Baking & Dinner Out

Saturday was pleasant because I was not stressed about the dessert I had to make for my dinner at Stacy’s. It was a dull cool day, but there was barely any rain, so being indoors and baking was a treat. I made a chocolate cake that always goes over very well. My friend, Dana, once said it was the best chocolate cake he’d ever had. It’s secret? I mix dark cocoa into two cups of hot coffee, and I often add shredded beetroot for both taste and colour.

I usually make a chocolate buttercream to frost it, but for this one, I decided to make Italian meringue and frost it with meringue that I can bake to brown. I think the meringue makes for a very showy cake; that’s why I like to make it.

Our walks yesterday, were short. Sheba’s foot is sore and with my breathing issues, a short walk also works well for me. Our second walk was carefree because the cake was done, the frosting is fine, and all that was ahead of me was going out for dinner and then My Day all day today. I shall do naught but eat, walk, read and watch.

Dave and Urusla spent the day moving into their yurt. Their son, Will, came up from Victoria to help them move the furniture in and get set up. Nine months, from start to finishing a brand new home.

I left for Stacy’s after feeding the brood, stoking the fire and giving Her Highness a bone to chew on while I was with my friends. I hate leaving her alone. She was invited along, but both Stace and Bryce have big dogs and I think having three of them in the house is too much.

We had a blast together, and dinner was truly delicious, and my cake was a hit. How can anyone resist rich chocolate cake with lots of meringue icing. Yum! And we all said out goodbyes at 8:30, so I was home and back with Her Highness early. I had such a good time, but nothing beats being at home.

And I came home to some great news: Dalgleish, season three starts tomorrow. I am overjoyed because I really love the series.

I learned to type on one of these.

Soft and Slow

Friday flew by. I walked with my group in the morning. It was good to be reunited after the storm. I asked that we walk the Windecker trail (because it is flat), and that’s where we went. It was my first visit to this trail since the bomb cyclone, and holy shit, the landscape has changed. 

The trails are brighter because trees are down in places, and we had to pass through many cleared trees that had fallen across the trail. In one place, a tree had blown over and its root system—Fir trees here have very shallow roots here—towered six meters up into the air. It’s monumental. We walked through a significantly changed landscape.

Then I went shopping, came home and made another vat of curried beansprouts and seafood. This is such a delicious meal for me. It’s quick and easy to make, and its full of flavours that I love—flavours I discovered in my travels. I still love a French meal, and I love country Québecois cooking, but I love Asian cuisine.

Henri was here all day today, I’m very happy with his work. He works slowly, but thoughtfully and constantly. What I like best is that he comes, and he does what he wants. I don’t direct him. Yesterday, he said that next time he comes, he’ll clear as much as he can of the forest fall from the roof. He’s more a caretaker than gardener for me. We’re a good fit.

•

I met L in the late 70s. We quickly became fast friends. We are friends to this day. But fifteen years ago, I received no reply to a couple of emails, and I became increasingly concerned—for her, or so I thought back then. I was distraught for days. I don’t remember how the story continued, but it ended with us reunited.

Recently, it happened again, but this time, so far, I am not doing anything, nor am I concerned, because I realize that all our communication begins with me, so I’m inclined to treasure wonderful memories of my cherished friendship, and hope to see her again, but it will be up to her.

I have learned a lot about myself after six years with Dr. Shoja. I considered L to be a sister. We were very close. I had self-appointed siblings; their status was unknown to them. My family of friends were my only family, so I now understand my concern, when L stopped replying, was for myself. I was losing a sister. The saddest part of my new understanding of myself is that the neglect I suffered doomed me to this solitary life I lead.

•

Today, I bake, because tonight I dine with Stacy, Ron, Di, Bryce, and Nancy, at Stacy’s place, and I’m making and taking a desert.

Slow Daze

Thursday was glorious in the morning, so I began the day with a lovely long soak in the spa. I hadn’t been in it for a couple of weeks, so it felt fabulous to be so lovely and warm. After that, I took Her Highness on a good walk through the Elder Cedar grove. It, as well, was a wonderful experience because it was so spectacularly sunny and bright.

We came home and had lunch, and then it was time for me to go to the library where they host a weekly get-together for French speakers. It was the first time I’ve attended, and it was fun and a challenge at the same time because almost everyone is fully fluent in French, and everyone has a thick Québecois accent.

Once back home, it was time for Sheba’s second walkabout, so off we went, but this time under thick cloud, in relative darkness and cold temperatures. And then all the duties of my day were done, and it was R&R time for us all. I built up the fire and settled in for a nice warm lazy evening.

And then I went to bed for the best sleep I have had in decades. Decades! I didn’t wake up once all night. I know how old I am when a great, great pleasure is nothing more than a deep and long sleep.

No Yard Work!!!

Wednesday was a good day. Sheba and I walked with Cynthia and her dog, Jake, whom I adore. It was very hard to go up the hills, and so we took a short route back, and then I went into the village to shop for groceries. I came home and made a delicious curry broth, and I dumped an entire package of bean sprouts, and entire package of small frozen scallops, half a package of frozen prawns and an entire clump of cilantro into it. Yum! Both lunch and dinner were so easy to heat up in the microwave. Yum!

It was a pleasant bright day, but I think along with low energy and difficult breathing, this issue I’m dealing with also has me feeling the cold weather. Last night was clear, and so this morning it was freezing cold in the house when I got up. For the first morning ever on the island, I lit the fire before I fed the pets. I hate being cold. For the duration of Fall and through Winter, I am going to wear an undershirt under my t-shirt and hoodie, and long johns. 

I had a lovely long chat with Bruce on Zoom. He was just back from Toronto and L.A. In T.O., he stayed with Beth, and in L.A. he stayed with Steve, and so we had a great time chatting about all he’d done on his trip and about our fabulous and interesting mutual friends.

In the evening, I finished re-watching two seasons of Dalgleish, an absolutely wonderful and delicious series based on the murder mysteries of P. D. James. I have read every one of them. Season three was filmed this year in Ireland. I can hardly wait for it to become available on Acorn TV. The star, Bertie Carvel, makes all my genes vibrate.

Today will be a delight. It’s clear and bright outside, I have lots of my delicious and thick soup for my meals, and I have more Richard Osman and the Thursday Murder Club to read.