That's just the way it is, every now and again one of those weather days pops up when there's no break in the heavy rain and you must sit it out, at home. Either drumming your fingers in boredom, or finding plenty of other things to do at home. If you're a little dog it might be the former, and if there are two little dogs and you're looking out from the inside of a snug, warm and dry house, failing to comprehend what's happening when you see a visiting raccoon come along before noon so scarf up the last of the morning's wildlife offerings you're left really puzzled. Why him and not us?
On a more sobering note when decrying inconveniences, a message from one of my old Toronto high school friends put matters in stark perspective. We may be grateful for our daily getaways out of the house at a time of world-shattering shutdowns in fear of a viral disease that has struck the globe, but there are those for whom a personal loss has been utterly devastating. Like my friend, who mourns the fact that she will never again hear from, see, embrace and take pride in the oldest of her grandchildren, a doctor practising in New York, who died last month of COVID-19.
As the morning's light rain became a relentless heavy downpour and the house grew progressively darker, it wasn't hard for my husband and me to find things to do. He's been deep in research, looking for a depiction of a peacock as a model that he can use for a drawing to inspire his work on a new stained glass door for the house. He's produced quite a few such doors over the years, each one unique. And he feels like making another. He long ago put the door itself together, then set it aside. Now, after having completed a set of stained-glass shutters for one of the upstairs bedrooms he feels inclined to finish that door. It will take months of puzzlework, putting all the pieces into place, but first he needs to produce a cartoon, then inflate it to the size that the coloured glass will be cut to.
And that's what has been absorbing his attention for the past few days. Looking through various magazines. Looking through the Internet for inspiration. Oddly enough he found what he was looking for in our own bathroom where black lacquer coromandel panels of a screen have been hung on the wall, and in the middle panel there's a pair of peacocks in hardstone and mother-of-pearl, with precisely the conformation my husband wants to achieve.
As for me, the usual cooking and cleaning up the kitchen. I had decided to bake coconut cupcakes topped with raspberry jam and flaked coconut. So out came the ingredients, the eggs, sour cream and margarine to reach room temperature before I started, resting on the counter while we had our breakfast. I always use cake and pastry flour for tender cupcakes. And I bake a batch that will make a half-dozen large-size cupcakes. I just draw the ingredients and amounts from my head, reflecting long familiarity with baking, and it takes no time at all.
The batter is simple enough, equal parts granulated sugar and Becel margarine: 2/3 cup of each. Two eggs, a half-cup of sour cream, 1 tsp.vanilla, 1/2 tsp.coconut flavouring creamed together until smooth. Then I sift 1-1/4 c.flour with 1/4 tsp.salt, 1-1/2 tsp.baking powder, and gradually beat the dry measure into the wet until smooth. Last, I added 2/3 c.shredded coconut, noting that when we next go shopping I'll have to bring home another package of coconut. The batter then spooned into waiting cupcake papers in a cupcake baking tin, they baked for 28 minutes at 350F. Cooled, I swirled the tops into a bowl containing room-temperature raspberry jam, then dipped the tops into a second bowl containing more shredded coconut, and the finished product now awaits dessert time after dinner tonight.
As I went about the house, Jackie and Jillie followed me rather disconsolately, at the very least pensively wondering what the remainder of the day would consist of? Some tummy rubs, and discussion about how inclement a day it is, and tomorrow will be much improved enabling us to resume our usual outdoor activities, though it's doubtful they came away convinced.
Unlike us, they never developed a reading habit to take pleasure in the relaxation and entertainment that reading good books proffers. And nor have they ever taken with any measure of enthusiasm to using a computer to scan the news, look about on Twitter, or write entries in a personal blog.
On a more sobering note when decrying inconveniences, a message from one of my old Toronto high school friends put matters in stark perspective. We may be grateful for our daily getaways out of the house at a time of world-shattering shutdowns in fear of a viral disease that has struck the globe, but there are those for whom a personal loss has been utterly devastating. Like my friend, who mourns the fact that she will never again hear from, see, embrace and take pride in the oldest of her grandchildren, a doctor practising in New York, who died last month of COVID-19.
As the morning's light rain became a relentless heavy downpour and the house grew progressively darker, it wasn't hard for my husband and me to find things to do. He's been deep in research, looking for a depiction of a peacock as a model that he can use for a drawing to inspire his work on a new stained glass door for the house. He's produced quite a few such doors over the years, each one unique. And he feels like making another. He long ago put the door itself together, then set it aside. Now, after having completed a set of stained-glass shutters for one of the upstairs bedrooms he feels inclined to finish that door. It will take months of puzzlework, putting all the pieces into place, but first he needs to produce a cartoon, then inflate it to the size that the coloured glass will be cut to.
And that's what has been absorbing his attention for the past few days. Looking through various magazines. Looking through the Internet for inspiration. Oddly enough he found what he was looking for in our own bathroom where black lacquer coromandel panels of a screen have been hung on the wall, and in the middle panel there's a pair of peacocks in hardstone and mother-of-pearl, with precisely the conformation my husband wants to achieve.
As for me, the usual cooking and cleaning up the kitchen. I had decided to bake coconut cupcakes topped with raspberry jam and flaked coconut. So out came the ingredients, the eggs, sour cream and margarine to reach room temperature before I started, resting on the counter while we had our breakfast. I always use cake and pastry flour for tender cupcakes. And I bake a batch that will make a half-dozen large-size cupcakes. I just draw the ingredients and amounts from my head, reflecting long familiarity with baking, and it takes no time at all.
The batter is simple enough, equal parts granulated sugar and Becel margarine: 2/3 cup of each. Two eggs, a half-cup of sour cream, 1 tsp.vanilla, 1/2 tsp.coconut flavouring creamed together until smooth. Then I sift 1-1/4 c.flour with 1/4 tsp.salt, 1-1/2 tsp.baking powder, and gradually beat the dry measure into the wet until smooth. Last, I added 2/3 c.shredded coconut, noting that when we next go shopping I'll have to bring home another package of coconut. The batter then spooned into waiting cupcake papers in a cupcake baking tin, they baked for 28 minutes at 350F. Cooled, I swirled the tops into a bowl containing room-temperature raspberry jam, then dipped the tops into a second bowl containing more shredded coconut, and the finished product now awaits dessert time after dinner tonight.
As I went about the house, Jackie and Jillie followed me rather disconsolately, at the very least pensively wondering what the remainder of the day would consist of? Some tummy rubs, and discussion about how inclement a day it is, and tomorrow will be much improved enabling us to resume our usual outdoor activities, though it's doubtful they came away convinced.
 |
| Jillie |
Unlike us, they never developed a reading habit to take pleasure in the relaxation and entertainment that reading good books proffers. And nor have they ever taken with any measure of enthusiasm to using a computer to scan the news, look about on Twitter, or write entries in a personal blog.
 |
| Jackie |
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