A Cooking Weekend

Where did September go? It may be true time flies when you’re having fun, but I don’t recall having that much fun. In fact, I look back at the month as one of working a lot and being a recluse in my cottage.

This weekend, I tried my hand at cooking. Last night for my supper, I fixed a baked egg—so simple. Buttered sourdough toast in a ramekin, a bit of cooked spinach, grated cheddar. Then crack an egg over it and covered it with just a bit of milk. I should have leveled off the cheese and spinach, so the egg would sit in the middle. As it was, it slid off to one side, and the milk all went to the other side. But I like my eggs soft (my kids call it runny), and I mixed it all up together and thought it delicious.

Tonight a pot of spaghetti sauce simmers on my burner and smells wonderful. Thanks to Carol Roark who shared her mom’s recipe. Christian and I will picnic in the cottage—Jacob has a youth group meeting of some kind, and Jordan has gone off to the opera at the invitation of a neighbor. Yumm—leftovers.

I also made an overnight salad which defies everything I ever knew about making salad but is delicious. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

I’m trying to avoid the news so as not to let it consume every minute, but I find myself drawn to the MSN news banner that pops up when I open Explorer. Several times a day something new comes along—some of it opinion, some of it fact, some of it doubtful. But we sure do live in interesting times.

A former neighbor sent me a Facebook message, saying, “I’m asking politely. Is there a Republican you like?” I should have replied, “Yes, you!” But I wasn’t that sharp. I did answer honestly and politely that I can’t think of one right now. I did not agree with John McCain on many issues, from abortion to war, but I admired and respected him and thought he honestly had America’s best interests at heart—something I can’t say for the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee. I like Jeff Flake, think he’s a man of conscience, but I wish he were a little firmer in his convictions. He goes from one side to the other, though we owe him a round of thanks right now. Other than that, no. I can’t think of a one, but I promised to be on the lookout.

My neighbor did not reply, and I wish she had for I would enjoy a good exchange of ideas and viewpoints, though as many say mine are set in concrete. A friend I haven’t seen in thirty years or more writes that we are still friends despite our differences. It’s hard when she posts, “I’m still for Trump and not ashamed of it.” She truly believes if liberals win in November, we will have no more freedom of speech (where did that come from?), no more SCOTUS appointments (please God), no more immigration laws. I have a hard time dealing with closed minds.

The coming week is a busy one, with medical appointments and dinner plans. I’m looking forward to a more active life—but my writing will suffer. Can’t win them all.