I wish the candle that is burning cheerfully in my room this evening was a baked good. Its scent is "pumpkin spice" and I occasionally look up to see if it has magically turned into a plate of pumpkin muffins or scones because it smells that good. Yummy. Reasons why I want to eat pumpkin scones at this very moment:1) All of my friends have been talking about taking their children to pumpkin patches. This is charming and very autumnal, so I have pumpkins on the brain.
2) It is rainy and cheerless and treeless in my current corner of the world and I am dying for something sweet and earthy
3) I am mildly depressed and mild depression always calls for a baked good. It has been slowly dawning on me this weekend (even though I should have been fully aware) that moving to a new city means starting over - new friends, new parks, new grocery store, new yoga studio, new rhythm of life (all of which I have failed to find thus far). Carmen, your extrovert-extrodinaire, is feeling a little sorry for herself this evening.
Philadelphia is called the "City of Brotherly Love," but so far, I haven't seen much lovin'. This isn't a particularly friendly town. In fact, my friend J.C. reminded me recently that Philadelphia famously booed and threw garbage at Santa Claus at an Eagle's game a few years ago (football, for my Euro friends that could care less about silly American sports). Booed Santa Claus!!
Living downtown Philadelphia is nothing like living downtown Manhattan. The chain stores and gritty concrete are the same, but where is a Central Park when you need one? I had planned on going to a movie tonight, but it is frigid and rainy and I don't know the Philly transit system well enough to get to the other side of the city. Sigh. It will get better. Just a bummer today. I don't have any interesting photos yet. My friend Peg suggested I take pics of the new digs, but this mission failed because it was just too fetching cold. I'll get on it eventually. Here's wishing you a delicious fall moment or two in the coming weeks!
missing you.
ReplyDeletethinking of you.
praying for you.
loving you.
wishing to catch up with you.
You have done this 'starting over' so many times in the last few years....and you always manage to get through those mildly depressing weeks, survive, and then LOVE the space you are in...I have no doubt you'll find that love in the City of Brotherly Love too (just wish I could be there to help!). Miss you!
ReplyDeleteHey Carmie,
ReplyDeleteDon't worry little sister. We will come visit you this February. That's right! We will be in Philadelphia Feb 11-20 for the Interserve Candidate School. Then back to California for fund raising to go back to Thailand. Keep your chin up and a smile on your face. It'll get better.
Love Brett
Sweet Carmen ... I wish upon a star I could send you the smell of baking pumpkin pie, the giggles of a good friend, and a yummy glass of wine. I wish, I wish, I wish, I could help this feel less lonely!!! Love you!
ReplyDeleteSo funny. As much as I love fall, when I see all the pumpkins and leaves...it makes ME miss the desert. How weird is that? I suppose it is just that all my best "autumn" memories come from AZ. Here's to you, Carmen...and that the melancholy days give way SOON to a fresh, fun new beginning. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Carmen! We miss you in New York and hope Philly is growing on you. You WILL end up bringing joy to a lot of people there...I guess it is hard to catch Phillies mania so quickly, too, but, personally, I prefer them to the Yankees. Maybe now you can talk baseball, since you've learned to play it so quickly.
ReplyDelete