?`s and ANNEswers

Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

I Just Wanted the Price

Posted on December 17, 2024

I’m starting to plan my Christmas Day dinner; actually it’s already planned and most of it is also bought. But I wanted to know the price on a type of beef without waiting for the weekly ad supplement to our local paper.

I could find this online, right? Just go to the Martin’s Supermarkets website and use the search field, right? It would pull up the cut of meat and the price, right?

But first I had to tell Martin’s which supermarket I planned to use, because there are different prices for the same item at different locations. (I was surprised by this, but it’s explained on the website.) So I punched in the St. Joseph supermarket.

Next the site wanted to know if I were starting an order for delivery or curbside pick-up. I wasn’t starting anything.

I just wanted the price.

I managed to bypass the order question and found the search field, where I typed in “filet mignon” and hit the Go button assuming my goal was almost in sight. But Martin’s told me it had no product by that name. Instead, the search field had defaulted to “fresh fish.”

I just wanted the price.

I tried again after checking Google® to make sure ‘filet’ was spelled correctly. When the word has one ‘l’ it refers to beef; with two it refers to fish. Perhaps the search field, and possibly AI behind it, wasn’t aware of this difference. On the second and third tries, the results were the same.

I just wanted the price.

There was a drop-down menu in the upper left-hand corner that divided the store into departments: produce, dairy, meats, etc. Giving up on the search field, I chose the meat department (hoping it didn’t include fish). Voila! All kinds of meats appeared, starting with the least expensive.

Filet mignon is not the normal weeknight fare in most homes, so it didn’t upset me that I had to scroll past the ground beef in various iterations, the pot roast chunks, the eye of the round, or lesser qualities of steaks to get to what I wanted at the bottom of the page..

The description even said the pieces came in five ounce filets with the requisite nutrition facts. In red, there was a line that said, “See best price.” I clicked. Nothing happened. Then a rating system appeared that told me this cut of meat at Martin’s rated only one star.

I still just wanted the price.

At this point, I probably would have spent less time just going to Martin’s in person and asking the butcher on duty. Instead, I’ve decided this might be a pescatarian Christmas dinner, as we already have salmon in the freezer. The twice-baked potatoes and green bean casserole and pumpkin pie will go just fine with the fillets.

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Ugly Sweaters

Posted on December 16, 2024

It’s a fashion statement I can’t embrace: the ugly sweater. But I seem to be in the minority. The internet is full of websites devoted to this seasonal costume.

Tipsy Elves, for instance, has 155 of them for sale. There’s the Men’s Drinking Game Ugly Christmas Sweater, the women’s Gaudy Garland Ugly Christmas Cardigan Sweater, and the Men’s Rubber Ducky Ugly Christmas Sweater, all on sale for 30 percent off.

Tipsy Elves promises that if you buy one of its products, it’s “all you need to bring holiday joy to any occasion.”

UglyChristmasSweater.com also offers 30 percent off its inventory, which is a little raunchier but just as ugly as Tipsy Elves. For an example, I chose the Santa Peeing Beverage Sweater to prove the point; among the nine reviews for this item were comments like: “Everyone who saw my sweater was LOL,” and “Very useful and a little too much fun.” Additionally, you can pay in two interest-free installments of $24.14 each.

And finally, there are ugly sweaters to be had at Walmart, Temu, and Amazon. I didn’t visit any of these sites, as I am saturated with the ugliness that’s out there. And I’m not even referring to politics at all.

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Three Books

Posted on December 14, 2024

Each Christmas three books, all related to the season, make an appearance in our home.

The first is a children’s story, The Littlest Angel, by Charles Tazewell, published in 1949. It tells the tale of the littlest angel – we never learn his name – who arrived at the Pearly Gates at “exactly four years, six months, five days, seven hours, and forty-two minutes of age” quite unprepared for his new home. He’d even forgot a handkerchief.

How this angel upends heaven, finally comes to terms with living there, and offers a special gift to the newborn Christ is the rest of the story. It’s one of those charming pieces that makes you smile.

The second book is Norman Rockwell’s Christmas Book, published in 1977. It contains 85 illustrations from Rockwell’s own archives that are paired with wonderful poems, short stories, and even recipes of the season. Who can resist “The Gift of the Magi,” or “The Worst Christmas Story?” or Fanny Farmer’s recipes for a complete Christmas dinner which includes clam and oyster soup, roast goose with potato stuffing, Duchess potatoes, frozen pudding and vanilla wafers – all made from scratch.

Then there is Christmas in America, published in 1988. It’s over two hundred pages of photographs of the season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s as captured by 100 of America’s leading photographers of the time. There are pictures of children preparing for various pageants, a compendium of Santas, volunteers feeding the hungry,  wildlife in repose, decorated trees of all shapes and sizes, and incredulous babies.

Given the most recent of these three books was published 36 years ago, it’s not surprising that there are no photos of computers or cell phones, no references to social media, and no pictures of Taylor Swift (She wasn’t even born.) or Beyonce (Neither was she.).

Perhaps it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I have enjoyed reading these treasures in the evening by our own decorated tree. They remind me of a calmer time. And isn’t that what the season should really be about?

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Person of the Year

Posted on December 13, 2024

We all know who Time’s Person of the Year is; not that it’s a big deal anymore given the magazine’s lackluster reputation. But it did make me wonder if becoming the president-elect was an automatic “in” for the title. It seems it is. From Harry Truman through the current winner, the only president-elect who didn’t merit a cover was Gerald Ford, this according to Time itself.

The president-elect gave the magazine a lengthy interview as well. And one of the things he said struck me. On the campaign trail, he promised to lower grocery prices; yesterday he said, “It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up.” (Again according to Time.)

I didn’t need to read the interview to know this firsthand. Various trips to the supermarket since the election have confirmed it. A ten ounce bag of potato chips is over $5. Six pieces of tissue paper for wrapping gifts is $1.99. Asparagus is the price of gold. Only alcohol (which is regulated by the state in Michigan) and milk are the same as before November 5.

And the free catalogue I sent to C in upstate New York cost – take a deep breath – $26 worth of postage at the UPS store. Gas is up; then it’s down; but mostly up again,  proving a certain point.

I do not believe the incoming president cares one whit about grocery prices. Or gasoline prices. Or anything except his image. So perhaps he’s pleased to be Person of the Year for the second time. It just takes all the oxygen out of the rest of us.

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Moana2

Posted on December 12, 2024

S and I are animated feature film afficionados. We’ve seen all seven Minion movies, “Inside Out” and its sequel, various one-off films, and now “Moana2.”

We’d loved Moana the first time around and looked forward all fall to seeing its sequel. Bottom line: I was disappointed.

If you like to see what the latest technology accomplishes, the movie works. If you want rock-em, sock-em episodes with lots of things flying all over, the movie works. And if you’re interested in the culture and music of Polynesia, it also works. And I give kudos to those who incorporated that into the film.

But I was interested in the story line; on that level, the movie doesn’t work. It has none of the charm of the original, only the characters writ larger. Only villains who are not clearly explained.

In other words, it’s a hodge podge of technical delight and content disappointment. I know this because, as a rule, both S and I are reduced to tears somewhere in an animated film as it grabs us and makes us relate to the characters. It didn’t happen this time.

So I hope there will be no “Moana3.”

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Oops!

Posted on December 11, 2024

I can’t believe it’s six at night, and I completely forgot about blogging. That doesn’t happen very often. I guess my hair appointment was more important.

That said, if my blog doesn’t post at Noon each day there’s something going on. Just wanted my regular readers to know that’s my current goal: to post every day at Noon.

So look for me tomorrow. It will be about the movie “Moana2” that S and I saw yesterday.

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O Christmas Tree

Posted on December 10, 2024

If you’re familiar with the traditional German tune, “O Christmas Tree,” you know it extolls the green branches of the fir tree and explains how much they delight us. The words ‘pleasure’ and ‘delight’ are in almost every stanza.

Our Christmas tree doesn’t look anything like the song’s. It’s green, but you don’t actually see bare branches because they are adorned with many colored blinking lights and an equal number of ornaments.

It’s the ornaments that are truly special. Over the years as Earl and I traveled we brought home ornaments as souvenirs of our trips. Now that our traveling days are over, these small reminders hold many memories.

There are two furry Eskimos from our trip to Alaska, one felt crown from Westminster Abbey from our visit to London, miniature replicas of our visits to Warm Springs, GA and  Key West, FL where Presidents Roosevelt and Truman respectively went to relax. Add the miniature record from Motown in Detroit, the carabiner from Yellowstone, and the tiny Dutch shoes from Holland, MI.

There are also ornaments given me over the years by good friends who fit their gift to the recipient. That’s why I have more than one musical ornament and an equal number of monogrammed tiny stockings, angels, and – believe it or not – one cardboard hatbox signed with all the people who helped decorate the tree in 1986.

The oldest ornament was given me by my father when we reconnected in the nineties. Evidently he and his wife made sequined Styrofoam ornaments as a hobby when they were young. Mine is an elaborately colored old-fashioned train engine. It is always in the front. As is the monogrammed Christopher Radko ornament showing two snow girls hugging given me by N, a friend of 60 years.

It took three evenings to decorate the tree that stands no taller than I do. Each ornament brought so many memories and was carefully positioned – and sometimes repositioned – until everything felt just right.

Perhaps that’s the real meaning of the song’s ‘pleasure’ and ‘delight.’

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Notre Dame

Posted on December 9, 2024

The jewel of the Seine, Paris, France, and much of Christendom reopened yesterday after a devastating fire in 2019. At the time, my son Kevin and I were in Boston when we heard the news about Notre Dame. We spent hours glued to the TV.

Both of us have been to France more than once and were as heartbroken as anyone about the calamity. But then we returned to our usual lives, Kevin in Fargo, ND, and me in Benton Harbor, MI. We went about our business as a major fundraising event began not only to salvage the eight hundred year old church but also to rebuild it in a greater glory. I didn’t pay much attention, nor did I send a contribution. In fact, I wasn’t sure rebuilding was the best idea.

The artisanal skills that were first used in the middle ages have long gone by the wayside. I wasn’t sure technology’s edge could really replace them. The cost of duplicating the interior would be far more than the original. And personally, I thought leaving the charred part of the church and making sure the intact part stayed that way were more reasonable considerations.

But France’s president, Emmanual Macron, saw it differently. He determined the church should rise to greater glory in five years. Through a herculean effort, in spite of a pandemic, lead dust everywhere, and other obstacles, Notre Dame has risen from the ashes. According to all reports I’ve read, it’s even more resplendent than before.

Which just suggests Kevin and I should plan a trip to visit soon.

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Ollie

Posted on December 8, 2024

Ollie lived with his mother, Gracia, until he was 59 years old. Then he married mine. The two women were both forces to reckon with.

Gracia lost her husband when Ollie was 12; not being one to support herself, she took Ollie out of school (This was the early twentieth century.) so he could work and support her. He got a job at a company that made patterns for women’s shoes. It must have been a lonely life; but I suspect Ollie coped by being a voracious reader, learning to build anything, and keeping his opinions to himself.

Then he met my mother. I’m not sure how that actually happened, but I believe the two met at an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. My mother was never one to share details.

Soon after, Ollie began showing up on Sundays for dinner. The two would play Scrabble and watch TV. As time passed, they began going out mid-week too, although I never really knew where. I think Steak ‘n’ Shake could have been involved.

Ollie’s life with his mother made him the perfect husband for mine. She liked being in charge. She liked people who agreed with her, people who admired her intellect. Ollie was more than happy to accommodate. I recall when Mother and I were in a disagreement, she would often say, “And Ollie agrees with me.”

Once they married, Ollie ate oatmeal for breakfast each morning, because his wife made it for him. I learned years later he didn’t even like oatmeal. And when they went to dinner, he always ordered what she ordered first.

You might roll your eyes at these accommodations, but in return my mother made sure Ollie had many experiences he would never have had otherwise. They traveled all over Europe together, bought a house where his yard became the envy of the neighborhood, and celebrated their wedding anniversary every month. He smiled a lot. And he took care of my mother, so I didn’t have to.

There are people who lodge in your memory, regardless of the passing time. Ollie died 30 years ago today. It is as if it were the blink of an eye.

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1440

Posted on December 7, 2024

I don’t remember how I came across the free online news feed called “1440,” but I’ve subscribed for a couple months now.

I like the logic behind the name: that the printing press was invented around the year 1440 (although this publication isn’t actually printed) and that there are 1440 minutes in a day.

I like the concept: that the publication offers fact-driven news, rather than opinion. It does not favor one political point of view over another. I like the brevity: you can read what the editors deem the important stories of the day in about five minutes, although there are links to other sources if you want more in-depth information. It’s actually these links I look for, because every one of them sends you to a source that is also free. I’ve tired of the NYT and WaPo teasing you with a link but insisting you pay a subscription fee to read it.

What I don’t like is the way 1440 integrates its advertisers into the narrative. It can be hard to tell when a sponsor is out to sell you something rather than simply sharing information. But once I figured this out, the pros far outweigh this con.

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