Twenty-Eight Flying Geese

 

Two weeks ago my husband and grandsons came home from a robot fight (don’t ask) with some bagels and a tub of cream cheese. They’d grabbed breakfast at Einstein on their way to the event, and their leftovers were in the car ALL DAY LONG. Temperatures were in the thirties most of the day, and the cream cheese seemed okay. But the bagels were hard as rocks. (Memo: the driest environment you’re likely to meet is inside your car. I’ve used mine to make sun-dried tomatoes and fruit leather.) If you have dried-out bagels, you can LIGHTLY toast them to make them edible. If they’re too gone for that, wrap each bagel in a damp paper towel and microwave 10 to 20 seconds. Or, you can preheat the oven to 350F, run a bagel under HOT water, and bake 5 minutes. With each of these methods, you must eat the bagel immediately. Otherwise, just bin it.

Twenty Echoes

 

From 1876 to 1882, the torch of the Statue of Liberty was on display – with the attached hand and forearm – in Madison Square Park in New York City. It was there to help raise funds for the construction of the statue’s pedestal. Yes, Lady Liberty was a gift from France. But the French only donated the statue; the U.S. had to pony up for the island and base on which she stands. The original idea came from Édouard René de Laboulaye, a staunch French abolitionist who wanted to celebrate both our country’s centennial and our commitment to end slavery. But when Emma Lazarus wrote “The New Colossus” to help raise money for the pedestal construction, her focus was slightly different. Instead of the Revolutionary War or abolition, she wrote about immigrants. Emma had helped to bring Jewish refugees fleeing Europe’s pogroms to America. For her, they were the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Four Corners

 

I love simple recipes; the ones that use a single pan instead of leaving a mountain of dirty dishes in the sink. I think it’s safe to say you won’t find a beef Wellington or baked Alaska in my kitchen, unless, of course, someone else made it for me.

 

One-Dish Pasta

 

1/2 pound uncooked spaghetti or fettucine

10 ounces cherry tomatoes

2 cups fresh spinach

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons sun dried tomato oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup cream

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Add all ingredients to a large skillet and cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook about 10-12 minutes. Reduce heat and remove lid and stir to combine. Add water or more broth as needed. Continue cooking if needed until pasta is tender. Serve in bowls with grated parmesan.

Eighteen Flying Geese

 

“The Book of Mormon describes the 2,060 stripling warriors as men of truth and soberness, taught to keep the commandments of God and walk uprightly before him. These young men faithfully obeyed Helaman, who was their military leader and also their prophet, and they recognized their mothers had filled their hearts with truth and faith. Parents, in this world where there are many voices and sometimes much darkness, God Himself has commanded us to raise our children in light and truth. He entrusted us with the responsibility to teach our children the saving truths of the gospel. If we fail to do so, the world will not do it. Dear young friends, I have an invitation for you: In the coming days, I invite you to kneel, open your hearts, and pray with faith to Heavenly Father, asking Him to confirm to you His chosen prophet and apostles are His voice on the earth today.” – Andrea Muñoz Spannaus

Sixteen Echo Blocks

 

Last week I learned something new: astronauts in space don’t burp. On earth, gases in our stomachs rise above heavier liquids and solids because of gravity. The gas puts pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, which opens to release a belch. In a zero-G environment, stomach contents don’t separate. So, even though astronauts in space may feel the need to release a burp, the result won’t be a relatively harmless gas. It will be a vurp – the messy cross between a burp and a vomit. At the very least, the esophageal reflux has got to be brutal. I’m guessing to deal with this, astronauts’ diets are low in beans, dairy products, onions, garlic, cruciferous vegetables and other foods that make intestinal gas worse. January 15, a crew of 4 left ISS early; the first medical evacuation from the space station. We weren’t told which astronaut needed medical care, or why. But maybe it was gastro-intestinal distress.

Mister Chill

 

I like winter well enough, when it behaves. There should be snow, especially around Christmas. Snow in the mountains is lovely. It makes the skiers happy, and it’s a reserve for when summers get too dry. I even like snow in the valley, from time to time; enough to clear the air and to protect trees and bushes from bitter cold. Once or twice a year, my grandkids should wake up to enough overnight snow that they can’t get to school. Snow days are some of my happiest childhood memories, as are snowball fights, snow angels, snow forts, and snowmen. It seems a shame global warming should rob my grandchildren of all these pleasures. I’ve never been a huge fan of shoveling snow. But few things can give you a better sense of accomplishment than clearing your driveway (and a few of the neighbors’) and then settling down to a hot mug of cocoa.

Eight Flying Geese

 

Antarctica is 40% larger than Europe, 50% larger than the US, and roughly half the area of Africa. Antarctica contains 90% of Earth’s fresh water, where it’s inaccessibly frozen. In spite of the fact it’s completely covered in ice, Antarctica gets less than 2” of precipitation per year, making it the world’s largest desert. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -128.6 Fahrenheit (-89.2 Celsius) at the Vostok station in 1983. Antarctica has no permanent human residents. The only inhabitants are scientists and support staff living in temporary quarters at research stations. The animals found here are blue whales, Antarctic krill, southern royal albatross, and several varieties of seal. Lots of penguins live here, too. The world’s largest penguin – the emperor penguin – is the only vertebrate that breeds here. Antarctica has no single official time zone. Instead, each research station uses the time zone of its supplier or home country.