Almost exactly 50 years ago, Mother gave me a wonderful harvest gold Sunbeam  mixer. A real status system that matched all my kitchen appliances.  At that time I used it nearly everyday, so I kept it on my kitchen counter.  As time went on and my girls grew up and moved away,, it got relegated to a place on an obscure lower cabinet shelf.

I got it out about once a year now to make a doubled pumpkin bread recipe.  Last week in that effort, it gave up the ghost and pretty much disintegrated at the joint. (Some days when I step out of bed, I have the feeling the same thing might be about to happen to me!)

I tossed it out and felt a bit like I was saying good bye to a faithful old friend.

When I first moved to Oregon, Elizabeth gave me a great hand-held mixer and one Christmas the girls collaborated to give me a Cuisinart.  These, and an immersible blender will now meet all my culinary needs.

I kept these parts:

I’m going to make an art object out of them.

Seems like every ailment has been given initials.  I can’t remember the name of the medicine or the ailment even though the TV ads have given every malady initials.

Do you remember a few years back when we didn’t use initials for everything? PTDST. I think we said shell shocked. I don’t remember what we used to say about ED. Or Low T. Actually, I think we politely didn’t call attention to them.

And when someone constantly lost his train of thought or couldn’t sit still or was antsy or couldn’t stay on task, I think we just said that. Now, of course, every third person has ADHD. Apparently, even the president of the United States who yesterday walked into a room to make a brief statement and then sign an executive order. He rambled on a bit on and off topic with a cast of bobble heads standing behind him then started to leave the room. His second in command had to call his attention to the fact that he had neglected to sign the document. I’m sure it’s not PC — I think we used to call that “impolite” — but all I wanted to say was, “What a dope.” He did mention his IQ earlier in the week.  Wonder if he knows what those initials stand for.

Dave and I sometimes load up the boats and head out with just a rough plan in mind.

You never know what the Army Corps  of Engineers will have decided overnight about the amount of water they let through their dams limiting our access to waterways.

Yesterday morphed into a beautiful fall road trip down east of Cottage Grove and looking at some covered bridges.

We did see some lovely babbling brooks and lakes that may be paddlable  another time.

There are lot of prescription meds people take which are covered by their insurance. I don’t really approve of some of them, but it’s none of my business. I don’t think it’s their employers’ business either. Some of them don’t have anything to do with physical health. Viagra comes to mind. I think abortions are always indications that something went terribly wrong. I think contraception is the best way to prevent abortions since I see no evidence that people are going to stop having sex.