Friday, I'm in Love: Meryl Streep, Pencil Skirts, & Summer

I am love with the most recent movie I saw Julie & Julia and now feel compelled to imitate Julia Child each time I take to the kitchen. Well, more accurately, I imitate Meryl Streep imitating Julia Child. This was particularly amusing- for me at least- when I attempted to knead bread for the first time last week.

I am also in love with the current book I am reading, Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life by Deepak Chopra. (He gave me a hug on my 30th birthday, in case you missed the Twitter feed from Kripalu last month- or haven't seen my mom lately, who surely would have told you). Specifically, I am digging some of its small scientific factoids, such as:

In Africa, certain trees that are being over-foraged can signal other trees miles away to increase the tannin in their leaves, a chemical that makes them inedible to foraging animals. The distant trees receive the message and alter their chemistry accordingly.

How cool is that?

Speaking of cool, I am in love with my new skirt from American Apparel. I opted for grey, though I have nothing against eggplant (the color or the vegetable), shown here.

Of course, I would be remiss not to mention how smitten I am

with the weather in New England right now. The air is clear, the ocean a vibrant, sparkling, deep blue, and the sun is out and unobstructed by haze or humidity. Ahhh, I heart summer. Regular Om Gal readers might recall a love letter that I penned (err- typed) to my favorite season last year. I'm re-posting it today, with a few timely updates.

Dear Summer:

I understand that you’ll be going away soon, and I thought I might persuade you to stay a while longer. Perhaps another trip to the Cape would change your mind? I could try to score some Red Sox tickets for us; they're still in the Wild Card race. Heck, I’ll buy you all the Pinkberry you want. I’ll overload your closet with perilously short sundresses in all your favorite blindingly bright colors and serve watermelon and farm stand corn on the cobb at every meal. I promise, you can even use the good beach chair this time.

I respect your position on the issue. If you stick around too long, Autumn gets cheated, and then we’re all stuck with Jack Frost longer than we’d like. Look, I don’t want to come off as disrespecting my elders, but the guy is infamous for overstaying his welcome, particularly, here, in the Northeast. Not to mention, he could really lighten up around mid February. I mean, just because he's single doesn’t mean that he's at liberty to put the deep freeze on everyone else around Valentine's Day. I suspect he's still bitter about April giving him the cold shoulder several centuries ago. Quit the pity party, pal; she’s not your type! She flirts with everyone. She puts on airs like she's the warm, bubbly type, but c'mon, we know better by now. She's chillier than Anna Wintour-- or is it Meryl Streep channeling Anna Wintour in The Devil Wears Prada?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear you when you say that the only constant in life is change, and nature abhors a vacuum. You’ve made that painfully clear every year of my entire life, but you can’t cut me some slack? Just. This. Once. Please, spare me the malarkey about being like the poor

meter maid who’s already written the parking ticket and can’t recant it once it’s “in the system.” You MUST have more authority than that. Delay your flight. Stay an extra week—or 12. For the love of God, at least consider a LAYOVER! Puh-leeeez. You’ve always been my favorite, Summer. That line about liking Autumn was a load of bull. She makes me anxious. At any moment, she's liable to go cold on me. A gal can’t live like that!

[Insert grimace]. Oh, my. Now, look what you’ve done. You’ve shamed me in front of my readers. I’ve been caught desperate and begging . . . for the manipulation of Mother Nature, no less! How un-yogic.

With any luck, the om guys and gals out there will understand my angst as a simple error in judgment and an attachment to my own selfish, summer-loving ego rather than an appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things, the natural order of the universe. Of course, you need to take a holiday, Summer. I understand. You deserve it. Plus, the foliage always gets so giddy when you go (it’s a shame you can’t see it!). The air smells amazing. And, did I mention that long blazers and textured tights are going to be huge this season?

Finally, let's be honest; I didn’t have a prayer at getting those extra Sox tickets. It’s practically playoff season.

XO Om Gal