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Author Archives: mathdreads

Reading the Floor

As soon as I walked into the restaurant where my nephew, a hamburger enthusiast, chose, I knew I’d drink tequila, and no matter the entree, I’d be generous with a red hot sauce. The dirty floor tipped me off. I learned from living and travelling in many developing countries that one surefire way to kill … Continue reading »

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70 Years of Fabulous

My ever-youthful aunt turns 70 at the end of July, which was why her surprise birthday party took place at the beginning of July. She thought she was going to a fundraiser. Instead, we raised the roof. The evening’s lineup was deceptively simple, but like all surprises, involved months of planning and stress from keeping … Continue reading »

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Red, White & Blueberries

I enjoyed a delicious, freshly made chocolate chip waffle during a hotel stay for our family reunion a few weeks ago. That inspired me to make waffles for breakfast on the Fourth of July. I had the day off, so I didn’t have to rush. Instead of using a chocolate chip and syrup garnish, I … Continue reading »

Categories: Cooking, Holidays | Leave a comment

Sustainable Living?

As many projects as I juggle, I don’t have much bandwidth to take on much else outside work and exercise. Yet, I know I can do better when it comes to aligning my life more sustainably. It’s so easy to sit back and watch images on TV, shake my head and think what a shame … Continue reading »

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2024 Strange Family Reunion and Juneteenth

For our 83rd reunion, the Strange family incorporated Juneteenth, AKA “Emancipation Day,” decor and history as part of our agenda. Conveniently enough, our reunion fell on the weekend following the United States’ newest federal holiday. Our reunion spanned Friday through Sunday, starting with Fish Fry Friday. For most of us, it was the first time … Continue reading »

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Finally Celebrating Emancipation

Proving once again that you’re never too old to do something new, my parents, the “octogenarian teenagers,” attended their first Juneteenth celebration. Added bonus: none of us had ever visited the park where the event took place. The event didn’t start until 1. Since Dad’s caregiver was due to arrive at our house around 5, … Continue reading »

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Car Decorations

Saturday mornings are dedicated to cleaning, doing laundry, and running errands. Preferably all before lunch. Afterwards, that is when the real weekend begins. This particular Saturday, I made a liquor run before returning home. After buying alcohol, I saw this: I’ve stopped watching horror movies for the most part although “thrillers” seem just as bad, … Continue reading »

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57 More to Go

In my haste to complete a mundane household chore, recycling an empty tissue box, I inadvertently read something that Dad had written on top of the box: falsify, 34, hush money, all counts, July 11, sentence, Trump. My 86-year old father, who experiences the effects of early dementia and uses a wheelchair, took a few … Continue reading »

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Memorial Day Weekend in the Club

In typical Virgo mode, I researched proper adult entertainment club etiquette. The most amusing comments/advice were convincing men that a dancer’s attention was on getting paid, not finding a man. On the other hand, all I wanted to know was a ballpark figure for the least amount of cash I needed on hand. I settled … Continue reading »

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One Beautiful Day

The electricity cut off on a beautiful Friday about a half hour before lunch. When Mom left the house to run errands, she called, telling me that she’d just passed by three utility trucks. At that point, I knew the electricity wouldn’t return for a while. I’d moved from my home office to a recliner … Continue reading »

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