a February gallimaufry

Remembering

It was a week ago today that we were arriving at Swartz Bay, passing first the bigger Gulf Islands and then the small ones, and I was remembering a summer sail on a friend’s boat, 50 years ago, when we anchored out near one of the little islands and rowed to shore in the dinghy. My friend had noticed on a previous sail that there was arbutus down on the island, victim of a storm, and he wanted to cut it for firewood. While we cut the wood into lengths with a Swede saw and piled it into the dinghy, blueberry muffins were baking in the cookstove in the galley.

Appreciating

The care taken by my publisher with my forthcoming book, The Art of Looking Back, and how the ARCs looked on the tables at the Western Book Reps Association Book Fair last Tuesday, and can you call a book forthcoming (May!) when your publisher gives you a copy of the actual book in its gorgeous hard cover, its opening endpapers a surprise that left you speechless? Can you?

Eating

On our last night in Victoria, we ate at Il Covo with Angie and Karna and it was one of the best meals in years. I had a beautiful Caprese salad on a bed of greens, fragrant basil on top, and halibut on potato confit. A couple of glasses of bright Vermentino wine from Sardinia. When we came out to the car, Orion was striding the sky right over us.

Watching

I’ve been watching the sky as it shifts from winter to spring. It’s hard to describe this but our kitchen faces west and something happens in early February, the light changes to pinky gold at dusk, not the wintery grey, and often there’s a gold scribble as a jet flies south, and then the stars against the darkening clear deep blue, and I think, We’ve made it through another winter. Or at least that’s how it feels. For now.

Loving

The little moments in the greenhouse: tulips and daffodils coming up, a few crocus in big tubs by the door, dappled cyclamen leaves, the green scent of overwintering olives, and the pleasure of cutting salad — arugula and miners lettuce — for our Valentine supper.

Sipping

Not yet, but looking forward to opening it tomorrow night to celebrate the 47th anniversary of our meeting, in Victoria, and also to celebrate something else. (See Appreciating.)