Sometimes I yell at them and pound the window. But today this cute little maverick won my heart. He’s gotta eat, too.
Our simple window feeder turned into a simple squirrel feeder for a while this morning. In seems that last nights snow storm had given the squirrels just the necessary height to jump aboard. And then, for reasons unknown to me, it morphed back into a restaurant for birds; the squirrel hasn't reappeared.
Sometimes I yell at them and pound the window. But today this cute little maverick won my heart. He’s gotta eat, too.
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I’ve been thinking about the simple things and routines that I posted about the other day. Simple they may be, but more than that, they offer stability, which is also something I strive for. Things that are stable in my life, offer a sense of simplicity; what is simple, offers stability. They go hand in hand. Case in point. Saturday some friends are coming for supper. The menu I have chosen (chili) is not a simple one as far as preparation is concerned. (Simple in this case would be takeout.) But it feels simple because I know how to put it all together. I have the ‘stability’ to cook the chili and rice, gather the condiments, make the cornbread, toss the salad, set the table and clean up afterwards. I’m not saying that simplicity is the only way. In order to get there we often have to go through complexity. I’m reminded of Piaget’s observations that learning involves a continual pattern of disequilibrium and equilibrium. Here are a few snapshots of what constitutes a simple day at the cottage. Simple things and routines I can count on. • Prepared meals ready in the freezer—no cooking, no cleanup. • Cereal always a viable option. • Hot water in five seconds from the tap. • Wearing the same clothes every day—no wardrobe decision • Same three basic walking routes to choose from • Safe surroundings. • Wash my dishes immediately after using—no dishwasher to empty. • Bed by 9:30, up by 5:30. • Same but different sunrise every morning. The first storm-like waves of the season were waiting for me here at the cottage early this afternoon. I started out from home as soon as the temperature inched above freezing; the driving was slow but safe. On my way I made a stop at Trader Joe’s in Portsmouth. What a genteel store—the people, the displays and the food itself! My most important purchase was six cartons of Organic Tomato & Red Roasted Pepper Soup-- yummy, nutritious and sensibly priced. The cottage was just as I left it, which is always a good sign. I brought in everything from the trunk, everything except the shovel that I transport back and forth in case of snow. Then I eased into the rest of the day; first a nap, and then, since I felt chilled, a bath. I knit for a while watching the waves pound the breakers. And now, as darkness sets in, I’m munching on broccoli dipped in Roasted Red Pepper Humus and drinking a glass of V8 Spicy Hot 100% Vegetable Juice. Such is my silent, solitary and simple life here at the cottage this afternoon. Tomorrow, definitely a walk on the beach. P.S. I’m not all nutritious and organic. My purchases also included curried chicken tenders with a cholesterol count too high to blog about. And then, god forbid, white rice!! I’m experiencing a family version of silence, solitude and simplicity, which really means there isn’t much. This afternoon, however, five family members have gone off on various excursions; the three of us remaining are enjoying that old-fashioned ‘quiet hour’. That may take care of the silence and solitude, but what about simplicity, which is a different kind of challenge? When it comes to keeping up with all the clutter that seems to appear out of nowhere, one solution is: Don’t keep cleaning up! That works for the craft table, but cooking and clearing up is an on-going activity and not always simple. The best solution is: Don't stress out! After three weeks living here alone, and one week on vacation with my daughter, today is my last full day in Florence,. The entire time, to use that overworked word, has been perfect--a combination of solitude and community. Spending those mornings in the Oblate Library here has renewed my desire to get back to more serious writing. We live across the street from the library at home, so no excuse there. What will I miss? As a start, I’ll miss the food. I don’t know where to begin. Certainly not at the beginning. I’ll begin with whatever runs off my fingers. Ah, simplicity, and what I’m doing to keep this month of living in Florence simple and within budget. Um, food comes to mind. Good thing someone told me about the nearest supermarket because I would have walk right by it. No big signs, hardly a sign at all. But I did find it and bought yogurt, olive oil, milk, Weetabix and at the moment I’m boiling a half dozen eggs for a snack. Little local shops are supplying me with bread, cheese and prosciutto, and the outdoor market across the Arno at Piazza Santo Spirito offers fresh clean lettuce. Sometime during the day I’ve made myself a salad. So far, except for cappucchino, I’ve been preparing my breakfast, lunch and snacks. Then out to dinner for a appetizer, primo or secondo course and a glass of wine. “You can’t get a poor meal in Italy,” so I’ve heard and come to believe. Why would I want to cook? When I was teaching kindergarten, Robert Fulghum came out with his spot-on book, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Now that I’m retired I’m thinking that I might write a sequel entitled, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned on my Daily Walk.” Actually, Fulgrum’s list for kindergarten relates beautifully to what I experience every day. Let’s take the first leaning: Share everything. Yup, sharing is being played out on the front lawn of a house right down the road. On a table, with a big sign that says, “Farm Stand”, is a vase of flowers and an array of tomatoes, all for the taking, no charge. And so yesterday I took: one flower for the patio, and one tomato for our salad. Today when I go by I’ll Play fair and leave a thank you note. This is giving and receiving at its best. It’s all I really need to know. Here’s Fulgrum’s list of all he needs to know. Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK. Sunday has always been a different kind of day for me. When I was growing up it was a breakfast of boiled eggs and Thomas’ English muffins, church, Sunday dinner with roast beef, lamb or chicken, and then my older sister and I had to do the dishes together!!!. The rest of the day was mine, free with built in solitude. We all had to stay home, no friends over. (When I was in high school I went to youth group at church.) The best part of it all was that we were in charge of our own supper--whatever was available, and whenever we wanted it. My menu never changed: Wheaties, sliced banana, brown sugar (lots), and milk, and an English muffin with butter in every nook and cranny. Although over the years much of the routine has changed, but get-your-own-supper never has. I still love banana and brown sugar, although I’ve switched to Cheerios. This Sunday afternoon of easing off of obligations, be they cooking or suppertime conversations, satisfies my longing for silence, solitude and simplicity. I don’t keep up with the news very much but occasionally I watch the PBS NewsHour. No way does the show let me forget the poverty and devastation in the world! Many people have no control over what happens to them—that’s one of the messages. War, suicide bombings, at least 1127 workers killed in a garment factory collapse in Bangladesh, hu children poisoned through free school lunch programs in India. Limited choices, or no choices about their diet, or even about the choice NOT to starve to death. And here I am, just back from the local supermarket after making choices primarily by personal preference, with healthy eating coming in second. Although I’m trying to lower my cholesterol by eliminating chunks of cheese from my daily diet (protein, I tell myself), I must admit that my trying is often mighty pathetic. What’s a little piece of cheese once in a while? When I watch the news I can’t help but conclude that my longing to lead a simple life is completely inadequate as far as most of the rest of the world is concerned. The impoverished eat simple food out of necessity. I am choosing to lead a simple life, and when I feel like it, I eat simple food. |
Contact me: bobbifisher.mac@mac.com
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