PHOOEY! I’M FEELING ENNUI; AND I’M NOT FLUEY!

Touch wood!  I’ve never ever had the flu.  I hope I’ve not blown my cover, and the status quo remains!  On we go!

Don’t shake your head.  Don’t even try making denials because you won’t be believed.

Every single, and married, one of us, young, old, and in the middle, has experienced feeling listless and/or dissatisfied at some time or the other - fleeting moments, though they may be. There are times such feelings of lethargy last longer, often for reasons we can’t put a finger on.  As the feelings are invisible and intangible, even if we did put our finger on them, we’d not feel a thing.

However, one’s languid indifference, in the majority of instances, is only a passing phase; a brief interval of feeling disinclined to exert energy towards anything, everything, and everyone... no favouritism shown. 

Don’t beat yourself up about your lack of interest or enthusiasm.  We can’t be wide-

eyed, bushy-tailed, full of beans (unless we’ve just eaten a bowl of baked beans or kidney beans), active, lively, high-spirited and alert all of the time.  It’s not natural. 

Being continually stimulated and invigorated would be exhausting, to say the least - not only to one’s own self, but to those around us, as well.  

Feeling listless doesn’t necessarily mean we’re bored.  Boredom is an over-rated, often over-used word.  It is admissible to experience a bit of “off time” every now and then. 

Boredom isn’t necessarily part of the equation. 

The chilly mornings we experienced during winter encouraged me to be listless, happily without apology.  Disinterested in what was going on in the outside world, I was more engaged in remaining snuggled under the warm bed covers as long as I felt like doing so – no excuses offered.  Not dissatisfied with my decision, my two furry mates didn’t protest.  In fact, they encouraged my behaviour.

When in the presence of others you’re feeling a little languorous you are allowed to “put on a front”, otherwise known as “a happy face”; a pretence.  

For your own sake, it’s probably best you do. There is nothing quite as bad as being in the company of a clone of Sad Sack, the morose comic book character of years gone by.  

Better still, the best place to be if you’re feeling down-in-the-dumps is either keep to yourself, or visit the dump, rather than dump your feelings of gloom and doom onto those around you,

If you find yourself in the proximity of a person prone to sharing their lassitude, and you sense clouds of boredom descending upon you 10 litres of strong, caffeinated coffee with one kilogram of sugar added won’t stop you being dragged down with them.   

Take my advice! Invent a polite, believable excuse, and hightail it to the hills, or to the dump, as quickly as you can without a backward glance.  It has been my good fortune each time I’ve visited the local dump lately to have come across pleasant gentlemen who willingly help me unload my load, without me having had to dump my load on them. 

There is one particular woman here on the hill I try to dodge when I see her headed my way.  Unnoticed, she succeeded in creeping up on me a while back as I was loading my grocery purchases into the boot of my car.  

Caught by surprise, realising I was cornered with no possible escape route within reach, silly me, not thinking, asked, “How are you?”

Oh! Dear!  I do know better than to ask.  The floodgates opened.

  

Fifteen minutes later....having spent those minutes just nodding or shaking my head, not able to get a word in sideways or lengthwise....I heard the whole medical history of her and her husband – all of which I have heard previously over the years.  It beggars belief she and her husband are still alive for her to tell the tales!  

Her father had been a doctor, and she had been a nurse, so a vast range of medical terminology is always thrown into the mix to make matters worse!   

She is a nice enough person.  I don’t mean to come across as sounding mean, but suffice to say, I am not the only one who dodges her.   She has a similar affect on others.   

The reason given above is why I don’t encourage a friendship.  It is why, when our paths do accidentally cross, I try to remember not to ask the question...”How are you?”

A sensible way of understanding what is going on when you’re feeling lethargic and disinterested is to tell yourself you’re taking time out to smell the roses, even if there are no blooming roses blooming.  Roses aren’t the only blooming flowers worth smelling. Flowers aren’t the only things worthy of our nasal olfactory abilities. 

Add fresh fruit to the list.  Freshly-cut grass, and rain showers (more please) settling dust alert and satisfy our sense of smell.  Just ask our struggling Aussie farmers.  Let’s keep supporting them.  In dire straits, they need our support, now and always.  We need them...we depend on them. There’s nothing better than Aussie grown and produced.  

Oh! Yes! The aroma of onions frying; of freshly-baked bread: curry, or a hearty stew simmering on the stove top; a roast roasting; the scent of cakes or biscuits in the oven -wafting through from the kitchen will stir one’s mood in the best of ways. 

Make sure you leave the windows open, to allow inertia to escape. 

On we go...spirits and energy once again lifted.  It takes very little...just a word, a smile...and the tantalising aroma of home-cooking.

(Ennui...pronounced...”ŏn-wē′, ŏn′wē”:   Meaning – Listlessness from lack of interest; boredom)

Fragrant Lamb Curry: Heat oven 180C. Separate coriander stalks and leaves of small bunch; finely chop stalks. Put stalks, 500g lamb fillet, cut into chunks, 2 halved, sliced red onions, a large chunk of ginger, finely grated, 2 sliced red chillies,  320ml coconut cream, 400ml chicken stock, 2tsp cumin seeds, 2tsp ground coriander, 2tsp ground fenugreek, 1tsp ground cardamom and 1-1/2tsp turmeric in ovenproof pot; mix well. Seal with foil; cover with lid. Cook 1-1/2hrs. Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves, and with basmati rice and chapatis.  
Herb-Crusted Roast Rump: Pre-heat oven 200C. Mix 2tbs each roughly chopped parsley, thyme and rosemary, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 4tbs olive oil to form a paste; evenly rub herb mixture over whole 1-1/2 to 2kg rump roast; season.  Place beef in roasting pan; bake 30-35mins.  Reduce temp to 180C.  Place 2 bunches vine cherry tomatoes around roast. Sprinkle with 4-5tbs balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil.  Return to oven; bake 20mins for a medium roast.  Serve with roast vegies, including roasted red onions.

Coffee Cake with Cappuccino Butter-Cream: Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.  Put 200g butter, 200g golden caster sugar, 200g muscovado sugar and 250ml water in a pan; heat gently until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in 250g S.R flour, 3-4tbs instant coffee, pinch of baking powder, 2 eggs and 125 soured cream. Mix to a smooth batter. Pour into a lined 20 x 30cm cake tin (leave some baking paper overhanging to help lift the cake out, once done). Bake 25-30mins, until a skewer comes out cleanly. Cool, then lift out. Make icing: Gradually beat 250g icing sugar into 125g room-temp butter, along with 1tbs instant coffee mixed with 1/2tbs boiling water.  Spread all over the cooled cake; dust with cocoa powder.