Cooking up a plan

The cocooning bug has bitten me hard over the past few days.

We were supposed to go out on Saturday night to celebrate the birthday of one of DD’s mates. But I felt deeply reluctant to leave the house, so I issued a last-minute invitation to dine at my place instead.

I have no idea why I thought it would be more relaxing – it definitely wasn’t cheaper – than going out … I can be waaaaay delusional at times …

But it did motivate me to finally start getting my place in order. Almost a year after renovating, I still haven’t painted the woodwork and I’d completely stopped noticing the piece of fabric nailed over the window in lieu of a curtain.

I suddenly realised I couldn’t entertain with the place looking like that.

So the youngest and I raced to Kmart & Bunnings to stock up on $4 cushions and other embellishments to make the room look a bit more homely.

Then I enlisted DD to arrive early with his drill on Saturday afternoon to install a cheap blind and hang the art that has been leaning against the walls for months.

I’m quite thrilled with how the place looks now. It’s a bit of a mish-mash of an old sofa my boss gave me, Kmart rugs and bar stools and cushions, my grandmother’s old flour and tea canisters, the red pouf I got from Freedom to elevate my feet when I was pregnant, the framed sunrise photographs my ex and I got as a wedding present, my great-great aunt’s sideboard and a second hand dining table and chairs that I found in South Newtown one day. But it definitely feels like it has more heart in it. I tended to avoid sitting there before, but I feel quite drawn to curling up on the sofa now.

I dream about one day having the dosh to properly decorate a place, but this will keep me smiley for a while.

And then there was the cooking. I made hummus and cooked a slow-roasted lamb shoulder and served it with warm pittas and rice pilaf and various dips. One of DD’s friends brought a Greek salad and another brought a platter of sticky Middle Eastern treats including bakclava. Oh, and they brought Croser and bottles of red, which we merrily swilled.

One bloke swilled so much he had to leave his car at the front and Uber home to Epping. I’m sure he was thrilled to have to turn around and come all the way back for it the next morning.

DD was also the opposite of thrilled at the next morning when I dragged him out of bed to go to pump class at 8am. He looked very gtim while planking. Even a 3/4 flat white afterwards – and a sausage sanga from Bunnings when we popped in to get a masonry bit – couldn’t bring a smile to his face.

Poor DD. He’s in the wars.

The upside off all that food on Saturday night was that I have leftover lunches until next century, plus I had enough dips to take nibbles to dinner at our friend’s house in Avalon on Sunday night … after I took my doggies for a walk in the glorious afternoon sun.

DD deemed the water too cold for a dip yesterday arvo – wuss – so we just popped over to a rocky ledge so I could do a bit of therapeutic gazing at the sea instead on our way to dinner.

Freaking awesome view, though I pulled a middle-aged glute legging it over the fence to get there.

My friend has the cutest schnauzer – who was wearing a very fetching jumper – my sister the schnauzer obsessive would have gone nuts over her.

It was so nice having someone else cook. Bron made strawberry dacquiris to kick off the festivities, followed by a gorgeous honey and date Moroccan casserole and we had a lovely chitter chat for a few hours.

She’d also scheduled our dinner date for the perfect middle-aged-friendly time of 4pm, so I was back home in front of the heater by 8.30pm. Noice.

How was your weekend?

PS On Friday night my ex and I headed to the high school for the HSC art show, which also featured works from the other years, including a lino print by the eldest in the year 8 section. I don’t know if you did lino carving at high school, but it’s tricky. I was crap at it. I got a bit of a shock when I saw the eldest’s amazing work in-situ. I’m biased because I’m her proud mum, but I reckon it was good enough to sit in the HSC section. I think my wonky womb may have produced someone with actual artistic talent. I’m a bit giddy at the prospect of where she will go with her amazing ability over the next few years.

Song of the day: Tom Jones “The green green grass of home”