Lately, the days have been going by so slowly yet incredibly quickly. It’s a weird phenomenon that I often find myself caught up in.

On Wednesday, I was supposed to be creating lessons plans, but instead I created my Peach Plan. Context: peaches are in season and therefore the main fruit to be found at the grocery store. They are also only .95 cents/kilo. Since I regrettably didn’t come up with a Strawberry Plan when it was strawberry season, I decided I need to make sure I utilize the bounty of peaches while I have it. So I went to the grocery store and bought a lot of peaches. Basically, as you have probably guessed by now, Peach Plan is just buying all the peaches at the grocery store and then eating them. I also intend to can some of them (I see a major failure of this in my future).

BUT, I also cook sometimes. On Thursday I took the two squishiest peaches and made peach and carrot bread (there’s been a bounty of carrots lately too). I used this recipe, but halved it (should have quartered it, I’m only one person after all). I ate the whole loaf in less than 24 hours. No regrets, yall.

Then yesterday (Sunday), I decided to attempt peach jam. Guys, I was scared. I don’t have a good success rate when it comes to new cooking endeavors.

A note about Sundays. Lately (and by lately I mean for the last few months/years), Sundays have been the worst days of the week for me. I don’t know when it started exactly, but I’ve found that most Sundays have been accompanied with crippling boredom and sadness. Sundays are also supposed to be my rest day. Especially now that I live in Kosovo, Sundays are a natural rest day. Most shops are closed and the buses don’t really run, so there’s not much to do. Therefore, forced rest. However, rest has turned into me laying on my bed listening the soundtrack of Little Women and yelling,”I’m so bored and alone!” at my cactus plant. None of that is conducive to emotional health or productivity. So, in the spirit of coming up with a lot of plans, I came up with my Sunday plan.

1. Sleep in (because, obviously)
2. Coffee + reading. Coffee is essential to life and reading puts your life in perspective.
3. Write. I have been writing A LOT lately. I actually get up at 7 am every weekday morning so that I can have time to write before work. It’s been pretty great actually.
4. Yoga. Namaste.
5. Clean AT LEAST one room of the apartment. Like really clean. This includes mopping.
6. Do something creative. This could be painting, playing music, or trying a new recipe (see peach jam, below).
7. Go for a walk. It’s best to leave your apartment at least once a day, I’ve found (#introvertproblems).
8. Study Albanian for an hour (you do this anyway, but for some reason on Sundays you always find a way to skip it).
9. Don’t wallow. There is a time and a place for wallowing (with your sister, watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls, and eating a tub of ice cream), but it’s not on Sunday.
10. Remember that being alone doesn’t mean you have to feel lonely.

SO, yesterday I initiated my Sunday Plan. And it just so happened that my Peach Plan and Sunday Plan could coexist quite nicely. I give you: Liza’s Peach Jam.

The Recipe (adapted from here)

6 peaches

Juice from half a lemon

3/4 cup of Sugar

First, I pealed, pitted, and chopped all the peaches. I put the chopped peaches and the lemon juice in a large frying pan and smushed and stirred the peaches until it was boiling. Once it was boiling, I turned down the heat to medium and stirred in the sugar and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once finished, I ladled it into a jar and stuck it in the fridge. And that was literally all there was to it.

I’m happy about my jam and my peaches and my plans and my Sundays. I’m also really glad it’s September.

Georgia Peach forever (here’s a selfie to prove I’m a human).