Garden workout and poppies

I spent a couple of hours in the garden today - weeding, watering, and mowing the lawn with the push mower. We've let the grass get really long, and our tiny lawn is on an incline....so I got quite a workout....sweating and really pushing hard to get the job done.

I also filled the bird feeders, cleaned up the bird bath, and cut some drooping tulips for a vase.

There are seeds coming up all over the place. I had spread some poppie seeds (lovely purple ones), and I see little poppy plants showing up all over the place. Wonderful....they are beautiful flowers. Stately, purple....

Here is a shot of them from last year's garden. Our lawn looks even better now, and I'm thinking it is because I fertilized it twice and put down some compost on it too. It is like a spongy green shag carpet. No dandelions either. I'm realizing that if you weed early and often it isn't as much work.

Health update

I had another appointment with the Surgeon this week, and I'm delighted to report that my ROM is at 100 degrees. He is very happy and doesn't want to see me unless I've got problems that arise. Him yanking on the toe didn't even make me wince like the other times...let alone beg or cry.

I will credit:

-ruthless treadmill workouts that feature major incline
-Fede's wonderful ROM massages/torture sessions
-weekly yoga and dance classes that have me bending and moving
-accupuncture

YEA!!

I treated myself to buying a couple pairs of shoes (he sells shoes that his staff fit you for and he can personally approve won't mess up the bunion). They are really nice looking (not old-lady shoes), and I think I deserve some variety in the shoe department (I've got 2 pairs sanctioned by the Surgeon, walking and dress....).

The visitor

I'm on a movie roll. Tonight it was a drama and not a documentary. "The vistor" is a lovely movie....very un-Hollywood, and I mean that in the best way. Check out the trailer, which doesn't really do it justice.

http://www.thevisitorfilm.com/

Powerful documentary

As a practicing Catholic and lover of documentaries, this pretty much hits it on all counts. A former priest takes you on a tour of the dark side of Christianity (frankly, he only covers a part of it, he doesn't even touch on the stuff that happened during the colonial period).

Why would you watch this?

To have your eyes opened, to be saddened, to face new information, to get pissed off....

Springtime

Here are some pixs from the garden, featuring spinach, daffs, some of the tulips (which are crazy happy...I need to divide them this year), grape hyacinths (ditto), and the main bed of garlic.

I promise to continue to post updated shots, so you can see the ever evolving garden. The daffodil bed was planted up with lots of flower seeds on Sunday, so it should be pretty awesome in a month or two. I still need to plant the zinnia seeds to finish it off. I've tried to plant the tallest flowers against the tree (sunflowers) and descend to the shortest at the edge. Let's see how it all turns out. I see gardening like a painting. You try to blend form and color into a work of art. A seasonal work that slugs can eat, if you aren't careful.

Amanda

Tonight is a really dreary evening. Dark and pouring down rain. Fitting really. Today was Amanda's funeral, so the day started with sadness. I'm sorry, but resurrection is a great concept, but in the hard reality of loss, it doesn't really do it for me right now.

The funeral brought back memories of my abueltita's funeral...my first one, and I remember weeping inconsolably. Today I was asked to wash the body, which in modern day means washing the casket with Holy water sprinkled by our priest. I feel honored to do this....

Amanda was one of the leaders of our community. She was always there, organizing, calling, whenever there was a need she was around. I miss those monthly calls for the Comite meetings that she made without fail.

I feel so sad for us, and yet happy that Amanda isn't suffering anymore.

Gardening this weekend

The garden is looking pretty good. I've weeded a lot this past week, so that chore is not really needed right now.

I did plant a bunch of seeds today - cosmos, "Van Gogh" sunflowers, butterfly flowers, Mexican sunflowers. I then watered up all the beds, since we are having a dry spring spell.

The bed on the south side of the house - hard to water and hot as heck in the summer -was seeded with a Xeriscape flower mix. They are starting to come up, and I'm so excited! My hope is that the bed is full of luscious flowers that require zero water and zero weeding (once established, they should crowd out the weeds).

Hanging out to dry

On the Earth Day theme, we've been line-drying out clothes for about a year now. Granted in rainy PDX you do need to succumb to the dryer when it is pouring out....but we aim for as much line-drying as possible.

I LOVE the way clothes smell when they are dried outside....no comparison. Ditto for loving the electric bill when we are line-drying. No comparison on that either. We always dried out clothes outside in AZ, where you could have a load of towels bone dry in 20 minutes.

There is even a non-profit advocating line-drying of clothes, check it out if you want to get motiviated! http://www.laundrylist.org/


I'm a bit worried about how we can coexist with the nesting chickadees, but I think we can do it. I see the bird(s) daily flying in and out of their house. I've got a bunch of kid books on nesting birds so that Gladys and I can read up on what is going on in that birdhouse.

Latest update: I think they abandoned their nest. :( Too much activity in the patio, I think. Next time we'll have to have a hiatus on line-drying and re-route our garbage take-out route. Drastic measures, but if you want to have nesting birds.....

Earth day every day

One of the things I think North Americans are learning (and will continue to learn) is that our over-consumption of resources is killing us. Killing the environment and our pocketbooks.

Long before the Crisis, I was not a big shopper and avoided shopping malls. I dipped into thrift shops because I saw my ex-husband have a really nice warerobe that didn't look second-hand.

Over a year ago we went to one monthly garbage pickup to see how much we could reduce and recycle, and it's been working out really well. We've increased our bulk foods shopping to reduce the wasteful packaging that can fill up a garbage can really fast. We also compost our kitchen waste, which helps us manage only one pretty small container of garbage for 2.5 people.....

Increasing shopping at thrift shops makes sense for the wallet and the environment. Rather than have resources used to make new things, why not see if there is a used item that can meet your needs?

The areas we need to work on is walking and biking more to reduce our use of the car, and frankly I love long hot showers and the heat during cold days. I haven't gone so far as to deny myself that....

I think it makes sense to think about the Earth (and our family's economy) everyday, not just on Earth Day.

Recession living

It's been interesting to watch the impact that the recession has had on my spending habits. Although I'm blessed with a good job it doesn't mean that the economic crisis doesn't give me pause.

I've been shopping more at thrift shops, which have some great stuff. I've got some lovely clothes and jewelry for work (stuff that I get compliments on). I've also found the thrift shop a great place to buy vases so that I can gift a home-grown bouquet of flowers with a nice vase.

We are eating out a lot less, which isn't hard for us, since we both like to cook so much. It turns eating out into a real treat.

After surgery I turned to the library for DVDs, and I haven't stopped that....I never go to the video store. With Pandora, I don't see the need to buy new music....

All this adds up to saving money. Not sure what to do with it, except stuff it under a mattress. The banks and stock market don't look so good right now.

Smile.

What I'm reading

Seen the movie "The Whale Rider"? I saw several years back when it came out, with my now ex-husband. I loved the story, the acting (especially the lead actress) and the hopeful message of both cultural survival and forgiveness. I remember that when I found out it was a book I thought, I want to read it...but then I forgot to pursue it further.

Today at the library I came upon the audiobook version, read by a Maori actor. I'm so excited. Christmas in April!

I'm curious to see the differences between the lyrical film and book, and whether the book is better (99% of the time it is).

Here is some background on the novel:

The Whale Rider (1987) was written in New York and Cape Cod in the space of three weeks. A magical, mythical work about a young girl whose relationship with a whale ensures the salvation of her village, it is, says Ihimaera, the work of his ‘that the Maori community accepts best’.

Chickadee nest

In our yard!

After putting up a birdhouse over a year ago, we've finally got some new neighbors. A couple of sweet chickadees are nesting in our little casita.

We tried to take pictures of them, but they fly in and out so quickly.

I am particularly fond of these adorable birds, tiny, chirpy and very elegant with their black and white stripes.

Welcome to the barrio.

New recipe

In my quest to uncover delicious gluten-free recipes I've found a keeper - quinoa tabbouleh salad from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven cookbook, one of my favorites.

With abundant Italian parsley, chives and two kinds of mint in the garden, I'm also on the look-out for recipes that incorporate the bounty of the front yard, um, garden. Plus I'm trying to finish up all the lemons my dad gave me from their prolific lemon tree. If you had to buy all these things in the store it would definitely up the price. This recipe turns out to be a healthful cheap recipe when you have home-grown ingredients.

My only tweak was to replace with couscous with more quinoa, to keep it gluten-free.

Music for the masses

Love music? Love access to endless free amounts of it without commercials?

You have got to check out Pandora, if you aren't already addicted. Ok, so I don't drink coffee anymore, so I've transitioned to healthier addictions.

Pandora is a free personalized web radio station. You can create as many "stations" as you want, with genres or artists/bands. I love Brett Dennen (see that YouTube video below), so I created a Brett Dennen station. Then "they" identify other music with similar qualities and play it on the station (called the musical genome project), plus his music. So I just got introduced to a couple of fabulous musicians I've never heard of! I am loving this new station.

I have an incredibly catholic taste in music, so I've tried to see if I could "stump" Pandora by coming up with a genre or group, and so far, they've got it all - Kurtis Blow, Soledad Bravo, Illapu, AR Rahman. So this service isn't dominated by the mass market music companies. Yeah!

http://www.pandora.com/

Dance and garden fever

Started my day at the early hour of 5.30 a.m. to get ready for zumba...which was great. Dance is as much a mental workout as a physical one. Learning the steps is a great brain exercise. Then did an intense 30 minutes on the treadmill (speed ranging from 2.0 to 2.6 and incline of 15). My toe was feeling it.

Then headed to the garden to plant some signet marigold seeds, which were a total hit last year. I had them lining a path....beautiful, fragrant, easy, and held up for months of blooming. Also planted some strawflowers, which I've never had in the garden....in a hot corner around the dahlias and lilies. Let's see how they do.

Took some photos, which I PROMISE will come loaded very soon. I realize I need to take some "before" shots, so that we can appreciate the "after" when things kick into blooming, not just the pretty tulips and dafs that are in full glory.

A lovely song

Here is a nice way to wrap up a day......enjoy.

Sunday

Today was one of those mixed bags. Beautiful and sad at the same time.

• Gorgeous sunny day - check
• Foot feeling MUCH better thanks to awesome yoga class and my remarkable ability to recuperate - check
• Got to go for a real bonafide bike ride with Gladys and Fede with my spiffed up bike - check
• Gardened like a maniac - planted all the veggie starts, put in creamsicle nasturtiums seeds, which will be an edging to the veggie beds, watered, weeded, and took a few pixs I will upload soon. - check

Amid all the sunshine and playing at Mass they made the announcement that Amanda had died this morning. She was a pillar of the community, one of the people who welcomed me to the parish as a newbie and recruited me for leadership. She and her husband came to every celebration at my home; she came to visit me after my miscarriage. Amanda was a good woman. Dependable. Kind.

She was dying of cancer and in a lot of pain, so her passing was not a surprise to anyone who knew her. Yet I can't help but feel shocked....can't imagine our church without her, wish I could have seen her when I stopped by last week with some flowers from the garden....although Sam said she was asleep. I confess that people in pain scare me.....I can drop off soup and flowers, but I'm frightened of seeing someone suffer.

What I'm reading

I'm enjoying this rather inprobable story about a family with layers of hidden parts...adopted babies, parents hovering around in the shadows, etc. etc.

It pales in comparsion to the amazing scope of "The Secret River," but I'm definitely wanting to see where the author leads me.....

A spring weekend

After starting my Friday with a nearly symptom-free 2 mile walk, my PT session left my foot aching in pain the entire day. I came home after work to ice and elevate, which helped some. Whatever I did was too much. Some aching afterwards is fine, but zinging pain and throbbing hours afterwards isn't.

Today was a gorgeous day, so I spent some time in the garden planting dahlias and spinach starts. If 1/2 of the all veggies planted make it we shall be swimming in vegetables. I also have divided up some oregano and moved it to a better location. The extra divisions are in pots, because I'm planning on making some gift pots of herbs. Tomorrow I want to finish planting the kale starts and asters. I've been longing for gorgeous purple asters for the garden for a couple of years now, and I finally got a couple at Portland Nursery. Tomorrow I promise to post photos, as all the tulips and daffodils are in their glory. The garden is a mish-mash of color -- yellow, blues, reds, purples, pinks, orange.

Other highlights included watching Gladys at her taekwando class, going swimming (delicious for the poor foot), taking Gladys and her girlfriend Sabrina out for ice cream (we ate this before lunch......), then home to make our famous homemade pizza for a late lunch/early dinner. I made a gluten and dairy-free pizza for myself that was quite good. I got the pizza crust from the New Cascadia bakery earlier in the week. I loved their whole grain bread and ginger cookies....I don't want to feel deprieved.

Then I dropped off the girls at church with Fede so I could get my hour of yoga bliss. Wow. It's amazing how one hour of yoga helped with the tightness and pain. I love my yoga teacher....she's smart, kind, knows just how far to push, and does a heavenly thing during corpse pose. She rubs essential oil on my neck and temples.....it is divine. I'm tempted to cancel all my PT and just focus on yoga. It's challenging, yet doesn't leave me in pain.

I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep after the swimming and yoga. My body feels relaxed and energized.

Farming and justice

Last night we went to hear a remarkable lecture about the impact of NAFTA on Mexico's small farmers by an eloquent Zapotec man who laid out the impact with clarity and a perspective you won't hear in the mass media.

In a nutshell US/Mexican government policies have pushed small farmers to use pesticides, chemical fertilizers and imported seed varieties, which have decimated rural communities who can no longer support their families as in the past through their small farms. Dependence on purchasing these products (made by the big agribusiness firms in the US), depleted soils, and falling prices (as NAFTA eliminated tariffs and flooded Mexico with US products) has meant that rural communities have seen wholesale flight of their young people to the US. Farming is being abandoned or left to the women and elders who remain. I have seen this first hand during my recent visit to Oaxaca, as women and children are left to harvest the corn, some of the older women fainting from the heat.

Baldemar Mendoza Jimenez laid it out so clearly, and he did so in the context of the cultural realities of the indigenous people of Oaxaca and how the very fabric of these cultures that have practiced sustainable agriculture for thousands of years. The organic plot we've got in our front yard is in my genes, so to speak.

Federico was mesmerized, as I was.....There were moments when I felt like crying, because it would appear that these very poor people, with such limited resources, are the very David to our Goliath.

What we can do here is to advocate an end to free trade agreements that are punitive to these farmers (and to US workers!). These agreements benefit the large corporate interests, the same folks who've brought us this lovely recession.

http://www.witnessforpeace.org/article.php?id=664

Working out

My foot has been hurting today, and I'm not sure why. I'm guessing it was the 30 minutes on the treadmill yesterday at an incline of 15. Today I went back for more.....30 minutes where I did intervals ranging from 2.2 to 2.8. Then I jumped on the bike for 15 minutes at level 15 or 18. I was sweating!

I'm going to do my least favorite PT exercises now.....so bye.

Easter

Leaving aside all the blogging about food, I need to write about the Easter vigil and the essence of what this day means to me.

The evening vigil is a 3 hour experience....in terms of Masses, this is my favorite service. Inside the church is completely dark, and we have a bonfire outside where we light candles and proceed into the church -- bringing light. The music, the readings in three languages, the Filipino candle dance, the bells, the baptisms, the joy and welcoming....That every Mass was as happy and celebratory.

Granted, for me, faith is a moving target. Christ rising from the dead sometimes pulls at my ability to believe in miracles, I confess. I can't believe I'm the only Christian to wonder at what Sarah Silverman calls the "Jesus is magic" thing. Beyond the magic is the intensity of his suffering, his sacrifice, the fear amongst the apostles, who knew something about doubt. This is very much the core of our religion, and honestly all the hierarchy and institutions that have grown up around it cannot obscure the core, on a day like Easter.

My favorite moment was the processional at the end, which closed with one of my favorite hymns of my childhood - "Jesus Christ has risen today." While I didn't sing during the long service (my typical way), this song made me feel like a girl again......intensely proud and happy to be Catholic. The words are a triumphant declaration of a miracle.

I sang it with my whole heart......

Recipe

So this dish rocked! Yves called me the "queen," which I take as the highest compliment one can give a cook, especially coming from him, whom I call the "chef." It smelt divine, which is almost always a good indicator of a successful dish. The lamb meat was dropping off the bone tender, juicy, the carmelized veggies and juices fantastic.

Everyone adored it, and this will be a repeat sometime very soon. A big thumbs up. Incredible indeed. Yves taught me how to make the also incredible eggplant dish that went with it. Easy too. I love easy & delicious.

Here is the link to the recipe. Thanks Nanci for the photo....

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/meat-recipes/incredible-baked-lamb-shanks

More food

So I'm in the middle of baking up some lamb shanks for Easter dinner at Nanci's. This is a new recipe from the British chef who prepared the G-20 repast. I ususally don't experiment with new recipes for guests, and I'm not a big one for celebrity chefs, but I decided to break out of my cooking habits a bit.

This recipe is full of fresh herbs, all of which grow in our garden. Thyme, sage, rosemary....soon I'll be able to say that I'm using garlic from the garden, but it is not quite yet harvest time. Store-bought will have to do. It also is blissfully easy. You make a herb butter, wrap the shank in a aluminum cocoon of veggies and herbs, and let it cook for a couple of hours. I don't see how this can't work. It is kinda of like the grown-up version of our Girl Scouts pocket stew.

Stay tuned for a recipe link and photos later on.

Easter food

This is a traditional Lenten dessert in Mexico....essentially a Latin bread pudding.
I've made this before, using a recipe from Elizabeth Lambert-Ortiz's rich cookbook that is a culinary tour of Latin America - Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Brazil.... This recipe is a combination of her recipe and Alberto Alvaro Rios' recipe from his book titled Capirotada.

This time I took pictures along the way, so you will see photos of the brown sugar syrup simmering, made with piloncillo (brown sugar in cones). Would you believe there is also onion, tomato and a chopped red pepper in this syrup? They are strained out and give this syrup a rich flavor. These are the bolillos or Mexican-style rolls and a copy of the book, signed by the autor. I got these ingredients at a Mexican grocery store out in Gresham, where they make their tortillas and pan dulce fresh each day. It smells like my childhood.

The large aluminum pan holds the first layer of ingredients - toasted bread, raisins, peanuts and toasted almonds, and prunes. Then you layer on the syrup and another layer of bread, raisins, etc. etc. with more syrup and cheese. Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

The final and top photo is the finished product was eaten up by parishoners at the post-Vigil feast. There was a spread of all kinds of desserts, sweet breads and candies.

Feliz Pascuas and Happy Easter!

Libraries, libraries, how do I love thee?

So here is a fab link to some of the world's most beautiful libraries. I worked in one of them!

Which are your favorites?

http://curiousexpeditions.org/?p=78

Saturday morning

Trying to decide how to spend the day....

Work out at gym - pretty sure
Garden - maybe, maybe not
Cook - gotta make capirotada for the meal after services
Accupuncture?

Yoga - happens at 5 p.m.
Easter vigil - happens at 8.30 p.m.

I think I'm going to curl up and read the Hedgehog for a bit.

What I'm reading

One of my co-workers recommended this book during my shut-in period, and I'm finally getting around to it. Ok, there was a mile-long list of holds, so it wasn't going to be in my hot hands very quickly anyway. It was a huge bestseller in France. I'm not very far in, but I already love it. The main character is Renee, for whom I already have a very soft spot in my heart. I also love being in Paris, if only in a book.

Here is a snippet of a review in the Guardian:

Despite its cutesy air of chocolate-box Paris, The Elegance of the Hedgehog is, by the end, quite radical in its stand against French classism and hypocrisy. It's intriguing that her compatriots have bought into it so enthusiastically. Clever, informative and moving, it is essentially a crash course in philosophy interwoven with a platonic love story. Though it wanders in places, this is an admirable novel which deserves as wide a readership here as it had in France.

Gardening update

It's raining, and I'm actually happy about it....because I planted some seeds this morning and have other seeds germinating and needing the water.....

This morning we went to zumba class at 6 a.m. in the morning, then I did a 30 minute workout on the treadmill at the PCC gym, which I found out we can use as students. It is a new and clean facility, almost empty, with huge windows. I love it! I did a full blast incline of level 15, and my toe did hurt...bearable and bending the whole time.

I got home and planted up some flower seeds in the sunshine, along with a bit of weeding. A bus route has been rerouted down our street due to some construction. The bus driver stopped the bus, opened the door and yelled - "your garden is beautiful." I was delighted and really surprised....I yelled back "thank you" just as she shut her door and carried on her way. It made me feel good to think that even people in cars/buses are enjoying the garden. She should come out and smell it too. It's very fragrant right now.

I promise some photos very soon.

Immigrants out of the shadows?

Here is late-breaking news on immigration reform legislation that the Obama administration will be spearheading soon.

I'm delighted and a bit surprised that he is taking on this battle in the midst of so many other major ones - the economy, health care, the war(s). On the one hand, I'm pleased, as he is recognizing this is a major problem that was left to fester like so many things over the past 8 years. With this annoucement the President also clearly recognizes the political force of the Latino vote that helped put him in office.

On the other hand, immigration is a rallying cry for the right, which has cultivated fear and loathing to a fever pitch. I'm reading a book right now about Japanese immigrants, and it is remarkable to hear exactly the same anti-immigrant rhetoric being used. As if the nativists of yore were being channeled into the Lou Dobbs of today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09immig.html

Gratitude

I started this amazing sunny spring day with an hour of dance class with my partner and wrapped it up with a 30 minute lap swim. Considering that a little over 4 months ago I wasn't able to walk on my own two feet or bath myself, it is a huge journey, and I wanted to express my gratitude to the Creator for my healing, plus everyone who's helped me along the way.

I realize that it is so easy to take things for granted. To notice the pains and aches, and not the miracle it is to be able to walk, to dance, to bike, to garden.

Why the First Lady matters?

Here is a quote that pretty much sums up why having Michelle Obama as our First Lady is such a big deal:

Says Dmitcha, a former model who is African-American:

It mattered to Oprah when the Supremes showed up on Ed Sullivan. It mattered to me when Beverly Johnson showed up on the cover of Vogue. It mattered to the girls in my teen programs when they saw my insanely airbrushed face on a city bus. And it matters to people all over the world - not just young Black girls, but everyone who ever will interact with a Black woman - that Mrs. Obama has become the leading icon of womanhood that our country now exports. It matters. And it may actually change these darn runways and magazines at last, after decades of resistance, so that all of our kids will see a more diverse image of beauty, not just for their own self-esteem, but in the face of a woman they may one day hire, work with, work for, befriend or love.

Health update

I had another appt. with the doctor today, to talk about the foot pain and check out the ROM. He said he was pleased with my progress...which is where it should be. The pain is a normal part of the healing bones and also me pushing the toe to really bend (walking up hills, etc.) He wants to see me in three weeks, and I'm pretty encouraged that I'm making the progress he wants/expects to see. I definitely think that Fede's help with the ROM exercises is making the difference. He really pushes my toe hard, but the nice part is that he also massages the whole foot in between the painful pushes with massage oil. He also let's me swear and yawn and yell.

The doc also wants me to increase the incline on the treadmill, which is a good way for me to bend the toe and get an aerobic workout. A twofer. The other thing I want to do with this blog is track my treadmill progress. Today I did 30 minutes at the full blast of incline 15 at 2.0 miles per hour. I was sweaty at the end, although it didn't seem that hard at the start aerobically. My toe was definitely feeling it. The good news is that my ankle is not so sore and painful, because I'm not walking on the outside of my foot as much and pressing more on the toe.

Red letter day

Another fantastic sunny day. Totally beautiful.

We came back from Mass and did a massive planting of veggie starts. Beets, broccolli, brussel sprouts, kale, collards, watercress. We are going to be eating a lot of greens this summer and fall. Gladys was great - she watered, dug holes, planted, and was all around helpful. This whole thing is a big lesson in patience. I guess the full-time parents reading this would be laughing, because I know that parenting = a test of your patience. I'm very task-oriented and impatient, which are not good qualities when teaching a child how to garden. I'm amazed how much she retains of the various things I've taught her about gardening and plants over the years. One question she popped out with as we were planting was: "What do you like best - reading or gardening?" I was stumped to really answer it. I told her it was a tie.

Then we rode our bikes to see Debbie and her dogs (Gladys adores dogs). I haven't ridden my bike in probably 4 years, and Gladys has been imploring me for that entire time w/o success. Until today. She wore me down. Smile.

It was fun, fast, and not too uncomfortable for my toe. I was really proud of myself. We were talking about biking to church. I see all kinds of possibilities to liberate us (esp. me from the car).

Happy Sunday!

Busy sunny day

It was an action-packed fun day with Gladys. We took her to her first Tae Kwan Doe class, and she was fantastic....she loved it. I was impressed with the teachers, who were really encouraging, no-nonense, and playful. Then we went to Dishman, where I worked out and they went swimming.

Later on we went to the nursery to pick up veggie starts. I had Gladys pick out some veggies she likes, and her favorite was watercress. Tomorrow is planting day!

Then we went to yoga class, and everytime I looked over at her she made a face or stuck out her tongue trying to get me to laugh, which I did. It made for a very light kind of a yoga class to have a child making me giggle throughout it.

Then for the piece de resistance. We went to Spoil Me Salon for her first manicure and pedicure. It is one of the nicest nail salons I've been to....ever. And I've been to a lot of nail salons. Immaculate, new and elegantly decorated. The massage chairs rocked. A large screen TV plays relaxing music. They have tea for customers, and the prices were competitive for the quality of the salon.

Here is Ms. Gladys enjoying the experience. I managed to keep it a total surprise until the moment we walked up to the salon. Keeping a surprise is not my strength. She was really surprised. I loved watching her face when she turned on the massage chair. Somethings are priceless.

Daily laugh

I'm watching a DVD "Kill the Messenger" and getting my daily laugh on.

Friendship over pozole

One of today's highlights was having lunch with Angie. We headed to Por Que No? taqueria, which I love because the food is organic, they serve agua frescas, and they provide health care to their workers. The downside is that the portions are small for the price, and the restaurant is crowded. The staff make it work by being both friendly and efficient.

Today I got to try their pozole, which is the red version and quite good and spicy. Nothing can compare to Autentica's pozole, but it was darn good.

http://porquenotacos.com/

Anti-inflammatory diet

So it dawned on me that not everyone knows about the joys of the anti-inflammatory diet I keep writing about....

I remember when my naturopath first gave me the diet last fall, and I looked it over and thought...what on earth CAN you eat?? Actually once you get started, get motivated, and focus on what you CAN have, it is not bad. I've lost weight, have a lot of energy (today I was up for a 6 am dance class and then went for a 30 min. swim this evening), have been remarkable healthy and healed quickly from surgery.

I've been a huge fan of Dr. Andrew Weil for over 20 years, and he has a nice Food Pyramid that breaks it all down. In a nutshell, you can eat veggies, fruit, organic meats, specific grains (brown rice and quinoa), beans, herbal teas, and tofu/soy products. Everything else is really not a good idea. I love the visuals of the pyramid, so if that is how you learn, this will work for you.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02995/Dr-Weil-Anti-Inflammatory-Food-Pyramid.html

Health update

I'm doing well overall....back into the gym, swimming, yoga, and best of all...my zumba dance classes (I'll blog on that another time!). The downside is that my foot definitely is hurting at times, which the doctor says is about my range of motion (ROM). I'm going to see him next week, and he said he will numb my foot to do the ROM (I guess he's tired of my tears and begging to stop). Fede has been playing the role of the doc at home, but a bit less brutal. I wince and just deep breath and go to my happy place.

It's frustrating at times, since I'm pretty faithful in doing my PT and ROM exercises. I've decided to persist and be patient. It's only been 4 months since the surgery, and those fractures are still healing.

I'm striving to stick to the anti-inflammatory diet, which is a whole new way of grocery shopping and eating out. I'm learning how to hone in on recipes that work, as well as identify crackers and other foods that follow the diet.

Yesterday Fede made the best salmon, salad and brussel sprouts. Combine that with fish oil and lots of vitamins....I'm definitely at my healthiest in terms of my habits.

What they ate at the G-20 banquet

Well, I love to cook, travel and track the Obamas like a groupie (sort of). Here is a link to the British celebrity chef who prepared the G-20 banquet. Local, organic and homey food....As the chef puts it, "the food was homely and proved that you can serve very humble food in the most opulent of places. I wanted to prove that you really don’t have to spend loads of money to serve a very special meal." I like that philosophy. Too bad he isn't running more than a kitchen....

I found a fab lamb shanks recipe on his site that I want to make -- full of fresh herbs (all of which grow in my garden, so cheaper!). Yum and stay tuned.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/

Obamas overseas

As the global economy continues its slide into the abyss (I never thought I could get away with writing such a sentence and not be exaggerating), we watch the world's leaders of the largest economies come together in London. Since they are all about propping up an inherently unjust and irrational system, I'm not feeling the love or confidence.

However I am delighted to say that I'm actually proud of our representative at these gatherings. He's smart and is approaching global diplomacy with a more layered and collaborative approach (no more wading into quagmires like a Marlboro cowboy), and gosh, do they make a handsome couple!

Here is one of my favorite blogs, which I follow daily when I can. I know that the First Lady is about way more than her clothes, but I can't resist the elegant way she combines her message with an authentic and attractive deli every. She's from a working-class Black family, and now Michelle gets to break stereotypes every single day. It's awesome and inspiring to watch.

http://www.mrs-o.org/