traveling up and down the blind highway

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

One year ago today, I wrote a poem about life giving water. We need nurturing whether with water or acceptance. My poem is below.
May 19th 2024
Life giving water
It pours on trees, bushes and grass.
Filling ponds and rivers with healing.
Squirrels and deer lap up it’s strength.
I hope for a portion of the gift.
This life giving water..

This poem was sent to Lynda in our poetry postcard exchange last May. With the weather yesterday, it seems appropriate for the blog. We are working on six sections of the book, selecting poems for each section. Lynda just sent me the people and places section. I am selecting my poems today. The harder work for a book is what to choose and what to keep for another project. Lynda produced an outline and I suggested some minor changes. We each selected three of the section to be responsible for. From over 336 poems I will select 20 to 24 poems for each section. That will be 120 to 130 total poems, Lynda will do the same. We go through each selection to check for spelling, punctuation and font. Then we send the section to each other.
Currently we are sending our poems to on line and printed magazines to have published. We are hoping to have at least 30 to 60 poems published this year. This is a way we can connect with publishers and make interest in our work. When the book is completed, we will have a group of people to contact about the work.
I will keep you posted on our progress. I will end with a teaser from our book.
6
Handsome an acrostic poem

“Howdy Handsome.”
A wagging tail greeting.
“Nice dog.”
“Don’t know why he likes you.”
“Strangers are greeted with growls.”
“Only you he likes.”
“Maybe it’s my quiet voice.”
“Easy when you are holding a biscuit.”

carolaspot@aol.com
copyright 5-1

Disclaimer: Some of the facts were different on different sites. I tried to present them as factual as possible.
Carol
After the passing of Pope Francis, a story of His Holiness and a chocolate Labrador has been circulated. The Pope was said to have found the stray under a bridge . After looking into his soul filled eyes, Pope Frances adopted the dog. Though Vatican regulations forbid animals in the Papal residence, Pope Frances was not the first Pope to demonstrate his love of animals.
The open courtyard of the papal gardens have been the home of many exotic gifts to the pope. In the middle ages, such gifts were sent to cement favors from the current pope.
In modern times Pope Leo XIII had an elephant that was kept in the garden. The Pope kept Hana for two years on the Vatican grounds. This was collaborated by the recent of excavation near the Vatican library revealing the remains of Hana’s bones.
Pope Pious the XII is reported to have rescued an injured finch in the gardens. The finch had an broken wing. The Pope nursed the bird back to health and continued to keep the bird in his residence. Pope Pious was given several canaries. During the Popes meals, the birds were allowed to roam freely. Gretel was an inseparable companion. The Pope would be seen having a conversation with the bird on his finger.
Pope John the XXIII had a French bulldog named Winston. The pontiff named the dog for Former prime minster Winston Churchill.
Pope Paul the VI would take scraps on his walks to feed stray animals that he would encounter in the Vatican gardens. He forbid gardeners from killing insects. He had the cat at the beginning of his papacy. named Margaret.
Pope John Paul II wrote in 1990 a doctrine that reminded that all living creatures came into being by the breath of God. He wrote that all animals have a soul. He advocated for animal and their dignity. He told an interviewer about a dream he had. The dream was himself following a mother cat with 6 kittens. He followed the family as they tried to find food and shelter in a snow storm. The first was a doorman at a high rise, then a Jesuit Catholic church and an Anglican church. The cat family was shooed away as the Pope watched helplessly. Finally, the Feline family came to a poor woman’s small home. She welcomed the cats into the warmth of her small dwelling.
Pope Benedict was known as a cat lover. He had a cat named Chico at his home in Germany. On his walks, he would fill his pockets with scrapes to give to the stray cats. Often, they would follow him for some distance. When he retired, He would go into the gardens to find cats to feed. Pope Benedict disagreed that animals had souls.
Pope Frances believed that animals we befriended would be raised into glory forever. One small boy told his parents that his dog was so kind and loving that he had to go to heaven. Humans take a lifetime to learn the same lesson.
Pope Leo XIV predecessor Leo XIII, was an advocate for the rights of the workers. We will wait to see if he advocates the rights of all of God’s creatures.
Carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 5-12-25

For the next two weeks, Holland Michigan will celebrate Tulip time on the West lakeshore of Michigan. It is estimated that between three and five hundred thousand visitors come to experience the Dutch heritage, see the tulip farms and buy Holland’s arts and crafts. This festival is in it’s ninety fifth consecutive years of operation.
First Proposed by Len Rogers, a school biology teacher in nineteen twenty seven to promote the cities history using tulips as a symbol and plantings in the downtown area. The first year, the city planted one hundred thousand bulbs imported from the Netherlands. It has grown over the years to include, a carnival, a tour of tall ships, tours of gardens and an artisan area. Many of the events are free or a nominal fee. The citizens dress in the 16th century costumes. The Dutch used their expertise to cultivate tulips, daffodils and crocuses. The number and variety of tulips alone number 85. From the early midgets to the giant black swan flowers, the tulips can produce a showy display for the whole spring season.
Holland is 40 miles away by car. I have visited the festival on several occasions.
We visited the wooden shoe factory to purchased a pair of birch clogs. The foot ware is traditionally. used in wet soggy fields.
The tulip farms demonstrate sorting and grading the bulbs for sale. Care is taken to not cut or harm the individual bulbs.
In a four mile area of downtown Holland, all the festival activities take place. Dutch foods and crafts such as embroidery and quilting are shown. Dutch dancers entertain and give dance lessons in a traditional form of clogging. Clogging is performed with wooden shoes to make a percussion sound to add to the music. made by the accordion and the barrel organ.
In the evening the festival has a musical show and entertainers at the Holland Civic Center in Downtown Holland.
This year the Tulip time started on on Saturday and runs through the second weekend of May. Whether you love to see flowers, enjoy Dutch cooking or tour Dutch Island park to see a historical windmill and gardens, Holland Michigan has something for every one.
**** Poem
Windmill An acrostic Poem
Western lakeshore hosts tulip time.
Individuals can enjoy Dutch heritage.
Nautical activities are found near the city’s docks.
Downtown bustles with costumed Hollanders.
Many demonstrations of Dutch crafts can be purchased.
Initiated in 1929.
Lead by a high school biology teacher.
Len Rogers, idea promoted Holland’s identity.
carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 5/5/25