My favorite Halloween occurred when I was a teenager. My friend Revonda and I ventured out to a haunted house, I think it was in Vinton.
The haunted house was properly spooky; lots of blood and gore. We clung to one another as we wandered through, shrieking at the appropriate moment.
Near the end, a werewolf came after us. He growled, snarled and then removed his mask. "I've been watching you two. You chicks look hot," he said (or something like that). "Wanna meet me after I get done here? I'll give you a real treat."
Yes, the werewolf tried to pick us up. He was really on the, um, prowl. We declined as we both had curfews. Not that we would do anything like that, anyway. We were good girls.
I think about my friend every year at this time. I haven't seen her since about 1985. After I graduated we stayed in touch; I floundered around, much as I am now, in an effort to find my niche, and she went to William and Mary to study public administration.
In 1982 I drove to Williamsburg and visited with her for a weekend. I had just met my future husband-to-be, though I didn't know that yet, and so we were all girl-giggly over the prospect of my having a steady fellow.
Revonda never returned to Roanoke. She married and lived in Norfolk a while, then moved to North Carolina where she divorced, and is now in Montana with her second husband. We send Christmas cards every year, and occasionally but not often exchange emails. She's definitely traveled around much more than I, and I suppose maybe lived more than I. She's some kind of top official where she lives.
A few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon, I looked up her number and called her for no reason other than it was October and I was thinking of her. We had a nice long chat, catching up on family and friends.
We both remembered the night the werewolf tried to get us in the back seat of his car and wondered if the wolfman ever got his girl. I kind of doubt it; he definitely needed some new pick up lines!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Haunted Fincastle
The old jail in Fincastle. It surely must have a ghost or two.
Saturday night my husband and I went on the Fincastle Ghost Walk. Central Academy Middle School students hosted the event as a fundraiser.
I have been on this ghost walk several times, always before as a reporter for the paper. This year I was just a person!
The walk took in the ghosts at the Courthouse, the ghost at the Hayth Hotel, a story about an old woman who died the middle of the road on Back Street, the Kyle House, which is reportedly haunted by a number of ghosts, the Godwin Cemetery, The Figgat House (the Tuckers' current residence - Terry did a great job as the ghost) and the Douglas Building.
I took pictures but most of them did not come out. I also didn't get any weird orbs or anything like that. Too bad!
Above is a bad shot of the rear of the Methodist Church from the cemetery. I am not sure what those blue lights are...
I leave you with a version of my favorite of the stories we heard:
A fiddler went up into Kelly's Hollow on his way to New Castle and stopped for a drink. The farmer invited the fiddler to spend the evening with him, since it is a long journey by foot.
The farmer told the fiddler about a secret cave he had on his property. The next morning the fiddler asked if he could see the cave.
The opening was small but they crawled in and found a huge cavern with many winding passageways leading away from it. "I wonder how my fiddle would sound in here," the fiddler said. He opened up his instrument case, put the fiddle to his chin, and began to play.
The echoes of the music were astoundingly beautiful and he played for hours. He began moving around while he played and soon vanished down a passageway. The farmer called for the fiddler to return, but he did not.
Finally the farmer left the cave and ran for help. Searchers turned out and began looking for the fiddler. Sometimes they could hear the sounds of his instrument but they could never find him. After three days they no longer heard the noises and they gave up.
But now late in the evenings when the wind is just right, travelers on the way to Kelly Hollow can hear the dancing tunes of the fiddler as he makes his way through the cave passages...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Writing Workshop Success
My first writing workshop, The Business of Freelancing, was successful.
While I only had four students, for a first time I was quite pleased with the number. Since I am not used to public speaking or standing in front of people and offering up insights, this was a comfortable group for me.
Most notably, I never once felt the familiar flushing and self-consciousness that I generally experience when I am before a group. I was really pleased about that.
During the three hour session, I talked about the difficulties inherent in freelancing as well as the pleasures. I explained how to set up an office, keep records and be business-like.
I talked about query letters and courage. It takes a lot of courage to offer up a precious idea to an editor; it's a 50-50 shot at rejection, at after all. The editor will either say yes or no.
We also went over ways to gather your information, most particularly how to interview. It's easy to write an article if you have your information in front of you. A good interview is vital to a good article. This is important stuff if you want to be a freelance writer.
Two of the four ladies who attended are friends of mine; I am sure that went a long way toward helping me overcome my stage fright. I have treasured my relationship with both of these ladies for many years and I am grateful for their support.
This event was very good for my self-confidence and I may have discovered a new niche for myself. The ladies who attended said the information was good; one told me she learned more in the three hours with me than she had in two years' attendance at the Roanoke Writer's Conference. That made me feel good for sure.
*My friend Gwen Johnson took these pictures for me during the workshop break. My thanks to her for the pictures, her presence and her support.
While I only had four students, for a first time I was quite pleased with the number. Since I am not used to public speaking or standing in front of people and offering up insights, this was a comfortable group for me.
Most notably, I never once felt the familiar flushing and self-consciousness that I generally experience when I am before a group. I was really pleased about that.
During the three hour session, I talked about the difficulties inherent in freelancing as well as the pleasures. I explained how to set up an office, keep records and be business-like.
I talked about query letters and courage. It takes a lot of courage to offer up a precious idea to an editor; it's a 50-50 shot at rejection, at after all. The editor will either say yes or no.
We also went over ways to gather your information, most particularly how to interview. It's easy to write an article if you have your information in front of you. A good interview is vital to a good article. This is important stuff if you want to be a freelance writer.
Two of the four ladies who attended are friends of mine; I am sure that went a long way toward helping me overcome my stage fright. I have treasured my relationship with both of these ladies for many years and I am grateful for their support.
This event was very good for my self-confidence and I may have discovered a new niche for myself. The ladies who attended said the information was good; one told me she learned more in the three hours with me than she had in two years' attendance at the Roanoke Writer's Conference. That made me feel good for sure.
*My friend Gwen Johnson took these pictures for me during the workshop break. My thanks to her for the pictures, her presence and her support.
Friday, October 23, 2009
A dash of salt
Recent problems with my blood pressure have forced me to read a new line on food labels. Now I look for sodium content.
My doctor told me not to eat anything with over 500 mgs of sodium in it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to eat a low sodium diet when you're not much of a cook and when you eat nearly every meal alone?
Sodium is in everything. Canned goods. Soups. Practically every frozen TV dinner. Rice-a-Roni has 1100 mgs a serving! It's nothing but salt. (I mention that because it is among the highest I've found.)
Capt'n Crunch cereal has 200 mgs of sodium. Most cereals seem to be okay if you go by the under 500 mg guidelines. Unfortunately I don't eat a lot of cereals, not because I don't like them but because I stay away from gluten. That means I eat very little wheat and I limit oats. Rice and corn don't seem to bother me, leaving me a choice of Corn Flakes or Rice Krispies in the cereal isle. I do eat Bob's Gluten Free hot cereal in the winter and enjoy that. I need to remember to check the salt content on it and buy some if it's an allowed food.
What I'm learning is that if I eat any processed or pre-packaged food, I need to limit it to one a day. Otherwise I get too much sodium. That means I really need to limit how often I eat out, as well. Fortunately I only eat a meal out no more than twice a week, but still.
Chocolate, fortunately, has very little sodium (but lots of sugar, carbs and calories, of course). I also have learned that dark chocolate, which, thankfully, I like, can help lower blood pressure.
Granola bars also have very little sodium, I have found.
As for meats, ham is out (and I love ham). Actually, all deli meats are out, leaving me with the chore of cooking pork and chicken. I try not to eat red meat more than once a week.
Eating healthy when you haven't really focused on it is quite difficult. I am very envious of people who can do it and make it seem so easy.
If you have advice on how to better deal with sodium content in food, leave a comment. I'm trying very hard and willing to listen to most anything.
My doctor told me not to eat anything with over 500 mgs of sodium in it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to eat a low sodium diet when you're not much of a cook and when you eat nearly every meal alone?
Sodium is in everything. Canned goods. Soups. Practically every frozen TV dinner. Rice-a-Roni has 1100 mgs a serving! It's nothing but salt. (I mention that because it is among the highest I've found.)
Capt'n Crunch cereal has 200 mgs of sodium. Most cereals seem to be okay if you go by the under 500 mg guidelines. Unfortunately I don't eat a lot of cereals, not because I don't like them but because I stay away from gluten. That means I eat very little wheat and I limit oats. Rice and corn don't seem to bother me, leaving me a choice of Corn Flakes or Rice Krispies in the cereal isle. I do eat Bob's Gluten Free hot cereal in the winter and enjoy that. I need to remember to check the salt content on it and buy some if it's an allowed food.
What I'm learning is that if I eat any processed or pre-packaged food, I need to limit it to one a day. Otherwise I get too much sodium. That means I really need to limit how often I eat out, as well. Fortunately I only eat a meal out no more than twice a week, but still.
Chocolate, fortunately, has very little sodium (but lots of sugar, carbs and calories, of course). I also have learned that dark chocolate, which, thankfully, I like, can help lower blood pressure.
Granola bars also have very little sodium, I have found.
As for meats, ham is out (and I love ham). Actually, all deli meats are out, leaving me with the chore of cooking pork and chicken. I try not to eat red meat more than once a week.
Eating healthy when you haven't really focused on it is quite difficult. I am very envious of people who can do it and make it seem so easy.
If you have advice on how to better deal with sodium content in food, leave a comment. I'm trying very hard and willing to listen to most anything.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday Thirteen
For today, I offer up a study of light (or perhaps: scenes from my life).
1.
Remnants of a beech tree.
2.
A six-point buck caught in the fading sun.
3.
The Godwin Cemetery in Fincastle.
4.
Sunrise over the Peaks of Otter this morning (7:20 a.m.).
5.
The Town of Fincastle from Cemetery Hill at Godwin Cemetery.
6.
Fincastle Methodist Church at Godwin Cemetery.
7.
Most of my husband's relatives are buried here, including his grandparents.
8.
My husband's family farm.
9.
Aunt Jenny's house on the other side of the farm.
10.
The old chicken coop as seen through the oak trees.
11.
Light on leaves.
12.
More light on leaves.
13.
A squirrel that barked at me for a very long time.
1.
Remnants of a beech tree.
2.
A six-point buck caught in the fading sun.
3.
The Godwin Cemetery in Fincastle.
4.
Sunrise over the Peaks of Otter this morning (7:20 a.m.).
5.
The Town of Fincastle from Cemetery Hill at Godwin Cemetery.
6.
Fincastle Methodist Church at Godwin Cemetery.
7.
Most of my husband's relatives are buried here, including his grandparents.
8.
My husband's family farm.
9.
Aunt Jenny's house on the other side of the farm.
10.
The old chicken coop as seen through the oak trees.
11.
Light on leaves.
12.
More light on leaves.
13.
A squirrel that barked at me for a very long time.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here. This is number 112!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
In the year 12525 (A rough draft of some fiction)
A historian in 12525 puzzled over over what few remnants of relics from the year 2009 he could find:
"He tweeted this response..."
The historian read that and scratched his head. He had seen several references to this type of speech or writing in this stack of ancient scribbles. Tweeted?
He wondered if it was possible if humans 10,000 years ago were kin to birds and thus talked in some kind of bird language. Based on the number of tweets referenced, he thought this highly likely.
"His classmates left messages for him on his FB page."
He'd seen the FB initialization several times before. More head scratching. He believed this to be a reference to something he'd seen called a "Facebook." This, he thought, must be some kind of scrap book or photo album. It might even reference the little boxes.
Those little boxes puzzled him, and turned to a set of photos. Picture after picture showed a single skeleton sitting before a flat boxes. The photos were taken at a recently uncovered archaeological site. The dig had produced a large structure that had been buried for centuries in rubble. It had yielded dozens of rooms with the same scenario: people sitting before movable little boxes. Other had small little boxes in their hands. Some folks lay on bed-like structures in front of still another kind of box.
It had to be some kind of worship ceremony, he decided. This box must be an altar. He made copious notes in preparation for a paper on religion in the year 2000.
This was part of his paper:
"Early mankind worshipped constantly at the base of some kind of box, which was named for the deity being worshipped. Humans in 2000 worshipped an entire pantheon of deities who went by the names of Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, e-Machine, and Apple. Handheld worship boxes carried names such as Blackberry, Razar, iPhone, Sprint and Nokia. A third type of box, similar to the first, carried the names of RCA, Zenith, Samsung, Sony, Sharp and Mitsubishi."
After looking at the way the skeletons were poised and cuddling various boxes, he wrote this:
"Apple and Blackberry appear to be very highly regarded gods; since these are named after foods this makes sense. Sustenance based worship is of course representative of survival and it is only natural that these gods would be considered foremost in the pantheon."
Since so many of the folks were in the large building, he determined that everyone must have been inside worshipping at a given hour. The structure could have been some sort of church, he surmised, and the folks laying down and looking at boxes were invalids receiving healing. He bent over his paper and surmised that RCA, Zenith, etc. were the healing gods of the year 2000.
The disaster that buried the building must have taken everyone at once and given no warning, for few people had risen from their worship to leave, he thought. That lent itself to a very sophisticated weaponry, the kind outlawed in the Human Rights Code of 10528.
He went back to his paper.
"Lack of communication, because humans used sounds akin to bird language (calling it "tweets" in written language) along with an intense focus on worship of great number of gods who were symbolized by boxes, obviously led to this civilization's demise."
"He tweeted this response..."
The historian read that and scratched his head. He had seen several references to this type of speech or writing in this stack of ancient scribbles. Tweeted?
He wondered if it was possible if humans 10,000 years ago were kin to birds and thus talked in some kind of bird language. Based on the number of tweets referenced, he thought this highly likely.
"His classmates left messages for him on his FB page."
He'd seen the FB initialization several times before. More head scratching. He believed this to be a reference to something he'd seen called a "Facebook." This, he thought, must be some kind of scrap book or photo album. It might even reference the little boxes.
Those little boxes puzzled him, and turned to a set of photos. Picture after picture showed a single skeleton sitting before a flat boxes. The photos were taken at a recently uncovered archaeological site. The dig had produced a large structure that had been buried for centuries in rubble. It had yielded dozens of rooms with the same scenario: people sitting before movable little boxes. Other had small little boxes in their hands. Some folks lay on bed-like structures in front of still another kind of box.
It had to be some kind of worship ceremony, he decided. This box must be an altar. He made copious notes in preparation for a paper on religion in the year 2000.
This was part of his paper:
"Early mankind worshipped constantly at the base of some kind of box, which was named for the deity being worshipped. Humans in 2000 worshipped an entire pantheon of deities who went by the names of Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, e-Machine, and Apple. Handheld worship boxes carried names such as Blackberry, Razar, iPhone, Sprint and Nokia. A third type of box, similar to the first, carried the names of RCA, Zenith, Samsung, Sony, Sharp and Mitsubishi."
After looking at the way the skeletons were poised and cuddling various boxes, he wrote this:
"Apple and Blackberry appear to be very highly regarded gods; since these are named after foods this makes sense. Sustenance based worship is of course representative of survival and it is only natural that these gods would be considered foremost in the pantheon."
Since so many of the folks were in the large building, he determined that everyone must have been inside worshipping at a given hour. The structure could have been some sort of church, he surmised, and the folks laying down and looking at boxes were invalids receiving healing. He bent over his paper and surmised that RCA, Zenith, etc. were the healing gods of the year 2000.
The disaster that buried the building must have taken everyone at once and given no warning, for few people had risen from their worship to leave, he thought. That lent itself to a very sophisticated weaponry, the kind outlawed in the Human Rights Code of 10528.
He went back to his paper.
"Lack of communication, because humans used sounds akin to bird language (calling it "tweets" in written language) along with an intense focus on worship of great number of gods who were symbolized by boxes, obviously led to this civilization's demise."
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Old buildings
These are images I grew up with; both of these buildings are on my father's property.
The first is the barn where he stored hay and where the horses and ponies stayed when I was young.
The second is used now for storage but it once was an old cannery, and thus a place of employment for many women in the early 1900s.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Making Changes
First I decided to stop reading fiction. I made this decision while we were at the beach and I was ravenously devouring books.
During this period I was also thinking about what I would like to write. I thought I might return to my fantasy novel, and then I read a fantasy by someone else that touched on some of the themes of my book. I thought she did it better than I ever would, and my decision wavered.
So I thought, I shall not read any fiction for awhile. I have stories in me, I just know I do, but maybe they are drowning in other people's thoughts. Maybe if I don't read fiction for a while (the time was not specified) I would clear my head and find some kernel in my brains that I could develop into my own story.
But a reader cannot simply NOT read, so after we returned home on September 5, I turned to nonfiction. I have read a lot of magazines, blogs, online newspapers, etc. and listened to nonfiction books on tape in the car. Sometimes I think maybe I'd better take up counted cross stitch or something because TV at night is certainly very bad, but I haven't done that - yet.
On September 10 I decided it was time to do something about my weight. I am obese, which is just another word for fat. How I got here is a long story, one that began in 1983 when I started on birth control pills when I married. That put on 10 pounds; then our efforts to have a baby failed, which made me depressed, and that combined with the infertility drugs added more pounds, then after six surgeries came the hysterectomy at the tender age of 29 and the Premarin, which added even MORE pounds (I no longer take that but still take a plant-based estrogen called Estrace, though in tiny amounts, which I suspect doesn't help).
And of course I never learned to exercise and eat properly growing up; my mother did not fix us breakfast or attend to the food groups; my grandmother thought macaroni and cheese was one of the basic requirements of life, and no one in my family exercised. So it's a family thing; my brother, my aunt, my uncles, we all struggle with our weight. Genetics and poor familial habits, I guess.
So anyway, September found me not reading fiction and dieting. I have lost four pounds (which is sometimes five but I seem to keep regaining that one). One of the first nonfiction books I listened to was one of Dr. Atkins' books, because I know from past experience that limiting my carbs works a lot better than, say, a low fat diet, at least for me.
My exercise habits, alas, have suffered. I need to be walking every day if only for my blood pressure, which has decided to climb back up in spite of my medication and the loss of four little pounds. I have found it difficult to exercise for two reasons: my feet still trouble me (I have plantar fasciitis and a heel spur) and some mornings my chest hurts. I have a hiatal hernia and am pretty sure that is the chest pain but I have enough of a hypochondriac in me that it makes me anxious because of course I worry that it is my heart hurting. And who can exercise if you worry that if you start to sweat you will drop over dead? Which might be alright if I thought someone would find me quickly but that is not the case. It could be many hours before I am missed.
Another reason for my lack of exercise, though, is this blasted computer. This blog. Facebook. All of the great things to read online.
For at least a decade (maybe longer), I have turned the alarm off at 6 a.m., climbed from my bed, put on my robe, and stumbled into my office beside the bedroom and turned on the computer. Then I go make my morning decaf tea with a little drop of honey and return to the computer to read my email. For a few years (yes, really, years) I did this and then exercised, because if I don't exercise first thing I simply don't do it.
But in the last several months (probably since I lost my main client, but I am not sure of that) I have instead found myself reading things on the computer, writing a blog entry (as I am doing this morning), piddling on Facebook, or simply playing Spider Solitaire until I look at the clock and think, golly, I need to get a bath and get dressed or I will never get anything done today. And then I think, oh, I haven't exercised, I will do it at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. or whatever, and of course I rarely do.
So it is time for another change. This is the last morning I stumble to the computer. Instead my plan is to keep away from the computer until after I've showered, which will occur after I've walked on the treadmill or done some other exercise. This is necessary for my overall health and well being and it is time I stop dilly-dallying around with something so vital and take care of it. Otherwise I will not live to see 50 and that's only four years away.
Having said that, if you see me online before 8 a.m. from now on, please gently remind me I am supposed to be doing something else, won't you?
During this period I was also thinking about what I would like to write. I thought I might return to my fantasy novel, and then I read a fantasy by someone else that touched on some of the themes of my book. I thought she did it better than I ever would, and my decision wavered.
So I thought, I shall not read any fiction for awhile. I have stories in me, I just know I do, but maybe they are drowning in other people's thoughts. Maybe if I don't read fiction for a while (the time was not specified) I would clear my head and find some kernel in my brains that I could develop into my own story.
But a reader cannot simply NOT read, so after we returned home on September 5, I turned to nonfiction. I have read a lot of magazines, blogs, online newspapers, etc. and listened to nonfiction books on tape in the car. Sometimes I think maybe I'd better take up counted cross stitch or something because TV at night is certainly very bad, but I haven't done that - yet.
On September 10 I decided it was time to do something about my weight. I am obese, which is just another word for fat. How I got here is a long story, one that began in 1983 when I started on birth control pills when I married. That put on 10 pounds; then our efforts to have a baby failed, which made me depressed, and that combined with the infertility drugs added more pounds, then after six surgeries came the hysterectomy at the tender age of 29 and the Premarin, which added even MORE pounds (I no longer take that but still take a plant-based estrogen called Estrace, though in tiny amounts, which I suspect doesn't help).
And of course I never learned to exercise and eat properly growing up; my mother did not fix us breakfast or attend to the food groups; my grandmother thought macaroni and cheese was one of the basic requirements of life, and no one in my family exercised. So it's a family thing; my brother, my aunt, my uncles, we all struggle with our weight. Genetics and poor familial habits, I guess.
So anyway, September found me not reading fiction and dieting. I have lost four pounds (which is sometimes five but I seem to keep regaining that one). One of the first nonfiction books I listened to was one of Dr. Atkins' books, because I know from past experience that limiting my carbs works a lot better than, say, a low fat diet, at least for me.
My exercise habits, alas, have suffered. I need to be walking every day if only for my blood pressure, which has decided to climb back up in spite of my medication and the loss of four little pounds. I have found it difficult to exercise for two reasons: my feet still trouble me (I have plantar fasciitis and a heel spur) and some mornings my chest hurts. I have a hiatal hernia and am pretty sure that is the chest pain but I have enough of a hypochondriac in me that it makes me anxious because of course I worry that it is my heart hurting. And who can exercise if you worry that if you start to sweat you will drop over dead? Which might be alright if I thought someone would find me quickly but that is not the case. It could be many hours before I am missed.
Another reason for my lack of exercise, though, is this blasted computer. This blog. Facebook. All of the great things to read online.
For at least a decade (maybe longer), I have turned the alarm off at 6 a.m., climbed from my bed, put on my robe, and stumbled into my office beside the bedroom and turned on the computer. Then I go make my morning decaf tea with a little drop of honey and return to the computer to read my email. For a few years (yes, really, years) I did this and then exercised, because if I don't exercise first thing I simply don't do it.
But in the last several months (probably since I lost my main client, but I am not sure of that) I have instead found myself reading things on the computer, writing a blog entry (as I am doing this morning), piddling on Facebook, or simply playing Spider Solitaire until I look at the clock and think, golly, I need to get a bath and get dressed or I will never get anything done today. And then I think, oh, I haven't exercised, I will do it at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. or whatever, and of course I rarely do.
So it is time for another change. This is the last morning I stumble to the computer. Instead my plan is to keep away from the computer until after I've showered, which will occur after I've walked on the treadmill or done some other exercise. This is necessary for my overall health and well being and it is time I stop dilly-dallying around with something so vital and take care of it. Otherwise I will not live to see 50 and that's only four years away.
Having said that, if you see me online before 8 a.m. from now on, please gently remind me I am supposed to be doing something else, won't you?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday Thirteen
Random 13 today.
1. Yesterday I met Lenora at A Journal of Days. This very striking and handsome woman introduced herself to me in the library after overhearing my conversation with the staff genealogist. I was looking for information about a small diary that came into my possession this week and she had read my blog entry about it and guessed my identity. I was thrilled to meet her. Her blog is a fun and thought-provoking read. There is now only one other person on my Botetourt bloggers' list whom I have yet to meet.
2. Whitening strips make my teeth ache. I bought a box to try and daresay I wasted my money. I couldn't stand them on for more than 10 minutes. Apparently I have very sensitive teeth.
3. Last night was the first night for running the heat in the house; the temperature dropped below 40. I was hoping to go to October 15 before turning it on; I missed it by one day.
4. I am offering a course on "The Business of Freelancing" through the county Parks & Rec Department on October 24. It is at the Fincastle Library from 9 - 12:30 and costs $50. I already have about 20 pages of handouts and am working on more. I want to be sure participants get their money's worth.
5. I love my husband so much it hurts sometimes.
6. No fiction reading for me since September 10. I am hoping that if I empty my brain of other people's stories, my own story will find its way in and I will begin writing it. I don't know how much longer I can hold out on not reading a story, though. Not reading is hard work when you're an avid reader.
7. Nonfiction books on tape in the car and reading magazines and other nonfiction instead of fiction are now filling this strange period of my life. Maybe it will make me smarter.
8. I have struggled with exercise in recent weeks.
9. My blood pressure has become an issue again. Nobody told me blood pressure meds could work for a while and then ... not.
10. My car will be in the repair shop for several days next week, thanks to my October 4 accident wherein I backed into my husband's motorcycle. The damage estimates for both vehicles came to over $1,500. The motorcycle has yet to be fixed. What a lot of money to pay out for one careless mistake.
11. Good news on the work front; I picked up a new client yesterday.
12. I despise MS Office 2007. I have spent much of my time since July trying to learn this new interface. MS Office 2003 worked fine; why does Microsoft have to keep changing things? (Answer: so you'll have to spend money to buy the new product, that's why.) Not only have I found it difficult and less than intuitive, the changes I make to the normal template, particularly in paragraph spacing, simply will not hold. I have to change this every frickin time I open a new document. It is really irritating. Who designated a space between every paragraph and after every hard return should be the default, anyway?
13. Photo editing software that I actually like is hard to find. I've downloaded several of the free ones; so far I like Picasso the best of those but it has its limitations. I bought The Print Shop Deluxe a few weeks ago because it was on sale for next to nothing but it seems unwieldy to use.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here. This is number 111!
1. Yesterday I met Lenora at A Journal of Days. This very striking and handsome woman introduced herself to me in the library after overhearing my conversation with the staff genealogist. I was looking for information about a small diary that came into my possession this week and she had read my blog entry about it and guessed my identity. I was thrilled to meet her. Her blog is a fun and thought-provoking read. There is now only one other person on my Botetourt bloggers' list whom I have yet to meet.
2. Whitening strips make my teeth ache. I bought a box to try and daresay I wasted my money. I couldn't stand them on for more than 10 minutes. Apparently I have very sensitive teeth.
3. Last night was the first night for running the heat in the house; the temperature dropped below 40. I was hoping to go to October 15 before turning it on; I missed it by one day.
4. I am offering a course on "The Business of Freelancing" through the county Parks & Rec Department on October 24. It is at the Fincastle Library from 9 - 12:30 and costs $50. I already have about 20 pages of handouts and am working on more. I want to be sure participants get their money's worth.
5. I love my husband so much it hurts sometimes.
6. No fiction reading for me since September 10. I am hoping that if I empty my brain of other people's stories, my own story will find its way in and I will begin writing it. I don't know how much longer I can hold out on not reading a story, though. Not reading is hard work when you're an avid reader.
7. Nonfiction books on tape in the car and reading magazines and other nonfiction instead of fiction are now filling this strange period of my life. Maybe it will make me smarter.
8. I have struggled with exercise in recent weeks.
9. My blood pressure has become an issue again. Nobody told me blood pressure meds could work for a while and then ... not.
10. My car will be in the repair shop for several days next week, thanks to my October 4 accident wherein I backed into my husband's motorcycle. The damage estimates for both vehicles came to over $1,500. The motorcycle has yet to be fixed. What a lot of money to pay out for one careless mistake.
11. Good news on the work front; I picked up a new client yesterday.
12. I despise MS Office 2007. I have spent much of my time since July trying to learn this new interface. MS Office 2003 worked fine; why does Microsoft have to keep changing things? (Answer: so you'll have to spend money to buy the new product, that's why.) Not only have I found it difficult and less than intuitive, the changes I make to the normal template, particularly in paragraph spacing, simply will not hold. I have to change this every frickin time I open a new document. It is really irritating. Who designated a space between every paragraph and after every hard return should be the default, anyway?
13. Photo editing software that I actually like is hard to find. I've downloaded several of the free ones; so far I like Picasso the best of those but it has its limitations. I bought The Print Shop Deluxe a few weeks ago because it was on sale for next to nothing but it seems unwieldy to use.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here. This is number 111!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
An incredible find
A while back someone I know the next county over called me and told me he had found a small notebook at an auction.
It appeared to be a diary of a teenage girl, he said. He could not find a name of the writer but told me that the diarist mentioned folks by my last name quite a lot, so he wanted me to have the little notebook.
I picked it up yesterday. The notebook bears the date "1904" in pencil. It is a corporate hand-out of some kind, with a light brown cover. It is inscribed:
F.W. Brown, Dealer In Hardware, Cutlery, Plows, Farm Implemen (torn here), Paints, Oils, Glass, Putty, Re (torn here), Twines, Leather, Carpenters' Tools, Pipe and Fittings, Plumbers' Supplies, Etc., 11 Jefferson Street, Roanoke, VA. See Back Cover.
On the back it says:
McCormick Harvesting Machines, Steam Engines, Threshing Machines, Saw Mills, Engineers' Supplies
For me, history buff that I am, that would have been enough, really, to have found a small notebook that shows such a diverse hardware store from the early 1900s.
But inside? Oh wow.
Last night I read the little diary out loud to my husband. It is about 80 small pages, the paper being a little under 3" x 6", to the reading only took about a half-hour.
I believe the young woman's name is Carrie, but I don't know her last name. She lives with an aunt, an uncle and her brother, Grover. Her parents are both dead but it does not say how or when they died.
The little diary goes from September 28, 1904 to January 13, 1905. This is when she runs out of notebook and actually turns the diary to write up the side of the page.
She wrote it all in pencil and it is remarkably legible.
The family lives somewhere close to where I sit writing this blog. She talks about Fincastle, Trinity, and Woodland (which is less than a mile from me). She goes to the fair; she agonizes over her work, her relationship with her aunt (which apparently is not very good) and her brother's long absence when he leaves for Craig and Alleghany Counties to visit family.
She apparently is not a very good cook for she mentions failed recipes on several occasions, noting that some of her creations are completely inedible.
She writes about her efforts to be Christian (apparently this is very hard for her) and she is sick a lot with headaches and a pain in her chest. Apparently she is not bedridden for she talks about carrying water from the spring and visiting folks on occasion.
A song she wrote has found its way somewhere via an advertisement in a magazine, but it appears the folks she sent it to want money from her to do something else with it. Perhaps some kind of publication scam? She also replies to ad in a magazine that asks for someone to write letters. She hears back but must send in a dollar, which she does not have. She says she will not reply to any more advertisements in magazines after this.
During one entry she notes it is her birthday, and she is now 20 years old. She is also penniless. At Christmas she says all she wants is a writing tablet, which she does not get.
Best of all for us, one of the people she talks about seeing at Christmas is Guy Firebaugh. This is my husband' great-grandfather.
She mentions many other Firebaughs as well, all of whom must be great-aunts and uncles.
I will work this week to see if I can find an older relative who might know a little more. Perhaps I can learn this young woman's identity. If nothing else, this little diary has brought a piece of my husband's great-grandfather's life into his.
This has been the most incredible find.
It appeared to be a diary of a teenage girl, he said. He could not find a name of the writer but told me that the diarist mentioned folks by my last name quite a lot, so he wanted me to have the little notebook.
I picked it up yesterday. The notebook bears the date "1904" in pencil. It is a corporate hand-out of some kind, with a light brown cover. It is inscribed:
F.W. Brown, Dealer In Hardware, Cutlery, Plows, Farm Implemen (torn here), Paints, Oils, Glass, Putty, Re (torn here), Twines, Leather, Carpenters' Tools, Pipe and Fittings, Plumbers' Supplies, Etc., 11 Jefferson Street, Roanoke, VA. See Back Cover.
On the back it says:
McCormick Harvesting Machines, Steam Engines, Threshing Machines, Saw Mills, Engineers' Supplies
For me, history buff that I am, that would have been enough, really, to have found a small notebook that shows such a diverse hardware store from the early 1900s.
But inside? Oh wow.
Last night I read the little diary out loud to my husband. It is about 80 small pages, the paper being a little under 3" x 6", to the reading only took about a half-hour.
I believe the young woman's name is Carrie, but I don't know her last name. She lives with an aunt, an uncle and her brother, Grover. Her parents are both dead but it does not say how or when they died.
The little diary goes from September 28, 1904 to January 13, 1905. This is when she runs out of notebook and actually turns the diary to write up the side of the page.
She wrote it all in pencil and it is remarkably legible.
The family lives somewhere close to where I sit writing this blog. She talks about Fincastle, Trinity, and Woodland (which is less than a mile from me). She goes to the fair; she agonizes over her work, her relationship with her aunt (which apparently is not very good) and her brother's long absence when he leaves for Craig and Alleghany Counties to visit family.
She apparently is not a very good cook for she mentions failed recipes on several occasions, noting that some of her creations are completely inedible.
She writes about her efforts to be Christian (apparently this is very hard for her) and she is sick a lot with headaches and a pain in her chest. Apparently she is not bedridden for she talks about carrying water from the spring and visiting folks on occasion.
A song she wrote has found its way somewhere via an advertisement in a magazine, but it appears the folks she sent it to want money from her to do something else with it. Perhaps some kind of publication scam? She also replies to ad in a magazine that asks for someone to write letters. She hears back but must send in a dollar, which she does not have. She says she will not reply to any more advertisements in magazines after this.
During one entry she notes it is her birthday, and she is now 20 years old. She is also penniless. At Christmas she says all she wants is a writing tablet, which she does not get.
Best of all for us, one of the people she talks about seeing at Christmas is Guy Firebaugh. This is my husband' great-grandfather.
She mentions many other Firebaughs as well, all of whom must be great-aunts and uncles.
I will work this week to see if I can find an older relative who might know a little more. Perhaps I can learn this young woman's identity. If nothing else, this little diary has brought a piece of my husband's great-grandfather's life into his.
This has been the most incredible find.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
A word to renters
In the local daily yesterday, the pet columnist wrote about getting her cat declawed. What irked me was her nonchalant attitude toward her landlord.
This "mean" landlord had a no pet policy so the writer was forced, she said, to get her cat declawed in hopes of keeping the landlord from finding out she had a pet.
What part of "no pets" do people not understand? How was her breaking the rules the landlord's fault? She obviously lied about the cat to get in the place and then was unhappy because the landlord eventually found out about the cat and asked her to leave, in spite of the declawing. I'd have asked her to leave, too.
I have been a landlord through no fault of my own for about 10 years now. It is not a job I am particularly happy to have, but I deal with it.
Being a landlord means dealing with people who have absolutely no concern for your property. This is the house I grew up in. It is a valuable asset. I don't want to see it destroyed.
When I say "no pets" or even "one outside pet" or no smoking or don't park your car atop the septic tank, it is said for a reason.
Pets are hard on a place. They pee on the floor, they scratch things. They stink. But most important for me, I am highly allergic to them and when a renter has a pet in there and leaves, I have to hire someone to clear the place out because it will make me sick. It costs me money.
People who rent seem to have no regard for their landlord. This is a generalized and sweeping statement, I know, but it has been the truth so far in my experience with renters. Either they let the place fall down around them and don't call if the roof leaks or they call every time they need a light bulb changed, and they do that at 11 p.m. at night.
I guess renters make generalized and sweeping statements about landlords, as in, they're all bad and it's okay to try to outsmart them. But this is untrue as well.
My little old farmhouse is currently available to rent. I am a good landlord. If something breaks, I fix it. I do that within days, not in months. If you're late on the rent, I'm understanding until it becomes a monthly habit. I pay to have the house sprayed for bugs and rodents to be sure you're living in a clean environment (if the renter is a pig who doesn't know what a trash can is for I can't do much about that except ask them to leave).
I do ask my renters not to smoke inside. I prefer no pets but have given up trying to enforce that policy so I will allow a small animal with a $200 non-refundable deposit. Actually, at the moment if a no-smoking, no pet person wanted to rent the house right now, I might even cut a little off the monthly rent.
But don't lie to me because I'm your landlord. Don't tell me you have no pets and then bring in a dog. And certainly, don't blame me because you disobey the rules and have your cat declawed. In no way is that the landlord's fault. Look at yourself for that, dearie.
This house is for rent. It can be your home for $750 a month. Wonderful, caring landlord comes free.
This "mean" landlord had a no pet policy so the writer was forced, she said, to get her cat declawed in hopes of keeping the landlord from finding out she had a pet.
What part of "no pets" do people not understand? How was her breaking the rules the landlord's fault? She obviously lied about the cat to get in the place and then was unhappy because the landlord eventually found out about the cat and asked her to leave, in spite of the declawing. I'd have asked her to leave, too.
I have been a landlord through no fault of my own for about 10 years now. It is not a job I am particularly happy to have, but I deal with it.
Being a landlord means dealing with people who have absolutely no concern for your property. This is the house I grew up in. It is a valuable asset. I don't want to see it destroyed.
When I say "no pets" or even "one outside pet" or no smoking or don't park your car atop the septic tank, it is said for a reason.
Pets are hard on a place. They pee on the floor, they scratch things. They stink. But most important for me, I am highly allergic to them and when a renter has a pet in there and leaves, I have to hire someone to clear the place out because it will make me sick. It costs me money.
People who rent seem to have no regard for their landlord. This is a generalized and sweeping statement, I know, but it has been the truth so far in my experience with renters. Either they let the place fall down around them and don't call if the roof leaks or they call every time they need a light bulb changed, and they do that at 11 p.m. at night.
I guess renters make generalized and sweeping statements about landlords, as in, they're all bad and it's okay to try to outsmart them. But this is untrue as well.
My little old farmhouse is currently available to rent. I am a good landlord. If something breaks, I fix it. I do that within days, not in months. If you're late on the rent, I'm understanding until it becomes a monthly habit. I pay to have the house sprayed for bugs and rodents to be sure you're living in a clean environment (if the renter is a pig who doesn't know what a trash can is for I can't do much about that except ask them to leave).
I do ask my renters not to smoke inside. I prefer no pets but have given up trying to enforce that policy so I will allow a small animal with a $200 non-refundable deposit. Actually, at the moment if a no-smoking, no pet person wanted to rent the house right now, I might even cut a little off the monthly rent.
But don't lie to me because I'm your landlord. Don't tell me you have no pets and then bring in a dog. And certainly, don't blame me because you disobey the rules and have your cat declawed. In no way is that the landlord's fault. Look at yourself for that, dearie.
This house is for rent. It can be your home for $750 a month. Wonderful, caring landlord comes free.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Books: Positioning, The Battle for Your Mind
Positioning
The Battle for Your Mind
by Jack Trout & Al Ries
narrated by Bob Askey
Audiobook
Copyright 1989
This book is about advertising and how to jockey a product into the "number one" position.
Since this edition is pre-Internet, it doesn't even address the bombardment of advertisements folks are inundated with today.
The premise in this 1989 edition is that people are overwhelmed with too much information, particularly in advertising. There used to be three TV stations. Now there are 300. There are too many companies and products, too many choices.
It makes everyone scream and no one really hears.
So the idea is to get in the mind of the buyer and figure out how to make him/her want your product.
It was fun to listen to discussions of products that no longer exist (remember Nuprin?) and to better understand how some products have become number one and things one cannot do without.
In one of the last sections the authors talk about how to position yourself in your career. They advise you to "get on a horse and ride it" to success. In other words, find a strong and forward-moving company and become indepensible.
I think I will take a closer look at marketing theory; it is not something I have studied but I think it is something I could benefit from.
The Battle for Your Mind
by Jack Trout & Al Ries
narrated by Bob Askey
Audiobook
Copyright 1989
This book is about advertising and how to jockey a product into the "number one" position.
Since this edition is pre-Internet, it doesn't even address the bombardment of advertisements folks are inundated with today.
The premise in this 1989 edition is that people are overwhelmed with too much information, particularly in advertising. There used to be three TV stations. Now there are 300. There are too many companies and products, too many choices.
It makes everyone scream and no one really hears.
So the idea is to get in the mind of the buyer and figure out how to make him/her want your product.
It was fun to listen to discussions of products that no longer exist (remember Nuprin?) and to better understand how some products have become number one and things one cannot do without.
In one of the last sections the authors talk about how to position yourself in your career. They advise you to "get on a horse and ride it" to success. In other words, find a strong and forward-moving company and become indepensible.
I think I will take a closer look at marketing theory; it is not something I have studied but I think it is something I could benefit from.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Changing the Rules
Back in September, I went before the county Planning Commission to talk about an ordinance change they were proposing.
I had urged county officials to take a look at the county's home occupation ordinance. It had come to my attention through my work with the newspaper that this ordinance essentially made criminals out of folks who were doing eBay or other Internet businesses out of their home.
In other words, it was against the county's ordinances to sell stuff, even online. Even if you never bothered a single person because you carried your stuff to the post office, or better yet, just drop shipped it and never saw the product, you were still breaking the county's law.
About the time I was suggesting to county officials that they change this, a friend applied for a permit to sell over the Internet and was denied. I helped her contact her county supervisor to complain and she set about officially making the request for changes. It is always better if a citizen other than a representative of the press can be involved.
Anyway, it took county officials about five months to review the ordinance and offer up suggested changes. By this time I was no longer writing much for the local paper so I wasn't able to follow the story for my readers. However, being a self-employed business person who works from home I had a keen interest in any changes the county might want to make to this particular ordinance.
Some of the suggested changes did not suit me; they seemed punitive or unfair or unclear, so I wrote up a list of things that I thought were wrong and offered suggestions of my own and trotted off to the public hearing.
A few other folks talked but offered no solutions to their complaints and were vague about what they thought was wrong with the ordinance. My list was fairly long and was, frankly, a reworking of the entire offered document. I offered a solution to every objection. My changes were so many that the Planning Commission took no action but instead scheduled a work session on my proposed changes. They met two nights later.
The planning staff offered up a new version of the document at the work session. This one addressed just about every issue and concern I had raised, either by changing wording, clarifying, or eliminating various sentences.
In particular, the section about Internet business was stronger and more clear, as was a section on allowed personal services (such as, say, a beauty parlor or a tutor or dare I say, a writer?). At least now a person could sell on eBay without being convicted of a misdemeanor if caught. Although that person needs to have a home occupation permit and a business per county ordinances if they are to be legal.
The Planning Commission approved this document, and it went to a second public hearing before the Board of Supervisors a few day later. It passed without much ado and no additional changes.
Which goes to show, one person can indeed have an impact and an influence on important things.
I had urged county officials to take a look at the county's home occupation ordinance. It had come to my attention through my work with the newspaper that this ordinance essentially made criminals out of folks who were doing eBay or other Internet businesses out of their home.
In other words, it was against the county's ordinances to sell stuff, even online. Even if you never bothered a single person because you carried your stuff to the post office, or better yet, just drop shipped it and never saw the product, you were still breaking the county's law.
About the time I was suggesting to county officials that they change this, a friend applied for a permit to sell over the Internet and was denied. I helped her contact her county supervisor to complain and she set about officially making the request for changes. It is always better if a citizen other than a representative of the press can be involved.
Anyway, it took county officials about five months to review the ordinance and offer up suggested changes. By this time I was no longer writing much for the local paper so I wasn't able to follow the story for my readers. However, being a self-employed business person who works from home I had a keen interest in any changes the county might want to make to this particular ordinance.
Some of the suggested changes did not suit me; they seemed punitive or unfair or unclear, so I wrote up a list of things that I thought were wrong and offered suggestions of my own and trotted off to the public hearing.
A few other folks talked but offered no solutions to their complaints and were vague about what they thought was wrong with the ordinance. My list was fairly long and was, frankly, a reworking of the entire offered document. I offered a solution to every objection. My changes were so many that the Planning Commission took no action but instead scheduled a work session on my proposed changes. They met two nights later.
The planning staff offered up a new version of the document at the work session. This one addressed just about every issue and concern I had raised, either by changing wording, clarifying, or eliminating various sentences.
In particular, the section about Internet business was stronger and more clear, as was a section on allowed personal services (such as, say, a beauty parlor or a tutor or dare I say, a writer?). At least now a person could sell on eBay without being convicted of a misdemeanor if caught. Although that person needs to have a home occupation permit and a business per county ordinances if they are to be legal.
The Planning Commission approved this document, and it went to a second public hearing before the Board of Supervisors a few day later. It passed without much ado and no additional changes.
Which goes to show, one person can indeed have an impact and an influence on important things.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Thursday Thirteen
Today, I offer up 13 things I have purchased recently.
1. Weatherstripping. My husband built this house for us (really, with his own two hands!) in 1987. The windows really need to be replaced but that's expensive. So we bought weatherstripping in hopes of tightening them up.
2. A chuck roast. I purchased this yesterday at the supermarket, which had them marked down dramatically (from $12.30 to $6.70). We will have it on Saturday.
3. A candy bar. Okay, okay. I shouldn't be eating them at all. I had gone since September 10 without one while I try to diet. I've lost four pounds. It was a bad, but very tasty, reward.
4. Decaf Irish breakfast tea. I have a hard time finding this around here but ran across some in Roanoke at Ukrop's. Unfortunately that store is going out of business, so this may be the last of decaf Irish breakfast tea for a while.
5. A domain name. I am not in the habit of spending $10 for domains, but I recently made a purchase. When the site is active I'll share. I also renewed my husband's website, Septic Tank Advisor. Amazing.
6. Shoe inserts. These aren't for me but for my husband, who has started having trouble with his heel spur again. I will share that back in September when I was at the beach I bought inserts that have been very helpful for my plantar faciitis. You can find them online at happyfeet.net. Check them out if you have that particular problem. The website says it is also good for heel spurs, Morton's neuroma and other feet issues.
7. Copy paper. Because that is what I use in the printer.
8. The Print Shop Deluxe Version 23. I found this on sale for nearly nothing at Best Buy and bought it in hopes of using it as a photo editor. It is okay but not quite what I was looking for. It will do for a while.
9. Entrepreneur magazine. I don't normally buy this, but I saw it in the store and thought hey, maybe there's a new career for me in between those pages. There wasn't, but it was an interesting magazine.
10. Extra sugar free gum. I don't like to chew this but it's been helpful with my diet.
11. Christmas presents. Yes, I do my shopping early.
12. Lunch. Well, I do have to eat, don't I?
13. Flounder. It's my new and improved "eat fish" effort.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here. This is number 110!
1. Weatherstripping. My husband built this house for us (really, with his own two hands!) in 1987. The windows really need to be replaced but that's expensive. So we bought weatherstripping in hopes of tightening them up.
2. A chuck roast. I purchased this yesterday at the supermarket, which had them marked down dramatically (from $12.30 to $6.70). We will have it on Saturday.
3. A candy bar. Okay, okay. I shouldn't be eating them at all. I had gone since September 10 without one while I try to diet. I've lost four pounds. It was a bad, but very tasty, reward.
4. Decaf Irish breakfast tea. I have a hard time finding this around here but ran across some in Roanoke at Ukrop's. Unfortunately that store is going out of business, so this may be the last of decaf Irish breakfast tea for a while.
5. A domain name. I am not in the habit of spending $10 for domains, but I recently made a purchase. When the site is active I'll share. I also renewed my husband's website, Septic Tank Advisor. Amazing.
6. Shoe inserts. These aren't for me but for my husband, who has started having trouble with his heel spur again. I will share that back in September when I was at the beach I bought inserts that have been very helpful for my plantar faciitis. You can find them online at happyfeet.net. Check them out if you have that particular problem. The website says it is also good for heel spurs, Morton's neuroma and other feet issues.
7. Copy paper. Because that is what I use in the printer.
8. The Print Shop Deluxe Version 23. I found this on sale for nearly nothing at Best Buy and bought it in hopes of using it as a photo editor. It is okay but not quite what I was looking for. It will do for a while.
9. Entrepreneur magazine. I don't normally buy this, but I saw it in the store and thought hey, maybe there's a new career for me in between those pages. There wasn't, but it was an interesting magazine.
10. Extra sugar free gum. I don't like to chew this but it's been helpful with my diet.
11. Christmas presents. Yes, I do my shopping early.
12. Lunch. Well, I do have to eat, don't I?
13. Flounder. It's my new and improved "eat fish" effort.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here. This is number 110!
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Deer don't like cats
Yesterday afternoon I saw a black cat in the back yard.
I always pay attention to black cats; I know it is silly but I always believe it to be a sign from my mother. Whether it is a good sign or a bad sign I don't know, but I usually perceive it as a warning to be on my toes.
The cat vanished to one side of the house. A few minutes later I looked up and saw a small buck, a doe and two smaller deers, this year's fawns, I think. browsing and eating the acorns that have fallen amongst the gravel in the driveway.
The buck suddenly dashed to the side of the house and I moved to see what had sent him running in that direction.
He started chasing the cat; he was quickly joined by the doe. The two fawns stopped eating and stamped their feet.
The cat raced around the house and vanished into the nearby field.
I did not know deer don't like cats, but my husband said he has seen them chase cats like that before.
I always pay attention to black cats; I know it is silly but I always believe it to be a sign from my mother. Whether it is a good sign or a bad sign I don't know, but I usually perceive it as a warning to be on my toes.
The cat vanished to one side of the house. A few minutes later I looked up and saw a small buck, a doe and two smaller deers, this year's fawns, I think. browsing and eating the acorns that have fallen amongst the gravel in the driveway.
The buck suddenly dashed to the side of the house and I moved to see what had sent him running in that direction.
He started chasing the cat; he was quickly joined by the doe. The two fawns stopped eating and stamped their feet.
The cat raced around the house and vanished into the nearby field.
I did not know deer don't like cats, but my husband said he has seen them chase cats like that before.
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