Jun 5, 2021
Colette celebrated her 11th birthday yesterday. Even though at Disney she’s been considered an “adult” (for pricing purposes) for over a year — as her Nana, I just find it hard to believe she’s been on this earth for 11 years.
Have you noticed how kids go through stages insofar as who they look like as they grow? There was a period of time Coco looked so much like Ben… then looked like no one at all… then looked just like her Mom. With her new and short summer haircut, she no longer looks like Amber to me. She’s back in a “Ben” stage in my eyes. This baby boomer thinks she’s the cutest Gen Z on the planet no matter who she looks like. 🙂
TIL (Today I Learned): In 1642, a deformed piglet was stillborn and it looked so much like a local man, George Spencer, that he was brought before a magistrate on suspicion of unnatural relations. He confessed and recanted — and was ultimately hanged.
May 27, 2021
Google says Gordon Ramsay is the #1 Chef in the world. I no longer aspire to be Betty Crocker… I want Gordon’s $190 million dollar empire. If I owned a cake plate, I might just soar right past him.
I made another lemon and blueberry bundt cake yesterday in my new and trusty Wal-mart bundt pan. I changed up the icing and this dessert was amazing! But it’s ugly!
It’s ugly because I don’t own anything other than a dinner plate to put a cake on. My plates are square and turn up on each of the four corners. That means my cakes sink in the middle and sort of fall in. One step at a time… first a bundt pan and next a cake plate. Look out, Gordon! Here I come.
I might also deserve an honorable mention for gardening, as well.
Ben and Coco rolled in on a Mothers Day 3 or 4 years ago with a scraggly plant and a blue pot in a plastic bag. Colette pushed the flower into the blue pot (without using additional potting soil) and proudly presented it to me. I got it in the ground before it died and today it’s about to bloom. 🙂
COVID-19 today: Rhode Island and Missouri are still in the red zone for COVID risk. Florida is in the orange (accelerated spread risk) and Indiana is finally in the yellow, but only barely. Yesterday, Santa Claus Land/Holiday World lifted mask requirements at the park for all those fully vaccinated. Basically, people can choose to wear or not wear a mask because their rule is: “We will rely on our Guests to follow the guidelines based on their vaccination status.“
TIL (Today I Learned): Michigan’s anthem, “My Michigan” cannot be played without paying royalties until 2032. The state government never purchased the rights to the song, and the song is still copyright protected.
May 24, 2021
My favorite granddaughter developed a cough late Friday evening. She felt even worse on Saturday and said she’d lost her sense of smell and taste. Of course, the fear was that she had COVID. She’s too young for the vaccinations and although she’s always struggled a bit with allergies, the loss of taste and smell set off warning bells.
This morning, she went for a COVID test. It was negative, and what happened next was a miracle! She regained her sense of smell and taste when she got to pick up breakfast from McDonalds.
It’s crazy, isn’t it — how COVID has even permeated the thoughts of a child? We don’t let kids watch scary movies and we keep many of the horrors of the world from their tender eyes… but a pandemic isn’t something you can shelter them from knowing about. 🙁
And another miracle of sorts — we located a puppy for Mom…
Her first min pin’s name was Cricket. I suggested the name “Mozzie” for the new addition to the family because that’s what Australians call mosquitos. We’ll see if my mama listens to me.
TIL (Today I Learned): Carbon dioxide gives mosquitos the signal that blood is nearby. Since we exhale CO2, we make it easy for them to find us.
May 21, 2021
My favorite cousin is celebrating her birthday today. From the days we ate burnt matches together to her very first retirement birthday, we’ve been through a lot of life’s experiences together. We’ve traveled to Hawaii, Mexico, and too many other places to name — and we made at least a bajillion trips from the IGA to McKain’s gas station in a VW bug with no heat or A/C.
At 17, I let her learn to drive a stick in my car in town without a license. She was 14. We were drinking Sloe Gin mixed with Dr Pepper (sorry, Mom!) and got pulled over. I had to get married to get us out of that one. 😉 She rear-ended my first new car and I hadn’t had it a week, and I drove a POS Vega while she navigated to places unknown.
Here’s hoping she has a fabulous birthday… and many more to come!
TIL (Today I Learned): Abe Lincoln won the 1860 election while NOT being on the presidential ballot in 10 Southern states.
May 10, 2021
I got in my own car today with my son behind the wheel. I swear, it felt like a go-cart ride. He drives my Mini like he’s on a track. Weaving in and out of traffic and accelerating/braking to the point my neck muscles would rival Arnold Schwarzenegger’s from 30-years ago if we did it a few times a week. Of course, the radio was blaring.
It’s easy to see driving is serious business for Ben. Not for me… I was just happy to be out risking my life for pho chin. Note to self: Stop leaning forward for photos because your head looks to be the size of a watermelon.
Dying from COVID now that we’re both fully vaccinated isn’t as risky as riding in my car with my son, but I still appreciated the restaurant staff at Pho Shiki wearing masks. It’s awesome to get out and do things that feel “normal.” Although COVID is still a concern, we’re absolutely on the down-hill side.
We also had Gyoza and house salad — both great but neither warranted a photo — and I even came home with a large container of their house dressing. Happy Mothers Day to me! 🙂 I didn’t even spill my Starbucks drink on the crazy drive home. Today was my lucky day.
TIL (Today I Learned): Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the East) was badly burned while filming the Wizard of Oz. She returned to the set after being hospitalized but refused to do any more scenes with fire. Her stunt double did those — and was also injured on the set when a riding prop that spewed smoke exploded.
