Some days turn out just fine

 

Even images of rain make us feel better
during this awful hot spell.
The real thing was a blessing today.

If things went amuckyesterday, today turned out just fine. In the midst of the horrendous heatspell we’ve been living under, who can complain about temperatures in theeighties and a thunderstorm, however brief. This morning I gave in to the urgeto keep going back to sleep every time Sophie wakened me. So we were up atsix-fifteen for a trip outside and a bite of cheese; at seven-fifteen for ahalf breakfast; at eight-fifteen for the other half of breakfast. Finally whenChristian came at nine-fifteen to give her a shot, I forced myself out of bed.But I don’t think my conversation with him made much sense. I should explain Sophieneeds an insulin shot, morning and night, within a half hour to an hour aftershe eats—not before those time limits, not after. With the kids giving theshots, it’s been a real problem. They don’t really want to get up at quarter toeight on the weekend to give her a shot. So every weekend it a new adventure—thisone went pretty well.

The morning was dark andpretty soon I heard thunder. Next thing I noticed was that Sophie would notleave my side. I nearly tripped over her trying to use the bathroom. The rainwhen it came was glorious, but too short. Still better than nothing, and I amgrateful, as are we all.

Christian and I discussed dinneroptions, and he chose steak and asparagus, which he would grill in his new,round grilling baskets. That left me a whole day with no cooking, nothing on myschedule except church. I tuned in at eleven as I always do, but it was specialbecause this was the third Sunday my good friend Renee Hoke was preaching aboutkeeping sabbath. And there in the front row were my Canadian daughter, Sue, herhusband Teddy, and their neighbor Sally. They are all Renee’s neighbors, and I knowshe was pleased to see them in the congregation. Christian and I had goodintentions, but they fell apart. I “went to church” on my computer.

The rest of the day I took toheart Renee’s advice in last week’s sermon to make the sabbath a day of rest. Ipiddled, prowled on Facebook far too long, dipped my toe into a couple of newbooks, read emails, and can say the only constructive thing I did was to comeup with a title for the cookbook I’m thinking of doing: Cooking in the Cottage.I like the ring of it. My food blog, Gourmet on a Hot Plate, which appears onThursdays, has a good audience, and I want to compile select columns into akind of informal cookbook—as much conversation as it is recipes. I’m thinkingof odd possibilities—like a grilling chapter from Christian, and maybesomething for non-cooks. All loose ideas floating around in my brain.

There’s not much better than asteak and asparagus dinner from the grill, and Christian as usual did a masterfuljob. I’m not much of a steak person—can’t remember having it as a child, so I’monly now in old age learning about cuts, etc. But I had seen top sirloin onsale and asked Christian, and he said to get it. So that’s what we had. More recentlyI found ribeye on sale, two for one, and ordered it, because I know I like thefatty marbling of a ribeye. But tonight’s dinner was really good, and we had apleasant chat. I so enjoy our dinners in the cottage. And most of the time Ienjoy cooking them, but it’s nice to have a night off sometimes.

So there it was—a day of rest.And I enjoyed it thoroughly. Tomorrow I must get serious if I’m going to dothat cookbook. But today was a good day. I hope yours was too.