Monday, July 21, 2014

MONDAY OF A NEW WEEK

Hi-ho, I'm still here.  Better be careful with that one.  It's what Elaine Stritch was saying recently and she died last week.  'Course I'm 15 years younger than she was so . . .

Anyway, SWMBO and I just finished a great pretty good breakfast/lunch meal of Chilaquiles Verdes with Chicken.  The recipe came from Mely Martinez C. and her blog Mexico in My Kitchen.  It was pretty easy to put together as I had made the green salsa last week for a tacos meal and had some left over.  Two pieces of advice: don't buy the tortillas that say they combine corn and wheat - get strictly corn tortillas.  The combo ones get a little tough in this recipe. And either make sure you have enough salsa made or buy a bottle of green salsa.  Or red.  It works either way.

As I sit here at my desk, I occasionally glance out my side window at this stunning specimen of flora.


Judy says it's an artimesia.  When we arrived in January it was smaller and totally gray-green.  She hated it and hacked it to the ground.  As you can see, it came back in spades.  It tops out at around 5 feet and is radiantly alive with purple blossoms.  The bees love it and so did a couple of goldfinches a week ago.

Now here are a few books I recommend from my recent reading. "Tibetan Peach Pie" is a memoir by Tom Robbins. Although he denies that it is either a memoir or an autobiography it sure follows him from boyhood to the present.  Written in Robbins' rollicking style, it's a fun read.  Judy and I both enjoyed it.

The next one on my nightstand was "The Joke's Over" by Ralph Steadman.  It's the tale of the Welsh artist's 35 or so years with and without the originator of Gonzo, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.  HST comes across as a bullying, miserly mean guy in much of this but if you're a Thompson fan, as I am, it's still good reading.

The third book on my reading list is one I'm just about done with called "This Town" by Mark Leibovich.  It concerns the political and media wunderkinds in Washington, D.C.  Leibovich is a writer for the New York Times in his other life and, as such, had remarkable access to what are referred to in the book as "the gang of 500."  It's had me laughing on more than one occasion and mad-as-hell on others.

Okay.  That ought to be enough to get your hearts started on this mellow Monday.  Proceed with caution.

8 comments:

  1. I'm finishing Leibovich's "This Town" and reacting much as you did. Looking forward to "Tibetan Peach Pie"-thanks. I just finished Watchman's Rattle by Rebecca Costa.
    Interesting aggregation of research and thought with implications for social structures and for individual well being.
    You guys certainly eat well!!!

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  2. Amazing how when you cut them back they take off!

    I already read a book this year so...

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  3. "The Joke's Over" releases as a DVD movie in September under the title "For No Good Reason".
    As for corn tortillas, flour tortillas raise my sugar counts terribly, corn tortillas don't.

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  4. Between blogging and painting I have difficulty finding time to read. Too bad here are only twenty-four hours in a day.

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  5. I was friends with a doc from Aspen some 12 years ago, HST was a patient of his. He too was a reader as I, and enjoyed his books. We talked about it over a beer, he shook his head and remarked how disappointed he was. He was, at this time, shallow, obnoxious, and completely unfunny.
    Not sure one can do the chemicals he did, over decades, without some issues.
    Love the enchiladas idea, I'm a verde guy.

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  6. Mexican food's largely a mystery to me, I don't think it gets done very well in Europe, very watered down. Most stuff in our garden sulks and whithers when we try to nurture it and flourishes and thrives as soon as we give up and try to kill it. That's certainly a pretty bush, does it smell funny? Lot's of artemisias do, including the stuff they make absinthe out of. And you know absinthe makes the heart grow fonder...

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  7. I loved the book list! I might have to find a copy of "This Town". Sounds interesting.
    Thanks for the "Cherry Bomb" comment on my site yesterday. I literally laughed out loud!

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