day ..... cookies....170

 I had a mini family reunion today

    My brother Carl and his wife Ruth came down from Rockford for a visit.

    Now, that may not seem like a big deal, but they spend November to around May in Florida.  And with Covid, I have not gone to see them since they came  back.  So it has been about a year since we visited.

    Now, there were four of us.  Four.  I popped to the store in the morning to pick up some prescriptions and bought some goodies for us to enjoy during the visit. 

    I bought some white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies.  Then I realized Jackie is fond of peanut butter cookies.  So I  bought some of them.  Then I thought chocolate chip cookies might be good.

    And I have a frozen pound cake that I could thaw and so I bought some frozen strawberries and whipped cream to top that off.

    Did I mention there were 4 of us?

    I made coffee, we visited, had some cookies, and then I brought out some of my mother's photo albums.  

    I am hoping to get rid of them.  But I have this thing about tossing out stuff other people may be interested in, like family pictures.  That explains the piles of pictures and envelopes taking over the dining room table.

    We spent over an hour going through the pictures, laughing, talking, sharing memories of relatives long gone.  

    They took some pictures, but I have a lot left.

    If you read this little missive regularly, you may remember my posting the commission papers for Captain Timothy Kennedy.  Well, I found this at the bottom of the tub.

    These are Captains Kennedy and Sisk at Camp Lincoln, Springfield IL.

    July 8.......1896.

    My math skills are not the strongest, but that seems to be 124 years ago.

    Guess I better buy another frame.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day....burp.....169

My cucumber soup is not bad 

    It is a little too watery though.  I should have followed the advice of a couple of people who said to add less vegetable broth than called for.  But I forgot their advice.

    I do notice a tendency to burp more.  These were burpless cucumbers, so maybe it is the sour crean or yogurt giving me a little case of the burps.

    I also notice this is not something I want to eat a lot of.  I had two small bowls, and that was enough.

    Tomorrow I will buy some containers and freeze some, although I am a little uncertain how it will taste when I thaw it in 4 years because I forgot I put it in  the freezer.

    Rode my bike for the first time in weeks today.  Just around the block, but it felt good.  I went around 3 times, which was 7 miles.  Tomorrow I will do four times.  This way I am always within minutes if Jackie needs me.

    Other than that, a pretty boring day.  I did replant peas for the fourth time.  Jackie asked if that was wise considering they have not grown the first three times.  My answer was I already have the seeds, if I don't plant them I toss them out.  At least we may get some peas out of this.....I hope.

    I do notice the shadows getting longer and the days getting shorter.  Tom Skilling says Sept. 1 is the start of meterological fall, even though the equinox isn't until later in the month.  It seems like summer never existed.

    Damn Covid.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day....up at 6....168

 I was up early today...on purpose!

    I helped out at the monthly market in Rochelle.  Cypress House organizes the markets every Saturday, but the last Saturday of the month is a large one.

    My job, as a volunteer, is to greet vendors when they arrive, remind them of the rules, and tell them their assigned space.  They start arriving a little before 7.

    After that, I know nothing.

    But it was fun doing it last year, so I offered again this year.  I was bothered by the mask....every time I said hello, my glasses fogged up, which made it hard to read the clipboard.  But it all worked out.

    Next topic:   We have a lot of cucumbers.  When Bob, Diane and I went to Holland to ride bikes, we made a lunch stop one day.  I had cucumber soup....something I had never heard of and never tasted.  I liked it.

    So today I made cucumber soup.  I found a recipe on line and tried to follow it.  I have not tried the soup yet, it is in the fridge.  I will try it tomorrow.

    I notice that when I go someplace, I bring back a food memory.  Mojitos in Cuba, fried perch from Switzerland, croissants from France, lobster from Maine, salmon from Alaska, pasties from the UP ..... all become something I have to have when I get home.  Usually what I cook isn't as good, but it does bring back a memory or two.  I still have not found a recipe for apple cake that I think I could make...that was my favorite food in the Netherlands!

    I just hope the soup  is edible.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

I honestly did not think I would make a big mess making soup.....but I might have been wrong.

The old Stone's store in downtown Rochelle seems to be filling up with antiques.....anybody know anything?

day......Nachusa.......167

 I spent some time out on the prairie today

    I took a drive out to Nachusa Grasslands, a Nature Conservancy project located just a few miles west of us.

    They have bison.  Not buffalo, which are a similar animal in Africa and Asia, but North American bison.  Beautiful animals.  Huge.  Majestic.  A symbol of the great West of the United States.

    Just don't get too close, because they will gore you.

    At Nachusa, they are held in place by an electric fence.  I have not touched it, but I am guessing it is pretty strong.

    Anyway, also had coffee at Cypress House, signed up for membership at our new rec center, and had a great time visiting with SK over pizza and wine.

    My only regret...I wish I had worn a hat at Nachusa.  It was hot.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

Watering hole was popular today!

What a monster!!

day......meh.....166

 Took a ride through the countryside today

     I was in my car, not on a bike.  Tooo ooo ooo hot.

    Was down in the area near Waterman and Sandwich and was amazed at all the wind turbines I saw functioning.  I had forgotten there were so many.

    As I was driving I passed a car off to the side of the road.  The hood was up, and a man was sitting in the driver's side.

    As I went into Waterman, I saw a sheriff running radar, so I pulled over and told him about the disabled vehicle.  I think I am a buttinsky....but it was hot, and I don't know if the guy had help on the way or not.  And I would not be able to help because I don't know any mechanics in that area.  Lord knows I don't know the first thing about cars either.

    I noticed gas prices have really jumped in the last couple of days.  It seems Tuesday it was 2.07 a gallon for regular, now it is 2.35!  I should have filled my mower cans on Tuesday.....I never learn.

    Still waiting for rain......might be a long wait.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day...open wide...165

 We visited the dentist today

    It was just our normal Covid delayed checkup.  We both passed with flying colors, 

    It was hot today.  Our car temp was 93 or something, but once it gets over 85 i figure it is hot.

    And it was humid.  Sticky humid.

    The sky is muted because of the smoke from the wildfires out in California and Colorado.  My heart goes out to those folks with houses, lives and livelihoods  threatened by the flames.  And I hope the people fighting the fires stay safe.

    At the start of this pandemic crap, I said we were going to go thru one box of pictures a week.  I had 10 boxes, so I figured we had plenty of time.  I am on box 2.

    These are my mother's pictures.  She had a lot, a lifetime, I guess.

    She was at my first play, Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch, which we did outdoors at the park.  There are several pictures, out of focus and to dark to see who is in the picture, but she put them in an album and labeled it "Terry's play."

    Weddings, Christmases, family parties, picnics, birthdays....she has pictures of it all.  Not good pictures, but pictures.  Ahd there are vacation pictures from California, which she must have visited several times because I had another album with California pictures.

    But one object stood out.

    My parents bought their first, and only, house when I was about 10 or 12.  The Kennedy family owned the house.  

    I guess my mother had found this paper commissioning Timothy Kennedy as a captain in the infantry and held on to it.  It is from 1898.

    It's kind of neat, but I am not sure what direction I am going with this.  I may buy a frame and let the kids deal with it someday.  Or, I may contact the Chicago History Museum to see if they have any interest.

    The family had 2 sons and a daughter.  None married.  There might have been two daughters, I am not clear, but Marion was the only one who did not have a church career.  Phillip and Jack were priests, and Timothea was a nun...but I don't remember if she was an aunt or a sister.

    I can't just toss it...it is 120 years old!  Just seems it is begging to be saved.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love.

This guy has appeared at my door three times in the past week.  Once I sprayed him with water from the hose, but now I have a little spray bottle that I douse him with.  Why?  Toads absorb moisture through the skin.  Deep down inside I do believe he comes to my door because he knows I will not hurt him and give him water.  Call me a dreamer.....

day....ahhhhhh......164

 I got a pedicure today

    Jackie and I went were happy to get our toes done.  I can't bend over to cut mine (no comment, you know who you are!) and I just can't seem to get Jackie's done well.

    My dad was terrible when it came to toenail maintenance.  He actually would develop talons.  At some point, he would buy new shoes a size bigger to get his feet into them comfortably.  I swear, he could perch on a wire, his nails were so long!

    Ok, maybe I exaggerate.

    What gets me is the place we go to is in a strip mall.  It used to have two handicapped parking spaces, one on the east end, one on the west.  But it had only one ramp....on the east end.

    So I pulled in today and there is a truck in the east space. No handicap sticker or plate.  Then I noticed the lot has been repaved recently and there is no marking for a handicap spot, and no sign on the wall.

    Thus, the only handicapped parking space is on the west end and the ramp to get up to the sidewalk is on the east end.

    Makes no sense.

    So, I parked in two spaces and pulled down my handicapped sticker.  I was waiting for someone to criticize my parking, but no one did.

    Anyway, tonight my feet are silky smooth.  They fit in my shoes better.  My mood is much happier.

    The person doing my feet said I had great feet for a man!  He said they had a wonderful shape.  

    Like, I have not heard that before!

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love