Thursday, October 20, 2022

All Is Well


 I took this picture to send to Mr. Moon last night to demonstrate that indeed I am enjoying his non-favorite foods while he is away. And "enjoying" is the absolute truth. I cooked the salmon in the Easy Bake oven, steamed the potatoes and asparagus, finished them with the salmon, made a sauce of wine, shallots, lemon juice, mustard, and capers to go over them. And of course, opened a can of LeSueur Baby Peas and heated them up. I am sure my husband shuddered at the sight of this photo. He sent me a picture of their supper which involved rice, pickle salad (I am not kidding you- he said it was good), some sort of possibly fowl-meat, and a bowl of obviously canned peas swimming in a white sauce of unknown origin. I am sure that it probably was delicious but I doubt the peas made him happy. He also sent me a picture of the woman who cooks for the guys, today. Here she is. 


I believe I may be in love. 

I think we actually got a bit of frost last night. Lily said she saw some on the field next to her house. This is what the thermometer said on my back porch at nine a.m.


Welcome to Florida! 

But it warmed up over the day to around 70 and was perfectly lovely. 

Before I went to pick up Levon today I did something that is so minor that it's ridiculous but that I am quite proud of. I had gotten a bill from my Gyn whom I'd seen last May and noticed that my insurance had not paid a cent of it. I am so weirdly freaked out about financial stuff that I was tempted to just pay the bill but it was not an insignificant amount of money so I actually CALLED THE NUMBER FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE at the billing agency to see what the deal was. 
I know, I know, I KNOW! I am ashamed to admit how very difficult this was for me. I have just been horribly spoiled by Mr. Moon who takes care of all the financial stuff and who is endlessly persistent when it comes to tracking things down and finding out the reasons for bills that seem unreasonable. This is one of the many, many reasons I pray that I die first. I know how foolish I am to let him just take it all upon himself but he realized very early in our marriage the anxiety that all of that caused in me and gently asked if I'd like him to take it over. 
Oh. I so very much did. 
But. He's in Canada. And I did not want to bother him with that sort of thing so yes, I called the agency and yes, I talked to a guy, and no, they did not have our Medicare supplementary insurance account on record. He told me to ignore the bill for now and that they would resubmit it and go from there. 
Phew! 
I felt slightly and inappropriately empowered. 
And then I took the trash to the dump where the attendant always asks me if I need any help and I always say, "No, no thank-you, I have it," and then toss the bags one-handed into the crusher bins to prove my strength and...virility? 

Okay. So Yesterday Hank pointed out to me as we were discussing Lloyd's new boutique opening that the word "Gypsy" is no more acceptable than the N-word now. I KNEW this. I get it. And yet, it had not occurred to me in relation to "My Gypsy Soul Boutique."
I am old. I loved dressing up as a "Gypsy" for Halloween and wearing big screw-on hoop earrings and a long skirt. But is that any more of an explanation or rationalization than saying, "Oh, you know Maw-Maw. She was raised in different times," when Maw-Maw uses a pejorative word for a Black person? 
Probably not although I do not think that we Boomers have made that leap yet in general. I only bring this up now because I am wondering if someone should inform the owner of this new shop that she has, no doubt, inadvertently used an unacceptable term for a Romany person? 
Oh god. I just can't. 
And in truth, if that shop lasts for three months I'll be shocked. 



Here are some horrible pictures of my boys on the trampoline after school. The way the sun was shining through the netting truly interfered with my ability to get a good shot. But it is what it is. They were both so very sweet and I enjoyed my time with them as always. Levon demonstrated for me how well he can write his name and it's perfect. August reminded me once again that he wants to be a ninja for Halloween. After trampoline-ing, they suddenly headed inside to draw pictures of fire swords with me following behind them. 
They are endlessly fascinating to me. 

Plans for tomorrow include sheet-washing, a walk, some yard-work, perhaps making a small (haha!) pot of split pea soup, getting some carnation slips into a pot of dirt (thank you, Susan M!) and sitting down in front of the piano and having as much fun as I want to have. 

One last shot. This one of the little holy trinity I found on my bed when I got home tonight. 


I do so wonder what secrets they whisper to each other when I am gone. 

Love...Ms. Moon

37 comments:

  1. your dinner looks fit for a queen, boy grands full of life as always.......Jack has come to love the dolls as one of his own, I believe. Gypsy's.......funny- hub and I watched an episode of *No Reservations* last night when AB was in Romania. I would not consider the descriptive *gypsy* as an unacceptable word (it certainly is not to me- I find it enchanting)........but...... we must all be SO careful in descriptive terms nowadays......and perhaps I need to re-think my PC *ness*?
    Susan M

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    1. PS I trust this woman on the tractor is one bad ass cook! Her pickle salad leaves me stumped....but the rest sounds great to me! Mr Moon doesn't have your meals......but he's got meals to keep him going!
      Susan M

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    2. Yes, I think to so many of us older people, the word "Gypsy" is a word that evokes beautiful things. But, you know...
      We ain't Romanies and as such, don't really have a say.
      Glen said that the pickle salad came from Costco- one of those bagged salads with the dressing included!

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  2. I'm with Mr. Moon on the peas. I love cheap chicken pot pie, but always laboriously pick out the peas as I eat it. Same for fried rice. Growing up, when peas were served, I had to eat as many of them as I was years old (my parents told me I had to do it until I was 16 ). So I would count them out and take them like pills. For my 16th birthday I got a couple cans of peas.

    I love that you love the dolls. I am not into dolls at all, I just don't get it. But I love that people are different and are thrilled by different things. It is so very interesting.

    Susan from the Pacific Northwest (where blessed rain is due tomorrow to get rid of the wildfire smoke. Damn climate change)

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    1. You know, as a child, I HATED canned peas. With a passion. Also cooked cabbage. Once my stepfather forced me to eat cooked cabbage and I vomited it back up which was quite satisfying.
      It's not dolls in general that I have developed a later-age affection for. Just these old and probably too-well-loved ones in particular. And a few others. Okay. Yeah. I like dolls. And I don't really know why.
      I sure hope you got some rain!

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    2. I STILL hate canned peas. I'm okay with frozen or ones fresh picked from a garden.

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  3. I believe Jack has put the ixnay on gossip when you come into the room.
    Your supper picture brings back memories of my mom and grandma's suppers of creamed salmon and peas. My husband would have none of it, so that was the end of that supper for me.

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    1. I believe you are right about Jack.
      Glen and I joke about how I make and eat the things he doesn't particularly like when he is gone. It's part of our little world. .

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  4. The g word comes from an old rumor that they were Egyptian, so, to white brits, foreign, undesirable. So yes, it's been unacceptable for quite a while.

    I remember my mother telling me they were travelers or Romany, when we had dealings with them, so that I didn't use the g word because of not knowing. That was back in the 1940s, this isn't new.

    If the proprietors of the little shop are as good at retail, hmmm, not much chance there.

    I think the dolls have appointed the cat as their familiar for Halloween.

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    1. Now see- you actually have some cultural background with that term. I hear that "Traveler" is no longer acceptable either. I respect that. It's like pronouns for differently gendered/nongendered people. Tell me what yours are and that is what I will use.
      I give that shop two months at the most at this point.
      And I do believe you are right about Dorothy Anne and Emily claiming Jack as their own.

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  5. Dorothy is looking at jack with wonder- He is their protector , you must feel so secure knowing that. I always thought that Gypsies were like pirates- sort of cartoony- neither one being real in our neighborhood.

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    1. Dorothy IS looking at Jack with wonder. Or exasperation? He looks pretty chill.
      You are so right about that word for those of us who had no experience with Romany. It was just a poetic and fantastical word.

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  6. I cannot abide peas, but am happy that they bring you pleasure.
    The connotation of the word "gypsy" is far more negative in Europe than it is in the US. There a sort of appealing mystic attached to much of its use in the US. Never-the-less, if its use as a group descriptor is offensive to anyone, then we should stop using it, even if we don't personally understand the offense.

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    1. I absolutely agree. And part of the difference between the term in Europe and in the US is that very few of us have had actual experience with Romany people. It's all very theoretical.

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  7. Wilma, your last sentence is just perfect.

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  8. My plans for tomorrow include general slothing, maybe vacuuming and definitely blanching and freezing beans and carrots.
    August is quite the athletic gymnast on the trampoline. I love that he wants to be a ninja for halloween, all he needs is black pyjamas and a black scarf to wrap around his head. and the sword of course.

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    1. Yes! August will make a terrific ninja. He may BE a ninja for all I know.
      I hope your veg blanching and freezing went well!

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  9. Well done you for sorting that medical bill out! I hate calling up about my phone or anything to do with "customer service" because they tend to talk from their script at 100 miles an hour and keep their microphone stored up their left nostril, but someone has to do it. And to be honest, I'm like Mr. Moon if I saw those canned peas. Yuck! And I'm old too because I still talk about gypsies (with no offence meant). Actually "Roma" is a bigger insult as far as I'm concerned because they're the ones begging over here and if you go to LIDL before noon they're the ones that follow you to your car and harass you!

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    1. This guy spoke in completely understandable English. I'm pretty sure he was from Utah or something. He was nice, too.
      I can't comment on your observance about "Roma" because that is not a thing that happens here.

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  10. High fives for Ms Moon. I could dance with delight for you as I fully understand the courage it took to make that phone call.
    Jack has found his calling in life.
    The energy of young boys always makes me smile. Little girls are delightful but I adore the coltishness of young boys.

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    1. Thank you for understanding, Ms. Merlot. I am such a wimp when it comes to doing "official" stuff. And I'm getting worse and worse about it with age.
      Jack may indeed found his calling in life- Watcher of Dolls. Or at least Sleeper With Dolls.
      Young boys are like perpetual motion machines with coiled springs in them, aren't they? Until they finally crash and their springs get recoiled, ready to be set off the next morning.

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  11. Don't forget the Friday martini!
    I also have some financial stuff to sort.....I inadvertently signed myself up for Amazon Prime yesterday and need to cancel it before the free month expires! It didn't seem possible to buy anything without Prime and I suspect it won't be easy to cancel it.!

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    1. Don't worry! I will not forget the Friday martini! No way. My glass is in the freezer!
      They make it SO easy to sign up for things and SO hard to cancel. Without a doubt, this is intentional.

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    2. I did manage to cancel it with my husbands help. The first method that turned up online was to print out a form, fill it in and post it to somewhere abroad!! What? In this day and age? I still get my free month though so it seems!

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  12. Weren't you tempted to have a bounce on the trampoline? They say it is good for de-stressing and blood flow and besides at 68 years old, you are still just a young lass. Perhaps next time! Levon and August will show you how it's done.

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    1. No. I was not tempted to jump on the trampoline. And Levon had already had to show me how to build a railroad track with Lego's. He wasn't going to but finally, despairing at my complete incompetence, he sighed and said, "I'll do it!"

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  13. I didn't realize that gypsy was offensive either, but it makes sense. When my mum was a child she was kept in line by the threat that the gypsies would take her if she didn't behave. That was 100 years ago. Fuck that makes me old too:)
    Glad that you're enjoying your time alone and eating the meals you want. The other night when my hubby wasn't home for supper I had leftovers and Jack had cheese, crackers and apple. No fuss, no muss.
    That trampoline looks like fun. Kids are good at having fun, something we seem to lose as we age.

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    1. Sometimes it takes a very long time for people to realize that they are being disrespectful and downright rude by using certain terms. I think it has definitely been driven into my consciousness by now.
      Cheese and crackers and an apple sound like a fine and well-balanced meal to me! I am having a lot of fun cooking for just me but it will be nice to cook for the man when he returns.

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  14. It got colder at your house than it did here. It's already warmed up, going to be in the 80s today.

    I knew gypsy was considered a slur by the Romany, have known for some time, but oh, when I think of that word for them when I was young they were a magical colorful people with their clothing and their wagons and their allure and sexiness. Who didn't want to be a Gypsy? Obviously my image of them was formed by entertainment.

    The sauce on the salmon looks good but I don't have any cooking wine.

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    1. We're supposed to be back up into the eighties by Sunday here too. It was a nice winter while it lasted!
      What you said about the word we used to use for Romany people iis exactly how I always felt. And yes, I am quite sure that we learned that shit from films and TV.
      I buy very cheap wine for cooking. A bottle of red and a bottle of white. I do not drink wine because I am allergic to it but if I cook with it, it's all fine. And that sauce could easily be made without wine.

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  15. It's surprisingly easy to find yourself using all the wrong expressions. I think it's to do with how time keeps speeding up as you get older. Here in Britain people tend to refer to Romany people as "travellers" but that also includes Irish travellers, who don't have the same approaches and traditions as Romanies.

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    1. I have read that the word "Travelers" is also considered to be offensive. But that may not be true.

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  16. Canned peas, yes! Little olive green orbs of goodness, not those showy bright (healthy) fresh peas! I am with you.

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    1. Well, I love the fresh peas too but there is just something about the LeSueur baby peas that I adore.

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  17. I love how Jack keeps watch over those dolls. I actually like the sun-drenched effect in the trampoline pictures!

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  18. The boys on trampoline look like they're in a magic portal, the way the light is falling. They look so happy. And the holy trinity on your bed do seem to be sharing confidences.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.