Philosopher'sBirthday of Bluster
Mar. 7th, 2026 08:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ismoLast night, after a day of rain, the bright though waning moon shone through a gap in the clouds, bright enough to cast its light through the window panes onto the bedroom floor. If there was a thunderstorm in the night, I didn't hear it. Clearly there was a lot of rain, because the floor of the screen porch was awash in it this morning. It was a very damp, dark day with fog, so the fact that it was between 40 and 60 all day wasn't as inspiring as it might have been.
My major activity of the day was to make dinner--twice. Naturally, I forgot some of the things I wanted on my last trip to the store, and had to go back before I could start cooking. I had signed up to bring food to our friend Celeste. She has four children, and her 80-something mom, Esmerelda, also lives with them. Esmerelda got a bad flu that turned into pneumonia, and she ended up in the ICU, where her heart stopped and had to be restarted. Celeste was there with her for days, so friends have been providing things. Celeste's husband is gluten free. I wanted some GF cornbread mix that is really good, but naturally, when I got to the store, it was the one spot on the GF shelf that was completely bare. I thought about trying to make the mix myself with GF supplies I have at home. Then I thought of just bringing GF corn chips and salsa. For once, the easy path won. After the store, I drove to the bakery outlet and got a loaf of levain, a loaf of rye, a cinnamon roll for the Sparrowhawk, and a soft pretzel. It's terrible having that place five minutes away . . . it is a perpetual temptation, and one that can be so easily satisfied!
I cooked a ham and pot of beans--part black and part red beans, plus onion, peppers, tomatoes with chiles, about six spices, and a dash of barbecue sauce. I also sent them a salad with romaine, spinach, peppers, cucumbers, toasted pecans, and crumbled feta. I always think the best GF dessert is ice cream, so I put in a half gallon of vanilla with some chocolate sauce, peanuts, and strawberries to adorn it. We arrived at Celeste's house and had to knock a few times. She had fallen asleep, and woke up in time to stumble to the door. We brought our stuff in and handed it over to her husband, who as it turned out, was getting ready to go to Minnesota in the morning because his brother was sick. Poor them! It never rains but it pours. Hugs all around, and then we left so Celeste could get her nap. Later, she sent pictures of Esmerelda and one of the kids eating ice cream, and said everyone loved the food.
Then I drove home and quickly cooked some chicken breast I had rashly thawed and that needed to be consumed. I pan fried it with mushrooms and green onions, in a champagne and cream sauce with fresh herbs that I just happened to whip up . . . We had leftover green beans and mashed potatoes. It was good, and now I am tired. We're watching "For All Mankind"--not the TV show, but the documentary about the moon landings, with original footage and the voices of the astronauts themselves. It's unbelievably beautiful and poignant. Soon we'll call the Philosopher to wish him a happy birthday, and then we might call it a day.
My major activity of the day was to make dinner--twice. Naturally, I forgot some of the things I wanted on my last trip to the store, and had to go back before I could start cooking. I had signed up to bring food to our friend Celeste. She has four children, and her 80-something mom, Esmerelda, also lives with them. Esmerelda got a bad flu that turned into pneumonia, and she ended up in the ICU, where her heart stopped and had to be restarted. Celeste was there with her for days, so friends have been providing things. Celeste's husband is gluten free. I wanted some GF cornbread mix that is really good, but naturally, when I got to the store, it was the one spot on the GF shelf that was completely bare. I thought about trying to make the mix myself with GF supplies I have at home. Then I thought of just bringing GF corn chips and salsa. For once, the easy path won. After the store, I drove to the bakery outlet and got a loaf of levain, a loaf of rye, a cinnamon roll for the Sparrowhawk, and a soft pretzel. It's terrible having that place five minutes away . . . it is a perpetual temptation, and one that can be so easily satisfied!
I cooked a ham and pot of beans--part black and part red beans, plus onion, peppers, tomatoes with chiles, about six spices, and a dash of barbecue sauce. I also sent them a salad with romaine, spinach, peppers, cucumbers, toasted pecans, and crumbled feta. I always think the best GF dessert is ice cream, so I put in a half gallon of vanilla with some chocolate sauce, peanuts, and strawberries to adorn it. We arrived at Celeste's house and had to knock a few times. She had fallen asleep, and woke up in time to stumble to the door. We brought our stuff in and handed it over to her husband, who as it turned out, was getting ready to go to Minnesota in the morning because his brother was sick. Poor them! It never rains but it pours. Hugs all around, and then we left so Celeste could get her nap. Later, she sent pictures of Esmerelda and one of the kids eating ice cream, and said everyone loved the food.
Then I drove home and quickly cooked some chicken breast I had rashly thawed and that needed to be consumed. I pan fried it with mushrooms and green onions, in a champagne and cream sauce with fresh herbs that I just happened to whip up . . . We had leftover green beans and mashed potatoes. It was good, and now I am tired. We're watching "For All Mankind"--not the TV show, but the documentary about the moon landings, with original footage and the voices of the astronauts themselves. It's unbelievably beautiful and poignant. Soon we'll call the Philosopher to wish him a happy birthday, and then we might call it a day.
