We’re about three weeks away from my fiancé and future father-in-law arriving. I’ll take them around the New Orleans area to see fun things and eat good food. My fiancé and I will marry during this visit. I would have followed them back home, but my visa has been delayed. I’ll have to wait to follow my spouse home. But I’ve decided not to worry about that for now. This is the time for excited anticipation. I’ll compile a list of all the activities and places to hit so we can break them down into manageable chunks. In the meantime, I’m reading, writing, and poking around with creative projects. I’ve lost fifty pounds since the start of 2022 and am still enjoying toying with appealing healthy meals.
Speaking of food… it’s time for more differences between food in the UK and food in New Orleans. Contrary to popular belief, they DO have cookies in London. There is a difference between cookies and what the British call biscuits. Chocolate chip ones and the soft, chewy kind are cookies. Hard (usually thin) little shortbread things, sometimes with chocolate on one side, which are meant to be eaten with tea or coffee, are biscuits. They crunch when you bite them. Conundrum solved. What Americans call biscuits do not have a British analogue. While they would be inclined to call our biscuits scones, they are far from scones. Biscuits are buttery, savory. Scones are sweet. They are only similar cosmetically. Jam and clotted cream (the goop of the gods – think if cream cheese and whipped cream had a baby) go on scones. A spice blend all the grocery stores in London carry that drives me up the wall is “Cajun Seasoning” because it’s frigging Tex-Mex seasoning. It’s mostly cumin! Fantastic for making tacos. Not so much for getting a Cajun flavor. It’s all right though. I keep the spice cabinet well stocked with Tony Chachere’s. Fortunately for my affinity for seasoned food, London is a melting pot. There is so much more than typical English fare to enjoy. French, real Italian, Turkish, Polish, Japanese. The list goes on and on. The only cuisine they really lack is real/decent Mexican and Cajun, despite their claims of having both. Stratford now has a Popeye’s though, so they’re moving into that flavor realm. Hmm. Now I’m hungry.
Here are this week’s suggestions for fun and enriching activities:
- Relaxing Music: “Hummingbird” by George Winston. You can listen to it on YouTube or find his album Summer on Amazon or streaming.
- Soothing Sounds: “Hatchling Checkup at Maybell’s Menagerie” by Goodnight Moon.
- Puzzle: Countdown. You can find the game here. Try to make the longest word you can using the letters provided.
- Movie: The Last Unicorn (1982). You can find it on Amazon or on a streaming service.
- Creative Prompt (write, draw, paint, sculpt, photograph, or collage something based on this subject): solitude
- Mythology Lesson: Artemis. Read about her here, and do a little further research if the mood takes you!
- Short Reading: “The Juniper Tree.” You can read it here, or you can listen to it on YouTube.
Try one activity per day, and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a more vibrant daily round.
Magical Musings 