The First Sunday

All of a sudden, it is autumn in San Francisco. The leaves on the trees are browning and are starting to brittle around the edges, and there's a chill in the air. I woke up early and made breakfast: English muffin, farm egg, strong coffee dotted with frothed milk.

Next I bustled around baking chocolate chip cookies and cutting up pears and adding cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg to make caramelized pear compote. I am planning to roast vegetables and make soup for dinner.

I am enjoying this glut of free time because I've passed a big milestone: the book is essentially done! I wrote the acknowledgements the other night -- much harder than it sounds -- and am now finishing up little bits and pieces and waiting to proof my galleys.

There's still a little left to do, and I have a feeling it will be tedious, so I'm enjoying the opportunity to nest and cook. I'm house sitting in a home with a most amazing library, and a kitchen with a deck and green garden.

I hope the next few days will be filled with a lot of reading, a lot of rest, and a lot of cooking. Part of me feels like I've just awakened from a long sleep to discover it is mid-October. I'm not quite sure what to do -- or what to cook. Ideas?