Jacob’s school had
something called Color Blast today. It means for a few minutes eighth graders
can run around and throw packets of color powder at each other. Sounds like
fun, no? No. Not to me, but he reported he had a blast, and he sure looks like
one happy kid, although he was looking forward to a long, hot shower.
For me it’s been a
couple of good-and-bad days. You ever have a day when you just don’t feel quite
right? That was me yesterday. I woke in the night feeling queasy, sat up, and
coughed a lot to make the feeling go away. Sophie was so concerned that she
came and stayed on the bed for a while. Then she apparently decided I would
survive and went back to her safe spot—her crate.
Yesterday, food
didn’t interest me, and I didn’t eat much. My stomach was just a tad off, not
even enough to say I didn’t feel well, and I had just the tiniest twinge of a
headache—nothing worth complaining about. I did what I needed to do at my desk
to get the day started—checking emails, clearing up some details on small
projects. But work on my manuscript? Nah. I wasn’t there.
The good? I blew
off most of the day and lost myself in a mystery novel by Susan Wittig
Albert—one of many China Bayles mysteries I missed when it first came out. Reading a China Bayles
novel is, for me, like visiting old friends. I know the people, I know the
community, and I’m quickly drawn into whatever is happening to them. This was Nighshade,
a novel that involves deep corporate corruption, murder disguised as accidents
and suicide, an old family problem. I was thoroughly engrossed and hated to
come to the end, though I admired the way Albert worked in personal growth for
China. Not a bad way to spend an off day.
Today I felt much
better, attacked the editing of my manuscript with enthusiasm, and think I made
a bit of progress on the first chapter—making the chronology clearer, tying
together threads of the story. This is nonfiction, so I don’t have the leeway I
would in a novel. We’ll see if it keeps getting better.
But then there was
supper. I found a lamb chop in the back of a lower shelf of the freezer—no idea
how long it had been there, but I thought I could rescue it. Sautéed it in
butter while I made a salad of avocado, tomato, blue cheese, lemon, and just a
splash of olive oil. When the lamb chop was done, I squirted some anchovy paste
into the pan with the butter and juices and poured it over the chop. Looked
forward to a really good supper.
It wasn’t. The
flavor of the lamb chop was medium—certainly not the best I’ve ever had but
okay. But the darn thing was so tough I couldn’t cut or chew it. I finally
dumped it. The avocado salad, however, was delicious.
So now the weekend
looms, with grocery shopping, cooking, church—this Sunday we’ve signed up for a
church luncheon, billed as “Connection.” I’ve been wanting to be more visible
as a longtime member of the church, so this is a good opportunity.
And with up and
down days, I remain transfixed by the antics in our government. In spite of
that, I think life is good. Hope you think that too.
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