Cover Your Bases 24
2/14/2021 COVID 19 turned me into a hiker, what I made this week, & more
This week: A reflection on something personal and reflective, like how I started hiking in November and have kept going. Since November 8th when we took a nice walk through Purisma Creek Redwoods Open Space preserve, I’ve been outside moving my body on a trail at least once a week. Our February Gualala rental was the base for 4-7 mile walks on different trails and fire roads in southern Mendocino County. Every landscape, from the redwood forests filled with mushrooms to the wild beaches and wind-whipped bluffs, amazed and thrilled--as have the rocky hillsides and oak groves in Briones, the fire trails on the upper rim of the reservoir in Lafayette, and the dusty fire roads at Chabot, off the Woodridge Staging area.
The chance to move freely in nature, often on paths so empty, no masks are needed, is compelling. Exertion. Increased heart rate. Breathing. Beauty. Creatures. Nature. The wind in the trees, the crashing ocean, the rushing little stream. Sun and the clouds, more visible in bigger expanses.
And climbing hills! I crave that.
I also realize that part of what has made all this hiking possible is having the right equipment:
A great pair of hiking boots, with Vibram soles
2 layers of socks
A lightweight and well-fitted backpack
3 different hats: a cap, a watch cap, and a paddling hat, to manage the sun
A polar fleece vest and a zippy sweatshirt, plus a waterproof nylon jacket
2-3 full bottles of water, plus bars, and snacks
Flip flops for the car at the end. My feet get hot.
Maps, endless maps. The anxiety about getting lost is real, and the maps help me manage it.
COVID-19 UPDATE. After all the worry, as Alameda County moved into Tier 1b, I got an appointment and took the first dose of vaccine. So far, I’ve had some fatigue, but not much else. Once my second shot is done, I will volunteer to help others with getting vaccinated. And yes, the sense of relief is enormous.
READING WATCHING LISTENING RIGHT NOW
Reparations for black students and families: It is so tempting to deny the uncomfortable (this is the very essence of white privilege), but sitting in it and moving past is essential. One of the can’t look away learnings of this year--of the past 5 years, at least--is the harm and pain that the systemic racism in America has done to Black people. Influenced by Lukas Brekke-Miesner, Executive Director of Oakland Kids First, I’ve been looking at Reparations’ for Black Students, a local group advocating for funds and programs to bridge learning and digital access inequities. I’ve also been reading pieces like Why we need reparations for black Americans and thinking about what I can support on a larger level than the individual. (As an individual, I support specific programs and BIPOC artists, but so much more is needed, with more systemic and economic change.)
Image by Daniel Schechner, NY Times
Stories of survival: New York Times, Chanel Miller, Between Two Kingdoms book review. Chanel Miller is a fantastic writer with a powerful voice. Author of Know My Name, Miller has an ability to calmly and gracefully detail suffering. This review of Between Two Kingdoms, A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, by Suleika Jaouad, aligns Jaouad’s narrative about getting and surviving adult-onset myeloid leukemia with suffering through the pandemic, crafting an exquisitely written essay. An excerpt from the review:
“Often survivors are praised as superhuman, vessels of strength and optimism. Jaouad insists we hold our applause and bear witness to the true cost of surviving. We rarely hear how survivors are exhausted, sick of it, and ready to give up. In our 20s, we are not asking to be inspirational mountaintop sages; we want the freedom to be reckless, to experience uncomplicated growth.”
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar: We paid $20 Friday night for the privilege of streaming this movie. It was worth every penny, and more! Seeing women get funding to make films is great, and this extended farce featuring Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumolo is a hokey treasure. If you enjoyed Bridesmaids, The House Bunny, Office Christmas Party, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, or any other brilliant slapstick physical comedies, this is one of your movies. Laughed so hard.
Making: Of course, the cooking continues
From this week’s meals:
Three ingredient cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes (I make this at least once a week)
Baked rice with white beans, leeks, and lemon (new one; and a winner, eating for Saturday brunch, then finished off with a salad at dinner)
Golden beet salad (boiled the beets for 45 minutes, chilled and cleaned, then served sliced with olive oil, white wine vinegar( a little bit sweet), salt, and Shichimi Togarashi pepper (my obsession)
Patatas Bravas: This simple dish, small Yukon gold or red potatoes baked in olive oil in an iron skillet, is the true purpose for every small potato, in my view, and a treat dish we make at least once a week, often as part of a big medley of roasted vegetables and sauteed, garlicky greens
Pulled pork tacos with Bakesale Betty Coleslaw. I’m not eating a lot of meat, but the rest of my household are carnivores, so I made this for them. Corn tortillas, salsa, fresh avocado, and some guac on the table.
Julia Turshen Banana Bread: A keeper recipe!
(And yes, I had a food party after my vaccine shot: McConnell’s Toast Coconut Almond Chip Ice Cream, and Have’A Corn Chips, two beloved treats.)
How are you doing? What’s keeping you inspired right now?
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All best, Susan