Little almond cakes

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baking, postaday2016

My husband asked for something sweet and this is what he got, little almond cakes. In France, they are called financiers, here I would call them “little cakes” or mini muffins. They are different in their composition from our type of muffins in that the recipe calls for egg whites and “beurre noisettes” or brown butter in the batter. They also go in a very hot oven, 450 degrees for 7 minutes after which you turn down the oven to 400 degrees (still hot) for 7 minutes, after which you turn off the oven and leave them in the oven for another 7 minutes after which you take them out.

I had a nice time in my kitchen, baking is fun and I love all of it, the preparation, the stress of actual baking and the clean up, it is all good in my book. 

Getting a handle on my anxiety

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cancer, postaday2016

I have been able to put my cancer diagnosis and treatment experience  out of my mind for the most part. However, this morning I realized that my PET scan is next Thursday, it came up so quickly, I hate when time gets away from me. My stomach started churning in anxiety mode, which if anyone has experience with anxiety, they know it isn’t pleasant at all. I’m trying to think of things that will banish the worries and the uncertainty that I have with the results of my treatment. One never knows if chemo and radiation did what they were supposed to do, eradicate the cancer, what if they only did most of what they were supposed to do? The results hinge on how thorough the chemo and radiation treatments were, there has to be nothing left for it to be considered a success. I don’t feel 100% better, I feel 65% better, I know it is still soon and I should expect to feel horrible at certain times and it is at those times that I feel most vulnerable to my feelings of anxiety. It makes sense, we are always more susceptible to feelings of depression and anxiousness when we are in pain, fatigued or both and I am both. I never realized how hard this journey could be or would be, I have such admiration for everyone who has triumphed over cancer, their strength and determination are testament to their character. I have tried to be strong but there are days when it seems impossible, today I am fighting against it and writing about it is helping; getting my bad feelings out onto the page gives me strength and renews my innate optimism.

Tulips of my own

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postaday2016, spring

I consider it really springtime when the tulips come out from their winter slumber.  As you can see, spring comes much later here in Blandford then it does in New York, I get two springtime awakenings by traveling back and forth from my house to my mother’s house, mine aren’t as grand as New York tulips but I doubt New York tulips have to deal with a horde of hungry chipmunks as mine do each year. I consider myself lucky to have these that faithfully come up year after year.

My vinca minor, they give off purple blooms, are prolific this spring, they didn’t have to contend with the usual harsh winter which in my mind must be the reason I see purple everywhere I have vinca minor. They almost act like weeds which is why I’m not as gentle with them nowadays as I used to be in the beginning when I first planted them here and there, they are now everywhere.

I’m excited to see the rest of my garden wake up, it happens every year, yet it never gets old and boring. I get just as excited even knowing what it is going to look like roughly. One of the reasons I love gardening so much, it is one of my passions.

Fog can’t hide beauty

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New York, postaday2016

I took this on the bus ride home, you can’t hide New York’s beauty, it cuts through the fog like a knife cuts through butter. We had just emerged from the Lincoln Tunnel into New Jersey, a weird way to get to Springfield MA but I wasn’t driving, and I loved the drama the fog added to the New York City skyline so I took the picture. I took at least a dozen and this is the only one that came out, the others were grey blobs or parts of trucks or splotches of rain drops blocking the view. 

New York is just a magnificent looking city.

Home sweet home

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postaday2016, travel

Today we are going home, New York is wonderful, but home is home. I miss the kids, the dogs and just being at home. Home is your own bed, your own bathroom, your own refrigerator and your own t.v/remote control. I’ll be back to see my mother very soon, so going home is a good thing, let my mother have a break from the added chaos my husband and I impose on her household. Lol

I’m sure the kids will be happy to have us back home if only to reclaim responsibility over the dogs. Jack, Lulu and Stanley, I think, will be giving us a nice welcome home when we get there. Jack will squeal, Lulu will quietly let us know how happy she is and Stanley will corral us into giving him the hugs and kisses he feels he deserves, he’s good at it. Lol

The Huntsman: Winter’s War : a movie review

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movies, postaday2016, review

I am a fan of the fairytale, so I really liked the movie, my husband not so much, this movie was a great love story wrapped in a fairy tale so I was hooked. I was a little surprised a third of the way in the movie because the story wasn’t moving along the lines I had thought after seeing the previews, but I told myself it’s a movie, let it go and enjoy the story as it unfolds. It worked and I enjoyed the movie very much, the chemistry between Chris Helmsworth and Jessica Chastain was off the charts which made the love story so real.

I would watch this movie a second time, but I’ll have to do it alone, the husband won’t sit through it again, which is fine by me, I don’t mind watching movies by myself.

Springtime in New York part 2

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postaday2016, spring

Herald Square just outside of Macy’s is where my mother and I spent a few hours doing the dutiful New Yorker thing, shopping. Actually my mother was the conscientious consumer, I kept my money in my pocket which I often prefer doing, better in my pocket than out into the hands of someone else, I know I am the worst consumer and negligent of my economic duties as a consumer in society, but my habit has been around for too long and I don’t see myself changing anytime soon. My mother does her duty very well, responsibly yet generously at times, she keeps this economy humming along quite nicely.

Afterwards we went to Park Avenue to walk towards Citarella a food shop to get items for tonight’s dinner, an omelette with potatoes and mushrooms.

 The cascading purple flowers whose name eludes me needed to be taken as a picture, they are gorgeous, they may be covering the townhouse’s window’s on both floors, but maybe the people would rather look at their flowers then the people, I don’t know. If I lived there (had the millions to live there) maybe I would be happier with the view of purple flowers, I can’t tell you. I don’t have millions.

The tulips I took today put yesterday’s tulip to shame, but I am partial to the lovely tulip from yesterday because it’s my mother’s.

Springtime in New York

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postaday2016, spring

Springtime in New York is magnificent! I have nothing even close to as beautiful near my house as of today, it will come but it isn’t for the immediate future I can tell you that. But as I remind myself, patience is a virtue and my plants are waking up one by one, so my turn will come never fear. What I love about springtime in New York is that it is so big and so bold as only New York can do it because New York is big and bold with everything, from spring to its own New York values, take that stupid Ted Cruz.

I love the lilac, the smell carried me away to the South of France for a brief second, it was a lovely side trip, if only it had happened to me in realtime. I wouldn’t have said no to that kind of trip

The Dogwood blew me away, it is so early for a Dogwood this huge to be completely in bloom, but that is what you get when weather is being crazy. I have one in my backyard, but it won’t even be ready to bloom until late June, I’m not complaining I am lucky to have two springs to enjoy.

Forsythia peeking out from this winter’s sleep

Tags

pictures, postaday2016

   
   
It’s still real early for forsythia but I couldn’t resist taking pictures of my blossoms. I am disappointed that the closeups aren’t clear and crisp, that’s what you get when you rely on a cellphone. The focus afforded to the dead leaves was not the effect I was going for to be quite honest LOL.

In a week I think the entire shrub will be littered with blossoms, I’ll be sure to cover it with pictures because the shrub encased in yellow is a beautiful sight to see.

I’m not at the point in my photographic life to invest in a real camera but I’m thinking that one day that decision will be made, when that day comes I have a few people in my life that will be instrumental in helping with my choice in hardware. It’s not for tomorrow so I won’t dwell on it any longer.

Tomorrow is another day for picture taking and I haven’t the foggiest as to what my subject will be and that’s okay, you’ll be the second to know. Lol

I have been relieved of the last vestige of my chemo treatment

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cancer, postaday2016

   
 Today one of my best friends in the world Debbie, took me to the hospital today to have the doctor remove my Pro-PICCT delivery system out of my arm. What a relief, no more worrying about having it dressed or whatever it was they called it when they inserted saline into the device. After we were done, we went out for breakfast and then we came back to my house where I made the formal introduction between Debbie and Stanley, she couldn’t get over how big he is and how much of a Maman’s boy he happens to be, especially when Papa isn’t around.

The motley crew were very well behaved, I was proud of them and Debbie is such a dog lover she couldn’t get enough of all three of them. I am so blessed to have a friend like her, I count my lucky stars.

I have to say that today was an excellent day.