Once upon a time, way back in the mid '90s, I spent a spring break trip visiting Puerto Rico and the smaller island of Culebra, so that's what I'm imagining from your writing. We weren't there to party, we were there just for the experience and to help do some cleanup work on the beaches while we were at it. Even just in those few days, the people there left an impression; island life would be at once wonderful and very challenging, as everyone is up in everyone else's business.
Where we are now, we are blessed to be part of a neighborhood where the people around us do interact. Sometimes it's annoying - loud music and parties are a frequent occurrence - but ultimately it is good to know that we have people literally right next door and beyond who we can turn to sometimes, and who feel comfortable turning to us. We never would have chosen any of them, but we are glad they are here and hope they feel the same way about us.
The hidden implication in Christ's command to love our neighbors is that it NEEDED to be said. If loving our neighbors were easy and natural, there'd be no reason to bring it up.
I love your take on the guavas. We have lived several places with different types of fruit trees, and almost never know what to do with all the excess fruit. It does seem a terrible shame when it goes to waste.
My goodness, guavas! I remember them from my childhood. As someone of Cuban descent, I remember having 'guava' flavored things all the time. I didn't like them that much. They weren't bad, but they weren't great also. The same can be said about "fruita bomba" aka, papaya. I'm glad you have the patience for it!
Here is my favorite guava recipe, after much fussing with guavas:
Guava custard pie: This follows the same logic as a key lime pie, but with guava mash rather than mashed limes. Its flavor is pretty delicate, kind of like a buttermilk pie but with a bit more fruitiness.
Whip together 3-4 eggs, one can sweetened condensed milk, a teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg, and one cup guava mash (as described above) until frothy. Pour into graham cracker crust and bake at 375 F for 40 minutes. Chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving with whipped cream.
Totally agree about papaya, which in my opinion is only good in making a marinade, especially for a grilled meat. (The papain in papaya helps to tenderize the meat.) But at least papaya isn't as labor-intensive as guava.
I wasn't aware how tightly the greek word for neighbor means the physically proximate! Another score for sacramentality.
Right? I had no idea, either, until I read the essay I cited by Johann Kurtz.
Once upon a time, way back in the mid '90s, I spent a spring break trip visiting Puerto Rico and the smaller island of Culebra, so that's what I'm imagining from your writing. We weren't there to party, we were there just for the experience and to help do some cleanup work on the beaches while we were at it. Even just in those few days, the people there left an impression; island life would be at once wonderful and very challenging, as everyone is up in everyone else's business.
Where we are now, we are blessed to be part of a neighborhood where the people around us do interact. Sometimes it's annoying - loud music and parties are a frequent occurrence - but ultimately it is good to know that we have people literally right next door and beyond who we can turn to sometimes, and who feel comfortable turning to us. We never would have chosen any of them, but we are glad they are here and hope they feel the same way about us.
The hidden implication in Christ's command to love our neighbors is that it NEEDED to be said. If loving our neighbors were easy and natural, there'd be no reason to bring it up.
I love your take on the guavas. We have lived several places with different types of fruit trees, and almost never know what to do with all the excess fruit. It does seem a terrible shame when it goes to waste.
My goodness, guavas! I remember them from my childhood. As someone of Cuban descent, I remember having 'guava' flavored things all the time. I didn't like them that much. They weren't bad, but they weren't great also. The same can be said about "fruita bomba" aka, papaya. I'm glad you have the patience for it!
Here is my favorite guava recipe, after much fussing with guavas:
Guava custard pie: This follows the same logic as a key lime pie, but with guava mash rather than mashed limes. Its flavor is pretty delicate, kind of like a buttermilk pie but with a bit more fruitiness.
Whip together 3-4 eggs, one can sweetened condensed milk, a teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg, and one cup guava mash (as described above) until frothy. Pour into graham cracker crust and bake at 375 F for 40 minutes. Chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving with whipped cream.
Totally agree about papaya, which in my opinion is only good in making a marinade, especially for a grilled meat. (The papain in papaya helps to tenderize the meat.) But at least papaya isn't as labor-intensive as guava.
Thanks! That sounds good!