Phenomenal Woman

By Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size   

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,   

The stride of my step,   

The curl of my lips.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,   

That’s me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,   

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.   

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.   

I say,

It’s the fire in my eyes,   

And the flash of my teeth,   

The swing in my waist,   

And the joy in my feet.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered   

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can’t touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,   

They say they still can’t see.   

I say,

It’s in the arch of my back,   

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.   

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.   

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,   

The bend of my hair,   

the palm of my hand,   

The need for my care.   

’Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

In the warmer months, I love to whip up a big salad to take to the office for lunch. Rip up a little lettuce and spinach, toss in a few walnuts and dried cranberries, chop up a hard boiled egg or a little meat left over from the night before if we have any, drizzle it all with a touch of vinaigrette. It is so easy to do, taking just a few minutes.

I am frequently dismayed, however, by how often people in the office say something like "Oh, that looks great. Where did you get it?"

The assumption is that I have bought a prepared salad. Why on earth? There are few things easier to make than a big salad, and it is such an inexpensive thing to throw together for lunch.

Make your own meals, people.

I went to the local arts center this evening to hear an author speak. I enjoy going to these talks, whenever time permits. I usually bring along a mindless knitting project, often the cuff or instep of a sock, something that I can work on without thinking about as I listen to the author.

This evening, I brought nothing with me. My latest sock is waiting for me to kitchener stitch the toe together, and I have not yet cast on a new one. So, I sat that with my hands doing nothing. I sat simply listening, watching, laughing.

It felt strangely decadent.

A house does not feel like home to me until the walls have art hanging on them. We moved in here ten years ago. Two young kids, new house, we didn't have a lot of money. Still, art popped up here and there, covering our wall. Print outs of Impressionist masterpieces by my favorites - Van Gogh, Monet, Degas. We grew our collection of larger pieces slowly, and a few years ago began adding a couple pieces of "real" art.

This year, Luis started pestering me to start putting some of my photographs on the wall instead of those old printouts and lithos purchased off eBay all those years ago. I have been transitioning the pieces slowly.

I have to say that I'm so glad he got a bee in his bonnet about this. I love walking into the dining room and seeing the canvas of a photo I took at a friend's farm. I makes me smile to see my photos of espresso and onions in the kitchen. I love seeing Vincent sitting in a culvert and Simon's crawling tush in the dining room, a rock cairn in the library.

I've always loved taking photos, and this is a continuation of that. I do not consider myself very artistic, but this...it makes me happy.

"All around you, people will be tiptoeing through life, just to arrive at death safely. But dear children, do not tiptoe. Run, hop, skip, or dance, just don't tiptoe."
— Shane Claiborne

I saw a version of this quote at a friend's home this evening. I loved it so much that I had to look up the original, and the original is even more wonderful that what I had seen.

I have been looking for a quote to put on my kitchen wall for a few years now. Nothing has ever resonated perfectly without being boringly cliche. This might just be the right one.

I saw this on StoryPeople today.

It's an invention, he said. What's it do? I said. I don't know, he said. It's not finished yet.

It reminded me of Vincent.

Isabella had a slumber party over the weekend, and I love listening to the girls chatter away in the next room when they don't know I am listening.

All ten girls were playing some convoluted imagination game involving neighboring countries and their governments when I heard my favorite quote of the party:

Girl 1: Attack!!!! Let's invade!
Girl 2: Hey! Don't invade us. We are a peace-loving country.
Girl 1: We know. Why do you think we are invading you??

The politics of war, boiled down to the bare minimum.

I made the strangest cake today.  The only ingredients are eggs, sugar, ground almonds, baking powder, and five entire clementines - skin, pith and all - topped with dark chocolate.

I found the recipe in Green & Black's Chocolate Recipes, a cookbook that I swear makes me gain weight just by reading it.  No photos, just a simple ingredient list and short set of directions.  The first step of simmering five entire clementines for two hours intrigued me.    

I cheated a little bit and cut in before it sat overnight.  The recipe did say to let it sit so that the flavors could mingle best.  It was truly yummy, and I can't wait to see how it tastes tomorrow. This one is so very easy, but would make a unique party dessert.  It will be made again.

Later this week - Italian Venison Agrodolce from the same book.  Can you tell what cookbook I was reading this last week?

I must have company soon so that I can also try the Salted Caramel Tart.  Luis is not a big chocolate fan, and I don't dare make many of these recipes without others here to eat them with me.  The Clementine Cake here is an exception.  It is practically healthy what with only 1 cup of sugar and one 3 oz bar oc chocolate to balance out those clementines and 3 cups of ground almonds with their healthy proteins and fats.

At least that is what I am telling myself.