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

Again?!?

Yesterday afternoon my nose started running and my throat was scratchy. The mold count has been awful, so I took allergy medicine and kept going. At bedtime I had a headache, so I downed ibuprofen along with a decongestant.

I didn't sleep well, because the post nasal drip and accompanying cough kept me up. After breakfast I took a walk outside with Hubby Tony, but cancelled my class at the gym and laid around. I wasn't tired, but had no energy. The air conditioner was set to the normal temperature, but I felt chilly.

Mid afternoon I had a horrible thought. What if I had more than a cold? I did some research and decided it was time to test for the dreaded Covid.

Cold, Flu, or Covid?

When the test was finished the Positive line was so clear there was no room for doubt. I had Covid.

I spent the next hour clearing my calendar for the next five days.  Depending on my symptoms, my quarantine could be over, or it could drag on. Tony hasn't had any symptoms, so he gets to figure out his own schedule.

What A Weekend!

Hubby Tony left Thursday late afternoon for a retreat, and he got home today.

I made plans for lots of activities while he was away, but many of them were outside and Mother Nature had other plans. The weekend was gloomy with periods of rain, which put the kabash on several things. Despite the weather issues I still had a great time.

Thursday

As soon as Tony left I started thinking about what I was going to have for dinner. After poking around the kitchen I decided toasted cheese and tomato soup sounded good. However, there wasn't a can of soup soup in the house so I made my own by pulling out the blender and pureeing a can of chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, a spoonful of tahini, and a fig (for sweetness), then simmered the puree until the flavors melded. It was even better than the Campbell's would have been.

Pixabay

Friday

After a mid-morning meeting, instead of coming straight home I had extra time to pop into stores that caught my attention. The light drizzle that wouldn't go away made my hair barometer go full frizz, but I didn't mind.

In the evening I had dinner plans with Son Donald. He asked if I had a place in mind or if I wanted to go to something from his list of restaurants on his phone that he wants to try. Adventure always sounds good to me, so we ended up at Stews Food & Liquor in the Soulard neighborhood.

When we got there the sky was filled with clouds, and we both brought our umbrellas. All the inside tables were filled, but the host offered us a table for two under the building overhang. Halfway through the meal it started drizzling, and by the time we got the bill there was a light but steady rain.

We shared an appetizer and two entrees: T-pockets (a mashup of toasted ravioli and crab rangoon), Stew's Way Chicken (buffalo sauce, red chili paste, Mozzarella, and crispy rice), and Cold Curry Udon (red curry with coconut milk, peanuts, cilantro, and a scallion emulsion). There was enough of the entrees left over for each of us to bring some home.

Entrees

After leaving the restaurant we walked around the neighborhood. The steady rain meant that my sandals got wet and my feet were sloshing around in them, but the conversation was so good I didn't mind. I dropped Donald off at his house and came home. Pimento the foster cat wanted to know where I'd been.

Saturday

The city of Kirkwood sponsored a Route 66 Cars and Guitars Festival, which included a vintage car show, two stages of music, a few vendors, and food and drink stands. The main event started in the late afternoon, but in the morning the fire department and Rotary Club held a Carbs Guitars Pancake Breakfast. 

After my cycling class at the gym I walked over to the firehouse, where a pancake cooking station, serving line, banquet tables, and a trio of musicians had replaced the vehicles inside the building. My carb-filled breakfast gave me energy to get things done. I came home and did laundry and straightened the condo. I thought about visiting an art fair in Webster Groves (the city just to the east), but when I looked outside it was raining again.

When it was time for church in the late afternoon, I researched masses that would make it easy to go back into downtown Kirkwood for the main part of the festival. After church I was hungry; when I drove by a Sam's Club I decided that a piece of their food court pizza sounded good. It was, and I had money in my pocket for the rest of the night.

The festival always brings in a big crowd, so I knew to park several blocks away. I carried a water bottle and a rain jacket. I walked around the car show, listened to a couple of tunes from a cover band, and got some swag from the booths. It started drizzling. 

I decided I was ready to go home. But on the way back to the car I remembered I would be passing right by Clementine's Ice Cream. I got a 'Nice" scoop of Midnight Pleasures dark chocolate and a "Naughty" (with alcohol) scoop of Pink Champagne Sorbet. It was a great combination.

Five years ago today: The Importance Of Correct Punctuation

Eagle-Eyed

Mike left a comment on my last post asking me about a photo of the Lustron house I saw. When I went back and looked, I realized that for some reason Blogger had used an earlier version of my post rather than my final draft.

What should have been included:

The house was across a busy road. I had already walked a substantial distance, and without going out of my way to the nearest stoplight there was no way to cross the street to get a close photo. I tried to take one from where I was, but there were no breaks in the traffic. In the end I used a photo from one of the local television stations, but the attribution wasn't on the post that got published.

I never want to be the person who uses something without giving credit, so the original post is updated accordingly.  Thanks, Mike!

Five years ago: Compare And Contrast Churches

Hippo House

This morning Hubby Tony and I dropped Foster Cat Pimento off at the vet, then decided to walk around a part of South City several miles away. We started on a greenway, which dumped out onto a large arterial road, then turned right to loop back to the car. 

We were almost to the next turn when a large pink hippo sculpture in the yard of a house across the street caught my eye. Then I noticed the house was made out of large squares and realized I was looking at a Lustron house.

Fox 2

Lustron houses are a type of prefabricated home constructed from enameled steel panels and built on the customer’s job site.They were manufactured by the Lustron Corporation in the United States between 1948 and 1950. The houses were a response to a shortage of homes for returning G.I.s after World War II. Almost 2,000 houses were built before production ceased due to the company's tangles with labor unions and the inability to pay back their start up loans.

The house is now an Airbnb, which I think would be fun to stay in. Five years ago: No Controverting

Half Priced Happiness

Several months ago a Capital One Cafe opened at the mall close to our condo. I have one of their charge cards in my wallet, so it was interesting to read the signage that indicated Capital One customers could get 50% off of beverages. 

Eventually Hubby Tony and I stopped in to see what it was all about. I found out that the menu has a nice variety of coffees and teas, and a small selection of breakfast and lunch items. That day neither one of us was in the mood for a drink or a bite to eat. However, I left knowing that the space has tables, plenty of electrical outlets, and free wi-fi. If you have an account you can also reserve a private workspace.

Today after lunch Tony and I decided it was too hot to walk outside. I told him that if he was interested I would be a big spender and buy him a half-priced coffee at the Cafe. He smiled and agreed.

(I think walking at the mall is pretty boring, so we usually mix it up by completing a lap of the lower level then taking the escalator up to the second floor and doing the same thing. Sometimes we do a third or fourth lap, but walk in the opposite direction.)

Today was only a two-lapper. The Cafe is on the top floor, so when we reached the door we swung in. Tony got a drip coffee and I ordered a Honey Lavender Latte, their signature beverage. When it was time to pay, the associate asked if I was going to use a Capital One credit or debit card. I said I was, and all of a sudden the price dropped by half.

While we were waiting for our drinks I noticed two associates standing at a counter who greeted everyone who came in and said goodbye to people as they left. They were also willing to answer questions about Capital One services should anyone be curious.

Five years ago: Be More Like Labs

At The Speed Of Life

How is it June already? Didn't the year just start?

I recently came across the word zenosyne. It's a noun which describes the sense that time appears to be moving faster and faster, especially as you age, and the inevitable conclusion (death) will arrive before you know it.  

When I was a student, even a week of vacation was enough to do everything I wanted to, and the three months of summer vacation felt like an eternity! Now most of my days have at least one commitment penciled in and my to-do list is long. Summer goes by in a flash. 

Seconds turn into minutes, which turn into hours, which turn into days, which turn into weeks, which turn into months, which turn into years. Until they don't.

Five years ago today: New Word, Old Idea

Pizza In Paper

After church tonight Hubby Tony and I went out for pizza. The "special" we chose started with a Chicago tavern style thin crust layers with a tasty red sauce, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and mozzarella cheese. When I took my first piece, I noticed the pizza had been placed on a cardboard circle on top of a metal pan.

We chose to order a pizza large enough so there would be leftovers for lunch tomorrow. The waitress came by and offered to package up the leftovers. She took the pan away, and when she came back she was carrying a slim paper bag, folded over and closed with clear cellophane tape. 

I had never seen leftover pizza packaged in anything other than a square cardboard box. When I picked the bag up I could feel the pizza on top of the cardboard circle, and I noticed how much lighter the bag was than a comparable sized box.

 

I was afraid that without sturdy box sides the pieces of pizza would shift around on the drive home, and ended up putting it in the trunk. There didn't seem to be any issues. 

 

Back at home, Tony put the leftovers in the refrigerator, where they took up less room then they would have in a box. Tomorrow after lunch the empty bag will take up less room in the trash than cardboard would (and keep the communal trash bins in the basement cleaner).

Have you ever had pizza being packaged in a paper bag? If so, what did you think?

It Was Darn Good

The other night Hubby Tony had a dinner meeting, so I was on my own to find something to eat. Even though I could have scavenged something from the refrigerator I decided to walk up to the grocery store and see if there was anything in the clearance section to enhance the meal.

The Clearance Section gods were smiling down on me. I ended up buying a one-person marinated salmon kebab and a container of yellow cherry tomatoes. Both were $1.50.

Back at home, I put the tomatoes in the oven to roast. When they were almost done I took apart the kebab and added the salmon chunks to the pan. I cut up leftover roasted eggplant, and boiled a serving of Chinese noodles. When everything was ready I put the noodles in a bowl, dumped everything else on top, and added a large sprinkle of Everything Bagel seasoning.

My one-person meal was tasty, and just what my stomach needed.

Five years ago today: Tender Tarsus Treatment

Helping Out As I Can

The tornado that came through St. Louis on May 16th decimated large portions of several neighborhoods on the North Side. This is an old part of the city, with many houses built a century or more ago. A few of the neighborhoods are genteel, but others suffer from widespread disinvestment and poverty.

Tony and I talked about what we could do to help with the relief efforts. On the Volunteer Center of the United Way website there was a list of opportunities. Many of them involved strenuous labor like debris clearing or boarding up buildings (neither of which I would be much help with), but when I saw a two-hour shift packing food boxes we decided that we could do that and signed up for this morning.

Before we left the house Tony's map app said the most direct way to the volunteer location was through Forest Park, which had also been hit by the storm. After I got off the highway the drive was surreal; the closer I got to the most affected area, the more huge uprooted trees I saw. Many of them had been cut into pieces and moved to the sides of the road for eventual pick up.

As I left the park the devastation was even more apparent. There were apartment buildings with almost every window boarded up. Other buildings had partial or no roofs. Out of respect I didn't want to take any photos, but if you Google 'St Louis 2025 tornado' you can find evidence of the destruction.

We got to the volunteer location and learned that instead of food we would be packing bags of personal care items. (I was happy to help in whatever way I could.) The front hall was converted into a packing station, with four long tables filled with paper goods and personal care necessities.

The project started with a crew of six, but several others soon joined in. Originally each bag included two rolls of paper towels and two rolls of toilet paper, along with miscellaneous items of our choice. When the paper towels ran out there was more discretion involved. I was working on the side with feminine products and added boxes of tampons and pads to each bag.

There were so many people lending a hand that the packing was finished in an hour. Another set of volunteers took the bags over to the drive through distribution area. After a little down time (during which I learned about other opportunities for doing relief work) I helped load cases of water onto carts for distribution.

Shortly before our two-hour shift was over we were offered the opportunity to start sorting though donated clothes. However, Tony had an afternoon commitment so we said our goodbyes and left. I drove home a slightly different way, but the trail of devastation still continued for several miles. Buildings were roofless, utility poles had snapped off, and several stoplights were non-functioning.

But just a quarter of a mile later there was absolutely no storm damage. Tornadoes are crazy things.

Five years ago today: Phooey!

Table For One

Last weekend when Hubby Tony and I were coming home from the Lake of the Ozarks we stopped at a Panera in Saint Robert, where we used the bathroom and got a cup of coffee. While I was waiting for Tony to finish up I saw a table set up in the lobby that held one place setting, flowers, and a gold frame containing some type of explanation.

When I got closer I was able to make out the words in the frame, which read:

The Fallen Soldier Table

 

We call attention to this small table that occupies a place of dignity and honor.

This table is reserved to honor our missing and fallen soldiers.

 

The white tablecloth stands for the purity of the service members' intentions when answering the call to serve their nation. 

 

The empty chair represents an unknown face behind a loss that will never be filled. 

 

The black napkin stands for the emptiness these warriors have left in the hearts of their loved ones. 

 

The red rose reminds us of the life of the soldier and the love from the family and friends of our missing/departed comrades. 

 

The yellow ribbon signifies the everlasting support we have for our troops.

 

The lighted candle reflects the light of hope which lives in our hearts.

 

The inverted glass symbolizes the fallen's inability to share in the evening's toast. 

 

Let us never forget the sacrifices of those and their loved ones.

I had never seen anything like this in a public place, but I wonder if it's because Saint Robert is close to the entrance of Fort Leonard Wood Army training installation.

Five years ago: Mass In The Age Of Coronavirus

Crawling For Doughnuts

More than a year ago a local food and drink magazine wrote about a doughnut crawl - five bakeries with great doughnuts within an easy drive from each other. I love doughnuts, and the idea was offbeat enough that I tore out the article and added it to my monthly tickler file. Every few months I would see those pages, decide it wasn't the right time, and shuffle the article forward a couple of months.

The article showed up again when I grabbed the May paperwork. It's a nice time of the year to do things outside, so I asked Hubby Tony if he was interested. He quickly said yes. There was nothing on the calendar for this morning so we decided to crawl for doughnuts, but we put our own spin on the activity.

A couple of decades ago my stomach would have easily taken in multiple fried sugary treats. Now it would rebel. Tony picked two of the locations that were a half hour on foot from each other and suggested we walk instead of drive.

Our first stop was Vincent Van Doughnut (located in the Grove neighborhood), where everything is hand made and artesian. I chose Lemon Lavender yeast doughnut, which was glazed and topped with lemon zest and lavender buds. Tony ordered a wonderfully dense Blueberry cake doughnut, topped with a thick layer of blueberry frosting.

There was an option to eat in, which we did. The associate placed each doughnut on a china plate and we carried them to a table where we cut each in half and shared.

After ingesting the first pair of doughnuts we set off towards the second bakery. Thirty-five minutes later we arrived at Pharaoh's Donuts, which was tucked away in a small storefront in the Central West End neighborhood. The display case had a nice selection of old-school, basic donuts. This time I ordered a traditional glazed and Tony chose crumb-topped buttermilk cake.

There was no option to eat in, but we found a place to sit outside. Once again each doughnut was divided in half; that way each of us sampled four different types.

We walked back to the car via a different route and by the time I was sitting inside I had almost completed my 10,000 step goal for the day. I considered that a good offset for some of the calories I consumed on the adventure.

Five years ago today: I'm In Love....

Tea Time

Scrolling through social media this afternoon, I found out that today was International Tea Day.

United Nations

I decided to learn more. According to Wikipedia:

International Tea Day aims to raise awareness of the long history and the deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world. The goal of the day is to promote and foster collective actions to implement activities in favour of the sustainable production and consumption of tea and raise awareness of its importance in fighting hunger and poverty. It aims to draw global attention of governments and citizens to the impact of the global tea trade on workers and growers, and has been linked to requests for price supports and fair trade.

Tea is one of the world’s oldest beverages. There is evidence that it was consumed in China as early as 5,000 years ago. Today, many of the workers and producers of tea face poor working conditions and pay, and International Tea Day is part of educating people about the issues.

Hubby Tony and I decided to celebrate by having iced tea with dinner. If I had known about the event in advance I would have done some preparation, but when I looked through our supply of tea bags I noticed there wasn't a lot of variety (and put 'tea bags' on the grocery list). Our drink ended up being a combination of half black tea and half decaf tea bags.

I brewed the tea in my old reliable Mr. Coffee Iced Tea maker, which is extremely easy to use. You put water in the reservoir, add tea to the basket, and hit the start button. Ten minutes later the hot tea was ready to go into the refrigerator to chill.

Since we usually have sparkling water with dinner, the tea was a nice change of pace. And as an added bonus there was enough left over to serve it again tomorrow night.

Even though I had tea with dinner, later in the evening I decided I wanted my normal after-dinner herbal brew. Tonight it was hibiscus-deep red, tart, slightly sweet, and fruity.

Five years ago: Who Are Those Masked People?

Atmospheric Conditions Alarming

Last Monday Hubby Tony and I returned from our most recent trip to California. I washed and put away the dirty clothes, but didn't bother putting the suitcase back in the closet because four days later I was leaving town again!

Over the weekend Tony and I attended a fellowship business meeting, which took place two and a half hours from us in Camdenton, Missouri. We left shortly after 11:00 and headed southwest on Interstate 44. The weather was beautiful, although there was a forecast of potential strong storms.

Halfway there (just before Rolla if you know the area) we started hearing storm warning messages on the radio. The counties and cities they mentioned were far away. However, the counties and cities started to get closer and eventually (around St. Robert) we were in the path of the storm. It was raining so hard Tony pulled over to the side of the road. The wind was strong, and a couple of small pieces of hail hit the hood of the car, but nothing like what the warning messages had indicated might happen. Five minutes later everything had passed and we continued on our way.

I don't know if it was the same storm or a different one that eventually made it to the St. Louis area, but parts of the metropolitan area weren't as lucky as Tony and I were.  A tornado formed (believed by the National Weather Service to be of EF-3 strength with winds up to 152 mph), which had a path up to a mile wide. This was the first tornado to cause fatalities in the area since 1959. Five people died. 

Tornadoes are strange, unpredictable storms. The affected areas were 15-20 minutes from our condo, and less than five minutes from Son Donald's house. Neither of us had any issues

Friday night I received a text from the woman taking care of Pimento the Foster Cat while we were gone. It said:

"I should have known that something would happen when you guys left. Check the news about the tornado damage in St Louis city. No damage here."

This is the third time something has happened when we were gone. We were in Hawaii in February when the area had snow and arctic temperatures. During our California trip, a broken water main resulted in a city-wide boil water order that lasted for several days. This time was severe weather. 

It makes me wonder if our streak has exhausted itself, or if I need to prepare myself for something else.

Five years ago: Ouch!

A Unique Family Tree

A couple of months ago DIL Ie asked Hubby Tony and me some questions about our genealogy. We supplied the required information and didn't think any more about it....

Until a package arrived in the mail this week. Inside was an awesome family tree plaque made out of a slice of wood. Tony and I were listed in the middle. Surrounding the tree were rings that listed our parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren. 

Because it had so much family information I didn't want to share a photo or the one we received, but it was similar to this:

Etsy

Five years ago today: Plants In A Pandemic

Family Festivities

A couple of months ago DIL Nicole asked if Grandma and Grandpa might be available to come to California and babysit so that she and Son Brian could do an overnight trip to celebrate their anniversary. Of course we said yes. While we were out there we decided to celebrate the birthday of Granddaughter Gee (Son Tony's oldest, who turns five years old later this month.) And to make it an entire family celebration, Son Donald took time off work to come with us.

Our whirlwind trip had us arriving at Brian's on Wednesday night and leaving on Monday morning. The time was divided into two parts. For the first we slept at Brian's house, got the kids (a 7-year old and 5-year old twins) to school and supervised their afternoon and evening activities with the help of the twins' nanny.

During our free time we ran some errands and drove to Redwood City to explore and eat at Mazra, a Mediterranean restaurant that came highly recommended. The highlight of our excellent meal was a whole roasted cauliflower appetizer.

Cauliflower

The next day we had some non-photogenic, but great authentic Chinese food at a local restaurant.

On Friday afternoon Son Tony, DIL Ie, and their family arrived from their Central Valley home. Brian's house will only hold a couple of overnight guests, so Tony rented an Airbnb ten minutes away. When Brian and Nicole returned home from their trip we ate dinner with them, then packed up our stuff and moved over to Tony's.

The next two days were nonstop family time. We watched a little league baseball game, celebrated the birthday girl with lunch, a pinata, and a rented bounce house (enjoyed by both the littles and the adults). One popular activity was constructing buildings with magnetic tiles. Uncle Donald's height came in handy with the really tall ones.

"Let's make it taller"

Sunday morning everyone headed back to Brian's for a Mother's Day brunch and more family time. I was in heaven! But all good things eventually have to end. Tony and family needed to get back home to organize for the week ahead. Nicole and Jay left for an appointment. Tony, Donald, and I played one last game of cards then said our goodbyes. We had to get to the airport early for our flight back home.

Five years ago today: Nextdoor Neighbor

Photo Enhancer

The operating system on my iPhone has a handy Clean Up feature which removes distracting objects from the background of photos. I've been playing with it and for the most part I like the way it works.

For example, I took a photo of a bouquet of flowers I received for Mother's Day:

The black electrical cord running behind the bouquet was a big distraction, so I got rid of it.

However, the feature isn't perfect. Removing the brass statue on the left hand side left a weird shadow.

Five years ago today: Heavens To Chicken

Nothing But The Best Punny Headlines

There's a  lot going on here, but no matter how busy life is there's always time for smiles 😊

• Something went wrong in jet crash, experts say

• Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers

• Safety Experts say school bus passengers should be belted

• Drunk gets nine months in violin case

• Iraqi head seeks arms

• Is there a ring of debris around Uranus?

• Panda mating fails; veterinarian takes over

• Teacher strikes idle kids

• New study of obesity looks for larger test group

• Squad helps dog bite victim

• Local high school dropouts cut in half

• Enraged cow injures farmer with axe

• Plane too close to ground, crash probe told

• Miners refuse to work after death

• Juvenile court to try shooting defendant

• Kids make nutritious snacks

• Two sisters reunited after 18 years in checkout counter

• Killer sentenced to die for second time in 10 years

• Astronaut takes blame for gas in spacecraft

• Red tape holds up new bridges

• War dims hope for peace

• If strike isn't settled quickly, it may last a while

• Cold wave linked to temperatures

• Elderly couple slain; police suspect homicide

Five years ago: An Unexpected Musical Treat

Hooray For Me!

Today I completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's easy sit-to-stand test (STS), which measures lower body strength, endurance, and fall risk. All I had to do was count how many times I could rise from a seated position to a full stand in 30 seconds. The steps of the test:

• Sit in a chair without arm rests.
• Cross your arms and place your hands on the opposing shoulder. 
• Keep your feet on the floor and your back straight. 
• Start a stopwatch (or note the time on a clock with a second hand.
• Rise to a full standing position, then sit down again.
  
• Repeat the exercise for 30 seconds.

There are scoring targets for men and women in different age brackets. Women in my bracket should be able to do at least 11 repetitions. I am pleased to report that I even did a couple more than that.

Have you ever completed this test? If so, how did you do?

Five years ago: Grateful Or Not-Fill It Out

Mexican-ish

Happy Cinco de Mayo! It's a day that celebrates Mexico's victory over France at Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In the United States, people mainly use the holiday as an excuse to eat Mexican food and drink margaritas.

There were several places offering special meals today, but Hubby Tony and I chose to stay home and dine on leftovers of the homemade chili he made yesterday. I've never seen chili in a Mexican restaurant, but in my world it's close enough. 

Thanks to the "holiday" Tony had no problem finding ripe avocados to garnish the bowls. He also put out tortilla chips to complete the meal.

 Five years ago: "Four Dead In O-hi-o"

Rain...Rain...Cold...More Rain...

Not only is it still raining here, the temperature today is a chilly 20-degrees lower than average. 

Things will get better starting by the middle of next week, so hopefully this year St. Louis will only have a short blackberry winter (the Midwest's colloquial expression for a cold snap in late spring when the blackberries are in bloom).

Whenever I hear Mitch Miller I think of my parents, who were big fans of his.

Five years ago: Walk On

At Least The Temperatures Are Nice

I have been grumpy and out of sorts the past few days, but I couldn't figure out why until I saw a Facebook post from a local meteorologist. He said April 2025 has been the wettest on record in the metropolitan area. (In 2025 there was 10.85" of rain, which inched out the old record of 10.84" from 1893. According to the National Weather Service, the April average is 4.73" inches.)

Of course, with much rain comes much gloom. In the last eleven days of the month there was only one that had substantial sun:

Weather Underground

And between now and the middle of the month it looks like more of the same. Today there have been some teases of sun, but every time I've gone outside (or even thought about going outside) the sun disappears. 

I've been around long enough to know that eventually things will clear up and people will be talking about how dry things are. I can't wait for that day.

The Perfect Cup

I have a cup of coffee with breakfast and again mid-afternoon. A while back I decided to reduce my caffeine and switched to the smaller cups that came with our Fiestaware place settings. (Tony prefers to use the larger mugs). 

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.

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.

Aren't the flowers beautiful?

That night I used the new mug for the first time. It fit well in my hand and kept my tea warm. However, the bottom was so wide that it did not fit in an IKEA cork coaster. The tapered bottom of my old BFF mug does.

Perfect

Five years ago today: Know Your Partner

Never Seen This Before!

When the weather is too cold/too hot/too wet Hubby Tony and I take our walk inside. One of the easiest places to go is the mall. I never know what I'm going to see there.

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.

Five years ago: Lavandula

Repairing A Rip

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.

When I was ready to put the bed back together Hubby Tony helped me take the mattress off the base. I laid down the dust ruffle, then we rotated the mattress and lifted it onto the base. I did the rest of the bed making and called the job done.

Seeing Things Differently

This morning my thought of the day calendar presented me with this challenge:

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:

Exiting the gas station after getting my coffee, the first thing I saw on the exterior window sill was a cigarette butt. I was so irked at the person who didn't get rid of their trash that I almost walked right by this lovely Luna moth not too far from it:

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?

 Five years ago today: Masking

Cleaning Up And Claiming Space

Earlier this year Hubby Tony and I discovered a small water leak on the living room ceiling right above the fireplace. The company hired by the condo management company attributed the issue to an ice dam on the roof that damaged the fireplace flashing. We weren't the only unit with a problem; the company had a crew on site and repaired the flashing issue that day.

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

Dogs And Cats

(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

No Wasting Here!

Last month a group I belong to had a St. Patrick's pot luck dinner. I volunteered to bring bread, and made a loaf of Irish Soda Bread. Actually, I made two loaves.

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.

Five years ago today: Just Right

A Historic Resting Place

This morning before a scheduled class at the gym Hubby Tony and left the house to take advantage of a cheap drink promotion at a local gas station chain. Although it was cloudy, the temperature was lovely. After getting out drinks we decided to take a walk before heading to the gym. 

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.

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.

Thanks to the educational signs that lined the road I learned that this was one of the first public cemeteries available to Black people in the St. Louis area, and several notable people are buried on the grounds. When the cemetery closed in the 1970s there was no endowment to maintain the area. It fell into neglect until a group was established in the 1980s to preserve the site. In 2021, the cemetery was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

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.