saturday
Leaving and Staying. Finally an artwork that I feel totally good about. Like it says something the way I wanted it to. Yesterday when Dave and I were burying Sunshine I fell in love with Dave all over again. His right hand still can't be used to its fullest - still in a partial cast so I was doing some of the digging. He'd get the hole deeper by wiggling the shovel down with his left hand and then I'd use the shovel to remove the dirt he'd gotten loose. Usually when we bury an animal he does all the digging and then I am the one who lifts the pet and places it in the hole. I dropped Sunshine in the hole but she landed in an awkward position. I took the shovel and started to try and move her around with that but then Dave said to stop. He got down on his knees so he could reach into the hole and rearranged her so she was more in a circular/head tucked in position and her legs where both out behind her. I just thought how lucky I am to have a man who would get down on his knees to have a chicken be more comfortable for eternity. Though I must say that he does eat chickens and cows and pigs and pheasants and squirrels and deer and whatever he can hunt so there is a disjoint there. I think he treats them respectfully (? - if that is possible) when he kills them and prepares them. He does what he does because it is food and he thinks we are supposed to eat meat. Everybody eats somebody else in some form.
Anyway...
Today is my day to clean house. Family dinner tomorrow. I want to make some kind of salad with quinoa and something like a casserole with rice and edamame. I don't have a recipe for either though. Just going to wing it. But when I make wing-it meals is when I have the most anxiety. I don't know what I'm going to do for sure. Maybe I'll write it down. After seeing it looking like a "recipe" I'll have more confidence that it'll work.
Quinoa - cook earlier so it can cool
Shredded red cabbage
Chopped sweet mild onion
Green beans from Dave's garden - parboiled
Green peppers from Dave's garden
Some kind of sweet dressing - here's where I'm getting some anxiety. What will be the dressing? Something that would work on cole slaw sounds about right.
Maybe some dill?
For the casserole:
Cooked brown rice
Cooked edamame
"Dare" fake chicken meat fried up with onions, mushrooms and peppers
Mushroom gravy
Sounds okay now that I see it written.
Dave's gone hunting with Andy for pheasants and I have the house to myself. Plans: vacuum, declutter the table, clean bathroom, play piano, walk Rainy to the creek, research patterns for a crocheted witch's hat, research recipes too. Chloe asked me if I could make her a witch's hat for a Christmas present. So far I've found this one that we both like - but I'd use all dark colors. I like this simple one too.