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Just Roll With It

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“I try not to make plans. Because, even the best laid plans etc. etc.”

– Author: Brent Spiner

My plan for Sunday was rather easy.  Get up (always a good way to start the day), have a coffee, eat some breakfast, have a second coffee, then get my heinie outside for a good walk.  Upon my return will deserve a nice bowl of my veggie soup, take a shower, prepare supper, pick up my mother, enjoy our meal, drive her back, relax and go to bed.

As Sundays go, it started off nice and slow.  Slept in until 9 (never mind I was awake from 2 till 5).  Stoked the fire and made myself a cup of coffee.  Got onto the Interwebs to catch up on my readings.  Ate my bowl of Raisin Bran by 10, continued reading and next thing I knew it was past noon.  Well, dang.

 

If I was going to walk for any reasonable time, I’d have to eat sooner.  Continued reading and commenting and whatnot and then around 1:30-ish, had a small bowl of soup, then dressed up to go out.

Shovelled the back porch and along the back of the house up to the side gate (must have all exits free from snow, in case). Once that was done, grabbed my camera and was off.

After the cold we had on Saturday, Sunday felt positively balmy!  Off I went in the direction of  my willow, planning to keep walking until I reached the discovered secluded walkway.  I got to the first park and decided to take a pic of the play area as this week’s theme in my photo group is “a touch of blue”, and there is blue on the monkey bars.  I slid-shuffled across the skating rink, passing by a lady who was clearing the snow off the rink.  I took a few pictures then noticed a flash of something on my camera….

“No card in camera”.

What. The. Fuck?  What an amateur move! I completely forgot that I had taken a few pics of the sky from my living room window the evening before, uploaded them into my computer. Where I left the card. Sonova–

I grumble and take out my cell phone to snap a couple pics.  Would have been a grand day with the camera as the day was beautiful, for sure.

However, there was no way in hell I was lugging my camera bag without being able to take pictures!  Get a sore back for nothing? No.  So I turned around.  As I crossed the park, I thought, hey, all is not lost, I have lots of time. I shall go home, change and go back out for a run.  Once I turned on the next street, the wind in my face determined otherwise.  The day was bust. I just wasn’t feeling it, anymore anyway.

So I took my shower then slowly started preparing my supper. It was nice to not feel rushed.  Chopping and sautéeing and browning. It’s when I feel the most zen.  Just as I was putting my coat on to leave to pick up my mother, Iain’s CAA arrived to boost his car (dead battery).  I told him that, since he had to drive his car to get his battery full, it would be a wonderful idea if he could go and get his grandmother.  He agreed.

We had a lovely and simple Sunday dinner.  To be repeated!  I made my “Chicken à la Tuscan à la Dale” – one of those recipes that I actually wrote down.  (Years and years ago, Mick asked me to please stop winging it and write things down so that I could potentially repeat the good stuff.)  Of course, I never follow it, but the fact that I wrote it down means that I potentially remake it sorta-kinda the same way (ish).  It just so happens I was looking for this recipe to share with someone else – and ended up not doing so coz I never did get around to sending out Christmas cards in which I was supposed to include a recipe on a 3″ X 5″ index card; said index cards that I actually bought for the occasion and will be potentially used next year – so it was top of my mind when I asked Mom if she wanted dinner.

Ready for the oven
Dinner is served

Plans are great and all but hey, when they are broken, doesn’t mean all is lost!

 

 

 

 

114 thoughts on “Just Roll With It”

  1. That is a lot of snow to cover up your best laid plans. I walked all the way out to the bosque more than once and discovered I didn’t have the card in my camera. You are not alone in your WTF moment. It looks like “What. The. Food!” happened. Looks great.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Yes, it is quite a bit of snow (still nothing compared to what we used to get!) Honestly. How many times have I checked before leaving and everything is in its place. Glad to know I’m not alone in my WTF moments 😉 But hey, you are right… the food worked out 😉

      Liked by 3 people

  3. Ha! This sure rings bells for me. My Sundays are often like yours — what happens to those two hours between breakfast and lunch? But maybe that’s why I like them as it seems we need a day to let our plans go awry and just take things as they come. Which, in your case, looked delicious!

    Liked by 6 people

    • Hah! I can’t say I’m really upset about it. I dunno what happens to the morning hours. They disappear with a POUF! And you’re right, of course, we do need days to just go with it. I must say I was very pleased with my chicken. Guess taking our time makes all the difference.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. That looks delectable, Dale, though I’m vegan, more or less. 🙂

    The walk would have been a pick me up. Sometimes there is always a good reason to leave the camera behind, and just savour the moment as it is. Makes it so much more worthwhile. Your phone got some good shots too.

    Have a delectable week ahead, dear Dale. 🙂

    Liked by 6 people

  6. Lovely account of a day that had lots of good stuff in it – and I am so impressed that you went out for your walk. The camera card? Yes, that sounded familiar. But the walking – I would have opted out “this time” – it shows great self-discipline!

    Liked by 5 people

    • Thank you, Jilly. It did turn out well, in the end, really. It was such a beautiful day and I’ve been awfully lazy. Since my challenge ended, it takes everything in my power to go out there. So far, I’m not disciplined at all! Ah well. I refuse to beat myself up about it.

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    • It really was a lovely day. I’m just glad I didn’t take my car to go all the way to the bird sanctuary, only to find no card. While I would have left the bag in the car, no way could I have captured the birds as well. Mind you, I would have taken in the scenery. Still. You are right. Reading, relaxing, cooking, Mom’s company. To me? Perfect day! 🧡

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Been there, done that with the camera card. And the battery!! I won’t get started on the issues of taking the wrong lens (because I am much too lazy to carry a camera bag with me anymore). Your snow and food look wonderful. A good day, after all. 🙂 I like your post title, too. I’ve begun to think my motto lately is Pivot and I’ve considered making up a dance called the Pandemic Pivot. It will be all the rage. 😉

    Liked by 5 people

    • So frustrated!! I used to choose one lens and then regretted it about 95% of the time so I do, It’s silly, it’s only two lenses. I have a third that I have never really used. Yes, a very good day. I liked my title too 😉 Pivot is a great word! Pandemic Pivot will definitely catch on; I’ve zero doubt! 😀

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    • Plans are way overrated. It’s why I rarely make them! It was a good day. I still can’t believe I did that! I don’t even have a spare that I could keep in the bag (might be something to consider, eh?) Soup and dinner were, if I say so myself 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Exactly! And sometimes when plans are broken something better replaces them! 😉 What a great way to spend the day! On a couple of side notes: 1. On a trip to Amsterdam I kept taking pictures [films back then] till I noticed – to my surprise the number 63!!!! 😱 Yep, no film in my camera and I only had one more day! and 2. I’m like that with recipes too… winging it is the way! I call it “improvisation” …sounds better doesn’t it?!!! 🤣😂;-) xoxoxoxoxo

    Liked by 5 people

  12. Dear Dale,

    Supper looks delicious as I’m sure it was. Plans Shmans. Sounds like a nice day in spite of the SNAFU’s. I know about the recipes. I’ve had a few things turn out really well lately and think I should write it down. Nah. Where’s the fun in that? Bon Apetit.

    Shalom and lotsa improvisational hugs,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 5 people

    • Dear Rochelle,

      Plans schmans is right! It was, I think, the best version I had made of this 😉 Writing down just the main ingredients does help to remind me that it was good enough for that… when I remember to… which is almost never!

      Shalom and lotsa tasty love,

      Dale

      Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, indeed. Must be why I usually avoid plans in the first place 😉
      The soup was spicy and delish and I shall definitely make more of it.
      The chicken, while I have done this recipe many a time (give or take an ingredient 😉 ) was particularly good this time. I’m thinking it pays to take one’s time.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I very much enjoyed reading this post Dale. A glimpse into a life that sounds peaceful and lovely. And what struck me the most was your ability to keep changing your mind-set as the day progressed and allowed the events of the day to unfold without it affecting you in a ruinous way. Sometimes a difficult thing to do, but your success is inspiring.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Thank you so much, Sylvia. What a lovely thing to say and I truly appreciate you seeing that. I am very much a go with the flow kinda gal. It’s a lot less stressful, methinks.

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  16. I got all ready and went off for a walk yesterday – the first time I’ve been any distance for a while – so of course I took my camera, but realised too far into the walk to come home that it had been switched to ‘on’ so the battery was dead! So like you I was reduced to my phone. But I didn’t have that lovely meal to come back to 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    • Oh ugh! I hear you! I should have gone on but that camera bag is pretty heavy to lug around for nothing (excuses, excuses…) Technically, I didn’t have that meal to come home to either… I had to make it 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Both dishes look great, Dale. What’s the old saw? “Life happens when you make plans.” I think that might be attributed to John Lennon who probably got it from his granny, etc.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Thank you, Janet.
      And yes, “Life is what happens when you are busy making plans” has been attributed to John Lennon. I’m not really a planner, truth be told. I might have a certain idea of what I’d like to do but, to be honest, I can turn on a dime 😉

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  19. Q

    As I said once, somewhere . . . nothing is every lost, only . . oh, I forgot what it was. No, I didn’t forget it, but I want to be able to use it for something at some future time. You know it anyways, 😉

    Soup is the theme this week ain’t it?

    And it just goes to show, even the professional photogs make an error now and again. And STILL, you come up with more fabulous where that all came from. So no worries. I don’t know how you do it, but you do it so well.

    And the soup too. Mmmmm.

    B

    Liked by 4 people

  22. The day was turning in its own direction–and on those days we just have to follow our daily dance partner. 🙂 An odd synchronicity–I made Tuscan Chicken (a la some random recipe) last week for the first time!

    Liked by 3 people

    • As it is wont to do. I truly am a go-with-the flow kinda gal so I don’t stress the small stuff! Wow. How funny is that? I called mine that because it seemed to have the proper ingredients. When I google it, only creamy versions appear. Maybe I misnamed mine? LOL… Delicious anyway as I am sure yours was!

      Liked by 1 person

  24. The chicken sounds good.
    The card is the reason I don’t use camera any more. Just the phone.
    So you take your mother home every sunday for supper. Very nice. We did that with my father when my mother passed away.
    🙏🏻

    Liked by 2 people

    • It was delicious.
      I have NEVER forgotten my card before. And no, my cell phone is not good enough to take closeups of the birds and such.
      And no, I don’t go get her every Sunday but now and again… My sisters live in the same town as her, next one over from mine, so they have her over weekly. I’m the bad daughter.

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Feeling cold now! Do you really run in the deep cold snow? Crikey. It’s all I can do to keep balance with walking. Maybe I lack experience. Excellent write up of your day. Enjoyed your photos. Always. 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    • Nope. I look at those wackadoodles running in this cold and just shake my head. And say it wasn’t so cold, I would run more in the street. Less dangerous!
      Glad you enjoyed my write up and photos 🙂

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  28. Going with the ‘flow’ makes for some terrific experiences. So sorry about the missing card. I took my camera with me on a trip to Mexico once and did the exact same thing. Still cheesed about that but the cell pics ended up not too bad.

    Liked by 2 people

    • That it does – when you’re open to them.
      Oh no! Not for the whole trip! Mind you, at least you had the cell phone. I actually chose not to bring my camera on my last trip. The cell was fab and I saved having to lug the camera bag.

      Liked by 1 person

      • The lugging part in an already taxing situation is the main reason I (mostly) rely on either the cell phone or a tiny point/shoot model that has amazing low-light capabilities. Traveling through airports is so unpleasant, the less you can schlepp, the better.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I am pretty done with that whole thing. It’s a pain in the ass, to be honest. I’ve been considering getting myself a small camera with more capabilities – they are always creating new ones. And you’re right, cell phones do have amazing low-light capabilities.

          Liked by 1 person

          • Exactly! I bought the low-light Sony a few years back when Wifi downloading of photos was just beginning. It’s small enough to put in a large pocket (i.e. not girl jeans because their pocket size is crap small) and can take remarkable pics with very little supplemental light and still look good. I just have to remember to make sure it’s charged which I too often forget to do before wanting to use it.

            Liked by 1 person

          • Yes! That’s what I want. I have this cute little Lumix, that even goes under water. The pics are not all that bad but I’d like to upgrade to a little better than not bad. If it fits in a purse and not a huge one, at that, I’d be happy. The charging applies to all cameras, though – except 100% manual, that is 😉

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