After our last “O” activity we were so impressed with the beautiful Japanese floral arrangements that, along with our friend Rosemary, we signed up for a two- session class. Our instructor, Ms. Maruda, handed out all the supplies and began the lesson. There are many, many rules to this form of floral arrangement and we struggled to take notes on how to place the “big brother, little brother and younger sister” in the foam she gave us. Harder than it would seem. But we did the best we could with the “skill” we had.
After the experience it was only fitting that we write a Haiku in the traditional 5 syllable, 7 syllable, 5 syllable style:
Back in 2020 when Covid shut down everything and we were concentrating on doing things at home, Barbara tried her hand at Origami and was unsuccessful. So when we saw that there was a Japanese Art Showcase at a nearby recreation center that included origami we thought we’d see what a professional could do.
While the exhibit did have a lovely example of what can be done with origami, what really impressed us were the beautiful flower arrangements. This showcase turned out to be artwork that was done by students of a certified instructor in the Japanese Flower Art of Ikebana. Holy Cow!
And how can we not show this entry by a 9 year old boy, using Legos to imitate a Japanese flower scene.
We spent some time talking to the instructor and are planning on taking her class either in March or April. We don’t expect to be as good as these students are since our talents don’t exactly reach to crafts or design, but maybe with practice?
Oh my (our) goodness, it sure is hard to get back to normal after two months of holidays but 2024 is upon us and the sisters have to return to their ABC life. We haven’t had time to do much in the way of activity so we thought we’d start out with something more passive, like reading and watching.
New book: The Outsider by Stephen King
Barbara: I’ve always enjoyed Stephen King books, but some types more than others. The ones I like the most seem to fall into 3 categories: they have a creepy element that most people can relate to like the creepy clown in “IT”, they have a “what if” element like “what if we changed history” as in “11/22/63”, or the situation could potentially happen which makes it particularly scary, like his latest book “Holly” (which had villains that actually gave me nightmares – a little TOO creepy). The Outsider did not fit into any of these categories because of its element of fantasy. Because he’s such a good writer I did finish the book and it wasn’t bad, just not my favorite of his.
New TV series: The Outsider
Laura: While Barbara tackled the book, I decided to watch The Outsider tv series, now streaming on HBO Max. I’m two episodes in and am definitely on edge trying to figure out the mystery of “who did it.” It presents a set of circumstances that are different than most whodunits so I will continue. It’s a bit slow moving but has enough elements in it that are intriguing to keep my interest. Plus, Jason Bateman is always a talent whom I admire and he has acting, directing and executive producer roles.
LEARNING CENTER
There are quite a few animals beginning with the letter O, each interesting in their own way. One is helpful, one you wouldn’t want to get too close to, and the other – well, bless her heart.
Did you know:
Oysters help purify the water they live in. One adult oyster can filter 50 gallons a day. Just remember that next time you eat a plate full of oysters.
Ostrich kicks are so powerful they can kill a lion.
And our personal favorite – Orangutan mothers breastfeed their young for the longest time of any mammal, nursing them for about seven years. We refuse to look up how large a 7 year old orangutan is; we don’t want that image in our heads!
We hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours didn’t go exactly as planned due to Barbara’s getting Covid but each family’s household improvised; believe us, NO food went wasted.
The sisters are taking a short hiatus so that we can give our full energy to enjoying family during this holiday season. We’ll be back and energized in January with the letter “O” in our ABC Life.
Although we did use our noodles back in 2021, we thought it was time for a revisit as there are so many noodle restaurants to choose from.
New restaurant: Highland Noodles
When searching for a new-to-us place to try, Highland Noodles in Frisco stood out because they are known for their handmade on the premises specialty noodles. We were not disappointed – the tomato and egg noodle dish and the beef and noodle dish both had a rich flavor and the portions were huge. Plus, we were very surprised (actually more like amazed) that the restaurant was located within a shopping area that had dozens of Asian restaurants and shops – and we had never noticed this area before although we had probably driven by it dozens of times. Thank you ABC Life for opening our eyes to the many options we have for future dining delights.
Bonus: The very next day we discovered on someone’s recommended mysteries for 2023 list the book Death by Dumpling: A Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien. It’s on our TBR list now. But it does make one think: how do you die by a dumpling? Poisoning? Or a swift and mighty whack on the head? We’ll find out soon.
LEARNING CENTER
Since we loved the flavors of this restaurant, here’s something we learned about “Natural Flavors”: Next time you read a label and are encouraged to hear the product has natural flavors so you’re feeling very health conscious, keep this in mind: “Secreted from a gland near its rear end, castoreum is a substance beavers use to mark their territory. Because it has a musky vanilla aroma, for centuries castoreum has been added to some perfumes and foods. The FDA only requires it to be labeled “natural flavoring.”
And, also, while we think back fondly on our noodles, we found there are several food terms for the head or brain: noodle, bean, melon, beef-witted, to name a few. But we want to pass along a caution: “Using your noodle is high in carbohydrates. Using your melon is less so. If you’re on a true low-carb diet, beef-witted is the way to go.”
We’ve been to many dance performances but nothing like that which was put on by the group Step Afrika! (the exclamation point is part of the name). From what we have gathered online, it started with historically African American fraternities and sororities but has its roots in traditional African dance. In particular, some of the areas that were mentioned were Western Africa/Nigeria and South Africa. The group “promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding.” They performed several dances, including Ndlamu, which is a traditional dance of the Zulu people, and Isicathulo, or the “gumboot dance,” which is a tradition created by South African workers in the mining industry as a way of secretly communicating with each other by the stomping of their boots.
We were so impressed by the amount of energy and coordination this dance took and the group was highly entertaining. The music that came out of stomping their feet and slapping their bodies was great. The audience was whooping and clapping, and it was unlike anything we had been to. It’s a highly recommended evening of entertainment.
Who hasn’t heard of Dr. Seuss? The name immediately elicits images of nonsensical characters, fun dialogue and fanciful illustrations. Both of us are ardent fans of his books so we knew we had to return to the Southwest Gallery in Dallas to wander through their featured The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection. It was truly delightful, with many fine arts limited edition prints of his original illustrations and never-before seen paintings. Apparently, Ted Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, spent his evenings creating art that was for his pleasure and not for his books. He says, “I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”
THE TITLE OF THIS WAS “ARCHBISHOP KATZ” SO WE HAD TO INCLUDE IT HERE
When Laura told her son about this exhibit, he shared that his alma mater, University of California, San Diego, has an amazing sculpture of Dr. Seuss and the Cat in the Hat outside their Geisel Library. Dr. Seuss lived in La Jolla for the second half of his life and the city honored him with this inspiring sculpture.
NEW ORLEANS NOSH
After Dr. Seuss, we decided to stop for coffee and a little something. So, when we noticed PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, we went in and were delighted to find they served Beignets. The sugar ones were truly yummy. A great top-off to an interesting afternoon.
New activity: Performance by HavanaNRG (NEW RHYTHM GENERATION)
Barbara: Once again, I am reminded why I love the “ABC Life.” I could have stayed at home watching Netflix but instead, I headed over to the Allen Public Library to watch a performance by Havana NRG, a band from Cuba. They were FANTASTIC. The music performed was high energy, the singers were good and man, they can dance. They had much of the audience standing at their seats or in the aisles, dancing along to the beat and even this gal got up and did some moves. (But definitely not quitting my day job.)
LEARNING CENTER
While we’re in Cuba….
Can you guess what Cuba’s most valuable export is? No, all you dessert lovers, it’s not sugar nor is it tobacco. We learned that Cuba leases about 50,000 doctors to dozens of foreign nations each year. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, this program brings in billions each year to the Cuban government, making medical services their most valuable export.
To start off our “N” month, we decided to try food from Nepal. A nearby Himalyan restaurant – Everest Indian-Himalayan Restaurant and Bar – served a dish called Chicken Lollipop! Well obviously that piqued our interest. But it wasn’t meant to be since the menu stated it had “spicy” flavorings. Spicy is not our thing, which is why we don’t often (like hardly ever) have Indian food. So we selected a Naan appetizer and a main entree of Chicken Momo, which the sweet waitress told us was the least spicy chicken selection. These were yummy dumplings. Its accompanying red sauce was barely touched -we couldn’t eat because of the “heat.” The naan too had a delicious flavor but one bite was all we could tolerate. The heat was overpowering!
Why can some people tolerate spicy, even super spicy, yet these sisters are wimps in the spice test? Turns out that spicy foods contain a chemical called capsaicin, which triggers a receptor in your mouth and on your tongue called a TRPV1 receptor. The sensitivity of these receptors vary from person to person. Plus, the more you eat spicy foods and the earlier you start, the better tolerance you have. Since our mom’s idea of spices was salt and pepper, we’d have no chance of making it in Nepal!
New films: Himalaya and Even When I Fall
Barbara: Since we were “in Nepal” I decided to watch a Nepali film. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for either one of the two films. I was particularly hoping to like Himalaya since it had been an Oscar nominated film, but it just wasn’t my “cup of chai.”
Barbara: My almost-but-not-quite-husband, A.D., is a pilot so he’s always asking me if I want to go to his monthly aviation group meeting (just to be polite) and I’m always declining (being not so polite), but this time I decided to attend due to the speaker.
Ann Pellegreno is the first woman aviator to complete the around the world flight path that Amelia Earhart was attempting before she disappeared somewhere in the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. And let me tell you, this 86-year-old woman may be diminutive in size, but her mind was sharp as a tack. She gave a slide show presentation of her journey and remembered everything about the plane, the parts, the functions, the path – everything. When she met Amelia’s sister at the end of her journey, it was very touching for her. The thing that really struck me was the similarity in their journeys at a crucial point. Amelia was unable to see the tiny Howland Island where she was supposed to land at, not knowing she was only 10 miles away; that was the last time she was seen. When Ann got to where Howland Island should be she almost didn’t find it either due to the weather conditions so history could have repeated itself. Luckily, she finally did and was able to land there and then complete the journey. Bravo Ann!
New experiences keep your life fresh and interesting – a constant stream of discoveries. So the sisters are having fun with the ABC Life – an orderly way to expand our lives with fun places to visit and fascinating things to do, read, eat and experience. The ABC Life is where you do as many things within a month that you can – starting with a specific letter.
The ABC Life Blog 