week 50/25

Friday Food – Birthday Edition

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As it turned out, I was quite ill for my birthday last week. I did not want cake – no point if I’m not going to enjoy it, but some  things were simply postponed.

Instead of cake, my husband got me Haagen Dazs White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle ice cream. It was delicious. 10/10 would recommend and would try it again.

(c)2025

My birthday drink from Starbucks was a bit more complicated. The birthday drink is only available on your birthday, and I couldn’t do that, so I got my go-to: iced chai latte, but with no ice. I kept it in the fridge for three days, added my own ice, and drank it when I was feeling better. It was excellent, and I’m glad that I opted for that.

Iced Chai Latte, no ice on the left.
Hot Eggnog Chai Latte on the right.
(c)2025

Last but not least, eggnog is back at Starbucks. I’ve had their eggnog cold foam on an iced drink and their hot eggnog chai latte. Very rich, and its warmth is very soothing.

Finally, we had pulled pork sandwiches for dinner the other night. I did not want onions so I decided to put a slice of a Granny Smith apple on two slider rolls and ate that. Nice crunch, a little tart, but very nice with the pulled pork.

(c)2025

My birthday dinner consisted of a salad, a piece of brown bread and butter, and a baked potato. Overall, not exactly how I’d choose to spend my birthday, but it was still nice and I had some special time with my family.

Human Rights Day, 2025

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Today is Human Rights Day, and I’m of a mind to share two quotations:

Women’s Rights are Human Rights. – Hillary Clinton

Trans Rights are Human Rights.

I’m finding it difficult to write about human rights today when the United States is violating them left, right, and center, every which way we look, on the land, in the air, on the sea.

I find it difficult directing you to the human rights watches of Amnesty International and the United Nations, both of whom I’ve respected my entire life and have now abandoned them as they’ve abandoned many of us.

I find it difficult accepting that human rights are a right for all humans when we see so many rights being torn away, stomped upon, and set on metaphorical fire.

Last week, I saw a picture online of a drunk racoon passed out next to a toilet in a public bathroom, a gas station, I think, and that seems to have summed up the last eleven months  of where we are in terms of the world, of our elected leaders here around the world, and of the human rights being taken away and destroyed before our very eyes.

No, I’m sorry, there’s no witty twist, no redemption arc. It is what it is, and it’s a dumpster fire.

Inspired. December.

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Simplicity.

(c)2025

Wandering through Target, checking out the holiday goodies and displays, and I saw their plastic tableware along the main aisle.

Before I could even be intrigued, I saw that someone else had already put this smaller plate on top of the large charger, and I loved how it looked. I didn’t touch it. I didn’t change it. I simply photographed it, and went on my merry way.

I hope to use this as inspiration for a simpler holiday; something quiet and unobtrusive that has meaning without forcing it to have meaning.

Have a Blessed Advent.