Honoring Growing Older in a Song

 

The Quiet Wisdom of Growing Older

We spend so much of our lives talking about the milestones of youth, but we rarely give the same attention to the quiet, profound experience of growing older. I wrote this piece with seniors in mind, and as the words came together, it became deeply personal for me. I found myself becoming quite emotional while writing because I started reflecting on how it feels when the world begins to look past the person you once were.

Honoring My Mother's Perspective

I was thinking specifically of my mother. She once shared with me how it feels to be discounted, or to have your words and experiences treated as though they no longer hold value. That sense of invisibility is a challenge many in our generation face. While I do not personally feel invisible, I know that those moments of being overlooked are very real. I wanted to capture that experience, giving voice to the dignity that remains long after the world stops paying close attention.

A Reflection on My Younger Self

In the second verse, I had to be honest about my own younger self. When we are young, we often believe we have the world by the tail, with everything ahead of us. We do not always see the depth of character and the light that shines within an elderly person. I wrote about that because I wanted to acknowledge that it is a natural part of life. I don't judge anyone for that perspective, as I was just as blind to that wisdom when I was younger as anyone else. It is simply a part of our evolution to eventually realize what we were once unable to see.

Essence Beyond Memory

While this song celebrates the enduring spirit, these words also hold a special resonance for those navigating the complexities of dementia or Alzheimer's. It serves as a gentle reminder that even when the mind may struggle or memories begin to fade, a person's true essence remains deeply rooted within. That spirit still shines through in precious, fleeting moments of connection and love.

A Gentle Invitation

This song isn't a judgment or a negative critique. It is simply an observation about what it feels like to walk through these years and a gentle invitation to see the person behind the age. As a lyricist, I wanted to touch on this subject to give it time in the sun and perhaps foster a little more understanding. 

I hope that when you listen, you feel the heart behind the lyrics and are reminded to cherish the wisdom and stories that surround us every day.

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"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

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**I write and produce story-driven lyrics. ** ** Vocals and music are digitally produced (I am not the singer). I digitally direct and arrange the video and recording. ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - All Rights Reserved. Licensed Digital Composition (Commercial Rights Held). I wrote, created, and produced this piece on June 21st, 2026 - Member of SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada)**

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National Ice Cream Sundae Day Review

This delicious food holiday is held each year on July 8th. 

National Ice Cream Sundae Day

This is a sweet celebration that happens on July 8 every year. It is called ‘Ice Cream Sundae Day’

Ice Cream Sundaes are the most popular ice cream dessert in America. The top favorite Sundae flavors are chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, and strawberry. These concoctions of cold, creamy sweetness are seemingly loved by everyone. They consist of one or more scoops of ice cream, favorite flavors of syrup, then topped with your preferred fruits, maraschino, cherries, nuts, and whipped cream!  Kids also love various ‘sprinkles’ on their sundaes!

History of National Ice Cream Sundae Day

The first ice cream sundae dessert was a scoop of vanilla ice cream with strawberry-flavored syrup drizzled over it and topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. It was served in a tulip-shaped glass vase which was given the name “sundae glass”.  Over the years, sundaes began to come in many forms and shapes and have become one of  the most popular desserts today! 

The origin of the sundae has several versions, with Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Ithaca, New York and Evanston & Plainfield, Illinois each claiming that they served it first.  Two Rivers, Wisconsin is now believed to be the original site of the ice cream sundae. It was invented in 1881 by Edward C. Berner, owner of Berners’ Soda Fountain located in Two Rivers, WI.

How Do You Make a Regular Sundae?

Put scoops of ice cream in a bowl, pour on your favorite syrup (mine is chocolate fudge), then top with whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on top! 

The banana split dessert is a classic sundae loaded with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream, syrup, nuts, whipped cream, and cherries. It is a perfect summer sundae.

*Personal Notes: As a child, my Uncle Bud frequently came over on summertime Saturdays to take my brother and I out to our local soda fountain for a sundae treat. Mine was always a Hot Fudge Sundae; my brother always had a  Banana Split. Such fun (and delicious) childhood memories.

Why We Love National Ice Cream Sundae Day

Besides being a delicious food holiday, it reminds us of joyful times where we shared moments together, such as mine with Uncle Bud and the Saturday Sundaes. It is the simplest things that feel special when looking back. Those fun trips down memory lane become the important times.

So spread a little joy with your friends, family, and children on July 8 by treating yourselves to an Ice Cream Sundae!

*National Ice Cream Sundae Day Review was written by Wednesday Elf.

Make your own ice cream sundae with these handy supplies added to scoops of your favorite ice cream: 

Smuckers Sundae Syrup Chocolate, Caramel, Butterscotch, and Strawberry (Variety Pack of 4)Check PriceHeated Ice Cream Scoop Rechargeable, Electric Warming Ice Cream Scooper with LED Display, Heats to 158°F for Hard Ice CreamCheck Price50ct 8oz Plastic Dessert Cups with Spoons, Clear Flower shaped Ice Cream Bowls, Party Sundae Serving BowlsCheck PriceSet of 4 Reusable Banana Split Boats with Color Matching Spoons Use as Desert Dish, Ice Cream SundaeCheck Price

 

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Cool Down with Cold Treats on the 4th of July

Everybody loves desserts and specialty treats for the 4th of July celebrations.  Fireworks & outdoor fun are a huge part of the holiday, especially when we can stretch the activities across several days or an extended weekend.  

Unfortunately, July is a really hot month for many of us.  We need cool water and refreshing treats to keep us going throughout the day.  The specialty treats are especially awesome when they are easy to grab and carry out to the picnic table, pool side, lake or even on a boat.  

Below are some excellent cool treats that we can make ahead and have ready to serve at a moments notice.  Glass is beautiful, but I do recommend making the 4th of July treats in clear disposable transparent plastic cups or small bowls and serve with plastic spoons when needed.  Making everything disposable allows us to focus on fun and not washing dishes.

 

Jello Treats for the 4th of July 

Jello is one of the easiest desserts or specialty treats that can be made in 4th of July colors

 4th of July Jello Cups with Fresh BerriesCheck Price 4th of July Firecracker Jell-O CupsCheck Price Super Easy Patriotic 4th of July Layered JelloCheck Price

 

Popsicle Treats for the 4th of July

Nothing compares to a cold Popsicle to cool you down fast!  It is like a drink and a dessert all in one 

 Red, White & Blue PopsiclesCheck Price Healthy Red White and Blue PopsiclesCheck Price Red, White, and Blue Patriotic PopsiclesCheck Price

 

Cold Drinks for the 4th of July

Cool down with an actual drink! Even water with fruity ice cubes tastes delicious in the heat

 July 4th Layered DrinksCheck Price Homemade Lemonade RecipeCheck Price Red White and Blue Infused Ice CubesCheck Price

 

More 4th of July Recipes Previously Reviewed

Easy No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert Recipe - Decorated like the American Flag 

Cooking for the 4th of July Celebrating an All-American 4th of July - Part I  

4th of July Desserts Reviewed - Part II of the Review This 4th of July Menu  

Reviewing July 4th Appetizers - Part III of Our 4th of July Menu  

4th of July Cookbooks - Free on KindleUnlimited

 

Happy 4th of July!  
Stay cool, be safe and enjoy the celebration 

 

Check Out More Recipe Reviews at
ReviewThisRecipes.com

 

Cool Down with Cold Treats on the 4th of July Written by:

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Easy No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert

 Our granddaughters are visiting for the week, and we made this easy strawberry cheesecake dessert for the 4th of July. We used strawberry pie filling, but you can use any pie filling you like. Following is our review of how to make this easy and delicious dessert.

Ingredients:

1 SaraLee Pound Cake (cut into small pieces)

2 cans of strawberry pie filling

1 24.3oz Philadelphia No-Bake cheesecake filling (You can find this at Wal-Mart)

1 container of Cool Whip

We thought pictures would be best for our step-by-step instructions.

Here, Giada is cutting the cake into about 1-inch pieces.

Giada and Guiles spread the cut-up cake into a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish and mixed in the pie filling.

Now they are spreading the no-bake cream cheese filling evenly over the top.

Spread the cool whip over the cream cheese filling. Now it was time to decorate our patriotic dessert with fresh blueberries and strawberries. Set it in the refrigerator for about two hours before serving.

This was easy and fun to do. The girls finished and decorated this in about 20 minutes. So there is plenty of time to make this for your 4th of July celebration.

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July

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Fun Cat Sayings, Product Reviews

Hello fellow cat lovers. You're purr-fect!

Welcome to my blog that showcases some of my fun cat sayings, that are printed on a variety of products. They can be a gift for yourself, and or for other cat lovers that you know.

This first item is a basic and cute notebook. A simple outline of a cat is drawn and printed on a gray background. The saying is, My cat inspires me. Have you ever had a cat that inspires you? My cat has inspired me to be more active and to also take more naps! Balance is key, she says.

The paper inside notebooks from Zazzle, can be whatever you choose, from ten options. They include college and wide ruled, storybook style, checklist, and more. You can visit the product page to view the different examples.

Cute Cat Drawing, My cat inspires me, storybook
by CherylsArt

I had bought a planter and had it sitting in my living room. My cat jumped right in. It was as good as any box! The text says, "Planter cat. No soil required." This fun design is printed on the mug style and color of your choice.

Funny Planter Cat Mugs, Template
by CherylsArt

This fun gift is for the dogs. Cats and dogs can be best friends, and this cute pet tag is a purr-fect choice for dogs that have cat best friends.

My best friend is a cat, dog pet tags
by CherylsArt

My favorite one is Trampoline Cats. I might have been inspired by my cats to be more active, but my cats were not inspired to be active on my mini trampoline. They only saw it as a new bed that was just cozy enough for the both of them. This fun design is printed on the tshirt style, size, and color of your choice, for any gender and or age.

Two Cute cats on trampoline painting, t shirts
by CherylsArt

All of the above designs were designed by me and can be purchased in my CherylsArt store on Zazzle. Zazzle does the printing and shipping, and offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee that is good for 30 days from the date of your receiving the product(s). I have purchased both mugs and tshirts from Zazzle, and everything turned out great.

Thank you for visiting. May you have a purr-fect rest of your day.

You can browse more cat themed products in my CherylsArt store on Zazzle.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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An Upbeat Retro Summer Song For Your Playlist

Rediscovering the Sunday Slow-Down: The Inspiration Behind "Magic on Sunday"

There is a specific kind of quiet that arrives on a Sunday afternoon, isn't there? 

It is a fleeting, golden window of time where the weight of the week finally begins to lift, and the looming responsibilities of Monday morning feel just far enough away to be ignored. 

For many of us, especially in this fast-paced digital era, we have forgotten how to simply exist within that window. We treat rest as another item on our to-do list, something to be optimized and checked off.

"Magic on Sunday" was born out of a desire to reclaim that lost art of stillness! 

As a story lyricist, my work often leans into the complexities of human emotion, the heavy, the reflective, and the deeply personal stories that shape our lives. 

But this time, I wanted to shift the focus. I wanted to capture the lightness of a day that belongs to no one but yourself and the people you love.

A Soundtrack for the Simple Moments

When I set out to write "Magic on Sunday," my goal was to create something unabashedly joyful. 

I wanted a track that felt like a breeze through an open window, bouncy, bright, and impossible to resist. While I am primarily a writer, I find immense fulfillment in the production process, using modern tools to bring the narratives behind my lyrics to life. 

For this piece, I leaned heavily into a nostalgic sound palette. There is something about the warmth of vintage-inspired arrangements that makes a Sunday afternoon feel more like a memory you are living in real time.

The song is designed to be a companion for your weekend. Whether you are strolling through a local park, nursing a cup of tea on the porch, or finally stepping away from the screen to catch your breath, this track is my invitation to you: put your responsibilities on hold, just for a few hours.

The Story in the Frame

Music is always a vessel for storytelling, but I wanted to make sure the visual companion for "Magic on Sunday" captured the pure, uncomplicated essence of a day set aside for rest. The video follows a couple who have made the conscious decision to unplug completely, leaving the digital world and its constant demands behind.

In the video, you see them truly embracing the rhythm of a slow Sunday. It's our reminder that we don't need grand gestures to make a memory. Sometimes, the most meaningful thing you can do is give someone your undivided attention and enjoy the simple, quiet beauty of the world around you.

A Duet for Everyone

I deliberately chose to arrange "Magic on Sunday" as a duet. I wanted the narrative to feel balanced and inclusive. By bringing two voices into the conversation, the song becomes a shared experience, reflecting the collaborative nature of a relationship. It is not just about one person taking a break; it is about the power of two people deciding, in unison, that their peace matters more than their productivity.

As we move through the heat of summer, I hope this track finds its way into your playlists. I hope it serves as a gentle nudge to close your laptop, turn off your notifications, and find your own bit of magic in the afternoon sun.

Writing lyrics about life is always an evolution, and this project has been a refreshing detour into the brighter side of life. 

Thank you for listening, for reading, and for allowing my words to become part of your personal soundtrack. 

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"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube:  Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify:    Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe For A Free Short Guide on How to Convert Your Poems Into Lyrics

*********

**I write and produce story-driven lyrics. ** Vocals and music are digitally produced (I am not the singer). I digitally direct and arrange the video and recording. ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - All Rights Reserved. Licensed Digital Composition (Commercial Rights Held). I wrote, created, and produced this piece on June 21st, 2026 - Member of SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada)**

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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National Onion Day - A Holiday Review

 

June 27 is the day selected to celebrate oodles of onions. The date was chosen by the National Onion Association(NOA) to document the creation of their organization in 1913. It’s definitely nothing to ‘cry’ over. LOL.

Culinary Versatility

Onions have countless culinary uses. You can take a raw onion and slice it, dice it or chop it to add to recipes. This can be either a condiment (such as a slice of onion on a burger) or diced or chopped as an ingredient to almost any recipe. 

Onions can be the featured star of a meal or appetizer, such as homemade onion rings or the delicious ‘blooming onion’. Onion Soup is a popular beginning to the main course in many restaurants. 

The Onion is Good for You

In addition to the flavor it adds to foods, onions are beneficial. They have very few calories, no added cholesterol, rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, plus vitamin B5. It also gives you an increase to your dietary fiber. 

Funny Personal Onion Story

Years ago our daughter & son-in-law were in town visiting us. We had just acquired our very first gas grill and planned on burgers-on-the-grill for dinner. Instead of offering sliced onions as condiments, we decided to add chopped onions to the burger patties before cooking. 

Our son-in-law, Paul, does not like onions (can’t imagine life without onions, myself). So we made two burger patties plain for him.  

Well, somehow in the confusion of learning the new grill and turning the hamburgers, some of them must have gotten switched. When dinner was served, Bob took a bite of his burger and declared “I can’t even taste the onion in this”. Paul said “I can!” LOL. Seems Paul got Bob’s onion burgers and Bob got Paul’s Plain burgers! So, naturally, they simply switched.

The moral of the story (other than the impossible task of teaching Paul to like onions) is ‘never try a new recipe out on company’ (or, perhaps while learning a new appliance). :) 

A Related Holiday:

Close to Onion Day, we find National Onion Ring Day on June 22. So, while you are enjoying your onion dishes, add in a serving of fried onion rings made from scratch. My favorite is my friend’s tempura batter used to deep fry the onion rings. Paired with a burger or a steak, it would be a delicious meal to end both National Onion Day and Onion Ring Day.

So, enjoy the versatile onion in all its many forms! 

For more Holiday reviews, click on

ReviewThisReviews: Holidays

*National Onion Day Holiday Review is written by Wednesday Elf

Onion Cookbooks and Handy Tools

Perfect Onion Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Cooking with OnionsCheck PriceOnion Holder for Slicing (2 Pack) - Stainless Steel Vegetable Slicer Guide, Tomato/Potato/Lemon/Meat Holder - Safe, Even Cuts Kitchen GadgetCheck PriceOnions: A Country Garden CookbookCheck PriceOnion Storage, Avocado Saver Keeper, Reusable Tomato Lemon Holder Storage Container (Onion Saver)Check Price

 

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T-Fal 5 Quart Nonstick Skillet with Glass Lid Reviewed

I have been cooking in T-Fal cookware most of my life.  I have always had a T-Fal 10.5" skillet in my kitchen for frying eggs, bacon, toasting sandwiches, sauteing vegetables, frying smaller amounts of meat, etc.  There really are too many uses to list them all.  

I also have used the T-Fal 5 quart Dutch Oven for many years.  I cook in it several days a week. 

A little over a year ago, I discovered the larger 5 quart T-Fal skillet while shopping at our local Target store.  I bought it immediately.  This skillet has changed the way I cook.  Previously, I made my spaghetti sauce in my taller T-Fal Dutch Oven, but I have found that I actually prefer making it in the shorter sided 5 quart skillet.  The skillet comes with a glass lid so I can see the sauce simmering and gauge when to stir it.  I also started using this skillet for making the sauce for Manicotti or Lasagna.  I can fry the pound of meat needed and adding the sauce & seasonings without having to transfer it to the dutch oven. 

T-Fal cookware has a non-stick coating which really does reduce burning and makes everything much easier to clean.  It pretty much wipes clean before I even start washing it.  

 

The T-Fal 5 Qt Skillet with Glass Lid 

 T-Fal Nonstick Saute Pan with Glass Lid 5 Quart, Oven Safe 350F, Deep Frying Pan with Handle, Skillet, Dishwasher SafeCheck Price T-Fal cookware is dishwasher safe, which is another reason why I love it.  The dishwasher does a better job of eliminating food bacteria than I can do washing by hand.

The non-stick coating reduces the amount of oil needed when cooking.

• Non-Stick Coating
• 2.9 inch Depth 
• Stay-Cool Handle on each side for easy lifting/moving
• Tempered Glass Lid 
• Even Heat Base reduces hot spots
• Dishwasher Safe
• Oven Safe - up to 350° 

Even though I prefer the T-Fal non-stick coating, there are a few considerations when cooking in it. You can not cook on higher heat (500° or above) when using T-Fal cookware.  Also, I do not stir with metal utensils or use knives in my T-Fal pans because they will scratch or cut the non-stick coating.  Once the coating gets damaged, the pan must be replaced.    

 

 

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T-Fal 5 Quart Nonstick Skillet with Glass Lid Reviewed written by:

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