Interesting Times

There is a backhanded curse that has been attributed to Chinese culture, but for which there is no evidence of it coming from the Chinese:  May you live in interesting times.

I think this moment in America’s story will qualify as “interesting” to future historians.

From my perspective, life has been a surreal mix of normal, mundane everyday things with the occasional unbelievable, one-off, never-in-my-life type national events.

Like last weekend – Donald Trump dodged a bullet, but so did America. I am not a supporter of Trump, but cannot see how his assassination would yield anything positive.

All the drama on the political scene, while at the same time I’m in the throes of emptynesterhood where I can set and maintain my own routine in ways I probably never have…these things merge into interestingness.  Some things I don’t want to share.  Personal stuff, family stuff.  We have a lot on our plate right now.  But we’re so fortunate.  We have the bandwidth to take on such challenges as they arise.

But mortality looms, ever closer, hovering more and more in conscious thought. I want to make the most of the days that I have left, but continue to defer certain things into the future on the assumption that I will be robust enough to engage with them then. I see all too often people making these same deferrals, only to run out of time.

So it’s a bit weird. Not good, not bad. Just weird. Each presidential cycle, It feels like America holds its breath a bit. Everyone waits to see how it turns out. People don’t make big ticket purchases, employers don’t hire quite as fast. We’re all in wait-and-see mode.

There are still quite a few things on my to-do list. I’m optimistic that I’ll get to most of them before my time runs out. For now, I’m going to savor this beautiful weather we’re having, go to the farmers market and buy the freshest produce I can get my hands on and cook something good to eat. That’s never a bad idea.

A new television series just dropped on Apple+ right now - Omnivore, produced by and featuring René Redzepi, famed chef of three-Michelin starred restaurant, Noma, in Copenhagen, Denmark.  It offers a deep dive into specific ingredients that I have found compelling.  The first two episodes (the ones I have watched thus far) focus on chile peppers and tuna.  This program is reminiscent of David Attenborough’s Planet Earth, but focused on food.  It is well worth a watch.

Also, we lost one of our greatest comedians this past week.  Bob Newhart died Thursday at the ripe old age of 94.  This brief video he made for his friend Don Rickles’ birthday displays his unique style - and a sharpness he retained late into life.

Sunday Supper
We are entering peak season at the farmer’s market.  I made the most delicious, simplest little caprese salad on Saturday, using produce from Bird's Haven Farms.  There is nothing better.  If you want something more involved, try these Grilled Pork Chops with Dill Pickle Butter.  These Chorizo-Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a great way to start using those larger Zukes that are starting to appear.  This Thai Corn Salad w/ Salted Duck Egg looks very interesting.

Sunday Music
I discovered Paolo Nutini this week.  Check him out.  And the jam band Phish (finally) made its way to the NPR Tiny Desk for a performance.  Enjoy!

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Have a great week ahead!  Offer support to others.  Make good use of this day.  And let me know how I can help.

Peace & Love,