Redbud blooms again, because they were so pretty in the bowl. After two hours' steeping in water off the boil, they became this:
I put this redbud tea back on to boil and added 2 cups of sugar and a dash of lemon juice (I was out of oranges, but then I figure that women making redbud wine in the mountains back in the day didn't necessarily have oranges or raisins). When it cooled enough to touch, i.e. it was like bath water, I added a packet of yeast, which foamed right up.
By the end of last night, I had walked 5 miles, which felt pretty good and brought my total miles this week to 15. Starting today, the overall total is 58.37 miles --- almost halfway!
I'm taking Anna-Kate to lunch today, so will likely walk far less in the course of the day, but that's all right. These longer walking days have put me ahead on my course, and I'll probably do more of them. I'd like to get within range of the pace of an actual walking pilgrimage, where pilgrims cover more like 10-12 miles daily. Granted, they have dedicated time that I don't right now. But it would be nice to reach a point of walking fitness that an actual pilgrimage, at a normal pace, would be more within my reach. NOT that that's really supposed to be the point of this whole discipline, but not that I don't think about it, either. Yet again it occurs to me that really, given what we are, soul and body, it's not true that deriving physical benefits from a discipline negates any spiritual benefits you might derive. You CAN have both --- and really, it seems to me, it's good to have both, since you (and I) ARE both.
Meanwhile: It's 32F right now, but the projected high is 66F. Layers, babe. I'm going to layer up in puffer jacket and wool scarf, and maybe a cardigan, to walk Dora before I have to crate her to go to Mass and lunch. But here's the base outfit for the day (giving all the boots a rest):
Willow, for my daily purple, with navy cotton-blend leggings, cotton socks I bought at Aldi some years ago, and my thrifted Birkenstock Rosemeads, for some more purple.
I thought the socks might look dorky, but I actually kind of like them here. They might still look dorky, but it's a dorkiness that I can live with. If it warms up enough, I might take them off, but for now they'll do.
Feeling very 58 today, but hoping that a brisk walk in the cold fresh air will bring the color to my cheeks.
ADDENDUM: The Alpaca Cardigan
I love all these colors together and do not feel especially penitential in them, but there it is.
BEDTIME UPDATE:
Walking total for the day: 5.5 miles! I hadn't expected to walk so far, but Dora and I did 3+ on the greenway this afternoon after my lunch out (having walked not quite a mile this morning), then a good walk just after dark put us over the next mile marker, so to speak. It feels good to be walking in this mileage range so regularly.
My husband comes back tomorrow--- I'll have to think of something good (though meatless) for dinner. I've been eating Thai chickpeas all week, and could go on eating them forever, but now I'm out of red curry paste. Maybe I'll just make omelettes . . .
At any rate, I'm about to crate Dora and turn it in. I got no work done today, which I feared would be the case, so I want to knock some writing out tomorrow in a serious way.