a little bit of normal

Who blogs about a normal, plain ol' salad?

Me.

But it's not really the salad that's worthy of praise -- it's the fact that I was finally able to use my own bowl, in my own kitchen, with my own knives and cutting board to make it.

It's been a very frustrating move from Texas to New Hampshire, and I'm not talking at all about the geography. Due to more red tape mistakes and mishaps than I even have time (or the desire) to mention, our movers were over a week late in delivering our household goods (we sat, and waited, and sat, and waited ....). And once they finally arrived, things were a mess. Furniture was damaged and broken, unwrapped pictures were stacked on top of other pictures (resulting, of course, in broken glass), personal and irreplaceable items (i.e. artwork of Aidan's that I've been collecting since he drew his first picture) were carelessly crunched and crammed into boxes. Again, I could go on and on, but I'm hoping the worst is now behind us.

So, as we continue to open boxes and begin to put our lives back into some semblance of order, I was thrilled and so appreciative when the owners of the house we're renting in Hampton dropped by to check on us, as well as deliver some fresh produce from their garden. My first and only thought was, "Salad!"

We've been eating at restaurants (many of them of the fast-food variety) for the past several weeks. And to be honest, I don't know when, if ever, I'll be able to eat another McDonald's breakfast again. But in the mean time, I don't think I've ever enjoyed a salad so much as I did my fresh, homemade concoction in our new home. And it was a huge one, so I was able to nibble on it for two days. Ty kept laughing at me each time I dished up another bowl -- it just kept getting better and better.

Hopefully my little salad will be the first of many yummy meals in our new home over the next few years. But above all else, I'm just glad that we're together as a family again, happy and healthy -- even if I can't find my favorite wrought iron candle wall sconces.