Eating Alone

I ran across an old op-ed column I wrote about eating alone, dated sometime around 2003. This is how that went back then:

Everyone looks at you funny, right down the guy behind the cash register and the cook who slaps the burgers on the buns.  When did eating alone become a crime?

I can ask this because I spent the past week skulking around the fast-food joints.  I hid behind books and newspapers as I ate.  Sometimes I scowled at the twosomes who cast pitiful looks my way.  Mostly I just tried to appear inconspicuous.

There are rules to follow when you eat alone.  The number one rule is to have reading material with you so you look like you're having a good time.  Laugh at the jokes on the horoscope page.  Something.  Anything to keep from having to look at other people, which brings us to the second rule: never make eye contact.  And the third rule is to sit as far away from other people as you can.

I ate in the mall one day, and there were six other people eating at the food court - all sitting alone.  We sat like this - lone person, empty table, lone person, empty table . . . you get the picture.  At least no one cast pitiful glances that day.  Everyone was in the same predicament.

I've often wondered what would happen if you went up to a solitary diner and asked to sit down with them.  Great love stories occur in that fashion.  The restaurant is full and solitary lady is forced to sit with solitary man, and true love blossoms over the shrimp dip.  Sigh.

But I never impose, just as no one imposes on me.  Why risk bodily harm or verbal abuse?  Why trouble yourself with certain rejection?

Therein lies the answer to my question of the crime of solitary dining - rejection.  Eating alone signifies rejection.  Everyone sees you and knows no one wants to eat with you.  Never mind that it's your choice and you don't like your coworkers.  You dine alone, so something is wrong with you.

Maybe the lone diners should form a club and throw some weight around.  We could get the restaurants to have tables with one chair.  And supply newspapers and magazines.  This would have an added benefit for the rest of the population, because you never know when a twosome will become a solitary diner, and someone will have to eat alone. 

When that happens, you can bet they will be unprepared for the experience and won't know what to do with their hands and minds while they eat.  They will need a little mercy, and a newspaper to hide behind.

But that was then. Now? Now I think eating alone isn't that big a deal. The reason? Cell phones. Now it isn’t the lone diner who looks out of place, it’s the person who isn’t staring at a phone. 

Solitude didn’t change. The etiquette did.

Sunday Stealing

Which one?

1. Pepsi or Coke?

A. Neither. Although if I have to choose, I choose Coke.

2. Cappuccino or coffee?

A. Neither. I don't drink coffee at all so I have no idea what the difference is.

3. Chocolate or vanilla?

A. Chocolate!

4. Hot tea or iced tea?

A. Hot tea.

5. Dinner for two or a party?

A. Dinner for two.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Fun Fun Fun

Saturday 9: Fun, Fun, Fun (1964)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a girl who borrows her father's Ford Thunderbird. When is the last time you drove someone else's car?

A. I haven't driven anyone else's car in so long I couldn't tell you.

2) The teen in question is well known for ability to drive "like an ace." If we were to ask your high school classmates what they remember most about you, what do you think they'd say?

A. That I was quiet and nerdy. 

3) She told her father she needed the car to go to the library but used it instead to meet friends. Can you recall a time your parents caught you in a fib?

A. That would have been about 45 years ago, at least. I'm sure they did, but I don't recall the circumstances. 

4) For this girl and her friends, fun centered on cars and fast food. What did you and your friends do for fun during your teen years?

A. My friends and I occasionally cruised Williamson Road but not often. That's a stretch in the city where the kids just drove up and down, up and down. The boys honked and hooted at the girls.

5) Legend has it songwriters Brian Wilson and Mike Love got the idea for this song from a Salt Lake City disc jockey. He told them he'd lent his T-bird to his daughter so she could go to class at the community college but discovered her deception when the car was ticketed in front of a fast-food restaurant. Can you think of another song inspired by true events?

A. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, by Gordon Lightfoot.

 

6) As in the song, the disc jockey punished his daughter by taking her driving privileges away. Were your parents strict when you were growing up?

A. My parents were strict, yes.

7) This song was recorded on January 1, 1964. The Beach Boys had to work on the holiday because they were under pressure to meet a February release date. How did you spend New Year's Day 2026?

A. I went to bed.

 

8) 1964 was a great year for Capitol Records. They had chart-topping hits by the Beach Boys, Barbra Streisand and, most spectacularly, The Beatles. The Capitol Records Building in Los Angeles is considered iconic and it's a stop on tourist bus tours. Have you ever been to Southern California? If yes, what did you do?

A. I was in California when I was 12. We visited with my father's family. I think we went to Fisherman's Wharf, but I really don't remember.

 

9) Random question: What's the last compliment you received?

A. Some folks made positive comments on my blog about some flower photos.

 

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

This is the time of year when one of my favorite foods shows up in the stores, and this is when it tastes the best. Let's salute the strawberry!

1. Strawberries are grown in every U.S. state and are often the first fruit to ripen in spring.

2. An average strawberry has about 200 seeds, all on the outside.

3. The name “strawberry” likely comes from the Old English strewian, referring to how berries are strewn about on runners.

4. Strawberries are not true berries; botanically they are accessory fruits.

5. Each “seed” on a strawberry is actually an achene, a tiny fruit containing its own seed.

6. The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is a hybrid of two native species: F. chiloensis and F. virginiana.

7. The United States is the world’s largest producer of strawberries.

8. California alone produces billions of pounds of strawberries annually and has over 50,000 acres devoted to the crop. Strawberries are perennial plants, typically fruiting for about five years.

9. One cup of strawberries contains only 55 calories and is high in vitamin C.

10. Americans eat about eight pounds of strawberries per year on average.

11. Strawberries have been associated with foodborne illness outbreaks, including E. coli, norovirus, and hepatitis A.

12. Native Americans ate strawberries fresh and also baked them into cornbread. Ancient Romans believed strawberries had medicinal properties, using them for fever and sore throats.

13. Strawberries belong to the rose family (Rosaceae).

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Sources

SNAP‑Ed Connection: Strawberries

Clemson Extension / Home & Garden Information Center: Strawberry history & naming

College of Health & Human Sciences: Food Source Information—Strawberries
Michigan State University Extension: Strawberry plant science facts
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Strawberry (Fragaria) overview

*AI created the pretty logo at the top.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 959th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Virginia 250: Botetourt County in 1911

With Virginia and the nation celebrating 250 years of freedom from England in 2026, I thought it might be fun to occasionally bring up some local history.

Some years ago, a water leak in the Botetourt County Courthouse* led to a lucky find for genealogy researcher Loretta Caldwell.

While looking to see what papers may have received water damage, she came across almost a full year of the 1911 Buchanan News.

The paper was published from the early 1900s until 1973 in Buchanan. O. E. Obenshain is listed as editor on the 1911 copies. The Library of Virginia, which has microfilm of most of the issues, lists Obenshain as the publisher also.

Caldwell said the papers received minimal water damage. After drying them out, she placed them in a special cardboard holder.

The Botetourt County Library several years ago participated in a newspaper project and had several years of the Buchanan News and The Fincastle Herald placed on microfilm. That film is available for review in the Fincastle Library. However, the year 1911 is missing from those documents, so these fragile papers are not readily available on film.

The Fincastle Herald, which was established in 1866, was also in print at that time. Many old issues of the Herald are on microfilm, but others are lost to time.

Old newspapers can be a fascinating source for history of a community. The 1911 issues of the Buchanan News speak of a simpler time in many instances, but some of the events could have happened yesterday.

There are lists of who was invited where for dinner, school honor rolls and meetings. Virginia game laws said you could not kill a robin. A black bear was seen in Cloverdale. The entire state had only 4,514 prisoners behind bars.

A call went out for a new high school, with folks arguing in letters over the location (Buchanan or Lithia). 

A number of articles reflect the agriculture nature of the county. Eagle Rock apparently had a school of agriculture at that time. “Oregon Fruit Growers afraid of Virginia Growers,” touted one headline.

In September, a report called “The Automobile on the Farm” began, “One of the forces helping the “back to the land” movement and improvement of rural and economic conditions at this time is the automobile.”

In nearly every issue, there is a discussion of “good roads” and how to get them.

Other events of note:

• In January 1911, fire swept through the Town of Fincastle. It burned down an entire block, taking with it a drugstore, two groceries, a confectionary shop, a harness shop, a law office and the Town Hall. The fire started in the drugstore and the town had no fire department.

• In Buchanan that spring, Maude West, 19, was murdered by J. William Powell, 25, who then turned the gun on himself. “Little dreaming, or suspecting, the awful fate awaiting her, she innocently went to her doom!” the newspaper reported.

• In March, the federal government began its National Forest program. Botetourt County land was on the list. Much of northern Botetourt is still national forest today, part of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.

• Around the same time period, the Board of Supervisors set a tax levy at $1.10 per $100 value. According to the report, 41 cents out of each dollar went to the school system, while 45 cents out of each dollar went to a road fund. The remainder went toward other uses.

• And in October, Mary Johnston, by that time a famous author from Buchanan, spoke out in favor of women’s suffrage. She wanted the right to vote.

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Originally published in The Fincastle Herald in 2008.

*Currently demolished with a new courthouse under construction in 2026.

Red Roses for a Blue Lady

 

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Photos taken with my iPhone SE at Friendship Manor in Roanoke, VA

I Still Watch Commercials

Do you remember when the dancing
raisins "Heard it Through the Grapevine"?

I watch commercials on television, during those rare times when I actually watch TV. Mostly I listen to the lyrics to see how a popular song has been re-worded to suit the advertiser. Some of them are quite creative. Some of them aren't.

My favorite back in 2008 was an AT&T ad that played with "The Name Game": "Let's call Judy – Judy, Judy bo boody, banana fanana mo boody" – or something close to that. It was a long commercial and looked pretty expensive. A shorter toothpaste ad used the same jingle, but "bubble bubble bo bubble" never sat as well as Judy.

To be sure, I didn't know the tune was taken from an oldie ("The Name Game") until I heard the original on the radio. Just one more example of pop music rearranged, though tastefully done by Ma Bell, I thought.

Commercials distort songs all the time. Around the same time period, the dancing raisins of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" caused a sensation. You could buy the little clay critters in stores (and one sits on my bookcase). 

"Get Closer" extolled fresh breath for years, while the "Anticipation" of ketchup from a bottle was a slogan for so long that I still can’t hear Carly Simon without picturing a slow pour.

The list could go on, but you get the idea.

And mostly, it's okay. I like hearing the commercials. They're part of my heritage as a TV child. It's only when the song is so irritatingly different from the original that I get annoyed, which is why "bubble bubble bo bubble" didn't sit as well as "Judy Judy Bo Boody," I suspect.

As a bad example, a pantyhose producer took ZZ Top's "Legs" – a gritty rock anthem – and slowed it down with female singers. My husband, an ardent rock and roll fan, nearly threw his coffee mug through the TV screen.

These days, Fleetwood Mac has become a favorite target for advertisers. I recently heard "Go Your Own Way" reworked for PayPal into "Pay Your Own Way," with Will Ferrell mugging at the camera. 

Lexus took "Landslide" for their holiday campaign, wrapping a family's generational history around a luxury SUV. And don't get me started on "Everywhere," which has been selling everything from cars to credit cards. 

Beautiful songs, all of them. But hearing Stevie Nicks belting out a financing offer still feels strange.

Maybe the ad representatives know exactly what they're doing. A familiar tune makes you look up from your magazine – or, these days, from your phone. It pulls you back from the fridge a little quicker. They realize the viewer will return, if only to groan.

And you know what? I think they're still right.

I just wish they'd leave "Landslide" for crying in the car, not leasing it.

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Original version published in 2008 in The Fincastle Herald. Updated and revised in 2026.

Sunday Stealing

Thursday Thunks

1. Is there anyone whose home you enter without knocking? Does anyone (who doesn't live with you) have permission to enter your home without knocking?

A. My husband goes into his parents' house without knocking, but I knock. No one enters my home without knocking.

2. Tell us about a school trip you took.

A. When I was in sixth grade, my class went to Williamsburg. We bunked together in various rooms, and we toured the historic area. I was entranced with the shrubbery maze at the Governor's Mansion.

3. Name three things within arm's reach right now (but they can't relate to your phone, computer or laptop).

A. Within arm's reach, you will find a glass of water, a pair of binoculars, and a stapler.

4. Weather permitting, do you dry your clothes outdoors on a clothesline?

A. I do not use an outdoor clothesline because of my allergies. Pollen gathers on the clothing and makes me sick. If I dried clothing outside, I'd have to run it through the dryer just to get the pollen off before I could wear it.

5. If every flower in the world only bloomed in one color, what color would you like to see?

A. Lavender.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Like My Mother Does

Saturday 9: Like My Mother Does (2011)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Lauren Alaina tells us she knows she's beautiful and strong because she sees herself as her mother does. Who in your life consistently sees the best in you?

A. My friends.

 

2) She sings that her mother is her "rock." In this context, what do you think that means?

A. It means she turns to her mother when she is feeling low or in need of advice.

 

3) When Lauren performed this song in concert, she brought her mother Kristy up on stage and held her hand as she sang. Kristy said she was touched, but also embarrassed because her daughter was the entertainer, not her. Do you get shy when all eyes turn to you?

A. Yes, I am shy. I have a difficult time in front of people.

 

4) Lauren began reading in pre-school and always read well above grade level. As a child, were you a big reader? Are you a big reader today?

A. I have always been a "big reader." I used to average about 100 books a year, but since I got progressive lenses, I only average about 50. Reading is harder on my eyes than it used to be.

   

5) According to the National Restaurant Association, we like to eat out on Mother's Day, and brunch is especially popular. If you could have whatever you want for brunch, what would you order?

A. Scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, biscuits and gravy, and if I were very hungry maybe a blueberry pancake with the blueberries cooked in the pancake and maple syrup.

6) Mother's Day is the third biggest card-sending holiday in the US, just after Christmas and Valentine's Day. Who received the last card you purchased?

A. My mother-in-law will receive the last card I purchased.

 

7) While flowers are the most popular Mother's Day gift, jewelry comes in second. Are you wearing any jewelry as you answer these questions? If yes, did you receive it as a gift or buy it yourself? 

A. I am wearing my Timex watch and some pearl earrings. I bought both of them myself.

 

8) According to the National Retail Federation, more and more of us are celebrating our mothers by taking her to a paint and sip event, a pottery class, or candle or soap making. Which of those four options do you think you'd enjoy the most?

A. I would enjoy the paint and sip event.

9) While there's a spike in phone traffic on Mother's Day, these days it seems the trend is texting. On holidays, do you receive more calls or texts?

A. I receive a mix of both.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

We are having a drought here, and all the rain forecasts are no-shows. We're about 9 inches of rain short. The pastures are not doing well, and there is very little grass to cut to make hay.

I thought maybe a list of 13 songs that have "rain" in the title might help drop a little water from the sky.

1. Have You Ever Seen the Rain? by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)

2. Purple Rain, by Prince (1984)

3. Rainy Days and Mondays, by the Carpenters (1971)

4. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, by B.J. Thomas (1969)

5. I Wish It Would Rain, by The Temptations (1967)

6. Set Fire to the Rain, by Adele (2011)

7. Here Comes the Rain Again, by the Eurythmics (1984)

8. Kentucky Rain, by Elvis Presley (1970)

9. Only Happy When It Rains, by Garbage (1995)

10. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, by Bob Dylan (1963)

11. Crying in the Rain, by The Everly Brothers (1961)

12. Rainy Night in Georgia, by Brook Benton (1969)

13. Fire and Rain, by James Taylor (1970)

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 958th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.