the Life, Death and Fartload

My gal made up some pea soup with the hickory smoked hambone and ham bits (it is fine to dine on swine) after the Eostre weekend,  It was classic and very good pea soup. (Hemingway). It was ham and spuds, peas n carrots and onions. And 4 bay leaves. Then she added a cup of brown lentils in the slowcooker, cuz it was there. It was also good, but farty extra protein.
The gal's mum died last week. She was a Scot, born there. Close to where some of my grandparents came from, we may have fought some of the same battles or built some ships or chased some sheep together. We mourned her with a mickey of Glenfiddich , a singin of Loch Lomond, and the gal wrote letters to her mum we burned in the firepit.
My favorite cousin , not Scottish but his wife is, lost one of his best childhood buds. We are all gettin older, its not like being 20 and someone dies, we are over 50 and time marches on, but its still a load to bear. And it reminds us we arent going to be fucking and farting forever. Let's try to stay alive, not just for our own enjoyment of another sunrise, but to spare our mates the pain of it. My cuz is a very lifely man, still heli-skis Rogers Pass at 57, big-hearted, big-balls guy who took his missus for a Harley tour of Manitoba-BC-Yellowstone-Sturgis this year. Stay alive, there's lots to look forward to. Love you guys.

I am happy to be mentoring a cool chick at work, she is mostly Barbados-black, but her skin is goldeny and I think she might have some native and white, Indian from India in her mix. I crack her up, she laughs at all my little muttered grumbles. That makes my work day better. I have adopted her as my work-niece. Smart and clever, rides her bike to work, and trained in martial arts so she doesnt have much fear of silly men. She eats a lot of chickpeas, fish and rice. She likes farting (so she says) but I still go at least down the room or to the can to let mine loose. Dont want to disable her, cuz mine are old-guy farts. 
Life is pretty good, I try to focus on that, especially as people die. I appreciate having a 50+ gal (being almost 53) as we can reminisce about our times, and we have good cuddles. Young women are beautiful, and I like to be a grouchy (but kind) old bugger with them, not a dad, more a salty old journeyman to learn from.
I have more to learn.

the Easter weekend thing. not the island..

Late March to early April can be a bit emotionally charged for me. My dad's birthday March 15, his departure was on St Patty's day, 1998. My ma was born April 1, and she departed not long after that day, 8 yrs ago. I am used to bein an orphing, but I feel their presence in me around those weeks. 
Easter seems to coincide with the end of this period. In Chinese culture, they have Tombsweeper Day, to honor the ancestors, pretty close to this time as well.  Its death and rebirth time, spring is here in the northern hemisphere (nod to my Kiwi n Aussie mates).

This year, I had company for this time. My good woman has been living with me n the fine dog since June 1 last year. Its also death and rebirth time for her, her ol ma hasnt got many weeks or months left.  The rebirth is the spring; even at 54 N. lat. we have a brave tiger lily with about 5 inches of leaves pokin up, mere inches from a melting snowbank.
Good Friday dinner: I got a big ol ham on sale, nice hickory smoked shank, and cooked it up slow, put some slashes in the skin to make cracklin. Two pots of mixed veg, very colorful, especially the organic green beans with chopped bits of red pepper n oignon. Also broc n carrots, and little potaters boiled.
The gal got some Peek Freans English style biccies for dessert.
Had my old friend and sis-in-law over, she brought her coworker, who is an interesting hobbity little dude. They market reused building materials, nice old doors and woodwork, a worthy enterprise.  Dinner got a little cooled while we were swilling some Big Rock (TM) Grasshopper Wheat Ale (commercial plug), but we warmed it up and chowed down, then I went into protein coma in the armchair while they chatted, another holiday tradition of mine.
I had done the cooking and even vacuumed prior, so my good woman did a sterling effort on cleaning the kitchen after.  I had to work a half-day today (Saturday) to get my stat pay for Friday, so now I am chillin with some Jameson's and a tall bottle of Anarchist Amber Ale (cannery brewing co., Penticton, BC) and ready for a wee pissup and a sleep-in tomorrow.

Here's to the ancestors, to JC the rebel, to the reborn lilies and the dogs eatin the dinner scraps. Shalom!