A to Z Challenge 2019: Z is for Zambrano, Carlos

In my house, we love baseball, big and small. For the major league kind, we follow the Chicago Cubs who finally won the World Series in 2016, after a 108-year drought of not winning it. This was the longest drought in sports history.

On a smaller scale, we discovered the Chicago Dogs last year. They are Rosemont's AA-baseball team. Rosemont is just a few minutes from here, and they have an awesome new stadium that holds about 7,000 people. Parking is easy because the garage is attached to the stadium and only costs a few dollars. I can also manage the stadium layout as it's not far to walk to get to everything.

Carlos Zambrano ties the two things together. He is a 37-year old pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs for 11 years. He last pitched in the major league in 2012. Last year, he pitched in Mexico, but now he is ready to make his return. He will function as a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs this season.

Here is a local newspaper article, if you're interested. https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-carlos-zambrano-comeback-attempt-20190418-story.html

A to Z Blogging Challenge: Y is for Yu Darvish

Like many others, I love the Chicago Cubs but Yu Darvish, not so much at first. He is a pitcher the Chicago Cubs acquired a couple of years ago for a whooooole lot of dollars. He sat out most of the 2018 season because of injury. The 2019 starts weren't good, but a couple of days ago he finally delivered and brought them a 9 - 1 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He  had a rough start, walking people and even hitting a batter. He got his act together and pitched a very good game. Yay!

A to Z Challenge 2019: X is for Xtreme Sports

What is an xtreme or extreme sport? Here is what Brittanica says: "Extreme sports, also known as action sports or alternative sports, sporting events or pursuits characterized by high speeds and high risk. The sports most commonly placed in this group are skateboarding, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, in-line roller-skating, street lugeing, and BMX and mountain biking."

The sports mentioned are okay, but I don't really follow them. However, I am thinking more of skeleton, luge and ski jumping. Those I like. If you don't know what they are, the first two of these sports take place on an icy track. They both involve a light toboggan, or, as we call it in our house: a glorified mechanics creeper.

Among the winter sports, I find those the most fascinating (other than ski jumping, which seems extreme as well). The difference is that luge goes feet-forward with the rider on his back while for skeleton the athletes throw themselves belly down, head-first down the icy tube-shaped track. If that isn't extreme enough, the athletes reach crazy speeds, going up to around 90 mph.

A to Z Challenge 2019: W is for Wanderlust

Wanderlust is a German word that has made it into the English language. If you type wander and lust into the Google translator, it comes out migratory lust. Well, I am German, so let me tell you that dictionaries often don't get it right, especially when it comes to compound words.

Wanderlust refers to a feeling that people get when they don't want to be where they are at the moment. However, it doesn't really imply traveling either. Many people travel, but then they come back home, wherever home might be. To me, wanderlust is more the word for people who might pause for a while before moving on. My translation is "a desire to meander."

I was born with wanderlust. I tried counting in how many places I have lived, but I forgot many of them. I would say about 30 (and I am 51 years old). My parents didn't stay still in one place either. When I moved into my own place at age 17, I had already changed address six times.

Strangely enough, where I live now is the one place I have stayed at the longest. Tom is the opposite of me. He has never lived anywhere but in a 25-mile radius of where he was born. He has taken me many times around the neighborhood in which he grew up, just a few minutes from here.

I love this sense of home, but I don't understand it. Actually, just about everything I have I don't own. I "own" only a few things, and they probably could fit into two suitcases. Everything usually ends up left behind. I think that a person with wanderlust doesn't attach to things the way other people do, or they were forced to give up things many times over.

While I have often wondered what it would feel like to have a normal sense of belonging, we are what we are. And yes, I still want to go to other places and see what is out there, but I am happy in the moment.

A to Z Challenge 2019: V is for (Greta) Van Fleet

Sometimes something good comes out of something not so good. That is what happened to me with Greta Van Fleet, a young rock band that burst on the scene in 2017. Alas, I only heard of and listened to them first a few months ago. I saw all these bad comments on Facebook about a band that "ripped off" Led Zeppelin.

The “critics” (and I use this word loosely) mostly complained that younger people shouldn’t duplicate what better, “greater” people have done. In this case, they begged the members of Greta Van Fleet to find their own style.

I do wonder why people make those statements. Interestingly enough, these seemed to come from men in my age group. Perhaps, when they look at Greta Van Fleet, they see themselves in their youths and miss the way they were? What makes people cut their hair and trade in what they liked to something they don't? When do you decide to put on the comfortable khakis or sweat pants?

All those comments did was make me curious, so we checked out free copies at the library of both of their CDs. From the first lyric on, yes, the singer reminded me of Robert Plant. The music is hard rock style, so I guess people could say the music is uninspired--as in, it's been done before. Ah, but there is more to it.

What are you supposed to do when your vocals sound like Robert Plant? Also, what does it mean to find your own style? The members are barely older than kids. They were born in 1996, 1998 and 1999. Young enough to be Tom’s grandchildren! They formed when the youngest was just 12 years old.

They dress in seventies-style clothing, and 3 out of 4 sport long hair. I am not sure what people are complaining about. While people can look any way they want, I dislike the style of today, so kudos on doing something else. Plus, if they did the music of today, then I am sure that people would complain that today's people have no taste. Hah!

The more I listen to their music though, the less it reminds me of Led Zeppelin. Also, they write their own songs. While you can't believe everything you read on the Internet, Robert Plant himself allegedly likes them. As it is, they have gazillions of followers, and they're touring worldwide, so they have masses of people who like what they do. Are we going to see them? Hell no, but we are waiting for a third album.

If you want to listen to them, they have a lot of stuff on YouTube, including one of my favorite songs, the Safari Song.

A to Z Challenge 2019: U is for Uriah Heep

Uriah Heep is my favorite band. I love it so much that I changed my name to incorporate a part of it. The band is also the reason Tom and I found each other. We connected on Facebook when he sent me a friend request. The only reason he did that was because of that name he knew me to be a Uriah Heep fan. They are among his top-five favorite bands. No, we had no intention of becoming a couple, it took years, but life is funny that way.

A few facts about Uriah Heep:

• They named themselves after a character in the David Copperfield (by Charles Dickens) novel.
• They were established in 1969.
• They have had over 20 members.
• They have released 25 studio albums.

If you are interested in some music clips:

Sunrise (1973 live)

Pilgrim (1973)

July Morning (2009 live) mine and Tom's favorite

Easy Livin' (2017)

A to Z Blogging Challenge 2019: T is for Tea

I have always loved tea, even as a child. I have been drinking it for as long as I can remember. I like black tea and herbal tea. I do not put any sweetener in herbal teas, but I drink hot, black tea with honey. I also like cold, black tea (it's called iced tea here), and I drink that without any sweetener. too.

Luckily, you can get unsweetened iced tea without any sugar at most restaurants. In Virginia, where I used to live before, you can't. They call it "sweet" tea, and it's totally over-the-top sweet. The unsweetened cold tea is my go-to beverage when eating out, but I don't make it at home.

In Germany, I used to drink black tea with all kinds of flavors. Back then, I added rock sugar to them. The one tea I have tried that I can't stomach at all is the smoky one. I thought it was called Earl Grey, but when I researched it, I read that Earl Grey is made with bergamot orange. So, I don't know. Green tea I find tasty, but I can't drink it because it gives me chest pains. No, it's not the caffeine, I can tolerate caffeine from other sources.

In regards to herbal teas, I drink nettle leaf and linden tea daily. I also make a daily ginger infusion and throw a peppermint tea bag in it. Chamomile is my favorite, but I don't drink it a lot. Why? Well, I already have three cups going, and there's only so much time in the day. Plus, drinking tea leads to bathroom visits.

What is your favorite tea?

A to Z Challenge 2019: S is for Sunflowers

I was wrangling with the idea of whether to use sunflowers or snowdrops for this post. Snowdrops are my favorite spring flower and sunflowers my favorite flower overall. Because the season for snowdrops has passed, I decided to go with sunflowers instead.

Since I've moved to the Chicago area, I've grown them every year. I especially like the non-yellow varieties, and I've even grown "black" ones (they're really a deep burgundy). I have grown miniature ones, but I love the mammoth size best. This year, I am participating in a sunflower/bee challenge. You can read about it (and join) at https://www.greatsunflower.org/.

However, my love for sunflowers started in childhood over 40 years ago. It sparked a creative piece I wrote a while back, and it eventually was published in an Australian literary journal called Meniscus.

Writing it was one of the most emotionally tolling experiences because I don't like to visit my childhood, and the long process to get it published wasn't much easier. Alas, the editor of the paper saw something in that piece, and it remains my only creative work for which I received more than a token payment.

(It's called "The Garden" and is on the last page--how appropriate): https://www.meniscus.org.au/Vol3_Iss2.pdf

A to Z Challenge 2019: R is for Rainbow

Rainbows are one of nature's amazing feats, at least in my opinion. They do seem hard to capture, especially when you only have a cellphone camera. This one is one of my favorite pictures, and yes, I took it with a cellphone camera. If you look closely, you can see that it is a double rainbow.

A to Z Challenge 2019: Q is for Quark

In this case, I am not talking about subatomic particles, I am talking about a German cheese. It's pronounced "kwaarck." It's made from curdled, soured milk to which lactic acid bacteria is added.

If you make it at home, combine a bit of buttermilk with heated milk, let it sit overnight at room temperature, and strain it for a day in the refrigerator. It sounds disgusting, but it looks and tastes like a mixture of sour cream, ricotta and yogurt. Thankfully, it does't have the lumps that ricotta has. I've only eaten the store-bought stuff.

In Germany, Quark is frequently combined with cream cheese to make cheese cake fillings. I used it myself in that manner. I also liked eating it on hearty rye bread with sugar on top. I have not had it since I left Germany, oh about 32 years ago. I am more sensitive to foods now, so perhaps that is a good thing!

A to Z Challenge 2019: P is For Postcards

I have always loved postcards. I did have a collection when I was a teenager, but I had to start over again about two years ago. In that time, I have amassed over one thousand of them. I don't have just one favorite, I have many favorites. To illustrate this post, it was difficult to choose one. I decided to showcase this postcard from Kazakhstan, for several reasons:

• It's from an uncommon country.
• It shows a sunset.
• It has an unusual size.

There are many ways to go about collecting postcards. I mainly obtain them through Postcrossing, a postcard exchange site. I am also a member of PostcardUnited, it's another postcard exchange site. Sometimes, I trade postcards with people on Facebook or the Postcrossing forum because the sites match you up with random people only. Other times, friends send me postcards from their vacations.

Now, you can just buy postcards online from any place. However, I prefer those that are stamped, written and sent from the point of origin. To me, it's as much about the journey as it is about the actual item. I do have postcards from each continent (including Antarctica). 

What is my rarest postcard? Well, that is difficult because ... what is rare? Is it a hard-to-get postcard (North Korea)? Is it from a place with few people (Vatican)? Is it from a remote place (Tristan da Cunha)? I don't know the answer, but I am especially fond of a card I received from Antarctica (South Pole station). I am also stoked about a card I got from the Faroe Islands.

So far, the strangest place I've sent a postcard to is Tromso in Norway. It's above the arctic circle. Strangely enough, its lowest temperature in the winter isn't that bad: It is 9 degrees Fahrenheit. In Chicago, so far we have had a low of -23 Fahrenheit, and in Michigan I experienced -31 Fahrenheit.

However, summers in Tromso aren't that warm, only in the 50s. Also, it does have some mind-blowing long winter nights and summer nights. In the winter, the sun stays gone for 1.6 months, and in the summer, the sun stays for 2.3 months. What on earth can you grow in that climate? Also, they have unending weeks of Aurora Borealis. 

If you're wondering, there are over 245 "countries." This includes territories and independent observer states. Google will tell you that there are only 197 countries right now. That's because places come and go. My number is based on Postcrossing, which lists 248 countries. The site uses ISO 3166 standard for compiling countries and territories.

As of the date of this post, I have postcards from the following countries and territories: (If you want to exchange one with me and you live in or visit a country I don't have yet, please let me know)!

1.   Algeria

2.   Antarctica

3.   Australia

4.   Austria

5.   Bahamas

6.   Belarus

7.   Belgium

8.   Brazil

9.   Canada

10.                   Chile

11.                   China

12.                   Croatia

13.                   Cyprus

14.                   Czechia

15.                   Denmark

16.                   Estonia

17.                   Faroe Islands

18.                   Finland

19.                   France

20.                   Germany

21.                   Great Britain (England)

22.                   Greece

23.                   Guernsey (Channel Islands)

24.                   Hong Kong

25.                   Hungary

26.                   India

27.                   Indonesia

28.                   Ireland

29.                   Israel

30.                   Italy

31.                   Japan

32.                   Kazakhstan

33.                   Latvia

34.                   Liechtenstein

35.                   Lithuania

36.                   Luxembourg

37.                   Macau

38.                   Malaysia

39.                   Mali

40.                   Moldova

41.                   Monaco

42.                   Morocco

43.                   Netherlands

44.                   New Zealand

45.                   Norway

46.                   Peru

47.                   Philippines

48.                   Poland

49.                   Portugal

50.                   Puerto Rico

51.                   Romania

52.                   Russia

53.                   Serbia

54.                   Singapore

55.                   Slovakia

56.                   Slovenia

57.                   South Africa

58.                   South Korea

59.                   Spain       

60.                   Sweden

61.                   Switzerland

62.                   Taiwan

63.                   Thailand

64.                   Turkey

65.                   Ukraine

66.                   United Arab Emirates

67.                   USA

68.                   Uzbekistan

69.                   Virgin Islands (U.S.)

A to Z Challenge 2019: N is for Nutella

Nutella is one food that I didn't have to give up when I moved from Germany to the United States. Okay, so I had to wait a few years because where I lived at first they didn't have it right away. I did find it in Canada, so whenever I had the chance, I would get some. By the 1990s, I could find Nutella in a few supermarkets. Now you can find it in many places in the USA.

If you don't know what Nutella is, it's a chocolate hazelnut spread. It does have a lot of sugar and it is a processed food, so I don't eat a lot of it. It takes me about 4 months to go through a jar, and I often have to throw out a partial jar because I am not sure how long it lasts.

My favorite way to eat it is on a piece of rye bread. I have had it on French toast, waffles, crepes. I have also had a Nutella milkshake. There's even a World Nutella Day on February 5. Have you ever had Nutella?

A to Z Challenge 2019: M is for Merry-Go-Round

When I was searching in my head for a topic for the letter "M," I didn't come up with merry-go-round right away. This actually came to mind when I was talking about something else. I am not really a fan of carnival rides, but merry-go-rounds have a special appeal. Magical, mystical, nostalgic, whatever you want to call it.

The last time I was on one was when my daughter was probably less than 10 years old. She is now going on 28, so ... She loves horses, so it was just natural for her to enjoy merry-go-rounds. We used to live in a small town in upper Michigan, and every year when the carnival came around she got to ride the merry-go-round, and so did I (with her). The first time she rode one was maybe when she was one year old. Of course that required assistance. 

Yes, I rode them as a kid too in Germany. Here is an interesting tidbit I found online: "In England and much of Europe, these rides usually go clockwise; in the U.S., it's the opposite." It's so long ago, I can't remember which way they went in Germany. Do you know if this statement is correct?

A to Z Challenge 2019: L is for Larimar

Larimar is an interesting gemstone. This blue pectolite can only be found in the Dominican Republic. The colors of this stone look just like the sky and waters on a tropical postcard. It's a soft gem that can fade in prolonged direct sunlight. I have not seen any faceted larimar gems. It's used like turquoise instead.

I don't have any of the beads, but I have one small pendant that I bought at the International Gem and Jewelry Show that comes to Rosemont twice a year. I normally don't spend more than a few dollars on beads and gems, but this was an exception. I can't remember the exact price, but it was around $25 to $30.

I do realize that it has a "flaw" on the one side, but we are all flawed in some way!

A to Z Challenge 2019: K is for The King

This is my story of how I met the King of NASCAR, Richard Petty. Yes, the King is his legitimate nickname. This picture was taken in 2003 or 2004. Back then, I went to a bunch of NASCAR events where you buy a wristband and stand in line to meet the driver for an autograph. It was easy then because I lived in Richmond, Virginia, hone of a a popular racetrack and not far from the hotbed of the sport.

As a whole, that day was brutal. About 98 degrees with a dew point in the 70s, and of course everything took place outdoors at a motor amusement park. I had no idea that I was meeting the King that day. I had a ticket to meet his son, Kyle Petty. Who? Exactly. For this driver, it was a fairly short line.

Well, while we were waiting, someone announced that Kyle was busy, and his father would be filling in. So, stand in line for a relative nobody and meet the greatest living NASCAR legend instead ... what a trade off!

To put it in perspective: The King has 200 wins, all earned in the top series of the sport (there are three levels). He also holds 7 championships, the same as the Intimidator, Dale Earnhardt. There is only one other driver who has even broken the 100-mark in the top series (David Pearson with 105). Kyle has 8 wins in 829 starts. (I actually met Kyle Petty a few months later at another event).

Richard Petty is 81 years old at the time of this post. He has looked the same for 40 years and always wears a long-sleeve shirt, tucked into jeans with a big belt, a distinctive hat and cowboy boots, regardless of heat or cold.

I always heard that Richard Petty loves his fans and that he takes time signing his autograph, clearly and legibly. When I met him, I found this to be true. He never seems hurried, and the short line moved very slowly because he took his time talking with everyone who approached him. My daughter took this picture, and she went through the line three times to speak with him. :-)

A to Z Challenge 2019: J is for Jewelry

Oh, but not just any kind. When I say jewelry, I mean handmade stuff with gem beads not the store-bought stuff with faceted gemstones. I love bigger pieces in vibrant colors. Many years ago I visited a new age store and saw a beautiful necklace there that spoke to me. It was made with moonstones and had a mother-of-pearl pendant. Not vibrant, I know, but I loved it. However, it was out of my price range.

Weeks passed, and one day I saw it marked down 50 percent off. After some deliberation, I bought it and still have it. Anyway, I examined it closely and wondered if I could forego the store expense and make jewelry for myself cheaper. This piece didn't have any wire work, it was just beads put together on a string with a toggle clasp at the end. That seemed to be the most difficult part: how to attach the clasp and make the end of the cords disappear.

I did figure out how to do that and have been making jewelry ever since. I did have an online store at one time but wasn't too successful. So I just make the jewelry for myself. I have made a few bracelets but I mostly make necklaces. Whenever I leave the house, I wear one. Even in the winter, under my scarf.

I think I have every color covered too. I really do love my handmade jewelry. Yes, the picture above shows my collection. I try to use beads made from natural materials. There are some exceptions like glass but most of the stuff is "real." I am going to share a little secret with you how to tell if a stone is real, not man-made: hold it against your cheek. If it feels cold, even at the height of summer, it's real. One exception is amber, it feels room temperature.

Here is a list of some of the materials I have used:

Amethyst
Agate
Angelite
Azurite
Apatite
Aventurine
Aquamarine
Amazonite

Bloodstone
Blue Quartz

Carnelian
Calcite
Chalcedony
Chrome Diopside
Chrysoprase
Citrine
Coral

Dumortierite

Emerald

Freshwater Pearl
Fluorite

Garnet

Herkimer Diamond
Hematite
Howlite

Jasper
Jade

Labradorite
Lapis Lazuli
Larimar
Larvikite
Lemon Quartz
Lepidolite
Lodolite

Mandarin Spessartite
Malachite
Magnesite
Mother-of-Pearl
Mookaite

Obsidian
Onyx

Peridot
Prehnite

Rhodocrite
Rhodosocrite
Rhodonite
Rock Crystal
Rose Quartz

Sunstone
Sodalite
Sugilite

Tiger Eye
Topaz
Turquoise

Variscite
Vitelline

This seems like a lot but isn't. There's more, but I can't remember everything I have used. It's not really expensive. When you buy gemstone jewelry in stores, you're paying for the labor that went into cutting and faceting the stones. Beads are only a few dollars and you can get them easily online. I've even been to a gem show numerous times.

My favorite gemstone is probably amethyst. Do you have a favorite gemstone?

A to Z Challenge 2019: I is for Ice Cream

Is there anyone who doesn't love ice cream? (If you're lactose-intolerant, you can get the kind not made with cow's milk). My favorite is Rum Raisin by Haagen Dazs. Yes, I know that's just a made-up name to sound foreign. I rarely have it though because it's expensive and not easy to find.

I also like the Blue Bunny ice cream, but more so for its adorable mascot. Again, not easy to find. I also love lemon ice cream, but the last time I had that was in Canada in the 1980s. I did have lemon sorbet at a local place here, and that was good too.

In the summer, I often make my own milkshakes. I use chocolate ice cream with coffee, or plain vanilla ice cream to which I add fresh fruit. In the month of June, I add home grown strawberries. The rest of the year, I add bananas.

So, that's nowadays. Now, please allow me to take you on a journey way into the past. The first time I remember having ice cream was in the mid to late 1970s in a small village in Germany. Ironically, it was a bar that sold it. The ice cream was homemade with sheep milk. The bar was across from the house in which I lived, and the sheep were kept behind the bar. I am not sure if they had any flavors, I just remember eating the cream-colored kind, which I assume was vanilla.

Germany also has these unique ice cream parlours where you can just eat ice cream creations. I don't want to call them sundaes because they aren't like American sundaes. Nor are the shops like Dairy Queens. No, these are little cafe-like places with cozy tables and cute decor.

One famous German ice cream dish is called Spaghetti Eis. That translates to spaghetti ice. It's vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce and topped with nuts, white chocolate shavings or coconut flakes. There are many varieties of it, and there are a ton of other dishes.

There are many ice cream flavors, dozens of them. The flavors come from fruit extracts, and the emulsifier is usually guar gum or Carob tree flour. Many ice cream dishes also have sauces made with alcohol. Toppings consist of nuts, fruits and all kinds of wafers.

The ingredients are natural, and the ice cream is softer than American kind. It's not soft-serve, it just has a creamier texture. That's why I now let ice cream melt before I eat it.

And yes, American ice cream does taste a bit funny to me, still after all these years. Perhaps it's the way it's "processed?" That's why I am picky about it.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

A to Z Challenge 2019: H is for Hello Kitty

People either love or hate Hello Kitty. I am among the former. I am not one to jump on bandwagons nor do I tend to like stuff that is popular. This is one exception. Also, I don't usually buy any Hello Kitty stuff. I do collect the postcards, but I only wait to see if I get some as part of Postcrossing which is random. I don't buy any of those either.

Well, I did buy two small, inexpensive items when the Hello Kitty truck came to Skokie. I had no idea that Hello Kitty had a truck. Actually, they have two that travel the country. They're just like food trucks, but their merchandise consists of a variety of food and other items. Who knew! And now you know too.

A to Z Challenge 2019: G is for Gnomes

I love gnomes. I think they're awesome. While gnomes were invented in Germany, I never had any when I lived there. We now have over a dozen garden gnomes outside in the garden and on our steps. We try to get one or two each year, and we look for "working" gnomes - those who have some kind of garden tool. We're not really fans of the "lazy" gnomes. Also, no gnomes with laptops etc. However, we do have sports gnomes.

I have a few mini gnomes indoors. They guard my succulent planter. I also collect gnome postcards. Again, I don't buy them, I wait for people to send them. They are actually difficult to come by. The gnomes above are on a postcard from Germany.

Do you have any gnomes?

A to Z Challenge 2019: F is for Fridays

Friday is my favorite day of the week. I am sure most people love Friday too because it's the end of the workweek for most. For me, work is every day because I write. For Tom, Friday is usually the end of the workweek, unless he works on a Saturday. Fridays is usually payday for him.

Those aren't the only reasons I like Fridays. We usually go out to eat on Friday nights, and there's usually some kind of sporting event. Friday is also when the NASCAR weekend starts. What day is your favorite day of the week?