Unexpected Undertakings

Even though I don't really believe in them, I scan through my horoscope in my newspaper every morning. today's was worth a little closer reading:

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19) Do something different today.You feel the need for adventure! Shake things up a little! Travel plans will appeal. Tonight: Explore and learn something new.

Unfortunately, today was not the best day for me to be spontaneous. I had several computer tasks that had to be done. Hubby Tony had some commitments and couldn't join me in adventure. On top of those issues, the area's extreme heat warning meant that any big outside activities were off the table. I had to settle for shaking things up in tiny ways, but I did my best.

• Thanks to the weather it was yet another walk at the mall day. Tony and I both took our cars so we could head different directions afterwards. We did our normal laps before the stores opened, then he left for his meeting and I completed an additional lap, stepping into a couple of stores to see what was new.

• My first stop after the mall was at a gas station to take advantage of a drink promotion they offer when the baseball Cardinals score six runs the day before. I always get the same type of coffee, but today I sampled a flavored one before deciding I didn't like the taste and filling my cup with the usual.

• The next stop was getting a hair cut at a chain salon. When I went to the website to check in for a visit at my usual location I noticed there was a 15 minute wait, but if I drove five minutes to the east I could get a cut with no wait. Guess which one I chose?

• My last stop was the grocery store, where I walked the aisles in reverse order and looked at items I had never seen before.

• The afternoon was filled with non-adventurous tasks, but I did help Tony with some travel plans- figuring out the rental car details for our next visit to California months from now.

• Tony had a dinner meeting so I was on my own. I put together a surprisingly good meal from things around the house. I stared with lightly steamed cabbage, which I tossed with smashed avocado and topped with canned chili beans and salsa.

• After dinner I turned on the PBS News Hour, which always gives me information on current and new topics.

Five years ago: Just Doing His Job

Dry Drops

Today I had my annual eye exam. At the end of the visit I learned that the lens prescription change was so minor I decided not to bother with new glasses.

However, during the exam I mentioned to the doctor that the letters on the chart were sometimes blurry, but but would clear up when I blinked. He moistened an orange dye strip and touched the strip against the inside of my lower lid, then examined my eyes with a blue light and announced I had dry eye syndrome.

I left the office thoroughly educated about what that means. The main causes of dry eyes are increased tear evaporation (called evaporative dry eye) and decreased tear production (called aqueous deficiency). For both, the most common cause is aging. In addition to my blurry vision, other common symptoms are burning, bloodshot eyes, heavy eyelids, and eye strain during reading or screen use.

The doctor said there were quite a few treatments, but suggested the first step would be preservative-free, over-the-counter eye drops and gave me some suggestions of brands to look for. I was most surprised to learn that using a ceiling fan can be an issue, even during the nighttime when my eyes were closed. For that, he suggested gel eye drops that are thicker and last longer.

Vecteezy

Five years ago: Bicentennial Fun

Shhhhhh....

For the past 10 years Hubby Tony has attended a silent retreat. He has encouraged me to go on one, but I did one in 2008 and had no desire to attend a second. Then a woman from my church invited me as part of a group from the parish and I accepted. My four-day retreat at the White House Retreat Center started on Thursday night and ended on Sunday after lunch. The time was a great experience.

White House opened more than a century ago and sits on a bluff above the Mississippi River. The grounds are serene and beautiful, with mature trees, naturalized areas, formal, and informal flower beds. My room was on the second floor of the largest building with a nice view of the river.

The event started with dinner on Thursday, a chance to get to know the people sitting at my table. That was a good thing, because after that meal the rest of the weekend was silent until lunch on Sunday (unless you chose to attend a half-hour fellowship gathering on Friday and Saturday night). Meal times were accompanied by gentile piped-in music. I put my phone on airplane mode and used it only for a watch and to make sure I got my steps for the day. A couple of times I was tempted to take a photo of something I saw, but decided to use my mind's eye instead.

The program was based on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. Over the course of the weekend the retreat director, a Jesuit priest, led ten conferences (talks), with a period of meditation after each. Each day also included an opportunity to participate in Catholic observances and Mass.

My days quickly fell into a pattern, starting with getting up early each morning to walk around the grounds before the day got too hot, then coming back to my room to get ready for the activity-filled day. There were a multitude of places both inside and outside to sit to pray and meditate and I soon found my favorites, but on Sunday morning when I found a new-to-me chair overlooking the river I suspected there were even more.

One thing I particularly enjoyed was being part of Nature I started to notice little details. Like the sun coming up over the river in the morning, the boats floating downstream or being pushed upstream, the deer I surprised on my walks, the places where those deer had nibbled some of the plants into stubs, the hundreds of bees, butterflies, and a couple of hummingbirds flying around the flower beds, the background drone of the crickets and cicadas, the spider webs stretching from one plant to another along a trail, and the fat Monarch butterfly caterpillars munching on the milkweed leaves.

I felt myself slowing down and getting less distracted. More importantly, over the course of the weekend I learned some important things about myself and was sad when it was time to leave. On the drive out of the parking lot I realized the car radio was making too much noise, turned it off, and enjoyed the rest of the drive home in silence.

Five years ago: Fermented Spicy Goodness

Too Soon?

I abhor seeing Halloween things when summer isn't even close to being over, but the other day in the greeting card section of the grocery store I walked by a card that looked like someone snuck into my house and used Foster Cat Smokey Joe as a model for a cute vampire cat.

It only cost 99 cents, so I thought it would be fun to send a card to each California family. But I left card-less that day because it wasn't anywhere close to Halloween. However, when I got home I realized the card might be out of stock when I wanted it, so today I went and purchased two.

The full service checkout line was long. At the self-service section the attendant noticed my purchase and wondered out loud why I would be making it so early. When I told him he just smiled and shook his head.

Both cards are now in my October tickler file, ready to address, stamp, and mail when the time is right.

Five years ago: Once Every 200 Years

Undies 😼

Today was another hot and humid day, so I was getting my steps in at the mall when I passed one of the store's marketing signs and learned that August 5th was National Underwear Day. Who knew!

The sign said that the store was giving away a free pair of panties to each customer, but when I found out I had to sign up for their rewards program I decided I wasn't interested.

Instead, I came home and organized my underwear drawer, tossing a couple of pairs that had developed holes.I remembered from years ago that the best time to buy underwear was during the August back-to-school sales, so I went to Walmart and purchased a 10-pack of all-cotton panties. They're more my style, anyway.

Five years ago: It All Comes Full Circle

Rambling For Resensation

This afternoon I had a dentist appointment to begin the process of replacing a deteriorating crown.

The first step was to numb the area thoroughly, and when the appointment was finished I could tell I would be numb for quite some time. I asked the dental assistant if there were any tips for getting the novocaine to wear off quicker. She said the process was dependent on the patient's metabolic rate, but in general increasing the heart rate (by running or brisk walking) would help.

Because it was too hot to walk outside I decided to go to the mall a half mile from my house. I knew that a large portion of the parking garage I usually use is being renovated, so I drove halfway around the structure and parked at a far end. Even though it was quite a distance from an entrance I was surprised at how many cars were there.

I've heard for years that malls are dying, and several in the metropolitan area have closed. However, even though this mall has several empty storefronts, right now there are four new stores going in and another storefront has a drywall construction barricade, which means work on it will be starting shortly. 

Easy-Peasey.AI

Although there were quite a few people there I was able to walk fast enough that I felt my heart rate increase a bit. I did three laps (two on the first floor and one on the second floor) before my feet started to hurt and it was time to head home.

I have no idea if my walk actually helped the anti-numbing process, but it felt good to get some exercise.

Theater With My Truelove

Last Christmas Hubby Tony gifted me with two sets of tickets to a local theater. The one we used today coincided with our anniversary. We spent a lovely afternoon with the musical Guys and Dolls. I enjoyed my time in 1950s New York with Sky Masterson, Sergeant Sarah Brown, Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide, Nicely Nicely Johnson, and Benny Southstreet. After the show we went out for dinner.

There have been quite a few recordings of my favorite song from the show, but even though she wasn't in the Broadway musical I especially enjoy this version of "Bushel and a Peck" by Doris Day.

Five years ago: Directory Of Businesses

Adventures In Grandparenting

Some of my vacation trips are elaborate and go to exotic locations. Other trips are low key and familiar, but equally impactful. Hubby Tony and I just got back from one of the latter trips, visiting the California kids and grandkids. We spent five days with each family, making memories that will stay with me forever.

Foster cat Smokey Joe wanted to come with us

Usually when we go to California we fly into San Jose and use a rental car to get us to Modesto in the Central Valley. This time, though Tony found out that for only a small upcharge we could fly into Sacramento, rent the car there, then return it in San Jose when we left. That turned out to be a wonderful plan; the rush hour traffic going south from the airport was a fraction of what it would have been going the other direction.

As in previous trips, activities at both houses included playing games (both inside and outside), doing crafts, taking walks, and tagging along for errands. This time, though, in Modesto Tony and I watched grands Gee, Evee, and Ian for the better part of a day while their parents took care of some family business. Their mom left clear directions for snacks and lunch, but left the rest up to us. It was great fun to play Barbies with the girls while grandpa did "boy stuff" with Ian.

On Saturday, the day we were going to drive from one house to another we were headed to an extended family pool party in the morning, but our rental car wouldn't accelerate above 20 miles per hour. Google indicated it was probably a sensor issue that could be solved by turning off and restarting the car. That did indeed work, but neither Tony or I wanted to take the car on the interstate for an almost two hour drive over the mountains in case the problem redeveloped.

I contacted the rental customer service office, who told us to go to a Modesto branch for a replacement. However, at the branch a sympathetic clerk told us the only available car was a compact Mitsubishi Mirage. We took it. The car's tiny engine had a hard time going over the mountains, and the suspension was rough, but at least it got us where we were going.

At the second house, because of their parents hectic full-time work schedules grands Jay, Dee, and Ell were signed up for activities and Tony and I had some free time during the day. However, we made the most of our time with the family in the weekend and evenings. Grandma and Grandpa dropped off Ell and Dee at a camp one morning, and took Jay to a preview class for a possible after school activity. I also went with Son Brian to pick up Jay and a couple of friends at a baseball camp.

On our last day in California Tony and I headed up to the grocery store to get food to take on the plane. We took a circuitous walk through new to us neighborhoods, and when I saw this street sign I immediately knew my blog buddy Strayer would want to see it.

Five years ago: Recreation Opportunities Now And In The Future

Music If You Want It Or Not

Hubby Tony and I stopped into a coffee shop to get something to drink. After receiving the order we sat at a table in a shady spot to enjoy our beverages. Eventually Tony went inside to use the rest room. While he was gone music started playing very loudly in the parking lot. And not just any music....disco music!

Because I can remember random facts about 1970s disco better than I can remember what I did last week I immediately recognized the song "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer, which includes the profound lyrics:

Ooh I feel love, I feel love

I feel love, I feel love

I feel love

 

I feel love

I feel love

I feel love

As the song was ending Tony returned and we got ready to leave. However, the music wasn't finished. The next tune was "The Hustle", another one embedded in my brain with lyrics that are even more profound :

Do it!

Do it!

Do it!

 

Do the Hustle!

Do the Hustle!

 

Do the Hustle!

Do the Hustle!

(Are you singing along in your head yet?🤣) 

I quickly realized that our route across the parking lot would take us right past the source of the music, which turned out to be coming from the speakers of a huge white pickup truck driven by a man who looked to be about my age. He was pulling out of his parking space as I walked past, and he noticed that I was doing a little bop to the music. 

As he drove away the man told me he played disco everywhere he went because it was the greatest music ever.

Somehow I don't think everyone would agree with his assessment or his method of sharing his love.

Five years ago: Constructive Wait Time

Food Fun Photo Dump

I was cleaning out my phone camera roll and came across these interesting shots.

At one of the local grocery stores the meat department had packaged 'fixings' (lettuce, sliced onion, and sliced tomato) stocked next to the ground burger patties. The packages had a hefty fee added for convenience, but there was also no waste if you were only making a couple of burgers.

When I was in Switzerland earlier in the summer we had lunch at a restaurant recommended by our tour guide. The inside was very much like an old-style beer hall, and the menu was equally old style. My veal sausage with bread turned out to be a link about 15 inches long with a toothpick Swiss flag stuck into it, a piece of crusty bread, and a package of spicy mustard.

For a while it seemed like the local Aldi had an issue with carrot quality control. Instead of a bag filled with normal slim, straight carrots I found this one with 'legs' and stub 'arms'.

And then a short time later this multi-trunked carrot showed up in another bag. The interesting thing is the each of them tasted perfectly fine.

This unique entree started with a bed of polenta, which was topped with a thick slab of perfectly-cooked cauliflower, and garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley.

Five years ago: Somebody's Got To Win. Right?

Ah, So Sad

The best jokes are the ones that come from friends.....

Rawpixel

Six retired Irishmen were playing poker in O'Leary's apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen brother, the other five continue playing standing up.

Michael O'Conner looks around and asks, "Oh, me boys, someone got's to tell Paddy's wife. Who will it be?"

They draw straws. Paul Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, and don't make a bad situation any worse.

"Discreet??? I'm the most discreet Irishmen you'll ever meet. Discretion is me middle name. Leave it to me."

Gallagher goes over to Murphy's house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers and asks what he wants. Gallagher declares: "Your husband just lost $500 and is afraid to come home."

"Tell him to drop dead!", says Murphy's wife.

"I'll go tell him." says Gallagher 

Five years ago: Smooth!

What To Buy And What To Avoid

I suppose by this point most everyone has head about the "poo-poo parasite" (Cyclospora) issue in the United States. The parasite is contracted by consuming contaminated food or water. Symptoms are severe, watery, and sometimes explosive diarrhea, which can last for weeks if untreated.

The Food and Drug Administration thought they had identified the source of the outbreak-shredded iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico that came from one specific supplier-but it turned out to be a false positive result and the hunt is still ongoing.

In the midst of all this I found this great infographic about things that are safe and not safe to eat until the outbreak is under control.

Reader's Digest

Things that are safe to eat: Thick peeled fruits (like bananas, oranges, pineapples, avocados, and watermelons); firm, smooth vegetables (like cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli); layered vegetables (like cabbage); commercially frozen products (both fruits and vegetables); and cooked or processed foods (canned and baked).

Things to avoid, or only eat cooked: Raw berries (like raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries); soft-skinned fruits (like peaches, plums, nectarines, and grapes), raw leafy greens (like fresh spinach, romaine lettuce, and greens); prewashed salad mixes (like bagged kits and precut greens); precut grocery fruit bowls (anything including melons or berries), and fresh raw herbs (like cilantro, basil, and parsley).

If you live in the United States, how much have you been affected by the outbreak? Have you made any changes in your diet?

Frozen Dessert Delight

Hubby Tony left Thursday night for an event and returned this afternoon. While he was gone I had a great time arranging my own schedule and eating whatever I wanted to, including breakfast for dinner at home, a meal out with Son Donald, and a second meal out with just myself for company.

Although Tony traditionally cooks dinner on Sunday I told him I would take care of it tonight. There was some kale in the refrigerator that had to be used up, so I made Cookie and Kate's Farro and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese, which also includes toasted almonds, dried cherries or cranberries, and a flavorful vinaigrette. That healthy dinner meant that we could celebrate today's "holiday", National Ice Cream Day, by going out for dessert.

My classic hot fudge sundae was a delicious end to the weekend.

Five years ago today: Stopping The Burn

Twice-Given Gift

The last time I went out to dinner with a group of women one of them had a present for everyone and brought out a box of six tubes of color changing lipstick. Each tube had a different flower embedded inside. I received the tube with the pink flower. I learned that the lipstick goes on clear, but the tint changes depending on your body temperature (lighter when you're cold and darker when your temperature rises).

Amazon

However, because of some skin issues I am very careful with the products I use. The gift giver insisted I try it on my lips but I declined. Instead I rubbed some on my thumb, observed the color change, then thanked the woman and put the tube in my purse.

Later that night my thumb started itching so I knew the product wasn't for me. Instead, I offered the tube on my Buy Nothing group, and the next day it was on it's way to someone else's house.

Five years ago: Twosome Traveling

Up To Date

Back in 2008 Hubby Tony and I met with a lawyer to develop a set of estate-planning paperwork. After we received the documents from the lawyer we put them in the desk and I basically forgot about them.

At my last checkup appointment the doctor asked me if I had a designated medical power of attorney, someone who could make medical decisions for me if I become too sick or injured to make them myself? And if so could I bring a copy of the legal document in to the office?

The answers to her questions were both 'yes'. I sent myself an email to remember to find the document, but that message got buried in my Inbox. Last week when I was deleting old emails I found the message and asked Hubby Tony to pull out the paperwork for me so I could make a copy.

Leafing through it, I discovered a problem. All of the basics were still correct, but many of the details were not. The contact information for Tony and the alternate attorneys (my boys) reflected where they lived 18 years ago and the phone numbers they had then. Not surprisingly, some of the other estate planning documents also had the same issue.

Tony did some research and found out a notarized addendum with the correct information was all that was needed to make simple changes. This morning we went to the bank with our addendum paperwork and took care of the last step. Fifteen minutes later we walked out the door with notarized sheets and I can take the copy to the doctor's office next time I see her.  

Source

Five years ago today: Family Frolicking

Multi, Multi, Multi-Talented

On the first day of summer my post included a poem by Shel Silverstein. Victor S E Moubarak of Time For Reflections and The Christian Lounge left a comment on that post that in addition to prose and poetry, Shel Silverstein was also was a song writer, including the song "A Boy Named Sue", made famous by Johnny Cash.

I had no idea, but Victor's comment sent me down a rabbit hole of research on Shel Silverstein.

• I learned that some of his other well-known songs were Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show's "The Cover of "Rolling Stone" and "Sylvia's Mother, and "The Unicorn" by the Irish Rovers. His songs have been performed by Johnny Cash, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, the Irish Rovers, Bobby Bare, Emmylou Harris, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Marianne Faithfull, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. 

• He was one of the leading cartoonists for Playboy magazine, and his work also appeared in many other magazines and newspapers.

• His comedy songs were often played on the Doctor Dimento show.

• And if being an author/poet/songwriter wasn't enough, he composed music for several films.

• He also wrote more than 100 one-act plays.  

If Shel Silverstein hadn't died in 1999 I wonder what else could have been added to his list of accomplishments? 

Five years ago today: Fun With The Families

No Change Needed!

I have thick hair with a mind of its own. Putting the cowlicks in their place requires the use of a brush and blow dryer. This morning I was whipping my mane into place when the blow dryer sparked and then died.

I immediately unplugged the device and thought about my next step.

The dead blow dryer predated my move to the condo, so it was at least six and a half years old, a good lifespan for a small electronic. It was the ideal device - enough watts to dry my thick hair, easy to move into different positions, and quality attachments that made the job easier. Over the years I had developed the perfect hair drying routine with it, and I wasn't excited about figuring out something different.

As one does in this internet age I started my search online. Ten minutes later I was doing a happy dance when I realized I could order the exact same model on a big box store's website and pick it up later in the day.

Five years ago today: Bathroom Humor

Pineapple skin tea

Free SVG

I was processing a pineapple today. When I was done there was a bowl of pineapple chunks and another bowl of waste- the outer peel, core, and crown and I started wondering if any of the waste had another use.

A little internet research told me that I should just toss the crown, but the peel and core could be turned into a drink. I used the recipe for Pineapple Skin Tea at PlantYou.

I washed the peel well I chopped it and the core up, tossed everything in a pot, then added water, fresh ginger, a little powdered turmeric, and a bit of maple syrup. The recipe called for a cinnamon stick (which I didn't have), so I substituted powdered cinnamon.

After the mixture came to a boil I lowered the heat until it was simmering and ignored it for an hour, then used a colander to drain the liquid.  The tea had a light, refreshing pineapple taste, but I didn't enjoy the cinnamon dregs in the bottom of the cup . If I ever made this again I would definitely use a cinnamon stick or strain the liquid with a fine mesh sieve.

Five years ago today: A Prayer for Dealing with Difficult People

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary-Day 10 (The End)

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary

Today is the last day of our project. It's been fascinating to discover facts about the country and how the states all tie together. My set for the day, and the facts I learned, were:

• Illinois As of 2017, the state pet is shelter dogs and shelter cats.
• North Carolina The carnivorous Venus flytrap grows naturally in the wild nowhere else on Earth except within a 60-mile radius of Wilmington.
• Oregon Oregon is the only state in the U.S. with a state flag that features a different design on each side. The front shows the state seal, while the back features a golden beaver.
• Oklahoma The Oklahoma State Capitol is the only state capitol to have had active oil wells on its grounds, with production lasting until 1986.
• Massachusetts Two sports were invented in Massachusetts-Basketball in 1891 and volleyball  in 1895.

This time I decided that my inspiration ingredient would be sweet potatoes, the state vegetable of North Carolina, and easily available at the grocery store. Thinking about cooking options for the vegetable, I decided I didn't want fries, and I didn't want a Thanksgiving-inspired dish. Instead, I made a pan of enchiladas with sweet potato and black bean filling. They were very good, and as a bonus the recipe made enough for leftovers.

Five years ago today: A Happy Coincidence

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary-Day 9

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary

Tony had an interesting collection of states today, and came up with some interesting facts.

• New York The first pizzeria in the United States opened in New York City in 1895. Since the 1960s, the price of a slice of pizza has been roughly the same price as a subway ride, generating the idea of “Pizza Principle” among economists.
• New Hampshire The state has 4 nicknames: Granite State, for the extensive granite formations and quarries; Mother of Rivers, for the New England rivers that originate in the state's mountains; White Mountain State, for the White Mountain Range; Switzerland of America for the mountain scenery.
• Tennessee The massive 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes were so powerful they temporarily made the Mississippi River run in reverse, creating Tiptonville's Reelfoot Lake.
• West Virginia Is the only state completely within the Appalachian Mountain range. West Virginia is the third most forested state. The Monongahela National Forest covers nearly a million acres of land, and spans across 10 counties.
• Idaho At 7,900 feet deep, Hells Canyon surpasses the Grand Canyon as the deepest river-carved gorge in North America. Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls stands 212 feet tall, making it 36 feet higher than Niagara Falls.

This morning before church I drove along with Tony to Bagel Union, where he got traditional New York bagels to serve as part of dinner. His first choice was an Everything bagel. When he said he also wanted one that was non-savory I suggested Honey Buckwheat. Tony added an individual serving of cream cheese to the order. I was intrigued at what he would come up with

At dinner time Tony served up large bowls of vegetable soup with lentils (northern Idaho produces a large portion of all lentils grown in the USA) and a half of an Everything bagel for each of us. In my opinion, nothing beats a good New York bagel with its crispy crust and a chewy interior. This one was perfectly toasted, and the onion, garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and kosher salt was the perfect seasoning for a savory dish.

For dessert, Tony toasted the second bagel and served it with cream cheese mixed with huckleberry preserves, because huckleberries are Idaho's state fruit.

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary-Day 8 (Happy 4th of July!)

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary.

Today is the Fourth of July, the day the United State's Declaration of Independence was officially adopted by the Continental Congress in 1776. It is also Day 8 of our project, and my turn to come up with facts about five states and a food item from one of them.

• Vermont Montpelier is the only U.S. state capital without a single McDonald's restaurant, and the state is one of only four (along with Hawaii, Maine, and Alaska) to ban billboards to protect its scenery.

• Louisiana The state flag features a white pelican, but the official state bird (chosen in 1970) is the brown pelican

• Alaska Because of their massive municipal boundaries, the four largest cities by area in the United States are all in Alaska: Sitka, Juneau, Wrangell, and Anchorage. (Sitka is roughly four times larger than Rhode Island.)

• Georgia The first major gold rush in American history didn’t happen in California—it happened in Dahlonega, Georgia, in 1828. The gold dome of the State Capitol building in Atlanta is actually covered in locally mined gold.

• Iowa The only state bordered by two major rivers—the Mississippi to the east and the Missouri to the west.

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

Tony and I didn't have big plans for the day, mainly due to the excessive heat that's been around for the past week. Neither one of us wanted to be outside for hours.

I knew I didn't want to cook today, and would have taken the day off from the project except for the fact I knew that if I chose something from Louisiana there were a number of Cajun and Creole restaurants in the area that would be happy to fill our stomachs. We decided to go out for lunch. I researched which were open on the holiday and gave Tony a list of three to choose from. After some discussion we decided on Sister Cities Cajun.

We got there just a few minutes after the restaurant opened, and the chef was in the dining room. When we told him it was our first time there he told us a little about the restaurant and what the most popular items were. We ended up ordering both of them.

My Smothered Catfish had a freshly-fried filet on a bed of white rice and was smothered in shrimp and crawfish etoufee. (I was able to sub out the shrimp for extra crawfish). A piece of cornbread was perched on the side of the plate.

Tony's Dirty Chicken started with a smoked chicken breast on a bed of dirty rice, all smothered in seafood gumbo. It also came with a piece of cornbread

Five years ago today: A Song About America For The Fourth Of July

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary-Day 7

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary

Another day, another set of states (and food items) for Tony. He always does a great job of coming up with interesting facts:

• Montana The Triple Divide Peak is located in Glacier National Park. It is the only spot in North America where water drains into three different bodies of water: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean (via the Gulf of Mexico), and the Hudson Bay.
• Rhode Island Is the smallest U.S. state by area (only 37 by 48 miles), but it packs in over 400 miles of coastline. Its official name used to be the longest in the country (The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) before voters shortened it in 2020.
• Alabama The origin of the word Alabama is come from the words “Alba and Amo”. Alba refers to vegetables, herbs, and plants; Amo refers to gatherer or picker. The combination of these words “vegetation pickers” describes the Alabama Indians who were the early settlers in the region.
• Hawaii Mauna Kea on the Big Island is technically the tallest mountain on the planet. Measuring from its base on the ocean floor, it reaches over 33,500 feet, which is nearly a mile taller than Mt. Everest.
• Arizona People lived in the area that’s now Arizona at least 20,000 years ago, before written history. But in the 1200s, this civilization disappeared, probably due to a drought. Much later, Native American tribes such as the Hopi, Zuni, Navajo, and Apache lived on the land. Today, 22 tribes still reside on reservations in the state.

Tony also did a great job coming up with a meal. I always appreciate having breakfast for dinner, and his Montana potato hash really hit the spot. He fried potatoes, onions and bell peppers in a cast-iron skillet, added corn kernels, and lima beans, and topped each serving with a fried egg.

Entree

You may notice that the above photo includes a jar of huckleberry preserves, Montana's state fruit. I knew nothing about huckleberries, but Google told me that the berries primarily grow in the mountainous regions of the northwestern part of the country. They cannot be commercially cultivated and must be hand picked in the wild.

I had some preserves on toast, then went back for more. Thank goodness there's still a large portion of the jar left, because I see more huckleberry preserves in my future!

Yummy!

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary-Day 6

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary

• Minnesota There are over 11,000 lakes in the state, giving it more shoreline than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined
• North Dakota The International Peace Garden Chapel sits right on the United States/Canadian border, and you can walk between the two countries inside the building
• Kansas The Monument Rocks (also known as the Chalk Pyramids) are a series of 70-foot-tall chalk formations located in the northwestern part of the state.
• Utah Is the only state in the country where every single county contains a portion of a national forest.
• Texas The state is larger than any country in Europe

Margaret (Peggy or Peg too) left a comment on my last post saying when I wrote about Texas she'd be down for joining us for some brisket. I would have been down for that, too, but at dinner time the 'real feel' temperature was 105 degrees and I decided it was too hot to leave the house. Instead, I settled for tortilla chips and salsa (which was officially designated as the Texas State Snack in 2003).

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary--Day 5

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary

Today Tony's states were:

• Colorado The state's mountainous region, part of the vast Rocky Mountains, is six times the size of Switzerland, featuring 9,600 miles of fishing streams, 2,850 lakes, and over 1,000 peaks.
• Delaware Due to its highly corporate-friendly laws, there are actually more registered corporate entities in Delaware than there are human residents. Nearly 68% of the Fortune 500 call the state their legal home.
• Connecticut The state is credited with a number of American firsts: the Fundamental Orders (1639) was a precursor to the Declaration of Independence, the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States (1764), the world's first telephone directory (1878), the first speed limit-12 miles per hour (1901), the first permanent license plates (1937), the first colored television (1948), and the first nuclear submarine (1954).
• Nebraska The only state in the U.S. whose legislature is unicameral (just one chamber) and nonpartisan (no party affiliations).
• South Dakota The state has approximately four cows for every person.

In honor of Connecticut, Tony chose to make New England style baked beans. He served the dish with corn on the cob and sauteed zucchini. Originally corn bread was part of the menu, but we only have one oven and the hot baking temperature for corn bread didn't jive with the 'low and slow' bean baking temperature, so Tony substituted slices of wheat baguette.

We always have several different kinds of beans in the freezer, which made putting together the main dish easy. New England beans get their flavor and color from molasses, but Tony also added brown sugar and mustard. In lieu of the traditional salt pork Tony used smoked sausage, which he pan fried before adding to the pot. Since he only made two servings of everything there were no leftovers. Five years ago: Just A Teenage Scavenger Trying To Eat In Peace

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary-Day 4

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary 

The project was back to me today. This is what I learned about my set of states:

• Nevada The state is known as "The Silver State" because of a silver rush in 1859, but today it is the largest gold-producing state (with approximately 64% of total U.S. output).
• New Mexico The state capital, Santa Fe, is 7,000 feet (approximately about 1.33 miles or 2.13 kilometers) above sea level, the highest in the nation.
• Maine Geographically, the state is bigger than the other five New England states combined, and 90 percent of it is covered in forests
• New Jersey The first organized baseball game took place in Hoboken on June 19, 1846 between the New York Base Ball Club and the Knickerbockers.
• Virginia The state flag is the only U.S. state flag to depict nudity. The state seal features Virtus, the Roman goddess of virtue, standing triumphantly over a defeated tyrant.

After coming up with my facts it was time to think about a food item. Although I adore anything covered in New Mexican red or green chile (or both, called Christmas style), after seeing what was in my freezer and pantry I decided to do a riff on Brunswick stew, a tomato-based dish simmered with meat, vegetables, and potatoes most likely created in Brunswick County, Virginia around 1828.

The original dish relied on whatever meat the cook could procure, usually small game like squirrel or rabbit. Today chicken is the most common protein, but I didn't have any chicken in the house. However, there was some sloppy joes in the freezer, left over from Tony's poker event a couple of weeks ago. I decided to 'procure' that and use it as the base for my dish.

Although I chose an unconventional meat, the rest of the dish used more conventional ingredients... chopped onion, tomatoes, corn, lima beans, and potatoes. Because the meat was already cooked and seasoned all I had to do was saute an onion and chop a potato, then add it to the pot with some broth, tomato puree, tomato paste, frozen corn, and limas. When the potatoes were cooked I added the thawed sloppy joe meat and some sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, then simmered to meld the flavors.

I served the stew with cole slaw and bread. A Brunswick Stew purist would probably balk at sampling mine, but Tony and I thought it was pretty darn good.

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary-Day 3

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary

Today it was Tony's turn to research again. He came up with these interesting state facts:

• Missouri You can thank the state for the ice cream cone. In 1904, St. Louis hosted the World’s Fair. A Syrian gentleman named Ernest A. Hamwi had a concession at this fair, selling “crisp, waffle-like” pastries. In the neighboring booth an ice cream vendor was doing his thing. It was so popular the vendor’s dishes were fully depleted. Hamwi rolled his pastries into cones… and the rest is history.
• Maryland Mary Pickersgill designed the flag that flew over Ft. McHenry during the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” after seeing the flag still waving during a battle in 1814.
• California Has the highest and lowest points in the contiguous U.S., more national parks than any other state, and an economy so massive it frequently ranks among the top ten largest globally.
• Ohio Officially became the 17th state of the United States on March 1, 1803. Interestingly, while President Thomas Jefferson signed the act enabling Ohio's statehood on February 19, 1803, Congress had technically forgotten to officially ratify the state constitution. This administrative oversight wasn't officially fixed until 1953, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower retroactively signed a resolution recognizing March 1, 1803, as the official date of statehood.
• Wisconsin During the summer, the population of Door County reaches ten times the number of year-round residents (28,000 vs. 250,000).

Tony had a jam-packed schedule today, including dinner out with a friend, so we agreed that he would prepare his food item for lunch. That item ended up being a frozen pizza from Imo's, the original St. Louis style pizza, which opened their first restaurant in 1964. The frozen pizzas were rolled out in 2022.

St Louis style pizza has a cracker crust and is topped with Provel cheese (a processed blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone). In the restaurants the pizza is cut into squares. Today Tony chose to cut his freshly-baked pizza into the more traditional wedges and serve it with a green salad.

Five years ago today: Another Sign Of Normalcy

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary-Day 2

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary

This was my first set of states. I found out that by doing an internet search for "fun facts about [State Name] there were multiple websites with information I could choose from.

• Indiana One of the state's nicknames is “Mother of Vice Presidents” because six of them came from there: Schuyler Colfax (1869 to 1873), Thomas A. Hendricks (1885–1885), Charles W. Fairbanks (1905 to 1909), Thomas Marshall (1913–1921), Dan Quayle (1989–1993) and Mike Pence (2017–2021).
• WyomingThe 10th largest state by area, but the least populated in the United States
• South Carolina Morgan Island, off the coast of Beaufort, is also known as Monkey Island. There is a free-range colony of over 3,000 rhesus monkeys, which are used for public health research.
• Michigan Is the only state that’s split into two pieces-the Upper Peninsula in the north and the Lower Peninsula (referred to as “the mitten”) in the south. The two pieces are connected by the five-mile Mackinac Bridge.
• Washington The nation's largest overall producer of sweet cherries.

Fresh cherry season is short and I try to eat as many as I can while they're available, so when I learned that fact I knew cherries would be my food item. Coincidentally, right after that I got an email from a local grocery story that cherries were on sale and then a recipe for Cherry and Fresh Herb Salad with Coconut Chipsshowed up in my feedreader. Just like that I had a plan!

I had to make some last minute adjustments to the recipe, which called for pitted cherries and sliced celery on a bed of chopped herbs, mixed with a lemony vinaigrette and topped with toasted coconut strips. When I was assembling the dish I realized I didn't have enough fresh herbs so I supplemented with some spinach/arugula salad mix.

I served the salad with a simple soup and Italian bread. There were no leftovers.

Five years ago: You Never Know What You're Going To See At The Mall

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary - Day 1

Hubby Tony and I are learning a little bit about each of the States, and enjoying food from them as a way to celebrate the USA's 250th anniversary

Today Tony kicked off our project with the first five states. He came up with multiple facts for each, but his favorites were:

• Kentucky has the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous United States
• Pennsylvania For one season in 1943, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers merged to form the “Steagles” due to the loss of many players during WWII.
• Mississippi Still have your first teddy bear? Thank Theodore Roosevelt. On a hunting expedition in 1902 in Sharkey County, President Roosevelt refused to shoot a captured bear, an act which resulted in the creation of the teddy bear.
• Florida has the longest coastline (1,197 statute miles) in the contiguous United States, with 825 miles of accessible beaches to enjoy.
• Arkansas It is illegal to pronounce the name of the state wrong!

Tony made a complete dinner featuring fried pickles, first served in 1963 at The Duchess restaurant in Atkins, Arkansas. He paired the tasty cornmeal-coated dills with ranch dressing and a tasty chickpea salad with lots of vegetables and chopped herbs.

Ready to eat

Although the 'rules' for our project only specified one food item, Tony also came up with an Arkansas-inspired dessert. He bought a packaged Belgian Liege waffle as a substitute for a biscuit, which he covered with blackberries (native to the state) and 'chocolate gravy' (AKA heated ganache).

Tasty!

Commemorating The Nation's Anniversary In Our Own Way

Hubby Tony and I were talking about how the country is celebrating the semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th and decided we should observe it in some way.

After some discussions of what our observance could look like we came up with a 10-day project. Because of scheduling issues we will skip a couple of days, so it won't be complete until a couple of days after July 4th.

We divided the 50 states into random groups of five and decided to alternate back and forth. The person who is in charge will come up with one new to them fact about each state and one food or drink item associated with any of that group of states and share both.

The project starts tomorrow and Tony said he would take the first group. I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

Goodbye And Good Luck

Monday morning an unexpected name popped up on my phone. The associate priest at the church I used to cook for sent me a text letting me know I was invited to a luncheon on Wednesday for staff and former staff to honor the pastor, who has been reassigned to another church.

The text ended with "Let me know if you'll be attending for food prep." I took that to mean he needed a head count, not that he was counting on me to come and put the meal together 🤣.

Because the class I usually take at the gym on Wednesday had been cancelled my entire morning was free. I walked at the mall before the stores opened, then came home. Since I didn't know how long the event would last I did some dinner preparation before changing my clothes and walking out the door.

The luncheon was scheduled for 12:30, which is when I used to serve the Wednesday meal when I worked there. It was held in the basement of the parish office, and I had fun seeing the office staff I used to work with and introducing myself to a couple of new people.

Source

The associate priest made his deep dish pizza, one of the pastor's favorite meals. There was also salad and fruit salad. One of the new staff members brought in a beautiful cake his wife had made.

I needn't have worried about how long the event would take. Right at 1:30 the current employees hour-long lunch break ended and they all left to go back to work. Shortly after that I said one last goodbye to the people who were left and headed out myself.

Five years ago: I Told You So

Here Comes Summer

The 2026 summer solstice in St. Louis officially arrived this morning at 3:34 AM. The sun rose at 5:31 am and won't set until 8:29 pm, which means there will be almost 15 hours of daylight.

Of course, if you're not a fan of extended daylight, after the longest day of the year it will start getting incrementally shorter every day. The poem "Here Comes" by Shel Silverstein speaks to me abut how fast time seems to fly by.

Five years ago: Humidity Hair

Why Did The Geese Cross The Road?

The other night Hubby Tony and I were headed east on Manchester (a major, five-lane arterial road) when I noticed that the traffic going the other way was completely stopped. We soon saw the reason; a large parade of Canadian geese was meandering across the road.

The group kept coming and coming. They were in no hurry.

Once on the other side, some of the geese stopped to see if there was anything interesting in the grass. Others hung out on the concrete. Tony was very patient with the procession, but when a couple of them showed an interest in perhaps stepping back onto the road to head to the other side again he slowly and cautiously started moving. That deterred them long enough for us to get past.

Five years ago: Cool!

Chocolate Is Always A Good Idea

Last night Hubby Tony and I went to a Chocolate Making class at Kakao Chocolate, a local shop where everything is produced from scratch and made in small batches.

When the class started Brian Pelletier, the owner and chocolatier, started the evening with an explanation about tempering chocolate (which the process of melting, cooling, and reheating to stabilize the cocoa butter fats) and why it's so important (it stabilizes the cocoa butter fats and gives the finished result a glossy finish). Next we watched the tempering procedure in action.

There was already a batch of melted dark chocolate in a tempering machine on the counter. The machine's agitator automatically stirred the contents. When the machine beeped that the contents had come up to temperature a chunk of chocolate called a 'seed' was added, which cooled the contents down. The machine beeped again when it was time to take the leftover seed out, and the machine continued to agitate throughout the rest of the evening.

There were three activity stations. Each couple made, and took home:

• Chocolate bark. Each person got a layer of tempered chocolate on a small paper plate, then sprinkled it with a variety of toppings.

• Four pre-made caramels dipped in tempered chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt. To dip, a caramel was placed on a dipping fork, immersed into the agitating chocolate until covered, then removed. The excess chocolate was wiped off by scraping the bottom across a spatula, then the candy was placed on a parchment sheet. The dipping system was designed for a right-handed person, agitating clockwise. I am left handed, so the process was cumbersome for me, but my results still tasted pretty good.

• A small recipe of Ganache (enough to fill a 20-ounce plastic cup), which is a mixture of chocolate, heavy cream, and butter. Each couple got to choose two add-ins from a variety of liquids and solids. Tony and I chose Calamansi Balsam (a citrus with notes of lemon, lime and orange) and ground ginger. At the end of the night everyone sampled each of the mixtures.

During the course of the night I had enough samples to feel satisfied. Tonight, after a healthy dinner Tony and I heated up some of the ganache and ate it with a selection of fruit.

Five years ago: Peaches, No Cream