I try out a new recipe for supper; Brown Rice and Spinach Casserole. I serve it with a huge Caesar Salad. Scott puts some of both on his plate, tastes the casserole (I assume, because my back is turned while I chop tomatoes at the counter; bagged and froze 6 quarts today for later use in salsa, tomato sauce, chili, etc), and leaves the table to put a cast-iron frying pan on the stove to heat. After he puts frozen hamburger patties on and phones someone, whoever it is must ask him what he’s doing because I hear his reply: “making myself some supper.” He sounds like a poor hardworking man with the misfortune of living with a woman who doesn’t prepare his meals.

I don’t much enjoy the casserole myself, and mark it in the recipe book as “not very good; bland.” Just as I did with one I tried last week, Vegetable Loaf, made with spinach and chickpeas. That’s two disappointments, too close together. Maybe I’ll stick to the tried and true for the next while and wait a couple weeks before trying that recipe for Parsnip Pie. I’ve gotta dig up some soy flour anyway — I think there is some, but am not sure.

***

Everett is in danger of falling behind in his correspondence courses because when he runs into a problem he can’t solve, he sets it aside and doesn’t finish the assignment he needs to send in. Yesterday afternoon I told him to get his Math out so I could try to understand the difficulty and help him solve it. Grade 10 Math, arggh… I had no trouble with it at his age as long as I kept up with my homework, but now remember very little. Did a lot of head scratching and got impatient with his bitching —about the teacher, the makers of the course (they don’t explain it right, they don’t explain it at all, they’re idiots, blah, blah, blah), he is too slow, he might as well quit school, he’s a dummy, etc.— and gave him a lecture about his attitude and his habit of focusing his attention on what he doesn’t like rather than on solving the problem. I’m sure it had a life-altering effect on his adolescent dissatisfaction.

***

Finally called Cathy tonight, haven’t talked to her in ages. Talking with her makes me want to get together, even if I have to drive all the way to the city to do it. I said maybe we should meet in Humboldt, which is halfway, and she was enthusiastic. So maybe we’ll get around to making a plan.

No, the mouse in my van has not been seen again. I still check, though, before I get in ... you never know.

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