Friday Unwind #2: Bumble, Summer Read, Gardening Parts 1 and 2, Tips for Lips, Salmon

A Movie Review, and Just For Fun

After 21 Club is where Friday meets you on the way to life’s little pleasures. Reviews, recommendations, thoughts, and your comments to share with multiple generations.

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🐝 BUMBLE

Bumble, the online dating app with more than 100 million users, just launched a new campaign called Kindness is Sexy. When they surveyed their users, 87% said that kindness was the most important quality in a potential partner. Wow. I love that!

The campaign features a video starring Canadian actor, Adam DiMarco. You may know Adam from his role as ‘Albie’ in the award winning HBO series, The White Lotus.

You can read the full story in Kindness Magnet. It’s an exciting trend to see kindness taking center stage.

Have you ever checked out Bumble? It’s a dating app where women have to make the first move.

📚 SUMMER READ

It’s summertime, so time for another fun Summer Read. In the Likely Event, by Rebecca Yarros, tells the story of Isabeau Astor and Nathaniel Phelan, who meet on an ill-fated flight that crashes into the Missouri River, just minutes after takeoff.

There is an instant connection which is abruptly ended as Isabeau struggles to recover in the hospital and Nate is sent on the next flight out to Fort Bragg.

His military service and her education and career keep them apart until their paths collide in Afghanistan in 2021. With the cities collapsing around them, and almost no way to escape, they both have to make choices that could determine if they have a future or if they will even live.

The author is a USA Today and New York Times best selling author of more than 15 novels. She loves writing about military heroes and has been married to her own military hero for more than 20 years.

I downloaded my copy on my Kindle. It’s an interesting romance read, and if you followed the withdrawal in Afghanistan, the book will definitely resonate.

👩‍🌾 GARDENING - PART I

This time of year, I’m all about gardening. It’s getting hot where I live (Prescott, Arizona) and the plants are looking for a little extra TLC, especially H2O.

I have 5 indoor plants that I love. Since we travel off an on, I’m always looking for ways to give them enough water while we’re gone.

Searching on Amazon, I found Blumat. Blumat waters my plants. Automatically. It uses a siphon to pull water from a container into your plant’s pot. That sounds technical, but it’s as easy as putting a tube into a jar of water and connecting that tube to a ceramic cone that you stick into the soil of your pot.

You can go on vacation and Blumat will baby sit your plants. I’ve been testing it and I can leave my plants for 10 days without killing them. And that’s in Arizona. (Yes, it’s a dry heat…). Make sure you use a large water container if you’re going to be gone for a while.

👩‍🌾 GARDENING - PART II

My husband and I are from the Midwest. Indiana for him. Ohio for me. There are some seriously nice people back there. Their weather….meh….but the people….rock stars.

Three years ago, I got an envelope in the mail from one of my husband’s college friends. Inside? Seeds. More specifically, hibiscus seeds…..and instructions to help me grow them in Arizona.

Even after following the instructions, I was pretty sure I had killed the little plants that barely sprouted that first year. But in late Spring, new shoots pushed through the soil and Voila….I had Indiana hibiscus in Arizona.

One plant had saucer sized pink flowers. Another had white flowers with purple streaks. Apparently the colors varied with the acidity of the soil throughout my garden. Who knew?!

This past winter I collected the pods and now I have hibiscus seeds to share. Here’s one of the pods. Can you see the seeds?

I’m having a few friends over for a ‘Hibiscus Pod Pop and Wine’ party. Gotta spread the Indiana love.

Do you like to garden? What things do you like to grow? Do you have some gardening tips to share?

👄 SUMMER TIPS FOR LIPS

While I was at the beach, I forgot to put sunscreen on my lips. One day. That was all it took. After a few days of pain, I found the solution. Banana Boat spf 50 lip balm and Neosporin Overnight Lip Cream. I’ve been using them both for 10 days and I’m pretty sure my lips are going to survive. It was touch and go for a while…

What do you use for summer sun protection? I’m always looking for good ideas.

🐟 EASY AND AWESOME SALMON RECIPE

I have a Cuisinart Griddler. I think I bought it at WalMart. It has become a good friend.

This week I decided to cook salmon. I had some Costco frozen salmon…probably about 8 ounces per filet. I just winged it, based on what I had on hand. Here’s how I cooked it:

Thaw and rub both sides of the salmon with avocado oil. Then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. ( I am super partial to Penzy’s Pepper, but regular pepper is fine) Sprinkle both sides of the filet with sesame seeds. (I like black sesame seeds, but you can use black or natural) You can pat them down to help them stick.

Heat the Griddler on high (Panini setting). When the light turns green put the salmon on the griddle and close the lid. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip the salmon (keeping the grill marks going in the same direction). Cook for another 3 minutes, then use a fork to see if the fish flakes. If it does, it’s done. (Note: I like my salmon more on the well done side and fairly dark…a little crispy on the outside… so I cook mine a little longer - not much)

The avocado oil rub and sesame seeds give the fish a rich flavor. Enjoy. 🐟

🎬 MOVIE REVIEW: “Sr.”

Who doesn’t love Robert Downey, Jr? He has made his mark in films like Iron Man, Chaplin, The Avengers, Sherlock Holmes and many more.

In “Sr.”, Robert Downey, Jr. pays tribute to his late father, Robert Downey, Sr., his eclectic life and pioneering filmmaking career.

In the hour and a half (ish) documentary, you get a solid look at what shaped Robert Downey Jr.’s life and lifestyle, while watching his father’s experimental and unique filmmaking. Believe me, it’s definitely unique.

For me, the first 30 minutes offered a slow start to what turned into a revealing and unusual story of father and son. 🍅Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 97%. If you watch it, be sure to put your rating in the comments.

🐌 JUST FOR FUN

Snail Racing World Championships, courtesy of Snail Racing World Championships Congham/Facebook

Snail racing became a ‘thing’ in the 1960’s. The world record is currently held by ‘Archie’ who, in 1995, sped across the 13 inch track in exactly 2 minutes. There is a Snail Master who starts the race by shouting, “Ready, Steady, SLOW”. 🤣

Evie and her owner, Lettie, courtesy Snail World

The 2023 winner is ‘Evie’ shown here with her prize….a tankard filled with lettuce. (You may have to squint to see Evie in all that lettuce!). Evie finished with a time of 7 minutes, 24 seconds. Well done, Evie!

Wherever you are, I hope life is sunny. 🌞 ❤ Heather

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