Cinco De.......

While the humans in the house celebrated Cinco de Mayo tonight, Smokey Joe the Foster Cat had his own 'Cinco de Meow' celebration.

Apple AI Image Playground

Hubby Tony and I had a wonderful dinner of leftover Mexican-spiced pinto bean soup, which we supplemented with quesadillas, chips, and guacamole. Because onions and garlic are toxic for cats, and avocados can cause gastrointestinal issues, when Smokey Joe asked if he could join us we told him he had to play with his catnip-stuffed taco toy.

For atmosphere I streamed mariachi music, then after the meal was over I used the same beats to dance around the room holding a ribbon wand for Smokey Joe to 'attack'. When we both got tired of the exercise I finished the things I needed to do before sitting down on the couch to watch television.

Smokey Joe settled down on my lap for his all time favorite activity - taking a siesta.

Get Your Kicks....

This weekend is one of the four fellowship business meetings Hubby Tony and I will attend this year. Each meeting is scheduled for a certain weekend in a given month. When the three-year contract was signed with the hotel last year I wonder if they had any inkling that the first weekend in May 2026 was going to be so busy.

Springfield Missouri, where the meeting was held, is often referred to as the Birthplace of Route 66. On April 30, 2026 two businessmen proposed U.S. 66 as the name for a new Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway. In 1992, the Route 66 Association of Missouri designated Springfield as the official Birthplace of Route 66.

Although I wasn't there to see it, on Thursday the third hour of the Today show broadcast from Springfield, and there was a concert that night. On Friday night there was a parade that went down the street next to the hotel. On Saturday and Sunday there was an art show on the street on the other side of the hotel. In other parts of town bridges were dedicated, drone shows happened, and car rallys and shows took place.

Our meeting opened Saturday at 10 and ended at 5 with a 90-minute lunch break. On Sunday we were occupied from 9 until noon, so there wasn't much time to take advantage of the festivities. However, on Friday we walked through the art show as it was being set up. We also watched part of the parade. Anyone who was a fan of classic cars would have been in Nirvana, but after 20 minutes the exhaust was too much for me and I went back to the hotel.

Five years ago: Ancestral Mathematics

Step Up and Show Up

Once again this week there were three Ethel AARP challenges waiting in my inbox on Sunday. The Week Four theme was 'Step Up and Show Up', and focused on engaging with the community. The challenges were to [One] plan a trip or excursion to somewhere I'd never been, [Two] introduce myself to someone new, and [Optional] register for an AARP class or event.

Thanks to my weekend trip I didn't get around to checking my email until late in the day, but by then I had already fulfilled the first two challenges

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[One] Out of town trips by definition lead to places I've never been, and after Sunday I can cross seeing a game in the San Francisco Giant's stadium off my list. I know some people make an effort to visit Major League Baseball stadiums. I'm not one of them, but if an opportunity falls into my lap I'll take it.

[Two] I actually introduced myself to people on two different occasions.

• On Sunday morning when I was at the park I observed an Oriental woman who looked to be about my age doing stretching exercises. Eventually she started doing some impressive spinning jump kicks.

When I followed one of the grands over to that area I complimented the woman on her athleticism. She told me the move was called a butterfly kick, and came from kung fu. At that point her phone rang and I moved away. Five minutes later she came over to where I was standing and struck up a conversation. I learned that she lived alone and came to the park every day to exercise because she enjoyed the people and interactions. 

 

Public Domain Vectors

• At Son Brian's party there were several people I didn't know. I made sure to introduce myself and find out how they knew the birthday boy. 

[Optional] St. Louis AARP used to have a robust network of in-person events, but when I looked on the website I couldn't find anything. I guess once again I'll be passing on the optional activity this week.

Five years ago: Who Doesn't Like Stickers?

Forty Trips Around The Sun

Son Brian's birthday was at the beginning of the month, but in order to fit everyone's schedule the party took place this past weekend. It was a great one.

Hubby Tony, Son Donald, and I flew to San Jose on Friday. Non stop flights are extremely rare, so we went into San Diego and then waited for the connecting flight. This was our first time to take Southwest since they transitioned to assigned seats. I was a little concerned, but the process went smoothly. The biggest issue was people trying to stuff their suitcases into the overhead bins to save the checking fee. Because our trip was only for a long weekend I chose not to bring a big suitcase, which didn't contribute to the problem.

Brian and Nicole's house doesn't have enough sleeping space for three guests, so after picking up a rental car we drove to a nearby hotel, where we had reserved a room for the weekend. It was also the same hotel that Son Tony and family stayed at on Saturday night.

Saturday was filled with family time. Errands were run, games were played, and crafts constructed. We got to see Grandson Jay play baseball (sadly, Grandson Ell's game got cancelled). Everyone came back together for dinner. Tony Jr's family left shortly after eating so the kids could get to bed. Tony, Donald, and I left after book reading time. Later that night all three brothers met at a restaurant near the hotel for drinks and conversation.

Sunday morning we met Tony, DIL Ie, and their family for breakfast at the hotel, then went to a nearby the park. When it was time, we drove over to the birthday boy's house and got ready to caravan to the main event.

San Francisco Giants

The party was held at Oracle Park in San Francisco, where Nicole had purchased a suite for the Giants baseball game versus the Miami Marlins. The guests were a combination of family, friends, and work associates. Some I knew and some I enjoyed meeting. The game got off to a slow start, but in the end the Giants won by 3 runs.

After the seventh inning stretch Tony, Ie, and the kids left for their ninety-minute drive home. We stayed around for a while after the game talking, but left when I realized I wasn't feeling well from too much junk food. When we met back up at Brian's house for dinner the salad I ordered from a nearby restaurant was just what I needed. 

Monday morning Tony, Donald, and I opened up the hotel breakfast buffet at 6 AM. After breakfast we returned the car, then walked across the street to the airport terminal. Security went well, and there was almost an hour to kill before the flight boarded. Tony and I took the opportunity to "talk" with José , the AI powered robot. He did a good job of answering my question about where in the terminal I could find an ATM for my bank. When Tony asked him "Do You Know the Way to San Jose"? (AKA the Burt Bacharach song sung by Dionne Warwick) the bot just shook his head. If he had eyes I bet he would have rolled them 😁.

This time we flew into Austin. We already had a longish layover, but thanks to strong storms in St. Louis our connecting flight left about two hours late. Instead of getting home at 7 PM we rolled in just in time to feed Smokey Joe his last meal of the day.

Five years ago: Not Yet Approachable

A Poem For Earth Day

Picryl

 

“The Way Through the Woods”

 Rudyard Kipling

 

They shut the road through the woods

Seventy years ago.

Weather and rain have undone it again,

And now you would never know

There was once a road through the woods

Before they planted the trees.

It is underneath the coppice and heath

And the thin anemones.

Only the keeper sees

That, where the ring-dove broods,

And the badgers roll at ease,

There was once a road through the woods.

 

Yet, if you enter the wood

Of a summer evening late,

When the night-air cools on the trout-ringed pools

Where the otter whistles his mate,

(They fear not men in the woods,

Because they see so few.)

You will hear the beat of a horse's feet,

And the swish of a skirt in the dew,

Steadily cantering through

The misty solitudes,

As though they perfectly knew

The old lost road through the woods...

But there is no road through the woods.

Five years ago: Jefferson Barracks

Another Challenge Concluded

Remember my experiment with cooking lupini beans? I am happy to announce it was a success.

Ready to enjoy

After soaking, cooking, and changing the water in the beans twice a day for an entire week, yesterday I completed the final step- a salt water brine soak.

This morning I tried a bean. Then I tried another. They were firm, and had a chewy texture almost like edamame. The brine lent just enough salt. I asked Hubby Tony to try one. Again, he went for a second, and we agreed that we liked them.

So now what? In the Mediterranean area lupini beans are eaten as a snack. They're high in protein and fiber, and low in fat and carbohydrates. My experiment will keep for one week refrigerated, or can be frozen for up to three months. That's good to know, because the pound of dried beans I started with expanded to halfway fill a three-quart bowl. It will take some time to get through them.

In other news, this week's Spring Forward challenges were:

• Start reading a new book. Later in the week I have an event coming up that will require a lot of sitting, so before then I need to load a couple of light summer reads onto my tablet. Any suggestions?

• Plant a favorite herb or flower. I was sorry to have to pass on this one for now. Before moving into the condo I used to have a lot of plants Now the sunlight on the deck is too strong for shade-loving plants and not strong enough for sun lovers, and the cats like to nibble on anything I grow inside so I don't.

• (The bonus challenge was to play a game in the AARP Games Center. I looked at what was available and decided that none of them were better than the games I already play, so I will pass on this one.)

Five years ago: A Happy Coincidence

Yikes!

On Thursday I got a text from the company that issued the charge card I use the most. It asked me if I had made a recent purchase at a restaurant I haven't eaten at in months. Instead of replying to that text, I went to the company's website and found out that there were actually six purchases I hadn't made. One of the charges was in my area, and the others scattered around the country. My account had been hacked.

Stockvault

I couldn't click the button to say I didn't recognize the transactions fast enough. The company let me know they were cancelling the old card immediately and would send me a new one. They assured me I wouldn't be responsible for any of the unauthorized charges.

I spent the rest of the afternoon remembering all the companies that had the card on file for automatic purchases and giving them the new card number.

I will be so glad when the promised nondescript envelope with my new card shows up the middle of next week, but until then I've had to cobble a plan together. So far I've accidentally used my bank debit card  once (fortunately, the account had enough money in it to cover the transaction), and the other times I've pulled out a secondary card.

Five years ago today: Go Away!

Goose Intimidation

It's the middle of Canadian Goose mating season here, and the birds can be aggressive and territorial.

Hubby Tony and I were walking home from the grocery store yesterday when I saw a pair of geese. The female was on top of a retaining wall (where I assume there was a nest). The male was keeping watch on the sidewalk below her. I was walking on the other side of the two-lane entrance to the strip mall, but after I snapped the photo the male still hissed at me.

After passing the pair I stopped paying attention, so when I rounded the corner at the street I almost ran into the second pair of geese standing on the sidewalk. Once again I got hissed at, and the male started toward me. I had to quickly step out of the way.

Five years ago: Take Me Out To The (Daytime) Ball Game

Some Challenges Started And Some Achieved

I had two Spring Forward challengesthis week and a bonus activity waiting for me in my Inbox yesterday. The challenges were try a new recipe from another culture (or order takeout from a place I haven't tried before) and try an online stretch, dance, or yoga video. The bonus activity was to clean out a junk drawer or closet.

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I am an adventurous cook and eater, and there isn't much I haven't tried before, but I decided to finally tackle preparing the lupini beans I bought a couple of years ago at a local Italian grocery store.

The reason I never got around to cooking them is that when I got them home found out that unless they're prepared in a specific manner the beans are bitter and toxic due to alkaloids. The elaborate preparation involves soaking for 24 hours / cooking on the stove for 60-90 minutes / rinsing with water / putting in the refrigerator for 5-7 days and changing the water a couple of times a day / soaking for 24 hours in a salt brine.

So far I have soaked and cooked. More will be revealed on this project.

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The vast majority of days I meet my 10,000 step goal, and I go to the gym four times a week for a group class, so I really didn't feel the need to add anything. However, in the spirit of trying new things I took a look at the YMCA app and discovered they had a pretty robust selection of on demand videos. I picked a spinal mobility stretch, which was just challenging enough

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And finally, the bonus challenge was just what I needed to get around to posting the pile of things in my office to the Buy Nothing Facebook group this afternoon and make a pile of old tax papers from three years ago that I can shred on April 15th.

Five years ago today: Taking Care Of Business...And More

I Admire An Optomist

A funny from a friend....

Jacob considers himself to be one of the lucky ones because he's the only one of his family to have survived two years in a Nazi concentration camp. He's now nearing 90 and his only remaining joy is the lottery, which he's been playing for years without success. But then he wins a big one, a prize of $10 million.

Dreamstime

A journalist calls on him for a story.

Jacob tells him, "As I'm the only one in my family to have survived the concentration camps, this has helped me decide how to make use of my large win. I've decided to donate $5 million to the Save the Children Fund, $3 million to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, $750,000 to the Jewish Museum, $750,000 to Hadassah Hospital, and $500,000 to be shared amongst my friends. I'm also thinking of donating $1 to the Nazi Party from my winnings."

The journalist is surprised. "But Jacob, how can you think of donating even $1 to the Nazi party after everything that's happened to you and your family?"

Jacob rolls up his sleeve, points to his arm and replies, "It's only fair. They gave me the winning numbers."

Free SVG

Five years ago today: Time To Sleep

Poor Guy!

On my post two days ago about No Housekeeping Day jj left a comment asking if part of my free time included extra lap time for Foster Cat Smokey Joe. Sadly, the answer to her question was no.

Since he came to live with us last November Smokey Joe has been treated for parasites, fleas, fungus, and worms-some of them more than once. His positive Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) status means that his immune system is weak, making him susceptible to infections and secondary skin issues.

For example, at the beginning of the year Hubby Tony and I found several bald patches on the cat's skin. After a couple of trips to the vet and a couple of medicines everything healed up. But the issue came back. This time thick scabs covered the bald patches; when one of the scabs fell off there was an angry red sore underneath.

So on Tuesday, once again the cat made a trip to his least favorite place. The vet examined him and let us know we should restart the medicated wipes and shampoo we had discontinued. She also said that if the problem continued she would suggest a veterinary dermatologist. (Who knew there was such a thing?)

PhyloPic

When Smokey Joe finally made it home he seemed happy to be in his space, but even though Tony was sitting on the couch the cat took his sweet time jumping up on his lap. However, once he was there he didn't want to leave. My turn for a lap cat came after dinner, when Smokey Joe curled up and didn't leave until it was time for me to go to bed and for him to eat.

First Challenges Accomplished

If you remember, this week I was given three Spring Forward challenges.

The first was to try a new type of drink or snack I haven't tasted before. I had fun walking through an international grocery store and looking at how many of the items were new to me. In the end I got a canned Soursop Drink and a bag of Scampi Flavour Fries.

I have heard of soursop before, and may have even seen it at the Asian market I frequent, but had no idea what it tasted like. The internet told me that the flavor could be likened to a blend of strawberry, pineapple, and coconut or banana, with a slight citrus tang. The drink I purchased contained 25 percent juice (listed second in the ingredient list, behind water but before sugar). When I got home I followed the suggestion on the can to shake it well to blend the flavors. I normally don't drink things with added sugar, so this one was very sweet to me, but overall I liked it. Based on my experience I would even consider buying soursop fruit.

Google told me the scampi fries was "a mainstay of British pubs". The bag said it was a "scampi and lemon flavour cereal snack", with an ingredients list that started with sunflower oil (so I knew they wouldn't be diet friendly). Other ingredients listed included wheat breadcrumbs, maize, and seasonings. The pillow-shaped pieces were delicious, with a slightly fishy, lemony taste. I was going to save a couple for Hubby Tony but ended up eating the whole bag myself.

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The second challenge was to reach out to a friend I haven't heard from in months. I started by going through the contacts on my phone (and got temporarily distracted from my task by deleting a handful of names I didn't recognize) but eventually chose to text a woman I had met through one of my daughter-in-laws. I think I've seen her once since Brian and Nicole moved to California in 2014, but this week our series of back and forth texts caught both of us up.

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The third, bonus challenge was to start a gratitude journal. I have done this on and off over the years, but for some reason this time I've had trouble remembering to write down things I'm grateful for. Tomorrow's outcome may be different, though. In the meantime, I am enjoying hearing the birds chirping outside when I wake up a couple of minutes early and think about what I'm thankful for. 

Five years ago today: Botheration!

A "Day" I Can Really Get Behind

In the United States, April 7 has been designated as National No Housework Day, a chance to ditch the cleaning to-do list and do the bare minimum around the house.

PublicDomainPictures

Instead of filling the day with boring housekeeping tasks I did as little as possible. For example:

• Tuesday is a laundry day, and because I like clean towels and pajamas I went ahead and did the two small loads.

• Hubby Tony made dinner and took care of the dishes from both cooking and eating, but I cleaned up my things after my breakfast and lunch.

• I scooped the cat litter as needed and took the stinky bag down to the trash can, then swept up the litter Foster Cat Smokey Joe kicked out of the litter box.

In a normal, busy day I would have multi-tasked, and all these things would have all been accomplished quickly. Today, since I was doing the minimum there was no need to hurry. I spent some time catching up on reading, took a nap, then played some computer mah jong and didn't feel at all guilty. I knew the housework would still be there waiting for me tomorrow.

Five years ago: Getting Things Done At 10 Miles Per Hour

An Invitation To Challenge Myself

In 2020 I became a member of the AARP Ethel group (named for Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, founder of the American Association of Retired Persons).  Each week the group sends out an email newsletter.

In the last issue I read about their five-week Spring Forward Challenge, which focuses on motivating women to "try new things, step out of their comfort zones, and pursue personal growth". Since this year I'm trying to focus on doing a wider variety of activities, signing up for the challenge seemed to be a great way to accomplish that.

Today I received an email with the challenges for the first week. I am to try a new type of tea, coffee, or snack I haven't tasted before and reach out to a friend I haven't heard from in months. There was also a bonus challenge to begin a gratitude journal. At the bottom of the message was an additional invitation to join a dedicated Facebook group for the challenge.

I am looking forward to seeing where this challenge takes me and what I learn about myself. 

Five years ago today: Today Is When It Started Getting Real

I Love A Song With A Good Surprise Ending

And this is one of the best. Happy Easter!

Five years ago: Jerusalem Tomorrow

Controlling The Clutter

Now that the weather is getting nicer I'm feeling the call to do some spring cleaning and purging.

Some time ago I was introduced to the "Ten Basic Laws of Stuff", which explain why clutter accumulates and how you can manage it. The list was published in a book called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organizing Your Life by Georgene Lockwood, which was published in 1999. Her list made complete sense to me, and I thought it might to you, too.

Ten Basic Laws of Stuff

• Stuff can't buy happiness.
• The more you have, the more you need.
• Useless stuff crowds out the good stuff.
• Dirt and bugs love stuff.
• Stuff stays where you put it.
• Stuff multiplies to fill the spaces you have.
• Over time you don't see your stuff.
• When you have a lot of stuff you have to pay over and over for it.
• Stuff affects your mental health.
• Stuff is valuable only if you use it.

(Even though I'm making progress in the messiest areas of the condo, fortunately even when I started the job they were way less cluttered than the one in this photo 😇.)

Rawpixel

Five years ago: Can You Call It Medical Tourism If You Only Drive 40 Miles?

How Can It Be Five Years?

Five years ago, on March 31 2021 Hubby Tony walked into the office to turn in his things and walked out a retiree.

I wanted to do something to commemorate the milestone. Searching for 'fifth year retirement presents' gave me lots of links for wedding anniversary presents but not much else. Eventually I decided to use those ideas as my inspiration. The traditional fifth wedding anniversary gift is wood. The modern gift is silverware.

I figured Tony didn't want any more tchotchkes, so instead of a gift made out of wood I made a donation to Forest ReLeaf of Missouri which will plant a tree in his honor.

We also went to the Botanical Garden and walked around the tree-lined paths to see what was newly blooming.

As for silverware, the diner I took him to for breakfast had some darn good food....and utensils 😀.

Five years ago: So Close He Can Almost Taste It

It Might Be Easy, But No Thank You

This weekend Hubby Tony and I attended a fellowship business meeting in Springfield, Missouri.

When we arrived in the room I saw a sign on the wall next to the thermostat touting a QR code tipping service.

I was not inclined to give my charge card information to a random, unknown entity. However, I was curious how the system worked so I scanned the code which took me to the website. This is what I saw:

No matter how easy the hotel tried to make it I still was not inclined to use their service.

Five years ago today: Free labor

If You Use Your Air Conditioner And Furnace In The Same Day…

You might be in Missouri.

Yesterday felt like summer. Although Hubby Tony and I knew a cold front was coming through overnight to knock the temperatures back down to normal we ultimately broke down, closed the windows, and turned the air conditioner on.

Said cold front did indeed come through overnight. When I woke up my weather app said it was 39 degrees. I switched the thermostat from air conditioning to heating.

Dreamstime

Five years ago today: Reaction Response

A Hot Day For A Good Game

St. Louis is a baseball loving town, and Opening Day for the Cardinals is an unofficial a holiday. That unofficial holiday was today.

The game against the Tampa Bay Rays didn't start until mid-afternoon, but when Hubby Tony and I left the house to walk after breakfast we were both wearing team logo t-shirts. Many of the people we saw were doing the same, and later when I ran errands there were a lot more.

Some Opening Days are cold. Some are rainy. Some are balmy. This year it felt more like July than March. The temperature when the game began was 93 degrees, which set a record for both the day (87 degrees, set in 1991) and the entire month of March (92 degrees, set on March 24, 1929).

Before the game starts there are a whole slew of events that take place. First a wagon pulled by a team of Budweiser Clydesdales circles the warning track. Then the the team owners and management are introduced. Next are motorcades of the Cardinals Hall of Famers (riding in Mustang convertibles) and current players (in a Ford pickup truck). Then comes the National Anthem, and finally a ceremonial first pitch.

The Cardinals scored in the third inning, and Tampa in the fifth. I stepped out of the room to put some laundry away. When I came back Tampa was ahead 5-1, and by the time the their half of the sixth inning ended the score was 6-1. I am a pretty fair weather fan, and that was enough for me. Tony left for an evening event, and although I left the TV on for background noise I didn't pay much attention to it.

However, when I heard the fans in the stadium cheering I decided to take a look. Much to my surprise the Cardinals had scored three more runs. Before their half of the sixth inning ended they had scored eight runs, which made the score 9-7. That was the final score.

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