A staycation day

 

How I spent my staycation day

In his column this morning, New York Times food editor Sam Sifton wrote that everyone needs a day away in these troubled times. We are in the third year of the pandemic and the third week of Russia’s brutal, bloody invasion of Ukraine. Be kind to yourself. Take a day to lie on the couch (notice I said lie, not lay) and read a book.

For me, it was a lazy day to begin with because we got a late start on it, due to daylight savings, which I welcome wholeheartedly. I know a lot of people moan and groan, but I love sleeping a bit later in the morning, and I love the long, light evenings when we can sit outside, barring mosquitoes, until eight or nine. Some people claim they’d be happy if the government would just choose one or the other, but I would be devastated if they chose central time. All those dark depressing days when it gets dark before supper.

On my agenda today was—not much. Virtual church, check my email, that’s about it. Christian is cooking chicken piccata, and my only responsibility is green beans. I’m trying a new, easy cook method I read about—toss with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper and bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Supposed to come out crisp as French fries. I’ll let you know. (They weren’t crisp, and Jordan had a texture problem; I thought they were okay but nothing to write home about.)

So I spent much of the day reading Bitter Roots by Ellen Cosby, the latest in her mysteries set in the wine country of northern Virginia. It is hands down the most expensive Kindle book I’ve ever read. I guess the publisher was counting on avid readers like me to throw budget to the wind. I am savoring every word at that price and hoping it ends being worth the cost. I have never been comfortable reading in a prone position, so I read sitting at my desk, with the text on my screen. My place of comfort.

Tonight I did have an inspiration for getting my novel out of the corner I’d written myself into, but again I could not get my computer to hold a WiFi connection. Last night I gave up and went to bed, but I really wanted to get this scene down tonight. A hard boot seems to have done it. I couldn’t even contact ATT technical service because I had no service. Fingers crossed please that this connection lasts. But I really need to call AT&T, a conversation I dread. It’s never their fault, and the fix will cost you bigtime.

A meme I saw today that hit home with me: someone wrote that their morning routine these days is, “Get up. Check on Zelensky. Make coffee.” That’s how I feel too. I am so afraid for that heroic man—he needs not to be a martyr but to continue to inspire and lead his countrymen. If Kyiv falls, as it looks like it will, I hope they get him out. I’m sure he won’t leave Ukraine, but he might be persuaded to leave Kyiv. The world is too much with us.

On a lighter note: I looked at the box of Ritz crackers I used last night for the crumb-topped fish and thought of my mom. Salmon croquettes was one of her favorite dishes and remains mine, but she always insisted you must use saltine crumbs and nothing else. These days I use Ritz—they are richer and much easier to crush. Make such good salmon patties. And for just a moment there, I wanted to make Mom my salmon patties. She’s been gone over thirty years, but you never get over missing. And wanting to call and say, “Mom, do you know how I’ve learned to cook salmon croquettes?”

Blessed Sunday everyone as we head into a new week. May it bring peace and health to the world—and joy to all of us. We need a bit of that.