It really is two steps forward, one step backward for me these days. I work hard, really hard, to accept what is, and find joy in the present moment, but every so often I stumble and get caught up in what used to be. And, well, this past week was one of those weeks.
What I Am Currently . . .
Feeling I have been through a flurry of feelings this week. Sadness that my youngest daughter and granddaughters are now being back home on the opposite coast, and thus so far away. Concern about two close friends struggling with cancer. Fear at being thrust into a social situation that turned out not to be as safe as it had been presented; and from which we bailed halfway through to the possible detriment of a friendship. Which then led to anger at the lack of compliance by my fellow citizens, which will simply prolong the agony for the rest of us.
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| Both photos taken during their recent visit here in California. I miss these little sweeties soooooo much. |
So, yep, quite the mixed bag of emotions over the last seven days.
Cooking I made a lovely salad for our weekly picnic dinner at the harbor, this Chicken and Garbanzo Spinach Salad from Cooking Light magazine, one of my go-to sources. And tonight we are making Japanese style grilled chicken, thanks to this post from the wonderful Laura of The Occasional Nomads.
Also on the menu for the week will be carne asada that I bought from a specialty Mexican carniceria, which we'll be grilling and serving with homemade chimichurri.
Baking Oh boy, what I disaster my recent attempts to bake a boxed angel food cake turned out to be! Not one hour after our cleaning service had left our home absolutely spic and span, I attempted to make a boxed angel food cake using my Kitchen Aid countertop mixer. The mixer, even on the lowest setting, was simply too much for the boxed mix ingredients, and it sent cake mix flying every. where. Literally everywhere. I ended up having to wipe down my wood floors four times to get up all the sugar residue.
On the bright side, however,although the angel food cake baked up a little shorter than normal (a lot of cake mix got flung out of that bowl!), it was still much enjoyed with whip cream and fresh berries that I first macerated in a 1/4 cup each of aged balsamic vinegar, sugar, and water. So, all's well that ends well.
Watching Netflix's Indian Matchmaking. I am endlessly interested in Indian culture, and as a result I am thoroughly enjoy this somewhat-fluffy series. It's easy viewing, what can I say?
And I've been watching Hillary on Hulu, which is sort of my carbon footprint offset to above. 😄
Buying Not very much after last week's many purchases. My primary spend this week, aside from groceries, was at a We Olive store that is closing near us. I purchased some truffle oil, a back up bottle of 18-year aged balsamic vinegar, several jars of olive tempenade, and a half dozen jars of their wonderful dips. I will miss this store so much!
Indulging In We were recently told about a gourmet doughnut shop near us, so after completing a six mile sand walk at the beach a few days ago, we thought we'd burned enough calories to drop by and give the place, JD Flannel Donuts, a try. We decided on a Bacon Maple raised doughnut, cut it carefully in half, took our respective bites, looked at each other and agreed we'd just died and gone to heaven. Yep, it was that good.
Looking Forward To Starting golf lessons. We are signed up with a private instructor and will be sharing four one hour private lessons, a half hour for me, then a half hour for my husband who has played before.
Also, one of the organizations I volunteer for, on
How about you? What's happening currently where you are?
Tamara, even though we've never met, and I could be way off in my opinion, I think the high level of emotional sensitivity that leads you to feel negative events so deeply is the same attribute that allows you to enjoy life to the incredible extent that you do. (Take, for example, that yummy looking Bacon Maple donut.) Not everyone is able to recognize and validate both their positive and negative emotions like you do, but I would guess that it goes a long way toward building resiliency and the ability to work through anything life throws your way. I admire the way you take life by the horns, and wring every last drop of pleasure from your adventures and experiences - good for you!
ReplyDeleteLOL- nope, not far off at all! I do try hard to create experiences as much as possible, and I dearly love having things to look forward, even small moments like trying a singular, perfect donut. Today's moment will be enjoying the perfect fish and chips lunch after a long walk along the sand at low tide.
DeleteBut, the ying to that yang is as you've suggested, which is I can also feel the lows to the same degree. Fortunately for us humans, however, our feelings eventually pass, whew!
I am sorry that the social event did not turn out as expected but I admire you for realising you were not comfortable and leaving early. The only way we will see the end of this virus is if everyone follows the rules, and everyone who doesn't comply is just prolonging it for everyone. It seems like we all experience highs and lows in equal measures at the moment and I hope that you have a lot of positive things to look forward to very soon!
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty bad. We'd been assured there would be social distanced seating for the outdoor film viewing, which there was not. In addition, the owner and his server (cocktails only) were not wearing masks. Plus, there was an open cheese tray . . . shared food at this time??? We huddled away, refrained from eating or ordering, but when unmasked people began laughing out loud as the outdoor film played, we left.
DeleteSigh. I'll be calling my girlfriend tonight to both apologize for our hasty departure, but also to reiterate that we are only interested in being social with the proper protocol as currently being delivered by our governor and the CDC. She's not a bad person, she's just way less worried about contracting COVID than I am.
Re: highs and lows - yes, Deb, you are so, so correct I am sure. This morning my normally very steady husband came down and shared that he was feeling a bit depressed about 'oh, just everything' as he phrased it. We go along, and we think we are ok, and then suddenly we realize maybe we are not.
But much, much better today than back in March and April, so very thankful for that!
It's such a hard time right now. I would be uncomfortable as well, and I think your approach of leaving, and later explaining politely what protocols you are personally following is totally appropriate. I have an autoimmune disease, so I don't care if people judge me for being stringent on what we do for our own family. And, to your point, I want to be able to see my family, travel, have others go back to work, and my kids to go back to school. The quicker we can make that happen, the better for all of us.
ReplyDeleteYour chicken & garbanzo salad looks delicious!
At least at this point, unlike when this all first began, we are no longer made fun of for wearing masks. And yesterday's news from Moderna and Pfizer regarding vaccine trials was very encouraging. My heart is breaking for our children in particular, so we will continue to do what we must to ensure they have a bright future.
DeleteForgot to mention - I've watched the first couple of episodes of Indian Matchmaking & have really liked it!
DeleteMy favorite cast member so far is Nadia - what a sweetie. And on the opposite end of that spectrum would be the female lawyer Aparna. Ho boy!
DeleteI hope your golf lessons go well! It's such a great game. There's a woman in my weekly league who is 83 and walks 18 holes with a push cart. She's my role model.
ReplyDeleteI am excited about them, and excitement is in short supply these days!
DeleteI would not worry about bailing on situations that make you feel unsafe. If they are upset, on well. It is your life in danger. I have friends who are not worried at all, and think it is ridiculous. I love them, but with a long handled wooden spoon, as old folks used to say in the deep South. The long handled wooden spoons were used to stir food in big pots cooking over an open fire. The long handle was to keep from being burned. That is the same approach I take to people who are lax about safety requirements in an era of Covid. I love them from afar aka the distance of a long handled wooden spoon. Cindy in the South
ReplyDeleteLove the long handled spoon reference, and the accompanying history lesson! When we spoke to the couple yesterday, they admitted that while they stayed until the end of the outdoor movie showing, they were nervous about doing so, and won't return to the establishment again. So, happily, no hard feelings.
DeleteI'm pretty aware that my fight or flight instincts are very strong, which I've become even more aware of during this pandemic. It's interesting to observe how quickly and firmly they kick in when situations arise. As in 'Get the hell out of Dodge!' intensity.