Go-Togethers

In my mail, a page full of recipes combining various fruits and vegetables for refreshing summer combo's.

We can't combine just everything or anything. Or can we? Everyone does, nowadays. If it isn't fused, it isn't used.

Still, "Tomato-Melon Salad" just doesn't strike right on my ear.  I am sure it's delicious. But--

Tomatoes are so dominant in their way.  They have all those little seeds, and the jellylike matrix of the seeds, which has its own particular taste...and the ripeness and the strain of the tomato makes a big difference.

ALSO.  All the melons I get now were picked green and ripened with some alien gases probably in a big anti-fungal warehouse somewhere.  They have a strange flavor and terrible texture.

I know, I need to go to the Farmer's Market. I don't, much.  Being a senior citizen.  That's my excuse.  I do need to shop for better fruit.

When I was a kid and we lived in Laredo, Texas,---you wouldn't believe the wonderful melons we used to get in summertime.  They were grown in the ideal melon growing country near El Paso, said my grandfather, who received them with gratitude and appreciation.  They were sweet, soft, fragrant, and full of the mysterious savor of canteloupe.

 Yesterday when Patricia was here, we had tower of enchiladas (the pork, tortillas, and sauce left over from the tacos I made earlier in the week, all stacked up in layers and topped with cheese) and we also had "Salad of the Season"==thank you for the name, COCO's== with thinly sliced red onions, field greens, and whatever seasonal fruit is available. Mine had sliced nectarines and raspberries with a sweetish dressing.  Very delicious.  Sliced toasted almonds would have been good too but I didnt have any.  And yes, those onions and those fruits went together perfectly, thank you.  YAZZYBEL

Back to Aurora

Good day.

Back again to my theme, about Aurora.

My latest take on the story is that the psychiatrist told the U. of Colorado of her "alarm" over Mr Holmes's ideations....

So out of her hands...I think the U. of Colorado called the cops.  Not sure.  If they did, they could say, "It's out of our hands."

If they did not call the police, they could have been waiting to see what might happen.

What might have happened, happened.

Either way, there are some links of humane treatment missing along the line. Human and humane involvement.  "We were respecting his right to privacy." is one answer.  What could be done at this point?

"Mr. Holmes, we respect your right to privacy. However, the civil code dictates that you are to be accompanied every moment for an indefinite period of time, in order that we can make sure you don't injure self or others.   Perhaps, sir, you have some interesting plans or papers to share with us?  We'll make this as private as possible."

What would that entail?  Money, for sure.  Taking responsibility. Caring.

How many of my readers have seen those commercials for one or the other mind-altering pharmaceutical, where the gal is dancing around to beautiful music, while the flowers and butterflies float around her?  Happy stuff.  While the voice in the background tells us in no uncertain terms that this preparation may cause serious depression, thoughts of suicide, even perhaps homicide...but who listens to that?? 

I think the doctor who prescribes any of the medications on a certain list ( long and popular list nowadays) ...that doctor should be held responsible for the consequences.  Responsible.  Oh no!! How could he/she?  Not his fault.  This is an independent adult that's being treated.

That sort of consequence would require some alterations in the medical code and the penal code.  Right now, they can give the medication and never look twice.  They can.  Not all do.  I am sure many are keeping as careful an eye as they can, while simultaneously shaking in their boots.

Nobody reads my blog, but if there is anybody out there who agrees with what I say, I'd appreciate an answer. Or even if they disagree: I would not mind a better idea.  Mr Holmes deserved more than to go around murdering people.  So did the young man of Tucson, and countless others who have killed either themselves or other people.  The world deserves better than this.  It's gotta stop.  YAZZYBEL

So Shut Up Alreaady

Good mornin'. 

One of my sisters just told me, "STOP obsessing about food, YAZZY!"   And this on the day that I was going to write about how I started cooking. And how I didn't start, as most of the others did, with my mama's cooking.

Well, I'll just skip that topic.  Though there doesn't seem to be much on my mind lately but food and death.  Of the two, food seems preferable. I'll try to go on to a less irritating subject.
Aging.

I'm getting older and I am beginning to realize that my face won't be the same face at ninety, should I live so long, as it was at eighty.  It certainly wasnt the same at eighty as at seventy.  Recently discovered snapshots prove that without a doubt.

My lower face is starting to pooch out around the mouth, creating a sort of muzzle.  Not an attractive muzzle either; sort of a floppy and (OLD) looking muzzle.

I knew a red-headed freckled faced long nosed gal who had a real muzzle-shaped face.  She was just beautiful and looked like a fox, a gorgeous face if it all comes together and hers did.

Mine won't.  It's like I said, a bit puffy and saggy at the same time.  And above it, (though shrouded in Aristotle Onassis wrinkles) my same little four year old's eyes looking out at the world.  Well, that is the deal of the cards.....I'll keep doing my facial exercises.

Now I ask you, isn't food better than this? I am closing for now, to eat a delicious lunch a la mexicana that is about to get ready on the stove. I may tell you about it tomorrow, and then, again, I may not. Love, YAZZYBEL

A Long Alarm

Good morning!

I just heard or read that the psychiatrist of James Holmes, Dr. Lynne Fenton, became "alarmed" in June regarding his state of mental imbalance.  She reported it to the University of Colorado, who did nothing.

That was it.  No excuses, no reasons, and no responsibility.

I'm sorry, Dr. Fenton and Colorado University, but alarm does not last that long---June to now.  It's too strong, too intense an emotion to be sustained.

When you get an alarm, you turn it off and go into action.  And turning it over to an institution or a committee is not action, most of the time.  Followthrough was needed, and quick decisions "just in case."

I personally think Holmes's parents should have been notified, and if they were, they too should have moved to take some action regarding their son's condition of mind.  Though I know from experience that parents are largely powerless in these situations where the kid is an "adult."  But of all people in the world they are the ones who know him best and their input might have been valuable in the prevention of a mass killing.

This is a situation where a real evaluation of what happened when, who knew what when, could be of great help in preventing another similar situation.  Nothing is going to happen unless the (associate)perps are held to account, either.  There needs to be a law dealing with the responsibility of giving out drugs and the need for accountability.  YAZZYBEL

Taco Salad Tacos, Polenta Cornbread, and other diversions

Sunday==break time.

The other night I made the best tacos.  They were Taco Salad Tacos.  What made them worthy of the name?

Nowadays I often"fry" tortillas in the oven. So when I was making this dish, I sprayed a large cookie sheet and put in three corn tortillas (they can over lap, it doesn't matter) and cooked them a time until they were a little crisp around the edges. Then I folded two of them and kept the one flat. After the taco meat was prepared, I made the tacos in this order.  Lay a tortilla on a plate, add cut up lettuce, tomato, onion and add a little salad dressing of your choice...add the meat, add half the third taco broken up, add hot sauce, add cheese, add sour cream if you like. (I like but I always forget it nice though it is.)  Do it again with the other taco.  What makes these tacos pleasant is the little broken up pieces of lightly 'fried' tortilla, than which there is no pleasanter substance.

Polenta Cornmeal came about because I was trying to buy Italian yellow cornmeal as it is not Genetically Modified. *

I could only find quick-cook polenta, so today I made a little bowl of polenta, salt, soda, lemon juice and milk, mixed it all up and baked it at 400 degrees on a well buttered cooky sheet.  It came out thin, round and brown around the edges like a giant sugar cooky.  I cut it in eighths.  It was too salty, one, and it was a little grainy, two. Which means that cornbread needs that wheat flour that's in it in order to smooth out the results. However, it is edible and I am having some for my lunch with the gravy from the Meals on Wheels dinner.  And I didnt want to put in any wheat.

* Genetically Modified in this instance probably means that the corn genes were melded with the genes of a poison that will kill the insects that eat the corn.  Think about that.  It is not supposed to hurt us folks, but here is how it kills the corn insects: it blows out their little insides. 
Recently you may have read of Leaky Gut Syndrome.  This is what it is.  Those little teeny genes of GM corn/ insecticide are supposed to blow out little teeny holes in our intestines, allowing food to leak out and causing all kinds of heck in our body cavities.  I don't know; I'm just sayin'.  I look for foreign corn meal with no GM attributes.

Today in church, wardrobe attributes were confused.  I myself started the morning in a light crepe shirt, which I returned to sender and preplaced with a tee and a warm jacket before leaving the house.  A few wore the pale and jaunty remnants of midsummer (and looked cold), and a few had gone back to suits and ties or a combination of summer/fall that just didn't look right.  It's warm out now, but it wasn't at seven, plus it was dark dark dark.  The sun has now come out; a stew is simmering in the slow cooker I purchased at the Home Avenue Goodwill on the way home after church, and all is well here on Fairway Court, thanks be to God.  YAZZYBEL

The Psychiatrist Enters the Pictire

Good evening. Here I am writing about the Aurora shooting again.

I have heard some news items about the psychiatrist of the person whom I call "the shooter."

She is a person of position in the faculty of the Medical School, and has the responsibility of treating 12-20 students in the Medical School who were in need of psychotropic medication.  What did students do, and how did they get through med school, before there were psychotropic medications to carry them along?

I'm sorry. I am a veteran /survivor of the psychiatric practice in the United States. I never have had to be treated, thank God, but my son did.  I know but too well how medications are routinely prescribed for these unhappy youths, and what the awful results can be.

I think the psychiatrist and the Medical School of the State of Colorado should have to give long and explicit explanations as to what went on with the young man who killed twelve and wounded many others, garbed in garish clothing and apparently in a state approaching zombie-ism, emotionless and cunning.  He spent quite a bit of time rigging up his apartment too, with explosive devices in order to harm the first responders who went in.  These processes, setting up the killings, and setting up his apartments, for death-dealing, can't have been accomplished in a short time.  What was his psychiatrist hearing?  What was she thinking?  How much did she perceive of his deep distress and the awful turnabout of his mind that put him on the path to horrible death?

We can't know yet.  Perhaps she will gain some insight into her oversight. I am sure she is crying and distressed deeply now.  It's terrible to have to stand in the aftermath of tragedy.

More of my thoughts about psychiatric medicating  as they come up. And perhaps then, I'll shut up and go back to tacos which is what I was going to write about yesterday. YAZZYBEL

Carrying On

Well, the people of Aurora, CO, are carrying on with the help of the television industry.  It is almost too awful to watch, all the grief and misery, and all the focus on the terrible incident---the argument about firearms and the Second Amendment--what the President said and what the Nominee said.

Here's what I have further found out about the shooter.  He wrote a book or comic sketch of stick figures being shot by somebody.  This is called "telegraphing," calling attention to one's plans before they come off.  Does the shooter want someone to stop him, or is he daring people to figure him out before he does something terrible? In this case, since the writings apparently were not opened or paid attention to before the fact, it is all a guess.  The ploy was a dud.

Some psychiatrists in his graduate program have made pronouncements, mainly, from what I have grasped, "I knew nothing. I know nothing."  Doesnt anyone who worked in his immediate vicinity have any clue as to what he was really like, what he was thinking about anything?  We won't know until the dust has settled and the complete story has been written, which brings us to a situation that has eerie recollections of another recent story: the Penn State coverup of a hideous reality in its midst.  It is very likely that the 'truth' will never be made public, as to who knew whom or what, unless one fluke comes out of the dark with some claim on the public attention, which doesn't seem likely if this guy was as withdrawn and solitary as he appears to be.  His parents are laying low; apparently they are 'cooperating' with authorities, but if they are saying anything valuable it is not for public ears, yet.

It is possible for a young guy to be solitary and withdrawn, and still be a normal person?  Yes, but I am sorry to tell you that it is normal for a human being  to have deeply dark impulses and thoughts.  What makes them worth acting out is the question.

That is all I have to say about Aurora at this point.
We know nothing except for the grief of the American children, young and old, who were present at that debacle or who suffered terrible losses because of it.  Perhaps I'll be moved to write more about it later. I have nothing new to say, I know. Maybe about the medications...YAZZYBEL