Enjoying a Favorite Meal

Ice forms around rocks in the brook just above the water level making ice ledges and chandelier-like crystals. Water continues to flow under the ledges. My current view is looking through the balusters of the deck railing. When it warms up a little more, I'll go out for photos. I did take photos of the moon last night and before it got light this morning.

The crows are extraordinarily busy today. I’m not sure what they are doing. I don’t usually see them like this. Pele spent about an hour up on the table beside me watching them, too. Then the gray rats came, a couple of blue jays, and a morning dove which I chase away from the deck.

I put out a suet for the woodpecker and the little birds, chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, cardinals, and gold finches are here after the seed I threw out on the deck.

Those who know me know I have issues with food. I’m probably not the strangest eater around, but I certainly have my ups and downs with food. I do not eat healthy and probably never will. I don’t go in for all those healthy fads.

One habit is I go for long periods without eating, then will eat too much or grab whatever is handy. I’m just too busy (or lazy, however you want to look at it) to do the prep and cooking. I don’t mind clean up, but all that other is just too time consuming.

I am trying to be a little better. However, there are a couple of foods where I can easily eat myself sick. One is tiramisu and the other is shepherd’s pie. Simple shepherd’s pie: mashed white potato with milk and butter, peas, corn, ground beef, salt and pepper.

I love, love shepherd’s pie and it’s even more special when I don’t have to cook it! It’s not that I can’t cook, I just don’t like or want to. Today I had such an opportunity. My neighbor, Andy, loves to cook and the other day we went to the store and got the ingredients. I buy, he cooks. It works for the both of us.

Today he made an amazing shepherd’s pie and yeah, I ate too much. I couldn’t help it, and now I’m stuffed and won’t need to eat anything else tonight! I was doing the happy chair dance as I ate … and I have enough for the next couple of days. Simple comfort food.

I never used to talk too much about what I eat. There’s always that shame factor, those who are quick to pooh-pooh my meal choices. Now, however, I want to be OK with what I eat and the choices I make. Living wholeheartedly teaches me to celebrate who I am, the imperfections along with the joys. It’s who I am and there’s nothing wrong with it – as long as I am happy and working towards a greater good for myself.