All It Needs Is A Hanger

Hubby Tony and I have some friends coming for dinner later this week, and we decided it would be nice if he condo was decorated for Christmas. We put up the tree in the morning, putting the ornament from our our Greece and Turkey pilgrimage front and center. Then, as part of a house straightening, I found a tag from a souvenir tote bag which I thought could also make a nice ornament:

The tag was printed on heavy paper, but to make the finished product more sturdy I also glued it to a piece of card stock. Then I decided the tag would last longer if encased in some type of plastic. I asked on the Buy Nothing group if anyone had a small piece of clear Contact paper or a corner of a laminating sheet they would be willing to add my tag to. I didn't know there was a thing called a self-adhering laminating sheet (that allows you to laminate without a machine) until someone offered it to me.

This afternoon I swung by the woman's house and picked up the sheet, which was large enough to cover one side of a standard sheet of paper. Because my item was small I measured a piece large enough for both sides, then sandwiched the tag inside. Next I folded the laminate in half, and pressed down until all of the air bubbles were gone. The last step was to cut off the excess plastic and punch a hole. Just like that I had another ornament for the tree.

Five years ago today: A Social Bubble Adventure

Independent All The Way

Even through Black Friday shopping is often at the large chain stores, everything Hubby Tony and I did today was at small independent businesses.

This morning we got an early start. After dropping Foster Cat Smokey Joe off at the clinic at 7:45 am for a checkup (the vets work the shelter cat in during down times) we headed toward a local cafe for breakfast. My intention was to eat light, but by the time I sat down it was a couple of hours since I rolled out of bed and I was starving. I managed to pass on the larger items, but my two eggs came with a choice of meat (in my case a huge ham slice), hash browns, and toast. It was so good I couldn't stop until everything was gone. 

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Even after lingering over our coffee, when Tony and I left it was still too early for most small stores to be open. To kill time we walked through an Ace Hardware (a chain, but independently owned) where we had a nice chat with the manager, then continued our walk in the neighborhood around the store.

ornament

We headed to downtown Maplewood, which has many small independent stores. At a fair trade store we chose a black cat felt ornament I wanted for the Christmas tree to honor Smokey Joe (handmade in Nepal from natural New Zealand wool). We also splurged on a felted wreath, and found some Christmas gifts that will be easy to mail to the out of town adult kids.

On the way out of the store Tony and I started talking about making the fair trade items the inspiration item for gift baskets and what else we could include. Stopping in several additional stores didn't lead to any additional purchases, so we decided to head home.

After a couple of hours of housework and paperwork I hadn't heard from the vet office yet. Tony and I decided we were on a Christmas present buying roll and left to shop in the Webster Groves Old Orchard shopping area. At one shop we bought something for the baskets. At a book store we got a book that was on one of the grand's lists.

When we heard that Smokey Joe was finished we were only ten minutes from the office. We figured the cat was more than ready to be out of his carrier, so there was no stopping on the way home.

Gratitude Scavenger Hunt / A Slice Of My Life

It's easy to think of big things to be thankful for, but today I challenged myself to come up with smaller everyday things.

• Something in the morning that brings me happiness -My first sip of hot, freshly brewed coffee

• A sound that brings me peace -The sound of running water

• Something in my home I'm thankful for -The wide selection of clothes in my closet

 

• A scent I enjoy -Sauteed onion and garlic, ingredients in a dinner Hubby Tony was cooking

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• Something that makes my life easier - The high speed router in my condo, which lets me access the internet and any information I want at any time.

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• Something in nature that makes me smile - The crunch of leaves beneath my feet (and the light brown leaf that is smiling at me :-)

• A moment that brought joy today -Foster Cat Smokey Joe cuddled up on my lap

Poinsettias Everywhere

One of our friends is a member of a family who (up until they sold it earlier this year) owned a wholesale greenhouse. The greenhouse always has an open house the weekend before Thanksgiving. Hubby Tony and I usually have plans, but this year were able to attend.

When we arrived we texted our friend, and she was waiting for us when we entered the building. I had no idea what to expect, but our personal tour started with a short row craft booths and saying hello to Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their two young helpers. We moved over to the rows of for sale plants, some of which were still under trial to find out how well they would perform. There were so many shades of red! Also multiple pinks, whites, corals, and a few orange and yellow. Then there were bi-colored, marbled, and speckled patterns, and one with a flower that looked like a rose.

After winding our way up and down the rows we walked through a large room with a stage at one end where a dance studio was performing. We stopped at the refreshment station, then visited several of the industrial-sized greenhouses where plants were waiting to be delivered to stores. We also saw the spray painting line, where cream colored poinsettias are sprayed with unnatural colors (like blue) and glitter.

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Eventually we made our way back to the first room where we thanked our friend for the tour. Poinsettias are mildly toxic to cats, so not knowing if Foster Cat Smokey Joe is a chewer I decided not to bring something home that might be an attractive nuisance.

Five years ago: Helping Yourself Out

Connecting With The Cat

I can't believe it's only been a little over a week since Foster Cat Smokey Joe came home with Hubby Tony and me. It didn't take him long to settle in and be a part of the family.

Smokey Joe is the most affectionate cat I've ever had. Whenever Tony and I are moving around the condo the cat is following, and rubbing against us when we stop. As soon as someone sits down on the couch Smokey Joe is on our lap, and hunkers down for the long haul. If we get up he's ready to start the cycle all over again.

As much as I like his lap-sitting, purring, and 'biscuit making' (pushing and pulling his front claws, alternating between his right and left paw) all the attention presenting a bit of a problem. I don't mind passing on the household chores I should be doing but I usually do my blog posts with a laptop on my lap. The cat doesn't like sharing.

I am sure we'll eventually come to some type of agreement.

 Next to me, but laying on my arm😊

Giving Gifting

Our church has a Christmas Outreach tradition called the Giving Tree. Each year Hubby Tony and I choose tags for a male and a female, buy and wrap the requested items, then return the back to the church so they can be delivered to a city in southeast Missouri

Public Domain Pictures

Earlier this week Tony was meeting some friends at church. While he was there he picked out tags for a 47 year old man and a 21 year old woman. 

I put the envelopes containing the instructions on my dresser so I could remember to buy the presents. The gift drop off isn't for several weeks, but today I found a coupon from Kohl's for 30 percent off a purchase. The coupon expired in a couple of days, so I asked Tony to to go shopping with me.

Each year the requests are pretty basic. The man asked for jeans or pants (size 34-32) and underwear (32-34). The woman wanted the same two items (bottoms size 12-14, and underclothes size 7).

Tony was in charge of making purchasing decisions for the man. After a little browsing he decided on standard blue jeans and boxer briefs. When we moved over to the women's department it was on me to figure things out.

There were a couple of issues. The first one was a size issue. The tag suggested a size range, which makes sense if the person was there in person and could take one of each into the dressing room, but no help for a third-party gift buyer. Even if my crystal ball could figure out which size was more accurate, there was still the length issue to contend with. Google AI told me

"The average women's pant inseam for an average-height woman (around 5'4" to 5'7") is typically 29 to 31 inches, while a standard "Regular" inseam length is often cited as 31 to 32 inches."

I fall into the average height range, but most pants are too long for me. Rather than guess wrong, I chose a pair of elastic waist joggers (size Medium) with an ankle cuff to eliminate the length problem. In the lingerie department I had to guess again, but figured high cut cotton panties would be a safe option.

We always include something extra with the requests. I had a pair of lounge socks in my gift stash that will be great for the woman. For the man I will be going back to Kohls tomorrow to use the "Kohl's cash" reward today's purchase earned us.

A Wednesday Walk

It's supposed to rain hard for the next two days. Today was overcast, but warm enough to be comfortable in a fleece jacket. Hubby Tony suggested we go out for an afternoon walk while it was still dry. I agreed.

At first we were going to drive to a walkable shopping area, but halfway there I remembered a nice multi-use trail (along Clayton Road if you know the area) and suggested our budget would probably like that better. Tony parked the car in the lot of a professional building and we were off.

The first task was to cross the road. I've never seen trees growing in the crevice next to a traffic light pole, but this one still had beautiful autumn colors.

We started westward on the trail, but right before it crossed over the highway we saw a spur off to the right and turned that way. A sign indicated it was a wellness trail for Missouri Baptist Hospital just to the north. The first part paralleled the highway, but between the greenery on the left and a privacy fence on the right the trail felt quite secluded.

Eventually the trail turned to the east, and grass replaced the fence and greenery. I saw bright green orbs scattered over the grass and realized the were fruits from an Osage Orange tree.

The trail made a couple more turns and ended up at a Ballas (a major street) north of where the car was parked. We walked along a overgrown sidewalk back to the professional building, where we used the bathroom before heading home.

Five years ago today: Trending

One Of The Best Songs Ever

At today's Cycling class there were two women to the left of me who appeared to be in their late 30s. The instructor for this class plays a wide variety of music, and I particularly enjoy it when something from the 1970s starts coming though the speakers.

That happened halfway through the class. It only took a couple of introductory bars for me to figure out I was going to hear "The Chain", my favorite Fleetwood Mac song. I had to giggle when I heard one of the women say to the other that it was one of the best songs ever. The Rumour album, which contained the song, was released in 1977-long before she came along.

Five years ago: Why Didn't I Think Of This Before?

New Cat Kindness

While surfing the web a couple of days ago, I learned that today is World Kindness Day. I think that's appropriate, given that today Hubby Tony and I brought home our new Foster Cat Smokey Joe.

Checking out his new home

Twenty four hours after Pimento left for his new home Tony and I decided the house needed a feline. I sent an email to the shelter, but before we could get a response a request popped up on social media that one of their partner clinics asked if they could take in a FIV+ cat with a suspected leg injury. (A cat that has tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus has a weakened immune system and shouldn't be around other cats). It only took a couple of minutes for me to respond to the post that we were interested, and a couple more minutes for the shelter to acknowledge our offer.

Because this was a new cat Tony and I got the honor of giving him a name. The shelter only uses a name one time, so we had a great time thinking of something that would suit him based on a photo and comparing it to the database to make sure it was unique. 

The shelter picked up Smokey Joe from the partner clinic this morning. After lunch Tony and I brought him home. 

It took almost two months for Pimento to feel comfortable around us, but today when Tony opened the carrier Smokey Joe slunk out and cautiously walked down the hall, then around the kitchen and eating area. He found the gap underneath the couch and settled in for his first nap.

I hope the rest of his assimilation is as easy as the beginning has been. 

Would You Rather?

Do you know the game Would You Rather? Each question has two choices, and you must choose one of them (no answering 'both' or 'neither'). Feel free to comment on my answers here or on your own blog.

• Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?

I think it would be great to fly, which would allow me to zoom past traffic jams on the road.

 

• Would you rather live in the future or in the past?

The future. I have no desire to revisit the things I've already done or experienced.

 

• Would you rather have a personal maid or a personal chef?

A maid. I love to cook but hate to clean.

 

• Would you rather live without the internet or a television?

I use the internet for so many things, but could easily do without a television.  

 

• Would you rather be fabulously famous and poor or unknown and rich?

Unknown and rich. Fame doesn't appeal to me.

 

• Would you rather take a vacation on an exotic island or in a romantic city?

I am much prefer the hustle and bustle of a city.

 

• Would you rather be an unknown superhero or a famous villain?

As I said above, I have no desire to be famous. In addition, no way would I want to be evil.

 

• Would you rather live on a houseboat or in an RV?

I think an RV provides more options. You can travel on land, or go to a beach and park there.

 

• Would you rather be on a losing team with friends or join your rival team and win the competition?

With my friends. Winning is much less important to me.

 

• Would you rather always have the same song stuck in your head or always have the same dream at night?

I would vote for the dream, because I rarely remember mine!

Five years ago: Pumpkin Polenta With Chipotle Pintos And Roasted Vegetables

So Long, And Good Luck!

Pimento the Foster Cat has been with us for about a year and a half, long enough that I sometimes forgot about the fact that we were not his permanent 'parents'. A while back Hubby Tony started a discussion about changing that. However, before we could make it official with the shelter we got an email that someone was potentially interested in adopting him and she wanted to set up a meet and greet.

We offered her several times that fit into our schedule and she picked one.   The woman asked if she should bring a carrier to that meeting. I didn't know the answer. The adoption coordinator said the shelter doesn't do same day adoptions, but if the woman decided she was interested, the paperwork could be process and pick up scheduled as soon as possible.

The day of the meet and greet I couldn't decide if I was rooting for Pimento to shine or if I wanted him to be a jerk. He was skittish, but was won over by pieces of kibble. The woman, who appeared to be about my age, said after some life changes she was living in a one-bedroom apartment and was looking for a cat to love. 

That evening she let us and the adoption coordinator know she wanted to move forward. Completing the paperwork and arranging a time for pick up took five days, which allowed me to come to terms with the whole arrangement. 

This morning was Pimento's big moving day. All morning he sensed something was up, and when the time came it for him to leave took all three of us to get him into the carrier. A couple of hours later his new mom was nice enough to text a picture of him enjoying the view out of a window at his new house.

I have no doubt Pimento will have a wonderful life going forward, but it hurts to see him go. When both Tony and I are ready for another foster cat we will let the shelter know.

One last Pimento photo

Temperature Change Is A Comin'

The weather for the past few days:

 

Tuesday-73 degrees ☀️

Wednesday-70 degrees 🌤️

Thursday-66 degrees🌤️

Friday-73 degrees ☀️

Saturday-62 degrees ⛅

 

The weather for the next two days:

 

Sunday-37 degrees 💨

Monday-39 degrees💨

Although after a couple of days of winter temperatures fall will come back, Hubby Tony and I have tried to get outside to enjoy the ice weather as much as possible.

• Wednesday we went to St. Charles. The sun was so warm that I left my jacket in the car and walked around with just a t-shirt.

• Thursday I skipped the gym and we headed to the Botanical Garden. We arrived five minutes before the start of a walking tour and joined in. It was cooler, so my light jacket came in handy (although I had to take it off every time the group entered a building).

• Friday after lunch we walked to the grocery store so I could get something to eat for dinner after setting up for an event at church. I picked up small containers of cole slaw and pre-cooked salmon. On this walk it was almost too warm to wear capris, but that was easier than digging out a pair of shorts.

• Today was the change day between warm and chilly. I wore a pair of jeans, but it was still nice enough to get by with just a light fleece. Tony and I picked a neighborhood ten minutes to the east to walk through. There were a lot of big old trees that were a blaze of color. Two hours later when we left for church it was substantially cooler. My jeans jacket wasn't warm enough.

Tony and I have an outdoor neighborhood get together tomorrow night. I will dress warmly and hope the host has some heaters going.

Five years ago today: Coincidence?

Caffeine And Sugar

The first part of this week's weather has been/will be lovely, but over the weekend a cold front will bring the first winter-coat weather so I've been spending as much time outside as possible. This morning before a Pilates class I walked around the neighborhood by the gym, then after lunch Hubby Tony and I headed to Main Street in St. Charles to get steps and do some window shopping. 

We walked from one end to the other on the west side of the street, then crossed to the other side to head back. Eventually we passed a coffee shop and decided to stop in for a cup.  

If we're not in a hurry, and a shop offers it, we'll order a pour over (a brewing method where hot water is manually poured over grounds in a filter, with the brewed coffee dripping into a carafe below). Today it was. There were two choices of beans. One of them came from Yemen. The other was from Ethiopia. We ordered one of each in order to taste both, and added a cookie to share. The barista said the drinks would take a little while, but I told her that was okay. 

We took a seat at a table and waited. All of a sudden a string of customers came in, and the two baristas were working hard to get everything done. Ten minutes later one of our drinks was ready. When they called my name I went up to the counter and collected it and the sweet. We waited almost ten more minutes for the other drink, but passed the time by enjoying the large homemade cookie.

When the second drink was ready one of the baristas brought it over and set it on the table, along with a cardboard container. He apologized for the delay, explaining that one of the two pour over stations was out of commission, and said he hoped we would enjoy a piece of Turkish baklava on the house.

I am familiar with Greek baklava, which uses walnuts and honey. This Turkish version had pistachios and a lighter but sweeter sugar-based syrup. The small piece was cut into a wedge like a piece of pie.

The piece might have been small, but combined with the large cookie was more than enough. On the walk back to the car I had plenty of energy, but back at home had a sugar crash. (It was worth it, though.)

Five years ago: Leaf Walking

Time For Time Change Issues

In the middle of the night Saturday Daylight Savings time ended. Yesterday was the first day of 'fall back' time, but Hubby Tony and I were at a fellowship business meeting. I was so busy I didn't really think about the time change until today. This morning when I got up it was nice to have sunlight to pick out my clothes. I normally don't have a problem with the fall adjustment, but for some reason today was filled with time change goofs.  

• After breakfast I lost track of time, which meant that Tony and I had to hustle to get to our volunteer commitment on time.

• We ran a couple of errands on the way home. Along the way I looked at the clock in Tony's car and started dramatically whining about how late it was getting....then realized he hadn't changed the clock in his car.

• At the grocery store Tony went inside to get a few things. I walked across the street to the bank to deposit a check. At the end of the transaction the teller asked if I wanted a receipt. I told her I did, because it was the only way I would remember to write the information in the check register. And then I came home and almost forgot to write the information in.

• Mid-afternoon I was sitting at the table having an afternoon snack and doing a crossword puzzle. Tony asked me a question from the other room, so I walked down the hall to talk to him. Things looked blurry and it took me a few minutes to realize I was wearing reading glasses instead of regular ones.

• After snack time I stepped outside to sweep leaves off the deck. My downstairs neighbor was doing the same thing on her patio. We started a nice conversation, which would have turned out much different if she had heard me call her by the wrong name.

• While Tony was cooking dinner I went outside to walk around the neighborhood. Since it was closer to sunset than it would have been last week the angle of the sun was lower and in my eyes. I managed to avoid the dog poop on the sidewalk, but didn't see the rotten crab apple until I stepped into it. 

• Later in the walk I stifled a shriek when a squirrel darted across the sidewalk in front of me. (This time there was no sun to blame) 

Five years ago: Stop, Please