filling up with out-of-state visitors arriving and departing, back to back. I think it will be wonderful introducing our loved ones to this lovely place, and maybe we’ll recruit a few more transplants!

Though, visitors mean more dirty dishes. I suppose I better get to knitting that dishcloth.