Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Random isolation musings

It is the small things that bring me joy

For instance, just before Pesach I made myself a cup of tea and wondered what to have with it, nothing felt appealing until I remembered with unbridled joy that I had ordered Ouma Rusks from the African Hut.  These are rusks from my childhood. Dipped in tea it is nothing less than heaven, (for me.)

Eating  rusks, spreading marmite on my toast, and loving my cream of wheat for breakfast is just part of my regression that I wrote about previously.  I was overjoyed (again - small things) to read that it is not just me, America is buying up comfort foods, the canned and boxed processed foods from their childhood, and of course drinking alcohol, in vast quantities, ice cream etc.

Another joy making episode. I have been knitting a sweater for several months now.  The photo on pattern made it appear like rather a simple, but lovely sweater.  Well, it turned out the pattern was translated from some slavic language, and was not apparently translated very well.  I attended knitting labs (a genius bar for knitters) at my local yarn store.  Of course this has been shut down. I struggled unsuccessfully to remember how I had picked up stitches for a sleeve.  Of course I looked at several You Tube tutorials, and it just wasn't working, causing me much frustration. After a few frustrating evenings I decided to look at one more tutorial - no sooner did the woman begin her demonstration than something clicked immediately. I turned off the video and am now happily knitting again.
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Another joy making event.  I went on a 6' apart walk with my 'daughter.'  Every day on my walks I walk up or down or around a new street.  At some point during the walk I noticed large expanses of green slopes.  I had no idea what that was - she told me it is a cemetery.  I have lived in this area for going on 30 years and had NO idea there was a cemetery here.  I always saw the mortuary at the top of Fairmount Avenue but I thought it was just a crematorium and had no idea there was a beautiful cemetery behind it!

What joy, I love cemeteries.  It is really beautifully landscaped with magnificent vistas, and quiet unobtrusive inhabitants.

More joy:  When I am washing the dishes sometimes the dishsoap lathers up and little rainbow bubbles float around

The Habad Rabbi coming before Pesach with a Matza Shmura and offers of help for shopping, etc.

And some of the delightful whimsical things I see on my walks













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