The notion of spring cleaning is pretty simple, it’s more like packing up all the winter things into boxes and preparing for spring! There are some people who are so organized they can practically reorganize their home and their wardrobe for a change in season on a whim. I, of course, count myself as one of those people. Okay, don’t get me wrong, I am not so OCD that every guest who enters my home has to be totally disinfected.
I can say I am organized when it comes to my home and things. But… and I mean I do have my limitations, next time, we need to hire someone to do some major physical work around the house. It’s not worth bending over for hours on hours in a given week (or day) to get things spic and span for the summer months to come, and have blood rushing to my head to the point of feeling like I got stuck upside down on a roller coaster. Nor is it worth the pressure of fluid running into my ears and neck, plus the tension that hurts so bad from bending over for hours on hours.
I learned my lesson, I scrubbed the balcony (which is huge) not to mention the exterior walls, too! I toiled as well by cleaning and scrubbing both of my fur babies. I practically scoured the bathrooms until I could eat off the floor. All of which had me bending over and upside down for hours. Need I elaborate on what those hours meant to my poor ravaged hands and body, and back!
Well, we recently sold our dream home, yep, that’s right! I hate to say it out loud, I’m angry, but at who? Mother Nature? I would have never have fathomed a Tsunami happening of the magnitude in which we experienced… BUT, being so close to the ocean was enough to put me on edge, the logical practicality of that happening was not paranoia, but I couldn’t see living in a home where I had to constantly live in fear. Constantly jumping at every jolt or tremor. ( We spent a few years planning and building process all started before the devastating Tsunami happened here in Japan).
After coming back to our home in Japan, after what I would call a very, long vacation of emotional cleansing, our tenants in our Tower Condo’s lease was up. It was time to downsize, and remodel (but it’s only four years old) and start the search all over again, buy land, make plans, or move into a larger Condo? We lost a lot of our time, but it’s worth it for peace of mind. We didn’t lose much money, thank god!!! So I may bore you with the details every now and then with re-building our dream home, yet, AGAIN.
Where was I? Oh, yes! Spring Cleaning, In conclusion, I gave the mister a very generous option…“the next time spring cleaning comes up, it’s either we hire a company to do it or YOU do it yourself!” It’s a pretty simple choice if you ask me.
Smoked Salmon Crostini
- 1 Loaf of French Bread (We grab something from our favorite bakery shop, in Japan, there is a Bakery on every corner, (not every corner, but if you live in town, or on the outskirts, you’ll find a gem in your neighborhood which reminds me of home in NYC!) We normally pick up something made of spelt flour or (Genmai: Brown Rice)
- 1 package of Smoked Salmon
- 1/2 package of cream cheese (I use no more than a tablespoon which is approximately 60 calories)
- 1 container of ricotta cheese (optional)
- 1 small container of sour cream (full fat)
Note: We mix three cheeses, and top it off with a sprig of rosemary, but basil tastes quite lovely as well. This is quick, it’s a nice powerhouse snack that will fill you up with the right amount of carbs and protein.
Photography Data:
Dušan Zidar
ApertureFNumber: f/4.0
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D300
ExposureTime: 1/160
FNumber: 4/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 200
MaxApertureValue: 10/10
MeteringMode: 5
LightSource: 0
Flash: 0
FocalLength: 500/10
