I am particularly enjoying this
Friday night. I’m doing almost nothing, but reading, eating graham crackers
(leftover from a night of s’mores), and drinking cocoa (yes, even in summer), and
that all feels good. It’s a handful of tranquil hours amid some weeks of
storminess. And last night’s short sleep disturbed by the mini-explosions of
local freedom enthusiasts hasn’t quite claimed its payoff yet.
**I’m spending the evening
reading weird and wonderful works, particularly Spinning Silver by Naomi
Novik and The Worm Ouroboros by E. R. Eddison. Novik’s Uprooted is
one of the very best books I’ve read in the last year, and on my list of all-time
fantasy favorites. So far, I’m enjoying Spinning Silver just as much. The
narrative is lyrical and the setting evocative of the kind of magical places I
imagined as a kid.
I stumbled upon The Worm Ouroboros
at the local library when I went into the sort of back-corner aisle of fiction
shelving that houses the authors beginning in “E”. I wandered there while
waiting for a library worker to finish shelving in the area I really wanted. (“N”
for Novik.) Now that I’ve begun reading this book, I’m wondering if I was mystically drawn
there by some kind of spooky library magic or otherworldly
sprite. This book, which was published in 1922, is delightfully weird and
fantastical. It reads like the deepest ancient folklore spoken by Shakespearean
players. I find it slow reading, not ponderous, but detailed, and definitely
not boring or tiresome. There’s a chapter titled “The Wrastling for Demonland.”
And the chapter lives up to that promise! People, there’s a blurb of praise
from J.R.R. Tolkien on the cover. How have I never heard of this book before? Spooky
library magic! Anyway, I’m enjoying it so far.
**I wandered out of town yesterday
and enjoyed a bit of this
And this (Coconut Almond Fudge
in a waffle cone, yes, please.)
**I’ve been cooking relatively
simple things featuring fresh vegetables from the farmer’s market and a big shipment
of heirloom beans I ordered from Rancho Gordo. I like to make a big pot of
beans, something like this one, either on the stove or in the slow cooker and serve
them poured over rice or other grains and garnished with avocado, cilantro, scallions,
or a homemade salsa like this one or this one. I’m the type of person who finds
trying different kinds of beans fun, and Rancho Gordo really sells a high-quality
product. (They don’t know me nor are they giving me anything to say that.)
**My garden is doing quite
well with all the heat and moisture we’ve had. The Sungold cherry tomatoes are
promising to be prolific. I am entertaining big dreams of making lots of this pasta dish and this pasta dish and this tart.
The other tomatoes I’ve
planted are producing green fruits, too. I may have been a bit greedy when
planting this year. Including the Sungolds, I planted six different varieties of tomato, both slicers and cherry tomatoes. I
may be obsessed. There are also thriving cucumber plants and chile peppers, so Gazpacho
is coming! I am obsessed and impatient.
Actually, I’m a tiny bit
proud of myself for accomplishing as much with my garden as I have so far. The
Day Job has eaten my life at an unhealthy level, and, frankly I’m struggling to
see the concept of work-life balance as anything but a sick joke. Homegrown
tomatoes and cucumbers and summer and winter squashes and lots and lots of herb
are something to look to as both a pleasure and an accomplishment.
I’m looking forward to a
whole weekend off, a whole two days with the potential for many more
pleasurable accomplishments and accomplished pleasures.
Happy summer!
