Is This A Positive Or A Negative?

Did you realize that today is the midpoint between January 1st and December 25th? Yep, it's Halfway to Christmas.

And as fast as time is flying the holiday season will be here before I know it.

Five years ago today: Scrap Spice Shelf

Hot And Humid Activity

I live in the large part of the country that's currently dealing with a heat wave. A heat advisory (with heat index values-the combination of actual temperature and humidity-of up to 108 degrees started on Saturday. Originally the advisory was set to expire this evening, but then it was extended until Thursday night. I hope that's correct!

Every summer the area has at least one heat wave, so the extremes are nothing new. But they're still annoying. On mornings without commitments, Hubby Tony and I have been arranging our schedules to try and beat the heat. Right after breakfast we grab water bottles and go out to walk.

At that time of day, the angle of the sun is low enough that some of the sidewalks are shady. Sometimes there's a sprinkler system going that I can walk through.  If we choose a route that includes stores I can use the bathroom and refill my water bottle. (And then find a chair and sit for a while in the air conditioning).

By the time our walk is finished I can't wait to get into the air conditioned condo and take a cool shower. My biggest challenge is making myself do anything other than sit around for the rest of the day.

Five years ago: The Office Comes To The Cat

Diverse Different Things

Some days it's difficult to find something noteworthy to post about. Other days there are an embarrassment of riches. Today was one of those. Hubby Tony and I spent an entire afternoon (and early evening) visiting places we had never been to before in a small section of the city.

The inspiration for the whole thing was a heat advisory warning, which made us concentrate on inside activities. Hubby Tony and I take Foster Cat Pimento to the vet, there are several interesting storefronts. One of them is the Miniature Museum of St. Louis. Then, a couple of months later I saw a story about the museum on the local PBS station and added it to my list of places to see. The museum is only open on the weekend, so a hot Saturday in June seemed like the perfect time.

The two-story storefront in the Bevo neighborhood had an incredible collection of dollhouses and buildings of all types. Each of the displays had a push button to light up the interior (which was very helpful to see the tiny details). For example, the tiny Monopoly board on the right hand side of the floor in this one was about an inch one each side!

I enjoyed looking at the displays, but I suspect that if ever I went back I would see a completely different set of details. There was that much!

After we left the museum we headed one neighborhood to the east to visit Dad's Cookie Company in Dutchtown, where they have been making cookies since the 1930s. We thought about getting some of their Original Scotch Oatmeal, but after the friendly clerk gave us samples of two different types we ended up with a half pound of peanut butter chocolate chip and a bag of imperfect (broken) toasted coconut. The old-fashioned store put our purchase in an old-fashioned paper sack marked with an old fashioned stamp that had the address and their obsolete letter-based phone number.

Not too far from the cookie store was St. Anthony of Padua parish, where we went to Mass. I love old, ornate churches and this one definitely fell into that category.

Before mass started the priest was walking from the sanctuary back to the narthex, greeting people as he went. He stopped and asked where we were from, and after the service he told us to drive home safely.

For dinner we ended up across the street from our original location at Das Bevo (originally called Bevo Mill). The building, along with it's windmill, was built in 1917 by the Busch brewing family as a rest stop between the brewery and their farm in the county.

Due to the weather the biergarten was closed, so we ate in the bierhall-a large room with paneled walls, beamed ceilings, and large chandeliers. Tony got a loaded wurst brat with sauerkraut and grilled onions that came with fries. I chose a German-ish Mushroom Spaetzle, and added crumbled bacon.

Even after a filling dinner there's always room for dessert. We weren't too far from the South Grand branch of Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard. I had never been to that location before, but now I can say I've crossed it off my list of places to visit. The menu was the same, and my Johnny Rabbit Concrete (with hard shell chocolate and maraschino cherries mixed into vanilla custard) was as good as it always is.

Five years ago today: Rockery

Summer Starting Point

The Summer Solstice occurs this evening at 9:42 PM, which begins the Northern Hemisphere astronomical summer.

Hubby Tony and I talked about how we would celebrate the event, and decided on something cold and creamy. When we went into Aldi for a few things a box of frozen lime bars jumped into the cart. 

The bar was the perfect combination of cold, sweet, and tart. A perfect beginning to the new season.

Five years ago: Recycling Road Trip

Cats, Cats, And More Cats

Five years ago: Eat Your Vegetables!

All About The Papa

In the United States and some other countries, today is Father's Day. In our family, June 15th is also Son Donald's birthday.

Donald usually comes over to our condo for a birthday dinner. Because of my Covid quarantine (which ends tomorrow!) I checked with him  to see if pushing off his celebration until next weekend worked for him. It did. That left today without much on the calendar. For years Hubby Tony has been gracious enough to combine celebrations together, but today it got to be all about him.

The first event was breakfast. In order to beat the heat, right after rolling out of bed we walked to the Sunny Street Cafe for a great meal Later in the day we drove to the movie theater to see The Phoenician Scheme. Tony watched the baseball game on television. For dinner I made pork chops, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob, and applesauce. For dessert, Tony contributed his birthday pastry from Panera.

We also celebrated the young fathers in the family. This morning we forwarded some words of wisdom I found on Facebook- a post titled Ten Things To Remember On Father’s Day (For Dads Everywhere) from The Paps Fam. Their words touched me, and I decided to also share them with you.

1. You matter more than you know.

    Your presence, your voice, your steady hand-these shape lives. 

 

2. Little eyes are always watching.

    Even your smallest acts teach the biggest lessons. 

 

3. You don’t have to be perfect.

    Just present. Just real. That’s what they’ll remember. 

 

4. Love doesn’t always look loud.

    It’s in early mornings, late nights, quiet sacrifice. 

 

5. Your words carry weight.

    Speak life, speak hope-they’ll echo for years. 

 

6. Showing up is a superpower.

    Even when you’re tired, your presence speaks volumes.

 

7. It’s okay to be soft.

    Strength is found in kindness, in hugs, in “I love you”. 

 

8. You are building legacy.

    With every bedtime story, every scraped-knee pep talk, every prayer. 

 

9. They’ll remember how you made them feel.

    Safe. Loved. Seen. That’s what lasts. 

 

10. You’re not alone.

      There’s no manual for fatherhood-but there is grace for the journey. 

 

Five years ago today: Describes Me To A T

A Forecast Of Fear

According to Google AI Overview, approximately one in ten Americans may experience severe weather-related phobias. In honor of Friday the 13th, here are 10 of the most common:

• Ancraophobia: Fear of wind
• Astraphobia: Fear of thunder and lightning
• Chionophobia: Fear of snow
• Cryophobia: Fear of cold weather
• Heliophobia: Fear of the sun
• Homichlophobia: Fear of fog
• Lilapsophobia: Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes
• Nephophobia: Fear of clouds
• Ombrophobia: Fear of rain
• Thermophobia: Fear of heat

Five years ago today: Counting Customers

Party Like It's 2020

Today was Hubby Tony's birthday, but my Covid quarantine that started on Monday really put the kibosh on any plans. However, at the end of the day Tony said it had been a good one.

Last week I asked Tony what he wanted for his birthday dinner. He chose a nearby Greek restaurant that recently opened. I would have gone wherever he wanted, but Greek food always sounds good to me.

Freepik

(Two days after my positive antigen test I am feeling better. My only remaining symptoms are a slight scratchy throat and a runny nose/post nasal drip cough, but the most current guidelines say that I should stay home until at least 24 hours after my symptoms are better, and any fever is gone. I think by tomorrow I should be good to go out masked up.)

Yesterday I realized from a Facebook ad that the restaurant was having it's Grand Opening today. Their big promotion was a Chicken Gyro dinner with chips and a side for $5. I was afraid the dining room might be overwhelmed, but Tony wasn't concerned. Our original plan was to eat in the restaurant. Plan B was to order online, but I found out system wasn't functioning. Plan C was for Tony to walk into the restaurant and order.

I drove with him to the restaurant and sat in the car while he went in.  In addition to the dinners, he also got a salad to share and two pieces of baklava.We came back home and ate our food at the dining room table, just like we did back in 2020 when everything was shut down.

Five years ago today: No Problem

Again?!?

Yesterday afternoon my nose started running and my throat was scratchy. The mold count has been awful, so I took allergy medicine and kept going. At bedtime I had a headache, so I downed ibuprofen along with a decongestant.

I didn't sleep well, because the post nasal drip and accompanying cough kept me up. After breakfast I took a walk outside with Hubby Tony, but cancelled my class at the gym and laid around. I wasn't tired, but had no energy. The air conditioner was set to the normal temperature, but I felt chilly.

Mid afternoon I had a horrible thought. What if I had more than a cold? I did some research and decided it was time to test for the dreaded Covid.

Cold, Flu, or Covid?

When the test was finished the Positive line was so clear there was no room for doubt. I had Covid.

I spent the next hour clearing my calendar for the next five days.  Depending on my symptoms, my quarantine could be over, or it could drag on. Tony hasn't had any symptoms, so he gets to figure out his own schedule.

What A Weekend!

Hubby Tony left Thursday late afternoon for a retreat, and he got home today.

I made plans for lots of activities while he was away, but many of them were outside and Mother Nature had other plans. The weekend was gloomy with periods of rain, which put the kabash on several things. Despite the weather issues I still had a great time.

Thursday

As soon as Tony left I started thinking about what I was going to have for dinner. After poking around the kitchen I decided toasted cheese and tomato soup sounded good. However, there wasn't a can of soup soup in the house so I made my own by pulling out the blender and pureeing a can of chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, a spoonful of tahini, and a fig (for sweetness), then simmered the puree until the flavors melded. It was even better than the Campbell's would have been.

Pixabay

Friday

After a mid-morning meeting, instead of coming straight home I had extra time to pop into stores that caught my attention. The light drizzle that wouldn't go away made my hair barometer go full frizz, but I didn't mind.

In the evening I had dinner plans with Son Donald. He asked if I had a place in mind or if I wanted to go to something from his list of restaurants on his phone that he wants to try. Adventure always sounds good to me, so we ended up at Stews Food & Liquor in the Soulard neighborhood.

When we got there the sky was filled with clouds, and we both brought our umbrellas. All the inside tables were filled, but the host offered us a table for two under the building overhang. Halfway through the meal it started drizzling, and by the time we got the bill there was a light but steady rain.

We shared an appetizer and two entrees: T-pockets (a mashup of toasted ravioli and crab rangoon), Stew's Way Chicken (buffalo sauce, red chili paste, Mozzarella, and crispy rice), and Cold Curry Udon (red curry with coconut milk, peanuts, cilantro, and a scallion emulsion). There was enough of the entrees left over for each of us to bring some home.

Entrees

After leaving the restaurant we walked around the neighborhood. The steady rain meant that my sandals got wet and my feet were sloshing around in them, but the conversation was so good I didn't mind. I dropped Donald off at his house and came home. Pimento the foster cat wanted to know where I'd been.

Saturday

The city of Kirkwood sponsored a Route 66 Cars and Guitars Festival, which included a vintage car show, two stages of music, a few vendors, and food and drink stands. The main event started in the late afternoon, but in the morning the fire department and Rotary Club held a Carbs Guitars Pancake Breakfast. 

After my cycling class at the gym I walked over to the firehouse, where a pancake cooking station, serving line, banquet tables, and a trio of musicians had replaced the vehicles inside the building. My carb-filled breakfast gave me energy to get things done. I came home and did laundry and straightened the condo. I thought about visiting an art fair in Webster Groves (the city just to the east), but when I looked outside it was raining again.

When it was time for church in the late afternoon, I researched masses that would make it easy to go back into downtown Kirkwood for the main part of the festival. After church I was hungry; when I drove by a Sam's Club I decided that a piece of their food court pizza sounded good. It was, and I had money in my pocket for the rest of the night.

The festival always brings in a big crowd, so I knew to park several blocks away. I carried a water bottle and a rain jacket. I walked around the car show, listened to a couple of tunes from a cover band, and got some swag from the booths. It started drizzling. 

I decided I was ready to go home. But on the way back to the car I remembered I would be passing right by Clementine's Ice Cream. I got a 'Nice" scoop of Midnight Pleasures dark chocolate and a "Naughty" (with alcohol) scoop of Pink Champagne Sorbet. It was a great combination.

Five years ago today: The Importance Of Correct Punctuation