Years, cycles, now of carrot, silverbeet and potato—one potato, one page 79 silverbeet leaf (not the outer ones), one young yellowish carrot—cooked and puréed. Stewed apple, rice (2 tbsps in a piedish, lump of butter floating on the surface like a golden boat, left for hours and hours at 200° F). Ice-cream, fruit, crackers, cheese. Muffins, pizzas, shepherds' pies, poached egg on spinach nest, macaroni cheese with diced ham, nursery cum adult like two languages: one simple, the other simple enough to contain deceit. 'Give the children a sausage wrapped in bread with tomato sauce and send them to bed early. Be waiting with an intimate dinner for two with candles.' Measure the energy level of both partners. In the morning, toast, egg, cornflakes, a small destroyed encampment on the table top. Plain food, bland food, carrot, potato, green leaf with white light shining in the stem. Why not mash everything? Why not pills?

A little herb garden by the back steps, raised for easy picking, was salvation. The very names—if the herbs were never cut or dried or used—was enough. Balm, basil, chives, chervil, endive, fennel—how beautiful they sounded, like planning a holiday in Tuscany. Garlic, of course, hanging or rubbed into salt, ā la Colette, parsley, cut fine or coarse, watercress growing where the pond overflowed and nasturtiums (young) for salad. Today when we go to restaurants and a feathery frond of fennel lies alongside Sole Bonne Femme or a purple and yellow pansy beside Marquise au Chocolat** Jasper and I are unfazed thanks to the little herbarium.

Cut the bacon in small pieces and fry gently.
Remove. Slice and fry onions until they begin to
colour. Add seasoning and flour and mix well.
Add stock and stir until boiling. Return bacon
and liver cut in small pieces. Cover and simmer
for ½ hour. Serve with chopped parsley.

page 80

Jasper has severe indigestion and disappears to the golf course. Feel Liver Provençale is the beginning of a coolness between us. Loses tournament and vomits behind a tree at the 13th hole. NB: Did think 2 tsp was excessive for salt.