Mangoes

I know it's been a while, but I haven't forgotten you, dear blog.  Here, I wrote this for you today while I was downtown.  Just for you.  Random thoughts.  Mostly about mangoes.

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Please tell me what is better than a mango.  That juicy, sweet, earthy flavor is like nothing else, and I find myself letting slip little squeals whenever I come across anything mango these days.

German mango nektar (juice)
      
        dehydrated mango slices

                 mango margaritas

What's nice about it is that around here there is an abundance of all natural options.  No sugar added, no unpronounceable chemicals to lengthen the shelf-life, just pure and innocent (albeit sliced and smashed) mango.

Circumstances brought me downtown today and it's magnificently gorgeous out.  Although there may or may not be moisture from the ground slowly seeping through my pants, enjoying a lovely little lunch in the grass on my own is really kind of wonderful.  I discovered a tiny (and somewhat new) take away lunch shop as I wandered toward Koenig Strasse, though I don't remember the name.  Yummy and healthy wraps and salads, and the one I took to the park had chicken breast, eggplant cream, carrots, peppers, arugula and pecorino.  It was pretty spectacular.  That and my all natural mango juice made for the perfect picnic for one on this pretty, pretty day.  The flowers have sprung from their winter slumber to assure us that Spring is really here, and there's not a cloud in the sky.  People are strewn about the stretches of grass that frame Schloss Platz, separating the walking paths and fountains.  They are reading, eating, talking, writing, kissing, laughing, and watching.  I've been craving the sounds of the ocean with all this beautiful sunshine, but the gentle murmur of voices and distant rumble of cars somewhere nearby aren't a bad consolation on a day like this.

Why do we focus so much on the weather?  We make fun of the trivial nature of asking about the weather, but we always ask anyway, don't we?  Weather, after all, has a strange power of our moods, and even our level of productivity at times.  And in a land where it really feels like the sky is smeared with thick, grey sludge 9 months out of the year, sunshine is a cause for celebration.

A sheltie just passed by on Koenig Strasse and it makes me think of Ginger and Sasha, the good dogs they were.  I had another dream last night about saving Heidi.  At first I was searching for a lost Heidi, but then I thankfully found her, calling her to me gently so she wouldn't bolt again.  I had her, but then she ran again, and ended up falling into a pond, immediately sinking to the murky bottom.  I dove in after her and pulled her out, and everyone was okay.  Why do I have so many dreams like this?  Always searching for her after she's taken off, or saving her from the likes of monstrous cars and mad dogs?  I'm always protecting her, and it's so stressful.  Maybe it's realizing a 16 year-old pup doesn't realistically have a whole lot of time left, and my subconscious refuses to allow her departure from her life and mine.  I dread the day that turns out to be her final one, but hope for the strength to be there to lovingly usher her out of this life.

Really?  This is what I'm thinking about right now?

As in all things, I suppose, there comes a time to go, and right now, it's time for an iced coffee and a walk for me.

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So now I find myself sitting upstairs at one of the Starbucks nearby, sipping my caramel frappuccino and breathing a little bit of life back into my blog.  My poor, neglected blog.  And I know this post is rather random and rambling, but so am I.  Before staking claim to a comfy chair and table as I picked up my delicious and indulgent treat, I asked about another drink waiting for its ride down into someone else's tummy.  The color caught my eye.  Upon answering me and witnessing my reaction, the lovely Starbucks girl asked if I'd like a sample, as there was some left over in the blender.  With a gleeful grin I accepted and walked away sipping on a little bit of frozen mango smoothie.

Mangoes.  Happy.  Me.