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| Cups small and large |
However, for all other warm drinks I like to drink out a mug. The one I reach for the most came from a coffee crawl we went to three years ago. It fits well in my hand and keeps liquids warm.
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| BFF mug |
Last week Tony and I went to the Botanical Garden,where I redeemed a coupon for the annual member's gift. This year I received a lovely coffee mug.
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| Aren't the flowers beautiful? |
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| Perfect |
Every store has a large display window or windows. Of course, the purpose of those display windows is to get you to come into the store. The chain stores have carefully-designed displays with schematics that come directly from the home office. Smaller stores get to be more creative.
Most of the clothing stores feature mannequins sporting merchandise you can find inside. Sometimes the mannequins are realistic. Sometimes they come in unnatural colors. Sometimes they are missing heads or feet. With the exception of the plus-size women's stores, the stores in the malls I frequent put their merchandise on slim female and athletic male mannequins.
However, recently I saw an interesting development. At a lingerie and
loungewear store, there was a male mannequin with shorts that fit under the
belly of his dad bod pooch.
The nighttime temperatures have warmed up enough that it was time for the flannel bedding to go.
Today I stripped the bed when I rolled out of it, then tossed the sheets and mattress pad into the washer. When the load was dry I folded the flannel and stored it in the linen closet until the fall, but before I could remake the bed with warm weather percale sheets there was a project to do.
I purchased the bed's quilt and dust ruffle in 2020. The center decking of the ruffle (the part between the base and mattress) was made from lightweight, non-woven material. Several months ago I noticed that it was tearing away from the ruffle piece on the right side of the bed. I didn't do anything about the issue and the rip got larger and larger; today when I took off the ruffle to make the repair there was a ten-inch long rip to sew back up.
The spare bedroom in the condo also serves as my office and sewing area. The sewing machine is pushed against the wall, halfway between a doorway and a large cat tree. There's not quite enough room to open up the cabinet all the way, which means not a lot of room to spread out a large piece like a queen-sized dust ruffle, but I did my best.
After sewing the ripped seam back together I wanted to stabilize the area so it wouldn't tear again. I got rid of most of my leftover material when we moved, but a piece of grosgrain ribbon did the job. The color didn't match, but it would be hidden under the mattress.
As I went throughout my day I tried hard to be open minded and observant. That included listening to, and respecting, other people's point of view (even when it was different than my own). It also included keeping my eyes open for things that I might otherwise have missed.
For example, I could have considered this handmade sign that I walked by on the way to get coffee an unattractive nuisance. Instead, I decided I would love to hear its back story:
This afternoon I sat down to take some down time before dinner, but there was a annoying loud humming noise outside that wouldn't go away. When I looked out the window I saw the landscaping company was starting to spread the yearly layer of fresh mulch and my annoyance evaporated. Doesn't it look lovely?
After the repair, Tony and I let things simmer for a while to make sure the issue was really corrected, then Tony quarterbacked finding someone to fix the ceiling damage. The work was done by a friendly, efficient painter. He told us that after the repair was done he would have to touch up the paint on both the ceiling (which he would supply) and the top few inches of the wall right underneath the repair (which was on us).
When we moved in five years ago, the previous owner left extra paint for each of the rooms, so it was just a matter of finding the right can and shaking/stirring the components back together. There was a half gallon of paint, and at the end of the project I decided to keep just enough for touch ups. I poured approximately two cups of paint into a jar with a tight-fitting lid, then posted the rest of it on my Buy Nothing group. Two days later the can was gone.It was great to have one less can of paint on the floor of the linen closet in the master bathroom. However, there was still several cans, and two five-gallon buckets in the laundry room. I thought it would be a great idea to get rid of the rest of the surplus paint. The buckets were more annoying, so I decided to tackle one of them first.
Today was the day. My plan was to keep a little pain and offer the rest to someone on Buy Nothing, so first I had to make sure it was still good. Because I am messy when it comes to anything involving paint, the first thing I did was change into sloppy clothes. I assembled my supplies in the laundry room-tarp, stirring stick, brush, and large rag. Ten minutes later my hands were covered in paint, and I had a large splotch on my leg, but the paint was well stirred. I used the brush to touch up a couple of spots in the office, decanted what I was keeping into a jar, then cleaned everything up.Down the line I'll tackle the other bucket and recover a little extra space in the laundry room.
Five years ago today: Social Distancing Voting
(In the Catholic church, the Paschal Triduum is the three days leading up to Easter. There are evening services on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. My preferred blogging time is after dinner, and since we're leaving for church shortly after that it's been hard for me to post. Until my schedule gets back to normal, please enjoy this comparison of canines and felines)
Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you anymore. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us."
God said, "I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."
God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve. It was a good animal and God was pleased. The new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.
Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."
God said, "Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG."
Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them. They were comforted, God was pleased, and Dog was content and wagged his tail.
After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."
God said, "I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration.'
God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve. Cat would not obey them, and when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the Supreme Beings.
Adam and Eve learned humility, and they were greatly improved. God was pleased. Dog was happy. Cat didn't give a fig one way or the other.
Five years ago: Entrées and Entertainment
The simple bread has four ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk), and is baked in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. The recipe directions said to line the pan with parchment paper before putting the batter in. I did that, and was irritated when the paper stuck onto the bottom and sides. I couldn't tak it to my event, so I tried again. The second time I added the batter into a well seasoned, lightly greased skillet. After baking it came out like a charm.
Everyone at the event said they enjoyed the second loaf. Hubby Tony and I eventually ate our way through the imperfect one, picking the adhered paper off the crust each time we ate a slice.
For my first attempt at soda bread making I bought just buttermilk, but later in the day when Tony went back to get more for me the only thing in the dairy case was a small jug that had twice as much as I needed. Not a problem; I ended up freezing the extra for something down the line.
For the last couple of days I've been planning our Easter dinner, which will include me, Tony, and Son Donald. This afternoon I asked Tony if he wanted the meal to include bread from the bakery or another loaf of Irish Soda bread. He quickly chose the latter, and I got to work.
Ninety minutes later the completed loaf was cooling on a rack, and it will go
in the freezer until Sunday. I crossed 'bread' off my grocery list.
The gas station we had chosen is close to a paved rail-to-trail path. Tony suggested a route that would take us to one of its trailheads, where we could hop on the trail to circle back. Along the way we wandered up and down several small streets. Shortly before we got to the trailhead we came up on the front entrance of the Father Dickson Cemetery.
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| Wikipedia |
I am more familiar with the back of the cemetery, which is visible from the trail, but I've never taken the time to stop and explore the area. Both Tony and I thought today would be a good day for exploring and we turned through the gates.
The first thing I saw was a large obelisk dedicated to Moses Dickson (the cemetery's namesake), who was a member of the Underground Railroad and a community leader during the Civil War era.
At the edge of the cemetery there was a small path that led to the trail, where I saw a information about a walking tour brochure. We didn't have time for that today, but I put the activity on my mental list of things to do.
This morning Hubby Tony and I walked to the church just down the road from our condo.We picked up individual palm leaves from a table, then walked into the nave and chose our seats. Just about the time I was settled the lector invited everyone outside.
There, the priest and deacon went through a short rite (consisting of prayer and a short Gospel reading), then everyone processed back inside. Once people were settled in the pews the priest issued an invitation to the young children who wanted to participate in the Children's Liturgy. They gathered in front of the altar, then followed their teachers out for their lesson.(After they left the Liturgy of the Word began. There are always three readings at a Sunday mass. The first is from the Old Testament or Acts of the Apostles, the second is from one of the New Testament letters, and the third is from one of the four Gospels. On Palm Sunday, rather than being proclaimed by the priest or deacon the Gospel is divided into four spoken parts-Christ, the narrator, a reader, and the crowd.)
At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist the children returned for the rest of the mass.
The family in the pew in front of me had three children (who looked to be about 7, 5, and 3). The children were well mannered except for their new palm leaf toys. As much as I tried to concentrate my attention kept wandering their way:
However, I had trouble coming up with a container small enough for one short digit.
After a thorough search in the kitchen and bathroom, I walked into the office and spied a prescription bottle left over from some cat medicine. It was just tall enough that my finger would fit, and narrow enough to only need a dash of Epsom salts and a couple of tablespoons of water.
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| Pen for size |
The test was developed by Harvard University postdoctoral fellow Dr. Jay A. Olson. It involves listing 10 nouns that are as different from each other as possible. People who are more creative tend to think of words that have greater distances between them.
I tend to overthink things and couldn't believe that I could actually complete the test in less than four minutes, so I timed myself with a stopwatch. The elapsed time from starting to hitting the submit button was 2:15! Scoring was immediate, and based on a calculation of the semantic distance between the words. Most people score between 74 and 82. Mine was 78.
Five years ago today: Heat Ho HumsDuring the cool weather part of the year I often drink a cup of herbal or decaffeinated tea in the evening. I enjoy trying new flavors. The last time I was in a fancy tea shop I saw something called barley tea on the shelf.
The associate explained the roasted barley drink was a popular in many Asian countries, particularly Japan, China, and Korea. She said it had no caffeine, and many people find the drink coffee-like in taste. When I found a small bag of Apple Barley teabags in the clearance section I decided to bring it home and give it a try.
I brew my tea a cup at a time, and I'm sure a purist would shudder at my method. After my favorite mug is filled with water I add a tea bag, heat the mug in the microwave, and then let the tea brew for a few minutes before pulling the bag out.
The barley tea is nothing like the light and minty chamomile combinations, invigorating ginger blends, or the tart and fruity hibiscus-based mixtures I usually drink, but it's a nice change of pace. Its flavor is slightly bitter, toasty, and nutty and the apple taste is barely noticeable.
How about you? Are you a tea drinker? Have you ever had barley tea (and if so, what did you think of it)?
Five years ago today: Worth A Watch
I'm sure you've heard the old saying "April showers bring May flowers". If that's true, the atmospheric river of rain we're scheduled to get this weekend should mean that there will be blooms everywhere! Newsweek quotes AccuWeather meteorologists, who say that a "1,000-mile swath through the central U.S. could see four months' worth of rain in only five days this week".
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| Wikimedia Commons |
And they did. Last Saturday I was almost able to find my clothes in the dresser using just natural light, and according to WillyWeather, today's first light was even six minutes earlier than that, so the room was even incrementally brighter. I thought that was exciting, and so did the newly-returned birds I heard chirping outside.
Five years ago today: Take One, Leave One
