Inspiration Day

I have a very dear friend that works designing and building window displays for Anthropologie. A few years ago, when she had just started working for the company, she was occasionally given "Inspiration Days." Inspiration days were paid work days, but instead of going to the office, she got to go to the museum, or antique hunting, anything that might inspire creative work.

Today I took an inspiration day. I went to Blue Bottle for coffee, took a walk in the sun, did a little shopping, attended a yoga class, and took a picnic lunch to the Embarcadero and ate while watching the blue bay. I came home mid-afternoon, stared out the window, ate an apple and peanut butter, wrote (for fun!) and read a few more pages of the John Cheever biography I am plugging away at -- it is 678 pages of pure biographic pleasure.

I feel so much better I think I might head into the kitchen. I am a bit rusty and am eating alone, so I think I might keep it simple: farro with roasted asparagus, an egg, and a liberal does of Maldon salt and some fresh pepper. I think the egg might be fried. It sounds so much more decadent and self-indulgent than a poached egg.

Some light fog is rolling in, I am popping the cork on a bottle of white wine from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, and I am feeling -- dare I say it? -- inspired.

I know these slow, easy days are sometimes hard to come by, but if you have been feeling in need of a mental or creative re-boot, please find yourself an inspiration day.