Month: February 2021

176 – 183 Some Delights, Some Gratitude

~ Dona ~ 2 Comments

I feel as if I am not looking hard enough for daily delights. Days and weeks are just the same old, same old.

Let’s see —

New computer

I bought a new-to-me (refurbished) desktop for the attic study mostly because my laptop (which is still great) is very low on storage space. I could have moved things off the laptop to external drives, but this deal came up ($150 for a decent refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre) and I pressed “buy” without out much thought. It arrived and works very well. So what if I cannot use video backgrounds with Zoom.

Vacation planned

Dean’s been wanting to get away so I researched and booked an Airbnb in Savanah. The weather should be nice and maybe I will see Painted Buntings!

Cocktails

Dean and I had Last Word cocktails on Friday (yum but strong!) and less potent champagne (cava actually) cocktails on Saturday.

The Secret History

I started reading The Secret History, Donna Tartt’s first novel since my last post. It was a book group read early on in the history of the book group (pre-1999) and probably before I joined in 1995 (the book group was founded a few years before I joined). Anyway, I wasn’t sure I liked it when I started reading it. The first couple of chapters were a slog, but I am having a hard time putting it down now. I might have given up in the middle of chapter two, but Clare said she loved the book. I assumed she would with the ancient Greek and all. Interestingly it takes place at a fictional college in Vermont that is based on Tartt’s alma mater, Bennington — a school I really wanted Clare to visit on her college tour because it is where Shirley Jackson wrote most of her works.

Letting go

I threw away a 17 year-old can of Bird’s custard yesterday. I kept the 9 year-old one though.

In the more grateful than delightful category:

Electricity, water, heat

As I hear about the power outages in Texas, I should be grateful (if not delighted) I live where a winter storm might cause power outages, but we’d still have water and the power company is prepared for winter weather.

Life and health

As the numbers of people dead from Covid-19 in the United States near half a million, I should be grateful that I am healthy and wealthy enough to be able to stay away from people who might be exposed. I am able to have groceries delivered instead of going to the store. I don’t have to go to a job where I might be exposed.

Days 168 – 176: A Whole Lot of Nothing

~ Dona ~ 8 Comments

I think this covid shit has finally worn me down. I’ve not been visited by many delights — or maybe I have and I have not recognized them. I’ve been sad and angry many of these days, although there have been a few bright spots.

In no particular order some contenders for delights:

  • Andrew and Alex joined us for Superbowl Sunday and a chili dinner (and a Zoom chat with Alex’s folks)
  • I’ve had some nice chats with Clare
  • We met with some friendly folks from a landscaping company about our backyard.
  • The temperature got to 50° one day
  • The snow was pretty one day with 2-inch flakes
  • I think I am starting to like tofu
  • Cocktails:
    • Orange Blossom
    • Old Fashioned
  • Netflix binges:
    • Emily in Paris
    • Firefly Lane
  • Books:

Day 167: Birds and a Rob Roy

~ Dona ~ 2 Comments

Today as I closed the side door in the kitchen after dumping the compost in the outside compost bin, I saw a large bird fly towards a tree across the street. I suspected it was a Pileated Woodpecker as it approached the tree and when it landed on the trunk, about 30 feet above the ground my suspicions were confirmed. That was the first Pileated Woodpecker I’ve seen from my house in more than 25 years. There used to be a nesting pair kitty-corner from us, but their home was cut down long ago.

The second bird that delighted me was actually two birds. Two very frisky Tufted Titmouses (Titmice?) were performing a courtship ritual.

Tonight’s cocktail was a Rob Roy. Delightful!

Day 166: Fast Internet and a Galette

~ Dona ~ 2 Comments

With Dean working from home and on virtual conference calls much of the day we needed to upgrade our Internet speeds. The technician came out today and now our pages load like we live in the 21st century and our video calls do not become Max Headroom remakes. Delightful!

Several years ago Clare introduced me to Humboldt Fog cheese. I wasn’t sure at first, but I grew to love it. I bought some at Costco a while back and Dean and I knew that we needed to do something with the half pound we had left or be ready to throw it away in the not-so-distant future. Dean suggested he cook something up with the cheese and some sorry looking mushrooms involving some sort of pasta. A couple of days went by and Dean had not produced the pasta meal so I looked up recipes involving this lovely cheese. I settled on a Mushroom and Goat Cheese Galette.

Never having made a galette before I was a little concerned, especially in respect to the making of the pastry. I needn’t have worried because the recipe’s pastry was easy and delightful to work with.

The finished product was an absolute delight, especially since I was able to use up three ingredients from the fridge that were on the brink of spoiling.

Day 165: SIL Zoom. Also Baking

~ Dona ~ 1 Comment

I spent about an hour this morning talking with my sisters-in-law. We are rarely ever together at the same time. Fifteen years ago we took a Caribbean cruise together. They are all quite delightful.

After the Zoom session I baked. I made a pullman loaf because I wanted a sandwich and a cake because I needed to use up some lemon curd.

The bread looked delightful, but I am not happy with the taste. The cake looked a mess, but it was delightfully delicious.

Day 164: Full-night’s Sleep and Another Book

~ Dona ~ 1 Comment

While my sleep score was not as good as a few nights ago, I did sleep through the night last night and woke up refreshed. That’s a delight.

Trying to read my extant books as well as past book group reads that I didn’t read when they were chosen, I started reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog again. I think I prefer the audio version to the e-book, but whatever gets the job done is fine with me. I’m finding bits of it delightful.