In Praise of the Nightstand

So, the thing I've noticed about remaining "artist in residence" is every day feels like a Saturday. Kindah nice. Kindah weird. I feel like I should be doing something, you know ~ the things you put on the list so you can hope-against-hope you can get them done over the weekend so you can start the work week with a clean slate; knowing full well you will be lucky to get one done and two is a miracle. I know you knew . . .

Well, today, I watered my Victory Garden and all my other pots, hung my speakers out the window in my studio this morning to broadcast Andrea Bocelli's concert from the Duomo in Milan (cried through the whole thing), and decided to start washing windows.

While I was deciding to start, I thought I'd go downstairs and make my bed.

And, there it was! My nightstand.

Filthy, disgusting mess does not even begin to describe it. Wrappers, kleenex, dead pens, dead pencils, scraps of paper with very old lists of things to do on them, and DUST. DUST thick enough to be practically soil! With a just little water, potatoes could be planted there. Ugh!

You know it's bad when it takes TIME to clear off your nightstand. I didn't even go through the stuff. Just put it all in a bag to deal with later (I promise).

Dusting. Shining. Polishing. Flowers from the garden. Things I actually use arranged at the ready.

The will to live restored!

Behold! The nightstand!

Every day grateful

Happy Easter

My family often communicates with movie quotes. I think it's a shorthand reminder of fun. We have several favorite movies ~ my boys are genius for remembering entire scenes. Needless to say, dinners are totally fun. I never know whether we're going to be treated to Princess Bride or Henry V. Adore them. Life with the boys is a totally wonderful adventure!

Anyway, I have a shop. A real, completely amazing shop with its own back door, potting sink and extra-large, red-enamel Sears rolling tool chest. It's an amazing space or it would be if it weren't heaped and heaped. It's gotten so bad, we now refer to it as The Well of Despair (a la Princess Bride).

Well, yesterday, I wanted to make Easter baskets for friends and, well, apparently, that is not an essential reason to leave the house.

Hark! The Well of Despair.

It really does have at least one of everything. There must be something in here I can use to make Easter baskets.

And, there was . . . shredded paper (for grass), kraft "take-out" containers (for baskets), some gold/black raffia ribbon, back-to-back shiny gold hearts and some Cadbury eggs. Voila!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Every day grateful

Hello, Again ~ COVID 19 Chronicles

Lots of changes we are getting used to.

Yes, the libraries are closed. But, their books are still available on line. Just filled my Kindle. Friends of mine are accessing their music, podcasts, etc. through their phones. Shout-out to librarians everywhere. 

I will miss going to my neighborhood library or speaking with a librarian on the "quick answer" line, but am happy our library system is still available to us.

When I hear people complain about high property taxes, I am reminded of our parks, our schools, our libraries, and, now, our hospitals. I am reminded of the old adage ~ Taxes are the price of civilization. I'm counting on civilization to get us through this crisis. Thank you to Jay Inslee for his calm, steady, science-based response to this virus.

So, as we wade our way through a new, uncharted, normal, hang in there peeps! Remember ~ This is America! We've been to the moon (using our brains, slide rules, crew cuts, skinny ties, and pocket protectors). 

We're going to get through this TOGETHER as well. Wash your hands, put your feet up, curl up on the sofa, and read a book!

Or, grab your book and go sit on your back deck. It's a lovely blue sky day in the neighborhood!

Every day grateful

Ramses the Great is Gone

Ramses died. 

It's very quiet around here.

I spent yesterday morning washing and folding his bedding, dismantling and washing his raised dining accoutrements, emptying his five gallon bucket of water, putting away his collar, his harness, his leash, his brush, comb and electric tooth brush (bought by the crazy owner for her suburban dog ~ he liked poultry flavored tooth paste! I know, crazy, but I adored the boy!) and rounding up his toys and A.B.C.'d tennis balls.

The end of an era and lots of little reminders every day. When I went to Logan's for dinner on Friday night, he made poached Copper River (oh, yum!). In the olden days, I would have given Ramses the salmon skin (and he would have been in heaven!) but the salmon skin went into the trash. Reminders everywhere! Getting ready for bed. Ditto getting up. Ditto fixing breakfast and sharing a bagel. 

God, I loved that dog!

I know there are those who would say he was just a dog. And, yes, I know I will be happy again but right now, it just doesn’t seem possible. My heart is broken.

Ramses arrived at eight weeks and twenty pounds after Rick died and filled that enormous hole in my heart with those big brown eyes and that beautiful black face. He was fun. He was funny. He was goofy. He had dignity. He was ardent. He was devoted. He was constant. We went on Peace marches together, labor rallies, went in elevators, went to meetings, went to the park, ran errands and just hung out. Eleven and a half happy years. Perfect.

I’m reminded of W. H. Auden’s poem. I guess the truth about love is you never know when it’s going to happen and it’s a miracle every time it does.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The other truth about life is it is often unclear who rescues whom. I know in this relationship, I was the one who was rescued. I’m deeply thankful for every minute I had with Ramses. God, I loved that dog! Ramses the Great! 

And, oh, my heart is broken.

Every day grateful for Ramses the Great!

Logan is "Benny" in RENT!

Last week, a friend of mine sent a link to an article in the NY Times (see below). The two things I loved most about the article were summed up in two phrases:

“Ask for what you want. Then stick around.”

“The idea is to take pleasure in life, and be willing to be pleased.”

The other pithy quote to cling to when things get tough ~ "it takes 20 years to be an overnight success."

This afternoon, I watched Logan in RENT. He played "Benny." I sat in a row of criers. It was wonderful. It was moving and sad and deeply transcendent.

For Logan, everything is coming up roses. From RENT, he goes on to the lead in "Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson" in Portland. He did, in fact, "ask for want he wanted" and, most importantly, he "stuck around." He never gave up. He worked. He studied. He practiced. And, he has prevailed. 20 years? Yup, just about that.

The truth about us in the Behrens-Benedict clan? We really have taken pleasure in life and best of all ~ "we are willing to be pleased."

And, for all of that, I am deeply grateful.

Day 63 Everyday Grateful ~

Logan in "Rent" and friends in the audience

Heaven!

Mini Urban Edens - In the Garden - NYTimes.com

www.loganbenedict.com

Mmmmm . . . I'm Sensing a Pattern!

As you may have noticed, I'm crazy for wild salmon; so much so, that a year ago, I became a wild salmon smoking fool. Yet, no matter how much wild salmon I smoke, there doesn't seem to be any in the freezer or the refrigerator.

Where does it all go? It's a mystery.

Let's review. Eleven days ago, I smoked five fish, vacuum packed them and put them in the freezer to be taken out the night before for breakfast in the morning. At last check, nary a one is left. What the hell? At this rate, I may need to install a "salmon cam" to catch to culprit.

Upon reflection, it seems everyone around here is also a fool for smoked wild salmon. Kim brought in freezer packs to allow her to send some smoked salmon to her family in the Southwest. On Monday, Morgana left me a note that she had put a fresh wild salmon in the refrigerator and "if you are smoking salmon this week, could you include this one as well?"

So, I've become the boutique wild salmon smoker to my friends and colleagues. Who knew? It happened little by little while I was not paying attention. Over the last year, when someone came for dinner, I tucked some smoked wild salmon into a small bag as they went out the door. Now, they are all converts to the deliciousness and freshness of smoked wild salmon. 

Right now, we are smack dab in the middle of fresh wild salmon season. It's just as easy to smoke five fish as it is to smoke one. And, so, this afternoon, two of these lovely fish are going into the smoker. By this evening, oh yum, we will have more at the ready.

I'm so glad I can produce this lovely luxury for my friends and family.

Next up? My Kiss and Hug Pickles. Oh, yes!

So, remember . . . never, ever eat farmed salmon. It's filthy and really bad for the environment. And, if you buy smoked wild salmon, check the ingredients. You should be able to recognize them all. That means no nitrates or other preservatives.

Day 63 Everyday Grateful ~

Logan is in "Rent" at the 5th Avenue in Seattle

It opens tomorrow!

If we care about the future, we must protect wild salmon. To learn more and to find links to groups working to protect this important species, go to:

http://www.greatwildsalmonrun.org/

How Does Your Garden Grow . . .

The pots on my back deck are just wonderful. Nothing like a little steer manure, water and some sun to make everything shine!

Remember my April 22 post when we were all working on the back deck and redoing the pots from scratch? Well ~ here they are now!

Summer in Seattle is a transcendent thing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 63 Everyday Grateful ~

Going out to sit on the deck with a glass of wine.

Ah! Summer.