The temperature has dropped a bit, an unpleasant blanket of humidity remains. Another indoor day today. This evening it began to rain, thank goodness. This gives the newly installed rain collection system a chance to strut its stuff, and it worked perfectly. We have collected about 200 liters of water in it so far. Ideally, more rain will fall over the course of the night, and will fill it right up.
This morning was spent milling flour. The frequency of baking bread has increased with Attila back to work. Two gallon jars are filled during the milling session. The mill, a Wondermill, is given a chance to cool down after grinding 8 cups of wheat berries, and I usually have to mill four times, waiting a half an hour between each milling session.
Attila brought in a bowl freshly picked Swiss Chard and a garlic scape for my breakfast this morning. However, for breakfast I indulged in the slice of Rhubarb Squares that he left for me after packaging the rest for the freezer, for this week’s lunches. I come from a long line of sugar lovers. My Grandpa used to pour heavy cream over his slice of fruit pie, then sprinkle white sugar over it. He lived to be 90 years old, and enjoyed excellent health his whole life through. He also smoked cigarettes his whole adult life. Lucky genes I guess. Anyway, I love sugar, but keep consumption down to 6 teaspoons a day, or usually much less. The Rhubarb Squares are rare treat!
Ordering groceries online is becoming easier. The wait times are only a few days, and as long as we don’t order fresh produce our items are just fine. We find we only shop twice a month now, and it is a big job, everything has to be sanitized. Shopping online, wearing masks, keeping social distance, sanitizing everything that arrives at the house from the outside, these things are becoming familiar routines. Like anything else, once you know how to do something, it is much easier to do it.
Worldly
Weather
21°C
Date: 9:00 PM EDT Tuesday 23 June 2020
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 100.1 kPa
Tendency: Falling
Temperature: 20.5°C
Dew point: 19.4°C
Humidity: 94%
Wind: SSW 16 km/h
Humidex: 28
Visibility: 24 km
Quote
Derive happiness in oneself from a good day’s work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us.
Henri Matisse
1869 – 1954
I order a lot of stuff online, books, DVDs, craft supplies, vitamins and minerals. Julia gets wine from wine clubs. But I haven’t ventured into the grocery shopping. Maybe as cases of covid go crazier and crazier here in Yuma (did you hear who visited us this morning, to sign “his wall”?), I should consider it. Good Matisse quote, I love his art……
Joan, the grocery shopping online took a bit of getting used to, and the local store got better and better at it, when we began it was overwhelmed with the demand and you had to go into the store to pickup your groceries, as you did pre-pandemic. Now they come to an exterior door with your cart, much, much better. And although our carrots the time before last were a bust, I am still relatively pleased with the process. There are fewer items available than I was used to seeing in the store, perhaps those items are still in the store, I cannot tell, but I cannot buy them online. Still, something is better than nothing, and we are getting by comfortably enough.
We have new cases here, so I expect it will spread quickly as most people don’t wear masks and act as if nothing is going on in the big wide world. I know that people in Toronto are taking day trips to lightly affected areas, without a thought for the people they are affecting.
I heard you mention that himself was visiting, didn’t realize that he was attempting to immortalise himself by signing the wall of shame. Here Mexico just lifted a ban on their citizens coming to Canada, so go figure. I love Matisse’s art too, I do not have a visual artist’s eye, so I find his vision fascinating.
We started to buy veg. from a C.S.A. and cheese from a local cheesemaker. Lovely! Bonus on all this- 40 years of cheffing and running hospitality businesses have left me with ingredient fatigue- I still want to cook because I still love to eat, but when I go into the store, my eyes glaze over. So- when stuff just comes in- bonus! I just have to use what’s there. I am learning crazy ways to eat green onions and asparagus! So much strawberries! And the cheeses. Well- new kinds to me (a certified cheese instructor- lapsed- and the cheese world has moved on!) and new loves. This summer has been good. And I am so sad that many are not have the (pandemic) time of their lives. No sarcasm, genuine sadness… Sending love. xoxoxox
Joan, C.S.A. membership is wonderful, we did that when we lived there, loved it. I looked at that here, there is no delivery, and the local farms are accepting people on their waiting lists for 2020/21. Sometimes I feel as if we are living in the dark ages here in the back of beyond. The budget is the other issue with us, the cost of a membershipC.S.A. here is our entire food budget, I love vegetables but we have to eat other things as well. Yet another drawback for me is that I preserve produce in season for the winter months, and a mixed veg box doesn’t give me enough of what I need. Strawberries, we can’t get them this year, it really, really sucks! A few dozen Strawberries and Rhubarb out of the garden are our only fruit so far, I am hoping for Ground Cherries, and Melons, but that is about all the fresh fruit we will enjoy this summer. I think if I were going to choose a place to live, we aren’t thinking of moving, I would go where there is fresh food available at prices within reach of my income.
I too feel very sad for so many, those who died alone and afraid, those lost loved one’s knowing they died alone and afraid, those who have lost their jobs, those who are frightened of being infected and paying dearly for it, those working at home and teaching their children full time at the same time, the list is long and sad. Good way to put it, “the (pandemic) time of their lives”!
Love ya, xoxoxoxo