Comfort

I felt a chill in the air as I stepped outside to get the mail this morning. And then I felt queasy as I began to wonder how long it will take the field mice to find the hidden hole under our new addition and appear in our kitchen cupboard. I imagine the hole looking as impressive to them as the main entrance to Iowa’s mega-mall, Jordan Creek Town Center. As impressive as it may seem, it will pale in comparison to my reaction upon seeing them in my kitchen. I remember my parents declaring that when I saw a mouse, my scream could wake the dead. Thankfully, since working on this fear in psychoanalysis, my terror is now approximately 50% less. The foreboding for the future invasion is no longer all-consuming.

This has left room for more savoring of the present moment. Today I relished eating my first true comfort food as the season changes—chicken pot pie with gluten-free crust. For dessert, a few tender dried apricots from the big jar that decorates our kitchen counter. A new book on how to inhabit time finally showed up – I had preordered it and it seemed to take forever to arrive. Wendell is working on a new 2000-piece puzzle, this time of a curiosity shop.

I hope the field mice are feeling cozy enough that they’re happy where they are.

Thanks for reading. What do season changes bring up for you? I love to hear from you! Reply to this email or go to nickymendenhall.com and leave a comment.