One Thing Each Day, Just One

 I am thinking about the Slice of Life Challenge today.  Questions I had: In my mind I went back and forth many times about signing up. Will I have enough time? Can I make the time? Will I have anything to write? What moments in time might I capture? Things I was thinking: It is important to be a teacher who writes. I can talk about writing more easily if I write. Writing slices of my life might help me capture moments for my family. Just sign up! Slicing: is not always easy. helped me carve out time to sit and think about my day. gave me a community to share with. taught me a lot about writing. Happy I signed up!

 I wonder... how novels are written, how are the ideas woven together across so many pages the mechanics behind a "perfect" row about the ocean tides how scientists studied birdsong during the COVID 19 pandemic if groundhogs really can predict the spring why the same temperature can feel different at different times of the year

 Another morning 5 am All ready, time to go. Step outside  Warmer air than yesterday With a breeze rolling in. Down to the lake in record time I settle in to wait Then, a message... " You are coach boating Come wait outside By the benches FAST!" Quick! Move! Gather warm clothes Run down to the dock Careful not to stumble. Made it. Bundle up Layers of clothing, fuzzy socks, fleece gloves. Ready and waiting. The team comes down Boats perched on their shoulders Soon to roll gently into the water. Swiftly they launch Into the darkness Bow lights blinking. Away I go A grateful guest Watching from the coach boat. Blades dip, into the water Rowers ready to move as one Coxswains guiding their crews. Start at the catch Lean forward Arms extended. Powerful legs ready To move the boat. Arms pull To the finish. Ready to release then Return to the catch. Together, The boats travel. Across the lake And back again Working hard against the wind. Elegant, Fluid, Strong.

 Alarm rings 5 am Tumble out of bed. Ready in a flash. Into the car And off we go. Black sky, Still lake, Early morning chill. Cars arriving. Doors slamming. Momentary silence. Fast feet, Voices buzzing, Hill run, Warm up. Traffic humming on the highway. Black sky slowly lifting. Orange glow above the mountain. Birdsong A lone bird calls, Another answers, Soon it fills the air. What's that movement? A waddling of ducks that move as one. Searching for their breakfast. Large wings spread. A lone heron lands. Preens.  And I am peacefully waiting. 

Sunday Dinner I love to cook. Inspiration for meals comes from different places. Perhaps from a magazine, a cookbook, or something I tasted when out for dinner. Sometimes I follow a recipe exactly and other times I use it as a guide, changing it up as I go.  On the menu this evening is a "changing on the go" type of recipe - vegetable curry. The basic base for the curry was shared with me. Recently a friend of my daughter's, a former chef, taught it to her and she passed it on to me. A curry from one of my favourite restaurants served as the inspiration for the flavours added to the base.  To round out the meal I included rice, naan, and a cucumber salad. Voilà, a Sunday feast!

Tired. Read a few pages. Drift off to sleep... Awake.  What time is it? Surely it must be the middle of the night. I've only been asleep for an hour? How can that be.  Wait. Wait.  Drift off to sleep... Awake. Anxiety. Heart palpitations. Did I sleep through my alarm? Oh right, it's Saturday.