Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Buddha
For a while now, I’ve been getting up early, without an alarm, between 5:30 and 6:00. If it’s a weekday, sometimes it’s with the hubster. On weekends, I smell his cheek (mmm…), give him a kiss, and rise on my own. I get dressed, feed the cats and the birds, grab a bottle of kombucha (eight ounces a day, my elixir of life?), and a thoughtful book. Lately it’s been the Pema Chodron, Start Where You Are, I found at the library (I bought my own copy). I sit on the bench on the back porch, wrapped up in a scarf and blanket and one cat or another on my lap.
First, I sip my kombucha slowly, listening and watching all that is happening. At this hour, it is pretty quiet. The birds chirp and eat (see the crow?), a few cars pass, but not too many. Though I like being out when it is sunny, so I don’t feel so cold, the rain is nice, too. It falls so sweetly onto the metal roof over my head.
Once I’ve finished the kombucha, I read, but just a little bit. I don’t want to crowd my mind with too many ideas. It’s a busy place already. Then I sit and think about what I’ve read. Today, it was, “Rest in the nature of alaya, the essence.” Watch whatever comes up in the mind, the rising and falling of thoughts. There’s no need to despair about the quality or content. They’re just thoughts. “No big deal,” Pema says.
I like the freedom this gives me. Permission. I have very dark thoughts sometimes. Heavy. Unkind. Cruel. They’re no big deal when I give them the space to be thoughts. They lose their potency and dissipate, though not always. Some are more stubborn and sticky, preferring to linger longer, but I’m finding more lightness around them, too. Maybe it’s just being outside in a place that I love, that I’ve worked hard to create. I’ve chosen every piece of furniture, every ornament, every plant with care. I’ve cleaned, weeded, cut, and fed everything here. I feel safe, safe to let my thoughts rise and fall like the plants themselves: sprouts, leaves, flowers, and seed, before starting over again.
Sometimes, as you’ve likely read, I believe that I don’t have enough, that I am not enough. Time, love, money, friends, clothes, flowers, patience: insert a noun here and wonder how to multiply it. Thankfully, most times, I realize that I have plenty, more than enough even. An abundance to share, put out at the curb with a “free” sign, and send out to the rest of the world. I am rich, if only in my own mind. That’ all that matters. This weekend is a perfect example of that. Three perfect days, almost endless, with fun, food, friendship, laughter, and hard work.
To start, we rose early on Saturday for a splendid outing, caravaning to Hood River for glorious vistas, one cool car (a Ford Cobra), books (I bought two: Dashiell Hammett and Aravind Adiga – hoping they are good), sunshine (I wore sunglasses and actually felt hot for a moment!), the best company (Lori, Bert, and Beanie), and, of course, super yummy food (thanks to Lori’s family – Apple Valley BBQ – plus honey and jam for home). As if this weren’t enough, we made a stop to wash our dirty car before heading across town to Old Town Pizza. We sat in chairs worthy of napping, sipped beer, an Arnold Palmer, and ate a rather fine pizza pie (most of it, anyway).
Sunday we celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. Huzzah! (The photo is actually from a couple weekends ago.) A blur of not much, we ate leftover pizza for breakfast. We went for a walk. I baked bread (as a delivery vehicle for the honey and jam purchased Saturday) and hot dog buns and must admit they look rather, ahem, phallic before putting in the oven. They were yummy, despite the imagery, though not as soft as Franz. We watched a movie (Jack Goes Boating – very good) and ate a bowl of popcorn.
Yesterday called for a fancy looking breakfast, which I made (recipe below). It was also dry enough to mow the very long lawn, so the hubster was in charge of that. I dead-headed the iris, pruned the glory bower, weeded (we have some very healthy clover), moved a few plants in the garden, and planted two agastache (hyssop) for the pollinators. This was followed by a long bath to clean my farmer feet and hands, another hot dog, the finishing of a book (That Old Cape Magic – just okay), the baking of a batch of cherry walnut brownies, and an early bed time. Plenty, all of it good.
Saucy Breakfast Sandwich
equal amounts butter and white flour (rice or wheat)
milk (I used rice)
grated cheese (I used a jalapeno gouda. Any soft cheese that you like will do.)
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper
Sliced bread (I made a variation of this bread {1/2 whole wheat flour, rice milk, no herbs or raisins}, use an English muffin if you like), lightly toasted
egg, prepared any style to go on top (I made ours my favorite way)
bacon, sausage, sautéed mushrooms (or see ideas below)
This can be adapted to serve as many people as you like and the reason I’m not specific with the ingredients. Since there were only two of us, I used 1 tablespoon each butter and flour. Melt the butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour. Allow this mixture to cook for a minute before slowly whisking in the milk. I used about 2/3 – 1 cup. It thickened, but was still a little runny. Sprinkle in the grated cheese (I used about 1/3 cup), and stir until it is smooth. Taste it, and add as much salt, pepper, and cayenne as it needs. Cover and keep warm (very low heat, if any) while you cook your eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, whatever you like. Place a slice of toasted bread on a plate, pile on the goodness, and pour the sauce over the top. The sauce was enough for three sandwiches, with very generous portions. Look at that pool!
Some ideas:
Mexican: jalapeno jack, sliced avocado, roasted peppers (jalapeño, bell, poblano), pinto or black beans.
Italian: fontina, tomato, fresh oregano, red pepper flakes
Spanish: Petit Basque, roasted tomato and red pepper, smoked paprika instead of cayenne, a splash of sherry in the sauce
French: gruyere, finely chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, tarragon, a splash of white wine in the sauce
Enjoy!
Tags: Cooking and Baking, Recipes
To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.
Robert Louis Stevenson
Tags: Quoting
Plants give us oxygen for the lungs and for the soul.
Linda Solegato
