A good hearty soup for cold weather includes red beans, rice, and chorizo. I used homemade turkey stock.
Reading Bewilderment by Richard Powers. As you may know, he wrote The Overstory. This new novel features a young boy with issues, pretty severe issues. His widowed father struggles both to manage him and to avoid the pitfalls of diagnosis and medication. Naturally, the best scene so far took place while the two of them were camping (back to trees, in other words).
So far, it’s very, very good.
Too bad I can’t say the same about the week’s news. The SCOTUS decision about the Texas abortion law today released “the stench” that Sonia Sotomayor said it would. Yuck. What a bunch of partisan hacks! California declares itself a sanctuary state for women’s health.
We could write for days about all that is going wrong in this country, but I think I’ll go watch an episode of Top Chef (an old season I haven’t seen). Already watched this week’s installment of Project Runway.
This next Powers’ quote speaks to the moment.
To end on two positive notes: my brother walked 200 feet one day in PT this week; my younger son got an A minus in the writing class he finished today.
Well also: the 1/6 Commission seems to be gaining momentum. Good!
Your brother could probably beat me to the mailbox. Good for him.
Some of the 1/6 revelations are astonishing. I still think he’s going to flee the country. and probably not alone.
You reminded me I have chorizo in the fridge.
I doubt he’d win the race. So much is astonishing these days. That PowerPoint presentation! Oh my god. Just reading about it some more. I’m intrigued, too, by the fact that Pence refused to get in the car that was sent for him.
Wonderful news about Billy walking so far and D’s writing!!
Yes it was a good day for family news.
Hooray for his walking and the other’s writing! J. says he’d eat that soup right up! One thing about a 50 hour work week is I’m too darn tired to absorb the awful news 🙂 Ya win some, ya loose some 😉
Not a terrible trade off. But easy for me to say…
I keep dried chorizo in the freezer, cut into two inch lengths … pull it out and thaw a chunk whenever I want to give some kick to leftovers … it’s also awesome in egg dishes …
Great news about your brother and your son … I was so full of doubt in college that I became a science major so I wouldn’t have to write papers … pretty funny in hindsight since I ended up teaching how to teach writing to graduate students in the School of Education at William and Mary … never say never
but boy oh boy … never say never takes a dark turn with news of the stacking of election boards with Stop the Steal hacks who could conceivably overturn even the most resounding of wins … will the US be the next Malaysia?
enough about that … I love seeing your ironware pitchers on the sprigged mantel (or tabletop?) and your cloth village most of all …
One of your daughter’s path through higher Ed has been an inspiration
Soup looks yummy (I meant to put sausage in my last 2 soups but wasn’t organized enough), hooray for the family news! I have the Overstory on my over flowing to-read pile.
You of all readers I know will love The Overstory. It’s a transformational read. Course I’m not reading nonfiction Buddhist manuals or books by practitioners of heart-centered meditation or anything like that these days.
Well after that, I’ll read it next! That is after I finish reading Wintering by Katherine May and listening to Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart. 🙂
I love that Pema Chodron.
Comfort and joy, long may they flow. Comfort in that most deliciouis looking soup, especially the color, warmth and happiness in a bowl. Joy in the good news about your brother, how grit and determination and love work miracles. Joy in your son’s achievement…as far as I’m concerned, these joys are the stars on the tree of life…
Yes stars on the tree! Thanks, Marti.
there’s a wonderful interview with mr. powers on ezra klein ‘s podcast. i ordered bewilderment right after i listened to it. i ripped through it. i had loved the overstory and loved this one as well.
I’d love to him him talk. Not gonna leave any spoilers here but I thought it ended very abruptly. Wasn’t 100% satisfied. The lead up was very good.
soup and moving are good. I like all your houses in a row. I feel nothing about the news these days. It is way warm here.