Month August 2021

A Wishing Well…

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Sometimes we get LUCKY! I was in Michigan at a fair. They had an historical center with different log cabins.

A I explored the buildings, I came across this Wishing Well. I’ve always wanted to see a Wishing Well up close, throw a coin in and make my wish. Of course, I was a bit disappointed when I got closer. Turns out it was a “fake” Well, no water, and you can probably see from the photo a plastic container inside that was very shallow for a plant maybe.

So, I could not make a wish. It would have been ridiculous. Throwing a penny in, would have felt like throwing my penny in the grass – no meaning. Sigh, but from a distance, the visual of the Well was GOOD!

When I got home, I did a search for Wishing Wells. Amazon sells quite a few, people buy them as a decoration for their garden. I had no idea. I know, it sounds silly, but I live in a city, we don’t put Wishing Wells on our roof tops. I think of Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairly Tales when I think of Wishing Wells.

On to my next adventure. Blueberry and raspberry picking. Take a look at this. A field of raspberries, it was amazing. They are a thorny bush, so next time I wouldn’t wear shorts. Your legs can really get scratched up.

I met some really nice people who were picking. There was an older couple in their 70s, who have been coming to the same farm for years. They said they pick about 8 lbs each time. Their grandkids love the blueberries. There was one mother who said she had been coming for 22 years with her daughter. She was sad, because this summer her daughter could not make it. Kids grow up, but she was picking some for her. Keep the tradition alive.

I got to say, it was wonderful to get out of the city and be on a farm. Smell the fresh air, hear the farm animals.

Oh, guess what, while I was getting gas, I found TWO Lucky pennies.

So, the Wishing Well DID WORK — in a round about way! Don’t you enjoy coincidences like that!

Florence, Italy… I miss you!

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I was taking to my Italian mother the other day. She said was one of her cousins was in Florence and it felt so strange. There aren’t many tourists, so to be able to walk and “see” the city was an eery feeling. We are used to so many tourists that we are elbow to elbow with them. Instead, my mother’s cousin arrived in Piazza Della Signoria with open eyes, as if seeing the Piazza for the first time. BEAUTIFUL!

I remember that feeling years ago. I was in Florence in June, it was so packed with people that I could not enjoy the city and I wanted to leave. I thought, I am DONE, I do not need to visit Florence for a long time.

THEN, one year, I visited in late November. I was walking the streets, hardly any people. Like my mother’s cousin, I had this strange feeling that something was wrong. Where were the people? My next thought was… ah, it’s late November – no tourists – this is GLORIOUS!

Fast forward to COVID 2021. My friend is in Florence right now. She said that August is SO HOT, over 100 degrees, she can see why the Italians go to the seaside the whole month of August. She remembers going around town with me, but couldn’t remember where restaurants and shops were.

So, I marked up this quick map for her. Once I did that, she had her bearings. She said there are not that many tourists. When outside you don’t need a mask, but inside you must have it. Also, because of COVID there were no new things to see in the market place or the shops. Everything seemed as it was from 2 years ago. Oh… this was funny. She was looking forward to a good dish of pasta. The pasta came, but it was SUPER AL DENTE. Not good.

My Italian girlfriend said her husband did that sometimes. I mean, there is AL DENTE, and there is ULTRA AL DENTE. She would tell her husband, “You must have been REALLY HUNGRY to serve pasta like this! YUK!”

Anyhow…

Traveling right now is challenging and different, because COVID rules / regulations keep changing.

If you are traveling… BE SAFE!

Florence… I miss you. I’ll be back.

Sleep… Buckwheat pillows, yes/no, bugs/no bugs?

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A miracle happened! I found a pillow that gives me great neck support. I can sleep again!

Where did this miracle happen? At the Asian grocery store.

In the past few years, I have had trouble sleeping. The issue was my pillow. Not sure why or when my pillow became uncomfortable, but it did. I needed specific neck support. Most pillows are soft and if they are firm, it’s not specific to support the neck.

Recently, I was at the Asian store buying curry. I decided to see what pretty dishes/tea pots they had when I came across these pillows. It said they were buckwheat pillows. I felt them, I really liked how firm they were, so decided to give them a try.

I LOVE this pillow. The smaller one is better, because it fits perfectly under my neck. Turns out, buckwheat pillows, also known as sobakawa, originated in Japan. They are good for spinal alignment. Now, more people are using them around the world. I had not heard of these pillows. I do want to visit Japan, so now I have a very good reason. First stop, pillow shop!

The big question, as I was reading online, is whether or not these pillows have mites/bugs.

Some reviews said, “No,” but others said, “Yes.” So, it’s interesting, because our normal pillows/bedding can have mites, etc. We don’t see them, but they can be there. Then I thought about our clothing in the closet, moths love to each my cashmere and woolen jackets. Our houses have a lot of dust.

Here I found a pillow I LOVE, it lets me sleep. Do I worry about bugs?

I honestly don’t have neck pain anymore. This is what I am wondering. I don’t know enough about buckwheat, but I do know it is SUPER comfy. I mean it’s a hard pillow, but that’s what I need. I’ll just keep cleaning the pillow covers, and put the inner buckwheat pillow out in the sun.

Anyone use a buckwheat pillow? Share your experience, so we can learn.

Reading – Last summer book

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If you are looking for one last summer book to read, I recommend Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer, her memoir. I’m listening to it on audio. The Mongol Derby, in Mongolia, is said to be the toughest horse race in the world. Riding 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) for 10 days, using 25 horses along the way. Lara Prior-Palmer, won at 19 years old in 2013, she is the youngest person to have won the race.

Fast forward to 2019, when the oldest person, Bob Long from Idaho, won the race at 70 years old. He said that age is just a number. True; however, he grew up riding horses, so he felt comfortable with this type of rugged race. Still, at 70 years, that kind of race is hard on the body. He made it to all of his pit stops without over riding his horses in any way.

So, I’ve got to say, this was a good summer find.

I’d love to read another memoir like this, one of endurance. Any good reads, share them.

Enjoy the day!

Baking – Put the masks back on?

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It looks like our mask freedom was short lived. Back to wearing masks indoors even if we are vaccinated. So, with that in mind, I thought I might as well brush up on my baking skills. Fall is coming, who knows what will happen in September. If we are house bound again, back to cooking/baking at home.

I haven’t made peanut butter cookies since I was a child. I’m not a vegan, but I saw this recipe on The Simple Veganista. So easy, seven ingredients in one bowl. Mix and bake.

If you live where there is hot weather, you should let the cookie dough set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes; otherwise, when you put the cookies on the cookie sheet, and into the oven — they melt and all blend together.

I would have been so dismayed, if I looked in the oven window and saw a sheet of peanut butter cake, instead of individual cookies. Another tip, I used a cookie scooper, so cookies look uniform. However, my cookie scooper is medium size and even though I used a fork to press the cookies down, they were chunky and took longer to cook.

Final Result — Excellent!

BONUS – so fast to make, little cleanup!