Searching For Words

Most days I sit down for a mid-afternoon snack, a cup of coffee, and a crossword puzzle. Last Christmas Hubby Tony gave me some New York Times puzzle compilations (Tuesday-Easy and Wednesday-Medium), but I've just about gone through them. I will add replacements to this year's Christmas list.

Without a crossword puzzle to complete, I've been working my way through a book of Word Searches I received as a white elephant prize a while back. The book was published by TV Guide Magazine in 2015, but the puzzles reference material ranges from the 1960s up to the publication date. So far, this has been one of my favorites:

Capitalized words are those to be found

About a dozen of the 'top' shows were unfamiliar to me. When I searched for them on the internet I found out that most were short-lived, only lasting for one or two seasons. 

If you were watching television in 1979, how familiar are you with these shows? Which ones don't you know?

Five years ago today:

Tracking Down Trolls

Nature Is The Living, Visible Garment Of God

According to Wikipedia the phrase "Nature is the living, visible garment of God" was coined by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in Part One of his play Faust. 

Here are some "garments of God" from my camera roll. Unfortunately, I didn't keep track of where most of them came from.

Five years ago: The Basking King

Maybe He'll Be Cuddling Soon?

It was a little over a week ago when I told you about Foster Cat Pimento's latest medication issues. Last Friday he completed the courses of ear drop and antibiotic wipes, but still continued to give me the stink eye every time I got close to him.

This afternoon I was stilling on the bed working on my laptop. The cat sauntered in, looked at his favorite spot at the foot of the mattress, looked at me, and then back at the bed. After a quick cat brain calculation he jumped up and settled in.

Ten minutes later I decided to take a nap myself. As I was stretching out, Pimento woke up enough to make sure I wasn't getting ready to grab him, then went back to sleep.

Five years ago: Crisper Component

Not Fall Yet!

An organization Hubby Tony belongs to had a potluck picnic for this afternoon. The event used to happen in the summer, but for the past few years it's been held in mid-September so the weather would be moderate. This year Mother Nature didn't get the memo; the high today was forecast to be 98°F. (For comparison, the record is 101°). Oy!

Our section of the alphabet was assigned to bring a salad or side dish, and I had decided to make roasted vegetables with pesto. Last night I went to the grocery store and bought broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and a red onion. It wasn't until I got home that I made the connection between 'roasting' and running the oven in hot weather 😏. Even though the cooking process heated the kitchen up, I was thankful that thanks to the temperature it was easy to keep my dish warm at the park.

Big bowl of veggies

When we left the house it was 95°. The sun made it feel even hotter, and the air was still. Fortunately, the park pavilion was shady. A couple of fans placed on picnic tables got a nice cross breeze going, especially when I took a seat right in front of the one on the food serving table.

We were there for about three hours. It was nice to talk with friends and catch up with people I hadn't seen in a while. Shortly before the main dish arrived (fried chicken from a nearby restaurant) one of the organizers decided the fan by me should be turned off. That made it even hotter, and it was even worse when the table I chose to eat at was close to the west side of the pavilion and started to lose its shade as the sun moved across the sky.

Tony was also feeling the sun's heat. We finished our food, had some dessert, then decided to say our goodbyes. The car's temperature gauge registered 102°, and even with the air conditioner on full blast it took forever for things to cool off.

Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow

A friend introduced me to this beautiful poem. I hope you like it,  too.

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry,

Two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

 

One of these days is Yesterday,

With its mistakes and cares,

Its faults and blunders,

Its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.

All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed,

We cannot erase a single word we said.

Yesterday is gone.

 

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow,

With its possible adversities,

Its burdens,

Its large promise and poor performance.

Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise,

Either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds—

But it will rise.

Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow

For it is as yet unborn.

 

This leaves only one day: Today.

Any man can fight the battles of just one day.

It is only when you and I add the burdens

Of those two awful eternities—

Yesterday and Tomorrow—

That we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives men mad,

It is the remorse or bitterness

For something which happened Yesterday

And the dread

Of what Tomorrow may bring.

 

Author Unknown

  

Five years ago today: Cookies And Conversation

The Fun And The Not So Fun

It feels like in the past few weeks there has been a lot of activities on my calendar. Yesterday and today were no different. Some of the activities were fun. Others, not so much. 

Wednesday 

I was scrolling through Facebook after lunch and saw a post on the cat shelter's "Volunteers and Foster Parents" group that said there was a spot available for that night's Cats and Mats Yoga. Usually the event is a fundraiser, but they were offering it to volunteers as a "thank you for helping the kitties".

I was the first one to respond, and soon received a message that the spot was mine. This was the second time I have done yoga with the cats, and this session was very similar to the first. All of the furniture had been pushed against the walls to make room for the yogis (and felines). The instructor took her place in the front of the room. Some of the 15 cats in the shelter made themselves comfortable on mats:

And some were content to survey the event from above:

The instructor said we could follow her cues or play with the cats. I did a little bit of both. The hour went quickly. When I got home Pimento the Foster Cat was very interested in smelling my hands for unique scents.

Thursday 

A week ago I went to the dermatologist for a skin checkup. The doctor did a great job of checking every portion of my skin. Each year I end up with a couple of precancerous lesions that get zapped with liquid nitrogen, but this year she identified a suspicious-looking spot and took a biopsy. The result came back that I had a Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma (a common type of skin cancer, which is typically slow-growing and rarely spreads to other parts of the body). I made an appointment for this afternoon to have it removed.

From walking into the reception area until walking out the appointment took a half hour. In the examination room the physician's assistant numbed the area. The physician scraped away the lesion, cauterized the area to stop the bleeding, and then for extra insurance hit it with a blast of liquid nitrogen. The assistant put ointment and a bandage on the area, told me to take care of it for two weeks, and walked me to the payment desk. 

When the numbing wore off I had some mild pain. Nothing that I can't handle, but it would be nice if it wouldn't stay around long. 

Five years ago today: The Unknown SMSer

Scaredy Cat

Two weeks ago I discovered more lumps on Pimento the Foster Cat's skin. I contacted the shelter to let them know, and they asked me to make an appointment at the clinic to have them looked at. The appointment was last week. Pimento came home with three prescriptions-all to be administered for ten days: a tablet (twice a day for five days, then a stepped down dosage for another five days), an antibiotic wipe (twice a day), and ear drops (twice a day).

Pimento is not a fan of any type of medicine. I anticipated the tablet would be the most difficult to administer. I was wrong. We put a spoonful of wet food in the bowl, bury a piece of medicine inside, and add a couple of kibbles on top to hide the medicine's texture. He inhales everything and licks the bowl.

Even though we use the food as an incentive for the other two medicines, their administration has been problematic. Every few days we have to come up with a new way to attract him/grab him/dose him. The saddest part of the whole adventure is now Pimento doesn't want to have much to do with us. I can tell that he wants to be friendly, but if I cross his invisible safety line when I walk by he will get up and move. Once we are in bed with the light out he will jump up and nestle next to Tony's legs, but there are no cuddles on the couch.

I hope that once this medicine regimen is finished and Pimento is healthy again it won't take him long to get back to his regular habits.

Five years ago: Pushing The Pedals

I Love A Parade

StockCake

This weekend is the Manchester (Missouri)  Homecoming, a three-day community festival and carnival. Hubby Tony and I used to live in the city and still attend church there. When the pastor put out a call for people to participate in this morning's Homecoming parade Tony and I decided it would be fun to be a part of it.

The theme was "The Great Outdoors". There were hundreds of people participating in the parade, but the committee had everything well organized. Our group carpooled to the starting area and found our place in the lineup about two thirds of the way back. The organizer handed out bags of giveaways to the walkers. Right before the parade started we gathered for a group photo, then we waited for our turn to start moving.

The parade had honorees, local politicians, floats, bands, Scout troops and packs, sports and cheer teams, and a couple of community organizations. The two-mile route wound through subdivisions and ended at a school on the west side of the city.  My task was to hold one side of the banner that gave the name of the church. Behind the banner there was a group handing out candy, stickers, and rubber ducks with the church logo. Next came the Cub Scouts, followed by several Jeeps (to represent the outdoors).  

Our group was behind the school district Step team. One of the members pulled a portable speaker and played fun, upbeat music. For the most part the team walked, but whenever things slowed down they would go into a formation and do a 30-second performance.  

At the end of the parade we realized there wasn't enough seats in the Jeeps to drive everyone back to the church. Several people, including Tony and me, decided to continue walking. By the time I reached the car at noon I had completed my steps for the day!

Inoculated

Now that it's meteorological fall my thoughts have turned to preventing flu and COVID.

Based on my research it seems like the best time to get a flu shot is in early October so it lasts for the entire season. The best time to get the fall COVID vaccine is generally September or October, but I've heard of several people getting sick so I decided to try to do that sooner rather than later.Of course the vaccine has been caught up in politics, and the whole system is chaotic right now.

Public Domain Pictures

Last week I walked up to Walgreens with Hubby Tony so he could pick up a prescription. I asked the pharmacist when boosters would be available. He said they had received the serum but were waiting for insurance companies to agree to cover the costs.

Since then I've checked the pharmacy website a couple of times, but earlier today I read Dkzodys post about getting the latest COVID booster I checked again. Appointments were now available! 

Because we had no other plans for Friday night Tony and I made appointments and had a 'date' getting boosted. 

The paperwork process was a little clunky. The associate who checked us in grumbled that she had done the job successfully all day but was now getting a computer system error message. She overrode the message, and fifteen minutes later Tony and I were walking out of the store, wearing matching bandages on our shoulders as proof.

Five years ago today: A Small Sign Of Normalcy

No Thank You

Tomorrow I have my yearly appointment with a dermatologist to get my skin checked.

I've been going to the same multi-doctor practice for years, but I recently learned the practice joined up with a large regional company and my doctor retired. I had my choice of one of several new, young doctors; I chose the one that I could get into the quickest.

For several days the new company has been sending me texts and emails asking me to download their app so I can do things like check in online. I have been politely ignoring the requests. I have no idea how secure the app is and don't want my personal information floating through cyberspace until I learn more about it. They can ask all they want. I will just make sure to get there early enough to fill out their paper forms and show them my insurance cards.

VectorPortal

Five years ago today: What Are The Chances?

Frankly, The Frank Was Great

Today's adventure happened because I had a hankering for a good hot dog. 😁

I was looking for a dog  that was plump and juicy and had a casing that "snapped" when I bit into it. They're standard at barbecues. However, there is no option to barbecue in our condo development. When I did some research last night I quickly realized that the go-to restaurants for good hot dogs were closed for the Labor Day holiday.

This morning I was reading an email news compilation from St. Louis Magazine. Close to the bottom of there were links to several articles in the magazine; given my recent search for a good dog I thought the one called Hot Dogs or Brats? was timely. In the article several local restaurateurs weighed in on the topic. One of them (Gerard Craft) mentioned his current favorite was Wally's, which is an enormous gas station and travel center less than ten minutes from my house.

Although I was pretty sure I knew what the answer would be, I asked Hubby Tony if he would be interesting in combine a walk with a trip to Wally's for lunch. He said yes, so I started investigating what we could do.

Wally's is right off Interstate 44 in Fenton. It's not too far from several county parks along the Meramec River. Buder County Park was the closest, a little over a mile away from our final destination. That's where we decided to go.

We left the car in the parking lot at Wally's. According to my map app, if we were driving the trip would have involved multiple turns. However, on foot the walk was a straight shot down one road, parts of which had been closed after the 1993 flood.

Faint road lines and a directional sign

Buder Park is in the river flood plain. I had never been there before, but soon figured out it had soccer fields, a radio controlled model plane flying field, drone flying area, a small archery range, and one pavilion. Tony and I stopped to watch the planes before continuing on the loop road around the park. The last part ran next to the river and we could see glimpses of the trail on the other bank.

When we returned to Wally's both Tony and I were ravenous. We did not stop at the huge merchandise side of the store, but headed straight to the bathroom to wash our hands (passing through the liquor section on the way). With clean hands we passed by the huge soft drink wall, the jerky bar, the pizza station, and the popcorn station on our way to the barbecue carving/sandwich station. Both of us grabbed a foil-wrapped hot dog, but chose slightly different toppings (mustard for both of us; onions and relish for me, pickles and hot sauce for Tony). I decided we needed a bag of kettle chips to share, but I passed on anything from the bakery station, ice cream counter, or coffee bar.

We took the food back to the car. I opened up my dog. It had been cut in half and griddled so that all the surfaces were nicely browned. When I took the first bite the casing popped like it was supposed to, and it was a good thing I had a napkin handy to catch the juice.

Five years ago today: Get Out Of The House, Get It Done, Get Home

Family, Food, and Fresh Air

Earlier in the week Hubby Tony sent a text to Son Donald asking if he would like to bring his dogs and join us for a picnic dinner tonight. It took a couple of days to get a response, but the answer was yes. In the meantime, I learned that today was National Eat Outside Day, which encourages people to enjoy the sunshine (or moonlight) while enjoying a meal. Our outing was obviously meant to be.

Tony is in charge of Sunday dinner, and for our picnic he put together quite a spread-rotisserie chicken salad with cashews and grapes, marinated cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and potato chips. Dessert was watermelon chunks and grocery store apple pie.

Yesterday I was discussing our plans with a neighbor. She recommended we head to Simpson Park, about ten minutes from the house, because it was shady and had a lot of picnic tables. As a bonus, the park has several short trails where we could walk the dogs.

It ended up being a great time. The dogs (a Chihuahua and a Chihuahua mix) were excited to ride in the back seat of my car with Donald, and then excited to be at the park. We decided to walk before eating and took a path that followed the bank of the lake. The dogs tend to get wound up when they see another dog, but they are so small it's easy to control them.

Back at the parking lot, we found a table and set out the food. Donald attached the dogs' leashes to the table leg, where they rested quietly unless another dog walked by. After dinner we took another short walk, then agreed that both the humans and the dogs were ready to be done. Both dogs were subdued on the ride home, and happy to transfer to Donald's car for the drive back to their home.

No Longer Needed

Back when Hubby Tony's mom passed away he inherited a small bag of vintage jewelry and pocket watches. We had no use for any of it, but it didn't feel right to turn around and immediately get rid of the things. We put the bag in the safety deposit box and promptly forgot about it.

When that bank branch eliminated their safety deposit boxes Tony decided that a smaller box at a nearby branch would better suit our needs and be more cost efficient. The bag of jewelry wouldn't fit, though, so we brought it home, put it in a secure location, and promptly forgot about it.

Every few months he or I would uncover the bag and say something about processing its contents, but neither of us took the initiative. Tony recently learned about a jewelry buying event the last weekend of each month at a store at the mall that specializes in buying and selling antiques and collectables, so we got the bag out and looked carefully at the contents. There was nothing he or I were interested in keeping so I put the buying event on this month's calendar.

Today after lunch we drove up to the mall and navigated our way to the store. The process couldn't have been easier. We walked to one of the rear counters, where the owner took a look at what we had, separated the things into a small pile of "good" pieces and a larger pile of "costume" pieces, and gave us a price for the entire lot. We agreed to the price, and left with cash.

Rawpixel

Five years ago today: Getting From Point A To Point B

Quite Pleasant!

On last night's news the meteorologist described the wonderful temperatures of the past few days as "resort weather". The highs and lows have been about ten degrees below average, which means our windows are open to enjoy the mild temperatures, low humidity, bright sun, and gentle breeze.

This morning I was taking a walk and this song came to mind. I hadn't thought about it for years, but it's mellow tone seemed to fit perfectly.

 

Five years ago: A Little Church Humor

Choose Your Attitude

When you're confronted with a project, what is your attitude about it?

At my previous house, my walk-in closet had enough room for me to hang a face mirror on the wall next to the door. The mirror was large enough that I could stick Post-It notes with inspirational thoughts to the bottom. That way I could refer to them as I was checking out my makeup and jewelry before I left the house. 

Some thoughts came and went, but the one permanent note simply said:

In other words, when I was confronted with a project did I jump into it enthusiastically (I get to do it) or grumpily (I got to do it). Many days just reminding myself that I had choices helped me to choose the positive option.

In our condo I don't have a spot in the closet to hang inspirational thoughts, but the left side of my office desk has turned out to be a pretty good place to collect insights. Once again the insights come and go, but there's still only one permanent reminder that helps me choose my mindset.

Five years ago today: My Kind Of Meeting!

Paying Attention To My Surroundings

When I got up this morning Hubby Tony was already gone. I put on clothes that would be good for exercising, because my plan was to take a walk right after breakfast, then come home and shower before continuing with my plans for the day.

I usually walk with Tony, but without someone to talk to I was able to pay attention to the small details around me.

Like hearing a pair pf crows talking to each other from two nearby rooftops. They made sounds I'd never heard before, some of them almost human-like.

At this time of year it's easy to see the sheet-like grass spider webs...even when they're on top of ground cover.

And this partial fairy ring of mushrooms (some large and some small) that was not there a couple of days ago.

This mainly-dead tree had branches covered with more galls than I had ever seen before.

I was almost home when I saw a tiny maple tree sprout growing in the gap between the lower rail and a fence picket.

Picture-Perfect

After Foster Cat Pimento's photo shoot last Friday I kept an eye out for the snapshots. On Sunday the photographer sent a message to me, Hubby Tony, and the shelter that included a Google Drive link with the files.

I sent a thank-you message to the photographer and shelter, relayed the story of how I had written about the experience on my personal blog, and that several people were interested in seeing the results. I asked if I could include the link to their adoption page on a post. The shelter contact replied "I think sharing a link to his adoption profile would be awesome! More eyes on profiles is always a good thing".

The photos showed up on the website this afternoon. If you're interested, go to the adoption page of Tenth Life Cats and scroll down to Pimento's profile.As of now the photos were just added his the existing collection, so if you scroll through there are some from his first foster residence and some from us.

Five years ago: Just A Reason To Hit The Road

Added Items

The shirts in my closet tend to fall into two categories. There are some I've had for years, and some that need to be replaced on a regular basis (usually because they get some type of hole or stain).

White ones tend to be the worst, but they're such a wardrobe staple I keep trying. I have a short sleeved button down I purchased at a thrift store back in 2015, but right next to it there's the cotton tee I bought last year that's been treated for multiple stains. The last time I went to put it on I noticed some permanent dark marks that haven't responded to any treatment.

Over the years white tee-shirts have gone from being made from nice beefy material to being so thin they're almost see-through. I get that the thinner fabric is cheaper, and stores are trying to save money. I would love to invest in some nicer ones,  but I keep buying the cheapies because I don't have to feel so bad when they have to go into the discard pile.

Last week when I hit up the thrift stores I found a cute white tee with ruffled sleeves. Instead of cotton, the material was a mixture of polyester, rayon, and lycra and I'm hoping that will last and be less likely to stain. Over the weekend I was gifted a box of clothing from someone in my Buy Nothing group. As I was going through the contents I found two more white-ish tops to add to my collection. Neither is perfect; one is polyester and spandex, the other one is an ecru translucent slub cotton. However, now I should have enough light-colored tops to get me through the rest of the season (and maybe even longer). 

Knowing me, I'm not holding my breath, though.

Five years ago: Goin' Phishing

Icky And Sticky

Along with a good chunk of the Midwest, my area has been under an Extreme Heat Warning (meaning the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 105° or higher for at least 2 days and the night time air temperature won't drop below 75°). The warning started on Friday afternoon, and is expected to stick around until at least 8 pm on Monday.

The first rule of advice during extremely hot weather is to minimize outside time. However, this afternoon a fellowship I belong to had an ice cream social scheduled. The pavilion and ice cream truck had been reserved, and advertising had started months ago. The show had to go on.

Public Domain Pictures

I was expecting the afternoon to be horribly hot, but it ended up not being as bad as I envisioned. 

By the time Hubby Tony and I arrived to help set up, two large ceiling fans in the pavilion were already circulating the muggy air, and several floor fans placed along the pavilion's sides added additional breeze. In addition, someone showed up with washcloths in a bucket of ice water for people to wrap around the back of their neck.

As I expected, once the event started there was more socializing than exercising. People tended to sit or stand in the shade of the pavilion or nearby trees. I drank a lot of water, but the Italian ice from the truck also added another layer of refreshing hydration.

The event was scheduled to end at 5:00, but people started leaving a half hour before that. There wasn't much to clean up, and Tony and I headed home. My sweaty clothes were sticking to my body and I couldn't wait to take a shower.

Five years ago: I’m Gonna Be A Bear

A Glamerous Version Of Himself

When Hubby Tony and I were in California several weeks ago I received an email from the cat shelter we foster through. The message said that they were thinking of new ways of showcasing their adoptable adult cats like Pimento, and asked if we would be agreeable to a photo shoot with a volunteer professional photographer. That way Pimento would have some updated shots on the website and be showcased on their social media.

After checking with Tony I replied we would be agreeable, and suggested we set something up when we got home. It took some time to coordinate schedules, but this afternoon was the big event.

Open Clip Art

This morning when I told Pimento he needed to work on his photogenic side, he yawned and jumped up on the bed for a nap. After lunch I reminded him of his big event; he rolled his eyes and jumped up on the couch for an afternoon nap. 

The photographer arrived a little after 3:00, and Pimento was awake enough to know that someone different had walked through the door. He eyed the stranger warily, especially when he saw the large camera. However, for the next half hour I think Pimento might have enjoyed being the center of attention. 

The photographer got down on the floor and shot him from multiple angles, and to take advantage of better natural light I threw some treats in Tony's office so the cat would move that way. When Pimento sauntered down the hall; the photographer was positioned to catch him there, too. 

At the end of the session the photographer showed us some of the snapshots, and said the best ones would be forwarded to the shelter. I am excited to see what shows up.

Five years ago: Enumeration Road Trip

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