Cooking With Friends

What's more fun than cooking? Cooking with friends, and that's exactly what I did one gloomy morning in March. Several of us had gone to an event arranged by Edna, at a French bakery in Escondido. At that event we saw a demonstration by the chef of how to make French baguettes and French Macarons. French macarons are little sandwich like cookies, where the cookie part is an almond meringue and the filling can be anything. We thought we might like to try making the French macarons at home, so Elaine, Debiie, Katie and me got together to make these delectable little treats.

There are many recipes for French macarons, and Debbie was in charge of determining which recipe to use. I was in charge of purchasing the ingredients, Elaine volunteered her beautiful kitchen (and made us coffee and wonderful coffee cake) to do the cooking, and Katie turned out to be the master of piping the cookies on to the baking sheet. We all contributed to the successes, and failures, of this project.

Our first batch was not what we hoped for. In retrospect, we did not beat the egg whites enough. They must be STIFF. The cookies were tasty, but flat and too chewy. We had to throw most of them away. But by the second batch we had the technique down pat. The cookies were perfect. Katie was in charge of piping the cookies onto the baking sheets, and she did a fantastic job. In between preparing the cookies we made chocolate ganache for one filling, and used a store bought lemon curd for the other filling.

Cooking with friends is such fun. We laughed a lot, so much in fact that we mismeasured the first batch of almond meal and confectioners' sugar mixture, but luckily Katie, with her excellent math skills, figured it all out for us. Along the way Debbie taught us some teaching techniques she had picked up in culinary school. Although she got her only B in cooking school (89%)in baking, she was a great teacher. I learned how to cut parchment paper. Who knew that a professional chef never uses scissors? She taught us folding techniques and how to achieve perfect egg whites.

In between cooking, we noshed on Elaine's homemade coffee cake, then later, Debbie's sausage roll. Yum. In the end, we each took home about 13 cookies, much less than the 2 dozen we had planned on. That's because of our failure on batch number one. Debbie and I had both told several people we would give them samples of what we made, so in the end I only had 2 cookies left for myself. A lot of work for just a few cookies. Next time, if there is a next time, things will be easier and we won't make mistakes. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to our next get together, where Elaine and her husband Bob, will introduce us to "Testa Turke." (Turks hat). Cooking with friends makes a wonderful, social morning. It's just another way to get together with friends over coffee and food.

There are many recipes for French macarons on the internet, and I really cannot recommend one. We added a pinch of cream of tartar to our recipe, and also a drop of almond extract. Make sure you whip your egg whites to stiff, and your batter will be fine. Enjoy a morning cooking with friends. It's great fun.

Use Your Local Library

Your local library is a wealth of information, education, recreation and socialization. I recently got an IPad, which I didn't think I needed, but now use daily. Not having a Nook or Kindle, the first thing I did was head to my local library to learn how to check out e-books. Fantastic! I know most of you probably buy the books you read on your Nook or Kindle, but you can check them out from the library, just as do any other book. Yes, you've got to set up the program, but after that, you check out books and put books on hold just as you would library book. I'm going to Colorado soon, and I have just downloaded Jeffrey Toobin's, The Nine (about the supreme court), which I'll read on the plane.

I've been listening to audio books for years. Mysteries are great to listen to. It takes me about 2 weeks of listening, as I go about my daily errands listening to the book, 5-15 minutes at a time. You can also download audio books onto either your IPad or IPod, and this is great for long walks. Finally, there are "playback" books. I think that's what they're called. You need to provide a AAA battery to use these audio books, but my library has a great selection.

In addition to books, the library offers many other services. Our local library has at least 4 monthly book clubs, focusing on different genres. It has movies, lectures, computer labs, classes and discussions. I recently went to my local library and listened to Alan Brennert, author of Palisades Park, talk about his book and his career. The library truly offers something for everyone, even if you're not an avid reader. Check it out.

New Penalties For Traffic Violations

Every January many new state laws go into effect. There are hundreds of new laws every year, and unless they effect us directly we don't usually pay much attention. Well, traffic fines do effect us all. With the new penalties on traffic violations, you will want to try VERY hard to avoid a ticket.

Traffic fines bring over $500 million into our state treasury yearly. No wonder fines keep increasing. It's an easy way to increase revenue. According to KNX's Jon Baird, even common infractions such as running a red light can cost drivers around $500. While base fines for traffic offenses have remained relatively steady over the past two decades, assessments for emergency medical services ($20) and traffic school ($60) and court construction costs ($50) have nearly quadrupled ticket costs since 1993, according to the Judicial Council of California.

A red light infraction which was $103 in 1993 and $340 in 2003 is now $490, while not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign (rolling through an intersection) has nearly doubled to $238, in the past decade. Drivers caught speeding at 15 mph over the speed limit have soared to $238, nearly eight times their cost in 1993.

Much of this increase can be attributed to tacked-on fees known as penalty assessments, which are set by state lawmakers in Sacramento. Revenue from such fees is typically earmarked for a wide variety of projects. As the fees increase, the working poor who cannot afford these tickets, are going to court to challenge tickets, which is clogging up the court system. As unhappy as motorists are by these high ticket prices, lawmakers are unlikely to change course, as the revenue is used for many projects that otherwise would be unfunded. The moral of the story, avoid those tickets at all costs. Plan an extra few minutes to get where you're going, so you don't have to run a red light or roll through a stop sign. This will probably keep you safer and keep money in your pocket, not the state's.

Coconut Pineapple Smoothie

Every time I go to Costco and see one of those $500 blenders demonstrated, I want one. They do everything! What I like best about them is they make ice cream in seconds out of fruits and veggies you'd never expect to find in ice cream. Last time I was there I sampled an ice cream made from pineapple, yogurt, carrots and a few other ingredients I can't remember. It was so delicious. I know I'm never going to buy that expensive blender, so I'll just continue to use my old blender that is fine for most things. You can use a regular blender for the following recipe and achieve great tasting ice cream. Remember to layer the ingredients, and freeze the banana for a thicker, ice cream like consistency. Coconut and pineapple just go well together, but you can use coconut water with other fruits to create more great tasting treats.

Coconut Pineapple Smoothie

Yield: (3) 8 ounce smoothies

1 cup coconut water

1 banana, frozen for a thicker consistency

...

1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple, roughly chopped into large chunks

dash of ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Layer ingredients into the blender and puree until smooth and creamy. With the blender turned off, use a spatula to scrape the sides as needed. Scoop into glasses or bowls and serve immediately. Enjoy

Stop The Presses

We've all heard the phrase "stop the presses," and yes, it really is used in the newspaper industry. I learned this fact along with so much more, on a tour of the UT in San Diego, arranged by Barbara and Pam. They are in charge of our Wanderers group, and each month, they arrange an interesting outing for the Newcomers of San Dieguito. This month it was lunch at True Food in Fashion Valley followed by a very interesting 80 minute tour of the UT.

I've reviewed True Food in the past. I love it, as it represents everything I look for in a restaurant: interesting menu, healthy choices, good ambience, and locally sourced produce. Much of the success of the restaurant is due to the name Dr. Andrew Weil being associated with the chain. He is the Harvard professor who's main focus is health and wellness, so a healthy restaurant was a natural for him. The restaurant has several restaurants in Southern California: Santa Monica, Newport Beach, San Diego. I've been to them all. The prices are very moderate and portions are plentiful. I had the Harvest Salad last time I was there, and it was delicious. Butternut squash, walnuts, pomegranates and goat cheese were just some of the many ingredients. Other choices were pizzas, bison burger, carmelized onion tart, edemanane pot stickers, pastas, sandwiches, and soups. There was really something for everyone, regardless of their food preferences.

The UT is currently owned by Doug Manchester and John Lynch, although Doug is not involved in day to day operations. John Lynch runs the paper. It has been in operation since 1868, without interruption. Their first building was in Old Town, and if you visit Old Town, you will see the old newspaper office. Print media has declined rapidly over the past two decades due to digital media, and many think the demise of the newspaper is coming soon. We have already seen many newspapers and magazines cease operation. The challenge for the UT is to stay relevant in this age when their readership consists mainly of people aged 40-70. They have to appeal to young people too. The UT has developed an online digital paper that one can subscribe to, a radio station with interesting programming, and a local TV station, which broadcasts several times a day. We were there at 1:30pm and they were broadcasting live. The UT does have a circulation on Sunday of about 350,000 copies, so people still do read the newspaper.

Advertising, which produces much of the revenue that keeps a newspaper in business, is way down. This is because many of the retail stores that used to have inserts in the Sunday paper and advertise almost day with full page ads, have gone to the internet. I remember the days when Bullocks would have a full page ad in the LA Times at least once a week. Those days are gone.

The UT focuses on local news. They figure that the AP already does a great job of giving us international news, so they pick up the AP stories for most of the international stories. They focus on local news and sports because they say that's what people want. We saw the printing presses, and although technology has increased the speed and ease of working the presses, they are still huge, spewing ink everywhere during operation.

One final thing. The phrase "stop the presses" really is used. Even after checking and double checking the final paper before it goes to print, sometimes things are discovered when printing has already begun. For example, the misspelling of a head of state would stop the presses and the spelling would be corrected. An insult to an important head of state would also stop the presses, and be corrected. A big event which happens after the paper goes to print, like an earthquake, would also stop the presses. Our guide feels that the newspaper as we know it, has another 12-15 years before it becomes extinct. I no longer read the paper daily. I read papers on line, as most young people do. Soon there will be a generation that has never read a paper. Sadly, technology has hurt the print industry. We'll have to wait and see what eventually happens.

Natural Food Expo, 2014, Part 2

There are literally hundreds of products displayed at the natural food show. All the big players are there, like Hain, Dole, Amy's, Chobani, Silk, and Kashi. There are also many companies that are new, and may or may not make it. The natural food business is so competitive, and many companies with a great idea don't have the financial backing to stay the course. A small company like Henry and Lisa's Natural Seafood may have trouble competing against big corporate operations like Chicken of the Sea. However, they have a great product and a great mission. All their seafood comes from environmentally sustainable fisheries, and is independently tested for contaminants. Their seafood is frozen and canned, and includes salmon, fish nuggets, and shrimp. Their canned products include wild sardines, albacore tuna and salmon.

Asian food companies are found in abundance at the food show. The Shibuya Group (distributed by Mishima Foods) has a variety of sweet potato cakes and sweet potato chips. I loved the purple chips, so crisp and sweet, and gluten free! Tang's makes frozen dim sum items, like pot stickers, and edamame whole wheat dumplings that were delicious. FG (Feel Good food) products include a variety of frozen dim sum, gluten free, and great.

There were so many crackers at the food show, but most of them were not very good. They may have been healthy, but not to my liking. There were some I did like, though. Kashi makes crackers now, and the hummus crisp and black bean crisp were both good and crispy. Indian Life makes masala chips, an interesting new flavor. Le Pain des Fleurs makes crispbreads in buckwheat, chestnut and quinoa. They're gluten free, kosher, and vegan. Thin, crispy crackers.

Perhaps my favorite item at the food show came from Mama Lils. Mama Lils is a line of canned peppers, olives, and fava beans. Everything was good, but I went back for seconds of their peppadew goldew peppers, They are something between a pepper and an olive, and full of flavor. Perfect for a charcuterie platter or any hors d'oeuvres tray for that matter.

That's enough for now, but I still have pages of notes on products I have yet to mention. One more blog on the food show. I promise that will be it. This may bore many of you, but you foodies are probably enjoying this.

Got Cold Feet?

Did you ever wonder where the expression "getting cold feet" comes from? Cold feet as an expression connotes loss of courage, such as when a performer gets "cold feet" right before going on stage, or a bride gets "cold feet" just before the wedding ceremony. Linguists trace the phrase back to either Italian playwright Ben Jonson in 1605 or German author Fritz Reuter in an 1862 novel. The earliest use of it in the English language dates back to writer Stephen Crane in his 1896 book, "Maggie: A Girl on the Streets", in which he writes, "I knew this was the way it would be. She got cold feet."

Many of us have cold feet, and we don't know why. Ron has had cold feet for many years. I always thought it might be due to his diabetes, but the doctor says that's not it. Poor circulation is often the cause of cold feet, caused often by a sedentary lifestyle and can often be remedied by walking each day. Poor circulation can also cause blood clots and may lead to other health issues.

Some people with cold feet have peripheral neuropathy, a condition where one may experience a cold feeling in the hands and feet without the hands or feet actually being cold to the touch. Other symptoms can include numbness, tingling or a burning sensation in the extremities. Peripheral neuropathy is a sign of underlying nerve damage, caused by diabetes, exposure to toxins, infections or vitamin deficiencies.

Another common cause of cold feet is an underactive thyroid. More common in woman than in men, hypothyroidism can cause cold feet and hands, fatigue, hair loss and weight gain, among other symptoms. If you take thyroid and are still experiencing cold hands and feet, you could have Raynaud's syndrome. This condition is characterized by a loss of blood flow to the hands and feet caused by spasms in the flood vessels.

Regardless of the cause of your cold feet, it's a very uncomfortable condition. I bought Ron a pair of woolen mucklucks for Christmas, which he puts on before bed every night. Within an hour his feet are nice and toasty, and he sheds the slippers. No matter how hot or cold it is outside, Ron's feet are always cold. Soaking the feet in hot water also warms them up, or using an old fashioned hot water bottle. If cold feet is a new condition for you, be sure to mention it to your doctor. It may be nothing that a little more exercise each day might cure. It seems like walking is good for so many things!

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes

One of my favorite side dishes is cauliflower mashed potatoes. It's a head of cauliflower which has been well cooked, put in blender with milk and butter (or just chicken stock) and seasonings, then blended until the mixture is the consistency of mashed potatoes. It's great for a dieter or diabetic, who can't eat potatoes. Here's another twist on mashed cauliflower that is absolutely delicious. Try it.

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes

Ingredients

•

1 head cauliflower (or a 16 oz bag of frozen cauliflower)

... •

2 large eggs

•

½-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

•

¼ cup diced green onions

•

½-1 cup bread crumbs

•

½ tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

•

salt

•

olive oil

Cook the cauliflower, then put it in the blender with the eggs. Puree until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Transfer to a bowl, add cheese, bread crumbs to bind, green onions, and seasonings. Blend together, then shape like potato pancakes. Cook in hot skillet with a little olive oil until brown on one side, turn and finish cooking. You can serve them as a side dish with meat, chicken or fish, or eat them like potato pancakes, as a luncheon entrée. Add a little sour cream, if desired. You can add other flavorings to the pancakes, like garlic or horseradish, if desired. I think this will become a family favorite in your house, as it has in mine.

Natural Food Show In Anaheim, 2014, Part 1

Each year I look forward to March, as I know the Natural Food Expo is right around the corner. Phil would be there, and I would get to spend an hour or two visiting with him, before exploring the miles and miles, and rows and rows of wonderful (and some not so wonderful) food items. This year I asked Paula to join me, and she was especially interested, as she has several family members who eat a gluten free diet, and this would give her a chance to sample some of the products.

I look for trends in food as I walk up and down the aisles. This year, nothing new stood out. Yes, there were lots of new products, but they all seemed to be more of what is already out there. Yogurt as we all know, is a huge space in any supermarket. All the big yogurt companies were there, with both Fage and Chobani having very large, impressive booths. I was super impressed with Chobani. Their chef had created recipes using Chobani yogurt and a variety of toppings that we so interesting and unusual that I couldn't wait to get home and try them. Here are just a few of the recipes I got to sample:

Toasted Coconut and Pineapple Chobani

1/2 cup plain Chobani

1 T pineapple

1 1/2toasted coconut

1 1/2 T. light agave nectar

1 tsp chopped hazelnuts

Put yogurt in a bowl, then put the toppings on top. Do not mix.

Fig and Walnut Chobani

1/2 cup plain Chobani

1 T. dried figs, chopped

1 1/2 T. clover honey

1 T. chopped walnuts

Pistachio and chocolate Chobani

1/2 cup plain Chobani

1 T. chopped pistachios

1 1/2 T. dark chocolate, cut in small pieces

2 T clover honey

1 tsp fresh mint

Several other recipes for Chobani were available for sample. I was also given a refrigerator magnet that lists cooking substitutions using yogurt. For example, substitute 1 cup of oil with 3/4 cup yogurt. Overall, yogurt was everywhere in the show in some form, either plain or in frozen desserts.

Another item that has continued to grow is nut butters. Justins is my favorite peanut butter, and they continue to expand their product list. They now make chocolate peanut butter and several candy bars, my favorite being peanut butter cups, similar to Reese's. Nuttzo was also showing its line of nut butters, which include the original, with is peanuts, nuts and seeds, in both smooth and crunchy. They also have a chocolate nut butter which is 70% dark chocolate from Peru. Both of the above mentioned nut butters are delicious, but expensive. They have no added oil or chemicals.

Birch Benders was a name I was not familiar with, but will try it when and if I see it. It's a gluten free pancake mix. I tried the ginger spice which was absolutely delicious. They also have plain and blueberry. For those who are gluten free, this is a winner.

Kelp has been popular for several years now, and there are new players in the snack division, which offers dried, flavored seaweed. A company new to me is Gold Mine, which makes kelp noodles. They were sampling them as a cold Asian salad, and they were delicious.

I noticed lots of new, gluten free flour products. They'll turn almost anything into flour now. I saw flax flour and quinoa flour, in addition to rice flour.

My favorite drink was Bruce Cost's ginger ale. I have tried it before, and am always amazed how delicious it is, and how different it is than what we're used to. The Bruce Cost ginger ale has lots of bits of ginger that you can see in the bottom of the drink. It has a real zing to it. This year they also have a jasmine tea drink and a pomegranate drink. All the drinks are carbonated and loaded with flavor.

This concludes my first blog on the natural food expo. I'll be back next week with some more interesting items from the show that you may be interested in seeking out.

Back To School

When my friend Judy called me in July and asked if I would like to come to a luncheon in August and learn about the Brandeis National Committee San Dieguito chapter, I said yes right away. Since I've been in North County I've been involved in Newcomers, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm still very involved in Newcomers, but I decided I wanted to branch out and get involved in a few things that were mentally stimulating. The luncheon told me all I needed to know. Brandeis was for me. I met a great group of people, and the variety of study groups offered each year is amazing. The hardest part was deciding which study groups to sign up for. Each study group meets once a month, for about 2 hours. I decided to try Deis Flicks (movies with a Jewish theme) and Turning Points in Modern History. So far, I have found the study groups interesting and stimulating. The last one I went to was on turning points in modern history. We learned that in 1893, New Zealand women, the first in the world, were given the right to vote. This was one of the turning points in modern history. Why it happened first in New Zealand is unknown, because women were organized in America and Europe, trying to get the right to vote many years before New Zealand women became voters. Few enlightened men in early American history championed women's rights. Abigail Adams warned her husband John Adams to remember the rights of women or there would be dire consequences. There were enlightenment salons in France, and the leader of the women's movement there was Olympia de Gouges. She was eventually sent to the guillotine for her actions. In America, an 1848 convention in Seneca Falls revealed that women desired the right to vote, but it would take another 75 years for women to gain that right. In 1890 Wyoming (the equality state) entered the union with equality for women. Frontier states led the way in women's rights, perhaps because frontier women were seen as vital to their survival. New Zealand women got the vote in 1893, followed in the next 13 years by Australia, Finland and Norway. Interestingly French women did not get the right to vote until 1944, Switzerland 1971, and Kuwait 1995. There are still many Arab nations where women are denied the right to vote. All in all, the Brandeis group is inspiring and thought provoking, just what I was looking for. It's a nice balance to my more physical activites, like boogie boarding, walking, exercising, and going on outings (most including lunch) with my friends. I'm glad I added Brandeis to my list of activities.

Always Be Learning

I was watching an interview with Mark Cuban last week that I found most interesting. He is the self made billionaire and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, among other things. His motto is "Always be learning," and it's exactly what my motto has been for years, "Learn something new everyday." If you think your education ended after high school or college, well, you have been left behind. Change is taking place so rapidly, that unless you read, listen and learn, you will be left in the dust. I was starting to feel that way a few years ago when everyone had a smart phone and I was still using an old fashion flip phone. I finally got the I Phone, and now the I Pad, and realize that if I hadn't made the change I would be left behind. Keeping up with technology is difficult. As soon as you learn one thing, something new comes along that is better, so you have to learn that.

Anyone who says they're "too old" to learn all this new technology is simply wrong. Not only can you learn it, but it's good for your brain. A course in neuroscience will make it clear how important it is to keep your brain active.

March 2 was the 110th birthday of Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. His influence on generations of children cannot be underestimated. His books are full of inspiring quotes. One I particularly like is "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

I often say to myself before I start my day, "What will I learn today?" Today I know I will learn plenty, as I am going to my book club to discuss the novel, "The Roundhouse." There will be much to talk about. Then I'm going to lunch with the Carpenteria girls (sans Debbie), Christie, Fran, Jan and myself, plus Darcee. We will have a great discussion about something, and I know I will learn something new. What did you learn today?

The Best And Worst In Supermarkets

Recently I read an article about the 12 worst supermarkets in America. The list was from Consumer Reports, who asked customers a variety of questions about the quality of the store, and ranked the stores based on these answers. The only stores on the list that can be found in Southern California are Ralphs and WalMart. The criteria were cleanliness, quality of fruits, vegetables and meat, friendliness and price. I was surprised to find both Ralphs and Wal Mart on the list. The new Walmart in Encinitas is super clean, quality seems to be good, and the prices are great. Ralphs seems to be consistent, as I've been shopping there regularly for 40 years. Prices are average (or a little above ), the store is clean, the food is good quality, and the service is friendly. When you're ranking a supermarket that has hundreds, even thousands of locations, it's important to know where the survey was done. If they concentrated on stores in just one area of the country, the results may not be representative of the whole chain.p>

Other stores in the top 12 for worst supermarket include A and P, Pic 'n Save, Jewel, Shoprite, and the very worst rated, Pathmark.

Next, I decided to see who were the top supermarkets in the country, based on the same criteria. At the top of the list was Wegmans. Other supermarkets that ranked high included Costco, Trader Joe's and Publix. Suprisingly Whole Foods didn't make the top 12 list. It seems that regional chains ranked better than the big supermarket chains.

Best and worst lists are always just someone's opinion. This survey was conducted from many customer interviews, and there can be huge differences between the Ralph's in Pacoima and the Ralph's in La Jolla. Walmart is always going to come out on top if your only consideration is price. Obviously, with supermarkets like Publix and Wegmans at the top of the list, most consumers are looking for more than price. I know I am.

My Personal Journal

It's that time of the month again, the first of the month, when I try to update you on my thoughts and feelings and memories about our journey since the government first entered our lives in a big way, about 12 years ago. This is a great month, with the celebration of our 44th anniversary on March 8, and the realization that on that same day, Ron has exactly 7 more months of supervised release. Yippee.

Our friend Richard had to drive to Bakersfield last week for a training seminar. He asked me how long the drive was, as after 80 trips to Taft, I knew exactly how long it took, which route to take, and what time to go. His questions also brought back a lot of memories of my drives there. I told him you had to be careful of ice on the road in winter, as the temperature in the grapevine can get down to freezing. There are even times when you need chains to get over the hill, but with the drought we've had this year, that is not the case. I remembered the Truck and Travel Stop at the bottom of the grapevine that I stopped at almost every week. There was a gas station, a Subway, another fast food restaurant that I can't remember, and a big store. I would stop for coffee and a snack sometimes, before driving the last 20 minutes to see Ron. The best thing I can say about Bakersfield is that Linda and Rod used to live there (they moved back to Washington after their son Corey was released) and that I got to visit them and overnight at their house several times while Ron was at Taft.

All this talk of Bakersfield and Taft brought up a lot of memories for Ron, too. He said he really hadn't thought much about the camp much in a very long time, but he did the night we talked to Richard. He remembered that personal hygiene was of utmost importance to the inmates at Taft, and they had their own way of making sure everyone was clean. Here's what they did. Washing one's hands after using the toilet was mandatory (prisoners set of rules)and here's what happened to those that didn't wash their hands. First, they were talked to. Next, someone poured a bucket or cup of water over them at mail call. This was done to embarrass them. Finally, if they still didn't wash their hands, they found a cup of urine poured on their bed. I guess after that they would get the message.

There was a local dog named Sprocket, a Jack Russell, that came into the prison often, and Ron just loved him. He would find Sprocket curled up on his bed sleeping, and it was a little reminder of home. Most of the inmates thought it was terrible that he allowed a dirty dog to lie on his bed. So many of the men there were clean freaks, but I think that was just because with so many men in close proximity they were worried about disease. I doubt if they were all so clean when they left Taft.

It's funny how one conversation can trigger so many memories. For myself, the conversation with Richard reminded me of the drive, the stops I made, the cold, the hot, the fruit pickers I saw along the way, the beautiful trees loaded with blossoms in March, and the long days. For Ron, the same conversation brought back memories of the camp he was in for 19 months, and some of the crazy rules. Seven months left to go.