Just Try It

Inspirational song: The One I Love (R.E.M.)

I could sort of see this one coming. RSVPs for game night came back, and people dropped off one by one. Once our regular time rolled around, only our kids remained. So rather than get upset, we welcomed them and had dinner and played with the babies. 

I had started the stew on low late last night, so it would slow cook and the flavors would blend. I woke up with a start around 4 am, when the smell changed. In the dark I added two cups of water to the crockpot. It was plenty. I didn't add potatoes until early this morning, before I sat down with coffee. I switched it back and forth a few times between low and keep warm, and by dinner the potatoes were cooked but still firm. My daughter requested polenta at the very last minute, because that was what I have taken to serving under stews like boeuf bourguignon and chicken cacciatore. Good thing I had some in the pantry. 

The grandkids were asleep in the car when they arrived. They woke a little as they were carried in, so they got to lie in my bed for a few minutes, watching a movie on Disney. They played actively while I made the polenta. By the time food was served, they were back to being tired and cranky. It was a monumental battle to convince Val to eat even a few bites of stew. She wanted to skip ahead to cake, and it took four of us being firm with her for over an hour to get her to trade tiny nibbles of stew for modest bites of spice cake. Kid, this is one of the best things your grandma makes. You'll figure that out in a few years, and we will remind you how hard you fought against tasting it.

Also, late last night, as I was getting myself ready for bed, we heard the loudest, fiercest animal fight of all time. It sounded like the little dog across the street was getting murdered. Turns out it was a raccoon fight in the tree one house south of where that dog lives. And there was my animal-handler husband, shining his cell phone up in the tree, trying to gently persuade them to give it up. I just can't even with the stress, wondering whether I was about to drive him to the ER for rabies shots. Thankfully one raccoon climbed down the tree and waddled off to the next house down, no human interaction needed. I can't believe I haven't yet been driven to drink.