It was a long time ago that we experienced a Sunday while living in the US. We always made a big breakfast. Our kids and grandchildren would sometimes come for breakfast, and I’d make eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausages, toast or homemade cinnamon rolls, and fresh fruit.
In 2011, when I began eating low carb, I’d make coconut flour pancakes; everyone seemed to like those as well as the usual white flour-based version. It was fun with everyone sitting at the big bar in the kitchen, chatting and laughing with the little ones running around screaming and laughing. But, those days are no more.
After the kids left, we’d watched the recorded version of the show Sunday Morning while Tom kept his head stuck in the newspaper. I always joked that Tom read every word in the paper, including the page numbers. He was very thorough. With my short attention span, I always liked to stay busy, doing laundry and preparing the next meal.
The remainder of our day was often determined by the time of year. If it were winter and bitter cold, most often, we’d stay home. If it was the other seasons and good weather, most likely, we’d be outdoors, like many others, working in the yard, lounging on lawn chairs, or fishing off the end of the dock. It was a pleasant but simple life. At other times, we had social events with friends, family, and grandkids.
Of course, we miss everyone and always will. But, life is very different now. And we love the way it is. We’ve never turned on the TV in this house. We don’t get a Sunday paper. Today, another Sunday in the bush, we spent the morning hanging out with the wildlife. They often visit the most in the mornings and late afternoons. We had a little breakfast. We did some laundry, including washing the big fuzzy blanket we love having on the bed on these cooler nights.
Tom hung it outdoors on the clothesline. I only hang clothes on the portable rack. Since I had that surgery, I have had a hard time raising my arms over my head for any length of time.
The mongoose came to call, and I chopped up paloney for them. Tom tossed it out into the garden, and they wildly devoured it in no time at all. Their funny cackling noises make us laugh. They didn’t hang around this time. The holidaymakers are still here, so they have more options for meat treats elsewhere. The school holidays end next weekend. It will be quiet again in the bush.
After that, I began chopping and dicing vegetables for tonight’s dinner. We are making two stir fry dishes, one with beef tenderloin and the other with prawns. I was excited to finally find some Asian sauces and spices at Spar, enabling me to make these dishes we haven’t had in a long time. Tom will have fried rice with his meal, and I’ll have the prawn dish with lots more vegetables.
After dinner, when load shedding begins again, we’ll head into the bedroom to cozy up with the dried fuzzy blanket and stream a few shows on my laptop.
Tom just tossed out a bowl of fresh vegetable scraps and pellets to duiker Derek, who, along with his sometimes mate, Delilah, are here many times each day. It’s another great Sunday in the bush, similar in some ways to many of your Sundays, but with a different spin. Life is good.
Photo from one year ago today, July 10, 2021:
