1. There is a new(ish) brand of ice cream called ReThink, made from milk high in A2 protein which is easier to digest. This is the same protein that is in goat and sheep milk. I read about this in the Farm Bureau newsletter (thanks, Mom!) I haven’t tried it; it probably isn’t available in Tulare County.

2. California Fair is an insurance company that only provides wildfire coverage; if you need more than that (well, duh, yes), you have to find supplemental insurance. And no where in California is it possible to get coverage against snow damage; to add insult to injury, insurance companies will always fight you if a tree damages your home or cabin, blaming you for not removing a diseased tree. (This is why we need to think about good things like ice cream.)

3. The time changes are dangerous, and some big companies do special training (one company calls these “safety moments”) twice a year to help their employees adapt.

4. There is a creepy stalkery to “smart” phones. A friend showed me the icon she chose to represent me in her contacts list and beneath my name was my high school and date of graduation. EXCUSE ME? My friend didn’t know this about me, nor did she enter it into her phone. WHO/WHAT DID THIS??

5. The Beatles have a new song. How is this possible?? Through the magic of technology. You can hear and see it somewhere on the internet but I am not enamored enough by the “Fab Four” to spend time searching it out. The song is called “Now and Then”, and is more multifaceted musically than their simplistic early creations. (I like the Carpenters, Steve Wariner, Casting Crowns [among many others] so what do I know about pop music from the ’60s?)

6. I finally made hoshigaki persimmons! They weren’t ready when I took this photo about 3 weeks ago, but they are now and wowsa, are they ever good.

7. I finally dug up my sweet potatoes. Two plants yielded these three winners. I think the size may have been limited by the gopher baskets.

8. My taste in cars is very consistent. While at the 4-way stop a few weeks ago, I spotted a car with a body style that pleased me. I felt happy that it was not a Honda Accord, proving to myself that I can be flexible. I took a photo and sent it to a friend who is very into cars. He told me that it is a Toyota Celica, from the very same era as my current Accord. Oh good grief. (A friend asked me how the car search was going, and I told her that I’m not looking—instead, I upped the towing package on my AAA card.)

9. I finally found a way to delete the Pinterest button off my website homepage. Sometimes if you just click around enough, you stumble across the right method. However, now I think the comments aren’t working. If it ain’t one thing, it’s anuthuh. Why did I delete the Pinterest button? Because I deleted my Pinterest account. I’ve also quit Instagram and completely ignore LinkedIn. There’s enough to do, and I prefer reality to virtual reality. (Surprised??)

P.S. The commenting part of the blog has been misbehaving but comments are coming through anyway. So to those of you who soldiered through, thank you!