The Garden Gives and We Take

I finally got the prose editor’s comments in paginated form. The papers had all fallen and gotten mixed up, between wind through the open window, cats having fun or just making a nest to drowse in, and the many other papers that are all over my desk: bills, bank statements, correspondence, recipes, etc. I would have to spend most of my writing time trying to figure out where the comments belong in my text. When I finally got the paginated comments, I was able to work more quickly yesterday. I haven’t written any poems in ten days as I am working full time on the revisions to my book.

I invented an eggplant dish last night, using the grill with very minimal oil. I used one of our half pint tomato sauces to make a sauce for it. Pesto and some red wine added and herbs. Woody liked it. We have many zucchini, pattypans, eggplants and some leeks that Woody thinned that are of a size to cook and a few remaining savoy cabbages, not to mention cherry tomatoes now coming in.

I just started Antonia Fraser’s biography of Caroline Lamb. We have been watching UNTAMED on Netflix. We have only one more episode to go. Then we’ll have to search for a new mutual obsession. Hard to hold the attention of both of us, as we often like different programs. But I’m going to put aside the Lamb bio in order to read a book about seals that just came for Woody. Piles of books come in for his interview show and he won’ get to it for a few days. Once he has read a book, I can’t. He scribbles all over it with magic marker, comments in the margins on every page. I find that too distracting to concentrate.

We enjoyed three and a half days of lovely weather – wonderful to work outside and inside, sleeping with open windows. Friday, that all changed. The humidity is soaring with the temperature. We’re in a mini drought. Have to keep watering and thus worrying about the well.

We’re not seeing anyone this weekend. I spent an afternoon with Gigi and Woody had several meetings. We want to catch upon the garden and processing vegetables from the garden. I will continue, of course, to work on my book. I try to work every day except Mondays, but it’s not always possible. My eyes get tired sometimes before I meet my daily quota.

We meditate together whenever we can, most often lately on the sunporch. Today will be too hot for that locale. Meditation calms us both – time out and restful. We’re so busy although I do less than I always had done, as everything takes me longer and there are chores I can no longer carry out.

Woody got scallops today, super fresh. I love scallops. I’m always searching for more ways to cook them. They are just about my favorite seafood. In general, I like most seafood including of course fish much better than Woody does. In spite of his growing up on Long Island within walking distance of the ocean, I had to teach him to enjoy seafood.