the friday feed: going bananas

The other day as Todd was rushing out the house to go to an appointment, he had lots of things on his mind, he pointed at the fruit bowl and said, "Three overripe bananas. You need to make your smoothies."  

(How did he even notice those bananas?)

"Gotcha." 

For me those bananas were past the smoothie point. So while he was at his appointment, I threw together a loaf of banana bread. With chocolate chips. Todd noticed the baked bread smell when he walked into the house. 

"Where's the banana bread?"

"It's going to Cleveland this weekend."

"Not even a little slice?"

"Nope."

But, but, but..."

"Don't touch it!"

(The end).

Sweet brown spots appear 

Mashed and mixed, a fragrant loaf

Warm slice, pure delight.

 

celestial events

This past week the August nights have offered a captivating celestial show with meteor showers, planetary alignments, and a full moon. The Perseids meteor shower, is a dazzling annual display and peaked around August 12-13. The six-planet alignment, with Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, has been visible using binoculars or a telescope in the early morning hours. I haven’t stepped outside to look but it’s cool knowing that they’re there. Additionally, the Sturgeon Moon, the eighth full moon of the year, illuminated the night sky on August 9.

Last Saturday, the last night of my class reunion, a friend and I were talking in the event space, standing by a wall of tall glass windows. It was dark outside and all at once we saw an orange arc rising above the tree line. The full moon was rising. We went outside to the patio and watched the big orange ball make its way into its full glory. What a sight! Karen talked about how she loved the sky - the sunrises and sunsets, clouds, stormy skies - and how her camera roll was filled with sky photographs. I told her that we are kindred spirits. My camera is filled with the same subjects, too, and then we laughed about the conversations our kids will have when they look at our camera rolls after we pass. “Mom took so many pictures of the sky! What are we going to do with them?” Maybe it will give them an understanding of something that brought us joy and they will look at the sky with wonder and awe.  

I tried to take a photo of the moon but an iPhone with the lights shining around the patio and grounds just couldn't handle it. I leave you with this one. Miss Liberty and the moon complement one another in a wow fashion.

(Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

                                                                   

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Last Thursday was the first of the three day 50th high school reunion celebration. I worked at the farm from 2:00 until 7:00 (14:00 - 19:00) and then went to the casual attire opening party in my work clothes. FYI, I did change my shirt and put on some cute white tennis shoes. Friday afternoon those who wanted took a tour of the high school. It sure has changed in 50 years and it has had some big improvements since my children started attending 25 years ago. 

Back in the day the high school had three different units - East, West, and Central. I was assigned to Central and that tile that is on the walls is original to the "old" building, the lockers are still there, now painted blue instead of purple, and the units themselves have not changed. What has changed are the opportunities offered to the students. 50 years ago the curriculum was college prep. That course of study is still offered along with Honors and International Baccalaureate classes. However, there are many students who do not want to go the college route and the high school has focused on those needs by adding a Career Technology Center offering classes in Automotive, Allied Health, Construction, Cosmetology, Digital Design, Fire Science, and Medical Assisting. Students receive skills before graduation and don't have to spend money or as much money for college or trade school preparation after they graduate.

My little granddaughter is 5 months old! She is rolling over, mimicking sounds when people talk to her, cooing and chitter-chattering (her voice will be heard!), and has the sweetest laughs. We will be in Cleveland this weekend for her baptism.

It's that time of year when thoughts lead to pumpkin spice and Halloween. For heaven's sake, these are the dog days of SUMMER!

The other day at the grocery store, this basket caught my eye. At first it looked like a basket full of bugs but it's fresh turmeric. Turmeric is in the ginger family.

And last...fun in the kitchen. Sesame Chicken Salad with a miso dressing, banana bread (had to do something with the three overripe bananas), a use-up-the-veggie torte, and salmon on the grill. This seasoning is so tasty and  versatile. St. Elmo's is a well-known steak house in Indianapolis. If you ever go there, get the shrimp cocktail. Fresh horseradish is grated into the shrimp sauce and it will clear any trouble you have with your sinuses!

monday's mulling: 80 years ago

August 11, 1945...my parents-in-law's first day as Mr. and Mrs. 

Dad served in the Pacific Theater during World War II and almost missed his wedding day. The troop train taking him from California back to Ohio had many delays and he arrived in Toledo on August 10. But he made it and he and his love would never be separated for that length of time again

August 20, 2020...75 years (27,394 days) as Mr. and Mrs. 

We planned a 75th anniversary celebration for Mom and Dad but COVID restrictions were in place for nursing homes. No gatherings. We invited friends and family to drive by, honk their horns, wave, and drop off cards for the anniversary couple. It wasn't the celebration we intended but their friends, family, and staff at their care facility put together a party that was one for the books. The staff members turned the other way when Todd and his sister stood behind their parents for this photo. Bah humbug on the social distancing. This was the last anniversary they celebrated together.

Dad died in 2020, a couple months after this celebration. Mom died a couple years later on August 12, 2022, the day after their anniversary. I think Dad was telling his girl that it was time to be together again.

 

bloom where you are planted

“There is a part of blooming which I did not understand, you see. You can be a flower all your life but still not understand it. Blooming is one thing; but blooming where you are planted is another. It's so easy to say, "I will bloom when I am there", but you need to be saying, "I will bloom right here, where I was planted." ~ C. JoyBell C.
 

My cosmos are blooming in full force! I do love these colorful, wispy flowers but my big reason for planting them where they are was to cover the window. That's one of the windows on our remodel and it needs a window cover. The new blinds should arrive in a couple weeks 🤞 

The bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love these flowers. I don't know if I will plant cosmos in this spot next year and if not, there will be a spot for them somewhere in the yard.

senior moments

As I celebrate my 50th high school reunion this weekend, the 2025-2026 school year is gearing up to start next week. School bus drivers are driving through the neighborhoods to familiarize their routes, community requests for school supply donations have been ongoing since the beginning of the month, the Ohio sales tax holiday is in effect until the 14th to give parents a break with the back-to-school purchases, and for the high school seniors who drive to school, if they so choose, they can paint their parking spot. 

Senior year is the most unique of all high school years. While seniors are technically still adolescents, they are in the midst of preparing for adulthood and college life. This year is full of the past, the present, and preparing for the future for these young people.

As I celebrate my memories of my senior year, these 18-year olds are beginning theirs with creativity, humor, and splashes of color.

A favorite football team - the Cleveland Browns

Love the creativity with the next two...they're side by side in the parking lot.

the friday feed: field corn

Treadway Gardens started out as a roadside stand on a two-lane country road. A few years later a housing development came in so Mr. Treadway moved the stand to the other side of the road. A few years later another housing development came to the other side of the road and Mr. Treadway bought a farm right around the corner so his farmer's market would never have to move again. 

Centerville and Washington Township used to be all farmland but now builders are buying the farms and putting up houses. Farmland is still interspersed between developments but they are becoming few and far between. Field corn is planted on all these remaining farms. Each acre typically has around 35,000 stalks of corn on it, opposed to 24,000 stalks for sweet corn. 

I remember running through the corn fields at my grandparents' farm and Grandpa telling us not to go too far in because we might get lost. Not a lot of light gets in when the stalks are packed that tight and it's easy to lose your bearings. Those stalks are impressive - they have to be at least 8 feet tall (2.4 meters). And of course as little kids we made up monster stories about the fields and as it got dark the fields took on an eerie vibe. 

When I was close to this field to take pictures, I thought about walking among the stalks, but looking down the rows it got dark in there pretty quick and I thought, "Nope," and I could hear Grandpa saying, "It's a jungle in there!" 

beware the tall stalks

for the field has countless ears

always listening