The Saturday Morning Post: 50 States in 52 Weeks: Nebraska

 

I co-presented training in Omaha, Nebraska 2-3 years ago, and only took a couple of photos, all of them at the hotel and worksite. I was traveling light and the photos are from my phone. It was my second time in the state, when I was a teenager I crossed the state from east to west and west to east on a bus filled with 4-H members. Most of that I slept through in the middle of the night.  

Nebraska is very much in the center of the United States. It is slightly rolling, rather flat. Mostly agricultural. Those central states are very-very large. 

A dear friend of ours taught at the University of Nebraska for a couple of years.  She is from Canada, and at the time, she needed a full time teaching position or she had to return to Canada, and Nebraska was the only job offer.  As recent Yale graduate, it was a unique experience. She went on to teach at another state University for over 20 years, is now a dual citizen, and is department chair at a University in Canada. She has friends in Nebraska, and talks about retiring there, to be near friends. Friends or family would be a reason to want to be in Nebraska. 

Foody Friday: Independence Day 2025 Edition

When I was a kid, summer, really starting in May and running through September, was when my family earned their living for the entire year on the farm.  Work often went on seven days a week, there were few breaks in the summer season. One big exception was the 4th of July, Independence Day.  The farm would shut down for the day, often for just the one day. The family, and I come from a small family, would gather and from this are fondly held food traditions. 

Often we would go to my Aunt Edith and Uncle Dick's house on Lake Orion. They had a house on Dollar Bay, on the back side of the lake, and a boat, and something my parents never really had, a charcoal grill.  My father found charcoal time consuming and messy, my mother obsessed that the grill was impossible to clean. A summer visit to the lake was always a treat. 

Hamburgers were always on the grill, and hotdogs. 

Hamburgers cooked on a charcoal grill have a flavor that is impossible to replicate without grilling.  I miss them. 

Hotdogs, and other sausages cooked on a charcoal grill char on the outside. My parents would grimace that they were burned, but the flavor that develops in that char is a fond memory of summer. With care, I can duplicate the char on the cooktop or under the broiler.  

There was always potato salad.  Boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs, chopped onion and celery, Kraft Miracle Whip, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  I sometimes add more things, but I often revert back to that very basic formula. 

My mother would make baked beans. She had a secret for making baked beans, she boiled the beans until soft before putting them in to bake. The boiling yields a softer finished baked bean. Brown sugar, molasses and tomato paste were added and baked until caramelized. People would ask her how she made them, and she never mentioned the boiling part. I didn't realize until much later in life, that the thing that she did differently than most, was the vigorous boiling before baking.  She could turn the hardest bean, into something devine (hot or cold.) 

This year Independance Day is also the First Friday of the month. Our LGBTQ neighbors normally gather on First Friday. The restaurant will be doing a special limited menu and will be packed, the pool will be swamped with neighbors and guests, so we invited our friends to join us at our apartment. 

I am going to make hotdogs and other sausages, charred under the broiler if that is what people like, and potato salad.  Bringing back memories.  

  

Thursday Ramble: Effing Idiots

Noteworthy today, we are closer to the year 2050, than we are to the year 2000. And the millennium bug still has not brought modern civilization to its knees. 

This was written last Friday morning, as the US Supreme Court was closing out the session with the most politically difficult cases, no doubt with armored SUVs waiting in the garage to whisk them away to their summer retreats while the smoke clears and the cries die down. 

The Opinion in the first case came out, the one on Birthright Citizenship and my reaction was what a bunch of effing idiots. Not the Supreme Court Justices, they are being very careful jurists, doing their jobs, and not the lawyers for the Justice Department, they are being very careful in their research, and crafting their appeal. The the lawyers for the immigration advocates who failed to review existing Federal Case Law, on procedural issues. 

The appeal was brought purely on the issue of a Federal District Court, issuing a national injunction.  The case law is clear that this exceeds the authority of the Federal District Courts (or Circuit Courts) under federal law. The District Court should not have issued the sweeping injunction and the lawyers for CASA should have made the case law clear to the Court that the injunction needed to be more limited. 

The Justice Department lawyers, wisely stuck to this procedural issue knowing that they were likely to prevail, and avoided the bigger issue of birthright citizenship. When the opportunity is presented to avoid the third rail issue, the wise lawyers limit the issue to the easy one. 

Effing idiots should go back and take Civ-Pro 1 and Civ-Pro 2, Professor Abramson would have failed them on THE exam for this kind of an effing mistake.  

To fix our messed up immigration system, Congress needs to update our immigration laws, and no one seems to be demanding that be done. 

My World of Wonders, aka the Wednesday Ws, July 2, 2025 edition

Where have I been this week? Close to home for the most part, the weather has been hot. The outdoor pool, the treadmill in the gym, the pharmacy and a shopping center to walk inside air conditioned stores.  I drove friends to the airport on Saturday. The Community Center for an Arts meeting and a gallery opening. Trader Joe's and Aldi for some specialty shopping - we are hosting friends for the 4th of July on Friday.  

Who have a talked with? Pratibha, Linda, Guido, Joan, Jon and Rebecca - the arts group. Giuseppe and Larry from water aerobics. Emily, Kathy, and Sydney an editorial board.   

When was I lazy? Last Friday, it was cooler and drizzling rain and I didn't feel like doing much, I spent four hours laying on my bed watching a marathon of "Waiting for God" (a great older British comedy) on DVD.  No pool, no walk, I didn't leave the house. I hadn't done that in weeks.  

What am I reading? "Humans are Underrated" a book about the role of humans in evolving technology. I have been a little distracted from my reading. Up next is Revenge of the Tipping Point. 

What did I hear while floating in the pool this week? Two mid-20-something dudes talking about what they did when they were young. I wanted to interrupt and point out that they are still young. 

What was the flashback memory of the week? Remembering about 1975, pink mauve corduroy, low-rise bell bottom trousers, my mother let me pick out clothes that made my father shake his head in wonder.  If only I knew then, what I knew later. 

What did I mess up this week? I posted two moody Monday posts. The negative one, was suppose to have been replaced by the happy one. I know how it happened, but it kind of makes me wonder. 

Who died? No one is saying, but Monday afternoon a body was found just off of one the trails here at the Condo. The community sits on 30+ acres on a hilltop, with trails that runs around the property, through the trees, up and down the hills.  Rumor has it that one of the regular trail walkers, was overcome in the 95 degree (f) heat, with humidity to match, collapsed and died.  The police and coroner were onscene and there was a message asking residents to please stay away and respect the privacy of the scene and the family. 

When does the highlight of the sporting year start? Saturday in Lille France, the start of the Tour De France, my favorite sporting event for many reasons. I don't expect others to understand. Cycling is a team sport, through amazing countryside and cities, and it is in France. I will be glued to the television for a couple of hours a day until Paris in about three weeks. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Fried chicken, potato salad, cheese spread, fresh broccoli, and the most surprising - suckling goat ravioli.  Open Hand Pasta sells at the King Street Farmers Market in Alexandria. He always has a featured filled pasta or two.  Two or three weeks ago, I stopped to see what he had. The feature that day was suckling goat, he assured me that it was delightful, mild and flavorful.  I'll try anything once, so I brought it home, dropped it in the freezer - label side down so I didn't have to explain the goat. Friday evening I cooked it per the package direction, made a simple sauce with sauteed onions, mushrooms and a small can of tomato sauce. It was wonderful. Flavorful and mild, just as he told me it would be.  Try it, you will like it! I will buy this again if he ever has it.

What made me smile this week? Reading blogs, framing more photos, relaxing and enjoying life. 

Travel Tuesday: Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

The Gulf Stream gathers warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico and flows as a current north and east, moderating the climate along the way, with some unexpected effects, like palm trees growing along parts of the south coast of England.  The warming effects of the Gulf Stream along with a steep valley made the perfect place for a Florida style garden in the south of England. It was pretty. It was extremely steep. The Map was useless, and the visit felt rushed. Still it was a pretty place. 

Legend has it that praying at this abandoned church, will help loveless ladies find a husband. 

 

Monday Mood: Finding Happiness in Weird Times

As most of my readers know, I draft most posts a few days ahead of time. My first draft for Monday Mood, was snippy and grumpy, then on Sunday morning as I was reading blogs, my mood improved. Happiness, maybe even contentedness descended upon me. 

Doc Spo posted a photo of his most recent creation, his clock shirt. The community arts group was trying to settle on a theme for the August objects showcase. Spo's post sent me into my cabinet of curiosities, to find a momento from Sweet Bear's mother's house. An hourglass from the 1964 World's Fair. 

I sent the co-chair of the arts group these photos, and she replied saying this was just the inspiration she needed to settle on a theme for August. Time. 

Angus in St. Andrews posted a photo of the flock of Hebridean sheep in a meadow near his home. Such pretty and happy sheep. If I had millions of dollars, I would buy a farm, name it "Black Sheep Farm" and have someone raise flocks of sheep just like this. His posts are always intelligent, thoughtful, reflective. 

Bob in South Carolina wrote, "… that I am planning on engaging in orange cat behavior today and, no, I will not explain." My comment was: 

 I hope you had a great day of napping in warm sunny places, hissing at people, running away, demanding to be petted, rubbing up against legs and then swiping at anyone who tried to touch you, demanding to be fed, then turning your nose up at food, and pissing on anything you wanted to mark as yours-all-yours. Sounds like a great way to spend the day - being an orange cat.

It sounds like a purrfect way to spend the day.

I can't explain why, but this series of blog interactions brought about a sense of calm and happiness for me. (edit) And I thought I had deleted the snippyness, I apparently didn't and there are two Monday posts this week.  

 

Monday Mood: Kind of Makes Me Wonder

At the Farmer's Market on Saturday I bought a jar of honey. After I paid, I asked the young man who processed the transaction, "So what does a pound jar of honey cost these days?" I often don't look at prices, I buy what I want.  I packed and sold thousands of pound jars and honey bears as a teenager that we sold for between 50-cents and a $1 each, I know they are a lot more expensive today, and I also know how much work and risk goes into filling that jar. I just wanted to know the price. 

His response was, "I don't know, that is a question for Eli, do we sell pound jars of honey?" I pulled the jar out of my bag, showed him that it was 16 fluid ounces, he seemed surprised that was one-pound. I then said, it is about 1/4 of a liter, about 250 milliliters. Water is 8  pounds to the gallon, honey is 12 pounds to the gallon. The vacant look on his face, told me that he didn't have a clue. Kind of made me wonder about our education system. He is studying engineering and working in a factory that builds cranes. 

Buy the way, a 1-pound jar of local honey was $12. Expensive, but I know who produced, and where, and that it is an important part of sustainable agriculture. 

On the way to the market I had a National Public Radio station on, they were interviewing experts about vaccines, and the current disaster in the US Federal Government.  Leadership who either don't understand science carefully proven over the past 150 years, or simply deny that it applies. It kind of makes be wonder. 

There are times, when I am glad that I am old. It is likely that I will be dead before it all comes crashing down around us.  Kind of makes me wonder how soon it will catch up with the world. 

The Sunday Five: Harry Potter

Sign outside a restaurant in Brugge, Belgium 

This one is a bit of a risk, as some of you may not have read any of the books and seen any of the films. I know the author has turned out to be a bigot, I read the books and enjoyed the films long before she started spouting hate. The books remain brilliant works of fiction, she should have taken her billion-dollars and crawled into a cave with her hate. 

1: How many of the Harry Potter books have you read? 

2: What Harry Potter character are you most like? 

3: If you had a House Elf, would you give them clothes? 

4: What educational experience was most like Hogwarts for you? 

5: How many of the Harry Potter films have you seen? 

My Answers: 

1: How many of the Harry Potter books have you read?  All of them, after the first one, I bought all of the subsequent books the day they were released for sale. 

2: What Harry Potter character are you most like? Hermione Granger, a bit of a know-it-all, who also cares about other people. 

3: If you had a House Elf, would you give them clothes? Yes, Dobby was a loyal friend after being freed. 

4: What educational experience was most like Hogwarts for you? Unquestionably Law School, three years with the brightest group of people I have ever known, exploring deep and mysterious knowledge. 

5: How many of the Harry Potter films have you seen? All of them, at least once, some many times. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

50 States in 52 Weeks: Montana

 

Montana is in the northwest of the United States, bordering on Canada. Work took me there, I presented a training on recognizing abuse of adults on the Blackfoot Reservation in Browning, Montana.  We stayed in a motel, across the street from the east Glacier Amtrak station.  Something notable - the water supply was contaminated by spring run off- you couldn't drink the water. 

The Rocky Mountains dominate the western part of the state, the Indian Reservation was east of the mountains about 40 miles, out on the hard plains. The eastern half of the state is vast mildly rolling plains. 

I have very fond memories of the trip. The people were warm and inviting, the food delicious in very different ways. I remember ordering an Elk Burger in a restaurant to the horror of my colleagues. I had most of one day free, and drove into Glacier National Park from the eastern side. It was late spring, the major road through the park from east to west (the Going to the Sun road) was still buried in snow. 

The photos from that trip are lost, or buried in the archive. But the images are vivid in my memory. I would gladly go back. 

 

Funky Friday: Off the Beaten Path

The Novotel hotel in Brugge is on the edge of the historic area, on a kind of main street that runs into the center of the city.  A street that was alive with people, and traffic, and tourist focused businesses. The hotel is set back from the street on kind of a courtyard between other buildings.  If you exited out the back corner of that courtyard, you were in a different world. A local neighborhood, with narrow streets lined with residential front doors.  While only a couple of blocks off the main street it was a world away. It was peaceful, and unhurried. It was a place where local people live their day to day lives. 

I am an early riser. When we travel I get up - pull some clothes on, go have breakfast, come back shower and dress for the day, about the time the Sweet Bear is opening his eyes. I take a nice hour or so walk, while he has breakfast and gets ready for the day.  A couple of mornings I took long walks off the beaten path, down those delightful side streets of Brugge. 

I was fascinated by the doors, many of the them hundreds of years old, and each one a unique expression of place. Just as the people living inside are different, each door was different. I took dozens of photos of doors.  Doors are portals to inner worlds, protection against the outside, the way in, or the way out, doors can open to reveal secrets, or remain locked securing what is within. Getting off the beaten path, I was able to see the local side of a charming town. 

Auto Correct, misspelled Brugge on the print I had made, and I missed the spelling until the print arrived. 

 

Thursday Ramble: Chunnel

In my lifetime there have been a few masterworks of modern engineering.  Putting humans in orbit, walking on the moon, supersonic airline flight, the space shuttle (I was there for the fist launch), and the opening of a tunnel under the English Channel connecting England and France also known as the chunnel, short for channel tunnel. 

A quick search tells me that the chunnel is a little over 31 miles in length, at the deepest it is about 75 meters below sea level (about 250 feet.) There are actually three tunnels, two for trains, and one in the middle for support functions and an emergency escape route. The trains pass through at up to 100 miles per hour, typically the crossing takes about 20 - 25 minutes. 

I have been through the chunnel four times.  The Eurostar high speed trains pass through it between London and the continent.  There are also trains that shuttle cars and small trucks back and forth, I have never done that. 

A common question is what is it like? It is a train ride in the dark, not unlike an other train ride at night or through a tunnel - except the tunnel is a bit longer. The ride is smooth.  There is some noise, as a high speed machine is passing through a concrete tube. 

What to you see? The photo above is what we could see looking out the window, our reflection in the glass.  The chunnel is dark inside, there is minimal safety lighting, if you watch really carefully you can see the lighted signs for the cross over into the service/emergency tunnel between the two train tunnels (assuming you are on that side of the train.) You really don't see much. 

How was it built? Tunnel boring machines. Cutting heads like the one below started at both sides and met someplace near the middle. As I recall the alignment was within inches.  One of my great grandfathers was a tunnel builder, he would have been amazed at these machines. In his day, it was shovels and explosives, few lived to old age, he died shortly after I was born.  100 years ago, they would start at both ends and meet in the middle, sometimes a few feet off, but close enough to align the two parts.  

This TBM was used in a massive drainage project in the DC area, and was removed from the tunnel in old town north Alexandria, where the Robinson Landing North project will be built. 

My world of Wonders aka The Wednesday Ws Last of June 2025

Where have I been this week? Out to lunch at Founding Farmers new Arlington, Virginia location,  the Springfield Mall for a long walk inside, the gym, the pools - indoor and outdoor, the farmers market, a long walk in north old town, Trader Joe's, the pharmacy, the Library, Potomac Yard for a shopping walk, into The City for lunch and a walk. 

How is the Weather? HOT, HOT, HOT, highs in the 90's hovering around 100 (f).  That has influenced walks being indoors to avoid the heat. 

Who have I seen this week? Larry, Jim, Ruth, Warren, Renee, a bunch of neighbors, Erica - my replacement.

What have I been up to in the kitchen? I poached a whole chicken, made stock, chicken pies, chicken salad, gazpacho, hard boiled quails eggs, meatloaf, veggies, white turnips and tiny carrots.  

What have I enjoyed reading? "Building" written by Mark Ellison, a master carpenter who has spent 40 years doing high end remodeling in New York. It is brilliantly written, by a craftsman who would protest that he is not a scholar. 

When is my next adventure? Toronto in early August for just a couple of nights. 

Wondering? Are these colorful enough for a show with a theme of splash of color? 

What has me dismayed? Bombing Iran. 

What was heard at the pool? Two late middle aged women discussing men and marriage, "I don't need a man, I need more batteries!" 

Travel Tuesday: Salzburg

Back in 2015 we spent a couple of weeks in Germany, with a couple of nights in Salzburg, Austria, lunch in Switzerland, and a wrong turn into France for 2 minutes. How to tell Austria from Australia.  There are no kangaroos in Austria, and they drive in the right side of the road.   

Monday Mood: How am I doing?

I am enjoying my gentle daily routine, interesting walks, my time in the pool, and playing in the kitchen four times a week. World events are troubling - give me pause. I am struggling with travel plans for next year, and in light of the Sunday morning news, maybe I should wait for the smoke to clear in Tehran before I commit to anything.  

I have done some cleaning and organizing in my room, bedroom, office, studio all in one nice space.  I consolidated most of the paintings, prints, and frames into one location from four. Once a year the condo has a paper shredding truck on site, took over a massive pile of files yesterday.  Next year, I can shred the files from settling my father's estate, that will free up some space.  

I am physically feeling well, other than my daily sneezes, the hot humid weather brings lots of irritants. 

The Sunday Five: Bicycles

1: Have you ever ridden a bicycle? 

2: How many bikes do you own? 

3: Have you ever bought a bike for someone else? 

4: Is there a "bike-sharing" or are there short term bike rentals available where you live? 

5: What can we do to encourage more people to ride bikes? 

My Answers: 

1: Have you ever ridden a bicycle?  Yes, thousands of miles starting when I was about 8 years old. 

2: How many bikes do you own? Three 

3: Have you ever bought a bike for someone else? I bought one for my nephews when they were growing up. 

4: Is there a "bike-sharing" or are there short term bike rentals available where you live?  Capital Bikeshare, I used the bikes for several years as part of my daily commute. 

5: What can we do to encourage more people to ride bikes? Build more protected bike lanes and ticket drivers who endanger cyclists. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

50 States in 52 Weeks: Missouri

Sorry, not the best photo, it was taken with an early phone camera.  

I have been to Missouri several times, starting as a child, going back in my late teens when I was exploring with my grandmother (she wanted someone to drive and didn't want to travel alone.) Sweet Bear and I went once, exploring my family history, and I have been to a conference in St. Louis - when the photo above was taken. 

My great-grandparents on my paternal grandfather's side, were married and lived in St. Louis in the late 1800's. He was a trust fund baby, he married, moved into a suite in a hotel, started a family, and lived really well, until the money ran out a few years later.  He then moved to a farm northeast of there, across the Mississippi River in Illinois, where my grandfather was born. Later moving to Detroit seeking Ford's $5 a day.  

The Mississippi River is not the geographic center of the country, but in many ways it marks the division between east and west. Missouri is about half way north to south on the country, with it's eastern border being the River, so in one way, Missouri is the center of the country. Because of the River, and later railroads, it was a major transportation hub.  When TWA was still flying, it was a major air transportation hub. (I flew TWA once, changing planes in St. Louis before they were merged out of existence.) 

Most of the state is rolling farmland. The start of the great plains. 

It is a moderate climate. If there was anything there, there, it would be a pleasant place to live.