Saturday, March 16, 2013

I'm thinking of running away...

   I am home, alone, on a Saturday afternoon.  I thought we were going to an Equinox celebration, but it turned out I wasn't going after all.  That man has gone. And I am at home cooking. Cooking exotic foods and making my house smell like one of those city blocks in some thrid world country where there are little cubbyhole restaurants  serving up delicious fare from all over the world. I was bashing and chopping and peeling and slicing with a vengence.   I was possibly sitting with my neighbor today, and that man had gone where he always goes on Saturday mornings. It's directly on the path of where the equinox celebration is.  I assumed he would call and say--what's happening ? Are we going?  Are you busy?  Shall we meet there? But no phone call came and then suddenly he was coming in the front door. Half an hour before the thing starts. Half an hour away.  No thought beyond his own...never mind.  Never mind.

  SO. I keep thinking of turning off the soup and leaving. Going somewhere. RUNNING AWAY.  Being alone. (like I already am, here, but someplace else.)  Sweet Jehosaphat.  I don't even care so much about the Equinox thing, but I get so weary of not even bering considered. Thoughtlessness...which feels like neglect to me. Not a thought to what might be something I want to do, or somewhere I want to go.  Or even a thought to just call and say...something.  Arrgghhh...



 Anyway. I am making a home made version of a Thai chicken soup, sans the chile. Lemon grass, garlic, ginger, onion, coconut milk, chicken...a little finely chopped celery and carrot.  I realized I don't have any rice noodles, but I will just use soba. It won't be as delicate, but I don't care. The smell is intoxicating.  If you recall, I froze quite a bit of lemon grass stalks  from my garden this year.  They certainly come in handy.  I do need to get some cilantro for the top.  Or not.  Maybe I'll use some dried fennel I have in the back. Who cares? It's all good. 

  Speaking of dried fennel... It's time to start checking out my stores in the pantry and see what I have left, how much  more/less of some things I may need to plant and put up.  I have some herbs back in the back closet that have been drying and need to be taken out of the brown bags and labeled and put in jars. Basil, fennel, mint, oregano, thyme, sage, bergamot, anise, parsley... spring cleaning time for the pantry.  Fun stuff.  I have done a pretty fair job of cooking using pantry items this past year, and hope to get even better at it. Sometimes it's easier to just grab something at the store, but that's not the way I want to do it. Otherwise, why on earth would I go to all this work and trouble putting food by ?


  Yesterday the seed potatoes came. YAY!!  The Irishman shoveled a truck load of leaf compost onto that back bed where we are putting the taters this year and even got it all dug in nicely.  So, it's basically ready to plant. Of course, that makes me even more impatient to get planting, and the truth is, it's way too early here for anything but potatoes. We do have onions and garlic in from last fall.  NEWS FLASH !!  They have just changed the forecast to possible snow tonight and tomorrow now.  sigh... Oh well.  We need to let these potatoes sit out and sprout a little anyway.  Around these parts most of the gardeners say you need to have your taters in the dirt by St. Patrick's Day, but I haven't met that deadline yet, and we always have great tater crops.


  I got a new book to read, called Water, Carry Me. It's by Thomas Moran and looks promising.  I'll let you know.  It's set in Ireland, the author is a journalist turned fiction writer, and the main character is a young woman named Una Moss.  It was written in 2000, the author's third novel.  Stay tuned.


  We also watched a movie last night whose title I wrote down during the Oscars...It's called "Beasts of the Southern Wild."  IT IS A MUST SEE.   Magnificent piece of work. Get it through Netflix or Blockbuster.  I was trampled by this film.


  Alright. As often happens, I am calmed down by the act of writing and think I'll go make some hot chai tea and sit in the living room and snuggle up under the fleece and start my new book.  I'll stir the soup and bag the herbs and perhaps, for now, running away will have to wait. For another day, another time.  Or perhaps, as Terry Tempest Williams says, " It just may be that the most radical act we can commit is to stay home."


  Have a grand Saturday, everyone.


Namaste.

9 comments:

Beth said...

If you feel the need to run away again Annie, run 200 miles to the central part of the state. I will feed you a tenderloin sandwich with all of the trimmings from Culvers.

Be happy Annie, life is so very, very short!

Kristin H. said...

Annie, I understand neglect quite well. I'm so sorry you are in a (temporary) slump. Spring is around the corner, pretty lady....

DJan said...

Good idea to start an Irish book on the even of St. Patty's Day. And I saw "Beasts" and felt amazed at the girl. I could see why she got an Oscar nomination.

Teresa Evangeline said...

I've not heard the Terry Tempest Williams saying, and I think I like it... it fits me to a T. :) Running away isn't all it's cracked up to be... I've done it a time or two and you usually end up right back where you were, needing to make the change right where you are... Your food sounds so yummy...

Thanks for the movie tip.

Anonymous said...

Oh my, dirty laundry and pouting looks so ugly on the internet.

Lo said...

To "Anonymous" above......
Don't know what planet you have just landed from, but here in our cyberworld, dirty laundry is NOT dirty and pouting is accepted and welcomed if that is what the blogger wants and needs to do.

What a twerp, what nerve......
pout all you like, dear.....neglect and thoughtlessness makes me do more than pout.

Akannie said...

LOL...thanks Lo....and everyone else with the decency to put your name on what you say.

It's MY party and I'll pout if I want to....pout if I want to...pout if I want to. LOL

Thanks for the offer, Beth--I'm gonna take you up on it one of these days !

Kristen, I was outta the slump as soon as I wrote it. You know what therapy writing is...

Me too, DJan...I think I'd like to read the book, if there is one.

Teresa, I'm in a discussion group right now called "Discovering a Sense of Place". It's all about everything from bioregions to neighborhoods and personal investment and ecology. Put out by the NoirthWest Eartyh Institute, these discussion groups are pretty awesome. The quote was from one of those articles. I'm trying to remember where I've read TTW...

Mariodacatsmom said...

Maybe you need to hang a big bell around his neck with a note on it - check in with wife at 11:00 no matter where you are. Dang - husbands can be thoughtless sometimes., Glad you have cooled down now.

Dirt Lover said...

Awww, sorry you were bummed. If you ever want to run to N. California, let me know. I have a very comfy couch, and some super sweet dogs. You'd feel right at home in my garden.
Glad you made yourself feel better.
~~Lori