Monday, August 31, 2020

US Botanic Gardens and Back Home

Last week we took a ride to our old neighborhood on Capitol Hill. We parked the car in front of our son’s old residence -  just a few steps from our old condo, and followed our old footsteps for a morning walk. We lived in this neighborhood for thirteen years. I worked at the library of Congress for ten, and we moved to northern Virginia over a year ago. We have driven in to town several times since March, but never got out of the car. The city was still very quiet - we felt like the only two people walking about except for work people fixing street things, renovating the house office buildings, and the air and space museum. So we walked to the Capitol, the reflecting pond, down the mall to the Smithsonian castle and back. One of our favorite places is the US Botanic Gardens. Because it was the end of the summer season, everything was so overgrown. We know every square inch of that place having passed through it so many times. It’s so pleasant! When we returned to our car we always get nostalgic about our old neighborhood. If it wasn’t for all the 1890’s ongoing and forever building problems we might have stayed. But it was becoming too inconvenient with street parking and everything else. We used to drive in to town for library programs as entertainment. That doesn’t happen anymore. So every once in a while we drive in - just for the heck of it. On the way home we stopped at McDonald’s for take out breakfast - something we haven’t done in six months. It was a delightful ending for the perfect adventure. It doesn’t take much these days. 

























Sunday, August 30, 2020

Instapot Persian Barley Lentil Soup With Spinach

Unexpectedly we received a surprise in the mail - an instapot with two cookbooks. We aren’t in any hurry - especially lately - to cook things in shorter time. But it would be an interesting experiment. We sorted through the recipes and found a few, but we didn’t have several of the ingredients. We finally got what we needed with the latest grocery delivery and prepared to make the Persian barley lentil soup with spinach last week. My husband is the primary cook in our house and doesn’t follow recipes - he just magically puts things together and dinner is always delicious. Using limes and lime zest is unusual for us. We followed all the instructions and started first with sautéing the onions, carrots and garlic, then added the liquids. The soup was cooked under high pressure for fifteen minutes - which ended up being not quite enough. We put the pot on the stove and cooked the soup another 15 minutes. When it was done, the chopped spinach and cilantro were added. Along side the soup was some yogurt to add in as desired. It was very good - so much so that we made another batch yesterday. However, the results were not as spectacular. There was too much lime this time. Maybe it was the fact that we had already made it once and should have tried something else. In the end it was indeed an interesting process. Maybe spaghetti will be next. 



















Saturday, August 29, 2020

Subaru Response to No Gas Warning Light

We have had three Subaru vehicles. The first one was an Outback and the last two were Foresters. When we bought our last car, we received a thank you gift in the mail - a handsome carry on luggage piece. It was unexpected. In February, when we were returning home on I-95 from Florida after my mom’s funeral, our car ran out of gas in Savannah, at rush hour. I don’t know how we lived to tell the tale as we were in the middle lane and had to move to the side of the road. It was horrible since we did not get any warning or indication there was even a problem. Our instrument panel showed 70 miles left and we were two miles from our exit. Normally we fill the gas tank long before it ever gets near empty. This is the one and only time that we didn’t. So I wrote a letter to Subaru with our concerns. I also read that the gas warning light was an issue with the outback but not the forester. The response was to have the dealership service shop check the car’s system out. We did - but they couldn’t find anything nor could they replicate the problem. The results were sent to Subaru. I’ve had a few back and forth conversations about the incident and am still unhappy that it happened. But in the spirit of customer service we were given a $150 service credit good for one year. Yesterday we got a surprise package in the mail that contained a pair of Rayban sunglasses and a stuffed animal Douglas dog wearing a Subaru bandana. It was a nice gesture, but I can only think of what might have happened with no gas, on the freeway, in the rain, at rush hour in an unfamiliar town after a funeral. Rest assured the gas tank will never fall below half. I appreciate the Subaru gesture and the recognition that something bad happened. I just wish they could have found what caused it. 






















Friday, August 28, 2020

Watering Can Flower Pot

A while back we got a fairly large “distressed” watering can from Gingko gardens in DC. It was put on the lower shelf of the console table in the dining room along with a couple of houseplants. I’ve shifted the items on the console table around several times since then. Most recently, it was moved to the floor, underneath the standing planter and below a wall ornamental shelf. I always thought this container could be used for cut flowers. So when we ordered in groceries this week from fresh market, a bunch of flowers were included. I always used to get flowers from the grocery store a couple of times a month to keep the wall vase, and the console table vase fresh and pretty. The stems were quite long so they would work nicely. Now the flowers can be seen from several angles. Even though it is on the floor, the flowers add a bit of whimsy to the corner of our living space. Since our life is pretty much indoors these days it doesn’t take much to brighten them up. I look forward to getting them, arranging them, and photographing them. And they just look nice. 

























Thursday, August 27, 2020

Front Coat Closet Gets Rearranged

In our tiny Capitol Hill condo was a very small coat closet. We maximized the space with additional shelves and it was packed. In our new northern Virginia condo our front foyer hall closet isn’t really that much bigger, but appeared that way when we first saw it. And as always, things get messier over time - especially when there are pandemic issues to deal with. The shoes we used to keep in our bedroom closet have migrated to the front, along with winter boots that were already there. I spent yesterday afternoon looking for tension shelves - just to add another layer to the top. Then I looked for tension rods thinking a set of six could serve the same purpose. But the reviews were mixed. Since my husband isn’t using his shoe rack to the maximum, I just decided to move his shoe rack to the front closet to support all the additional shoes that accumulated. Then, the racks that were being used on the floor were moved to the top shelf, adding some additional storage space for winter hats and gloves. Technically all the masks should be there too. I always add a couple of dryer sheets to control the smell, and added a small dehumidifier to absorb moisture. Anyway, it looks much neater - but still packed - since the closet is only 40 inches wide. The six step ladder is also housed in there because we do occasionally need it and like the easy access. We probably need to get rid of more junk there, and in the bedroom closet, even though we don’t really have that much anymore. The rain and snow boots were used a lot before because we had street parking for thirteen years and walked in the DC neighborhood rain or shine. Since we don’t use the shopping mall to walk anymore we may need that footwear again when we walk in the winter. It’s always satisfying to make things neater since I can’t stand stuff on the floor. Let’s see how long this lasts. 








Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Mafent Hair Cutting Cloak

I don’t think my husband will ever go back to the barber. Since March everything changed. He no longer goes to the barber to get his hair cut; I haven’t seen a hair stylist since February - and it shows. But in his case, hair clippers is all that’s needed. So we ordered a clipper set very early on and all the equipment came in handy - the clippers, scissors, comb and all the attachments. What was missing was something to catch all the loose hair in. We tried plastic bags, sitting on the tub, sitting on the plastic bag... all of these gyrations ended up in a mess. So I searched for a hair catcher and actually found something that might work. The typical plastic capes one wears in the salon or barber shop doesn’t do the trick since all the hair lands on the floor - which is what I wanted to avoid. The Mafent brand on Amazon is a grey plastic cape with a velcro collar that curls up on the edges - to catch the stray hair. It’s made with a bendable wire so you can fold it into a small size. Then it’s stored next to the clipper case under the sink in the bathroom. I haven’t used it yet since I ordered it after the latest haircut and was annoyed with the hair flying. Because this home haircut will become the norm, it’s best to have the appropriate supplies. Now all we need is the neck brush! I wish I had such an easy solution to my hair dilemma. 















Tuesday, August 25, 2020

An Alligator in the Park?!

The park is a great place for a morning walk - especially on the high temperature, high humidity days. It provides shade and fairly open spaces. This summer we have seen a blue heron, box turtle, deer and woodpecker close up. But who would have thought we would ever see an alligator! I grew up in Florida and visiting places with alligators was most common. I’m used to seeing them, but don’t particularly like them. Today we stumbled upon a very unusual sight - it took us back a few feet. Aside from the usual greens, flowers, and fungus we typically see along the trail was a very large alligator snout - mouth wide open and ready to pounce. It was actually a fallen tree that broke off in a most peculiar way. We have never walked the park at night and this most certainly would cause goosebumps - or more - to any passers by. Needless to say we were surprised to see the creature, but certainly glad it wasn’t real.