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I am normally a night owl. I work best when everyone else has gone to sleep and all is still. After I have digested the day is when I write the most. And I love the nightlife, I got to boogie, on the disco ’round, oh yeah. On an average day in my life things don’t ever begin to get interesting until about half three in the afternoon. I am pretty much the lone owl in my family of larks, though now that the nephews are teenagers they are giving me a good run for my sleeping-in money.
But this week at the shore I am apparently a morning person. I get up well before sunrise and bounce down to the beach for an illicit lifeguard-less romp in the crisp, cold ocean, while watching the sun rise a ribbon at a time. (By swim, you understand that I mean splashing around waist deep like an overgrown toddler, right?) Then a wee walk followed by insane bouts of domesticity. Which is even more laughable than the early rising for those who know me well. The other day I had 2 loads of laundry done, coffee made, a pound of bacon cooked and was on to making this blueberry basil refrigerator jam before anyone else was even awake. Simple. The blueberries are tart, the basil gives an herbal and licorice-y hit to it, and the tiniest amount of sugar slides it into sweet territory. 1 pint of blueberries, in a saucepan with 1/4 cup of water, 1 bunch torn basil leaves and the scantiest sprinkling of sugar. Cooked carefully over high heat until the blueberries begin to burst and then left on low simmer, stirred occasionally until it looks like jam. Spread on toast, pancakes, or slices of stale sticky buns.
