Simple Pleasures

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Books, books, books! I’m working my way down and around my reading list, and what I’ve been reading has inspired and informed what I’m cooking. The cooler weather hasn’t hurt either – I finally turned on the oven.

I’ve been reading memoirs – not what I usually read – but memoirs by food personalities take me to my “happy place.” They warm my heart with their passion for food. While there’s a whole lot I can’t eat, I’m savoring what I can, and experimenting more.

It all began with Ina Garten’s newest book, her memoir. I’ve been a fan since early 2000’s (I even wrote about her in my book) I’ve always wanted to meet her!
She and I had the same spirit-crushing fathers – they even had the same name: Melvin! But she had such deep trust in herself, that she took risks over and over again. With tons of hard work, and the loving support and trust of her husband, she has succeeded wildly on her own terms.

Stanley Tucci. What else can I say besides I have a total crush on the guy?
If you have not seen “The Big Night” or “Julie & Julia,” do so. Both passionate movies about delicious food and the people preparing it. Besides being a great cook, Tucci’s a consummate story-teller and a talented artist. His book is like taking a vacation in Italy.

Speaking of storytellers, I got to hear the fabulous Ruth Reichl read from her then new book “Comfort Me with Apples” at the Texas Book Festival in 2002. I was gifted a ticket to the Gala dinner and she was one of the three authors who read to us. She was the one I enjoyed most, because while I’ve always loved food and cooking, she displayed a passion in her writing, and reading, about food that I’d never experienced before. I just finished Apples, a memoir at that point in her life, and look forward to reading “Save Me the Plums,” her latest memoir about her ten years of running the glamorous Gourmet magazine.

All of this reading about food and recipes got me back in the kitchen after months when I just didn’t care. Adjusting to a new (more restricted) diet, and dealing with 110 degree heat, the last thing I wanted to do was cook anything intricate. However, a few cool nights and a few great books was all it took to get me jazzed again.

Reading Gourmet magazine online, they shared a new type of squash called Honeynut. It’s like a baby butternut squash; but richer, sweeter, and smaller with an edible skin. They are everything the magazine claimed they were, but after trying the skin, and not liking it, I just scraped the creamy flesh out and ate that.

I followed the microwave directions after cutting it in half (easily!) and in five minutes I was enjoying it with lunch. These squash are going to make a great soup, too. I stumbled upon mine at Costco.

And last, but not least, I made my wonderful gluten-free brownies last weekend since we had a little cool spell. I love a simple well-made brownie, maybe add a few toasted chopped walnuts or pecans. But it had been a while since I gussied up my brownies by adding teaspoons of room temperature all-natural unsweetened almond butter.


From top left, the plain batter. Then add scant teaspoons of almond butter evenly around batter, taking a butter knife, drag it through the batter making long swirly designs. Bake as always, until the tiniest bit gooey in the center, but a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack or else they won’t hold their shape. It’s hard to wait, I know, but it will be worth it.
You can do this with your favorite brownie mix or home recipe. Peanut butter (chunky or creamy) are both delicious also.

I hope I’ve offered you some great reads and great food ideas. My birthday is next Wednesday, and my sweetie and I are heading to San Antonio for a romantic getaway. We have a couple of favorite restaurants we want to revisit – it’s been since the pandemic that we’ve been back there. I’m looking forward to strolling along the Museum Reach-end of the Riverwalk. It is always wonderful because it’s so much less crowded than the middle of downtown. I’ll tell you all about it next time.

Thank you for being here,

XO Donna

WRITERS & READERS

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I didn’t know that it was William Butler Yeats who said, “Things fall apart, the center cannot hold.” I thought it was Joan Didion. In fact, it was the title of a 2017 documentary about her life and work entitled, “The Center Will Not Hold.” And I can relate to that feeling… things are getting better, but life now is still two steps forward and one back. I’ve found a lot of pleasure lately in reading because I can finally relax and enjoy it.

After having had the attention-span of a gnat for most of this year – and consequently being unable to read, now I’m reading lots of great blogs, watching good documentaries (Joan Didion, above) have read five books in quick succession. And I’m also studying both Spanish and French!

My sisters and I formed our own Book Club intending to read a bunch of Murder/Mysteries – a genre we all like. We each bought Susan Juby’s “Mindful of Murder,” and I think everyone enjoyed it, but I’m not sure.
What’s not to like about an engaging-ex-Buddhist-nun-turned-butler solving crimes? The book takes place in the Pacific Northwest at a stunning retreat center. I learned a lot about being a butler, which is a career I didn’t know existed here in the U.S. But, it’s a thing!

Our book club didn’t quite come together as planned, the phrase “like herding cats,” is what comes to mind. I went on to read the next book, “A Meditation on Murder,” by myself, but didn’t enjoy it as much because I really had no interest in a bunch of young people whose only goal in life is becoming influencers and being mean girls along the way. So, I wouldn’t recommend this one. Her first was more satisfying.

Next I read a memoir called, “Men Have Called Her Crazy,” by Anne Marie Tendler, a NYT bestseller. I downloaded it to my Kindle (I actually prefer books on paper, but wanted instant gratification) and read it in one day. It gets a lot of bad reviews, and I didn’t realize that she had been married to John Mulvaney, a stand-up comic, until the end of the book. The author has serious mental health issues (to wit, she was married to John Mulvaney) and so checked herself into a psychiatric hospital. Maybe it’s not a topic for everyone, but I enjoyed her style, if not necessarily all of her thought processes. But, she’s young, and has lots more growing-up to do.

As you can see, I keep wonderfully detailed, well-organized lists of books I want to read. Joking! But I have lots to choose from, and am always open to your suggestions. I just downloaded “A Visit from the Goon Squad,” by Jennifer Egan. It has earned 11,588 4-star reviews and is a National Book Critics Circle Winner. We’ll see. And, after that, “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store,” by James McBride.

I’d like to acknowledge the passing of Dame Maggie Smith – I’m not sure why, but her death had me crying all day. She was my favorite on Downton Abbey, and I admired her greatly. We rewatched the films “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and “Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” last week. If you’ve not seen them, I can recommend both whole-heartedly. There aren’t many fun-filled, thoughtful, movies made about older adults and the changes that come with living a long life. These two films will bring a big smile to both your face… and your heart. I promise!

XO Donna

Broken Hearted

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In my last post I was heading off “into the sunset to rest and relax after getting my son comfortably settled in a nursing home.”

Except, it seems that I put a bow on all of that too soon, and I have been hesitant to talk about everything that happened next, not wanting you to feel sorry for me, or to put our connection at risk by oversharing.

The pressure didn’t let up: the nursing home wasn’t up to speed in dealing with a young person with advanced MS. It took a couple of months, and my constant complaining, to get things under control. This, combined with Jason’s anguish, led to many middle-of-the-night phone calls, and almost daily two-hour-round-trip drives. His friends were there for support, but I found myself always waiting for the other shoe to drop because, ultimately, as his Mom, the onus is on me.

On Easter Sunday we went to visit Jason, then on to dinner with Turk’s family. I felt exhausted and uncomfortable, but it was nice to socialize and relax a little. Unfortunately, my discomfort worsened over the next few days. I thought I was having indigestion-from-hell. I lost my appetite, and I couldn’t sleep unless I was sitting up on the sofa. When my abdomen became swollen, I realized this was beyond stress and indigestion… Turk took me to the ER on April 5th.

The ER cardiologist scooted up to me on a stool, leaned forward and said, “Do you know you’re in congestive heart failure?”

I’m assuming it was a rhetorical question, how would I have know that? “At your last heart exam in November, everything seemed fine, I don’t understand how you got here. What’s been going on?”

Well, you all know the story, but I went through it again with him, and after doing so, we both sat there in silence for a couple of minutes. I added that I felt absolutely broken-hearted. “That’s because you are,” he said. “It’s called takotsubo cardiomyopathy or “broken-heart syndrome.” It’s a real, and fortunately, reversible condition that often mimics a heart attack.

A week in the hospital forced me to rest (as much as one can) and gave the doctors a chance to get a complete picture of what was happening. It also let Jason (and me) see myself as something other than Supermom.
It’s been a difficult adjustment for me since I prided myself on my resilience… maybe too much so. I don’t bounce the way I used to. But, word got out quickly that I was in the hospital and Jason’s friends were all there for him. We got in the habit of a daily check-in where he’s checkin on me, rather than vice-versa.

I slept off-and-on around the clock, someone else cooked all of my meals, and a Nutritionist came to visit and explain my new diet: unfortunately, I’m now on a low-sodium diet. No dairy. No wheat. No alcohol. And now, No salt. Yuck. I’ll figure it out, I love to cook and I love to eat.

The highlight of my stay: I got to see the total eclipse while I was in the hospital!



Turk was visiting, and I was cleared to walk down to the cafeteria with it’s courtyard just outside. We watched as hospital staff went in and out observing the progression of the eclipse. It got so crowded we wondered who was taking care of the patients? When Turk finished his sandwich, we joined everyone outside. Nobody blinked an eye as I stood out there in my flamingo pajamas and slippers!

Solar eclipse viewing

We were in the “path of totality,” and although it had been cloudy, it cleared in time to see everything. It was exciting to share this rare event with everyone around us. Camaraderie. And cheers when it was over… then, back to work. A reminder to me that there is always something beautiful, somewhere, if you’re open to it.

While these last few months have been challenging, mostly I’m doing well. I haven’t had the attention span to read or write, but I have listened to podcasts. “Wiser Than Me,” with Julia Louis-Dreyfus stands out, and “MeSsy,” Christina Applegate’s podcast is great. I’ve watched some good TV series – I loved “Land of Women” (Terra de Mujeres) on Apple TV, starring Eva Longoria as a socialite-on-the-run in Spain. On Netflix, “Unstable” with Rob Lowe and his son is quirky, but fun. And my sisters and I have formed our own book club – we all like murder mysteries – and our first book is “Mindful of Murder,” by Susan Juby. I’ll let you know.

And we bought an air-fryer, after lots of encouragement from my daughter-in-law. I can easily make odor-free, mess-free, grass-fed burgers and turkey-burgers, pork tenderloin and chicken breasts. Roasted veggies are a cinch, too. Clean-up is easy and it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. Good food, fast, for when you’re tired but want to eat well. Add an easy bagged organic salad and voilà!

Unsalted steak-fries.

So, that’s what’s been going on. Of all the things I pictured in my retirement, this was not one of them… but, as my wonderful mother-in-law used to say, “What can you do?” I guess, “The best you can,” is the answer to that.

XO Donna

It Takes a Village

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This past weekend was the first time since January 8th that I’ve felt my body physically relax. After operating in fight-or-flight mode for the last 8 weeks it felt good to feel my shoulders drop, my stomach unknot and to be able to breathe deeply again.

My son, Jason, has had MS (multiple sclerosis) since he was 20. Over the years he would have flare-ups, be treated, and recover, and get on with his life. We thought it would go on this way for the rest of his life… but the course of the disease changed and he needed a cane to assist him, then six years ago he needed a wheelchair. The disease had become progressive.

On January 8th his friends called to tell me he was in the hospital. He’d caught a virus, and spent 11 days there, then was sent to a nursing home/ rehab center to get stronger and finish healing. He hated the whole experience, so he left and went home to recover with all of his friends helping him. The problem was that the MS left him confined to his bed this time.

We hired a Home Health Care team to come in 8-12 hour shifts while I looked for another place that would be appropriate for him. He had a village of friends, doctors, and caregivers surrounding him, yet things were still going downhill. It became a race against the clock – and his insurance company – to find the right place for him.

On February 7th we threw a 53rd birthday party for him, and he was able to sit up and visit with his friends, and we all enjoyed his birthday cake: a deliciously moist dark chocolate cake with strawberry filling, pale strawberry buttercream icing, and fresh berries on top. It was a thing of beauty.

Three days later, after a particularly bad night, he was taken to the hospital crying in pain. His friends again called to tell me, and Turk and I headed there to see what was going on. He had developed an infection that injured his kidney. At 10:30 at night they released my heavily- sedated son to us with an explanation of the problem, how they had treated it, a bunch of tubes, bags, suggestions, and a prescription to be filled the next morning.

Between all of us, we managed for five more days (while I continued struggling to find a place for him) when his favorite care-giver called to tell me she thought he needed to go back to the hospital immediately. She wanted me to call an ambulance!

She was right, Jason definitely needed to be back in the hospital. Since the downtown one, just blocks from his apartment, was at maximum capacity he was taken to a newer and much less-crowded one on the north side of the city. Rather than treating and releasing him again, this hospital kept him and worked hard to get his pain under control, cleared up the lingering infection, and a social worker there helped us find a facility to move Jason into that could handle his medical issues AND would accept his insurance.

Jason is slowly adjusting to his new life in a retirement center/nursing home where he has 24/7 care. The nurses and attendants treat him well, he says that the food is good, and most importantly, he’s close to all of his friends!

There are still a few important things I have to work out, but I’m not hyperventilating all of the time, I’m not worrying about him every second of the day, nor am I handling everything alone. My son has built the most wonderful village around himself to help us both, and I am grateful beyond words for each and every one of them!

XO Donna

On Hold

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I have never been at a loss for words. Always questioning, curious, maybe a bit nosy, and willing to chip in my two cents worth. 

The very best part of my work life was a career in which I got to spend the day talking to, and learning from, lots of wonderful people! And for the last so many years, talking has turned into writing my book and this blog.

But right now I find myself struck dumb. My beautiful son is gravely ill, and I find myself unable to speak about anything in the face of this.

He has had Multiple Sclerosis since he was in his early 20’s. He turned 53 last week. We had a birthday party for him at his tiny little bungalow, with barely room to move for the people who came to celebrate him, shower him with love, and to eat a piece of the most delicious and beautiful birthday cake I’ve ever seen!

Had you been outside and looking down on that bungalow, I’m sure it would have appeared engulfed in radiant light; an aurora borealis pulsating in greens, pinks and gold.

Thank you all for holding space for me.

XO Donna

GRATITUDE LIST

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Many people have a Wish List this time of year, which, by next week will turn into a Resolutions List.
I used to do both, but I’ve decided to spend the last few days of the year focusing on things for which I’m grateful: big things, little things, good things and even not-so-good, because ultimately, I’m still here. And I don’t take that for granted.

Meeting Santa & Mrs. Claus in Fredericksburg, TX

On December 12th we went to Fredericksburg overnight again with friends. It’s a charming old town begun by German immigrants, which has now become known as the Napa Valley of Texas for its many beautiful vineyards. The whole town was decorated for the holidays, and while strolling Main Street, look who we met!

Normally I would just take a nice photo of them – which I did – but neither of us wanted sit for our photo. Vanity, I guess. But, they began chatting with us, in between an occasional kiddie photo… and Santa and Mrs. Claus won us both over.

I’m trying not to fall off the arm of the chair, and everyone is looking somewhere else, but the spontaneous joy of doing something silly was delightful. And now, memorable. I am very glad to have met them, and want more spontaneous joy in my life!

Speaking of joy, my dear friend Holly (nianow.com/hollynastasi) sent me a little gift to “make things sparkle,” her wonderful words… and upon opening the box, I found two long strands of twinkling star-shaped lights run by solar power. They were just the inspiration I needed to finally decorate. We were actually feeling a little bah-humbug about it (highly-unmotivated is our buzzword) but we knew if we did nothing, we’d regret it. And, just like that, magic!

Now motivated, I went on to make a holiday greeting card out of a photo I’d taken two years ago. Feeling it was just a little plain, I decided to add some glitter to each card. I was so proud of myself when I sat down with my glue-stick and a tube of multi-colored glitter and got to work. And I loved the results, the icicles were all sparkling and bright!

Later, talking to my friend, Maria – who teaches Coffee Break Creativity – (she has helped me branch-out and really enjoy making art… letting go of my perfectionism!) she told me she never uses glitter, and now I know why. There is glitter everywhere, andI will never get it off of, or out of everything, I’m certain! Everyone who gets one of those cards is going to hate me… LOL! Live and learn. Sorry!

So, from my house to yours, I gratefully (and glitter-free) wish you a lovely holiday season, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy, Healthy New Year! Thank you for reading, for commenting, and for all of your good vibes. Lots of love,

XO Donna

According to Plan

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There’s an old saying: If you want to hear God laugh… tell her your plans.

The last time I wrote I was heading out to a family wedding. My sister Elizabeth’s son was getting married in St. Louis, MO. Happily, I found a direct flight – only 2 hours and 15 minutes – sadly, the morning of my flight there was a fatal car accident a few blocks from the airport. Traffic was tied-up in every direction for 5 1/2 hours, making the national news. Needless to say, I missed my flight and scrambled to find one later that day. Rather than arriving in St. Louis at noon, I didn’t get there until 8:30 p.m. It made for a long day.

My sisters picked me up and we headed to our hotel room which had two queen beds, a huge sofa and (just) one bathroom… for the four of us! I am used to my privacy and quiet… but, it was a blast, a pajama party! Crowded and chaotic, with suitcases, hanging bags, make-up bags, a box of wine, snacks and shoes everywhere.

We got very little sleep because we stayed up late each night looking through a large box of old photos, some from the 1930’s, and talking about everything under the sun. Breakfast was included with our suite and the hotel served up the best buffet I’ve ever had. We started each morning lingering over breakfast and coffee. Lots of coffee.

The rehearsal dinner was held in a beautifully treed park, outside under a pavilion. A lovely autumn setting, scrumptious food that was all home-made by both families. I almost froze to death, (I cannot handle the cold anymore) but what a memorable meal and get together.

The wedding the next evening was an elegant, intimate affair (50 guests) in a lovely hundred year old hall surrounded by stately old trees. Rachael, my stunning new niece-in-law, and Ryan did a spectacular job of planning their own wedding AND making everything happen, and it all came off without a hitch!
And, did I mention the food? I was not your normal catered menu, it was closer to Thanksgiving dinner, but with amazing smoked meats rather than turkey. Delicious! The bride’s Mother, Jennifer, even made the stunning wedding cake! No detail was overlooked, including a hand-written personal note to every guest. A completely unexpected and touching surprise. Everyone danced until the very last song, and I was so busy having fun that I forgot to take photos! Although I do have the selfie I took wearing my Mom’s necklace, which I had repaired just for the wedding. Welcome to our family of strong, amazing women, Rachael!

The return trip to Austin was not much easier than my flight to St. Louis. My sisters had to drop me off early, then my flight was delayed 90 minutes, so I again spent hours sitting and strolling around.
I haven’t flown since before the pandemic… and was shocked that food, beverage and snack prices, while always more expensive than elsewhere, had tripled. I paid $23.00 for a small, bland, pre-packaged Chicken Caesar salad and bottle of water. My lesson: don’t go to the airport hungry… I think I’d rather not go to the airport anymore at all.

Last Monday was my birthday, and I turned 72. Unbelievable, where has the time gone?
The restaurant where I wanted to have my birthday dinner was closed Sunday and Monday, so we planned on dining there on Wednesday.

That did not go according to plan at all.

On Tuesday afternoon I was in the kitchen, just about to truss a plump chicken to go in the oven, when I felt like I was having another stroke: my left hand sudden went heavy and numb, then I had cold tingling up my left arm, down the left side of my face, then my left thigh. To avoid falling, I slid down to the floor and called out for help. My sweetie called 911 and relayed what I was experiencing to the dispatcher…
EMS and the fire department were on our doorstep within a few minutes, and took over. Whatever they pay these men, give them a raise! My symptoms subsided, but my blood pressure was dangerously high. So, I got to ride to the ER in an ambulance. Had I been in my 50’s, five hunky firemen hovering over me would have been exciting. Now, in my 70’s, I just felt safe knowing I’d get the care I needed quickly.

I spent 24 hours in the emergency room because all the hospital beds were full. Even the ER was overflowing with people on gurneys in the halls. The poor nurses were harried, but kind and caring. The population where I live has increased 40% in the last few years – Georgetown is the fastest growing city in Texas! With only two hospitals within 30 minutes, we clearly need more of them. And more nurses. Give them a raise, too, our lives depend on them!

Fortunately, after all the testing, it was not a stroke, but a TIA (transient ischemic attack) which is a “mini-stroke” which resolves itself and leaves no residual effects, deficits. With all of my preventive medications, exercise and (sadly restrictive) healthful diet, why did this happen again?

My next few weeks are going to be busy – I feel like a socialite making the rounds – meeting a new cardiologist, a new new neurologist, and a new hematology oncologist. At least I met my new primary care physician a couple of months ago. All of them are women, all working to figure out this challenge and get me healthy again.
Right now I am afraid to go anywhere or do anything alone, worried the “other shoe will drop.” I know this will pass with time.

And unfortunately, all of this necessitated cancelling our long-awaited vacation in Cancun on Dec. 9th. The beautiful turquoise water. The spectacular pool. Relaxing with dear friends. And five days of delicious food that I don’t have to cook! Dammit, dammit, dammit!!

So, please, if you take HBP or heart meds, stay on top of them. Take your blood pressure regularly at home and keep track. Wear compression hose – you wouldn’t believe the difference they make in your energy level and blood pressure. I love mine, but, I’ve always loved the “hug” of wearing tights. Drink enough water. Eat even cleaner. Drink less alcohol. Exercise like your life depends on it. It does. Keep your medical conditions and medications on a health app in your phone, and on a piece of paper, easily accessible.

I do all of the above. I was able to hand medical records and a list of meds to both EMS and the hospital so they had everything they needed in case I couldn’t have spoken for myself. I’ll find my way through this with a little help from my doctors… and from my friends.

Thank you for reading,
XO Donna

Spirit of St. Louis

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Last month we took a road trip to Alpine and stayed at an AirBnb. We had some loose plans and really were looking forward to dinner at our favorite place, The White Buffalo Bar & Grill.

It had been in the hundreds for weeks, and dry for months here. We trusted it would be cooler, at least at night, in the west Texas mountains. As we turned off the interstate and headed south we were greeted by a rainstorm and the temps dropped 30 degrees!

Rather than drive out to dinner after we got settled, we went to the local grocery store. We had trouble finding it – it had moved since we were last there years ago, and not only that, it had been upgraded to something close to a Whole Foods! Everything we could want! Hog Heaven!

The next day we had lunch up in Marathon (where White Buffalo is) at a delicious new BBQ joint. Sat outside on the patio and people-watched as we ate. That evening, with the sky looking like rain again and the wind picking up, we went for a walk in the neighborhood before the rain came.

We saw a 3-story Spanish-style house with conifers almost twice as tall. There was a ranch that had been remodeled with Moroccan arches across the front and Ponderosa pines in their yard. The driveway and road were carpeted with pine needles. And another remodel with a big, furry brown pig in the yard.

On a corner lot was an enormous Victorian house with wrap-around porches, vegetable gardens and a spectacular multiple-lines clothesline with sheets and towels flapping and snapping in the breeze. Then I saw something I’d never seen – gigantic rosemary bushes, up near the porch, draped with children’s small t-shirts, dresses, underwear and pajamas drying in the sun. Can you imagine how good those are going to smell?

We ended up doing nothing that we’d planned and serendipity filled that empty space with beauty and joy!

I’ve been packing for a trip to St. Louis tomorrow, and I’ve observed myself being frustrated to the point of having a childish tantrum. I’m not used to such limited allowances for my clothing, shoes, toiletries. Unused to being bound by an airline’s itinerary: be here two hours early… and sit. I seem unable to pack for three events and do so around the weather. All in a small suitcase. I’m anxious about managing all of my dietary restrictions. About being in crowds again with Covid on the rise. (I did my booster shot and a flu shot last week.) And about people behaving badly on the airplane, too.

This morning I woke feeling more “on top of things.” My old self was back.

I’ve got my luggage sorted. Got some gluten-free snacks in my carry-on along with a good book. And I added a slim North Face puffy jacket to allow for the cold weather that’s arriving as I do.

I’m going for Elizabeth’s oldest son Ryan’s wedding to Rachel. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about her that I can’t wait to meet her! My other two sisters are coming also. It’s been years since we’ve all been together. Andee is picking me up at the airport and then we are picking Lynn up at the train station. The same station I went to from New York annually with my Mom to see her older sister, Wilma. All I remember about Aunt Wilma is that she and my Mom loved each other and missed each other. And she was the best biscuit-maker in the world, making two batches every morning. The aroma!

Full circle. I remember Mom letting Terry and me explore on the train, as she sat holding Lynn, just a baby then, close to her. Will anything about it the train station seem familiar? It’s been 60 years. We’ll see. I am going to relax now, enjoy the flight tomorrow, and have fun with my sisters at a beautiful wedding. I’ll take lots of photos and leave lots of room for serendipity to show up.

XO Donna

No Good Deed…

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goes unpunished. I know that isn’t the first thing that should come to mind because it’s reinforcing a negative thought. I strive to align my thoughts toward the positive, but when stuff like this happens, and I’m up to my derrière in alligators, it is still my first thought.
Good intentions be damned.

I don’t know which of us found them, but one morning last week when the small kitchen pantry door was opened we were greeted with an infestation of “pantry moths!” I was aghast, and chuckling, thinking “Mothra, Mothra!!” It is an old 60’s monster movie from Japan where a giant moth attacks Tokyo. My pantry is the heartbeat of my house. My Tokyo.

Turk grabbed the vacuum cleaner and vacuumed them off of the ceiling and walls in there. I went through bags of grains, beans, corn meal, etc. that had been opened and threw it all out. I did some rearranging, cleaning as I went and put some opened pastas into big ziploc bags and then we patted ourselves on the back.

That didn’t last long. A couple of days later they were back! And some of the ziplocs had new moths and larvae inside them. Now I was really flipping out! You may know them as flour moths, grain moths or food moths. They multiply rapidly and disgustingly. I found a couple of larvae on the shelf. Where had they come from? I’d thrown out everything that had been opened! This called for a deeper clean.

I got online and read-up on exactly what to do. It turns out that the boxes that were closed are no match for hungry worms – they were inside those, too.

  1. Errybody out!! 2. Check every. single. package. and toss what’s been opened. 3) Clean shelves, walls, baseboards with a bleach & water solution. 4. Let it dry naturally and put everything back, with grains, seeds, nuts, flours in sealed packages.

So where did the little buggers come from? Someone had given my son (who cannot cook because of his disability) a couple bags of black beans and brown rice, which he loves, especially with sour cream and diced green onion on corn tortillas. A perfect vegetarian meal! He in turn gave them to me to cook, portion them out, and bring them to him.

The bad news: those packages were infested! The good news: Because of them, I have a newly organized, and bug-proof pantry.

I always admired a well put-together pantry stocked with real everyday food in all it’s oddly-shaped packages. I did my best, and I’m pleased with the results.

In other news: my Spanish lessons are going great. I can construct paragraphs to read aloud. Speaking spontaneously is still frustrating, I get so tongue-tied! That’s what we work on in my in-person class here. I notice small improvements weekly… I remember listening to a simple story and thinking, “How am I ever going to understand that?” Now, amazingly, I can.
I am continuing with Duolingo, too. I owe all of my progress and vocabulary to daily practice, and it’s fun, although a bit childish, with Duolingo. It’s nice to know I’m increasing the neuroplasticity in my brain.

I also excited about the new exercise facility built just down the street, and it’s pool is beautiful. Unfortunately, it’s right out there in the sun, and who wants to lounge around a pool when it’s 107 degrees? Or go walk in the morning when it’s 82 at 7:00? Sadly we’ve only been in the pool three times, but the treadmill and elliptical have been so much fun! I learned that you get a much better result by raising the incline on the treadmill, and you can even select a “hilly” walk where it raises and lowers itself. I listen to music and look out at the sparkling pool. Soon, pool. Soon.

I also had my fourth session with a personal trainer yesterday. I have always liked lifting weights, and right now they are helping me get/feel stronger. After being ill for so long, off all of my hormones, and having lost so much weight, the machines are giving me a way to regain muscle and stay strong. I don’t want to become fragile like many elderly people do. My balance is great, thanks to years of Nia, and I’m flexible from years of yoga. Building strength through load-bearing exercise builds bone density, so yesterday my trainer and I worked with Kettlebells for the first time and it was a blast! My arms feel “alive” today, as does my butt.

Cropped view of two African-American woman exercising together in a city park on the waterfront. They are wearing long sleeved sports clothing. The woman in the dark pink shirt is a plus size model with a large build. She is in her 30s and her friend is in her 40s. They are lifting kettlebells in unison, in a squatting position.
Woman working out
Close up of unrecognizable athletic woman having sports training with kettle bell.

I very much like tapping into my masculine energy. It’s our take action and get-it-done energy. I noticed that I was feeling too withdrawn, unmotivated and even a little bit helpless, and this is bringing balance to that. Plus, I will be willing to go sleeveless with a bit more definition in my arms.
I’m beginning to feel my inner-strength again. I want to greet my 72nd birthday in eight weeks feeling like myself again!

XO Donna

Busy Body

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I’ve started playing a card game called Hand and Foot with a group of women two weeks ago. It’s a variation of Canasta, and I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying it. I remember my Mom used to play cards once in a while, and this was what she played.

Playing Canasta makes me feel connected to her.

I was fortunate to have two amazing teachers – both incredibly patient, with a gift for explaining the hows and whys. I sat at the corner of the table and watched as they played. Everyone took the time to explain moves and answer my questions as they played.
Two different days and 10 games later, I played for the first time, making some mistakes (just to get them out of the way) yet my partner and I won! I’m looking forward to playing again this Friday… right after I finish my second Spanish class!

I am finally taking that Conversational Spanish course. I signed up for a Thursday morning class, because it was convenient, but I was the only student who showed up! I had the teacher all to myself and we talked (in Spanish) about everything in our lives – she is also the oldest of five girls! I struggled, of course, but we covered a lot in 90 minutes. When I left I was certain that I was in over my head, but that evening la maestra texted me to ask if I could do her Friday class instead. She thinks I am “more advanced” with my Spanish and would enjoy the Friday class more.

Now, every other Friday I will have to rush from Spanish class to the card game. Ándele!

Relaxed Young Woman Lying On Fitness Mat Doing Exercise With Yoga Belt And Two Blocks

On Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons I take a Restorative Yoga class. I wrote about this in my book, in the chapter on Yin Yoga. I love it.
These slow, supported poses (3 -5 minutes) relax your body deeply, which enables your nervous system’s fight-or-flight response to let it’s guard down. When you feel safe, your body relaxes. We use blocks, bolsters, belts and blankets to lean against, lie on, or prop-up, in order to take the effort out of a pose/stretch. After everything we ask of our bodies, it’s a nice respite. I always feel completely chilled-out after class.

It’s a wonderful way to overcome feeling stressed and anxious about everything that is beyond our control. I didn’t realize how tense I was until I felt my body relax completely. I may have even had tears running down my face as I lay there.

These poses increase flexibility of both body and mind, and lubricate your joints, which is a good thing!

Speaking of flexibility – I read an article by the Arthritis Foundation the other day about maintaining knee health as we age. (My rheumatologist sends them to me.) If you have knee issues and are overweight the study shows that losing 1 lb. of weight resulted in 4 lbs. of pressure being removed from the knees. Losing just 10 lbs. will relieve 40lbs. of pressure on your knees, AND that same 10 lb. weight loss will relieve 60 lbs. of pressure from your hips!

Also – new studies show we don’t need to walk 10,000 steps daily to extend our lives, Just 4,000 will do the job! After that, each additional 1,000 steps will reduce your risk of dying “from any cause” by 15%. And the more you move, the better – adults older than 60 saw a 42% decline in mortality risk when they walked between 6-10K steps daily. I know lots of people don’t like to exercise, but I swear to you, making it a fun part of your life will have huge benefits when you’re older and can get around easily: climb stairs, get in-and-out of chairs, cars, airplanes, boats, etc. The hardest part is always getting started. Once you do, momentum, and how well you will feel (body and mind) will keep you going!

Stay well, and take good care of yourself. Until next time,

XO Donna