I’m back!

Whew! Did you think I’d never resurface from the lagoon of moving? My head’s not above water yet, but it will be in a week or two. Meanwhile, here’s what’s been going on, courtesy of the slowest connection in years. If there’s such a thing as wireless dialup, I’m on it.

Last-minute issues forced me to stay in New Hampshire three days longer than planned. As I was utterly exhausted after several 18 – 20 hour days, it wasn’t necessarily a bad delay. Shortly before I left I was on a stretch of road I’d traveled literally hundreds of times when I noticed the word farewell. Whether it was a new sign or I’d been oblivious to it I don’t know, but I had to photograph it. Good omen, I thought.

I got to Maryland about a week ago, always happy to see the state flag. One of the few times I sat through an entire episode of Ace of Cakes, Duff said Maryland’s flag is the coolest and I can’t argue with that. The coat-of-arms/medieval look fits in with the official state sport — and here’s a bit of trivia that’ll win you five bucks every time — which is jousting. Jousting tournaments are common here.

I’ve been so swamped I haven’t even had time to visit Williams-Sonoma. Or Bloomie’s. Need I say more? I have had time to visit the prettiest Kmart I’ve ever seen, which I never would have guessed was Kmart if not for the familiar K. There’s an internet cafe inside (probably with a much faster connection than I have) and upscale (ish) merchandise similar to the Manhattan Kmarts. And if you’re ever in NYC at Macy’s, go catty-corner to Kmart, multi-storied with elevators and escalators. If you’re a Kmart fan as I am, and as easily amused, it’s a fun stop.

So I have a great place to live but won’t be in it for another week or so, and then comes all the unpacking, organizing and decorating. I’m not going to rush it or push myself too hard. The kitchen’s small but very well-appointed and there’s a long stretch of counter space that’s waiting for rolling pins and pastry doughs and fondants. I’m itching to get busy there. Meantime, I’m in one of those hotels for extended stays with almost a full kitchen and I’ve challenged myself to make a recipe that caught my eye in New Hampshire. It’s for ravioli with nuts and apple and here’s why it’s a challenge:

Yep, that’s the entire batterie de cuisine. Have you ever seen a sadder silverware drawer? I was happy to see the small colander but with only a deep skillet and saucepan, I had to do some thinking and settled on mini-ravioli, which I’ll boil in the skillet. And with several pounds of walnuts on the moving van, that had to be changed, but I have the ingredients and I hope to make it tonight or tomorrow. Make-do cooking, whether in a dorm, summer rental or a place like this, can be fun.

Thank you for your patience as I make these major changes to my life. Right before I left New Hampshire I went to a shop where I’d made my first purchase there. I liked the idea of my last purchase, a housewarming gift to myself, being there too. I bought a long, narrow block of wood which has this quote burned into it: Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, it turned into a butterfly. I might have gotten a few words wrong just now, but you get the idea. It struck me as uncannily appropriate to my life, especially since I’ve always appreciated the butterfly’s symbolism of renaissance and rebirth. One day in early summer when I was almost at my lowest — physically and emotionally — I was on a bench at a drug store, just having a think. A huge, gorgeous monarch butterfly fluttered by and came to rest on my knee. It was oddly comforting.

I think I’ve made the right move.