My Random Musings | Peaches Prattlings

{May 25, 2021} Two years? Where did the time go?

Two years ago today, well, May 25, 2019, not Wednesday, I married my best friend. I know, crazy, right?! I didn’t get to tell you about it then, so let me tell you about it now!

It was an amazing weekend! Yes, I said weekend. We did a destination wedding of sorts! I was trying to figure out what to do, we were still living in Hawai’i and we knew…if we wanted people to come, don’t have it in Hawai’i! I had a few ideas…I wanted to get married on the beach, no go. I looked at a steamboat, I even looked into a steam train, after watching Murder on the Orient Express! I looked at a lot of things, including what we ended up doing, which I think was the best idea yet, inspired by a suggestion from CWB!

We had it at a camp in the Berkshires, the mountains in Massachusetts. It was where my sister and I did weekends with our youth group, she went to camp there, then became a counselor, rising in the ranks, and now my nieces go there for sleep away camp, you can imagine the family connection!

It was Memorial Day Weekend 2019 and it was a grand affair! Seriously, it was laid back, campy [see what I did there!], and so much fun! We had the camp from Friday through Monday! My sister and I drove up Thursday night to get some things set up and everyone started arriving on Friday afternoon. I had so much help, both physically and emotionally and idea-ly! [with ideas!] I wanted the weekend to be exactly what it was, laid back, campy, and fun! I loved the process and getting all the little touches in there!

We had welcome bags, supplied by my enormous collection of reusable shopping bags, my endless supply of hotel toiletries, what I didn’t give to the shelters! I made personalized door signs where people were sleeping, personalized luggage tags with camp signs. We had mason jars with our names and wedding date for adults and kids. Farmhouse tables, jelly and jam jars with sand and candles, I hammered out our initials and hearts in tin cans to light the tables, we had Edison bulbs to light the dining hall. Signs on the bathrooms with pictures of us as kids.

Friday, my sister was wonderful…after we finished whatever we had to do in the morning, she took me for a fabulous mani-pedi, ahhhh, then people started arriving, so amazing how many people were able to make it! That night there was a cookout with a canoe full of beer, exactly what I wanted and got! Yes, the girl who doesn’t drink wanted a canoe full of beer! We had bon fires and s’mores. It was a chance to say hello, spend time together getting silly, having fun!

Saturday morning, there was a one-mile fun run with donuts at the half mile marker! A golf cart was ours for the weekend, how many of the kids do you think had a blast riding in that?! Saturday afternoon was chill out and do your own thing and people did, so much to do in the Berkshires! For me…I had to write my vows, finish painting our Converse for the evening, and get my sash ready, nothing much!

We had a cocktail hour, PSM and I were flitting around greeting people and eating some amazing food! The tables all had wild flowers in bottles that I got at the KoHana Rum Distillery, they look like square perfume bottles and it was perfect! People even took them home, wah to the hoo! Oh, along with the jam and jelly jars, and the mason jars, exactly as I hoped they would!

The food at the cocktail hour was amazing, I know I said that! We had a lot of fun picking the menu together! I was at the cocktail hour exactly one hour, I had to change dresses! Oh! We had a bluegrass band! The Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective! We decided that if we were going to have a live band, instead of a DJ, it would be bluegrass and it was! We only had a few song requests, the rest was up to them! I fell in love with them the first time I heard them! After the cocktail hour, there was a musical stroll to the dock! Can you believe it! Bluegrass stroll! That gave me time to get changed!

I raced around and got my rockabilly wedding dress on, that I got on Amazon! with the blue crinoline underneath, had to be blue, PSM wore a formal blue Hawai’ian shirt! He had also asked for a Ti Leaf Lei which I got in at Watanabe Floral in Honolulu and brought it to Massachusetts! That was probably the best surprise I had for him that whole weekend!

I went to the top of the stairs and waited while I watched PSM dance down the steps and aisle to the chuppah to Safety Dance BLUEGRASS STYLE! I was so excited an overjoyed watching that!!! Then I came down the stairs, met my dad and we danced to 500 Miles BLUEGRASS STYLE! He danced me to PSM waiting at the chuppah!

The ceremony was fun, silly, lovely, loving, we had friends and family, come on, they’re all family! Some of it was in Hebrew, but I made sure to have sheets that had the English translation so everyone was able to participate! MGS was our flower girl and ring bearer! I actually had a few of our favorite kids helping…we threw bio-degradable flower petals, programs with all the details and songs. Our rabbi was great, he had so much fun, and our crowd, well, you know me, so you can imagine how they were! After the ceremony, we had a Havdalah ceremony, which signals the end of the Sabbath and ushers in a new week. EJS and LaLa helped with that, so glad!

We decided to have everyone be a part of our ketubah signing, this is the Jewish marriage contract. My dad read it out to the group, CBW and JM, our sister-in-law were our witnesses. Another touching part of the ceremony was the Sheva Brachot, or seven blessings. Instead of having the rabbi read them, we asked friends and family to take part, some read the prayer as it was and some wrote their own interpretation. I cannot tell you how much laughter and love there was on that dock that evening, I’m smiling and tearing up just talking about it!

Before everyone took a musical stroll to the reception, we took a giant wedding photo, it was fabulous! Then there were some family photos and we were off!

The reception, more bluegrass music, dancing, food, and fun! It was such a warm atmosphere, I cannot even tell you! There was brisket, other meats, veggies, salad, vegan, gluten free! You know I checked all the boxes! Oh, did I forget…breakfast every morning! For dessert, we didn’t a wedding cake, so…I asked people to bring a dessert, we had a pot-luck dessert! It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen! A huge table with all these different desserts, I don’t think there was a repeat in the bunch! Some were home made, some were store bought, who cares! It was amazing and guess what we had on Sunday evening…leftover dessert!

The party went on for a good long while, Uncle A did the blessing over the challah and the wine, the speeches were made, my dad, PSM’s best men, his brother SM and best friend, KN. My only disappointment of the entire weekend…. my sister didn’t get to make her matron of honor speech and she is a gives great speech! We danced, ate, chatted, laughed, had an amazing time! Eventually the party broke up, but…

The next day was Sunday and only a few people left! We had breakfast, some people went for a hike, some people hung out, some people went into town. We had arts and crafts for the kids, later ACS ran a Pitch tournament, pizza, more beer in the canoe and another bonfire with s’mores, what more could you want?!

Sunday came, breakfast, and then it was time to say our goodbyes. As people left, we stripped the beds, made the camp the same as we found it and we were on our way.

To say it was an amazing weekend would be an understatement! People talked about it for a long time! We even talked about getting together the next year during Memorial Day Weekend, just to spend time together, that’s how much fun it was! Covid said no, but…who knows what next year holds.

I’m smiling thinking about what an amazing weekend it was, fabulous ceremony, friends, family, love, love, love, and as I started this post…May 25, 2019, I married my best friend. What more could you ask for?!

{May 23, 2021} It’s Sunday…let’s go for a ride!

Sunday came and it was a nice day even with the possibility of rain, let’s ride Clyde!

We headed out for Hermann, MO. PSM is the Ride Captain for our mini biker group, of two! He plans the routes, usually avoiding the highways, and he never disappoints! It was about an hour and a half there, which I knew. It was a beautiful ride, a bunch of bikes were out. We stopped at the same gas station we always stop at when we’re in that area. Even though it was more than an hour’s ride, which was fine, as he said, it’s tradition now! We also both knew it would be time for me to fill up anyway. We chatted with a Harley rider, our bikes were about the same color blue. He gave us some ideas for different rides. Bikers really are some of the nicest people!

We went into Hermann looking for brunch, it was about 1203p at this point, so we were on the fence…breakfast, lunch, brunch? It was actually harder than we thought to find a place for breakfast. The nice thing, it wasn’t as crowded in Hermann as it was the last time we were there. We stopped at Stomp ‘N Grounds for breakfast. It was a cute little place, we sat at a bar by the window and chatted while we waited for our food and drinks.

PSM had decaf coffee, hot, it was supposed to be iced, I had a chai latte with almond milk with a mountain of foam that I didn’t ask for, and we got one of the two pastries we were going to munch on while we waited for our food, not a great sign. The funny part about getting the drinks was when they called our names, the guy said ‘decaf coffee and…the other drink’ really? The pastries were ok, a slice of cinnamon swirl bread and a brown sugar cinnamon chip scone, I would have enjoyed the scone warmed up, but I guess it wasn’t an option. PSM had bagel, lox, and cream cheese and I had a fried egg sandwich. I have to say, I have really been missing the East Coast, why can’t anyone have other choices beside PLAIN BAGELS?!

After brunch, we walked around Hermann, it’s a cute town, not much to it, but cute. I could see going back, or stopping there, with the bike group for drinks, like we did a few weeks ago, but I don’t see us going back on our own. What was crazy was how hot it was! There were a lot of bikes in town and I can tell you…the only people wearing pants…bikers! WOW! We were sweatin’! One thing we couldn’t find was anything that said Hermann! A hat, t-shirt, nothin’! I have started getting magnets wherever we go, as a memento, it’s small, easy to carry, and…our back door is magnetic! I’ve used it to display all the places we’ve been! I love it! Bummer on not finding anything!

We left Hermann and rode to Washington, MO, which we’ve been to before. It was about an hour’s ride, which was a good distance, we thought we’d check out the town a little, maybe get a drink. We stopped in two places that were shutting down in a few, really? It wasn’t even 2pm! Oh, that was the same thing happening in Hermann, for some reason, things were shutting down early! We stopped in a bar for a few drinks, enjoyed chatting with the bartender and decided to tip! It’s funny, we haven’t actually seen Washington, only the street down by the river, one of these days, we need to check it out!

Next, we headed to Defiance, MO. We drive through it all the time and talk about stopping, but never do. And when we were there, I think we found all the bikers in the state of Missouri! They were at these two bars across the street from each other. I think I saw maybe four or five bikes, not including ours that weren’t Harleys! I even saw two Indians, that weren’t ours! and that was about it! We hung out at both bars for a bit, long enough for a few drinks each, listened to some music and headed down the road to my main thought in Defiance, Good News Brewing Company. We had been to the first location and knew about this one, which actually has Alpha & Omega Coffee located inside as well.

It was a nice open space, garage doors all around, inside and outside seating, everything is a rough wood, barn-like, the way I like it! I remember going to the first one wanting to turn our lanai into that type of space, I don’t think it’s reasonable, but I would love it! Their menu is very limited, we ordered a cheese bread and a small pizza, not going to be good for either of us, but we were willing to take a chance. We sat, ate, drank, talked, laughed. Wash, rinse, repeat. It was so nice!

Eventually, after last call, which was about 6pm, it’s Sunday, after all, it was time to head out. We rode home, about an hour, got gas somewhere in there, greeted the pups, walks, dinner, relax!

I will say…it was a nice day and we both wore short sleeves…no jackets, didn’t need them, I only wore my vest because it keeps my t-shirt from riding up my back! Well…since we wore short sleeves and no arm sleeves, which we do wear in the summer, most of the time, it protects our arms from the harsh rays of the sun, and no sunblock to prevent what ended up happening…SUN BURN! OUCH! Well, now I have my base layer, which I usually get from driving the convertible, but I haven’t been going many places lately. We learned our lesson! It will be fine, but…I can also tell I am getting my biker’s tan, you can see where the hole in the back of my riding gloves are!

What a Sunday! What’s our next adventure?! Want to join us?!

{May 22, 2021} Just another average Saturday…

Yeah right! Who am I kidding?!

Got up, hot yoga, you know how we roll…it was tough! It’s getting hotter out and more humid, so hot yoga gets even hotter. Today there were quite a few people in class, different for a Saturday, I’m wondering if it’s because of the no mask on the mat policy, this particular studio, on a Saturday morning, it’s us and maybe one or two other people…this class had at least six people!

Hot yoga done, home, shower, work on the basement for a bit, it’s getting so much better! Then…go to Mungenast to pick up PSM’s bike, he was getting a new back tire put on. Pack the pups and PSM in the car and away we go! Top down, of course! And something we learned, Ruby has an issue with overpasses! I didn’t think much of it when we went under one a few weeks ago, she barked at it, but it turns out the change in pressure makes her bark and…jump! Not out of the car, but just enough to make us nervous! I don’t want to have to strap her down in the car! Hmmm…

After we got home, hung out with the pups for a bit, didn’t want to put them right in the crate after being out, and then we headed out to get some grub, bub. We went to a new place that I found, Olivette Diner and O M G! We are in luv!!! If you weren’t specifically looking for it, you would miss it. It’s a non-descript looking place from the outside. It’s in a strip mall, above the door Diner, that’s descriptive! The windows did say Olivette Diner, but honestly, if you weren’t looking for it…

We walked in and were very pleasantly surprised. They did have a few tables and chairs outside, we wanted inside and we weren’t disappointed! The place had a great retro feel, counter service with retro vinyl covered stools, facing the cook space, and a few retro booths, along with the retro signage on the walls. Let’s just say, a little retro. They had a surprisingly big menu for a small place, but we got right down to it.

We ordered a scramble with brie, spinache, and tomatoes, it came with a side of hash browns, and toast. I asked for the scramble to be done well, the hash browns dun…[note the emphasis on done] and when I asked which type of toast was better, our server couldn’t decide between the wheat or sour dough, both of which are made by a local bakery. Could I get one of each? Why, yes I could! Then… we ordered the Amazing Banana Waffle. It was a malted waffle topped with a hot and fresh banana, brown sugar, and cinnamon sauce. How could we not, it said it was amazing!

No sooner had we ordered and I got back from washing my hands, the food arrived. Did they actually cook it? It was sooo fast! Not that I’m complaining at all! I have to tell you, this was one of the best breakfasts we’ve had in a long time! We love the places we go and sometimes something new doesn’t always work out, but wowweee did this ever! It’s going on our favorites list! The scramble wasn’t overpowering with any one flavor and the brie was melted and blended in just right. The hash browns, ahhhhh, almost no one gets it right, this was…crispy and crunchy and just y u m! The toast, you know, I don’t know which slice was better…I ate one, then the other. Then…for the second set, I ate one bite of one, then one bite of the other, didn’t help! They were both so good, and just the right amount of butter! And the waffle…they were right…AMAZING! Wow! It was fluffy and light. The banana was hot and gooey, and the brown sugar and cinnamon sauce, who needs syrup. It really was fabulous! I would order this again and again and again!

I was disappointed, no room for pie and they had the list up and they have…strawberry-rhubarb pie, my favorite! Not to worry, we will be going back! Yessss! A true treat, if you’re in the area, or looking for a good place to go for breakfast or lunch! They are only open until 2pm, so get there early! Also…we were told the food came out so fast because that’s how they have to do it, normally the place is packed! Even at 1pm! Graduations are happening all around the state, that’s probably where most people were. Can’t wait to go back and bring people with us!

Now, back home, after we stop to get a graduation present. One of those graduations this weekend, we were invited to a graduation party, a son of one of PSM’s co-workers. After a brief sit down and hang with the pups, we head back out on the bikes to the graduation party. We saw a few people I actually knew and I met some of PSM’s co-workers, that was fun! Now I have faces to go with the names! It was a nice party, I enjoyed chatting with people and there were cupcakes, what more could you want!

After a while, we said our goodbyes and headed out to Nine Mile Garden for an Adult Prom! We’ve talked about Nine Mile Garden, it’s great. There is a micro-brewery and then there are always food trucks with plenty to offer, unfortunately, limited for me, but not for most. And the trucks are definitely varied! Something for almost everyone! And if you’re lucky, at least one of the trucks has dessert!

We didn’t really read the invite closely, so it was a lot of people watching…everyone was dressed in some form of 80’s attire, it was great! There were some prom dresses, suspenders, bow ties, big hair, wrestlers impersonators, rock star impersonators, 80’s music, lights, some decorations and music videos from the 80’s on the big screen. We ate, loaded spuds!, we drank, we people watched, it was so much fun!

What a Saturday, told ya…just another average Saturday. Well, for us it was!

{May 20, 2021} Another first…mask-less dining!

Yes, I know you can eat without a mask, this was walking into a restaurant without a mask!

Now, I know there are some of you out there who have been playing it very safe over the last year, not going out, strict quarantining, maybe only going out for groceries and curbside pickup, and I respect that. For us, as we’ve talked about, PSM and I have ventured out as often as possible. We respect the protocols the establishment has set for their business, masks walking in, masks walking around, masks off at the table, when eating. That is very fair, whatever is best for the business, I go with that.

This…was very different. So…I told you Monday about going to the yoga studio and being able to take our masks off at our mats, you still have to wear the mask when you walk in to the lobby, but on your mat, a machaya! [one of my favorite Yiddish words!] and they are allows you to shower at the studio again, rent mats, the whole gamut.

Tonight, we decided it had been a very long day, let’s go out for beer [for PSM] and brussels sprouts [for me]! I knew just where we were going! The Three Kings! Here’s where it was a new and different experience and took some getting used to. When I walked in, no one, and I mean no one…was wearing a mask! Now, there have been a few places, we may have talked about this, that you walk in with a mask and it’s half-arsed by the staff, so you’re like what’s the point, but you’re following the posted rules and I have accidentally walked out, especially if we’re sitting near the door without my mask on and felt odd and shocked when I got outside! This place, tonight…not one mask in sight, except for some people walking in the door.

I walked in with my mask, took it up when I sat next to PSM at the bar, but I have to tell you…the first time I walked to the bathroom, I didn’t wear my mask, and if felt weird, like I was doing something naughty! Imagine that! How times have changed! I walked to the bathroom, mask-less, no one looked at me, no one stopped me, it felt good, but weird.

Based on what the CDC said this week, businesses are at their own discretion to do what they want and I respect that. I will still be walking around with a mask in my pocket, probably for a very long time, until someone tells me I never have to wear one again, I’m not taking any chances, and why argue with what someone else is comfortable with/doing, what is it going to hurt?

I can’t wait to hear what your first experience is like going completely mask-less in an establishment. Oooh!

{May 18, 2021} Another laptop? Seriously?!

Well…the saga continues, but I hadn’t told you about it, so I will now.

When I left my job in December, there went the company laptop, which I had done a lot with, it was and it wasn’t like a personal laptop as well. When you’re working so many hours and you’re on the laptop, you use it, store your photos, websites, documents, hey, I planned a wedding on that thing!

Unfortunately, my Microsoft Surface Pro 3, which I loved, decided it was done. Fair enough, it had been a while and I didn’t spend as much time as I should have with it, I had my work laptop, but still, come on… The drawback with the Surface is that it couldn’t handle what I wanted to do with it, that’s what made it tough, but oh, when I got it, did I love it!

While it was still working, PSM wanted to get me something that could handle some of the things I wanted to do with it, storage-wise and handle the external hard drives I would be asking it to work with. He got me something quick and easy and it served its purpose, but it was very no frills, and very appreciated! See…some girls like bling, this girl like tech and electronics! Now…if you wanted to bling out the tech, how could I say no?! Ha ha!

Back to our regularly scheduled program. Bless PSM, I really am a lucky woman, he knew that I would be starting a new job, first looking for a new job, and I would need a good laptop, one that could handle what I needed to do with it, so away he went. He said he was going to do something to put a smile on my face, I thought he was going to Smoothie King to get me a smoothie! He was gone a while and when he came back…he indeed did have a smoothie, but he also bought me a laptop! What? Oh yeah, that’s my fella, he’s smooth[ie]… puny puny puny!

He did some research, went to Costco, looked at all the specs for what I needed and got me a Lenovo Thinkpad. It had all the things I needed, it was a laptop for one, ha ha, touchscreen, flipped into a tablet, good internal processor, RAM, internal storage, could handle external hard drives, and a few other things that would be helpful. I had never used a Thinkpad before for work, it was always Dell or HP. It was smaller, but I liked that a bit, it would be easy to travel with and it connected easily to my two additional monitors, great! I was set. Now I just needed a job! ha ha

I used the laptop to interview and I got the job! Wah hoo! And…you and I started talking again, Wah to the Hoo! While I’m using the laptop, all of a sudden the video card started acting wonky. Rebooting didn’t help, I went to Lenovo Support, tried to troubleshoot, installed drivers, you name it. Then I called Costco Concierge Service, which is what you get when you purchase computer equipment from Costco. It also comes with a 90-day return policy. I spoke with someone from support, they were great, very helpful and now I know what to do if it happens again. Fingers crossed it doesn’t.

It did…when I called back a second time, I don’t think the person I was speaking with had encountered this issue, I say that because every question she asked or every question I asked, it was answered only after consulting the guidebook. When I asked if they had ever encountered this, I was told yes, didn’t get warm fuzzies. After troubleshooting as best as she could, the only recourse was to send the laptop in to Lenovo. Um…I needed my laptop and this issue had been going on for over a week, so we took it back to Costco, that easy! I had even gotten the extended warranty, we got that back as well.

We weren’t sure if I would get another laptop at Costco, so we went to Best Buy to check out what they had to offer, the prices were comparable and they had a few more options, but for what I wanted, you couldn’t beat Costco’s return policy. As I mentioned, 90 days, plus we would get a warranty. Ok, back to Costco.

We took a chance…another Lenovo Thinkpad. Why…oh why…? I liked the weight, feel, setup, the way I could connect a hub that allowed me to connect two additional monitors and a crap ton of other stuff to it! The suck part…having to do the set up again, not the worst thing in the world, but not fun…ok, purchase laptop, purchase 3 year warranty…go home.

I get everything set up, we’re good to go, all my favorites, documents, you name it, it’s there. But…why is OneDrive driving me INSANE! Turn it off! Whew! We’re rockin’ and rollin’ with my new laptop and…seriously? Video card again, and…the laptop starts dimming and turning itself off after less than 30 seconds of perceived inactivity. What? I changed the settings to 15 minutes and it still did it, this included while I was watching recordings for work.

Call Costco Concierge Support again…sigh…talk to someone else who sounds like they’re reading out of a manual. That’s fine, tell me you’re doing that or you haven’t dealt with this issue instead of telling me you’ve dealt with it before but it doesn’t sound like it! Drivers are downloaded, tests run, install, uninstall, you name it, we tried it. After about 45 minutes…only recourse…send the laptop in to Lenovo to fix it. F…i…n…e… how do we do this? They will send a box with a label and I just have to drop it off or schedule a pick up. They said it shouldn’t take more than a few days.

In the mean time…PSM has generously offered me his MacBook Pro. I am a PC, he is a Mac…I’ve worked on them before, but not my favorite. The configuration is different, commands are different, the keyboard was larger, lots of little things, but I am very grateful!

Fast forward, not really, almost 2 weeks later and I get the laptop back. Set it up, favorites, documents, apps from the Microsoft Store. Get used to using a smaller laptop, buttons are not in the same place, there’s a backspace and delete key again! No keyboard, CTRL is what I’m used to, but still funny…I had to get used to this one all over again, almost like when I learn something new in a new language, I have to translate it into English so I can understand what is being asked, then translate it to said language. I’ll get there!

Have the laptop, all good, then…wait for it…sometimes I like to sit elsewhere to work, so I unplug the laptop to work in the living room and it d i e s!!! What?! Yes, I unplug it, it is fully charged, and it it dies. I’m done, no more, not doing it! So…back to Costco we go, it’s been less than 90 days, take it back, please!

We start looking at what they offer, keep in mind, this is not a Costco thing, this is a laptop thing! I’ve heard a lot of people who have Lenovo’s for work don’t care for them, well, I’m here to tell you, me either! I looked at a few and decided on the LG Gram 16, it’s got a 16″ LCD screen, with very little border, it weighs 2.62 pounds, lots of bells and whistles and…it’s a tablet and came with a pen, I’m a happy camper. I got it home, set it up, groan, made sure all the drivers were downloaded, registered it, got the hub set up, could only get one additional monitor to connect, but that’s ok, I still have a travel monitor if I need it. I even left the plastic protector on the cover until a few days ago in case I had to send it back! ha ha.

So far, it’s been great, I don’t want to jinx anything, but I haven’t been able to find fault with it yet, and I truly hope I don’t find fault with it any time soon, I just want to keep working and talking to you! Fingers crossed!

{May 15, 2021} Loaded Elevated Nachos…something new!

Typical Saturday, well, not sure who’s it typical for, ha ha. We got up, went to hot yoga, came home, I did my hair, turquoise this time, PSM worked on his pc and I did some work in the basement, it’s coming along! then made a Goodwill drop, then went to get some lunch. Typical, right? Ha ha

I am making some good progress! Promise! Even PSM said so, and that’s what matters, he can see it! I’m getting there! That made me feel so good! I’ll post pics after I’ve made some serious progress, you do not need to see where it is now!

We made the drop donations, then it was time for lunch, it was about 1pm at this point and PSM said, hey, let’s try Cracker Barrel, he’s never been, I used to go when I lived in Atlanta and it’s a good place to stop while you’re on road trips and truth be told, I love the store almost as I love the biscuits and corn muffins! The few times we tried to go during the pandemic it was a madhouse, crazy long waits. He was optimistic that it wouldn’t be too long it was about 130p, so why should there be a crazy wait time. He’s adorable! It’s Cracker Barrell…35-45 minute wait. See ya! At this rate, we may never go!

I saw something as we were driving past that I said, let’s give it a shot, Loaded Elevated Nachos. It was campy when we walked in, looked like an airstream trailer/food truck and very road trip old school. They had appetizers, entrees, and desserts, all nachos! They had two non-meat options: mushrooms and Impossible crumbles, we haven’t talked about my take on the Impossible burger and we’re not going to start now, but I tasted the crumbles and they weren’t bad, and mixed with everything else, I enjoyed it.

We ordered the Side-by-Side which is mix-and-match any two entrees or apps to share for $16, not bad, or, if you wanted to go solo, $10, can’t beat the price! I was slightly limited on my choices, a lot of things had a lot of dairy, but I was on a Bahn Mi kick, so I went with that, minus the Siracha Aioli, jalapenos, and cilantro. The fun part was, instead of traditional nachos, it was on wonton chips! Same shape as the nachos, but keeping with the Asian theme, they were wontons! PSM had the Hawai’ian BBQ, full on! He went spice city and the little spice on mine, I was on fire! I treated myself to an orange soda, well, PSM treated me, since he bought lunch! ha ha

They don’t serve alcohol, but if you wanted, you could get something from Narwhals, nothing but drinks, some even non-alcoholic, but we opted for orange sodas, y u m! I don’t drink soda very often, so I am very choosy about what I drink and I can’t tell you the last time I had an orange soda and this was, yeah, yum!

We got our food, went to sit outside and dig in. It was different, filling, tasty, and something I can see trying again. They had a lot of options and knowing they have meat alternatives, I’m down! Maybe next there will be some vegan cheese and sour cream! I could even see bringing my own vegan sour cream, especially if we are sitting outside!

So…if you’re in the St Charles area, check them out!

{May 14, 2021} Another great meal! DD Mau…you don’t disappoint!

Admittedly, I don’t often make declarative statements about where or what I want to eat. I know, you’re thinking, what? But JJ, you have so much to say, how is that possible?! Well friends, it is. I don’t always know where or what I want and I don’t want to take all the focus, but today, I had an answer!

I was thinking about it earlier and I am sure that’s not what you’re supposed to be thinking about while you’re in yoga and contemplating, but there it was, I made a decision. We got in the truck and I asked PSM if he had an idea, nope, great! I wanted Indian and/or vegan food! Indian was a no, the reason, which is fair, we haven’t found any Indian food here that isn’t crazy spicy, not a problem for PSM, but as you know, no good for me, or that wasn’t super salty. Fair point. There is a vegan place near us that I’ve told you about that serves only vegan Indian food, Bombay Food Junkies, but…still mostly spicy, but I do like it.

Ok, then vegan it is! BBQ at Smokee Mo’s St Louis BBQ or maybe DD Mau. I have a feeling you can guess where we went! HA HA. DD Mau it is! I have been craving Bánh mì for a lllooonnnggg time, especially since we went there the first time. I fell in love with Bánh mì when I first had it in Ann Arbor, MI, when I was on a project there, and it was vegan, otherwise, I would not have tried it and I fell in love! I’ve only found vegan Bánh mì twice since then, once in Hawai’i, and now, and it was soooo worth it! For a vegan Bánh mì, I had the choice of tofu, veggies, shrimp, or beef. I asked for a recommendation and they were out of shrimp, so that made it easy! I got a beef Bánh mì, no jalapenos or cilantro, if you ever get it, you might like it fully loaded, who knows!

I ordered the sandwich and an order of vegan cheese rolls, they weren’t bad! Like Krab Rangoon, but without the crab, it was like a spring roll with creamy cheese, vegan of course! PSM had Thai Chili Pepper Wings, they were hot and tasty, but not his favorite wings, he’s having a tough time finding wings that knock his socks off here! He also got Pho and a Hitachino Nest Beer.

Let’s just say…I was not disappointed and there was nothing left to take home for me! Shocker, I know! It really was a good sandwich! There are so many more options to try, can you tell I’m a little excited!?

One of the things I told PSM tonight…I was glad we found a place that has options for both of us. I love that he is accommodating and will try things and go to vegan places with me, but I like the fact that he has more options and there are actually a lot of options for me!

Man…now I’m hungry again!

{May 9, 2021} Happy Mother’s Day

Today is May 9, 2021 and it’s Mother’s Day.

The day is the celebration of not just mothers, but motherhood, maternal bonds. The beauty is it, even though for some it means celebrating the traditional definition of mothers, there are so many variations that are honored. Mothers who have given birth, surrogate, adoption, step mothers, grandmothers, aunts, godmother, friend, four legged…it doesn’t matter, if there is a bond, there is a bond.

I’ve always loved children, doesn’t matter who they are, as PSM would say, I’m like a moth drawn to a flame! Why lie, he’s right! I am known by so many amazing titles, and I wouldn’t trade any one of them. I remember when my sister told me she was pregnant, my first question was “Can I get the Halloween costume?” Her answer… “Yes, if you don’t, it might not happen”! That’s where it started! I’m auntie J to not just my sister’s kids, I’m auntie G to Miss A, and you know I am honored by the title. What I loved about living in Hawai’i is being called auntie instead of ma’am! I’m JJ to my grandkids, a title I wear with pride, in case you weren’t sure!

I will never forget the day I became a mom, a step mom, to TYHL was 8 and WCH had just turned 7 and I fell in love. They were funny, silly, goofy, smart, the list goes on. There are things that happen when you become a new parent, I don’t know if it happens to all parents, but…for those of you that know me, I used to be an incredibly heavy sleeper, I didn’t hear anything, but as soon as my kids started staying over, I felt like I had new mom syndrome, ha ha. I would check on them while they were sleeping, make sure they were still breathing! they were 7 and 8, they were fine! I would hear them turn over in their sleep. I woke up the minute they stirred, I knew I had to be alert if they needed me. The oddest thing, I don’t think it happens to everyone, but I have heard that some women’s feet go up a size when they give birth, here’s the thing…I didn’t give birth, but as soon as I became a mom, my feet went up half a size! I had been a size 7.5 since I was in the 7th grade and at 25, I went up to an 8, what?!

The way I am with my my kids, nieces and nephews, and grandkids, I inherited from my mom. What a woman and mother she was, welcoming, open, loving, silly, hugs for days, and so much more. When I’m hugging someone I sometimes feel like I’m channeling her, one of the ways is when I get half a hug from someone, I’m like ‘that’s not enough! full hug, two hands all the way around’ and it feel amazing, it’s like she’s right there with me and I know she is. I see it at those moments, when I look in the mirror! What a woman, yup, that’s about right!

Today was great. I got up early, no idea why, but…there was a huge thunderstorm happening and you know Ruby…so I let the girls out of the crate and snuggled up with them on on of their beds until PSM got up. After walking the dogs and giving them breakfast, it was our turn! We went to one of our favorite breakfast places, The Shack and it was packed! We were lucky to find seats at the bar with our favorite bartender/server Kelly. Breakfast was great, we laughed, got silly, chatted, laughed, ate some good grub, what more could you want?!

Back to the house, more snuggling with the dogs, until PSM came home from running an errand. He brought me a bouquet of flowers and a very funny card that sang to me from him, Bee, and Ruby, it said “Woof, Woof, Woof!” ! I was lucky enough to receive a great card from my sister, b-i-l, EJS, MGS, and their dog Bailey, thank you! Flowers from my dad, with two of my favorite flowers, daisies and roses, and they came in a happy face emoji vase! Ha ha. It was a rainy, blah day, so a treat…snuggle in our bed with the pups, I had to get up, they didn’t seem to mind…they hung out until we told them it was time to get up!

We ended up going to a restorative yoga class, it was only a few poses, but definitely felt restored! We got smoothies on the way home, watched Guardians of the Galaxy, hung out with the dogs some more, I’m talking to you and soon…zzzzzz. Oh! Cannot forget all the texts back and forth from friends and family, that made me smile!

Whatever you did today, if you celebrated Mother’s Day or Sunday, or May 9th, I hope it was a fabulous day!

{May 5, 2021} Feliz Cinco de mayo

It’s Cinco de mayo. It’s the 5th of May. It’s a celebration, but do we really know why it’s celebrated?

Cinco de mayo is an annual celebration commemorating Mexico’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. I’m going to let you guess the date! This is not to be confused with Mexico’s Independence Day, which does happen, and is celebrated September 16th.

The nice thing about the holiday is it celebrates Mexican-American culture, gives a glimpse into something people may not have exposure to. Granted, in the US, it seems to look like a giant party, with people going to their local, maybe favorite Mexican restaurant, sometimes feeling like an excuse to drink, but when celebrated it lets people see some wonderful and beautiful expressions of love, artistry, and pride, and for those things, how can it be bad.

When my grandfather and his brother left Poland, my grandfather came to the United States through Ellis Island, like so many families, and my great-uncle went to Mexico and started his family there. The family grew and grew and grew and each time we would visit we would get an insiders view of the country and her people. I have so many fond memories of my family, being there for family events, traveling through the country and going places not everyone gets to see. I think of those times and smile.

I learned to speak Spanish a little as a kid, I took French classes all through school, but most of it has been as an adult through travel, and believe it or not, going to Mexican restaurants. One of the things we’ve talked about before is how I try to learn a language before we go to the country and practice as much as possible while we’re there. There are times I start to speak and whoever I’m speaking with repeats it back in English to make sure I knew what I was saying, but I love the times when I speak in Spanish and the conversation just flows, it’s great practice for me and I truly appreciate it.

Spanish is such a beautiful language, how could you not love it. And Mexican culture, so rich and colorful, influenced by a combination of Aztec, Mayan, and European influences. Some of my greatest memories are of the culture, Ballet Folklórico México Danza, Cliff divers in Acapulco, one of the scariest and most awesome sites! Mariachi Bands, Chichen Itza celebrating the Mayan people and culture. One of my favorite places in Mexico is Xochimilco, being on the water in colorful gondola-like boats, eating and seeing the flowers, oh my the flowers, the colors, known as the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, celebrating the idea that we can reunite with our deceased loved ones, I loved how Coco portrayed and honored this tradition. One of my most vivid memories is visiting the house shared by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, it’s now the Museo Frida Kahlo, the Blue House. I was nine and saw a painting of hers that honestly gives me nightmares to this day! The Mexican Hat Dance, considered Mexico’s national dance and Jarabe Tapatío, which originated as a courtship dance, is taught in nearly every grade school in Mexico! The colors, the costumes, the traditions! And the food, oh the food, vibrant, sweet, tangy, succulent, fresh, flavorful! I loved the food in Mexico, a fireworks display in my mouth! In a good way.

I hope you were able to get out and celebrate tonight, if it was attending an event, watching a traditional show, enjoying food at your favorite Mexican restaurant, I hope you enjoyed yourself!

I leave you with this Cinco de mayo greeting “¿Dónde estaríamos hoy si no hubiera sido por el Cinco de mayo? Festejemos este día tan especial con el corazón lleno de felicidad y gran orgullo.”

{May 2, 2021} A visit to the flutterby, I mean Butterfly House!

Ok, first…yes, I call them flutterbys, I did as a kid and I still do. Second, I love flutterbys, they make me happy, and third…this is a warning, if you do not like other things found in the insect world, I will let you know when to skip a paragraph and photos, I do not want anyone wigged out. Yes, especially you DLP!

Not much was going on today and PSM had to work, so, after errands, I headed out to the Sophia M Sachs Butterfly House and it was so worth it! I cannot wait for visitors so I can share it with them. I don’t remember if I told you about the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium in New Orleans, which I found out today was permanently closed, but…it’s moving to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on the river, not sure when it will be finished, but if you’re in the area when it’s open, GO! Yup, go! Ok, back to the Butterfly House here in St Louis! Also…so worth it! Tickets were $8, so reasonable!

It’s in Faust Park, which also has the St Louis Carousel, which I didn’t go in/on, cannot wait though! Who’s coming to visit first?! Parking was free, bonus! It’s a nice big park, there is a playground, lots of people picnicking, hanging out. There were two people with a dog hanging out when I got there and when I left, they were all still there, must be a really nice place to hang, I’ll let you know next time! Just a tidbit…The park was created in 1968 through the generosity of Leicester & Mary Plant Faust who donated the property, which today contains nearly 200 acres in the heart of Chesterfield. It was their intention to forever preserve the original estate of Missouri’s second governor, Frederick Bates.

In I went! I had my ticket scanned, you have to have a reservation and purchase your tickets in advance, easy! I was told what to expect when I went in and away I went. Ok…if you are woogie about crawly things, bugs, this is where you should skip this paragraph and photo, move to the next set.

I asked if this was similar to the Insectarium in New Orleans, the person at the desk didn’t know, but it seems they are all set up similarly. You are introduced to different species of bugs, I only took pictures of the ones I thought were cool and could look at! We started with the Taxicab Beetle, very cool, they have faces on their backsides so predators avoid attacking because they think the beetle can see them! Derby’s Flower Beetles, beautiful green and shiny, and interestingly, the males have a horn and the females don’t. Then there were Caribbean Hermit Crabs, they are H U G E!!! Then came some things most people don’t like, I think they’re cool and MM absolutely loves! Brazilian Salmon Pink Tarantula, Trinidad Chevron Tarantula, Mexican Red Rump Tarantula, Brazilian White Knee Tarantula, Curly Hair Tarantula, so cool and not as creepy as you might think! And lastly, Black Beauty Stick Insects, cool!

Before you go into the butterfly conservatory, you have to watch a short film, it’s less than 3 minutes, about how things work at the butterfly house when they get shipments of chrysalis, it was very cool and I learned a lot. They even call it a butterfly mardi gras! It’s when they release 1,500+ butterflies into the conservatory, it’s fascinating! Are you ready to go into the conservatory? I am!

When you walk in, it’s a little toasty, think tropical, muggy, a little sticky after a while, perfect for the flutterbys. There were trees, trees, and more trees, lots of foliage! and waterfalls, and ponds, and lots of places for the butterflies to land…if they wanted to! There were plates of food, hanging from branches, on stands, and the food consisted of bananas and pineapple slices, sounds good to me! Every so often you would catch a glimpse of a butterfly having a sip or bite of something, do they bite anything?

Everywhere I turned, something was happening! There were even paper lanterns with fun facts about butterflies. They move so fast! It was hard to get pics, but there were a few fabulous moments and I was able to snap a pic. I even got a selfie of one, that was choice!

I just kept snapping pics! The butterflies were so beautiful, so many shades, colors, patterns, speed, areal stunts, soaring, floating, just amazing and if you’re lucky, one might land on your head, hand, foot…I got lucky with a moment on my foot! In addition to the butterflies, there were amazing flora and fauna, orchids, hibiscus, and so much more, it was awash with color! I was in the conservatory for about 35/40 minutes and it was so worth it! I cannot wait to share this with PSM and others!

I walked out of the conservatory and back onto the grounds, it was lovely, butterfly benches, a pond, places for classes, and there was even a Mad Hatter Tea Party going on, it was fun! There were mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, all sorts of combinations, and everyone was dressed up and wearing great big hats!

You know I love flowers and there were some fabulous flowers throughout the grounds.

At the entrance, well, exit at this point, sculptures, art installations, a pond, and lots of greenery.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience and so worth it. If you have the time, I recommend it, I’m ready to go back, maybe with a picnic lunch! Fly, flit, fly away flutterbys!

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