Meredith Kendall's Blog, page 69
May 11, 2013
tofu platter
Stopped at a local Chinese restaurant, with three friends.
You know how sometimes the menu is divided into sections such as: chicken, seafood, vegetarian, etc? Yeah, this one was. I saw a "Vegetables" section, and ordered the spicy bean curd.
We sipped delicious tea and chatted as we waited for our order. I was hungry. The food came. Mine was a platter of tofu, sprinkled with red pepper flakes, in a brown sauce. A plate of tofu. Just tofu. How strange.
"Excuse me, could I get some vegetables with this? Some steamed broccoli? Maybe some rice too?" I asked the waitress.
She brought those things. It was a good meal.
You know how sometimes the menu is divided into sections such as: chicken, seafood, vegetarian, etc? Yeah, this one was. I saw a "Vegetables" section, and ordered the spicy bean curd.
We sipped delicious tea and chatted as we waited for our order. I was hungry. The food came. Mine was a platter of tofu, sprinkled with red pepper flakes, in a brown sauce. A plate of tofu. Just tofu. How strange.
"Excuse me, could I get some vegetables with this? Some steamed broccoli? Maybe some rice too?" I asked the waitress.
She brought those things. It was a good meal.
May 9, 2013
research
My research is toast. Eight years, hundreds of Reiki sessions, thousands of bits of data. Useless.
Am actually relieved. OK, can give that up, along with so many other things. Kind of wish I could start over, as a younger person. I love research. Would do it right this time: with a theoretical foundation and a standardized tool. Evidently publishers and researchers don't like one to invent a research tool. One must use a standardized tool, and I'm not really sure what that is.
Why do I blunder along, following my whims and intuition, instead of doing things the "right" way? Eight years of research useless. Well, good enough for a magazine perhaps; not a journal. Good enough for an article on what not to do.
Academia.
Am actually relieved. OK, can give that up, along with so many other things. Kind of wish I could start over, as a younger person. I love research. Would do it right this time: with a theoretical foundation and a standardized tool. Evidently publishers and researchers don't like one to invent a research tool. One must use a standardized tool, and I'm not really sure what that is.
Why do I blunder along, following my whims and intuition, instead of doing things the "right" way? Eight years of research useless. Well, good enough for a magazine perhaps; not a journal. Good enough for an article on what not to do.
Academia.
May 8, 2013
spring
It really is here. Spring.
Jewel-like colors in the garden, no jacket needed, and I linger outside until dark drives me in.
I transplant, move dirt, mow, pull weeds, plant seeds, and water.
I admire, observe, and dream about what could be.
Daffodils are going by but lilacs and apple blossoms are coming.
Picking kale and chives, planting spinach, peas are up but need rain.
Watching for bird and hornet nests: former are welcome, latter not so much.
Rain tomorrow? A good time to plant green beans, beets, carrots, and zinnias.
Jewel-like colors in the garden, no jacket needed, and I linger outside until dark drives me in.
I transplant, move dirt, mow, pull weeds, plant seeds, and water.
I admire, observe, and dream about what could be.
Daffodils are going by but lilacs and apple blossoms are coming.
Picking kale and chives, planting spinach, peas are up but need rain.
Watching for bird and hornet nests: former are welcome, latter not so much.
Rain tomorrow? A good time to plant green beans, beets, carrots, and zinnias.
May 5, 2013
kayak or bicycle?
Planning summer activities. Kayak or bicycle?
Asphalt and mountains or rivers and ponds? I enjoy both. So many factors, such a decision, and really- all I do is work. Which is more likely to occur?
Asphalt and mountains or rivers and ponds? I enjoy both. So many factors, such a decision, and really- all I do is work. Which is more likely to occur?
European travels
and in back of everything, I keep thinking about the stories Aunt Lois told me about her European travels.
Five months in 1952: 2 college girls from North Dakota, so many stories.
Someday I'll share. Right now I'm holding those stories close to my heart. For her travelling companion was my mom, who died when I was 7.
Some day I'll tell you about the Georgic, the wine festival in Dusseldorf, the Windsor palace guard, the figs, corn, and the lingerie department at NYC' Macy's.
Five months in 1952: 2 college girls from North Dakota, so many stories.
Someday I'll share. Right now I'm holding those stories close to my heart. For her travelling companion was my mom, who died when I was 7.
Some day I'll tell you about the Georgic, the wine festival in Dusseldorf, the Windsor palace guard, the figs, corn, and the lingerie department at NYC' Macy's.
garden
Couldn't seem to get myself out of the garden this weekend. Temps in 60s, breezes, and total sunshine.
Kept thinking, "I should, I should, I should: work on scholarly article, buy shoes for work, buy lovely bark mulch (nice dry pine @ $2.69/3cu ft), go grocery shopping, go to psychic fair, visit friends and family, something?..."
Instead I pulled dandelions with my lovely dandelion digger tool. Of course felt guilty for tossing them on compost heap instead of steaming and munching. Weeded, read, weeded, read, reflected.
Am working on Crombie's Kincaid & James series. So good.
Too cool to plant, Maine's spring weather is too unpredictable. So I weeded, raked dirt, planted a few spinach seeds, and turned the compost heap. I read. I soaked up Vitamin D.
Kept thinking, "I should, I should, I should: work on scholarly article, buy shoes for work, buy lovely bark mulch (nice dry pine @ $2.69/3cu ft), go grocery shopping, go to psychic fair, visit friends and family, something?..."
Instead I pulled dandelions with my lovely dandelion digger tool. Of course felt guilty for tossing them on compost heap instead of steaming and munching. Weeded, read, weeded, read, reflected.
Am working on Crombie's Kincaid & James series. So good.
Too cool to plant, Maine's spring weather is too unpredictable. So I weeded, raked dirt, planted a few spinach seeds, and turned the compost heap. I read. I soaked up Vitamin D.
May 4, 2013
weeds, dirt, and compost
It was one of those perfect days: sun, 60 degrees, and breezy.
I jumped out of bed, eager for coffee on the deck. Had it out there with a good book. Am working through Deborah Crombie murder mystery series: Kincaid & James. My sister's recommendation: a good one.
I got down on the damp grass with my special dandelion tool and plastic sled and pulled dandelions from the lawn. I filled the sled. The dandelions hide this time of year, their jagged leaves blend with the grass. Only if I brush the grass aside to find the red stems and buttons of unopened flowers do I find them. I should eat these, I kept thinking. In salads or steamed. Dandelion greens are full of vitamins and minerals: a spring tonic.
I read more. I watched wasps, to see where they're building their nests this year. The breeze rattled the morning glory vines, blowing seeds in to the summer house. I picked up the hard black seeds and dropped them on fresh dirt. I read more.
Should I bring out my phone? Or will the EMF be harmful? What if someone calls? Who will call?
I turn over the compost pile, layering with dirt and dandelions.
I spend the day in the garden: weeding and reading. I check the phone. Karen. OH, we have dinner plans. I call, we confirm, I rush to pick up my gardening tools, jump in to the shower and clean clothes. We meet at the Japanese restaurant. Local beer on tap, wasabi scallops and vegie pad thai. I end the day on the deck, reading that good book. It's sunny and breezy.
I jumped out of bed, eager for coffee on the deck. Had it out there with a good book. Am working through Deborah Crombie murder mystery series: Kincaid & James. My sister's recommendation: a good one.
I got down on the damp grass with my special dandelion tool and plastic sled and pulled dandelions from the lawn. I filled the sled. The dandelions hide this time of year, their jagged leaves blend with the grass. Only if I brush the grass aside to find the red stems and buttons of unopened flowers do I find them. I should eat these, I kept thinking. In salads or steamed. Dandelion greens are full of vitamins and minerals: a spring tonic.
I read more. I watched wasps, to see where they're building their nests this year. The breeze rattled the morning glory vines, blowing seeds in to the summer house. I picked up the hard black seeds and dropped them on fresh dirt. I read more.
Should I bring out my phone? Or will the EMF be harmful? What if someone calls? Who will call?
I turn over the compost pile, layering with dirt and dandelions.
I spend the day in the garden: weeding and reading. I check the phone. Karen. OH, we have dinner plans. I call, we confirm, I rush to pick up my gardening tools, jump in to the shower and clean clothes. We meet at the Japanese restaurant. Local beer on tap, wasabi scallops and vegie pad thai. I end the day on the deck, reading that good book. It's sunny and breezy.
May 2, 2013
May 1, 2013
spring
Bright yellow and green after months of white and gray.
No jackets.
Mow the lawn, move dirt, plant stuff.
No jackets.
Mow the lawn, move dirt, plant stuff.
