Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
We are just two short weeks away from Valentine’s Day, and I am already excited about the Elks Lodge Love Boat dinner dance. We will have Colleen with us that evening. She might be a little late, as it is her mother’s 80th birthday and they plan a celebration. The birthday party will be a luncheon, and since it is well known that old bats do not stay up late, the party should end early, and Colleen can join us!
Speaking of the upcoming Elks shindig, Mary has picked out her dress for the Elks Valentine’s Dinner Dance themed “Love Boat”. The new dress should go great with my red sequined coat! I need to find Mary a red captain’s cap to go with the dress, perhaps from Amazon?
Mary was going to attend a CME class tomorrow, Friday, but sitting in a classroom environment for eight hours will not work given her back condition, so she cancelled her session. We were going to stay overnight in Pasadena and then go to the Huntington for afternoon tea. If I can arrange for a courtesy cart to drive from the front gate to the tea house, we may try going out; otherwise, we will stay home and reschedule.
While surfing the web, I came across this remarkable but little-known fact that you might find interesting to discuss at your next cocktail party! Just think: you could approach a new acquaintance and ask, “How is your philtrum today?” or lean forward and say, “Did you know your Philtrum is showing?” or “Would you like to hear about my recent Philtrum operation?” The possibilities are endless!
The philtrum is the vertical groove between the nose and upper lip, present in most mammals. It serves as a scent-enhancing, moisture-trapping structure in animals and as a remnant of facial development in humans. While crucial for canines’ sense of smell, it is a vestigial feature in humans.
Key Philtrum Facts:
- Animal Function: In dogs and many mammals, it is a “vegetal groove” that uses capillary action to transport saliva from the mouth to the nose, keeping it moist to better trap scent particles.
- Human Purpose: In humans, it has no apparent active function but serves as a “vestige of evolution,” marking where the facial components fused during early development.
- Origin of Name: Derived from the Greek philtron (meaning “love charm”), it was historically considered an attractive or arousing part of the body.
- Medical Significance: A smooth or flattened philtrum is a recognized clinical feature associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), often used for diagnostic purposes.
- Mythology: A Jewish legend suggests an angel taps a baby on the lip before birth, causing the groove and making them forget all the secrets of the universe learned in the womb.
- Cosmetic Alteration: A “lip lift” surgery can shorten a long philtrum, creating a more youthful or defined facial appearance.
- Appearance Varies: Philtral columns can be parallel, triangular, or concave, with specific shapes being more common in different genders, according to research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
It’s 8:00 am and Manual just showed up to wash the fleet. Mary is still sawing logs, and I will use this time to work on the garage since both cars are out.
After Mary woke up, she asked about the cars, and I told her they were all done and wrapped up.
I decided to go to the market and do some shopping, and I definitely overachieved! There was enough food and goodies in my basket for a small army. I spent several hours in the afternoon putting everything away and looking for “science projects” lurking in the refrigerator, as well as severely outdated items to toss.
The entire trunk got filled with groceries!
After getting home, I fed Mary a McDonald’s burger sans fries. I figured it was either that or some gourmet cat food, and let’s be honest, who can resist a Big Mac?
Then it was time to venture into the garden for my next great adventure: a thrilling episode of “Prune Wars: Grapes Strikes Back.” I donned my finest gardening gloves and went to town on those grapes like a contestant on a reality show, determined to impress the judges. “You call this a vine? I call it a living salad bar!”
Now the grapes are ready for their spring/summer growth!
Next, I tackled Bed #3, which needed a little more attention than I thought I could handle. I emptied two bags of soil into it and turned the soil in by hand. At this point, I was beginning to feel like I was preparing a plot—not just for plants, but for an epic gardening competition. “And the prize for Best Bed goes to… me, for being the only one crazy enough to do it by hand while it’s getting colder than a polar bear’s toenails!”
The “black soil” is 100 pounds of Gromulch meant to top off the garden beds! Two more bags to go in bed #3, and then it will be ready for Tomatomanic in late February!
The beds will be ready within the next three weeks!
“The world’s largest (and most fun) tomato plant sale” comes to Roger’s Gardens for the 15th year. Scott Daigre and his staff of Tomatomaniacs offer an astonishing selection of over 250 heirloom and hybrid tomato varieties, including new varieties for 2026.
Just as I was about to invent a new gardening dance to celebrate my hard work, my body chimed in with an enthusiastic “Nope! Time to call it a day .” So, nursing my sore muscles and a newfound appreciation for indoor heating, I hobbled back inside, thinking I should probably add “professional grape pruner” to my resume—or at least my LinkedIn.
We watched more episodes of “Ted Lasso” until about 10:00 pm when I declared victory; the groceries were finally put away, my back pain was at a minimum, and my eyes were slowly closing.
If we had a machine that measured the time between me going horizontal and entering a deep sleep, it would be measured in milliseconds.
