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My Ordinary Day: Andrew Hunter III
Friday, October 2, 2009
I habitually set my alarm far earlier than I need to…I tend to go through about 5 snooze cycles before I finally make my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Up and out, I head to class for a few hours. Current circumstances dictate that my ride for the day could either have four wheels and a roof or two wheels and a set of pedals…on hotter days I hope for the former. Rather than pay attention in class like I should, I have a bad habit of reading books that have no connection whatsoever to my studies…I also find other ways to distract myself…wait, I am in class now!
Food is an integral part of my day…I eat lots and lots…in fact; it is a miracle I can afford to feed myself. Actually, I force immediate family members to donate…while some might equate this with “theft of perishables”, I equate it with survival. I always did feel a connection with Jean Valjean. Once fed, my attention turns to my afternoon caffeine fix…by this point I am about 3 cups deep. Black coffee, Chai tea, Diet Coke – all essentials to keep me functioning.
My afternoons are usually filled with homework. More than occasionally I will get a fire call at this time…similar to how I rely on caffeine to get me through the day, I have become addicted to the sound of sirens.
Evenings are occupied by more classes. However, physics lab is not fun, educational, or exciting when the clock is approaching 21:00 and I still have not gotten a run or bike ride in. After listening to some over ambitious student teacher ramble on for about 2 hours concerning his ground breaking research in special relativity, I find myself about ready to test the effects of gravity from the second story window of our laboratory.
Finally, free from the magnetic and electrical forces that have been holding me hostage for the past couple hours, I head to the firehouse for a little relaxation with the hope that a call with come through and I can ride the truck again before I hit the hay.
Portia Brockway’s Ordinary Day
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Most mornings I wake up somewhere between 5 and 8, get up, and make a pot of green tea with a “squozen” half lemon or lime. I like to make it in a glass pot, so I can see the transfusions take place. The gentle green caffeine gets my brain crackling with enthusiasm, or, at the very least, energy, for what lies ahead.
Just in case something has transpired on my World Wide Web during the night, I often check email first thing. If new correspondence inspires me I tend to respond immediately. Often Uncle Bob will have sent me recent edits from our Winds of Grace 4 DVD Yoga Project. I tend to review them straightaway, make notes of changes, and email them back for one of our several-times-weekly sessions.
Somewhere between 7 and 9 AM, Ben and I usually head out for our morning Constitutional. Although I am often the one to keep him waiting while I do the above, somehow I am usually ready to walk out the door first, so I call out “I’ll meet you in the garden!” and rumble down our short steep stairs with all possible alacrity, given my big, shoed feet and the gnome-like dimensions of the place.
During growing season I check on the flowers’ progress, which is my department; and enjoy seeing the developments in Ben’s vegetables. I do very little garden maintenance. Instead I encourage the plants to grow by touching and verbally admiring them, and making note of their progress to Ben. It isn’t unusual for varmints to steal in during the night and dig holes, eat bulbs, vegetables or flowers, knock over my seven-tiered copper fountain, or disarrange my rock collection, which I right and re-arrange, differently each time.
We leave our pleasant, hammock-strung yard and walk around a few neighborhoody corners, then left through Raymond Park, across Walden Street, down a slight decline through the Lincoln Way Projects, across the Quaker elementary school playing field, across Sherman Street at the walk light, and uphill toward Cambride’s summit at our largest, 29-acre Danehy Park, created from a garbage dump, (resulting in the hill).
Ben heads off on one of the curving tarmac paths, looking cute at a low trot. I step down the other way, through the grass, toward the marsh. During the Summer I wear my water-ready Teva sandals, and, at other seasons my waterproof Merrell Continuum boots. Down by the marsh, the Summer cattails are tawny and purple; they rustle, blow, or stand still. After heavy rains the grassy area by the marshland is flooded; I enjoy splashing through the shallow waters.
Satisfied with whatever sloshing and viewing of flora and fauna is available at the moment, I head back up and over the hill, cut across the striped maroon oval of the 4-lane race track, and onto my second refuge, the Astro-turf playing field. Here I swing around 5 – 12 times depending on my time commitments, mood, and the duration of Ben’s run. Sometimes I skirt impressive soccer games peopled primarily by Hispanic players, coaches and spectators. Most mornings I am loosely accompanied by other walkers and runners. I often call my father and talk with him on my hot pink cell phone for several minutes as I traverse the oval.
Ben eventually appears on the track, runs around it a few times, and signals that it’s time to walk back to the house, which we do through the Walden Street Apartments grounds, passing the swimming pool, where we fantasize of one day having a resident friend who will invite us over to swim on sunny Summer afternoons.
About five days a week I have Yoga teaching responsibilities outside the home. When they are in the morning I may need to leave the house by 8:30 or so; other days I am around the house for several hours before going out. Some days I have no scheduled responsibilities. These are my favorites!
Ben and I have a more recent habit of going to Bally’s after our walk, which originated in his needing to use the weight machines to help work out his shoulder problems, and my desire to build more aerobic activity into my day. I read a book on the bike and then do Yoga by the swimming pool, where it is pretty quiet, although I occasionally get splashed. It wakes me up!
“Get things done, have some fun, build your health” is Ben’s and my motto. My tendency toward work and his toward socializing, combined with our shared commitment to good health are guiding lights in our relationship. Our food preferences vary so it is common for us to eat some different foods at the same shared vegan meals, which we catch together when our varying schedules coincide. We like to hold hands and be silent for a moment before we begin.
I am semi-regularly inspired to write, photograph or to play with Yoga and movement, which can absorb me for many hours as though I am in “no time”.
In the evening, I may stretch out and watch a good movie, go out to live it up with friends, or just hang around and do more Yoga to increase my bliss index factor.
Thanks for asking!
Joanne Weiss’s Ordinary Day
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Joanne (Shutt) Weiss – age 64
Barbara is asking us to write about a “good ordinary day” and then share it … I just read hers….and then Ben’s… & I decided that I don’t have good ordinary days right now….. Mine are boring and full of junk trivia…. So I’ll make one up…( with only some of these things really happening right now). And try to think about really creating these types of satisfying days…..
If I did have a REALLY good un-ordinary day… I’d get up before the sunrise…get dressed and get ready to watch the sunrise. I’m in Henryville now so the ‘light show’ before the sun actually gets up is always beautiful. I’d be sure my shoes were on ( because it’s winter) and I’d go outside to wait to catch some photos of all that is happening…. Then I think I’d get a cup of coffee and sit and watch the view over the valley change ..every few minutes I’d look for deer to come up the hill to snack on corn I would have put out…. and watch the birds at the feeder…or maybe get my coat on and go down by the barns and look for great shots of the farm buildings..or horses waiting to be fed…. My knee gives me trouble now so I’d use the golf cart to tool around..and of course our dog Acorn would excitedly tag along sitting next to me on the seat.
I’d come back and have breakfast with David if he were eating at the same time…
Sometimes now I get up and head for the computer (which is in our dining room area…so you can still see the view and the bird activity….) I like to check to see if my friends have written me…or if Dana has left a message… I like to write notes to my school friends so that some of them will get a note from me when they get to work…
If I didn’t have a lot of little junk on my mind… I think I’d like to sit down at the computer and write out some of my thoughts.. or some of my earlier memories that I’d like to share with my family or friends…. I do like to write…like Barbara ..but I think It isn’t for any real purpose…just to do it.
I would also make time to download the pictures I took earlier …and then work to fix them ( crop them better.) or just get them into like groups to find more easily (I Guess I have over 38000 now to ‘play’ with…) I like thinking about pictures to share with others who might like them as well. I often catch images that others might miss..and think about how much someone else would have liked to see that… I just like to look through them..just to enjoy them again. Sometimes I print up extras to send off..or plan some other way of sharing them. Being here in Henryville gives me lots of quiet time..but not a lot of purpose.. I think that bothers me a lot… I miss the purposeful connections that I had with my students…and my friends in Central New York….
Whatever I would be doing inside, it would be nicer with music playing in the background….. My favorites would include classical.. I love Bach… people like James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Basia, Billy Joel, Elton John,, Chicago, The Beatles, any good balladeers, barbershop… music from favorite musicals… whatever……I get stuck on certain artists or composers…. people and will listen to one group for weeks and never get tired of them… and then I just change to another old favorite… or a new one.. I just love music… not to analyze it or understand ..just to like it!
If I could, I’d be out with my camera again around the time the sun is thinking of setting…it’s a great to me to walk around..or drive around to see what the lighting changes do to everything around here ( or anywhere….).
If I could choose a time to eat..I wouldn’t have a specific time and I would just throw some sort of leftovers together…and sort of play until I thought it was right… I hate to use recipes and formulas. I’m a person who can change directions and plans in an instant…. I call that flexible but that’s hard for David to cope with…..
My really good day ( which wouldn’t be ordinary ….) would include calls to my kids and friends and would contain endless conversations with them… if I can’t be in their living room ( or mine)…long rambling calls are great… If they aren’t possible… long rambling emails are an adequate substitute.
I’m not a reader… ( sorry Mom…I didn’t catch that gene from you)…. I do enjoy some T.V. shows……not scary things…no ominous things… ( I miss The West Wing… and Murphy Brown…Boston Legal…. good well written stuff that pulls you right along….) I watch a lot of garbage…. I’m not sure why…but I do….and then wonder why I did that…)… but when I’m here in Henryville, I guess I prefer a quiet evening with a nice fire in the fireplace. The flames and light patterns are fascinating to watch… it is so mesmerizing and peaceful…. Soothing…the crackling and occasional spitting are a fun wake-up surprise…just to break the calm…. part of a lovely symphony of squishy sounds that makes a fireplace fun to watch…..
Before I’d go to bed on the very good ordinary day….I’d check my email for messages… and answer any that might have come in…. or write a friend to have a note for them to start their day with for their tomorrow…
I enjoy going to bed with the windows cracked open… the evening sounds have always been a great sound to soothe me to sleep) I don’t mind having a cool room..as long as I can have a nice linen sheet and a cozy cover to keep me warm.
I have wild and crazy dream patterns…they are real epoch concoctions… sometimes I wake up laughing- or even exhausted from the things I’ve thought up…..they can really be odd combos of thoughts….. I’d certainly never want them analyzed!!!)
My REAL ordinary day is actually only bits of what I just wrote – but my imagined really good day was very satisfying… and I enjoyed it…..
Linda Salmon’s Ordinary Day
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Linda Salmon’s Ordinary Good Day, written Nov 3, 2008, age 72
Many things have changed since 1990 [when the first Ordinary Day book was compiled], especially 7 more grandchildren, since Torrey was born in 1989, but some things are much the same.
I still get up about 7:00 AM and have an English muffin and cottage cheese and orange juice for breakfast. Now a special treat is a TWO egg omelet, sometimes with a little cheddar cheese inside. I still read the Pocono Record while I eat breakfast, but I usually don’t have any coffee. But BEFORE I have breakfast I take a half hour walk back in the woods with our 5-year-old female German shepherd dog Princess. This is because I am supposed to wait an hour after taking levothyroxine for my thyroid before eating breakfast.
On most Mondays and Wednesdays I work 5 hours at the Pocono Mountain Public Library 9 miles away. I do new book processing and also withdrawals as we have run out of room on our main shelves and 7 small storage rooms for all our acquisitions. I also put out children’s books for special seasons on special cards, with Thanksgiving books about to go out now. I like this work, which keeps my library degree worthwhile. And I get to check out all sorts of new books.
On Tuesdays I go food shopping (to get the 5% discount for seniors) and often do a wash too, that day. I like hanging clothes on our “solar dryer” wash line, especially sheets, but I do use the regular dryer when winter sets in.
On Thursday afternoons, Tom’s youngest daughter Teri comes to our house from 4 PM to about 5:30 when Tracie picks her up. Teri is 5 now, but Tom and Tracie thought she was too young for the new all-day kindergarten so she is waiting a year. (She goes with him to Oxford School on Tuesdays when Tom teaches music there). Before Teri comes I usually take out 3 wooden puzzles from the library for her to do. She also like to play with design blocks, Dupox plastic blocks and the dollhouse. Sometimes she will created a pretend meal using the plastic kitchen set. She always wants Peter or me to read several books to her, and sometimes we look at a book of flip cards with objects to count and objects to match.
A really good day would be in the summer when I would go to the lake in the afternoon, or earlier this fall when my beloved vegetable garden is still producing tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash, and green beans. I love going out to pick veggies each morning, and earlier to tie the tomato vines to the large tomato cages Don and Jennifer gave me recently. But by mid October I am ready to put the garden to bed and to cover the garden dirt with leaves we have raked.
One some weekends we enjoy trips to the Northeast Philharmonic Orchestra concerts in Scranton. We treat ourselves to a dinner in a restaurant those nights, going with some friends who also attend these concerts. Other weekends we sometimes have a few friends over for dinner, or attend conce4rts or plays tat the grandchildren or Tom are in. We have attended the fall band competition Rachel is in as well, but I usually skip the football games.
On Sundays Peter and I sing in our 12-14 person choir at Trinity Episcopal Church, and practice afterwards too. We have a great group to sing with. I sing alto and Peter sings bass. Rachel and Tom sing alto too, but sometimes Tom sings bass when needed, or tenor, or even falsetto soprano. Tom now plays the organ once a month after taking lessons for several years. Peter, Tom and I are also lectors who read the Old Testament and non-Gospel New Testament lessons, about once every six weeks. Peter is now chairing the Search Committee for a new rector for Trinity which will take time this next year. We enjoy the friends we have made at church. I am also in charge of getting people from Trinity to serve at the food pantry the first Wednesday each month. Recently we have served 85 families on those days, luckily with the help of members from other churches.
We don’t watch much television, except for baseball and the World Series. I do watch NBC World News most evenings. I really miss the PBS News Hour which we no longer can receive since 9/11, as the signal is no longer strong enough to reach here. Then I read one of the many books I find while doing book processing at the library. We are both often in bed by 10 PM, reading a bit longer before we fall asleep.
So that would be a snapshot of our lives in 2008. In 2009 we anticipate a safari trip to Kenya, sponsored by the Philadelphia Zoo to celebrate being married 50 years. So life stays exciting, as we hope Obama & Biden win tomorrow in the Presidential election of 2008.
Peter Salmon’s Ordinary Day
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Peter Salmon’s Ordinary Day, age 73
I’ll skip the English muffins and get right to the point. My ordinary good says are actually fairly extraordinary (ie rare), but since you coined the term I’m always aware of them when they happen.
They include a few elements. One is some significant amount of time doing creative work. It’s best when it includes painting pictures, but real drawing time, as in a day at the zoo, is just as good. At a lower level are writing projects, like sermons, social concerns articles, poems, or stories for the kids. (I really prefer to do less and less of all these things and more and more paintings).
Second is positive interactions with Linda; children and grandchildren; and good friends. All three types of relationship are needed for a really good day. The last element is physical exercise: not just dog-walking, though that is important; nor anti-arthritis exercises, though they are important too; but something like cutting the grass, splitting wood or building a wagon for grandchildren to play on.
One afterthought is that I’m glad that my life includes various kinds of community effort – church, food pantry, letters to editor, formerly Lake Swiftwater and so forth — but too often they rob me of time for an ordinary good day. Therefore I would say that they are part of such a day when they are just a part.
Of all these factors the one that probably matters the most to me is the human relationships. But I want it all. Even the English muffins. (And I wouldn’t mind a side order of fried eggs, preferably over easy).
Cori Beckwith’s Ordinary Day
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
My typical day – Cori Beckwith, age 44
I don’t have very typical days as I switch from “work days” to home days. But I will pick an interesting day.
On Wednesdays, I get up at 4:45am to join my friends for a run up to the water tower in Arlington Heights. Its a beautiful Boston view from up there. After meeting the rest of my fellow lunatics at the local coffee shop, we set off on our run, chatting up a storm on the way. Its as if the talking moves our feet. When the steep parts of the hill comes, we often quiet down and pant during this stage. Then when we get to the top, we give each other high-fives and set off down the hill back to the coffee shop for 10 more minutes of talking.
As I walk home from the coffee shop, Daniel and Adam meet me on their walk to the bus to school. I give them each a kiss and a croissant, Daniel raspberry, Adam chocolate.
Then, I come home to shower and prepare any last minute beaded items for sale at the Arlington Farmers Market. I stow my gear on the modified kid trailers (two of them) attached to the rear of my bike for the 1 mile commute. I set up my tables under a honey locust tree at the uphill side of the market and spread out my wears on a couple of wool blankets. I make beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and have crocheted afgans, scarves and other things.
The other market vendors are eccentric and quirky but very entertaining. There is the high-pitched speaking cookie lady and the tattooed tomato lady with a grudge and the elderly Egyptian lady selling hand-knitted scarves, the lady with paper-rolled beads, the Senagalese bakers, the chocolate vendor (mmm, just had to mention that one), the Greek man selling leather bags, the cheery apron lady.
The customers are also a great collection of characters; the lonely elderly gentleman who tells you about his career as a salesman without any provocation, the tall woman with the huge white furry dog (reminds me of a polar bear), the elderly lady who slowly climbs the hill in the parking lot and says (every week) “wow, what a hill”, the man who comes on his bike and puts on his squeaky breaks and comes to a full stop with his shoe, the Aztec man who asked if I smithed silver, the Walapi woman who asked about my jewelry, the Apache woman who asked if I could repair her beaded necklace for her daughter-in-laws wedding present.
Then about 6:30pm I pack myself up and ride home, grab some dinner and fall asleep under a pile of blankets by about 8pm (because I got up so early).
Benjamin Beckwith’s Ordinary Day
Monday, December 22, 2008
Benjamin (Ben) Beckwith, at age 47
My Typical Day:
I usually wake up somewhere between 6 and 7am. There are three things I try to fit into the morning first:
1) A 10 minute meditation
2) A run (and walks with Portia – I walk with her to the park where I do a 20-25 minute run)
3) My arm exercises
I also drink up to 3 glasses of water 1st thing in the morning. That’s all I really need to drink in the morning. Sometimes I have some green tea but usually I wouldn’t until late morning if I’m feeling tired.
Lately, I’ve also added some standard morning stretches from the book of stretches.
Also, usually on M, W & F, Portia and I walk to Bally’s Fitness Spa to do our exercise routines there.
I’ve started a routine at with the help of a fitness trainer where I do weight training 3 times a week. Sometimes I may have enough time to go to the sauna, Jacuzzi and pool. We may get a bagel afterwards.
For breakfast I have whole cereal with no sucrose. Some cereals have no sweetener so I add maple syrup. I have granola, flakes, puffs, oatmeal or hot cereal. To hot cereals I add cinnamon, ginger, cardamom (either seeds or powder) and sometimes nutmeg. I use rice or soy milk.
Right now I’m working 3 days a week at The Career Center of American International College in Cambridge, a walk or short bike ride from my home 3 days a week, Monday and Wednesday 11am to 7pm and Tuesday 3 to 7pm. I am working as a paid intern but am essentially the Technical Services manager fro this small branch of Career Training sites. I first check my Instant Messages and e-mail for any pressing issues. Then I check in with the classes to let them know I’m here and see if there are any computer issues there. Then if I have interns, I review the tasks of the day and delegate them.
On Thursdays and Fridays, I may have my own computer customers (Computer Tutor and Troubleshooter) or put in some internship time (paid or unpaid) with my friends business, Computer Care and Learning.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, I may go to a barefoot unstructured dance at around 8pm. Dancers hold hands, forming a circle. Then people move any which way the like, some wildly, some mellow, some alone, some together in twos or more. The music varies from world beat to Celtic, blues, ethereal, soul and rock.
On occasional Thursdays, I go to Squawk Open Mike Coffeehouse, which is at a church, to play blues piano.
Saturdays, I sometimes do the weekly Fresh Pond road race which is 2 ½ miles (or 5 if I’m really ambitious). My time is anywhere from18 -22 minutes.
On some Sundays, I may go to Salem where my friend, Liz, from dance is sometimes the Deacon with my friend, Ayser, who lives in Salem. Afterwards, I spend some time with Liz before she goes back to Gloucester them spend the rest of the day with Ayser.
On other Sundays Portia and I may walk to the Ethical Society of Boston which meet at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge. They always have live music before and after the speaker. Lately, there has been a monthly series on Sustainable Development and Social Justice by Julia Ageyman, an environmentalist author and chair of the Dept. of Urban & Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University.
Some Sunday nights, I play guitar at an event called whimsy, at a gallery which is open to varied types of performers.
Well, that’s much of what I do. Thanks for reading.
Barbara Beckwith’s Ordinary Day
Monday, December 22, 2008
Barbara (Bobbie Shutt) Beckwith, at age 71
When I tried to write down An Ordinary Good Day, I realized that for me, a good ordinary day would be all of these:
A whole day of writing
I’d meet my writing buddy Susan at a coffee shop and for at least an hour we’d “freewrite” (spur-of-the-moment writing by hand – the way we launch new articles or essays). Then we’d swap manuscripts (current essays: “My French Persona,” “What’s on the other side of zero?” “Recovering My Blues” – about cataracts – and “Can I Feel Your Dreadlocks?”) or ideas for where to submit our pieces. I’d spend part of my “all-day-writing” walking (alone), which always gives me new ideas or helps me work out “sticking points.” Another part of the day I’d spend on submitting my work to newspapers, magazines, anthologies, and web journals. And then of course, an ordinary good day would be when I receive an acceptance of submitted work, or a check for published work.
A whole day of reading
Jon and I read the NY Times and the Boston Globe (the PRINT version) every day and I’ve just subscribed to the Christian Science Monitor for its international coverage (do I think I can single-handedly save the newspaper business?). When I go on vacation, I ask my neighbor to collect my newspapers so that I can read the news I missed. I must read magazines like Publishers Weekly, Women’s Review of Books, and Colorlines (articles about/by people of color). Ideally, I’d spend all day reading books, as well: novels (Towelhead) that grab me and won’t let me put them down; non-fiction to help me understand the world (Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America); memoirs (The Suicide Index) to live, in my imagination, other lives. Right now, after dinner, Jon and are reading aloud (swapping paragraphs, vying for the best accent and the fewest “what does that word mean?”) French books: first we eat, then we read Camus’ description of the Plague, or Simenon on the French Resistance, and after that Marcel Pagnol’s plays.
A whole day of exercise
Playing squash is the part of each weekday that I find both exhilarating and peaceful. I drive 20 miles to the club in Concord to play with one or more of about 6 women who regularly 8:30-10:00. I may beat one handily and be beaten handily by another: I am happy in the middle of the pack. I can’t speed around the court like most of my partners, who are younger than my sons, but I try to make up for it with clever shots. In the changing room, we swap advice on our sports-related injuries. Most days, I do 200 sit-ups after squash (when my body is warmed up). Ideally I’d also take a walk, swim some lapse, build my body in strengthening class (with weights) and center my body and mind with yoga. But that’s my fantasy ordinary day dedicated to exercise. Ideally, by the way, the weather would be in the 70s (not much higher or lower as it usually is), and inspire Jon and me to walk around Fresh Pond daily rather than once a week.
A whole day of socializing
In person, ideally — but more realistically by phone & mail – with my sisters, my sons, grandsons, my “inlaws” (such a formal name for the nearest of my dearest), my friends, my neighbors, my writing colleagues. Ideally, I’d go dancing every day, see an art exhibit, plays or a movie, or get together with friends spontaneously at an outdoor bar, our version of the french cafe lifestyle. Instead, I spend much of my day online. My social life is channeled largely through this one medium. I swap emails with my “body buddy” Gail and with my sister Joanne. I socialize alone: read for an hour or two in a noisy coffee shop, distracted only by people I overhear speaking french (can’t help listening). I sometimes think that I spend more time reading and writing about life than engaging in it!
A whole day organizing the National Writers Union.
Like my sisters Linda and Joanne, I like to, in Dad’s words, “make things happen through the effort of others.” I remind myself that Rosa Parks served as local NAACP secretary for years before she launched the bus boycott with her (2nd) refusal to move from the bus. Ideally, I’d spend all day every day inspiring writers to back each other up, share resources, “level the playing field.” I mentor newer writers by co-teaching a course on “getting your essays out into the world” and by giving talks on “the art of communicating with editors.” In fact, an ordinary good day usually includes a meeting: I like them when they’re productive and fun. And I’d like to spend all day long expanding the scope and reach of “White People Challenging Racism: Moving From Talk to Action” adult ed class I co-teach and on taking action with others to undo racial exclusion.
A whole day cooking and eating
Dinner is one of the most creative parts of our day. When Jon comes home from the lab, usually by bike (in rain or snow, cold or heat) and we open our fridge and see what’s there (never much) and concoct a dinner that’s often new and fresh. We may make a meal that mixes hot & cold, or one that’s all green or one that uses herbs in new ways: serendipity does the rest.
My ordinary good day ends with a bath followed by some dumb TV show like Law & Order (Jon does crossword puzzles during the ads) that serve as a transition to sleep (the next day we ask each other: “Were you awake when they found out who did it?”). I sleep nude next to a wide-open window, warmed by lots of covers, plus Jon, and refreshed by air that makes me think I’m camping in the West, or that I’m back in my Henryville bedroom with its six windows, its crossdraft and the pine-scented breezes flowing over me.
As you can see, my ordinary day does not include shopping or cleaning up. We try to keep home and life simple enough to minimize both. And I’ve lived long enough to know well that an ordinary good day can’t fit in everything I’d love to do. I also know that if I get a bit of each, I’m happy.