Jul 5, 2020

Menu: Week of 07/05/20

A lengthy intro to this week’s menu.

First, apologies for the broken link in last week’s email. One of the downsides to being woken up by the birds at 4:30 am is that one is not as alert as one might be if the birds starting conversing, and the cats chittering madly in response, around, say, 7:00 am instead. That being said, it is nice to have a near daily excuse for a hammock nap mid-afternoon, unless it is co-opted by L. (who likes to turn it from a self-care essential into an amusement park attraction just as I am dozing off.)

L.’s computer got damaged on the car ride here and it has been a lengthy wait for parts and service in order for him to get back online for games and communications with friends. Though I am not thrilled by the unexpected dent in the summer budget, I have really enjoyed his internet hiatus. It has meant more quality time for the two of us to spend together, and a lot of shared laughter over the cats’ antics and life in general.

The cats are thrilled to be here as there are so many windows from which to watch the world go by, and so many associated sounds and smells to decipher. Our main bedroom has a large bay window with a window seat, and this has turned into prime kitty real estate. We have helped this along by installing one of the bird feeders and baths right outside that window, and the cats spend a good deal of time there, manically stalking from one end of the window seat to the other, or conversely, sitting as still as statues except for the occasional whisker or ear twitch, intently watching the wildlife documentary unfolding outside.

A family of chipmunks live in the undergrowth beyond the garden and come out daily to see if they can cadge anything from the bird feeders that the birds might have knocked onto the grass. This activity, and the fact that they are nonplussed by the unusual feline presence, makes our male cat practically incandescent with “let-me-at-em” rage. Yesterday this anger was compounded by the fact that one chipmunk shimmied up one of the saplings next to the house, ran across the gutter and sat on its ledge, as close to the cat as possible. He then blew the equivalent of chipmunk raspberries at the cat for 15 minutes while slowly eating sunflower seeds stolen from the bird feeder that he had brought up onto the ledge by storing them in his cheek.

There are lots of rabbits as well and one particular family likes to use the front lawn for fun and frolic at twilight. L. and I enjoyed watching two young ones chase each other the other evening, legs going like pistons and cute little bunny butts looking like rabbit costumes, with large, fluffy cotton balls was attached to each one. Though this game of tag was incredibly cute, the scars from reading Watership Down as a young teen run deep, and I couldn't help but wonder if this were really playtime or rather some sinister Owsla of Efrafa hazing ritual.

While the cats are loving Cape days, they are less thrilled with the nights. The lack of streetlights here makes the outdoors a velvety pitch black as of 9 pm and there are no man related noises, barring the occasional car, which means that there is much subtle rustling in the underbrush and movement in the garden that our city cats do not understand or like. The other evening L. came across both cats, stock still in the living room, tails puffed up to triple their usual size, a sure sign of unease. They were unsettled and jittery for the rest of the evening and I woke up in the middle of the night from the pressure of them sleeping on me, as opposed to their usual behind my bent knees routine. L. and I think it was probably a fox passing through, and have I mentioned mid-afternoon hammock naps? They are also not keen on lawn mowers or fireworks and, as soon as either is indicated, there is a mad dash for safety -- one cat takes up residence under the bed in L.’s room, and the other behind a multi-volume anthology of children’s stories in the main bedroom bookcase.

Wildlife – indoor and outdoor – aside, I also really enjoy observing the minute daily changes to the garden. An early morning tour in one’s bathrobe, coffee in hand, is practically mandated during the summer: a little light weeding, noting how overnight the creepers have grown out a little more from the mess of undomesticated land onto the neat demarcation of the lawn, checking how the hydrangeas are going from pure white to purple as the petals unfurl a bit more each day, observing which flowers are past their prime, and which plants have yet to have their day in the sun... I have tried to count how many shades of green we are surrounded with, but this is impossible -- time of day and minute changes in light make me have to start over again and again. I don’t know in which guise I love the garden here best – when it is completely still and one can gaze upon its green lushness, or when there is a slight breeze and the sun-dappled leaves rustle and make soothing tree music.

I am just now starting to realize how long it has been since I have breathed deeply. The "real" world feels very far away and, right now, that is exactly what I need. There is only so much current event doom-scrolling and fretting about the news that one can do, and it is nice that, for now, the state of the world feels slightly surreal and disconnected from my daily life. Now that is what I call a vacation.

Last but not least, a slight change to the menu template: L. will be taking over Friday night dinner planning and cooking for the duration of the summer.

Sunday “Pantry Roulette”; fridge, freezer, and pantry item dinner]

Betty Crocker's (yes really) Tomato Salad

Roast Chicken with Pan Juices

Mashed Potatoes

Monday [Wildcard; a more complex or fiddly dish than usual to test my culinary skills]

L.’s dad visiting - TBD

Tuesday [Pasta]

Spinach Salad with Warm Honey-Mustard Dressing

Penne with Crab and Lemon

Wednesday [L.'s choice]

A variation on L.’s beloved Pork and Veggie Lettuce Wraps with Prik Nam Pla in the form of Beef and Veggie Wraps with Hoisin