the friday feed: tomatoes

At the end of the farm season, I bought a 25-pound box of Roma tomatoes. Taylor, a good friend of my son’s and also one of my bosses, told me about a dinner his wife had made: homemade tomato soup served with grilled cheese sandwiches made on her homemade sourdough bread. He went on and on about how delicious the soup was, so finally I said, “Taylor, get that recipe and send it to me!”

Last week, I spent a good part of Thursday cleaning, freezing, roasting, and making a big pot of tomato soup from that 25-pound box of tomatoes. I absolutely love roasting tomatoes. Roasting deepens their naturally sweet, fresh flavor and creates a rich, delicious base for soup. Add some onion, garlic, and red pepper to the roasting pan, and you take that tomato flavor to a whole new level of deliciousness.

I have one of my mom’s orange Le Creuset pots, and it is my favorite for making soup. Of course, I had to make my very first batch of homemade tomato soup in it. And was it ever mmm-mmm good! Rich, full of flavor, and made even more special by a little bit of nostalgia.

Lastly, after roasting the tomatoes, I noticed that many of the skins came off easily. Well, why let anything go to waste? I decided to make tomato salt! I dried the skins for about 2½ hours, then pulverized them in the food processor with salt. The result is a flavorful seasoning that is delicious on eggs and would be fantastic sprinkled over corn on the cob.

Between the roasting, the simmering, and the wonderful aroma filling the kitchen, it was a day well spent. And now I have a freezer stocked with a little taste of summer, along with a jar of tomato salt to enjoy along the way.

leaves of gold

"Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons." ~ Jim Bishop

Treasuring these golden days.

 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

“Honor to the soldier, and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his county's cause.” 

~ Abraham Lincoln

Veterans' Day was originally established as Armistice Day in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson to mark the end of World War I which formally ceased on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

My maternal grandpa, Army, World War I. He was Mennonite and believed that violence was not the best answer to problems or conflict, but wanted to serve his country. Grandpa joined the Army in a noncombatant military service capacity. He worked in the Quartermaster Corps, helping provide general supplies (food, water, clothing) to keep soldiers equipped and operational.

My father-in-law, Navy, World War II. He was an air gunner but he also worked in a CASU, a Combat Air Service Unit, to maintenance the airplanes. He served in the Pacific Theater on the island of Espiritu Santo. When a bunch of guys had down time, they played basketball in a CASU league. The teams were from Espiritu Santos and neighboring islands.

Dad's team called themselves the Buckeyes because all of these young men were from Ohio. A team member, Tom Grucella from Akron made the uniform. The basketball trunks were made from satin toe targets lined with parachute silk. The warm up jacket is a converted Navy undress jumpers (shirt). The jersey is just a t-shirt stenciled with BUCKEYES. They wore field boots, the only footwear available.

These Buckeyes lost a total of 3 games in 16 months. They were the CASU champs in 1945. Dad is the last one in the lineup.

My dad, Army, Korean conflict. He was Baha'i which, like the Mennonites, do not believe in fighting in combat. Dad fulfilled his military duty through a non-combatant role working in a medical corps doing administrative tasks. And there we are having a father/daughter chat.

Three generations of service, three different paths, but a shared sense of duty, commitment, and love of country. Each of these men served according to his beliefs and abilities, finding a way to contribute without compromising his convictions.

I am proud of these men and grateful for the example they set. Their service, their convictions, and their quiet sense of responsibility are part of my family's story, and I am honored to remember them today.

On this Veterans Day, we honor all who have served, in combat and noncombat roles, and recognize that patriotism takes many forms. Thank you to all our veterans, past and present, for your service and sacrifice.

transitions and transformations

Halloween is behind us, our thoughts are turning toward Thanksgiving, and the transformation to Christmas is picking up speed.

Carillon Park has made the most of these beautiful autumn days, preparing the bell tower to once again light up the Dayton skyline on November 24 with its spectacular Tree of Lights.

From autumn leaves to Christmas lights, the seasonal transformation is underway and the magic of the holidays will soon shine.

 

monday's mulling: fact checking

Last Wednesday, the day after the midterm elections, two photos began appearing repeatedly on friends’ Facebook pages. The first showed Niagara Falls illuminated in blue, accompanied by comments such as “This is so great!” and “Thanks, Canada!” Others shared similar sentiments, celebrating the election results.

But in their excitement, many people failed to look at the bigger picture. As much as Canadian government officials might have enjoyed sending a political message, the joint U.S.- Canadian Niagara Falls Illumination Board strictly prohibits partisan political lighting. The widely circulated image was not a live political tribute at all. It was an older photograph taken by a visitor in September. On November 3, the Falls were actually illuminated in teal for a 15-minute period at 10 p.m. to recognize Alzheimer's Awareness Month.

Nevertheless, some people interpreted the blue illumination as a symbolic middle finger to Donald Trump.

The second image came from a Facebook page called Denmark. At first glance, it would be easy to assume that the Danish government was celebrating the election results or expressing its political views. But doing a little bit of digging tells a different story.

The page identifies itself as Denmark. v/Jeppe Frederiksen. That name is associated with a registered business in Odense, Denmark, listed with the Danish Central Business Register as a sole proprietorship involved primarily in communications consultancy and advisory services. In other words, this is not an official Danish government page. It is a page associated with an individual and his own opinions, not an official statement or endorsement from the country of Denmark.

These two examples illustrate just how easily social media can blur the line between fact, interpretation, and wishful thinking. A photograph gets shared, a political meaning is attached to it, and before long, people are celebrating something that may never actually happened.

It's understandable that people feel strongly about election results, and there's nothing wrong with celebrating a political outcome. But enthusiasm needs to coupled with questioning, and a convincing photograph or official-sounding page name should never be mistaken for proof.

still going strong...

I do love taking photos of flowers, and I’m loving how some are still blooming so prolifically during this first week of November. Just look at that fence lined with all those beautiful pink flowers. Summer colors are still showing off, joining the spotlight with autumn’s gorgeous shades of gold and orange.

There’s frost on the ground this morning and the weather forecast is calling for temperatures to dip into the 20s°F (-7°C) next week. It won’t be long before those lingering summer colors fade away and join the fall leaves placed in the street for the city's leaf pick-up trucks to take away.

For now, I will enjoy every last bit of this floral show.

 

hey, little cutie

This photo is self-explanatory.

#someonecomegettheirdoggy

Someone is missing his or her stuffy. Thank you to the good samaritan who rescued this sweet little pup from the sidewalk. Hope he's back home soon.

 

the friday feed: apple cake

I love apple pie, but I don't bake pies. My mom was an amazing pie baker, but that gene didn't pass down to me. My favorite fall dessert to bake is apple cake.

October 31 was the farm's last day of business for 2026, and I made an apple cake to take in to celebrate the end of the season. I've had this recipe for almost 50 years.

I got the recipe while working at my first job out of college as a paralegal. The week before Thanksgiving, one of the other paralegals brought an apple cake to share with everyone who worked on our floor. Oh my, it was delicious! It ranked right up there with Mom's apple pie.

This cake always takes me back to those early working years: driving my VW Rabbit or taking the bus downtown, the things I learned, and the transition from college student to young professional. I remember realizing that the bosses' secretaries were the ones who really ran the ship, figuring out who to avoid at the office Christmas party, and making friendships along the way. There were late nights preparing for trials, out-of-town trips to clients' businesses, and being recognized for my research skills. After five years on the job, the decision came to stay home after my son was born.

So much of those work days comes back with making this cake The workplace was a very different place back then. We gathered in offices, shared coffee breaks, celebrated birthdays, exchanged recipes, and got to know one another in ways that just happened when we worked side by side.

It makes me wonder if today's work-from-home generation has those same opportunities to make connections with coworkers, share favorite recipes, and discover that someone down the hall makes an apple cake worth keeping for 50 years.

thursday's thought for the day

Autumn isn't really about endings. It's about having the courage to change, the grace to let go, to make room for what comes next, and the faith that something beautiful will grow again. 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Back on October 29, which was my son’s birthday, Neil, the creator of the blog Yorkshire Pudding, published a post titled “"Quotations.".” He wrote about The Quotation Dictionary and how he used it when writing academic essays as a student at the University of Stirling in Scotland back in the 1970s. He still has that book.

In that respect, Neil and I are kindred spirits. I, too, have held on to some of the old reference books from my college days. And just recently, I added another one to my collection when I purchased a Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language at a friend’s garage sale.

My love for dictionaries goes back to fifth and sixth grades. When the class was  learning how to use one, our teacher gave us a weekly exercise involving our spelling words. First, we had to alphabetize the words in our spelling books. Then we would take out a couple of sheets of paper, look up each word in the dictionary, write it down, underline it, identify its part of speech, indicate its syllabication, and finally write its definition. Whatever we didn’t finish in class became homework.

There was plenty of moaning and groaning from some of my classmates, but not from me. I actually enjoyed the exercise. I liked searching for the words, discovering their meanings, and learning something new along the way. Looking back, those assignments probably helped develop my appreciation for words and the English language.

Now, back to my Webster’s Dictionary. It is an absolute giant! The pages measure 8 by 11 inches, and the book is 5.5 inches thick. There are 2,006 pages devoted just to A-to-Z words and their definitions. But that’s not all. It also contains sections listing the populations of U.S. cities and foreign cities, information about U.S. presidents, maps of countries, a digest of the purposes of current federal agencies, and so much more. This eight-pound tome is practically a reference library all by itself.

I imagine that most students today rarely, if ever, use a physical dictionary. With resources such as Merriam-Webster Online, Dictionary.com, the Cambridge Dictionary, and the Oxford English Dictionary, definitions, word origins, and thesaurus tools are just a few clicks or taps away. Information is instantly available at their fingertips, without having to thumb through page after page to find what they need.

And while I appreciate the convenience of online dictionaries, there is something special about holding a big, old-fashioned dictionary in your hands. You can open it to look up one word and, before you know it, find yourself exploring several others along the way. Sometimes the words you stumble upon are just as interesting as the one you originally set out to find.

That's what I miss most about the physical dictionary: the journey of discovery. Looking up a word was never just about finding a definition. It was about learning, exploring, and occasionally getting sidetracked. Technology may have made finding words faster, but I think there is still room on the bookshelf for a good old dictionary.

 

text messages are driving me bonkers

And I truly truly truly truly truly will never send you any money because you have no idea what a comma is. 

día de los muertos/day 2

Today, November 2, is the second day of Día de Los Muertos, dedicated to honoring adult family members and ancestors.

Pilsen is a Chicago neighborhood, rich in Hispanic culture, and wherever you walk you're greeted by a sensory feast with fabulous murals for the eyes, music for the ears, and the smell of foods to entice the nose. 

Día de Los Muertos is a big celebration in Pilsen. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Isabel Hernandez built her first big altar (ofrenda) to show her community this wonderful tradition of keeping family members' and community members' memories alive. It's also her way of attempting to influence the younger generations to pass down Mexican traditions. This ofrenda takes her three weeks to build, fills her entire yard, and people from all over Chicago come to visit it.  

I discovered Isabel's ofrenda on Instagram and last weekend we all piled into Lauren and Anthony's big SUV and headed to Pilsen to visit it. The ofrenda is 17 feet tall, has over 400 photos of departed relatives and community members. It's decorated with flowers, favorite foods, candles, personal mementos, papel picado (cut paper), calacas and calaveras (skulls created with humor and joy to show that death is not something to fear). Isabel pours so much love and joy into her ofrenda. She opens her gate for people to walk through garden and to the ofrenda. It is her beautiful gift to her community.

día de los muertos/day 1

Día de Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday and celebration where families welcome back and honor the spirits of deceased loved ones. It takes place over two days, November 1 and 2. Even though it's the day after Halloween, Día de Los Muertos is a joyful celebration of life and memories rather than a night of fright.

 

November 1 is the Día de Los Angelitos, the Day of the Little Angels. On this day, communities across Mexico and other Latino communities celebrate the lives of babies, toddlers, and children who briefly lived on this earth. This celebration is vivid and colorful. Even though the parents have lost a child, they have gained an angel.

In Dayton's historic Woodland Cemetery, there is a monument of a boy and his dog. Back in the day when Dayton was a canal town, Johnny Morehouse was playing with his dog by the Miami & Erie Canal and fell into the water. The dog jumped in and tried to rescue him but was unsuccessful. The story goes that the dog stayed by the grave for weeks, waiting for Johnny, living on scraps of food that sympathetic mourners gave him.

To this day, visitors touched by the sweet story frequently leave gifts, toys, and flowers on his grave.

Descansa en paz, angelito.

 

halloween

Grafton Hill is an old Dayton neighborhood known for its tree-lined streets and beautifully preserved homes. The Dayton Art Institute, the Dayton Masonic Center, and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church are within the Grafton Hill boundaries. In 1984, one of the neighbors who lived on Stoddard Avenue came up with the idea to put jack-o-lanterns on the hill next to the Art Institute and the Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow began with 30 carved pumpkins. Over the years, the number of grew with volunteer groups carving pumpkins and just recently corporate sponsorships along with volunteers. This year's Pumpkin Glow was held on Monday and Tuesday of this week and had over 1000 jack-o-lanterns. So much creativity! As people walk around the hill we heard comments, "Did you see this one?", "Go Dayton Flyers!", "That snake!". Little kids were so excited to see super heroes and cartoon characters they recognized. So much creativity.

Theme in Yellow

I spot the hills 

With yellow balls in autumn. 

I light the prairie cornfields 

Orange and tawny gold clusters 

And I am called pumpkins. 

On the last of October 

When dusk is fallen 

Children join hands 

And circle round me 

Singing ghost songs 

And love to the harvest moon; 

I am a jack-o’-lantern 

With terrible teeth 

And the children know 

I am fooling.

~ Carl Sandburg

the friday feed: hot honey carrots

This past summer, I planted carrots. I put the seeds in the ground, didn't do much else to them, and let nature take its course. The deer stopped by to munch on the carrot tops, I didn't thin the seedlings, the carrots were left to grow.

When it was time to pull them from the ground, I discovered a funny-looking harvest. The carrots were short and fat, twisted around one another from growing too close together. By no means were they perfect, but they were carrots! Now, what to do with these imperfect little root vegetables?

A little while ago, I had come across a recipe for hot honey pickled carrots, and it seemed like the perfect way to put my harvest to good use. The recipe called for carrots, vinegar, honey, garlic, and chili flakes.

I already had hot honey in my pantry, so there was no need to use the chili flakes. I digress here...When my daughter first moved to New York City, she lived in Brooklyn, just around the corner from the Bedford Cheese Shop. This small business carried Mike's Hot Honey. What was once a local Brooklyn favorite is now sold all across the United States. The cute neighborhood Bedford Cheese Shop is now out of business.

These hot honey pickled carrots turned out to be the perfect thing for my little odd-shaped harvest. They're packed with flavor - sweet, tangy, and a little spicy - and it didn't take long to empty the jar. 

thursday's thought for the day

This is so appropriate for the last full week of campaigning going into the elections.

✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴

🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂  

🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 

🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 🎂 

Also, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my first born child, Patrick Michael. He carries the names of three very fine men, Todd's brother, Michael, and my brothers, Michael and Patrick. (If you want to know his age, you can count the cakes 😁)

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

9:00 a.m yesterday...the Hunter's Moon still visible in the sky. No one else was at the farm and I enjoyed the peacefulness of the moment.

My friend and I occasionally meet at an Italian deli for a glass of wine. We were surprised to see its window boarded up. Someone hit the gas pedal instead of braking. OUCH!

While in Chicago we took our little grandson to a school's grand opening for its new playground. AJ was fascinated by the drums and found the spot where he wanted to stay. What is the possibility of Didi and Grandpa buying a drum for him for Christmas? 🤣

Smiles with our sweet little pumpkin. He was tired after banging on those drums for 30 minutes!

Back home and time to do a little grocery shopping. Thanksgiving is November 26 and I'm pretty darn sure a butter sculpture turkey will not make it to the table!

isn't it ironic?

Most times when we drive to Chicago we plan our departure times to avoid the second-worst-in-the-world traffic statistic. However there are times when we don't make that precious window of time and we are just one car in the sea of turtle-paced vehicles.

We left Chicago on Monday morning and stopped by our other daughter's home for a quick chat and good-bye hug. Wouldn't you know, the traffic was moving and it continued to flow all the way out of the city. This was the fastest trip home we've ever had.