To sleep perhaps to dream....

There are foods that promote sleep: oatmeal, bananas, turkey, whole wheat toast but I'm still up to 3 a.m. or so on the computer or reading.

Fortunately I can sleep in, most of the time.

Now I like staying up late and I know I shouldn't nap during the day but sometimes after work I just fade out. I can't keep my eyes open another minute. Then I wake up and I'm ready to go until 2 or 3.

If I had my way, all grocery stores would be open 24/7 along with movie theaters like in NYC. I need a city that never sleeps and a schedule that can accommodate my body rhythm.

Today is my friend Gloria's birthday so after work I'll go join the celebration. Knowing how they go on for hours I'm sure they will still be there.

After a day of rain today is beautiful, the sun is out and it's about 70, no coat needed today.

The city of San Jose just sent me a workers comp. form for my doctors visits and mileage.

Glad to know they will reimburse my mileage and deductible. I just hope I will get use of my L arm again.

Pho

On these rainy days there is something comforting about a big bowl of soup or pho, vietnamese broth that you add bean spouts, mint, other herbs and sometimes chicken, pork or beef.

It took me a while to realize that restaurants called pho never served anything else. My favorite lemon grass chicken had to come from another source. I live in a town that had a large Latin and Vietnamese population.

Their markets are very different.

We have out meat sealed in plastic. No smell everything sanitized....

Their fish is on ice and the guy plucks it or swimming out of the tank hits it in the head, guts it and cleans it. No cost.

I checked out some books today: A bird's-eye view of Jewish history, Against Silence: the voice and vision of Ellie Wiesel and Ancient Judiasm. (that one may be beyond me)

Maybe I'll learn something.

Walking

Exercise starts one step at a time...at least I'm walking. Then my aerobics class and tape.

There is also the Avon Susan B Koman Breast Cancer Walk a thon coming up.

I'm not so sure I'm up to 32 miles.

I'm investigating....

Think I'll make some beef stew.
I remember mom putting in a pot roast every Sunday before leaving for mass.

Then it was a wonderful meal when she got home.

She even knew how to make gravy which I haven't gotten down completely.

The part I didn't like was the cold roast beef sandwiches for lunch the next week. To this day I won't eat a roast beef sandwich. I think there may have been Velveeta involved too.

Hers were a lot better than the deli too!

Our comfort food was grilled cheese sandwiches and tuna casserole with potato chips and cream of mushroom soup and Salisbury steak t.v. dinners and mashed potato's; and meatloaf.

Now I like macaroni and cheese a la Martha Stewart not Velveeta. I also like meatloaf and mashed potato's.

Now I make beef short ribs from Bon Appetite.

Isn't it interesting that short ribs, flank steak and other cuts that used to be cheap now are so expensive.

Then again in 1968 gas was .29 a gal.

Physical therapy

My therapist was not happy with me. I was not doing my exercises correctly.

I put my arm in a warming chamber for 30 min. while ground corn husk granules blew round it . Then parfin dips and ultrasound. I got a brace and instructions to ice it.

Then I went for my walk. It's a shorts day, warm and sunny.

I made a nice feta, basil, sundried tomato pasta salad add parsley and tiny grape tomatos, red onion to corkscrew pasta. Add a little olive oil and white wine vinegar..yum

Stopped by the falaffel drive in today for a salad with extra pitas it makes 3. Those balls of ground chickpeas/garbanzo, and spices are good along with cucumber, tomato, lettuce and white yogurt sauce in a pita.

The place is packed all summer but not a sole was in sight today.

I registered to sub again for Evergreen school district.

You'd think they'd tire of taking my fingerprints but ever district requires it for an additional dollar fee. They all want their piece of the pie.

ebay

I was looking on ebay last night for the first time.

I found baby stuff: diapers and a car seat for cheap.

Babies are so expensive.

Too bad Gwen doesn't remember Grandma Jean and Grandpa George.

They showered her with love and living so close by attention and care.

I remember Dad reading her book over and over and over again with more patience than my friend Penny and I thought possible.

I've got this great picture of Mom and Gwen on her 1st Christmas being up on grandma's knees while mom was on the floor.

She was so delighted with her granddaughter.

Mom bought Gwen her 1st honey colored teddy bear with a plaid bow around his neck.

I went out walking the the beautiful sunny CA weather.

Baby food

At the baby shower we tasted the baby food and guessed what it was. I got 5 out of 7. I likes sweet potato and apple sauce. Those peas and green beans were nasty. Bannanna was mixed with something sweet. I like carrots raw but those were icky. No wonder Alexis used to get it in her hair and babies turn their heads yuck.

Diapers are expensive. No wonder Gwen took to making them. I may try to show the mommmie to be how. She's a seamstress. I'm not. We need to make a receiving blanket too.

Did you know they won't let you take the baby out of the hospital without a car seat?

It's interesting that the baby is due next week and they don't have a name for her or a bed. There is a lot to do nesting has not been high on her list. Amazing.

It was really nice this weekend and the sun was old sweater weather again thank goodness.

It's so dry I've been watering and the paperwhites smell so good. Thank you Bob and Pat!

This 4 hr. sleep cycle is getting old.

Latin parties

Boy do the parties Latinos give go on and on....like 8 hrs,,,, I'm usted to 2-4 hours.

Latino time also reigns. They say come at 2 and some come by 4, some at 5 and finally by 5:30 there is food,

I've gone to a number of events by my Nicaraguan friend Carolina and also my friend Gloria from Bolivia.

Caro's parties start in prep where I come early to visit and help prep as cocinera. They 2 hrs. later as the guests drift in they visit and drink and dance and finally eat and dance and drink some more. Sometimes they go on to 5 a.m.

Today there was a baby shower and Gloria said 2. No-one but me and her son were there and he and his girlfriend, novia, because they were doing prep.

By 4 Gloria and her son Richard showed
By 5 her sister and cousin arrived,
By 5:30 another friend came,,,then the food
finally,,, the expectant mom and her husband. We ate and played games and opened presents and at 10 after visiting and trying to come up with names for her daughter I bailed after 8 hrs.

I finally have some one to give one of Dad's breast pumps to after 35 yrs.

Little girl's clothes are so cute.

I came home and passed out I was exhausted!

I'm reading for one more day by Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie

I DID IT!

I STARTED MY ExERCISE REGIME FINALLY ONLY 23 DAYS INTO THE NEW YEAR!

I ALSO PRUNED MY ROSES AND LEMON AND ORANNGE TREES.

I'M POOPED, especiallly after only 4 hours sleep again.

Asparagus

You either seem to love it it hate it. When I was in 20's and 3rd grade I hated it along with zucchini. Now I love both.

Until my 20's I never had it fresh or mushrooms either..it was always canned/

Then there is that whole thing Gwen and Aunt Francis said about pee... but I never noticed.

I just got my first batch of fresh asparagus, on sale, yum.

Now is the time for quick bread.

At Christmas I make cranberry, pumpkin ans zucchini bread for friends and co-workers.

I'm out pruning this morning and putting the stuff in the compost bin.

The geraniums are going wild.

Its easy to snap off a branch and stick it in dirt.

Need to plant some poppy and sweet pea seeds.

I remember grandpa having sweet peas next to his garage, in Des Moines, all summer.

Mine only last till March/April because of the heat here, but I love them.

Time to start my tomato seedlings too.

Gardening reduces stress.

Especially when you gave a gardner for the icky stuff you don't want to do.

It's Therapeutic none the less.

I'm off to a baby shower today and to visit the kittens at a pet faire.

I'm reading Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood.

Water intoxication

After my aerobics class I was drinking water....a lot...maybe a liter from the start of the class there was a bit left so I forced it down, went to the loo and felt funny, light headed and a bit dizzy.

Water it's good for you right? Water intoxication comes from drinking water too much too fast. It goes to your brain.

I went back into the bathroom//nothing. So, I went to the car to put my stuff away and all the sudden projectile vomiting of water --just got to the grass. Boy did I feel rotten. Afterwards, much better.

Should have gone back in but I went home. I was o.k. but 911 was not called....I was lucky.

Someone from my class came over to see if I was o.k.

Now, a woman here has died. Stupid radio contest.

No-one checked on her!

Scary.

I think of things like that.

I've fallen twice.

Once in the kitchen and the other last week in my bedroom.

My knee is still bruised.

I've discovered creamy peanut butter with honey..... yum.


I've been playing a lot of bridge. I've been playing for over 37 yrs.

After 2 hrs online and a second sleeping pill I finally got to sleep.

I can't sleep and I have to get to work in the a.m. Time for a sleeping pill.

4 hours of sleep for 6 days ain't cutting it.

Homelessness

There is a man at the supermarket every day, I assume, named Ed. He has a cat, and he built a cart for the cat and gives him everything: food,treats, a bed, blankets et al.

I talked to him about Miedo and he gave me some advice. I like his friendly cat.

He does not ask for money, but he is there rain or shine. I asked him once if he had a place out of the rain and he said yes.

Tonight, I went to the market and he was there on his usual bench in a sleeping bag sleeping or whatever degree of sleep you can get sitting up leaning on a cart with your cat next to you.

There for the grace of God go I.

I was tempted to ask him if he wanted to sleep in my garage. I don't live too close to the market so transportation might be an issue but I hate to think of him out there in these temps.

The bagger said he can't go to a shelter because of the cat and he wouldn't leave him.

Perhaps I could offer to keep the cat while he goes, showered et. al and got out of the weather.

The bag man said that the shelters charge $8.00. Can you imagine them having $8.00? Most don't have teeth.

Here I go again wanting to take in strays. Guess I really can't do that.

Avocados at the market were 2 for $3.00. Lettuce $2. a bag, Asparagus was better. Tomato .99 a lb.

Discovered these veggies with no sauce you steam...(frozen) that's good. They come in a pack and in the microwave 4 min split open and seasoned yummies inside , only 70 calories.

Gee that's like real fresh produce flash frozen but quick prep.

That and 3 hours of exercise a day I'd be dropping weight. Does that goal ever end. Yes there were periods I just gave it up, but it always comes back to nag me.

We sure have nasty fat genes. But, I have some Cavanaugh one's somewhere too.

Unlike Mickey, I actually really like veggies and fruit. I eat little meat.

I guess we go in spurts.

Let's face it food is solace. There are better subsitutions like friends and sex and exercise.....

Picked a bag of oranges rather than buy my regular Odwala Tangerine juice that is now $6.99 a qt.

Time to start squeezing! Yum nothing better than fresh squeezed juice.

Any idea how many oranged it takes to make a qt. 64 fl. oz.?.......over 40!

Went out to water the plants...the spider and geraniums really took a beating and the impatients are totally gone. The oranges are not fozen! yeah!


The primroses and paper whites are in bloom though. I need to check the roses and trim the citrus.

Ever heard of a documentary movie called:" The Boys of Sudan"? It's about boys that were 6 yrs. old or so when the government decided to wipe out all Muslims from the population, As a result of the genocide these children were left orphans and they banded together. They walked through Ethopia, starving, w/o water, facing wild animals, The huge number was decimated as they were thrown out of country after country. Finally, the small number remaining made there way. some to the U.S. They had never seen an apt., electricity, the ocean and asked if crocs were in there. The firm shows them on an elevator, esclator and experiencing culture shock of opposites. Their synopsis is that Americans are not very friendly. We have everything and are unhappy. Interesting.....

I'm reading Michael Civhton's Next.

My Oranges and Lemons are freezing!

Ever wonder why I stayed in CA?

I like the weather.

Now there is black ice on the road and the peaks have snow.

I like snow, when I'm inside with fa fire, riends, a book or elect to go out and ski or walk in it.

But, freezing pipes, frozen sprinkelers...you can have it.

I may have to turn on the heat.

Yes, it does turn on at 55 at night.

I need a heavier coat for the first time in 25 years!

I may need to juice all my oranges and lemons which I do anyway...stay tuned I haven't checked yet.

I'm having physical therapy for my back and l arm which I strained at work. Don't much like the exercises but if I did I'd have a great body. I have to tear the tissue and rebuild it.


Ain't Workers comp. a good thing.

I'm off to the store to load up on artichokes and avocado's, which I never ate before I came to CA and all the other veggies before they triple in price!

oye!

Kittens are gone and I miss them

Pain that they were they were cute too.

At least they are no longer feral and all 3 will be adopted.

My run and floors may never be he same after their cages and newspapers were picked up.

Kittens are messy and vacuums have a hard time keeping up.

Then the bleach for all the stuff, litter pans, Wash all those pads, towels, nest materials.

I may have to go to the adoption fair and visit them.

They were a lot of work and I have a hard enough time taking care of me and the house....and I have a cleaning lady and a gardner!

Lacey didn;t want the company. She;s happy to have me and her house back!

She's a growb up abd knows how to behave....mostly. Now if I could just teach her to scoop her litter or use the potty.

I tried that once. Didn't work. Guess you have to start the training as a kitten.

Miedo is gone

The kitten was picked up today. He was just getting to trust me. After 2 months I still couldn't pick him up but he let me stroke him and played with me. I feel so guilty.

Maybe he just needed some more time. Maybe when he comes back from having his ear notched I'll give hime one last shot.

Life outside is tough and short.

Exercise

Why is it so difficult to start or restart a new regime? I've meant to start my walking, or swimming or aerobics this week and here we are at the weeks' end and I need to get on it.

I'm reading the book Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle for my book club. Its a rich story of the haves and the have nots in LA.

It's a good thing there is a book discussion planned, I can't make a guess about the ending.

The hills are green again

not golden or as Gwen said brown. I tried to convince her that's why we we the golden state. She didn't buy it.

It's nice to see everything greening up. The trees are in bud and the fall colors from Thanksgiving are still on the trees.

I booked my tickets and reservations for Williamsburg.

I'll take the week and visit a friend in Chapel Hill and see Columbia,Charlotte, St. Simon's Island and the outer banks.

I ran a mapquest search and was surprised to see the road trip was just over 2 hrs. for some reason I thought the trip to Va beach was always 5.

My perspective/memories of going to the Cavalier Hotel with it's indoor pool is probably squewed.(sic)

Oaxaca

I'm trying to get more plates and soup bowls from a place in Oaxaca.

I found the address and wrote them a letter today.

Let's see how prohibitive they become.

Sunny and warm

The spring bulbs are popping up! Welcome to the new year.

My sheets arrived and they are warm and soft. Did you know that there are 1200 thread count sheets (per in.)

I love after Christmas sales. Actually, I get there in Feb.

By then the prices have been cut again.

I'm sure to find the most expensive ones the I can't be bothered by going to the store and the postage kills me.

Sheet sets are heavy.

I'm getting to be like the princess and the pea!

Yiddish

Tried to find the Yiddish for squirrel. Guess its Polish not Russian or Yiddish.

Found squirrel but sure can't read it in Yiddish or the Russian either!

Why do I know the name Posquinyak? I remember Dad using the word affectionately.

I had forgotten that these languages have Cryllic alphabets.

Is it Polish? In that language I can at least read the letters.

Pasikonik means grasshopper, paskudnik, a never do well or pasjonowac' very fond of.

So much for my memory.

I guess it makes sense since Dad's family came from Minsk which is now part of Poland.

A lot of effort to name a kitten who is going on Sat. I have these four pictures and I'm trying to import them.

I haven't had much success pasting photos in the past.

Happy New Year

Yum! Lobster and Campagne

We barely noticed the ball drop.

A quiet night and the older I get the better I like it.

Stay off the roads and away from the crowds.

Got a chance to sleep in.

Time to talk with old friends, read and rest.