Friday, October 21, 2022

Contentment


Another perfectly beautiful day. I took that picture on my way home from my walk. It's the church next door where they are gathering, as we speak, for the Friday service. I guess it's a service. It could just be a musical type of rehearsal because I always hear drums and voices. I hasten to assure you that the church is not crooked- that was just my camera angle. 
The oak tree you see in the back is actually growing in my back yard. As I have said before, the lot we own is weirdly shaped. It's like a T with the arms outstretched behind us. We own the land behind the church and the house next door to the east of us. Supposedly, the man who built this house wanted to have as much property on the railroad tracks as possible because that was the big, new technology and...well. I have no idea. I have lived quite close to railroad tracks several times in my life. In Roseland, the tracks went a little ways through the woods by our house and I lived in an apartment in Tallahassee which was even closer to the train. And now, we are even closer than that and the trains do still run several times a day but even though they shake the house a little, we hardly notice them and they never wake us up at night. 
Funny how the brain can learn what is important to pay attention to and what it is appropriate to simply ignore. 

Once again I peeked into the My G-word Soul Boutique when I went to the post office today, expecting great activity due to tomorrow's much-heralded (on the two, now-curling, bright hot pink poster boards displayed on power poles) opening, but was quite shocked to see that nothing much seems to have changed. In fact, the shelves are almost entirely empty! WTF?
Even the little pots of succulents which were set on the window sills months ago seem to be dying. This does not bode well, does it? There was a table set up with what appeared to be a few possibly vintage serving dishes in front of one of the windows and another table with a large display of previously mentioned essential oils in their tiny bottles. Those have definitely been there long enough to collect dust. So I do not know what is happening. I will go and check out the situation tomorrow afternoon and see what there is to see. 
I am curious, of course, and in some strange, indescribable way, this all seems like such a Lloyd thing. 

I spent the day doing mostly what I said I would do yesterday. I took that walk, I potted up the dear carnation slips and repotted a small begonia. I washed the sheets and hung them on the line. I weeded a tiny bit in the garden and then didn't do a bit of yard work except to pull a few vines that were choking my wild azalea and collecting fallen branches and limbs and trundling them to the burn pile. I talked to Mr. Moon for quite a while on the phone. He is so happy being outside for sunrise and sunset, hanging out with guys and dogs. I love hearing that joy in his voice and I love that he wants to share that with me. He has sent me pictures of bison and a moose couple, the dogs, and some truly beautiful landscapes like this one. 

I reassure him that all is well here and it truly is. 

I sat down at the piano this afternoon for a little while and oh my god, my fingers, my brain are so uncoordinated and I play so very slowly, trying to just get the notes and chords right so that I can feel that harmonic sweetness reverberate in me and although I would die before I let anyone hear me, it makes me so happy to have this little bit of wonder in my life. 



Being alone allows me so much time to think my own thoughts, to pass my days within my own schedule. I think I am a very selfish old woman in some respects. For the past few days I have been listening to a book that our beloved poet and musician and baker and worshipper of the animal gods, Rebecca, recommended to me. 


Holy shit! This author absolutely has everything under control in such a smooth and silky way while telling a story of a family that is the farthest thing from smooth and silky that there can be. 
You know how I always judge an actor by whether or not I can see them acting? 
Jean Hanff Korelitz cannot be seen writing. It's as if the story just organically sprang from the ether. It is tight, the characters are fully and fascinatingly developed, and I only have two more hours of listening to go which makes me incredibly sad. Thank you, Rebecca. 

And also, because of Rebecca, I am going to try making bagels for the first time. She sent me pictures of bagels she had made and then, after I asked, the recipe. I had to order barley malt syrup online because she says it is the best for the recipe and I could not find it in Tallahassee. As in book recommendations, I trust Rebecca's recipes. I am looking forward to this. I've never made bagels in my life. 

I have split pea soup on the stove and a focaccia with cherry tomatoes in the oven.


Greens from the garden are in the refrigerator, washed and ready to be chopped and made into the most delicious thing you could possibly top a warm bread with. Jessie, Vergil and the boys stopped by here briefly so that they could collect a few things from their camper which is parked here to take on the camping trip they were embarking on. August, dressed so incredibly nattily in a pair of skinny jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and what appeared to be a suit vest, saw my focaccia rising with the tomatoes draining on kitchen towels to be placed on it before baking, and started talking about bruschetta which he loves so much that when he was a tiny boy, he called "Dream Land." 
I am not kidding you. 

We agreed that bread is the best thing ever, whether made into bruschetta, biscuits, focaccia or...sourdough. 
"That's the best. The kind that you make," he said. 
I swooned. 
When they were about to leave, Vergil said, "There's room for you! Want to join us?"
"Oh, no. But thank-you," I said. 
I need to learn to make bagels and finish listening to my book, play some more piano however badly, sleep on my clean line-dried sheets, and of course go to the opening of My G-Word Soul Boutique. 

Happy Friday, y'all. 

Love...Ms. Moon




44 comments:

  1. You sound so happily content. This is good.
    Your focaccia looks truly delicious. I am sure the bagels will be the same.
    I will see if I can lay my hands on that book. I get some great recommendations from blogland.

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    1. I seriously think you will not be disappointed if you read it. It's like stepping into another world.

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  2. I can't believe that anyone referring to their soul being a "gypsy soul" would be considered offensive! But ... that's just me!

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    1. Well, things change. And I doubt that anyone in Lloyd will be offended.

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  3. I loved that book as you know. Honestly I can’t wait to reread it. Bread is the uh…ummm…bread of life. Yeah! There it is. XO R

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    1. And now I am so full of bagel I can barely move. Darn it! Also- THANK YOU!

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  4. your day sounds absolutely perfect from beginning to end. Have never made bagels and likely never will, but will anticipate your news! Glad all sounds well....and I hope the church people are singing sweetly to you! I need to get back to bread baking,,,,,which I used to do, but have NOT in past 2 years....need to get back on it. I seem to work best with the Tassajara Bread Book......dearest Edward Espe Brown....... always successes on that front.
    Susan M

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    1. I have a copy of the Tassajara Bread Book. Of course! I need to dig that out and look through it again. You could make bagels. I know you could.

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  5. Bagels? What next? It doesn't sound as if there's going to be a grand opening, or any opening. I'm mad with curiosity to know what's up.

    You're having some good days there. I need to think seriously about focaccia now. I have a lot of cherry tomatoes, so that's a start.
    I love bread, really need some form of it in the house always.

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    1. Report on both bagels and boutique coming right up!
      Focaccia is such a delight to make. It's not a picky bread. And it's good for reheating. It would taste delicious with some of your cream cheese on it. I spread goat cheese on mine along with the greens. OH MY GOD!

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  6. Just checked on the book. 22 weeks wait. But I'll wait.

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    1. That is a long darn time. Well, I guess it's gotten great reviews!

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  7. Your piano 'attempts' reminded me when I was a kid and forced into piano lessons. It amounted to hell on earth for the teacher. She probably stopped at the liquor store on the way home from those lessons. Talk about NO talent. Those lessons didn't last long, thankfully. When I retired, I had the bright idea to take French lessons as a 'hobby'. After 3 lessons the instructor asked my intent of the French lessons. I said, 'oh, just a hobby'. He said....'have you considered golf?' Those lessons lasted about as long as the piano lessons. If you enjoy playing, go for it. Carnegie Hall next life.
    Paranormal John

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    1. Great story! At least your French teacher was honest with you. And don't you know that piano teachers are constantly thinking, "Why, WHY is this child's parent shelling out good money for such a hopeless outcome?" I imagine many of them drink.

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  8. I’ve seen the gorgeous things baked by Rebecca on instagram. I’ll bet her bagels were just as beauteous. Yours will be too! Nothing is as comforting as bread. I love it too much and am very grateful I’m not gluten intolerant.
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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    1. August and I agreed that bread is definitely the best food. And it just is! I could probably lose a lot of weight by never eating it but it would not be worth it. I suppose I could try eating less though.

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  9. The store should be renamed "The G-Spot".

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    1. Wilma- you won the internet today.

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    2. Ps that was me. I mean I. Rebecca. I wanted to give Wilma a wee fire trophy.

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  10. I was quite a good piano player, technically. But as to putting feeling or emotion into it, not so much. My piano teacher in college commented to me (in desparation I believe), "Susan, haven't you ever been in love?"

    I love August's comments on your bread. What a treasure.

    Susan from the Pacific Northwest, where it has started raining!!!!

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    1. Hurray for the rain!!!
      I can't believe your piano teacher aske you that but it's great.

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  11. We all live in our own little quiet corners of the world, and we read the blogs of others and see their little quiet corners of the world and see them as places imbued with magic. That's how I see Lloyd and your life.

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    1. Oh, Debby. That is so sweet. Thank you. And yes, we are so lucky to have a window into so many places we would never even hear of in our lives without blogs.

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  12. Mr Moon's landscape picture is excellent. I am very much drawn to tumbledown farm buildings and the echoes of past times that they exude like pollen on the breeze.

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    1. I will tell him you said that, Mr. P! It is definitely an excellent photo.

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  13. Barley malt syrup is called Malt Extract here and comes in 1kg tins for $10. I have a teaspoon of it on my breakfast porridge every day. I remember mum giving it to us as children every night along with a spoonful of "Milk of Magnesia" which was an emulsion containing cod liver oil and perfectly awful to me, but my sister loved it and would ask for seconds. The barley syrup is full of B vitamins. B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12.

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    1. I tasted a bit of barley malt syrup and it's not nearly as sweet as maple syrup or molasses or honey, is it?
      It's a sort of joke about mothers dosing their kids with cod liver oil in the old days but dang- it had Vit D in it which of course we all need. But yeah- yuck.

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  14. Hope the bagels turn out well. August is a sweetie. I love Mr Moon's landscape photo.

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    1. August is a darling boy. His proffered hugs mean the world to me.
      I like Mr. Moon's photo too.

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  15. Glad you are enjoying yourself while Mr. Moon is away. You make such delicious looking (and sounding) food!

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    1. The one thing I will admit to being good at is cooking. Not great but pretty darn good.

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  16. That is a beautiful landscape photo Mr. Moon sent. And the picture of the church with your oak tree and that is a confederate rose on the right, right? It's huge. And I thought mine were tall at 10'. Maybe it's just the perspective but it looks like it towers over the church. I've put the book on my book list to see if the library has it.

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    1. Wasn't that a good photo? The lighting is perfect.
      Yep. That's a confederate rose. It grows in good sunlight and is beautiful. I think it is taller than the church. I'll check that out.
      Good luck with the book!

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  17. I hear the sound of contentment in your voice. What a great gift after so many months of anxiety. So happy for you.

    Mr Moon's fantastic photo reminds me of an Andrew Wyeth painting. I'm always drawn to spare landscapes--be they prairies, valleys or mountains.
    Mary

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    1. I thought of Andrew Wyeth too when I saw that picture.
      I am truly less anxious right now. It feels wonderful.

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  18. What is the G-Word? Do we know? I must say it's one of my pet peeves when people lock plants in a closed building and allow them to die on the windowsill. It makes me want to break the windows.

    Somehow I thought Mr. Moon was hunting in the woods, but that looks more like open prairie.

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    1. Oh, right, the G-Word. I remember now! Duh!

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    2. He's duck hunting so I imagine there's a lake or river involved. Next it will be deer and THAT will be in the woods. All kinds of outdoor adventures!
      Yep. G-Word. Did you read what Wilma said?

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  19. A wonderful report in every regard. I could just see that sartorial prince August from your description, and how sweet his words. Rebecca has the most finely honed artistic sensibilities of anyone I know.

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    1. You are so right about Rebecca. She IS an artist in all ways.
      August looked so adorable. Of course, I always think he does.

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  20. P.S. That prairie photo Mr. Moon sent you looks like a still from the Paramount Plus streaming series "1883," which I actually think you would enjoy.

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    1. Glen is watching that! I tried to watch Yellowstone and just could not do it. I was so unhappy with myself. I generally love Kevin Costner.

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