Thursday, August 17, 2023

un-doing

Baby steps today: Just one meeting, a tiny handful of emails, a short walk, an easy meal. I keep reminding myself of my spectacular relapse after I overdid things earlier this week. 

Easy does it. 

Unrelated: I can't stop thinking about the food situation with my parents, sis, and BIL. I knew they had let some household help, including their cook, go during the early stages of the pandemic. What I didn't realize is that now everyone just orders food online and then they eat separately and at different times. So all they're eating--sometimes even at breakfast, and almost always at lunch and dinner--is restaurant food. Each one according to their own schedule and by themselves. 

The worst part is that the food is frequently limp, unappetizing, and unsatisfying by the time it arrives, so it seems people eat more than they would otherwise. My BIL won't even enter the kitchen, my sis is too busy with her job, and my parents are too old, so this isn't a problem with an obvious solution. I made soups and stir-frys while there (for the kids mainly, but there was enough for everyone) and everyone acted like it was the most amazing food in the world (although it really wasn't!). My sister takes such good care of my parents and I didn't want to be a dick; so I didn't say anything. But mealtimes were such a time of togetherness growing up and I feel so, so sad that it's not the case anymore over there. 

Pic: Look! A medieval-looking turret on our way to get Big A some coffee at Biggby! 

7 comments:

StephLove said...

Some people just don't cook. My dad and stepmother were like that. I remember visiting them and they had almost no food in their apartment. I have a hard time imagining it.

Nicole said...

I know everyone is different but wow, that made me sad too. Mealtimes are such an important time for gathering for us, and food is so important not only for health but also for social bonding, and I can see how this would be so sad for you.

Gillian said...

Get well soon.

Rajani Rehana said...

Beautiful blog

Rajani Rehana said...

Beautiful blog

NGS said...

My FIL and his wife live entirely on takeout and frozen dinners. They don't cook and apparently aren't interested in learning. It's a thing, I guess.

maya said...

Thanks, Gillian and Rajani!

Thank you for sharing, StephLove and NGS--it helps to know it's not completely unheard of. I share your sadness, Nicole--this is not the kind of change I'm comfortable with.

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