oh the things i get excited about these days!  'andrew, shes asking for more beans!  she says they are yummy!!'  yes my soon to be 21 month old is enjoying her pinto beans made in the style of the French, and i couldn't be happier.  i immediately think about how i can incorporate more beans into our menu; would she eat a few at lunch?  maybe a little afternoon snack?  too much to give her some at breakfast?  yes, i know i get ahead of myself when it comes to food.  my past entries will tell you that much, at least.

speaking of past entries, there has been a startling lack of them for far too long.  i wish i could write the way i used to, purely for myself (definitely mostly for myself) and i remember how the words came pretty easily.  i know i had a lot of inspiration back then - inner turmoil, changing circumstances, beautiful surroundings.  as well as discovering my love of creating food.  (came back to food already?)

that's not to say i am without inspiration now!  no, not that at all.  especially since imogen has arrived in our little world.  she is a topic i could never exhaust, nor would i want to.  its merely finding, well... finding my voice again.

now this evening, when i take imogen to check on our plants - a little herb garden i started recently - i'm sure i will yet again marvel at her excitement to learn and see new things.  her sharp intake of breath when she hears a bird, her head cocked and eyes searching for it.  her squeal of 'momm-ee' in the tone of 'mommy, how could you not have told me about birds/herbs/cement before?'

her smile and her eyes looking into mine.

i don't need to be inspired.  i just merely need to be here, with her.