Let's talk about hummingbirds and veggies instead of chemo

Today was another hot, humid day under a colorless sky that threatened rain all day but never delivered.  The heat doesn’t seem to have slowed the   little hummingbirds down.  They have been flitting about on the deck, dive-bombing each other, and occasionally surprising us by  hovering very close to the kitchen window, looking in, then zooming back and forth while their tiny wings  making  loud humming noises. They are amazing little creatures and are quite aggressive and territorial, frequently chasing each other off the feeder so they can eat alone.

It has been a lazy day and I got very little accomplished.   I’m never quite sure whether I really am tired from the chemo or whether I’m just becoming lazy and lethargic. I certainly seem to move more like a sloth than a hummingbird lately.  I did cook a tasty meal for supper tonight: poached flounder with herb sauce, rice pilaf, and braised  kale with  garlic and Parmesan.

I had bought the kale with the intention of making kale chips, but  knew that I wouldn’t get around to doing that for a couple of days, and it really did need to be used up, so I decided to make  braised kale instead of the spinach I had planned on. Produce should keep a little longer in the fridge now since the  FreshPaper I ordered arrived in the mail  today.  We had run out and I kept forgetting to order more, but having to toss out some nasty wilted, slimy greens last week reminded me.  The greens had  morphed into an alien  life form in the crisper drawer.  I read about  FreshPaper a couple of years ago, ordered some online and discovered that it really does work to keep food fresh longer. Fresh paper comes in eight sheet packs, with each sheet lasting about a month. The sheets, which resemble thick paper towels, are five and a half inches by  four and a half inches. According to the company website  FreshPaper is infused with spices that inhibit bacterial & fungal growth, as well as enzymes that cause over-ripening. One of the spices used is fenugreek, which gives the sheets a maple  syrup scent. One sheet tossed in the crisper drawer will keep produce fresh and crisp much longer, cutting down on wasted food.

Now if I could just find something to keep me fresh and crisp longer.  Maybe a good night’s sleep will do the trick. I hope so, since we have a trip to the art museum planned for tomorrow.