new to the family

 I have a new grand-kitten.  My son and daughter-in-law already have a cat named Naomi and she is a very fine cat indeed. However, they were recently made aware of another cat who needed a good home so now they also have a black kitten named Orion.  I understand how this can happen.  I had three cats once upon a time.  His original owner (a coworker of my son's) named him Potato but my son and DIL decided that was not a very sophisticated name for a black cat.  After all, black potatoes are usually not in very good shape.  So Orion has come to live with them and my spouse and I got to meet him this morning.  He is a fierce cat.  When I patted him, he hissed and his tail stood up straight and bushy.  This would have been a much more impressive show of bravado if he was more than six inches tall, but he definitely has spunk.  So welcome to the family little Orion.  

Testing

 This is a practice blog. A week from today my spouse and I will be leaving on a three week driving trip. During the trip I want to be able to use this tablet to write my blog so I'm trying it tonight. By the way, it's "National Slinky Day" if you want to think about something fun. 

I also wanted to make sure I can add scenic pictures. Hooray, mission accomplished.

read carefully...

 Today is "Thoughtful Thursday" and here is something to think about. I have mentioned before that we go to the Amish bakery frequently.  It's actual name is "Taste of Tradition" in case you ever want to Google it, but that's not the point of this blog.  We went there yesterday to buy Apple Bread (it's so good) as a house warming gift for friends we visited today.  One of my other favorite things to buy there is MOLASSAS COOKIES so, in a bit of a rush, I grabbed a package of cookies off the shelf and brought it home. It's impossible to buy just one thing there.  Imagine my surprise when I pulled the package out of the freezer this evening (I keep them there so I don't eat as many) pulled a cookie out of the bag, and realized that it didn't look anything like a molasses cookie.  Then I looked at the label and saw that what I had bought were MONSTER COOKIES.  Both labels started with MO.  If you happen to like cookies containing peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chips, and m&ms, then you will really like these.  Since I do happen to like everything in these cookies and they are very tasty I will eat them.  I mean it would be a shame to waste them, right?  In case you're wondering, my spouse can't help me with this chore because he is allergic to peanut butter.  The next time I go to the bakery I will get my molasses cookies, because they are still my absolute favorite.  And the moral of this story is always read the label.  

please pass the Ritz...

 My west coast brother has informed me that today is "Crackers Over the Keyboard Day."  I'm not at all sure that this is something to celebrate but today is also "Red Wine Day" and I would much rather have cracker crumbs on my keyboard than any sort of liquid spill.  Knowing my penchant for spilling stuff, I make it a rule never to eat or drink while working on my computer.  But, thinking of spills, I am reminded of an occasion 50 years ago when I was lunching with some friends at a weekend retreat.  My children were one and three at the time and this was a lovely break for me.  While we sat at lunch, I automatically reached over and moved a friend's glass of water back from near the edge of the table.  Everyone laughed, knowing that, as a mother of toddlers, this was an unconscious  reaction for me.  Happily, these days I pretty much keep my hands off other diners glass ware.  

A TED Talk

 At a meeting I attended this evening, we were shown a TED Talk dealing with various forms of dementia.  The talk was presented by Teepa Snow and I highly recommend it to anyone who has questions about the subject.  She is a very engaging speaker who will hold your interest.  She started by talking about some of the early warning signs. Coincidentally, I had lunch with a friend today during which we discussed a mutual friend who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and we talked about early signs we had seen, especially getting confused while driving and not remembering why she had come to a certain place.  Another early sign that was mentioned was not dealing with money issues properly.  Evidently, when our mutual friend's son became aware of her problems, he discovered stacks of unpaid bills and some missing funds.  I was too busy watching and listening to take many notes this evening, but I did learn that there are many forms of dementia and Alzheimer's makes up only about a tenth of the types of dementia found in people over 65.  I also learned that the 30 point mental acuity test that your doctor might give you if you think you have memory problems (which I passed with flying colors) is not an indicator of if you will or won't develop dementia.  And here's the last little tidbit for you to consider.  50% of people over 85 show signs of Alzheimer's.  On the bright side, if all goes well, I have six good years to look forward to.  

the longest day

 I get a little perplexed when I hear weather persons make comments like "Today is the longest day of the year." or "The days are getting shorter now."  No they aren't.  Days are always 24 hours long (give or take a few minutes here or there over several years).  I was pleased to hear one weather person say it correctly recently.  She said "We are starting to see fewer hours of daylight." But I was reminded today of another kind of longest day.  My west coast nephew returned this morning from a trip to Iceland and told his parents he planned to sleep 'til Wednesday.  I really understand that feeling.  Generally, when I have flown to any destination in Europe, it's an overnight flight.  I can sleep through most of it and arrive ready to spend the entire first day sight seeing.  But coming home (flying west) is a whole different matter. Typically we leave some European city, Rome most recently, in the wee hours of the morning, fly across the Atlantic, land and go through customs somewhere, Atlanta perhaps, make one or two connecting flights, and arrive home about midnight.  I always end up feeling like I've been awake for 24 hours.  So sleep on, young nephew.  I totally understand.

be creative...

 Once again thank you to my west coast brother, today is "National Banana Split Day."  Now I realize that you're getting this information late in the day and you may not want to run out and buy a banana split right now, even though this is a great day to celebrate, and a banana split would taste delicious.  But don't despair, just get creative.  A banana split is not that hard to build as a do-it-yourself project.  Of course it will help if you have some ice cream on hand (better yet, in your freezer).  Then you will need syrup. Chocolate, caramel, strawberry, blueberry, honey - any or many of these will do.  I would not recommend molasses.  Next some chopped nuts.  You probably have a half package of those tucked in your freezer somewhere near the ice cream. Remember, you used the other half on your sweet potato casserole at Christmas time.  Chocolate chips are also a nice touch, maybe shredded coconut?  Now all you need is a banana, or if you're my spouse, you'll stop right here, and just enjoy a no-banana split.  If you do have a banana, add it now.  You don't really need to split it, especially if you don't happen to have a long banana split shaped dish.  Go ahead and slice it up.  No one will ever know.  Of course now it has become a 'banana slice.' Enjoy!

It is what it is.

 Earlier today my west coast brother told me that today is "National Knife Day" and "Can Opener Day."  Then he asked me two questions. "Are knives and can openers appliances or utensils?"  "Does that change if there is an electric motor involved?" So I've been thinking about this.  As I have mentioned a few times, I am easily entertained. First what makes an appliance an appliance?  Does it have to have an electric motor?  I'm sure our stove is an appliance but it's a gas stove.  Not too much electricity involved.  The dishwasher and refrigerator are definitely appliances.  So are the washer and dryer, even though they don't live in the kitchen.  Google's definition of an appliance is a machine which assists in household functions such as cooking, cleaning and food preservation.  Utensils, in my opinion, are items like knives, forks and spoons, soup ladles, serving spoons, bread knives, wooden spoons, whisks, etc.  In other words, hand held items.  But that brings us back to the original questions about items like electric knives, mixers, and can openers.  To me they seem too big to be utensils but too small to be appliances.  Perhaps we should have another name for them like, for instance, 'tools.'  Power saws, drills and nail guns are called tools, why not hand-held electric mixers, electric knives, and yes, even can openers.  Now that I've planted all of this in your mind, have fun thinking about what you're using the next time you're preparing a meal.  

get closer....

 According to my west coast brother, today is "Hug Your Sweetheart Day."  I think it should be broadened to "Hug Somebody Day." It's also "National Sponge Cake Day" but I'm trying to cut back on desserts so I'll skip that one.  I think hugs are universal, eons old, and an amazing way to share emotions.  I can imagine a cave woman giving her mate a big hug when he brings home some game for the family cooking pot, or an equally big hug when he comes home empty handed.  By the way, cooking pots have been around since prehistoric times.  There's nothing better than a hug when things aren't going well, but they're equally effective when you're filled to overflowing with joy about something.  I am very blessed that I grew up in a family of huggers.  Before school, after school, before bed; any time was a good time for a hug.  Aunts, uncles, cousins, we all hugged.  But not everyone wants to be hugged.  I never saw my first husband and his mother hug.  They shook hands.  I have one grandchild who prefers not to hug and three who will hug me any time they see me.  I try to respect people's space and never inflict a hug where not wanted, but, believe me, when someone opens their arms to me, I am right there ready for that hug.  I hope it's the same for you.  So don't just sit there reading this silly blog.  Get up off your chair and go hug somebody close to you.  

game on...

 My wonder spouse and I both enjoy playing games, and we frequently do so in the evenings, sometimes with the TV on for background entertainment.  Some of our favorites are Five Crowns, Dominoes, Gin Rummy and Scrabble.  We are very closely matched in our game playing skills so our win/loss records are about equal.  I re-introduced him to Scrabble after we were married and his playing skills have improved by leaps and bounds over the last several months.  So much so that we each pretty regularly score over 300 points (that's a lot for us, don't laugh) and end up with one of us winning by ten points or fewer.  Tonight I won, which, again, I usually have a 50/50 chance of doing.  What makes tonight's game special is that I scored 402 points and won by almost 100 points.  You may think this delights me, and it does somewhat.  I admit to being an obnoxious winner.  However, now that I've raised the bar, I think that my spouse will be out to win every time.  The trouble with that is, he likes to take his time and search for every possible option before he makes his move.  I do the same thing of course.  We never use a timer.  So, if you see me looking very sleepy one day, or yawning during a phone conversation, you'll know that our games have lasted past mid-night. 

the good life...

Today is "National Senior Citizens Day."  My west coast brother, who is a senior citizen himself, informed me of this.  There are some things I really like about being a senior citizen, especially being retired. Although I have hobbies and am involved in some committees, it's nice to have those frequent days, or half days when I can just relax and read a good book.  It's also really nice to be married again and to share senior citizenship with someone.  But there are some things about being a senior citizen that aren't so pleasant.  For instance, when someone says "Wow, you sure don't look 79" I can't help wondering if they think I look younger or older?  and I haven't been carded when I order wine with dinner for a very long time.  Of course they have to card me at the grocery store, which makes it worth buying wine while I'm there.  Other memorable things come with being a senior citizen.  I and many of my similarly aged friends have had cataract surgery.  When i had my surgery, I finally saw what all the fuss was about concerning high definition TV.  I must say that I was a little shocked that some of my favorite news casters had wrinkles that I had never seen before.  Then I discovered that I also evidently live in a house full of high definition mirrors.  Ah well.  I can still enjoy dinner in a dimly lit restaurant from time to time.  As long as I use the light on my phone to read the menu.  Enjoy the day and say yes whenever you're offered a senior discount.  

Lights on!

 Today a small group from my church were invited to tour Electric Works.  I had never been there before and was particularly excited to see what had become of the old General Electric campus which was and is a huge spread of buildings.  At one time GE was one of the major employers in Fort Wayne.  Everyone of a certain age knows someone who worked there.  In my case it was an uncle, a girlfriend and my mother-in-law.  Today we were treated to a tour of parts of two buildings and then had lunch in the food court in one of the buildings.  Knowing that these buildings had stood empty for many years after GE closed, and having seen some of the before pictures on TV, I am in awe at what has been done with the buildings.

Both of these pictures were taken from the beautiful rooftop entertainment area on one of the buildings.  Here's a back view of the Best Buy sign that lights up at night, replacing the iconic GE sign that General Electric will not allow to be displayed.  Best Buy is the major investor in the project but several other companies have offices there also.  Employees can lunch in this area on fine days and it can also be rented for events.

Here's a view of downtown Fort Wayne from the rooftop. The building on the right is part of the campus that is yet to be refurbished.  This is quite an amazing and expensive project and I am impressed by everything that has been done so far.

click, click...

 Once again thanks to my west coast brother, I know what a special day this is. Today is "World Photography Day."  If there is ever a celebration appropriate to celebrate world wide it is photography.  I love to take pictures.  I've travelled to all 50 states and 22 countries and taken pictures in every one of them, and seen tourists from many different countries also taking pictures.  I think it is probably the world's most popular hobby.  You may disagree and point to sporting events as the world's favorite hobby, but think how many pictures are taken at those events.  Did you see the flashes going off at the Olympics?  But I was taking picture long before that.  The oldest that I still have were taken with my little Brownie flash camera on our high school senior class trip to New York and DC.  Since then there have been family pictures and travel pictures taken with polaroid cameras, very nice cameras with flash attachments (my first husband had quite a few) and my recent Minolta that went on several vacations with me.  On one of my recent European trips I was very embarrassed when the lid over the battery compartment on that camera flopped open and the two batteries fell out and went clattering across a slate floor.  This wouldn't have been so bad except it was at a very hushed moment in a cathedral.  Since then my sole camera has been the one in my phone, which actually takes very nice pictures.  Last summer, when my now spouse and I were traveling in Michigan, I 'gasp' ran out of storage space on my phone.  I deleted some pictures and got through that trip ok.  Afterwards my wonder spouse didn't chide me for taking too many pictures, he simply added a whole bunch (that's a technical term) more memory to my phone.  Now we are about to embark on a western US driving trip and I know I'll be taking pictures, and I have another camera to try out, the one contained in my new tablet. I can't wait to see how it does.  One more note.  These days I can deposit checks in my checking account by taking pictures of them and submitting them to my bank.  This is very convenient, as I'm sure you know, but I get extra pleasure when the picture is taken because the phone makes a clicking noise just like my first camera.  Isn't life fun?

Surprise!

 Today is "Serendipity Day," and also "National Ice Cream Pie Day" which would be a nice unexpected surprise.  A serendipity according to google is 'good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries.' I had always heard it defined as an 'unexpected pleasure' which is a simpler way of saying the same thing.  My mother always said that my west coast brother was a serendipity because he was born when she was 45.  He was ten years younger than me and eight years younger than our other brother.  Very unexpected indeed.  But today we enjoyed some other serendipitous  experiences.  My husband and I helped to serve supper at the rescue mission this evening and enjoyed getting to know the other couple who had also volunteered for this Sunday. That was the first joy.  The second joy was how well run and efficient everything was.  Third, we were able to serve at least a hundred people, who all were very appreciative.  Earlier in the day we had planned that, after the serving was done, we would go to Coney Island for a fast casual supper because we really weren't very dressed up.  Since we enjoyed getting to know the other servers a little bit while we worked, we invited them to meet us at Coney Island, where we had a very casual but extremely good time getting to know each other.  So serendipities all around.  Then, when we got home I had a phone call from a friend with whom I hadn't spoken for several months.  We seldom see each other because we live at some distance from each other, but it's always a pleasure to catch up by phone.  So pleasures on pleasures on pleasures.  What a fun way to celebrate "Serendipity Day."

a happy little story

 One of my granddaughters is entering her senior year at the Columbus College of Art and Design.  As she put it in a text to me today, this coming Monday will be her last "first day of school." She is a diligent student, but this summer it took some time for her to find a summer job.  During other summers she has worked at U Haul and Pandora.  That last was the most closely connected to her artistic bent.  This year, however, the job she ended up with is as a nursery school teaching assistant in a day care run by a large local bank for the children of its employees.  She has been mostly dealing with toddlers and, as she put it, "has 10 little friends now."  Last Friday two of the little girls in her group burst out crying when their parents came to pick them up because they wanted to "stay with Miss Cece."  My granddaughter said that was the best feeling.  I'm so glad she's having this experience.  Maybe she'll try to pick up some credits toward a teaching degree?  This my daydream, not hers, but it would be fun to have another art teacher in the family.

so sweet...

 My spouse and I are easily led astray by each other.  For example, we had every intention of taking our one mile walk as usual but it rained hard overnight, and everything looked pretty soggy outside this morning, so we assured each other that it was ok to skip it today.  Later in the day we stopped at the alteration shop (he to pick up, me to drop off) and after we got back in the car, convinced each other that it had turned into a beautiful day and we should celebrate (no, not by taking a walk) by going to the Amish bakery.  While there we convinced each other that we really needed caramel nut cinnamon rolls and cinnamon swirl bread, fresh out of the oven.  Since we were on that side of town, we obviously had to swing by Schmucker's Farm Market and buy some cheese, ears of corn and tomatoes.  Those were our good-for-us purchases of the day.  As we were leaving the market, my spouse remembered that he had a two-for-one coupon for Nothing Bundt Cakes that was about to expire, so naturally he wanted to go there and pick up two Bundtlets.  I did not discourage him.  If you haven't tried these cream cheese frosted delicacies, you really should.  If you have tried them, you'll understand why we were pleased to learn that we will be eligible for the same two-for-one deal next month.  But just to reassure you, we have not blown up like baby blimps.  We shared one carrot cake bundtlet for dessert this evening and all of the other treats are waiting for tomorrow and the next day and the next day.  The anticipation will make it easier to get up and take our walk tomorrow morning, unless, of course, it rains again.  

resting on my reputation...

 According to my west coast brother today is "National Relaxation Day" and "Lemon Meringue Pie Day."  These days, being happily retired and somewhat weight conscious, I do more relaxing than baking.  Even today I enjoyed a little couch time with a good book.  There was a time however when I did bake, especially for special occasions.  One memory, that seems appropriate to share today, has to do with lemon meringue pie.  It was my father's very favorite pie so one year I made one for him for his birthday.  No short cuts, I made it from scratch.  I squeezed the lemons and grated the rind for a little zest for the meringue.  I mixed the flour and butter and water to make the crust, stirred the lemon juice with the other liquid ingredients 'til they formed a smooth custard, beat the egg whites and sugar into a perfect meringue, put it all together, baked it until the meringue had golden toasted tips, chilled it until suppertime and served it with pride.  I bet you're thinking at this point something must have gone wrong, but no.  It was a perfectly delicious pie, my dad thoroughly enjoyed it, as did the rest of the family.  I never baked another lemon meringue pie.  It was a lot of work.  I worked all day on that pie and it vanished in about ten minutes, maybe less.  I'm glad I did it once but once was enough.  Over the years, I've had some excellent lemon meringue pie in various restaurants, even taken my father out for some, and I really do appreciate the work that went into each one.  I think the key to appreciating lots of things in this life is to have tried to do them yourself.  

shaping up...

 My wonder spouse (sometimes I wonder about him) has decided that, since we will be doing a fair amount of walking and hiking on our upcoming trip, we should add a one-mile walk through the neighborhood to our daily routine.  We already do a regular twenty-five minutes of stretching and exercise in the pool each morning, but that's evidently not enough.  Deep down, I agree with him. So for the last couple of mornings we have walked a long loop through our neighborhood, starting at about 8:15am.  Today we walked a mile in 21 minutes which is not bad.  It has actually been very nice.  We've said hello to neighbors walking like us, others walking their dogs or leaving for work, and passed children waiting for the school bus.  Yes, it its that time of year again.  I do enjoy walking in the cool of the morning.  My mother used to have us up weeding the garden "in the cool of the morning."  Walking is more fun.  So I will keep walking until we leave for our trip in three weeks, and probably for a while when we return.  But I must tell you right now, I am a fair weather walker.  I will not be out walking in freezing cold and blowing snow.  If my husband wants to keep walking, I'll use the treadmill in the basement.  

 Today is "Left Hander's Day" and also "Filet Mignon Day."  As it happens, my spouse is left handed, so we celebrated by going out to dinner this evening.  We really don't need much of an excuse to eat out.  We did not, however, have filet mignon. Instead we went to our favorite pizza place, B. Antonio's, and indulged in our favorite pizzas.  His is Hawaiian with ham and pineapple, while I like a more traditional supreme, with all the good stuff.  We each get a small pizza, eat half of it there and bring half of it home, so tomorrow's dinner is already planned. We both agree that pizza is an excellent food to be eaten either right or left handed.  In case you're wondering, and I'm sure you are, there have been many famous left handed people including Barach Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Leonardo da Vinci, Prince William, Napoleon, Lady Gaga, and Tom Cruise to name just a few.  So you can see that my left handed wonder spouse is in very good company.  

sew on and sew forth...

 Today, once again thanks to my west coast brother, I learned that it is "National Sewing Machine Day."  I've been involved with sewing machines since I was a child.  We had a Singer "portable" contained in a heavy wooden case.  It was about as portable as our first "portable" TV.  But it worked well and I learned to sew on it.  Not from my mother.  She could sew enough to mend a seam but it certainly wasn't a love of hers.  My sewing education came from 4H, starting when I was 10 years old with an apron, then a skirt, a blouse and eventually a dress.  I never got anything but red ribbons at the county fair.  Ah, well, I never aspired to be a seamstress.  One summer, a girlfriend and I decided to make matching outfits.  I think we were about 13.  We cut out the pattern pieces for Bermuda shorts (no Daisy Dukes for us, her dad was the preacher) and sleeveless blouses.  The shorts came out fine but we must have mixed up some pieces for the blouses (she was 5'3" to my 5'10") because they did not fit either one of us.  But we had a lot of fun trying.  After I was married, the first time, my husband gifted me with a Kenmore sewing machine that was really top of the line for it's time.  Not only could It sew straight seams, zig zags and button holes, but, with the insertion of various cams (little plastic disks) I could sew rows of all kinds of designs.  My favorite was the little ducks.  I used them to sew new satin binding on blankies that were terribly worn but much too precious to be thrown away.  I believe my daughter still had her blankie when she went off to college.  The same friend of the matching outfits experiment, when our children were young, talked me into taking some Stretch & Sew classes.  Do you remember Stretch & Sew?  We learned to use stretchy knit fabric to make all kinds of clothing.  I got to the point where I could whip off a T-shirt for my toddler in less than an hour.  I even, ultimately, made a full suit for my husband - jacket, slacks and vest.  He wore the suit, at least a few times.  He was a good man.  The last big project I sewed was slip covers for the cushions and seat of a couch I was giving to my daughter to help her furnish her first home.  That couch and my handiwork made it all the way to Germany when she and her first husband were stationed there.  But that was about it.  When I downsized, my faithful but elderly Kenmore was sold, and I haven't sewn on a machine since.  But that's ok.  If I get desperate, there's a nearby tailor who does alterations.  I should ask her sometime if she started in 4H.

play time...

 Today, according to my west coast brother, is "Go Play in the Sand Day."  I do like to play in sand.  I like to feel it run between my fingers, or walk along a shore and feel the wet sand squish between my toes.  I was thinking of those things after i read my brother's text, but this evening at dinner with my spouse and his brother, the conversation turned to kindergarten and a teacher they remembered.  That unleashed a flood of memories for me.  I remember my kindergarten year for two special things.  The first is about sand.  In our kindergarten classroom we had a sand table, standing waist high to little people, and full of wonderful white sand.  I loved to just stand there and draw patterns in the sand and run my fingers through it.  It felt so good.  The other memory involves my teacher, Miss Wendolyn.  During that year she got married, and invited all of her students to the wedding.  My mother took me, and I was in awe, as my beautiful teacher walked down the aisle in her gorgeous white dress.  After the wedding, on the way home, as I remember it, we stopped at a toy store and my mother bought me a bride doll.  You may remember this type of doll.  I think they were the forerunners of Barbie dolls.  They came in an eight or nine inch square box, about two inches deep with a clear plastic cover.  The doll would be displayed with her full skirt flared out around her.  They weren't all bride dolls, they came with different dresses, like Barbies.  But I got the best one, every little girl's dream, the bride doll, and it was marvelous.  No wonder I think I had the best kindergarten teacher ever.  

Are you looking for a bargain?

 Today is "National Garage Sale Day."  Can you imagine if we actually had a national garage sale?  Some subdivisions have neighborhood sales and those can be fun to go to because you don't have to worry about where to park.  Years and years ago my next door neighbor and I had a garage sale together each spring.  Always in her garage because she kept it so clean.  These were very successful sales because we each had lots of children's clothes and some toys for sale.  More recently, I've been involved with the semi-annual Giant Garage Sale at my church.  This was a big help when I was just beginning to think about downsizing after my first husband died.  I sold mostly tools and electronics and my table was usually busy.  One year I traded a bunch (not sure if that's the technical term) of electronics for a very nice 12 place setting of China.  It had everything, including serving bowls, a gravy boat and a meat platter.  All the goodies. My family had grown with children-in-law and grands and I had always wanted to be able to set a pretty table for special dinners like Christmas and Easter.  This set has worked out really well.  Since I don't have any sentimental attachment, I use it and callously run it through the dishwasher.  So far I haven't broken any dishes and all of the gold rims are still in tact.  So that's my best garage sale story.  I'm sure you have had equal successes.  However, if you're not in the mood to hold, or go to, a garage sale, it's also "National Lazy Day."  Enjoy.

read on....

 Today, according to my west coast brother, is "Book Lovers Day" and there is no one who loves a good book more than I do.  Lately I've been enjoying 'checking out' books from the library using Libby and reading them on my tablet.  This afternoon I spent more time than I should have reading my current book, but I was celebrating the day.  One thing that made the afternoon even more pleasurable than usual was that this morning I was able to get the frames of my new glasses adjusted slightly so they sit much more comfortably on my ears.  You who are glasses wearers will understand.  And here I want to say kudos to JC Penney.  My spouse and I had some errands to run this morning including getting my glasses adjusted, picking up more maps for our trip and returning a catalog order to Penney's.  Sadly, after driving out to Dupont Road, we discovered that my optometrist's office was closed (they evidently close over the noon hour) so we headed south to Glenbrook so I could return the slacks that didn't fit.  The lady at the returns counter was very nice, no problems with the return.  She even gave me a tip.  Order two different sizes, keep the one that fits and return the other.  As I was walking out I realized that I was right beside the glasses department (Penney's does sell everything).  I walked in and asked the very nice clerk, who wasn't busy at the time, if she could make the adjustment I needed, even though I hadn't bought the glasses there.  No questions asked (except where had I gotten my frames, which she liked) she made the necessary adjustment in less that five minutes.  Thank you JC Penny.  

beware...

 According to my west coast brother, today is "Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day."  It's also "International Cat Day." that one doesn't surprise me.  Every cat I've ever known seemed to assume that they were internationally famous and wildly important in any language on any given day.  It may have something to do with living nine lives.  Perhaps each life is in a different country?  But enough about cats and back to Zucchinis.  I have never had zucchinis left on my porch, although I haven't checked yet this evening.  I have however had amazingly generous co-workers share copious amounts of the abundantly profligate vegetable with me, and anyone else who came within easy reach.  There was a certain time of year, right now actually, when it was wise to just stay in your office with the door shut if you didn't want to be heading home after work with a bag full of zucchinis.  I did however have one wonderful neighbor who would present me with a loaf, sometimes two, of delicious zucchini bread.  Now that's the way to be neighborly.  

seen and unseen...

 Once again thank you to my west coast brother.  Today is "National Sea Serpent Day."  I've never seen a sea serpent although it rained hard enough for a while yesterday that I wouldn't have been surprised to see one slither by.  I have been to Loch Ness but I didn't see Nessie.  I have also been to Lapland in the far north of Finland and to Alaska but have yet to see the northern lights.  But thinking about things I haven't seen got me thinking about the many things I have seen.  I have seen kangaroos hopping around in the Australian outback from a hot air balloon and the snow covered eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range at sunrise.  Quite possibly my favorite sight ever.  I have seen the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful, Carlsbad Caverns, organ pipe cactus, many national parks, Venice, the David in Florence, and the Sistine Chapel. I had a beautifully clear view of the Alps on one flight.  And so much more, so who needs an old sea serpent anyway?  In September my spouse and I are taking a driving trip through the north west and coming home through Canada.  I'm certain I will add a great many new  visual memories to my mental collection.  Also, no doubt, a great many more pictures to my phone/camera.  Can't wait to get on the road again.

the ad that wasn't...

 Today I should have become a TV star. Well, maybe not a star exactly, but I could have been on TV.  I was asked to 'act' in a commercial for a senior residential community.  A director I've worked with in some stage productions showed the ad company my picture and they liked it. Mind you this ad is for a senior living community so the white hair and wrinkles probably helped.  And I was going to get paid for this, so I would be a pro. It all sounded like great fun.  It was one of these ads where there are people miming in different scenes while an unseen narrator touts the wonderful services of this particular facility.  I was to be one half of a happy couple sitting on a couch drinking coffee, by myself getting my hair done at their salon, strolling through the grounds with my 'spouse', the two of us sitting at an outdoor table laughing and talking with another couple, and, in the final scene, greeting our children and grandchildren when they came to visit.  I had diligently followed all of the preliminary instructions, which mainly consisted of having  enough appropriate wardrobe changes for each scene, and making sure I knew where to meet and at what time.  I was so ready, but, alas, yesterday I received an email telling me (and my co-actor) that the filming was postponed because one of the crew has COVID.  As it happened, it also poured rain this afternoon.  A future filming time to be determined.  Stay tuned. 

glass half full???

 I'm pretty sure that I have now reached the age of invisibility.  I have been told that it happens to older white haired people and it would seem that it's so.  Today I picked up my new pair of glasses.  Admittedly they are not quite as distinctive as my previous pair.  Over the last three years, I've received several compliments on those glasses.  The ones my daughter helped me pick out.  She had to work this year. One waitress even told me that I had a nice vibe going with those glasses.  After I picked up my new glasses I went to a gathering of the yarn group I belong to.  I was running a little late but everyone greeted me as I walked in and then we all settled down to conversation while we worked on our various projects.  Not one person said "Hey, you got new glasses." or anything similar.  Even my wonder spouse wasn't wowed when I walked in the door.  Ah well.  On the positive side, I can see better and am even able to read the fine print with my new glasses.  I am not good at selfies but here is a look at my new glasses in case you're curious.  Woops, I promise you that I took a selfie but it refuses to be transferred to this computer.  Invisibility strikes again.

no kidding

 Today, again according to my west coast brother, is "American Family Day" and "Hooray for Kids Day."  Since he raises goats, I'm not sure which kind of kids he's referring to, but, for the sake of this blog, I'll assume we're talking about people here.  My spouse and I have fairly average American families - two children each, but, because of those kids we are celebrating, the families, now combined, have grown and grown and grown.  Between us we have four children, four children-in-law, ten grandchildren (ranging in age from 7 to 24), two significant others of grandchildren, two siblings, one sibling-in-law, three close cousins, multiple second and third cousins, three nieces, three nephews, four great-nephews, two great-nieces, one niece-in-law,  and three nephews-in-law.  I think that's a pretty amazing American family.  Of course I'm a little prejudiced, but I think they are all extremely good looking and brilliant.  They obviously take after us.  Since today is also "National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day" I shall indulge in one with milk to celebrate my wonderful family. 

it's taxing...

 First, my west coast brother informed me that today is "Tax Payer Appreciation Day."  Then he suggested some fun ways to celebrate this special day including raising the withholding on your pay check and writing to your Congressperson to tell them that you think they're doing a great job spending our money.  Ha ha ha ha ha! I really do appreciate tax payers since it's one of the largest groups I belong to.  It's a really big club, nationally and internationally.  I visited in Finland once with a tour group.  While in Helsinki, we were told about all the wonderful things their government provided including free education for everyone kindergarten through college and good health insurance.  They also told us that the tax rate was 40%.  Everything comes with a price one way or another.  During the years that I was self employed as a real estate broker, my first husband did our taxes and was scrupulously careful to be sure we completed the forms correctly.  We really didn't want to be audited, and we never were.  One year my husband told me that I should learn to do my taxes myself in case anything ever happened to him.  I told him that if that day ever came, I would gather up all my paperwork and take it to H&R Block, and as it happened, that's exactly what I did.  Still no audits.  My current spouse has told me that his company was audited once.  The outcome of that audit was that the IRS owed them $5 and gave them some good tips on how to save a little in taxes.  I guess those IRS guys aren't all meanies.  

If you really don't want to think about taxes, and who can blame you, it's also "National Watermelon Day." A fun food to eat and fun to play with.  You might organize a seed spitting contest to take your mind off of those inevitable tax bills.  

what a coincidence....

Yesterday I reminisced about Crayola crayons and my youthful enjoyment of them.  Now today, according to my west coast brother, is "National Coloring Book Day."  What an excellent thing to celebrate. I spent many happy hours as a child coloring in coloring books. I especially liked the ones that told a story and took great pleasure in the fact that I could stay within the lines better than my two-year younger brother.  Sadly, if I crowed too much about it, he would break one of my crayons in retaliation.  My west coast brother, who was 10 years younger, simply tried to eat them.  Luckily, even back then they were non-toxic.  For many happy years I enjoyed coloring within the lines as well as creating my own sketches and other 'works of art.'  When I got to college I majored in Art Education. During those years (in the sixties) a lot of emphasis was put on abstract art and we were taught that, as future art teachers, we should be aware that coloring books were bad.  They stifled creativity.  Well maybe, but over the years I've come to realize that there is a lot of satisfaction in finishing a page in a coloring book.  A friend of mine, whom I have traveled with several times, always had with her a small book of intricate designs, and she would pass the time coloring a page while we waited for a flight.  It seems that coloring books are quite popular with adults as well as children.  As for me, I seldom color in a coloring book these days.  I would rather do my own thing.  But when I get that box of crayons that I blogged about yesterday, I might just give it another try.  

color me nostalgic...

 Today my spouse and I huddled in front of his computer to order some birthday gifts for our soon-to-be seven year old granddaughter.  It's the 21st century equivalent of going to the mall.  We found several things we think she will like and arranged for them to be shipped to her home in Wisconsin.  One of the items was a box of Crayola colored pencils with retractable tips.  There certainly wasn't anything like them when I was a child, but the familiar green and yellow design on the box reminded me forcefully of the crayons of my youth.  Crayola crayons were definitely the best when I was in elementary school while Prang made the best water colors.  Everybody knew these truths.  Every fall, before the start of the school year (it had the decency to start after Labor Day in those years) we assembled our school supplies for the year - yellow number 2 pencils, an eraser, a ruler, a compass, a protractor, scissors and (even up to eighth grade) a fine new box of Crayola Crayons.  Depending on our family's economic situation each year, it might be a box of 16 crayons, or it might, wonder of wonders, be a big square box of 64 different colors.  I did love those crayons, standing like little soldiers in their perfect rows with all of their points beautifully untouched.  Of course that perfection couldn't last but it was a joy to use those new crayons.  One of my best school memories is of my third and fourth grade teacher, Mr. Sherman. Not because he was a particularly great teacher.  I remember being easily distracted from whatever he was teaching by watching his Adams apple bob up and down.  Think Ichabod Crane.  But his one saving grace was that, after lunch every day, he would dim the lights in the classroom and read to us for a half hour.  While he read we could just listen or we could color quietly.  Reading and art, two of my favorite things, combined for a blissful half hour every day.  Happily, i still love to read and I still love to create art.  I think I'll go out and buy a box of crayons tomorrow, and while I'm at it I'll buy some to contribute to the school supplies drives.  Maybe it will help someone else build colorful memories.