the times they are a-changin'

Wow... how writing a research paper has changed.

Back in the day, research meant going to the library. You’d start with the card catalog, looking up a topic and then hunting through the shelves for books that might contain the information you needed. From there, it was a deep dive into encyclopedias, microfiche, newspapers, magazines, and whatever other publications were available. Once you found something useful, you copied the information onto index cards, made Xerox copies, or simply wrote notes on notebook paper. Then came the task of organizing and synthesizing all of that information into a coherent paper.

Along came computers, the internet, and online databases. Suddenly, research was available at your fingertips. Information could be copied, pasted, and stored in digital files for organization. Even then, I still wrote a lot of notes by hand and often used actual scissors and tape to cut apart and group ideas before drafting a paper. After all the gathering and organizing came the writing, weaving everything together into a cohesive final product.

When I was teaching, Wikipedia had become a popular source of information, but it wasn’t considered a valid academic source because it was crowd-sourced and could be edited by anyone.

And now there’s AI. Artificial Intelligence. Type in a topic, and a paper can be generated in seconds.

As times change, the way we do things changes too. I’m grateful for the skills I learned all those years ago. The process of digging for information, evaluating sources, and connecting ideas taught me far more than how to write a research paper. It developed critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that continue to serve me in many other aspects of life.

monday's mulling: early morning walks

We’ve been dog-sitting our son’s 8-year-old black Lab since last Wednesday. 2021 was our last year of having a dog in the house, and while we don’t plan to own another canine, we do enjoy the time with our temporary houseguest.

Brutus (aka B, B-Dog, B-Doggy, and Brutie) is an early riser, so our first walks of the day have been starting at 5:30 a.m. Todd and I take turns walking him around the neighborhood. Sometimes we simply go down the street and back; other times our walks last a little longer. We’ve also managed to avoid rainy day outings when precipitation was in the forecast.

I’ve really enjoyed these early morning walks. Brutus is a very sniffy dog, so I let him take his time exploring whatever scent has captured his attention. A dog’s sense of smell is remarkable. Years ago, when I took one of my dogs to the vet, I commented on how much he sniffed. The vet explained the difference between a dog’s nose and a human’s with this analogy: while a person might walk into a room and smell a pot of vegetable soup, a dog can smell the individual ingredients, the carrots, the broth, the salt, and the spices.

At this early hour, the birds are beginning to wake up, too. At first, only a few chirp their morning greetings, but by the end of our walk, the neighborhood is filled with a symphony of birdsong.

For me, it’s a peaceful way to begin the day: walking gently through a world that is just waking up, myself included. I’m not thinking about my to-do list. It’s simply one foot in front of the other, letting B-Dog do his dog things: stopping to pee, stopping to poop (I carry poop bags and, in fact, keep a supply at home), and sniff, sniff, sniff.

Good morning, world, and Happy Monday!

 

flower power!

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change."  ~ Buddha

 

grand handprints

Recently, a growing number of chipmunks is taking over our small patio garden. The little critters are cute, but they're also becoming quite a nuisance. They've been burrowing through the flower beds and destroying some of our lilies. My neighbor has noticed the increase in chipmunk activity as well and recently purchased some chipmunk repellent. Following her game plan, I made a trip to Home Depot in search of something to discourage these pesky rodents.

While walking through the parking lot, I spotted a truck covered in handprints. Of course I stopped to take a photo. How could I not?

As I stood there, I found myself wondering: What's the story behind this truck?

Maybe Grandpa discovered it at an auction. It wasn't flashy. The paint was faded, the bumpers showed a little rust, and maybe it rattled when it started.

But in Grandma and Grandpa's eyes, it was perfect.

They had a plan.

One Saturday afternoon, they invited all their grandchildren over. They spread canvases across the driveway, rolled the old truck onto them, and opened cans of white and yellow paint. One by one, each grandchild dipped their hands into the paint and pressed them onto the hood, doors, and sides of the truck.

Giggles and squeals of delight ensued.

Some handprints were carefully placed, others were smudged and crooked, each one was treasured.

When the painting was finished, Grandpa stepped back, admired the truck, and smiled. "This isn't just an old truck anymore," he said. "It's our family."

Later that evening, with a stencil and a brush, Grandma and Grandpa added a final touch along the sides and tailgate:

HAND PAINTED BY OUR GRANDCHILDREN

From that day forward, the truck wasn't just for hauling mulch or picking up lumber. It became the vehicle for ice cream runs, fishing trips, family adventures, and countless memories.

It's not newest truck on the road and it's not the shiniest.

But it is the one with the most love.

the friday feed: coleslaw

For my grandson’s birthday party a couple of weeks ago, my daughter-in-law asked me to bring a salad. Knowing that there would be plenty of young children at the party, I thought a veggie tray would be a better choice. First, most little ones don’t eat salad, and second, a variety of cut-up vegetables gives everyone something they like.

A trip to the farmer’s market filled my basket with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red and orange peppers, sugar snap peas, and kohlrabi. Then a stop at the grocery store rounded out the tray with cauliflower, carrots, celery, and radishes. There was something for everyone.

As it turned out, there was so much food at the party that only a few people nibbled at the vegetables. By the end of the day, I found myself heading home with a large amount of leftover produce. We would be eating vegetables all week long.

What to do with all these veggies? As luck would have it, there was also a head of cabbage in my refrigerator that needed to be used. Coleslaw to the rescue.

I chopped the leftover vegetables from the tray, shredded the cabbage in my food processor, and dumped everything into my giant silver mixing bowl. That bowl has a story of its own. Many years ago, when my dad managed the Sears store at the Salem Mall, the store had a small snack shop where shoppers could sit down for casual fare such as hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, soup, and salad. When the restaurant eventually closed, the store needed to dispose of the kitchen equipment. My dad was able to bring home several of the mixing bowls, and one of those industrial-sized bowls is now in my pantry.

Before long, that bowl was filled with coleslaw ingredients. There was way more than Todd and I could ever eat on our own.

It was time to share the bounty.

My boss’s family was coming into town, and her house would soon be full of visitors. She was going to need food for everyone. Why not send some coleslaw her way? It seemed fitting that vegetables purchased at her farmer’s market had been transformed in my kitchen and would now make their way back to her table. Food has a way of coming full circle like that.

wasting time

Lollygagging and dillydallying...what fun words to describe wasting time!

These words are often used interchangeably but there is a subtle distinction between the two.

Lollygagging refers to being idle, wandering aimlessly or moving slowly because you are distracted or avoiding a task. You're not being productive. Dillydallying, on the other hand, is more about indecisiveness and avoiding a specific task by doing menial chores or overthinking things.

Both words are informal, and both are delightfully fun to say, which may explain why they've survived for so long despite sounding like they escaped from a Victorian toy chest.

 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

The studio where I go to yoga is just down the street from Woodland Cemetery, Dayton's most significant historic burial ground. It is the final resting place for many of the Who's Who of Dayton. The highest point in Dayton is also at Woodland and its skyline view is visible from this peaceful spot. 

The tall building on the right is the former Winters Bank Tower, named after the Winters family, early Dayton pioneers who founded Winters Bank in the 19th century. Jonathan Winters' (the actor and comedian) great-grandfather was the founder of Winters Bank. Todd worked in that building. The tall building to the left of the Winters Bank Building is the former Mead Building and I worked in that building. Mead Paper, which eventually became the Mead Corporation, was founded in 1846 in Dayton by Colonel Daniel Mead. His grandson transformed it into a massive pulp and paper empire.

The Wright Brothers are buried at Woodland in the family plot. The cemetery staff periodically collects the money left at Wilbur and Orville’s graves. These collected funds are pooled and used for the general upkeep and beautification of the cemetery grounds or put toward burial costs for indigent veterans.

Van Buren Middle School where my children attended 6th, 7th, and 8th grades and where I taught, closed its doors for the last time at the end of this school year. The building will be razed in November and a new middle school will be built at the high school campus. Last Wednesday was a final walk through for anyone who wanted a last look. My son and I went for a walk down Memory Lane.

In the early 2000s the school had a "Buy a Brick" fundraiser. The bricks were then placed in the sidewalk at the front of the school. Before the last visit, the powers-that-be had a mason dig them out and we picked them up during the open house. My oldest started school there in 1996 and my youngest finished the line of Householder kids in 2005.

A tidbit from the farm...Happiness is contagious and the simplest gesture can make the world of difference. There's always room for a little more kindness in the world 😊

happy tuesday!

You've heard of Sunday Funday?

Well here's Choose-Day Tuesday!

Make it a great day.

(PS...this goes for all the days of the week)

 

monday's mulling: little bumps in life

Last Thursday, I was heading to the farm for my morning shift. I had left the house five minutes later than usual, and what a difference those five minutes made. Traffic was heavier, especially where the road narrows to one lane in each direction about a quarter mile before the farm.

A few cars ahead of me was a driver causing a frustrating chain reaction: slow down, stop; slow down, stop. Then the car directly in front of me slammed on its brakes. I did the same.

BAM. (Dammit).

The driver behind me didn't.

We pulled off into the grass. I got out of my car and a young man stepped out of his. "Are you OK? Are you OK?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

He was clearly distraught, first because of the collision and second, he was in the middle of an Uber Eats delivery.

We exchanged phone numbers. His hand was shaking as he wrote and he told me he would send his insurance information as soon as possible. I trusted him. He seemed genuinely shaken and at the time I didn't feel it was necessary to call the police.

After about fifteen minutes we got back in our cars and continued on to our jobs.

I arrived at work five minutes late and told my co-worker what had happened.

The first thing she asked was, "Did you call the police?"

"No."

She gave me a look.

A little while later my boss arrived. I told her about the morning mishap.

"Did you call the police?"

"No."

She gave me a look, too.

That's when I started to worry. What if he won’t send the insurance information? What if the phone number was fake? What if the name he gave me wasn't real? He had seemed sincere.

Still, I believed he had given me genuine information. I chose to trust that he was a good person.

Two hours later my phone chimed. He had sent his insurance information. Shortly afterward his insurance company called. “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”

Today I'm taking my car in to have the damage assessed. It's an older vehicle so I'm hoping replacement parts won't be too difficult to find.

But I suppose the moral of this story is that there are still good people in the world and every now and then a stranger may literally bump into you and remind you of that. 

farewell to spring, hello to summer

Yesterday was a busy yet fulfilling day. I spent time working at the farm, caught up on some journaling, and enjoyed dinner with my son. We shared a lovely al fresco meal on the restaurant's patio, enjoying both the food and each other's company. My cocktail, aptly named Cherish the Day, perfectly captured the spirit of the entire day.

After returning home and finishing a few chores, I stepped into the family room to close the blinds and caught the final moments of the sunset. A waxing crescent moon hung in the evening sky while Jupiter shone brightly above the treetops. It was a serene and beautiful scene, a perfect farewell to the last day of spring and a lovely segue to the first day of summer.

the river fountains are back

The river fountains are back for the summer! They made their debut on Memorial Day, and I can't believe it took me this long to make it downtown to see them. As always, they did not disappoint. The first whoosh started across the river and one by one the fountains sprayed their water into the river for their 10 minute show. This is my favorite summertime sight in downtown Dayton.

 

the friday feed: spicy sauvy b

I don’t follow platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, Snapchat, or YouTube Shorts, so I’m usually out of the loop when it comes to trends and viral content. As the younger generations say, “OK, Boomer.”

Last weekend, after Owen’s birthday party, after the sweet grandchildren had been fed, bathed, and tucked into bed, the parents and grandparents had a chance to relax after the whirlwind of kid commotion. Andrew, Patrick, and Todd each poured a glass of Scotch to toast Owen turning four years old. Jennifer and I opted for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Then Jen asked Andrew, “Do we have any frozen jalapeños?”

What an odd request.

According to social media, and confirmed by my son and daughter-in-law, Sauvignon Blanc with frozen jalapeño slices is one of this summer’s trendy drinks. Hello, Spicy Sauvy B.

Well, alrighty then. I’m always willing to try something once. I was pleasantly surprised, but I also wanted to know why it worked.

Research time.

One of Sauvignon Blanc’s defining characteristics is its herbaceous flavor profile. Think freshly cut grass, along with notes of green pepper, basil, and tarragon. The frozen jalapeños don’t introduce a completely new flavor profile as much as they enhance the qualities already present in the wine.

The initial peppery aroma was strong and overshadowed the wine’s grapefruity notes. With the first sip, the jalapeño flavor was noticeable but subtle. A few sips later, a slight warmth appeared, and surprisingly, it worked. The longer the jalapeños sat in the wine, the spicier it became, but it never crossed the line into being too hot to enjoy.

Verdict: I’d drink it again, occasionally. One glass was enjoyable, but if I were reaching for a second, I’d go back to Sauvignon Blanc without the jalapeños.

fifa world cup soccer

The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup kicked off on June 11, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico serving as co-hosts of the tournament's first-ever three-nation edition.

Like the Olympic Games, the World Cup brings people together through a shared global experience that transcends cultural and political boundaries. Captivating billions of viewers worldwide, it extends far beyond sport, serving as a powerful platform for international diplomacy, cultural exchange, and human connection.

The tournament unites the world in countless ways. It fosters national pride, giving millions an opportunity to celebrate and express their identities. Fans wear their jerseys, sing their national anthems, and wave their flags with pride. Just as importantly, the World Cup creates moments of collective experience, whether people are packed into a stadium, gathered around a television, or watching from a town square halfway across the globe.

Football has a unique ability to connect people long before they share a language, culture, or common history. Through a simple game, strangers become supporters, communities come together, and differences give way to a sense of shared humanity.

The World Cup’s greatest contributions are not measured on a scoreboard. They are found in the connections it creates, the common ground it reveals, and the lasting sense of unity it inspires.

When we were in Cleveland last weekend the US Men's Team had its first match against Paraguay. After a long day of birthday party preparation, my sons, dressed in their USA jerseys, headed to a bar to watch the game which ended in a 4-1 victory for the US. The bar was packed cheering for the home team and when my boys returned home, their joy with the victory brought back so many memories of the years we spent on the sidelines and in the stands watching them play soccer.

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

A little over four years ago, Andrew and Jen shared the exciting news that they were expecting a baby. To announce their pregnancy, they gave me a bottle of wine with a custom label that read, “Pairs well with becoming a Grandma.” 

This past weekend, we celebrated Owen’s 4th birthday with a Spider-Man themed party filled with Spidey goodies, superhero fun, and even a special visit from Spider-Man himself. It’s hard to believe how quickly four years have flown by!

 

Our drive home from Cleveland began under gray, rainy skies, but as we headed south, we could see the clouds breaking. By the time we arrived home, a beautiful sunset filled the sky, providing the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend.

ted and the pancake

I spy with my big brown eyes

A pancake that’s just my size!

I don't do much with Facebook anymore, but this memory popped up the other day and it made me smile. This is my rascally big (HUGE) dog Ted. Seated, his mouth was right at table level and as soon as you turned around, any food that was on the table was gone. He would sit, patiently waiting for that perfect moment. This did not become one of those moments. I kept my eye on him!

monday's mulling: old school v. ai

Friday night, after the grandkids went to bed, it was time to make the macaroni and cheese for Owen's birthday party on Saturday.

Jennifer had given me two boxes of pasta for the dish. The recipe called for 6 ounces of pasta, and each box contained 16 ounces. That meant I needed to increase the recipe by roughly  2 1/2 times. So I sat at the kitchen counter with the recipe in front of me, using my handy-dandy free Post-it note pad from Wittenberg University to calculate the amounts I would need for one batch of cheese sauce.

I planned to make the pasta and cheese sauce twice because Jen didn't have a pan large enough to cook two boxes of pasta at once or make a single batch of cheese sauce that was five times the original recipe.

As she watched me work through the calculations, finding common denominators and calculating all the totals, she said, "You know, you could take a picture of the recipe and have ChatGPT do the calculating for you."

I smiled.

I'm old school. Doing the math myself reassures me that my brain still works. I'm not a fan of AI. I like to keep things real.

sunday, a day of rest and time to appreciate

Think about this and appreciate the good things.

 

joy 2 u 2

8:30 a.m. and I was driving to the farm, stopping at the light at the busy intersection of Whipp and Far Hills. Ahead of me was a silver Buick, I was singing along with the Eagles “Seven Mile Bridge," and then I noticed the license plate.

JOY 2 U 2

A tiny message slipped into the day, a blessing on a bumper. I smiled. Out of all the combinations of letters and numbers that could have ended up on a car, this one was wishing joy to whoever happened to be behind it. Including me.

So I grabbed my phone and snapped a picture.

That night I was looking at the photos I had taken during the day. The license plate made me smile, but then I noticed that something else had made it into the frame.

Near the bottom of the windshield sat a white splatter.

Bird poop.

I laughed out loud.

There it was: a photograph that perfectly captured the morning. A message of joy in the center, bird poop in the foreground.

Such an accurate picture of life. Sometimes the universe sends you a cheerful greeting and a messy surprise at exactly the same time.

 

the friday feed: the good ole betty crocker cookbook

This past week, I pulled out my 1978 Betty Crocker cookbook a couple of times. First, the favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe on page 266 came to the rescue after Todd dropped a few not-so-subtle hints that he’d love a batch of cookies. Then, a couple of days later, my daughter-in-law asked if I would make macaroni and cheese for Owen’s birthday party this weekend. That recipe is on page 117.

Chocolate chip cookies may be one of the most nostalgic treats ever created. And that macaroni and cheese recipe was a quick, easy dinner that earned no complaints from my four children and has since become a favorite of my grandchildren as well.

The photos show just how often these recipes were used over the years. These days, I don’t turn to them nearly as often, but whenever I open that cookbook to fill a special request, the memories come flooding back.

big boy

Union Pacific's Big Boy 4014 is making its first trip to the East Coast as part of a nationwide tour in honor of America's 250th birthday. The massive steam engine is 130 feet long, weighs 1.2 million pounds, and is the world's largest operating steam locomotive.  It went through Cleveland this past Monday. 

Yep, we missed it by a day.

I like the second photo with the Cleveland skyline in the background and the road in the forefront with all the people watching the train pass.

All photos taken by Drone Ohio.

 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Look what arrived at the farm... sugar plums! They are incredibly sweet, juicy, and just the right size for a quick snack. Each week, the variety and volume of produce continue to grow. It’s exciting to see what each new week will bring.

We spent the weekend in Cleveland, and our first adventure was a trip to the Cleveland Zoo. Our little grandson has visited the zoo several times, so he was happy to show Didi and Grandpa exactly where we needed to go. Our first stop was the elephants, and he made sure to tell us that elephant poop is really, really big!

Little people love little spaces, and this cozy kitchen nook is the perfect size for sharing snacks, giggles, and sibling togetherness.

Have you ever seen a purple pepper? The outside is a deep purple, much like an eggplant, while the inside is a bright lime green. The color combination is stunning. The flavor reminds me of a green bell pepper, although it’s a bit milder.

Finally, finally, I planted my cosmos! They are such beautiful flowers, with colorful blooms dancing on long, wispy stems. The bees and butterflies absolutely love them.

My sister lives in Philadelphia and is a devoted fan of European football, or soccer as we call it in the United States. When she learned that Philadelphia would be hosting several World Cup matches, she immediately signed up to volunteer. And here she is, looking every bit the official World Cup volunteer. What an amazing experience and what memories she will make!