Things I’m not thankful for!  (I like to be different.)

• My sink disposal is still clogged.  The one time it decided to malfunction, pre-TG baking.  I got it all done, but blah.
• WINTER STORM WARNING!?!  SNOW?!  Freezing temps!?  It’s Fall, for godsakes!  It was t-shirt weather yesterday.
• People who celebrate colonialist genocide and slavery, but you already know this.  Trumpian obscenities and atrocities.

Can’t think of anything else off the top of my head.  Sure, the next-door neighbor is trying to burn the apt down with “cooking”, the hallway is filled with smoke and the alarm’s going off, but par for the course on TG, cough hack.  It’s like something out of Cheech and Chong around here. It’s all good.

Here are my sweet potato casserole and corn bread.  Unsmoked.  Also my jungle, hopefully same.

I’m actually staying home today to make my two TG offerings in my own oven, away from the cooking frenzy.  I almost forget what it’s like!  I had to “borrow” most of the ingredients to do it.  Ironically, I’ve donated most of my pantry to the Avdi’s and others so it could be used.  So I guess it all balances out.

TG is only meaningful if it’s just a good excuse for a “village” to feed each other literally and mentally, not to perpetuate a lie about our true violent origins.

Have some fall color:

If anyone asked me the hackneyed TG question, “What are you thankful for”, I would have to say that I’m thankful for a family/friends that are so nonconventional and atypical that we don’t have to worry about the traditional political combat on TG.  We’re all on the same side–the side of justice and humanitarian rights, despite the genocide that TG stands for, and the current fascist dictatorship.  Also, Eric’s smoked turkey and salmon.

TG coinciding with S’s birthday means that we’re going to have a full house over at Jess’s and at Avdi’s this week.  Stacey and S will be here, and friends of all ages will abound.  Multiple kitchens will be off limits, so I’m also thankful for my apt where I can prepare my recipes (corn bread and sweet potato casserole) without being trampled to death!  And for the over-the top tsunami of food that our little community will be able to come up with.

Last but not least, I’m thankful for having a big garden at Avdi’s to play in and experiment with!  It makes the difference between living and just existing.  Literally.

I made this fish stir-fry yesterday evening, to go on jasmine rice. It was good.

I arrived at Avdi’s late afternoon, past trees in blazing colors in the sinking sun, to find Jess and Eric in the middle of removing the old broken kitchen ceiling fan and installing a new one.  Easier said than done.  That old house has so many random, illogical infrastructure issues and electrical circuits, no job is routine or intuitive.  It was a long project, but they got’r done.  I could only help minimally, so I sat out of the way by candlelight, waiting to claim A’s bedroom for the night.

Just as I was finally drifting off late at night/early morning, of course a kid burst into noisy activity on one of their compulsive baking sprees.  I can’t really complain, considering the spectacular results: a perfect tiramisu, bread pudding, and almond/lime gelatin confection.  It is a perfectly reasonable time for an atypical teen to take advantage of the adult-free kitchen (and tv screen).  One adapts.  And enjoys the outcome.

Later this morning, it was wet and mild out, so I did a project of my own, turning a messy corner area into an intentional garden bed, with leaf mulch.  A work-in-progress.

Note the calendulas are still blooming in late November.  In fact, with all the mild rain, there’s still a lot of green with bright flashes of every rainbow color.

Another quiet erev, on a mild rainy day and night.  The colors that are left really shine and shimmer on a day like that.  I did the usual baking, and made a hearty beef barley mushroom vegetable stew.  It was just Avdi, K, Jess, and me; E was fast asleep, and Y was over a friend’s house.

Yesterday’s outdoor projects were: dumping the second bin of leaves in the inactive half of the veg garden, and raking the front yard into the garden beds.  The cloudy air was misting up for another rain event, so I switched to indoor projects.  A dense fog descended upon us overnight, much like the state of my brain.

The little microwave I brought from Ohio is finally getting use as a temporary stand-in for the broken kitchen one, so I’m glad I could contribute to the household functioning.

Note the infamous pickle barrel is almost empty after just a day or so!  (I had one!)  Pickleholics.

It turns out there are still outdoorsy things for me to do.  As promised, the neighbors A&S saved me two bins-worth of leaves to use for mulching the new raised bed, the compost, the veg garden, etc.  Also, I cleared out a section of the last raised bed along the back of the house and seeded it with several varieties of poppies, so they can stratify and be more protected.  I’ll do some minimal leaf-raking out front for appearances’ sake.  The rain has continued on and off, so I don’t have to worry about watering.

I think my dental reconstruction project is wrapped up for the year, as of yesterday, except for the money I still owe, despite the insurance that should cover it.  All four quads have had major fixes.  Not much of the original components are left.  I have an android mouth.  So let that be a lesson: do all the dental things all your life and you may end up with most of your natural teeth, and spare funds for all the other debts!

It has been raining, but still fairly mild!  I can feel the garden’s relief.

I got a lot done at Avdi’s yesterday, so that I didn’t have spare time to worry that I’m not doing enough.  All those little projects check off boxes of petty annoyances that Avdi will never have time to get to.  But it’s not all drudgery.  Avdi brought home the mother load of giant dill pickles in a barrel jar, and all of us got to appease our communal pickle craving!  I earn my pickles!

When I say I don’t mess with nature’s autumn agenda, that doesn’t mean I don’t help direct things along a little.  For example, the other day I gathered flower seed heads and pods and scattered seeds in various strategic places throughout the yard.  Later I watered it all in.  Just expediting things a little!  More to look forward to, come spring.

I spent the night Sat. through Sun. as usual, so Avdi could go out.  It was extremely quiet, with Y at a friend’s sleepover, E partying with the drama crew after the finale, and K.  Early Sun. morning, E went out to join the set strike day team.  The weather had again fluctuated from summer-like to mild fall-like overnight, but still gorgeous out, so I soaked it in a while.

I reiterate, I know how boring and mundane this must all sound, while the world is disintegrating around us.  Better minds are recording the atrocities and crimes for posterity, and better-equipped folks are actively resisting and fighting the regime, and I’d join them if I knew how.  In the meantime, I try to be of service in my own small way, so more capable minds can focus on what’s important and do some good.

I won’t be the shoulders others stood upon, but perhaps the back– or backside!  Or even just the butt supporting the feet of the shoulders etc. etc. never mind!

Last night I got to go to the final performance of R&J with Avdi and Jess, and it was outstanding.  E is a natural born actor, without any training, just practice.  His co-star playing Juliet has had training from a young age, and was great, and the kids who played Mercutio and Tybalt were incredible.  But E (no partiality here!?) seems to have a calling or gift.

After the play, when E eventually came out, he got the most enthusiastic reception of screaming, hugging friends and fans of all.  It’s gratifying to see him so embraced and supported by so many, and how self-assured acting has made him.  Much credit goes to Mr. Schaefer, the gifted director and mentor.  I was very proud.

That’s a hard act to follow, so I’ll just wrap up with some gorgeous blazing fall colors.  But my favorite is this little aster, a modest star among all the fiery frenzy.