The Road to Recovery

 

Saturday, Sept. 8 – The Road to Recovery

The road to recovery, for my tummy as well as my psyche, involved staying home for the entire weekend.  A welcome thought, but slightly scary, too.  No snacks at the farmers market, no samples to nibble at Trader Joe’s.  Although I’d been looking forward to some restaurant excursions to make up for our cancelled California trip, I was determined to muster my resources in the kitchen.  On Saturday, as lunchtime approached, I had a craving for something Asian, preferably Vietnamese.  Fortunately, I had some cooked squid, salad ingredients, and fish sauce in my refrigerator.  Within minutes, I’d whipped up a Southeast Asian inspired squid salad that I enjoyed along with a glass of pomegranate oolong iced tea.  It was a meal that wiped away any remaining shreds of self-pity.  

I felt more Italian at dinnertime, and was able to satisfy that particular culinary craving with ingredients in my pantry, refrigerator and freezer.  Then it was back to the other side of the globe for Sunday lunch with vegetable-studded tofu-edamame nuggets.  (If you don’t have any in your freezer, rush out to Trader Joe’s immediately.)   

It’s cheaper than going out to eat, and cheaper than traveling, by a long shot.  Not that I’m ready to give up either activity, but for the time being, I’m able to enjoy our simpler everyday life.  I’ve reconciled myself to the limitations created by our health needs and I’ve moved beyond the frustration and anger.  Maybe going back onto my anti-depressant a couple of days ago helped?  I’ll never know for sure, but I’m just glad that I feel like myself again.  

Since Elliott’s pains seem to be under control, he’s sleeping more at night and feels more energetic during the day.  And I finally woke up without that elephant’s footprint on my abdomen.  It was a beautiful morning, clear and crisp, with a promise of fall in the air, so we celebrated with a walk through the neighborhood.  My pace was a lot slower than usual, which allowed me to walk alongside Elliott most of the way.  Scattered debris from yesterday’s late afternoon storm was strewn across the road, lawns, and driveways.  Although the crepe myrtles still shout out summer with their vivid blooms, many of the other trees are dressing for the coming season.  (Just like me – I had an autumnal pedicure a few days ago.  My toes now look like I dipped them into a pool of liquid garnets.)  Going slowly gave me extra time to notice the leaves at my feet.  I stopped to pick up a couple that reminded me of tortoise-shell and felt almost leathery.  They were large, thick and shiny, oval shaped with pointed ends.  A woman walking a toy poodle told me she thought they were magnolia leaves.   

Back home, I surveyed the yard.  We were fortunate that no major trees fell.  Just the usual small stuff littered the ground.  A few larger limbs had snapped off and were caught up in the trees.  Nothing serious.  It took only a few minutes to rake the driveway clear of broken branches and limbs, and clusters of fresh green acorns.  I bet I could find a recipe online for cooking with acorns.  Hmmm.  

The rest of the day will be devoted to chilling, which we’re getting quite good at!  Notice how used some of my time at home to shift furniture and artwork around in the living room. 

Most of all, I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to see the seasons change again, and that Elliott is here to share this phenomenon of nature with me.