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Split personality. Liking the arts, especially opera, and hockey and Los Toros. I know, I know THAT one is non pc currently. But I can't help it saw some in Spain and got hooked, but good. But on the other hand right now opera and hockey are in the forefront!

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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Love of Blood Oranges

Spooning the juicy tartly sweet pink flesh of grapefruits gave me flashbacks to yesteryear.
Those early grapefruits - somewhat of a rare "treat"- were thick skinned, palely yellow with dry flesh and truly sour - almost astringent. Only edible with lots of sugar.
Healthy Stuff!
Wikipedia: "Grapefruit contains large quantities of a simple polyamine called spermidine which may be related to aging. It is known to be necessary for cell growth and maturation, and as cells age their level of spermidine is known to fall. Scientists have shown that feeding spermidine to worms, fruit flies and yeast significantly prolongs their lifespan. In addition, adding spermidine to the diet of mice decreased molecular markers of aging, and when human immune cells were cultured in a medium containing spermidine, they also lived longer".

On the other hand, the richly colored, deliciously juicy blood oranges from Spain were quite a treat. One had to be careful not to squirt the sweet juices everywhere.
Now, just the other day I saw some and - remembering this treat from then - bought some. What disappointment.
They were small, with dry, hard peels and blotchy brownish red flesh which was very stringy. And had almost no flavor.  What a waste of good money.
Have our taste buds changed that much?
I don't know.
My 'love for 1 or 3 blood oranges' is no longer.
Despite Prokofiev.

And talking of flashbacks...

I just read a novel, which seems to have been years in the writing, by Selden Edwards, called THE LITTLE BOOK.
Half plays out in 1897 Vienna which was reason number one for me to buy.
Half plays in 1980's USA. It also incorporates time travel, which allows the author to cover history made, and in the making.
It's a marvel of soaring imagination.
And a joy to read.
Unless the reader can't wrap his mind around time travel backward where 3 generations appear at the same time in the same place, namely Vienna in 1897.
Grandfather, Father and Son.
Plus a few more unexpected themes, equally imaginary.
Have I whet your appetite,  Chers Readers?
Raed and comment if you will.

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