Nice Day at Home

Written by Adam

Here's a great day:

1. Wake up an hour later than usual and be okay with it.
2. Make a breakfast of warm apple pie and Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream coupled with the Sunday paper. 
3. Take a "break" from lounging and do something constructive though completely unnecessary.
4. Have a big midday meal followed by the aforementioned pie and ice cream, go back to the paper.
5. Wander around and do something else, come back for pepperoni, cheese and crackers, more of that pie and ice cream, and the paper. 
6. Repeat number five until bedtime.

That is how my Sunday unfolded, though I planned otherwise. My plans originally revolved around a day hike in the Yale Forest area of Connecticut. 

The Yale Forest is conveniently located near Bigelow Hollow State Park. I thought a day on the Nipmuck Trail followed by some canoeing on Mashapaug Lake would work out nicely. I even planned a bit of a picnic. Heather has hinted that it's wonderful to take a break from food preparation duties once in awhile. No problem, I can cook.

Well, Sunday rolled around and it was hot and muggy and I was feeling like a day at home instead. The appropriate people agreed with my assessment and that was that. A little flexibility goes a long way in our lives.

A quick trip to the store and I picked up the food items I had in mind for our hike, to have at home instead. I planned my old standbys - roasted chicken and macaroni salad. They work for picnics because they can be prepared ahead of time and taste good cold. Add some green salad and a few nibblers (for example, cheese, crackers, sliced fruit) and we are good to go for the day, on the trail or at home.

I also picked up a copy of the New York Times to peruse. I know e-readers and online news are the wave of the future, but I love sitting around reading the Sunday paper. 

Once home with my parcels, Heather and I retired to the living room (Emily still sleeping) to enjoy warm apple pie, ice cream for me, and the newspaper. Unconventional breakfast fare perhaps, but highly enjoyable. That set the tempo for the day. I had a few things that needed attention but really looked forward to a come-what-may day.

Having decided to stay home, my idea was to have a big lunch cover the bulk of the dining for the day. Grazing here and there all morning, have the big meal around noontime, then browse the rest of day on the leftovers and snacks. It was so simple to prepare the chicken and macaroni salad, I have no excuse for not doing it more often.

I filled the day with easy tasks - reading the paper, splitting and stacking firewood, bathing the dog. That newspaper consumed a good part of the day and I have yet to finish it. I find Internet news articles to be okay for a flash of information, but rarely do I read a whole article. Furthermore, I notice some Internet articles are there just for the scoop - a snippet of a story but no facts or in-depth information. It is disappointing. 

I need to remember to keep the Sunday paper coming. It is one more link to an era when, because things took more time, we had more time.

Next week ambition will rule the day. We have a full weekend of activities, and the foliage is starting its march across our area. Perfect time to take my planned hike and get back outdoors.

How was your weekend?