It's a Wednesday morning and I have now been here for almost two months. I am still adjusting to tasks taking longer to accomplish. Since it's the middle of the week and I am feeling a little homesick I decided, after putting a load of laundry in the washer, that it was as good of day as any to bake some muffins and make a big pot of spaghetti sauce, and binge watch episodes of Jimmy Fallon and Friends. Multi- tasking at it's finest, folks.

The sheer joy over finding something like blueberries, butter, and spaghetti is enough to make a girl do a happy dance. There's a long list of things that cannot be found here and then another list of things that are hard to find. But there's another category of things that are on the can't find list, that one day move to the hard to find (but found) list, and then upon purchasing and trying it is discovered that the item barely resembles the taste, smell, texture, etc. of what it was supposed to be. These such things go to the never buy/try again list. So when any of these items that we never thought we would see again (or an acceptable substitute) are found you first, rejoice and second, proceed to grab and take as many home with you as you can afford (or carry) because there might be no trace of it's existence when you excitedly return with hopes and expectation of seeing these items. Womp womp. Hey it happens people, and when it does it's a sad day. Like orange juice or strawberries, here one day and gone the next. But blueberries and butter have been found and it seems they are here to stay so blueberry muffins for everyone!

Check out our fancy dryer. It takes a while but get's the job done and the view's not half bad either. The washing machine is on the 5th floor so the exercise is an added bonus. Laundry must be done on sunny days, and I am still learning the delicate balance between leaving stuff on the line long enough that it gets dried but not so long that it smells like it hasn't been laundered in the first place.

Kate and I have been trying to find recipes or think of things to cook that have China-friendly ingredients. Considering we brought back a large, glorious bag of pasta from Kunming you better believe a spaghetti dinner needed to happen. I haven't made red sauce in a long time, but desperate times call for desperate measures. It turns out a little different each time since I don't use a recipe and if something looks or sounds good, I add it. Tomatoes, garlic, and onions are easily found in the market, but no fresh basil. I miss you basil. Fortunately we had some dried italian herbs and those would suffice. I couldn't resist the beautiful red peppers at the market so I roasted them and hello leftover wine that no one loved, you are now going to be part of the sauce. I made a huge pot, dished out enough to fill a couple of containers to put in the freezer and the rest we had for dinner. Comfort food in a bowl. I am thankful for days like today that are restful yet productive. I am thankful for Being able to make food and having people to share it with. And I am thankful for creature comforts like American tv shows and familiar foods that help make this place feel like home.

Domestic Musings