Escape

Penelope and I decided to take a day off from the world yesterday. No spouses. No work. No thinking about school, duties, errands, tasks, promises, lies, ideals, hopes, failures, or commitments.

It was a day to relax. To sit back and stare at the sky. To enjoy oneself. To ponder the universe and all of it's types and patterns. To have a comforting simple meal, and a simple day out for pure purpose of a peaceful, entertaining night in good company.

The day before I graduated high school, I laid down on the grass and stared at the sky, and wondered what my future was going to be. I never would have guessed I would be where I am now, doing the things I am doing. I did the same yesterday. I guess I came full circle, though I didn't realize I was on any path to begin with. I guess I begin the gyrating tread once more.

We made a picnic lunch and went out the the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival to see The Comedy of Errors, which is by far one of the bard's best plays. Confusion, puns, and hilarity ensues amongst long lost and separated sets of twins and a town is thrown into turmoil. It's worth seeing, and even if you're someone who thinks "Shakespeare is too hard for me to understand!" trust me, seeing it on stage makes it very easy to understand when you have a face to put to a character name, and lines are being read with emotion. It's still going, so be sure to catch a viewing and bring a picnic lunch! You can find tickets here.

Penelope and I made a very simple and very satisfying picnic lunch. We used Tea's recipe for lentil salad (albeit a few alterations, it's a great base recipe that allows lots of room to personalize it,) made a simple fruit salad with some chopped mint and lemon juice - mint perks up a fruit salad like nothing else - and we tore apart a roast chicken and mixed it with some romaine lettuce. Throw in some water and kiwis and we were set. Next time we'll be sure to remember the wine as well.

It made for a perfect picnic to a perfect show on a perfect day.

Sometimes a day of escape is just what you need.

Simple Fruit Salad
serves 4-6

What You'll Need...
2 1/2 cups of fresh strawberries
2 nectarines or peaches
3 apricots or plums
2 cups of seedless grapes
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
juice of 1 lemon

What You'll Do...
1) Wash and dice the fruit.

2) Combine the fruit, mint and lemon juice in a bowl and toss. Serve immediately or let sit in the fridge for a bit to let the mint permeate the fruit a bit.

Optional: If you want, assorted berries really work well in this recipe, as might a 1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger if you so wish.