A long time ago on a planet far, far away, I used to read a daily newspaper and then, you know, go off to live life. Isn’t that quaint? Then CNN came along – because the first one’s free, and I gradually became an instant news junkie.
Whenever I could get near a computer or phone, there I was checking the headlines, getting a fix from the church of what’s happening now. I considered myself a high-functioning addict and didn’t want to change a thing until the political stuff started messing with my head.
I wanted moderation not abstinence, so I fashioned myself a little rehab. In the morning, I read the local newspaper. It’s OK, but even sports scores aren’t current, so I allow myself to check a major news source once or twice a day just to see if anything big happened or, um, well, if someone in the limelight may have succumbed to an untimely passing.
While I never thought my attention span was compromised, I got used to the quick jolts, which really are just a distraction, and now I seem to be getting better at focusing on the moment. In some ways, it’s like switching from black and white to color.
For example, I’m paying more attention to simple sightings, like the color of the trees when I walk. The birds. The dogs and those who walk them. I procrastinate less when there are chores on the docket, because I refuse to sit around reading that stuff like I used to.
Not that I don’t dabble. I started to create a category for Krazy Kabinet Pick of the Week, but there were too many to choose from. We’ve talked about the stages of grief, and I think we forgot the one where you just laugh. Because, seriously, I choose not to be angry all the time, and I’m out of other options.
What I’m Reading
You know I love my crime fiction, but with this refreshed brain of mine, I thought it might be good to explore nonfiction. I went to the library and right there in the newly arrived section discovered Find More Birds by Heather Wolf. I was already noticing more birds, so it seemed like divine intervention.
What a great little book, which includes gorgeous photographs taken by the author. She offers 111 tips for spotting birds wherever you are and without necessarily becoming a serious birdwatcher.
Not that I might not go that route, but the book inspired me to take baby steps. Of course, I wait until December, when most of the birds that pass through our backyard have already moved on, but I’m not a quitter.
What I’m watching
As it happens, only the first episode of Van der Valk was super-gruesome. I’m on season 2, and it’s getting better all the time. I’m sort of loving these international crime dramas and now, thanks to your most excellent suggestions, I have a bunch more in my queue.
Mid-December also brings new episodes of All Creatures Great and Small. One of my golf buddies suggested this show, and I thought, oh, so not me. And it isn’t … but I love it nonetheless.
Dale recorded the Ken Burns documentary on Leonardo da Vinci. This is another one that would not normally be my thing, but you can’t go wrong with Ken Burns. Plus, Dale has a low tolerance for TV, so at least it’s something we might both enjoy.
What I’m eating
Our Thanksgiving feast was fab. The pumpkin cheesecake was pointing a gun to my head, so he’s in the freezer, experiencing the joys of timeout. In terms of leftovers, so far we’ve had cold turkey sandwiches, then a break for Dale’s homemade pizza with mushrooms, hot Italian sausage, fresh jalapeños and green olives.
Tonight is hot turkey sandwiches on toasted sourdough bread. The gravy was particularly good this year, so that should be delicious. I’m actually a gravy convert. My mother was not a good cook, so everything came out of a package. I didn’t taste the real thing until I met Dale, and I would say it was all over, but he already had me at roast duckling à l’orange.
Today is when he breaks down the turkey. One whole breast will go in the freezer. He saves the carcass for stock, which I’m going to make in the slow cooker this year. But just the stock … I’ll make the soup itself on the cooktop. We have been enjoying Jane Brody’s turkey carcass soup recipe for many years.
I pulled out Jane’s 1985 cookbook yesterday and noticed it is subtitled, “Living the High-Carbohydrate Way.” Of course, we’re still into carbs at our house, but my, how times have changed.
I`m taking care of my knees toward the day that someone in the limelight succumbs to an untimely passing, so that I can dance like nobody`s looking.
Ditto.
Haha: “The pumpkin cheesecake was pointing a gun to my head, so he’s in the freezer, experiencing the joys of timeout.” I can relate.
Since Thanksgiving is often just the two of us, we’ve gotten in the habit of buying the turkey “kit” from Costco. It’s surprisingly good and produces several night’s worth of leftovers. I do miss having a turkey carcass to make stock from, though. The smell of it simmering on our stove takes me right back to my childhood.
The carcass was too big for the slow cooker, so it’s simmering on top of the stove as we speak. The smell is divine.
Like you, I’m focusing more on being in nature and noticing the brilliant colors of trees, dogs walking their owners, and all the critters. I love watching birds and hearing birdsongs. I picked up Amy Tan’s recent book from the library, “The Backyard Bird Chronicals”, and I was amazed to see her beautiful watercolor sketchings, and enjoyed reading the notes she journaled about birdwatching. Watching those hummers feeding outside my window bring so much delight to my day.
I just put a hold on the Amy Tan book at the library. Thanks! I definitely need to get a hummingbird feeder.
I too have taken a (big) step back from the news – so much new found time! You might like “Our Oceans” on Netflix, narrated by the last president we had who could actually speak in complete sentences. We love “All Creatures Great and Small” – last night we watched a “behind the scenes” documentary about all of the animals on the show. Anything but the news is interesting in these times.
I feel the same way about the new found time. “Our Oceans” looks great, and it’s something we’d both like. And yes, I guessed it was Obama. Sometimes when you look at our current mess, it’s hard to believe he was elected twice.
Also, I may have been wrong about the new season for “All Creatures Great and Small.” We got a thing in the mail that showed it starting up again in December, but then I saw an ad for season 5 starting in January. Soon, anyway.