Posted tagged ‘rain’

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“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”

June 2, 2012

5:30 is far too early to be awake unless I’m hurrying to catch a plane. My papers weren’t and still aren’t even here. Gracie has gone back to sleep. It is an ugly morning with dark skies and a cold wind. Rain is predicted for the whole day, even heavy at times; of course, that would be the prediction with my friends arriving later. I had planned a lovely Cape Cod ride by the ocean today.

I should be eating my Rice Crispies and watching cartoons instead of the early news. I guess this is one of the by-products of adulthood. Crusader Rabbit gets replaced by news, sports and weather.

With the rain coming, Ms. Flamingo and Mr. Gnome didn’t make it outside. They are still safe and warm in their winter home here in the den. They can both oversee the weekend festivities.

My friends want one of my famous dinners. I gave it some thought and figured I’d make my curry. I then called my friend Jay, a friend for over thirty years who has partaken often of my cooking. I asked him what dinner he’d asked for if he could choose. Lo and behold he chose curry so curry it is!

The first time I ate curry was in Africa. A doctor and his wife from Fez, Morocco lived in my town my first year. He was a doctor at the local hospital. They came over to my house, introduced themselves and invited me to dinner. I went and they served curry. I’ll never forget that meal. My hosts were amazing telling me all about Morocco and Fez and then they served dinner. It was like manna from heaven, a taste treat I have never forgotten, and one I have made many times since which just about the same reaction every time I eat it.

The first time I served my curry was close to forty years ago, and I invited a houseful of people. They were, at first, tentative. Their eyes and the unfamiliar smell of the curry meant they put very little on their plates, only enough to be courteous. I told them to add the toppings then the chicken. They did then sat down and took their first bites. The room went silent. The only sound was forks on plates. The food disappeared quickly and all of them went for second helpings, generous helpings, plate filling helpings. They were now curry fans.

I love watching first time curry eaters. They are amazed by the odd combination of tastes and the heat of the curry then the coolness of the fruit. I expect most of the meal will be silent. I can hear those forks now!

Categories: Musings
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Comments: 31 Comments

“Dreams are necessary to life.”

May 10, 2012

The rain has finally stopped. It’s been two days, and it stopped only about a half hour ago. Yesterday I went to the dump and was the only car there. It was pouring. Everyone else was too smart to get soaken wet dumping trash. Even Gracie wouldn’t stick her head out the window. I didn’t grocery shop but picked up a few things to tide me over. I was far too wet and cold after the dump to go anywhere else.

I think the rain has dampened my mood. It’s a blah feeling a bit of sun could cure. Today I need to buy dog food and make a stop at the post office, neither of which will in any way brighten my day.

Last night I was strolling through the internet with no set address in mind. I found tree houses which I’d love in my yard. It would be my summer-house. I pictured a rope walk from the deck to my tree house which would be one big room with walls of windows and screen. I’d have a bed there, a bookcase and a table and chairs. That would be enough. Gracie and I would sleep among the trees all night long and listen to the night birds and to the peepers from the small pond at the end of the street.

I also found yurts, and I imagined mine among the trees in the backyard. That would be my winter escape. The walls would be covered in heavy, colorful rugs and cloth and all the furniture would be comfy with lots of cushions. There would be a wood stove right in the middle. The few windows would be glass to keep the cold at bay. The lights would shine among the trees. I’d be cozy and warm.

I am content with my lot in life and seldom ask for much; however, I do sometimes dream I’ve won the lottery. I never buy tickets as I’m not lucky that way, but I still dream. I’d have that tree house, maybe even a yurt tree house, and I’d travel some more. That would be more than enough.

Categories: Musings
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Comments: 20 Comments

“Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest”

May 1, 2012

Happy May Day!

I remember the May Day parades through the streets of Moscow. The news would show the marching  troops stepping in unison and missile after missile being hauled through the city, all meant as signs of Russia’s military might. I also remember May poles with brightly colored ribbons and flowers. I always preferred the flowers.

It’s raining. I’ve got music playing which helps dispel the darkness of the day. It’s cold at 47°. My heat went on this morning so the house must have been really cold. Gracie went out for only a minute. She is not a lover of rain. The birds were here earlier but have since disappeared. I suspect they’ve found shelter.

I know every sound my house makes. I know which floor boards creak. I know the sound of heat roaring into rooms through registers. Gracie’s dog door makes a crinkly sound, and I usually have to figure out if she’s coming or going. The ice cubes falling into the tray make a plunking sound. The other morning, though, it took me a moment to recognize the water flowing through the pipes. It was the outside irrigation system, a spring-summer thing, and I needed to jog my memory. Sometimes I hear a strange sound, and it takes a while to figure it out. I walk around the house trying to find it. One time it was a mouse in a cabinet. Another time it was a giant bug hitting the inside part of the screen. I let the bug out. The mouse got away.

In the summer, with the windows open, I recognize which dogs are barking and which kids are outside playing. I know whose lawn is being mowed. I hear car doors shutting, sometimes one but more often two, and I figure a neighbor is just leaving or just coming home. I recognize every neighbor’s car and wonder why a strange car goes down my street.

Home fills all my senses.

Categories: Musings
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“A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.”

April 23, 2012

My PC is ailing. This morning has been a struggle. I think I’ll have to stop at my computer place and discuss the symptoms. I got so frustrated earlier that the air got blue a few times, but I did feel better afterwards.

We have had two days of rain, and I couldn’t be happier. Everything was just so dry, and there have been brush fires across the state. The red alert for fire possibilities has been in effect for several weeks so I hope the rain has helped lower the dangers.

Today is an out and about day. I have a few errands and some fun shopping which makes those errands more palatable. It is cool enough that Miss Gracie can come. Right now she is napping after her exhausting morning of barking and barking at the rabbit which decided to sit within her view and mock her.

My exertions at the computer have wiped out any original thought. I really hate it when machines out of my control begin to malfunction. With the small appliances, made for obsolescence, I just toss them and buy another. I always figure they were meant for a short life on this earth. But with larger machines like computers or even washing machines, my daily life is totally interrupted. I can’t wear dirty clothes and washing machines aren’t cheap. My MAC can replace my PC but I haven’t transferred all the files so that might be next. I’m groaning at the thought.

My mother always went over her budget when she bought us shoes. She figured the more expensive ones would save her money in the long run. She was right. Ihave the same philosophy with most things, not just shoes. I do a lot of research as sometimes small ticket items are just as good as large but without the fanfare, but I don’t mind spending the money if what I’m getting is worth the price.

Okay, this one is a doozie. The other day I got a free download from Noel Paul Stookey. It was an e-mail sent widespread, “In thanks for your past support of Noel Paul Stookey and Neworld Multimedia Music.” It also came with a video. I laughed and deleted it.

Categories: Musings
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Comments: 20 Comments

“Are you writing a book?”

April 22, 2012

Today is foggy and damp with rain expected. I noticed stalwart golfers when I drove pass the course. Some were pulling their clubs while others rode golf carts with the striped awning tops. In the fog, I could only see the golfers closest to me. The others were mere outlines. When I crossed the bridge over the river, the houses along its banks were barely visible. It started to rain a bit as I turned onto my street.

As I was driving home, I saw a car with only one lit headlight and right away I said padiddle out loud which surprised me as I hadn’t given the padiddle game a thought in almost forever. My padiddle had to have come from the furthest reaches of one of my memory drawers and was automatic as if I’d played the game only yesterday. When I was a kid, we played padiddle only at night because no cars back then had daytime running lights. I remember the first person to yell padiddle had to touch the ceiling faster than anyone else to win the game. We used to get points, and, obviously, the winner was the one with the most points. When I was younger, the winner got to punch one of the losers in the arm. When I was older, the last person to hit the ceiling had to remove an article of clothing. We never did play that game to its finish.

Padiddle reminded me of, “Jinx, you owe me a coke.” That came into play when two people said the exact same thing at the same time. The easy version ended there, but sometimes you got a punch if you didn’t say it first and other times you were jinxed and couldn’t talk. I don’t remember ever getting that coke.

I love seeing rock, paper, scissors still being used, even if it is in TV commercials. That game was the almighty arbiter when we were kids. It started when your closed fist was banged three times on the palm of your other hand then out came either rock, paper or scissors. If you won, there was a set action. If paper, your out-stretched fingers, won, it covered the rock, your opponent’s fist; a rock hit scissors which meant the scissors were now broken and had lost. In turn the scissors cut the paper and won. Most times we did two out of three.

Out of the memory drawers filled when we were kids come the most amazing things. I haven’t thought about jinx or padiddle in years, but out they came today as if it were just yesterday I punched my brother.

 

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“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”

March 31, 2012

Finally we have some rain! After our snowless winter, they are predicting possible drought conditions this summer so any rain is welcomed. For some reason, though, the rain makes me lazy. In my imminent future I see movies about climatic upheavals and a nap in the darkness of the afternoon. The animals are already asleep.

It’s cold this morning, but I don’t care. The house is warm and cozy. When I was young, this was the sort of day I’d stay in bed and read by the light of the bed lamp hanging off my headboard. It was a quiet time when I could be by myself. I’d follow Nancy and Trixie as they solved cases and feel bad for Heidi looking for her grandfather. One of the joys in life is finding and reading a great book for the first time. Sometimes I’d read the whole book in one sitting hour after hour. I’d close the cover and hold the book for a bit still savoring every word. My mother used to tell me to take my time, but that was never possible. Once a book grabbed me, it didn’t let go until I’d read the last word.

My love of books and reading has never changed over time. When I was younger and backpacking through Europe summer after summer, I’d bring 3 or 4 books. When I’d finish one, I’d carry it until the next stop. Staying in a hostel was the best opportunity to trade, and I found myself trading for and reading books I probably wouldn’t have otherwise read. That was the fun of it.

In the old days, Peace Corps used to give volunteers book lockers, cardboard boxes which opened into small bookcases. They were filled with paperbacks. In mine, left by a previous volunteer, was The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I devoured all four books and would never trade them to any of the volunteers passing through town. I knew I’d go back and read them again. Before I went up-country to live after training, I visited the university bookstore and stocked up with more paperbacks, all of them printed by Penguin Press. They were trade material. My town had a library and most of the books were by British authors. I read Ngaio Marsh, Ruth Rendall and the wonderful Dorothy Sayers for the first time. Such joy!

Despite having and using my iPad, I still cherish the printed word and love holding a book in my hand, and I still sigh when I’ve finished a book I loved.

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“A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache.”

March 8, 2012

The wind is so strong Gracie and I heard a crash and rushed to find the source. My umbrella had been blown down, and it banged as it hit the deck rail. Come to find out there is a wind advisory, and the winds could be as strong as 55 MPH. I decided my umbrella is probably safest where it is.

Already it is 56° which is almost tropical for this time of year. The sun is bright and the sky perfectly blue. If there were no wind, it would be a lovely deck day, but the wind is so strong the tops of the pine trees are swaying left and right. The bird feeders are swaying like carnival rides, but the birds act as if nothing is happening. The gold finches are back, and the males’ chests are brighter. Yesterday I had a house finch and today a flicker. 

I keep stopping to look out the window when I hear the wind. The wild, swooshing sound makes me feel a bit like Dorothy arriving at the house just before the tornado hit. I won’t be surprised to find my yard littered with pine branches. The pine are delicate trees.

I remember walking to or from school when it was windy. We’d face the wind, raise our arms to our sides and let the wind take us. It would go up our sleeves and make our jackets billow. I always felt as if I were flying. We’d laugh the whole time.

When I was young, the weather was rarely a topic of conversation. Snow was all we cared about as it carried the prospect of a snow day. Rain was disappointing as we couldn’t go out and play unless it was a light summer rain. After the rain, though, was always the most fun. Puddles meant slamming your foot in the water and splashing yourself and anyone near you. The wetter we got, the more fun we had. Our feet would slosh in our sneakers and bubbles would come up by our toes. We never cared. Sneakers always dried.

Adulthood has its privileges but much is lost. Puddles are to be avoided. Wet shoes and mud oozing between your toes stop being fun. I never walk bare-footed any more. Sandals are about as close as I get. I’m thinking it’s time again to feel the softness of the grass and the warmth of a puddle left by the summer rain.

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“All of the animals except for man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it.”

February 24, 2012

When I woke up the first time, I could hear the rain. I decided it was too early to get up so I turned over and went back to sleep. When I woke up the second and final time, large, wet flakes were falling, and there was a slight cover of snow on the ground. Since then, the rain has returned. For tonight a wind advisory has been issued. The number of changes in just one day’s weather are amazing.

The Cape Times mentioned North Atlantic right whales are back in the bay far earlier than expected. It seems the ocean is about 3 and 1/2 degrees warmer than usual at this time of year. Also, copepods, the plankton which draws the whales here for feeding, are earlier than usual. The strange winter continues.

I was going to go to the dump, but the rain puts me off being outside flinging trash bags. I need nothing from the store, and I have no other errand so today I will be a slug, stay in my cozies and do nothing constructive except maybe make my bed. But then again, I might want a nap so making the bed could be a waste of time.

I’m sitting here without a light on. I can hear the rain on the roof and see drops falling. Maddie is rubbing against my leg hoping for some attention. Fern is sleeping on the back couch cushion. Gracie is also sleeping and so deeply sleeping I can hear her breathing and see the tip of her tongue. She got up a while ago, stretched, came over for a pat then went right back to the couch. Maddie is standing here while I scratch her back. My father always used to say he’d want to come back as an animal in one of our houses. Looking around my den, it’s easy to understand why.

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“Forgive me if I snap at you. I’m myself today.”

February 17, 2012

When it is in the 40’s, the precipitation is rain. It started early last night, before six, and continues into now. The drops are small, closer to mist, but it is a storm nonetheless as the drops come steadily. The rain brings a pall not only to the day but also to me. I miss the sun. It hasn’t appeared in a while, and I crave the light. When I woke up this morning, I stayed in bed for a bit trying to think of a good reason to get up and about. I didn’t find one, but I got up anyway, took my shower and grumpily faced the day.

I took my time reading the papers and drinking my coffee hoping for a spark to brighten my mood, but the grumpy part hasn’t changed. Luckily I am the only one affected. The animals ignore me. They’re asleep; it’s morning nap time. The three of them are here with me. While Fern is snoring a bit, Gracie’s breathing is heavy, and Maddie sleeps soundlessly curled in a small ball. Each has her own spot. They won’t move from here unless I do. Wherever I go, Gracie will follow me. She always does.

My entire chore list for the day is to make my bed. I could do some grocery shopping, but that would only feed my mood. Even on the best of days, I hate to grocery shop. I have a feeling that nothing would lighten my mood today, not even balloons and Publisher’s Clearing House.

I figure I’m due for cantankerous and a grey day is the perfect excuse.

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“In actual life I am a grumpy old bag.”

January 27, 2012

The wind is blowing, and it’s pouring rain. My computer decided it wanted to ignore me so it froze several times. I cursed each time and screamed in frustration once. I must scream a lot as Gracie never stirred from her nap. She just kept on snoring. Today I am grouchy and tired. My guess is the lack of sun is finally taking its toll. It’s warm at 52° but what good is warm when it’s so wet? I do love the rain, but I’ve had enough of it the last week. It rains the whole night or the whole day or both.

I have no ambition today. Looking at the world through my window makes me want to stay right here. I will not get dressed and I will not make my bed. I might even watch television, something I never do during the day.

Walking home from school on a rainy day meant getting soaked. We didn’t have rain coats or rain boots or even an umbrella. They would have been extravagances. We had snow gear and warm winter boots but nothing for rain. I remember my hair was plastered to my head and bubbles rose from my shoes by the time I walked home. Once we were inside the door, my mother would quickly hustle us down to the cellar to hang up our coats and leave our wet shoes. I remember walking upstairs to my room to change and seeing footprints on the wood floor from my wet socks. I thought it was kind of cool. My mother was less appreciative. She’d follow us upstairs and grab our uniforms to put them on hangers to dry over the radiators as we’d have to wear them the next day. While we were sleeping, my mother would iron them so they’d look fresh for the morning.

I loved the feeling of being warm and dry in my pajamas and slippers. It seemed strange to be wearing them in the afternoon, but play clothes made no sense on a rainy day. Sometimes I’d fall asleep snuggled under the covers. Other times I’d read my book the whole of the afternoon, my favorite way to spend time.

Today I will stay in my pajamas and feel cozy and warm. I might also take a nap and probably read. Maybe my grumpiness will disappear.

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