Your Weekly Diversion, Week 28

Week 28 brought us to new lows in American politics. We saw a brand new White House staff appointee let loose a crude rant against several others in gutter terms we’ve never heard or read in public media before, leading one of them to resign and with more dignity than one might expect. We heard the so-called leader of the free world deliver a grossly inappropriate political screed at a Boy Scout Jamboree, to an organization explicitly apolitical and determined to remain so. Their president later disavowed the screed and regretted allowing him to speak. Enough said.

Smudging with sage and other herbs is a wonderful way to clear the air, literally. I’ve used it in my office on occasion and in my home when a cleansing vibe was called for. At work I’ve always used a leaf of sage clasped in the jaws of a binder clip, moving about the room rapidly so that my colleagues and staff don’t fear the building is on fire. There’s a no-candles policy, so I suspect smudging would be taboo if I asked. This article expanded my awareness, and perhaps will yours. I’m also looking for an abalone shell.

This morning I got my first look into the interior of the new Tesla 3 and figured you’d enjoy seeing it, too. It’s $35K, which I agree is a lot, but we just bought a loaded Hybrid Toyota RAV4 for a bit more than that. I have two more years to pay on my Prius and when I’m ready for another new car, I’ll consider a Tesla.

This recipe for a vegan reuben sandwich yielded the most delicious flavor I’ve ever had in a vegan sandwich, bar none. And I’ve enjoyed yummy vegan sandwiches in some of the best New York vegan restaurants. I loved non-vegetarian reubens years ago, and I’ve missed them. I’ve seen recipes for homemade seitan flavored with pickle juice to get that tangy corned beef taste, but it takes too long to make compared to this one. The recipe calls for marinated tempeh, sauerkraut, rye bread, homemade Russian dressing, and vegan Swiss cheese. It makes two wonderful, filling sandwiches that even an omnivore would scarf down.

Now that I’ve tweaked your taste buds and distracted you nicely from the headaches of the day, here’s some toe tapping thanks to the amazing Steve Martin and Edie Brickell.