Thursday, April 26, 2007

What Have I Done Today?

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What have I done today?

Made various phone calls
with minimal result. (+)

Watered the plants. (+)

Drank too much coffee. (_)

Bicycled through the sunny streets
to go on a shopping spree. (+)

Bought two cardigans and a skirt (++)

Played Chuzzle on the computer,
which took more than an hour. (_)

Today
I haven’t moved mountains.
Nor have I saved a baby elephant,
or given birth to a brilliant idea.

Today
was no different
from any other day
in my everyday life.

It was a fine day.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The World at Large

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Now that Eva has been spayed, we have let the cats loose in the great, big world outside. I took the hatch out of the cat flap and within twenty minutes both of them were carefully treading in the garden. They love it! Eva is often lying on the grass looking at the flies buzzing around her head. She has caught her first mouse, and has played with it endlessly.
Adam is too lazy for such activity. He will stroll leisurely along the terrace or sit in a strategic spot, grooming his dusty fur.
His interest lies more in eating food than in earning it.
He loves me most when it is breakfast time. The other day he has fondly accepted my stroking his back and scratching behind his ears. He purred cautiously and nuzzled my hand. In fact: he couldn’t have enough of it!

Friday, April 06, 2007

Vegan Stew

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A. made the most delicious vegan stew last night.
She fried garlic and chopped red onion in olive oil, and added peeled, diced carrot.
Then she added chopped courgette, cooked it all for a little bit and threw in a can or two of chick peas and ditto tomatoes. Stirred.
Then she seasoned it with salt and pepper, hot paprika, cinnamon, a splash of balsamico vinegar and a pinch of brown sugar.
She let it all cook a little longer to allow the flavours to marry and served it piping hot over brown rice.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Poor Eva

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P and I had decided that it was better to have Eva spayed, although we don’t like the operation. The trouble was how to catch her.
We managed to lure her alone into the kitchen, closed the doors and the hatch into the dining room. Thus we hoped to be able to chase her into a corner and into the travelling cage.
No such luck. She dashed about in all directions, across the counter, under the table, along the window. She was quick as black lightning and we decided to give up.
We were both flushed and slightly out of breath. I opened the door and the hatch. Eva was sitting in a corner on the counter behind a cookpot. Her mouth was half open, she was panting heavily.
“Watch that she does not break the teapot,” I said.
P moved it away from her. Eva stayed where she was.
“Look at her,” said P. “I’ll give it one more try.”
He put on his gloves and made a brave dash for the scruff of her neck. She kicked and bit and scratched, but the cage was ready for her and quickly closed behind her.
In the afternoon she came back with a bare belly.
She settled on a pillow in the window and went to sleep.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Writing Careers

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Two of the women in my group of six aspiring writers are beginning to be successful. They have each published a number of short stories in a magazine, and they have each been asked by the publisher to write a full length book; either a novel or a collection of short stories.
We, the others, the other four, are excited for them. Excited and a little jealous.
I, being the oldest, am probably the least jealous. My vista of challenging opportunities is sinking behind the horizon, and I am gradually getting at peace with it.
Had I really had the talent and the drive I would have been somewhere else at this moment. But I am not, and that is alright.
We cannot all leave an imprint on history. In fact, only people of the stature of Aristotle can.
And I am no Aristotle.
I am just me: here today and gone tomorrow.