on this day...

On this day, June 7, 2025, I came across a quote about travel that resonated with me. Travel changes your perspective by pulling you out of your daily routine and immersing you in new cultures and experiences. It broadens your worldview, builds resilience, and fosters independence by requiring you to adapt to unfamiliar environments. Often, it also helps you appreciate your own life in a new light.

On this day, June 7, 2024, I was taking a walk around the neighborhood when I noticed a clematis vine completely covering a mailbox. There are many mailboxes adorned with clematis in our neighborhood, and everyone seems to enjoy the vibrant purple flowers. I love photographing flowers and sometimes wonder what my children will think of the thousands of flower photos in my collection after I'm gone.

On this day, June 7, 2023, my neighbor gave me a bundle of sassafras leaves. She told me to hang them in the garage to dry and then grind them in my food processor to make filé powder, a seasoning commonly used in Cajun and Creole cooking, especially in gumbos and stews. The day I finally ground the dried leaves, I celebrated by making a big pot of jambalaya for dinner.

On this day, June 7, 2022, gasoline prices were soaring, reaching the highest levels in U.S. history at that time. Prices rose sharply because of disruptions to the global oil supply following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, combined with a surge in consumer demand as the world emerged from the pandemic. It too approximately three to four months for gas prices to decline. Prices spiked to a record high of over $5.00 per gallon in mid-June 2022 and fell back below $4.00 per gallon by mid-to-late November.