Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “more than a hundred.” Write your post inspired by something you have more than a hundred of in your home right now
I don’t even have to leave my chair to answer this question or for that matter even turn my head. I’m surrounded by books and more books. Which is a blessing and a curse. I love to read and that will never be a curse but now that we’re moving there’s no way all of these books can go with us. My granddaughter counted my books one day, I think she was bored but we have over 3000 books in our home. We’re talking a lifetime of reading by two avid readers.
Talk about a reality check. One I’ve resisted for a very long time, even when my children said to me after their father died that…. I better get rid of all of my books because they don’t want to deal with it.
I didn’t appreciate the commentary then nor do I now. I found it distasteful at the time and deep down I still do. But I’m also quite pragmatic I need to downsize and my extensive library won’t fit. So the daily task of making a sell stack and a keep stack has begun.
In addition to the list of what to sell on Craig’s list and what to list in Facebook marketplace. This growing old or the golden years as we’re led to believe are special aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. It’s another misleading factor in life.
Nor do I appreciate hearing that minimalism is the best way to be. I’m sorry, but I love walking over to take a book off the shelf and opening it to a page where I’ve made a notation that comes in handy now. Or flipping open a cookbook and seeing the notation when I made a recipe for the first time and for who. Was it successful or a disaster. I don’t have that on Allrecipes.com.
Maybe those mementos mean nothing to other people but they sure mean a lot to me. But then I’m that same crazy lady that has saved every card ever given her. I have more than a hundred of them too! I love looking at them, re-reading the messages and recalling the day. Guess one could call me sentimental and others would call me a pack rat.
Although when I think of pack rat, I think of piles and piles and that’s not what you will discover in my home. Everything has a place right now but will it have in the future… I don’t know.
In case you’re wondering, a plot is to devise the sequence of events in (a play, novel, movie, or similar work). But it can also be a plan made in secret by a group of people to do something illegal or harmful. And if that isn’t confusing enough it can also be a small area of planted ground like a vegetable plot ora small piece of land in a cemetery ora measured piece of land.
I asked this in an non-specified manner for a reason because I find it fascinating how this question stumps people initially before they make a choice.
I think of myself as an author so my mind goes immediately to the genre I love writing. Yup, you guessed poetry is my first love. I write short stories some fiction and some non-fictional.
If I approach this as a reader, than my genre choice would be historical fiction or non-fiction. I love reading biographies.
If I approach this with movies in mind, than I’m eclectic. I am very open to most movies.
If you could be a character in any story which one would it be?
I would be Eleanor Roosevelt. I have always wanted to know more about her personally but also that time in history.
Are you veggie lover or a fruit lover?
I love veggies and fruits but if I had to choose it would be veggies first. Yeah, I know I’m weird, I’ve been told that a time or two.
What era of music is your favorite and why?
I’m a huge sixties fan especially Motown.
If you change one thing in the world, what would it be?
I have to agree with Fandango on this one. I would go back in time and make sure Trump’s mother had an abortion so this nightmare wouldn’t happen. I can’t help but wonder if she’s feels guilty. If she doesn’t she should.
Why did you begin blogging?
I began blogging back in 2007 but I wasn’t consistent I had a blog on WDC and one here. In 2011, I became more determined to blog everyday and I was actually doing pretty well until my grandson died. I couldn’t do it. It took a lot for me to begin writing again. Pain can be crippling and some times a powerful muse.
What makes you laugh?
I love watching my cats play. I love watching children play. Both aren’t prisoners to social norms and constrictions.
Life sometimes makes me laugh, just not as much as it used too.
Fandango writes: “Today’s theme is “your favorite beverage.” Are you going to choose an alcoholic beverage like a mixed drink, beer, hard lemonade, flavored vodka, or something like that? A hot drink like coffee or tea? Soda, water, or a milkshake? Share a story, a poem, a photo, a drawing, some music, or whatever you wish to share about your favorite beverage (or beverages).”
Everyday on Facebook, I say good morning everyone with three coffee cups and typically there’s a coffee meme picture.
As a child, I hated milk and every opportunity I had I would swap my milk for her black coffee. She couldn’t believe I liked black coffee. After many battles she finally conceded, and let me drink black coffee. I’ve been drinking my coffee black with no sweetener since I was three, I’m 64 now. 61 years of heaven.
My doctor goes nuts because I drink 2 sometimes 3 pots of coffee a day. As a compromise on the day of my physical I drink only 1 pot before seeing him. That way I have a normal ekg, because when I drink 2 sometimes my ekg shows premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) which are extra heartbeats that begin in one of your heart’s two lower pumping chambers (ventricles). These extra beats disrupt your regular heart rhythm, sometimes causing you to feel a fluttering or a skipped beat in your chest. I learned that if I have occasional premature ventricular contractions, but am otherwise healthy, there’s probably no reason for concern, and no need for treatment. If I had frequent premature ventricular contractions or underlying heart disease, I might need treatment.
Premature ventricular contractions often cause few or no symptoms. But one might feel an odd sensation in your chest, such as:
Fluttering
Pounding or jumping
Skipped beats or missed beats
Increased awareness of your heartbeat
I don’t have any of the symptoms. But he does wish I would drink less coffee. I love coffee and until it causes me other issues than I’m going to keep enjoying my coffee. I think of all the possible vices one could have coffee isn’t as bad as it could be and I’m fortunate it never keeps me awake. I really do think my primary worries too much.
I even wrote a poem about my love of coffee back in 2015. If you look closely, the words shape a to-go- coffee mug too.
Ode to My Joe
Oh, your heady fragrance can be
so smoothly intoxicating.
Your smoky aroma whets my appetite.
As the sun rises, the beginning
of a new adventure, my addictive mind
says I need you to invigorate my senses,
tease me to step out of my comfort zone.
I remember when I was a mere wisp of myself
the novelty of your power was
fiercely intimidating yet compelling
me to drop all pretense of control.
You frightened and lured me like
a moth to a flame. I could not
resist, although I struggled
in vain, my addiction was too much.
You laughed at my feeble attempts
to withdraw because
I was scared of all the negative
propaganda surrounding you.
You assured me… it was all lies
Your sweet whispers told me
I would never feel so good
with anything like this again.
I waivered…
afraid of the me without you.
I threw caution to the wind and
slowly sipped, savoring your
heat while ignoring the
bitter after taste that
lingered on my breath.
I surrendered and let myself
float into the dark spiral
of an addict’s life.
I live… my passion for you
briefly fulfilled
The other beverage I enjoy is water and I do consume a lot of water too.
In the evening, Vic and I always have a cup of tea together before going to bed. Like my coffee, my tea is black with no sweetener.
Amazing designs, don’t you agree? Which one appealed to you most, why? What’s your favorite architecture near where you live?
Our BCoF people are planning our dinner this evening.
Catedral is quite stunning structurally, different than what we’ve been seeing on our trip. It was designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and projected by Brazilian structural engineer Joaquim Cardozo, and was completed and dedicated on May 31, 1970. We’ve been to some unique temples, mosques and very old churches but this is the first one that I noticed captured the essence of an angel. They have an angel suspended in front of beautiful stained glass which with the light filtering gave it an eerie celestial feeling to me. The flower vendors on the sidewalk outside provided us with a sensory feeling that complimented the visual. The circular structures made me think of a flying saucer.
The Itamaraty Palace is another unusual structure but it is so much more. I was surprised to see all the water gardens and the various plants growing. It’s surprisingly peaceful inside here, there appears to be a lot of non-used space. I wonder if they hold meetings or banquets here and haul in the necessary seating. If they do what an amazing setting.
Trip Advisor had this to say about the Templo da Boa Vontade– “The Temple of Good Will (TGW) is an ecumenical monument located in Brazil’s capital. It was conceived and built by Jose de Paiva Netto, President of the Legion of Good Will (LBV), who inaugurated it in October 1989. Every year it receives more than one million pilgrims, making it the most visited place in the city, according to official data from the State Secretariat of Tourism of the Federal District (SETUR). Acclaimed by the people as one of the Seven Wonders of Brasilia, the TGW is on the official list of monuments for tourists to visit during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It is part of the Legion of Good Will’s Ecumenical Complex, together with the World Parliament of Ecumenical Fraternity, the LBV’s ParlaMundi.”
It reminds me of the pyramids we saw in Eqypt except there are openings on the side allowing the light to enter. There are art exhibts, some plant displays but for me it was not as appealing inside as the Catedral or the Itamarty despite it being acclaimed as one of the seven wonders.
All it has done is remind me of the time and I’m wondering what the BCoF crew is planning for our last night in Brasilla for dinner. I have to admit I’m anxious to get to our next destination. I’ve always wanted to see Belize.
BCoF I’ve made arrangements for you to take all those Brazillian food choices to the next level. You’re putting a menu together to help this restaurant get better ratings.
Our group is going to enjoy your recommendations this evening. Don’t be out to late we’re off to Belize next. Perfect timing Hurricane Laura has already gone past our location. Prayers for all that aren’t as fortunate.
I’m going to say the pictures of the choices look good but than as we all know pictures seldom look like what the portions really are and I was disappointed reading the reviews. Bar food seems to be the common description, what exactly does that say about the food. My personal experiences with bar food hasn’t been satisfactory so I’m biased. I think by labeling the pictures so people have a name to reference back too once they get back to their lodging and have time to review. So I think that’s one thing our group could be helpful. We’re writers after all.
One thing I did notice is Brazil and Argentina claim to be the barbecue capital of the world. I wonder how St. Louis in Kansas feels about that they make the same claim. I was reading on the Top 10 foods in Brazil. “In Brazil, premium cuts (the most popular being picanha, or rump cap) are seasoned with no more than a liberal shake of coarse salt, before being grilled to pink perfection over charcoal (or wood, if you’re doing it the old-fashioned Southern way). Home barbecues will see sausages, queijo coalho (squeaky cheese on a stick) and chicken hearts sharing space on the grill, while in churrascarias (barbecue-style steakhouses), all manner of meats on skewers – from pork to lamb and wild boar – will be sliced by waiters straight onto your plate.” –10 foods link
I’ve had some interesting steaks cooked with crushed pepper not ever with coarse salt. I’m kinda curious now. But no way am I eating chicken hearts or lamb. I’ll pass. I don’t eat beef or pig hearts either. Or for that matter liver.
I was surprised there were not more bread options, don’t get me wrong. Pão de queijo is mighty tasty but not everyone wants cheese. I have to be careful with cheese these days so I was disappointed how few options for bread they had. What do you think ladies maybe some bread with fruit like apple, blueberry or cherry or maybe pumpkin or zucchini bread.
I know I was pleased to see quindim was on the menu, I know I had it last night but it was soo GOOD but I’m ordering it again after I try these Brazilan chicken wings. I believe the waitress called them FRANGO A PASSARINHO. I didn’t want anything alcoholic since we’re traveling tomorrow so I thought I would try LIMONADA SUÍÇA, Oh my… what a surprise no lemons. There aren’t any, because Brazilian Lemonade is usually made with limes and sweetened condensed milk. It was like having a refreshing milkshake.
Now, Olyvia from the link says, “The real Brazilian Lemonade will take a whole can of sweet condensed milk. I know it might sound excessive and overly sweet, but since we leave the lime’s peel in most of the limes, it ends up being necessary so you don’t end up with a bitter drink. Another trick to prevent bitterness is to blend the limes and water for only 10 seconds. That’s it! No more. It is enough time to extract the juice and some of the bitterness from the peel. Any more than that and you won’t be able to drink your lemonade, even if you add five cans of sweet condensed milk! Also, the fresher the limes, the better. And, even though we are leaving the peel in some of the limes, you gotta cut off the white part from the inside. That’s where most of the bitterness is and it does not belong in our awesome drink.”
Olivia’s recipe is below:
“4 juicy limes
4 cups cold water
1 can sweet condensed milk
Ice to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash your limes and peel two of them. Cut them into 8 wedges. and remove the white pith.
Combine the lime wedges and water in your blender’s jar and pulse for a few seconds (10 seconds maximum).
Strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the pulp to extract all the juice.
Return the liquid to the blender and the sweet condensed milk. Blend until creamy and frothy. Then, add the ice and blend again until super nice and cold! 🙂 (Too intense? Add more water or ice and blend some more!)
Serve immediately”
I will definitely be making me some when I get home again. It was definitely like having a smoothie not sure I have room for my quindim but I’m going to do it anyway. What’s a little gluttony among friends.
“The architect’s role is to fight for a better world, where he can produce an architecture that serves everyone and not just a group of privileged people.”
— Oscar Niemeyer
“It is not the right angle that attracts me, nor the straight line, hard and inflexible, created by man. What attracts me is the free and sensual curve — the curve that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuous course of its rivers, in the body of the beloved woman.”
— Oscar Niemeyer
Prompt: How did a teddy bear get on the moon? Write about this in your Blog entry today.
I wondered that myself but than I thought about all the astronauts that have ventured to the moon and hoped one of them left it there for a child to discover looking up at the moon with a telescope. What a great way to inspire future moon travelers.
But than I remembered all the baby decorations available and so many of them have teddy bears curled up on a crescent moon. Such a sweet image. someone had inspiration but who. I went through 4 google search pages and said, I’m not that interested. I know Teddy Bears came to be popular because they were named after the president Teddy Roosevelt. Wikipedia says, “Developed apparently simultaneously by toy makers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff in Germany in the early years of the 20th century, and named after President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, the teddy bear became a popular children’s toy, celebrated in story, song, and film.”
As a child, I never owned a teddy bear. I had a stuffed collie that I lugged everywhere with me. My first teddy bear was a Steiff Bear, I purchased for myself on my 30th birthday. Over the years, I’ve had some beautiful bears given to me by Vic. My most recent teddy bear is actually a pumpkin bear that was created for me at build a bear by my granddaughter Olyvia last Halloween. I named my teddy Pumpkin but Olyvia told me it needed a spookier name than that so I named him Jack after the pumpkin in the tale of the jack’o’lantern.
I’m curious did you own a teddy bear as a child? And do you know how the teddy bear got on the crescent moon?
phew, that flight was long. 20 hours on a plane. What a way to celebrate my 64th birthday.
We’re going directly to our hotel and catching some much needed rest before we go out for dinner. This is a great time to recap your experiences thus far or do BCoF’s prompts which I’m also sharing.
We were walking into the hotel and all I could smell was this fragrant aroma. Come to find out it is a Brazilian Fish Stew called Moqueca. Well, I was exhausted but there was no way I wasn’t going to give this a try. Frigging amazing. They served it over a rice with a crusty bread. Perfect portions. But after the partying on the plane I need a nap before heading out. I may be a young 64 but I am wise enough to know burning candles at both ends one gets burned. I need to be safe in this city, I’m very aware there’s a lot of covid cases.
Looking out the window I have a better perspective of our hotel. It’s built in a horseshoe shape with all of the hotel overlooking the pool. After I take a nap, I’m going to hit the pool before our reservation at the Taypa Sabores Del Peru. Everyone raves about the Ceviche. It is loaded with shrimp, avocados, tomatoes and cucumbers; all marinated in fresh lime juice. They use cooked or raw shrimp, depending on the season. I definitely won’t be having Ceviche since I have a severe iodine allergy, that’s the last thing I need on my birthday. From what I read, they have some exquisite veggie dishes not that I need to be thinking about food when I just had Moqueca.
I slid open the sliding glass door and inhaled the salt water. Heaven.
Oh my …my bathroom is black and white striped marble with a crazy curved tub with a handheld shower head/nozzle and no doors. Wow. It’s frigging huge. Maybe, my nap can wait a bit longer this has my name all over it.
On my way to the lobby to meet Sandra, Blue, Neva, Petra, Carly and Judith… I couldn’t believe who was in the elevator with me… Gisele Bündchen I wouldn’t have known who she was but the man with her was talking about the next Vogue cover shoot. Oh my, I quickly googled her. She’s Brazil top paid supermodel.
I looked at her and then again at myself. I briefly scolded myself for all the indulgences I’ve enjoyed the last 26 days. I did say briefly because I went back to wondering what desserts would be on the menu.
After doing some research on my phone while waiting for the ladies. I decided my birthday dessert is going to be Quindim. “It’s a traditional Brazilian coconut custard cake made with sugar, egg yolks, and ground coconut. The most popular theory about the origin of the dish suggests that it was invented in the 17th century in the northeast of Brazil by African slaves. However, the excessive usage of egg yolks indicates possible Portuguese roots of the dish, since Portuguese cuisine traditionally uses large amounts of egg yolks. The name quindim stems from the Bantu language, roughly translated to the unusual phrase “the gestures of adolescent girls”.
Today, quindim is one of the most popular desserts in Brazil, often consumed at birthdays, weddings, and christenings.”~ https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-desserts-in-brazil
Mpqueca -Fish Stew– total cooking time 40 min.
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of fillets of firm white fish such as halibut, swordfish, or cod, rinsed in cold water, pin bones removed, cut into large portions
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped spring onion, or 1 medium yellow onion, chopped or sliced
1/4 cup green onion greens, chopped
1/2 yellow and 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, chopped (or sliced)
2 cups chopped (or sliced) tomatoes
1 tablespoon paprika (Hungarian sweet)
3 tablespoons of coriander
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped and set aside for garnish (optional)
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
Start cooking the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion greens: In a large covered pan (such as a Dutch oven), coat the bottom with about 2 Tbsp of olive oil and heat on medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and cook a few minutes until softened. Add the bell pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. (At least a teaspoon of salt.) Cook for a few minutes longer, until the bell pepper begins to soften.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and onion greens. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Stir in the coriander.
Layer vegetables with fish, add coconut milk: Use a large spoon to remove about half of the vegetables (you’ll put them right back in). Spread the remaining vegetables over the bottom of the pan to create a bed for the fish.
Arrange the fish pieces on the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then add back the previously removed vegetables, covering the fish.
Pour coconut milk over the fish and vegetables. Simmer, cook, adjust seasonings: Bring soup to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may need to add more salt (likely), lime or lemon juice, paprika, pepper, or chili flakes to get the soup to the desired seasoning for your taste.
Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice or with crusty bread.
Rice with a bit of help from garlic.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup white rice
1 3/4 cups boiling water (check your rice package for the appropriate ratio of liquid to rice for the type of rice you are using)
1 teaspoon salt
Today’s theme is “thank your followers.” As bloggers (and writers), we all appreciate having followers. What would you like to say to your followers to thank them for following you blog (or some other online presence)? Share a story, a poem, a photo, a drawing, some music, or whatever you wish to share about how you would thank your followers.
I’m dedicating this poem to all the different followers of my blog. You’re amazing!
The Janaku is a simple form of three lines per stanza invented by Eileen Tabios. Each line is based on word count instead of syllables, with the first line containing one word, the second line two words, and the third line three words. There is no limit to the number of stanzas.
As artists we share our passion with the world. We help each other reach our goals by supporting each other. For my followers I want to say more than a simple thank you. You’re awesome ! You’re kind words have helped me with the dark days waiting for the diagnosis, the surgery and the million scary thoughts that ran amok waiting. You’ve offered prompts that gave my sadness a place to be. I’m so truly lucky to be part of your world and so very lucky you’re a part of mine. Mr. Bennett says it so much better than me. but these words matter for every blogger writing.
“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy Bennett
lyncrain 