Sentient Being

Afternoon Delight

My  radio show which featured mostly Motown hits from the ‘60s went really well this morning and I got some nice kudos from some listeners via Facebook Messenger. I went food shopping after the show and bought some supplies to hold us over through the big mega 10 inch snow storm that’s supposed to start hitting NYC and the Catskill region beginning tonight about 5pm.

I went on my regular Friday afternoon Zoom call with some of my spiritual friends which proved to be a pretty jolly time with everybody feeling very upbeat and enjoying the Christmas holiday in their various parts of the world, whether it be Sweden, Mexico, or Alabama.

My wife left for work and the dogs went into their favorite cubby holes and are now sleeping soundly. It won’t last for long, I know, so I am hellbent on enjoying every precious minute that they are not up begging for treats or wanting to go for a walk, I mean a ride, since I am not going to actually walk the dogs until Jan1 when my NewYear’s resolution #2 begins to kick in.

I’m heating up the black bean soup I made last week to which I added some small chunks of ham a few days ago.  It looks and smells good, so I’m going to have at least one big bowl of it.

At the same time, I’m frying up a pork and chicken medley with onions and green pepper to be served over brown rice and green peas which is also on the stove simmering away. I’ll probably make a salad later on, but there’s no urge to do so right this minute.

I’m about to start a fire in my wood burning insert and sit back and do nothing for the rest of the day..  The Christmas lights are glowing all over the place and the view of the mountains from where I sit in my all-purpose recliner looks verybleak and solemn: a classic Catskill  winter scene, which is just the way I like it, especially at this time of year. A blue jay just landed on a barren branch right outside my window, did a double-take noticing something on the ground,  and then took off again.

 The title of a song pops into my head: There’s A Kind of Hush All Over The World.

I’m not exactly sure what the song refers to,  but I do know it was a big hit for Herman’s Hermits around 1968 or so.

There’s definitely a kind of hush going on here, though, that’s brilliantly evident,  Hush. Silence. Stillness. The room, the dogs, and the Catskills.  All perfectly quiet. Not a hair or a muscle moving even slightly. The perfect winter afternoon if there ever was one.

Sure it won’t last for very long. Nothing does.  But it’s here now and that’s all that counts.

I’ll simply sit back and enjoy it until something breaks the silence and the serene and blissful mood it brings with it every time, without fail.

This is the real afternoon delight.  That’s another song.  I’m not exactly sure what that refers to either, but who cares? Let everyone discover their own version of afternoon delight. It doesn’t have to take any particular form.

It’s just that this one, the silent one, suits me the best.

And now the dogs are up and stirring at my feet.  It’s time to take them for a ride to the Kayak Center which is 2 miles from home and then back.

I’m sure the ride will be a treat as well.  Both for me and the dogs.