Quickies

Emotional Tsunami

Last week was tough.  There were FB posts from close family members — including myself — who are struggling with a recent, untimely death. Another shared the story of a stranger who recently lost his wife and infant daughter to a car accident earlier this month. An e-mail message from a friend updated me on her mother’s recovery from the removal of a benign brain tumor. My son’s teacher called to inform me the classroom occupational therapist lost her father just that morning. As I offered my prayers, faith, thoughts and support, I also wished for some large dose of magic to lessen the pain and sorrow. But, we all know there isn’t any such potion — that is legal and that really does any good.

A Moment of Distraction

In my quest to find a moment of distraction, I got lost online at CNN, The Huffington Post, Entertainment Weekly and People. At EW, I learned about three different film versions of Snow White being slated for production. As I was asking, why three, I recalled the Disney version, which was the first film I ever saw. My mom took my best friend and I — both age 4 — to the movie theatre after preschool one day. She let us sit by ourselves in the row in front of her. We felt so grown up… until the wicked witch appeared. My friend and I turned our backs and hid our faces in the seat backs. We were so scared; and were not feeling very grown up at all. What a great memory of my mom and of my preschool years.

Defrost Mode

My part of the world is in defrost-mode. Spring-tease days are flirting with all of us thick-bloods. Snow is melting. Teenagers are blading in shorts and t-shirts. Tulip sprouts have started to appear in my garden. The warm temps broke me out of the confines of my nightly basement workout. I took to the streets for a starlit walk. It was a splendid taste of what’s to come in a couple months.

Hooked on Cumin and Bizarre Foods

Since day one of 2011, I have been zipping up my recipes with cumin. It all began while spicing up some naked veggie burrito mix one evening in January. I also like cumin in chili and chicken noodle soup.  Another trend for me this winter is the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. During the elliptical portion of my nightly workouts, I flip channels on my mini LCD looking for some added stimulation.  In addition to burning up the calories from those Hershey’s special dark chocolate bars and Snickers ice cream, I have learned about some interesting culinary practices in various parts of the world. I watched snippets of episodes in Syria, Puerto Rico and Chicago.