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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | JUNE 2022 19 By Clare Mendez, Resident While some new retirees look forward to the time they'll have for heart pounding thrills and adventures, most of the rest of us are wanting more time to enjoy our favorite activities a little less heart- pounding such as golf, or any of the wide variety of games offered at SDV. Sometimes, I just want to enjoy being home, relaxing with a good book. At the SDV Book Group I've discovered titles and authors I might not have sought out on my own. We read fiction, nonfiction, and books of historical content. We encourage your suggestions and then decide which ones we'll read as a group to discuss at a future meeting. This allows you to read what you want, and skip the rest. It's exciting to talk with others who have read the same books as you to get their insight on the story and some additional background on the events or authors. Currently, we're discussing the many of the books on the "banned book lists" that are popping up all over the Internet and schools. These same books were once on our "must read" list when we were grade school or high school level. We meet on the second Wednesday each month at 1:30 pm in the Silverwood (Craft) Room. You are welcome to drop in and listen, even if you haven't read the book of the month. The list is posted on the bulletin board in the lobby just outside the gym entrance. The SDV Book Group By Theresa Rossetti, Resident This month's word is "Flavorful," defined as food or drink having a full, distinctive flavor. Here in SoCal, with our long growing season, orchards and farmer's markets, we have access to a large supply of fruits and vegetables. Avocados, pomegranates, kiwis, watermelon and berries of all kinds can be found almost year-round. We tell each other every year when the K&S Strawberry stand on Simpson is open, so we can take a short ride and have the best, juiciest strawberries in town. Varieties of vegetables I can't identify and all the fresh herbs you might need for any dish are readily available. We all have different opinions as to what we consider tasty. If you grew up in a warm climate, similar to what we have here, you probably were exposed to many different foods. Lucky you! But if you grew up where fresh produce and fruits were hard to find most of the year, different types of veggies and fruits may have been a real eye-opener. Traditional family foods fit into the same category of either exposing us to a lot of different tastes or limiting them. I was raised on meat, potatoes and canned veggies. Italian or Chinese food was a rare treat, hamburgers and stews were frequently served. We had apples most of the year, strawberries only in June, and reveled in peaches, sweet juicy peaches, every August. On the other hand, friends ate some form of pasta nearly every night, with meatballs or sausage, and as many fresh veggies as their mamas could find. Some families enjoyed spicy food, in my family salt and pepper were our seasonings. As access to more varieties of foods increased, most of us either gave them a try… or not. I confess there are some (kale, I'm talking to you) that I dislike with a passion. My husband is a different story. Pasta six days a week is still just fine for him. As for veggies, overcooked carrots are doable, a floret or two of broccoli maybe, lettuce drowning in salad dressing is allowed. I applaud those of you who have embraced the abundance of flavors we have available to us nowadays. Enjoy! I do have one bone to pick with the SoCal fruits available. I haven't had a decent peach since moving here. Sorry, but the Long Island peaches, fresh off the trees in late July-early August, simply cannot be beat! Come to think of it, my son and his family are coming to visit this summer. Do you think peaches will travel well? A YEAR OF "FUL"

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