Peppery And Piquant

Hubby Tony and I attended a convention this weekend. After a heavy bar food meal on Friday night, on Saturday we were looking for something light and vegetable-forward for lunch. We ended up at a Chinese restaurant that had a nice variety of options on the menu.

When we walked in shortly after the restaurant opened there was only one other table occupied. It took a bit of time for us to be greeted by an smiling, older Chinese man. When he spoke his English was very broken (which I always take as a sign the food will be authentic). He indicated we could choose any table we wanted.

The menu had both English and Chinese names for the entrees. Tony and I each chose a dish to share. Mine was Hot and Sour Stir-Fried Cabbage (酸辣白菜). Tony ordered a plate of vegetarian dumplings (素馅水饺). The waiter was the same man who greeted us. He took the time to verify that I was sure I wanted a dish without any meat in it, which I considered very thoughtful.

As we waited for our food I could hear the sound of the metal spatula scraping against the side of the wok, a sure sign something was being stir fried. Eventually the waiter brought out both dishes, then made a second trip for smaller plates-two for eating and a third holding a scoop of rice.

My cabbage dish was just what I was craving-perfectly cooked greens in a salty, hot, sour sauce. Instead of tiny red spicy peppers I know to avoid in any dish, this one included rings of brown that I turned out to be slices of mildly-spicy peppers.

Tony and I managed to polish off both dishes. When the waiter came to ask us if we needed anything else I asked him what type of peppers had been in the dish. He seemed quite excited that I asked, but said he didn't know the English name and would check in the kitchen. A couple of minutes later he reappeared, holding a single pepper in one hand and an almost empty commercial sized bag in the other.

The waiter asked if I wanted to take a pepper home. I was honored, but I declined. He insisted I take a photo for reference, then went to get the bill. When he came back with it he also had two Ziploc bags, each holding a couple of tablespoons of the chili in flake form.

Back at home, I used the internet to find out the pepper was an Er Jing Tiao, considered the most common pepper in Sichuan cuisine, which has a low to medium heat combined with subtle sweetness, high fruitiness, and a robust fragrance.

Now all I have to do is come up with a recipe for the gifted flakes.

Be A Diamond In A Rhinestone World

This morning I got an email from one of the local grocery stores with the subject "It's National Dolly Day and We're Giving Back!" The body of the message said that for the next week they're donating a portion of the sales of Dolly Parton products to the Imagination Library.

Source

I had no idea what they were talking about, but the Internet told me that September 25 is celebrated as Dolly Day (or Dolly Parton Day), a day to remember her, honor her, and live by the motto: What Would Dolly Do? September 25 (written as 9/25 in the United States), was chosen as a nod to her movie and hit song "9 to 5".

Tennessee, Parton's home state, already recognizes her birthday on Jan. 19 as Dolly Parton Day, but as you might imagine, there's a big Dolly Day celebration in Nashville. California has officially established Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day.

I have a jam-packed day, so there's no time for me to fit in a big Dolly Day celebration, but I put on a pair of pink and rhinestone earrings, and will concentrate on being kind to everyone I meet.

Five years ago: Signs Of A Return To Normal

A Holy Event Experience

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969. He was known for his preaching, especially on television and radio. Wikipedia says:

For 20 years as "Father Sheen", later monsignor, he hosted the night-time radio program The Catholic Hour on NBC (1930–1950) before he moved to television and presented Life Is Worth Living (1952–1957). Sheen's final presenting role was on the syndicated The Fulton Sheen Program (1961–1968) with a format that was very similar to that of the earlier Life Is Worth Living show. For that work, Sheen won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality, and was featured on the cover of Time magazine. Starting in 2009, his shows were being re-broadcast on the EWTN and the Trinity Broadcasting Network's Church Channel cable networks. His contribution to televised preaching resulted in Sheen often being called one of the first televangelists.

As of today, Fulton Sheen is one step closer to being a Catholic saint. Today Hubby Tony and I went to his beatification Mass.

The Catholic church has a multi-step process for deciding who is declared a saint. It has four stages-Servant of God, Venerable, Blessed (Beatified), and Saint. If you are interested in the process, the article How Does Someone Become a Saint? has an easy-to-understand explanation. To be beatified the person has to have a verified miracle attributed to them. Fulton Sheen's miracle occurred in 2010, when a newborn named James Fulton Engstrom survived without a heartbeat for over an hour after birth.

Blessed Fulton Sheen grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and is interred there. St. Louis was chosen for the ceremonies because it is only two hours away from Peoria and we have a domed stadium that could hold a massive ceremony. Over 50,000 tickets were distributed. There were events going on all day, but the Mass started at 2 pm. We were advised to be in our seats by 1:30, when the entrance procession would start. 

We arrived at the Dome a little after noon. Tony had hoped to see some of the auxiliary events, but when we saw the long lines to get into everything we decided to find our seats. We enjoyed a short music concert and a couple of talks from stages on either side of the main altar. Tony left to see if he could find coffee. There were no concessions on our level, but he found a stand that was handing out tote bags containing books and a special World Mission rosary.

Our view of the altar from the other side of the stadium

The entrance procession took almost a half hour, because it included a couple thousand clergy-deacons, seminarians, priests, and bishops. Once everyone was settled in their places the celebrant began the Solemn Mass (afull, traditional, ceremonial form of the Catholic Eucharistic liturgy). The ceremony included official readings of the beatification decree in Latin by a representative of the Pope and English by the Bishop of Peoria.

When it was time for communion, sections of the arena were dismissed one at a time to process outside the arena, where there were multiple priests standing by every door. By this time it was 4:00; the mass had been going on for two hours. Tony and I looked at each other and decided that instead of heading back into the arena for the end of mass we would head towards the exit. We weren't the only ones; the escalators were full, and we saw a lot of people carrying tote bags as we walked back to our car.

Five years ago: Hunting For Cocktail Clues

I Don't Want It. Maybe You Do.

Several months ago I was given a small leather good from an exclusive, fancy-shmancy designer brand. The item was beautifully packaged in a box with the designer logo and tied with designer logo ribbon. Inside, the tissue paper was closed with a designer logo sticker.

I was thrilled that the giver thought enough of me to offer something so beautiful, and I tried to make it work. Ultimately the design of the piece didn't match what I was looking for. However, when I went to the company's website and looked at the item's retail price I couldn't bring myself to just put it in the Goodwill pile.

The item laid on my project inbox in my office (AKA the spare bed) until it was there so long I started looking past it. During an office straightening I rediscovered the item, did some research, and decided to take it to an upscale consignment store. There I was told that they couldn't accept it because they already had enough of that item.

I came home and put the item back on the bed while I figured out the next step. Time passed. One day I saw a Facebook ad for a local resale shop that has a couturier sale of "good stuff" every October. I decided to donate the item there.

When I walked into the donation center holding the box the volunteer didn't seem to be interested. But I opened it up and showed her what was inside. Her eyes got big, and she told me they could definitely add the item to their sale. The proceeds of the sale fund their outreach programs, and it felt good to know that my discard would be going to good use.

Five years ago: Walk From The Sun To Neptune In 2,880 Feet

And Just Like That, The Heat Wave Was Over

Forecast for yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

I went to bed last night so keyed up about the incoming change in temperature that I had trouble falling asleep. After several impressive rounds of storms the front came through. The first thing I did when I got out of bed was hustle to the thermostat, turn off the air conditioner, then open the condo windows.

Some residual humidity made the air feel sticky, and an early morning walk left me completely drenched. By lunch time the humidity had also started to roll out of the area, leaving nothing but fresh, cool air behind.

Five years ago: A Late Summer Adventure

Fabulous!

Yesterday Hubby Tony and I went on a walking tour of the Fox Theater. The "Fabulous Fox" started out as a movie palace that opened in 1929 and closed 1978. It was restored and reopened in 1982 as a performing arts center that hosts major touring Broadway musicals and plays.

Flickr

Our tour group gathered in the lobby, where a guide told us about some of the building's history. Originally there were five Fox Theaters built by William Fox to showcase the films of his Fox Film Corporation (which later merged with Twentieth Century Pictures to become 20th Century Fox). The theater cost $6 million to construct. In addition to the St. Louis Fox, three others have survived (in Atlanta, Detroit, and San Francisco).

The interior of the building is decorated in a style referred to as “Siamese Byzantine,” described as a conglomeration of Moorish, far Eastern, Egyptian, Babylonian and Indian themes of various periods. There are very few unadorned elements in the lobby, main halls, and theater. I learned on the tour is that everything is made from plaster.

Lobby

The first stop on the tour was a balcony right above the lobby for a brief performance on the 'smaller' of the Wurlitzer organs, which is played to entertain people waiting for the theater doors to open. This one has two keyboards and 11 sets of pipes. The large one has four keyboards and 36 sets of pipes. Both are maintained and played by volunteers from the St. Louis Theatre Organ Society.

Unfortunately, the comedian Jerry Seinfeld was performing that night The orchestra pit was covered to allow for floor seating, so we couldn't see the big organ. We also couldn't go backstage. (Side note-There was a family on the tour that had children who looked to be tweens. Mom asked them if they had ever heard of Jerry Seinfeld. They had not. I felt old.)

This is the first time I had been in the theater and gotten an unobstructed view of the stage:

I can never figure out which I like better-the stage or the elaborate Moorish-style globe chandelier that's 13 feet in diameter, weighs more than two tons and holds more than 200 light bulbs. It's actually suspended from an ornate ceiling starburst, but I couldn't capture it from the angle of my seat).

The building's elegance even extends to the carpet. When the theater was renovated, the original 1929 carpet was duplicated. I learned that every elephant's tusk point toward the main stage.

I thoroughly enjoyed the theater tour, but I'm not crossing it off my to-do list until I can go back a second time to see the entire building. I bet on top of the big items there will be a lot of discovered little details, too.

Five years ago: Bentonville Or Bust

Crying Uncle!

I know that the St. Louis metropolitan area isn't the only one in the country caught underneath a heat dome. That doesn't make the hot weather we're experiencing any more pleasant.

Free SVG

According to Extreme Weather Watch, based on National Weather Service data the average high temperatures for the first half of September range between 85.8-81.1°F, and the lows 66.8-61.5°F. But according to Weather Underground those high and benchmarks each only happened once. In 2026 multiple high temperature records have been broken (including, according to the the National Weather Service, several that have stood for more than 150 years). All people around here can talk about is how miserable it is outside.

But relief may be in sight. The end of the heat wave has been pushed back a few times; currently it should be on Monday, when the forecast high is 76°F. I hope the forecasters are right!

Five years ago: Eureka!

Mushroom "Meat"

Last week the Asian market had King Oyster mushrooms on sale for 99 cents a pound. Although I had no idea exactly what I would do with them, for that price a large package jumped into my bag.

Britannica

However, it turned out that both Hubby Tony and I had a lot of evening commitments, which meant that I didn't do any cooking. A week later I was still looking at the package every time I opened the refrigerator. The internet told me that king oyster mushrooms had a lower moisture content than regular mushrooms and could be refrigerated for 7 to 14 days without any issues, but the internet also told me the mushrooms could be cooked and frozen for future use.

That's what I decided to do. After cutting off the hard bottoms I raked a fork down the sides of the mushrooms, which made it easy to break them into shreds. I baked those shreds at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, turning them a couple of times and pouring off the accumulated juices so all the pieces could brown. When I was done I had a large plateful of mushroom "meat" ready to use down the line and a small container of mushroom juice. Both went into the freezer.

Mushroom "meat"

Today, when it was time to cook dinner I thawed the pan juices and mushrooms. The juice went into polenta cooking liquid. The mushrooms, plus a can of black beans, went into an Italian-inspired tomato sauce. I decided I didn't want to put together a salad, so I added frozen corn to the entree. 

At dinner time Tony spooned half of the polenta into bowls, topped it with half of the mushroom mixture, and served it up. I added a dash of Frank's Red Hot sauce. Tony chose not to. Both of us agreed it was a healthy, filling meal. And even better, there was enough for a second night.

The finished result

Five years ago: Cream Of The Crop Coasters

September 2026 Random Photo Dump

There are a lot of random photos on my phone. Time to showcase, and then get rid of, some of them.

 A couple of weeks ago Hubby Tony and I were taking a walk on what happened to be the first day of school for the district, We passed this photo opp booth at a bus stop that was decorated with the colors of the district high school. Someone put a lot of work into it.

I was walking around in an older neighborhood. After I almost tripped on a fallen acorn I started to look where I was going, and saw this lovely mosaic someone had added to some sidewalk cracks.

I wonder who the target market is for this hang tag I saw in the chip aisle at the grocery store? Would you ever dip a chip straight into a jar of peanut butter?

On yet another walk I passed by a large boulder close to a sidewalk. I doubt the crack that went almost all the way through was there when it was initially installed. Given that there's a lot of freeze/thaw weathering in my area I wonder how long it will be before the rock completely snaps into pieces?

Does a suction beard apron sound like more of a practical item or a gag gift? Do you know anyone who would benefit from it?

Five years ago: (Don't) Keep The Change

It's Nice To Know People

The Counterpublic Triennial is an art exhibition that reimagines the role of art in public life in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The 2026 version, called Coyote Time, opened this week. The exhibit is composed of five hubs (buildings or neighborhoods) scattered throughout the area. Last night Hubby Tony and I, along with some friends, visited the International Institute hub.

Since 2014 the International Institute has been located in the former St. Elizabeth Academy school, which closed in 2013 after 130 years. The program for the evening had artist talks and tours, leading up to a a shared meal prepared by artist Rirkrit Tiravanija and assistants.

We checked in at the front desk and got our visitor badges. Instead of joining any of the tours we let our friend Annie be our guide. She was the perfect choice, because she graduated from St. Elizabeth's in the 1970s . There were six art installations on the main floor and an additional three in the basement. We saw all of them, but we also got to see parts of the building that weren't on the official tour. It was very interesting to see how the original classrooms had been repurposed. I loved looking at the architecture and woodwork in the original building. Some of the doors from one floor to another were locked, but as in most large buildings there were other ways to get places.

Eventually we ended up at the cafeteria, which is where the shared meal was taking place. However, when we saw there were way more people there than available seating we stayed for the opening remarks, then left. We drove several blocks south to South Grand, noted for its large collection of international restaurants. The one we chose served Vietnamese food. My Pho started was a fantastic mixture of flavorful beef broth, rice noodles, and slices of beef. As customary, it came with a side plate of basil leaves, chopped cilantro, bean sprouts, and a wedge of lime.

Five years ago: Clashing

Almost Finished, And Thrilled About It

In the past week I've had a trifecta of computer projects to get through. I was quarterbacking the production of a flyer for an event that will take place early next year, finishing up the minutes of a fellowship meeting, and producing the September newsletter for the same group.

None of the projects was difficult, but all were time consuming and required playing nicely online with people who had different opinions. I was thrilled this afternoon to send the flyer and minutes out for review, and my fingers are crossed that no major mistakes are found. The newsletter is waiting for one more fact to be checked before it's also sent through cyberspace.

Stockvault.net

In addition to my writing responsibilities, this week there was also a lot of normal to-dos and social obligations. In short, it's been a very busy week. I'm already looking forward to next week when there are only two things on the calendar. 

Five years ago: Venipuncture and Vaccine

Somewhat Filthy Filter

When Hubby Tony and I moved into our condo in 2020 we purchased a stackable, front loading LG washer and dryer for the laundry room. With only two of us most weeks I only do several loads of laundry, and both pieces have served us well.

However, after the last few wash cycles even after I removed the hair and cat fur that tend to clog the drainage hole, the rubber gasket had some standing water in the bottom.

I did a little research and learned that the washer had a drain pump filter that collects lint and items like loose buttons and change. According to the online tutorial, I should have been cleaning it out on a monthly basis. Oops!

LG

The company website had a nice set of instructions for the cleaning process. I started by grabbing a pan and a rag, then pulled opened the access panel on the lower left side of the washer. Inside the panel I saw a residual water hose on the left and a large stopper on the right.

I carefully pulled the drain hose into the pan and removed its plug. About a cup of water drained out, then I plugged the hose up again and reinserted it back into its place. That process took care of the pooled water in the gasket, but I figured I should also take a look at the drain pump filter.

After placing a towel under the access panel to sop up any water from the filter I turned the stopper counter clockwise to remove it. The drain pump filter was in surprisingly good shape for never having been cleaned out . I used a tissue to remove clumps of slimy-looking goo and washed the filter off in the sink.

The last step was to reinstall the drain pump filter into the hole, close up the access panel, and pat myself on the back.

Five years ago: What's It Going To Take?

No Comment Necessary

Given all the issues with Blogger today, here's a joke I got from a friend posted just for your amusement. No comment needed. (Although down the line, when things get cleared up, I always appreciate knowing that people read what I put out 😀)

A man was driving along the highway, and saw a rabbit hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the animal, but unfortunately it jumped in front of the car and was hit.

The driver, being a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulled over to the side of the road, and got out to see what had become of the rabbit. Much to his dismay, the rabbit was dead.

The driver felt so awful, he began to cry. A woman driving down the highway saw the man crying at the side of the road and pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong.

"I feel terrible," he explained, "I accidentally hit this rabbit and killed it."

The woman told the man not to worry. She knew what to do. She went to her car trunk, and pulled out a spray can. She walked over to the limp, dead rabbit, and sprayed the contents of the can onto it.

Miraculously the rabbit came to life, jumped up, waved its paw at the two humans and hopped down the road. Fifty yards away the rabbit stopped, turned around, waved and hopped down the road, another 50 yards, turned, waved and hopped another 50 yards.

The man was astonished. He couldn't figure out what substance could be in the woman's spray can!

He ran over to the woman and asked, "What is in your spray can? What did you spray on that rabbit?"

The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label. It said: "Hair spray. Restores life to dead hair. Adds permanent wave."

Five years ago: Pursuit And Produce

Wisdom From A Blog Buddy

 This morning Shug introduced me to her new made up word, whimmydiddled, which is what happens when your well-planned out day doesn't go as planned. Little did I know it when I read the post this morning that a couple of hours later I would be whimmydiddled myself.

It was too hot to be outside, so Hubby Tony and I went to the mall to walk. I drove. Forty five minutes later we were ready to run a couple of errands before coming home, but the car battery was dead. I called AAA for service and learned that a conversation with a real person had now been replaced by texting with a chatbot. The procedure was actually easy and efficient so I didn't mind, but the air in the parking garage was so still by the time the procedure was over I had sweat running down the back of my neck. 

Tony had a dentist appointment, so after he learned it would take almost an hour for a roadside technician to show up he walked home to pick up his car. Fortunately I didn't have anything on my calendar so I went back inside the mall to stay cool and kill time. I received regular texts and a couple of phone calls updating me about the progress.

When the service technician arrived he used a handheld computer to confirm that my battery was indeed in need of replacement. It took less than fifteen minutes for him to remove the old one and put in a shiny new model. Payment took another five minutes and I was free to go.

The whole process definitely wasn't what I had planned. I hope I won't be whimmydiddled again any time soon. 

Hot. All. Week.

Debbie at From My Shasta Home posted today that there is "just one more day until the start of the "bers" (meaning the months that end with those letters), and how it would soon be cooling off in her area.

Source

I wish I could be excited about the beginning of September as she is, but in my part of the country the forecast for the rest of the week shows some of the hottest temperatures of the summer! As one of the local meteorologists stated, thanks to a heat dome of upper-level high pressure it will be "hard core" summer, with high temperatures somewhere between 95° and 100° Fahrenheit. The only positive is that the humidity isn't crazy high so there won't be much of a heat index factor.

The heat would be annoying if it came in July, traditionally the hottest month of the year, but in my mind it's even worse now because it's coming so late in the season. Traditionally things start cooling off by Labor Day (the first Monday in September).

Until further notice outside walking and exercising are being put on hold. Hubby Tony and I will be finding inside activities to do. 

Five years ago today: Vet Visit Etiquette

Cafe, Coffee, And Fun

Hubby Tony and I drove southwest across the state today. Our destination was Springfield, Missouri, where a fellowship meeting will be taking place tomorrow

Sometimes when we make this trip there are other people in the car, and our schedule is determined by what the group wants to do. Other times, like today, we are on our own and can do whatever we want. This morning we heard on the radio that there was an establishment in Bourbon, Missouri that had a section devoted to Dolly Parton, and a menu inspired by her favorite recipes, we decided it would be a fun place to stop for lunch.

I had never been to Bourbon before, but it's one of the many cities that were on Route 66 before the Interstate was built. The tiny downtown area wasn't too far from the highway, and the restaurant was easy to find.

The interior of the building had a bar against one side, and a small bandstand by the door where a duo was playing. The food ordering area was along the back. Tony and I looked at the menu and decided to split a sandwich, large side dish, and dessert.

After ordering food we found a spot to sit. Several minutes later one of the owners came over to introduce himself. He asked what brought us in, and said that soon a reporter from one of the St. Louis television stations would be coming in to film a piece on the restaurant. We learned that although both he and his wife enjoyed Dolly Parton, she was a superfan. A couple of minutes after he left the people at the table next to ours struck up a conversation. It seemed like a very friendly place!

The restaurant was busy, but listening to the band made the time pass quickly. When our food came to the table I was ready to dig in. The grilled Southern style pimento cheese sandwich (which was billed as Dolly’s favorite) started with grilled sourdough and was stuffed with a generous layer of pimento cheese spread. It came with a choice of bacon or ham (I chose bacon).  The Slaw of Many Colors was described as Dolly's favorite to take to a potluck. It had red cabbage, green cabbage, white onion, and green pepper, all tossed with a wonderful creamy, slightly sweet dressing.

Dessert was a hunk of Dolly Parton’s Chocolate Cobbler (similar to a lava cake), served warm with a dollop of whipped cream.

After our food was gone I walked over to look at the Dolly memorabilia, located in a nook in the back corner of the building. I particularly liked this standee cutout. Take a look at the title of the book!

As we were leaving the news reporter was getting set up for her interview. I'm pretty sure it will show up on tonight's news but we won't be home to see it. I may have to search it out online.

Five years ago: Wash Your Hands And Freshen Your Breath

Good Craftsmanship Takes Time

Several decades ago Hubby Tony inherited a lovely oak secretary desk with a mirrored hutch top from his great aunt. The carvings and skeleton-key locks were a clue to the vintage, which was probably 1930s.

Because of its age the desk had some issues. The drop down had a couple of large cracks running across it, and the keyhole plate of the lock was detached from the inner workings. One of the two pieces of wood covering the back of the desk was coming loose. Most of the drawers had lost their back stops, so they slid in too far.

We lived with the issues for years, but eventually refurbishing the piece made it to the top of the project list. I contacted a company that had done fantastic work for us in the past. They had an interesting, multiple step procedure:

1. Send an email with photos and an explanation of the work requested.
2. Receive an email estimate.
3. Accept the estimate and get on their future work list
4. Be contacted to schedule appointment to pick up desk.
5. Desk picked up from house.
6. Desk delivered to house.

Good craftsmanship takes time. Once we accepted the estimate, there was a a four to five month wait until the work would be done. After the desk was picked up it was gone for six weeks. During that time its contents lived in two large plastic tubs on the living room floor. Finally we received notification that the company was ready to deliver the finished desk.

Everything I asked for had been done. The cracks in the drop down had been filled. The key once again fit into the ornamental plate.The back no longer had a loosely hanging piece of wood. All of the drawers pushed in flush with the body of the desk. Per instructions, they did not refinish the desk, but instead gave it a good restoration and cleaning.

Now every day I get to enjoy our newly-renovated heirloom.

Five years ago: How Hot Is It?

They'll Get What They Get

From 2020 to 2022 I was the secretary for a state-wide fellowship. My duties were to take minutes at four meetings per year, compile a document containing those minutes and reports from others in the organization, and send the document to the person responsible for publishing it to the website.

By the end of my term I had a nice system set up, starting with a template showing the information I needed to capture at the meeting (such as the people who read some basic information at the beginning, if there were any absentees, who made a motion, and who seconded it). I just filled in the blanks as the meeting went along. Shortly before each meeting I sent out an email requesting reports, then copied and pasted them into my draft document. Because I knew what I had and hadn't received, during the meeting if someone gave a report they hadn't sent to me I immediately sent them a message asking for the information.

All of my pre-work made it so I could turn the final document around in a couple of weeks. When my tenure as secretary was over I purged my files (both physical and computer) and moved on to another position within the fellowship.

Several days ago I got a phone call from the fellowship's Chair. After a bit of chit chat she told me that the current secretary had stepped down for personal reasons and they needed someone to fill in at an meeting this upcoming weekend. Might I be able to do that, or did I know someone who could?

I was already going to be at the meeting, so after a little consideration I let her know I was willing to help. I could hear the relief in her voice.

Open Clip Art

I looked in every crevice of every computer file and email address, but I never found the template document I used to use. It took several sessions at the computer to recreate it, but eventually I came up with something that closely resembled the already-published minutes on the website.

The person who did the job the term after mine and the newly departed Secretary seem to have dabbled with using AI to summarize things. I will not be doing that. The fellowship will get what they will get.

Five years ago: Distressing

Missing The Announcement

I learned from a friend this morning that an acquaintance's father had passed away a couple of weeks ago. As it turns out the death was posted on her Facebook page, and later, a link to the obituary. I did not see the information in my feed. Why?

I am blaming the company's mysterious algorithms, which try to guess how interested I would be in seeing any given post. Fortunately, the funeral isn't taking place until mid-September so I will be able to attend.

I get that running an obituary in the newspaper is expensive, an extra thing to do at a stressful time, and that very few people read newspapers now. However, I guess I am an exception because I doscan through the obituaries in the newspaper (the e-edition on weekdays and a paper copy on Sunday) and have learned about the deaths of several people that way.

Hubby Tony has been told that if he has to plan a funeral for me there must be at least a minimalist notice in the newspaper (listing my name, dates of birth and death, and basic funeral service details). Of course, I won't be around to see if that happens.

Five years ago: Distractible

Tasting Tasty Tea

A while back I was gifted two boxes of tea from someone on the Buy Nothing group. The first was peppermint, one of Tony's favorites. The other one was Yaupon, which I had never heard of.

The internet told me that yaupon tea is an herbal beverage brewed from the leaves of the yaupon holly, a shrub native to the Southeastern United States. It's North America's only native naturally caffeinated plant. Yaupon has about the same caffeine as green tea and is rich in antioxidants, but it's low in tannins and doesn't have the bitterness often found in traditional black or green teas.

Because I usually drink my tea after dinner and choose non-caffeinated varieties, the box of yaupon got buried in my tea stash. Earlier in the week I rediscovered it, and tonight Hubby Tony and I had a yaupon taste test with dinner.

There were three types of tea in the box. According to the label:

• Pedernales is "Clean and refreshing, our staple green yaupon celebrates the tranquility of the Pedernales river that flows over and around huge slabs of limestone".

• Lost Maples is "Smooth and warm, our medium roast yaupon is inspired by Lose Maples, a forest unlike any other in Texas, and invites you to get lost in notes of warm caramel".

• Marfa is "Elegant and sophisticated, our traditional dark roast yaupon pays homage to the iconic West-Texas town of Marfa, where art and creativity converge. Enjoy the sweet nuttiness of this specialty roast".

I didn't realize until I opened the box that it contained loose tea instead of bags. I only have one tea ball, so following the directions I spooned one tablespoon of tea to each of three cups, then added hot water and let it steep. 

The package directions said the tea would be good both hot or cold, and I decided on the latter. I strained the tea into drinking glasses and put them into the refrigerator so it could chill.

At dinner time it was time to test.

• I filled two tumblers with ice and poured half of the Pedernales tea into each. I am not the biggest green tea fan, but this one was smooth and fresh tasting. Tony said it was his favorite.

• Next we tried the Lost Maples, using the same procedure. It took me a while, but when I got to the bottom of the sample I could definitely taste the caramel. This one was my favorite 

• The dark roast of the Marfa was obvious. I thought it would be a nice substitute for black tea, but Tony said that it was his least favorite.

Five years ago: The Hunt For Pastries

Holding In High Regard

August 17th is Black Cat Appreciation Day, which aims to dispel negative black cat superstitions, like their association with bad luck or the fact that they're witches in disguise.

My current favorite black cat, Foster Smokey Joe, had a bit of notoriety today when he was featured in a social media promotion by the shelter publicizing a ticket raffle to the Savannah Bananas baseball game next weekend. The photos of Smokey Joe show him playing with a catnip banana his cat sitter gave him a while back. The tie-in also included a link to the list of adoptable cats on the shelter's website.

Tonight after dinner Smokey Joe asked for a lap to sit on, which I was happy to do. It's sometimes hard to tell with a cat but I think he appreciated me as much as I appreciated him.

Almost Like Christmas

In 2011 Hubby Tony and I received some dark blue Fiestaware for a Christmas present. I exchanged some of the place settings so we had four colors. My goal was to have a wide variety in the cabinet, but the pieces were so sturdy that didn't happen much.

Today I was browsing through Facebook and saw a post on my Buy Nothing group that someone was gifting a large stack of Fiestaware. The photo that went with the post showed a stack of assorted size plates in the riot of colors I've always hoped for, so I responded that if she chose me I would pick out colors I didn’t have in my current dishes and add my discards to the stack and repost.

About forty five minutes later I got a message that I had been gifted the plates, and forty five minutes after that I was carrying the bags up to the condo. It was so much fun to go through them and increase the cabinet dishware palette. Now each stack of plates has eight unique colors. I told Tony they make the stacks of cereal bowls with some duplicates look blah and I might have to be on the lookout for some bowl replacements.

Fiestaware (and glass bowls on the top right)

Five years ago today: Good Old Andy

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