FIVE SECOND STORIES

One aspect of aging is a concerted effort to make life simpler, easier. That such-and-such with a wobble that you have lived with for years-gone. Straining to open bottle tops-we found a great gadget to fix that problem. Those vacuum sealed items with a lousy 1/8th of an inch tab to grasp and open-a small pair of pliers does the trick. Now, something to help open those maddening clam shell food containers without having to resort to a knife...

Pure evil.

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The tradition of candles on a cake date back to the ancient Greeks. Round cakes were baked to honor the goddess of the moon, Artemis. Candles were put on the cake/offering to represent the glow of the moon, and when the candles were blown out, the smoke from them would carry wishes up to the gods. 

Later, this would be incorporated into early Germanic traditions concerning children's birthdays. It was believed that evil spirits crossed over into our dimension to attack children (an explanation for so many childhood deaths from disease). Candles were placed on the cake, one for each year of life and one extra for the coming year (one to grow on was the saying in my family) to keep the demons away. In those days, the candles were kept lit all day and replaced as they melted. Finally, during the evening celebration, the child would blow out the candles with the hope that the smoke would rise heavenward and receives god's attention.

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Geez, with all the Catholicism on both sides of my family, you'd think I would have remembered this interesting bit of Christian belief that I came across: the Archangel Michael, amongst his other duties, guards souls from Satan on the hour of death.

Painting by Guido Reni 1635-Michael opening a can of whoop-ass on Satan

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Our wild friend's influence: C's term for my mood at the end of the day when I pick her up and still have decent energy-I am "chirpy". 

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How to make busy night shepherd's pie, with Indian leftovers.

1. Make mashed potatoes

2. Place a portion of leftovers in bowl and nuke.

3. Top with spuds. Nuke if they have cooled.

Filling and warming on a cold rainy night. The spiciness of the Indian cuisine goes well with the bland yet creamy potatoes.

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I was watching a cooking vid for meat loaf. The cook was vigorously forming the loaf on a sheet pan and declared 

"This is the only acceptable time to slap your meat".🙀

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A just-learned cooking hack: when processing garlic, cut in half lengthwise and the paper should easily come off.

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A nugget from a cat doc-while dogs have undergone centuries of selective breeding, cats are genetically pretty close to their wild ancestors.

Our tiger

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Seen while out and about: vanity plate reading "XI XI". Eleven, Eleven? Perhaps something clever: the Chinese leader's first name is Xi and is pronounced "Shee". Therefore, the plate reads chi-chi-the driver indicating that they have elegance to some or fancy schmancy to others. Or, something quite the opposite: 11/11 is a magic number. A larger New Age movement helped spread 11:11 as a number of mystical significance, such as a time when consciousness is especially open to the universe. It is a particular favorite of the Israeli psychic, magician, and numerologist Uri Geller.

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I am sad to report that LT's tail extension has failed. I saw him earlier in the week as he came bounding up to the slider for peanuts. Only he and Freddie do this. So, I guess he's back to Stubbs. Sorry, man.

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Excerpt from Vivaldi's "Winter" by Ukranian-born Alexandr

Hrustevich. Wow!