A Long Conversation
This Fall weather has been surreal. Sunny, blue skies with highs in the low 80s/high 70s, rinse and repeat. Leaf collection occupies a higher percentage of my mental attention than it deserves - the real work of Fall leaf collection hasn’t quite begun. It will escalate exponentially for the next 4-5 weeks, before tapering off around Thanksgiving. We have yet to see anything remotely resembling sweater weather this Fall.
I found my mind returning to Maamos Kitchen this week. Some of the warmest memories that I have of that era comes from when customers would buy gift cards from us, giving them to friends who were going through some challenge. Grief, a new baby, medical convalescence, Meal Train-type stuff. Our food was sufficiently high in quality and variety that we really were the perfect solution in those situations. Nourishing people through whatever struggle they may be going through is one of the highest honors someone could have. A dear friend had knee replacement surgery this past week, and requested a batch of the Asian Beef Basil from meal kit version of the Maamos Kitchen adventure. Remember meal kits? Yeah, we don’t hear much out of Blue Apron or Hello Fresh these days, do we? They’re still out there, plugging along.
Something came through my social media feed this week that has stuck with me - a quote from the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche: "Marriage as a long conversation. When entering a marriage, one should ask the question: do you think you will be able to have good conversations with this woman right into old age? Everything else in marriage is transitory, but most of the time in interaction is spent in conversation.” I think this really hits the nail on the head. Elvis may beg to differ, but buddy, if you don’t enjoy long talks with your spouse, it ain’t gonna last.
Whether it be a significant other, or just a close friend, our enduring relationships have great conversation as the connective tissue. How does it feel to talk with this person? Do they expand your thinking, make you laugh, elevate your self-esteem? Do they energize you, or leave you feeling flat? Do they help you make sense of the world? The ability to listen, and thoughtfully respond, back-and-forth is an essential human skill.
In new relationships, you need a little patience. We don’t always get to the good stuff right away. The real stuff, the raw stuff - not everyone can go there immediately. And sometimes it takes some shared experiences, like late-night strolls through Las Vegas casinos, coastal golf in a 4-club wind, or a stroll across the Oval before a big football game before you can build the library of call-backs that will enliven your conversations until you are both a ripe old age.
So, don’t sleep on the importance of conversation - look for those who light you up, and cultivate the skill to do the same for others.
Sunday Supper
This is not the same as the Maamos Kitchen recipe, but this Thai Beef Basil comes close enough. I’m making this Coconut & Lime Rice Pudding as a dessert, substituting pineapple for the mango. This Skillet Chicken w/ Mushrooms & Caramelized Onions looks amazing.
Sunday Music
In honor of Jeff Tweedy’s recent released triple album, Twilight Override, here is his visit to the NPR Tiny Desk. Tweedy has risen to Leonard Cohen-level status as a lyricist in my eyes. Madison Cunningham has a new album titled Ace coming out Friday - here is a live performance of Wake, from that upcoming album. Lastly, I offer this live performance by Nina Simone in Antibes back in 1965. What a talented artist.
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Have a great week ahead! You can do anything you set your mind to. Let me know how I can help.
Peace & Love,