LONELY SEA This past year I have felt like I’ve been on a tiny island; my little island. And if I close my eyes, yes— there! The sea stretching out in every direction with low, languid, hieroglyphic whitecaps breaking in irregular patterned formations. And yes, there in the distance, you are too, all of you. There, in your boats. Coming into shore. As you get closer I wave. You wave back. And yes, you’re here for the journey’s provisions. I’ve got them. Be right with you.
SURF RIDERS pulling together your order. Got all your berries, and the granola. You wanted walnuts, dates too. Cottage cheese, the one you like. And the yogurt. A Melon, yes 2 nice ripe ones. Got it. The 4 beefsteak tomatoes, those little yellow blush tomatoes & some Little Gem lettuce to lay under them. The 4 tins of tuna fish, 2 sardines, hummus, sliced sourdough; what else? A few mangoes, 1 papaya. Try the gold nugget mandarins, in quarts. Amazing! We got your salmon in there, kielbasa and the ribeyes. Enjoy!
NO CASTAWAYS in anyone’s box. Take these English peas, an Italian pasta with A2 heavy cream, morels and hedgehog mushrooms, breaded eggplant too. You’ll need garlic, and maybe Hummingbird orange tomatoes with burrata? Add a baguette & that’s a meal. Another night to consider? Mustard greens or a bed of collards? Or a few bulbs of fragrant fennel, tender summer squash or French beans - teamed up a with some pork tenderloin laid to rest in puréed butternut squash; creamed parsnips would work too. What else?
CHEESE BOARD SOS We’ve got this! Fetel Abate pears, chèvre, and a nice brick of Parmesan. Marinated feta on thin sea salt crackers. Olives, artichoke hearts, the pink muscat grapes— now we’re talking. Cheddar, Brie, Gouda, Morbier, Taleggio, Gruyere, Swiss or maybe a soft, creamy cheese, bloomy rinded & pressed into a crusty bread… Truth is, we like making it all special. Cross my heart! We love putting together this goodness… anytime.
SEA RATIONS basics include almond & oat milk, coconut water, Kombucha & Mountain Valley’s waters. Capers, kalamata olives, iceberg lettuce, blue Stilton, bacon & sausage. Almond or peanut butter, strawberry jam, local honey. Shopping for food staples via memory has uncertain drawbacks— or does it?
LIFE LINED memories hold us, you & me, together, while our thoughts of warming days bring forth subtle smiles, inside and out. You, blithely loitering alongside your transport, me, mentally stuttering. We both begin to understand that reminiscing often false-starts in an awkward rekindling of a relationship put on hold by distances far greater than 6 feet. Each of us sentenced to our cellular iPhone proclivities. The medium being the only message.
STAYING AFLOAT in this sea of thoughts. Realizing that we are but a minuscule part of nature. Us birds of flock & feather. Yes birds, who of recent are much more than mask-marked. Much more than ducks out of water. Us, you & me, with quarantined clipped wings forestalling freedom’s flight. You there, me here. Oops, just got your text. I am not alone.