monday's mulling: hold on

It's graduation season for the area universities and high schools. Time for endings and time for new beginnings.

My niece graduated from high school in 2011. Todd and I drove my mom to Philadelphia so she could attend her youngest granddaughter's commencement ceremony and celebrate her acceptance into MIT.

The speeches were your typical high school graduation orations, thanking the teachers for their guidance, touching on friendships, everyone taking off for new beginnings in their lives after high school, congratulations to the Class of 2011, and turn your tassel to signify the transition from student to graduate.

One of the speeches from an administrator had some advice that really made an impression. He called it called "Hold On." It wasn't included in the graduation program so once I got home, I did a lot of digging to see if I could find his words, hoping that he found them in a publication. Someone other than the administrator did write them but there was no credit to the author.

It's a universal message to people of all ages.

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"Hold On"

"Hold on to faith. 

It is the source of believing that all things are possible. It is the 

fiber and strength of a confident soul. 

Hold on to hope. 

It banishes doubt and enables attitudes to be positive and cheerful. 

Hold on to trust.

It is at the core of fruitful relationships that are secure and content. 

Hold on to love. 

It is the greatest gift of all, for it shares, cares, and gives meaning 

to life. 

Hold on to family and friends. 

They are the most important people in your life. They make the 

world a better place. They are your roots and the beginnings that 

you grew from. They are the vines that have grown through time 

to nourish you, help you on your way, and always remain close by. 

Hold on to all that you are and all that you've learned.

For these things are what makes you unique. Don't ignore what 

you feel and what you believe is right or important. Your heart 

has a way of speaking louder than your mind. 

Hold on to your dreams.

Achieve them diligently and honestly. Never take the easy way out 

or surrender to deceit. Remember others on your way and take 

time to care for their needs. Enjoy the beauty around you. Have

the courage to see things differently, yet clearly. Make the world a 

better place, one day at a time. Don't let go of the important things 

that give meaning to your life.”

~ author unknown

that time in may

Leavin' on a jet plane...

Heading to New York City again.

It’s that time of year again for the Mortgage Bankers Association Secondary and Capital Markets Conference. Todd has attended this conference for 47 years, first as a mortgage banking executive and now as a consultant. Over the decades, the conference has been hosted in cities across the country, but for the past 13 years New York City has been its destination.

I’ve gone New York during all 13 years of the conference, initially as an excuse to visit my daughter, who lived in the city during the conference’s first three years there. She taught me how to navigate the subway, how to figure out the Avenues and Streets to  confidently make my way around Manhattan. The Empire State Building became my North Star. After she moved to Chicago, I felt ready to take on the Big Apple on my own while Todd was in conference mode.

Now this trip is bittersweet. Todd recently told me this will be the conference’s final year in New York City. Next year, it moves to Chicago. Who knows if it will stay in Chicago for a few years or if the venue will change yearly.

I’ll admit, I’m disappointed. May is such a wonderful time to visit New York. The weather is warm enough for long walks, the parks and gardens are in bloom, and sidewalk cafés and rooftop bars are filled with people enjoying the outdoors before the summer humidity settles in. Best of all, the crowds are lighter than during peak vacation season.

Still, just because the conference is leaving New York doesn’t mean we won’t return. We truly love the city. But perhaps this is also an invitation to step outside our familiar routine and explore somewhere new.

marigolds

Yesterday, after a couple of hours of digging in the dirt, 125 marigolds found homes in the empty spaces of my corner garden bed and around the vegetable garden too, strategically planted in hopes of convincing the local deer to KEEP AWAY! Right now things look a little sparse, but give it a month and the flowers will grow and spread and fill the space with color.

I’ve always loved marigolds. They’re bright and cheerful, unfussy, loved by pollinators, and sturdy enough to thrive through heat, wind, and neglect. Their blooms stretch through the fall. They aren’t flashy or rare, but that’s part of their charm.

And as a bonus, marigolds are the official flower of Kettering, Ohio, so this planting is also a tip o’ the hat to my hometown. 🌼

 

the friday feed: sour milk

Milk. It’s supposed to be the secret to strong bones. At least that’s what parents told their children and what the lunch ladies reminded students as they slid the little cartons across cafeteria tables. I was never much of a milk drinker, but I did want strong bones. Besides, there was something fun about milk mustaches and blowing bubbles until the cartons overflowed.

When my four children were growing up, there were always at least two gallons of milk in the refrigerator. No grocery trip was complete without bringing home another gallon. For years, milk was as much a household staple as bread or eggs.

Then one day, it happened.

Only a little milk remained in the bottom of the jug, and it was taking up precious refrigerator space. I poured myself a glass, took a big gulp, and instantly spit it out. Spoiled milk.  UGH! One of the most disgusting tastes imaginable. It hadn’t reached the chunky stage yet, but it had turned unmistakably sour. Blech. I spit it into the sink and rinsed my mouth for what seemed like forever, trying to get rid that horrible taste.

To this day, I can’t drink a plain glass of milk. I’ll use it in cereal or coffee, and chocolate milk is still a treat, but straight milk? Absolutely not. And I always smell the milk before I use it.

Just the other morning, while making my first cup of coffee, I pulled out the half gallon of milk. (The days of buying milk by the gallon are long gone). Out of habit, I gave it the usual sniff test. After our weekend in Chicago, it had soured.

No milk for my coffee.

Thankfully, there was just enough Half & Half waiting in the refrigerator to save the morning.

keeping balance

Earlier this week, Jaycee from Nobody's Diary shared a YouTube video featuring King Charles III sending birthday wishes to Sir David Attenborough in celebration of his 100th birthday. It's such a heart-warming video. Both men are have long been outspoken advocates for conservation, dedicating their efforts to protecting the natural world and promoting environmental balance for future generations. 

Snoopy also rides the same bandwagon as King Charles and Sir David.

Closer to home, Ohio is experiencing a massive data center building boom, ranking as a top-five state with over 200 facilities. This is driven by a combination of low-cost readily available land, robust energy infrastructure, favorable tax incentives, and low natural disaster risks.

Recently this expansion has faced backlash due to high energy consumption and straining the power grids. Over a dozen municipalities and townships have passed temporary, localized moratoriums. Additionally, there is a proposed grassroots constitutional amendment aiming for a statewide ban. Citizens are realizing this is too much too fast with not much consideration to the quality and expenses of life.

Save the bees! 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

This past week I took care of my neighbor's dogs during the day. Her two sweet, senior Labs, Nuggz and Hatter, are typical Labs, friendly and affectionate, and despite their advanced ages are quite playful.

Mother’s Day weekend in Chicago brought beautiful weather and a memorable skyline view. The Illinois Department of Transportation offered a timely reminder on a digital sign: “Wear a seat belt and drive safely. Love, Mom.” It was the perfect touch for the holiday weekend, and I managed to capture it with the skyline framed nicely in the background 😊

On Saturday morning, my daughters, my little grandson, and I visited the Lincoln Park Farmers Market. The morning was gorgeous, and the market was packed with people enjoying the sunshine and the lively atmosphere. AJ was determined to escape his stroller and run right into the excitement. Aunt Sari came to the rescue with a bag of cotton candy, his very first taste. He approached it cautiously at first, but after one bite, he was completely hooked.

After the farmers market, Lauren took AJ home for his nap while Sara and I headed to her neighborhood. She wanted to show me a new mural in Bucktown and she was disappointed to see that someone had tagged it. Sara explained that within the graffiti art community, there is an unspoken code of respect: true artists don't paint over another artist’s work. To her, the tag wasn't art but vandalism splashed across someone else’s creation.

Before heading home on Monday morning, we stopped by the Merchandise Mart so we could see where our daughter works. The historic building has recently undergone a beautiful remodel, blending modern design with its classic character. She currently works on a hybrid schedule and commutes into the office three days a week.

It's time to get the garden going. First round to go into the ground are herbs and a couple flats of marigolds (more to come), and some petunias to go into a planter where the hummingbird feeder will be over the summer.

monday's mulling: google doodles

A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google’s homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. Some more of the more recent Doodles include:

April 30, 2026, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Historic Route 66.

May 5, 2026 - Teacher Appreciation Day

May 10, 2026 - Mother's Day

Scroll down on the Google Doodles page to "When Is Your Birthday?" Enter your birthdate and you will find Doodles from years past that fall on your day. My birthday falls on Mexican Independence Day and many of the Doodles reflect that theme as well as recognizing other famous peoples' birthdays. Enjoy your doodling!