Jacaranda trees are my substitute here in Los Angeles for lilacs. We do get lilacs in southern California, but without a good frost they are odorless. My love of lilacs is all about what it does to my olfactory sense. The jacaranda blossoms are not fragrant nor can you put them in a vase, but the sheer magnitude of their beauty knocks my socks off. And to see them line streets makes me think of Dorothy seeing all of those pretty purple flowers in the Wizard of Oz. Most people think that the Jacaranda tree has its origin in Australia particularly Melbourne, but Brazil is the place that they are from. In South Africa, the capital city of Pretoria imported Jacaranda trees 100 years ago and in October 7000 trees are in bloom. Here in Los Angeles this magnificent bloom shows it beauty in May. What can I say but “Hey Jacaranda”!!!

Last week I went to the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles with my dear friend Benita to see “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre. We try to see theatre once a month, which frankly can be challenging but worth the effort. As we sat waiting to go into the theatre we gazed at the beautiful jacarandas at sunset. We both smiled at how lovely they looked. We heard latin music being played on the promenade of the Music Center which made us both elated and had us swaying and dancing in our seats. It was like Lincoln Center West on a weekend. I will say unequivocally that this is a clever and well-written show with fine acting by its leads. However, a note to any future theatre-goers in the Los Angeles area. If you get mezzanine tickets at the Ahmanson, buyers beware. The sound in the last three rows isn’t perfect. And, if you have an uncontrolled laugher behind you and a hearing challenged person in front of you who keeps playing with his hearing aid to block out the laughter and “guffaw-boy” you are screwed as we were. Had I known there was no intermission I would’ve said something harsh to “laughing” man. He laughed for 90 minutes straight and it was so loud it was painful. He also narrated the last 20 minutes of the play with “Oh my god, Oh no you didn’t” and multiple expletives that were completely unnecessary and inappropriate. This gentleman had a wet laugh with a snort at the end that felt and sounded toxic. In all of my life I have never witnessed such a peculiar laugh. Remember readers I love to laugh so try to grok (this means understand) what I am saying, okay? I swear this is the truth. I have witnesses. Anyway, at least I got a great story from this experience. And I am all about that.

My recipe today is an addendum to my oat bran recipe of my last entry. I accidentally discovered it last week. My oat bran had come out paste-like and I was out of almond milk. I added my leftover home-made 4 ounces of latte into the bowl and mixed it thoroughly. I discovered a taste sensation that melds some of my favorite flavors i.e. peanut butter, almond milk and coffee. Today, I just added coffee as part of the oat bran recipe instead of water. It was fabulous and packed a double wallop if you know what I’m saying. Remember to keep your body moving...It has been proven that you can walk your blues away!!