Becoming a Homebody
Back To Basics
Two months after moving back and settling in, I am slowly being transformed.
Going out, eating out, staying out, no longer hold much appeal to me. I am drawn towards the one destination called home where I want to linger and potter around. Time slows down and adjusts its rhythmic cycle, the way it should be.
The garden and pond teem with wildlife in a different world which is magical, mysterious and moving ( pun unintended ). I spotted a glorious purple dragonfly one morning flitting from leaf to leaf. It lingered long enough for me to capture it with the push of a button and was not seen again. I see growth and renewal in every new shoot of the freshest green, but also decay and death in the yellow brown hues, calling for them to be pruned. I hunt down caterpillars, aphids and other pests with a vengeance. There is a soothing calmness experienced by gazing at the “longkang” fishes in the pond. One day, I discovered that guppies can be territorial – one guppy found a live caterpillar ( with a little help from me ) and had half the creature in its tiny mouth, holding on to his catch for dear life, with three other guppies chasing it for a share of the bounty. This went on for several minutes – I counted. Do not despise the small things – they have their moments. Another day, I found the tiniest Anthurium flower growing from a plant hidden from plain view. It makes me happy to see the ferns and stag horns thriving. My wish now is for some humming birds or dare I hope, a kingfisher to come visit my garden, and build their home here.
Pot and Oven
Bubble bubble, brown and rise. The wonders of an induction cooker top and baking equipment of many varieties. Like opening new presents, I am trying them out one by one – starting with the waffle maker, Kitchenaid mixer, turbo broiler. Next in line will be the airfryer, crepe machine, pizza maker, dehydrator…Yes, such is the extent of my excesses and passion. Consider it an investment for the future – another Nigella godess of the kitchen sink!
So far, the maiden attempts have paid off well. I am on the road to more adventurous pursuits of the culinary kind.
Keyboard and Print
Amazon has a happy customer. It ships free to Singapore with every US $125 of eligible purchases, mainly books and some kitchen equipment. I have amassed a sizable collection of Cordon Bleu cookbooks and David Leibowitz publications, resplendent with mouthwatering illustrations for the former, and witty text by the latter. It is a sublime experience just imagining the food the way it will turn out, like how the experts will do it. But in real life, it is a journey fraught with many surprises, least of all, the end result is nothing like what the textbooks say it should be. I continue to plod and soldier on.
On another front, this blog is up and going. For a person who lacks the natural instinct for all things that begin with the four letter “tech”, I somehow managed to stumble and fall my way into WordPress which is extremely forgiving and friendly. This is the progress so far.
The Joys of Storage Space
There is enough space to store everything we have accumulated, junk, funk, dunk…and more. I discover I have OCD – organizing compulsive disorder. I need to have things in their proper place so that I can find them when I need them. G has a different approach, so we are still working things out. At least I have my stuff like clothes, accessories, books, kitchenware and pantry covered.
The Cave
Not being much of a TV person, this part of the equation I can discount somewhat, but it is a big thing to D and G. It’s a guy thing. Well, I have my kitchen, and they have this. Something about loud sounds and 3D projections get them going.
And So…
With so much going on and so much to do, I say hello to the new homebody. Want some company, you can always pop by at The Barefoot Cafe and have a cuppa.
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