It’s Sunday, not even 3 days into the “shelter in place” order that went into effect in L.A. So far, I am doing fine. The last time I was “out” out was Thursday morning, to my physical therapy appointment. I was last at a store a week ago Friday. I’m walking around the neighborhood, cooking, cleaning – might as well write.
After my store visit I came home and told my man (MM) that he is now in charge of foraging. He has agreed without hesitation. He has a strong protective bent and we both know who has more tolerance for lines and silliness (I was going to say stupidity but that seems harsh). Silliness in terms of stores not posting directive signs – This way to add to your Toilet Paper hoard and This way if you just need some bell peppers. Silliness in term of completely full parking lots. Of small children holding paper towels to get around the limits. Empty store shelves. That stuff.
I, meanwhile, am the at-home logistics officer. I like to cook and enjoy being creative with leftovers. (I just wish I could recreate some of my inspirational leftover dishes, but they never taste as good the second time around). I’m extremely conscious of not wanting to waste food and of planning meals that will incorporate ingredients on hand. It’s triage meal planning. Do I really want to use 5 cups of flour on Irish soda bread or should I use the box mix of Beer Bread in the cupboard? How can I sneak in more vegetables? Answers: not yet, yes, throw some spinach into the soup.
We are fortunate – our tap water won’t kill us and we have a whole house filtration system so we’re good for hydration. We had a decent stock of hand sanitizer. We have enough TP and paper towels for few weeks. We have home projects to work on together and we’re really good under pressure so I think we will weather this okay.
In other news:
Arti the rambunctious teenage cat veers between utter obnoxiousness to warm purring sugar. He has developed a talent for identifying my bathroom needs before I do. Within a few minutes of his sugar I inevitably have to disturb him for a bio break.
Louis the former show dog (but still and always a champion) is bravely hanging out in the hallway so he can keep an eye on us. He is a frequent target of Arti’s boredom and they haven’t worked that out yet. We break up any bullying and give the cat a time out when needed.
Fiona, who has been featured in this blog, is getting home based physical therapy and massage (really, not just pets; I’ll post a photo next time she’s in session). She alerts us to intruders on the sidewalk and heaven forbid a delivery person should come to the door! The dogs still get walked twice a day which is beneficial for us all.
MM and I just celebrated his birthday with lobsters – not an essential store trip, but it felt essential to our emotional well being. I used 13/4 C of milk to make a lemon pudding cake. He feels special even if his birthday present (Peter Sagall at the Soraya got cancelled).
And me? I’ve got chicken Avolegomo soup planned for dinner (lots of lemons around here) and I’ll make the beer bread to go along. I’ll sneak some spinach in there too. Tomorrow I’m planning an Ina Garten recipe of pounded and fried chicken breasts on a bed of fresh spinach. I spent some time reorganizing one shelf in the linen closet and put away the pile of completed books on my nightstand. And I’ll write. See you soon.\
Corgi and a Cuppa Tea 