Act 2: Scene 2...sniff, sniff.......

 Whilst perusing the Internet today, I happened upon a pair of really snazzy pair of dressy shoes. Stylish Mary Janes, of course. As I continued to read more about them, I discovered that they were constructed of Vegan Leather. What, I asked myself, is Vegan Leather?  

Is Vegan Leather produced naturally by animals that disdain the consumption of meat or any animal products? Cows, for instance that feed entirely on grains and vegetables. Because the price of these Vegan Leather shoes was within my budget, I decided to do more research. I found the label very interesting. After all, I have friends and acquaintances that are vegetarians, vegans, gluten free advocates, etc., etc., etc. My interest continued to peak.

Well, wouldn't you know it! It's a type of man-made plastic folks, or it can be more accurately described as a plastic material made from plants and/or chemicals. Now, I am not against coining words. I do it all the time. But Vegan Leather? Talk about "up scaling" your products. 

It was in the 1500s, that a more ancient Greek phrase was translated as "Call a spade a spade." Bottom line, not buying those cute plastic shoes. 

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 Lord, You are the Real Thing. Our Faith in You keeps us going. We thank You, today and forever, for our many Blessings.

Hacked

 But it was a GOOD thing. Hack has many meanings, it seems, and I have found this particular...about to go viral (with you, my readers) Hack......something to write about. 

It's a kitchen/baking Hack. My wise and wonderful daughter told me about it. I tried it. "Seriously" I said to myself, "Nancy, how come you're just now finding out about this simple trick?"

So, picture this. You are whipping up some fabulous cake or bar cookies. The item/items are in the oven and you start to clean-up the preparation mess. There's a sticky bowl, the beaters from the electric mixer, a couple of spoons, a spatula and 2 or 3 measuring items. Into the sink they go and you start to wash it all with hot,  soapy water.  The items are sticky and it takes some degree of effort.

STOP RIGHT THERE. The mess is hard to remove, because HOT water cooks the residue and it adheres to the pans, etc. Rinse with COLD WATER instead. Then proceed with the hot soapy process. That's the HACK. Easy Peasy gunk removal!

You're welcome.   🍰 .....................................................................................................................................................................

All knowing God. Sometimes it just takes one small thing to remind us how incompetent we really are. We are never to old to learn new and wonderful things. Your Power and Wisdom are awesome. "Trust and Obey", for there's no other way.

"Closer. Let me whisper in your ear."

As Seniors, we often find ourselves yearning for the glories of the past. We spend time reminiscing about the "Good Old Days". I know, because I'm guilty of doing it. Change is difficult to embrace.  

For instance. I remember when Doctors made house calls. Doctor Bena coming by to check my sore throat or an earache. Now, I go in to see my Primary Care Doctor (not someone whom I have chosen, mind you, but one that has been assigned by my Insurance Company or maybe the mega-health care practice that has hundreds of Primary care doctors). She's nice, but doesn't bother to touch me the entire visit! That touchy stuff is for nurses, doctor's assistants. I'm sure you all know what I'm describing.

But, before you start thinking that I am a crabby old lady, all of the time, TA Da. I'm going to now describe something amazing, wonderful and NEW, that has entered into my life. No, I did not win the lottery, but then, maybe I did.

TESLA makes HOUSE CALLS. It's what they do! Last week, we received a notice, by phone on our Tesla AP, that the car needed a camera cleanse and tire rotation. We scheduled a house call that would be convenient for us, and Voila, the mechanic shows up this morning, right on time. All the work was done efficiently and cleanly, on our driveway. Took about 20 minutes.

Big deal, you say.  Yeah, it was, but it's not the first time, they have come out. It's a regular service. From now on, folks, no dirty stinky waiting rooms, no mildly warm, horrible coffee or creepy weird men watching wrestling on TV.  No more 3 year-old smutty magazines staring at me from a sticky coffee table. 

And, another plus. Today the heat index will be a projected 110 degrees hot. Let me remind myself, that I no longer have to go to Quik Trip, to pump gas. And I haven't had to, in a very long time Our car is always ready to go, 'cause we get her charged in the garage, usually overnight. On long trips, we use the nearest SuperCharger, pointed out to us, on our dashboard screen. Very convenient. Takes about 10 minutes. Cool.

Ah, my friends, 2026 is a good year. Modern life is often much better than the "Good Old Days."

Sweet travels.

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We are blessed.

 

IMAGINE

Being a native Kansan, I know a bit about the 1939 movie, "The Wizard of Oz". The classic movie depicts Kansas, in the opening scenes, as dusty, black & white and desolate. Oz, on the other hand is colorful, grand and opulent. Completely opposite. I have often discovered that folks, when and where ever the subject of Kansas, comes up, imagine Kansas as that flat and ugly place, depicted in the movie.

In reality, the Kansas landscape is reasonably varied. It has rolling hills, trees and farms, big cities and miles of unpopulated prairie. There are also many small to teeny towns, dotting the landscape, every 20 miles or so. The population of these towns vary from a couple of hundred to several thousand residents. 

Earlier this week, I visited Wamego, Kansas, population about 5,000. Driving into the town, you'll see  nothing particularly unusual, rare or startling. It has one main street with a nice looking High School, on the far end. Several banks, a rustic looking theater, and a newly renovated library. It's a smaller replica, of my hometown and dozens of others, in Kansas.

However, a very cleaver, entrepreneurial person or persons, has made this little Kansas burg a tourist destination. Wamego is the "Wizard of Oz Capitol of Kansas"! Right on Main Street, in the middle of town, is the OZ Museum. It features displays of costumed manikins, reconstructed scenes from the movie and other OZ centered memorabilia. By reading some of the explanations, on the exhibits, it is clear that Frank L. Baum (author of the many Oz books) was not a Kansas native, and actually not connected to Kansas, or Wamego, in any way. 

Going on down Main Street, there are at least 3 gift shops, selling OZ collectibles. Of course, there is a yellow-brick road (actually an alley) leading to a quaint bakery/restaurant, which resembles Dorothy's home.  Big TOTO statues grace the intersections. Everything was pleasant and well done. 

So, dear readers, if you're driving 1-70, across the 400 miles of rolling hills and prairie of Kansas, make a couple of stops. Along with the well known "World's Largest Ball of Twine", the Cathedral of the Plains and the "World's Largest Van Gogh (on an easel)", spend a couple hours with Dorothy, Auntie Em and the Wizard, in Wamego. 

Remember, "There's no place like home."
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Dear Lord. Life is good here in the "fly-over state".We thank you for our many blessings.