Dreams, Moments, Travels
It’s the end of the day. Heavy clouds formed to the north and the east while some whispy little clouds spread out across the valley for a beautiful late afternoon display of color. Storms did not materialize but the side effect of gathering clouds is always welcome for a summertime sunset treat.
It’s getting late in July and there hasn’t been much of a monsoon season yet. Late this afternoon, though, thunderheads appeared on the horizon. Try as I might I couldn’t capture one of the many lightning bolts that appeared at the base of the anvil. I spent the day freezing carrots, freezing squash, making granola, and an Indian dish called kadhai paneer that will find its way into the freezer. I also donated nearly a hundred of our books to the library in our continuing efforts to downsize. After spending the day on the domestic front a nice hard storm with a house rattling thunder and lightning show would have given some real excitement to the day.
Every 10 years curiosity grabs hold of me and I wonder what my face looks like under the beard and so it was upon coming home this evening that I reached for the beard trimmer and a razor and cut the hair from my face. NO – I do not like seeing myself this way. Something is missing. I feel as though I look like everyone else. Worse, it feels like a stranger is looking back at me from the mirror. This week will have been the last time before 2018 that I will shave. A great aspect of not shaving is the freedom from taking a razor-sharp piece of cold steel to my throat every day and scraping my face raw. I love my beard. Long live the beard.
I was briefly out on the farm this morning but lack of sleep and a holdover headache from the night before had me leaving early. Prior to making the long drive back to Phoenix, I was talking with Rob and Jerry who were digging up sweet potatoes next to the okra when I realized that okra flowers. While not a big deal, it is something I hadn’t known. It’s nice to be easily entertained by nature.
This is mom-to-be Khushbu Patel, at her baby shower, we attended last night. Khushbu and her husband Saurin had invited us some years ago to their engagement and now here we were already going to their baby shower. The friends we have made in the Indian community and how they welcome Caroline and me stand out as an absolute high point in our lives here in Phoenix, Arizona.
This evening Caroline and I got dressed up to attend Khushbu and Saurin Patel’s baby shower. An Indian baby shower is not your average American shower mind you, this one had nearly 200 guests in attendance, was catered, and had live music until almost 1:00 in the morning. We only stayed until 10:00 pm since I was beat after getting up at 4:00 am to help open the farm stand out in Tonopah, but in the short few hours we were there we had a lot of fun. If you are wondering if that is Khushbu in the picture with Caroline: no it is not, this is our friend Rinku Shah. Kushbu was so busy greeting guests, giving a speech, handing out gifts, and leading dances that we never got the opportunity to get a nice photo of Caroline with Kushbu, so good old Rinku will have to do.