A R C H I V E D...S U N D A Y...M O N T H L Y S

Issue #5, Mar. 2024

My neighbor, Suzanne, loves the snow... while I can hardly wait to plant spring flowers.

Luckily (for me, not Suzanne), winter has been mostly sunny this year.

C E L E B R A T I N G B R A Z I L ' S N A T I O N A L C O C K T A I L

W H Y B R A Z I L ?

I grew up knowing my Brazilian relatives. They live in Sao Paolo. So, when I received an email from a Brazilian woman who had taken a DNA test through Ancestry.com, I was not surprised. What was surprising is that she is not related to the (Lorenzi) relatives I know. According to Ancestry, we are 3rd cousins - likely sharing a great-great-grandparent. But even after nine years of amateur sleuthing, we have not found our connection. This elusive link has not stopped us from forming that special kind of friendship made only through an ancestral bond.

I mean... come on...

I nix the earrings, don some shades, and wha-lah...

who knew that posing and wardrobe were genetic?!!

In a united effort to find our common ancestor, Rosie and I logged into "Portale Antenati" (ancestral portal to Italian online vital records.) We did this Sherlock Holmes-ing in the evenings through Facebook Messenger so that we could communicate instantly. Whenever one of us found a promising record, we'd send it to the other for confirmation or rejection. Our project ran hot and cold depending on what else was happening in our lives. I will always cherish those evenings padded with family lore and lots of laughs.

Rosie moved to New Jersey in 1997 at age 40, taught herself English, got a high school diploma, then a Masters Degree in Social Work - and raised three accomplished children. It wasn't easy. I am in AWE, so proud, so impressed.

When I recently asked Rosie to share a Brazilian recipe for the Sunday Monthly, she sent:

C A I P I R I N H A

....

Brazil's National Cocktail

Caipirinha (kai-purr-REEN-yah) is typically made

with three ingredients:

Cachaça, Limes, & Sugar.

Cachaça (kah-SHAH-sah) is only produced in Brazil and when first imported into the States, it was erroneously listed as a type of rum. However, cachaça was most likely developed before rum (maybe in the 1500s) and is sometimes credited as Latin America's first distilled beverage.

While cachaça is made from freshly pressed sugar cane juice, rum is most often distilled from sugar by-products like molasses. If you use rum and add mint, you'll find yourself holding a mojito.)

1 juicy lime, cut into wedges, pith removed
2 ounces cachaça (or vodka, per Rosie)
2 teaspoons sugar (or 1 T)
1 T lime juice
6 ounces crushed ice
lime for garnish

in a cocktail shaker, gently muddle lime and sugar
stir in cachaça and lime juice
add crushed ice and shake vigorously
transfer to old-fashioned glasses
garnish with a lime wheel

TIP: Don't use simple syrup as granulated sugar is needed to extract the lime peels’ essential oils.

As Rosie would say ... Saúde!

Have you heard of blue light filtering eyeglasses? Manufacturers claim they filter out the blue light emitting from computers and smartphones which may cause eye strain.

Peepers by PeeperSpecs

However, according to a study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology in 2021, there is no evidence that these glasses really help.

The thought is that blue light is not to blame for eye strain but that we don't blink as often as we should when using our devices. So, just blink more.

Filters over 40% of high-energy visible blue light.

7-Layer Anti-Reflective Coating

Dual Anti-Scratch Coating

UV400, UVA/UVB Protection

Imported, Polycarbonate Frame,

Acrylic Lens, Non Polarized

Sizes and strengths listed on

www.peepers.com

My style is "Layover."

However, according to a study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology in 2021, there is no evidence that these glasses really help.

The thought is that blue light is not to blame for eye strain but that we don't blink as often as we should when using our devices. So, just blink more.

Although Rosie and I have paused our search until new records are published, I've continued to read old records, from time to time, to put final touches on my family tree. In the past, I did eye exercises that I learned at a spa in Palm Springs - closing them and rolling clockwise, counter-clockwise, left-right, up-down, and diagonally. It seemed to help - really.

I should see an optometrist someday instead of picking up random readers at the grocery store. Until then, I'm wearing my cute animal print Peepers. Possibly psychosomatic, but my eyes are no longer strained.

Below: An 1808 marriage record shows why my eyes felt strained!

R E A D E R D E S I G N Q U E S T I O N

A former client needs a new rug. A big one, about 10' x 14'. The last one I found for her was at the San Francisco Design Center - in a showroom that had piles and piles and more piles of Persian, Afghani, Tibetan, and Turkish rugs. I stood by, feeling somewhat guilty, while the showroom assistant folded back each rug by its corner for me to see. Kept my fingers crossed that the perfect one would be close to the top.

But what do homeowners do when they can't see rugs in person? Do what I did for my own new rug. I first searched online for hand-knotted rugs. I wouldn't actually splurge for hand-knotted (I have other priorities now) but I wanted to hit companies that sold good quality rugs. I knew they would also have machine-made options. I bypassed Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, etc.

I landed on rugs-direct.com and browsed through antique-y, faded styles filtered by beige and gold colors. Great! I found a few and put them in my shopping cart. Then studied them until narrowing down to one: the "Maharaja - 661C" in color gold. Last step: I bought a 2' x 3' knowing that if I didn't like it, I could use it at one of my doors. But, it was perfect. So I confidently ordered an 8' x 11' for $1200.

BUT WAIT, there's more... they were having HUGE sale. So, my total with tax and shipping was $596. Was I lucky to shop for rugs on the very day rugs-direct.com was having a sale? No, it's a gimmick - they are still having this sale today, two-plus years later.