WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

During the past few days, porch sitting has been on my mind. On Friday, WWJ radio cited a story from “The Wall Street Journal” about how porches are making a resurgence for the first time since the 1990s. It seems we all want to go back to simpler times – visiting with our neighbors and re-connecting with the community, a pastime which has somehow fallen by the wayside.

When I heard that story, I instantly thought of my grandmother whose large, semi-enclosed front porch was the go-to spot every night after dinner all Summer long. The neighbors on St. Clarens Avenue, as well as any friends or family who happened to be visiting, already had their daily morning ritual of gathering in my grandmother’s cozy kitchen for a traditional kaffeeklatsch to kibitz and gossip and while away a few hours. Once Summer arrived, the same group would assemble every night to sit on the porch. My aunt and grandmother lived together and once they were finished with dinner and dishes, they’d go onto the front porch. Once Minnie and Frances appeared on the porch, it was the signal to head on over. They each had their own large, comfy wicker chairs which were permanent fixtures on the porch from late Spring through the Fall, however, they would drag all the kitchen chairs out on the porch every night. If someone arrived late and no chairs were available, well – you just went home … and got your own and brought it over. As the evening wore on, a lively discussion about the affairs of the world, mixed in with a little gossip would ensue. Just before nightfall, my aunt would disappear into the house to scoop out ice-cream into huge bowls for all the visitors. They used to buy the ice-cream by the two-gallon bucket at the end of the street in a bulk warehouse store called Knob Hill Farms. When everyone finished their ice-cream, and the silver spoons rattled as they scraped the bottom of the respective bowls, the fireflies and mosquitoes were out in full force, so it was time to call it a night. I have many fond memories of porch sitting at my grandmother’s house because we never had a large porch on our house in Canada, nor here, so it was kind of a novelty for my mom and me whenever we went to visit.

Well, this morning when I left for my walk, the very first thing I saw as I closed the screen door, was my new neighbor’s house across the street. They had assembled a group of kitchen chairs in a semi-circle around their small front porch. A wealth of memories came flooding back when I saw this, even though my grandmother’s porch was much larger.

I’ve been meaning to write about two friendly ladies I see every morning. On my usual route to Council Point Park, on Pagel Street, I pass two women who sit on a porch every morning from Spring to Fall. One woman is always in her chenille bathrobe, so I gather she is the homeowner, and the visitor, dressed in street clothes, sits right next to her. In the cooler weather, they are both wrapped in cozy comforters while they sip their warm beverage. We exchange the same pleasantries every morning – whether the weather people got the forecast right, barking dogs, loud firecrackers and if I’ve seen anything interesting at the Park. I never visit for more than two or three minutes and then I am on my way, with a wave to them as they call out “have a nice day dear”.

Another few houses I pass by bear mentioning as well in this post about porch sitting. The picture above belongs to an elderly couple who, along with their little dog, are stationed on the porch whenever I pass by. They live on a busy street and all walkers or passersby never fail to call out a friendly greeting to them.

Finally, a house on Emmons, has a huge porch which is reminiscent of my grandmother’s porch, because it is wooden, has high railings and is nearly enclosed. From what I can see, a rug, dark-brown rattan furniture with plump chintz seat cushions, and a table with an ornate lamp and a vase of flowers adorn the porch. But most important of all, is the huge flag which is anchored to the front of the porch and says “friends and family gather here”.

Today was a bonus day because the weather people got it wrong, again. They ALL predicted rain in the early morn, so I went to bed without pulling the alarm and decided to sleep in. I figured it be great to wake up to my internal clock for a change, then curl up in bed and listen to the pitter patter of the rain on the patio roof. Unfortunately, however, I awoke to see sun streaming in down the hall from my room. Grrrrrrrr. I high-tailed it out of bed and looked outside – a beautiful day! I hurriedly ate breakfast, downed a cup of coffee and got ready to leave. I was out the door by 8:30 a.m., but it was already kind of warm and humid out there. Nevertheless, in the quest for the goal of 500 miles walked in 2014, I set out on the premise that it was a “found” walking day. I sped down to Council Point Park before it got too awfully warm and humid and did one turn around. I didn’t pack goodies as I left in a hurry and soon after starting on the trail, who do you think sauntered over to see me, but the pair of squirrels I fed yesterday? (At least they looked just like those two, and besides, one bold and brazen fellow put a paw on the tip of my walking shoe to ensure I got the message he was there and ready for goodies. Well, of course I gave a mumbled apology of “next time” and kind of slunk away. Oops!

On the way home from the Park, I saw something beautiful that I’ve not yet seen all Summer – butterflies. Several of them in fact … a pair of beautiful tiger swallowtails honing in on the sweet nectar of a purple coneflower, and then a gorgeous monarch alighting ever so gently on the butterfly bush pictured above. My neighbor Marge and I are still bemoaning the loss of our butterfly bushes which were magnets for these beautiful creatures. I lost all three of mine last year and Marge’s big butterfly bush was a casualty of the Polar Vortex and the brutal Winter. Since I walk so early in the morning, and the temperatures have been so much cooler than usual this Summer, I’ve not even glimpsed a single butterfly. I remember from when I tried to create a perfect environment for butterflies in my backyard, that they prefer to sun themselves on a flat rock that has been warmed by the rays of the sun when they are not busily dining on the nectar of red and purple flowers. They tuck themselves in a safe place until the air temperature is warm enough for them. Those butterflies were a delight to see, but after I returned home, just as I walked along the side of my house, I noticed that Marge’s magnolia bush was in full bloom for the second time this year. I didn’t notice it earlier in the week but today a few white cabbage white butterflies were dancing in mid-air, flitting all around that magnificent magnolia bush. The sun is now setting before 9:00 p.m. and these coolish temps of late have sure made it seem like Summer is speeding by, but seeing all those beautiful butterflies tells me we still have quite a way to go yet. It was a nice excursion and a double bonus since I expected to be on the inside looking out all day.

…our daily bread.

Well, today I returned to Council Point Park for a full-sized walk and to commune with nature a bit. In anticipation of the visit, I cleared out alot of misshapen slices or heels of bread from the freezer that I had accumulated since the “Geesecapade” incident back on Father’s Day. I don’t mind sharing some morsels with any of my feathered friends, but getting charged at or enduring some raucous spitting and wing-flapping by a gaggle of irate Canada Geese kept me piling up the stale bread in the freezer and refusing to buy any loaves specifically intended to feed the Park birds. Now, I’ve never been a fan of the bread ends, or “heels”. I eat whole-grain bread, except for the small piece of crispy, multi-grain toast I share with Buddy every day for our afternoon treat, just as I wrote about in “Breaking bread with Buddy” back on March 8th. (https://lindaschaubblog.net/2014/03/08/breaking-bread-with-buddy/ Since I’ve given up sweets, bread has become my treat. But heels of this rustic-type bread or the often-dry whole grain bread could choke a horse. I’ve never been a picky eater, but I can remember when I was a little girl, we’d eat soft-boiled eggs sometimes and my mom would cut my toast into “fingers” for dipping after she whacked the egg head off. She’d cut the crusts off the toast and every so often she’d try to sneak those slivers of toasted heels onto my plate and I’d rebel saying I’d choke to death. Believe me, I really never-ever got to whine or complain about anything as my parents wouldn’t tolerate it, and so my protests about anything pretty much fell on deaf ears. My mom promised me I’d get the coveted curly hair I always wanted, if I ate the bread crusts … well Mom, it never did happen to this day.

Anyway, I collected my stash of bread morsels and a fresh Ziploc bag of peanuts for the squirrels and set off. It was another beautiful day in the neighborhood as Mr. Rogers would say. When I got to the Park, there weren’t many people there which surprised me given the cool and calm morning. I started on the perimeter path, eager to get to get going and see if I could find any hungry critters so I could make their morning. Well, I had some takers for my peanuts … a pair of squirrels hurried down from their perch in their huge nest high atop the tree, nails clicking as they came lickedy-split down that tall trunk. Once on the ground, they stayed on all fours, tails flicking back and forth, while they sized me up as I stood there, five peanuts in my outstretched palm. Finally they both sat on haunches and begged. Well, I wanted to say – “no theatrics or cuteness is needed … I’m offering you some peanuts with no strings attached to make up for my being remiss in not bringing you treats” … I tossed the peanuts and as they scattered onto the asphalt, they both made a beeline for their share. I reached into the bag and threw out another handful and watched as their heads swiveled around as they each munched furiously on the peanut which was clasped between their front paws, but eyed the others on the path hungrily. I moved on, confident that I’d made their morning better and pleased that they didn’t forget who I was, although I mused that perhaps they just recognized the Ziploc bag … hmmmmm.

I rounded the bend and as I strolled along the Ecorse Creek side , I craned my neck to catch a glimpse of ducks or ducklings so that I could offload my big bag of bread tidbits. The ducks, as usual, were a no-show and even the geese were not present today. I marched along, carrying the bag of bread in my hand and looking for “takers” – there were none. Since rain is in the forecast the next several days I decided to just spread the wealth for the songbirds who never fail to disappoint me with their cheerful notes every time I visit the Park. But, there was nary a bird in sight – that is, until I spread the bread onto the grass and suddenly they came out of the trees and bushes and flew down to get some. I watched them – large and small birds, all converging in one small area to get their fill. Some held back, in trepidation of the stranger with the big bag but then realized it behooved them to come and get something nice from their benefactor.

All too soon the bag was empty and it was time for me to mosey on and leave my feathered and furry friends behind. I stepped back onto the trail to finish up my trip, and then head back to the Big City, that place that exists beyond the pavilion area and parking lot which are the gateway to Council Point Park.

Our weather in late 2013 and throughout 2014 has sure provided ample fodder for discussion about unusual temperatures and weather conditions. It seems as though we’ve been on a gigantic rollercoaster since Summer began … Tuesday was hot and sultry, Wednesday a transition day and this morning it was feeling Fallish once again. Well, you’ll get no complaints from me because Fall is my favorite season. This morning I left early and I was still holding back on walking too far for a few more days due to those pesky calf splints earlier in the week, though I felt great and wished I could have kept walking a few more miles. I wanted to stroll down to Council Point Park, but didn’t want to tease myself by stopping short of the perimeter path, so I wandered instead over to Wyandotte. It was beautiful on the bridge that separates our two cities and I paused, as I always do, to see if there were any ducks or geese congregating there, but there were none again today. The one day I was lucky enough to see so many families must’ve been happenstance and I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time. Here is one of the pictures I took that day, and, in looking at this picture, I realize the sun cast a near-identical reflection then as it did this morning. When I tried to capture that picturesque scene today, unfortunately I could not. I whipped out my camera to take a picture, pressed the “on” button, then the camera turned itself on and off a few times, and demanded batteries before it would allow me to shoot additional pictures, i.e. “Change batteries now!” … geez, a little more warning would have been nice; guess I need to start packing a spare pair of batteries when I set out.

I sure was glad to be back in the groove and enjoying the simple pleasure of my morning ritual. I added 2 ½ miles to my 2014 total and will aim to return to Council Point Park tomorrow, since it has been way too long and I need that infusion of Mother Nature’s fine work for my well-being.

Yes, AWOL – Absent Without Laughs. I haven’t cranked out a blog post since last Friday and I hope you at least missed me. Mother Nature, calf splints and work kept me from this forum. I was nearby though … fingers flyin’ over the keyboard ‘til I was bleary eyed with a few work emergencies. Saturday morning I was up bright and early doing several loads of laundry. I was set to leave the house about 8:00 a.m. but I opened the door because I didn’t see any sunlight streaming into the windows. It looked like the sky was ready to open up any minute so I stayed put. Good thing – it poured raining about a half hour later. Whew! I lucked out. I decided to make good use of my morning and clean off my shelves in the downstairs pantry. I needed to rotate my old and new stock as I have loaded in alot of canned goods for over the Winter already. I still had many bags of canned goods waiting upstairs until I had time to do this chore. So I worked about two hours or so, lugging older cans upstairs to put in the kitchen cupboards and lugging new stuff downstairs. It was a daunting task – up/down/up/down, at least 35 or 40 times. I’ve mentioned before that I am certainly not the world’s greatest cook and I like simple meals – canned goods fit that bill. So, I finished the job and the rain stopped about the same time, but it was much too soggy to go walking so I stayed put, happy to be done with this task.

The weather folks promised a sunny Sunday, so I got up really early … that is, the alarm went off and I went to step down on the floor – ouch! I’ve had shin splints before but this was even worse – pain in the back of my legs and I could barely walk. I figured it had to be from all the trips up and down the stairs in my comfy loafers. I decided then and there I had reached official “old fogeydom” because I could barely shuffle along, and winced when I tried to step down the stairs. Well, walking was out and of course I was disappointed. So I went outside and took out my aggressions on the weeds instead. I got busy with work Sunday. Monday and Tuesday walking still wasn’t so wonderful, so I stayed inside.

When the alarm rang this morning, I decided I was going to be sprung from the house today since the promised a.m. rain never materialized despite some terrific crashes of thunder at 2:10 a.m. I got dressed, shoes laced up and hustled out before I changed my mind. I took the car along with me because it, too, needed to be sprung and taken for a short spin. We headed down to Wyandotte to the river’s edge. I figured I’d walk a bit and the car was there in case I overdid it. I took the camera, even though the sky was gloomy looking and there was not a hint of sun. As I strolled along the pier, it was busy with the usual anglers and I didn’t see a single fishermen reelin’ in any big ones, so the only fish dinners tonight for these fellas was going to be Starkist or Mrs. Paul’s.

Suddenly I heard screeching from a group of argumentative seagulls as they fought over a fast food box with a few goodies that had spilled out onto the sidewalk. While I watched them, I wondered if they shouldn’t just draw straws to see who would eventually get the treasure because they circled around, pecked a bit, circled some more, all the while glancing surreptitiously at one another, waiting to see who would make the first move. Suddenly, one of the gulls took flight from the group and started everyone – me included! He flew up and away quickly and no other gulls followed him. I watched him for a long time and eventually he just kind of blended into the dark clouds and was gone. The solo silhouette of outstretched wings and sharp beak in the dim morning light reminded me of Jonathan Livingston Seagull and the inspiring novella by the same name. I enjoyed that book way back in high school, kept it around for years and re-read it more than a few times – something I rarely do. I finally donated the book to the Lincoln Park library one time when I was clearing away the cluttered bookcase. The movie memorialized that famous seagull as did the beautiful song “Be” by Neil Diamond. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm2hYRQEOHM). There were many quotes that I used from “Jonathan Living Seagull” when I used to circulate my daily Thought for the Day to friends and co-workers. This was one of my favorite quotes and I am sure this credo applied to that lonely bird, maybe even one of Jonathan’s descendants, one gull who split from the group and had the gall to go for the gusto:

“You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way”.” – Richard Bach, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”

Another stellar weather day and I wish I could have gotten in a couple of laps down at Council Point Park, but I had to divvy up my allotted walking time with a trip to the dentist. Well, I had no cavities or issues and I got in about 2 ½ miles anyway, just by walking around the neighborhood before I made the roundtrip to the dentist, so I am not a complete slacker . I took a rather convoluted trek to get there, and, in doing so, I strolled up a few streets where I seldom visit. In the still of the early morn, I heard the creaking sound of a porch glider continuously rocking back and forth, and the harsh, shrill and screechy noise sounded almost like chalk on a chalkboard and went right up my spine. It was an incessant grating noise of metal-on-metal, and, as I got closer, I wondered if the neighbors have ever offered up a can of WD-40 to quell that creakkkkkkkkkkking noise. As I passed the elderly couple, sitting side-by-side , I noticed the gentleman was in charge of “rocking” the glider … I thought that was chivalrous of him, then I realized the woman must have been very short as her feet, still clad in fuzzy mules, were far from reaching the ground. I smiled and mouthed “good morning” and they waved back, then I continued walking along, until finally the glider noise abated when I was far enough away. A few minutes later, I spied this tire swing hanging from a fairly small tree and had to chuckle because it might have “worked” for the elderly, short lady or a very small child, as it was hanging pretty close to the ground. If I had tried it out, once I plunked down, I’m sure I’d never have gotten up again unassisted. The swing looked well-worn as the paint had started to peel off the tire which had been painted yellow and brown and looked kind of like a big skinny donut.

On a beautiful day such as this one, nothing says Summer like swinging your cares away. This is true whether you are a youth sitting on a tire swing, bending your head way back and pushing off with your feet to see how high you can go, or, you are sitting on a porch swing, favorite beverage in hand and just watching the world go by. As to porch swinging, I often see older couples sitting on their porch in the early a.m., just rockin’ away. I think it is a time for retired folks to finally relax and catch up on years and years of sorely missed long conversations because of separate schedules, demanding jobs or attending to the needs, wants and desires of their offspring. Now they get to play “catch-up” because finally, there is time to just sit and relax, effortlessly gliding back and forth and taking in the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world.

Another perfect weather day, unless of course you love your Summer scorching hot with high humidity. Not me. Today I left the house wearing a light jacket and it was shrugged off and tied around my waist about two blocks later. Oh well – I can’t seem to get it right this week, but I concede it is always easier to take off a layer, rather than wish you had added it before you left the house (like yesterday). That was my Mom’s sage advice which always came in handy for deciding what to wear in the a.m. when I took the bus to school and work for over three decades; now those words of wisdom are good for walking as well. There was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining brightly as I closed the door and left for my walk. While I strolled along, I was reminded of the fairytale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and how the rather bold and brazen Goldilocks was hungry and decided to scam some of the Three Bears’ breakfast. As she tasted each bowl of porridge, she proclaimed one “too hot”, another “too cold” and the third “just right” … well that’s what I’d say about today’s weather forecast, because I sure have done my share of whining in this forum about the horrible weather conditions. My train of thought about fairytales and fun and frivolity was already leaning toward some other great childhood memories in the very early morn, after hearing “Rewind”, a one-minute daily podcast heard on radio station WWJ. This feature highlights entertainment events that happened on this date in history. At the top of today’s list was the recognition of Disneyland’s opening date on July 17, 1955. It was the brainchild of Walt Disney, and back in the 50s, amusement parks of this magnitude were unheard of. This was a grandiose version of any big amusement park in existence and a far cry from the carnival that set up in the corner of a neighborhood shopping center that we all enjoyed as youngsters. The topic of Disneyland got me thinking and reminiscing about a trip with my folks to the Magic Kingdom in Anaheim, California the year before we moved to the States. We had about a week to visit all the usual tourist attractions in California, most of which were for my benefit. For me, the best one of the bunch was Disneyland. There were attractions with themes recreated from all the Disney tales I grew up reading or watching every Sunday night on “The Wonderful World of Disney”. I was a devotee of “The Mickey Mouse Club” as a kid so I was indeed in my element. I was enchanted, enthralled and very excited as we visited each ride or attraction all around the Park and Disney characters walked around and greeted the kids (and adults), and, as you see above, they were always happy to oblige a request for a picture. Probably, these cute, but kind of homely, childhood pictures should have just remained in the old photo album, but why not share them with you on this Throwback Thursday? As you see, I posed in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle and alongside one of the Seven Dwarfs (we never did figure out which one as he was not wearing a name tag). So, while walking this morning, I was thinking about these pictures and enjoying that wonderful wave of nostalgia about Disneyland, as well as recollecting some memories about our ’65 cross-country trip in the Meteor. Oops … I was so lost in thought, my walking time went way too quickly and soon I had to head home to the castle, er … house, to begin my work day. If the truth be known, I might have even mumbled a few verses of “Heigh-Ho”, the official marching-off-to-work music of the Seven Dwarfs, but shhhhhhh … don’t tell anyone!

Hey! Wait a doggone minute – here we are smack dab in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer (meteorologically speaking, from July 3rd to Aug. 11th) and when I woke up this morning, the house was downright nippy. Once again, I nudged the thermostat up a smidge for the little nipper, a/k/a my canary “Buddy”, since he, unlike his big sister, could not don a warm sweater. I appreciated my hot coffee and warm oatmeal this morning and while I enjoyed my breakfast, I wondered if there was a wind chill factor out there today? I do know it was 56 degrees when I left this morning for my walk. I scooted out of the house around 7:30 and I guess I should have worn a jacket, and figured I had layered-up enough, but I was cold … in fact I was thinking gloves and a hat would have been appreciated. That’s because the sun never appeared the entire time I was out walking. In fact, I was pretty far from home and glanced up at the sky to see some darkish clouds were looming overhead, and I was sure I would get pounded with a cold rain before I made it back home, but I was lucky. In fact, it looked dull and dreary, just like a November day with a snow sky, don’t you think? I suspect not too many people have lined up at the DQ for a Blizzard or at Wendy’s for a Frosty today. Yesterday I went to Meijer to their big sale to start stocking up on my pantry items for Winter (not a moment too soon it appears), and, as usual, I wore my pedometer and racked up three miles. Today I went for a long walk and then over to pay the property taxes at the City Hall and my whole excursion was 4 ½ miles. I personally am lovin’ this cooler weather as I’m not a real hot-weather fan, but … please Mother Nature hold off on the wind chill, ice and snow for a while yet, okay?

The words to this well-known song kept bouncing around in my head this morning. I always liked that song , but the rain – not so much. In the dawn’s early light, I kept glancing out the window at the incessant drizzle, when suddenly, I must have willed it to stop, as the spigot was turned off and I was able to squeeze in a short walk to Wyandotte. The tried-and-true 2¼-mile trek retraces the route I travelled nearly every day through the Fall of 2011, followed by that extremely mild Winter of 2012. Back then I was feeling darn proud of myself for doing that roundtrip from home to the borderline of Lincoln Park and Wyandotte so effortlessly, and now I am able to walk up to 5½ miles per trip. So, I’m feeling good about that amount, and thinking my next short-term goal would be to get the equivalent of a 10K walk (or 6.2 miles) on one of my excursions. I did it last year, but not ‘til mid-November and it is really not a goal I’d strive to stride every day. The weather this year has definitely impacted my daily walk, whether it was snow and ice, or rain … plus those inevitable errands which often usurp the walking schedule. I know I have it in me to grab that 500-mile goal again and will continue to shoot for the stars.

“The only journey is the one within.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke

It was already hot and sticky when I left the house on this Saturday morn. Regretfully, I had to divvy up my a.m. agenda between a walk and yard work. I set out early to get both things accomplished, and decided to head down to the railroad tracks in Wyandotte as the large, leafy trees along Emmons Boulevard provided a little respite from the sun that was already high and bright in the sky. It was a clear and cloudless morning and no breeze to speak of. The neighborhoods hummed with air conditioning units working hard again and since the dew point, like the humidity, was so high, it was hard to tell if the automatic sprinklers had made the grass so wet or it was just a heavy dew. I made the trip to the tracks and immediately turned around and headed back for home. By this time more dogs and their owners were out and about and there was the unmistakable whir of mowers and weed whippers as people scrambled to get their yard work finished before the impending stormy weather.

Once home, I removed the pedometer and noted I had chocked up a quick 3 ½ miles, then I switched to my comfortable old loafers and headed outside. Whew, it was hot now. I dragged out my push mower and did a hasty job on the front and back yards, then went into the backyard to scrutinize the weeds to see if they needed my attention. I was happy to see I had held those prickly thistles and creeping and winding buggers at bay, so I just had to nip my roses. The bees were all over the yard, busily sucking down the nectar from the coneflowers and the roses along the fence. They were burrowing down deep and very involved with their mission, so I waited a bit, went back in the house for the camera, took a picture, returned to the house, and back out in yard where they were still there. Finally, rather impatiently I had to shoo them away with my pruning shears, so I could tackle the roses. In case you’re wondering, yes, these are the same Knock Out Roses which at Mother’s Day I thought had given up the ghost. These rosebushes have rallied back and are full of blooms, the end result of cutting them down to mere stubs, alot of organic rose fertilizer and crossed fingers. Hmmmmm – maybe I do have a green thumb after all. Speaking of digits, I never work in the yard without heavy gloves as I am so terrified of bugs. Somehow, while pruning the spent rose blossoms, a wayward thorn pierced through my heavy leather glove and stabbed me on my right ring finger. I yelped immediately, then, because I was annoyed, I yanked off my glove to pluck it out, but it was already embedded deep into the pad of that finger. I figured I would deal with it once inside the house, but standing under a bright light, I saw the thorn was lodged so far down I had to perform minor surgery. A sterilized safety pin, a quick rinse in alcohol and a band aid to pad the big wound and I was good to go. Or, so I thought. I favored that finger, trying not to bang the boo boo, while I did a few things in the kitchen, then sat down at the computer. Ouch! Well, good thing it is the weekend, so no pounding the keys for a few days … I still got this blog post done, even though I tried to refrain from using the letters “o”, “l” and the numeral “0”. Well, if I was going to sustain a casualty from the backyard, I sure am glad I messed up a finger that gets very little action on the keyboard!