Jaunts in Chico

 

 

I love going to Chico for little jaunts. When it’s my friend Paula and I, we always have lunch somewhere and then hit Costco and Winco. The last time we went, we had lunch at Panera. I had a new sandwich, Croque Monsieur Croissant. Ham, provolone and asiago cheeses, and caramelized onion and gruyere spread on croissant toast. Excellent! And of course, it’s a limited item, so get it now while you can. I usually get a soft drink with my meal, but for some reason, this was the first time I noticed that they had iced coffee available! Score! I could add as much sugar and creamer as I wanted! When we were ready to leave I got another to take with me. Along with Costco and Winco, we went to Nothing Bundt Cakes. Fair warning! Dangerously delicious! They’re on the pricey side, but OMG are they awesome. Paula had a little store bag that if you use, you can buy 3 of their bundtlets and get one free. So of course we did that. I chose a s’mores and a carrot and Marv and I split them.

 

When Marv and I go to Chico for Costco, we always get the hot dog and drink combo. Tasty and you can NOT beat the price. If we’re in Chico for something else, we almost always go to Barnes & Noble for a Starbucks coffee. Since I’m a B&N member, I get a discount on the drinks. I used to get a Java Chip Frappuccino, but they’ve discontinued it. So the last couple times I got the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino. The most recent time I got a Caramel Ribbon Crunch. THAT is my new favorite!

 

One time before going to B&N we stopped to look around in Cost Plus World Market. I love looking at all the cool stuff and would love to max out a credit card there. I did find a very cute Maneki Neko cup (pictured above). They had them all different sizes including a teapot one. I settled for one of the smaller ones. They also had an AMAZING beaded table runner with Maneki Nekos (picture below). I REALLY wanted it, but it was pricey and I truly couldn’t think of a place to put it. Our table is rarely clear enough to eat at, let alone have a fancy runner on. *sigh*

 

 

We also stopped at Tractor Supply so Marv could look at their Carhartt shirts. While he was doing that, I looked through their display of miniature farm animals, hoping to find a little cat or two for my little Zen Garden that I have. No cats, but they had some very cute tiny tractors, backhoes, etc. I thought that would be so much fun to have a farm themed Zen Garden, but they were just a bit too big.

 

So, what do YOU all do for fun?

 

The Flag

 

THE FLAG

by Michelle Selby

 

Red for the blood shed in the name of freedom,
For which we fought,
United.
Blue for the oceans of time we have crossed,
Remaining the land of the free.
White for the peace we wish to share,
All men created equal.
Stars to remember those who fought throughout the night,
Bravely for our land.
Stripes to remind us of the lashings taken by the Prisoners of War.
With a seal, in God we trust
We each are one of many, in which we stand united in brotherhood.
A symbol of pride,
A salute to those who died in the fight,
A blanket to cover us in times of need,
Waving high to show we are still here, undefeated.
With honor, you are presented to the world.

 

When The Boomers Are Gone…

 

This is from an article about traditions from that era that will disappear as well…some I agree with, some I don’t.

 

Handwritten letters/Sending holiday/greeting cards by mail
Sadly, this is true. I LOVE getting handwritten/typed letters! I LOVE getting holiday/greeting cards!! I love making/sending Christmas cards. I used to have a couple of penpals from 20+ years ago that started as actual letters in the mail. Over time it just became so much easier to email or chat on FB. I still send out the occasional greeting card when I’m feeling like making them. I still belong to a postcard club that I’ve written about before, and am active in that. Check it out. It’s a lot of fun. https://www.postcrossing.com/

Balancing a checkbook/writing checks
I very rarely write checks anymore. Most of our bills I pay online and use the debit card when we shop. As far as balancing the checking account, I still rely on writing the figures in a check register and using that when the statement comes out to balance it.

Physical photo albums
Again, it’s so much easier to have online albums. But I still like going through old picture albums. I know you can make actual paper albums, and I would like to do that for the very special pics. I just need to learn how. (Old dog, remember!)

Sewing and mending clothes
My grandma taught me how to darn socks when I was very young. And I used to do that all the time. Waste not, want not. As far as mending, I can mend minor things like seams, buttons, etc. As for regular sewing with cloth and a pattern—I HATE THAT! I took those classes in both junior and senior high because it was an easy “A” but I never liked it!

Cooking from scratch
Again, my grandma taught me to cook REAL food. And I still do some of that. I can make a bread pudding or swiss steak that will knock your socks off! (And then mend them afterward!)

Landline telephones
Yeah, this one is rapidly coming to an end. There is no real need for a landline anymore. I’ve been slowly substitution my cell number whenever I have to fill out forms. And I love being able to Facetime when talking to the kids.

Reading printed newspapers
Another thing that is disappearing. I used to love reading the newspaper. And it’s great for lining birdcages and the cupboard under the sink. It’s great for doing papier-mâché projects. Remember covering balloons to make something?

Owning encyclopedias
I used to love going through encyclopedias. I enjoyed looking up the other things the main article mentioned, too. You can pretty much do the same thing now on Wikipedia, but you have to remember that ANYONE can add to or delete from what is written there.

Road trips with a map
I know, I know…GPS. Blah blah blah. I still like maps.