Malibu Way of Life/ By Jody Stump
There are loads of clichés we use metaphorically without a moment’s thought to their inner truths.
“Still waters run deep”-think of when you’re kayaking on a river run. “A rolling stone gathers no moss”-of course, it can never settle which way is north.
The legendary author of the Tao, Chinese philosopher Lao-Tze, once came up with a sage quip of his own: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” So true, and in my case, that first step was a doozy and it has led to a thousand words.
The story begins with a good hair day. I know, all you women reading just stopped and muttered to yourselves, “There’s no such thing as a good hair day!” But just suppose for one moment that you washed, dried and primped your hair the same way you do every day but when you finished that last ordinary brush stroke, something wondrous occurred. Suddenly, your hair shone with an inner light you never saw before and something about the way it framed your face seemed to make your cheekbones rise just a fraction of an inch to Lauren Hutton heights. The glow even made your eyes sparkle and their color deepen as though they hid profound inner truths. And, you looked in the mirror and wondered, “Could that be me?”
A month ago, I lived just such a moment. It was so glorious. I had to honor it with world goods. I dug in my closet and brought out the only garment good enough for great hair, a handmade lace silk camisole bought in Rome in a moment of blonde confusion over currency exchange rates. I clipped my greatest treasure to my ears, anniversary dangles of moonstones and diamonds that danced against my tresses. Pulling on my curviest jeans and a beloved icy-blue cashmere sweater, I took one last glance in the mirror and thought, “For once, I look good to go.”
At the top of the stairs, I slipped on my stripiest sandals, took a step and … a dozen missed treads later, took a full-body inventory. Toes still twinkled and I thought at first the greatest damage was the bruise to my ego, but then I noticed an odd inability to move my right arm. In an instant, the Saturday night of my dreams had become an ER nightmare. Three weeks in a gravity cast and now I’m “busier than a one-armed paperhanger” trying to catch up on columns and my day job. My husband and I are considering the wisdom behind, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We might mount a handrail on both sides of the staircase but for now, “Patience is the best medicine,” or, as the French put it, “God heals and the doctor takes his fee.”
Fellowship Salad
Serves 6 – 8
My husband and friends have been immeasurably kind throughout this particular trial, bringing finger foods, cutting my meat and devising one-bowl meals that can be managed left-handed with a spoon. A member of the Fellowship Guild at church, Debbie Ebert, contributed this personal favorite. It’s a perfect salad for a small crowd since it’s easy to make; it’s a full meal on its own; it can sit awhile if dining is delayed; it extends quickly with pantry ingredients if more people show up than expected; and it’s just as delicious made without meat so you needn’t offend any vegetarians.
Buttermilk Dressing:
2 cups packed basil leaves
4 shallots, peeled and halved
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Salad:
1 10-oz. package couscous, cooked
3/4 cups Asiago cheese, diced
1 cups dried cranberries, currants or raisins
1 cups pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, toasted
2 cups fresh corn kernels
3 Tbs. orange peel
3 grilled chicken breasts, diced (optional)
1 lb. grape tomatoes, halved
3 cups baby arugula, torn
1. Blend basil, mayo, lemon juice and shallots in a food processor. Gradually add buttermilk.
2. Toss together all the salad ingredients except arugula. Add about half the dressing and chill so the flavors meld. To serve, toss with the arugula and serve with the remaining dressing on the side.