Thursday, May 28, 2020

Three Beautiful Things 05/27/20: Walking Our Bills, Esther Recovers, Marcella Hazan Returns

1. I wrote out some checks for bills today and took a walk to the mail box at the corner of Hill and Cameron and to the drop box at Avista to send them off.  I enjoyed getting my legs in action and getting my heart pumping a little bit -- that such an easy walk got my heart pumping told me, of course, that with the weather improving again, it's time to get out walking more.

2. In today's reading of Bleak House, Dickens continues to explore the impact the unnamed virus that kept Esther bedridden for several weeks has had on her appearance and her frame of mind. Her renewed appreciation of friends and the beauty of the natural world all but cancel out her dismay that she's lost aspects of her original appearance.  I enjoyed Dickens' description of Esther being outdoors again. She and Charley, her maid, make a two day trip to Mr. Boythorn's and Esther experiences the air, sunshine, smells of nature, and other delights of the outdoors as if she's been reborn, experiences them with a rapturous joy.

3. Debbie asked me to make us a dinner featuring Marcella Hazan's spaghetti sauce and I happily complied. I combined two 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes with an onion, peeled and cut into quarters, a dash or two of salt, and about 5-6 tablespoons of butter. I let this simmer for about 45 minutes, removed the onion pieces (we'll use them on Thursday in a separate soup), and we poured the sauce over he spaghetti I prepared. The sauce is the perfect combination of simple and delicious.

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