A Valuable Lesson

 

Sunday, January 6, 2013 – A Valuable Lesson

Subbing for the three days immediately preceding winter break and the three days immediately following winter break served as a good reminder of why I stopped working full-time.  Stress, exhaustion, and sleep deprivation destroyed my equilibrium, and I’m just now regaining it.  I should have known better, and I hope I learn from my mistake.  Starting now, the new policy is “no more than two sub days per week.”  As with so much in life, moderation is the key. 

 

I actually enjoyed my time in Georgi’s classroom this past Wednesday through Friday.  I worked with a group of advanced students on poetry analysis and essay writing, and with a group of real beginners on some very basic grammar.  But since I was getting up at 5 in the morning, I didn’t have much energy left by the end of the school day.  However, that’s when I had to start driving Elliott to medical appointments, doing the errands, making dinner, etc.  When we finally got home late Friday afternoon, I told Elliott he could have whatever he wanted for dinner, as long as he fixed it himself.  He was quite happy with a bowl of Cheerios.  All I could do, after dipping some za’atar crackers in hummus, was to collapse into a comfortable chair and sit comatose, watching 30 minutes of Say Yes to the Dress on TLC, before I staggered off to bed.  Yes, that’s how completely drained I was, both mentally and physically. 

It has taken me the better part of the weekend to recover.  Saturday turned out to be a busy day as well, starting with grocery shopping at 6:30 a.m.  Marie-Claude, Peter and Darren came over from Baltimore and joined us for lunch.  Thank goodness Wegman’s makes a good quiche.  That left me with enough time to make chestnut soup for our first course and julekake for dessert.  After we ate, we had fun going through a box of very old photos that they had brought over.  Most of them were taken during the 1930s.  Many came from Elliot’s time in the Navy (1930-1933).  We saw Elliott in his sailor suit (very handsome), several ships, and scenes of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Panama City, the Panama Canal, various ports in the Caribbean and along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.  Unfortunately, there were many photos that had no identification on the back and it was impossible to tell where they’d been taken.  For example, there was a group of photos that showed storefronts with Chinese writing.  Elliott was never in China, but he recalls visiting Chinatowns in different cities.  Maybe we’ll eventually solve the mystery.  

Marie-Claude, Darren, Peter and Elliott

 

Sunday was a lot calmer.  Not having to rush out of the house in the morning made a huge difference.  And I’m only scheduled to sub two days this coming week. 

Happy First Day

 

Tuesday, January 1, 2013 – Happy First Day

What’s with these dark mornings?  I got up at 6, hoping to see the sun rise on the first day of 2013, but even at 7, it looked like night out there.  I thought that after the winter solstice the sun was supposed to rise earlier and earlier.  Not fair, I said, as I went back inside and started a pot of steel cut oats simmering on the stove to usher in the new year. 

For Elliott, the new year means exciting new projects.  With three bathrooms and one kitchen to remodel, he’ll be busy for a long time.  The first bathroom project is already underway.  I never realized how heavy porcelain floor tiles were until we moved four boxes of them from the car into the house yesterday.  And the 25-pound bag of grout that I hauled in felt more like a ton of dead weight.  More trips to Lowe’s are on the schedule this week, much to Elliott’s delight.  We have hired someone to do the actual labor, but knowing Elliott, he’ll surely try to be actively involved.  His new regimen of pain meds is keeping his pain at a tolerable level, and he has learned to avoid certain activities that seem to exacerbate it.  

 

Today also marks the one-year anniversary of my blog.  When I started it on January 1, 2012, I thought I’d use it to track my first year of retirement.  But since then, I’ve become addicted to writing, so I’m not signing off yet.  Here’s hoping the new year will bring many more adventures to write about!

A Year of Reading

 

December 31, 2012 – A Year of Reading

One of the pleasures of this past year has been the additional time to read.  Maybe it’s unusual, but I’ve been keeping track of my reading since high school.  At first my list was in a little spiral notebook, then it was on index cards, and now I keep a spreadsheet on the computer.  Looking back over the list of the 31 books I read in 2012, I noticed that a certain thematic thread runs through many of them, both fiction and non-fiction.  Many deal with World War II, the Holocaust, and Holocaust survivors. 

Here are a few of the books I enjoyed this year:

Haven – by the amazing journalist Ruth Gruber.  Tells the story of a small number of refugees (less than 1,000) brought into the US during World War II and given haven in a former military camp in Oswego, NY.  It reveals how the US State department routinely suppressed cables coming from Europe that told of Hitler’s program to exterminate the entire Jewish population and the strong opposition to increasing immigration during this critical time period. 

American Dervish – by Akhtar Ayad.  A novel with a contemporary setting.  The main character is a Muslim American boy.  It deals with questions of identity and was a joy to read. 

The Sandcastle Girls – by Chris Bohjalian.  Fiction, but based on historical events, namely the Turkish attempt to exterminate the Armenians.  Set in what is now Syria around the time of World War I, when the area was still part of the Ottoman Empire. 

Honolulu – by Alan Brennert.  Historical fiction.  The setting is Hawaii in the late 19th/early 20^th century, and the focus is on the Korean immigrants. 

The Hare with Amber Eyes – by Edmund de Waal.  A beautifully written family memoir.  The author, who is an artist, tells his family history before, during, and after World War II, as he describes a netsuke collection that was passed down through generations. 

Raquela – by Ruth Gruber.  This is a biography of a woman whose family had lived in Jerusalem for 9 generations.  Through her life story, the author gives insight into conditions in Palestine in the years leading up to World War II, and the problems that followed the establishment of Israel. 

In the Garden of Beasts – by Erik Larson.  A great work of non-fiction.  Set in Berlin in the 1930s.  Through the eyes of the American ambassador and his daughter, we see the rise of Hitler and fascism in Germany. 

The Life of Objects – by Susanna Moore.  Fiction, dealing with World War II and the Holocaust.  Very moving.

On Gold Mountain – by Lisa See.  Another family memoir, set in China and California. American author Lisa See tells of her Chinese family members who immigrated to the U.S.  (She wrote Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.) 

The Chaperone – by Laura Moriarty.  Fiction set in the Roaring 20s, it recounts the story of film star Louise Brooks, told by the woman who accompanied her to New York City as her chaperone. 

I also enjoyed other novels, such as State of Wonder (Ann Patchett), Life of Pi (Yann Martel), and In the Kingdom of Men (Kim Barnes).  On a lighter note, I found Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential and Marcus Samuelsson’s Yes, Chef very entertaining.  Both are memoirs with lots of cooking and food. 

Happy reading in the new year!

Solo in the City

 

Friday, December 28, 2012 – Solo in the City

I’ve started making trips into DC on my own – something I haven’t done much in recent years – and I’ve discovered that it makes me feel young again.  There’s a thrill reminiscent of the feeling I had in my teens when I’d hop on the Long Island Railroad for the trip into New York City.  I’d walk around the streets, accountable to no one, not knowing what or whom I’d encounter.

Today’s plan was to attend a play at the DC JCC.  A few weeks earlier, I’d ordered a ticket for myself on impulse, without bothering to find a friend to accompany me.  (And the theater isn’t really close to a Metro station, so it would be hard for Elliott to attend.)  The sun was shining when I set out in the morning, but the temperatures were only in the 30s.  There’s nothing like a brisk walk in the bracing air to build up an appetite.  I got off the Metro at Farragut Square, walked diagonally across the park, stopping to gaze up at the statue of Farragut.  I’ve walked past this statue countless times, but today was the first time I’ve wondered about this Farragut character.  Unfortunately, there was no plaque with information about his significance.  Later, at home, I checked online and discovered that he is Admiral David Farragut, who served in the Union Navy during the Civil War.  He’s known for calling out, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"  Good to know.  

Admiral Farragut's statue in Farragut Square

Anyway, I was a little concerned about getting lunch since the play started at noon.  Would I find someplace to eat (someplace interesting and open early, that is) in the vicinity of the theater?  Fortunately, Café Luna on P Street opened at 10 a.m. and their pizza oven was already fired up when I walked in and ordered a pizza shortly before 11 a.m.  It was my first pizza in months, and it was a good one – crispy thin crust topped with spinach, mushrooms, and red peppers, plenty of cheese and lots of fresh garlic.  (I’m glad I found a Lindor chocolate truffle at the bottom of my bag to counter my garlic breath!)  I could only eat half the pizza, so I packed up the rest, just in case I got hungry at intermission time. 

Pizza at Café Luna

 

Apples from the Desert, a modern Israeli drama about the tensions between traditionally religious Sephardim and more secular Ashkenazi Israelis, is part of Theater J’sVoices from a Changing Middle East Festival.  I enjoyed the story and the performances, and the the Friday afternoon performance was surprisingly well-attended.  Who are all these people who don’t work during the day???

The play was over by 2 p.m., but I wasn’t in a hurry to get home.  I was enjoying my freedom and I wanted to linger in the city a bit longer.  I grazed my way back towards Farragut Square, stopping at Naan and Beyond, an Indian fast food place, for a veggie samosa (good) and a serving of Baingain Bharta (smoky eggplant, tomatoes, onions, tasty spices, but too much oil).  It was still relatively early when I finished up there, so I decided to be one of those coffee shop people – you know what I mean, people who sit for hours in a coffee shop with their electronic devices.  Except in my case, I didn’t have an electronic device with me.  However, I had a library book, so I went into Caribou Coffee, ordered a decaf cappuccino, and sat at a window table.  I lasted about 30 minutes before I got antsy and had to get up and move around.  How do those people sit there all day? 

At last, it was time to go home at last.  Of course, I was still carrying my leftover pizza in a carry-out container.  I really didn’t want to bring it back home with me.  I tried to give to a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk at the corner of 17^th and L, but he was only accepting cash donations.  I guess beggars CAN be choosers.  (sigh) 

The Case of the Unwelcome Leftovers

 

Friday, December 28, 2012 – The Case of the Unwelcome Leftovers

One of my ongoing domestic problems is overproduction in the kitchen.  Although it’s usually just the two of us eating at home, I tend to cook for a family of six.  Last night is a perfect example.  I tried a new recipe, Squash and Artichoke Paella, that had recently appeared in the Food section of The Washington Post.  It was part of the special Cooking for One column.  According to the author, the recipe made only 1-2 servings.  Since I had invited our friend Judy to join us for dinner, I decided I’d better increase the recipe.  At first, I was going to triple it, but at the last minute I decided to double it instead.  If there wasn’t enough to eat, I could always make an extra-big salad.  

Well, I shouldn’t have worried.  Doubling the recipe resulted in a lot more than 2-4 servings.  Even after Judy and I had second helpings (it was really delicious!), more than half the paella was left.  It is now sitting in my refrigerator.  I’ll serve it tonight, but after that, any remaining leftovers will be much less appealing.  I’ve given up trying to get Elliott to eat anything for more than two nights in a row.  Since the idea of throwing out perfectly good food goes against my upbringing and my values, I’ll end up picking at it the following day, eating a little directly from the container, while most of it will hover in the refrigerator, hiding behind a wall of ziplock bags stuffed with half lemons and limes and jars of pickles and peanut butter.  By the time I remember its existence, it will have grown some very interesting colors of mold. 

So, I’ve come up with two possible solutions to the leftover problem.  I can either cook in smaller quantities, or I can invite several people to dinner every night.  In either case, I’m looking forward to declaring my kitchen a Leftover-Free Zone in 2013. 

The Sunflower Cure

 

Thursday, December 27, 2012 – The Sunflower Cure

What comes to mind when you heard the word “sunflower?”  A field of tall golden flowers in the South of France, or perhaps a still-life by Vincent Van Gogh?   Sounds delightful, doesn’t it?  Well, if you can’t hop on a plane to Nice, I have another idea about how to brighten up a dreary winter day:  stop by the SunflowerRestaurant in Vienna, Virginia.  You’ll enjoy Asian-inspired vegetarian cuisine, and the cheery sunflower-themed décor will lift your spirits. 

I met my friend Lilia there for lunch today.  Each of us started with a mug of green tea with toasted brown rice to take the chill off this cold and blustery afternoon.  After studying the lengthy menu, which is full of intriguingly named entrees, such as Adventure of Tempeh Land, Orange Imagination, Crispy Happiness, and Zen of Greens, I ordered Golden Nugget.  The menu describes this dish as marinated yuba (bean curd skin) wrapped around shredded shiitake mushrooms, soy protein and bamboo shoots.  It’s served with sautéed napa cabbage, broccoli, bean thread noodles and shredded carrots, all in a tasty brown sauce.   I also tasted the dish my friend Lilia ordered, General Tso’s Magic, and I believe it would have satisfied the most committed carnivore.  

The Golden Nuggets dish was delicious.

General Tso's Magic (it's vegan but you'd never guess).

 

I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Sunflower.  The Lily Flower Soup sounded tempting.  Should I follow that with the Sunflower Forest, or perhaps the Mizuni Sansai Soba Noodles?  And I’ll try to save room for dessert so I can sample their avocado and lemon pie, which was highly recommended by another friend.  

 

A Touch of White

 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012 – A Touch of White

 

It wasn’t exactly a winter wonderland this morning, but there was a touch of white outside.  The backyard had just a dusting and the roads were mostly clear.  The weather reporter on TV was calling for a wintery mix, so we made a slight modification in plans, postponing our errands until afternoon.  In the meantime, I was content to stay inside for a few hours, all warm and cozy, especially since I had a refrigerator full of yesterday’s leftovers from China Star:  cucumbers with garlic; crystal shrimp; stir-fried Shanghai bok choy; and Elliott’s favorite chow mein.  That, along with a couple of crunchy bites of Pam’s homemade peanut brittle, made a perfect midday meal. 

After lunch, the precipitation was purely liquid, so I pulled on my shiny rubber boots and ventured out.  Elliott and I were able to accomplish a lot.  Most importantly, we finally chose floor tile for our first bathroom remodeling project.  I am a little (no, very) anxious about starting this work so I’ve been putting it off for months.  Of course, Elliott isn’t going to do the manual labor himself, although he’d like to.  His official title is project supervisor. 

On the drive home this afternoon, the rain was pounding against the windshield of the car with such tremendous force that it was a relief to get back inside.  And the day was so dark that I lit a candle when we sat down for our quatre-heures (afternoon snack) of plum tea and toasted julekake.   Staying warm and cozy is on the agenda for this evening.