Everything sublime is as difficult as it is rare. Baruch Spinoza

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Soft Ball. Hard Ball. Laughter.

Shhh, don't tell Mark he's starring today. 

Mark is a nervous energy guy. My kitchen floor is proof of that, there is a wear pattern from his pacing. Under the best of circumstances he has an anxiety aura. With the health problems it has gone up several notches. Which is why I snapped this photo and am posting it, even though it's not a good photo, it was actually dark outside but the phone adjusted the light and gave everything a weird glow. Back to the point. He was talking to his brother and he started laughing, laughing with gusto. It was wonderful to hear and I just picked up my phone, zoomed in and click. He was in a good mood for the rest of the evening. Such a pleasure. 

I made turkey and dumpling soup for last evenings dinner. There's two more meals left. Dumplings are one of those things people have opinions about. Mark would tell me he didn't like them, then I'd make them and he liked them. Repeat this right up to yesterday. He has hard, gluey in his brain and it won't leave, even after four decades. One of the challenges of life with, his words, a weird guy. I like soft, fluffy dumplings. The kind that fall apart just slightly as they simmer. I like them large, don't ask me why. Maybe I kid myself I only had one. Mark only knew the ping pong ball dumplings. I make soft balls. I have enough turkey left to make a shepherds pie. I have to use eggplant I've had a little too long, it's starting to go over. That will be tonight, shepherd pie will need to wait.



We got about 7" of snow yesterday. Today it is blustery and cold. The snow is heavy so it's not blowing around too much. I have a delivery coming tomorrow, which means I can probably wait to plow until morning. It's a little too blowy for me unless I must do it. Mark said he'd do it. No, I have plowed since we moved here and I'll plow until I cannot find a way to get up on that skid steer. Dagnabbit!

Off I go to make some bread dough, we find ourselves out of bread. No fermented loaf today, just a few hour rise. We have dumplings for lunch, we will be okay. I'll check in on everyone this afternoon. Toodles.

10 comments:

Boud said...

He looks pretty cheerful, considering. Good for him to be laughing. I love your pioneer woman attitude to plowing!

Sandra said...

Boud, he wants to help me but sometimes I don’t want nor should have help. It was so good to hear him laugh.

Lori Skoog said...

Horse women are tough!!!

Val Ewing said...

Good for you. I can run our skid steer to scoop up snow and drop it, however, ... I generally don't get along with machinery and admire anyone who can!
You are awesome!

Far Side of Fifty said...

We like dumplings soft too! My mother never made them so it was something we discovered by ourselves. Yeah for snow removal equipment!!

Sandra said...

I don't know if we are tough or nuts, Lori!

Sandra said...

Val, I was the primary user of the machine for most of our time here. It's the most important piece of equipment we have. I have difficulty getting up there but last time I tried, when I graded the driveway, I was still able to do it. One thing I can't do is hike for hours in the woods!

Sandra said...

Far Side, I'm surprised your mother didn't make dumplings. Minnesota and dumplings seem to be made for one another. I would be lost without the skid steer, a most versatile machine!

Pixie said...

My husband paces when he's thinking over a problem. It's scary having cancer, going for treatment. I also find that when people actually start treatment, that's when the diagnosis hits home and becomes real.

The good thing about the radiation treatment is that he will meet lots of other people with cancer and that helps. He'll see that life continues on, even if you do get a cancer diagnosis. I can imagine how good it would feel to hear him laugh again.

Sandra said...

I know you know what you are talking about, Pixie. Your insight is really helpful to me. He is a talker so meeting others in the same situation will be good for him. It was wonderful, a full out laugh!