Nobody’s day looks like it did a year ago, but around here, we take comfort in routine. Ben is going to school 4 days a week, and is home with a care provider on the fifth day. He wears a mask, and seems to be pretty happy to be back at school. Of course, we worry about our family’s health, but at this point, in-school instruction feels like our only choice for him, since we both work.
Sophia has settled into in-person teaching of her second grade class in Tioga. Aside from, you know, the pandemic, she absolutely loves her situation! She has joined an awesome team, with a wonderful principal, and a class full of eager learners that it took her about 10 minutes to fall in love with. She loves her apartment in Mansfield, surrounded by neighbors with serious staying power. One of them proudly displays a sign in his window stating that he has voted in every election since 1946! Now, that’s a dose of stability for a young woman like Sophia to be surrounded by!
Saturday, we tried to catch our breath and plan for the week ahead. When it got dark, we got the fire pit rolling, and our neighbors, Amy, Cullen and Cate joined us for chatting and some hot, fresh, chocolate chip cookies. I may or may not have fallen asleep while chatting. It was a long week, but I so enjoyed talking to humans.
Today, we enjoyed the glorious weather with a long convertible ride through mountains and valleys speckled with orange, yellow, and red leaves overcoming summer’s green. I even took the wheel for awhile. It is a whole different thing to shift with your left hand, but I got used to it.
When we got home, I roasted some green chiles that paled (literally – anaemic yellowish green chiles that claimed to be authentic New Mexican green chiles) in comparison to what we could be having in Rocky Ford. Still, once roasted, and used in Cedric’s recipe, they were pretty darned good. Homemade tortillas and pinto beans, with various add-ons, rounded out the meal. I guess I didn’t take any pictures. Probably just as well. It all tasted way better than it looked.
I guess this post is less about cooking than it is about trying to maintain stability and mental health in these days that seem to be stretching into infinity (and beyond!) When I was a child, we had a set of Childcraft encyclopedias, and my favorite volume was “Make and Do.” In the past 6 months, I had plenty of “make and do” projects that not only made good use of resources, but also allowed me to triumph over boredom, sloth, and unsteady supply chains.
I am usually too distracted and stressed to read these days, so I have not had that outlet, and I have had very little contact with friends. If you have a winning strategy for staying sane while isolating, please share. There are only so many things I can do with an old T-shirt, and I think I’ve done them all!
Your column makes my day. I read this one twice. Aldine