Vacation From Blogging

This has been a difficult time for all of us, and I have found it difficult to sit down and write meaningful blogs.  My heart just isn't in it right now, so I am taking a vacation.  I have many other issues going on in my life right now other than Covid-19 that require my complete attention, and I am simply not motivated to sit down and write now.

Both Ron and I are dealing with health issues, and during this time that is difficult.  Teleconferencing does not replace an in person office visit in most cases.  It's very hard to get appointments with doctors right now.

I intend to renew blogging in a few months, when I have more time to write.  I have been blogging for 10 years, and for the most part, have loved it.  Yes, there are times when I haven't felt motivated, but for the most part, I have enjoyed sharing part of my life with you, and bringing you some interesting information on topics you might not have known about.

Stay safe, and I hope to pick this up in the near future.

Del Mar Lemon Cake

It's funny how things get their names.  This recipe for delicious, moist lemon cake came from an old friend Pat Thomas.  She lived just a block from our house in Del Mar, and became famous for her lemon cake.  If you came to her house for dessert, she would serve you the lemon cake, and if you came to her home for bookclub, which we did many times, she would always have the lemon cake.  Thus, it's become known as Del Mar Lemon Cake.  It's great for those times when you're having unexpected guests over, as it only takes about 5 minutes to get it in the oven.  I hope you enjoy it.



                                                     Del Mar Lemon Cake

1-3oz package of lemon jello
1 package yellow cake mix with pudding.  If you can't find a cake mix with pudding in it, just a small package of lemon pudding to the mix.
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
2/3 cup canola oil

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and bake for 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.  I used a 9x13 pyrex pan, but you could also use a bundt pan.  The pyrex is easy, as you can cut it into squares for serving, and it freezes well.

While the cake is baking, mix the juice of two lemons and the zest of two lemons with about 2 cups of powdered sugar.  I added a little extra lemon juice from a bottle.

When the cake is done, remove from the oven, take a long fork and poke holes in the entire cake.  Then, pour the lemon juice mixture over the entire cake.  The holes allow the lemon juice to soak into the cake, and the result is a nice, lemony dessert.  When completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.  Enjoy.

Thank you Marilyn for giving me this recipe and reminding me of where it comes from.

To Watch or Listen

Over the past decade, content on TV has increased dramatically.  Netflix, Vudo, Hulu, Sling, Prime Video, Showtime, and HBO are just some of the outlets for new movies, documentaries, and series.  You could watch interesting programs all day, but if you're like me, a little goes a long way.

Listening to interesting programming has also become voluminous, mostly in the form of podcasts, that haven't gotten nearly as much attention.  As popular as listening to the radio was back in the 1930's and 1940's, it took a back seat to TV when it came on the scene. 

I have recently rediscovered the joy or listening rather than watching.  I've listened to music on Pandora for several years, but it wasn't until I added Spotify to my phone, that I really started to listen.  First, if you're a music lover, you can make your own playlists in a matter of minutes.  You can drive from here to Los Angeles and back without ever turning on your car radio.  Spotify will play your playlist for you.  I love it. 

The best feature, however, is the number of enlightening Podcasts that availble, most of them free.  You pick the subject, there's a podcast for that.  If you have particular journalists or writers that you love, they just might have a podcast.  Some of my favorites are Revisionist History, by Malcolm Gladwell.  If you've read any of his books, you know what an interesting mind he has, and his topics are varied and fascinating.  I also enjoy Epidemic, a new podcast by Ron Klain and Dr. Celine Gouder, which gives lots of information not discussed in local news.  I love The New Abnormal by Rick Wilson, former Republican strategist.  The Daily, which is articles from The New York Times Sunday Magazine is also interesting.  The Weeds, by Ezra Klein, another brilliant thinker, is also great.  There are podcasts on sports, recreation, exercise, nutrition and any topic under the planet you can think of.  I was just browsing the other day and discovered that they have a storytime podcast for children.  10-15 minute short stories read to children.  My grandson Calvin loves it!

I use the free version of Spotify which after your one month's free trial will contain ads.  There is a premium version you can subscribe to that does not have advertising, if you want that.  Just thought I'd send you this information, as I have enjoyed it so much.  It is so relaxing to just sit or lay in bed, listening.

Remembering Phyllis George

Born in Denton, Texas is 1949, a small town girl from a close knit family, Phyllis George lived a life most little girls only dream about.  She was 1971 Miss America, which catipulted her to national fame.  She was soon on the board of directors of many high profile companies.

Phyllis George will be remembered most as a pioneering sportscaster, paving the way for the hundreds of female sportscasters that have followed.  She was the first woman to anchor NFL football, over the objections of many men in and out of the industry.  Sports was seen as a "mans" job, but she worked hard and became an excellent sportscaster.  Her sparkling smile and good looks endeared her to the audience.  She covered premier sporting events like the Preakness, Belmont, SuperBowl and Rose Bow.  For a short time she hosted Candid Camera.

In 1977 she met and married John Brown, who soon became governor of Kentucky, with Phyllis' help.  She was first lady of Kentucky for four years, founding an arts and Craft museum in Kentucky.

He was a ball of boundless energy, thus nicknamed Hurricane Phyl by her children, Pamela and Lincoln.

She had a wonderful attitude toward life, lived it to the fullest, and had no regrets.  She often said that life is what you make of it, and she made the most of her 70  years.  She will be missed.

Mitch Albom: More Than a Sportswriter

If you ask anyone interested in sports who Mitch Albom is, they will tell you he is a famous sportswriter and radio personality.  He has written about sports for ESPN and national magazines for most of his career, and he continues to have a radio show in Detroit.  But wait, there is so much more to the man.  He is a writer of novels and memoirs, teacher and philanthropist.

When I first read Tuesdays with Morrie many years ago, I had never heard of Mitch Albom.  He wrote Tuesdays with Morrie after spending several years, every Tuesday, with his mentor and teacher from Syracuse University, Morrie Schwartz, who was dying from ALS.  It is a heartwrenching book.  It has sold more copies than any other memoir in history, or so I've been told.

I thought about Mitch Albom as I was reading his newest book, Chika.  It's the story of his relationship with a little girl he met in a Haitian orphanage after the earthquake in 2010.  He brought the child to Detroit, as she could not be treated for her brain tumor in Haiti.  I was so touched by his relationship with Chika and ultimately his charitable work in Haiti, that I had to blog about it.  He took over running Have Faith Haiti, an orphanage that had been in existence for many years, but fell on hard times after the 2010 earthquake.  He goes to Haiti once a month to visit the children.  In addition to the charity in Haiti, he is on the board and involved in several other charities.  He is a sports journalist, a writer, and above all, a philanthropist, one I admire for his great skill as a writer, and his huge heart.

Britain's Darkest Hour

May, 1940, is considered Britain's darkest hour.  I will tell you what happened May, but first a little background.  From 1933-1939 Britain had a policy of appeasement toward dictators and aggressors, specifically Hitler.  Neville Chamberlain began the policy, sometimes called the locust years.  The period from 1933-1939 were Churchill's years of wilderness.  He was out of politics, but maintained popularity due to his heroics when he was a young man.  At this time, Britain was completely unprepared for war, and were disorganized when Norway was invaded in April, 1940. 

Nazis easily conquered Norway.  Finally, the British parliament recognized the incompetence of Chamberlain.  He was still able to survive a vote of no confidence, but many in parliament did not want him as prime minister anymore, and he resigned.  On May 10, 1940, it was necessary to appoint a new prime minister.  It was between Halifax and Churchill.  Churchill had been out of government from 1929-1939.  Halifax was offered the position, but didn't want it, so, at age 65, Churchill became the new prime minister.

The Blitzkrieg began as Churchill took power and the Allies weren't ready.  (Germany invaded France and the low countries.)  On May 26, the battle of Dunkirk took place, the worst day in British history.  On May 27-28, a conflict took place between Halifax and Churchill.  Prior to this they had been working together since Churchill's appoint as prime minister.  On this day Churchill made a speech to the outer cabinet.  Britain would fight to end, and never surrender.  I thought this was just a bit of history, the run up to Churchill's appointment, that might interest you.

Brussels Bistro San Clemente

I love French food, so for our February lunch bunch, also my birthday celebration, our group went to San Clemente  for lunch at Brussels Bistro.  They also have a Laguna location, but we opted for San Clemente, so much closer.  We were not disappointed.

It's a small restaurant, right across the street from one of my favorite restaurants, Nicks.  There are lots of seats at the bar area, numerous high top tables, and some regular tables inside and more on the patio.  We were there for lunch on a Tuesday, so it was not very crowded.  I had looked at the menu ahead of time, and knew exactly what I was getting.  I ordered the lunch special, moules et frites (mussels and fries) a very Belgian and French meal.  I was offered a variety of broths with my fries.  I got the creamy garlic, which was delicious.  Fries were served in a cone shaped paper, with a side of catsup and home made mayonnaise.  For $15 you can't beat it, and the nice glass of wine went beautifully with the mussels.

Others at our table ordered the beef bourginone, served with noodles.  They raved.  Salads and sandwiches were also ordered, and everything was delicious. One of my favorite items which was ordered by several of us was mushroom soup topped with puffed pastry.  I always said Crystal Cruises had the best mushroom soup ever, but this was equally good.  Cream of asparagus was also served at our table, and it was a winner too. The menu also consists of typical Belgian items like escargots and beef tartare.

We finished off the meal with a birthday order of chocolate mousse.  It was fantastic, with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top.  The best part was that instead of a candle, they had a huge sparkler that burned for about a minute.  I loved it.  Everyone else did too, so much so that we had the waiter give us the name of the company that sold the sparklers so we could go home and order some.  It was so much better than a candle.

Prices at Brussels Bistro are moderate for lunch a dinner.  Of course it's a great place to dine, as you can combine a little shopping and make it a great outing.  I want to go back soon for dinner.  Thanks to our lunch bunch for making it such a special birthday lunch.

Life of a Navy Surgeon in 1800

What do you do to keep busy these days?  One of my favorite things to do is listen to Road Scholar virtual lectures, which are available live, twice a week.  Some of the topics are very interesting to me, others not so much, but I listen to them all (only 30-40 minutes) and often a topic I thought would be uninteresting turns out to be fascinating.  That's what happened when I listened to a recent lecture on Naval Medical Service in the 1800's.

Navy doctors ended up on a navy ship for a variety of reasons, usually not because they had a calling for the profession.  The men who became navy doctors we often social misfits who had trouble dealing with people, some were alcoholics, some had bad home lives, etc.  In short, most navy doctors were in some way dysfunctional.  They usually had some medical training, then ended up doing a long apprenticeship.  They were not held in high regard, although they should have been, with what they had to deal with.

Typically they treated typhoid, thyphis, scurvy, malaria, yellow fever, hepatitis, smallpox, syphillis, alcoholism and all kinds surgeries for tumors, broken bones, etc.  They did it all.  Scurvy was very common at this time.  It was James Lind, a naval surgeon, who discovered that lemon juice would cure scurvy.  Often naval ships did not have lemons, and used limes instead.  This is how British sailors came to be called "Limies."

Lord Nelson (1785-1805) was a British Naval hero of the time, who survived almost every possible disease, only to be shot and killed at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.  He died, but the English won the battle.  His medical problems included seasickness, malaria, yellow fever, scurvy, a sword cut to the back, a blast injury which left him with only one eye, and right arm amputation from a battle.  Remember, this was a time BEFORE anesthesia or pain medication.  He was one tough man!!

The lecturer who taught me all this said that the great advancements made to naval medicine at the time was hygiene.  The surgeons were mostly not recognized for their skill and importance in keeping men safe and healthy.  What a time to be a doctor!!

Chipping Away At Democracy

Every day when I listen to what's going on in the White House, I feel that our freedoms are being chipped away, one by one.  Slowly, so that most people don't realize what's happening.  It's happening throughout the world, and this will change us forever.  Here are some examples of how democracy is being hurt by democratic countries around the world.  Most of these laws refer to how activism and protest are being restricted.

These are just a few examples of legislation passed by elected lawmakers that are infringing upon the freedom of independent non-governmental organizations.

COUNTRY	LAW	YEAR ENACTED	TYPE OF LAW
Australia	Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Law	2018	Imposes reporting and financial obligations on all NGOs working with foreign principals in Australia
Austria	Amendment to the 1912 Law on Islam	2015	Restricts access to foreign funding for mosques, imams and Muslim organizations in Austria
Hungary	Transparency Act & Immigration Law Amendments	2018	Imposes criminal liability if NGO staff are found supporting ineligible asylum seekers; requires separate registration and labeling for NGOs receiving more than approx. $26,000 per year; imposes a special 25% tax on groups deemed to support immigration
India	The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act	2010	Requires that all NGOs that accept foreign contributions register with the government, use designated banks and maintain separate accounts for the receipt and disbursement of funds. Such requests can be denied if the government decides that an NGO's work is not in the national interest
Israel	Transparency Law	2016	Requires all NGOs operating in Israel that get more than half of their funding from abroad to declare their reliance on foreign funding in all dealings with officials and in all publications
Poland	The Law on the National Institute of Freedom	2017	Consolidates all power over NGO funding, whether foreign or domestic, into the hands of new government board that decides which NGOs will and will not receive public funds

In the U.S. there are numerous laws that are restricting protesters and activitists.  "Ag-gag laws" are measures designed to silence whistleblowers who reveal animal abuses on industrial farms.  These laws exist in 7 states.  In 35, over 90 bills have been considered to restrict protest activities.  Penalities for protesters who wear hooded jackets or try to disguise themselves is just one of the laws being considered.  Keep your eyes and ears open to new legislation and changes in current law.  We have to be aware.

Useless Information

My friend Judy sent me an e-mail with lots of useless statistics, like the ones listed below.  I just it would be fun to read something light and frivolous for a change.  Here are a few things you have no need to know, but may find interesting.

It is impossible to lick your elbow

The first book written on a typewriter was Tom Sawyer

At any one time, there are over 61,000 people flying (not now)

Alaska is the state where the most people walk to work

Africa is 28% wilderness

North America is 38% wilderness

The cost of raising and caring for a medium size dog for ll years is $16,400

The following were all invented by women:  bullet proof vests, firescapes, windshield wipers, laser printer.

Just thought you'd like to know.

Who Were The Ghost Girls?

Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie, and was considered to be a wonder drug, used in spas and clinics to cure everything from cancer to constipation.  It was originally only thought to be harmful to humans in large doses, so people working with radium in the early years wore heavy aprons to protect themselves. 

At the height of WW1, radium was used in makeup, jewelry and paints.  It was used to handpaint the faces of watches that glowed in the dark.  These were very popular at the time, and many watches were sent to soldiers during the war.  The factories that made the watches in Orange, New Jersey, were THE place for young girls to work.  They made great money and had a busy social life. 

In order to paint the watches, the girls were taught to dip the brush in the paint (mixed with radium), then put it in their mouth to make a very fine point on the brush, then paint.  The girls thought this was great, because they went home glowing, literally.  They were nicknamed the Ghost Girls because they glowed in the dark.  Some girls even painted radium paint on their teeth and faces for dates!

In 1922 Mollie Maggia began to develop tooth problems.  Her decline was quick and painful, losing all her teeth, her jaw, and developing absesses in her mouth.  She wasn't the only one.  Several other girls developed similar symptoms.  They all died.  The coroner could not figure out what was wrong with Mollie, so they listed her death as syphillis. 

It wasn't until lawsuits were brought against the parent company USRC, that things began to change.  After many tries, one woman won her lawsuit in 1932.  Victory led to more stringent safety standars for dial painters and well as later workers on the atomic bomb.  Although radium had been suspected of causing these horrific symptoms for some time, it took multiple lawsuits and over a decade, to finally change things.  It was too late for the Ghost Girls, but in 1927 the body of Mollie Maggia was exhumed, and it was determined that she did in fact die from radium poisoning.  Five years after her death, her body still glowed with a soft luminescence.

By the way, Marie Curie herself died of radium poisoning, and her notebooks are still too radioactive to handle!

Easiest Smoked Trout Dip Ever

I was having a party for my friend's birthday, and I wanted to serve an appetizer before lunch.  One of my favorite dips is a smoked trout dip that is served at Coastal Kitchen in Dana Point.  It goes well with raw veggies or crackers.  I made my own version of it, and it was delicious.  It's so easy you'll serve it again and again.

                                                    Smoked Trout Dip

1 can Trader Joe's smoked trout.  It comes in oil, so drain the oil and remove skin, if necessary
1/2 cube of Philadelphia cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp bottled horse radish, or to taste.  Tabasco sauce could be used in place of horse radish.


In a blender blend all ingredients until smoothe and combined.  Store in a plastic container until ready to use.  I usually make it the day before to allow flavors to meld.  You could also use smoked salmon or any other smoked fish in this recipe.  In fact, if you don't have smoked fish, use a plain fish, like bass or cod, add a little liquid smoke, and you'll have a very similar result.  Enjoy.

Beshock Ramen and Sake Bar: Carlsbad

A few weeks ago Yelp listed some new hot restaurants in North County, so one by one, I am trying them.  I went to Beshock Ramen and Sake Bar in the Shoppes at Carlsbad Mall one day while I was runnning errands.  I was alone, so I sat at the bar.  I love sitting at the bar.  I talked to a young man who was a regular there for lunch, so he helped me order.

I had the lunch special for $13.95.  I was a bao bun that was split, and filled with delicious pork chashu, lettuce, tomato, red onions and garlic chips with eel mustard sauce.  So tasty.  Next, I had a big bowl of Umani Ramen.  The broth was so rich and intense I couldn't stop eating it.  The noodles were done to perfection, and plentiful.  The pork chashu was fantastic.  Other ingredients in the soup were green onions, bamboo shoots and half an egg.  They have several other ramen soups available, including chicken and vegetable.  Other items on the menu include seaweek salad, yellowtail carpaccio, brussels sprouts, fried calamari, crispy shrimp roll and much, much more.  The food is fresh and delicious, the service is fast and friendly, the restaurant is small but comfortable and nice and clean.  It's a great place for a quick lunch while out shopping, or lunch with friends.  I can't wait to find a friend who likes ramen as much as me and wants to have lunch there with me.