The Power Of Positivity

Current events are so negative. Today I am choosing to focus on the positive. Do you want to join me?

Five years ago today: It Will Be Here Before We Know It

Under Pressure

The average early Spring high temperature here is 54°F. However, for the past week those temperatures have been all over the place. Two weeks ago there was a hard freeze. Last Friday (88°F), Saturday (88°F), and Sunday (89°F) all set high temperature records. Those days the air in the condo was still and sticky. The only reason Hubby Tony and I didn't turn on the air conditioning was that it cooled off overnight and we knew that a cold front was forecast to come through late Sunday afternoon.

The front arrived on time and quickly cooled things off. At bedtime it was in the low 50s, which should have been great sleeping weather, but because my joints hurt I couldn't find a comfortable position. I tossed and turned for more than 90 minutes before finally drifting off. Even after I fell asleep I woke up several times to use the bathroom. It was a far from restful night.

Needpix

This morning I was tired and irritable, and had trouble putting together a coherent thought. I wondered if the barometric pressure fluctuation due to the weather shift could have had anything to do with my issues. The internet told me that in fact it could!

According to Bernoulli's principle, liquids and gases flow from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure to equalize pressure differences. Barometric pressure exerts force against the body. When the pressure drops, there is a difference between the pressure outside and inside the body and the body tissues expand and press against the bone and joints, causing pain and discomfort.

It made me feel better to know that there was a scientific reason for my nighttime woes, but it doesn't make me feel great to know I get to test out the theory again soon. According to the forecast Thursday is supposed to be in the 90s°F, and Friday the high 50s°F.

Five years ago today: Confusion Leads To Custard

Caffeine Me

I can't remember how many times Hubby Tony and I have participated in the Maplewood Coffee Crawl, but today was our day to caffeinate.

There were two tours. Back when we bought the tickets we chose the "Early Riser" one. That turned out to be a good thing, because the local St. Louis University Billikens men's basketball team's game in the NCAA March Madness tournament tipped off at 11:10, and we both wanted to be home by then. (Unfortunately, their opponent was the tournament's number one seed Michigan. The score was close at half time, but ultimately they lost by 23 points.)

The crawl ticket included eight stops. Six of them were giving out coffee or tea samples. Two of them offered coffee-infused treats. The Passport also listed ten businesses that would stamp the document. A completed passport could be turned in for a gift card drawing.

Five years ago: 90 Percent Is Almost There

Discovering The World At Three And A Half Miles Per Hour

After two days of way below average temperatures, things are returning to normal. This morning before my class at the Y I decided to take advantage of the nicer weather by walking outside in the area around the gym.

It was 40 degrees Fahrenheit when I left the house, warm enough for my lightweight winter coat. I drove the normal route towards the gym, but instead of parking in the normal lot I turned early and parked several blocks away. After locking my purse in the car I set out.

I moseyed up and down familiar blocks which I know like the back of my hand from the drivers seat. However, on foot I saw many things differently.

• The first was the wide variety of houses large and small. Some probably dated back to the city's founding in the late 1800s. Others were built in the 1920's and 30's. There was an entire block of mid-century modern ranches. The newest houses were modern tear down/rebuilds.

• As you might expect of an area that had been around for a long time there were a lot of mature yard trees. I never realized just how many were sweet gums until I had to work hard not to trip on the thousands of sweet gum balls on the sidewalks.

• I found a Free Little Art Gallery, which I didn't even know was a thing. The display box had a sign which indicated people could "View Art, Take Art, Leave Art". I filed the site for future reference.

• I passed a house that had a fresh eggs for sale box next to their front porch. I didn't have any money with me, but once again filed the information for future reference. 

• A house close to the Catholic church had a sign in their yard indicating it was one of the 14 stops on a walking Stations of the Cross (a devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ's last day on Earth). The sign had a QR code for more information. The code led to a page on the church's website, which I bookmarked to come back to.

Shortly before it was time for my class to start I headed back towards the gym so I could use the bathroom before staking out my spot in the studio. 

Five years ago: Special Simmered Supper

Click To Relax

Have you had a stressful day? Try this website. 

https://relax.rikard.io/

Clicking the Relax button in the middle of the screen leads to rippling water and soothing music. Subsequent mouse motions provide additional water movement. The whole experience is serene and restful. 

In my opinion, the site is best viewed sitting in a comfortable chair with a beverage of your choice next to you. (And a cat or dog to cuddle up with makes it even better.)

Five years ago: At Long Last

No Pi or Pie For Us Today

Every metropolitan area has its unique personality. Today was 314 Day, St. Louis's time to celebrate it. The name comes from the city's original area code, and this year was its 20th anniversary. Many businesses and organizations across the St. Louis area offered deals and events. Hubby Tony and I picked several food-related ones to participate in.

Our first stop was Grace Chicken and Fish, in the suburb of Crestwood. We ordered the day's special, called The Crown Candy. The sandwich started with a thick piece of perfectly-fried chicken, topped with a huge mound of Crown Candy-style bacon topped with tomato bourbon chutney and drizzled with herb aioli, all stacked on slices of Texas toast. 

As it came to the table. (See the chocolate crown in the corner?)

 I tried to pick up the sandwich, but that was impossible until I cut it half.

Quite a handful!

I finished both the sandwich and the chocolate. After we left the restaurant we headed east towards the St. Louis Hills neighborhood of the city for dessert. There were three stops that were within walking distance of each other. The first one was Blueprint Coffee, where we filled our cups with good drip coffee.

The next two were located across a residential street from each other. The first stop was Gooey Louie, where Tony and I each got an individual gooey butter cake and a reusable bag to carry them in. (The dessert was invented in the city in the1930s when a baker accidentally reversed the proportions of butter and flour in a coffee cake recipe.) 

The second stop was Ted Drewes for frozen custard. My plan was to put the custard on top of the cake and eat both together, so I passed on one of their signature concrete sundaes (so thick they can be turned upside down without falling out of the container). However, my stomach said two rich items wouldn't be good for it I ate the excellent plain vanilla custard and saved the cake for tomorrow.

Quintessential St. Louis

Five years ago today: St. Louis Day

Can You Identify?

Earlier this week I learned about the term Generation Jones. According to Wikipedia:

"Generation Jones is the generation or social cohort sandwiched between the Baby Boomers and Generation X. The term was coined in 1999 by American cultural commentator Jonathan Pontell, who has argued that the term refers to a distinct generation born from 1954 to 1965."

I fall into the Generation Jones era, so I was very interested to find this great description of American generational differences on multiple internet and social media sites. However, there is never an author attribution. If you know where it came from please let me know and I will credit accordingly.

Formative Years and Identity

Older Boomers (’46–’54)

• Grew up in post-WWII optimism, economic expansion, and the height of the American Dream.
• Shaped by the civil rights movement, counterculture, Woodstock, and early Vietnam protests.
• Felt they could “change the world.”

Gen Jones (’55–’64)

• Came of age amid economic malaise of the 1970s (stagflation, oil crises).
• Culturally overshadowed by older Boomers but too old to be true Gen X.
• More pragmatic and skeptical — saw the ideals of the ’60s fade into disillusionment.

Politics

Older Boomers

• More likely associated with the liberal wave of the ’60s/early ’70s (anti-war, civil rights, environmentalism).
• They were old enough to vote in the first elections after the voting age dropped to 18 (1972).
• Many shifted conservative with age, but their youth was strongly activist.

Gen Jones

• First presidential election for the oldest of them was 1976 (Carter vs Ford).
• Grew up in a politically cynical era: Watergate, Nixon resignation, Iran hostage crisis.
• A major voting bloc in Reagan’s 1980 “Reagan Democrats” wave.

Military and Draft

Older Boomers

• Directly impacted by the Vietnam draft; draft lottery began in 1969.
• Many served or had peers drafted, and this loomed large over college and career choices.

Gen Jones

• Mostly missed the draft - by the time they came of age, U.S. troops were leaving Vietnam (1973).
• Never faced the same looming personal threat of conscription.

Economy and Jobs

Older Boomers

• Entered the workforce in the 1960s–early 1970s, when jobs were plentiful and wages kept up with cost of living.
• Benefited from the golden age of pensions, strong unions, affordable college.

Gen Jones

• Entered the job market during high unemployment and stagflation (mid-to-late ’70s, early ’80s).
• Fewer “good jobs” waiting; had to compete with a huge Boomer cohort ahead of them.
• More debt-burdened due to rising college costs and higher interest rates.

Housing and Interest Rates

Older Boomers

• Bought homes when housing was far cheaper relative to income.
• Mortgage rates in the ’60s were often 4–6%.

Gen Jones

• Tried to buy homes in the late ’70s/early ’80s during record-high interest rates (peaked near 18% in 1981).
• Priced out of the same advantages older Boomers had.

Culture

Older Boomers

• Beatles, Stones, Motown, Woodstock.
• Defined by the Summer of Love, protests, “make love not war.”

Gen Jones

• Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, disco, punk, MTV.
• Less about idealism, more about realism and personal survival.

Summary

Older Boomers

• Idealistic, draft-affected, politically activist in youth, economic beneficiaries of postwar boom.

Gen Jones

• Cynical/pragmatic, missed the draft, came of age in economic hardship, politically pivotal for Reagan-era conservatism, often felt “left behind” compared to older Boomers.

Five years ago: Love That Popcorn!

Blue Ribbon Bather

Three weeks ago Foster Cat Smokey Joe had his first bath (in the shower).

Since then Wednesday after lunch has been designated as Bath Time. I am happy to report that this very chill cat has taken the whole thing in stride.

This week Hubby Tony was luring him down the hall with treats, but all of a sudden Smokey Joe figured out what was going on. I was able to pick him up and snuggle him against my chest while I carried him into the shower. Tony closed the door behind us, and the process began. After he was released from the shower Smokey Joe walked around the house shaking his legs, then found a spot to sit down and clean himself with his tongue. Eventually the excess water was gone, and he was ready for time on Tony's lap.

 

Five years ago: A Snapshot Of A Day

Stick In The Studs

For my birthday back in January I received a lovely pair of stud earrings from Son Brian and DIL Nicole.

The first time I put the earrings on I noticed that the post was made out a heavier gauge wire than my other ones. It was also threaded, with tiny ridges for the back to screw onto.

I often have issues inserting a regular earring into the pierced hole in my right ear, and the two extra features of the new pair made it almost impossible. I had to set aside extra time to put the earrings on, which meant I didn't wear them often.

As one does, I turned to the internet for advise. The first tip I found was to spread a little Vaseline on the post, but that made things greasy. After I got the earring in the hole, I couldn't hold the back to screw it on.

The next idea was to hold a warm compress against my earlobe for a couple of minutes to soften the skin. This one worked like a charm! Now I can wear the earrings as often as I want to.

Five years ago: (Barely) Back In The Saddle Again

Geez, Sez The Gato

Ever since Foster Cat Smokey Joe has been in our house he's visited the vet more than he would like.

At his initial visit last November he was tested for parasites and given a flea treatment.The techs tried to x-ray his suspected leg injury, but he wasn't having it. We had to give him a sedative before taking him back a week later. (They diagnosed the issue as a soft tissue injury, which eventually went away.)

Some time later Smokey Joe developed hairless patches. He visited the vet again, where he was tested for fungus (eventually ruled out, then attributed to mites) and got a long-lasting antibiotic shot. Since then the bare patches have been swabbed with an antibiotic wipe twice a day, and for the past three weeks he's endured a weekly bath.

Today Smokey Joe was back at the animal clinic yet again-this time was because Hubby Tony and I had discovered evidence he had worms. (EWWWW!) The cat got an injection, and the humans got instructions on flea control and enhanced litter box maintenance.

Smokey Joe was thrilled to hear that in three weeks he can stay home when we take a stool sample back to the office.

VectorPortal

Am I An Adult?

Dreamstime

At the beginning of the year I set up a new Gmail address that doesn't use any portion of my name for some volunteer work I'm doing. 

Today I got an interesting email in that Inbox, which said that since Google couldn’t confirm I was an adult they had changed some account settings. Now:

• Explicit content, like pornography, wouldn't show up in my search results.
• Personalized ads had been turned off.
• The Timeline feature wouldn't automatically save my visits and routes.

I was actually okay with all of those changes, but I still felt like Google was 'nannying' me. If I didn't comply they would disable, and eventually delete my account. My messages about the group's business meetings and event planning would disappear, and the members of the group would have trouble contacting me.

There were three ways to prove I was an adult. I could give them an image of a government identification, use one of my credit cards, or take a selfie and share it.

I wasn't really okay with any of the options. If I used a government identification Google promised to delete it after the verification (what could go wrong there?). If I used a charge card they would make a small, temporary authorization charge (and then do what with the card number?). If I used a selfie they outsourced verification to a third-party company (and again, what could go wrong there?).

When I realized I could erase the actual number from a photo of my driver's license I decided to do that. After uploading the photo I was asked to verify my date of birth. Less than a minute later I received notification that everything had been verified.

Five years ago: Cusp Of Spring

Weekend Solo Fun

This weekend Hubby Tony was at a training session for a volunteer commitment at a retreat center in the middle of the state. While he was gone I pretty much set my own schedule, since there was no one to answer to (except for Smokey Joe the foster cat.) 

Friday night I worked a shift at the church Fish Fry, then came home got ready for a Zoom meeting. Instead of setting up in the office I sat on the living room couch, the better to cuddle with Smokey Joe. Saturday I started the day with a cycling class, then came home and did things on my household To Do list.  At noon I fed the cat, then left for the afternoon. 

My plan was to go to an exhibit at the Art Museum in Forest Park called Art in Bloom, where art works are paired with floral arrangements. The exhibit is very popular so I figured I would have to park some distance away and walk the rest. However, I didn't think about how the almost-70 degree weather would bring so many people to the park. I crawled through heavy traffic looking for a parking space for 25 minutes. When my Maps app told me I would have had to walk a mile and a half each way I gave up. 

Instead, I waited through three cycles of a stop light to leave the park and drove to the neighborhood across the major street, where I walked around and admired the large brick houses. I got back into the car and drove another ten minutes to the Delmar Loop to window shop. When I had seen everything I wanted to I drove west to a bookstore, where I browsed through the stacks until it was time to head for church. 

After church I came home, where Smokey Joe was waiting for his nightly lap time session.

This morning I started a pot of beans in the Instant Pot before breakfast. When they were done I saved enough for tonight's dinner and froze the rest. I deep cleaned the hall bathroom floor, then left to run a couple of errands. Three stops later I decided to finish off my steps at the mall.

I parked in my usual place at the south half of the western parking garage, entered in the usual door, then decided to mix it up and walk in the opposite direction today. At the halfway point I saw a long line of people on the other side, which stopped at the entrance of the Build A Bear shop. I asked a lady what they were waiting for and learned that some characters from the Bluey animated television show were there for a meet and greet.

I continued down the mall and realized there were actually two lines. The second one was for the Lego store. When I asked someone in that line what was going on I learned they were waiting to get one of the new sets that the store releases on the first day of each month. 

I don't have any kids in the house and am not an avid Lego builder, so I was happy to walk by the lines instead of joining either one. 

A Little Less Color In The World

I heard on the news this morning that Target will remove all cereals containing certified synthetic colors from its shelves by the end of May 2026, and Walmart has set a goal of doing the same with all their private label products by January 2027. All of a sudden the less than vibrant sprinkles I bought yesterday made sense.

nstead of the vibrantly colored and more visually appealing artificial dyes, these sprinkles are colored with beet juice, vegetable juice, annatto extract, spirulina extract, turmeric, beta-carotene, and paprika oleoresin.

I guess I will eventually get used to the muted ones.

Five years ago: Notify Me, Please

It's All About Me.....

(And anyone else who shares my first name 😏). Today is National Kathy Day.

 

Some facts about National Kathy Day:

• The "holiday" was established in 2010 to honor everyone named Kathy.

• Kathy is derived from the Greek katharos, meaning "pure,". It can be a stand-alone name, or a a diminutive of Katherine or Kathleen.

• According to the site Behind the Name, after World War II the name Kathy started increasing in popularity in the United States. Its apex was 1958 (the year before I was born), so the vast majority of people that share my name are approximately the same age as me.

• Similar celebrations include National Catherine Day on Jan 13th and National Kathryn Day on July 8th.

To celebrate my day Hubby Tony and I had adult beverages with dinner, something that rarely happens during the week. For dessert he went into the freezer and pulled out pound cake left over from his recent poker hosting. There was nothing to top it with so we went to the grocery store, where the ice cream department had plenty of options. I decided on black cherry. 

Five years ago today: A Small Return To Routine

The Wheels Of Justice Move Slowly...

Last June I filled out a claim form to be included as part of a class action lawsuit against Lee Enterprises (at the time, the owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper).

Image by rawpixel.com

A hearing on a proposed settlement took place in August. A Settlement Fund was established to pay the submitted claims, administrative expenses, and lawyer fees. Individual settlements were to be doled out on a pro rata basis (with each member of the class getting an equal portion), and was expected to be approximately $41.01.

After filling out the online form I stuck a reminder about it in my November tickler file. November came and went, as did December and January. I had just about forgotten about the whole thing when I found an email in my Spam folder with a subject line of RG/2 Claims - Settlement Payment - Stoudemire, et al. v. Lee Enterprises, Inc., Case No. 3:22-cv-00086-SHL-SBJ. The message informed me I had been approved to receive a settlement. And it was more than four times the original estimate! (I wonder if many people thought taking five minutes to fill out a form wasn't worth their while, which led to more money for those who did.)

To get my settlement there were two choices. I could click a link in the message, which would lead me to a third-party company called Tremendous, or wait for a check. The stated time frame for a check was several months from now, but based on how long the rest of the process was taking I wondered just when a paper check would actually show up in my mailbox and decided to look into an electronic payment.

I knew enough about scams to not click the link-at least without first doing some research. I Googled the name Tremendous. The company website was the first hit. I poked around there and verified that it was a legitimate company. There was even a page that addressed the issue of whether the company was legit or not. 

My last step was to email the information to Hubby Tony and ask if he was okay with me clicking the link button. He was.

I would never have given them my banking information, but PayPal was an option. I am familiar with that system, because I routinely receive funds there and transfer them to my bank. After I completed the process I was promised a payment within two business days. That's exactly what happened. 

Now I have a little bit of extra money to pay for my daily (virtual) newspaper fix. 

Five years ago: Life Is Like A Movie

Bath Time!

At the end of January we discovered that Foster Cat Smokey Joe had developed a hairless patch underneath his chin. A couple of days later a second patch appeared on his right shoulder. Each had a red scab in the center. Smokey Joe went to the vet, who did a fungal culture test and administered an antibiotic shot. He came home with a container of medicated wipes to be used twice a day. The scabs quickly healed up, but the bald patches remained. If anything, they were growing larger.

Because the issue continued to get worse the cat made yet another trip to the vet. His skin was scraped for mites or other creepy-crawlies. When the doctor called me to discuss the visit she asked if I thought we would be able to give Smokey Joe a bath with a medicated shampoo (or at a minimum washing the bare skin spots). I told her we would try.

I mulled over the procedure for bathing the cat and decided that it would probably work well in the shower stall. I might get wet in the enclosed space, but the cat wouldn't be able to escape. I assembled my equipment...old clothes for me, a bucket of warm water and a cup to pour it, a rag, a towel, and the bottle of shampoo.

I positioned myself inside the shower. Hubby Tony lured the cat into the bathroom with some treats, then picked him up, put him in, and closed the shower door. Smokey Joe was a real trooper. He let me wet his fur, apply shampoo, and rub it over his body. He wasn't too thrilled about following the directions about waiting ten minutes before removing the lather, and then annoyed that the removal took so long. When I tried to thoroughly dry his body Smokey Joe indicated he would prefer just to escape thankyouverymuch.

Our directions are to repeat the procedure weekly until further notice.

Five years ago: Just Me

Putting The Fat In Fat Tuesday

Today is Fat Tuesday, the last decadent hurrah before Lent starts tomorrow. Dinner tonight will be a repeat of Sunday's Mardi Gras-inspired meal. Hubby Tony and I also did our best to make sure the rest of our diet lived up to the day's 'fat' standard.

Our first task of the day was to drop Foster Cat Smokey Joe off at the vet right after they opened so they could diagnose some skin issues he's been having. Instead of coming back home we stopped at a park for a nice walk. Next, we drove to grocery store for a couple of things before ending up in downtown Webster Groves. We parked the car and walked around a little bit more until it was time for an early lunch at Telva at the Ridge, which calls itself a Balkan-inspired café.

After reading though the menu I chose the special of the day, Savory Pumpkin Tost (which is the Turkish spelling of toast). The dish started with a thick slice of toasted sourdough and topped with Kajmak (similar to clotted cream), sweet roasted pumpkin, lemon zest, pumpkin seeds, chili crisp, and fresh baby greens.

Tony ordered the Telva Avocado Tost. The base was the same toasted sourdough. It had layers of roasted tomato, cucumber, feta, olives, tzatziki, sesame crunch, and herbs. Tony chose to add a perfectly-cooked egg.

After we ordered our food and drinks (coffee) the waitress asked if we wanted to include a pastry or cookie. Not knowing how much food the entrees would be we passed. 

I left the restaurant comfortably full, but ten minutes later I wished I had included the sweet. It was Fat Tuesday, after all! So on the way home we stopped at Nathanial Reid Bakery. We left with a chocolate almond croissant and a raspberry lemon financier. Back at home I cut both in half so we could share.

Five years ago: No Smudge

Box Mix Inspo

Now that Valentine's celebrations were over it was time to turn my attention to the next event. This year Mardi Gras is Tuesday (and Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is the next day).

Back in October Hubby Tony and I attended a trivia night, which also included a silent auction. There, I won a Mardi Gras themed basket that had a few decorations and a few New Orleans-themed ingredients. We immediately started working on some of the edible items (like Popeyes Mardi Gras Mustard Dipping Sauce and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning). Last weekend when I was rooting through the pantry I found the box of Cafe Du Monde beignet mix. The mix for French-style donuts just cried out to be used for Mardi Gras, and the box had an expiration date of February 26th!

The problem was that the box made four dozen donuts. With a small household we would never be able to eat that many, and they don't store well. Also, a while back I decided I'm not a big fan of deep frying any more (because there's too much to clean up). I searched the internet for alternate uses for the beignet mix and came up with a recipe for banana bread.

Tonight Son Donald came to dinner. Keeping with the Mardi Gras theme, Tony made some excellent red beans and rice, cornbread, and a pot of greens. Dessert was thick slices of the beignet banana bread topped with fresh pineapple sauce and whipped cream.

Valentine's Day 2026

February 14th is, of course, Valentine's Day.

With the "day for lovers" falling on a Saturday this year Hubby Tony and I knew that restaurants would be slammed. We planned a low-key celebration on Friday night, which included attending a local murder mystery dinner.

And it turns out we both independently did a little Valentine's purchasing. On Friday afternoon I came home from running errands to find a beautiful bouquet of mixed flowers and a tiny box of good chocolates waiting for me.

 I responded by pulling out my gift bag of Tony's favorite herbal teas and some fresh cherries I splurged on at the grocery store. (As we do, we shared the sweet things and decided that chocolate and fresh cherries make a wonderful combination.)

Our Saturday tradition is to go to church and then out to dinner. After lunch Tony asked if we wanted to do that tonight. I reminded him all of the restaurants would be busy, but I also really didn't want to come back home to eat. Our meal at a Culver's just down the road from our church wouldn't win any awards for fanciness, but my Butterburger and Chocolate Covered Strawberry custard scoop tasted pretty darn good.

 Five years ago: Brunch And A Show

A Notable Date

Today I was chatting with the woman next to me while we were waiting for a meeting to start. She said she had heard on the radio that the numbers of today's date 2-13-26 (or 13-2-26 if you live in Europe) could become the basis of an equation.

Adding a multiplication sign between the first two numbers and an equal sign before the date would read 2x13=26 (or 13×2=26).

We agreed the information didn't have much practical value, but it was interesting. Five years ago today: Cajun-ish

Out And About

A collection of photos from my camera roll from the past six weeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Am I the only one who feels like, even though it's almost halfway through February, the year has just started?

I had never heard of a Kindness Rock Garden. The pot had a layer of pebbles and large rocks (some decorated), and a sign that said to "Take one for inspiration, share one for motivation, add one to help our garden grow."

Hubby Tony and I saw this 25-foot tall statue in a park in San Diego near the USS Midway Museum. "Embracing Peace" is based on a famous 1945 Victory over Japan Day photograph depicting a sailor kissing a nurse at he end of World War II.

At first I thought someone had trained a flock of geese to line up in a row along the street in front of their house. A second look revealed that even though each goose was in a different position they were all statues 😆.

A couple of days ago Mary at Dark Thoughts posted about her apartment complex, recently repainted in a white/grey/orange color scheme. Although the orange in her photos is much brighter, the YMCA I go to uses the same scheme.

Five years ago: ValenSpines Day

What If English Were Phonetically Consistent?

The title of the post says it all 😏.

And....if you want more of the same, there's a Part 2

Five years ago today: Cat Naps And Catnaps

Shepherd's Salad For Me (And You?)

Tonight Hubby Tony and I are headed to a small Super Bowl party at a friend's house. The hosting couple will provide dinner. When I asked what we could bring, I found out they wanted a salad-specifically the Greek salad with no onions I made when they came over for dinner last month.

I said I would be happy to do that if I could still find the recipe. I couldn't. Lucky, during that dinner menu planning process I had sent a couple of different versions to Tony and asked him to pick one. He forwarded me the information I needed and we were back in business.

I often use my blog as a personal journal, so I'm putting the information here for my future use. Maybe yours too?

SHEPHERD'S SALAD-NO ONIONS

 Serves 4 

1 lb Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cucumber, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

½ to 1 teaspoon sumac (optional. I subbed a dash more lemon juice and a shake of paprika)

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Prepare the Vegetables: Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

Combine: In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, and green bell pepper. Add parsley and feta.

Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, salt, and pepper.

Dress the Salad: Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to combine.

Season and Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving. The salad is best served fresh, as the salt and lemon juice will draw water from the vegetables over time.

Five years ago: Party For Two

Birds And Balsamic

Today Hubby Tony and I made our approximately once a year trip across the Mississippi River to Alton Illinois to replenish our supply of balsamic vinegar (which we use in dishes both savory and sweet). In 2023 I wrote this explanation about why we make the trek:

We stumbled upon the store in 2018. Even though it's a half hour from home, across the Mississippi River in Alton, Illinois, Tony and I think it's worth the drive. Their balsamic vinegar is the thickest and most flavorful I've ever found (and I've looked in a lot of places). I've been known to drizzle it on a salad straight up.

Alton is a half hour trip, and we always try to do another activity while in the area to justify the gas and time. I searched for activities in the area and came upon the Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, which is close to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.

The visitor center parking lot was almost full, and when we entered we found out that was because there was a group of schoolchildren there on a field trip. A naturalist was giving them a presentation about birds in the area. We stood in the back and listened, and met Patriot, a bald eagle who was 30 years old.

After the presentation ended Tony and I walked around the small inside display. I saw this banner that showed the wingspans of different birds. I had no idea some of them were so large!

Tony found out the center had about eight miles of trails. Unfortunately, most of them were still snow covered, but we were able to walk along a short paved trail down to a viewing area.

A lot of bald eagles migrate to Missouri in winter from Canada and the Great Lakes. The rivers rarely freeze, so there are hunting grounds for fish. There were several volunteers with telescopes trained on eagles across the river. They were really there for the students, but they let Tony and I take a peek.

From the Audubon Center it was a ten-minute drive to the Olive Oil Marketplace. I carried in the empty bottles, and carried out full bottles of Traditional, Garlic Cilantro, Strawberry, and White Pineapple balsamic vinegars.

Way More Than Sunrise And Sunset

This morning when I woke up a little before 6:30 I sensed that it was a tiny bit lighter outside than usual. Could the days be getting longer?

The answer was yes, according to my friend Google, who told me that today First Light was 6:38 am. However, they also threw in some terms that I didn't know, like Astronomical Twilight, Nautical Twilight, and Civil Twilight. Then at the end of the day they repeated the terms in backwards order (Civil, Nautical, Astronomical).

So I went down an internet rabbit hole to find out what the heck all those terms meant. This is what I found:

• Astronomical Twilight begins - when the sun's center is 18 degrees below the horizon
• Nautical Twilight begins - when the sun's center is 12 degrees below the horizon
• Civil Twilight begins - when the sun's center is 6 degrees below the horizon
• Sunrise - when the upper edge of the sun's disk appears above the horizon
• Transit - when the sun reaches it's highest point in the sky
• Sunset - when the upper limb of the sun disappears below the horizon
• Civil Twilight ends - when the sun's center is 6 degrees below the horizon
• Nautical Twilight ends - when the sun's center is 6 degrees below the horizon
• Astronomical Twilight ends - when the sun's center is 18 degrees below the horizon

Picryl

Five years ago: Writing By Witness

Incalescence

According to Google, incalescence refers to the process or state of growing warm or increasing in temperature. That's what happened in my area today.

For the past ten days the temperature has been way below freezing, which made today's high of 46 degrees Fahrenheit feel fantastic. This morning when Hubby Tony and I left for church to do our monthly volunteer money counting shift I wore a heavy winter coat, but when I went out again after lunch to run errands I switched to the lightweight one and wrapped a scarf around my neck.

It snowed eight days ago. All of the roads in my area are snow free, but the shoulders and sidewalks aren't. Thanks to the outdoor nastiness I've been unmotivated to do anything outside, and today I had a large list of places to go, all along a major thoroughfare close to my house.

I headed east, stopping by the post office, thrift store, and pet mart before turning around and heading west to come back home, hitting an antique mall, florist, and craft store along the way. There were a lot of cars on the road, and rather than pull in and out of a bunch of strip malls, several times I took advantage of connecting parking lots to walk from one place to another. By the last errand I ditched the scarf and had my coat unzipped.

Needpix

It's only the beginning of February and the temperature will be yo-yoing all over the place, so I have to keep every conceivable piece of winter gear handy. I never know what tomorrow will bring.

Five years ago: Stuck Song Syndrome

A Teeny Tiny Good Thing

 

 

Winter is sticking around, and I've been doing my darnedest to find something positive in each day, but it's hard when there's more gloom than sun and the temperatures are stuck way below freezing. 

 

In order to get exercise I've walked at the mall way too many days the past week. Today Hubby Tony and I branched out. We left early for church and drove to Menards, a big box hardware store, for two things-steps and furnace filters.  

 

I buy filters that last for three months. When we reached the correct aisle I was pleasantly surprised to find the filter type I usually buy was on sale. And on top of that there was a rebate. I normally don't bother with rebates, but this time jumping through the hoops of filling out the form and mailing it in my four filters will get me eight dollars to use on a future purchase.

Five years ago: Who Drove What?

Lick It Up

For years our pampered cats have gotten three small meals a day, and the current foster Smokey Joe is no exception. Unlike some cats who like to nibble throughout the day he immediately devours whatever food we put out for him-kibbles in the morning and evening, and a bit of canned food midday.

Some times Smokey Joe eats the wet food too fast, then regurgitates it back up. I started researching for a way to slow him down. There were a lot of ideas, but it seemed like the easiest one to implement would be a lick mat. (It has grooves designed to hold the wet food. Instead of inhaling it, Kitty has to lick up.)

Instead of immediately heading to the pet store, I figured out we already had something in the house that might work. From the far back of the plastic container cabinet I pulled out a shallow plastic bowl originally designed to hold leftovers. It had ridges to allow air to circulate underneath things when they were reheated in the microwave.

Smokey Joe's portion of wet food covers almost the entire bottom of the container, and it has really slowed him down. His lunch now takes five minutes instead of 30 seconds, and there has been no need to deal with upchuck.

Five years ago: The Slice Of Pie Is Getting Larger

Chocolate Trumps Everything

This showed up in my Facebook feed this morning:

National Day Calendar/Facebook

Although I read news articles about the Holocaust and Vietnam, out of the four "days", which one do you think Hubby Tony and I "celebrated"? If you said Chocolate Cake Day you're right!

Chocolate pudding cake from the grocery store

Five years ago today: Snow And Synchronicity

Mastering Technology

On January 1st I started a new volunteer position in a fellowship. The Communications position involves two things: getting out information to members, and putting together a newsletter.

After figuring out the information part of the job, I turned to the newsletter part. The newsletter hasn't been published for a couple of years, so I had a brainstorming conversation with another person about the format of the revitalized newsletter. We came up with some good ideas, but decided we also wanted to poll the people who will be reading it.

In the meantime we decided our first 'issue' would be an email that would contain short welcome notes from some of the officers and some basic information about the fellowship website. After I figured out how to update data to the website, I played around with an email newsletter template and figured out how to add text, hyperlinks, and images. The final result was super simple, but I was proud of it.

After sending the draft to several people for their input, this morning I sent the message out to everyone.

PxHere

Right after I hit Send I was afraid that something might have gone wrong, but I've received a couple of positive emails about my message....and no negative ones.

Five years ago: What A Difference A Year Makes

If You're In The Affected Area Stay Safe And Stay Warm

My area is in the path of the storm and super cold weather sweeping across much of the country. Our condo is large enough for daily living, but small enough that walking from one end to the other only takes about 30 seconds, so this morning before the snow started Hubby Tony and I went to the mall to get steps. (I am always thankful that the most convenient entrance is in the parking garage, but especially today.)

Between today and tomorrow the National Weather Service is predicting a total of six to ten inches of snow and dangerously cold temperatures, but I have no reason to go out. I have food, reading material, projects, and the memes on the Internet 😀.

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In this area people run to the store for milk, bread, eggs, and toilet paper as soon as any type of winter weather is announced. This morning's paper had photos of empty milk coolers and bare dairy shelves.

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I always have a stash of Mardi Gras beads in my closet, so I can only imagine what the people in Louisiana have.

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This explanation sounds about right

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Even the PG-13 people are taking advantage of the storm!

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A cute post from Facebook:

Authorities confirmed the "individual responsible for this incoming winter weather" has been taken into custody.

The individual in question was not identified in an initial post, but she can be seen handcuffed, and standing in a blue, glittery dress with sheer sleeves. 

An officer standing nearby can also be seen holding what appears to be a tiara with pink gemstones.

"The winter storm is still coming," police wrote. "The cold never bothered her anyway, but it will bother your commute."

Stay safe my friends!