It's just a bunch of stuff that happened - Part 2: Chairs and Gardens

Friend's greenhouse on July 7th
teeny cucumbers (or zucchini?)

How it started:

In early May, we volunteered to water a friend’s greenhouse plants for seven weeks in June and July.   And then in late May I got severe sciatica.

How it’s going:

I started physical therapy in late June.  The first thing the physical therapist advised me is:  get a new office chair.  Then, do these 20 exercises/stretches at home.  Don’t do yoga.  Don't do weeding. Whenever you think of it, pull in your belly button to engage your abs.

My Black-eyed Susans on July 3rd. 
The one in the back (storebought) is prissy
 and also a favored snack of the
local wildlife. I doubt it's gonna make it.
The ones in the front are a gift
from the neighbor.

I bought a used high-end office chair.  This required crossing the Ohio River, four times, I tell you.  (There are three major rivers in this county.  Crossing any river is something people here don’t like to do.)  The local office stores had nothing suitable.  I bought from a humongous office furniture warehouse, in a warehousey section of the little river town, all the while astonished they would even entertain selling one small chair to me.   The actual chair and its price are quite comfortable for me.

This is only half of the used chairs they had.

P.T. is SOOOO time consuming.  But also beneficial.  P.T. meant less time for driving (15 minutes each way) to water plants–for a total of at least 45 minutes each time.  I had hoped to make it three times a week, but that dwindled to one or two times.  Some of the plants are thriving, but some are barely making it.  

A lovely 5-inch cucumber.
Large enough to please the Secretary of 
Defense, so I harvested it.

It’s been hellishly hot, and it doesn’t rain inside the greenhouse, so it needs a lot of water.  But not too much, because fungus can grow in the hot and moist greenhouse mini-climate (and so it has). 

I decimated the mushrooms with
the force of hose water.  I do
not think for one moment that
they are actually gone.

Then a huge sinkhole opened up in front of the hospital near where we live, adding 5 minutes to the greenhouse trip.  

Let’s do a short tally of some of the terrifying things so far this month:  

- hellishly hot, due to climate change

- sinkhole (thank God the federal government is not in charge of this one)

- cyclospora parasite infection, nationwide, due to CDC cuts

- screwworm parasite in livestock and pets, surging back, due to DOGE cuts

- dangerous smoke in the air, with AQIs above 400, due to climate change

- sciatica, due to my own stupidity + aging

And this is small potatoes compared to what some human beings are suffering because of current policies. Oh, 2026, why are you doing this?!

Those zucchini/cuke tendrils are
biologically amazing and are spreading
everywhere.  A successful species.

The tomato plants have not produced many flowers, while the cucumbers (or maybe zucchini) are threatening to take over the whole place, as squash do.  Our friend suggested I spread fertilizer and pluck some lower stems off but I simply don’t have time to do actual gardening like that, which makes me sad.

On the bright side, we have harvested some delicious lettuce, 3 beautiful little cucumbers, and 7 green beans.  This is produce that is safe from the evil parasite that the cuts to the CDC have brought us.  Yay!  It's a balm in the face of it all.

The second harvest.

Dear Reader, have you harvested anything from anywhere lately?

Part 1: Peaches Deliver Joy

Part 3 (final in this series): Empty Nest Again

The Feast of Saint Valentine

We went to George’s Kitchen, a diner in Cleveland, for a late breakfast on Valentine’s Day.  Our party consisted of me, the Common Household Husband, Older Daughter and her husband.

It was the diner-iest looking diner I have seen in a long time.  Our seasoned waitress was clad in a beautiful bright red sweater, appropriate for this saint’s day.  As we arrived at our table, I observed several patrons shoving money into the waitress’s apron pocket as they were leaving.  They clearly adored her.  

George wants everyone to eat a lot of eggs.  The menu discouraged the ordering of eggs in increments of one or two.  All breakfast dishes were THREE eggs plus something else, such as corned beef hash, or bacon & hash browns, or an omelette.  EXCEPT, if you ordered pancakes, you could then add TWO eggs.  

The menu said, “Absolutely no substitutions” at the top of every page.  I was downright afraid to ask for just two eggs, without ordering pancakes.

The waitress took our order, calling my 30+ year-old daughter “dear”, a requirement in a diner.  On the down side, orange juice was the only juice available.  On the up side, the CHH was excited to order corned beef hash.  He’s not going to get that at home.

When we were finished giving our order, the waitress said, “Ok, thanks.  I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” and walked away.

A short time later, she served us our large meals. A while later she came back to check on us.  Upon seeing that the CHH had cleaned bare his plate of corned beef hash, she said, “Oh, you did a good job on that!”  CHH teased, “Well, I was waiting for you to bring me some breakfast.”  She replied that she was all alone because she had killed two husbands. 

As we were lingering over breakfast, we heard the man at the table behind us call our waitress over.  I did not look, but could hear that he had a baby with him.  We overheard him say, “I have a huge request. And there will be a big tip in it for you.  Would you be able to watch my baby while I go out to the car?  I know it’s a big thing to ask, but I will only be gone a few minutes.”  I guess he had not heard her comment about former husbands.    She agreed to look after Baby.

At our table, the CHH murmured his doubt that Single Dad would actually return.  We held our breath.  A minute passed. The waitress cooed at the baby.  Our tension increased.  Two minutes.  Then, sigh of relief, Single Dad returned.  Faith in human beings restored, at least for today!

I’m not much into Valentine’s Day, but our red-sweatered waitress showed us the day of love in action.  (Perhaps we should ask those deceased husbands if they know St. Valentine, who might be hanging out with them in martyr’s row in heaven).  

I wish I could write novels, if only so I could put that waitress into a book.   

Handwritten sign on the door
listing the hours.  
No service after 2:45 PM!

Thanksgiving Survey 2025: Sandwich - Responses

Just what the world has been waiting for: the Common Household’s responses to this year’s Thanksgiving survey.  Thirteen responses.  This is the first time participants sent in images.

Question 1 - What is a sandwich for which you are thankful, and why?

A. I am thankful for the Subway tuna and cheddar cheese sandwich, with lettuce and honey mustard – it has allowed me to actually have lunch when otherwise I would have gone without.

B. Large american cold cut sub with everything.  

...and why? Mmm.

C. The sandwiches made of peanut butter and jelly on saltine crackers that my mother magically extracted from the little suitcase.  I am thankful for them because there was no other food for miles around and I was hungry.

D. Noah Verrier's sandwich paintings. The uncrustable sold for $5000.

 

E.  This turkey sandwich 

because it tastes good.

F.  S'mores, for providing desert on camping trips

G.  Cheeseburgers, they're delicious and the large number of toppings available can make for great diversity.

H. A BLT on toast with crisp bacon, a flavorful tomato, and some mustard, because it is bursting with flavor.  It was also a special treat my dad would sometimes make us (without the mustard) when we were growing up. 

I. I am thankful for the brisket press at the 649, for feeding me during weekly trivia. 

J. Liverwurst with mustard on raisin bread.

K. The falafel sandwich on pita w tahini sauce. I am thank full for this sandwich because it has falafel in it and tahini sauce, which other sandwiches do not. It also uses flat bread which I prefer over “American” ultra processed white bread. 

L.   I am thankful for the banh mi sandwich, because it is delicious and cheap, and can be eaten for any meal.

M. Spam sandwich with lots of pickled onions.

2. Bonus: Provide the lyrics for your favorite song or poem featuring a sandwich.

A. There are songs about sandwiches?

- - - - - - - - - - 

B. [no answer]

- - - - - - - - - - 

C. The only song I can think of that features a sandwich is the Oscar Meyer wiener song: “I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner…”

- - - - - - - - - - 

D. Buying bread from a man in Brussels

He was six-foot-four and full of muscle

I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"

He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich

And he said

[Chorus] "I come from a land down under…”

Those are only lyrics I can think of that include a sandwich.

- - - - - - - - - - 

E. Do you like peanut butter and jelly on your matzah?

- - - - - - - - - - 

F. Do you like Peanut Butter and Jelly on your Matzah? 

It's not about a sandwich per say, but the implication is one could make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with Matzah bread

- - - - - - - - - - 

G. “Hey panini, don’t you be a meanie

Thought you wanted me to go up

Why you tryna keep me teeny?”

- - - - - - - - - - 

H  "I like bread and butter!  I like peanut butter and jelly!  I like Schmidt's Blue Ribbon Bread, its my favorite brand!"

- - - - - - - - - - 

I.  Cheeseburger in paradise

Heaven on earth with an onion slice

Not too particular, not too precise

I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise

-Jimmy Buffett

- - - - - - - - - - 

J. Recipe For A Hippopotamus Sandwich by Shel Silverstein:

A hippo sandwich is easy to make.

All you do is simply take

One slice of bread,

One slice of cake,

Some mayonnaise,

One onion ring,

One hippopotamus,

One piece of string,

A dash of pepper--

That ought to do it.

And now comes the problem...

Biting into it!

- - - - - - - - - - 

K. In Baltimore where I was born

Lived a man who sailed the sea

And he told us of his life

In the land of submarines

We all love baloney submarine

'loney submarine, 'loney submarine

We all love baloney submarine

'loney submarine, 'loney submarine

And we live a life of cheese

Every one of us

Has mayonnaise

Sky of green

And sea of blue

In our yellow

Kangaroo

(perhaps to this tune)

- - - - - - - - - - 

L.

[Verse 1] Tried to amend my carnivorous habits

Made it nearly seventy days

Losin' weight without speed, eatin' sunflower seeds

Drinkin' lots of carrot juice and soakin' up rays

[Verse 2] But at night I'd have these wonderful dreams

Some kind of sensuous treat

Not zucchini, fettuccini, or bulgur wheat

But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat

[Chorus 1] Cheeseburger in paradise

Heaven on earth with an onion slice

Not too particular, not too precise

I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise

[Verse 3] Heard about the old-time sailor men

They eat the same thing again and again

Warm beer and bread, they say, could raise the dead

Well, it reminds me of the menu at a Holiday Inn

[Verse 4] But times have changed for sailors these days

When I'm in port, I get what I need

Not just Havanas or bananas or daiquiris

But that American creation on which I feed

[Chorus 2] Cheeseburger in paradise

Medium rare with Muenster'd be nice

Heaven on earth with an onion slice

I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise

[Bridge] I like mine with lettuce and tomato

Heinz 57 and french-fried potatoes

Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer

Well, good god Almighty, which way do I steer?

[Chorus 3] For my cheeseburger in paradise

Makin' the best of every virtue and vice

Worth every damn bit of sacrifice

To get a cheeseburger in paradise

[Refrain] To be a cheeseburger in paradise

I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise

[Bridge] I like mine with lettuce and tomato

Heinz 57 and french-fried potatoes

Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer

Well, good god Almighty, which way do I steer?

- - - - - - - - - - 

M.  (no reply)

3.  Additional commentary:

In the US, a court in Boston ruled in 2006 that a sandwich includes at least two slices of bread...

        -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich

If the law supposes that," said Mr. Bumble..., "the law is a ass -- a idiot."

        -- Charles Dickens

Thanksgiving Survey 2025: Sandwich

Einstein enjoys a corned beef sandwich.

 At this season of thankfulness, I’m grateful for you, O blog readers.  

You, on the other hand, may or may not be grateful that it's time for the Thanksgiving survey! This is the Common Household’s annual tradition in which we express thanks for a thing.  This year we shall express thanks about that inimitable comestible, the sandwich, whether edible or metaphorical.   

Thanksgiving survey:  

Sandwich

Question 1.  What is a sandwich for which you are thankful, and why?

Bonus:  Provide the lyrics for your favorite song or poem featuring a sandwich.

Please participate by giving your answers in the comments.  If you want.  Participation is always voluntary.  Happy Thanksgiving Preparation Time!

Some past Thanksgiving Survey responses may be found here:

Letter

Wheel

Water

Felafel sandwich and tahini shake

Is a hotdog a sandwich?

The Impossible Burger

La-dee-da cucumber sandwiches

Everyone in the family knows
I can't stand mayonnaise.
Back in 2017, I took one for the team and 
bought mayo for the Lunch of the Resistance.