I did a Yelp review for Pho Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant Palm Bay, FL :  I gave it 3 stars because I tasted only one soup which I’ll be back for. I went today for the first time. Pho Bolsa opened last month at the former site of Fiesta Azteca and it’s been completely redone inside. I eat pho and asian noodle soups all over town. PhoViet on Hwy 192 is my current favorite.  At Pho Bolsa, I had the vegetarian noodle soup $5.95. It was full of broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, carrot, squash and tofu as well as rice noodles.  A very flavorful broth, frankly I expected just broth and noodles, so I took the vegs home with half the broth. The beef pho looked good but I wasn’t in the mood for slabs of meat. The stirfry dishes looked good and were served beautifully plated. There were 7 tables, 17 diners at 12:30pm. Service was timely and  pleasant. No basil accompanied the bean sprouts, lemon wedge and jalapeno but the broth was so flavorful, I didn’t ask for it. They have a tom yum on the dinner menu only, it’s served as a noodle soup for $10.50. I will return for that and for the pho as well. Pleasant, serene atmosphere, ambient music, I sat in the main dining room, a wide open space with a high ceiling, natural and overhead lighting. There is more cozy seating in the other side. Don’t be fooled by the paper menu with items crossed off, there is nothing shabby about Pho Bolsa. Good food, pleasant people, I’ll be back.

Golden Pothos

I’ve been enjoying working in the yard the past few months. The landscape here changes with every drop of dew and every blossom. Yesterday I pulled all the thin, cut bamboo poles out of the garden and lined them up to choose by size to weave a fence for new area.  I cut my 80 feet long giant golden pothos into manageable 4 feet lengths and planted in the front berm. The pothos was a giant wall, leaves twice as big as dinner plates, until the cold dropped the leaves and left me with only one 80 feet long bare strand. I first prepared the ground for it by stabbing a shovel into the ground to break up the roots, then pulling up all the crabgrass and wedelia. I planted the cuttings in 3 horizontal rows 8″ (20 cm) apart and 8″ deep. I watered it all in then covered with several inches of mulch. That part of the yard is closest the street but it’s also under high shade all day. I thought I’d spend some time and effort making my yard pretty for whoever passes by.    Continue reading →

Digging in the yard I am reminded where old boundary lines were as I encounter the old bricks. Each year as I dig, I widen the boundary a little bit to give the plants more sun since every year the oak overhead covers the area with a little bit more shade. It hurts as I run into the boundaries unexpectedly and even though they are embedded deep and they are heavy, they are relatively easy to move with a little leverage from the shovel. I smooth the land out and fill it back in and move my boundary several feet wider in the never ending quest to stay in the light.

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold that the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped a load of hot dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of shit, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung. The cat promptly dug the bird out, killed him and ate him.  Lesson:
1. Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
2.  Not everyone who pulls you out of shit is your friend.
3.  If you’re warm and happy in your pile of shit, keep your mouth shut!

Cassadaga friends: mutual friends tell me Victor’s been posting on his public Facebook accusing his sister of wrongdoing in their dad’s death, saying a $400,000 bond was ordered by the court because there’s a question of integrity. A probate bond is standard when someone challenges a will as Vic is doing. The amount ordered is a percentage of the assets, nothing to do with integrity. It’s math.  Victor does not know the law. He cites inapplicable law out of context. He said they were in family court and the judge heard criminal allegations. It’s a Probate matter and that’s not how Probate court works. He fabricated what happened in court.  He was instructed to stop. Continue reading →

Since I’m spontaneous and apt to change my mind at the last minute, I don’t get irked when others do the same. I was scheduled to meet a pal this morning and she had a change of plans. She wanted to play instead. I get that! So I switched my Monday duties with Tuesday’s and problem solved. I always have a Plan B, and a Plan C and D as well. If I didn’t, well I’d just take note of where I am and what I need, and focus on the next best step.

I just finished a book that people are raving about. Everyone except those who’ve had a session with the author, a self described medical medium. I catch things the casual reader misses. It’s not much different than other books in the genre. The first part is the promotional back story of how amazing the author is from an early age, and that no one else does what he does. Like other books of its type, he gives case histories of people he’s diagnosed and healed. He mentions a dozen popular diseases, his theory on the origins and gives advice on nutritional supplements. Publishing in the body/mind/spirit genre, I received review copies of every new release since 1992 so I see patterns in books that casual readers don’t see. Many books are reworded compilations.    Continue reading →

Working in the side yard, Fed Ex drops a box at my door. I know he doesn’t see me so I call out, “thank you!” I swore he called back “I love you!” We hear what we want to hear.

To anyone who’s disappointed, stay hopeful. It’s still progress. It took more than one election cycle to put this system in place, it will take more than one to morph it. No matter who’s elected, no matter by what means, don’t take score too soon. It’s still progress. More people are more aware than at this time last year. Too little too late? Matters not. Rigged voting? Matters not. Give this stew time to brew. Change is in the air. We’re stronger than we think. It’s still progress. I’m hopeful.

THE WORM’S WAKING by Rumi.
This is how a human being can change: there’s a worm addicted to eating grape leaves. Suddenly he wakes up, call it grace, whatever, something wakes him, and he’s no longer a worm. He’s the entire vineyard,and the orchard too, the fruit, the trunks, a growing wisdom and joy that doesn’t need to devour.

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