What I Heard This Week! 08-27-2020
Cinnamon Toast Crunch just created a cinnamon seasoning blend that tastes like the spice that gives this popular cereal its flavor. Hints of vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, and graham, that “capture the unmistakable taste of a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal.” Great for French toast, ice cream or cookies, to be sold exclusively at Sam’s Club. My idea would be to just eat an entire box of cereal, then pour out the crumbs that are left in the bottom. You know what I mean…sometimes even YOU lick your fingers and dip them into the dregs that are always left in the bottom of those plastic sacks. It is the best part of a bag of potato chips. Salty or sweet. But I am a very practical woman.
If I ask you how many days are in a year, your reply would be, 365 days. That is correct, except every four years we have 366 days, because of Leap Year. Adding an extra day every four years keeps our calendar aligned correctly with the astronomical seasons, since a year according to the Gregorian calendar (365 days), and a year according to Earth’s orbit around the Sun (approximately 365.25), are not the exact same length of time. If we didn’t occasionally throw in another 24 hours, our calendar and the seasons would gradually get out of sync. So, think of it this way, you get to enjoy one more delightful day in lovely 2020. Just kidding.
A friend sent me this: I’m not buying a 2021 planner until I see the trailer.
On normal years, I buy my new yearly planner in September. I had been thinking that I needed to start looking for 2021, since it takes me awhile to find just the right one each year. Then on Friday, I was sitting at my desk looking at the month of August, where I had TWO payroll days listed, ONE dental appointment that was canceled, and ONE online meeting. That’s it. That’s not enough to even warrant a new planner. In the past, the boxes had to have plenty of room for at least three to four reminders for each day. Thank you, COVID. This year, I think I am just going to use a permanent marker and write it all on the palm of my hand.
On November 3rd, Americans will vote for the next president of the United States. Do your research to find out who you will be casting your vote for. Also, be sure to register to vote ASAP. Check the dates and deadlines below so you do not miss out on your chance to have your say when it comes to who leads the country into the next decade. Election day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The deadline for registering by mail to vote is (postmarked by) Monday, October 5, 2020. The deadline to register in person to vote is Monday, October 5, 2020. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Friday, October 23, 2020. The early voting period runs from Tuesday, October 13, 2020 to Friday, October 30, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live.
Now that I am officially a senior citizen, I am trying to think like one. If you don’t feel like cooking be sure to turn to these places for good senior dining deals. Keep in mind that deals may vary at different locations and can change without notice. McDonald’s: discounts on coffee and beverages (55+). Wendy’s: get free coffee or other discounts depending on location. IHOP: 10% discount (55+) and a menu for people aged 55 and over at participating locations. Denny’s: Offers a 55+ menu with smaller portions, and better prices. Subway: 10% off (60+) varies by location. Burger King: 10% discount on purchase depending on location (60+). Long John Silver’s: 10% discount or discounted beverage (55+). Just remember to ask wherever you are.
In Frank Baum’s original Wizard of Oz story, Dorothy’s slippers are silver, not ruby red as they are in the 1939 MGM film. The color of the shoes were changed to red to take advantage of the new Technicolor film process used in big-budget Hollywood films of the era.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Vera Miles is 90. She has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant: The Searchers (1956), Psycho (1960) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Her bodybuilder second husband was actor Gordon Scott, who played Tarzan in films. Actor Barbara Eden is 89. I Dream of Jeannie.
I read “Wisdom for Parents Sending a Child Off to College.” Hmmm. I think I could make my own list, after all, I am an expert now that I have seven years of college experience under my belt. Ha-Ha. That is so funny. I could do this for the next hundred years and would never know the right thing to do. Especially now that COVID is a main concern. What I do know is that, as always, you have to pick your battles when your kids leave for college because they need to be making most of their decisions, so when they do make mistakes, and they will, you are still around to throw out words of advice and wisdom and pray that some of it sticks. My main rule to myself still stands after 24 years of raising kids…most things are NOT worthy of a battle. My thoughts on them leaving for college are: 1. Give them space. 2. Be prepared to listen. 3. Offer guidance. But do not try to fix too much. 4. Refer them to resources on campus. They have a ton of resources. It may not be a perfect solution, but it is always a good start. 5. FERPA. FERPA is a federal law intended to protect the privacy of student education records accumulated from early childhood through college. FERPA provides parents with certain rights with respect to children’s education and medical records up until entry to college. Then you might as well be talking to a wall. Kids do not have to tell you anything unless you threaten to withhold money for their schooling. That does work. 6. Do not get too upset about grades. There is a lot of freedom at this point, but they really don’t want to come back and live with you, so more than likely they will come around and do what needs to be done, most of the time. 7. Do not worry that they will starve. They are on a meal plan. They just need to organize their time so they can get there while food is available. Do not order groceries and have them sent to school. I send back a few homemade meals and snacks with my kids when they come home, and always pack a box of non-perishables they can get to if they are stuck in studio or theater, but I know that they will figure it out. 8. Know when to get involved. As COVID continues, our main concern is their safety. My daughter stayed home this year and will have all online classes. Only time will tell us if this was the right decision or not. Good luck, parents.
Remember back when we discussed the Murder Hornet? Then the virus arrived and stayed, and stayed, and we forgot how alarming this insect might be. Well, the Washington State Department of Agriculture just announced the capture of the first male Asian giant hornet in the US, near Custer, Washington. Now, they need to set additional traps to capture and tag a live Asian giant hornet, then track it to its nest and eradicate the structure. Washington beekeepers were the first to spot the Asian giant hornet after they discovered hundreds of bees with their heads ripped off in December. This murder hornet is definitely not a nice insect.
Wildfires, as many as 500 at one time, have burned more than one million acres in California, Arizona, and Oregon. More land has now been burned this season than the entire acreage of the state of New Jersey. Fires in California during 2019 burned a total of 259,823 acres. That is nearly equal to the number of acres that burned just one day, last week in California. A huge difference from last year to this one. There is concern now that even more fires will be sparked by dry lightning, which is a thunderstorm that produces little to no rainfall. Along with gusty winds, it is a recipe for erratic fire behavior that may continue. Remember the bushfires in Australia? Well, it took 240 days for them to end and it was because of a heavy rain.
The University of Florida says that boredom can result from feeling unchallenged, so use your downtime during this never-ending pandemic to take on a new activity, like cooking, gardening, home improvement, genealogy, or exercise. There are online classes for almost everything, now. I decided to redo the landscaping in my front yard. There were way overgrown holly bushes (I hate anything that sticks and pokes me), bottle brush, which are beautiful, but they were way too overgrown for hedges, and the roses (see sticks and pokes above). The previous owners had planted all of these and I bet it was beautiful at the time, but it needed to be re-done. Everything was yanked out and then we spent several months preparing the beds and pulling out baby holly bushes from runners that appeared EVERYWHERE. Shopping for the plants seemed like a pretty safe way to spend a few minutes or an afternoon outside at nurseries roaming in-between beautiful plants while I admired and dreamed about my plans for the front yard. This past weekend, Anne-Elisabeth and I put the last 18 plants in the ground, she with a measuring tape, and me in the mud. Then Antonio came and put down fresh mulch. I think it’s beautiful. So, find yourself a project or new activity, and reap the benefits of your imagination and hard work.
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. Pablo Picasso 1881-1973
Just finished reading Linda Evans, Recipes for Life, My Memories. Those of you that remember her as Audra Barkley on The Big Valley or as Krystal Carrington on Dynasty, would enjoy the book. Full of interesting stories and tried and true recipes like Mom’s Hot Dog Stew. And she is not afraid to tell you that her gorgeous hair is a wig.
The Food and Drug Administration gave emergency approval for expanded use of antibody-rich blood plasma, drawn from people who have recovered from Covid-19. More than 70,000 COVID patients have already received the treatment. Some scientists are concerned that the treatment has not been proven effective in randomized trials, but the Trump administration has pushed for approval.
Russia announced that they have approved a vaccine for public use. Putin said that even his daughter has taken the vaccine, but no scientific data on the Sputnik V vaccine has been released. Hmmm. There are many unanswered questions about its safety and effectiveness. Would you take a vaccine that Russia had approved?
Two baby cheetah cubs were born through IVF to a surrogate mother at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. This could aid the endangered species and create the healthiest population genetically in human care. The species has been declared to be near extinction. These two are precious.
Some cancer treatment centers allow you to ring a celebration bell to celebrate your final chemotherapy treatment. In Pittsburg, 31-year-old Mike Masciarelli celebrated his last treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, rang the bell, hugged his girlfriend, then pulled a ring box out of his pocket and got down on one knee to propose. She said yes. He said that looking forward, anticipating what he was going to do, helped him get through the treatments.
After Marco and Laura decided to invite themselves to our part of the world, I sit here trying to figure out how we can get our papers delivered. Safety is our main issue, then we would like to get to you dry, so please forgive us if it’s not a perfect Source Weekly week. Twin storms are tough on everyone. But, if you ever decide that you want The Source Weekly delivered directly to your inbox, please just call us, 285-9200, with your email address. We would love to send it to you each week.
P.S. – who in the heck decides to name a storm Laura. That is such a sweet, kind, lovely name for something so ugly. Oh, and here are a few words to deliver to next month. Dear September: we do not want any trouble from you. Just come in, sit down, do not touch a thing, and keep your mouth shut. We have had enough!!
Lisa
