monday's mulling: let's go!

We were at Coldwater Lake for the weekend, and Sunday was our daughter's birthday. Coldwater is only two hours from Chicago, so we thought, why not? Let’s take Lauren to dinner!

A quick call to her husband and he had a dinner reservation waiting for us at Piccolo Sogno, a lovely Italian restaurant in Chicago’s River West neighborhood.

An impromptu trip, a delicious dinner, a wonderful family celebration, and then a leisurely drive home on Monday.

One of the joys of retirement is having the freedom to say, “Why not?” and then those little detours become the icing on the (birthday) cake.

the lunar eclipse

Last night, an almost full moon shone over Coldwater Lake, Michigan. Its soft light illuminated the sky and shimmered across the surface of the lake as the moon awaited its eclipse.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun’s direct light from reaching the lunar surface and casting Earth’s shadow across the moon. A friend of a friend took this beautiful photograph of the eclipse using a telephoto lens which allowed her to capture the moon’s details up close.

I stayed up to watch the eclipse until it reached about 50%. There was something peaceful about standing beneath the night sky, watching the moon slowly disappear into Earth’s shadow.

An ordinary day had a extraordinary ending.

 

the friday feed: tomatoes and cottage cheese

Tomatoes and cottage cheese has been a summer favorite for a long, long time. It's an anytime meal for me...breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There’s just something about a fresh, juicy tomato paired with creamy cottage cheese that never gets old. A little salt and pepper with a drizzle of olive oil is all I need. Simple, fresh, and so satisfying...sometimes the best meals are the ones that need the least fuss. 

 

tournesol

It is hard not to smile when you see a sunflower basking in the sunshine.

Sunflowers are known for turning toward the sun, a beautiful reminder of steadfast faithfulness and the promise to remain true. They grow tall and strong, even through wind, rain, and difficult weather, symbolizing endurance, resilience, and optimism.

In French, a sunflower is called tournesol, from tourne, meaning “turn,” and sol, meaning “sun.” Even its name captures the flower’s quiet instinct to keep turning toward the light.

“I don't think there's anything on this planet that more trumpets life than the sunflower. That's because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that's such an admirable thing. And such a lesson in life." – Helen Mirren

 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻

Keeping with National Parks Week, this Google Doodle features the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

For the past week I let my neighbor's dogs out for a play and potty break around noon. She and her husband had commitments where neither was available to come home to let these sweet boys out. Meet Hatter and Nuggz. Hatter loves, loves, LOVES to chase the frisbee and after he catches it, a game of tug-of-war ensues and then comes the next toss. Nuggz, on the other hand, love to walk the fence line and eat grass. They are both around 11 years old - senior dog sweethearts.

This past weekend Owen and Andrew were here for a visit.  One morning I fixed bacon and eggs for Owen and when he decided he wanted something else, making a breakfast "sandwich" came to the rescue. Ritz crackers, a piece of cheese, a little piece of bacon, a spoonful of eggs, topped with another Ritz cracker did the trick. 

That afternoon, we took a field trip to Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop, a little piece of heaven on earth for a 4-year old child. Imagine candy and toys at eye level. That visit was a series of one "WOW" after another and of course our little negotiator talked us into a few must have purchases.

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established National Aviation Day. It falls on August 19 to honor aviation pioneer Orville Wright's birthday, one of Dayton's favorite sons. 

A sign of the times. Out at the farm, pennies are getting scarce. This is disgruntling to some of our senior customers who appreciate having exact change counted out to them, even if they get a few pennies in their favor.

Are you familiar with the riddle, "Railroad crossing, look out for the cars! Can you spell that without any "r's?"

We stopped at a railroad crossing, the first car to get blocked by the crossing rails. The train was a long one, taking 7 minutes to pass. Nowadays, trains don't have cabooses and I still miss seeing the very last train cars. Mandatory caboose laws ended in 1988.

The most recent National Parks Week Google Doodle, Yellowstone. This honors the rich history of Yellowstone National Park, the oldest national park in both the United States and the world.

national parks week

August 22–30, 2026, marks a weeklong celebration of all things “National Parks.” This year’s National Park Week theme, “Celebrate America’s Story,” honors the nation’s 250th anniversary and the stories, landscapes, and cultural heritage that have shaped America.

Today, August 25, the National Park Service celebrates its 110th birthday. On this day in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Act, establishing the agency with a mission to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”

Google is joining the celebration with Doodles honoring two iconic national parks: Acadia National Park and Grand Canyon National Park.

monday's mulling: virgo

Horoscopes are fun, but I don't use them to guide my life. Back in the days when we had the daily newspaper delivered to our door, I always enjoyed reading my horoscope. It was fun to see what the day supposedly had in store for me and to wonder whether any of it would be true.

I am a Virgo, and Virgo season runs from August 23 through September 22. I don't put much stock in astrology, but I do admit that some of the classic Virgo traits fit me surprisingly well: perfectionism, self-awareness, attention to detail, high standards, practicality, hard work, and a tendency to be service-oriented. I am also my own worst Virgo enemy, and sometimes drive myself crazy trying to get everything just right. Deep breath...not everything needs to be perfect and that it's perfectly fine to let things go.

Recently I came across this list of hobbies that Virgos supposedly need in their lives, and gave it a nod of the head. The list fits me to a "T." Writing, editing or proofreading, organizing events, gardening, cooking and baking, crafting, and learning new skills. I can honestly check off every single bullet point.

Now, does that prove astrology is accurate? Probably not. But it certainly makes for an entertaining coincidence.

Hobbies do keep my mind engaged, give me a sense of purpose, and allow me to create, organize, learn, or help. And perhaps the perfectionist Virgo trait is still a work in progress: learning when to stop, take a breath, and let "good enough" be good enough.

weather app

I rarely use my weather app. 

You wanna know why?

My husband is so tuned in to his that he always keeps me informed about what Mother Nature has in store for the upcoming week, the entire day, or even the next couple of hours. He has mad it one of his "jobs" keep track of the weather, and he can hold an entire conversation about what has already happened, too.

Take Thursday, August 20, for example. He remembers that we got 2 to 4 inches of rain, enough to trigger flood warnings and leave basements flooded. And if I’m heading to the farm for my five-hour shift, he’ll make sure I know exactly what kind of weather I’m walking into.

There’s no need for me to check an app when I have a living, breathing weather service right here at home. My personal meteorologist. 

I don't need to check my weather app. 

I, Todd, take you, Diane, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life, and you will never have to watch the Channel 7 weather forecast again.

the friday feed: peaches

One of the more frustrating things at the farm is the way people test the ripeness of peaches. Just look at this peach. Someone had a heyday digging his/her fingers into it to see if it was ripe. Now it is a damaged peach, and no one is going to want to buy it at full price. It will be moved over to the half-off corner and most likely end up in the hands of someone making a peach pie or cobbler.

This is one area where I wish American produce markets would follow the European example. In Europe, you generally don't touch the produce. Instead, you tell the vendor what you want, and he or she selects it for you.

A few years ago, while in Salzburg, we visited the Salzburg Cathedral. In the plaza outside, several produce vendors had set up their stands. Todd reached out to examine a head of cauliflower and immediately received a scolding from the vendor. He didn't realize it but he had broken the rule: look, but don't touch.

This does make sense. When you are selling fresh produce, every squeeze, poke, or poke-and-sniff test can damage something that another customer might have purchased.

I would love it if Treadway Gardens took a lesson from the European approach. Let the people who know the produce choose it for the customers. The peaches would arrive in their bags without fingerprints, bruises, and dents, and the half-off corner just might not have as much damaged produce. But doing this would be be against all norms of American shopping. 

good morning!

I've never been someone who puts stickers on my car, but I sure do enjoy looking at the stickers other people put on theirs. They give me plenty of fodder for blog posts! 😊

The only time I put stickers on my car was when my kids went off to college. During those years, there were just two: two kids went to Miami University (of Ohio), and two went to Ohio University.

Sunday night after dinner, Todd's sweet tooth kicked in, and he wanted to go out for ice cream. We headed to the good ole Dairy Queen that's been in the same spot for years and years and years. My parents took my siblings and me there, Todd and I took our kids there, and with Andrew and Owen coming to visit this weekend, we'll take Owen there for his first Dairy Queen.

Sunday was also the day before the first full week of school, so there was a long, long line of parents and their offspring waiting to order and get their DQ treats. We didn't want to wait, so we headed off to another ice cream parlor.

And that's when I noticed the car parked in front of us. It had this sticker:

"I HOPE SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS TO YOU TODAY."

What a nice message to stumble upon, a sweet way to end a Sunday evening. 

And "I hope something good happens to you today."

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Last week was a quiet one. We had been on vacation with our kids and grandkids, had an absolute blast, and when we got home, we were tired! We took things slow and steady, doing a little bit at a time as we eased back into the swing of things.

Between raindrops, we took quite a few walks. With all the moisture, mushrooms - BIG mushrooms - had popped up in quite a few yards. They seemed to appear overnight!

The Danvers carrots I planted as a nod to my mom’s little hometown in Illinois are growing, and their leaves are such a beautiful, fresh green. Curiosity got the best of me with this one. I knew the carrots weren’t big enough to pick, but I just had to pull one. My first carrot! I’m so excited!

Out at the farm, puddles are all around the parking lot. As I was walking back from the gate, I noticed the reflection of the flowers and the farm stand’s roof in one of them. So pretty. Puddles can be such a fun medium for photography, turning an ordinary bit of water into a reflection of the world around it.

Monday, Todd and I met my brother and sister at a family-run Mexican restaurant that has been in business for 22 years. Sadly, the restaurant is closing its doors at the end of the month. COVID was tough on them, and what makes it even more frustrating is that the government wouldn’t provide them with PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) funding to help them stay open because the entire family was employed there. That just isn’t right. So many people scammed the government to get PPP money, while these honest, hardworking people couldn’t get any type of financial assistance. Also, the shopping center where the restaurant is located has a new owner and the rent has been raised. A double whammy right there.

After dinner, we stopped by Lincoln Park Commons to stroll around on a lovely evening. Once the leaves start dropping, the fountains will be turned off, and preparations for the Christmas season will begin. It’s hard to believe we’re already heading in that direction!

And finally, with all the rain and clouds, there haven’t been many sunsets lately. I caught this one, though, and it was just beautiful!

weed-zilla!

Todd was out doing some early morning weeding on this sunny, low humidity, 64° day and look what he found tucked behind the burning bush hedge...Weed-Zilla! 

The leaves looked like it could be a thistle but the roots did not. The PlantNet app identified it as American Burnweed and actually it's a good weed. It's a favorite for pollinators with its flowers providing nectar for many insects. With its wide, sturdy burnweed offers a safe haven for insects to lay their eggs. This weedy species is not recommended for home gardens. It is considered a weed in lawns but is considered a beneficial part of the ecosystem elsewhere.

monday's mulling: david vs. goliath

Ohio’s first Buc-ee’s opened April 6th in Huber Heights, Ohio.

The travel center is gargantuan…about 74,000 square feet, has more than 100 fueling positions, is open 24 hours a day, and has all the Buc-ee’s staples — brisket, jerky, Beaver Nuggets, and those famously clean bathrooms. The opening? It was absolutely massive. City officials said it brought in more than a million dollars in sales on opening day, with traffic backing up for miles and miles and miles and area hotels sold out.

But here’s where things get REALLY interesting.

Buc-ee's is suing a long ago established neighborhood establishment, Beaver’s Mini Mart, a convenience store in Beavercreek (12 miles away from its Huber Heights location) for having a cartoon beaver as its logo.  Needless to say, it's not gone over well.

Why is Bucc-ee’s doing this?

The beaver.

Buc-ee’s states Beaver’s Mini Mart’s cartoon beaver logo, including its eyes, smile and red coloring, could create confusion with the Buc-ee’s brand.

What do you think? Is this enough for trademark infringement?

Beaver’s Mini Mart has been around for decades, and its owner says the business was here before Buc-ee’s ever came to Ohio.

Buc-ee’s brings a beaver mascot to the Dayton area and then finds out there’s a Beavercreek whose mascot is a beaver ever since it was incorporated and wants to sue about the logo. Apparently, there’s room for 100 gas pumps but only one famous beaver? My money's on the little guy.

attitude of gratitude

Vacation was wonderful. It gave me a much-needed break from the stress of thinking about my car and having to buy a new one. But then we came home, and processing everything that happened put me right back into a tizzy.

Whatever the bigger plan was for my car to get rear-ended, it doesn’t make much sense. But it happened, and now it’s time to deal with it. I have to remind myself that it’s all about perspective. The pity party needs to end, and I need to turn this negative reaction into something positive or, at least, constructive.

 

neil armstrong's boyhood home is for sale

A piece of American history is for sale.

The childhood home of Neil Armstrong, the astronaut who commanded NASA’s Apollo 11 mission on his way to becoming the first man to walk on the moon, is for sale in Wapakoneta, Ohio. (Wapakoneta is about 60 miles north of Dayton on I-75).

Photo by WOW Video Tours, Lima, Ohio/Provided by Beverly Rex-Cook

Armstrong built planes out of balsa wood and glue in the dining room and constructed a basement wind tunnel to test his models. At the top of a creaky stairway is his bedroom where he launched model airplanes out of the window to measure how far they’d fly. Armstrong’s old bedroom is now decorated with photos and paintings of the moon landing. Hanging from the ceiling is a model of the Wright brothers’ first production airplane, the aviation pioneers who were from Dayton and an inspiration for Armstrong. 

Armstrong pedaled his bike from home to take flying lessons at an airstrip. At age 16, he made his first solo flight, got his pilot’s license, and 20 years later he rocketed into space for the first time.

An official historical marker was placed in the front yard in 2018, designating it as the boyhood home of the first person to walk on the moon.

A history teacher owned this house for 40 years and preserved the character and timeliness of the past, keeping it much like when the Armstrong family lived there. I  hope somehow the Armstrong Air and Space Museum will be able to purchase this property to keep its historical charm.

the friday feed: zucchini!

It's that time of year.

Zucchini...it's full-force producing! 

Last weekend, August 8, was Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day, a playful, unofficial holiday inspired by gardeners with an overabundance of summer squash. The idea is simple: covertly leave some of your extra zucchini on a neighbor’s doorstep and let them figure out what to do with it.

My neighbor has shared quite a bit of zucchini from her garden, and so far, I have managed to use every one she has gifted. We were traveling home from Ocean City on August 8, and she was kind enough not to leave any zucchini on our doorstep. But there was a plot twist waiting in my own garden. A small zucchini on my plant had grown into a huge squash during the week we were away.

Zucchini-zilla.

I put that enormous squash to good use, making three different dishes and freezing some for future meals. It was a delicious reminder of just how versatile zucchini can be.

Zucchini fritters: First, I salted the shredded zucchini and squeezed out as much moisture as possible. To help keep the fritters crispy and add a little extra flavor, I mixed in Parmesan cheese. They turned out really tasty.

Stir-fried vegetables: Next, I used some of the zucchini in a stir-fried vegetable medley seasoned with sun-dried tomato oil and a little salt. Stir-fries are quick, easy, and so flexible. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, toss them into a pan, add a favorite sauce or flavored oil, and voilà!

Zucchini soup: The final dish was zucchini soup, and thanks to spinach and cilantro, it was very green. This was a hot soup, which I was actually glad about. Because of the cyclosporiasis outbreak, I wanted to make sure the spinach and cilantro were cooked to at least 160°F, so I used my candy thermometer to check the broth temperature. The soup was delicious, especially topped with shredded Parmesan and roasted cherry tomatoes.

From crispy fritters to a quick stir-fry to a bowl of very green soup, zucchini can take on an impressive number of roles in the kitchen. It can be shredded, sautéed, simmered, frozen, or added to countless other dishes. So if zucchini arrives anonymously on your porch or grows into a garden giant while you’re away, there are plenty of ways to put it to good use. Zucchini-zilla was enormous and its culinary possibilities were even bigger!

signs of autumn

It’s mid-August, and the first signs of fall are beginning to creep into the landscape. This tree is a perfect example, half red and half green. Both colors are vibrant, but soon the green will give way to brilliant shades of red, and the tree will be transformed to its autumn glory.

My coneflowers are also showing signs of the season changing. Their petals are fading and falling, leaving behind seeds that the goldfinches have discovered. I’ve tried many times to capture a photo of the little finches perched on top of the flowers, but they do have a sixth sense about my camera. Just as I get close enough for what I hope would be a perfect shot, they fly away.

There’s something beautiful about these small changes. Summer isn’t quite finished, but fall is quietly announcing its arrival with its subtle color changes.

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

The last beach day in Ocean City. Both Owen and Hallie loved playing in the ocean. The bigger the wave, the bigger the smiles.

One last photo of the Cleveland crew before they headed to Somerset, PA to spend the night. With the weekend beach traffic, their drive took two hours longer than planned. 

It took us a while to reach the Bay Bridge, too. As we approached Annapolis, Todd said, "Let's stop somewhere for lunch." Yes! We ended up at McGarvey's in the Colonial Historic District and I couldn't leave Maryland without having one of McGarvey's jumbo-lump Chesapeake crab cakes. It was all crab meat and seasoning. So fresh and tasty. The real deal. Midwestern crab cakes have too much filling.

As we drove into the Historic District, we drove past the Naval Academy and saw a lot of young men and women in white uniforms with their parents. We found out that it was Plebe Parents' Weekend. The Naval Academy Plebes had been in their six-week indoctrination period and were now allowed off campus before the academic year begins.

We took a stroll around the neighborhood. The historic homes have been beautifully maintained. This is a place we would like to visit again. The East Coast is so full of history. It's where our country began.

Back home for a pumpkin update. Four nice-sized pumpkins are in my yard. These vines are on their way out, the pumpkins are ready to be picked, and a few new vines are showing up. Unexpected fun!

With my empty, clean refrigerator my first trip for filling it was out to the farm. In the week that we were away, the sunflower field burst into bloom. The first planting is on its way out and the second planting is filled with tall blooms reaching to the sky. 

Monarch butterflies are beginning their migration. The sunflower and zinnia gardens are the perfect place for them to find some nourishment and take a rest.

Severe storms are moving through Ohio and the Miami Valley this week. Yesterday Dayton received 2.07 inches of rain. According to the National Weather Service, this rainfall set a new daily record for the date, breaking the previous record of 1.86 inches set back in 1915. We're going to have a lot of rain all week long.