A Fictionalized History Book

The Prompt: Share a book you are currently grateful for.

This is going to seem like a strange pick for a book I am grateful for, but I am really glad I read Fannie Flagg's book, The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion.

The book mentions the WASPS, a group of women who learned to fly planes during World War II. Prior to reading this book, I'd never heard of this particular part of the war. I recently finished an article in The Atlantic that was about the women flyers and their fight to be recognized for their service.

So, I am grateful that I first read about this in a fictionalized book, because when I reached The Atlantic article, I knew exactly what it was discussing.

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Kwizgiver has started a gratitude challenge. I like the idea so I will give it a try. As she states, "The Non-Challenge Gratitude Challenge. This isn't about being perfect. There are no points, no "failing" if you miss a day, and no pressure to perform. It’s just a gentle nudge to look around. I’ll be posting prompts here on the blog, and I’d love for you to join me in the comments--but only if you feel like sharing."

And that's her picture from her blog. I swiped it.

Thursday Thirteen

Since I just saw Melissa Etheridge in concert, I thought I'd take a look at some of her guitars. She has quite a collection. In fact, there's even a graphic novel about her guitars (although I haven't seen it).

1. Ovation Melissa Etheridge Signature 12‑String Acoustic‑Electric. This is the guitar most people picture when they think of her: big, ringing, and built to fill a room. That's the guitar she's playing in the photo I took Tuesday night.

2. Ovation Melissa Etheridge Signature 6‑String Acoustic‑Electric. This is companion model to the 12‑string, with the same stage‑ready electronics and that unmistakable Ovation shimmer.

3. Gibson ES‑347 (1979). This is one of her road guitars, a semi‑hollow with enough bite to cut through a band mix. 

4. Fender Jaguar (1979). This is another touring favorite, all offset swagger and bright surf‑rock attitude.

5. Chet Atkins Country Gentleman (early 1980s). This is a warm, resonant hollow‑body she’s taken on the road.

6. Jerry Jones 12‑String (mid‑1990s) is a guitar that was custom‑built for her, jangly and unmistakably ’90s in tone.

7. Gibson L‑5. This is a jazz‑box beauty she’s been photographed playing at Norman’s Rare Guitars.

8. Ovation Adamas 1598‑MEII 12‑String. This is her go‑to writing and performing guitar; she’s played Ovations since she was fourteen.

9. Ovation Melissa Etheridge Model USA. This is a premium U.S.‑built signature model she’s used in both studio and live settings.

10. Stella Acoustic Guitar. This was Etheridge's first real guitar, given to her at age eight. Every musician has that one instrument that starts the whole story.

11. Custom 1982 Gibson Les Paul. This is her favorite electric, full of weight and sustain.

12. Ovation OP‑Pro Studio–equipped Stage Guitars. Several of her touring acoustics use this preamp system, part of her signature sound.

13. Badminton Racket. Before the Stella, she “played” this while pretending to be in The Archies. We’ve all been there, one way or another.

For a bit more on Melissa Etheridge and her guitar, you can find articles here, here, and here, or just do a search and you'll find many other articles.

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Sources

Equipboard: Melissa Etheridge gear list (signature Ovations, ES‑347, Jaguar, Country Gentleman, Jerry Jones 12‑string, Gibson L‑5, OP‑Pro stage guitars).

Premier Guitar: Melissa Etheridge: Guitar Storyteller (Stella guitar story, badminton racket anecdote, custom 1982 Les Paul, Ovation 1598‑MEII as her primary writing guitar).

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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 956th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Finally, Melissa

So, we packed up yesterday, with my husband throwing cookies and potato chips into the cooler for our picnic in the car. We left around 4:30 p.m., headed for The Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount, which is at least an hour's drive away.

We were going to see Melissa Etheridge in concert. Finally. I'd originally planned to see her there in March 2020, and the pandemic hit and the show was rescheduled and rescheduled and I ended up asking for our money back because it was rescheduled to a day when we couldn't go. And even when she was close by for other shows, I couldn't make it to see her.

But that was then. Last night, we arrived at The Harvester around 5:30 p.m. because we somehow missed most of the traffic. We drove around to the back of the space where there were supposed to be handicapped spaces for parking, but there was a big tractor trailer parked there, taking up the whole lot. I also saw two buses, which I assumed were all for Melissa Etheridge's show. 

The other option for close parking was the bank parking lot. I saw that it was sloped and might be a bit of a difficult walk for both of us - me with my weird abdominal adhesion pain and my husband with his fused ankle and hip replacement. But it was as good as it was going to get.

We sat in the car with the windows down and ate ham sandwiches. I watched people go in and out of the building, which surprised me. The Harvester wasn't supposed to open until 7. 

Finally, about 6:40 we went on up to the door and lo, they said go on in. They didn't search anything, but by then I'd opted to just wear my jacket and put my inhaler in one pocket and my cell phone in the other and left my bag in the car.

We went in and headed straight to the restrooms, and then I bought a T-shirt for her new album for $40.

The crowd was mostly older folks. Maybe we all look harmless, with our gray hair and aging bodies, because they didn't search bags that I saw. We found our seats, end of the aisle so my husband could stretch out, and that meant of course we had to let people by but that was fine. 

Melissa came out on time at 8 p.m. and she had her custom Les Paul as her first guitar. What a lovely instrument that thing is, black with gold plating, and it looked like she had 5 pickups on it. Definitely a thing of beauty. 

That was the first of her guitars. I believe throughout the night she used at least 6 guitars. I lost count, but the Les Paul and her 12-string Ovation were the two she played the most. 

She played a few songs from her new album, Rise, and one from her album Lucky, but the songs that people sang to were her older songs, like the ones from her album Yes I Am, such as Come to My Window. That song I couldn't help playing air guitar with because I know it. 

She also did I'm the Only One, Bring Me Some Water, and I Want to Come Over, which everyone sang along with. That one got especially fun - my husband stood up and went over to stand against the wall for a while, so I shouted and sang along because I had more room to move. It was the only time I almost needed my inhaler. 

There was a lot of perfume. It wasn't bad at first, but after they shut the doors so it would be dark in there, it grew a bit cloying. 

She played Like the Way I Do around 9:40, so I knew it was over. But she surprised me by saying she had one more song, one she sang without a guitar. She sat down to sing it. It was called More Love, from her new album. 

And then . . . she stood up and jumped off the stage and started hugging people. 

We were up and in the aisle, actually heading toward the door, but I moved forward . . . and Melissa Etheridge hugged me. I am not the sort of person who idolizes people, but when she hugged me, I got teary. It felt like good energy. Melissa Etheridge exudes good energy, and she felt strong enough to reach out and hug at least 50 people. She kept singing, "More love, more light," the whole time, and then she led the crowd through a chorus of that at the end.

It was rather spiritual, like being lifted up.

And that's one for the bucket list.

Melissa Etheridge with her Les Paul guitar.

Dogwoods

The blooms are nearly gone now, but the dogwoods this year in my part of Virginia have been lovely. Their lovely white (and sometimes pink) blossoms filled the woods and the areas around the interstates with beauty and peace.

I took photos with my cell phone, but they did not do the sight justice.

Virginia 250: How Botetourt County Was Formed

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. At one time, Botetourt County stretched all the way to the Mississippi and into Wisconsin, which means my county's history is also the history of much of the nation.

Stolen from Wikipedia

Botetourt County began as one of the largest political units ever created in colonial Virginia. Its jurisdiction was so vast it once stretched to the Mississippi River and into parts of Wisconsin. Its story is one of continual subdivision as settlement expanded westward and new counties and even new states emerged.

How Botetourt County Was Formed (1769–1770)

Botetourt County was created by an act of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1769, taking effect in 1770, and carved out of the enormous and unwieldy Augusta County. It was named for Norborne Berkeley, Lord Botetourt, the popular royal governor of Virginia. 

The enabling act described Augusta County as too large to administer effectively and divided it along a line beginning at the Blue Ridge and running northwest toward the James River tributaries. Everything south of that line became the new County of Botetourt. 

How Large Botetourt Originally Was

Early Botetourt County was immense. According to both county and tourism historical summaries, when first established it extended from the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley all the way to the Mississippi River and covered all or parts of seven present-day states

Wikipedia corroborates this, noting that Botetourt originally included the southern portion of present-day West Virginia and all of Kentucky. 

This vastness was intentional: the county was meant to serve settlers pushing westward along the Great Road and into the Ohio and Mississippi River watersheds.

How Botetourt Was Reduced Over Time

As population grew and settlement expanded, Botetourt was repeatedly subdivided. The process began almost immediately.

1772: Creation of Fincastle County. Botetourt was reduced to the area east of the New and Kanawha Rivers when Fincastle County was created. 

1792: Kentucky Becomes a State. Most of Fincastle County eventually became Kentucky, admitted to the Union in 1792. Since Fincastle had been carved from Botetourt, this means Botetourt’s original territory contributed directly to the formation of an entire state. 

Other Counties Formed from Botetourt

Over the next decades, additional counties were created from Botetourt’s remaining territory:

Rockbridge County (1778)

Bath County (1791)

Alleghany County (1822)

Roanoke County (1833)

Craig County (1851)

By 1851, Botetourt County had been reduced to its present-day boundaries.

Botetourt County Today

Modern Botetourt County covers 546 square miles, a fraction of its original size. 

Its county seat, Fincastle, was incorporated in 1772 and remains a center of historical preservation and archival records. 

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Sources & References

Genealogy Trails: Botetourt County Virginia Formation (full text of the 1769 act) 

Wikipedia: Botetourt County, Virginia (overview of formation and subdivisions) 

Botetourt County Government: History (extent to the Mississippi River) 

Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge: History of Botetourt County (seven-state extent) 

Sunday Stealing

1) Are you the sort of person who can nap or sleep anywhere, any time?

A. I can fall asleep in the recliner sometimes watching TV, but I'm not much of a nap person. That might change as I age.

 

2) Have you ever walked in your sleep?

A. I have walked in my sleep. The last time I know that I did it, my father-in-law had passed away, and I got up and started looking in the closet for my husband's suit because I thought it was in the cleaners. My husband woke up and then woke me up and told me I'd told him I was looking for his suit.

 

3) Do you chat with your Uber/Lyft/taxi driver?

A. I have never been in any of those types of vehicles.

4) Do you remember what you did on Valentine's Day?

A. I don't think we did much of anything on Valentine's Day.

 

5) How many laptops have you owned over your lifetime?

A. Four, I think. I have never liked laptops. I don't like the keyboards on them, and I don't like the track ball thing, and I don't like the screens. However, as I got older and my handwriting, was already practically illegible, worsened, I found that I needed to use a keyboard to take notes at meetings and such. That was before you could just record a meeting on your cell phone and run it through a transcriber. Or use an iPad because they hadn't been invented yet. I am so old.

 

6) How many countries have you visited?

A. I have visited four countries, counting the one I live in.

 

7) Did you/will you go to work today?

A. I am retired. However, I do housework every day.

 

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: Drive My Car

Saturday 9: Drive My Car (1965)

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

 

1) Who would you allow, without hesitation, to drive your car?

A. My husband, family members, friends. Anyone I know, really. 

 

2) When you're riding in the backseat, do you use your seatbelt?

A. I don't ride in the backseat. I get carsick. 

 

3) In this song, a young girl tells her boyfriend she wants to be a movie star. What were your aspirations when you were in your late teens/early 20's? Did you realize them?

A. I wanted to be a writer, and that's what I did. I also wanted to be a musician, and in my teens, I played in a band, so I guess I did that too.

 

4) The song was reportedly inspired in part by the relationship between popular British singer Cilla Black and her future husband. Cilla wanted him on the record label's payroll, so he became her road manager and driver. Have you ever worked for, or with, someone with whom you were romantically involved?

A. No.

 

5) Although this Beatles song is credited to Lennon-McCartney, it was written mostly by Paul. He recalls showing up at John Lennon's house with the tune ready to go, and lyrics they both agreed were "crap." John gave Paul the car theme, and he took it from there. When has someone recently helped you out of a jam?

A. I can't think of anything recent.

 

6) Paul also handles the lead vocals. When you hear a Beatles record, can you tell which band member is singing lead?

A. Not always, but I can tell it's the Beatles.

7) When it was first released, this record got a lot of attention for the intricate guitar work by Paul and George Harrison. It's got a lot of percussion on it, too, including cowbell and tambourine. Have you ever played either cowbell or tambourine? (Do you think it sounds like fun?)

A. I have played both at one point or another. They're rather boring instruments, frankly.

8) Lava lamps were already popular in England but they weren't introduced to the United States until 1965. Today Walmart carries more than 20 different lava lamps. Have you ever owned one?

A. I think I had one when I was a teenager, but to be honest I'm not sure. I might have just admired them in the window of Spencer's. (Anybody remember Spencer's?)

 

9) Random question: Do you have a recurring dream?

A. I used to have a recurring dream about a bathtub full of blood, but thankfully I no longer have that.

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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. 

One for the Short People

The Prompt: Recall a brief interaction with a stranger this week. What was a small moment of human kindness you witnessed or experienced?

On Tuesday, I saw a woman who is a little taller than I am approach a grocery store employee and ask for assistance with something on the highest shelf. The grocery store employee wasn't taller than the woman, but she climbed up the shelves (!) to get what the woman wanted on the top shelf. The customer was very grateful and the employee, in my opinion, very brave. They need a little ladder for short folks. Or at least a step stool.

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Kwizgiver has started a gratitude challenge. I like the idea so I will give it a try. As she states, "The Non-Challenge Gratitude Challenge. This isn't about being perfect. There are no points, no "failing" if you miss a day, and no pressure to perform. It’s just a gentle nudge to look around. I’ll be posting prompts here on the blog, and I’d love for you to join me in the comments--but only if you feel like sharing."

And that's her picture from her blog. I swiped it.

Thursday Thirteen #955

Things that happened (mostly) in Virginia on April 16 -

1. 1780: The General Assembly relocates. On April 16, the Virginia legislature formally moved from Williamsburg to Richmond, shifting the political center of the Commonwealth inland during the Revolutionary War.

2. 1862: Peninsula Campaign tensions rise. Mid‑April saw Confederate forces withdrawing toward Richmond as Union troops advanced. April 16 marked a day of repositioning and uncertainty in the early stages of the campaign.

3. 1862: The Confederate Conscription Act takes effect. April 16 was the date the first national draft in American history went into force, requiring white men 18–35 to serve. Many Virginians were swept into the war by this law.

4. 1864: Battle of Plymouth (North Carolina) begins. Though just across the state line, many Virginia regiments were involved. April 16 marked the opening movements of a battle that would ripple through Tidewater communities.

5. 1906: Norfolk’s streetcar system expands. April 16 saw the announcement of new electric streetcar lines, part of the region’s shift from horse‑drawn transit to modern infrastructure.

6. 1912: The Titanic’s sinking reaches Virginia papers. On April 16, Richmond and Roanoke newspapers carried the first full reports of the disaster, including the names of Virginians aboard.

7. 1947: Shenandoah National Park reopens Skyline Drive sections. Winter closures lifted around April 16, marking the unofficial start of spring tourism in the Blue Ridge.

8. 1951: Richmond’s Byrd Airport expands service. April 16 brought new commercial routes, part of Virginia’s post‑war aviation boom.

9. 1963: Civil rights organizing intensifies in Danville. Mid‑April, including April 16, saw planning meetings that would lead to the Danville Movement’s major demonstrations later that summer.

10. 1978: The James River floods recede. After days of heavy rain, April 16 marked the beginning of cleanup efforts in communities from Botetourt to Richmond.

11. 1993: Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium expansion approved. On April 16, the university announced plans that would eventually transform the stadium into the powerhouse venue it is today.

12. 1996: NASA Langley begins wind‑tunnel tests for the X‑33 program. On April 16, engineers at Langley Research Center started a major testing phase for the X‑33, part of Virginia’s long-running role in aerospace research and experimental flight.

13. 2007: Virginia Tech. The deadliest school shooting in U.S. history unfolded in Blacksburg. Many of us remember exactly where we were, what the news looked like, and how the numbers kept rising. It remains a day that sits heavily in Virginia’s collective memory.

*An AI tool helped me with this list.*

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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 955th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

When the Deer Trust You

 

There are two deer right now outside my office window. I've been up and down getting water and doing chores, and they aren't moving. The photos are with my cellphone and that's my curtain and the shoestring I use to pull down a blind in the afternoon when the sun shines in that window showing.

They frequently settle down in the yard like this, but not normally outside of my window.

Currently

Currently, I am:

Reading . . . Mary Johnston, Memoirs, by Mary Johnston and The Atlantic magazine. 

Watching . . . The Voice, which I think has finished its season, some stuff on the History channel, Hacks, and Downton Abbey when we can't find anything else to watch.

Listening . . . to the sound of the air conditioning in the hallway, until I say "Alexa, play some music" and then she coughs up Fleetwood Mac playing "Silver Springs." Not a bad choice.

 
Eating . . . nothing in particular, although I am trying to add more protein to my diet.

Thinking . . . that I have grown old and never saw it coming.

 
Feeling . . . perturbed that the custom orthotics that I paid $$$ for are causing more pain than they are helping, and I will have to go back to see if they can redo them.

Celebrating . . . warmer weather and things turning green.

 
Thankful . . . for my friends who check in on me.

Enjoying . . . a Pepperidge Farm Montauk chocolate chip cookie. 

I swiped this, at least in part, from Stacy. I don't know where she got it, maybe she made it up.