If you like decadent little treats, especially those that go well with tea, then you’ll LOVE wagashi, the Japanese treats traditionally served during the chaji (the Japanese tea ceremony with food). Wikipedia has a page on wagashi, with a link to articles (some of which have pictures) of 20 different kinds of wagashi. The tiny confections are extremely artful and comparably healthy for a dessert, as the main ingredients usually consist of azuki beans, followed by various fruits, vegetables, nuts, and/or grains. Oh, and sugar. During the chaji, wagashi are served after the meal and before the drinking of Matcha, the finest green tea in powdered form. Pictured is a tray of simple wagashi from thisnext.com.
Thinking about visiting Michigan? Great!… But bring your umbrella during the warmer half of the year and your parka during the colder half of the year, and don’t be surprised if you don’t need your sunscreen. We get sunshine about 3 out of 7 days each week. With little sunshine, bitter winters, muggy rainy summers, and a mountainless landscape, you would think that no one would be living in Michigan anymore. Despite the negatives, though, Michigan is a comfortable, exciting, unique place. The wilderness up north is gorgeous. We’re surrounded by some of the world’s largest lakes, and you can’t walk anywhere without practically tripping over one of our smaller lakes. The dunes on the west side of Michigan are especially tall and sandy, and you don’t have to deal with the unbe
arably salty water that comes with oceans. We may not have mountains, but we have plenty of ski hills and some of the world’s largest indoor rock climbing gyms. Our historical areas can’t be missed: there’s Mackinac Island, with the original Fort Mackinac and historical nature trails; Greenfield Village, a beautifully preserved historical village with its own railroad and details such as tables set for dinner and historical actors creating clothes the “old fashioned” way; Dutch Village, with a working windmill and plenty of tulips and Dutch candles; and too many cultural attractions in Detroit to mention. The University of Michigan’s several huge libraries, museums, and performance centers are some of the best in the country and attract important people from around the world whom visit Michigan to perform, give lectures, and study. So, don’t forget to bring your camera, notebook, and hiking shoes (or should I say – your iPhone, Mac, and Birkenstocks)!
Yesterday marked a turning point in which, after catching a bug on Friday, I felt well enough to be mostly my normal self. I documented the stages of this cold (or was it a flu?) by the day, including the vitamins and herbal teas I had, so that next time I catch a bug, I can find out a little more about the things that help one to heal.
- Friday: Woke up with a mild sore throat, which lasted all day. Felt a little worse in the evening. Drank Chamomile Blossom tea around lunchtime and Eucalyptus Mint Echinacea/Vitamin C Herbal Tea in evening.
- Saturday: Sore throat was gone, but I had a stuffy/runny nose. Also felt a little light-headed or otherwise out of balance. Felt worse in the evening after work – sore and headachey. Drank Eucalyptus Mint Tea during the day and once in evening.
- Sunday: Felt uncomfortable even sitting, slightly weak, throat glands swollen but tonsils looked fine, light-headed. Headache all day, later on especially under/in back of my right ear, which couldn’t hear as well because of congestion blockage (?). Took vitamin C, multi-vitamin, Zinc, and B12 with lunch, and took another vitamin C and Zinc in the evening. Drank Eucalyptus Mint Tea a little bit during the day.
- Monday: Same as Sunday. Headache around ear worse before I took a nap. Felt better sometimes when I yawned and could get my ear to “pop” and clear the congestion blockage. Took vitamin C, multi-vitamin, Zinc, and B12 with breakfast, and took another vitamin C and Zinc in the evening.
- Tuesday: Ache around ear gone, but headache lasted until the evening and went away probably around the time I went to bed. Took homeopathic headache pills in evening before and after dinner, and took vitamin C, multi-vitamin, and Zinc after dinner.
- Wednesday: Headache gone. Feeling better overall, with more energy and clarity. Coughing mostly in the morning (congested lungs), with coughing throughout the rest of the afternoon. Still regular congestion; affects how I sound. Evening: Very little to no coughing. Nasal congestion, but very bearable. Took vitamin C, multi-vitamin, Zinc, and B12 with lunch. Drank Blueberry Yogurt Green Tea in afternoon.
