THIRD ACT

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How are we almost to the half-way point of July? You’d think being retired that my days would drag by… but they don’t and every once in a while I take a day to lie about, recuperate, and do nothing.

Well, no I don’t, not really. On a day where there’s nothing I absolutely must do, I’ll try out a complicated new wheat-free recipe like these amazing (and I don’t say this lightly) Lemon Raspberry Bars. The woman who developed this recipe and many others, Katarina Cermelj, has revolutionized gluten-free baking! I’ve had to avoid wheat for more than 12 years now. I got used to the way GF baking was different, and limited myself to the few things that were good even though they were wheat-free.

These GF beauties have a lemon-zest shortbread base, a layer of seedless raspberry jam which keeps the cookie base crisp, and atop that are fresh raspberries with a crumb topping. They are wheat-free, egg-free, and scrumptious. You can find them here: theloopywhisk.com
Even before I baked these, I knew Katarina was on to something and I immediately ordered her book. She is a food scientist and a recipe developer and all of her bakes are beautifully photographed. My bake came out just as beautiful as hers, and more delicious than I ever could have imagined! I’m gonna do it again, very soon, I’ve got another jar of raspberry jam and a pint of berries in the fridge.

Another new-to-me thing I’ve been doing is listening to podcasts. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has a delightful one where she interviews women older than her – she calls it “getting schooled by women older and wiser than herself,” and it’s appropriately called “Wiser Than Me.” I have found every single one of her interviews to be informative, thoughtful and entertaining, but I especially liked her conversations with Isabel Allende and Diane von Furstenberg – talk about wise women!
I really appreciated DVF’s attitude toward aging; she believes aging is living and eschews the word. “It’s a privilege, and we should change the question from “how old are you” to “how long have you lived?” I liked that, there is so much more to the question, it’s not just a dead-end. Check it out and let me know which are your favorites.

Forgive me if I am repeating myself, but during the pandemic I decided to brush-up on my Spanish using the Duolingo online app and website. I thought it would lend some structure to my day and help me meet my goal of being able to speak well again. I studied Spanish all through high school and for many years afterward I could speak and read quite well. I remember reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez in Spanish with my friend Debbie, and a Spanish dictionary, in the early 1980s. Slowly, and sadly, much of my grasp of the language has slipped away. I’ve taken conversational classes here and there, but nothing consistent until the pandemic began.

I am now on day 701. Yep. Seven hundred and one days of consistently reading, writing and learning vocabulary. Unfortunately, what I haven’t done is speak, except to myself. (There’s only so much my sweetie is willing to listen to in a language he doesn’t understand.) Fortunately, there is an International Languages Club here in Sun City. They offer Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Polish and quite a few others. The courses are offered at all levels and there are intensive grammar classes in between sessions so you can dive deeper. Imma stay up here in the shallow end of the pool for now, but I am very excited to begin when the next session starts a couple weeks from now in August!

Speaking of pools… I going to grab my towel and sunscreen and head over to the pool for a swim now that I’ve done everything on my to-do list. I’m finally getting the hang of being retired!

I hope you are stying cool and you and yours are doing well. Thank you for reading, and if you ever have questions, please feel free to comment and ask.

Thank you for reading,
XO Donna

WSJ, the Met & Me

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I got an email from my darling publisher a few mornings ago:

“Hi, Donna – ICYMI (that’s editor talk for “in case you missed it”) “Flaming June” and Frederic Leighton were the topic of an article in the WSJ Review written by Barrymore Laurence Sherer.
Title of article is “A Victorian Vision of Beautiful Youth.” Such a treat to learn more about the artist and painting, now on loan to the Met in NYC. Happy Spring, Cynthia.”

I looked it up, and the article was very eloquent, and equally verbose… but, the main points were that this is Sir Frederic Leighton’s (1830-1896) most famous painting for its vivid color, and his technique that both conceals and reveals, appearing almost weightless. Scholars have called Flaming June “his most uninhibited hymn to human beauty and life itself.” It is currently on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from Puerto Rico’s Museo de Arte de Ponce along with five others through 2024. I’d love to see it.

I remember being enthralled the first time I saw the painting in an art class, and 50 years later, I am thrilled to be able to use it for my book cover.

In other news, I think I told you that I began studying Spanish using the DuoLingo app during the pandemic. I have managed to practice daily for 635 days now, usually spending between 4 – 5 hours a week. I’ve decided that when I hit the two-year mark in a few months that I may switch to Babble, unless some of you have other suggestions for online learning that worked for you? Please drop me a note in Comments.

My reading and writing comprehension are both good, but I get a little “tongue-tied” when I speak. And I can’t roll my Rrrrrrr anymore! But I do speak to everyone who will speak with me and I have had lots of opportunity. I’ve found that native speakers are always very kind, patient, and complimentary and it keeps me encouraged.

I don’t know if this is a good habit, or a bad one, but I’ve developed the habit of eating “at my desk.” Having never had a desk job, it’s a new experience for me, and it feels fun. I make myself a latte in the morning, having treated myself to a milk frother since I’ve had to give up my cream. (I’m limited to lactose-free milk right now – but it warms up and froths beautifully!)
Next I warm-up one of this week’s batch of gluten-free muffins, then carry them to my desk where I read Apple news. It is an extravagance having the time to do this with no demands at all as the sun comes up. Maybe I should think of it as more of a ritual?

What ever we call it, we all deserve an extravagant moment every day. Time to recharge our body, mind, and spirit so that we can be present to ourselves and for others.

XO Donna

WATCH PARTY

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One hundred years ago, today, Warner Brothers Studio was founded. The four Warner brothers were Russian Jewish immigrants whose father brought them to America because they weren’t allowed to work in their homeland. Although illiterate and uneducated (also something they weren’t allowed) they were sharp and ambitious. Realizing that people liked to see movies – which in 1903 were a new thing, they bought a projector and began showing movies – at 5 cents per person – they soon operated more “Nickelodeons” than anyone in the city. Their business savvy, and their desire to make movies themselves, led to the creation of Warner Brothers Pictures on April 4, 1923.
The studio became known for making movies that portrayed “social realism,” addressing such things as anti-Semitism, war-time atrocities, horrible prison conditions, and in 1938 they made the first explicitly anti-Nazi movie, which resulted in Germany banning all films made in America.

In 1942 they made one of my favorite movies: Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart was one of their contract players, and Ingrid Bergman was new to acting. I was surprised (shocked) to find out that Ronald Regan and Ann Southern were considered for the parts… Good call, Warner brothers! Tonight, to celebrate, we are watching Casablanca again. I know I will never tire of it.
(*info from tcinla757@substack.com)

This is a busy week for everyone! Tomorrow begins Passover, and I’m still in newish-Jewish mode. Learning about my heritage through cooking… and through that food, seeing the interconnectedness of us all through the ages. To all of my Jewish readers – I’m grateful for your presence in my life on Passover, and always!

Thursday, the 6th brings the full Moon – she’s the element that ties all of these religious observations together. I’ve been a Moonchild since I was an infant. Her constancy has been something I have counted on my whole life. I make a point to mark every month to go outside to greet the Moon, ponder her influence on us, and our planet. I still buy paper calendars each year so that I can have the phases of the Moon marked out for me, a digital calendar just won’t do. So, if it isn’t a habit you normally have, go outside and look up tomorrow night. Say, “Hello, Moon!”

This Sunday the 9th is Easter. We’ve been invited to a lovely (and I know it will be a delicious) dinner with family and extended family. I count myself lucky to again be included in, and surrounded by women who love to cook.
To all of my Christian readers – I wish you all a Happy Easter filled with Peace and Joy.

Wishing you all a chance to dress up, eat too much chocolate, turn off the news, and spend precious time visiting with family, friends, and tribe
XO Donna

TURN, TURN, TURN

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“To everything turn turn turn, there is a season turn turn turn,
A time to be born, a time to die. A time to build up, a time to break down..”

Well, it must be true, because both my stove and microwave have broken down. All of the appliances were installed with the house in 2013 – just ten years ago, but perhaps that’s the life expectancy of things these days.

We’ve already had to replace the kitchen faucet, which seemed like a fun project, but wasn’t, at all. Two faucets, and three visits from the plumber later, we have one that works. Kind of.

We also replaced the heating element in the oven. Things were taking longer than I thought they should to cook. Was it the oven, or was it just me? I bought an oven thermometer which told me the oven was fine. A few days later I was baking a large gluten-free carrot cake. When the timer went off, telling me the cake was done, I was met by a hot mess! The finicky heating element had finally given out.

Now a burner on the glass-top stove heats, then doesn’t. Heats, then doesn’t. Like someone driving with one foot on the gas and one on the brake.
At least I have three other burners. The nuke however, won’t heat at all and sounds like it’s about to blast-off into outer space when you turn it on. I didn’t realize how much I rely on it, until it quit working.

Well, time to move! Kidding. Actually, not kidding.

For a while we have been talking about downsizing even further, and moving to our “forever home.” We realized that neither of us would want to live here without the other. We’ve realized that we don’t enjoy yardwork anymore, so we discussed another apartment – no maintenance – even going to tour an over-55 complex that would be like living in a luxury hotel. Concierge, croissants and coffee in the morning! But they were tiny and expensive and their pool was mostly in the shade..

We looked at another complex that was beautiful, with both veggie and flower gardens, a beautiful pool and patio set-up, large balconies, and friendly staff… but it was far from everything… out in a cow pasture. We put the idea of an apartment on a back burner. Fitting analogy.

Then, around the holidays a friend called to say hello. He used to live three blocks from my cottage in downtown Austin. I asked how things were going and he told me he’d sold his house and moved into an apartment that he’d worked on back in the late 80’s. He’s a landscape architect. I know the area, but had never noticed the apartments – turns out they are tucked back in the woods and some even overlook a canyon and preserve.

Intrigued, we arranged for a tour of a couple different floor plans and explored the grounds, visiting with my/our friend for a bit afterward. He said the tenants tend to be older professionals, lots of retired folks, and it’s a quiet place. He seemed very content there. Could we be?

.

Since then we’ve been talking about the things we like , and I did a “pros and cons” list. There are 15 items on the “pros” side, one of which is a gas stove and oven. And of the 3 things on the “cons” side, only one of them is a real drag – moving!

The apartment would be close to our kids, so we’d get to see them more often. And great food and shopping are within a couple of miles in all directions.
It seems like it could be a very nice area to grow older. And speaking of that, my sweetie celebrated his eightieth birthday last week! We went out for a delicious dinner and our favorite cake on the planet – Whiskey Cake. It’s based on a British sticky toffee pudding topped with spicy roasted nuts and a cremé anglais. The cake itself isn’t like anything we’ve ever had before. Perfect for celebrating a man like no other!

The adventure continues. Tomorrow I am having a half-price sale on everything in my Etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/fairviewphotos

Great, and grateful, to talk to y’all again.
XO Donna

Fresh Start

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I’m probably the last person to wish you a Happy New Year, as we are now one third of the way into the month. But, Happy New Year!
Jeez, we just took our tree down yesterday! It smelled so good, and we were both enjoying its “mood lighting” so much that we weren’t in a rush. This is the first holiday season, since we moved here four years ago, that we’ve enjoyed the holidays so much!

We’ve had greatsocial-media interactions with friends, hours on the phone with beloved out-of-state family members. We had a delightful, delicious, and very relaxed Christmas brunch with in-town family, and finished everything off with a stunning dinner with dear friends at a special restaurant that is extra-special during the holidays.

Fonda San Miguel, Austin TX

Our friends arrived early, just as the restaurant opened and captured this photo… 15 minutes later when we joined them it was buzzing with life! I hate to admit it has been more than 20 years since I’ve eaten here. Fonda San Miguel serves the finest authentic interior, and coastal, Mexican cuisine outside of Mexico. The restaurant opened in 1975 – I moved here three years later, but it wasn’t until the early-eighties that I first dined here. It always felt like a “special occasion” restaurant to me; the regional cuisine, authentic decor, their greenery and a parrot or two, and a glass skylight over it all. Fortunately, I used to go rather often. I learned a lot about great food here, many of their recipes were inspired by their friend Diana Kennedy, an expert and cookbook author who has been described as the “Mick Jagger of Mexican Cuisine!”

Please go to their website (fondasanmiguel.com) for a look. You’ll see a photo of a beautiful poblano pepper with a (brandy-walnut) cream sauce and pomegranate seeds sprinkled over it. These are made especially for Christmastime, and that’s what I had for dinner. Amazing!
We are talking about making a reservation and going again in the spring for their Sunday Brunch. I can’t wait.

Speaking of food, it’s just cookies, but it was a big win for me: I finally baked a batch of Linzer Tarts for my son that came out nearly as good as his Italian Grandmother & Great-grandmother’s. Despite having their recipes all of these years I’ve avoided a few… how could I ever hope to equal theirs? This year, their recipes and my skill level have finally, deliciously aligned. I may have to bake him another batch for his birthday in a couple of weeks!

And, speaking of Mexican food menus, I have been studying Spanish for more than 500 days on Duolingo. I began during the pandemic and have developed a routine now. I’m always surprised when I receive my weekly update of my stats which tells me how many new words I’ve learned in a week, how many phrases I’ve mastered, and how many hours I’ve put in; usually 3-5 hours a week.
I studied Spanish all through high school, and although I was a good learner, I was a middle-of-the-road student because I didn’t do my homework. At one point in my life I could actually carry on conversations and read books (One Hundred Years of Solitude) in Spanish. Trying to become fluent seemed like a good goal, something to give structure to my mostly unstructured days.
I definitely recommend Duolingo. I started with the free version, and have upgraded to the paid one. If you are doing it, or decide to do it, let’s connect and get a study/fun group going, okay?

I hope your holidays were merry and bright, and that this new years offers new opportunities, good health, and happiness.
I am glad you are here with me, reading my rambling, and hopefully smiling.

XO Donna

TWO WEEKS

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The clock’s running out. This two weeks is what we (or maybe just I) wait for all year!

First up is Hanukkah, this weekend, with all of its delicious food: I mean, what’s not to love about latkes and sour cream? Brisket? Delicious apple cake? Or spectacular jelly doughnuts?

Then there is the Winter Solstice on December 21. It is the shortest, darkest day of the year, but from here on in, our days will begin to get longer and lighter. Friends and I always celebrated around an open fire, and there were usually marshmallows to roast and hot beverages, spiked or not. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been to a Solstice Party, I may have to look at reviving that tradition.

Then a few days later is Christmas Eve – which was always a spectacular hours-long dinner at my Italian in-laws house. I can’t tell you how much I miss those raucous, love-filled, traditional meals. And them.

And then, we wake up the next morning and it’s Christmas Day with its amazing array of traditional Christmas cookies, pies and cakes. I’m going to try and make a gluten-free version of my Mom’s mincemeat/apple pie. No meat involved, in case you’ve never had it. There will be photos if I succeed.

As you can tell, I’m all about the food, (these two images are my favorites!) and of course, getting together with friends and family.

I wish all of my Jewish readers/friends a very Happy Hanukkah, and all of my Christian readers/friends a very Merry Christmas.
And a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year to you and yours.

(Me and my Sweetie)

XO Donna

GOOD THINGS

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Since I last posted, I had a birthday and turned 71. Unimaginable! If you’re not there yet, it’s just fine, I don’t suddenly feel “old.”
Old is absolutely a state of mind, a way of looking at life. A choice. And one I am not choosing.

To celebrate, we had a delicious lunch out – yes, in a public place! I have been hesitant to go any place without a mask for a long time, despite being vaxxed and boosted, and having had both a flu and pneumonia shot. As Dr. Fauci said, “An over-abundance of caution.”
I love that, and I think he’s pretty cute, too. So, I’m finally dipping my toes in the water.

The restaurant we chose was spacious, with lots of room between the tables, so I felt safe. The building was originally the old city post office here in Georgetown which has been newly renovated into a modern and elegant space, with tall charcoal wainscoting and soaring ceilings. There’s even a grand piano in the main dining room, which could be another wonderful reason to return.

As a reminder of its past-life, they’ve left a bank of post boxes in the entry foyer. We used them as a backdrop for our photo. I always judge a restaurant by the state of it’s Ladies Room – and it was immaculate and beautifully appointed. Add a daybed and it would make a lovely boudoir. Gave me some decorating ideas!

My dear friend Mike, (on right) whom you’ve met before, came with us to celebrate our Scorpio birthdays! We’ve been doing this for years. I’m lucky to have him in my life. The three of us were seated in a spacious, yet still cozy, booth. The food was great, and our waitress was on top of every single thing, a delight in this age of indifferent service. We even met and chatted with the manager. As were were leaving our waitress took this photo of us. Another great birthday on the books!

I’m a big BBC and Masterpiece fan, and I have a couple of things to recommend. First, “Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont,” was a joy. It stars Joan Plowright, who strikes up a sweet (not romantic) friendship with a young writer. It turns out they have more in common with each other – despite the age difference – than they do with people their own ages. I really love the theme of intergenerational friendships. Living in a place where everyone is the same age, I really miss having that, as I did when I worked.
In my rating system, I give this movie 5 hearts.

Next is “Enola Holmes.” Do I mean Holmes, like? Yes, Mycroft and Sherlock’s Holmes younger sister. A wonderful, exciting romp about a young girl who was unconventionally raised, then abandoned, by her suffragette, firebrand mother – played by Helena Bonham Cater.
Enola struggles to find her place, though her gift is undeniable, and eventually, after lots of adventures and misadventures, all becomes clear. It’s in two parts, and worth watching on your own, but it would be fun to watch with kids old enough (10+) to follow the plot and be inspired by the lessons learned. Especially liberating for young girls. This movie gets another 5 hearts.

And last, but not least, I am anxiously awaiting a new film starring Bill Nighy. You know him, of course – he played the aging rock star in “Love Actually.” (Which you must put on the top of your holiday watchlist!)
I believe I have seen everything he’s ever acted in, he’s that good and that watchable. The new film is called, “Living,” which comes out here in the States on December 23, after its debut at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

The film has an amazing pedigree: inspired by the 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy, with a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro, the Nobel and Booker prize winner who wrote The Remains of the Day. It’s set in the 1950s about a civil servant who has dutifully trudged through life, and upon finding out he has cancer, and not a lot of time left, decides to make his remaining time count. If anyone can make this beautiful, it’s Nighy. I can’t wait…. c’mon Santa!

For now, I wish you all a lovely Thanksgiving, and a safe journey if you’re traveling. I am thankful that you are all at the other end of this post, reading and maybe learning some fun new things. I look forward to hearing how your Thanksgiving went.

And, if you are a Black Friday fan, I’ve got a sale running in my shop, starting Friday with Free Shipping, no code needed. Here’s the address.
I’ve been told the link didn’t work, but you can copy and paste, or just type this out. Thanks to Trish for letting me know!

etsy.com/shop/fairviewphotos

XO Donna

ASK YOUR MOTHER

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My youngest sister Elizabeth and I have been having long conversations lately where we wonder about our Mom’s relationship with her older (and only) sister Wilma. Their age difference was also 14-15 years. I know my mother adored and missed Wilma because she took me, then me and Terry, then me, Terry and Lynn to visit her each year. And I remember watching her write letters. Lots of letters.

I’ve talked about my love of those long train trips trips from NYC to St. Louis, MO before. I enjoyed every minute, but can you imagine being a young woman of 25 with three babies traveling by train across country? The question we ask is, “Why did she move to NY when her whole family was in the St. Louis area?

I’ve never wondered why my parents married at City Hall with a Justice of the Peace, just accepted it at face value, but Elizabeth finds it inconceivable that they wouldn’t have had a wedding with all of Mom’s family in attendance. Maybe they didn’t accept my Yankee father… or his religion, and dealing with that was more than they wanted to do. Maybe money was an issue, Dad had just come home from the Korean war and was building a career. Maybe it seemed more romantic to them to elope. There is so much that we know nothing about…

(My parents. December 3, 1950. My mother’s jacket and skirt were the loveliest camel-colored velvet.)


As we talk about this gap in our knowledge of our Mom, we wish that we’d been more present, asked her questions, listened between the lines to what she was saying. Well, just listened, period. Kids tend to be innately more self-centered.

With a house full of kids and all the work that caring for six other people entailed (Mom had the five of us girls by the time she was 35, birth control not being an option back then) I’m sure she didn’t have time to reminisce about her hopes or dreams, or why she made the choices she made. And having married at only 19, had she even had time to think about any of it yet, really?

There are so many questions that neither of us knew to ask. I think this would make a good book – asking everyone, asking all of you, “What do you wish you had asked your Mother while you could?” Please, please , please if you have a suggestion, leave it in the comments. Who knows where it’ll go?

She’s been gone 24 years now, and I almost miss her more, but the things I miss about her are different now; I miss the “her” that I never knew.

I appreciate you all,

XO Donna

Business As Usual

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Well, I say that… I certainly have my routines: I walk every other day, I do Nia classes twice a week, I cook every day and bake often- more and more it is sweets, and I do have to lay off them a bit. Or walk a little farther a little faster! Then I watchJeopardy every afternoon and British crime/detective shows after dinner. But I feel bored quite often. Or is it ennui?

RETIREMENT is waking up in the morning with nothing to do and by bedtime only having done half of it.

– Unknown

About that – there are things I can do, and that I tell myself I want to do, but I guess I’m just not bored enough yet to clean out closets for Goodwill, or do my taxes, or get out the sewing machine to sew or tailor a few blouses so they will fit better. And those things weigh on me.

But I also haven’t given myself credit for the things I have done, and I’ve accomplished some things I feel good about;

  • I have been studying Spanish on DuoLingo for more than a year. I had a 346-day streak going, but missed Monday because of an opthamologist appointment that left my eyes too dilated to do anything for hours. My reading and comprehension are much improved, and I understand many of the idioms and nuances of the language. I am now at the point where I need to practice speaking to someone. My friend Holly (who teaches Nia movement classes) does weekly classes on ZOOM with a native speaker. I am ready to sign up. I am also terribly nervous… but, I am sure it will be fun.
    I started DuoLingo with their free APP, but quickly upgraded, as it has so much to offer. For the price, I highly recommend it – I’ve been trying for years to become fluent again.
  • I learned about the HOT GIRL WALK exercise trend. Young girls are doing it, aiming for an hour daily, five days a week. Dressing in cute outfits and accessorizing! What struck me about it though is something we all will benefit from – while walking, “ONLY think about your goals, what you are grateful for, and how “hot” you are.”
    Walking and mindfulness are both great for improved memory and cognition, cardiovascular health, lowering stress and improving mood. Why not do them together AND make it an act of self-love, too!
  • For all of my Jewish friends, I want to wish you a very sweet and Happy New Year! I made my very first matzoh ball soup and it was delicious. I read Ina Garten’s recipe, and Martha Stewart’s recipe, and between my stock in the freezer and the herbs I had on hand, plus ideas from their matzoh recipes, the result was good. Even my sweetie tried it and went back for seconds. That’s saying somethin!
Fluffy and Flavorful.

This involves a friend – and it’s a WARNING about something I’ve never even thought about! A dear friend travels frequently for her job, and carries her vitamins/supplements in a daily pill carrier which she leaves in her room. She’d come home from her trip and was “refilling for next week” when she noticed two black capsules in the two remaining compartments WITH the rest of her supplements. They were not hers, and she didn’t put them there!

She notified the hotel, and the police, and is having them tested. I am so glad she noticed them, rather than just gulping them down!
When I travel again, I will keep my medicine carrier in the safe from now on. I used to just leave it in my carry-on after checking in… no more.

Thanks for reading, let’s all go out there and be HOT! Try new things, cook new things, share new things. Write letters to people to tell them you love them. (My cards are on sale at etsy.com/shop/fairviewphotos ) Go travel, have fun, stay safe. And get ready to vote soon. Vote for everyone that supports women, girls, daughters, sisters, mothers, aunts, and grandmothers. Nobody’s going to give us equal rights, we have to support each other and think about our kids and their kids.

All my love and gratitude –
XO Donna

Busy Bee

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As I sit to write this, I realize that the bed in our guest room is unmade. Not that any of you can see it, but I feel it. BRB.
Done and dusted! Yesterday I did the floors and rugs, changed and washed the linens in both bedrooms and baths, and left the linens folded on the guest room bed to do them first thing this morning.

But something more fun came up: we went to look at an Airstream Trailer for sale nearby. Gorgeous. Modern. Iconic. Shiny. Soooooo shiny!

It was beautiful and had been very well-maintained, but the shower felt cramped to me, and the bathroom – well, imagine yourself having to use an airplane lavatory every single day. Soooooo tiny.
I’m only 5’4″ and I felt that way, it would have been impossible for my 6′ tall sweetie, so we didn’t make an offer. Fantasy, meet reality.

We have two more RVs we’re looking at that are similar to what we used to have, just a bit smaller.

Tuesday is usually my Farmer’s Market day, and since it’s right here in Sun City I can run up there in the golf cart and stroll the stalls picking just what I need. Fresh okra has been my favorite thing so far, but last week I got both fresh red and sweet potatoes, and Sunflower sprouts. Love sprouts! I’ll have to see about making it to the Thursday market downtown. Do you have Farmer’s Markets where you live?

On Labor Day we drove to College Station to see my dear friend Holly, (the Nia instructor I’ve talked about here before) and spend an afternoon with her and her darling husband. Her gardens are glorious, as was her pool… first time I’d been in the water all summer. I forgot how healing the water is. I brought a batch of my gluten-free brownies with toasted walnuts along.

On Wednesday we both got the new Covid bivalent booster shots. And our flu shots, one in each arm! He had no reaction to either, but I felt a touch under-the-weather the next day, and Tylenol fixed that. A couple days later I had a reaction at the injection site. It was itchy, hot and red. The doctor said that is a rare reaction, but since my immune system is a bit wonky, we weren’t surprised.
A bit of ice, moreTylenol, and a couple of days later I am fine. It seems like this will be an annual booster now. Grateful to all the scientists who made/make this possible.

And two more fun things – my friend Mike came over for dinner and we usually collaborate on a cocktail to go with dinner – I cook and he brings the makings and acts as our mixologist! I found a recipe from Nigella Lawson for No Churn Margarita Ice Cream. I read it through and wondered if it was worth the splurge. OMG, yes, absolutely! It was Mike’s idea to start and finish the meal with a Rita, so he whipped us up top-shelf cocktails, and after dinner I pulled our treat from the freezer hoping it would be good. It was beyond good!

(My apologies for the monstrous link below, but there was no short-link that I could import.)

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjbp_zMx5L6AhV_nWoFHVJuDPgQFnoECAYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nigella.com%2Frecipes%2Fno-churn-margarita-ice-cream&usg=AOvVaw0vM3EOzx_FpF6sbkfPRMFD

I plan to make it again, but this time using the box of fresh Meyer Lemons I have in the crisper. I’ll let you know how it turns out. It feels good to feel good and be busy again. Hope you are all well and enjoying these cooler mornings. I’ll talk to you soon.

In gratitude,
XO Donna