respublica

Well, good-bye 2021

We aren't planning on doing anything special this New Year's Eve except for watching TV and snacking. Tomorrow the same, Rose Parade, football and snacking. But...this just figures. I got up early to go to Schnucks to pick up some items and wouldn't you just know two of the main things I wanted were not available. Dale always likes shrimps on New Year's Eve and of course the fresh fish counter does not open until 10. I thought I was being smart to beat the crowds, but now I will have to go back. I also wanted Ore Ida hash browns and they were completely sold out. I tried Walmart Neighborhood Market on the way home and they were sold out as well. I don't know if I have the energy to try the big Walmart.

It's not a big thing in the scheme of life, but it's frustrating nonetheless. Life on holidays and during the endless pandemic. Food goes fast. Shelves empty fast.

Update after going back to the store. The fish counter was open and i got Dale's shrimp. It looks like the person manning this area is going to have a very busy day.

 

Now this is for the birds

A Detroit animal shelter was shocked when more than 800 parakeets were brought to them by the son of the owner. They came in two batches, the first had 497 birds crammed in 2 cages. Most likely two cages held the rest the next day.

If this isn't crazy I don't know what is. Who on earth has 800 parakeets? The rescue group's director, told the Detroit Free Press that the son said his father had initially planned to breed only a handful of birds, but had ended up spending $1,200 a month on them.

"They were barely moving. We had to get them out and into different cages," she said.

I've heard many hoarding stories, but never one about parakeets.

A sad church closing

We knew this was coming but had hopes there was a chance it could be avoided. St. John's Lutheran Church in Maryville decided their last service will be this coming Sunday, January 2. Dale preached there in October (actually Halloween) for its 175th anniversary and listened to many members grieving over this possibility. Membership had been going down for some time, there had been no full time pastor as well.

What makes this particularly sad is this is the mother church for almost all the local Lutheran churches in the area, most of whom are doing well. It is a beautiful church, a historic white, clapboard exterior with a gorgeous sanctuary. It was begun in 1846 while Holy Cross in Collinsville was begun in 1848, one of first to come after St. John's. What's difficult to take in is why they could not make a go of it, Maryville is growing by leaps and bounds, but without a full time pastor, things get tricky.

The amazingly high pulpit has long been a hallmark at this church and something many visiting pastors had qualms about climbing into it.

Our friend and Holy Cross member, Louis Meier attended that Sunday. He grew up in that church. Actually quite a few people from Holy Cross were there that day.

Like History?

The year end issue of the Smithsonian Magazine has an enthralling section on 99 historic finds revealed in 2021. Many of these artifacts go way back and include centuries old art and medieval weapons and tools. Newly excavated places from history are shown as well as old royal treasures and prehistoric finds.

I may just go out and see if I can find this issue for sale.

Future news

This is the week when many news stories are of the prediction type and the alerts to what is actually going to happen.

Food predictors believe that the most popular snack item for 2022 will be sunflower seeds. Not just the salted seeds in a bag but sunflower seeds in just about everything including: crackers, milk alternatives, nut butters, ice creams. "Sunflower seeds have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer. It's superfood abilities can also reduce anxiety and depression, and improve bone health"

If they do all that I just may be looking for sunflower seeds.

Each year at this time Illinois publicizes its new laws coming for the new year. 2022 is going to see almost 300 new laws for this state. 280 to be exact but this could change. A couple of these include:

Increasing the minimum wage from 11 dollars per hour to 12 dollars per hour with the goal to end up at 15 per hour by 2025.

Law enforcement agencies overseeing counties or cities with 500,000 or more people will be required to equip all of their officers with body cameras. 

Tenants of multifamily housing units that are acquired, built or renovated with money from the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund may keep up to two cats or one dog weighing less than 50 pounds.

Senate Bills HB576 and SB1577 allow students in Illinois up to five excused absences to attend to their mental or behavioral health without providing a medical note.

State agencies and institutions must purchase Illinois and United States flags to have been made in the US.

public health authorities will be prohibited from regulating or shutting down lemonade stands or similar operations that are operated by children under the age of 16.

And there are many more...

Every lose your car key?

At some point on Christmas day I lost track of my car key. Actually it was more likely Christmas Eve when I put it somewhere unusual and could not find it for two days. It was driving me nuts because my key is always in the same place. I used Dale's second set of my keys for a day or so, but that made me even more obsessed with finding mine. I went over every time I drove the truck from two days before Christmas. What gave me hope of finding it was that the few places I went, I got home. So the key must by here somewhere.

I got rather obsessive about using free time to comb the same places over and over looking for that key. I even looked in the garage. But nothing.

Then last night I sat down and mentally went over the past days and where I was and what I was doing. Nothing clicked until I finally turned my attention to Christmas Eve night. We went to our daughter's church in Webster Groves and for some reason I drove the truck. Normally we would have taken Dale's car, but mine was at the end of the driveway, much easier not to be moving them in and out.

My thinking about this had me take a closer look at the photo Lizzie took of all of us after church. There I was, holding my purse. I rarely carry a purse, seriously very rarely, but that night I needed to put my wallet and drivers license in as well as the car key. I jumped up and went to the hall closet and looked in the purse. Sure enough, there was the key!

All this nonsense had me not wanting to go through this again. After I told my sister about this, she sent a link to a remote key finder. I did nothing about this until this morning, it's been a busy few days. I went on Amazon an hour ago and ordered the Tile Tracker.

A belated Christmas lighted house

Many years we attend Christmas Eve services at our daughter's church in Webster Groves. They are members of The Lutheran Church of Webster Gardens. When we head for home we make a point of going down the street behind the church to see the one house which is decorated beyond belief. Not to say this is tacky, it isn't. It's beautifully done and gets people driving by all night long. This year was no different. After  the service we headed round the block from the church and there it was. Not a Chevy Chase production, but filled with lights in a very amazing way. Even the garage was turned into Santa's workshop. Just beautiful.

Click to enlarge the photo, it's just mind-boggling. And the best part this year was the neighbor to the right of this house had blue lights on his left side underscored by an arrow pointing to this one which said, "Ditto".

Click the photo to enlarge

 

From our house to yours...

A blessed Christmas to all here.

Four grocery items out of stock

This headline initially worried me. What 4 things are they? Most of us will most likely need at least one more trip to the store before Christmas and now wonder what will be gone. But this story gives the details on 4 things most of us are probably not even considering.

Here are the 4 grocery items in short supply:

Peppermint as in candy canes

Hazelnuts as in I would never even think of buying these.

Tamales as in we don't eat these at Christmas

Pet food as in we don't have a pet but if you do, this may be concerning.

But the good news is a report put out by the Department of Agriculture which said there are currently no nationwide shortages of food, although some grocery stores may have limited supply of some things but just haven't restocked.

Here is one item I've noticed which sells fast and the shelves are fairly empty waiting for re-stocking. That is Bob Evans original mashed potatoes. Found in refrigerated shelves near most meat counters. Quite honestly after buying them for the first time a few months ago we found that these are so good it almost doesn't make sense to go through all the trouble of peeling, boiling and mashing. We absolute love them. And we are obviously not alone because they sell fast, especially around thanksgiving and Christmas.  

We prefer the original but the garlic mashed kind is very good too.

 

Today's Date for number lovers

I love this:

1-2222-1