Monday Morning This and That

 To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good morning, everyone.  The weather has warmed up, and I am more than ready to start out the new week.  I'm anxious to go to the Center today.  Haven't been there since last Monday.  Can't believe how hard this cold hit me.  Even lost my voice over the weekend.  But, I did get out to go to the fruit stand on Friday, and getting out and taking in some fresh air seemed to turn the tides on my cold.

I've shown you all the outside of this enormous fruit stand, and here is a tiny piece of what it looks like on the inside.  That kale upfront there was so, so green.  Wish I could have gotten better photos, but I'm still nervous about snapping photos in a store.  I'm always thinking someone is going to come up and say something to me.

Blood oranges.  I've never tried them.  The name sort of turns me off.  I know, that is pretty silly, isn't it?  Has anyone ever had them? The green fruit next to them is some kind of melon.

All kinds of strange fruits and vegetables.  Don't know what kind of pears these are.

Cactus pears.  The blueberries next to them are almost gone already, and it is only 9:30 am. That shows how busy this place is.

Saturday evening was cold, dank, and dreary so I decided I needed some comfort food, and there is nothing better than American Chop Suey.  It is an old favorite and I cannot believe it has been so long since I last made  it. In fact, hubby has never had it so it means it has been over 22 years. It is so simple to make, and only requires the barest minimum of ingredients which  include:

elbow macaroni

olive oil
butter (I use no salt)
ground beef
onion
green pepper
garlic powder
Worchestershire sauce
soy sauce
salt and pepper
canned diced tomatoes (I use Hunts diced tomatoes with sweet onions)
wee bit of tomato sauce to thicken

While boiling elbow macaroni, add tablespoon of olive oil and tablespoon of butter into large frying pan. Brown chopped onion and green pepper. Add ground beef and brown. Next add garlic powder and Worchestershire to taste, soy sauce (I use one package of the sauce included when we order from a Chinese restaurant.) Bring to boil and simmer until all the seasonings meld together. Pour drained macaroni into mixture and simmer about five minutes. Be careful to do so slowly as it does tend to splatter. 

I even made enough for lunch the next day. 

Sometimes even the best laid plans go awry.  I know that lesson well.  I'd planned on getting my haircut on Saturday, but the weather was so bad. It was a cool, rainy day...and boy, did it ever come down.  Thank goodness it wasn't snow.  And, my cold has reached that tickle stage.  You know, that gosh awful tickle that causes non-stop coughing. Not only was I concerned about passing it alone, all I could see was the beautician just about to take a snip when I am suddenly overcome with a coughing spell...causing her to take a huge chunk of my hair.

So, I planned on going to Church Sunday morn and afterwards getting my haircut, but I didn't sleep more than an hour on Saturday night.  My nose was so stuffed, and every time I started to doze, I got a tickle.  Lack of sleep and plugged up sinuses caused dizzy spells which were on and off through most of the day.  Plus, although it wasn't raining as hard, it was still raining, and I am at that point now when all I want to do is heal.  No Church.  No haircut.  I didn't even cook on Sunday.  Ordered Chinese food.  The chicken with garlic sauce always seems to cure what ails me much like chicken soup.

And now for some great advice...

 
Live in rooms full of light
Avoid heavy food
Be moderate in the drinking of wine
Take massage, baths, exercise, and gymnastics
Fight insomnia with gentle rocking or the sound of running water
Change surroundings and take long journeys
Strictly avoid frightening ideas
Indulge in cheerful conversation and amusements
Listen to music.

A. Cornelius Celsus

Well, that's all for now.  Hoping your day goes smoothly.