Nidulari is a fun place to be these days! I’ve never been happier, holed up in my shiny new kitchen, playing with all kinds of recipes–both new and old–at all hours of day and night. Did I mention night? Fluorescent lighting is amazing, after years of living in the dark. There’s been a lot of rain this week, and though challenging in the outside department, it’s been a fabulous excuse cook up a storm, figure out new menu options, and continue shaping the future of Nidulari–my future–and how that reflects upon our community, in serving its hunger both for wholesome food and for gathering places; quiet places, places to escape for a little while. Where better than under an ancient mango tree, to the songs of the birds?
In a society where people try to bandaid the world’s problems with feel-good memes, “prayers” and “inspirational quotes”, the myriad greens of the leaves, greys of the tree trunks, and browns and blacks of the soil; so rich, so full of life; are more important than ever. They are a grounding. They are aspects of a whole, melding together, one eventually becoming the other. There is no judgement. The leaf does not judge the soil, nor the soil the leaf. It is a welcoming place. The trees welcome the rain, then the sun. They do not complain, though sometimes they do drop mangoes on our heads. I’ll not read any deeper into that, for who am I to question the motives of a centuries-old mango tree?
With all that Zen comes such tasty food. Tomorrow is our first Monday of Indian take-out, available 5-7pm. Head over to our “Food” page for the menu – it will be delicious! Wednesday continues to be bread day, rain or shine, with Thursday delivery to Christiansted. Saturday lunches are taking off! We did not wash away in the rain yesterday, despite the apparent wrath of the storm gods-perhaps next time I must sacrifice sheep, rather than falafel? Who’s to suggest that the gods would be vegetarian, after all.
With that, my dear people, I leave you for the week. The rain is clearing and I’m told that the beach is lonely, for want of a dog (and maybe a person).
Nidulari 
Oh! My mouth is watering, thinking of your delicious descriptions of joyously cooking in the shiny new kitchen! Breads! Falafel! Curry! Open a branch over here on St John! (Am I beginning to sound like a broken record?!)
Or I will just have to make the trek over to see and taste, and sit a while under the old mango tree myself! ❤️
Definitely the latter! I don’t think that St John prices fit into my worldview! Bring all your friends…you can just relocate St John to St Croix.
Lol! Relocate the islands! Let’s be neighbors!
The people, not the landmasses! We have space on St Croix…then St John could be turned into one solid National Park. Aspirations…
Would love to experience your take on indian food. YUM YUM. Wish i could fly.
Hope you’ll make it down here again one day! We’ve done so much to the property since that first year when you and Julien helped with the cottage roof!