Scraps

Last week was far too hot for nature walks, or much of anything else, so I have gathered up some random scraps of chat to share:

Unrelated to knitting, alas. I do intend to cast on a new pair of socks soon, possibly even something different from my stripies or my lovely winter boot socks, but I absolutely have to get my manuscript through another couple of revisions before I can afford to get distracted. Otherwise I will lose all my ideas and the next time I'm ready to sit down with them, I will have to chase them first. And since writing a novel is already akin to herding cats, that's far from appealing.

There, that was scrap number one! a writing tip. Let's move on.

 

A can of Rio Mare tuna (tuna packed in good olive oil) dumped in a bowl with a ripe avocado and mashed up with green onion, then smeared on dry whole grain sourdough toast: definitely the most delicious thing I ate last week, or possibly ever. Highly recommend.

 

It's been too hot for anything but air-drying my hair, so I've been taking sections of it and twisting them into a series of ropes dangling down around my head. Sometimes, several hours later, I am rewarded with soft waves. But whether I am or not, in the meantime I get to look like Medusa, wearing snakes only temporarily in repose, and that's fun too. 

 

Drinking hot tea on a hot day doesn't seem to make me feel cooler, is it different for you? but it does taste delicious, so I don't care.

There has been a lot of shopping around here, by me mostly. Lots of drapey clothes or linen ones, either of which are handy for air flow or at least not sticking to one's clothes in the humidity. But also two - two! - new pairs of Birkenstock sandals. Both are the Milano model which is basically Arizona with a back strap, if you are a Birkie person. I had been considering these for a while because I kept falling out of my Arizonas on long walks and a friend has actually fallen to her knees in hers. The hazards of aging past forty, sigh. She caved first and bought a dressy pair in black with giant shiny silver buckles. I bought a sportier pair in beige with a rugged rubber sole. And... then I bought the dressy pair she had, too. 

Oh! this was a long scrap. You can tell where my attention lies! But the thing about the sporty pair is, they are wider, and I will definitely be able to slip socks in there when it's too cold to go without. 

 

Socks and sandals: is it less ick when the sandals are Birkenstocks? 

I finally finished watching the entire series of Vera, based on the Ann Cleeves books. 15 seasons! Such a shame I couldn't knit through all of that, I'd have had so many socks done. My arm is getting a lot better though. I might be able to manage needles again soon.

 

I'm now watching Shetland, also based on Ann Cleeves' books. That series is pure eye candy for sweater lovers like me.  But I will probably not risk knitting another actual sweater, after what the last one did to my arm.

That tuna/avocado adventure I mentioned was part of my journey into the Mediterranean Diet, which is not really a diet but more a focus on heart-healthy foods. I figured I'd need that eventually, and I've been slowly approaching it for a few years, but for the last two weeks I've been sticking to the (very long list) of recommended fruits, veg, whole grains, olive oil, and anything in the beans/lentils family. And you know what? I don't actually miss cookies or cake! Also I feel a lot better. And this is purely anecdotal, but for the first time in my life I'm not the primary mosquito target when I'm out at dusk.

 

This eating plan is perfect for lazy people like me. A friend was telling me about a super healthy cake she made with almond flour and date paste, and I translated it to a small dish of almonds and dates to have with tea. When I told her that later, she offered that she's been tucking walnuts into pitted dates for such snack opportunities. Guess who's planning to pair loose walnuts with dates in future? I don't even bother 'making' my own salad dressing. I just pour olive oil over the greens, then drizzle in some balsamic vinegar, and stir it with tongs to mix it. 

 

Two words: ROASTED EGGPLANT. 

Sorry, had to get that out here. I am not an eggplant person but I felt I should give it yet another try and did the whole salt/drain/rinse thing before tossing it in olive oil and shoving it in a hot over for twenty minutes or whatever. Heaven! It basically caramelized. I have been eating it hot from the oven, cold as a snack, or loose on top of a salad.  

And finally, in non-food news, I've been rereading Jane Austen's Mansfield Park lately, a chapter or two a day. It's much darker than the more popular Pride and Prejudice or even Sense and Sensibility, which certainly touches on some dark themes. In fact, sections of it are just as painful and sad as I remember. But the other bits are much more engaging than I remember, too, and I am glad I picked it up again.

 

That is all the scraps I have that are not obsessions about this writing project, which I will spare you!  

Thanks so much for dropping by to spend this time with me - see you next week, and I hope your days from now till then are full of fun.