Life Changes

It's difficult to deny the many small ways our lives have changed over the past year. Some of these will remain with us forever, I suspect. Others, I hope, will disappear the minute our vaccines free up our lives a little more.

I was reminded of these changes while recently trying to FaceTime with my six-year old granddaughter. We were experiencing some connection issues and I thought it was hilarious when she said "You're glitching - I'll call you back." This is an example of one change that is here to stay. The very youngest amongst us has become far too familiar with technology and the terminology to describe its inherent frustrations.

During our next FaceTime date, this same granddaughter said, "I have a new friend. Would you like to meet her?" She waltzed the phone outside to introduce me to this newest friend. Kneeling down to grass level, she pointed the camera at a single dandelion in full bloom and said, "Meet Jamie". As you can imagine, I was surprised but I've learned not to react with this creative girl. My immediate response was "Dandelions tend to have larger families." She then marched over to show me a stack of dandelions inside a bucket explaining she had rescued Jamie from the same fate as all of her brothers and sisters. 

While I welcome this granddaughter's creative thinking, I'm praying this change (creating friends from plants) will disappear the minute real children are once again routinely welcomed over to play.

Today, I realized when glancing at my shopping list that changes have happened in my own household as well.

Pinning down exactly when whipping cream crept onto my shopping list as a staple would be difficult. Yet, as I glance at the current list on the fridge, there it is - top of the dairy list. Since I have no pending recipes planned needing whipping cream (and no memory of writing it), it seems to have just taken its place naturally amongst the other staples.

I'm sure it began innocently enough. One recipe called for 1 cup so I sent Hubby out for a small package. The next time I needed more than one cup so asked for the larger size but, in the end, needed less than the 2 cups it contained.

None of us likes to waste food. Knowing that a container with 1/2 cup of whipping cream sat idly in the fridge would have increased my anxiety to mitigate wastage. I don't remember that first fateful step to use up the excess; I may have used it in making a cream soup when short on the half and half variety.

It's a slippery slope once you begin to look for ways to use whipping cream. I discovered a recipe for scones made with whipping cream in the mix and then using it to brush on top after baking. 

There really is no doubt that mashed potatoes are truly delectable with whipping cream rather than boring old milk.

No cream fraiche! No problem. Whisk a little whipping cream with a bit of buttermilk and - voila.

Goes without saying that cream sauces are superior when whipping cream is used. Tarragon sauce over chicken is raised up many levels with the natural thickening whipping cream brings to the dish. Move over plain old white sauce - your days are numbered.

I could go on and on envisioning each and every dish I've enhanced with the magic of whipping cream. But I won't. This is definitely one change that will soon disappear from our household. I'm going to show inner strength and suggest it might even occur before our vaccines take hold. That gives me four months to think this through ...

Big Sister's Role in the time of Big Brother

I may be a luddite (see earlier post) but I'm conscious enough of technology to understand that my online searches will result in ads, pinterest posts, etc. directly related to previous searches. Whether I use a search engine or Pinterest directly, I know that for the next day or two (and randomly forever after), I will see pop up ads or posts that fit that search.

This has annoyed me in the past, making me resent Big Brother. Who created Big Brother, by the way?  As the youngest of three girls, I only experienced the oversight of Big Sisters (sometimes with not the nicest intentions but generally looking out for my best interests). 

I begin to think of Big Sister's role in all of this. Where is she? Doesn't she have a role in technology, too?

I've never been one to buy into conspiracy theories but, today, in all honesty, my Spidey senses were humming. 

Yesterday I was thinking - I stress thinking - about asking a friend to make some scrunchies for my new COVID-long hair. 

There really is no reason on earth for me to search for scrunchies. I mean, come on, they're pretty basic hair items. Elastic wrapped in fabric! I don't even know if there is a way to jazz them up but why would I need to? They serve a purpose. If I am being really fussy, I might choose one that coordinates with my outfit of the day. Otherwise, a scrunchie is just a functional hair accessory. 

So my thoughts as I sat with Hubby this morning enjoying morning coffee and ready to begin my online meandering were far from scrunchies. 

This may be my favourite time of day; absolute quiet (one of the only times of the day without tv or news streaming); sun shining in the window; nothing but time ahead of us. On days when I feel bored by the online offerings, I bring out my current read and enjoy a book for a while.

Today, though, I was searching with purpose. My Pinterest travels this morning included a search for a chocolate mocha whipped ganache for a cake I plan to bake. In amongst the many delicious offerings, I began to see multiple postings with scrunchies!

Remember, I thought about asking my friend to make the scrunchies. I never typed it, wrote it or discussed it with anyone.

This, I think, is where Big Sister comes in. While Big Brother may be watching and tracking our online movements with a view to directing us to their paying advertisers, Big Sister is using her feminine intuition to guide us toward our wants and needs almost before we have thought of them ourselves. 

She understands our hair appointments over the past year have been few and far between. She is aware we need new ways to manage this hair length. It's almost as though she's saying ... "Here, I recommend scrunchies. They're easy to use, inexpensive and can match your outfit." 

Thank you Big Sister. I appreciate you looking out for me.

The only other explanation is that our technology is now capable of reading our minds.

Not going there.

Rain - Glorious Rain

Sounds like the beginning of a Broadway hit. Appropriate maybe since my recent gardening efforts make me feel akin to a Broadway producer.

The greenhouse was completed two weeks ago and, with the warming weather, I moved in the seedlings planted earlier. Managing them had been work as I moved them around the house following sunlight at different times of day. Once they were placed in the greenhouse, they were set. 

Over the last two weeks, I've planted all of the remaining flowers and vegetables in their trays and moved them out to join the seniors already established.

It was while planting the remaining seeds that the image of Broadway came to mind. 

You might think a seed is a seed is a seed... Not so. Each player in this year's garden has its own requirements in order to germinate and then bring out its best performance. It might sound overwhelming to the non-Broadway producer but I like to think I'm getting the hang of this.

Forget-me-nots want complete darkness, Zinnias - extra warmth. Peppers are not great germinators so it's sometimes necessary to call in the stand-ins. Celery seeds do best in cool, damp conditions. Lazy Peas like to lie down between damp paper towels to speed germination before going directly into the ground. Beans like an overnight soak (picturing the star in the bubble bath here). Some stars need extra time to learn their lines and more space to move about (tomatoes) before they take their places on stage.

But, at last, the cast is in place. The dressing room (greenhouse) is monitored frequently to make sure their continuing needs are met as they develop in their roles - misting water on hot days, covers for warmth on cool nights.

The stage itself has been swept and set with needed props. Additional soil and compost have been added to ensure this year's cast is well fed. A new prop for this year's production is an arbour for the cucumbers to grow up, leaving room for other players to be planted beneath, maximizing the number of cast members the stage can accommodate.

As in Broadway (I imagine), it's only the stars who get the dressing-room. The walk-ons must start from the ground up with no rehearsal and no demands leading up to the production. Some walk-ons remained from last fall's production (carrots and garlic and, of course, the ever-reliable perennial flowers), returning to carry on with little prep and no script. They know their lines. 

The newest walk-on hires (beets, lettuce, chard, spinach) take their places quietly, looking for direction from the sun while leaving plenty of room for each star to arrive as their scene is called.

Back to why rain is glorious. The house is screaming "thank you" to the skies for sending me indoors with nothing but time for all of the chores put off while Broadway was calling my name.