Our Colombian Adventure Begins

Why Colombia? Because I was here for work about 40 years ago and I have always wanted to come back.

How long will we be here? A little over 3 weeks. 

Are we with a group? Most definitely not. We enjoy being in charge of our itinerary and knowing we can easily change our minds. 

We arrived at midnight on Thursday. this morning we checked out the view from our hotel rooftop.  this is the quaint old district of Candelaria, filled with university students and pickpockets, as well as the 2 best museums in town.

We explored Candelaria while searching for a place that sold the tiny SIM card needed for David's phone. Things like this that seem so uncomplicated often turn out to be otherwise. We could buy the card at the second store but must return tomorrow to buy the data. We then decided to take in the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) nearby. The museum is literally a gem! The art of making beautiful things with metal goes way back. 

Fresh fruit is in abundance. We are interested in anything that can be peeled. 

We headed back to the hotel to enjoy tea and cookies from our rooftop.

Tonight was an adventure. We celebrated Shabbat with the local Lubavitcher community. My second experience sitting only with women. It seemed curious to hear Spanish and Hebrew intermingled. Every now and then I heard a familiar melody and joined in.

But the biggest surprise was the multi-corse dinner served at the rabbi's residence (to which we were invited) afterwards. I have seldom ever experienced such a warm welcome.

What's the biggest change after 40 years? The cars are no longer antiques belching black smoke. And the begging street urchins known as gamines seem to have turned into older men who sleep on the sidewalks.dd

Hearts Galore

Let's face it -- I'm just not a cookie maker.  I had a card-making party today at my house and served heart-shaped little sandwiches.  There were beautiful little heart cookies from the local bakery that were far nicer than anything I could have made.

I pulled out all my card-making supplies and easily filled the kitchen counter.  We could have made hundreds of cards with all this stuff.

I had made a couple of sample cards to give people ideas.

The red blossoms of the amaryllis seemed totally appropriate to the coming holiday!

We spent a couple of hours cutting, pasting, drinking tea, and catching up.  It was a fun afternoon that produced a bunch of unique cards for friends and loved ones.

Anticipation

My amaryllis, which days ago seemed so ready to pop out in red blooms, seems interminably stuck as it grows taller by the day.  I feel like I am pacing the floors of the delivery room just waiting for it to give birth.  My mistake may have been in fertilizing it last week, which perhaps encouraged growth but didn't promote blooming.  In fear of those lanky stalks collapsing under their weight, I went to the basement tonight in search of a dowel, which I have now added with string to support the two competing bloom shafts.  I'm not sure what the little green thing is that seems to have sprouted out of the place where the bulbs come together.  I never remember it taking so long before once the it got a mind to bloom. This plant has forever been a lesson in patience.

Thumbsdown

That is my old hand, but more specifically that's my aching thumb joint.  Last night it really hurt after my evening music lesson.  And it was still painful when I woke up today.  I'm sure it's the same arthritis everyone gets as old age creeps up.  But I wasn't ready for it just yet.

I called my piano teacher today to see if she had any great ideas.  (She is in her 80's.)  She suggested Zostrix arthritis cream, a topical over-the-counter drug.  She recommended an orthopedic doctor who specializes in hands. She also recommended against playing scales. Yippee!

When I saw my personal trainer today, I also talked to a physical therapist who thinks she might be able to help me. When any body part is not working right, we suddenly realize how important it is.  And so with my thumb.  I can't play much music without it.  And it is on my dominant hand, which affects much of what I do in life.

I'm hopeful that time and perhaps some of the noninvasive approaches to my sore thumb will fix this problem. Just one more reminder that I am growing older.

An Ancient Sweater

Looking for something to wear on my museum outing with a friend, I rediscovered a warm wool sweater I had received from my aunt as a Christmas present when I was 25.  You know it's old because it has a zipper in the back of the neck.  But not a moth hole anywhere!  And right next to it, a long-sleeved silk underwear top for an added layer of insulation.  I was set to go out into the arctic cold.

The Van Gogh exhibit at the Philips was much more accessible than it had been the day after Christmas when we initially visited with every out of town guest in the DC Metro area.  You could actually view the  paintings without peering over someone's shoulder or stepping on the toes of the person behind you.  The theme of the show was the repetitive nature of Van Gogh's work and it played out again and again as he painted and repainted the scenes and people that caught his eye.  It was obvious he was a troubled soul when he cut off his ear.  But the self-inflicted gunshot wound that ended his life just 2 years later was a sad reminder of just how troubled he really was.

It was a perfect dose of an hour of art followed by lunch in the museum cafe.  I'm sure none of the other cafe patrons had a sweater older than mine.  Fortunately there was no parking ticket because we used the appropriate combination of quarters and Parkmobile to fend off the parking cops.

Check out Ari below as he performs his lookout duty on the back yard.  He is very brave when he is inside behind the glass window.

Hot Soup on a Cold Day

It's bitter cold here and inside is the place to be.  A good day for things like cleaning out the vegetable drawer.  In which I found 5 medium-size turnips.  Googling "TURNIP SOUP" turned up a 5-star recipe that could not be easier.

Turnip-Potato Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds of turnips, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small potatoes, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons salt (less if your broth is salted)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Italian parsley leaves as a garnish

In a large soup pot, sauté the onions, garlic, and turnips for 5-10 minutes.  Add the potatoes, white wine, and stock and cook on low for 30 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Emulsify with an immersion blender.  Top with chopped parsley leaves.

This will make a turnip-lover out of you if you aren't already one!

Happy Amaryllis!

I love this crazy plant.  it was a gift to me when I was recuperating after breaking my hip 5 years ago.  When it arrived it had huge red flowers on both stalks.  After they fell off, I wasn't sure I would see blooms again.  But usually about this time of year, it shoots up green bloom pods like those above that grow inches every day and quickly open up to expose more beautiful red flowers.

Last year was the exception because young Ari particularly liked chewing on the amaryllis bulbs.  But it seems to have survived a teething puppy to bloom once again.  

It seems like such an other-worldly plant that is totally unpredictable.  I will be sure to post a photo when the red blooms once again appear!

BTW -- Ari now has his own photo Blog.  Check out his adventures!

Tube Trouble

When I was a young child, we often traveled by car on summer trips north to see my grandparents.  When we drove through the mountains, I learned how to clear my ears by holding my nose and blowing out.  It was great fun to hear that pop.

Several month ago when we flew to California, upon the plane’s descent I tried the old trick to clear my ears to no avail.  It was then that I realized my eustachian tubes were blocked.  There was no pain or discomfort, just a feeling that there was some roadblock between my nose and my ears.  Perhaps it is my imagination or perhaps not that my hearing ability has diminished somewhat.

Last month I decided to consult an ENT doctor about this problem.  He sent me home with a nasal inhaler and an Rx for Benzonatate, an antitussive.  He said that if these didn’t work, the next step was a course of steroids.  If those didn’t unplug my ears, the last resort would be ear tubes like the ones my son had at age 2.  

I wasn’t too thrilled about any of these remedies.  I admit to taking the initial drugs only now and then, but not noticing one bit of change.  And I quickly determined I didn’t want anything to do with steroids or ear tubes.

Just yesterday I decided to Google “holistic cures for blocked eustachian tubes” and got some other ideas of things to try, like aromatherapy.  A friend even suggested that certain yoga poses, like shoulder stand, might help to clear my blocked tubes.

But perhaps I should first consider why my eustachian tubes are blocked.  Maybe this is just one more lingering side-effect of the radioactive iodine treatment I had years ago following the removal of my malignant thyroid.  Perhaps it is a normal symptom of aging.  It could even be caused by allergies.  

Meanwhile it might be good to consult another medical professional who is willing to look at more natural remedies to my problem.  I just need to figure out how to find such a person.  Any ideas?

Adios Blogger

When I started Blogging in 2004, my Blog was associated with my current Verizon email address.  When I moved to Gmail, you would think Google would have made it easy for me to move my Blog as well.  But no, I never seemed to figure out how to do that.

Aside from the annoyance of having to change accounts every time I posted, it was not a problem for several years.  Not in fact until I took a 9-month break and then tried to start up again.

It seems that Blogger must have deactivated my password after 90 days of inactivity.  They were willing to send me a new password to my Verizon address, which of course had been defunct for years.

I am guessing this happens to Bloggers all the time.  Many people must change email providers and at some point take a 3-month hiatus from Blogging.

The real kicker was the fact that Google doesn’t make it possible to talk to a human being about anything!  After some Google searches, it quickly became apparent that I was screwed.  Although my old Blog was still there, it was and will remain without a viable owner!

As a birthday present to me, my wonderful husband offered to set up a new Blog, figure out a way to bring over all my past posts, and make it look somewhat similar to my old Blog.  He quickly determined that we should leave Blogger behind and move to a place where one can talk to a real person.  He found a company called Squarespace that supported everything I wanted.

I’m less than impressed that Google doesn’t see the wisdom in supporting its customers with English-speaking real people.  Sometimes there is no substitute for a conversation with someone in the know.  And shame on Blogger for locking me out.  But then, maybe it was time to move on!

Rite of Passage

Every year when I get all those birthday wishes on Facebook, I feel guilty that I have missed most of your birthdays, that I don’t do Facebook, and now that I haven’t written anything here for months and am slowly losing touch with many people I love.

There have lately been a lot of times when I said to myself, “If I were still Blogging, I would write about this!”  Some of my favorite new recipes will never again see the light of day because I didn’t post them to remind myself.  The Mary Oliver poems Esther reads at the beginning of Shabbat services will be found only in their original books, not on my Blog.  And all those “notes to self” that exist throughout my posts since 2004 have been absent for months now.

So maybe, just maybe, now that I am a card-carrying senior, I will try writing again so I can someday remember what I did at age 65.  

My life is boringly the same mix of music, Temple Micah, the homeless shelter, and my precious finicky dog who is not so much a puppy any longer.  I exercise regularly, do yoga, see a trainer, and still sometimes rely on not one but two walking sticks if a lot of walking is required.  

Family wise, my son is still living at home and not employed to the point where he could move out.  My daughter is living in Oakland with her sweet fiancée and they are planning a wedding in the Marin Headlands next August.  My husband has launched himself into an Apple-support business so he can pay for all those new releases.

Lately I find myself being nostalgic about many things.  I want the stores that used to be in Georgetown 40 years ago to come back.  I want my hair to be thick and long again.  I want to be able to drink espresso without getting heart palpitations.

But right now mostly I want those senior support calls to cease!  It seems like every time the phone rings, it’s someone trying to sell me an identity beeper or something else to support me in my old age.  I may be 65, but I don’t have a foot in the grave just yet.  And hopefully my Medicare card won’t get a lot of use in the coming year.

I hope to be able to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones this year.  Here’s to 2014 and my legitimacy as a SENIOR!

Passover 2013

This year I had help as I made the gefilte fish.  Ari is a curious puppy who wants to check out anything new on the counters.  As he gets bigger, nothing much is sacred.  For him, stealing something off the counter is even better than stealing underwear off the drying rack.

The fish always starts with a stock made from the bones, heads, and skin.  Not exactly a pretty picture, but definitely the way to a good fish stock (that turns into bouillabaisse after Passover).

By midday the fish patties had come out of the broth and were stored away in the refrigerator with their little carrot slices to sit in a thin layer of broth awaiting tomorrow night's seder.

Tonight we got a sneak preview as we each had a piece for dinner.  The fumes from the horseradish pronounced it sufficiently potent.  But there is always a concern before the first bite of fish when I wonder if I got the seasoning right -- enough salt and sugar, but not too much.  Every year is different, but my husband always declares it to be just right.

Happy Passover!  May you extricate yourself from any unpleasant situation just as the Jews did as they left slavery in Egypt.

My Life

Several of you have wondered if I have anything to report on my life beyond having a new dog.  The truth is not much.  I haven't gone anywhere of significance since our trip to Chile a year ago.  My only sewing project was a white reading stand cover for Temple Micah's use during the high holy days next year.  My librarian job has finally gotten down to the maintenance level of 10-15 hours a month.  Shelter kids come and go, but my work there is much the same.  My creaky body is creakier than it ever was and I often use 2 Leki walking sticks when I have any significant ground to cover.

The only areas in which I feel creative are cooking and music.  The new CSA share arriving each Wednesday prods me to discover new ways to use things like rutabagas and kohlrabi.  I'm working on dinner for tonight -- a study in orange:  Swedish chicken salad above and butternut squash soup below.

As for music, the most unique pieces I have found come from listening to Sirius XM as I drive the new Prius.  Pieces like Farewell to Stromness by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (1980) and Bailecito by Carlos-Lopez Buchardo (1997).  I am drawn to pieces that suggest movement, such as walking or dancing as these two do.  I also continue to play gems recommended by my teacher Anadel, like The Seasons by Tchaikovsky -- 12 short pieces that are moderately difficult but worth the effort.

I have struggled to adjust to having an adult child living at home, tempering my tendency to  give advice and wondering whether or not this is a permanent situation.  Truthfully I see very little of him as he is up at night and sleeps during the day for the most part.  I want so much for him to be independent and happy, but I have come to realize that it is all very much out of my hands.

Lately I have spent a lot of time heading up a Temple Micah team called Aging Together, which is charged with looking at issues dealing with getting older.  We are focusing on several aspects of this:  establishing support groups for those who lose a loved one, looking at barriers to older congregants attending services (transportation, parking, hearing, etc.), and setting up a monthly lunch-and-learn program.  I was able to use by former career skills in selecting a sample of those 65+ years old and administering a survey to learn more about what people are thinking.  With my team's help, we had one-on-one conversations which not only completed the interview forms but established new connections with people who thought they had been forgotten.  I haven't quite joined this age cohort, but my time is soon enough, so I hope there will continue to be things that make me want to remain an active member.

Ari is proving to be a great host when people come over, so we have gradually started having guests for dinner and hosting groups like our book club.  He is much better than our previous dogs in terms of not barking or jumping obnoxiously.  He is a counter-surfer, so we constantly have to be on guard so as not to lose the main course to a dog.  But otherwise, he is content to sit around chewing on a marrow bone while we entertain.

I must remind myself to be more observant as I go through life.  I used to find some reportable tidbit every day.  I'm sure they are out there, but I seem not to look at the world through Blogging glasses these days.

Thanks to my few remaining readers who have continued to ask how I am doing.  I think of you often!

Puppy Reunion

Ari celebrated his 6-month birthday by visiting his sister Roxy in Bethesda.  She too had had a haircut so they both more closely resembled poodles.  They happily hugged each other in a little doodle dance and then ran non-stop for an hour or so.  Roxy is considerably smaller than Ari, but otherwise looks very similar to him.

For those of you who have asked for news about me, I will soon put out an update.  I wish I had something of great excitement to report other than the acquisition of our goldendoodle Ari!

First Haircut

Today Ari went in for his first grooming.  I had always sworn I would never have a dog that needed this much pampering, but alas I have one.  The good news is most golden doodles don't shed.  The bad news is every 3 months or so they must be trimmed.

He had gotten to look like a raggedy mess as his hair continued to grow, so it was time.  We took him to Muddy Mutts, where Hindy (a groomer of 35 years) did her magic.  Three hours later it was much more obvious that he is indeed 70% poodle.

This is just one more critical step toward Ari's adulthood.  I wonder if he knows how good he looks with his new haircut?

Closing in on 6 Months

Ari has taken up Jake's spot on the window seat in the family room.  He has a perfect vantage point where he can bark at every squirrel or bird that enters our back yard.

He is Mr. Sociable these days.  He goes to daycare once or twice a week, where he plays with other adorable dogs with names like Lucy, Max, and Toaster (who really would name a dog Toaster?)  He has also made good friends at the local dog park with Jax and Sadie.  He meets Birdie at the neighborhood ball park.  And he has friends like Shelby and Magruder who come visit and explore the back yard with him.

But his favorite activity of all time is chewing on a frozen marrow bone, which feels good to his sore gums and means he is not chewing on furniture or shoes.

After a hard day of playing and chewing, we often find this kitchen rug.  I only wish my hips were so flexible!

Ari Out in the World

Now that Ari has had all his shots, he is learning all about dog parks.  On his first trip he met Jax, an 80-pound standard poodle.  Not at all intimidated, Ari ran every time Jax ran, not running after the tennis ball but rather just running after the big dog.  At one point he launched himself onto Jax's back.  He cried when Jax left.  He came home and slept the rest of the day.

The next day he met Casey, the black and white rescue dog who delighted in pinning Ari on his back in the mud with his jaws on Ari's neck.  Despite the fact that Casey was borderline aggressive, Ari seemed happy to have yet another canine friend.  His lovely fluff didn't fare so well, as evidenced by the photo above.  It confirmed that he is not getting fat at all, but is instead a little dog with a lot of hair.  After a bath, he resumed his beautiful fluffiness.

Yesterday's playdate was with Birdie, a service dog for our diabetic neighbor.  She is a 60-pound black lab, who thoroughly enjoyed fetching with Ari as her shadow.  They raced around the neighborhood ball field until both were completely exhausted.

Today at yet another dog park, Ari met Luna, a weimaraner 3 times his size.  Luna could run like a greyhound, often leaving Ari in the dust.  She was gentle and understanding with Ari as he tried to keep up and occasionally lunged at her.

Just this week since his dog park debut, I have noticed that Ari's tail now curls up over his back instead of handing down like a rat tail.  According to our trainer, that's sign of self-confidence.

I'm enjoying watching Ari's little world expand.  He is embracing it all with enthusiasm!

Birthday Celebration

It's my other baby's birthday.  Ari sends his greetings!

Defiance

This is the scene that plays out most every morning as we urge Ari to come down the last few stairs. He flops down with his legs out behind and just looks at the treats that otherwise work so well as motivation. A very cute dog but not one we want to bargain with at 7:30 AM.

He is just as defiant about house-training. I have seen him come in from outside and squat on the floor under my nose as if to say "I will choose when and where." Fortunately this is not the case most of the time.

I have known 2-year-olds with the same mindset!

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Location:Dawes Ave,Bailey's Crossroads,United States

Ari at 12 Weeks

Young Ari is getting bigger and older and more clever every day.  He has discovered that humans have far more interesting food than kibble.  The only food he has sampled is bananas, the mainstay of our son.  He has come to believe he should have a bite of each and every banana.  By checking out the dishwasher, he also has found remnants of good-tasting things.

We can no longer complain about sleep deprivation.  That is, if we go to bed by 11 PM, we are guaranteed 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  As for house-breaking, there is still the occasional accident.  He pretty much relies on us to get him out in time and sometimes we fail.

Today we were treated with a visiti from Roxy, one of the two girls in his litter.  As you can see, little Roxy is tiny compared to Ari, but she makes up for her small size with cunning.  She held her own as they raced around the back yard.  On a few occasions they tried to play with the same toys and neither wanted to give in.  I wonder if they really remembered each other after 4 weeks of separation.

It is true that Ari's entrance into our household profoundly changed many things.  But it's hard to remember life without him.  When he lies on his back in my lap and looks up at me with those sweet brown eyes, I know we made a good decision!

5,000 Pipes and a Whole Lot of Stops

Who knew that Washington loved organ music?  The new Rubenstein Family Organ made its debut at The Kennedy Center tonight in a free 6 PM concert.  The tickets were given out to those standing in line starting at 5 PM.

Given the poor attendance at most NSO concerts, I figured I could waltz in around 5:30 and get a ticket somewhere in the Concert Hall.  But when I arrived at The Kennedy Center around 5:00, I realized I had totally miscalculated my chances.  

For starters, the entire Kennedy Center garage was full, meaning the limited street parking was all that was left.  As I drove by the front of The Kennedy Center I was dismayed to see the line snaking around the building.

I managed to find a parking spot about 4 blocks away and quickly walked over to The Kennedy Center to find the line even longer.  It was about 20 minutes to performance time at this point.  Soon thereafter a KC official told my part of the line we were at about 800 with only 300 tickets left to be distributed.  

Instead of going home, I decided to go inside and see if I could find someone with an extra ticket.  It turned out there were two guys with 4 tickets whose friends had not materialized.  They were happy to give me one of the extra tickets, which turned out to be a box seat with a great sightline to the organ.

For the next hour or so, I enjoyed hearing the magnificent new organ show its stuff, accompanied by the NSO.  It reminded me of my days playing the organ in my younger years.  I’m always amazed when a single individual bequeathes something as expensive as a pipe organ!

But it is an instrument that will greatly enhance The Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall.  Hopefully we will new see organ concerts that have never been the hallmark of this venue.

Perhaps my greatest coup was spending exactly $1.50 instead of the $22 standard parking fee.  It was a cheap night filled with beautiful music.

(The photo above was not from the concert, but rather from the days preceding as the organ was installed and the 5,000 pipes voiced.)