As I ate a heaping chunk of homemade (but not by me) mulberry cobbler and gulped down a glass of cold milk with it, my mind wandered back to my days in Ethiopia.
Those were days of being outside all day.
Fresh air.
Fresh food.
Beautiful rural countryside.
Dirty little children. (just being honest).
Lots of sunshine.
Lots of cooking.
Lots of eating.
And a slower, simpler way of life.
These quarantine days got me reminiscing back on that time.
With every blissful springtime day, with every bit of food I scrounge up and make into something tasty, with every new project I undertake just because I can, I think back on those days in Ethiopia.
Bless the girls' hearts who had to live with me there. The projects. Oh, the projects. Are you feeling me Sarah, Ashley, Kim, and Heather? See how many girls they had to have come live with me over the course of two years because no one could put up with me for any longer than a few months?
Anyways, all the projects. Cooking projects mainly. I was over there making oatmeal creme pies and Oreos and trying to learn how to fry chicken (and pluck and feather them too for that matter) and make biscuits and make my own yogurt. The one thing I could never make was this one type of caramel sauce for my coffee. I ruined four good batches of wanna-be-caramel before I gave up and admitted defeat...much to the gratitude of those who had to live with me.
I remember how disappointed my dad was when he came to visit. He thought I was over there “suffering for Jesus” (his words, not mine) and there I was thriving and living my best life. What father hopes their daughter is suffering? Apparently mine. Regardless, he did not seem to approve of my abundance of food and time on my hands while living overseas.
Somewhere in there I also got into all-natural skin and hair care. Avocado face masks with drippy avocados. Honey smeared on my face to hydrate my skin. Eggs to wash my hair and add protein. We won’t talk about the time I carried that hair-washing-with-eggs experiment on for over two years. The hippie vibe was strong with this one for a while. And apple cider vinegar for all things, because it’s a miracle cure apparently.
Again, bless all my roommates' hearts. For the smells, experiments, failed experiments, early mornings, list making, and projects they had to endure while I cooked and beautified myself in that beautiful countryside.
On that same note, bless my current roommate’s heart. So to all the girls before her and the ones now who have to endure my projects and to-do lists and cooking experiments, I do apologize...but I’m living my best life over here and you can’t stop me. I will cook all the things and eat all the things and start all the home projects.