healthyish cookies

these are quite possibly the ugliest cookies ever made. although i enjoy cooking, baking has always been a big challenge for me but stick with me.

as time goes by, i’ve gotten more and more of a sweet tooth. i’ve recently read a lot of people with PD saying the same thing. i usually have a small piece of dark chocolate and sometimes fruit in the evening which most of the time can hold back the dam. but i’ve started looking around for some alternatives that i realize may not “healthy” but at least have a nod towards a few better ingredients.

these are it. they are called lalo’s famous cookies from gwyneth paltrow’s cookbook called my father’s daughter. they are very simple, with few ingredients, and have a not to sweet and nutty flavor to them. in the book, gwyneth says she has even let her kids eat them for breakfast! i halved the recipe and it turned out fantastic.

lalo’s famous cookies

4 cups barley flour

3 cups raw whole almonds crushed in a food processor (20-30 seconds)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup canola oil

1 cup maple syrup

your favorite jam

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. combine all the ingredients except for the jam together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Form into tablespoonful balls and space them evenly on 2 cookie sheets. using your index finger, make an indent in each cookie. fill each indent with a small spoonful of jam. bake until cookies are evenly browned, about 20 minutes (ovens differ, i had to bake mine about 30). let cool before eating. delish…

aloha friday

this week we saw spike lee’s new movie the BlacKkKlansman. it’s a super interesting movie done in such a creative way. definitely check it out. we stopped by murphy’s for some good old comfort food, washed down with an ice cold gin and tonic. this weekend i’m looking forward to reading royal flush by rhys bowen and the guest list by ethan mordden (goodreads gives it a terrible review but i purchased it from the library book sale and i’m going to give it a go).

the plants in the garden go bananas during the summer so there will be a lot of trimming of overgrown areca palms, a prehistoric ficus, and a neighbors overgrown avocado tree (it’s too bad it doesn’t bear fruit). the normal trimming rules for four seasons don’t seem to all apply in our climate.

i also excited to try my first boxing for parkinson’s class at orthosport.

my name is yeh - molly yeh has a beautiful smile and her enthusiasm for food is contagious. she is young and energetic, down to earth, and i think she is going to be a big star!

the great american read - this is an eighth part series on pbs about the top 100 novels as voted for by the public. each show interviews different people around the country and why they liked a particular book and if you like to read, this will explode your “to be read” list, and if you need some inspiration to read more, this will definitely get your juices flowing.

I made a quick small batch of plum jam while the plums are still around. aside from toast, you can spoon it over ice cream or cake, add a little to a vinaigrette, and even as a condiment with pork chops or chicken.

its a simple ratio of half the weight of sugar to plums. so for this batch i had 1.5 lbs. of chopped plums to 3/4 lb. of sugar, and juice of 1 lemon. i put them in a saucepan and over medium high heat bring to boil. reduce and simmer for 20-30 minutes to thicken up, stirring frequently. i’m not preserving these for long term so i just transfer them into small mason jars, put one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. simple and delish…

enjoy your weekend!

technology tools for parkinson's

i came across the website for liftware which are utensils designed for people with a tremor. i have a tremor in my right hand so i switched to using utensils to my left, but it got me thinking about what other things are out there to help people with parkinson’s and other health challenges. here are a few interesting things i found.

the one thing i noticed is that it would be great if some of the items, especially the ones you wear, were designed with a little more style and color. although we may have health challenges, we can still sometimes want to be stylish and unique. look at 65pinkroses in her tricked out wheelchair! love it!

liftware

s'up spoon

readi steadi

rocker knife

my id

dragon software

kangaroo cup

button helper

zappos velcro shoes

digit grip

ez off jar opener

magna ready

forever summer fashion

top from anthropologie

---

summer is eternal here in hawaii. we have two seasons, sunny and hot or rainy and hot! so while i see all of fashion blogs talk about all the wonderful cooler season wear, we will still have 85 degree weather most days. i’m not complaining because i love living here, but it does get challenging sometimes not being able to swap out seasonal clothing.

i also have much fewer clothing now that i’m retired and fewer opportunities to dress up, and since i spend most of my time at home, it has to be heat friendly (not to mention menopausal, but that’s a different post!).

i don’t have a capsule wardrobe per say but i do now like having fewer clothes to choose from because it makes it much easier to get dressed in the morning. i keep my selection for the season in the front of my closet and put the rest folded and in baskets or hung in the back so i don’t see them until the next season. i eliminate items that i don’t like but kept just in case, things that don’t fit, and most things that are not natural fabrics. now i like everything in my wardrobe and don’t often have that “can’t find something to wear” feeling.

what works best for me is to have a basic wardrobe of items i wear all year long. my favorite jeans, basic tees, and ballet flats. then in each season i add a few pieces to change it up. this keeps things fresh and i don’t get bored because i really do wear the same things over and over again so i have to really like them. the way i break up the seasons are Nov-Jan, Feb-April, May-July, & Aug-Oct. here are a few things i do to fake my seasons!

1. each season has different color themes - i like neutrals but add in one different color for the season. this summer i added a few pink tops. i even have the breton top above with pink stripes. in fall and winter i add more darker pieces and this fall i’d like to add a new camel colored piece. during the winter, i’ll also add something sparkly for holiday events.

2. change my shoe style and colors - again i choose the shoes for each season and put them together. they really don’t change in terms of style, except i may use a dressy sandal more in the winter because of the holidays and i’ll make an effort to wear more covered shoes in winter just because.

3. jewelry - i use more casual delicate pieces in spring & summer months and will wear my more formal pieces even with casual clothes in the fall & winter. pearls are fun to wear during fall and winter with a button down shirt & jeans.

4. makeup - dark lipstick and makeup does not work in heat and humidity but i do play a bit more with a darker lipstick in the evenings or a little more sparkle on the cheeks or eyes for the holidays.

5. accessories - again it’s mainly the colors that change more so than style. so scarves and bags can be lighter and brighter in the summer months. i have a burgundy tote that i’ll pull out for fall & winter and put away my lavender purse.

6. fragrance - changing your fragrance is a wonderful way to change up the seasons. you know, light and fresh in the spring and summer, warmer and spicier in the fall and winter. i’m loving everything roses right now with chloe rose perfume and jo malone velvet rose.

overall i think the key has been to break up my wardrobe and pretend there are seasons so that each time i put the wardrobe together, it feels fresh. it’s funny how quickly you forget something when you don’t see it and “surprise” it’s like shopping again when you pull them out. when i do have several days that i feel like i don’t have the right thing to wear, i’ll look through my stored clothes to make an adjustment and if i don’t find it there, then it’s probably a sign of something missing in my wardrobe and it goes on the shopping list. but through that process it has made me shop much less and gave me pause to see if i really need it.

if you live in a warm climate or have any tips on how to feel seasonal, i would love it if you would share them!

aloha friday

this weekend we’ll be cleaning out the garden from the heavy rains this week from tropical storm olivia. thank goodness it wasn’t as strong as anticipated but it did do some flooding in certain areas. thoughts also for those in the wake of hurricane florence.

Perseverance: The Seven Skills You Need to Survive, Thrive, and Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined- by Tim Hague - Looking forward to starting this book this weekend. Tim was diagnosed with PD at age 46 and is now a motivational speaker.

Lovely Day - Bill Withers - You’ve got to listen to this song in the morning. It’s a great way to start the day!

Did you know that the New York Public Library has more than 180,000 digital photos that you can download for free? Browse this amazing collection of anything you can think of. Here are few cool drawings that I printed out and framed for art.

Aviation Cocktail

We enjoyed this beautiful and delicious cocktail with homemade brandied cherries and is a great way to kick off the weekend.

finding the rhythm of your day

before i retired, the rhythm of the day usually involved waking up early, reading something motivational, look over my planner and plot out the day and week, and then off i went. i as many people do, had more things to do, than time to do it. and i enjoyed it. i felt productive, busy, important, and always had the next project or goal in mind. 

i also had the luxury of retiring over a period of time, giving me space to slowly get used to the pace of my new life. even with that, it has taken some time to find the daily routine that fits my current lifestyle. the physical and cognitive changes from my parkinson's including fatigue, and trying to reduce stress also play a part of how i spend my day. lastly i had to make a mind shift that the things that i do now have tremendous value, even though they don’t involve earning a living or adding to my career path. but enough time has passed and with the help of family and friends and the extraordinary PD community, i have transitioned from seeing what i can’t do but what i can do.

so i started with listing all the things that i could do during a day.

gardening

home maintenance

exercise

cook

read

listen to music

meditate

practice a 2nd language

research family history

volunteer

blog

journal

advocate for PD

meals or time with family or friends- whether that means in person, by phone, email, text, or social media

that’s 14 things and some items can be broken down further into sub categories. then i decided on the ones that i’d like to do daily, or at whatever interval is appropriate. then i tried experimenting throughout the day to see what worked out best for me.

i found that still getting a good morning routine helped me set the rest of the day in a more positive tone. i also found that i exercise much more if i do it first thing in the morning before i get too fatigued. i have coffee and read something inspirational or motivational whether it’s a book or podcast, and sometimes it’s reading a story from the davis phinney foundation website called moments of victory. then i review and plan my day, read my emails. then do some exercise, have breakfast, and some gardening.

after the sweaty work is done i like to get cleaned up and dressed. even if i’m staying home all day i find that showering, putting on makeup, and getting dressed (even if it’s shorts and a t-shirt, we are in hawaii after all) i feel better and ready for the next stage of the day. i try to make my appointments in the late morning to early afternoon. in the afternoon when i’m back home i pick one or two things from my list to do depending on how i feel.

i’m sure that rhythm will change over time and I’ll make adjustments as needed. i’d love to hear what the rhythm of your day is like. oh, and i forgot there is one more thing to add to my list when needed. a nap!

parkinson's websites

photo courtesy of Justin Ornellas

as i try to learn more about pd, i've found a number of different websites that i like. i read them for different purposes. some have a lot of scientific information, much of which i don't understand. but i like to at least scan through them to see what new research there is or what research is moving through the system.

others have real practical information about medication, exercise, and complementary therapies.  others are just inspirational and help by sharing similar experiences or give me a boost of positivity when i need it. i'm sure there are many others, so please share the ones you enjoy.

the michael j. fox foundation

parkinson's foundation

the davis phinney foundation

a soft voice in a noisy word

parkinson's journey

parking suns

defeat parkinson's

parkinson's humor

fred phillips

out thinking parkinson's

parkinson's news today

the science of parkinson's

aloha friday

looking forward to digging in my garden this weekend and going for a walk. the weather is gorgeous with clear blue skies which always brings me joy. enjoy your end of summer weekend!

burt reynolds - sad to hear of burt reynolds passing. he was a charmer, had a great laugh, and said of his life, "no one had more fun than i did"....hope to be as lucky.

without gorky - saw this interesting documentary on netflix about the family of Abstract Expressionist painter Arshile Gorky and how his life and death impacted his family. for some reason i've been on a documentary kick about families and their interesting dynamics.

embracing the present moment - when i have a tough day, this is a good reminder.

a tree grows in brooklyn - i just started reading this classic book selected as one the top 100 books of the century by the new york public library. it's a wonderful book and i'd love to hear your thoughts if you've read it.

a blast from the past - i've been watching these old videos on youtube that show all about different thoughts on lifestyle. this one is a crack up about how young people should take care of  their clothes in the 1940's.

the only royal palace in the US

yesterday we took a tour of iolani palace. the modern hawaiian monarchy was formed in 1810, when king kamehameha I consolidated rule of the hawaiian islands, until 1893 when the monarchy was overthrown and queen liliuokalani was deposed. the palace was built by her brother king david kalakaua, during his reign in 1879. it's a beautiful little palace in the center of town and it's been such a joy to drive by and see most of my life.

image credit

it's a lovely mixture of hawaiiana and western culture. the native koa wood furniture and staircase just glow with a patina. the dining room table is set with original tiffany silverware gifted from napoleon III from france and crystal from what was called bohemia (now the czech republic).

image source

each room features a different color filled with artifacts and period furniture, many of which were repatriated over time.

in 1893 the monarchy was overthrown and sadly queen liliuokalani was forced to abdicate and eventually imprisoned in one of the bedrooms in the palace for eight months. after her release she lived her remaining years in a residence called washington place, which was until recently the residence of the governor of hawaii. 

eventually hawaii was annexed by the united states government and became the 50th state in 1959. the palace was used for many years as various government offices and had come under disrepair. the group the friends of iolani palace was created to lead the effort of its restoration.

it's a wonderful tour and i'd recommend it to both visitors and residents. bravo to the docents and other guides who were wonderful!

fatigue

fatigue is a common symptom for those with chronic illness. it can range from being just annoying, to highly debilitating. for me it can be a low grade background tiredness that i can usually just continue on with my day, to days where i don't feel like doing much all. at first i tried to power through all the time, and found that created a lot of stress. i think it is a combination of trying to keep up with everyone else and trying to live the same life that i lead before i had parkinson's. but this is the new normal for me and just realizing that is a step forward and i'm learning to take on a more nuanced approach.

i've been learning to pay more close attention to my body and mind and getting better at knowing when to push and when it's just a slower day. sometimes doing an activity when you're tired can be helpful and can create some mental and physical energy. once you get kick started you start feeling better. other times i need to just pace myself with a bunch of different indoor activities and do them as i feel up to it. i call these days GTL. it's a silly reference from an old reality show called jersey shore where the stars were these vapid, self absorbed caricatures, and on days where they had nothing planned, they called it GTL for gym, tan, laundry.  silly i know but it makes me smile whenever i declare a GTL day!

my GTL consists of reading several different books, old movies, documentaries, family history research, listening to music or podcasts, gardening, house maintenance, cooking, and journaling. i find sometimes on these days it's harder to concentrate on one thing for a long period of time so i just flit back and forth and don't get stressed about whether i finish anything at all that day. it's about finding the right rhythm for me.

if you have fatigue, i'd love to hear your story and any strategies that you find helpful.

aloha friday

photo courtesy of Justin Ornellas

this weekend my inlaws are visiting from hawaii island (we call it the big island), so we are looking forward to spending time with them. we are also stopping by the made in hawaii festival that showcases locally made products. enjoy your weekend!

~between two ferns - zach galifianakis' show interviews famous people and is a total crack up. 

~beneath the scarlet sky - enjoyed this book. i'm not usually a ww2 book fan but the personal story was very moving. based on the true story this is an epic tale of one young man's incredible courage and resilience during world war II. pino lella is an italian teenager but his days of innocence are numbered. when his family home in milan is destroyed by allied bombs, pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the alps, and falls for anna, a beautiful widow. in an attempt to protect him, pino's parents force him to enlist as a german soldier--a move they think will keep him out of combat. but he is recruited to become the personal driver for general hans leyers, one of the third reich's most mysterious and powerful commanders. now, with the opportunity to spy for the allies, pino endures the horrors of the war and the nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.

~aware in care kit - many people with parkinson's or a chronic illness will have a visit to the hospital at some point. this is a great kit to have ready that will help hospital staff know about your condition so they can incorporate the knowledge into your treatment.

~ everlane linen box tee - this has been my favorite t-shirt this summer. it took me through the blazing humid road trip on the southeast coast and i've been wearing both the grey and navy colors constantly. i'm also only 5'2" and the length is perfect!

~ homage to the queen of soul - sad to hear of the passing of aretha franklin. she was truly one of a kind. however we are lucky to be left with her incredible music to enjoy forever. 

road trip here i come

For the last few weeks we were on a road trip. San Francisco, Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Charlotte, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York! Marc and I have never driven many of these southeast states and we had a fantastic time. We had a lot of wonderful conversations with people we met. Everyone from our Lyft driver to random folks on the street, and along the way ate some incredible food.

San Francisco –the weather was blazing hot everywhere we went except in San Francisco. The skies were sunny with cool breezes and we stayed in an airbnb in the Bernal Heights neighborhood, and enjoyed a wonderful little cafe across the street called Precita Cafe & Grill.

Golden Gate Park was in full bloom and has lots of interesting things to see including the Conservatory of Flowers.

Lolinda restaurant in the Mission. A bustling Argentinian restaurant with mostly small plates, melt in your mouth shortribs & provoletta which is melted provolone cheese drizzled with a chimichurri sauce. It was all delicious.

Redwood Regional Park in Oakland is a great place for a walk, hike, or picnic. The bed of green below are clovers and it was wonderful to soak up the nature. We will definitely be back for a hike.

Atlanta - What a terrific city. It was vibrant, tons of great places to eat, bustling businesses, and was the start of the incredible southern hospitality that was to come. A few highlights were the Ponce City Market, One Eared Stag, Piedmont Park, & The Lawrence.

This incredible place is called Wormsloe in Savannah Georgia. Savannah is just overflowing with old Southern charm and the antebellum architecture was just stunning. B. Mathews & A.Lure were two restaurants we enjoyed.

Charleston, South Carolina has a great buzz to it. It's a beautiful mix of older homes, newer buildings, and lots of young people moving into the city for opportunity. I loved it! We stayed at the Andrew Pickney Inn which was right in the heart of the historic district and walkable to great shopping and restaurants. Although we had many fabulous meals, one of my favorites on the entire trip was at Husk. If you visit, it's a must.

More to come in my next post with Charlotte, DC, Philadelphia, & Brooklyn!

aloha friday

photo courtesy of Justin Ornellas

this weekend we are going on an architectural walking tour of downtown and chinatown and then dinner at sorabol which is a fantastic korean restaurant. hope you enjoy the weekend!

~wild wild country - this documentary on netflix is so interesting. you can't make this stuff up!

~lauren's hope -these are the cutest medical id bracelets. yes you can still be stylish!

~this is such an inspiring story.

~send help, i can't stop making this sausage & broccoli pasta -bon appetit has a website called basically which has simple but delicious recipes. they are great for easy dinners.

~how to reduce social isolation while living with pd - this has great tips for all of us.

happy aloha friday...........

beauty without trying

sometimes it doesn't take any effort to grow something beautiful. when i was in real estate, i would put orchids in homes i was selling as part of the staging. then one day when the flowers died, i took the bare plants home and and crammed them into holes in the lava rock wall that runs along the walkway to my house. i spray them with water whenever i get a chance but that's about it. and voila!

it's funny how i try so hard to take care of some of the plants in my garden, and the one i ignored the most needed no help at all. hope you're keeping cool this summer!

aloha friday

happy fridays gals! next week we are headed off for a long road trip and i can't wait. san francisco, atlanta, savannah, charleston, charlotte, dc, philly, and nyc! have a wonderful weekend and here are a few bibs and bobs from around the web.

~something about the anxiety - a really personal and interesting article from fredrik backman 

~milk street - christopher kimball (formerly of america's test kitchen) has a fantastic show on pbs as well as a podcast that i really enjoy. although i enjoy america's' test kitchen, his newer concept with milk street is filled with "simple, bold recipes". on the 4th of july we grilled the singapore chicken satay skewers and they were delicious. 

~tips for traveling with parkinson's -this article has great tips for anyone traveling with a health challenge or takes medication.

~billions, showtime series- this is an awesome, hedonistic series about power, wealth, & corruption set in new york, but if you're a foodie it's even better if you look up this blog while you're watching it, that gives you information on all the cool restaurants they film in.

~striped cotton dress, linen tee - these two items from everlane are my favorites to wear this summer. the striped cotton dress is a great to throw on and go. it's cool and the fabric is just stiff enough that it has some structure. the linen tee was such a surprise. i didn't like linen in the past because it was too stiff and wrinkled in a strange way. but these tees are soft and again cool for the blistering summer heat!

~20 absorbing door stop novels for your summer reading - anne bogel has a great blog and podcast about books. just put the lake house and the time in between on my to be read list.

~are you an upholder, an obliger, a questioner, or a rebel? take gretchen rubin's quiz and find out. i'm an upholder.

subtle season changes

when you live in a climate like i do in hawaii, it's easy to let the years go by without much reference to the seasons. i recently listened to a podcast where the host remembered the books she read last summer because she remembered it was at the beach, which meant it was summer. well when you live in hawaii, that could be any day of the year (i know, i'm not complaining :).

in the past i was so busy that i didn't really notice, but now that i'm enjoying the slooooow life, i've been trying to notice the small changes that do happen, even in our climate. the wonderful thing is that certain patterns of memories evolve with the marking the seasons. here are few beautiful blooms in our little island garden.

the crepe myrtle is bursting with blooms. when we first moved in many years ago, it was a dying little plant and i had no idea what it was. i don't see many crepe myrtle in hawaii but i have ended up falling in love with gorgeous plant and look forward to seeing in bloom right outside my living room window. we are going on a road trip in a few weeks and can't wait to them in charleston s.c. and savannah georgia.

i wasn't expecting any mangoes this year as i pruned the tree pretty hard early this year and thought it wouldn't have much energy for fruit, but there is a cute little bunch. i do notice they are smaller than they normally are. this variety is called hayden and it's round with lots of sweet delicious flesh.

the torch ginger seem bloom all year long but in the summer the plants seem more lush and full of flowers. these are great for arrangements because they last quite a while.

the agapanthus wasn't getting as much sun as it needed so in the past it didn't bloom too much but this year it's going great. i don't know what type it is. it's smaller than the other type i have so it might even be some type of lily. if you know please let me know in the comments.

hope you're enjoying your summer and i'd love to see the signs of summer in your part of the world!