Pickle Soup

You read that right.  Pickle Soup.  When I first saw the recipe, my thought was not "oh yum"!  

It was "What the heck?  What are pickles doing in a soup?"  I honestly didn't think that it had much potential.  But, my co-workers had other thoughts.  We had a Stone Soup kind of day.  We each brought in an ingredient from the recipe, tossed it into the crockpot and set it on high. By lunchtime, we had a very delicious aroma filling our workspace.  We were nibbling on the soup throughout the afternoon, and it kept getting better as the afternoon went on!

If you are looking for a most delicious and very unusual soup for the last of these chilly spring days, give this one a try! 

I am not affiliated with The Kitchn Blog in any way whatsoever, but this is recipe that they wrote, along with all of the instructions and history of this Polish Staple.  This was the recipe that we used.

Polish Pickle Soup - https://www.thekitchn.com/polish-pickle-soup-recipe-23628556

This picture should be definitive proof that 
I am NOT an influencer of any kind!
Just a ladle full of a very tasty soup!

Opening Day

 Today is Opening Day of the 2026 Baseball season!

I love going to baseball games.  Not just for the game - but for the spectacle.  The mustard/ketchup/relish races.  The food, the people watching... everything is just so much fun!

Here in Baltimore, the Orioles are our home team.

Our favorite song is "Country Boy" by John Denver.  It was performed twice on the roof of the Orioles Dugout.  Once in the 1983 World Series and again in 1997 at Camden Yards, shortly before his death.

Today, in honor of the Orioles Opening Day, I present to you the Oriole Bird, dancing along to the sweet, sweet strains of John Denver.

Welcome SPRING!

In like a Lion, out like a Lamb?

There is an old weather proverb that proclaims if March comes in "like a lion", it will go out "like a lamb."

Way back when I was teaching, we used to track lion and lamb days during the month of March.  Warm, sunny days were considered to be lamb days.  Windy, cold, stormy days were considered to be lion days.  Every day, we would talk about the weather and track the forecast.  March has always been a very changeable month for weather as the seasons change.  The daily swings in temperature can give you whiplash.

Back in the day, we would create a bar graph, and compare whether we had more lion or lamb days, how many more, how many less, make our predictions for the next day... I always enjoyed those graphs.  I have no idea about the kids, but it was a highlight I looked forward to every spring.

It has been many years since I last taught in a classroom, but this March has made me think deeply about those days and the charts.  While I have not gone so far as to create a lion/lamb bar graph, I have been keeping a running tally on a post-it on my desk. So far, in Central Maryland, we have had more Lion Days.  Days that start out sunny and end with accumulating snow on the ground.  Brisk Days with high winds, rain... so much rain.  Tornadoes. It's been a very weatherful spring here!

Looking out at the 10 day forecast, it looks like we should end with a Lamb Day.  What about you?  What kind of spring have you had so far?  I know parts of the country have been consumed by wildfire, and other parts are underwater. I'm fortunate in that we seem to be in between the extremes.

My Ex-Husband's Ex-husband

 My Ex-Husband's Ex-Husband, written by Rachel Cohn and Melissa DeLa Cruz.

When two powerhouse authors get together to write a romantic comedy of epic proportions, you know the product is going to be excellent!

In this lively Romantic Comedy, we visit Audrey and Ian.  They were best friends in college - up until they both fell in love with the same man, Beau.  Beau met Audrey and Ian while they were doing a semester abroad in Vienna. The love triangle thickens when first Audrey, and then Ian, marry Beau.  And then divorce him. It has been 20 years since the friends have last seen each other.  The oldest of Beau and Audrey's children is getting married in Vienna and the entire family is showing up.  There's just one problem - nobody can find Beau.

In order to save the wedding, Audrey and Ian join forces to find Beau. As they scour the countryside for their wandering ex-husband, they find themselves rediscovering their friendship and rehashing old wrongs.  

Every chapter of this book was delightful.  Dynamic authors on their own, by each giving voice to a single character they really flesh out the characters and bring them to life.  I believe that this gave the book more depth, as we were able to more fully explore the main characters.

And what characters they are!  Ian and Audrey, reliving the absolute best and worst of their study abroad in Vienna.  I could feel the joy of their friendship as well as the stress that they had lived through their shared relationship (and it's subsequent failure) with Beau.  I could be friends with Audrey.  She seems like my kind of woman.  Ian is a character that I would absolutely love to meet and spend time with.

If you are looking for a lighthearted read, this is the book for you!

Markus Zusak and The Book Thief

I met Markus Zusak last week!  FINALLY!

The Book Thief was published 20 years ago - in 2006.  (How has it been 20 years?)  To this day, it remains one of the best books ever written.  Are you familiar with the book?  Set in Nazi Germany, the book is narrated by Death. A young girl named Liesel steals books and then shares them with others, risking her life to share the words that the Nazi's don't want others to see.  The book is haunting.  I highly recommend reading it if you haven't yet had the opportunity.

As part of his talk, Markus Zusak shared that his parents had grown up in Europe during World War 2.  Many of the atrocities that he mentions in the story were first hand accounts of things that his parents had seen when they were growing up.

I'm going to segue back in time for a minute:  Let's back up to 2007. I was a younger librarian and I had been sent to my first ever conference for the American Library Association. (ALA).  The Book Thief had just won the Printz Award and Markus Zusak was signing copies of his book!

I had a copy that I really wanted to get signed.  I tried standing in line, but his people chased me out of line, telling me that "Mr. Zusak was not signing any more autographs."  

Fine. 

I was in the presence of literary greatness. I could make this work for me. I worked my way around until I could get a decent picture of him signing books.  I then heard a voice over my shoulder.  "Look at all these people fawning over Zusak when they have true greatness standing right here."

I turned to look, and standing less than a foot away from me was Garrison Keillor.

"Oh My God!  You're Garrison ----"

He shook his head and interrupted me "Don't even" and walked away.  To this day, 19 years later, that encounter still tickles me when I think of it.  Just the absolute whimsy of that encounter!  

Last week, Markus Zusak came to my local public library.  He spoke to a group of over 200 fans.  He was funny, introspective, and gave excellent writing advice.  

He has written many books since then.  He has won many awards.  But he is humble.  He listens and talks with his fan.  He is a genuine nice guy.

You know what?  I got to meet him!  I shared the story from 19 years ago, and we all had a good laugh.

I got his picture.  (Several pictures, actually.)

He even signed my book for me.

FINALLY.

19 years later, I finally got my book autographed by Markus Zusak. It's the same book that I took with me 19 years ago, hoping to get his signature.  

My laptop has died

 The incredible blue screen of death has happened.  Not even the Geek Squad has been able to revive it.  I will do my best to update as I can - but until I get a new laptop, it's going to be hit or miss and depend upon what I can do on my phone.... It's not easy to edit posts on a cell phone screen!

Chief of War - TV Series

 One thing we kept hearing over and over again while we were in Hawaii was that we had to watch Chief of War with Jason Momoa. 

(Full Disclosure - it stars Jason Momoa so I was planning on watching it anyway.)

On the flight back to the Mainland, Chief of War (which streams on Apple TV) was one of the in-flight choices for entertainment!  

If you are not familiar with the series, Chief of War is about the unification of the Hawaiian Islands from an indigenous point of view. The War Chief is determined to fend off colonization of the Islands by uniting the divided and warring islands.  The series was created by Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett.  

The visual scenery is stunning.  The acting is phenomenal.  The story line is well thought out, and I enjoyed watching how the story grew.  I love how the Chief of War grew out from the legend and into the world.  What was more stunning to me - the beginning of the series is entirely spoken in Hawaiian.  This forces the viewer to pay attention to the dialogue and the script, as the English words are dubbed in when the actors speak Hawaiian.

Did I enjoy the series?  YES!!  It was extremely well acted, with a solid storyline based upon historical fact.  Everyone I spoke with in the islands spoke again and again about the lengths that the producers went through to ensure Cultural Authenticity.  Historical accuracy is tantamount to the entire series, which builds upon its authenticity.

I read in an interview with Jason Momoa that he worked with a language coach who taught him not only the words, but also the cadence and the accents.  While Jason is Hawaiian, he did not grow up speaking Hawaiian.  For the filming of Chief of War, the entire cast learned Hawaiian, and they worked together on reading scenes in Hawaiian so that they could learn each other's lines and how to react to the lines.  Jason has said that learning the Hawaiian language was more difficult than learning Dothraki for Game of Thrones.

What a wonderful celebration of the history and culture of the people of Hawaii.  If you have Apple TV and are looking for a new series to stream, this is an excellent choice. 

image released by Apple TV for Chief of War.
source: the link below/

Read more about Jason Momoa's Hawaiian Langugage Journey (also the source of the picture above):  https://apnews.com/article/jason-momoa-chief-of-war-hawaiian-language-e5a49c8fb8d9d5fb809e354f85bab4ba

Hawaii

I could bore you all with a detailed account of our trip to Hawaii, but I won't do that.  It was lovely.  A week on Oahu and a week on Hawaii.  I'm going to do a quick, random recap of our time there.  We rented condos while we were there, so we were able to cook.  We picked up food from the Farmer's Markets and in China Town.  We cooked and ate locally grown food - we did not expect to eat anything we would normally eat on the mainland.  The fruit was amazing! We ate lunch out occasionally while we were exploring. The food trucks are amazing, and the little family owned restaurants make the best food!

 

Hilo Farmers Market

One of the healthiest salads I've ever eaten!

Chinatown in Honolulu

We arrived on the Big Island the day after the volcano stopped erupting.  She had been fountaining lava the day before we arrived.  We landed on the big island and *fizzle* there was a glow of lava, and so much steam from the steam vents.  But no lava.  We explored everything we could safely explore in Volcanoes National Park.  We walked out to see the Petroglyphs.  We drove to the ends of all the roads.  We explored the lava tunnels.  We went back at night to see the red glow. It was awesome!

We spent time in Hilo - the rainiest city in the United States.  It lived up to it's reputation!  But all of that rain leads to a lush and verdant rainforest and the most amazing waterfalls.  Loved every single minute of exploring those trails. Drove through the middle of the island between the two volcanoes and around the island. We did not begin to see everything there was to see.  We only scratched the surface.

Lili'uokalani Gardens

Wailuku River after a Storm.

Sitting on the seawall in Kona, looking out across the Bay.

Huli-hee Palace, Kona

Oahu is amazing. We went to the North Shore and watched the big waves. Ate Poke.  Visited Pearl Harbor. Had Shave Ice.  Hiked through still more beautiful rainforests and saw still more beautiful waterfalls. Went up to the National Cemetery of the Pacific. Had a formal tea.  Ate Malasadas. 

We found this gem when roaming through the Sheraton Lobby.

Ocean literally 100 feet away from where I took this picture!

The Byodo-In Temple
Jason Momoa posted pictures from here earlier this week.

Waimea Falls

I wish I remembered where I took this picture.
Honestly, it reminds me of Gilligan's Island!

But by far, my favorite part of Hawaii is how every single person stops to watch the sunset every night.  It is an event.  We went down to the ocean - and so did so many other people - and sat down with the crowd.  I am still in awe of how every single person was united in that moment of beauty - just stopping whatever they were doing to watch the sun go down.  We all need to do more of that.

Leonard's Bakery

 Malasadas.  They should be called a gift from the Hawaiian Gods to humanity.  These wonderful Portuguese doughnut without a hole are filled with a delightful creme. I know that they sound like Boston Creme donuts, but let me assure you that a Boston Creme can't hold a candle to the light fluffiness of a Malasada. 

Malasadas were on my must try list for Hawaii.  We went to Leonard's Bakery.  Leonard's is the Original Malasada Bakery.  They began making Malasadas on Shrove Tuesday in 1953, and now they make them every single day.  

And the fillings?  Absolutely amazing. I tried several different fillings - Dobash, Haupia, and Pineapple.  Trust me when I tell you that they were absolutely amazing.

Leonard's offers so many other pastries.  I never got around to trying anything else because Malasadas were so high on my list.   

5/5, would recommend Leonard's Bakery to anyone who is passing through O'ahu!

Malasadas, fresh out of the fryer!

The famous pink box!

 

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

 

This was such a delightfully unexpected book!  Set as a series of letters, we join Sybil who has retired and sits down to write everyone.  Family, friends, neighbors, authors, and acquaintances.  

Through these letters, we take a look at Sybil's life both past and present.  We journey with her through her relationships with her friends, family, and acquaintances. She takes a hard look at her actions, and how they have impacted others around her.

I found this book to be a charming story that delved deep into the heart of the human condition.  Through Sybil's letters, we see great loss, regret, love, and joy.  While each letter is to or from a different person, it is easy to follow the arc of Sybil's story.  There were several times when I found myself downright angry with Sybil... and sometimes I wanted to send her a letter and ask her some questions about an event that she alluded to in her letters.

In many ways, Sybil reminded me of my mother in law.  While my MIL was never a lawyer, she was of a similar age to Sybil in the story, and she was a dedicated letter writer.  We have binders of the letters that she wrote over the years. My MIL would not talk on the phone, but she would send a 20 page letter in a heartbeat.

And now, I find myself getting ready to sit down and write a letter to Virginia Evans.  While she might not ever answer me, I feel the need to sit down and write a physical letter in appreciation for this wonderful novel that she has gifted us.  5/5, highly recommend this book!

NPR Interview with the Author: https://www.npr.org/2026/01/22/nx-s1-5677630/the-influence-of-the-sleeper-hit-novel-the-correspondent

Author Website: https://www.virginiaevansauthor.com/

Visit One New to Me State

Let's hop into the Way Back Machine.  When I was in Fourth Grade, my teacher held a six-week unit on Hawaii.  We ended the unit with a "traditional" luau.  I put "traditional" in parenthesis because when you've got a bunch of hyperactive 9 year olds in the middle of Ohio dancing the hula in cut-up trash bags, there's only so much "tradition" that you can claim.  We learned about the Hawaiian Royal Family.  Polynesian Culture.  The volcanoes.  The Black Sand Beaches.  Pearl Harbor.  Riding the Waves.  What it means when someone says "surf's up".  I really wanted to go!  

Time has a way of marching ever steadily onward.  Life happens.  And now, it is many, many years later. And I finally got to go!  Two weeks of bliss in Hawaii!  I have a few pictures and other things to share with you over the next few days.  

I'll start with a few of my favorites. We were on both O'ahu and Ha'waii.  We spent a week on each island and explored everything.  It was magical!

Another beautiful stream.

Akaka Falls.

So peaceful! 

Love these flowers.

A chick and her mama!  They are everywhere and they are beautiful!

 

My Goals and Resolutions for 2026

Three months in, and progress is being made!  It feels like no progress has been made until I look back at this list and realize that somethings have actually been accomplished.  This is why I like to keep track of my goals publicly.  I do a better job of meeting my goals if I actually put them out into the wild.  It's also really nice to be able to look back and realize that I've made progress!

One last note - I'm proofreading this on Sunday night, setting this to publish on Monday morning.  The cat is sitting next to me, gently nudging me out of her space on the sofa.  She's switching her tail at me, hitting my elbow every couple of minutes, reminding me that I need to go to bed.  10:30 is her bedtime, too.  I know Hermie, I know.  I shall publish and give you your sofa back.  I want to make some formatting changes on this post, but I do have to get up and go to work in the morning.  I will change the formatting for the April post.

1) Lose 25 pounds.

Weight Lost This Month: None. Hey, I was on vacation.  I ate a lot of new to me food. I gained no weight!  But now, it's time to get serious about this. 24 pounds to go. By the end of this year.  

Total Weight Lost to Date: 1 pound.

2) Visit 1 new to me state.

Hawaii!  I'll share photos next week!

3)  3 repairs/improvements to the house.

Where do I start?  There are many choices.

4) 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge

It's been a while since I've done this.  You get 40 bags or boxes of stuff out of your house over the 40 days of Lent.

Progress as of today: 4 boxes out of the house.  FOUR!!!

36 more boxes to go.  Sigh....

5) Organize old correspondence/letters

I found a treasure trove of old letters and notes from high school.  I have them in a box to sort through next month.  The bigger question is - what gets kept and what gets thrown out?  Do I really want to save any evidence of high school me?  Most likely, NO.

6) Big backyard garden project.

No progress on this.  

7) Finish the cross stitch project I've been working on for 3+ years.

Slowly but surely, progress is being made!

8) Transfer Dad's slides to digital.

See my post here about transferring the slides!

9) Put those images into an album.

These have been printed out and are awaiting a home.  I am going to a crop next month.  Getting this finished is my goal for this crop!  Oh.... I need to buy an album to put them in.  Add that to the list of things I need to do.

10) Fill my America 250 Passport with lots of stamps!

11) Clear out the storage unit.

We are working on it.  I have emptied many boxes this winter.  At this point, we are thinking we will just bring everything home and stack it up on the carport and sort through it all as the weather warms up.

12)  Do one totally irresponsible and fun thing each month! 

I didn't actually do anything irresponsible in February.  It was just so cold for the Mid-Atlantic, and the snow had frozen into that nasty, hard icy mess that we've been calling "snowcrete".  There's been nowhere to go that wasn't a frozen wasteland.  We went on vacation with the family.  Does that count?

13) Go see Falling Water. (Frank Lloyd Wright) 

This is a Bucket List item. 

14) Visit 12 new to me bakeries.

        1) Eli Mochi Donut

        2) The Reister's Daughter