THREE THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR...
Peaches. I love the color, the aroma, and the baby fuzziness. I’ve had two under-ripe ones in a paper bag for 5 days now. I checked them yesterday and they will be perfect and juicy tomorrow on a bed of romaine with gorgonzola, red onion, and Marzetti’s Poppyseed dressing. This is my favorite salad ever!
Tuna Burgers. Speaking of food I love, whenever I make tuna burgers I think of my mom. It was one of the dishes she had me make for the entire family. It was one thing to heat myself some soup or make a PB&J, but to cook for people was so important. Her recipe was superior. We cubed up a block of cheddar and mixed them in with the tuna salad for big hunks of soft warm cheese. I use a sad little slice of American cheese on the bun. We both use mayo and celery, but my version also includes onion which I only added once Maggie and Mollie were grown. If I’m in a hurry, I heat mine open-faced in the oven. When I make them my mom’s way, each sandwich closed and inserted in a wax paper bag, folded or stapled shut. Thanks, Mom.
Money. I went from not caring about it and thinking it was an evil trap to love it, to wanting to be a good steward and not be wasteful. Thank you, Ben Franklin. Yesterday, I went through our spending as part of the Alive Time Challenge. I had done this earlier with some of the expenses, but leftover were the ones that required more research and discussion. All were potential sources of savings. I have an appointment next week to talk with Portz on broker fees. Our bank fees turned out to be nil. We only have one paid streaming service at $15 a month for Netflix, and we’re keeping it for the duration of the pandemic. One source of savings I uncovered was our fuel. Both owner’s manuals say we do not require premium gasoline. In normal times, the savings by using unleaded fuel with an octane of 87 or greater would be significant. I have only used one tank of gas since March, and Keith is using about one every two months. But it’s a good habit to change now. We also found potential in the idea of installing an under-sink water filter in the kitchen to eliminate bottled water. Fun!
THREE AMAZING THINGS THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY...
Yesterday, in the course of my reading “The Chemistry Book” (by Derek B. Lowe) summary on Blinkist, I stumbled upon a reference to the Cueva de Los Cristales. It piqued my curiosity so I did a little research. It is a wondrous cave discovered 13 years ago in Mexico. It is 1,000 feet underground, very near the earth’s magma layer. In it are the most gigantic crystals in the world ever found. Some weigh 55 tons. The cave remains at a steady 136° Fahrenheit with 90 to 100% humidity, and as a result minerals in the water converted to selenite, a molecule that lays down like a building block and eventually grows to form massive crystals. The extreme temperatures and humidity also make the Cave Of Crystals completely inhospitable to humans. Tourists are allowed, but supervised and wear suits with ice packs in them. I am always grateful for learning something new - but to have it be astounding is a huge bonus. It really feels like a D&D Adventure. A cave filled with giant crystals! Just so thankful life is so magical somedays.
I worked on two of the sites for quite awhile yesterday: Hogwarts Online and Dungeons and Dragons. Hogwarts is winding down and the summer session will end on August 22nd. I hope to get little gifts together for the girls on Thursday and let them know their experimental enrollment will be reviewed at the end of the month. I have just one big thing to do on the D&D site and then I will send a link to the family. I am hoping to recruit some character walk-on’s. Our next adventure is on Friday (Zoom).
It was the last night of the Perseid’s peak. We were just too pooped to drive out to darkness so I tried some early viewing from our Sky Deck. Too much ambient light and moonlight - and probably too early, as well. We still have a week to enjoy them. For us, it will likely be easier to get up earlier than stay up later, so maybe I will plan a Perseid Breakfast picnic. That sounds fun.
THREE WAYS I COULD HAVE MADE THE DAY BETTER…
Listened more. As they say: “Two ears, one mouth - use them in the same proportion.” I did not listen as well as I would have liked to Maggie’s concerns about Covid-19 in the classroom. I always jump to problem-solving. I know how frustrating that is when people do this to me. I just want some time to share my feelings and they want to skip right over that. I know better. Slow down and remember my job is to create a sacred space of non-judgment, acceptance, and freedom. I don’t need to fix anything - just love.
A big fat milestone for me went uncelebrated. I hit my goal weight for August on my beloved scale. Why don’t I rejoice in this? I know I still have a long way to go, but this was the hardest fought 5# yet. Hmmmm. Something’s going on in my head. Sit with that.
Mollie sent photos of the pool party at Maggie’s. My heart just leaps when I get photos of my family. I really need to show my appreciation more. It means so so much to me and Keith always, but especially now when there is so much distance between us. Show my gratitude.