Celebration 2

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Mise

2

Lately, the word “doing” has taken on increased importance in my world. Yes, I’m ill, but it’s not in my nature to sit idly by while others do. I abhor incapacitation. I enjoy, I celebrate, I NEED the encompassing rituals of doing, of preparing dinner, of the measuring, peeling, chopping, shredding, organizing and facilitating the timing of it all. So even when I’m not at my best, even if I have no appetite, I dice those carrots, deseed the poblanos, shred the cave-aged gruyere. I stand in front of the stove, ensuring the proper sear on the cubed beef. I flip the eggs, turn the meat, stir whatever needs stirring. I take kosher salt between thumb and forefinger, sprinkle it on the julienned peppers. As long as I’m able, I do.

Where do your compulsions lie? What doings must you do?

59 thoughts on “Celebration 2”

  2. In our world, food preparation was something I could always do but simple cooking. Our blockage came from “what we call hunting and gathering”. I love grocery shopping (believe it or not). Ordering online doesn’t compare with picking your own produce. Opportunities for gratitude abound… Good to hear from you

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  3. You asked the question, and my first thought was… well…nothing really. My second thought was “are you nuts?”

    Birds. Counting birds. Especially(!) birds in our “yard”. Our property is just under an acre but I consider our yard to be as far as I can reach with my eye or ear from the deck or any corner. We’re fortunate to live where a number of ecosystems meet up – brook, river, ocean, field, forest and a handful of houses to create residential habitat. I’m interested in birds and keep a life list, but it’s the neighbourhood (the bird neighbours) I’m passionate about.
    We always sleep with an open window. My ears wake up before my eyes. Lying in bed listening – a couple of eagles (one youngster and an adult), pileated woodpecker, mourning dove, red-eyed vireo, mallards down in the marsh… by the time I’ve brushed my teeth and poured coffee I’ve noted a dozen species and it’s time to log into eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s app that supports a massive citizen science project). Most evenings I take a walk around the yard, stand at the mouth of the creek for a long while, then head up to the deck and sit with a beer and binoculars until dark. Rough life but someone has to do it.

    I hope the days are being kind and relatively gentle for you Robert. All the best, til next time.

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  6. Every day I make the bed, walk for an hour and do laundry or dishes as needed. I also love to prepare meals, no matter what and especially if something’s going on with me mentally or physically. It’s a bit like when I’m stuck on a poem and then I iron – I get answers/relief/an aha – that physical action enlivens me.

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      • It is. As someone who lives with chronic pain, I spend a lot of time doing nothing. But, this is not where I find joy. Being productive — baking my favorite muffins or working on my indoor garden — is more rewarding than lying on the chaise and tcm movies, although this can be fun too, once in a while. — Illness is so dang annoying; ur right! I hate going to drs and needles and ugh, procedures…gosh, i feel for you! — Wishing you a positive day, sir.

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  9. Every so often I get a compulsive urge to rearrange my living room and I have to do it. I feel better afterwards. Its a fair sized room so it has been possible to have the couch in every position – 4 walls (one with window), plus once in the centre of the room, and the room isn’t a perfect square so variations on a theme are possible too. My friends and family are used to this. Maybe next place I’ll get a smaller room and just rearrange postcards.

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      • Can’t beat a good bookcase. There is a fashion now to pile books into columns with similar colours together. It’s not a fashion I like as to me it has the topple over look, and other disadvantages. As bad as not using a bookmark. Neither do I like picture walls – displays of random pictures all crammed together – I find them stressful to look at.

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  10. This was really talking to me, because the kitchen, standing in front of the sink rinsing, peeling, chopping, that is one of my favourite places to be.
    Even during covid I mostly kept up with our sustenance when we were hungry, the only time I lost interest was when I could not taste anything, then he tested everything.

    The second thing would be movies. That is my go-to for end of the day chilling (other than scribbling)

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  14. I rise early – usually between 4 – 5 AM. Turn on the coffee to fresh brew. Visit the bathroom. Return to fill the first mug with Cafe Bustelo with a splash of half and half. Walk down the short hall to my office/study. Begin to work. After the sun’s up (undetermined amount of time), I need to stretch/move. I take that mug, refill it, and step outside, into that morning air and light. I sit with my legs stretched up and out, feet wiggling. Sometimes I walk through the damp grass with my bare feet, tending parts of the garden. Sipping. Listening. Seeing. Sometimes I take photographs. Birds. Squirrels. Rabbits. Bees. Raccoons. Whatever wonders over and/or through the long grass of our backyard. When it’s raining and/or snowing, I find scant shelter under that small overhang at the back door. No matter the weather, this ritual gets me outside my head. Reminds me that I, too, am a part of Nature. Refreshes. Rejuvenates. Reconnects. After an unspecified amount of time, I go back to this room and continue. This has been happening for many years.

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  15. I learned to “do” from my parents. Whenever I’m upset or stressed out, I tend to cook, clean, garden, etc., and even when I’m not, I’ve never been a couch-sitter or someone who lounges in bed. I’d rather be doing something. It seems that the body was designed to move, and that movement can be a kind of meditation.

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  16. I’ve got to walk! Anywhere, anyhow. Just spent four days roaming the high hills of central Wales with my husband. But walking around the block is fine too!

    I earnt a comfortable living being a very good living as a Project Manager in Telecommunications. Always getting things done and sorted.

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  17. I have a lot of nervous energy, so to channel that, I knit or (lately) sketch. Or look forward to the time of day I can work kitchen magic like this and immediately benefit someone besides myself. You might not have dedicated salt for healing spells but I’m sure the effects are felt by both of you!

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  19. I am now very hungry…..I am also, by nature, not much of a doer, but I have rituals that I feel compelled to incorporate into my morning. Every morning I do a self created form of yoga and meditation and drink a glass of warm lemon water and I love the ritual of it, the comfort, the stillness.

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  21. Appreciated the care in the slices of the photo.

    My chief side-compulsion (other than main ones to make music and writing) is to ride somewhere on my bicycle most every day. While the ride is sorta the reason (helps my body to move those old joints) it cannot be just a bike ride. It has to be a trip somewhere. Often it’s to breakfast or some shopping need. It if was just a bike ride, it’d be EXERCISE and one could put it off.

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