Greetings all!
Here is an inspiring thought for the upcoming week (from http://www.deeshan.com).
Hope
you have a great week! Drop me a line!
Monday, October 18, 2021
Thought of the week - Responsibility
Monday, October 11, 2021
Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness
Greetings all!
Do you love this “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”? This is how English poet John Keats referred to autumn. Hot days give way to cooler weather, leaves change color and fall, and there is a hint of melancholy in the air and in our mood.
As I was enjoying looking at the pictures of autumn
around the world, I could not help but research a couple of interesting tidbits
about the season!
Why do leaves change color? Reddish or yellow is actually the natural pigmentation in leaves but during the spring and summer when there is more sunlight, leaves get overpowered with chlorophyll which turns them green. So as days grow shorter, there is less sunlight and less chlorophyll. Also strong red or purple color is actually sugar content from sap trapped in the leaves.
Were you ever curious why in some parts of the world this season is called fall and in others autumn? Read on!
According to Merriam-Webster, “Autumn and fall are used interchangeably as words for the season between summer and winter. Both are used in American and British English, but fall occurs more often in American English. Autumn is considered the more formal name for the season.”
Did you know that before the 1300s, this season was
referred to harvest, which was
probably rather confusing! Then the Latin word autumnus came into the English language, and poets sang praises to "the fall of the
leaves" - later shortened to fall.
Both autumn and fall were born in Britain and as
the British Empire expanded, the English Language was traveling to the
far-flung places. In my travel-obsessed mind, I have the image of a language
packing a carry-on with all the words and grammar rules and embarking on an
adventure!
Fast
forward to the American Revolutionary War with the United States gaining independence
from Great Britain – and the resulting divergence of some of the language. Isn’t
it fascinating?!
Regardless
of whether you call this season autumn
or fall (or something less!), it is a
beautiful time of the year.
Image from https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-ojyaq
Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge, Germany (image from SmarTours)
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia (image from SmarTours)
Lapland, Finland (image from SmarTours)
Scottish
Highlands, United Kingdom (image from SmarTours)
Sources:
Monday, October 4, 2021
Poetry Of Departures [Poem of the Week]
Sometimes
you hear, fifth-hand,
As epitaph:
He chucked up everything
And just cleared off,
And always the voice will sound
Certain you approve
This audacious, purifying,
Elemental move.
And they are right, I think.
We all hate home
And having to be there:
I detest my room,
It's specially-chosen junk,
The good books, the good bed,
And my life, in perfect order:
So to hear it said
He walked out on the whole crowd
Leaves me flushed and stirred,
Like Then she undid her dress
Or Take that you bastard;
Surely I can, if he did?
And that helps me to stay
Sober and industrious.
But I'd go today,
Yes, swagger the nut-strewn roads,
Crouch in the fo'c'sle
Stubbly with goodness, if
It weren't so artificial,
Such a deliberate step backwards
To create an object:
Books; china; a life
Reprehensibly perfect.
By
Philip Larkin
Sources:
Monday, September 27, 2021
Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter – or Jam!!!
Greetings all!
I was recently discussing ravioli with a friend, who thought ravioli can only be served with a marinara or a similar pasta sauce. Imagine his surprise when I said I like my cheese ravioli with jam!!
But think about it! Crepes can be served with sweet sides – so why not cheese ravioli!? If you are still hesitant to explore the ravioli+jam realm, here is a fantastic recipe you can start with and then work your way to a sweeter side!
Ingredients
- 18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli (cheese, mushroom, or squash)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.
When you are ready to taste my jam variation, cook cheese ravioli as described in Step 1 above and then serve with your favorite jam!
Bon Appetit! Let me know how you like it!
Monday, September 20, 2021
Selection of Funnies: Overheard at the Symphony
– [While the orchestra is tuning] “I don’t know the name of this piece, but they always open with it.”
– [Before a performance of Pachelbel’s Canon] “What do you mean there is no cannon? That’s the only reason I came to this thing!”
– [During a performance of Turandot, after ‘Nessun Dorma’]: “The guy playing Pavarotti didn’t even look like him.”
– [Before a performance of Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ Symphony] “Are we supposed to clap at the end, or...?”
– [At a Beethoven concert] “And which one of them is Beethoven?”
– [After a concert of Mozart symphonies] “I thought there would be some singing as well.”
– “My husband has a very loud sneeze. We were at a piano concert and when he sneezed, one of the pianists was startled right off the piano bench.”
– [A child at a performance of Rhapsody in Blue] “They stole the airplane commercial music!”
– [A child listening to the Dvořák Cello Concerto] “Daddy, can we go home when the old man has sawed through the box?”
– [A small child in the Royal Opera House foyer before a family performance] “But mummy, will they sing *all* the time?”
– [Woman on the phone during the interval of a concert where Krystian Zimmerman was playing Chopin] “I thought he was taking me shopping.”
– [Boy talking to his mum] “Why do they have to taste the wood thing before they tie it to their instrument? Does it taste good? What flavours do they have?”
– [During a performance of Aida] “A man in front of me slept through the whole thing, woke up right at the imprisonment and loudly asked ‘What happened? Did someone die?’”
Source: https://amp.classicfm.com/discover-music/humour/funniest-overheard-comments-at-classical-concerts/
Which one was your favorite? Drop me a line!
Monday, September 13, 2021
Cake Quiz [But Mostly Pictures!]
Greetings all!
Do you like cake? I came across a cake quiz – and although the quiz does not tell you anything you already do not know, I LOVED the pictures of the cakes – drool, drool!
Which one is your favorite?
Monday, September 6, 2021
2022 Bucket List Trips
Greetings all!
A friend recently lamented to me that it has been almost 2 years of no travel! Even though we do not know when things will get better and when we can explore the world safely again, I try to stay positive.
For me, thinking about destinations, looking at pictures, reading itineraries and dreaming about traveling again soon - all that sparks joy!
Here are 2022 Bucket List Trips, according to SmarTours:
Alaska
Eastern Europe
Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
Egypt
Iceland
Mediterranean Cruise
Peru
Rhine River Cruise
South Africa
Vietnam and Angkor Wat
Source:
https://smartours.com/best-bucket-list-trips
What did you think? Drop me a line!
P.S.
I am not advertising these tours or the
company – I just like the pictures and the travel ideas!
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