the friday feed: oreo milkshakes

Many years ago, when my house was full of kids, both my own and a steady stream of their friends, Oreo milkshakes were a regular favorite. My blender got quite a workout in those days, churning out those treats for whomever happened to be gathered in the kitchen...like the time the dryer repairman got one! The years passed, the kids left for college, started lives of their own, and those Oreo milkshakes became a memory.

That is, until last week, when the grandchildren came to visit.

To celebrate their trip to Didi and Grandpa's house, I decided it was the perfect time to bring back the tradition. Owen told me he'd already had an Oreo milkshake. "It was from Chick-fil-A." I smiled and told him that Didi's milkshakes were better, especially because he was going to help make them.

I put a handful of Oreos into a zip-top bag and showed him how to crush them with a rolling pin. It was his first time using one, and if he'd had his way, the entire package would have ended up as a pile of crunched up cookies! His enthusiasm and excitement made the whole process just as much fun as the milkshakes themselves.

Needless to say, Owen absolutely loved the cookie shakes, and so did the rest of us. They were the perfect treat on a hot summer day.

Old family traditions bring such joy. A blender, a few Oreos, and little hands eager to help were all it took to bring a family favorite back to life. Judging by the smiles around the table, I have a feeling Didi's Oreo milkshakes will be making many more appearances in the years ahead.

 

the invasion of the pumpkin vine

At the end of last fall I left a small pumpkin in the garden area where you see the orange lilies. As colder weather approached that pumpkin offered food for the birds and other small critters. Fast forward to this summer...look what is taking over my patio! I'm letting it grow and getting a lot of enjoyment and laughs as it finds its way in its little backyard haven.

 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

A conjoined coneflower. A fused bloom, a unique curiosity, and a delightful surprise in the garden.

Here's why I didn't post regularly this past week. We had visitors! Andrew, Jennifer, and the little sweethearts arrived Wednesday night, and Thursday morning it was go, go, go!

Owen loved playing with Didi and Grandpa's toys, the ones we saved from when our kids were little. Some were familiar to him - the Transformers, Ghostbusters, and  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They may have looked a little different than today's versions, but he knew exactly what they were, and they kept him entertained.

Hallie discovered a little stool in the living room and quickly became attached to it. My dad made that stool in his high school Industrial Arts class. He was probably 17 or 18 years old, which means he made it around 1951. That little stool is now about 75 years old. That time span was definitely a "wow" moment for me.

Owen was my wonderful helper when it came to watering the flowers. Several times during the visit he asked if they had enough water, and of course, the answer was always that they could use a little more! One more "toy" that kept Owen occupied was the paper shredder. I always shred my junk mail and once he saw how the shredder worked, he was ready to be my right-hand kid. I found some more junk mail in Todd's office and he was such a good helper getting rid of that pile. Another fun Didi activity to keep him busy 😊  Who needs fancy toys when a paper shredder is in the house?

Children's imaginations are just wonderful. They had the best time pretending to be "Bucket Heads!"

Just outside our garage is what I call a hydrangea tree. Its official name is a Panicle Hydrangea. When it's covered in blooms, bees are constantly buzzing from flower to flower collecting pollen. You can hear them before you even see them. Owen dubbed it the "bee tree," and he wanted nothing to do with it. Every time he came out of the garage, he sprinted past it!

I love this tree. Its flowers begin as a creamy white in mid-summer. As the season gives way to fall, they transform into shades of blush pink, rosy red, and soft purplish tan. It's one of my favorite signs of the changing seasons. It is getting too big for the space so it will get a trim in the late fall.

let it rain

Like many places across the U.S., we've been waiting and hoping for rain. Our wish was finally answered on Saturday with a downpour that soaked the ground and cooled the air.

There's something incredibly calming about watching the rain fall. The earthy scent that rises after the first drops, the gentle patter on the driveway, the steady rhythm of it all... it's nature's own stress reliever.

the friday feed: national ice cream month!

National Ice Cream Month is celebrated throughout the month of July, a tradition that began in 1984 when President Ronald Reagan signed Presidential Proclamation 5219 into law. The proclamation also designated the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. If you don't have a calendar handy, that's July 19 in 2026.

I've always loved ice cream, and I definitely inherited that trait from my dad. Some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around sharing ice cream with my family. There were root beer floats (always made with Dad's Root Beer), trips to Dairy Queen for either a hot fudge sundae or a chocolate cone dipped in chocolate, and the occasional Klondike Bar waiting in the freezer.

One of my favorite traditions happened when Dad was working at the Sears store in the Salem Mall. About once a month, he would take the long way home down Main Street so he could stop at Sherer's Ice Cream and stock up. He'd come home with six half-gallons to put in the big freezer in our basement. Choosing from all those flavors was half the fun: rich fudgy chocolate, peppermint stick, butter praline, the best vanilla and chocolate, fresh peach in the summer, and black cherry.

My love of ice cream continued into adulthood. When I was pregnant, I wasn't gaining much weight, so my doctor actually gave me permission to enjoy as many milkshakes as I wanted. That was all the encouragement I needed! Orange Watermelon Sherbet Coolers and Mint Chocolate Chip milkshakes from Friendly's quickly became favorite weekly treats.

So here came July 4, 2026 and to add to the celebration of America's 250th anniversary, Graeter’s Ice Cream, a near-by Cincinnati-based company. created a limited-edition flavor called Cherry Sparkler, featuring wild cherry ice cream with red and blue popping candy folded into every scoop. Yes, I bought some, and yes, it is absolutely delicious!

Whether it's a family tradition, a favorite neighborhood ice cream shop, or a brand-new flavor that catches your eye, ice cream has a remarkable way of bringing back memories and creating new ones. National Ice Cream Month is the perfect excuse to indulge in a scoop or two, share a sweet treat with family and friends, and celebrate one of America's most beloved desserts.

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

The highlight of this past week was taking a yoga class at the Dayton Arcade. A gem of downtown Dayton since 1904, the Arcade began as a bustling public market and has since been beautifully transformed into a residential, commercial, and innovation hub. About 70 people gathered for the late afternoon class, making for a memorable experience in such a stunning historic setting.

 

Last Friday, Todd and I headed downtown for a concert at the Levitt Pavilion. After a brutally hot week, the heat dome that had settled over Ohio finally lifted, leaving a perfect summer evening to sit outside and enjoy a concert honoring our nation's veterans. It was a wonderful way to kick off the Independence Day weekend.

My Fourth of July began with a work shift at the farm. The morning was a busy one, with customers stopping by for last minute picnic supplies. Corn on the cob was the favorite, with tomatoes close behind. After my shift, I hurried home for a quick shower and then spent an hour or so chopping vegetables for my "Summer in a Bowl" salad to take to a friend's gathering. Her parties are always a joy because so many of the guests are soccer parents from the days when our sons played together.

A college friend, who could easily have been a preacher, shared this thoughtful message on the Fourth of July. He has always had a gift for bringing people together and reminding us of what matters most.

And finally, no Fourth of July would be complete without the annual hot dog eating contest at Coney Island. God bless America...and Joey Chestnut!

monday's mulling: semiquincentennial

I’m a proud word nerd. Give me a perfectly ordinary word and I’ll happily dig down to its roots like a an archaeologist with her pick. So when semiquincentennial appeared, my brain practically started doing cartwheels.

Semiquincentennial. A 250th anniversary.

At first glance, it looks less like a word and more like someone lost a fight with a bag of Scrabble tiles. But take a deep breath and break it down bit by bit into its Latin roots:

• Semi = half
• Quin = five
• Centennial = 100 years

Put them together and you get half of five hundred years.

Half of 500 is 250. (Even we word nerds can do a little math).

So while semiquincentennial may sound like a condition the grammar police should investigate, it’s really just a fancy way of saying 250th anniversary.

Thinking about the semiquincentennial reminded me of my friend, Patricia Saxton, a wonderfully talented artist who lives in Sedona. We met in college back in the late 1970s, and I’ve been admiring and following her creativity ever since.

In 2011, Pat launched 52 Weeks of Peace, “a visual exploration of a familiar symbol, imagined, designed and illustrated with an intention to inspire hope, joy and the practice of mindful peace in our daily lives.” You can explore the series here: 52 Weeks of Peace

At the time when Pat introduced 52 Weeks of Peace, I was teaching 8th grade Language Arts. Every Friday, I would end class by sharing her most recent peace symbol. The students really embraced the idea. They looked forward to seeing each week’s design, and some even created peace symbols of their own. It turned out to be a pretty wonderful way to start the weekend.

Pat completed all 52 peace signs years ago and has since moved on to other artistic adventures. Still, every now and then, a new peace sign appears on her social media.

To celebrate the semiquincentennial, Pat recently reached back into the spirit of her 52 Weeks of Peace series and created her 87th peace sign.

It doesn’t have an official title, but I’ve been toying with a couple of ideas: “A Peace of Pie” or “Have a Piece of Peace.”

What would you call it?