On the Road Again

All of the leaves are off the apple tree, but blooms have replaced them. I think it's a little confused.

 It's been a couple of cold, wet, and windy days. But tomorrow, it should clear up, just in time for Ward and me to go to the mountains of West Virginia for a few days. The weather there is predicted to be dry and cool.  And if the rain and wind haven't prematurely brought down most of the leaves, we hope to see some fall color. We shall see. The drought in the area has caused the leaves to change earlier than they do in most years.

If the circumstances work out, I will do a travelogue during the trip. If not, I'll tell you about it when we get back. 

Until next time...

Ward Goes to Poland, Food

 
Ward recently took a trip to Poland, and he is sharing some of his experiences here. 

This was a family sampler (otherwise known as the "Trough of Variety) we had in Wadowice. There was more food than the four of us could eat.

I didn't know anything about Polish food before I went. Still don't know much, except what I saw in restaurants where we ate most of our meals. Here's a summary of my restaurant adventures.

Pierogis are considered the national food of Poland. You'll find these on _every_ menu in _every_ restaurant. Pierogis are dumplings, always boiled, then sometimes baked or sauteed. They are made with unleavened dough, wrapped around a variety of fillings, including potato, cheese, sauerkraut, different meats, mushrooms, and more. Sweet varieties have fruits or berries. The dough sometimes includes mashed potatoes for a smoother consistency. Savory pierogies are often topped with bacon bits, sour cream, or caramelized onions. They are typically served six on a plate with toppings. My favorites were the sauteed pierogis.

Typical plate, this was a variety plate with two each of meat, mushroom and sauerkraut filling. I cut them in half so I could tell which was which.

An interesting side note on the pluralization of the word pierogi:

• one pierog (PEE-er-oog)
• two or three or four - pierogi (pyeh-ROH-ghee)
• five or more - pierogow (pyeh-ROH-goo)

A family member described it like this - Mr. Pierog, Mr. and Mrs. Pierogi, or the extended Pierogow family.

These are larger than normal.

Another meal I frequently encountered was goulash with potato pancakes. The goulash (stew, usually pork) is sometimes served on the potato pancakes (see photo above, across the table), other times separately in a bowl (see photo below).


We got a lot of soup and had it at almost every meal. It was usually either tomato or a traditional sour rye soup that is sometimes served in a sourdough bread bowl.

There was a hard-boiled egg in the soup.

When we stopped for lunch in Kielce on our way to Łomża, I had what may have been the best tomato soup I've had on this trip (even though I've been pleasantly surprised with pretty much every meal I've had on this trip).

And schnitzel was a common option on most menus. Basically, country-fried steak, either chicken or pork.

I think a lot of Polish words translate to "salad". This plate had schnitzel, French fries, salad, salad, and salad.

We got vegetables at every meal. Not surprising except for breakfast (in my experience). Hotel breakfasts include scrambled eggs with bacon, sausage (looked like boiled hot dogs), sliced tomato and cucumber, sliced breads (toasted if you like), and butter.

We ate very well on our trip, and I liked all the food I had. Surprisingly, none of us gained any weight. I guess it was all the walking we were doing. The only thing I really missed and wanted to have when I got home was a good burger. I rarely saw hamburgers on the menu.

Until next time...

P.S. Can't leave without mentioning the "Kremowka z Wadowice" aka "Pope Pies". Before he was Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla was a priest in Wadowice, and he loved these pastries from a particular bakery in town. Then, after he was Pope, he mentioned that in an interview, which resulted in the bakery becoming famous for its Pope Pies.

Pope pies

Book Reviews

 Here are a few things I've been reading lately. 

Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross, adult fiction, 2025

This book was nothing like I thought it would be when I read the book jacket. Basically, a family moves to a small town in Maine from New York City. I expected adjustment, some strife, but overall, the city folks would come to appreciate the small-town life. That's not exactly what I got.

Hazel's father, a professor, gets a tenured job offer in a small liberal arts college in Maine. The family imagines the better life they can have there, financially and otherwise, and they make the move from New York City.

However, it all turns sour on the first day of Hazel's senior year of high school, when she is summoned to the principal's office. The principal, who met Hazel over the summer at the local pool, says he picks one girl every year to have sex with, and he is choosing her. He threatens her with a difficult graduation and the challenges of getting into college if she refuses. She says no!

The rest of the book deals with the fallout from that one meeting. Hazel and the principal's names are found out, and the town takes sides. Nasty things happen, and just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. It's not easy for anyone in the family, including Hazel's parents and her younger brother. Eventually, there is a turn for the positive, but that's not a straightforward good thing either. However, there is a satisfactory ending to the story for all of the characters.

I was put off immediately by the early scene with the creepy principal. This was another book where, after a few pages, I didn't think I would finish it. But I came back the next day and ploughed through. As one bad thing after another happened, I kept reading with the hope that I would finally see things getting better. 

The book does a good job exploring the emotions of everyone involved in this situation, from anger to guilt, including the principal's family. It brings up many important points about situations where someone in authority takes advantage of an underling in a threatening, often sexual way.

I'm not sure if I recommend this book or not. It is well-written, but if you're in the mood for some comfort reading, this is not what you're looking for. However, the book is getting a lot of buzz and is on several "Best of..." lists.

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen, adult mystery, 2020

This is #14 in the Royal Spyness mystery series. This one involves Lady Georgiana (35th in line to the British throne) and her long-time friend Belinda. Belinda's grandmother dies, and she inherits a fishing cottage in Cornwall. She and Georgie go to Cornwall to see the cottage. Belinda spent summers in the area with her grandmother when she was a child, and runs into two playmates from that time, who are now married. Belinda and Georgie end up staying with them. A murder happens, and Belinda is the prime suspect. Eventually, Georgie helps solve the mystery, and the main characters live to have another adventure.

This was a fun read. There was a lot of good mystery atmosphere with fog, rain, cold winds, granite cliffs, and secret coves, along with rumored curses and questionable deaths. The story takes place in the late 1930s in England, and class and breeding are very much a part of the story. 

This could be read as a standalone, as past storylines are explained, but I would suggest reading the first few in the series to become familiar with the characters. After that, it would be easy enough to fill in the parts you may miss in a book you haven't read. This was the next in the series that I could find at the library, but there were several I hadn't read before this one. However, I didn't have any problem keeping up with character developments.

Old School by Gordon Korman, juvenile fiction (middle grades), 2025

This is a recent book from prolific children's author Gordon Korman. I pick up one of his books when I'm looking for a comfortable, easy read before bed, and this one fit the bill.

Like many of his other books, this one takes place in middle school and is told from the perspective of a handful of main characters. Dexter is a 12-year-old boy who lives with his grandmother in The Pines, a retirement village. He has been there since he was six years old, as his parents' jobs have them moving frequently internationally. 

Dexter has been homeschooled by the residents of The Pines, and he is very happy. That is, until one day when the truancy officer shows up and says that Dexter has to go to school. Then he starts middle school. Since he has been living with older people (his best friend is 99), he has no clue what kids his age are like, and he dresses and acts like a senior citizen. Of course, the other kids don't understand him, and at best, he is ignored, and at worst, he is bullied. I won't go into the details, but there is an incident that changes everything, and eventually, the story has a happy ending. Along the way, we see personal growth in all of the kids.

This was another feel-good Korman book, and I especially liked how the older people and the younger people eventually interacted. 

Circe by Madeline Miller, adult fantasy fiction, 2018

When I worked at the library, I saw many books that were popular, but I didn't read them myself. This was one of them. Not only was the book popular with our local readers, but it was also on the NYT bestseller list and was the best book of the year in several places. 

Circe is a "bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story that brilliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of The Odyssey." (New York Times)

I am sorry to say that I haven't read the Odyssey since 9th grade and don't know much about Greek Mythology, so the book was complicated and confusing at times for me. However, that did not distract from Circe's main story. She is exiled to an island as punishment and as part of a bargain with Zeus. Circe, who has never felt like she fit in with the other gods and goddesses, comes into her own, communing with nature and honing her witchcraft on the island. Even though she is in exile, she has visitors from time to time. The most prominent one is Odysseus. And when he enters the story, it really starts to gel.

I liked the book, but, wow, the gods were very violent. One reason the book received acclaim was that it offered a feminist perspective on the story. However, I didn't feel like it was a book with an agenda. 

For a much better feel for the book, visit Get Lost in Literature and read the review she did. She writes very good book reviews (Definitely, more professional than what I piece together here), and her description is what put this book on my list to read. 

Until next time...

This and That Check In

More mums are blooming in the yard.

I haven't done an exercise check in for a while, so I thought it was time. I continue to attend classes 4-5 times per week, unless there is something else on the schedule, such as a doctor's appointment. I like the line dance classes I go to and am becoming more comfortable each week. However, I wouldn't say that I like the rest of the classes. I go because they are good for me, and I don't seem to be able to push myself as hard as I need to when left to my own devices. I tried that for years, and an organized class is what I need. And now that I have the flexibility in my schedule since retirement, I can do them regularly.

However, in this morning's class, I pulled something in my groin and couldn't do some of the exercises. Hopefully, it will correct itself before too long, and I'll be back to my regular aches and pains.

Here are a few more things that have been happening around here recently.

Yesterday, Theo came over and we cooked a pot of split pea soup together. After having it for lunch, we each had a good amount to eat this week. The time before this, we made pizza beans (lima beans with a pizza twist). We still have some of those in the freezer.

After lunch, Theo casually mentioned that they were having
a family day at work, so off we went. They had lots of food and games,
but Ward was most interested in learning about the pallet jacks.

Last weekend, Ward and I volunteered to help with therapy dog certifications. The dogs and handlers have to go through a series of tests before they can go out into places like schools and hospitals. Our part was to help simulate the places they go to. For example, Ward was the grumpy old man with a walker, and I was a loud arguer. I loved watching how eager the dogs were to please. This was Zoe, a 9-year-old golden retriever who was being recertified. Recertification happens every two years.

On Friday, we planted a new crepe myrtle tree. It didn't look so big or heavy
in the nursery. I'm glad we paid for delivery, and Ward was able to dig
the planting hole where he had to cut through big roots and rocks. 

Another color of mum in bloom, along with pollinating visitors.

That's about all I can think of for now.

Until next time...

Ward Goes to Poland, The Salt Mines

 Ward recently took a trip to Poland. He is sharing some of his travels here.

As soon as I decided that I was going to Poland, anyone who had any knowledge of the area said I had to visit the salt mines. I had been in coal and lead mines before and wasn't sure I needed to visit another kind of mine. However, we dutifully added it to our agenda. In my wildest imagination, I couldn't have guessed what the salt mines were like. 

Salt has been known to be present in the area since Neolithic times, when briny springs were discovered. Evaporation methods were used to harvest salt for preserving meats and as a form of currency. (During that time, many transactions were paid using salt, which is why nowadays, the term “salary” is used to describe earnings.)

There are several large salt mines in Poland. The oldest and best-known is the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow. We visited this one. It was definitely unique, but parts of it did remind me of limestone caverns I've visited, like Luray Caverns in Virginia.

The entrance to the Wieliczka Mine.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine has many large caverns that were created with tunnels and shafts connecting them. Over the centuries, miners created statues and carvings in the walls depicting religious scenes and famous people. These are the main tourist attractions now. They created several chapels where Catholic masses are still held today.

This mine has produced salt since the thirteenth century (1200s). In the Middle Ages, the Wieliczka Salt Mine generated one third of the Kingdom of Poland’s income under King Casimir III the Great (he reigned from 1333 to 1370). Tourism began in the late 1700s, and dignitaries started visiting the mines, and they were developed more and more for tourism as time went on. Mining continued into the 1990s. 

The mine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978 and remains a major tourist attraction today.

You have to go down a stairwell to get into the mine. There were 300 steps to get to the main tourist level. I twisted my knee on the first day, so I am happy it held up for all the steps. There is an elevator to get out of the mine.

We walked down old corridors of the mine. Salt walls, salt floor, salt ceiling.

Part of the mine had been turned into a museum. This diorama exhibit shows the early days when salt was processed from brine.

At one point, horse-drawn sleds brought salt, miners, and tourists out of the mine.

Some of the exhibits were carved from salt.

There were many salt statues of kings, saints, and famous people.
This one is Nicholas Copernicus.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, famous in his day,
traveled throughout Europe, including Poland.

There were many religious scenes carved in the walls.

There were even four chapels in the mines where they hold services.

This is an overview of the ballroom, which you could rent out. Notice the carvings in the walls. Carvings were everywhere. Chandeliers were made of halite (rock salt) crystals.

After this visit, I understand why this is on everyone's must-see list.

Until next time...