Life Is Odd And Happy And Often Tasty

Flow inside of me, source of the
source of joy, life essence
– Rumi –

I noticed something recently. A friend had been in touch and spoke about these check-ups one has, the blood tests for sugar and cholesterol etc etc. This person was very happy that the tests were all as they should be and asked about my health. I responded in what I realised later was a distinctly defensive manner. Oh, I am fine in this way and that. I did mention my problematic knee, but I did not say that I have those blood tests irregularly and only when my GP insists. So, I do not have empiric evidence that I am “well”. But why did I feel defensive? I think it is because we view illness, disease as a sort of failure. A weakness. Shameful. Is that why we say people lost their battle with cancer? Can it be an evolutionary throwback to when it was dangerous to admit or show weakness? I cannot recall if it was like this when I was young. It does have a bit of that Instagram feeling of all is perfect and always beautiful.

The last few weeks have held many pleasures! My grandson stayed over for two weekends in a row! Ok I found out that I am no longer used to having a very chatty very energetic person to deal with from 7 in the morning till 10 at night. But oh gosh, how nice to hear him being noisy in the bath, to sit at bedtime and work our way through the big pile of before sleep books and to see he has included many of the books we read when he was little and so we were re visiting old times and old friends.

I had my first summer swim! Our temperatures have stayed below 20 C but on Wednesday this week it popped right up to the high 20’s. It was sunny and here where we are lots of people had all looked out the window and thought: Oh, never mind the have to do’s, we are going to the beach! It felt so good to be in the water and then come out and sit in the sun with a really good americano!

Food! last night there was a really really lovely chicken soup! I made it with a good strong homemade stock, lots of lovely peas and corn and carrots and given real oomph with garlic and turmeric and lemon. We are almost at the end of avo and orange season here in cape town. Oh yes, there will still some on the shelves but from far away and much too expensive. But for now I can still indulge happily in two of my favourite things! And then there is a dish from my childhood: frikadelle. Our version of meatballs, made with nutmeg, cloves, pepper and onion and oven baked.

Is anyone out there a Lord of the Rings groupie like I am? Or am I about to shame myself? I don’t care! I read The Lord of the Rings close on fifty years ago, and re read it and re read it. You get the picture. And I loved the movie trilogy. And just recently courtesy of my dear son I could get to watch The Rings of Power season 1 on amazon prime! It was thrilling, it was moving, it was magical. It made me feel like a child watching with bated breath, no, it was more than that, it was like listening to a story that starts: Long long ago…..

Call to me, call to me lands far away
sing to me sing to me lands far away
– Donaldson, Payne et al. –

What am I looking forward to? Oh, to Lucy by the Sea, the latest Elizabeth Strout. Really looking forward to summer swimming. And let me say and know what is good this day, this day that is of course the only day that ever exists. And the sun is shining, cool breeze blowing, blue blue ocean. The first clivia is flowering and so is the orchid.

I have been given a glass that has the
fountain of the sun inside.
– Rumi –