Slow Progress

Slow Progress

Some days I feel that slow progress is better than none at all. Today was one of those days. I worked late last night writing, slept in a bit, and got up when Gretapie’s sweet face was right next to mine on the edge of the bed and so hopeful that it was time to start our day. After making a cup of coffee I settled myself in a comfy chair and spent an hour reading until Robert, the oven repairman, arrived. I’m getting to be fairly good friends with Robert. He runs an independent appliance store in my town and I recently bought a new oven from him.

We chatted amiably about our holidays and families while he removed the back panel from the stove. He could definitely hear what I am now calling “the hummy hum”, a constant low electric sound, sort of like what you would hear with a shop light but not as loud. He’ll order a new part and when it arrives return to install it. Hopefully that will take care of the unwanted soundtrack in the kitchen. By the way, when the stove arrived last week Robert and his crew got the first pie baked in the new oven. 

Greta and I headed to the dog park next. She absolutely loves it there and squeals with excitement the closer we get.  We met a funny, bouncy dog named Buddy and his person. While Greta and Buddy romped round and round, I found out just where to go to see the mouth of the Elwah River. I’ve been wanting to check out its mouth since the undamning in 2012. A visit there is now on my list.

Next stop was Country Aire, my local natural foods grocery store, to pick up coriander for tonight’s soup.  As soon as I got home I began grinding the coriander with a mortar and pestle but put it aside for a bit when two friends stopped by one after the other. Leah blogs about traveling with her dogs and she also is working on a year-long photography challenge. This week her challenge is “Music” and since I am a pianist, she thought it would be fun to get a shot of Greta watching me play. Then Nancy, who just happens to be Leah’s sister and my best friend, stopped in and we chatted until it was time for her to head home and have dinner with her family. It’s pretty darn great that we all live within walking distance of one another.

When I looked out the window it was already dark so time to get on with my own soup making. I placed all my ingredients in bowls next to each other on the counter by the new stove and reached for the chopped up onions. Crash! On the floor lay my favorite au lait bowl in pieces and my carefully ground coriander. Ah well. I was hurrying. So, I began again. Grinding and sifting.

As my dear friend Maggie says, “See how slow you can go.” Good advice. I made progress today and maybe it would have been faster had I slowed down even more.

Many blessings my friends. 

P.S. The soup I made today is Lynne Rossetto Kaspar and Sally Swift’s Coriander-Orange-Scented Red Lentil Soup. It was delicious. 🙂