My First Visit to Wegman's.....

 I hope will not be my last. On Monday night, as my daughter and I were finishing our trip from WV to the DC area, we went to Wegman's, after she discovered I had never been to one. My Lord, what a place!! The only grocery that I've been to that even came close was Giant Open Air Market in Norfolk (45 years ago), where you could walk in at any time of the day or night (364 days per year), go to the meat department, choose your steak, take it to the restaurant and they would cook it to your specs and charge only the price of the steak. You could add a baked potato and a salad for about $1.50. 

We walked around Wegman's a bit to get the stiffness out of my joints (six + hours in the car with few stops) and settled in the seafood area, where we both ordered pan-seared tilapia; mine with with lemon butter and broccoli and hers served over field greens. It was excellent, quick and inexpensive (only $10 per plate). Contrast that with my breakfast the next morning in the hotel:  $9.25 for eggs and bacon, and lunch: a turkey and havarti sandwich with chips and a soda - $11 something. I think if I lived near a Wegman's, I'd eat there at least three times a week - and I don't even like grocery shopping! NOTE to Wegman's owners:  you should consider moving into North Carolina (specifically Raleigh), to compete with Fresh Market and Whole Foods. I think you'd win, hands down!! 

Last night, we went to the Sweetwater Tavern in Falls Church. The waiter said the magic words for me during his recitation of the night's specials:  mahi-mahi. I have loved it ever since I went to Hawaii in 1982. It was served with cauliflower mash, which was sweet and smooth, and two of the biggest asparagus spears I've ever seen (they were very tender to be so large, and very fresh.) I remembered to take a photo of my plate, but I can't show it to you until I get back home. Eating there was a pleasure, so if you ever come close to them (they have 3 places in this area) treat yourself. They also brew their own beer on the premises, but I didn't have any. Daughter ate the "small" portion of prime rib, which was large enough for two, if you ask me. She ate every bite of that, the mashed potatoes, and the Caesar salad.

Despite the initial reason for this trip (the funeral), it has turned out to be delightful in every way, and of course, spending alone time with any of my children is wonderful. We will get home tonight; wish us luck, as there are more storms forecast for the areas we have to drive through.

"Cane River"

by Lalita Tademy was the book we read for last night's book club meeting. It is a story covering five generations of slaves in a Louisiana family, starting in the 1800's. 

From an interview with the author:

"Writing Cane River  affected me actually more than I suspected it would. The day that I got the Bill of Sale that displayed, visibly, that my (fourth) great grandmother Elisabeth was sold in 1850 for $800 was really an amazing experience in many ways. I was first and foremost elated. It proved that she existed categorically...and very quickly, I went from elation to absolute dejection......This is not a book about slavery. This is a story about mothers and daughters. This is a story about relationships. You don't have to be a southerner. You don't have to be African-American. You don't have to be a woman to enjoy it."

We all agreed that we liked the book, though it was hard to get into the story at first, it was worth the effort and time.

We had some wonderful food at the meeting. A delicious orzo/shrimp salad, wonderful meat balls, great marinated shrimp, yummy deviled eggs, black truffle brie, pimento cheese and peppered Boursin with various crackers. I made a new appetizer, which consisted of minced cucumber and green onion, mixed with cream cheese and served on a round of whole wheat bread with a slice of cucumber and a slivered almond. It needed something else. I added mint to the cream cheese/cucumber mixture, but not enough apparently. I think more mint and some good black pepper would do it. We ended the meal with some delicious pumpkin bars that had a chocolate base (it could have been Oreo cookies. They were really good! I took a plate up to mr. kenju, who was hiding in the bedroom. I think he forgave me for sticking him upstairs for the night....lol.

Billionaire's Broccoli

one large bunch of broccoli (3 & 1/2 pounds - tops only)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large cloves of garlic, slivered
1/2 cup chopped green onions/scallions
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/4 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Slice off the tips of the broccoli florets (to make 3 cups). Cook the oil in a two quart casserole (microwave) for two minutes at full power. Stir in the garlic and cook until golden and crisp - about three minutes. Stir in the broccoli and scallions; add the broth. Cover and cook five minutes. Rotate during cooking. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves four.

Note: I omitted salt, and it didn't need it.

Odds & Ends

When I posted about my Limoges china earlier this week, I should have admitted that I hardly ever use it. The 24K gold bands decree hand-washing and  hand-washing does not appeal to this dish-washer dependant, especially for larger groups. The only time I have used it in the past 10 years was for dinner for four and dessert for a few. I remember thinking that when I finally inherited those fancy dishes, I was going to use them often. Yeah, right....LOL

Book Recommendation:  At Home, by Bill Bryson is proving to be every bit as interesting as his other books are - not that I doubted one bit that it would be. The interesting bits of history regarding shelter and how our  living spaces developed over time - most of which were never taught in any school I attended - are fascinating, and the almost incidental word histories and derivations are brain candy to this word-o-phile! (there is probably a better word for it than that.) I am only about 50 pages into it and I expect it to get even better!

Blog Recommendation:  I would like to direct you here - My Thoughtful Spot. Tracy took my theme on boxes and the saving of them and wrote a beautiful post which you all should treat yourselves to and read. It makes me happy to know that such a thoughtful writer reads my blog (but aren't you all? - thoughtful, I mean?) and this one only lives about twenty miles away!

We went out to dinner with friends on Tuesday evening and were delighted to discover that appetizers were half-price until 7pm and dessert on Tuesday nights is on the house. YAY! Since we were eating more items than usual, we decided to get smaller entrees than we might have otherwise. I started with calamari (tasty, but a little tough), a fish sandwich and fries (excellent) and chocolate fudge cake (terrific). Of course, the camera stayed in my purse. We were talking non-stop and it didn't even occur to me to take a photo. Plus I had a glass of wonderful shiraz, which may have fogged my memory a little.  It's too bad that shiraz has alcohol in it.  If they made a non-alcoholic shiraz I'd probably drink a whole bottle a day - that's how much I love the taste. What's your favorite wine?

Tuesday at the Flower Shuttle

I am such a fan of these lavender roses that when I saw the bunch, I grabbed all 12 of them! The blue flowers are agapanthus, or Nile Lily, and the green ones are chrysanthemums.

I couldn't resist a close-up!

The carnation at the top is my favorite variety of carnation, which I usually don't care for, except they smell delicious!

Can you tell I like the green mums too?  That color of green blends well with almost any color combination and makes the other colors 'pop' out.

The Flower Shuttle, in Raleigh, NC

***

Eight of us in our neighborhood group went out for dinner tonight; hoping to give some of the women who work during the day the opportunity to join us. Only one did and we were happy to see her. I took a few photos, but most of them were blurry  - and no - I didn't drink any alcohol....lol.  The Nantucket Grill has a varied menu and offers half-portions, which is great for those of us who don't want to eat, in one sitting, enough to sink a battleship (although I nearly did.)

My meal was a small Caesar salad, New England style crab cakes with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. It was all very good. Tuesday nights mean free cake - and I had the mile-high chocolate fudge - which was really, really good!

Here Come De Judge*... but not 'til January

The call came at 4:45pm Thursday - and it was not to ask me to appear now, but to tell me that the case has been 'continued' to  late January, 2011. Meanwhile, this guy will probably continue to drive without a license. I don't understand the court system at all, except I know they are woefully understaffed and somewhat at the mercy of slick attorneys who know every trick in the book to get things delayed. Add that to an already backed up court system, and you have chaos all around.

I will be receiving a subpoena in advance, which is good for planning ahead. Since my January's are usually quiet at work, I will likely have no problem making the court date.

(*Line taken from  Laugh-In )

***

The menu last night consisted of pork chops marsala (with a secret in the sauce), mashed sweet potatoes, steamed fresh broccoli and hot biscuits. I must confess that the sweet potatoes were made by Bob Evans.  I use very few prepared foods, but those (and the regular mashed potatoes) are some I cannot do without. They are nearly as good as anything I could make from scratch and take much less time and energy for just two people. I should also confess that the biscuits came from Bojangles. I buy a box of twelve at a time; freeze them and thaw and serve a few at a time.

For the chops, I make a gravy from the skillet leavings with butter, hot water and a beef bouillion cube; adding 3 tablespoons of marsala wine while scraping the skillet and cooking down until it thickens a bit. The secret ingredient was coffee! I was too lazy to take the time to boil 1/4 cup of water, so I used fresh, hot black coffee to melt the bouillion and it was fine! I thought I might be able to tell a difference in the sauce, but it was just the same. I guess I saved a bit of energy there (not mine - the electricity!  LOL)

Birthday Brunch at Brio

Eggs Oscar has asparagus under poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce, and this one has spinach and artichokes as well as bacon and red peppers.  I heartily recommend it!  Brio also has the best Italian 'French' toast I've ever eaten, with mascarpone cheese and three kids of berries. You should try it!

***

Thanks to everyone for the many nice messages yesterday concerning my birthday. Between the blog and Facebook, to say I was overwhelmed is an understatement! So many lovely people saying such nice things about me! I'm trying to be humble about it.....lol. As you see above, I was taken to Brio by my younger daughter. It is currently my favorite place to have lunch. Afterward we went back to her home to watch her giant TV, but it wasn't long before her dad and I fell asleep. All it takes is a full stomach and a recliner - and some times the full stomach isn't necessary!

Our city doesn't specify which night to trick-or-treat; consequently we could have children coming two nights in a row. I really wish they would pick a night and stick with it. As a child in my hometown, trick-or-treat was always on the 30th.  I lucked out since it was my birthday, and of course I told everyone I came in contact with - and usually got an extra handful of candy for my efforts.  For the past two years, we've been invited to a Halloween party, and have not given out treats at home. This year I opted not to participate; not because I'm stingy, but because a certain mr. kenju cannot control himself when candy is in the house. I was sure to be left with extras and I didn't want to have to fight the urge to eat it myself or to fight with him about his urges. So, we are sitting in the dark, with the porch light out, hoping that no one rings the bell. Bah humbug!

All in all, it was a nice, calm, quiet birthday - just the kind I like. We ordered Chinese food for dinner and it was very good this time. The only place we can order to have food delivered is not always consistent with quality or taste, so we were pleasantly surprised. It was a good ending to a pleasant day, and that's all you can ask for, right?

            Happy Halloween!

More Halloween decor - although I have no idea how monkeys fit into it....lol....Once again, Blogger only allowed me to upload one photo. That will make it hard for me to show you the pix from our trip to the History Museum, since I took about 40 photos of the furniture exhibit. Oh, well....

We went out to dinner with friends tonight, to a new (to us) Mexican place; one with a California bent. I had a shrimp chimichanga, which was delicious. Served with mashed pintos, rice and pico de gallo, it had just the right amount of flavor and spice - and I enjoyed it very much. I took a photo, but I haven't uploaded it yet. The name of the restaurant is
Cafe Capistrano, and I recommend you try it - but go early. By the time we left, it was standing room only.

And now an announcement:  my blog friend Jean Mac of A Mountain Too High sent an email today asking that I let everyone know that she is alive and well - but apparently her computer isn't. She will be back soon, she says, and that is good news for those of us who follow her poignant story of life with Alzheimer's. Hurry back, Jean Mac!!



A.R.E. Camp

These photos were taken A.R.E. Camp, in Southeastern Virginia, in August.

My children attended this camp and now their children attend every summer, and most of them went back in August for this camp reunion, which was attended by over 350 former campers and their families. In some cases, there were four generations who had gone to the camp over the years.

A.R.E. stands for The Association for Research and Enlightenment, which is headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA.

It is a beautiful place, full of loving, accepting and compassionate people. If you are seeking a sleep-away camp for your children, I couldn't recommend this one any more heartily!

Sales, Chimichangas, Taxes and Gift Cards

When the lady came Saturday to see my "wares", she and her husband bought 13 buckets, 3 bolts ribbon, 44 vases of varying sizes, 36 votive candle holders, 10 silver cones for pews, 1 plaster pedestal, 17 plant baskets  -  and my garage is still  full of stuff. You wouldn't believe it even if I showed you a photo!

September 25th can't come too soon for me (the day of the garage sale!!) and then I'll be free at last....thank God Almighty...I'll be free at last. Maybe.

///*\\\

Chimichangas were calling my name on Saturday night, so we went to Los Tres Vaqueros - my favorite Mexican restaurant ever! After giving the order, we waited and waited, which is unusual for this place. Finally our meals came, and they were better than ever! If time is what it takes  to make it taste good- I'll be happy to wait! Chicken chimichangas with no sour cream, no guacamole and only a little lettuce, but extra cheese and re-fried beans......Heaven in my mouth!!

\\\*///

Do you know how much work you can get done when you are avoiding working on your taxes? I do. I washed windows, dusted my office, re-arranged my computer monitors and keyboards, did laundry, made beds, priced items for the garage sale, talked to a friend, lent my daughter my vacuum (and then she went out and bought one), cleaned out the pool skimmer, looked for deer (didn't see them today), watered plants and spent in inordinate amount of time on the computer (as usual). Taxes?  Nah...they can wait, can't they?  (I did them Sunday.)

///*\\\

Have you shopped at K-Mart lately?  I buy all our medicines there and with every transaction, they give you a coupon for a $10 gift card with a new or transferred script.  I used to think it was only good for a new medication - but I found out it  can be used for renewals also. So today I picked up two scripts for mr. kenju , some coffee and a loaf of bread (free with coupon) and got two $10 gift cards and along with it fourteen separate pieces of paper! It beats all I have ever seen. Their paper costs must be phenomenal per year because they generate huge numbers of coupons and receipts and papers documenting your meds and more papers telling you about the side-effects of said meds. It boggles my mind. And if they didn't give me a gift card with every one, I might buy from another store if I found out they don't generate such large amounts of paper.

Originally published in 1948, my copy of this book was bought in 1972. I was always interested in the derivation of words and phrases, especially those that defied immediate understanding. Of course the phrase "a hog on ice" is not really obscure, but it intrigued me, nonetheless.

"The facts are that a hog on a smooth surface cannot move about in a normal manner. The pads on the feet are smooth and offer no resistance to slippery or smooth icy surfaces. His feet slide out from under him, the legs will either spread as the animals sprawl out on the ice, or they will be drawn under him. In either case, after several attempts to arise, he refuses to try to get on his feet. The hog usually has to be skidded or dragged off the ice to a firm footing before he attempts to move about in the usual manner."

With that scene imagined, you can see why some people are referred to as being as "graceful as a hog (or pig) on ice."

If you are interested in learning the sources of such phrases as....
"in a blue funk"....."on the horns of a dilemma"....."by hook or by crook".....
"to beat the band"...."by the skin of one's teeth"
you have only to locate this slim volume.

***

Looking out my kitchen door yesterday morning, I saw movement behind the fence and on closer inspection, saw it was a fawn. He was staring at my house, large ears cocked for sound. He was alone - or so it seemed - until I saw the herd in the yard behind my house. I have only seen them twice in the last few weeks. While my house guest was here, we left to go to dinner one evening and saw eleven young deer crossing the road near our home. I agreed with her that's an awful lot of them in one pack, especially since they were all fairly young. None of them showed antlers or bumps, and at least seven of them still had spots. Have I mentioned how much I love seeing them?!

Sitti

Sitti (pronounced sit'-tee) means grandmother in Lebanese. My dearest old friend is of Lebanese extraction and when I saw a new restaurant in Raleigh with that name, I knew we had to go there when she came to visit. I had (typically) forgotten about it, but her grandson, pictured here with my friend and his significant other, ran it up the flag pole - and we saluted!

We met downtown on the first day of spring, which was doing its best to impress. Temperatures hovered around 75*, with sunny, blue skies and warm breezes. Downtown Raleigh used to be deserted on Saturdays, but since an urban renewal began over the last 2-3 years, people are flocking to the downtown area once again. The large windows at Sitti allow lots of people watching; both passers-by and diners who choose to sit outside. We wanted to catch up on each other's lives, and the restaurant allowed us to do that easily. Though there were plenty of people there, the acoustics were almost perfect.

Beginning with hummus and Baba Ganoush, on warm, puffy pita bread, I chose a Lebanese style hamburger, made with onions and mint (yes, mint!) mixed inside, and served on a bakery roll with excellent fries. Trust me; the next hamburgers I make at home will definitely have mint included!

As a teenager, I was treated with some frequency to my friend's Lebanese specialties. I haven't eaten any Lebanese food in years, except tabouli, but I guarantee you I will from now on. Sitti is highly recommended!

Helpful Hints For Winter

Keep your headlights clear with car wax! Just wipe ordinary car wax on your headlights. It contains special water repellents that will prevent that messy mixture from accumulating on your lights - lasts 6 weeks.

Squeak-proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol! Wipe the wipers with a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. This one trick can make badly streaking & squeaking wipers change to near perfect silence & clarity.

Ice-proof your windows with vinegar! Frost on its way? Just fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water & spritz it on all your windows at night. In the morning, they'll be clear of icy mess. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of water---preventing water from freezing!

Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray! Spritz cooking oil on the rubber seals around car doors & rub it in with a paper towel. The cooking spray prevents water from melting into the rubber

Fog-proof your windshield with shaving cream! Spray some shaving cream on the inside of your windshield & wipe if off with paper towels. Shaving cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers.

De-ice your lock in seconds with hand sanitizer! Just put some hand sanitizer gel on the key & the lock & the problems solved!

I can't vouch for any of these, but I plan to try them. Let me know if they work for you, okay?

Actually, I do have one tip for winter: move further South! If our winters keep on like this one, I'll be following that advice!

High blood pressure linked to dementia!

If the cardiologist's warnings do not scare you,

consider this: Controlling blood pressure just might be the best

protection yet known against dementia.

READ THIS Article!

An Update on the Accident +

On Friday morning, I went to our favorite body shop for an estimate. They are favored because they were recommended to us by a former insurance agent, and have proven to be fair, impartial and honest. They also do good work, so what more could you ask for? We don't have a whole lot of experience with body work, mind you, but we have each been in a few accidents over the past 30 years.

The tailgate is dented in two places; one of which has a 2" chip of paint missing, and the bumper is angling downward a bit. The repairs are estimated to cost $1,515, but he cautioned me that was not 100% certain until he has the car up on the rack to determine if there are more problems he can't see yet.

I called a chiropractor's office after that and was told to come right over for evaluation. X-rays show that I have no broken bones - or as the doc put it - all your bones are there. But I do have noticeable sprains and some swelling to my neck and back ligaments/tendons/muscles. I knew that already, of course. From my upper neck to my tailbone, I feel as though I've been whacked with a two by four too many times. I thought that sitting in the hot tub yesterday afternoon would help remove soreness, but I forgot that new injuries ought to be iced down off and on for a period of 24-48 hours, not heated in 104* water. I've been told that many times before, but somehow I always forget and run to the nearest hot water. So, tonight, I will hold an ice pack to my neck and hope I can sleep without the use of muscle relaxers or tranquilizers. I hate taking either of those.

The woman who holds the insurance policy on the car that hit me wanted us to "take care of it" without involving the insurance company, and I wanted to be able to accommodate her - but it became obvious very soon that it wouldn't be prudent. I have to be certain that all my needs (both physical and automotive) will be met and taken care of financially. Neither will be inexpensive, so I called her and said I simply had to go through her insurance. She said she understood. I received a call later from the insurance company. Their representative told me not to worry; they would make sure I got taken care of - completely. Meanwhile, the chiropractor's office gave me the business cards of three attorneys, since in their words....."You may have trouble collecting from the insurance without a lawyer."

Mr. Kenju and I are lucky in that we have an insurance sales agent, a student R.N. and an attorney among our children; though they don't ordinarily have anything to do with this kind of problem. Still, they are good for informed advice and commiseration when needed.

And now, the plus.......

Calling all ladies of a certain age!!

Read this doctor's advice about products for staying or looking young.

The anti-aging products on the shelves at the pharmacy have always intrigued me, but two things kept me from trying them: their high price tags and the fact that I have rosacea. I once tried a product with a high concentration of alpha-hydroxy in it and my skin didn't react well to it.

"No antioxidant cream, low glycemic diet, sunscreen, or cosmetic procedure will stop you from aging. Anti-aging, aging backwards, age-defying, and age reversal are unreal concepts and false promises made up in board rooms on Madison Avenue." Dr Benabio, on The Dermatology Blog (emphasis mine)

Handy Hints from the Cheapskate Files

I get a daily email from Mary Hunt of "Everyday Cheapskate". If you are someone who likes to find ways to save money - this column is for you! Here are just two of the hints recently received:

"SAVE THE AIRBAG. I learned that putting a purse, briefcase or shopping bag on the front passenger seat of your car could cost you big time. In an accident, the passenger side airbag will deploy if there is weight in that seat. Airbags cost close to $1,000 each to replace, so having the extra airbag deploy can result in having your car "totaled" instead of repaired. That could add up to financial disaster if you are not prepared to buy your next car.

From today on, I will not put anything in the front seat of my car!! I usually keep a clipboard with a drawer in it on the front seat. The clipboard holds a tablet and pen, so I can write notes to myself, and inside there are coupons, paper clips, scotch tape, extra pens, stamps and bank ATM envelopes. That clipboard will now stay in the middle seat! I don't know how much weight is needed to make the airbag deploy, but I won't take any chances.

NEW BLACK. Black clothing matches everything, so my wardrobe features a lot of black pieces. However, black fades after a few washings. Once a year, I gather all of the washable black clothing in the house and re-dye the batch in our washing machine. The load comes out refreshed and the color is a true black. I run the machine again, empty, to remove all traces of dye."

I wear a lot of black clothing when I am working, and while I used to dye old clothing many decades ago, I haven't done that recently. I think it works best on all cotton clothes.

Everyday Cheapskate has good tips in every post. I recommend it.

Know the Difference between A Cold & Swine Flu Symptoms Symptom Cold Swine Flu Fever Fever is rare with a cold. Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu. Coughing A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold. A nonproductive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough). Aches Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold. Severe aches and pains are common with the flu. Stuffy Nose Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week. Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu. Chills Chills are uncommon with a cold. 60% of people who have the flu experience chills. Tiredness Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold. Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu. Sneezing Sneezing is commonly present with a cold. Sneezing is not common with the flu. Sudden Symptoms Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days. The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. Headache A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold. A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases. Sore Throat Sore throat is commonly present with a cold. Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu. ChestDiscomfort Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold. Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

Everlasting

Another book recommendation - 'Everlasting' by Nancy Thayer. It is a family saga and love story, set in the flower business in New York City. I found it quite interesting because it depicts a young woman's entry into the flower business and her subsequent rise to the heights of success, both in the retail and wholesale aspects of the trade. Even though I have owned a business but not a shop (and didn't want to) many parts of the business are the same.

Amazon doesn't give it very good reviews, but I don't necessarily agree with them, simply because I enjoyed reading it. Yes, it was a bit predictable, and it is certainly not the best book I've read recently - but it had value for me. If you are at all interested in the behind-the-scenes life in a flower shop - read this. If you have any interest in learning how the flower wholesale markets and the Amsterdam Flower Auctions are conducted - read this.

Published in 1991, the flyleaf reads:

"What could be more romantic, more delicious than a novel about flowers - and a woman who dedicates her life to them? Catherine Eliot comes from the kind of Social Register family where money is never discussed, At eighteen, she turns her back on her family's aspirations for her and comes to New York, on her own for the first time. There, she finds herself a job, almost by accident, at the Vanderveld's charming if disorganized Park Avenue flower shop. Soon, Catherine is making order where chaos used to reign. Building on the love of flowers her grandmother always encouraged, she helps turn Vanderveld Flowers from an ordinary flower shop into a fairyland......"

Book Recommendation

As I finished reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet today, the last three or so chapters were punctuated by my great, shoulder-shaking sobs. Don't let that dissuade you from reading this wonderful story - though the sobs were not completely happy - they were bittersweet to say the least.

Written by Jamie Ford, who is the great-grandson of Nevada mining pioneer Min Chung, who came to San Francisco in 1865 where he took the name "Ford," it is the story of Henry; a young Chinese boy growing up in Seattle, who fell in love with a Japanese schoolmate during WW2. There were, as you might imagine, unfortunate as well as fortunate aspects to that relationship, making for a really good story.

I urge you to read this impressive debut novel.

Ooooh, it smells soooooo good!

Back in the very early days of my first blog, I wrote about smells and how they can influence us. Not many people saw that post, so I decided to run it again. Enjoy!