Going Bananas!

I've gotten forwarded mail and seen in certain publications that really ripe bananas with brown spots are supposed to be better for you because it has cancer fighting properties. There's TONS of information out there about bananas that you don't know what to believe but this one on One Green Planet sounded good.

In a nutshell, it said UNRIPE bananas are good for you because it has high resistant starch content (less carbs) for Type 2 diabetics. Unripe bananas also have pro-biotic bacteria for good colon health. It's also supposed to help you absorb calcium. On the not so good side, it can cause gas because of its higher resistant starch content.

On the other hand, because the resistant starch in RIPE bananas turn to simple sugars (higher glycemic index) as it ripens it's also easier to digest. Ripe bananas also have higher levels of antioxidants called TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) which fight cancer cells. The more brown spots it has, the more antioxidant properties. There is some nutrient loss as it ripens so they advise putting really ripe bananas in the refrigerator.

We never liked to put bananas in the refrigerator in the past, but I've done it and it really doesn't affect the flavor at all.

And then there's how to peel a banana. They say the correct way to peel it is from the side opposite the stem. I tend to peel it from the stem which is actually wrong. If you peel it from the opposite side (after pinching it first to get a hold of the peel) you won't have as much problem with the stringy fiber that sticks to the banana. It's hard to break a habit but I'll have to make an effort tomorrow. I'm also going for the greener one.

Bananas also have high potassium content which is good for us.

OK... I guess that's it, unless I get another forwarded mail about bananas.
 

Milk By Any Other Name?

There was a funny article published by Brendan Farrington of the Associated Press. Apparently a small dairy farm in Tallahassee, Florida had won a ruling by the federal appeals court to call their skim milk "skim milk."

Apparently the state said that they had to call it "imitation milk" because Vitamin A within the fat was removed and not being artificially replaced. The milk itself is completely natural from real cows. The dairy just didn't want to add ingredients to their natural product. Because of this, the dairy dumped thousands of gallons of skim milk down the drain instead of labeling it "imitation."

According to the article, the dictionary says skim milk is simply milk with the cream removed. But the Department of Agriculture said that under the state and federal law, skim milk couldn't be sold unless vitamins in the milk fat are replaced so it has the same nutritional value as whole milk.

The appeals court felt that instead of forbidding the sale and insisting they call it "imitation milk" which it isn't they should have just allowed the dairy to disclose that it lacked those nutrients found in whole milk.

Sigh... It all sounds pretty silly. Ah well... it's already spilled milk, I'm afraid.

Weird Incident

There was a weird incident that occurred when we went to Zippy's after a blood test. Yes, we always feel like we should reward ourselves after we do a fasting blood test.

It was early morning so there were only about eight booths that were occupied with locals who were probably making use of their senior discount card just like we were. We love the restaurant because we're familiar with almost all the serving staff and the prices are reasonable.

Everyone was chatting among themselves quietly.

Suddenly we heard a crash.

We all turned to see what the commotion was. A young man wearing a backpack and not looking like a local person had slammed down his empty glass of orange juice that he'd consumed. He then stood up abruptly, walked past us and pushed down a tea cup that had been set up for the next diner (at the sushi bar) as he rushed out of the restaurant.

When the wait staff came out, we explained what had happened. They were rather stunned too and said he'd not paid for his order.

The interesting thing for me was the way the other diners started talking to each other. Whereas we were all in our own worlds having our own breakfasts, we now came together with this shared, mystifying experience. We also came to the understanding that this was a very troubled person and hoped he'd be able to get some help somewhere without causing more damage or disruption.

It was a strange morning.

What To Do When...

With Art suddenly losing a good friend two good friends in Illinois this past month, my aunt in a precarious health condition, and quite a few other good friends who are now battling different forms of cancer, death is suddenly on my mind.

We go to bed with our door open in case mom calls out at night. Sometimes I wonder what I'm supposed to do. That's probably when I get a case of insomnia.

Art found an article in the Star Advertiser titled: When death arrives, call 911 unless utilizing hospice care.

Someone had asked Kokua (Help) Line what they should do if a terminally ill person were to die at home. Should they call the mortuary, 911, police, fire or non emergency?

The answer was to call 911 because then the Emergency Medical Services and the Honolulu Police Department would respond as if it were an emergency until it was determined otherwise. The paramedics would contact the deceased person's doctor (you need to have that information available) so that a death pronouncement could be made.

The article also highly recommended contacting Hospice Care in Hawaii because they would take care of everything for the family.

This is something I don't like to think about, but it's one less thing I don't have to worry about not knowing.

Pin Pin Korori

Mom has been talking about "Pin Pin Korori" recently. She said it is the "Golden Death," and she was hoping for it because that was how her own mother and grandmother's passing had been.

I looked up the term which wasn't easy and found a publication from April 4, 2013. It was given by Yasuhiko Saito of Nihon University, Japan and presented in Cebu, Philippines at the AASSREC "Aging in Asia Pacific: Balancing the state and the family" conference.

It explains Pin Pin Korori as:
* Phrase used in a campaign in Japan to promote healthy aging about 30 years ago.

* "Pin Pin" is to keep healthy, bouncing and dynamic. "Korori" is to roll over and die.

* Meaning of phrase: to live a long life without illness and when the time is up simply die peacefully.

Mom was devastated by the death of her younger sister, Grace in 2015 and now her youngest sister, Dorothy living in Hawaii is not in good health. My cousins are doing everything they can every day to support my uncle in caring for her.

All this has shaken mom dreadfully, and she says she is hoping for Pin Pin Korori. She wants to die in her sleep. I told her that's very well for her, but me finding her like that would likely give me a heart attack!

As it is, Mom is still up every morning doing her treadmill exercise, eating breakfast, watching the news about Trump which raises her blood pressure, then going out to tend her garden which fills her with peace again, and often doing laundry. Then she eats her lunch, watches some NHK TV, prepares dinner, gets back on the treadmill, watches some TV and then goes to sleep by 9:00.

I haven't contemplated what our life would be like without mom. She is such an integral part of our lives now. As far as I'm concerned she's got a good 10 more years ahead of her.

I want to wish Pin Pin Korori for her. I really do. But not now.

The Importance of the Opposable Thumb

I've been struggling with my left thumb. It's turned into a Trigger Thumb.

It's as annoying as heck!

I get up in the morning and have to massage the base of the thumb to get it pushed back and moving again.

After that, it clicks somewhat painfully every time I bend and straighten it.

I was at a luncheon last week and my thumb didn't work properly and I nearly knocked the cup over. I picked up the milk carton in the fridge and nearly dropped it the other morning.

I understand that gout, diabetes, arthritis, repetitive or forceful pressure can cause trigger fingers or thumbs.

I mentioned it to my doctor last month and she said there's a steroid shot that I could get for it.

 If that doesn't work, it would mean surgery.

Arrghhh....

My brother and sister-in-law have both had trigger thumbs or fingers. My brother has had the surgery.

An injection into my hand? Surgery? Arrrghhh... I'm such a coward. I told my doctor I would wait and see.

Patti's Poop Post

Patti of The New Sixty wrote a blog post about pooping a while back. I love Patti and all her posts. She writes with wit, candor and especially humor. You should really stop by for a smile, laugh or new information.

You might consider this TMI, but Patti suggested it and it really worked for me so I'm passing it on. I guess you could call this a Forwarded blog post.

In Patti's Poop Post she suggested that instead of straining you should just blow if you're a bit constipated. As she said, "It is a medical fact that straining can cause a brain aneurysm or an aortic dissection." She also suggested eating more veggies and yes, I knew that.

I do some qi gong exercises on the toilet if there's a problem. I always felt the stretching and twisting of my body would help things move. However, I have now seen that blowing does indeed move those lower muscles even more effectively. I went back to Patti and told her that blowing works on #1 and #2. No kidding. There are times you're in a hurry and blowing really does work. Is it only seniors that have this sort of problem?

Ummm.... When I was using the fancy bathroom at the Nixon Library in California I thought it was only my sister-in-law and me in the stalls. Therefore, I mentioned this blowing technique to her while we were both in our stalls. When I came out.... oops! There was a young woman who had just come out of her stall and she looked at me and gave me a giant grin.

I can just imagine her relating this new and wonderful fact to her friends. Do you think she was laughing?

If You Avoid Reading About Politics, Come Back Tomorrow Please...

I now subscribe to theSkimm which condenses the daily news for "busy" working people. I might be retired, but I often find it fun to read this Cliff's Notes version of the news.

Here's what they wrote:

"President Trump is mad, saying all this Russian business is “fake news” made up by the Democrats. Dems are mad, saying Comey’s been unfairly tight-lipped given how many headlines he made about the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails just before the election. Republicans are mad because they want to know who’s been leaking info to the press."

theSkimm should also have mentioned that the FBI knew about Russia meddling in the U.S. election process since July, 2016 and seemed to be in no hurry to make a big deal of it like they did about Hillary's email NONnews just a few days before the election!

I know #45's approval ratings are now down to 37% which is supposed to be the lowest of any president in the last 70 years by March of their first term. What I don't understand is why it's even that high.

Art says it's because those Trump #45 supporters only watch Fox news and live in that bubble. Well, I decided to watch a little of Fox news ranting and just got super irritated. I guess I live in my own bubble too, but I watch and read news from all kinds of different sources. It's not just CNN or Time or theSkimm or Trevor Noah on Comedy Central that I love or NBC or CBS or ABC.

Art thinks it's hilarious because I've never actually paid close attention to politics before and now I'm actually taking time to read about it in the morning paper.

We know and love some #45 supporters because they are friends and members of our family. I just wish I understood better why and how they could think who they voted for is good for this country. Unfortunately we can't really talk about it because we don't want to burst their bubble and don't want them to burst ours either, not that I think they could.

So I guess we'll have to wait until they see how the environment is being polluted by the coal ash that's now being allowed to be dumped into streams. They'll see what happens now that oversight regulations to protect consumers have been removed over Wall Street after the financial crisis they caused in 2008-09. They're already starting to understand what will actually happen if the ACA/Obamacare is replaced by Ryan/TrumpCare. Meals on Wheels that Art volunteers for is going to be affected but many don't care because they're not poor or elderly or disadvantaged. Sigh...

I understand some bubbles are already starting to deflate in those red states that supported #45. I don't know what took so long.

OK... that's it! I'll stop my rant. Back to regular programming tomorrow.

Super Shuttle

Art was trying to find the best way to get from LAX (Los Angeles airport) to his sister's house and found that most services were extremely expensive or inconvenient. It could have cost almost as much to hire a taxi as the cost of the flight. Well... maybe not quite (I'm exaggerating), sort of.

His sister asked her friends and they recommended using the Super Shuttle. The Super Shuttle cost about $55 (one way) which Art's sister treated us to. That was a whole lot more reasonable!

We did manage to hit the afternoon rush hour when we landed in LAX and our shuttle had eight people in it. We had to make four stops before we reached our destination at around 7:00 PM. And yes, we were the last ones to be dropped off. Our flight to California took about 4.5 hours. The shuttle time was over 3 hours. And yet, we met some nice people on the shuttle. One couple was on our Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu.

Another poor fellow from Samoa had been waiting at the airport from 10:30 AM to be picked up by his son and daughter-in-law who didn't show up. He had no cellphone to call them with. He finally found help from a security officer who put him on the shuttle. When he got to this son's home, his credit card was rejected so he had to go back into the house to scrounge around to pay the fare. That was another half hour delay.

Our flight time back to Hawaii was 6 hours long, but the shuttle to LAX took only 2 hours since there was just one other couple. It would have been a shorter ride except that we hit the morning rush hour. Still it was actually great fun because this couple was divided in their political party affiliation. The wife was Republican and the husband was a Democrat but they were both very upset about #45. It was so much fun! The 2 hour ride passed very quickly and I was almost sorry to see the airport.

Will we use the Super Shuttle again? You bet!

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines has always been touted as the ON TIME Airline. And yes, when we've flown Hawaiian to California and even Australia they leave and arrive when they say they will or a little earlier.

However, our trip to California a couple of weeks ago was delayed due to a downpour. The flights coming in from the neighboring islands making the connection onto our flight were delayed so we left 20 minutes late.

The flight attendants were all very professional, warm and friendly.

Hawaiian Airlines might be the only airline that serves meals now unless you're flying to a foreign country. And having those complimentary meals are really helpful. I had snacks in my backpack on the way to California and never ate them.

I really enjoyed the breakfast on the way to California. The lunch on the way home was just OK. But it was complimentary!

They also offered a FREE Mai Tai on the way to LAX and a glass of wine with our meal on the way home to Hawaii which we declined. If Mom was with us you can bet she would have taken both.

On the other hand, you do have to pay $10 for a blanket and pillow which I didn't need. It was warm enough. There was a lady across the aisle from us who actually took off her shirt and sat with just a halter type top. That was a surprise.

Ummm... and entertainment? You have to pay for that too. No free movies. Good thing my son-in-law had installed movies on my laptop for us.

Ah well, I guess you can't have everything, but what we had was good enough.

Dessert!

Throughout our visit at Art's sister and brother-in-law's home, our desserts were always fruits or nuts. I loved their cara cara oranges, apples, home roasted pistachios and almonds, etc. Art's sister is such a great (almost) vegetarian cook that it was easy to get used to eating in such a healthy way.

For our last evening, Kay decided to make a rather sinful dessert for us. I've been told by many people that Art and Kay's mom was the best cook/baker in Honokaa. She made most things from scratch. Kay decided to make pudding just like her mom. Yikes! I didn't even know you could. I always thought it had to come from a box.

When I came down on our last full day in California, I found Kay standing in front of the stove patiently stirring a pot of pudding. She stirred and stirred and stirred. Then Art took over and stirred and stirred over a low heat just as their mom used to. They told me that they were often recruited to help with that chore.

In the evening, Kay took out these mini fillo shells. They were so cute!

Then we put on a sliced banana, a dollop of heavenly pudding, half a strawberry and topped it with gooey, very dark chocolate.

I know this looks big since I enlarged the photo, but it was actually very mini. Ummmm.... I ate four of them! And was it good? Oh my gosh! Yes!!!

Yummmm.....

Hmmmm.... We really should go back for another visit real soon.

POSTSCRIPT:

 Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Dinner With Friends

We went to the Netherlands in 2007 and met Jean and Mike on our tour. We were still living in Chicago at the time and they were from California not too far from Art's sister's home. We became good friends supporting each other during that long bike trip. Jean is also a teacher and kept me company throughout the journey as I struggled with biking on a sore butt.

Our last trip to California was four years ago. We couldn't believe how long it had been. Jean and Mike had taken us to Baci Anaheim then and we had a great time. We loved the food. We opted to go there again.

It was so wonderful to see them. We could just continue where we left off the last time as good friends so easily do.

Baci Anaheim was now called Baci di Firenze Trattoria.

Fortunately, Mike and Jean loved the selections they made. Unfortunately, we were not so lucky.

Art's eggplant parmesan was tepid and he didn't enjoy it as much as before and my chicken in a brandy sauce was just so so.

It didn't matter. We had so much talking about everything that we were one of the last tables to leave that evening.

Doesn't this photo look like the waiter was taking it from the ceiling? He was so much fun!

All in all, it was a wonderful, wonderful evening!

Now it'll be their turn to come to Hawaii.

Daiso in California vs. 99¢ Store

One of the stores we (me actually) love to go to when we are in Japan or South Korea is the Daiso store which is sort of a dollar store. I was excited to hear that there was a Daiso store not too far from my sister-in-law, Kay's home. Woo hoo!

However, she said I would probably enjoy going to the 99¢ store. And oh yes! That was loads of fun!

One of the things that caught my eye and I had to bring home to send to my kids was this cellphone stand. I texted the kids quickly to ask them if they wanted blue, purple or pink. They all said, "Anything but pink!" There were tons of pinks and few of the blue and purple. I guess most people feel the same way.

A few days later we went to the Daiso store where everything was about $1.50.

For just $25 I had loads of fun. Art was shaking his head a lot knowing I might not make good use of everything.

But heeey...

Some people go to Vegas to get their kicks. I go to the dollar store and take a gamble there.

Most dollar stores in Hawaii have gone out of business. And maybe that's a good thing since we're still working on downsizing. Sigh...

What To Do With Kumquats

While we were in California, we visited Art's cousin, Betty who has Alzheimer's at the retirement/assisted living home she and her husband had moved to. We wondered how our visit would be since she no longer recognizes most people. Art called her husband who said they would love to have us visit.

We were amazed at what a beautiful place it was and how reasonably priced compared to Hawaii's retirement homes.

The best part was when Betty saw Art. Her face lit up and she gave him a wonderful smile of recognition reaching out with her arms from her wheelchair for a hug. Her husband was happy and surprised to see that another part of her memory still remained. I know Art's sister was also teary.

We were very happy to see how well Betty was cared for by the staff and how lovingly her husband supported her.

After taking them out to lunch, Betty's husband asked if we might like to pick some kumquats that were ripe and falling off the bushes at the back of the retirement home.

He told us that although the flesh itself is a bit sour, the skin of the kumquat is sweet and you can eat the whole fruit.

I was surprised to find it was true even though it looked a little like a miniature orange whose skin I would never eat.

Art's sister, Kay wanted to try making something with the fruit so on the way home I used my cellphone to look online for a recipe.

I found this recipe on this epicurious website.

On the way home, we picked up some spinach, cilantro and shallots and Kay prepared the salad for us. We LOVED it! Kay's husband said he'd really like for her to make it again.

And yummmm.... I wish we could be there when she does!

Spinach Salad with Almonds and Kumquats

Bon Appétit Test Kitchen Bon Appétit January 2010

Yield:  Makes 4 servings

Active Time:  20 minutes

Total Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients

o   1/3 cup thinly sliced seeded kumquats

o   2 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

o   2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

o   1 tablespoon vegetable oil

o   2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

o   1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

o   1 5-ounce package baby spinach

o   1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

o   1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

o   1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

Preparation

1. Chop enough kumquats to measure 1 tablespoon. Mix kumquats, vinegar, shallot, vegetable oil, ginger, and sesame oil in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach, almonds, cilantro, sliced kumquats, and mushrooms, if desired.

Per serving (analysis includes mushrooms): 131.9 kcal calories, 67.1% calories from fat, 9.9 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 9.4 g carbohydrates, 3.9 g dietary fiber, 1.8 g total sugars, 5.5 g net carbohydrates, 4.2 g protein

Nixon Library!

In the four decades of our marriage where we've gone to California to visit Art's sister and brother-in-law, we've never been to the Nixon Presidential Library which is within driving distance. Art read somewhere that the Nixon Presidential Library had been renovated and thought we should go and see it.

Art's sister had never been there either and was also curious to see what it looked like.

Whenever I think of Richard Nixon, the first thing that comes to mind is Watergate.

I just didn't have a good opinion of him and never wanted to see his library.

As soon as we entered, very friendly docents taught us a lot of historical facts that we didn't know.

There was so much about Richard Nixon I wasn't aware of or forgot.

We saw an interesting display of presidential White House china.

The first display was an acknowledgement of Watergate.

From there, we saw many of his accomplishments.

I didn't realize that he was the president who established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 where Art worked.

Yes, Art did know that. He says Reagan then tried to destroy EPA just as the Trump administration is now trying to do.

President Nixon achieved peaceful desegregation of schools in seven Southern states.

He also waged the War on Cancer in 1971, a $100 million project creating National Cancer Centers.

Title IX was signed in 1972 prohibiting gender bias at colleges and universities receiving Federal aid.

He signed the historic Paris Peace Accords in Paris in 1973 ending the war in Vietnam.

In 1972 he journeyed to China to begin the normalization of relations through historic meetings with Chinese leaders in Peking.

And so much more...

We saw a portion of the Berlin Wall that had been donated to the library.

One side had graffiti, the other side was pristine because anyone going near it was shot.

I enjoyed seeing Tricia and Julie Nixon's wedding gowns.

We took a moment to look outside at the beautiful pool.

There was also a replica of the Richard Nixon White House Oval Office.

The docents encouraged me to pick up the phone and pretend to speak to some dignitary.

During the Nixon years, the eagle is facing the olive branch for peace instead of the arrows which stand for war.

It was fun to see this letter that Elvis Presley wrote to President Nixon.

It was especially interesting for me to learn a lot more about First Lady Pat Nixon.

She worked hard as an ambassador for the United States traveling around the world.

The love that Richard and Pat Nixon shared was truly beautiful and touching.

We walked outside to the home where Richard Nixon was born and spent his boyhood.

This is the original house and is in the original location.

Both Richard and Pat Nixon's graves are next to the house.

I loved learning about Richard Nixon's family and how musically talented he was. He could play several instruments and was quite accomplished on the piano.

Would you believe I met another teacher while looking at the house and it turned out her group was from Chicago? She had even taught in the same school district where I taught (granted 20 years before). Small world!!!

Here's the presidential helicopter President Nixon used so he wouldn't tie up traffic.

At Richard Nixon's funeral service Bill Clinton said, "Today is a day for his family, his friends, and his nation to remember President Nixon's life in totality. To them, let us say, may the day of judging President Nixon on anything less than his entire life and career come to a close. May we heed his call to maintain the will and the wisdom to build on America's greatest gift, its freedom, to lead a world full of difficulty to the just and lasting peace he dreamed of." 

Oh yes, we were so glad we made the effort to go to President Nixon's library!

When we got home, here's the dinner that Kay made for us. It was truly a wonderful day full of learning and insight capped by a fabulous meal.

Din Tai Fung

For several years now, our son-in-law, Ed has told us about a magically delicious cuisine that he thoroughly enjoys. It's a pork soup dumpling at a restaurant called Din Tai Fung. Our daughter, Tiffany agreed that it's really a great thing to try.

Well... here we were in California with a Din Tai Fung restaurant within driving distance so we had to go. We were warned that there was always a line outside the restaurant so we made sure we went after the lunch hour rush.

When we arrived at 1:00 on a Sunday, we saw a short line and was excited, but then discovered that the wait would be 1-2 hours long if we added our name to the long list. We went home.

The following Tuesday, we called first to ask what the best time would be. The hostess said 2-5 PM was the best time. However, if we came now at 11:30 the wait would be about 1 hour.

Surprise! We walked right in and were seated at a table immediately. I texted my son-in-law who's been wanting us to try the restaurant for a long time.

He told us that we needed to have these particular dishes.

We ordered them, except for the red bean bun and everything was just as delicious as they said.

Our servers were all friendly and cheerful. Although there were lots of seats when we arrived, the place filled up immediately. We were lucky to have arrived just before the crowd.

I was fun to watch workers creating the dim sums (dumplings).

The green beans were tasty, super crispy and the best we've ever had. The spinach was flavorful. Yum! Their absolute specialty, pork xiaolong bao (pork soup dumpling) was fabulous! Everything lived up to expectation.

Art's sister and brother-in-law agreed that the dumplings filled with soup were the best! However we didn't try as many different dumplings as we would like to have tried.

The next time we're in California, you can be sure we'll be going back there again.