Couscous, squash and a longing for a simpler time

See that plate? It was one of 4 which was hand painted and given to my parents on their wedding. Painted on the bottom it says: To Marcy and Cy, January 25, 1931. They were soul mates who had a 60 year honeymoon. My dad died in 1991, the day after Mother's Day. He was 9 years older than my mom, who died 9 years later, on Father's Day. They both made it to 90.

They lived in a simpler time, in some respects. Even though they lived through 2 world wars, news traveled slowly back then. The way people heard about the war was through the radio and the way they saw it was through newsreels. World War II was probably the last major war to garner national support. (The Korean War was called a "police action".) You didn't think twice about what your neighbor thought of the war - you knew. We were all in it together as a nation.

They lived through a depression, too. The jobless rate was something closer to 25% back then. People were hungry and out of work. The government stepped in and created programs to help put people back to work. Ultimately it was World War II which brought us out of the depression and put this country back on it's feet. We emerged from that war as international heroes, admired and respected by pretty much everyone in the world.

And from that point on, our trajectory has been like a rocket to the moon. In fact, it was a rocket to the moon, and we all applauded that moment. New technologies have continually emerged, and we have embraced each one of them with enthusiasm. Cell phones, ipods, netbook computers, digital cameras - the world is at our fingertips...at my fingertips...and I've grown used to that.

Until the power went out today. And for some reason my cell phone decided to stop working. Suddenly, it was like being back in time. No computer? No cell phone? Whaaaaat?????

So I took myself out to the beach - with my digital camera, of course. (Thankfully, that still worked!) There have been storms coming through San Diego, and the tides have been high and the waves have been enormous!For these gulls, the world hasn't changed much since my parents time. The ocean still crashes against the rocks, and food is the issue of the day. The air currents still lift outstretched wings. It was the reminder that I needed. It reminded me of one of my favorite poems - "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver, who wrote "Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination."

The world did, indeed, offer itself to my imagination, and when I got home I found that my electricity had returned, my cell phone worked when I used my bluetooth, and I was hungry for a simple meal. One of my go-to dishes for healthy fast food is couscous. It's quick, easy and versatile. Chop up some onions - both red and yellow, slice some squash, chop some parsley and garlic and you've got dinner as quickly as you can saute. The couscous will soak up the boiling water (or chicken stock, if you've got some - which I did after last week's chicken) in a matter of minutes. Any leftovers in the fridge can be used. And when you think about it, every meal is a special occasion, so why not drag out the "good" dishes? Why, you can even light candles and turn off those electric lights if you want to make it a really special occasion.