A Viking Voyage-The Netherlands

The last country Hubby Tony and I visited on our Viking cruise was The Netherlands (informally called Holland).

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday's port was Kinderdijk, a UNESCO Heritage site known for its preserved 18th-century windmills. Holland is flat and and has a low elevation. Between a quarter and a third of the area is below sea level, reclaimed via a series of dikes to hold back the water and windmills to pump accumulated water out to canals to carry it away.

The ship wasn't scheduled to arrive in Kinderdijk until 4 pm. In the morning the program director asked passengers to meet in the lounge to hear details about the day's excursions and the next day's disembarkation. That segued into a presentation about The Netherlands as a country.

After lunch, even though the day was cloudy and blustery, I decided to take a walk on the ship's upper deck. The path was short, but I enjoyed watching the scenery go by as I racked up the laps.

Shortly after the ship docked Tony and I joined the rest of our tour group in the lounge, charged-up audio devices around our necks.

It looked like rain as we left for the walking tour, so I picked up one of the provided umbrellas. I was hoping that my action would mean that the rain would stay away, but a steady drizzle started when we were halfway to the first stop on the tour. There our guide explained the history of the area and how the windmills worked. I learned that except for the museum we would be visiting all the rest of the windmills were still in use. People live in them (after passing a certification test) and there is a waiting list.

We left the workstation to walk to the museum windmill. The rain was coming down harder, and a stiff breeze made it hard for me to keep the umbrella up straight. In an effort not to poke anyone with an umbrella rib I got in the rear of the tour group, but (maybe because of the weather?) my audio device wasn't working well and the guide's voice kept fading in and out. Holding the umbrella also made it hard to take photographs.

Inside the windmill it was very cramped. The guide said that for many years very large families lived there (sometimes with as many as 12 children). I couldn't imagine. After navigating one set of steep steps up to the second floor and another back down it was time to move on to the third section of the tour. However, the rain increased so much that the tour was cut short, ending at the gift shop for those that were inclined.

The rest of the group headed back to the ship. I hadn't planned on changing for dinner, but I couldn't wait to take off my and wet pants and shoes.

THURSDAY

Shortly before dinner the ship left for Amsterdam, our disembarkation port. It was docked there when I woke up. After packing up the last of our things Tony and I went for one more breakfast in the restaurant. Instead of lingering over coffee we finished up quickly so we could set our suitcases outside the room to be picked up.

We had allowed Viking to arrange both our flights home and transportation to the airport. The whole process was seamless. At the appointed time we found the gathering place for our shuttle, and when asked to move outside verified that our luggage was loaded on the bus before boarding.

The first part of the drive to the airport was on city streets. I knew that bicycle culture was a big part of Amsterdam, but I was still amazed to watch hundreds of cyclists going about their business.

Eventually the bus got on the highway, navigated a little rush hour traffic, then dropped us off at the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which was the fourth busiest in Europe in 2025 according to Wikipedia. There, a guide led us through the huge facility, dropping each group off at the correct check-in desk.

Our traveling group had two flights to get home...first from Amsterdam to Montreal, and then after a long layover another one to St. Louis. Total time including layovers was about 17 hours, and to reset my internal clock back on home time I tried to sleep as little as I could. My own familiar bed never felt so good.  

Five years ago: Monetary Motivation

A Viking Voyage-France

The third day of our cruise the ship docked in the city of Kehl, Germany. However, our day's adventure was actually across river in Strasbourg, France.

Google

According to the ship's daily newsletter "Strasbourg is the cultural center of France's Alsace region. The well-preserved town is enclosed on all sides by the little Ill River."

Our walking tour of the city started on a bus, which shuttled the group over the river. From there, our guide took us through the La Petite France district, filled with canals and 16th century homes and the Grande Île city center, a UNESCO site.

Buildings on the canal

Our next stop was the Notre Dame Cathedral, which was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874. Today it is the sixth-tallest church in the world and the tallest structure built entirely in the Middle Ages.

Wikimedia

The church does not allow tour groups inside, but our guide gave us ideas of what to look for and let us wander around by ourselves. Unfortunately we were a bit too early to see the automaton parade on the astronomical clock, but the timepiece all by itself was impressive.

We had time on our own before the tour ended, so we shopped for souvenirs and we ended with drinks at the Il Pinocchio sidewalk cafe next to the cathedral. My macchiato was topped with a cute heart of foam.

After dinner there was a trivia game night in the lounge. The onboard musician performed sections of nine songs, and there were two questions about each one. A group could get ten bonus points if they got up and danced during the song. At the end of the night, thanks to some good music knowledge in our group and our dancing we were one of two groups tied for the lead. The program director divided the prize up (our group took the box of dark chocolate, and the other one took the growler of beer) and the bar threw in a bottle of wine for both groups.

Five years ago: One Of A Kind

Dentile

Rawpixel

This afternoon I am having oral surgery, which is an unattractive New Thing for me but strongly suggested by my dentist.

When I called to make the appointment with the oral surgeon the receptionist asked if I wanted to do the procedure with or without sedation. I chose the first option. That means I need to fast from food and drink after breakfast.

Hubby Tony will drive me to the oral surgeon's office, read his book while I'm having the procedure done, then drive me home afterwards. This oral surgeon is the only one in our insurance plan, and I have done the same thing for him. I know that in addition to prescriptions and instructions I will go home with a cup of Ted Drewes frozen custard.

My friend Google told me that most people resume their normal routine in 3-5 days after the procedure. Not knowing where I would fall in that time frame I have made several sets of contingency plans. There are plenty of soft foods in the kitchen, and Tony will pick up anything I didn't. I can use a jaw wrap with refreezable packs that Tony received for a similar procedure several years ago for swelling. There are books if I feel like reading, and TV if I just want to chill out.

I am ready....bring it on!

A Viking Voyage-Germany (Part 2)

The fourth day of our cruise, the ship docked in Koblenz just after lunch. However, that morning the program director invited all passengers to get comfortable in the lounge, terrace, or sun deck for a program she called "Travelers Along the Rhine", a commentary over the PA system about the UNESCO World Heritage Site castles we saw on either side of the river as the ship floated by.

It's always amazing to me just how old some of the European buildings are compared to something "old" the United States, which means something built after the late 1500s. The castles on the Rhine were constructed hundreds of years before that. At first I was sitting with Hubby Tony and our friends on the terrace, but the sun got too hot for me and I moved into the lounge, where I found a couch I could spread out on. At the end of the presentation we nabbed a table in the shady part of the terrace for an al fresco lunch.

After lunch we went back to our rooms and gathered our things for our walking tour of Koblenz. The city was founded more than 2,000 years ago as a trading settlement. 

The guide took us to:

• The German Corner (the intersection of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers), with its massive monument of Emperor Wilhelm I. The monument was destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt in 1993 as a symbol of German reunification.

Wilhelm I monument

• The cathedral (Basilica of St. Castor, another UNESCO Heritage site), which was consecrated in 836.



Basilica of St. Castor

• The Old Town area, where we walked down several of the city's cobblestone streets. Most of the buildings were destroyed in World War II, but rebuilt in the original style.

After the tour the four of us took a cable car ride over the Rhine to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. There were several museums in the complex, and although most of the displays did not offer information in English, there was still enough to make the visit worthwhile.



Source




On Tuesday the ship stopped in Cologne, a cultural hub of the region. It was one of the most bombed cities during World War II, and although many of the historical buildings we saw looked original they were actually restorations



Not really built in 1234 😃

Once again the city had a noteworthy cathedral. The High Cathedral Church at Cologne is a huge, twin-spired Gothic cathedral which took over 600 years to build. It was constructed to house the Shrine of the Three Kings, believed to contain the bones of the Magi that visited the baby Jesus. After an explanation of the building's outside the guide gave us twenty minutes to explore inside. I barely touched the surface of everything there was to see.



Cathedral (rear side)

Every tour guide we had personalized the experience by inserting personal anecdotes and thoughts into the presentation. This one emphasized the difference between a 'local' bar and a 'tourist' one and gave examples of how you could tell one from the other in case we wanted to visit one in our free time. He also pointed out the best places to buy the original eau de Cologne perfume.

It sprinkled on and off throughout the whole tour, and close to the end it started to rain. Viking provided large golf umbrellas, but not everyone had picked one up as they got off the ship. When the guide said his goodbyes, instead of finding a good bar or souvenir shop our group went back to the ship for lunch.

In the afternoon, some of our group went to the nearby Schokoladenmuseum Köln (in English, Chocolate Museum). We decided not to buy tickets for the museum itself, but browsed in the large gift store. Tony and I bought some goodies for the kids, grandkids, and ourselves.

A Viking Voyage- Germany (Part 1)

Our Rhine River cruise included more ports in Germany than in any other country

On Friday, the first full day of the cruise, we docked at Breisach, noted on the daily newsletter as "a gateway to the fabled  Black Forest region", and also home to some of Europe's largest wine cellars. Hubby Tony and I decided to participate in the included bus tour of the Black Forest, and our friends agreed.

It seemed like most people on the cruise were of like mind, so we were divided into four tour groups. Two of them left at the same time (on different busses), and the others were ten minutes later. At the appointed time our group was in the ship lobby with our charged audio listening devices.

Our guide was a young man who knew a lot about the area, and passed on information as the bus drove to the final destination, the Drubba Black Forest Village. There, we had the options of a short hike and/or demonstrations of cuckoo clocks and Black Forest Cake assembling. Hubby Tony and I chose the latter two, and while interesting, to me both felt more like an opportunity for the departments to sell merchandise than an actual tutorial.

After lunch back at the boat we and our friends walked into the city, where we did a little souvenir shopping and walked up the hill to visit St. Stephen's Cathedral, built between the 12th and 13th century. The building was almost completely destroyed during World War II. It's major art treasures were hidden and saved, and after the way the cathedral was rebuilt. I was particularly impressed with this elaborate altar.

The first few nights the ship left port during dinner, then sailed all night to get to the next one. There were 14 locks on the portion of the Rhine we sailed on. We passed through a couple of them early in the evening, and I thought it was fascinating to watch the ship enter the lock, then see the gate rise so it could exit at a different level.

Beginning, halfway, end

As fascinating as it was to watch the boat pass through a lock, in the middle of the night it was just annoying. Inevitably the ship would bump into the concrete side, leading to loud noises and jolts. 

Sunday found us in Speyer, one of Germany's oldest cities. The town is noted for its Roman relics and the Romanesque cathedral. Thanks to a large Jewish presence in the Medieval and Middle Ages the Jewish courtyard is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The term "Protestant" was coined in the city in 1259.

Our walking tour started at the pier. The first stop was the cathedral because later in the morning it would be closed for Mass. I would have liked to attended the service, but unfortunately the time didn't coordinate with the ship's cast off.

Speyer Cathedral

I enjoyed walking through the cobble stoned historical old area, which was filled with houses like this:

During our independent time after the tour we walked through the shopping section, which ended with the spectacular Old Gate.

It was a given that before leaving the town we had to get a Speyer Pretzel, because the city claims it was invented there. (That seems to be open to debate, because other cities we visited made the same claim.) 

That evening we chose to participate in a paid excursion at a local restaurant. There were approximately 36 people seated in the location's back room. The multi-course meal included bottles of local red and wine (and beer upon request), and with dessert the waitress brought around shots of schnapps. A musician in the corner of the room played fun music. At the end of the night he encouraged people to sing along. The cruise director started a conga line, which ended up in a rousing Duck Dance.

Five years ago: What Do You Think?

A Viking Voyage-Switzerland

When we booked our Viking cruise, they offered the option of an additional two day add on at either end of the cruise. After looking at our calendars, our group decided that pre-cruise time in Basel would work better for us.

The group organizer let our agent know, and other than paying the extra money we didn't have to do a thing. Viking arranged the air and hotel componants. Several weeks before leaving we found out that we would be staying at the Movenpick Hotel, which was close to both public transportation and the train station.

Tripadvisor

Our flight left St. Louis at Monday at 6 pm, and after transfers in Detroit and Amsterdam arrived in Basel on Tuesday at 6 pm their time. The Viking airport host met our group just outside the luggage carousel and drove us to the hotel. After getting settled in our room we had dinner at the hotel restaurant, then Hubby Tony and I fell into bed. I had barely slept on the airplane, so it felt so good!

An included walking tour of Basel was scheduled for 10 AM. In the lobby the guide passed out wireless audio systems to the group, ensured they all worked, then we set out. The first adventure was taking the tram to the Old Town. There our guide told us about the history of the city as she pointed out the noteworthy buildings and the beautiful Rhine riverfront.

Bridge over the river

 After the tour was over and our friends wanted a cold drink. The closest and easiest option was a McDonald's, but that was the first and last time I patronized a non-local place on the trip. We got lunch at a traditional Swiss restaurant, did some souvenir shopping, then came back to the hotel to relax. Each afternoon the hotel had a chocolate 'happy hour', which included samples of several kinds. All of them were yummy. Dinner was at a Thai place, and once again bedtime was early.

Thursday afternoon was ship embarkation, so we had the morning to ourselves. Our friends decided to make it a quiet day, but after picking the brain of the Viking host in the hotel lobby on Wednesday Tony and I decided to take a train ride to Lucerne (which was one hour each way). The host made it easy, telling us exactly which train to take coming and going and exactly where in the station we would buy the tickets. He even gave us a map of the city outlined with a suggested walking route so we could see the most in our limited time.

Good thing we didn't need to read the board details

Before we left Tony and I stowed our luggage with the hotel for safekeeping. Everything about our adventure went according to plan. There was a couple of hours to walk along the lake, see the medieval architecture, and browse through some of the shops in the Old Town area. I felt like a sophisticated traveler when I was able to pay for a post card with Swiss francs instead of pulling out my charge card 😀.

Lake Lucerne

Tony and I ended up taking an earlier train back then planned, which meant we didn't have time for lunch in Lucerne. Fortunately, the Basel train station had two levels worth of shops and eateries. We stopped at the first place we walked by. My sandwich had a thick layer of hummus topped with fresh and pickled vegetables on a hearty roll, and the coffee that accompanied it was fresh and strong.

Back at the hotel, it was about time to gather in the lobby to transfer to the boat. I appreciated that the host made everyone acknowledge that their luggage had been put on the bus before leaving for the cruise port to begin the main adventure.

A Viking Voyage

Last November some long-time friends mentioned they were interested in doing a Viking European river cruise this year, and asked if we were interested in joining them. After some discussion of time frames and routes we chose a Rhine River cruise from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Every other time I've sailed it's been on a very large ship, but many of our acquaintances had already gone on a river cruise and they all raved about the experience. I can now add myself to the list of satisfied sailors.

• Instead of being large, the Hervor (our Viking ship) was intimate. The ship could hold a maximum of 190 guests. There was no casino, gift shop, photographers, or formal dinner night. Children under 21 were prohibited.

• Our cabin had a French balcony, with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that opened to a protective railing to let in fresh air. The bathroom was compact, but not cramped. Tony and I appreciated the twice-daily attention from our room steward.

• There was free wi-fi throughout the ship. It was adequate and appreciated.

• Each port included a free excursion or guided tour with a local guide.

• There was only one seating for meals, and we weren't tied to any particular table. Lunch and dinner included complimentary house wine, beer, and soft drinks. Two coffee machines on the third floor offered basic and specialty drinks at the touch of a button, or hot water for tea. Next to the coffee machines baskets held sweet and savory baked goods.

• The third floor also had a large window-lined lounge and an observation lounge. The top deck had a sun deck and walking track that wound around a small herb garden and a two-hole putting green.

Five years ago today: Happy Unbirthday To Me

You Sure Know How To Make A Girl Feel Special!

When I announced almost two weeks ago I was taking a blog break I had no expectation of any comments. Imagine my surprise to find out there were almost two dozen comments on that post (and others) waiting for me! 

Thank you. I've realized again that blogging is quite the community of like-minded souls.

Public Domain Vector

After I wade through the dirty laundry, photos, videos, and memorabilia that came home with me I will be documenting things here (because Hubby Tony and I are already forgetting some of the details of the whirlwind trip). In the meantime I'm off to see what you've been up to.

Five years ago: A Very Purple Path

Be Back...

When I started blogging in 2008 (a New Thing A Day journey that started on my 49th birthday and ended a year later), the idea of stepping away from my project never entered my mind. Eighteen years later I am more comfortable doing things to take care of myself.

Along that line, I will be taking a break from my computer for a couple of weeks. I suspect the internet will keep on functioning without my posting or my commenting 🤣.

Giphy

Five years ago: Covering Before Coating

Feels Like Summer

Just in time for Memorial Day, the unofficial start of the summer season, it feels like summer.

Public Domain Vectors

Usually the warm weather starts slowly ramping up in the middle of May, but for the past few weeks, instead of warm weather shorts I've been wearing shoulder season Capris. Half the time I choose a three-quarter sleeve top instead of a tee shirt.

Our furnace has been turned off for weeks. Once or twice we had to turn the air conditioner on for a couple of hours in the afternoon, but otherwise the windows have been open to let in the wonderful breeze and outside sounds. At bedtime it feels good to turn the ceiling fan on low to circulate the air, but by the middle of the night I'm searching for the blanket.

However, my weather app says the high temperatures for the next ten days indicate closing up the house and running the air conditioner full time. The shoulder season clothes will get shoved into the back of the closet for the inevitable outlier chilly day or two. When I washed the sheets this morning I included the blanket, which will get folded up and put into the closet until fall.

Five years ago today: A Zoo Adventure

Sneakiness Update

I am sure that it was a coincidence that the day after I filed a missing package search request with the Post Office it shipped from a distribution center in New York to one in California, transferred to the post office closest to its final destination, then was put on a truck for actual delivery this afternoon.

And then, after all the kerfluffle about the delivery attempt notice that turned out to be a scam text, I was extremely leery when Hubby Tony announced that he received an email with the subject line:

"USPS Expected Delivery on Saturday, May 23, 2026 arriving by 9:00pm 9200190312735697768933"

that said we were scheduled to get a package delivered today when we hadn't ordered anything. But the message turned out to be real; the package was a dose of flea and tick preventive medicine sent from the online store of the vet that Foster Cat Smokey Joe last visited.

Five years ago today: Too Good Not To Share

Sneaky To The Max

You may remember that Hubby Tony and I recently bought a jigsaw puzzle for our oldest granddaughter in California. Two days later I dropped off the package at the post office. I chose to send it via Ground Advantage, which includes tracking and more than enough insurance. The clerk told me the package would arrive two days before Gee's birthday.

According to the USPS website the package left the post office that day and left St. Louis two days later, headed to a distribution center in New York. However, there the progress stopped. Gee's birthday came and went, and we were forced to send an apology text to her parents.

Today I learned that since it's been seven days since the package was mailed I could file a missing package search request. Search request has been filed. In all of the kerfluffle this text I received almost made sense....

until I read it more carefully. Then I realized it was a smishing scam text and did NOT take action on it!

Five years ago: Supreme Signpost

Confrontation And Confidence

At the end of 2025 I was elected as the communications person for a fellowship. The position also has a backup, who is appointed from people who express an interest.

In every other role I've volunteered for in this organization the two people worked together as a team. This time Backup was a lovely person, but I quickly found that when they said they would do something they wouldn't follow through. Emails, texts, and phone calls went unanswered (sometimes for weeks). Eventually I started doing things on my own, copying Backup on any emails I sent to keep them in the loop.

One day I was grumbling to someone about the situation, and that person pointed out I wasn't doing Backup any favors. They suggested I talk with Backup to explain my position and ask if they understood where I was coming from.

That sounded like an interesting plan, but I really dislike confrontation. What would happen if Backup got angry at me or got defensive and tried to make me the baddie? How would I follow through?

Backup lives on the other side of the state, so it wasn't feasible to have a face to face conversation. I procrastinated making a phone call for almost a week, but eventually I put on my big girl panties and did it. The call went to voice mail, but I got a call back a couple of hours later.

During our chat I was factual, telling them I needed someone who communicated well and followed through when they said they would do something. I asked them to think about if the time commitments for this volunteer task were too much for their available time, and assured them no one would look down on them if they decided to step away.

Two weeks later Backup told me they had decided it was best to step down. Although I was sorry to see them go, now I can look around for someone else. 

Five years ago: What Would You Have Done?

First Time Reveal

Hubby Tony and I aren't often on the cutting edge of classical music, but this afternoon we attended a world premiere performance of a new composition performed at the spring concert of the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis

"How Mr. Silver Stole the Show" was based on a children's book written in 2023 by Kate Klise. It's about a stray cat that walked into the Hamilton Hotel in St. Louis in 1947. Two days later he won first prize in two categories (Best Color for Kittens and Best in the Non-Champion Class) at the Greater St. Louis Cat Club Show.

The event took place in a beautiful Art Deco building that started life as a synagogue. When the congregation moved the building became a community music school for a couple of decades and now houses the music school of Washington University.

The program  began with Maurice Ravel's "Mother Goose Suite". After that ended the musicians on the left side of the stage moved their chairs slightly and a large screen descended from the ceiling. Two narrators (the composer and a local media celebrity) took their places at music stands at the front of the stage. Even though the orchestra had already gone through their opening routine they did it again. The concertmaster entered, the instruments were tuned. The conductor entered to applause, bowed, then turned and started.

Illustrations from the book were projected onto the screen during the piece. The narrators and the orchestra did a great job of tag-teaming to bring the story to life. Of course the story had a happy ending. When the last note was played the conductor turned around to acknowledge the enthusiastic clapping from the audience. He had the soloists, then the entire orchestra, stand for recognition before the house lights came on for intermission.

During intermission the shelter we foster with was there with a information table and a litter of incredibly cute kittens. It was fun to talk with the other volunteers before returning back to our seats for the second portion, Paul Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis".

Escapologist

Yesterday Foster Cat Smokey Joe went to a second veterinarian's office for a consultation about the scab on his back. 

The vet shaved a half-dollar sized patch around the area so she could get a better look at the scab, but even after consulting with others in the office she diidn't have a definite answer as to what it could be. One possibility was that even through Smokey Joe never goes outside at our house, he might be having an extreme delayed reaction to past flea bites. Whatever the cause, she didn't see the need for him to visit an animal dermatologist, an option that had been thrown out by his normal vet. 

We came home with prescription ear drops, a medicated powder, and Revolution flea and tick preventative (which we will apply monthly). It was also recommend that Smokey Joe wear a recovery shirt to keep him from licking his affected area. After dinner Hubby Tony and I drove to the shelter to borrow one.

Back at home we introduced the shirt to Smokey Joe. It looked almost like a baby onesie that opened completely down the back/closed with Velcro, with a large hole in the rear so he could use his litter box. Once Tony put it on him the cat had trouble walking with the fabric pooled around his legs. However, he made it across the room and jumped on the cedar chest, where he gave us the stink eye.

Nope. Not happy at all.

At bedtime Smokey Joe did not jump up and take his place in between Tony and me, but he was there in the middle of the night. This morning Tony woke up first, and I could hear him rooting around on his side of the bed. I asked what was going on, and he said that somehow Smokey Joe had completely ditched the shirt. When Tony found it, the Velcro closures were still completely intact.

If Smokey Joe ever has a need for a walk-up song this would be the perfect one for him.

Five years ago: Tiny Morsels Of Chocolate Goodness

Do You Know Any Of These People?

It's been several years since I've had co-workers to interact with, but most of these nicknames still rang true. 

• Wheelbarrow: only works when pushed

• Triple O: Always on vacation or “out-of-office.”

• Cordless: Charges all night but only works for 2 hours.

• Sensor Light: Only works if someone walks past or is watching

• Road Runner: Runs away from any conflict

• KitKat: Always on break

• Dory: Extremely forgetful

• Seaweed: Just floats around all day

• Broken Arrow: Doesn’t work and can’t be fired

• Crime Scene: Always making a mess out of things

• Deck Chair: Always folds under pressure

• Bronco: Working with them is a wild ride

• Noodles: Thinks all jobs take 2 minutes

• Baby Bird: Lost without guidance

• Master Card: Takes the credit for someone else's work

• Feta: Crumbles under pressure

• Boomerang: Every problem leads back to them

• Lantern: Always has to be carried and not very bright

• 007: Zero work skill

• Magneto: Attracts chaos

• Sloth: Always sleeping on the job

• OK Cupid: Always looking for love at the office

• The Saint: Not a hope or prayer that they'll finish their work on time

• 404 – Can’t be found

• Lava Lamp – Looks good but not very bright

• Speed Bump – Always slowing everyone down

Can you think of any others?

Five years ago: Snacks For Vax

Adventures In Wrapping

Today Hubby Tony and I went to the store to pick out a present for Granddaughter Gee, whose birthday is next week. We decided on a llama-shaped floor puzzle, which will be easy to mail.

When it came time to wrap the present, I had to figure out what to do about the missing corner of the box. Before cutting into the roll of wrapping paper I experimented with tissue paper, then after I had a system figured out I moved on to the real thing. 

Except for a little too much cellophane tape I didn't think the result was too bad.

 

But I hid most of the tape by making a tag out of a section of a decorated envelope and attaching it to the angled edge. When the wrapping was done I stuck the present in a mailing bag. Now it's ready to go across the country to California!

Five years ago today: It Doesn't Take Much To Entertain Me

Stems And More

After an early morning class at the gym the plan was to do laundry, cooking, and miscellaneous things around the house, but when Hubby Tony asked me if I was interested in checking out a Mother's Day event in the Old Orchard shopping area in Webster Groves (the city to the east of us) all of a sudden the laundry and cooking could wait. He told me that at each of the participating businesses I could pick up a flower and end up with a bouquet to take home, so as soon as the first load of laundry was folded we were on the road. Fifteen minutes later we were parked and getting ready to start a bouquet.

Facebook

At the first shop I scanned a QR code and got the list of all the participating businesses. Tony and I walked up one side of the street and down the other, stopping everywhere that offered flowers, and other places just because. Some of the businesses had their flowers easily accessible. At others they were behind the counter. I tried to get a variety of colors and types.

While we were in the area we also purchased a couple of things. At Bijoux Chocolates Tony and I each got a beautifully decorated bonbon that tasted as good as they looked.

At another shop we got a box of herbal tea.

At one of the businesses they had cards embedded with flower seeds instead of a flower. I took one, and bought a second so we could mail one to each set of grandchildren.

I hadn't thought to bring any type of water reservoir, so by the time we got back to the car some of the flowers were looking a little droopy. Tony let me stick the stems in his water bottle for the trip home. By the time I got the flowers arranged in a vase the blooms had already started to perk up. The bouquet provides a nice pop of color on the fireplace mantel.

Five years ago: They Won't Miss Me!

One City Corner At A Time

This morning I got an email from the gym that my Aqua Zumba class had been cancelled. I knew that might have been coming, because the instructor mentioned last Thursday she was going out of town and didn't know if there was a sub for the class. So just like that my morning was free.

Hubby Tony and I filled the time by doing a good deed for the cat shelter we foster through, picking up a prescription for one of the other foster cats at a vet's office and dropping it off at the shelter. The day started off brisk and a little cloudy, but by the time we were finished at the vet the skies were bright blue with puffy clouds. We took advantage of a walking trail that wound around the strip mall, but when we saw a dangerous gaggle on the sidewalk ahead of us we took a short cut 🤣.

After dropping off the medicine Tony and I decided to walk the South St. Louis neighborhood around the shelter (called Benton Park West). We chose a street we hadn't been on before, and when that dumped out into an arterial road we turned back and took the first residential street. I love looking at old house, and this area has some good ones. Lots of red brick, a mix of styles, and I'm guessing the majority of the houses were built in the early 1900s.

Eventually we had almost made it to another busy street. Tony wanted to turn before we got there, but just then I saw a sign on a building across the street and crossed over to see what it said.

The sign indicated I was looking at the Silver Spur, "The Midwestern United State's only homestead for retired cowboys and cowgirls.

A friendly-looking man about our age was hanging an American flag from the a pole next to the building. We asked him about the building, and learned that it was a small assisted living home that had been decorated with a Western motif by his brother in law in the 1970s. The turn-of-the century building was originally a hospital, then a rooming house. Around the corner there was a hitching post and mounting step from pre-auto days.

I think the gregarious man would have continued the conversation, but Tony and I had to get back home so we thanked him for the conversation and continued on our way. We made it to the main street, turned right for one block, then headed back to the car. The second street was more commercial than the first; instead of residences I had a good time seeing the businesses that we passed.

Five years ago: What Do You Think?

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