RedKale of Leave

I had an incipient meltdown this morning, as I thought about all the things I feel are not going well, but eventually pulled up my metaphorical socks, took a shower and put on fresh, actual clothing, including a pair of new red socks that definitely brought joy when pulled up. I thought about what to do next, and recalled that I had a pre-dinner Zoom on the agenda, so I wouldn't have time to cook later. Yesterday, I found a packet in the freezer that I hoped was ground beef. It was actually ham fragments. I prepared two dishes. One was fried rice with assorted vegetables--summer squash, orange pepper, onions, and mushrooms--plus ham and an egg mixed with rice vinegar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. The other was the remainder of the mushrooms and onions plus the rest of the ham, sauteed together with paprika and sour cream. Thus I could do my Zoom in confidence that food would be available. The Sparrowhawk said the fried rice was delicious, but I wasn't really feeling it. I feel behind my game in cooking, thanks to discouraging covid. I'd like to go wild and just go out to eat, but the Sparrowhawk can't be among people yet.

The weather was fickle all day. Bands of rain kept sweeping through on a gusty wind, and finally there was a brief outburst of thunder and HAIL.

In the evening I went out to see my women's group, always a restorative pleasure. Strawberry Star came to give me a ride, and I had to run through the rain to get to her car! Calaveras had been out picking apples and had a big bag of extras. She loaded us down with gift apples, egging us on to take more. A vision of apple crisp is starting to form in my tired brain . . . .