You know, I had an idea for this week’s post.  And then I had another idea, and still one more.

I plotted and planned how I might execute the two recipes I had in mind, spend time comparing the results to see which variation on a theme I preferred and then photograph, write and edit the post.  They were easy enough recipes and I could incorporate them into the week’s meal plan without too much difficulty.

I also created an outline for the other post idea which was one of my “links” posts that I like to do from time to time to let you know what I’m clicking on.

So here I sit and it is Wednesday around mid-day.  I am between non-culinary activities and am heading out to dinner tonight to a restaurant that I am definitely “kitchen scouting”.   I was on The Kitchen Scout Facebook page to look at my diagnostics for last week and clearly everyone loves the concept of zucchini noodles!  I was admittedly procrastinating.

And then I clicked on a story about an actress who bravely shaved her head this morning and shared the experience on social media as she continues her struggle with breast cancer.  And I paused.

Life is precious.  Time is short.  Why am I so hard on myself?  Why can’t I just write to you all that it was a really busy weekend and week since we spoke about zoodles?  That I just really didn’t have the time or the inclination to devote to the blog?  I guess it’s my personal pride getting in the way of wanting to bring you something fresh each and every week.  I haven’t missed one Friday since this crazy thing started in May of 2014!

But as I say to my friends who ask, there are weeks when the posts come quite naturally and there are others where they do not.  This is largely because I try to keep the blog current with my real life and not contrived.  It’s what makes me feel the most authentic each and every time I write something here and I am really proud of that.  So if I am being totally honest with myself and with you, this week was not blog-centric for me.

But you know what?  While I am able to write a decent post about all those fun links and shows and whatnot I’ve discovered of late (nothing earth shattering, truly), I am going to pause and take a breath.  I am going to take a flyer, a hall pass, a break.  I’d rather give out the message that it’s ok to let go of expectations and to allow ourselves to fall short from time to time because that is, after all, human.

We need to be good to ourselves as much as we need to take care of others.  So that’s what I am going to do this week and I hope that’s ok, especially for the people who just signed up for the blog this past week!

But never fear, I will be back next week with either a new recipe, the review of tonight’s restaurant, or my “links” post for sure.

In the meanwhile, and I mean this in the best possible way, I hope you find something that you can take a hall pass on in your own life if only to gain a moment of self care.

Until next week…

One Year Ago:  Roasted Carrot Tapenade

Two Years Ago: Review of Giulia in Cambridge, Massachusetts (I have to get back to this place)