traveling up and down the blind highway

As a person who is blind, I occasionally run into others who take advantage of my good nature. But, I didn’t expect this behavior from my husband.
One of our morning routines is seeing who gets the coffee. First one up checks the coffee maker to bring two cups of fresh hot brew to the bedroom. We sip, savor that first cup while we talk. The brewing cycle commences before we awake. The aroma of the brewing and the beeping of the timer signals it is ready.
Lately, John has limited himself to one mug of coffee a day. I usually finish the other two cups. Until, we bought some flavored amaretto beans. It’s enticing aroma brings us out of sleep with a delightful scent.
Yesterday, I poured my second cup in the afternoon. Placing the mug in the microwave, I went back to the office. In a short time I returned for my warm cup. It was gone. I recalled putting the cup in to heat. I didn’t recall retrieving it. I have been known to lose items, but never warm coffee.
Retracing my steps to the bedroom, office and the kitchen- No coffee! The lingering aroma of the hot drink hung in the air.
Meanwhile, John was making himself hot chocolate. Opening the microwave door, he smelled the amaretto coffee deciding to have that instead. Putting two spoonfuls of creamer in the mug, he sipped my coffee while remarking,”Now you know how I feel when I think I have an acccurate memory.” He continued drinking the coffee while I searched.
Finally, I gave up and retrieved another mug from the shelf. I finished the pot. The whole time, John continued to enjoy the coffee and the joke.
This morning he confessed that He was going to make coco but upon opening the microwave, the aroma coming from the coffee tempted him. I better make more coffee until this bag of beans is gone!

***. Poem
Coffee an acrostic poem
Coming out of sleep, I smile.
Odor of brewed coffee tickles my nose.
For a moment, I Lay quietly, waiting.
First one up, John returns with two mugs.
Each sips, savoring the hot drink.
Every morning, the routine is repeated, for the last thirty three years.
Carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 7/28/25

What better informal holiday to celebrate midway through the summer than “National Relaxation Day?” What better way to relax than to take a snooze in a hammock?
The hammock has been in use since 1000 BC. Originating in Central and South America.They were used to safely sleep off the ground to protect a sleeper from insects, reptiles and predators. The bark woven hammocks were hung six to eight feet off the ground.
In the fifteenth century, sailors on ships used hammocks made from canvas for sleeping berths. The design protected the sailors from being tossed out of their berths. The hammocks could be stored to make room for day duties.
Modern hammocks are woven from cotton, nylon or polyester. Pawley Island hammocks were first manufactured in 1939, The Pawley Spa and Resort caters to relaxed summer leisure time in the southern states.
When we visited Hawaiian Islands, we were surprised to see the beach of Waikiki, being combed with machines to clean debris. Hanging hammocks made from woven fabrics, are regarded as some of the most comfortable of hanging beds. The beaches in Hawaii are all public and have no restrictions on sleeping on the beach. The tropical warmth of day turns to cool evenings especially when the trade winds continue into the early evening, making sleeping on the beach to cold without a blanket.
I had a Pawley hammock for 15 years before giving to my brother in law and his lady friend. They may show discoloration as they age.
So kick back and enjoy a snooze. in celebration of “National Relaxation Day.”

Dog Days

Hot, sultry days of summer,
Appear after the rising of the star Sirius.
It heralds extreme weather changes,
thunder storms, floods and this time increased hate, fever and lethargy. Sirius is the dog star. Hearing the word dog, my dog Koke opened one eye, yawned turned over and went back to sleep
under the shade of my hammock.

carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 7/22/25

In 1789, on July 14, the storming of the Bastille by French revolutionaries. led to the fall of the monarchy in 1793. Several dozen noblemen fled the country or were sent to the guillotine. The French revolution continued for ten years as several groups fought for control of the country. Leading to the rise of Napoleon in 1804.
In 1789, the poorest prisoners were housed in the lowest parts of the Bastille with crowding, little food and rampant disease. Person’s with means could pay for better treatment, even fireplaces, wood, and real beds. They were allowed to have visitors, books and other luxuries. The prison was overrun with common citizens. They released the few prisoners, killed the guards and officials. The first celebration of Bastille day was in 1790.
Today’s celebration features parades, shows of military strength, musical plays, balls and a large fireworks display over the Eiffel Tower.

In this country, we may have Storm the Bastille celebrations but large celebrations are limited to French descendants. Unlike the American Revolution, which was the colonist against the British, the French Revolution was French people against their own countrymen. In the first eighteen months of the conflict over 20,000 were killed.
At the site of the Bastille is a monument to the start of the revolution. A bronze column stands where the Bastille originally stood. Traces of the buildings foundation is all that is left of the buildings and outer walls. They were burned to the ground by the storming of the Bastille. During the two year conflict scores of castles and church property were destroyed. Deaths from executions after the uprise vary but the guillotine was used in 1500 to 1700 executions, including the King Louie the 16th and his queen Marie Antoinette.
****. poem
Bastille
B Best rooms were for the rich.
A All who couldn’t pay were crowded with the rest.
S Symbols of status were clothes and servants.
T Toiling to survive was the norm.
I Insects and lice abound.
L Little could be done without paying the guards.
E Every item had a price.
S Some stone foundations is all that remains.
carolaspot@aol.com
Copyrighted 7/14/25

Today, I looked to the calendar for celebrations for inspiration. It is World Chocolate Day, National Macaroni Day and Tell the Truth Day. I will address all three events.
First, there is World Chocolate Day, one of several days honoring this sweet confection. There is an excellent history of this delight in the book “Beyond the Wrapper a Delicious Journey Through the History of Chocolate” by Barrett Williams. The fruit or seeds grow in pods surrounded by fleshy growth on the Theobroma cocoa tree. The plant name means “fruit of the gods” . It seeds were ground, mixed with water, spices and chilies to produce a bitter beverage, an acquired taste. This drink is very different from what we know as sweetened chocolate. Milk and sugar were added to the drink in the seventeen hundreds. The first chocolate bar was produced in 1844, by Joseph Fry, who added coco butter into a molded bar. In 1937 Hershey developed a chocolate bar that could withstand higher temperatures for mailing. During WWII, many servicemen and women received packages with the treat.
Today Hershey chocolate bars have about 11% cocoa. The Ghirardelli chocolate bars have 86% cocoa giving them a rich intense flavor.
Macaroni is another ancient food. It was produced in Greece ,between 2000 and 1000 BC. It is believed the first macaroni may have resembled small balls. The mixture resembled dumplings more that the present day noodles. The first elbow macaroni was invented in Switzerland in 1872. In addition to cheese, the dish had scallions and chives. The American version of Mac and cheese is attributed to Thomas Jefferson’s chef, James Hemings. He learned to cook pasta when Jefferson was the ambassador to France. This dish is served on many tables on Thanksgiving.
Finally the difficult task of telling the truth for one day. We often tell white lies, to politely not hurt another’s feelings. Don’t make up a lie. Find another topic or stay quiet. If you must tell the truth , do it in a humble and kind manner, or offer the person a chocolate.
*** poem
Chocolate Pasta
186 calories per serving.
cholesterol free,
tree nut free,
low protein,
sugar free,
… so why eat it?
carolaspot@aol.com
7/7/25 copyrighted

The current United States Postal Service was approved in 1971 by a congressional act. It replaced the United States Postal Department. It was founded in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. King Charles the 2nd, established the first post office in England in 1660 for quicker communication between the Royal court and the the two houses of parliament. Mr Franklin used his appointment to simplify the routes to best serve the population. Before 1775, correspondence had to be carried by individuals. It took six to eight days for a letter to be sent and delivered from Boston to New York, a month for a letter from New Hampshire to Georgia. Initially, service consisted of delivery from the three largest cities, Boston, Philadelphia and New York. He expanded the service to cover all 13 colonies .Franklin had postal riders travel day and night. As Post Master General, an improved accounting system was also implemented.
Currently the service employees more than 73000 veterans, more than any other federal agency. Last year the Postal Service delivered over 13 billion pieces of mail.
As a child, we knew our mail carrier by name. Often they were a neighbor or friend. Today many routes are delivered by postal vehicle, still many customers are known by their carriers. Senior citizens and the disabled are helped by their carriers.
The USPS is the only government department that is required, by congress, to fully fund retirees pension fund before they retire. This has been partly responsible for the service in the red. The service had a loss of 6.5 billion in the last fiscal year, 5.8 billion went to the pension fund.
Cuts in the service could affect the delivery in many rural areas. The average delivery time from the post date is 1 to 2 days.
So if you see your postal carrier or go to the post office, remember to say ,”Thank you.” They are working hard for you.

***. poemJune 6 94 words
Beginning Of The End
Old men memories fade in the retelling.
The folded uniform, smelling of mothballs, packed in the cedar chest.
past years of service forgotten.
Tarnished medals rest in dusty velvet boxes.
Discharge papers, curled and yellow, stored away in a gray file cabinet.
A battered combat helmet rests on a toy box shelf.
Thoughts of war pushed aside,
for present concerns.
A gold star and the flag, marks the passing of another fallen hero.
One crippled warrior pauses to salute,
then moves on.
Echos ofTaps plays softly in his mind.
carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 7/1/25

There are many foods that Michigan is noted for. Better Made Potato Chips, cherries, asparagus and Saunders hot fudge ice cream topping. But none have their own national Day. June 23rd. is National Detroit Pizza Day. Like Chicago and New York style pizza, the Detroit version is unique in it’s history and flavors.
The start of this dish appeared on the East side near Six Mile and Conant . The location was originally a Speak Easy during Probation, becoming a restaurant after WWII. The pizza was invented by Gus Garrick in 1946. It was a square deep dish pie, made with Wisconsin brick cheese, and a light dough cooked with crunchy edges. But what made this a Detroit favorite was not the pizza but the pan. the first pies were cooked in drip pans that were used to hold small tools to work on cars. The pans were a heavy cast metal, making the Sicilian crust crusty on the edges, with a light chewy center. Over the years, various versions of the favorite have been made in the Detroit Metro area and across Michigan. I was ashamed to admit that I was one of the few Michiganders that had never tasted one.
I googled Buddy’s pizza to find the nearest location of the restaurant. To my surprised, there was a location in Grand Rapids, six miles away from my home. I was determined to taste the home grown before the national day.
On Saturday, John and I took a short road trip to 28th Street in Grand Rapids. We found the eatery at noon. The restaurant was busy but not crowded. The booths were spacious and upholstered to resembled seats in cars from the 50’s. Wall decorations were historical places in Detroit and the surrounding area of the Metro.
We ordered a four piece pizza named the Super Six Miler. It had the crusty thick crust, tomato/basil sauce and brick cheese along with several meat and vegetables toppings. The vegetables were cut into thin strips. The meats were cooked to a crispy texture. The middle of each slice was moist and flavorful. The meal was topped with a Vernor’s Ginger Ale float. another product from Detroit. Nice to combined local history with fun dining. Would I go back? Definitely!
***. poem
Road Trip
Detroit pizza was the quest.
Find the original recipe, nothing less.
In Grand Rapids we ordered a test.
With Vernor’s floats, we downed the rest.
The result? You’ll have to guess.
carolfarn@aol.com copy righted 6/23/2025

The anger of Los Angeles and other cities has erupted in my small Midwest town. It was a quiet Friday morning. Early for the lunch crowd, we went to our favorite Middle Eastern restaurant for a quiet lunch. As we finished our order, a young man with dreadlocks waited to receive his order.
“This has cheese, I don’t eat cheese.”
The clerk apologized and took the order back. In a few minutes he returned with a fresh salad.
“This has peas, I don’t eat peas,” he shouted.
The salad didn’t have any peas. This was not an item on the menu. An argument ensued. The customer grabbed a cup to fill it at the drink dispenser.
“Hey, You didn’t pay for that.”
Voices were raised. The customer was asked to leave. Once outside, he started to verbalize racial slurs against Arabs , muslins and and the police, after being told that they had been called.
The owner had locked the door after the irate young man left. He continued to yell and bang on the locked door until the police arrived. Instead of one patrol car there were three cars arriving at the same time. The young man was subdued and put in handcuffs as we watched. I don’t know if the young man had mental, anger issues or wanted to cause a diversion. The clerk commented after the incident that his Smart watch was gone.
Social fuses are burning in the country, including this small Michigan burrow. Where will it end?

*** poem
Smoldering embers
anger, hostility
quarrel sparks voices rising
body language in each other’s face
asked to leave, shouts, racial slurs slams the door
with stolen watch

carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 6/15/25

This past week, we have had haze and smoke from Canadian wild fires causing poor air quality over most of Michigan. Normally, there is an increase in Carbon monoxide in spring before oxygen is produced from plants and trees. This year the CO increased to 3.5 parts per million. This may not sound serious but this trend is higher yearly.
The Jet stream and lack of rain has pushed the smoke from the high atmosphere down to the earths surface, causing pollution to linger.
The fires in sections of British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have continued to burn for over a year, causing smoke to remain in the air.
What does it mean for person’s living in the Great Lakes area? Last year, we had 14 ozone action days where air quality was in the dangerous levels for the elderly, children, pregnant women and people with pre existing conditions such as heart or breathing conditions.
This past week, we have had ozone action days. Last Friday, despite such conditions, John and I went for a 10 mile bike ride. Biking and walking are labeled moderate exercise. We are in our seventies but healthy. I experienced mild difficulty biking uphill. I had trouble drawing a deep breath. My respiratory system continued to produce phlegm during the whole ride and for a short time after.
What can we do to protect from smoke. A surgical or paper mask does not filter the small particles from the air. A N95 respiratory mask can protect from most air born pollutants. These will not protect from active fires.
It is likely that the chance of hazy weather will continue to be a factor in our weather. Be aware of current conditions and take precautions. Then go and plant another tree.
poem
Take a breath
We need to breathe,
oxygen laden air from plants and trees.
CO is used, oxygen exchanged.
But smoke produced haze,
disrupts to make it harder
to take a breath.
carolaspot@aol.com
copyright 6/9/25

My husband John is a control master when it comes to his garden, yard and plantings. He cuts, trims and weeds to perfection. All is perfect, except for the wild turkeys. We have several that roam the neighborhood, looking for bird feeder leftovers.
The problem? John has new red colored mulch on the hill, behind the stone wall. The turkeys, like chickens, scratch the mulch by kicking backward to move the mulch to find dropped seeds. They kick the mulch decorating the green grass with bright red wood. Though this may look pretty, It is not in John’s control.
Last week, He shopped at the local farm store to purchase metal cattle panels that had four by six inch openings to discourage the turkeys from scratching and moving the mulch. The turkeys decided to scratch the mulch on the edge of the fencing, making the same mess. Score Turkeys 1, John 0.
John took the challenge to heart. He edged the area between to the wall and the mulch with 8 inch wood fencing to keep the mulch from being moved by the turkeys.
Score John 1, Turkeys 1. This is working but the turkeys have disappeared for now. additionally, John’s out of pocket expense is over sixty dollars.
The back yard is perfect again, but for how long? I think I heard the turkeys in conference in the woods.
poem
Turkey Assault
To scratch is their nature, making a mess.
What is the solution, for us no rest.
metal fencing, standing wood slats.
Turkeys confer, behind our hedge.
Plan for round three.
I’ll wait and see.
carolaspot@aol.com copyrighted 6/2/2025 .

My great aunt, Minnie Turnbull, was a skilled knitter. She would knit lovely sweaters for nieces and nephews for birthday gifts. They had details such as covered buttons, and mohair striping in the body. My favorite was a bright pink sweater with two white mohair stripes on the chest. I loved to run my fingers across the white stripe noting the difference between the white and pink stitches. Wearing that sweater, I felt special.
All too soon, I outgrew the sweater. My mother cleaned it to store for future family members. It was stored for many years in a cedar chest. When my niece, Katelyn, was old enough to wear it, the sweater was gifted to her. Rubbing her fingers across the mohair gave her pleasure. Wearing the sweater for a year, she finally out grew it. It was cleaned and packed away again to wait for another Turnbull girl.
When my daughter was five, the sweater was unpacked and given to her. She loved to feel the mohair stripes on the chest of the sweater. She wore the garment until it was outgrown.
The other day, I was visiting my two grand nieces. The oldest one, Eliza, sported a pink sweater with two white mohair stripes on the chest. Knitted by loving hands over seventy five years before. It has held up to the test of time over generations. I told the sweater’s journey, as Eliza rubbed her fingers across the white mohair striping.
carolaspot@aol.com
Copyright 5-26-2025