Just One More Week

On  Monday, December 21 the Winter Solstice will occur at 5:02 a.m.

This is my favorite time of the year. Not because I like winter - which I don't. It's my favorite time because the days will start to get longer.

I will likely be awake for this event. I tend to wake up around 5 a.m. and then doze until I get up at 7. I usually get to see the sunrise between dozes as there is a sliding glass door that faces south east directly across the room from my bed.

I like being able to see what's happening outside first thing in the morning. I know if it's raining (though I can usually hear it before I see it) or cloudy.

So far, the "winter" (it's not officially winter yet) has not been too difficult, though our first storm is predicted for tomorrow. 

I know there will be many challenges during the next few months. COVID-19 cases are increasing and there are fewer places to stay safe since it's too cold to spend much time outdoors. At the Council on Aging, we had hoped to begin offering indoor, in-person exercise classes to those seniors who do not own computers and therefore can't join the Zoom classes. That's not going to happen for a while.

This is the time of year that I send Christmas/Holiday cards to the people I do not see on any regular basis. For the last couple of weeks, I've been sending a card to just about everyone I know. I feel a real need to have some contact with people. I've always been sort of a loner and don't mind spending a lot of time by myself or only with my significant other. But I've reached my limit even though we haven't been totally isolated.

The positive side is that I've done lots of reading, lots of cooking, seen lots of DVDs and the U.S. Post Office is getting a little boost from all the stamps I've bought.

Old Favorites

 I've been reading a lot of new authors and I've enjoyed their books. 

But sometimes, I just want to read books by my old favorites: Marcia Muller (the Sharon McCone series), Carolyn Hart (the Death on Demand series with Annie Laurence Darling), Donna Leon (the Commisario Guido Brunetti series), J.A. Jance (currently reading the J.P. Beaumont series), Rhys Bowen (the Royal Spyness series), Faye Kellerman (Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series). Janet Evanovich's latest book was just published and I'm now on the wait list. There are 297 holds on 122 copies, so it may be a while.

Actually, I'm getting less thrilled with Janet and her character Stephanie Plum with each book. It's as if she's trying too hard to be funny. But I keep reading them because there's a certain level of comfort with these old favorites. 

I'm seriously considering beginning the alphabet with Sue Grafton's books. I read A is for Alibi within the last couple of years; I'll probably start with B is for Burglar. I'm up-to-date on Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski series, though I may start back at the beginning with Indemnity Only. It's been a long time since I read that.

I have a list of my favorite authors and I'm dependent on the site Fantastic Fiction to keep abreast of their works (and to read them in order on my retrospective jaunts).

I've also borrowed about a zillion old movies on DVD that I've been watching: Birdcage, as well as the original La Cage aux Folles; Hannah and Her Sisters; 9 to 5; Cinema Paradiso; Amadeus. 

M. and I are spending more time at home because it's too cold to be outside in the evenings. That means less (maybe no) inviting a couple of friends over for dinner. Or being invited to others' homes. I'm mentally preparing myself for 6 months of "down-time".

One bright spot is being able to go into the MLS office one day each week. I get to talk with another person who is across the room. We don't spend much time talking, but at least she's there. And I get to see different walls and a different view out of the window. The computer is better, the monitor is bigger than the ones at home.

Today is a work at home day. Guess I'd better get to it. I'm now up to "The flight ..."

Split Pea Soup

Now that the weather is cooler, it's time to make soups. 

One of my favorites is this Split Pea Soup. While the recipe calls for a ham hock, I leave it out and make a vegetarian version using vegetable stock. I don't remember where I found this recipe, but I've had it for a long time. 

I like a lot of vegetables in my soups, so I often double the celery, onion, carrot and potato. I never peel the potato. I also don't bother to puree the soup as the split peas get pretty mushy on their own.

1 ½ c. green split peas

1 Tbsp. butter or oil

1 stock celery, small dice

1 onion, small dice

1 carrot, peeled, small dice

1 Tbsp. flour

5 c. chicken or vegetable stock

1 ham hock (optional)

2 bay leaves

½ tsp. dried savory

½ tsp. dried sage

Pinch ground cloves

1 large potato, peeled, medium dice

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

Rinse peas well with cool water.  Heat butter or oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add onion, celery, and carrot.  Cook stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes.  Add flour and cook another minute.  Add 1/3 of the stock and stir until there are no lumps of flour.  Add remaining stock and ham hock and stir well.  Add split peas, bay leaves, savory, sage, cloves, salt & pepper.  Bring soup to a full boil over high heat, then reduce the heat until a gentle simmer is established.  Simmer stirring frequently for 30 minutes.  Add the potato and continue to simmer until all of the ingredients are quite tender.  If desired, puree about 1/3 of the soup in a blender, then return puree to the remainder of the soup.  Stir in the parsley and adjust the seasonings with additional salt & pepper.

Disappointed in Carl Hiaasen

About fifteen years ago, a friend recommended author Carl Hiaasen. I've been hooked ever since I read that first book, chuckling aloud through subsequent volumes. His satires on developers in Florida are witty and almost believable. This is fiction that educates.

I was eagerly anticipating his latest book Squeeze Me, but it's not his best work. I almost think a Carl Hiaasen clone or wannabe wrote it in his style. I found the prose blunt and heavy handed, devoid of subtlety and nuance.

Hiaasen pokes fun at our current POTUS and his followers. I'm certainly not a fan of 45 and am baffled by anyone who could support a narcissistic, vindictive bully. Perhaps Hiaasen is just too angry to camouflage his feelings. After the first couple of chapters, I actually considered not finishing the book; just returning it to the library where, I know, there is a waiting list.

But being the somewhat OCD person I am, I did read to the end. I found myself chuckling aloud despite my criticisms. Perhaps I became accustomed to the revised style.

One very bright spot was the return of the character Skink. He made a brief appearance toward the end with his typical shenanigans.

On the home front, not much has changed. I continue down the alphabetical list of potential duplicates. I've arrived at "The eighth ..." I'm enjoying being able to go into the office once a week. Perhaps I'll increase it to two days. 

As the weather gets cooler, all of the things I've been able to do outside will slowly come to an end: exercise class of Fridays, inviting friends here for dinner on the screened-in porch, eating outdoors at local restaurants, events on the Town Hall lawn. I'm trying to stay positive, though I've never been a winter person. Snow is okay as long as I don't have to shovel it or drive in it. 

It's still October and I'm already waiting for April.

Health, Wellness, and Nostalgia Television

 Breathe through your nose, not your mouth.

In my journey to learn more about my body and how I can improve it, I read Breath: the new science of a lost art by James Nestor. I learned a lot of things about one's breath, some of it quite unbelievable. According to Nestor, a few people have discovered how to cure their scoliosis; improve the performance of elite athletes; and spend time naked in sub-zero weather, yet melt the snow around them just by using different breathing techniques.

Nestor traveled to lots of different places, talked with lots of different people, read extensively and participated in multiple experiments concerning breathing. 

While this was somewhat interesting, much of what he describes is pretty extreme (he admits that), and limited as to the number of people it affects. Somehow, this book didn't excite me and I was not sure how useful it might be to me or the average person, though I wouldn't mind using my breath to keep warm instead of oil or electricity - much cheaper.

However, the Epilogue (which summarized his findings for the general public) and the Appendix (which summarized the different types of breathing and the purpose of each) were the best and most useful parts of the book. Here are his recommendations: Shut your mouth; Breathe through your nose; Exhale; Chew; Breathe more, on occasion; Hold your breath; How we breathe matters.

Very quickly: the nose filters and warms the air we breathe. Breathing through your mouth lets nasal passages deteriorate, helps raise blood pressure and promotes snoring. Exhaling completely helps clean out the lungs and allows more air in. Chewing helps strengthen the jaws. The other recommendations are more complicated to explain. You'll have to read the book.

Nestor also explains that acute problems often need the attention of a doctor or other medical professional, but good breathing techniques can alleviate the chronic problems from which so many people suffer.

Life has its lighter moments, as well. One of my favorite television shows was the Odd Couple with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. I've just finished watching the fifth and final season. It ran from 1970 to 1975. Perhaps the best part of the show is seeing the fashions from the early 1970s. Egad! Wide ties, garish colors, short skirts. 

Sometimes it's hard to believe people actually dressed like that.

New Books, New Authors, Lots of Reading

Because of Wowbrary and the emails I receive every Wednesday from my local library, I've learned about a lot of new authors. I see what's just arrived and with a click of the mouse I can request the book. Hatfield Public Library has been doing curbside pick-up for a while. It's quick and easy. I don't really mind not being able to browse in person, because I can browse the Wowbrary list.

In the last week, I've finished two new books in record time. They were both gripping thrillers that I had trouble putting down. Both were British, which is not my usually my favorite due to my unfamiliarity with the culture and the slang. However, that was not a problem at all with these books.

The first was The Safe Place by Anna Downes. The second, The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. I recommend both.

Obviously, I've been reading a lot. I've also had a spurt of energy/motivation and have been doing other things as well. In the last couple of weeks, nearly the entire house has been thoroughly dusted and vacuumed, both bathrooms thoroughly cleaned, kitchen sinks (I have two: one for food prep, one for dishes) scoured, plants watered, and a bunch of other things. I realize if I just clean house for an hour or two a day, that's a lot of cleaning, but it's not overwhelming.

As the weather cools down, I'm wondering what's going to happen, how everyone is going to cope with not being able to spend most of the time outside. I guess we'll all find out.

Back to the Office

For the last six months I've been bemoaning the fact I cannot go into the MLS office. I miss my familiar routines and the structure they provided. Sometimes I feel adrift and the result is I don't do much of anything useful. Yet there are so many things I'd like to do. Mostly housework and yard work. Well, not really LIKE to do, but that need to be done.

I've finally been given permission to go back to the office and I'm finding my familiar routines are no longer familiar. They feed quite odd. I need to pack a lunch, and make sure information stored on my home computer is sent to my work computer. 

I have to plan my wardrobe for the day since it's Friday and the senior exercise class will be meeting in it's new location outdoors on the lawn of the Town Hall. I could just go to the office in my t-shirt, sneakers and baseball cap, but this is my chance to wear real clothes even though no one else will be in the office to see me.

I could almost resume my pre-COVID-19 routine, but I'm not sure I want to. I've gotten used to not having to plan my day because I'll be gone from home and need to bring things with me.

Last week, I went "shopping" for the first time in six months. My 15-year old sneakers were falling apart and I bought a shiny new pair. Yesterday, I went to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned. On the way I stopped at one of my favorite clothing stores and bought a new skirt at 50% off. I could wear that today in the office, though that's more changing than I would usually do. 

One thing I've learned in my 70+ years on this earth is that life is full of surprises. I could get used to that, but I don't think I really ever will.