wordy wednesday...gratitude {november 30, 2022}

For me, Thanksgiving and November emphasize living with an attitude of gratitude. Thanksgiving and the month of November are a tag team to appreciate the little and big things that have come into my life. Regardless of its size, each blessing carries value in enriching and expanding my perspective. As November ends, I reflect on the many blessings that this month has put along my path and for them, I am grateful.

🍁 Autumn walks...Mother Nature's grand finale. November is a time when everything bursts with its last beauty.

🍁 A friends' trip to South Bend, Indiana for the Notre Dame/Clemson game. We Airbnb'd in a professor's home, the coolest Mid-Century home which stayed in character with its time: The furniture, cabinets, bathrooms, the wall of windows overlooking the wooded backyard, the artwork. I would go back to South Bend just for the reason of staying in this house again. Then there was the football game. Getting to the lot early to tailgate, walking around the stadium to find Touchdown Jesus, the Notre Dame a cappella singers singing "The Notre Dame Victory March," "Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame..." Walking into the stadium and basically standing for the entire game. The Fighting Irish posted a solid win over the Tigers, 35-14. Sunday morning...we took a walk around a very quiet campus. A friend of ours who is devoutly Catholic told us that "Notre Dame is second in line to the Vatican." We found the Grotto and lit a candle to celebrate the departed members of our family, walked around the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and just took in the aura of this iconic university. 

🍁 The full Beaver Blood Moon and all that came with it: a lunar halo, its reddish color, and its lunar eclipse.

🍁Taking a walk at Sugarcreek MetroPark and watching a husband and his son take their wife/mother who had dementia on a short stroll. She reminded me of my mom and we struck up a short conversation. She was a feisty little lady from Brooklyn who wasn't sure why they were walking in the woods. I asked her about living in New York and she had a few stories to tell. Dementia is a tough journey.

🍁 Our daughter is engaged! T got the best 65th birthday present, a future son-in-law. Our family has grown in 2022 with a son-in-law joining in April, a grandson in June, and now the promise of another to add to the family dynamic.

🍁 A very talented artist friend posted a photo of an abstract she recently created, "It's All about Love." The title was perfect for an engagement gift and I bought it on the spot.

🍁 Little grandson is 5 months old and is starting to notice the world around him. He always smiles when he sees his Didi and that just sets everything in the world to rights.

🍁 The Tree of Lights at Carillon Park. This 200 foot tree with 20,000 bulbs is the largest in Ohio and can be viewed from so many vantage points around town. We took a family photo at the tree. Little grandson was mesmerized by the lights. The magic of Christmas through a child's eyes...

🍁 All the kids and their loves were in town for Thanksgiving. The driveway was full of cars, every bed was full, nine people around the table and little grandson in his bouncy chair. Good wine, good food, lots of laughs, full tummies. It was a perfect day.

November and Thanksgiving provide just the right path to segue into the Christmas season.

pumpkin pie and cool whip {november 29, 2022}

I know  few people...

 

the golden menu {november 28, 2022}

The Pine Club, Dayton’s iconic steakhouse is celebrating 75 years of being a dining staple in the Miami Valley. Since 1947, The Pine Club has been serving mouth-watering filets garnished with onion rings and a classic side of stewed tomatoes.  To celebrate this anniversary, from November 16 until the end of the year, one lucky table at The Pine Club will receive a special “Golden Menu” that features dishes and prices from 1947.

Stepping into the Pine Club is like stepping back in time. Dark wood walls, dim lighting, the original bar where patrons visit with one another while waiting for their table...no reservations (George and Barbara Bush had a 45 minute wait during a campaign trip through Dayton...no credit cards (sign up for the Pine Club card and they will send you the bill), waitresses who have been there for 30 or more years. Not a place for an intimate dinner. 

We went to the Pine Club Friday night. Our daughter's fiancé had never been to the Pine Club and the Chicago boy wanted to experience this restaurant that he had heard so much about. The night started off well. We got a parking spot at 6:30 (busy dinner time on a Friday night) right in front of the restaurant. We put our name in with the hostess, the bar seats were full, but by the time we walked around the bar, the next wave of diners were being seated and four seats opened up. Our other daughter and her husband decided they wanted to join in a good steak dinner that Dad was going to pay for so we changed our group number, had to wait a little longer, and were seated at the table where George Bush sat. All the good vibes were happening. Would the Golden Menu show up in one of our menus? 

What a fun surprise! Lots of hootin' and hollerin' and high fivin' from our table!

The 1947 menu. No area codes back in the day.

Those prices...wow!

Our happy gang and our wonderful server who made our evening even more fun.

cheers! {november 27, 2022}

Alcohol has been around for many centuries and so has raising a glass and toasting to good health. It is not exactly clear when and where this tradition originated from, however there is a theory that the practice of raising a toast may have derived from the Romans, who would raise a glass during ceremonies or rituals to honor the gods. A sacred liquid such as blood or wine would be used as an offering or even as a prayer for good health.

When drinking with friends, many senses are involved: You can see it, feel it, taste it, and smell it. It is believed that clinking glasses was done during toasts because sound helped to please all five senses, completing the drinking experience. Drinking is a coming together of friends, so by physically touching glasses, drinkers become part of a communal celebration.

In Medieval times, glasses were clinked and people cheered loudly to ward off any demons or evil spirits. It was also thought that you would clink glasses to spill some on the floor, leaving some for the  bad spirits in hopes that they would leave you alone. A german tradition is to bang mugs of alcohol on the table and yell loudly to scare away ghosts or evil spirits. 

Cheers to you...clink away!

ohio state v. michigan {november 26, 2022}

They call it simply "The Game" for a reason. There may not be a more intense rivalry in college football, or any sport, than the annual hate-fest between Ohio State and Michigan. For more than a century, the inhabitants of these two neighboring states — pleasant, kind folk from the Midwest most of the year — turn into a pair of warring tribes at each others' throats late in the fall.

No need to rehash the ugly details. Michigan 45, Ohio State 23, in front of about 107,000 mostly infuriated Midwesterners at the Horseshoe in Columbus. Talk about a Buckeye meltdown and saying good-bye to national championship dreams.

We drove to Cleveland to watch the game. ODOT got clever with its signs. In Ohio, lots of people wear Ohio State gear. When you see a fellow Buckeye, you say, “O-H,” they respond, “I-O.” ODOT go into the spirit of the game with its spirited travel advisory.

my peeps {november 25, 2022}

My family has grown by three this year: a little grandson, a son-in-law, and a future son-in-law! Photo at the magnificent Tree of Lights.

thankful {november 24, 2022}

On Thursday, millions of Americans will sit around a Thanksgiving table with friends and family and, in many cases, note what they’re thankful for.

You can guess some of the answers. Friends, family and health always make the top of the list.

I’m also thankful for all of those things, but I try to think a little more globally about what we, as Americans, should be thankful for, not only on Thursday, but every day of the year.

I also think about what we can do to make ourselves a better community. 

Veterans

I’m always thankful for those who have served our country and have risked and sacrificed more than I ever will. When I see a veteran, I thank them for their service. If one’s in line for coffee, I’ll buy it. 

We should thank them every day and, as a community, do more for them. Our veterans shouldn’t have to worry about their next meal or where they’ll sleep at night. 

Decency 

With the endless drumbeat of bad news it seems as if Americans have lost all of their decency, meaning “behavior that conforms to accepted standards of morality or respectability.” Not all of us have. The largest swath of our community doesn’t care about race, creed, color, or status.

By in large, we are decent people who want to help and live the best life we can. Look around at the churches, groups, and business owners who will help feed those who often go hungry — not just Thursday, but every day.

We need to do a better job drowning out the hate and celebrating decency. 

Caring

Merriam-Webster defines caring as “displaying kindness and concern for others.” One in four Americans volunteer. But the numbers don’t tell the full story. Yes, there are people who are miserable louts and don’t care about anyone and anything, but they are in the very small minority. When you see an ambulance pull up at a neighbor’s house, most of us don’t think about political differences. If anyone I know heard of a child who needed a coat, we wouldn’t just buy one coat without knowing if the little one had brothers and sisters who needed one, too. For the most part, we do not give lip service to caring, because we really do care. 

"It's All about Love" by Loretta Puncer

Freedom

We are, in my book, the freest country in the world. I know various indexes disagree (as do some people in this country) but if you objectively examine what we have it’s hard to argue.  

We have dozens of different religions in this country and all are free to worship as they choose. We can peacefully protest any issue without fear of arrest.

We can say and write what we like within established legal precedent. Freedom doesn’t mean you always get your way and it doesn’t mean actions lack consequences.

But it means that we have the freedom to make the choices we want and live with the ramifications.

Smiles

A little thing that really isn’t. Now that we are out of masks, I didn’t realize how much I missed seeing how someone reacts to the most common courtesy.

Hold a door open? Get a smile. Offer someone to go ahead of you in the grocery store line? That gets a smile. Pay a compliment? Smile time. There’s lots of research that show smiles make people feel good — both the person smiling and the person watching it.

We are, by no stretch, a perfect people or community.

There’s plenty of data available to show us what’s wrong with us. If you dig deep enough you can find something wrong with everything. Cake has too many calories — but I’m not giving up cake. Nope.

While you’re having dinner Thursday and thinking about what you’re thankful for, maybe you can add one more thing.

Talk about what’s right with us.

wordy wednesday...homecoming {november 23, 2022}

Homecoming: a return to one's home; arrival at home.

My kids were born and raised in Dayton, OH. After college each one came home for a little while until the job took them elsewhere. They now live in Columbus, Cleveland, and Chicago. T and I enjoy going on the 3 Cs Tour.

Now a couple of my Gang of 4 are married and holidays need to be shared. Luckily we have a system that works. One year everyone is in Dayton for Thanksgiving and the next year they all come home for Christmas. 

The homecoming is in progress. One by one they will come home for Thanksgiving, the driveway will look like a parking lot, and my heart will grow with each hello.

take a breath offered by friendly winds {november 22, 2022}

One by one family coming into town...food shopping, food shopping, and more food shopping...Thanksgiving meal prep...a 19 pound turkey...2 dogs...clean the house...fresh sheets and towels..."discussions" about whether to put leaves in the table or have two tables...lists upon lists...I will think of more as the Thanksgiving clock ticks. Overloaded brain.

The Ohio Humanities sent its pre-Thanksgiving message and included a poem by Joy Harto, a member of the Myskoke/Creek Nation and the 2019 Poet Laureate. Talk about a timely read. For me, it’s an ideal reminder to spend time in nature and enjoy moments of gratitude, especially over the holidays. 

For Calling the Spirit Back from Wandering the Earth in Its Human Feet

Joy Harjo (1951 - )

Put down that bag of potato chips, that white bread, that bottle of pop.

Turn off that cellphone, computer, and remote control.

Open the door, then close it behind you.

Take a breath offered by friendly winds. They travel the earth gathering essences of plants to clean.

Give it back with gratitude.

If you sing it will give your spirit lift to fly to the stars’ ears and back.

Acknowledge this earth who has cared for you since you were a dream planting itself precisely within your parents’ desire.

Let your moccasin feet take you to the encampment of the guardians who have known you before time, who will be there after time. They sit before the fire that has been there without time.

Let the earth stabilize your postcolonial insecure jitters.

Be respectful of the small insects, birds and animal people who accompany you.
Ask their forgiveness for the harm we humans have brought down upon them.

Don’t worry.
The heart knows the way though there may be high-rises, interstates, checkpoints, armed soldiers, massacres, wars, and those who will despise you because they despise themselves.

The journey might take you a few hours, a day, a year, a few years, a hundred, a thousand or even more.

Watch your mind. Without training it might run away and leave your heart for the immense human feast set by the thieves of time.

Do not hold regrets.

When you find your way to the circle, to the fire kept burning by the keepers of your soul, you will be welcomed.

You must clean yourself with cedar, sage, or other healing plant.

Cut the ties you have to failure and shame.

Let go the pain you are holding in your mind, your shoulders, your heart, all the way to your feet. Let go the pain of your ancestors to make way for those who are heading in our direction.

Ask for forgiveness.

Call upon the help of those who love you. These helpers take many forms: animal, element, bird, angel, saint, stone, or ancestor.

Call your spirit back. It may be caught in corners and creases of shame, judgment, and human abuse.

You must call in a way that your spirit will want to return.

Speak to it as you would to a beloved child.

Welcome your spirit back from its wandering. It may return in pieces, in tatters. Gather them together. They will be happy to be found after being lost for so long.

Your spirit will need to sleep awhile after it is bathed and given clean clothes.

Now you can have a party. Invite everyone you know who loves and supports you. Keep room for those who have no place else to go.

Make a giveaway, and remember, keep the speeches short.

Then, you must do this: help the next person find their way through the dark. 

the last pumpkin spice post of 2022 {november 21, 2022}

And in Monday's starting line up you have the pumpkin spice quartet consisting of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. I'm not much of a pie baker. T likes pie, especially pumpkin pie, and he asked if I would make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

I've eaten a lot of pumpkin pie in my life; my all time favorite recipe is my mom's. And I'm not saying that because it's Mom's recipe. She has a good spice balance where none of the spices dominate and she omitted the ginger. It's been a well-loved recipe over the years and it's her handwriting. 

"I love Thanksgiving because it is a holiday centered around food and family, two things that are of utmost importance to me." ~ Marcus Samuelsson

Here's to tradition, to the real pumpkin spice, to family, to love, and to gratitude.

surprises {november 20, 2022}

Surprise #1...Yesterday T was watching the Ohio State/Maryland football game and at halftime, he said, "Let's go get a pizza." I had been thinking about what to have for dinner and this announcement took care of that! The only stipulation was that we had to go to a sports bar so he could watch the second half. Worked for me.

Surprises #2 and 3...Decisions, decisions on what kind of pizza to get. I lean toward veggie; T doesn't. My suggestion: veggie pizza, no black olives, add pepperoni. And he said, "Yes!" We placed the order, our server repeated, "Veggie, no black olives, substitute pepperoni." Perfect. I thought we'd get charged for a pepperoni pizza with extra ingredients; we got charged for a veggie pizza.

Surprise #4...On our way home, we saw that the Tree of Lights was illuminated. It's official lighting is November 22 but there was a gala at Carillon Park and it lit up the park for the guests and those lucky enough to be passing by. This is one of my very favorite Christmas displays...be ready for a few more posts this holiday season!

“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.” ~ Maya Angelou

so long, pumpkin spice {november 19, 2022}

Back at the end of August, Starbucks welcomed pumpkin spice season 2022 with its pumpkin spice latte sign and quickly thereafter shelves were filled with all sorts of pumpkin spice goodies: beer, Twinkies, Cheerios, popcorn, biscotti, yogurt, to name a few.

Next week, we will celebrate Thanksgiving, which then signals the end of fall and the beginning of the  Christmas season. Farewell to pumpkin spice; hello to peppermint lattes, scents of evergreen, cinnamon and gingerbread.

Just a few parting pumpkin spice shots...until next year! 

5 months {november 18, 2022}

My little guy is 5 months old! He's starting to roll over, push up from his tummy onto his elbows, babble, put objects into his mouth, and starting to teethe. He has the sweetest chuckle which is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. He, his mom and and dad, his aunts and uncles will be here for Thanksgiving. 

Full driveway, full house = full heart!

we got mooned! {november 17, 2022}

10 days ago, Monday, November 7...the lunar halo was the precursor to the lunar eclipse.  

When a Ring’s Around the Moon

by Mary Jane Carr

The wee folk will be tripping,

In their silver-dancing shoon,

Ring-around-the-meadow,

When the ring’s around the moon:

Curtsy to the right and left,

And curtsy to the middle - 

The finder will be fiddling

On his tiny fairy fiddle;

In and out and round about

A magic circle making:

The pipers will be piping

Till their tiny throats are aching.

Oh, few may watch the wee ones dance,

For fairy guards are spying,

And down beneath the grasses

All the dancers will be hieing;

But harken well, what time you see

A ring around the moon;

And you will hear the music

Of the wee folks’ dancing tune. 

🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌕

And then came the big sky event. November’s full Beaver Moon reached its peak illumination in the morning hours of Tuesday, November 8. In addition, the Beaver Moon plunged into a total lunar eclipse at 6:00 a.m. and then the polls opened for Election Day at 6:30. 

I was sleeping soundly until 4:45 a.m. when a pesky spam text came through. Not a happy camper. But a beautiful light was shining through the bedroom window and that took care of my pissy early morning fog. I went outside, tried to take a few pics with my iPhone (they didn't turn out very well), so I just stood on the patio watching the eclipse. The stars twinkled in the quiet morning as the moon disappeared. It was a peaceful but early introduction to the day.

Photo: Connie Post. 

My artistic friend has been experimenting with an AI photo app. She was awake for the lunar eclipse and used one of her photos as her inspiration for this creation.

wordy wednesday...plethora {november 16, 2022}

Quick and to the point!

morning coffee {november 15, 2022}

The importance of appreciating simple, everyday joys in life.

One of these everyday joys is my morning cup of coffee. 

It's more than the coffee itself that I love. The ritual of preparing and enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning is my introduction to the new day.  

I started thinking about why I appreciate the ritual of making and drinking morning coffee on such a grand level, and I realized that it's because it's a very uncomplicated, almost effortless way to start the day on a positive note. For starters, even though I am a morning person, it gets me out of bed and gets me going. But there is also something to be said for the way coffee affects all of my senses - I love the sound of the beans being poured into the grinder, the smell of them being freshly ground, the sight of that delectable liquid dripping down into the pot, the feeling of my hands around the warm coffee mug, and most importantly, the taste. Oh that first taste! The entire process is enjoyable, and starting your day doing something you enjoy is key to the outcome of the rest of it. The morning coffee ritual also means a few minutes of a relaxed time with T as we greet the day. It may be a short and sweet time period, but it does make a difference in each of our days.

We spent the night at our son's house the other night. He's not a regular coffee drinker, he didn't have milk in his fridge (I like a splash of milk in my coffee), so on our way out of Columbus we stopped at a coffee shop for our morning fix. What a delightful spot! A group of Italian men were at a table solving the problems of the world in their native language, people with computers were busy with their remote work, an elderly gentleman was sipping his coffee as he was deep into reading his very thick book, and we were part of this group of humanity sipping our coffees while enjoying a homemade pop tart. I'm usually not one for sweets in the morning but this was delicious. And it was vegan. I found this out when I returned the plate to the counter and complimented the barista on the tasty treat.

Just like at home, morning ritual played out in the coffee shop: the grinder, the smell, the warm cup, that first sip, and the bonus was having a kind server with a smile.

stand tall {november 14 2022}

Lessons from a giraffe:

🦒 Reach new heights

🦒 Celebrate your spots

🦒 Stay humble

🦒 Stand tall even when you stand alone

🦒 "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." ~ e. e. cummings

🦒 "You need that guy like a giraffe needs strep throat." ~ Ann Landers

cabbage rolls {november 13, 2022}

My friend with the farmer's market gave two gigantic end-of-the-season heads of cabbage to me. For two people in the house, we would be eating this cruciferous globe forever: slaw, stir-fried cabbage, colcannon, vegetable soup, the cabbage list is a long one. Yes, it's good for you but endless days of eating this Brassica just wasn't making me do cartwheels. (And yes, I really can do a cartwheel). Plus, we were getting ready to go away for the weekend and I didn't want to come home to a cabbage project. 

Cabbage rolls to the rescue.

The two heads of cabbage made 24 cabbage rolls. I divided them 4 each into 6 pans, covered them with Press n' Seal and aluminum foil, and put them in the freezer. Cabbage rolls to the rescue for future dinners and also a couple to give to friends.

Cabbage Rolls

2 medium heads cabbage

2 lbs. ground chuck

1 lb. ground pork

1/2 c. rice, uncooked

1 med-large onion, chopped

1 T. salt

1 t. black pepper

1 t. garlic powder

2 eggs

32 oz. sauerkraut

64 oz. V-8

1-2 lbs. Kielbasa

Core cabbage and put into large kettle of boiling water.  Fill sink with cold water. Remove leaves as they begin to separate and put in the cold water.

Cut up the remaining cabbage when leaves get too small and put in the bottom of baking pan. Put some sauerkraut on top of that.

Mix meat, rice, onions, seasonings, and eggs. Place portion of meat mixture (according to size of leaf) in cup of leaf, roll once, fold in sides, and continue to roll. Place the cabbage rolls on top of the cabbage/sauerkraut mixture. Spread with remaining sauerkraut and cover with V-8.

Bake, covered, at 325° for 2-3 hours.

Cut the kielbasa into half circles, brown, and put on top of the cabbage rolls the last half hour of roasting.

Makes 10-12 cabbage rolls.

clash of the seasons {november 12, 2022}

Sooner or later it was going to happen. Unseasonably warm seventies one day to waking to an early morning snow the next. Autumn gold meets winter white.

We were blessed with warm weather almost to mid-November but now it's time to roll into the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons with the appropriate temperatures that are typical to Ohio. I will miss the warmth but have found that winter walks are exhilarating. Dress appropriately, breathe in that fresh, chilly air, get a comfortable pace going, and soon you'll notice things other than the cold.

veterans' day {november 11, 2022)

November 11, 1918. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice  was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day and is now a holiday dedicated to veterans of all wars.

Above is my grandpa. He hailed from the tiny town of Danvers, IL, served in WWI and as a Mennonite, had non-combatant status. I don't know much about his service, other than he and other non-combatants were stationed at Illinois Wesleyan University managing some type of a supply chain.

“Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for they’ve suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us.” ~ Ronald Reagan

My father-in-law proudly wore this hat. He chose not to have ribbons on his uniform, rather he displayed his accomplishments on this U.S. Naval Aviation hat along with a few other pins that had relevance to his time in the Navy. He accomplished a lot during his few years in the service. It took him a long time to open up about his time in the Navy and his time spent in the South Pacific.