Confrontation And Confidence

At the end of 2025 I was elected as the communications person for a fellowship. The position also has a backup, who is appointed from people who express an interest.

In every other role I've volunteered for in this organization the two people worked together as a team. This time Backup was a lovely person, but I quickly found that when they said they would do something they wouldn't follow through. Emails, texts, and phone calls went unanswered (sometimes for weeks). Eventually I started doing things on my own, copying Backup on any emails I sent to keep them in the loop.

One day I was grumbling to someone about the situation, and that person pointed out I wasn't doing Backup any favors. They suggested I talk with Backup to explain my position and ask if they understood where I was coming from.

That sounded like an interesting plan, but I really dislike confrontation. What would happen if Backup got angry at me or got defensive and tried to make me the baddie? How would I follow through?

Backup lives on the other side of the state, so it wasn't feasible to have a face to face conversation. I procrastinated making a phone call for almost a week, but eventually I put on my big girl panties and did it. The call went to voice mail, but I got a call back a couple of hours later.

During our chat I was factual, telling them I needed someone who communicated well and followed through when they said they would do something. I asked them to think about if the time commitments for this volunteer task were too much for their available time, and assured them no one would look down on them if they decided to step away.

Two weeks later Backup told me they had decided it was best to step down. Although I was sorry to see them go, now I can look around for someone else. 

Five years ago: What Would You Have Done?

First Time Reveal

Hubby Tony and I aren't often on the cutting edge of classical music, but this afternoon we attended a world premiere performance of a new composition performed at the spring concert of the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis

"How Mr. Silver Stole the Show" was based on a children's book written in 2023 by Kate Klise. It's about a stray cat that walked into the Hamilton Hotel in St. Louis in 1947. Two days later he won first prize in two categories (Best Color for Kittens and Best in the Non-Champion Class) at the Greater St. Louis Cat Club Show.

The event took place in a beautiful Art Deco building that started life as a synagogue. When the congregation moved the building became a community music school for a couple of decades and now houses the music school of Washington University.

The program  began with Maurice Ravel's "Mother Goose Suite". After that ended the musicians on the left side of the stage moved their chairs slightly and a large screen descended from the ceiling. Two narrators (the composer and a local media celebrity) took their places at music stands at the front of the stage. Even though the orchestra had already gone through their opening routine they did it again. The concertmaster entered, the instruments were tuned. The conductor entered to applause, bowed, then turned and started.

Illustrations from the book were projected onto the screen during the piece. The narrators and the orchestra did a great job of tag-teaming to bring the story to life. Of course the story had a happy ending. When the last note was played the conductor turned around to acknowledge the enthusiastic clapping from the audience. He had the soloists, then the entire orchestra, stand for recognition before the house lights came on for intermission.

During intermission the shelter we foster with was there with a information table and a litter of incredibly cute kittens. It was fun to talk with the other volunteers before returning back to our seats for the second portion, Paul Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis".

Escapologist

Yesterday Foster Cat Smokey Joe went to a second veterinarian's office for a consultation about the scab on his back. 

The vet shaved a half-dollar sized patch around the area so she could get a better look at the scab, but even after consulting with others in the office she diidn't have a definite answer as to what it could be. One possibility was that even through Smokey Joe never goes outside at our house, he might be having an extreme delayed reaction to past flea bites. Whatever the cause, she didn't see the need for him to visit an animal dermatologist, an option that had been thrown out by his normal vet. 

We came home with prescription ear drops, a medicated powder, and Revolution flea and tick preventative (which we will apply monthly). It was also recommend that Smokey Joe wear a recovery shirt to keep him from licking his affected area. After dinner Hubby Tony and I drove to the shelter to borrow one.

Back at home we introduced the shirt to Smokey Joe. It looked almost like a baby onesie that opened completely down the back/closed with Velcro, with a large hole in the rear so he could use his litter box. Once Tony put it on him the cat had trouble walking with the fabric pooled around his legs. However, he made it across the room and jumped on the cedar chest, where he gave us the stink eye.

Nope. Not happy at all.

At bedtime Smokey Joe did not jump up and take his place in between Tony and me, but he was there in the middle of the night. This morning Tony woke up first, and I could hear him rooting around on his side of the bed. I asked what was going on, and he said that somehow Smokey Joe had completely ditched the shirt. When Tony found it, the Velcro closures were still completely intact.

If Smokey Joe ever has a need for a walk-up song this would be the perfect one for him.

Five years ago: Tiny Morsels Of Chocolate Goodness

Do You Know Any Of These People?

It's been several years since I've had co-workers to interact with, but most of these nicknames still rang true. 

• Wheelbarrow: only works when pushed

• Triple O: Always on vacation or “out-of-office.”

• Cordless: Charges all night but only works for 2 hours.

• Sensor Light: Only works if someone walks past or is watching

• Road Runner: Runs away from any conflict

• KitKat: Always on break

• Dory: Extremely forgetful

• Seaweed: Just floats around all day

• Broken Arrow: Doesn’t work and can’t be fired

• Crime Scene: Always making a mess out of things

• Deck Chair: Always folds under pressure

• Bronco: Working with them is a wild ride

• Noodles: Thinks all jobs take 2 minutes

• Baby Bird: Lost without guidance

• Master Card: Takes the credit for someone else's work

• Feta: Crumbles under pressure

• Boomerang: Every problem leads back to them

• Lantern: Always has to be carried and not very bright

• 007: Zero work skill

• Magneto: Attracts chaos

• Sloth: Always sleeping on the job

• OK Cupid: Always looking for love at the office

• The Saint: Not a hope or prayer that they'll finish their work on time

• 404 – Can’t be found

• Lava Lamp – Looks good but not very bright

• Speed Bump – Always slowing everyone down

Can you think of any others?

Five years ago: Snacks For Vax

Adventures In Wrapping

Today Hubby Tony and I went to the store to pick out a present for Granddaughter Gee, whose birthday is next week. We decided on a llama-shaped floor puzzle, which will be easy to mail.

When it came time to wrap the present, I had to figure out what to do about the missing corner of the box. Before cutting into the roll of wrapping paper I experimented with tissue paper, then after I had a system figured out I moved on to the real thing. 

Except for a little too much cellophane tape I didn't think the result was too bad.

 

But I hid most of the tape by making a tag out of a section of a decorated envelope and attaching it to the angled edge. When the wrapping was done I stuck the present in a mailing bag. Now it's ready to go across the country to California!

Five years ago today: It Doesn't Take Much To Entertain Me

Stems And More

After an early morning class at the gym the plan was to do laundry, cooking, and miscellaneous things around the house, but when Hubby Tony asked me if I was interested in checking out a Mother's Day event in the Old Orchard shopping area in Webster Groves (the city to the east of us) all of a sudden the laundry and cooking could wait. He told me that at each of the participating businesses I could pick up a flower and end up with a bouquet to take home, so as soon as the first load of laundry was folded we were on the road. Fifteen minutes later we were parked and getting ready to start a bouquet.

Facebook

At the first shop I scanned a QR code and got the list of all the participating businesses. Tony and I walked up one side of the street and down the other, stopping everywhere that offered flowers, and other places just because. Some of the businesses had their flowers easily accessible. At others they were behind the counter. I tried to get a variety of colors and types.

While we were in the area we also purchased a couple of things. At Bijoux Chocolates Tony and I each got a beautifully decorated bonbon that tasted as good as they looked.

At another shop we got a box of herbal tea.

At one of the businesses they had cards embedded with flower seeds instead of a flower. I took one, and bought a second so we could mail one to each set of grandchildren.

I hadn't thought to bring any type of water reservoir, so by the time we got back to the car some of the flowers were looking a little droopy. Tony let me stick the stems in his water bottle for the trip home. By the time I got the flowers arranged in a vase the blooms had already started to perk up. The bouquet provides a nice pop of color on the fireplace mantel.

Five years ago: They Won't Miss Me!

One City Corner At A Time

This morning I got an email from the gym that my Aqua Zumba class had been cancelled. I knew that might have been coming, because the instructor mentioned last Thursday she was going out of town and didn't know if there was a sub for the class. So just like that my morning was free.

Hubby Tony and I filled the time by doing a good deed for the cat shelter we foster through, picking up a prescription for one of the other foster cats at a vet's office and dropping it off at the shelter. The day started off brisk and a little cloudy, but by the time we were finished at the vet the skies were bright blue with puffy clouds. We took advantage of a walking trail that wound around the strip mall, but when we saw a dangerous gaggle on the sidewalk ahead of us we took a short cut 🤣.

After dropping off the medicine Tony and I decided to walk the South St. Louis neighborhood around the shelter (called Benton Park West). We chose a street we hadn't been on before, and when that dumped out into an arterial road we turned back and took the first residential street. I love looking at old house, and this area has some good ones. Lots of red brick, a mix of styles, and I'm guessing the majority of the houses were built in the early 1900s.

Eventually we had almost made it to another busy street. Tony wanted to turn before we got there, but just then I saw a sign on a building across the street and crossed over to see what it said.

The sign indicated I was looking at the Silver Spur, "The Midwestern United State's only homestead for retired cowboys and cowgirls.

A friendly-looking man about our age was hanging an American flag from the a pole next to the building. We asked him about the building, and learned that it was a small assisted living home that had been decorated with a Western motif by his brother in law in the 1970s. The turn-of-the century building was originally a hospital, then a rooming house. Around the corner there was a hitching post and mounting step from pre-auto days.

I think the gregarious man would have continued the conversation, but Tony and I had to get back home so we thanked him for the conversation and continued on our way. We made it to the main street, turned right for one block, then headed back to the car. The second street was more commercial than the first; instead of residences I had a good time seeing the businesses that we passed.

Five years ago: What Do You Think?

Cinco De.......

While the humans in the house celebrated Cinco de Mayo tonight, Smokey Joe the Foster Cat had his own 'Cinco de Meow' celebration.

Apple AI Image Playground

Hubby Tony and I had a wonderful dinner of leftover Mexican-spiced pinto bean soup, which we supplemented with quesadillas, chips, and guacamole. Because onions and garlic are toxic for cats, and avocados can cause gastrointestinal issues, when Smokey Joe asked if he could join us we told him he had to play with his catnip-stuffed taco toy.

For atmosphere I streamed mariachi music, then after the meal was over I used the same beats to dance around the room holding a ribbon wand for Smokey Joe to 'attack'. When we both got tired of the exercise I finished the things I needed to do before sitting down on the couch to watch television.

Smokey Joe settled down on my lap for his all time favorite activity - taking a siesta.

Get Your Kicks....

This weekend is one of the four fellowship business meetings Hubby Tony and I will attend this year. Each meeting is scheduled for a certain weekend in a given month. When the three-year contract was signed with the hotel last year I wonder if they had any inkling that the first weekend in May 2026 was going to be so busy.

Springfield Missouri, where the meeting was held, is often referred to as the Birthplace of Route 66. On April 30, 2026 two businessmen proposed U.S. 66 as the name for a new Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway. In 1992, the Route 66 Association of Missouri designated Springfield as the official Birthplace of Route 66.

Although I wasn't there to see it, on Thursday the third hour of the Today show broadcast from Springfield, and there was a concert that night. On Friday night there was a parade that went down the street next to the hotel. On Saturday and Sunday there was an art show on the street on the other side of the hotel. In other parts of town bridges were dedicated, drone shows happened, and car rallys and shows took place.

Our meeting opened Saturday at 10 and ended at 5 with a 90-minute lunch break. On Sunday we were occupied from 9 until noon, so there wasn't much time to take advantage of the festivities. However, on Friday we walked through the art show as it was being set up. We also watched part of the parade. Anyone who was a fan of classic cars would have been in Nirvana, but after 20 minutes the exhaust was too much for me and I went back to the hotel.

Five years ago: Ancestral Mathematics

Step Up and Show Up

Once again this week there were three Ethel AARP challenges waiting in my inbox on Sunday. The Week Four theme was 'Step Up and Show Up', and focused on engaging with the community. The challenges were to [One] plan a trip or excursion to somewhere I'd never been, [Two] introduce myself to someone new, and [Optional] register for an AARP class or event.

Thanks to my weekend trip I didn't get around to checking my email until late in the day, but by then I had already fulfilled the first two challenges

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[One] Out of town trips by definition lead to places I've never been, and after Sunday I can cross seeing a game in the San Francisco Giant's stadium off my list. I know some people make an effort to visit Major League Baseball stadiums. I'm not one of them, but if an opportunity falls into my lap I'll take it.

[Two] I actually introduced myself to people on two different occasions.

• On Sunday morning when I was at the park I observed an Oriental woman who looked to be about my age doing stretching exercises. Eventually she started doing some impressive spinning jump kicks.

When I followed one of the grands over to that area I complimented the woman on her athleticism. She told me the move was called a butterfly kick, and came from kung fu. At that point her phone rang and I moved away. Five minutes later she came over to where I was standing and struck up a conversation. I learned that she lived alone and came to the park every day to exercise because she enjoyed the people and interactions. 

 

Public Domain Vectors

• At Son Brian's party there were several people I didn't know. I made sure to introduce myself and find out how they knew the birthday boy. 

[Optional] St. Louis AARP used to have a robust network of in-person events, but when I looked on the website I couldn't find anything. I guess once again I'll be passing on the optional activity this week.

Five years ago: Who Doesn't Like Stickers?