[2022-10-16] Saturday Synopsis #13
They say that, when you retire, every day is Saturday. I can relate—so much so that when Saturday rolls around, I sometimes forget to write my weekly Saturday Synopsis. The last time this happened, I published a bonus Saturday post on Sunday morning, and another one on Sunday evening. This time, however, I decided that I would publish my Saturday Synopsis a day late. And, since I'm confessing to harmless blunders, my 800th post was technically my 801st post because of the double posting on August 27. But who's really counting?
Now, on with the show.
Story of the week: Boy who is blind "sees" firefighters uniform
I watched a heartwarming video this week about a boy who is blind and who explores the uniform and gear of a firefighter. The firefighter kneels in front of the boy, patiently waiting as the child touches his apparel; he helps the youth to discover the various equipment he is wearing. The caption on the video shares a bit of the boy's story: "He knows what a firefighter is and does, but this is his first time 'seeing' one and now [he] has an idea of what a firefighter looks like." Kudos to the firefighter, who embodies the principle of meeting people where they are.
Quote of the week: A mistake that makes you humble
In addition to forgetting that yesterday was Saturday, I made scones today and accidentally used twice the salt that the recipe had called for. While my daughter and I were making the scones, I got distracted and then wondered whether or not I had already added the salt. I didn't think I had, so I measured out the salt and moved on. We ended up throwing away the scones once we discovered my error. I said to Mel, "mistakes like this keep me humble." I then came across this apt quote (author unknown):
A mistake that makes you humble is much better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.
I'm feeling very humble this evening. My takeaways are these: when you bake, do nothing else but bake. And put recurring commitments in your calendar.
Song of the week: Always Loved
This week's song is "Always Loved" by Kristoffer Wallin and Simon Wester. It's a beautiful instrumental piece that makes me think of the arch of a day. It begins softly, evoking images of opening one's eye after a good night's sleep. It then picks up tempo and instrumentation, suggestive of starting one's day, perhaps rushing to get everything done. The song slows to softness once more, reminiscent of closing one's eyes at the end of a productive day.
Recipe of the week: Cauliflower-Crusted Quiche
A few weeks ago, Chris introduced us to a delicious dish: Cauliflower-Crusted Quiche. What sets this quiche apart from a traditional quiche is that the crust is made of cauliflower, combined with Parmesan cheese, an egg and seasonings. The base is crisp and flavourful, and contains much less fat than the usual pie crust. In fact, we loved the cauliflower crust so much that Chris used it to make a salmon-potato pie. Complementing the quiche's veggie-filled crust is a filling with more vegetables (asparagus, spinach and green onions) plus eggs, milk, feta cheese and seasonings. It's loaded with flavour without being loaded with fat, and it's gluten free.
Video of the week: Tomorrow is another day
This week's video is a playful reminder that some days suck and we're better off going home to sleep. If you don't like the f-bomb, this may not be for you, but if a little swearing doesn't bother you, watch this 30-second video for advice on what to do when everything goes awry.
When you have a bad day, give up. Go home and sleep. F*ck it. Try again tomorrow. But every bad day can become a good day. Some days are f*cked and cannot be unf*cked. When you have a day that is f*cked beyond repair, that is the universe speaking to you, sending you a message. Listen to the universe. Save your energy. Tomorrow is another day.
If you accidentally put too much salt in your scones, say "f*ck it," throw them out and start again tomorrow.
Photo of the week: Jen's bridge
I often photograph one of my favourite places when I'm out for a walk in my neighbourhood: a small wooden bridge that crosses a stream in the midst of a gorgeous hardwood forest. In fact, when former colleagues wanted to film me for a video to support the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign, I took them to the bridge. Some months later, I took a friend to the same spot, which she recognized from the video. She exclaimed, "Oh! This is Jen's bridge."
The photo in the visual below was taken at 6:15 PM last Thursday, as light was fading on a cool, rainy day. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful evening to be out for a walk.
If you're ever in the neighbourhood of Eagleson Road and Katimavik Road, you can visit the bridge and the forest by taking the path opposite to the house at 12 Inuvik Crescent.
