Do You Remember?

Do you remember Bookcrossing?
It seems like years ago when I first heard.
Here was a place where you registered a book and
then sent it adrift, out into to the world looking for a new home.

Did you ever find one?

Guess what? I found one. It was sent to me by a friend in California -- another mystery lover. It started its voyage around the world first in Seoul, South Korea. I went to Book Crossing to see where this book had been and only the original releasor and I had made any comments about the book. I wonder where it's been? The book, you ask? The Thai Amulet: An Archaeological Mystery by Lyn Hamilton.

One other thing. Book Cross was added to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in August 2004 as a noun with the definition: n. the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise.

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Is it something about getting older? Turning 60? You begin to fall apart? I'm very good about getting yearly exams. I saw the ophthalmologist to have my pressure check. Glaucoma runs in the family and my pressure runs high normal so I'm living on the edge. This visit -- I'm developing cataracts in both eyes, but (says the doc) no worries -- it will be years before they bother me (then why tell me?) !!!!! Oh, and I need to get new glasses. There's a reason I've been complaining to Mr. Dragon about not being able to see with glasses on! Off to the dermatologist. I'm very fair. This year he decides (after 10 years talking about it) that my rosacea should be treated. I guess it bothered the doc! We won't talk about what the little tube of goop cost. Then off to the internist who is very dismayed at my continuing battle with sciatica. He calls me a minimalist ... a person who doesn't like taking medication. So convincing me to try this new drug that may help with the nerve pain wasn't an easy chore for him. It is a drug that was first developed to help with the pain of shingles, found to help people with epilepsy and folks with diabetic neuropathy (how's that for a lot of medical jargon). I got the prescription filled. Got the drug home and started reading how to take it (you work up to full dose) and the possible side-effects. (I'm good at side effects!) Now, I have to talk myself into giving it a try! Perhaps the sciatica is the better choice? As you can tell, I'm still deciding! Meanwhile, I hope all of you are taking care of yourself -- having your annual exams. Don't forget your mammograms, ladies! (Mine is due in February ... my valentine present to myself!)

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Since Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I'd leave you with a little wisdom from one of my favorite characters, Maxine. This was in an email sent to me. Enjoy!

Joy to You!
Hope your week gets off to a good start.

Postcard Friendship Friday

Postcard Friendship Friday is made possible by our delightful Postmistress, Marie.

Every year a Japanese Festival is held in Houston's Hermann Park.
It includes food, music, bonsai and lots of vendors.
One year, I found these postcards.
I love cats and couldn't pass them up.

The backs of the cards simply say: PostCard.

Be sure to stop by here to visit other members of PFF
and see the wild and crazy card Marie has posted!

The Joy Diet: Truth

"Create and absorb at least one moment of truth each day."

I'm running a week behind. The kids were here for a week and I'm now catching up with The Joy Diet by Martha Beck. Above is my vision card for Truth: out of the mouths of babes. Kids seem to hit the nail on the head. They come out with some of the truest statements I've ever heard. Beck says to have your moment of truth you must be able to spend 15 minutes in Nothingness. So I tossed in the Buddha and the Lotus for my Nothing.

On the back of the vision card I've written the steps to Truth.

1. Start with daily dose of Nothing
2. First question: What am I feeling?
3. What hurts?
4. What is the painful story I'm telling?
5. Can I be sure my own painful story is true?
6. Is my painful story working?
7. Can I think of another story that might work better?

Lastly: Of the options open to me, which one brings the most love into the world? Or, as Martha also says, "offer compassion to your inner lying scumbag"! Oh, how I love this!

No one said Truth would be easy, but I'm working on it. Have to admit I think I'm looking forward to the next step: Desire!

I Promised

I promised, a few posts back, to share my recipe for split pea soup and I'm going to do that. First, I'm going to share a link to one of my favorite blogs. I've mentioned Geninne's Art blog before. I love her birds. Her watercolors make me smile. She has done several videos showing her process and this is the last one where she adds the white ink. Talk about a steady hand. Check it out!


Here's the recipe for Split Pea Soup. It comes from my favorite cookbook: Campbell’s Great American Cookbook: A Culinary treasury of more than 500 best-loved recipes from Colonial times to the present. (Copyright 1984) You would think, because it was published by Campbell's soup that it would be recipe after recipe opening a soup can. Nope! It was Campbell's attempt to define American cooking. It really is a wonderful book and if you can find it, get it. It is, if nothing else, fun reading. I'm not sure why the soup was so good last time, except (forgive me my vegan/vegetarian friends), I used smoked ham hocks. OH MY! We are now looking forward to the weekend when it is supposed to get cool again (highs in the 70's instead of 90's) and another pot of split pea soup will be in order! Straight from the cookbook:

Old Fashioned Pea Soup

American Indians knew how to grow and dry beans, but Europeans brought peas and lentils to this country.Colonial pea soup had meat and vegetables added to it daily, changing its character from day to day. The “Pease Porridge” really might have been served hot, cold or “in the pot, nine days old.”

Begin: Day Ahead Makes 6 Servings

1 package (16 ounces) dry green or yellow peas
1 ham bone with meat
2 medium onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Soak peas in 8 cups water overnight, drain.
2. About 2 hours before serving: in 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat, heat 6 cups water, peas and remaining ingredients to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender.
3. Remove bone; cool until easy to handle. Cut meat from bone; discard bone. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces; return to soup. Heat. Yields 8 cups.

SPLIT PEA SOUP: Prepare as above but substitute 1 package (16 ounces) dry green or yellow split peas for whole peas and add 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup sliced carrots, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1 bay leaf. Discard bay leaf before serving.

LENTIL SOUP: Prepare as above but substitute 1 package (16 ounces) dry lentil for peas, and do not soak lentils in water. Add 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup diced carrots; 1 large clove garlic, minced; 1/4 cup tomato paste, 2 tablespoons wine vinegar, 1 bay leaf and increase water to 7 cups. Discard bay leaf before serving.

TIP: Soak peas the quick way: Add peas to boiling water, allowing 4 cups water for each cup dry peas. Over high heat, heat to boiling, boil 2 minutes, Remove from heat. Cover, let stand 1 hour. Drain and prepare as above. (For some reason, I don't think my soup tastes as good when I take the shortcut. May just be my imagination!)

My World

Visit My World to see more of our world or to participate yourself!

Last week our grandson and his parents were visiting.
We had a great time and now you get to see some of the pictures!

(Himself with the menu)

One evening we went to the Rain Forest Restaurant.
We were surrounded by animated animals.
Every 20 minutes there was a rain storm.
No water, but the lights flashed like lightening with plenty of sound effects.

The monkeys made monkey sounds.

The tigers growled every now and then.

The elephants raised their tusks and flapped their ears.

But it was Tracy the Talking Tree that HIMSELF really liked.

Click here to view all participants of My World Tuesday.

Joy!