Resting

We’re in the middle, according to the weather reporter, of some of the best weather of the year.  We’ve got highs of almost 20C, overnight lows around 9C (excellent for sleeping) lots of sunshine during the day and cool, gentle breezes.  The leaves are beginning to blaze red, gold, and orange but there are still quite a few that are still green.  It’ll get prettier over the next couple of weeks, then the rains will come, and then… ugh.  Jerry is annoyed with me, as I’ve thrown him off my lap again so I could eat my dinner and then I could type a little.  He’s huffing by my feet and trying to jump up on me every few seconds.  Don is tucked under a blanket on the sofa, he’s feeling a bit better, but is still in some pain.  He’s walking a little more steadily than he was a couple of days ago, but he’s still not himself, except when it comes to his sports on TV — he’s glued avidly to the games, and now hockey is back in rotation.  For a winter game, it takes up a LOT of TV time when there’s no snow anywhere in the country!  Just commenting…

It’s definite, when I go out and I’m tired, I need the next day to regenerate.  I had a lovely time yesterday, we were out for just under 2 hours, I got home and relaxed, but today I needed some extra sleep time.  That kind of diminishes my plans to go off on a cruise or a tour or something like that, as I’m likely to spend all of my time in bed!  True enough, at my sister, I tried doing things several days in sequence and found that I’d be in pain, I’d lose my appetite, and when I got back home, I needed loads of recovery time.  I’m wondering if pushing myself to do more physical activity would help much.  In the beginning, I know it would be difficult, but I’m wondering if that will get back some of my stamina?

I have to wonder, sometimes, about people and why there is this driving need to police other people’s diets?  I was half watching a daytime magazine show where the guest was demonstrating cleaning a refrigerator.  She pulled out a bottle of capers and said, “what kind of person uses capers?” Made a disgusted face and threw it away.  I thought, “I like capers!”  I usually have a bottle in my fridge, along with olives, including pimento stuffed ones, which (according to the presenter) are only a half step away from blasphemous.  OK, you don’t like them, but that doesn’t mean they’re not enjoyable or useful!  Or the vegans who throw fits at the idea of dairy… then there’s me, who won’t touch “non-dairy” milks/cheeses with a 50m pole!  Cashew cheese?  No, thank you.  But it’s apparently needed for some individuals, so I’ll pass it by and leave it for those who eat it.  I don’t especially like many fermented foods, although I’ll try them to be polite.  That being said, I’m appealing for an end to “faux food.”  Things like, cauliflower rice (call it chopped cauliflower); ‘fake’ potato salad (again, cauliflower!) cauliflower “wings”… I get it, the cauliflower farmers are trying to sell their crops!  I have zero objection to that, but just because you’ve learnt how to season food is no reason to try to pretend it’s anything but what it is!  For myself, I’d rather have pakoras or alloo gobi with basmati or chappatis.  I don’t like the people who insist that I must eat plant based meat (😫) — it just inspires me to be contrarian and order an extra large serving of fried chicken!  I remember a display of how much added sugar there is in many popular foods… after hearing people exclaim in horror that a can of cola contains as much sugar as 6 donuts… instead of avoiding cola, I went to get some donuts… I know, I’m not very mature.  

I agree with the mantra of eating real food, mostly plants, and I’ll add that that allows the occasional indulgence of decadent dessert.  I disagree vehemently with the idea of avoiding pleasure.  I think that’s very much against the reason why we’re here.  I have a little quote that I’d found years ago that is one of my mantras.  It is this:  When we stand on the Day of Judgment, we will be called to account for every permissible pleasure we did not enjoy.  To my way of thinking, a good meal with friends is very much an allowable pleasure to be enjoyed whenever possible!

So go out, ignore those who want to be miserable, and enjoy your permissible pleasures!  Good night