SOUP AND ACQUAINTANCES

The weekend is fast approaching and with it dreams of sleeping in are dancing in my mind. Catching up on sleep is of utmost importance as is taking time to cook and not relying on mere bread as subsistence. Tonight was a start with my making potato leek soup with carrots.

'It smells good', remarked the children as they came downstairs and walked into the kitchen. They were curious but when I told them what was cooking on the new stove, I heard 'gross' followed by them letting me know they will not be eating it for dinner.

The children's not wanting to eat the soup was not an issue as I knew very well they would not eat it. I craved something nutritious and took time to slice the large leek and chop the Yukon Gold potatoes and a carrot. To those vegetables I added two Turkish bay leaves, salt, and fresh thyme sprigs along with a liter of water.

Another pot of water was sitting next to my small pot of soup awaiting a rapid boil so I could cook the thin spaghetti for the children. Pasta with Greek feta is what they prefer. Saffron wanted freshly grated Parmesan instead of the feta whilst Sage wanted the spicy Urfa chilies to accompany his pasta with feta. A simple weeknight dinner albeit I wish their palates were a little less picky.

This afternoon I received a phone call from the employment agency informing me of my upcoming assignment. The company for whom I am working requested I stay until the end of the month. Albeit initially I agreed to two weeks, I decided to stay until the end of this month. Since I have no other prospects at the time and my children are still in school, I decided staying is not too bad of an idea for the time being.

As I finished the conversation with the lady from the agency, I let her know the people at the company were nice so I did not mind staying. Getting through tough times such as this new way of life lately has been difficult to say the least. My respite has been going to work and being in the company of new acquaintances who make those tough times easier to handle.

Laughter and stories are almost guaranteed on a daily basis and certainly make the drive to south Austin worth it. Somebody finally took a chance on me when I needed it the most. For this I am grateful as I am for new acquaintances who make life easier these days as they keep me entertained and my mind off of these difficult times. I still hold on to my dreams of seeing my boyfriend this summer for one never knows what can happen from one moment to the next.