wishes, fishes, beggars, horses

I wish we'd got that block of land.

I made crimsom snapper chowder for dinner last night; fresh fish, carmelised baby onions, carrots, in a vegetable broth; with chives and peccorino cheese on top. It was too delicious. I should be cooking for more than two bellies. It feels so selfish sometimes. All these skills. I learnt them from feeding crowds from one oversize pot. I learnt them from scratching and scrabbling about with bits of this and that from the garden and unchosen groceries.

I've been teaching Trouble. She doesn't really enjoy it. I don't think she's a natural in the kitchen. Mannie teaches her too. I'm Roz.

She promised her volunteers at work a cherry cake. That's what she said;
"I'll make a cherry cake!"

She's organised a photo shoot for the local paper - a positive story about volunteers at the Bugsplat Visitor Centre. There's been a lot of bad press lately - to do with the beautiful place that might be logged. To do with the Bugsplat Visitor Centre's opposition to that logging. Brave little Bugsplat Visitor Centre, I say, and they're doing the right thing, but yes, it has consequences. Hence Trouble's plan for cherry cake and cups of tea on the lawn in the sunshine and for the President of the Board to be there to hand out the Certificates.
Trouble has made the Certificates already.
They look cute.
They have the logo, and they say all the right things.
She's doing a good job.

She begged us to help, and certainly we would but she can't seem to budge from the front. She was right there with me when I played guitar at the Bugsplat Food Co-op this morning. In the afternoon Gray and I helped her to make the cherry cake. She cut out the baking paper and whisked the flour and creamed the butter (nuttelex) and sugar and seperated the eggs and it's done (not quite dusted) and cooling on a tray.

One cherry cake. For her special day tomorrow.
Good girl Trouble. You're doing great. Just be careful, darling. Don't confuse yourself with the horse. It was always such a great thing about dungeon. You girls always knew: we just ride the horse. Don't lose that now. My friend.