Southpaw Celebration

Did you know that since 1976, each August 13th is International Lefthanders Day?

Boynton

Research suggests that between ten and twelve percent of the world's population is left-handed. I am one of them. I've heard stories of some left handed people being encouraged (and sometimes coerced) to use their right hand, but fortunately I've never experienced that.

However, much of the world is designed for right handed people, which can be inconvenient. Some examples:

• If you're right handed, have you ever eaten at a crowded table next to a lefty? If so you're probably bumped elbows. Also, a formal place setting puts the drinking glasses on the right. That means they need to be picked up with the non-dominant hand, which can be a problem with a heavy, full glass.

• A standard tape measure has the numbers facing upside down when you open it with your left hand. A manual pencil sharpener has the hand crank on the wrong side. Computer mice are commonly set up for right-handed use. (That's how I learned, and what I still do to this day.)

• If you open an inward-facing door with your left hand you have to be careful or the door will open right into your face.

• Many kitchen items are designed with right-handed users in mind--scissors, manual can openers, many vegetable peelers, and some corkscrews.

When I was in school there were all kinds of left-handed obstacles, including:

• Classroom desks with the writing surface on the right, and auditorium lecture classes that had chairs with right-side pull out surfaces.

•  Writing. Have you ever seen a left-handed person with ink all over the pinky finger side of their hand?  That's caused when the hand drags through the fresh ink and causes it to smudge (unless you contort your hand or turn the paper at a weird angle). And even when you got past that issue, there were the problematic spiral notebooks or three-ring binders. Each has a barrier that gets in the way of writing on the left side of the page.

Are you a left hander, or do you know any? If so, can you think of any issues that I forgot?

Five years ago: Masses Of Masks

No Dressing Room...No Problem

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that my wardrobe had some holes that needed filling. I also needed to get a couple of pieces for upcoming special occasions. For years my practice has been to try to find clothes at the thrift and resale stores before shopping retail, so I've been popping in when I happen to be driving by one.

So far I haven't had any luck, but this afternoon I had a chunk of free time and decided to go out to specifically hit up a few thrifts. However, for this trip getting ready to leave the house meant more than grabbing my purse and keys. In my area most used clothes stores no longer have dressing rooms, so unless I wanted to buy potential items and return the ones that didn't fit I had to dress so I could try things on in public.

For me that meant a pair of bike shorts and a sports bra topped with a coverup. I added a pair of slide-in sandals and I was ready to go.

At each of the stores I gathered potential items, then found a quiet aisle next to a mirror. I looked around to make sure no one was watching, then either slid a pair of pants on over my shorts or quickly took off my top, put on a top or dress, and then evaluated the thing in the mirror. It felt strange, but a couple of people walked by and no one seemed to care.

For less than $12 I was able to find a couple of shirts, and one lightweight sweater, but I will have to continue to hunt (at one store or another) to find the rest of the items.

Five years ago: Back To The Future

What Does It Mean?

On August 8, 1786 Congress established the U.S. monetary system, and because of that today is also National Dollar Day. In honor of the 'holiday', here's a video that discusses the bill's embedded items and their symbolism.

Five years ago: Safeguarded

A Tiny Part Of A Whole

You may remember that last year I completed a Parkinson's Diseasesmell test, which ultimately led to me heading to Chicago to have a diagnostic imaging test. (And ultimately learned that although I didn't meet the requirements to continue in the in-person study I could continue as a volunteer in the online portion.)

Last week the study was showcased in the newsletter of the PPMI (Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative). It was interesting to read the details of something I had been a tiny part of.

"Research has found that smell loss is an important indicator of brain health. PPMI recruited people aged 60 years or older who did not have a PD (Parkinson's Disease) diagnosis to take a smell test. Over 49,000 people received the smell test. 63 percent of people who received the smell test completed it. 27 percent of people who completed the smell test had low scores, meaning they showed signs of smell loss (hyposmia). Those who showed signs of smell loss were then invited to take a brain scan (DAT scan) to look for signs of reduced dopamine activity in the brain, which is often used to help diagnose PD.

In study results, PPMI investigators found that the worse someone’s sense of smell was, the more likely they were to have an abnormal brain scan. Among the people who took a brain scan, 69 percent showed signs that could lead to early Parkinson’s. Over half of the people who had smell loss and abnormal brain scans also tested positive for alpha-synuclein in the SAA test. Findings from this study show that testing for smell loss may be one of the best tools to find people in the earliest stages of PD. This could help researchers screen for early PD prevention trials and develop better tests and treatments."

If you'd like to get into the detail weeds you can read more here.

Five years ago today: The Assistant

Wireless Networking Wonder

This afternoon I had a chat date with a friend at her house, but I almost didn't get there on time. After lunch I got caught up in some To-Dos and had to scramble to get out of the house. It wasn't until I was walking up to my friend's door that I discovered that in my rush I had left my cell phone at home.

In my mind I like to think I'm not dependent on my phone, but today I learned that's not true.

• My friend lives in a multi-unit building with a buzzer system, but she prefers to have me text her when I get there. Today I had to navigate her automated system, which is more complex than I'm used to.
• At the end of a lovely visit my friend pulled out her calendar to set a date for our next time together. I realized that without my phone I could only guess when I was free.
• I usually text Hubby Tony when I'm on the way home, but today I just headed that way.

Wikimedia

When my car got close to my condo something surprising happened. Our unit is on the second floor, and there is a garage underneath the building, so on that side it is three stories tall. The primary bedroom's two windows overlook the driveway. As I pulled into the driveway and started towards the garage I was amazed to see the pop-up on my radio screen that my car had connected to my phone. The connection only lasted for a few seconds before it disappeared.

Once I got upstairs I found the phone on the vanity in the primary bathroom, which is across the bedroom, through a doorway, and catty-corner from the window.

That made me wonder just how far the range of a car Bluetooth was. Google told me it was around 30 feet (9 meters). Assuming each floor of my building is nine feet tall it would be 27 feet up in the air. The bathroom is approximately 22 feet from the window. That means the car 'found' the phone that was 49 feet away. 

Five years ago today: Civic Duty Completed

Yea For Us!

Hubby Tony and I are celebrating a milestone wedding anniversary this month. Forty-five years is a long time! A couple of weeks ago Tony told me he had an errand for us to run together. He kept me in the dark about what it was, but by the time his car pulled into the jewelry store lot I figured I knew what was up.

My original engagement/wedding band set came from the store where a friend's father worked. Both bands had split shanks (bands that split into two strands at the top) which nestled together beautifully. After the wedding I had them soldered together and the two became one ring.

On two different milestone anniversaries Tony traded in the engagement ring diamond for a larger one. I am thrilled with the ring as it is now, but for this latest milestone together we chose two stackable rings with rows of chip diamonds and attaching them to either side of the old ring. Every time I look down at my finger I am amazed at the difference.

Photo makes everything look huge. Trust me, it's not

 

Some time during our trip to California Tony looked down and discovered his plain gold wedding band had fallen off. It's not the first time it's been misplaced in the last 45 years, so after putting out some feelers he came home and pulled out a replacement he purchased a couple of decades ago. However, after losing some weight the replacement is now too large for his finger.

The first time it happened the original turned up and Tony happily went back to wearing it. I told him if this time if it didn't I would take him to the jewelry store for an upgrade.

Five years ago today: It's A Ruby Kind Of Day

Chock-Full Of Fun

Hubby Tony and I made our last trip to visit our kids and their kids in mid-May. Several weeks ago I realized I needed to have more grandchild hugs before they started school. Tony booked a flight, we packed our bags, and we were on our way to California for a week, where we spent three days with each family.

At Son Tony's, when he was unexpectedly called into work we helped out when DIL Ie had errands to run. The other days we hung out, played games, assisted with errands, tagged along on a family field trip to a park/farmer's market, and went to the nearby elementary school to ride bikes.

At Son Brian's we played games, worked on a large communal jigsaw puzzle, and went to a movie with DIL Nicole and the kids. On each of our two weekdays Tony and I had the mornings free. One day we visited Saratoga, went hiking at Villa Montalvo, and picked Grandson Jay up from his summer program early for some Grandma/Grandpa time.The other day we walked around the Santana Row shopping area and had lunch, then went bowling with Son Brian and Grandsons Ell and Dee.

I couldn't believe how fast the time flew, but all of a sudden it was time to repack the suitcases and head home. As I was getting ready to head to the car Dee asked me when our next visit would be. That got me thinking.....

Five years ago today: Meramec Caverns

Enquiring Minds

The other day I happened to come upon an upscale, perfectly put together woman. Her face was toned and tanned, and I suspect the beautiful highlights in her long hair came straight from the salon. The tiny designer logo at the waistband of her jeans let me know they cost many times more than mine, and based on the little bit I know about fashion the rest of her clothes did too. 

Other than the large diamond on her wedding ring, the jewelry she had on was subtle but definitely meant to impress. There were six or seven thin bracelets on one wrist, and four or five on the other. Most of them were gold, and several were diamond. Her ears sported large diamond studs. There were several thin chains around her neck, some of them holding small charms.

The woman walked past me and turned the corner. Even after she was gone from sight I kept thinking about all that jewelry. Did she have 'people' to do all the work around her house so she didn't have to worry about getting her jewelry dirty? Did she leave it all on or take everything off and put it back on every day (which would take a very long time)? Did she change the pieces out everyday or keep the same ones like a jewelry uniform? 

Five years ago today: Thought You Could Hide?

Too Busy!

Some weekends are so jam-packed there's no time for anything other than a joke....

An elderly couple were killed in an accident and found themselves being given a tour of heaven by Saint Peter. “Here is your ocean-side condo, over there are the tennis courts, swimming pool, and two golf courses. If you need any refreshments, just stop by any of the many bars located throughout the area.” “Heck, Gloria,” the old man hissed when Saint Peter walked off, “we could have been here ten years ago if you hadn’t heard about all that stupid oat bran, wheat germ, and low-fat diets!”

(Images from Microsoft Bing)

Five years ago today: Recent Randomness From My Phone

Guess Where This Dish Is From

Son Donald introduced me to Foodguessr, an interesting virtual game that tests your knowledge of world cuisines. The goal is to identify the country of origin of dishes from around the globe based on a photo and clues.

The first screen has a photo of the dish, the ingredients, and the basic description. Based on the information you type in where you think the dish is from. If you get the country wrong, it tells you how close to the correct country you are (on a hot/warm/cold scale) and what direction to move.

In each round there are five chances to come up with the right answer. After two incorrect guesses, the name of the dish is revealed. After five incorrect guesses, the answer is revealed.

The dishes range from easy (it only took me a few seconds to look at the photo and read the description of a brain sandwich to know it was from the United States) to hard (who knew that a dish called Potjiekos, with ingredients listed as meat, onions, vegetables [such as pumpkin, corn, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes], spices, cooking oil, dessert wine, and Dutch-Malay spices came from South Africa?) 

Five years ago: 50 Life Lessons

Late July Collection Of Randomness From My Camera Roll

This tee shirt makes me feel thankful that our lawn service comes in the afternoon 😀

A sign at a restaurant host station

 The car from the Good Burger movie is on display at a local hamburger place

 I wonder if 'paws' was a typo, or if they're trying to rebrand chicken feet

Foster Cat Pimento didn't look too happy to be discovered under the bed

Five years ago: Inquiring Minds Sometimes Ask Preposterous Questions

Banana Ball

For the past two nights there's been a new baseball game in town. Banana Ball, as played by the Savannah Bananas barnstorming team is a fast-paced and entertaining game. Hubby Tony and I were lucky enough to attend last night's game.

The view from our seats

Because the team is so popular, just getting tickets was an adventure. Both Tony and I entered an online lottery for the opportunity to buy tickets. Tony's name was chosen. After navigating a verification process, he was assigned a time where he could log in and purchase tickets. St. Louis had more entries into the lottery to buy tickets than any other city on this year's tour.

Banana Ball is played in Major League stadiums when the home team is on the road. There are three potential opponents for the Savannah Bananas. In St. Louis they were facing the Party Animals. 

The games were originally scheduled for early April, but due to severe weather that weekend they were canceled and rescheduled for mid-July. I figured it would be hot and sticky. It was. The game started at 6:30, but the doors opened at 4:30 and for those so inclined there was a pregame event outside the stadium at 3:30. We chose to go out to dinner with some friends and arrive an hour before the event started.

The Savannah Bananas are often compared to the Harlem Globetrotters of basketball, who combine athleticism and theatrics. Banana Ball is fast paced, and has some unique rules. Last night's experience is almost impossible to describe, but some of the things I most enjoyed were:

• A DJ who played a continuous stream of popular and oldies music, encouraging people to sing and dance along when they felt like it. 
• Choreographed on the field dances between some of the innings (and sometimes even during play). 
• Trick plays, like a player bobbling a fly ball before catching it inside his shirt, or someone doing a flip before catching the ball.
• Crowd interaction events between every inning, some with babies, some with children, and some with adults. 
• The Dad Bod Cheer leading Squad, who lived up to their name. 
• Guest appearances by two retired Cardinal pitchers. (On Friday night there had been one, and in addition the Savannah Banana's starting pitcher was a local.) 
• The World's Tallest Baseball Player (10-feet 9-inches tall on stilts), who actually came up to bat.

The huge strike zone is between his knees and shoulders

The Savannah Bananas won the game in the ninth inning, and we joined the rest of the sold out stadium inching their way slowly to the turnstiles. The heat and humidity was even worse in the enclosed stairwell, and I was thrilled to see the exit. I was even more thrilled when I got home and jumped in the shower!

Fun. Funny?

Yesterday Hubby Tony and I were trying to beat the heat by coming up with inside plans for the afternoon. He remembered he had some money left on a movie gift certificate, so we decided to go see the latest Superman movie.

I'm not the biggest fan of superhero franchise cinema, but this one has gotten pretty decent reviews, and has the added benefit of being directed by James Gunn, a hometown boy.

I ended up enjoying the movie, which had all the requisite elements. Good guy battles bad guy, almost doesn't pull it off, but in the end wins. There was a lot of technology, a lot of CGI, and a little love interest between Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Krypto, the Superdog, provided some comic relief.

After dinner I was checking my computer, and I got an email with a timely joke.

A man walks into a bar and sees a weird guy sitting at the counter. He goes over, sits down and asks the guy what he is drinking.

"Magic Beer", the guy says.

The man thinks he's a little crazy, so he walks around the bar, but after that there is no one else worth talking to, goes back to the guy sitting at the bar and says, "That isn't really Magic Beer, is it?"

"Yes, I'll show you." The guy takes a drink of the beer, jumps out the window, flies around the building 3 times and comes back in the window.

The man can't believe it: "I bet you can't do that again."

The guy takes another drink of beer, jumps out the window, flies around the building three times, and comes back in the window.

The man is so amazed that he says he wants a Magic Beer, so the guy says to the bartender, "Give him one of what I'm having."

The bartender gets the man a drink and he takes a gulp of the beer, jumps out the window, plummets 30 stories and breaks every bone in his body.

The bartender looks up at the guy and says, "You know, Superman, you're a real jerk when you're drunk!"

Five years ago: Just Like That The Day Was Filled Up

A New Source For Recipes

After dinner last night I started thinking about tonight's meal. After digging around in the kitchen I found three inspiration ingredients: frozen polenta, a partial head of red cabbage, and a half container of ricotta cheese.

I fired up the computer and typed the three inspiration ingredients in the browser search bar. That usually leads to a list of website links, but this time there was an AI Overview recipe at the top with links below. As I read through the recipe I found a couple of strange things, but the basic recipe didn't seem half bad, and I decided that I would make it for dinner.

The dish was a winner! Here's the recipe; my additions, observations, and random thoughts are in pink 

Google AI Baked Polenta with Red Cabbage and Ricotta

For the Red Cabbage:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• I added 2 cloves of garlic, because why not? 
• 1 small head of red cabbage, chopped
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Polenta:

• 1 cup polenta (coarse or medium grind)
• 4 cups water (or chicken/vegetable broth for added flavor)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

For the Ricotta Topping:

• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 2T lemon juice
• Lemon zest (from about 1/2 a lemon)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Scallions, chopped (for garnish, optional)
• Toasted sunflower seeds or pine nuts (for garnish, optional)
  

Instructions

Prepare the Cabbage:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.
2. Add the onion - sauté for 2 minutes. (I also threw in the garlic, and sauteed both for 4-5 minutes).
3. Add the cabbage, stir, and cook for 5 minutes, allowing it to brown slightly.
4. Reduce heat to low, add 1 cup of water (which wasn't in  the ingredient list) and 1/2 tsp salt, cover, and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking polenta (cabbage!) for tenderness. (My thinly chopped cabbage was done after 30 minutes)
5. Halfway through cooking, add the cider vinegar and sugar.
6. Remove the lid and cook off any excess liquid before serving.

Make the Polenta: (I've never tried to make this in the oven, but will definitely think about it next time. However, I've cooked enough to know greasing the dish would definitely be a good idea.)

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
2. Place polenta, 2 tsp salt, and 4 cups water (or broth) in a heavy-bottomed pot or ovenproof baking dish and stir.
3. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, allowing the polenta to simmer and absorb the water. No need to stir.
4. Bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, until the top is browned. Finish with a generous amount of pepper.

Prepare the Ricotta Topping:

1. While the cabbage roasts, combine ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Assemble and Serve:

1. Unwrap (strange choice of word?) the cabbage.
2. Spread polenta onto a plate. Add cabbage on top.
3. Top with scallions, sunflower seeds (or pine nuts), pepper, and additional butter if desired.

Image not AI generated!

Five years ago today: Just Me, Myself, And I

Do Good Intentions Count?

I recently learned that July 15th is National Give Something Away Day, a day dedicated to encouraging people to donate or give away items they no longer need. The yearly event was founded by Linda Eaton Hall-Fulcher in 2015.

After lunch today Hubby Tony left to meet some friends. While he was gone I made dinner, ate a snack, did a couple of crosswords, then decided in honor of Give Something Away Day I would take the bag of donation items next to my dresser to St. Vincent de Paul. (And then go into the thrift store in front and see if there was anything I needed to buy😼).

This morning when I took a walk after breakfast it was hot and humid, and I soon realized that since then the conditions had only gotten worse. Thank goodness for car air conditioning! Traffic was a bear, but I finally made it the parking lot. However, when I pulled up to the donation center I saw a sign that it was closed for the day. (BOO!)

I still went into the store, but there was nothing that struck my fancy. On the way to the exit I asked a clerk if the donation center would be open tomorrow, and learned that at some point in the past its hours had changed; it is now closed on Tuesday and Thursday.

I could have driven ten minutes out of my way to take the donation items to Goodwill, but I wasn't in the mood to battle more traffic. Instead, the bag will drive around with me until the next time I'm in the area.

Five years ago today: Bifocal Blemish

(Inedible) Chip Bags

This month was Hubby Tony's turn to host his friend poker group. In preparation, he got out his special decks of cards and his stash of poker chips in Ziploc bags. Each member of the group only hosts a couple of times a year. With only occasional use, the chips always smell musty to Tony, which precipitates a process of washing, drying, and airing them out.  

To save him the work I told Tony I would try to come up with a better solution.

After some research I decided fabric drawstring bags would work. I looked through my stash of material, but I didn't have any pieces large enough. Just as I was headed to the fabric store I spotted a pair of blue khaki pants in the donation pile and the light bulb went off in head.

Making up the bags were an easy task. I cut the pant legs into appropriate lengths, sewed a bottom seam on each, then made a casing at the top and threaded a piece of ribbon through. I was able to match the colors of the chips (red, white, and blue) to the tie for each bag.

These bags are much sturdier than the former flimsy plastic bags, and the fabric is breathable so there should be no issue with smells. After Tony pronounced my work satisfactory I placed the chips into the proper receptacle, then found a box large enough to hold the bags so they would be easier to get to in the closet. Five years ago: Purposeful Road Trip

Cat Owies

In the past seven weeks Pimento the Foster Cat has been having some skin issues, which has led to several vet visits. Each was precipitated by the discovery of a lump under his fur, which turned out to be a scab, which fell off and left a nasty red spot. Like this:

When we find a lump, Hubby Tony or I contact the shelter to authorize an appointment to check it out. The clinic works the shelter cats in between scheduled visits, so we drop Pimento off and pick him up several hours later. He's not a fan of getting in his cage and going in the car. Tony and I are not fans of the schedule, but we all make it work.

At the first visit the vet said the spot was healing nicely and of no real concern.The second time Pimento got a long lasting antibiotic shot, and the vet opined that we might need to investigate food allergies. At the third appointment earlier this week, we came home with a liquid antibiotic, instructions to clean the area with a damp rag twice a day, and directions to have Pimento wear a soft donut cone to keep him from scratching the sore area.

We picked up a tiny colorful donut from the shelter. The eleven-inch wide circle of soft, fiber filled material had an interior tube that could be cinched with a Velcro strap to fit it to a cat's neck.

The internet is full of cats serenely wearing a donut. Some almost look happy to have it on. And then there's Pimento.

I have no idea what his life on the streets was like before he entered into shelter care, but even after more than a year of love and attention, standing over him or quickly putting two hands on his body to hold him freaks him out. Tony and I have tried daily to get Pimento's head through the hole, but eventually we figured that as long as there was no sign the sore had been disturbed we would let him be.

Five years ago today: Not So Traditionally Chinese

Ragged Is The Rage

For the past few years distressed clothes (like this skirt with a frayed hem that I saw last week when I walked at the mall) have been in fashion.

I could care less about fashion, but yesterday I put on an old pair of well-loved shorts and realized some people would pay good money for my raggedy hems and little holes 😀.

Five years ago: Working Up A Sweat, Literally And Figuratively

Pre-sliced And Packaged

Image by rawpixel.com

If you're a sliced bread lover, today is a big day. According to Wikipedia, on July 7, 1928 the first sliced bread was sold by the Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri (a town about an hour northeast of Kansas City).

The story actually starts in 1912, when Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa built a prototype of a single loaf bread slicing machine. All of the paperwork was destroyed in a fire, and it took another 16 years for the machine to make its debut.

In 2019 Missouri state statute 9.240 designated July seventh of each year as "Missouri Sliced Bread Day", indicating that the citizens of this state are encouraged to participate in appropriate activities and events to commemorate the first sale of sliced bread on July 7, 1928, in Chillicothe, Missouri.

There's also a St. Louis sliced bread connection. Gustav Papendick, a St. Louis baker, bought the second bread slicing machine. He knew that sliced bread got stale faster than an uncut loaf, so he developed a way to keep a newly-sliced loaf aligned so it could easily be wrapped in wax paper.

Five years ago: [Not] Great Customer Service

Who Does Something Like This?

I've almost reached the end of the get rid of old paint project. Several of the cans were picked up by people from my Buy Nothing group. The ones that didn't were dried out and tossed into the trash.

Eventually I was down to one five-gallon bucket, which felt to be about half full.

It took several weeks of looking at it, but eventually I was inspired to tackle the project of getting it out of the condo. When I opened the bucket I was shocked to see that the last painter had forgotten to take out their paint roller frame/cover and bucket grid.

Who does this?!?

Our trash people strictly follow the rules about discarded paint, which means the liquid has to be turned into a solid before it goes into the bin. In order to do that, I had to get the equipment out. 

The bucket didn't have a date on it, but it's not been opened in the five years I've lived here. When I tried to pick up the grid it fell apart, and the metal on the roller frame disintegrated in my hands. I used a paint stirrer to fish the pieces out and get as much of the paint off the roller as I could before putting both in a plastic container pulled from the recycling bin to dry.

Later in the day I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest bag of cat litter they had. It took the whole thing, but in the end the paint was successfully dried up and the bucket went into the trash bin. I'm enjoying a little extra space in the laundry room.

Five years ago: A Song For The Fourth Of July

A Fun Opportunity To Do Good

Hubby Tony found a two hour volunteer opportunity for today in the area affected by the May tornado. He asked if I was interested in signing up. I was.

This one took place at a church not too far from our last shift. When we arrived, I knew we were in the right place when I saw the banner indicating the church was a location for FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) assistance. After figuring out which door to go in, we found the church office, where we were greeted by an assistant pastor and escorted to the food pantry area. 

The food pantry was a large room lined with rows of donated perishables (fruits, vegetables, bread, and pastries) and a few large displays of processed snack foods. Looking at the packaging, I could tell by the price tags or brands where they had come from.

We had to wait for about ten minutes for the manager of the food pantry to show up. She told us they were normally open on Thursday, but closed today for the Fourth of July holiday. However, several people showed up looking for food and no one was turned away.

There were four one-time volunteers, and several people who knew what they were doing. Since there would be no official food pantry until next week our first task was to bag up the bakery products to move to another location where they could be frozen. By the time we were done, a minivan and two sedans were crammed with boxes and bags of bread, rolls, bagels, and buns.

Unfortunately, some of the fruit and produce was past its prime, so the next step was to separate the good from the not so good. Eventually the discarded stuff filled a huge cardboard watermelon box, which was moved to a pallet outside so the janitorial department could deal with it.

Close to the end of my shift I was able to help a lady get her food. I pointed out the different items, and she told me if she wanted them or not. After she made her selections, one of the permanent volunteers got her a bag of meat from a chest freezer in the back area. I walked with her to her car and put her things in the back. When we were done she thanked and blessed me, which made me feel good.

Rawpixel

I couldn't believe how fast the two hour shift went. After we signed out, the food pantry manager invited us to come back again. As we were walking out the door, a driver from the food bank arrived, saying he had pallets of donations to drop off. There was a big panel truck with the food bank logo in the parking lot.  It would have been interesting to see what it held.

Five years ago: Financial Freedom

Six Means Coffee

But since it's after dinner I better make it decaf.🤣

You Dot This

What about you? What do you need today?

You're Going To Give Me Money? Sure!

Yesterday I received a post card in the mail that indicated that I might be entitled to a payment from a class action lawsuit. Usually things like this go straight into the recycling bin, but when I turned it over and started reading I learned that in this case the "entitle to a payment" information was correct.

In this case, the defendant was Lee Enterprises (the owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper). Allegedly, they disclosed subscriber's personally identifiable information to Facebook without consent.

The records indicated I was a class member, and the postcard encouraged me to fill out a claim form with a provided login and password. This morning I went to the website, logged in, filled out the form, and chose my settlement delivery method. Before I signed off on the application I had to agree that:

"I am a person in the United States who, from December 1, 2020, until March 4, 2025, have or had a Facebook account, and was a subscriber of a Lee publication during that time."

A hearing on the proposed settlement is scheduled for early August. If the Court approves the settlement I will receive a payment 90 days later. The payment is anticipated to be approximately $41.01. Definitely not a huge amount, but enough to have made it worth my while. 

Five years ago: Time To Count

An Arachnid Good Deed

Every couple of weeks I see a common house spider in the laundry room or master bathroom. During my years of being a "boy mom" to three sons I got over my fear of most creepy crawlies. Now I figure that as long as they stay out of my way and build their webs in inconspicuous places, they're keeping my home insect free.

Two nights ago I went into the bathroom at bedtime and was surprised to see a spider in one of the two sinks in the double vanity. It was trying to climb out, but between gravity and the slick porcelain it couldn't quite get there. I used the other sink to brush my teeth and went to bed.

The next morning the spider wasn't anywhere to be found in the sink, so I was surprised when it was back again later in the afternoon. (Had it been resting in the drain underneath the stopper?) After spending a few minutes watching it's futile locomotion I decided I would give it a little help. I draped a piece of toilet paper from the bottom of the sink up to the vanity, tucked the end under the drinking cup, then turned out the light and left. When I checked five minutes later the spider was gone back to whereever it normally hangs out.

I haven't seen it again.

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Is This A Positive Or A Negative?

Did you realize that today is the midpoint between January 1st and December 25th? Yep, it's Halfway to Christmas.

And as fast as time is flying the holiday season will be here before I know it.

Five years ago today: Scrap Spice Shelf

Hot And Humid Activity

I live in the large part of the country that's currently dealing with a heat wave. A heat advisory (with heat index values-the combination of actual temperature and humidity-of up to 108 degrees started on Saturday. Originally the advisory was set to expire this evening, but then it was extended until Thursday night. I hope that's correct!

Every summer the area has at least one heat wave, so the extremes are nothing new. But they're still annoying. On mornings without commitments, Hubby Tony and I have been arranging our schedules to try and beat the heat. Right after breakfast we grab water bottles and go out to walk.

At that time of day, the angle of the sun is low enough that some of the sidewalks are shady. Sometimes there's a sprinkler system going that I can walk through.  If we choose a route that includes stores I can use the bathroom and refill my water bottle. (And then find a chair and sit for a while in the air conditioning).

By the time our walk is finished I can't wait to get into the air conditioned condo and take a cool shower. My biggest challenge is making myself do anything other than sit around for the rest of the day.

Five years ago: The Office Comes To The Cat

Diverse Different Things

Some days it's difficult to find something noteworthy to post about. Other days there are an embarrassment of riches. Today was one of those. Hubby Tony and I spent an entire afternoon (and early evening) visiting places we had never been to before in a small section of the city.

The inspiration for the whole thing was a heat advisory warning, which made us concentrate on inside activities. Hubby Tony and I take Foster Cat Pimento to the vet, there are several interesting storefronts. One of them is the Miniature Museum of St. Louis. Then, a couple of months later I saw a story about the museum on the local PBS station and added it to my list of places to see. The museum is only open on the weekend, so a hot Saturday in June seemed like the perfect time.

The two-story storefront in the Bevo neighborhood had an incredible collection of dollhouses and buildings of all types. Each of the displays had a push button to light up the interior (which was very helpful to see the tiny details). For example, the tiny Monopoly board on the right hand side of the floor in this one was about an inch one each side!

I enjoyed looking at the displays, but I suspect that if ever I went back I would see a completely different set of details. There was that much!

After we left the museum we headed one neighborhood to the east to visit Dad's Cookie Company in Dutchtown, where they have been making cookies since the 1930s. We thought about getting some of their Original Scotch Oatmeal, but after the friendly clerk gave us samples of two different types we ended up with a half pound of peanut butter chocolate chip and a bag of imperfect (broken) toasted coconut. The old-fashioned store put our purchase in an old-fashioned paper sack marked with an old fashioned stamp that had the address and their obsolete letter-based phone number.

Not too far from the cookie store was St. Anthony of Padua parish, where we went to Mass. I love old, ornate churches and this one definitely fell into that category.

Before mass started the priest was walking from the sanctuary back to the narthex, greeting people as he went. He stopped and asked where we were from, and after the service he told us to drive home safely.

For dinner we ended up across the street from our original location at Das Bevo (originally called Bevo Mill). The building, along with it's windmill, was built in 1917 by the Busch brewing family as a rest stop between the brewery and their farm in the county.

Due to the weather the biergarten was closed, so we ate in the bierhall-a large room with paneled walls, beamed ceilings, and large chandeliers. Tony got a loaded wurst brat with sauerkraut and grilled onions that came with fries. I chose a German-ish Mushroom Spaetzle, and added crumbled bacon.

Even after a filling dinner there's always room for dessert. We weren't too far from the South Grand branch of Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard. I had never been to that location before, but now I can say I've crossed it off my list of places to visit. The menu was the same, and my Johnny Rabbit Concrete (with hard shell chocolate and maraschino cherries mixed into vanilla custard) was as good as it always is.

Five years ago today: Rockery

Summer Starting Point

The Summer Solstice occurs this evening at 9:42 PM, which begins the Northern Hemisphere astronomical summer.

Hubby Tony and I talked about how we would celebrate the event, and decided on something cold and creamy. When we went into Aldi for a few things a box of frozen lime bars jumped into the cart. 

The bar was the perfect combination of cold, sweet, and tart. A perfect beginning to the new season.

Five years ago: Recycling Road Trip

Cats, Cats, And More Cats

Five years ago: Eat Your Vegetables!

All About The Papa

In the United States and some other countries, today is Father's Day. In our family, June 15th is also Son Donald's birthday.

Donald usually comes over to our condo for a birthday dinner. Because of my Covid quarantine (which ends tomorrow!) I checked with him  to see if pushing off his celebration until next weekend worked for him. It did. That left today without much on the calendar. For years Hubby Tony has been gracious enough to combine celebrations together, but today it got to be all about him.

The first event was breakfast. In order to beat the heat, right after rolling out of bed we walked to the Sunny Street Cafe for a great meal Later in the day we drove to the movie theater to see The Phoenician Scheme. Tony watched the baseball game on television. For dinner I made pork chops, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob, and applesauce. For dessert, Tony contributed his birthday pastry from Panera.

We also celebrated the young fathers in the family. This morning we forwarded some words of wisdom I found on Facebook- a post titled Ten Things To Remember On Father’s Day (For Dads Everywhere) from The Paps Fam. Their words touched me, and I decided to also share them with you.

1. You matter more than you know.

    Your presence, your voice, your steady hand-these shape lives. 

 

2. Little eyes are always watching.

    Even your smallest acts teach the biggest lessons. 

 

3. You don’t have to be perfect.

    Just present. Just real. That’s what they’ll remember. 

 

4. Love doesn’t always look loud.

    It’s in early mornings, late nights, quiet sacrifice. 

 

5. Your words carry weight.

    Speak life, speak hope-they’ll echo for years. 

 

6. Showing up is a superpower.

    Even when you’re tired, your presence speaks volumes.

 

7. It’s okay to be soft.

    Strength is found in kindness, in hugs, in “I love you”. 

 

8. You are building legacy.

    With every bedtime story, every scraped-knee pep talk, every prayer. 

 

9. They’ll remember how you made them feel.

    Safe. Loved. Seen. That’s what lasts. 

 

10. You’re not alone.

      There’s no manual for fatherhood-but there is grace for the journey. 

 

Five years ago today: Describes Me To A T

A Forecast Of Fear

According to Google AI Overview, approximately one in ten Americans may experience severe weather-related phobias. In honor of Friday the 13th, here are 10 of the most common:

• Ancraophobia: Fear of wind
• Astraphobia: Fear of thunder and lightning
• Chionophobia: Fear of snow
• Cryophobia: Fear of cold weather
• Heliophobia: Fear of the sun
• Homichlophobia: Fear of fog
• Lilapsophobia: Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes
• Nephophobia: Fear of clouds
• Ombrophobia: Fear of rain
• Thermophobia: Fear of heat

Five years ago today: Counting Customers

Party Like It's 2020

Today was Hubby Tony's birthday, but my Covid quarantine that started on Monday really put the kibosh on any plans. However, at the end of the day Tony said it had been a good one.

Last week I asked Tony what he wanted for his birthday dinner. He chose a nearby Greek restaurant that recently opened. I would have gone wherever he wanted, but Greek food always sounds good to me.

Freepik

(Two days after my positive antigen test I am feeling better. My only remaining symptoms are a slight scratchy throat and a runny nose/post nasal drip cough, but the most current guidelines say that I should stay home until at least 24 hours after my symptoms are better, and any fever is gone. I think by tomorrow I should be good to go out masked up.)

Yesterday I realized from a Facebook ad that the restaurant was having it's Grand Opening today. Their big promotion was a Chicken Gyro dinner with chips and a side for $5. I was afraid the dining room might be overwhelmed, but Tony wasn't concerned. Our original plan was to eat in the restaurant. Plan B was to order online, but I found out system wasn't functioning. Plan C was for Tony to walk into the restaurant and order.

I drove with him to the restaurant and sat in the car while he went in.  In addition to the dinners, he also got a salad to share and two pieces of baklava.We came back home and ate our food at the dining room table, just like we did back in 2020 when everything was shut down.

Five years ago today: No Problem