Simplicity

It was a perfect day!

There was nothing extraordinary, nothing earth shattering…just a simple perfect day.

It is good to have a day at home, with no obligations and no plans. A day to do whatever seems to be important.

It started with sleeping until I was ready to wake up. I like to start the day slowly. Open one eye and then the other. The house is quiet. Patrick is up before me, he is probably checking out the news.

Winston is waiting for me to get up. I give him a treat and pour a glass of OJ. A few games of Toon blast and Winston and I go out in the backyard.

It is warm for January and I start sweeping up leaves. In Phoenix it takes several months for the trees to drop their leaves. We have Chinese Elms in our yard. One very large one and three smaller ones. We also have a beautiful grapefruit tree that is heavy with fruit. I have picked a couple and should have fresh grapefruit for the next month.

There are piles of leaves that I have swept. I go in and change into jeans. I have decided that there is too much to be done in jammies.

I soon have the blower out and the piles of leaves are growing larger. I sweep and pick up until the can is full. It is warm and the sun is bright. The back yard is all “neated up”. It is very calming to see everything picked up. My world is orderly again.

I decide to have lunch on the patio. A ham sandwich outside in January; I love Phoenix in the winter!

The kitchen is calling me. I enjoy cooking. I decide to make soup, Vegetable Beef soup in my favorite enamelware pot. There is something special about that pot. I have had it about twenty years. I have moved a lot in the last twenty years and a lot of things have gone away but the blue enamelware pot has survived. I start the soup; we went to the grocery store on Sunday and I have all of the ingredients. Fresh garlic, onion, stew meat, peppers, mushrooms, potatoes…I like the chopping and the preparation.

I frequently make soup in the crock pot but today, this perfect day, I will make it on the stovetop. It is bubbling and the smell fills the house. It is comforting, the warmth, the rich red tomato color. There is sometimes more satisfaction in the cooking than the eating.

Winston and I decide to walk around the block. It is still warm outside. The short days of winter make it necessary to walk earlier. I am a lover of sunshine and daylight. Once the winter solstice is passed, I am glad to see the days grow.

When we return, I eat my soup. It is hardy and delicious.

Patrick has a dinner meeting. He will be home later. I put up the leftovers, he will have soup tomorrow!

I put out the food for the feral cats.

It is dark. I reflect on my simple perfect day.

My life will continue to have its challenges and frustrations and disappointments.

But occasionally, I wish for a simple perfect day!