My Morning Cup: April 2023

Sunday, April 30, 2023

Sixty-Three and Me...Our Birthday Adventure...and More

The cake is gone...our trip is over...and today is the last of April.

And I am 63.

(...I don't FEEL 63...)

No significant difference from 62...and no parts have fallen off...so it's all good.

Starting with a delivered pizza and Coke (by my guy) on my birthday proper...since we weren't leaving on our trip for another day.

(...thank you soooo much...lol)

And then loading out and plundering Ollies on Wednesday...love my new Mandarin Orange candle and the exact saucepan I wanted. Someday, I'm going to replace all my kitchen pots and pans with porcelain lined! So easy to clean and nothing sticks in them.

Then off to Bandana's BBQ.

And, yes, it tasted as good as it smelled!

Smokey....good portions...menu with lots of wonderful choices...and five difference types of add-in BBQ sauces on the table.

And even perfectly fried Ocra.

Our favorite room at the Inn...and up early for a Southern-Style breakfast.

You can't go wrong with thick sliced bacon, grits buttered and salted, hot peach cobbler and vanilla bean ice cream and coffee...maybe with some of the ice cream stirred in.

Breakfast of Champions.

Then off to the AMC to enjoy the new

Fabulous cinematography...locations throughout the world...much action and enormous body counts...amazing stunt men (....that's going to leave a mark...bouncing down all 260+ stone steps of Sacred Heart
Cathedral...) and a surprise ending.

Ok...not much on dialog...but they rarely are.

All in all it was a fun ride!

Not War and Peace...just a John Wick film, okay?

The drive both to and from beautiful with the early Indiana countryside...the white twists of the Sycamores...creams and pinks of the Dogwoods....Hunter-greens of the firs...and my favorite

The Eastern Redbuds that dot the roadside randomly.

Indiana is a lovely state in Spring.

You know what else was a wonderful birthday surprise???

On MONDAY...my birthday proper....Fox News fired this guy

Tucker Carlson

Now we will never know if that perpetual look was confusion or constipation.

Either way...Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish.

and Thursday, John's wish came true as we drafted Richardson as our new QB for the Colts.

Expecting great things from him this season!

Ready to make homemade soup today...work on my painting a bit...and get a good nap with the Sofi-Cat.

It's the simple things!

Love,

Carla and Sofi

Monday, April 24, 2023

Virtual SA: Guatemala (overview)

This country of 42,000 square miles (give or take) is home to almost 18 million people.

It is considered a "developing nation"...but many of her population live in abject poverty.

A high risk security area...from pick-pocketing and petty theft to kidnapping and murder makes tourism dodgy at best. The above picture city of Antigua is considered one of the safest and has a lot to offer. There are places in this country that you simply cannot go.

Virtual travel displays its charm.

The name means Place of Many Trees.

The language is Spanish.

The predominate religion is Catholicism.

Still, there are many interesting things here to see, experience and discover.

Come along and we will

Climb an active volcano.

Maybe with "Beans" from our AT Adventure.

See Antigua and the best of its 365 beaches.

Visit a coffee plantation rumored to have some of the best coffee grown in the world...and sample some.

Learn to roast our own green coffee beans...grind them and make coffee.

See the Chocolate Museum...and try Guatemalan chocolate.

Learn to make Authentic Tamales.

And whatever else pops up along the way!

Join Us...

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Relaxing Weekend...Prom...and Soon to Be 63

Fully Spring out...and gardening plans are made. Hoping to start planting containers and borders by the end of next week.

I am loving all the shades of green...from the bright Spring greens of the carpet moss and locust buddings...to the deep forest greens of the firs and everything in between. The willow now a dusty sage green despite its yellow green start to the season.

My grandson, Brenden, who turned 13 this weekend and is officially a teenager, and my grand-daughter, Hannah, who recently celebrated her Sweet 16...and stopped in last night to show me her beautiful prom dress!

(...how can it be prom already???)

Simple...she was invited by a Junior.

John and I, making our Birthday Plans/Adventure for next week.

Tomorrow, I will be 63.

63.

(...how the hell???)

Most days I don't feel anything past 45...so it is all good.

Speaking of feeling good...

Fixed the end of the grays with peppers...then realized I can order more...and more...and more.

I can have Birthday Morels (grays) all year!!!

Still wrapping my head around how good dried morels taste.

Just like fresh.

We've the Inn reserved, a shopping trip planned, a new BBQ place we want to try, and a movie out (...to be determined...) but the very best birthday present is the he has beat lung cancer...and that they have completely discontinued the immuno-therapy!!!!!!!!

So relieved.

From now on it will be random scans to make sure it does not regroup/come back....but we are hopeful.

He is feeling so much better now!

(...so am I...)

Finishing my painting for Mexico this weekend...doing some reading...deep bubble baths and cooking...but that is pretty much it.

Enjoying the break!

"On it, Mom!"

-Gadget

"Naptime!"

-Sofi

Love,

Carla

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Virtual SA: Mexican Street Food

Forget Taco Bell and the pseudo-crap they try to pass off as Mexican Food...today we will explore the real deal.

Street Food in Mexico.

Sure...could go to one of the many prepared for tourists palates sit down restaurants and cafes...but why would you???

The real deal is lining the streets just feet away.

Tacos in folded flour shells with fish or beef or chicken...usually with just a few fresh chopped onion and cilantro.

(...beware...in Mexico the beef tends to be very tough and chewy...so if yours is tender...sweetish...greasy or stringy...yeah...it is probably donkey or horse-meat...)

Peppers tend to be from quite hot to damn!!!!

Churros...loops of crisp fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar...are delicious...and sometimes come with a side of dipping chocolate.

And if it is meat..and can be grilled...it will be.

Street Food

https://youtu.be/SehlhJ3casI

https://youtu.be/oDMamWhGteQ

The tortilla chips are just corn tortillas cut into quarters and deep fried in oil...then heavily salted.

They are pretty oily.

Everything seems to more or less be fashioned from a few standard ingredients...and differentiated by the way these ingredients are layered or cooked.

I hope you have enjoyed today's adventure and try making some of your own!

Churros Mexicano Recipes

https://youtu.be/2IsKKTWI1-E

Sunday, April 16, 2023

Sisters Day & Happy Birthday to Us...

"Happy Birthday to us.."

One a little late.

One a little early...

And mine, soon.

It was a wonderful Sisters Day filled with Mexican food and NY Style Cheesecake...and laughter...and chat...and learning a bit more about each other's lives. We have a LOT of years to catch up on.

Tina proclaimed we should have a cake each Sisters Day....and I think we just might!

Today is a day of leftover Mexican...and a bubble bath...a good long nap...and maybe starting a new painting.

Yeah...that's it.

"The Belly Trap"

John has his appointment to discuss the latest lung scan, tomorrow...but we reviewed it together on MyChart already...and the damage from the immuno-therapy seems resolved...after today the steroids are over and, best of all, it appears he has kicked cancer's ass!!!

Feeling good and being active in rehab and out on the trail with his bike for Spring, Summer and Fall! He even called from the tunnel the other night to wolf-howl at me...lol

Looking forward to our Getaway soon...

Spring is in full swing here, now.

The trees seem to have leafed out overnight...we are over-run with wood-peckers and squirrels...even one (very lost...and really annoying) Mockingbird.

Once this rain is through I must tidy the pots and borders and get ready to plant!

Sofi seems absolutely done with company, today...and is curled up in a ball in one of her cat nests watching it rain outside.

"It is almost nap-time, Mom."

-Sofi

Lunch, and then I'm going to join her!

Have a Great Sunday!

Love,

Carla

"I adore you, Dad!"

-Gadget

Saturday, April 8, 2023

Nearly Easter...

Ham...check...asparagus...check...new red potatoes...check...rolls....check, and of course, plenty of chocolate.

Just finishing the house-cleaning today and hoping to start some of the outside clean-up and gardening tomorrow.

The local garden shoppe has beautiful bright pansies, but the weather report say 80 degrees by Wednesday....so no...

"We'd melt..."

"Did somebody say ham??? I, too, enjoy ham!!!"

-Sofi

Can't believe how much difference a week makes. The rains have ended. The cold is giving away to 60 and 70 degree days. It is bright and sunny. The grass is bright green and dotted with yellow dandelions. Most of the trees are budded...have tiny leaves or are blooming.

OH...and these are back.