Is it stealing if you borrow something and manage to perpetually find reasons to “extend” its stay in your possession? There are a few objects that have dampened my amplified “good girl” alarm system that blares anytime I break A RULE….Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim from Tinker Creek(library, 12th grade), bright neon green shorts (sister’s closet, mid 80s), Master’s of the Universe Heman figures (Cory’s play stash, early 80s) crew socks (various family members and friends….adding it up, over 10 of them. Love equals never having to return borrowed socks, present day).
And now…it’s a Vitamix.
People, meet my new boyfriend.
Like a new romantic relationship, love juices surge in my brain. My hands clammy with anticipation of all the possibility before me: silky-smooth yogurt with spinach, onions, garlic, and artichoke hearts into a sponge dip.
butterflies float in my belly as trial and error pulverize all reason: grinding a peabutter out of dry lentils and spices
my sanity in question as I selectively become blind to a host of warning signs: twirling cocoa, sugar, crystalized ginger too long to actually “burn” the mixture…….and a peanut foam that TASTED okay, but the texture just didn’t feel right (that’s love for you, right?)
my heart singing as I am rewarded by novel stimulation: blending coconut with honey, curry and salt for 15 minutes to create a coconut butter I later mixed with grilled onion and bananas poured it into a roaster for an hour with shrimp, green beans and sweet potatoes….then poured it over rice and apples. LORD HELP US!
my eyes swelling in proud recognition of the beauty before me: Cashew Cheese!
I could resolve in the next year not to “steal” but that would just be unrealistic. I think all good things…love, ideas, solutions, people….are stolen and don’t really “belong” to us. Something is never “MINE” or yours….and is meant to be borrowed, shared, and passed along.
But with the Vitamix, that time hasn’t come just yet.




