Central Park

on a Sunny Sunday

May 3rd

Duchess and Sasha

Big Lie: America Doesn’t Have #1 Richest Middle-Class in the World … We’re Ranked 27^th!

Les Leopold, The Blog

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/les-leopold/big-lie-america-doesnt-ha_b_3516185.html

This opulence is supposed to trickle down to the rest of us, improving the lives of everyday Americans. At least that's what free-market cheerleaders repeatedly promise us.  Unfortunately, it's a lie, one of the biggest ever perpetrated on the American people.  Our middle class is falling further and further behind in comparison to the rest of the world. We keep hearing that America is number one. Well, when it comes to middle-class wealth, we're number 27.

PERSONAL NEWS #243

April 1^st, I had an appt with my “internal medicine” doctor about “inflammation of the joints” situation and learned I may have Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I will be going for more tests over the next two weeks.

April 2^nd, I attended the monthly TGTSNBN meetup and had an enjoyable evening.  We were discussing many aspects of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”.

April 3^rd to 5^th, I visited with the parents, brother and sister-in-law over the holiday weekend in upstate NY.

April 5^th, I had a private yoga class at my apt with Fabrice in the evening.

April 8^th, I volunteered at WCW office to assist with computer work.

April 10^th, I had a private yoga class at my apt with Fabrice in the evening.

April 11^th, was a busy, productive and fun day for me.  It started out with getting X-rays done on my knee and ankle, followed by shopping and the cleaners.  Plus, I did abit of spring cleaning at the apt before heading into Manhattan for the annual MoCCA event on West 22^nd Street.  Met up with Debbie, as one of the exhibitors was her hubby Larry with his books, plus he shared a table with his illustrator friends.  Afterwards, I strolled along the HighLine to catch the sun’s rays and take photos.  At 7pm I joined friends at Sammy’s Noodle Shop for dinner and Mari’s birthday celebrations.  Jenna made a delicious vegan cake for all to enjoy.

April 12^th, I participated in the Greenpoint Swap at the local Shul.  Clothing and donations go to those in need.  Afterwards I treated myself to a much needed manicure and then picked up lunch at Jungle Café to eat down by the river front.  The parks were bustling with people and their children, as the weather was a lovely spring day.

April 13^th, I had a much needed appt with my chiropractor for adjustments.

April 14^th, I attended the monthly BFP Fundraising committee meeting at Ken’s apt.

April 16^th, I attended the monthly “Friends of Tolkien” meetup.

April 17^th, I had a private yoga class back at the studio with Fabrice in the evening and got to see the Shiva.

April 18^th, after Dana cleaned my apt in the morning, I headed out to do numerous errands and chores before getting a much needed mani/pedi at a new salon.

April 19^th, I visited my good friend Katherine up in CT.  I treated her to a belated birthday luncheon and we finally exchanged our Xmas gifties.  Weather was lovely!

April 20^th, I had an appt with my lung specialist regarding follow-up, and he says my Iron count is low.  I am not keen about taking Iron pills.  I’d rather eat, or juicing or smoothie healthy, organic food rich in Iron.  They include … Brussel Sprouts, raisins, lentils, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, pinto beans, arugula, collard greens, black beans, brown rice prune juice, oatmeal, potatoes, tofu, lima beans, broccoli, kale, dark chocolate [YUM!], sunflower seeds, peas, strawberries and spinach.

April 21^st, I attended the productive monthly BFP Arts & Culture committee meeting.

April 22^nd, I had an appt with my “internal medicine” doctor about the Rheumatoid Arthritis, which I do not have, but I was diagnosed as Anemic.  So, this week, I started upping my intake of healthy foods with Iron traits.  What has a good source of Iron … Brussel Sprouts, raisins, lentils, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, pinto beans, arugula, collard greens, black beans, brown rice, prune juice, oatmeal, potatoes, tofu, lima beans, broccoli, kale, dark chocolate [YUM!], sunflower seeds, peas, strawberries and spinach.

April 23^rd, I attended the “Peace and Justice Faire” meeting in Fort Greene.  Meeting was hosted by Ed and Melissa … was productive and interesting.

April 24^th to 27^th, my friend Cindy was visiting from Ohio to attend the annual Yoga Journal conference at the Hilton.  She stayed at my apt to cut down on expensive NYC costs.

April 24^th, I attended my private yoga class this evening with my friend Cindy, who is visiting NYC for the weekend.

April 25^th, I participated in TGTSNBN Springtime Cosplay at Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan.  I debuted my Steampunk Hufflepuff “look” and it was well received.  Weather was sunny, but abit cool, at first, then warmed up after 12pm.  Our group was at the park from 11am to 4:30pm.  Afterwards, I stopped by the Hilton to pick up Cindy.  We did some shopping in the East Village before taking a taxi to my hood for dinner at Thai Café.

April 26^th, I joined my friend Margaret at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens from 11am to 1:30pm for the annual Sakura Matsuri festival.  Weather was sunny and lovely outside.  We had a great time and I took lots of photos.  Afterwards, I headed to the office to utilize my laptop to edit photos from Saturday/Sunday before meeting Cindy at the Hilton.  After she did abit of shopping we had dinner at a Cosi before heading back to my hood.  Cindy flies back to Ohio tomorrow.

 Springtime Comes to

Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

April 26th

 TGTSNBN

Springtime Annual

Cosplay at

Fort Tryon Park

April 25th

Baroness von Huffledor

Time Traveling Witch

Sidewalk Art

in my

Neighborhood

April 18th

For the past three years I create a delicious, healthy, organic smoothie for breakfast every day.  About 1.5 years ago I started recording it, along with other thoughts, on my Facebook page.

Here is another sampling from The Daily Smoothie Report … Brought to you by the Iron vitamin, or lack thereof. Before going on about Iron deficiency; here is my smoothie combo of the morning created with water, raspberries, blueberries, kale, spinach, broccoli and ginger.

Why am I going on about Iron. Well, I had an appt with my lung doctor the other day and he said my system was low on Iron. I wish to get my Iron from healthy eating, juicing and smoothies. I am not keen on taking Iron pills. They make me constipated and really don’t boost my Iron count. So here is some news on Iron………..

Many vegetarians and vegans worry about getting enough iron in their diet. Since meat is traditionally thought of as the main source of iron, vegetarians need to find different sources to help them reach their recommended amount of iron each day. Fortunately, there are several delicious and easy-to-prepare options that are both rich in iron and vegetarian-friendly.

What has a good source of Iron … Brussel Sprouts, raisins, lentils, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, pinto beans, arugula, collard greens, black beans, brown rice prune juice, oatmeal, potatoes, tofu, lima beans, broccoli, kale, dark chocolate [YUM!], sunflower seeds, peas, strawberries and spinach. Hum, a good list of healthy options for me to partake of and boost my Iron count.

View of East River and Manhattan

from ferry pier in

Northern Brooklyn

[April 12th]

 Tom Kerr and L.k. Peterson

at the annual

MoCCA Event

 Springtime Along

the

High Line

Afternoon Tea on

April 12th

with Vegan cake and

Reading L.k. Peterson's

new book

 Attended the annual

MoCCA Event

on

April 11th

An acquaintance with the Duchess

 Easter Weekend

with

The Parents

Spotted the first

Springtime Crocus'

in my neighborhood

on March 31st

For the past two to three years I create a delicious, healthy, organic smoothie for breakfast every day.  About 1.5 years ago I started recording it, along with other thoughts, on my Facebook page.

Here is another sampling from The Daily Smoothie Report … Brought to you by the healthy benefits of eating Avocado.  But first my delicious smoothie blast of the morning; created with water, pineapple, kale, avocado, strawberries, ginger and celery.  And now more about avocado’s………

The avocado is a rather unique type of fruit.  Most fruit consists primarily of carbohydrate, while avocado is high in healthy fats.  Numerous studies show that it has powerful beneficial effects on health.  What we refer to as “avocado” is the fruit of the avocado tree, called Persea Americana.  This fruit is prized for its high nutrient value and is added to all sorts of dishes due to its good flavor and rich texture. It is the main ingredient in guacamole.  These days, the avocado has become an incredibly popular food among health conscious individuals. It is often referred to as a superfood… which is not surprising given its health properties.

Here are several health benefits of avocado, that are supported by scientific research.
1.      Nutritious

2.     Contains more Potassium than Bananas

3.     Heart Healty Monounsaturated Fatty Acids

4.     Fiber

5.     May help prevent Cancer

6.     Powerful Antioxidants that can Protect your Eyes

PERSONAL NEWS #242

March 1^st, I headed back to NYC from upstate NY.  Had a private yoga class at my apt with Fabrice, and afterwards watched season five finale of Downton Abbey.

March 2^nd, I had lunch with Nancy Pina and we talked about HP Misti-Con.

March 6^th, I had a private yoga class with Fabrice at my apt.

March 7^th, after attending to many chores and errands, I had a much needed manicure at a new salon in my hood.

March 8^th, I joined Wendy and Debbie in seeing the film “The Kingsman – The Secret Service”.  It is abit violent, but many funny moments throughout the film.  I do recommend viewing it.  Afterwards, we had a delicious vegan dinner at Blossom restaurant in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.

March 9^th, after work I had an appt with my lung doctor as a follow-up to my hospital stay, and other health related issues.

March 10^th, I attended a productive monthly BFP Fund/PF committee meeting at Ken’s apt.

March 11^th, I did volunteer computer work at the WCW office.

March 13^th, I had a private yoga class with Fabrice at my apt.

March 14^th/15^th, I did many errands, started spring cleaning the apt and chores.

March 17^th, I attended a productive monthly BFP A&C committee meeting.

March 19^th, I had a much needed appt with Dr Tan for acupuncture treatment.

March 20^th, I had a private yoga class with Fabrice at my apt.

March 21^st, after Dana cleaned the apt, I did a few errands before heading into Manhattan for “Tolkien Reading Day” at Simple Studios.  There were many wonderful readings and one in Quenya.  Afterwards, some of us walked over to 8^th Avenue to have dinner at SongKran, which had really good Thai food.

March 22^nd, I joined my friends [ie: Wendy & Debbie] in seeing The Police documentary called “Can’t Stand Losing You”, and it was very good.  If you are a POLICE fan from way back when, I highly recommend seeing it.  Afterwards, we had dinner at URBO on 8^th Avenue near Port Authority.

March 24^th, I attended the monthly BFP PEJ committee meeting at Eric’s home; which was informative and productive.

March 26^th, I attended the monthly Brooklyn Peace Fair committee meeting; which was productive and interesting.

March 27^th, I had a private yoga class with Fabrice at my apt.

March 28^th, I had a busy, productive day doing errands, chores, more spring cleaning and three loads of laundry.  Plus setting up for my dinner gathering.

March 29^th, I hosted a small social dinner gathering at my apt for some friends.  My friend Mukti has a small catering business and ordered four of her tasty, delicious vegan Indian dishes for the gathering.  Everyone loved the food!  Overall the gathering was enjoyable with lots of diverse conversation amongst friends.

 Dinner Gathering

with Friends

at

Casa Huffledor

March 29th

Meal Catered

by Mukti's Kitchen

Vegan Cakes

from WholeFoods

Another World is Possible, Without the 1%

Winnie Byanyima, Common Dreams

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/03/24/another-world-possible-without-1

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

For the past two to three years I create a delicious, healthy, organic smoothie for breakfast every day.  About 1.5 years ago I started recording it, along with other thoughts, on my Facebook page.

Here is another sampling from The Daily Smoothie Report … Brought to you by the healthy benefits of Spinach, but first, the two-glass smoothie blast of organic goodness of the morning.  Today’s creation was made with water, blueberries, pineapple, ginger, Fuji apple, kale and spinach.  And now, back to full nutritional benefits of spinach.............

Full of nutrients and delicious taste, spinach is a winter super food. But what’s the best way to eat it? Read the following surprising facts about this leafy green:

·         It’s wiser to choose tender baby spinach leaves. The larger the leaves, the more mature they are and more likely to be tough or stringy. Also, spinach leaves that are placed under direct light in the stores have been found to contain more nutrients than those stored in darkness.

·         Cooking spinach actually increases its health benefits! Just half a cup of cooked spinach will give you thrice as much nutrition as one cup of raw spinach. That’s because the body cannot completely break down the nutrients in raw spinach for its use.

·         As an exception to the advice above, research studies show that taking spinach in juice form is actually the healthiest way to consume it. Blend spinach with other vegetables or fruits to create a delicious glass of juice, or try a green smoothie.

·         There’s a compound in spinach called oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of calcium and iron. An easy way to solve this problem is to pair spinach with a food high in vitamin C. Mandarin oranges and cantaloupes spring to mind here. Another way to reduce the power of oxalic acid is to boil the spinach leaves for at least two minutes.

·         Freezing spinach diminishes its health benefits. The way to get the best from the leaf is to buy it fresh and eat it the same day.

 First Day of Spring

in the Northeast

was Greeted with a Snowstorm

[photos from March 21st]

 Tolkien Reading Day

Saturday, March 21st

at

Simple Studios in NYC

Two Poems from FOTR

Seek for the Sword that was broken;

In Imladris it dwells;

There shall be counsels taken

Stronger than Morgul-spells

There shall be shown a token

That Doom is near at hand,

For Isildur’s Bane shall waken,

And the Halfling forth shall stand.

 ****

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken;

The crownless again shall be king.

My Wonderful Mom at 21 yrs

Holding lil me in March 1959

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

For the past two to three years I create a delicious, healthy, organic smoothie for breakfast every day.  About 1.5 years ago I started recording it, along with other thoughts, on my Facebook page.

Here is a sampling of The Daily Smoothie Report … Brought to you by the healthy benefits of Ginger.  But first; my smoothie two-glass blast of the morning … created with water, blueberries, seedless red grapes, spinach, kale, Medjool dates AND ginger.

And now more about Ginger … Ginger is grown as a root and is a flexible ingredient that can be consumed in drinks (ie: tea, beer, ale) or in cooking. It can be used to make foods spicy and even as a food preservative. For over 2000 years, Chinese medicine has recommended the use of ginger to help cure and prevent several health problems. It is known to promote energy circulation in the body and increase our body’s metabolic rate.

Its many benefits are ….. maintains normal blood circulation, remedies motion sickness, improves absorption, cold / flu prevention, combats stomach discomfort, Colon cancer prevention, reduces pain / inflammation, fights common respiratory issues, Ovarian cancer treatment and helps combat morning sickness.

Saturday Afternoon Tea

Once Again with Icabod Crane

of Sleepy Hollow

Saturday Afternoon Tea

with

Vegan Cake and Sleepy Hollow DVD

 Snowy Thursday

Morning

in

Brooklyn, NY

 Saturday Brunch

at

Benson's

Health Benefits of Delicious Flaxseeds

Prevention Magazine

Flaxseed is a slightly sweet, nut-flavored grain that’s out-of-this-world delicious.  Best of all, researchers are also hailing it as one of the healthiest foods on the planet, loaded with compounds that shield you against cancer and heart disease.  Flaxseed is an incredibly rich source of a group of compounds called lignans.  Many plant foods contain lignans, but flaxseed has the most, at least 75 times more than any other plant food.  You’d have to eat about 60 cups of fresh broccoli or 100 slices of whole wheat bread to get the same amount of lignans in ¼ cup of flaxseed.

This is important because “lignans subdue cancerous changes once they have occurred, rendering them less likely to race out of control and develop into full blown cancer,” says a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto.

Flaxseed also lowers your cholesterol and shows great promise for reversing kidney damage caused by lupus.  In addition, flaxseed is very high in fiber.  Fiber is so important in your diet because it can help block the effects of harmful compounds that over time may cause changes in the intestine that can lead to cancer.  It also helps to move these compounds out of the intestine more quickly, giving them less time to do harm.

 Visited the Parents

in Upstate NY

Weekend of Feb 27th

PERSONAL NEWS #241

Feb 1^st & 2^nd, I was in the hospital [Lutheran Medical in Bay Ridge] dealing with lung issues.  My friend Anni came around on the Sunday afternoon to visit me and bring some goodies.

Feb 7^th, after Dana cleaned my apt, I took car service to Park Slope for the 3^rd annual BFP board member retreat.  In the evening I had a yoga class with Fabrice and Shiva.

Feb 11^th, I had a much needed chiropractor appt for treatment.

Feb 12^th, I had a much needed acupuncturist appt for treatment.

Feb 13^th, my private yoga class was conducted in my apt with Fabrice.  Easier that way than dealing with the bitter cold winds to and from yoga studio.

Feb 17^th, I treated my friend Larry to dinner, as payment for doing my taxes.

Feb 19^th, I attended the monthly “NYC Friends of Tolkien” meetup at a new location.

Feb 20^th, my private yoga class was conducted in my apt with Fabrice.

Feb 21^st, I attended the 2^nd Annual BFP A&C Committee retreat.  The retreat was very productive, interesting and informative.  I also stepped down as co-chair and left the “chair” position to Joel, as he does most of the work anyway.

Feb 22^nd, I had a much needed acupuncturist appt for treatment.  I also watched episode eight of Downton Abbey and season finale of Grantchester on PBS.

Feb 26^th, I attended a Brooklyn Peace Fair planning meeting with other BFP members in the Fort Greene area.

Feb 27^th to March 1^st, I visited the parents in upstate NY to assist with projects around the house and other errands, plus go to hair salon.  Back in NYC on Sunday late afternoon ... yoga class with Fabrice and watched the wonderful season five finale of Downton Abbey.