Brrr ...

 

Today's cartoon is for my introverted friends who often tell me they don’t like people. As an introvert myself, I get it—but I find that I enjoy and appreciate people most of the time.

We’ve got snow again today. It’s been a mix of snow and rain all day, and yesterday wasn’t much different. This morning, in the midst of the rain, we made a Costco run to grab ingredients for our upcoming progressive neighborhood dinner. I also managed to knock out some housework and get our weekly laundry done. A few more chores are left to finish, and then I plan to unwind this evening with a good book.

On Saturday, from noon to 1:30pm, Joe will be attending the Hands Off National Day of Action rally in Plymouth. I won’t be able to join the march itself due to the distance, but I’ll try to park close enough to snap some photos and share the experience on Facebook. There are a few other protests happening around the same time, but we had already committed to the progressive dinner when the rally announcement came out. I’m grateful we can make both work in our schedule.

Are you planning to attend a Hands Off rally on April 5th?

Cory Booker Speaks On Behalf of All Americans

Senator Cory Booker’s speech, which has now lasted 23 hours and 40 minutes (and I’m cheering him on for as long as he can go), has been a powerful moment, putting on the record the deep concerns many Americans feel about what has transpired since 47 and Musk took office. I truly don’t understand how any American who loves this country could support the way these two men have handled the job of downsizing the government.

I can grasp the philosophy of wanting a smaller government, even though I don’t share that view. But there are legal processes and procedures they could have followed to take action in a lawful way. Instead, they’ve shown a complete disregard for the law. But honestly, is anyone surprised? Neither 47 nor Musk seem to respect anything except money.

Many people supported 47 for President because they believed he could improve the economy. But that has not been the case. Retail prices are higher than when he took office, gas prices in our area remain the same (thankfully), the stock market is on a downward trend, unemployment is up, and job creation has stalled. Forty-seven has told us to expect things to get worse, claiming that it’s necessary for all of us to suffer while he “fixes” the economy.

Here’s the thing: 47 inherited a strong economy, and in just two months, he hasn’t “fixed” anything. Historically, tariffs have never worked to the advantage of the American people. Let’s talk about wood – we import it from Canada. With tariffs, it will cost more to build homes. And homes are already out of reach for so many people. Similarly, Canada and Mexico supply automobile parts for American car manufacturers. Tariffs will make American cars and repairs more expensive. In fact, people are already talking about putting off purchasing a new car.

And let’s not overlook Senator Booker’s incredible achievement—he just broke Strom Thurmond’s filibuster record! What an extraordinary job!

Day of Rest

Today is a day of rest for me. We’re part of a progressive dinner party this Saturday evening, so I should probably be cleaning the house. But all I can muster the energy for is reading! So, I’m giving myself permission to leave the cleaning for later this week. Thankfully, there’s not a lot to do, though you'd never know it from my overactive brain!

For the past thirty minutes, I've been watching the neighbor’s backyard. The house is just behind us, one lot over. A woman—her age hard to pinpoint—and a six-year-old child are playing with a large breed dog. I just watched the woman scoop up dog poop and toss it into another neighbor's yard. That neighbor has a dog too, so I guess they won’t even notice it’s not theirs.

Come summer, the trees will be in full bloom, blocking our view of the house. In twenty days, we’ll celebrate our first year in this home. Today, for the first time, I saw the neighbors out in their backyard. The best part of having a sunroom with big windows on three sides is that I can people-watch while comfortably settled at my desk. It’s quite a perk for a nosy person like me.

And now, this nosy person is going to read.

The Power of Persistence

Charlotte at Tractor Supply 3.30.2025 - MET HER GOAL!

Charlotte was able to secure two booth slots today at the Rockford Tractor Supply. As Megan reviewed her sales, she realized Charlotte still needed fifty-one boxes to reach her goal. Joe helped Charlotte and me set up the booth around noon, then he wandered through the supply store until he and I had to head out for another engagement at 1:30 pm. Shanna, Charlotte’s mom, arrived at 1:15 pm to get the hang of the credit card system and man the booth until 3:30 pm.

Around 3:45 pm, Megan texted me to let me know Charlotte had sold forty boxes. Then, a man walked up and donated $100, which translates into sixteen boxes, bringing Charlotte’s total to fifty-six boxes. Later that day, one of Shanna’s family members also placed an online order. We’re all beyond excited!

This morning, Charlotte mentioned that she’d done booths for four days straight—twelve hours of standing, asking for orders, and hearing “No thank you” over and over. We’d agreed early on that each “no” meant a “yes” was coming soon, so the “no’s” became part of the process to get to the “yes.” I’m incredibly proud of her for maintaining a cheerful attitude, sticking with it, and putting in the effort. Several times, when things were slow, we talked about how important it is to show up and keep going, regardless of how tough it gets.

I don’t know who the man was who donated the $100 or what inspired him, but his gesture was a gift to our family. It’s moments like that that make this journey so meaningful.

By the end of the day, we were all ready to wrap up the weekend. Even though the Girl Scout Council decided to extend the selling period by a week, the sales could only continue door to door—no more booth sales. Charlotte had already sold in her neighborhood and to neighbors on our street. We’re also thankful to the Girl Scout in her troop who reached her goal and was generous enough to let Charlotte take over the Tractor Supply booth, while she took a booth in a town farther away.

The morning didn’t start out easy for Megan. While prepping the cookie inventory, she pinched a nerve in her back while lifting a box. With the baby asleep upstairs, she wasn’t sure how she’d manage to safely bring him downstairs. Worried she might be stuck, she tried stretching to ease the pain. Jeremy works on Sundays, so Megan didn’t want to worry Charlotte. Eventually, she made it upstairs, took a pain pill, and was soon able to safely bring Oliver down and finish preparing the cookies for the booth.

After Joe and I left Charlotte, we drove to Edina to join friends at Missing Pieces Escape Games. We did the Ruin Raiders Room, and it was incredible! Only Juli and I had done an escape room before, and the other three (including Joe) were first-timers. Though we didn’t escape, we all agreed it was an absolute blast. Afterwards, we met at Red Lobster for dinner and spent almost three hours chatting and enjoying each other’s company.

By the way it snowed off and on (mostly on) the entire day; however, coming home the roads were clear and there was no snow in our driveway. We saw more snow in the Edina area (about forty minutes southeast of Saint Michael). When we got back into town, we still had quite a bit of snow accumulation on our car, so we drove by the carwash and took advantage of our unlimited monthly carwash pass.

All in all, a lovely day!

Saturday Fixes - Or the Cub Credit Has Been Resolved

This is exactly how I felt today after a busy week!

Perhaps the highlight of the day was resolving the twice-paid-for corned beef from Cub. Earlier this week, I called the bookkeeper at Cub. She quickly accessed our receipts, reviewed them, and confirmed, "We owe you a credit." So today, we went into the store to get the credit applied to our card. The customer service representative (CSR) on duty was the same one who had originally made the charge and had assured Joe that everything was correct when he had questioned him about it.

Joe was a bit apprehensive about dealing with the same CSR again, but when we approached the register to explain the situation, the CSR surprised us. "Yes, I remember this," he said, "I'm so glad you came in while I’m here so I can apologize. I’m really sorry for the mistake." He quickly processed the credit and added, “Next time, I’ll make sure to separate the return from the recharge to avoid any confusion.” We reassured him, "No worries—we’re not perfect either, and we’re just happy it’s all been resolved."

Later, one of our neighbors stopped by with a question about a Facebook Messenger notification she had received that made her feel uncomfortable. After seeing the message, I completely understood why—it was from someone impersonating my account (though Facebook insists there’s no duplicate account in my name). The message claimed she was eligible for financial assistance to cover food needs and asked for personal information to "complete her application."

Although the message used my name, it lacked a photo of me and led to a link with someone else’s name. I’m so relieved she came to me first and didn’t fall for the scam. We ended up having a nice visit, drinking tea, eating Girl Scout cookies, and sharing photos of our newest grandson with her. As the mom of four (her youngest being about 20 months old), she totally understands the excitement of a new baby!

Charlotte is Within Reach of Her Goal!

A photo of my favorite Brownie

It’s been a busy (but blessed) day for me. Joe’s stuck at home with a cold, but at least he had the chance to rest while I was out and about.

Charlotte and I spent three hours at a cookie booth at Cub in Buffalo tonight. It was a little slow, but every box sold brings her closer to her goal, and we agreed that’s what makes it all worthwhile.

She’s just 112 boxes away from hitting her 1,000-box Girl Scout cookie goal! The family reward for reaching that milestone is that she gets to pick a color for her dad (Jeremy) to dye his hair. As of now, she’s set her sights on a half-blue, half-purple look. I’m pretty sure he wears a hat all day at work, so he may be able to dodge the embarrassment! Honestly, I suspect that Jeremy will rock whatever color she chooses and he will wear it with pride. He's a cool dad!

Booth Adventures: A Day of Cookies, Community, and Conversations

Charlotte - Our 9-year old cookie guru

Charlotte and I spent the day working a Girl Scout cookie booth at our local Walmart. We were there for four hours, interacting with a steady stream of customers. While our sales weren’t through the roof—we sold 48 boxes during that time—we did manage to receive $30.00 in donations from people who wanted to support her troop. It’s worth noting that cookie sales, in general, are down across the nation.

In fact, recent reports show that snack sales in America have dropped by 4.3% as of February 23, 2025. The main reason? Financial pressures. People are sticking to the essentials while navigating an uncertain economy. Health concerns also play a role in the decline of snack purchases.

Still, I love doing these booths with Charlotte because (1) she’s just so adorable that people can’t help but smile and wish her good luck, even if they’re not buying cookies, and (2) we always end up learning something new about the people we meet. Today, we even talked about gathering those little snippets of conversation and turning them into a story someday.

While at Walmart, we took note of what people were buying. The most popular items? Bottled water, toilet paper, and paper towels—bulky, visible products that aren’t concealed in plastic bags. There was one man in his late 20s, though, who had a giant flat-screen TV, bigger than our bathrooms at home! It’s clear he’s confident about his financial situation and the economy in general.

Given the slower sales, cookie sales have been extended for an extra week in our area. Charlotte is just 150 boxes shy of reaching her 1,000-box goal, so we’re hopeful that her continued hard work and the extra time will help her hit that mark. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported her along the way!

Baby Steps

Leaving you with this thought today! Taking a break from writing and social media this evening.

Ten Days Down

Ten days ago, I made a commitment to myself to exercise for one hour each day. So far, I’ve kept that promise for eight out of the ten days. I’ve decided to take weekends off, which means my goal is five hours of exercise per week.

Right now, most of my workouts are a mix of stretches, chair yoga, and chair exercises. I did manage to squeeze in a 10-minute session of floor exercises—though, honestly, one of the perks of that is how much effort it takes to get back up off the floor! Still, I’m breaking a sweat without pushing myself to the point of injury. Some days I feel incredibly motivated, while other days, not so much.

Tonight, my daughter asked me to hunt down some specific family photos. These were tucked away in the back of a closet, buried under a stack of boxes. By the time I had the box uncovered and sorted through the photos, I’d racked up another thirty minutes of exertion for the day. At one point, I was so wiped out that I had to lie down on one of the guest beds nearby—hey, that has to count as exercise too, right?

I know there’s a lot of work ahead of me if I want to get in better shape, but I’m focusing on one day at a time and trying to keep a positive mindset. Some days are easier than others, but I’m staying committed.

Meme Favorites for Past Week

 

Citizenship for Sale

Today, I came across an article in The Atlantic titled “Americans Are Buying an Escape Plan,” written by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian. It dives into the growing trend of purchasing citizenship, not only in the United States but around the globe. Recently, the leader of the current U.S. administration floated the idea of offering a ‘gold card’ for foreign nationals, a citizenship package priced at a staggering five million dollars. Abrahamian points out that selling citizenship isn’t exactly a novel idea, noting that “About half of the world’s nations already offer visas, permanent residence, or even full citizenship for sums ranging from the low five to low seven figures.” She adds that the U.S. itself offers up to 10,000 residency permits annually through its EB-5 investor visa program, which Congress has extended until 2027—at a cost of roughly $1 million per applicant.

However, the bigger revelation Abrahamian highlights isn’t about foreigners buying into the U.S.; it’s the increasing exodus of Americans seeking alternative citizenships. While few foreigners are rushing for U.S. citizenship these days, Americans have been scrambling to secure foreign passports since November. For many, it’s not about relocating—they’re acquiring these citizenships as an emergency backup plan.

And yet, tourism to the U.S. is in freefall. Joyce Vance writes about how several foreign nations have issued travel warnings to their citizens regarding trips to the U.S. It’s a stark contrast to our time in Egypt between July 2002 and 2003, when I’d regularly check travel advisories for neighboring countries. Back then, if you’d told me the U.S. was on any warning list, I’d have thought you were out of your mind. 

Alison Luterman Poem

Sharing this poem as a reminder to continue to look for joy. 

At Albany Bulb with Elaine

By Alison Luterman

Side by side on a log by the bay.

Sunlight. Unleashed dogs,

prancing through surf, almost exploding

out of their skins with perfect happiness.

Dogs who don't know about fired park rangers,

or canceled health research, or tariff wars,

or the suicide hotline for veterans getting defunded,

or or or. We've listed horror upon horror

to each other for weeks now, and it does no good,

so instead I tell her how I held a two-day old baby

in my arms, inhaling him like a fresh-baked loaf of bread,

then watched as a sneeze erupted through his body

like a tiny volcano. It was the look of pure

astonishment on his face, as if he were Adam

in the garden of Eden making his debut achoo,

as if it were the first sneeze that ever blew,

that got me. She tells me how her dog

once farted so loudly he startled himself

and fell off the bed where he'd been lolling,

and then the two of us start to laugh so hard

we almost fall off our own log. And this

is our resistance for today; remembering

original innocence. And they can't

take it away from us, though they ban

our very existence, though they slash

our rights to ribbons, we will have

our mirth and our birthright gladness.

Long after every unsold Tesla

has vaporized, and earth has closed over

even the names of these temporary tyrants,

somewhere some women like us

will be sitting side by side, facing the water,

telling human stories and laughing still.

Source: https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-trump-day-mare?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share (3/22/2025)

Overcharges

One of my biggest pet peeves is being overcharged at the grocery store. I try to be patient with cashiers, recognizing that they're juggling a lot—handling a steady stream of customers, working fast and efficiently, and dealing with the inevitable hiccups that come with the job. Nobody's perfect, and I get that. But when it happens? It really gets under my skin. And lately, it’s happened twice in one week.

Joe usually does the grocery shopping, and while I'm grateful for that, it can be frustrating. He doesn’t always check the receipt or pay much attention to the scanning process—he’s typically busy unloading the cart or bagging the items. I get it, but it means I’m the one who notices these things.

Today, for example, he bought a cucumber. The store charged us for three cucumbers instead of one. So instead of paying $.89, we were charged $2.67. We’ll get that difference back the next time we go to the store in Albertville, but I really didn’t want to make a special trip just for that. So I called, explained the mistake, and asked if they could talk to the cashier to ensure they’re hitting the right button when scanning cucumbers.

But the one that’s really driving me crazy is the corned beef situation. Joe went through self-checkout and realized he wasn’t charged the sale price. The kind clerk overseeing self-checkout reassured him that they’d fix it. Well, they didn’t. Instead of fixing the price, we were charged double. So I sent Joe back to the store—it's only a few blocks away—to show customer service the receipts and get the refund we were owed.

Unfortunately, the person handling it wasn’t a manager or even someone with bookkeeping experience (and neither was Joe). I get that this is on me—I should have gone in myself to talk to a manager or a bookkeeper. They would’ve understood the issue right away. But the customer service rep convinced Joe that everything had been entered correctly, which it hadn’t. Anyone with the right background would know that if we originally paid $18.87 and the sale price was $15.72, we'd be owed a $3.15 credit. Instead, they processed the return as $18.87, then added the brisket back at full price, and gave a $3.15 discount. You might think that would give us the correct credit, but when you look at the receipt, it shows we tendered $15.72, and my credit card statement shows two separate charges: $18.87 and $15.72.

So I waited for six days, hoping a credit would come through, but it hasn’t. I just got off the phone with customer service again, and they advised me to bring in the receipts when both the store manager and the bookkeeper are in.

The thing is, neither of these charges are going to break the bank, but it’s more about the principle of paying the wrong price for something. It makes me wonder—do other people check their receipts, or am I just hyper-aware of this kind of thing? I’ve spent fifty years in a career that involved accounting, so maybe I’m just wired to spot errors.

Anyone else get cranky when they’ve been overcharged?