Middle Eastern Falafel and Disappointments

Sadly my days have pretty much been boiled down to what I am going to make for dinner.  And again, thankfully I love cooking.  I wake up thinking... "what am I doing to make tonight?"  There aren't many options on any given day as I can't just go out and get an extra ingredient or two if spontaneity or creativity strikes. On Thursday I tried out a new recipe for Falafel and new recipe for flat bread.  I had made Mujadara before but combined these two recipes for tonight. The first time I made Mujadara the fried onions were not crunchy and the frying of them made such a mess so this time I used the

prepackaged ones from the Asian store that I also used in the Vermicelli bowls.  Much better and a thousand times easier and cleaner.
The flat bread was really good but didn't discover until after that ALL flour in Germany is NOT self rising?  So apparently you are to add 1tsp baking powder per 100 grams of flour.  What??? nearly 3 years here and I'm just now learning this.  I always just thought their baking powder was off.  Which it is because apparently it is only once activated instead of twice.  Or something like that.  I say that acting like I know what it means but I don't really.  But for left over day I am going to add the extra baking powder and see what happens. Also the falafel were good but lacked flavor.  For left over day I will double all spices and see what happens.

Marty and I rode our bikes to our friends that lent us books and I delivered the coveted corn nuts.  They set up chairs on their back patio, we enter through the garage, we didn't go inside or touch anything and have a VERY nice hour long visit.  Wow, how simple and yet how uplifting to be around other people again.  Other than the dog park or passing other friends by chance while walking we really haven't seen anyone other than our

Josie made the MOST delicious mint chocolate
cookies using After Eight mints wrapped
inside each cookie. SOOO good. 

immediate family members for WEEKS.  It is the first time we have done anything social since this all began and it was very very good.
I had a bit of a melt down over the disappointments from this damned virus.  I always feel like I can't complain because in the big picture I really have nothing at all to complain about.  But after coming to grips with our Spring Break road trip being canceled and then my sister's visit here and our trip to Croatia together being canceled and then our trip to the UK to visit friends and see Hamilton canceled and now it really looks like we won't be able to go to Seattle.  I know it is still a couple of months out but even if the travel restrictions are lifted do we really want to go into a war zone without US medical insurance?  We had always had Marty's work insurance when visiting in the past and we do have travel insurance but I sure

This was the sun setting
as I was talking to my sister
on the phone.  It was 8:23 PM
Thank GOD for lighter, longer days. 

wouldn't want to risk getting sick or injured there during this huge unknown.  And on top of that could we really see family and friends.  Currently no one can enter the facility where Marty's parents live and do I want my older parents to risk the travel and exposure to travel to Seattle?  Can we hug then?  Would it be worth it to stand 6 feet apart and air hug?  I think that would be MORE painful!! All of the summer activities have been canceled.  And then we had someone very interested in renting our West Seattle house.  We have been extremely worried about renting it out as the West Seattle Bridge will be closed until 2021 or indefinitely!  It would take an extra special situation for someone to want to live in the area right now and these new potential renters works from home! And specifically want to live in West Seattle because they have family here.  So, our plan to

This becomes more true the
longer we stay in Germany.  And
I cannot read it without crying. 

stay in our own house is now likely gone.  I had a good cry session.  I called my sister. I woke up knowing it would all be OK but it was just really really SAD!!  Of all the things we do all year spending July in Seattle probably ranks very near #1.  So... we continue to take things day by day.  Knowing that things can change at any moment and try to find joy in that uncertainty rather than pain.  Some days it is just HARD to live so far away from so many people I love and care about.