"All Roads Lead To Temple Square"

Son Brian and DIL Nicole were married in May 2010. Ten years later Hubby Tony and I were all ready to babysit for them so they could have a celebratory getaway. However, thanks to Covid that didn't happen.

Fast forward to January 2022. We're all vaxxed and boosted; Nicole asked if we would be willing to try again. Tony and I agreed. Since we would already be in California for that period, we added time with Son Tony and his family. Then we also tacked on a destination just for us. We booked flights and waited for the time to arrive.

Our trip was divided into three sections. The first destination was Salt Lake City (the "just for us" part).  We chose it because it was in the general direction that we were going, Southwest flew into the airport, and neither Tony and I had been there before.

On the morning of April 29th we headed to the airport. Originally we had booked a non-stop flight, but Southwest changed our plans, deciding that we wanted to make a stop in the Denver airport first. That added a couple of hours, but we were still deplaning in Salt Lake City before lunch. After picking up a rental car we drove to a lovely old building, where we had rented a private apartment Airbnb. After unpacking, we started exploring.

For the next two and a half days we explored the area on foot and by car. The Salt Lake City streets are logical and grid-like. Everything radiates out from Temple Square, where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple and buildings are located. Major roads are numbered (200, 300, 400, etc.) and include the direction (North, South, East, or West.) 

Friday we concentrated on walking around the downtown area. Saturday morning we were in and around Temple Square, where toured the Beehive House (one of the official residences of Brigham Young), learned about the LDS from the Sister Missionaries in the Conference Center, and caught a portion of an organ concert in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Much of the area was being renovated, construction signs were everywhere, and it was a little hard to navigate.

Eagle Gate - Wikipedia

During the second half of the day we walked a trail up Ensign Peak (a 400-foot elevation gain). At the top we could see the Great Salt Lake and the city spread out like a panorama. In the evening we investigated a couple of neighborhoods recommended by our host before coming home and falling into bed.

On Sunday we drove a half hour southeast to Park City, the site of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. There, we walked around and explored the historic downtown area. On the way back to Salt Lake City we stopped to get information about the Olympics museum, but we were tired and decided to pass on visiting it.

Before I knew it it was time to pack our suitcases again and head to the airport for the next part of our trip. On our way out of town we stopped to see the Cathedral of the Madelene, a beautiful Romanesque building.

Wikipedia

 Five years ago: Unexpected Art

A Mom’s Job Description

Happy Mother's Day to all moms, grandmas, and mother figures who were honored today. I hope that your day was everything you wanted it to be. I couldn't find the author of this job description, but I think it is spot-on. Enjoy!

POSITION: 

Mother, Mom, Mama

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often-chaotic environment.

Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.

Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.

Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.

Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.

Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.

Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.

Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery-operated devices.

Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.

Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION: 

Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: 

None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION: 

Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.

When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: 

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

 Five years ago today: Lubed Lips Lamentation

Take Me Out To The Little League Game

Today, for the first time in three decades I had the opportunity to go to a little league baseball game. It was a lot of fun.

The team members were all five or six years old, and in their second year of playing organized ball. Last year they hit off a tee; this year a coach pitched soft lobs their way. Each batter had five chances to hit a pitch before a ball was set on a tee so they could successfully hit it.

Both teams were small enough that everyone got to play in the field every inning. Each time a child was assigned to a different position. I was impressed that most of the players seemed to have somewhat of a grasp of what they should be doing when a hit ball came their way. However, most of the time the hit ball went between players or over someone's head. 

During a team's batting portion players rotated through until they got three outs. Players who got on base could only run a single base at a time. There were two coaches on the field, and each dugout had another person to organize the batting order. That job was a bit like herding cats, but the players were having a lot of fun.

 Even though it had been a long time since I sat on a metal bleacher, it didn't take long for me to get back in the groove. Everything felt familiar--the parents yelling out encouragement, the smaller siblings running around and bugging their parents for concession stand treat, and the post-game team snacks.

Five years ago: Floods, Crests, And A New Day

May The Fourth Be With You

Today is Star Wars Day. The date is, of course, a take on the iconic Star Wars line “May the Force be with you.”

Given that the name of the event gives away its month and day, how many people would need to refer to a chart like this one? I'm guessing only true Star Wars nerds.

Five years ago: Write It Out

Let's All Groan Together

Olaf the Viking Norseman is shopping at a supermarket when he comes across an old lady in a wheelchair, almost in tears.

"What's the matter?" asks Olaf.

"Oh," sobs the old lady. "I want to have a look at the frozen puddings but, as you can see, there are three steps down into the chiller cabinets."

"No problem," says Olaf, lifting her onto his back. "I'll take you."

Olaf strolls through the chiller cabinets with the old lady on his back. She selects several puddings and puts them in the basket he is carrying for her.

At the other end the old lady's husband is waiting with her wheelchair.

"I'd really like to thank you," says the old lady as Olaf sets her back down in the chair, "but I don't even know who you are!"

Olaf just waves and walks off.

"I was really worried about you," says the old lady's husband. "What have you been doing?"

She replies: "Well, I've been through the desserts on a Norse with no name."

A Beautiful Spring Day Adventure

Today was forecast to have the pick weather of the week, so Hubby Tony and I decided to make it our date day. I researched places that we haven't been yet (a job that gets harder and harder the longer Tony is retired 😀) and emailed him a list with three possibilities. Out of the list he chose Lafayette Square, a historical neighborhood and park in the City of St. Louis.

Tony had an early morning commitment, but when he got home we jumped in the car and drove almost all the way downtown. We got off the interstate, turned left, then made another quick right when we saw the Lafayette Square light pole sign. 

There was plenty of on-street parking. We got out and started our adventure.

Lafayette Park is the heart of the neighborhood. It was the first public park in the St. Louis area (dedicated in 1851), and some say the oldest west of the Mississippi. Houses, row houses, and apartment buildings line the streets encircling the park.

In May of 1896 a tornado leveled much of the area. Many of the residents who lost their homes moved to other, newer areas of the city. After World War 2 the neighborhood declined until urban pioneers began renovating it in the 1970s. Now both the park and streets are beautifully redone.

If I had taken photos of all the buildings I liked my phone memory would have completely filled up. However, these 'painted lady' row houses are one example of what we saw on our walk.

 

 A townhouse building. I love the roof detail.

I didn't get close enough to this tree to know what type it was, but the mass of flowers were stunning.

Eventually we made our way to the park. Its meandering paths were shaded by huge trees. A pond in the middle had swans, ducks, and way too many Canadian geese. When I tried to get close enough to take a photo of the pond one of them hissed at me and I backed off. However, I managed to get a shot of this guy, sculpted by Bob Cassilly, who was a local artist.

 

In the southeast corner we found the Park House, which was built in 1867 for use as a police station. Now it's the office for the  Lafayette Square Restoration Committee. I can't imagine any newly-built public building being half this ornate!

Tony and I walked for about 90 minutes, then decided we were hungry. Based partly on the name of this restaurant, we decided to check it out.

Mayo Ketchup serves Puerto Rican, Dominican and Cuban food. The restaurant's name is actually a common dipping sauce for fried food in those cuisines.

 

Tony's sandwich (on the right) had a 'bun' of large, smashed, twice fried green plantains. It was filled with avocado, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, potato sticks, and garlic mayo 

My bowl (on the left) contained white rice, black beans, maduros (fried sweet plantains), tostones (fried green plantain slices), pickled onion, and avocado. We ate until there was nothing left.

After lunch Tony and I agreed that our feet said it was time to head back to the car and head home.

Tart Tisane

Hubby Tony and I drink both coffee and herbal tea. After Tony's has his allotment of coffee for the day he switches over. Except for in the very hot weather, once I'm settled on the couch after diner I make myself a cup. The tea tastes good, and sends a message to my stomach that it's done eating for the day.

Both Tony and I have tried using loose tea with an infuser. but for ease we prefer tea bags. Tony's favorite flavors tend to be mint, camomile, and blends that include ginger. I usually reach for something that includes 'warm' spices like cinnamon or ginger, or something with a tang. I especially enjoy anything that includes hibiscus (the 'zing' in every Zinger tea).

It's easy enough to pick up boxes of herbal tea at the grocery store, but I also enjoy hunting at international markets.  Which is where I found this flavor from Croatia. Five years ago today: A Navy Blue And Black Kind Of Day

Slivered

Hubby Tony left Thursday morning for a retreat. Today the retreat ended with a mass, and there was a potluck luncheon afterward. Sunday is Tony's day to cook, but I went ahead and prepared a main dish salad that would be easy to pull out of the refrigerator when it was time to eat.

I made a shopping list, then went to the store and picked up ingredients that weren't already in the house. However, when I got home I realized that I had forgotten to put sliced almonds on the list. I could have turned around and gone back to the store, but decided to investigate alternate methods.

My recipe called for a half cup of sliced almonds. We had a Costco-sized bag of whole almonds in the freezer, so I decided to find out if it was possible to convert whole almonds to sliced. Turns out that following this article, it was easy.

There were just a couple of steps: 

1. Blanching - I poured boiling water over the almonds and let them sit for five minutes.

2. Peeling - After soaking, I drained the almonds and let them cool off a little bit. The skin was really loose, and slipped right off.
   

3. Slicing - I tried to slice the almonds horizontally, but it was too much work. My slices were thick and uneven. I wasn't trying to impress anyone, so I decided to sliver them vertically.
   

4. Toasting - I let the almonds dry out, then toasted the slivers in a small frying pan until they became a nice light brown color.
   

Preparing the almonds turned out to be the hardest part of the recipe. I mixed them in with the greens, grains, dried cranberries, vinaigrette, and feta then called dinner made.

Five years ago today: My Friend The Frog

Beating The (Temporary) Heat

Just a couple of days ago the weather was wet and lightweight winter coat chilly. Then overnight it turned into premature summer. Both yesterday and today the temperature got up into the mid-80 degree Fahrenheit. The heat will be short lived. Tonight storms are forecast to come through and tomorrow it will be ten degrees cooler. 

Hubby Tony is gone this weekend, so I was the one who got to make all the house decisions. I could have turned on the air conditioner, but I was enjoying the outside sounds so much I decided to see if I could make it without artificial cooling.

Yesterday I wasn't home much. In the evening I turned on the ceiling fan in the living area, and by bedtime things had cooled off enough that using that ceiling fan on low speed made it the perfect temperature for sleeping. Today the television meteorologist said that it was going to get windier as the day went on, so I did all my outside things mid-morning. When I came home I opened up every window to get a cross breeze going. All afternoon I moved slowly, did little physical work, and drank extra liquids.

I found out that sitting on the upholstered couch was hot (unless you're Jackson the Cat). My body preferred wooden chairs.

After dinner I left the house to meet some friends. I triple verified that the forecasted rain wasn't starting until the middle of the night, then left the windows open. By the time I got back again things had cooled off. It should be another comfortable night.

Five years ago: Mid-Spring Thoughts

New To Me Nitro

Yesterday Hubby Tony and I went on a day-long bus tour sponsored by the community college. The tour was called Taste of the Neighborhoods, and made stops at a Mexican bakery, a Greek restaurant, an Italian grocery store, and an ice cream shop with a unique method of making their product. They used liquid nitrogen! 

The process was new to me. Here's a video from our local Higher Education Channel that explains it:

 

Basically, the nitrogen is so cold (-321 degrees Fahrenheit) that the ice cream base flash freezes. They have to use a blow torch to soften it enough to scoop. 

The shop usually makes each batch to order, but with the size of our group they did it in bulk. We had a choice of one of four basic flavors. First, an associate poured base into a deep metal bowl and added flavorings. He set the bowl on a stand mixer, turned it on, then picked up a nitrogen canister and hit the liquid with a blast. Immediately steam poured around and on top of the bowl. The associate let the mixer run for a short while, then picked up the bowl and hit the bottom with a short blast from a blow torch. Someone else took the bowl over to the end of the counter, scooped it into containers, and served it up. 

Because the freezing was so fast, the ice cram was smoother and silkier, with very small ice crystals. I thought it was a lot like frozen custard. It didn't take me long to make the scoop disappear.

Five years ago today: Aves Aperture (Part 2)