fall is finally here

Last night Marc and I kicked off the weekend with a Lilikoi Lemon Drop cocktail. We have a tangle of lilikoi (passion fruit, the photo is the flower) growing on a fence and the fruit has a marvelous tropical tart and sweet flavor. There was a toast to the weather finally starting to cool down and the feeling that the holidays will be here soon. It will certainly be a subdued holiday season for all the obvious reasons but I’m hoping to carve out little bits of celebration here and there. In Hawaii, since the weather is virtually the same year round with just the most subtle change, we have to sort of make up the seasons by marking time with holidays and the foods we eat. 

Summertime is avocado and mango season. The fall and winter have lots of citrus. Back in the day, people used to plant trees and shrubs in their yards with edible fruit. So if you drive around the older neighborhoods you’ll see an abundance of avocado and mango trees, lemons and limes, pomegranate, bananas and Surinam cherries.

We also don’t have a winter wardrobe, so what I do instead is create one by changing the color palette. I put away my pinks and pastels and bring out my greys and black. I swap out a burgundy purse, bring out a few jackets that I hope I get the chance to wear a couple of times and light scarves to go with them. It’s fun to bring them out and see them again with fresh eyes.

On PD news, Michael J. Fox has a new book coming out next week called No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality. It’s a memoir that shares his more recent life and includes some candid challenges he has recently faced, after living with Parkinson’s for almost thirty years. I’m looking forward to reading it not only because I’ve enjoyed his previous books, but I don’t think I’ve read a PD book with a perspective that spans such a long time. His writing is both deeply personal but humorous at the same time which is helpful with such a heavy topic.

Thanks to those who have let me know about the new PD Advocacy group called the PD Avengers. Started by twelve people in the PD community that may be familiar faces to you, I just love their attitude and energy. Sign up on their site to become a PD Avenger and forward to a friend.

United to End Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s was discovered over 200 years ago. Since then humanity has put men on the moon, eradicated polio, changed HIV from a death sentence to a chronic illness, has mapped the human genome and discovered thousands of galaxies among the stars; and yet, has provided precious little beyond that one fifty-year-old drug for Parkinson’s. We are tired of it.

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For my people whose official name I’m now calling PD Sweeties (I recently started asking PwP if their sweet tooth is increasing and the overwhelming response is yes!) here is the latest thing I baked. These Morning Glory Muffins from Sally’s Baking Addiction were delicious. They are very flexible with substitutions, are just a little sweet but are definitely in the muffin category and not heading into cake territory. Chock full of apples, carrots, nuts, and raisins and great with tea in the afternoon.

It’s not the big things we do once in a great while, but the small things we enjoy everyday that count. Enjoy your weekend and as always I love to hear from you.