Keeping Time

I was in the car earlier listening to music from my cell phone, and I started hitting the steering wheel as I kept time to the beat.

My mind went back to another time, when I was eight years old. Back then, kids didn't have to sit in car seats or wear seat belts or whatever. I could climb from front to back over and over again if I wanted.

But my father was driving and he didn't put up with much messing around, so I was sitting up straight trying to peer over the dash.

We were on a windy old crooked road heading home. Dad drove fast, and he ended up behind an old beat up pickup truck.

He tailgated it. Then he pointed to the man in the truck. "See how his hand is moving? He's keeping beat to a song."

I peered over the dash and nodded. I could barely make it out, because I was so little and short, but I caught the flash of movement.

Dad said, "Let's see if we can find what song he's listening to."

He turned on the radio and switched stations until he landed on a song that had the same beat as the hands of the man in the truck.

"See?" Dad said, his own hands now hitting at the wheel. "Feel the beat of the music? You can tell a song just from the beat."

I nodded, although I really didn't see because I couldn't see the man in the pickup's hands anymore, but I could see my father's. It was always easier to agree.

"Now you do it," Dad said. And so I started tapping on the dash to the beat of the song. 

Tap, tap. 

"Keep it in time," Dad said. 

Tap. Tap. 

"There you go, you got it."

We tapped the rhythm to ourselves, along with the oblivious fellow in front of us, the rest of the way home.

Back to today, driving home and listening to my own music, I thought about how now I could never pull up to a car and watch some person tapping out a song and know what they were listening to, not with Sirius XM and cell phones with Apple Music and multiple radio stations and everything. By the time I found the beat, the song would be over, if I ever found it at all.

What a different world we live in, one all mixed up with multiple choices in everything from music to television shows to social media. Nobody lives in the same place anymore.

I'm not so sure that's a good thing. 

Empty Shelves

Made with AI

I can't find the peas I like at the grocery store.

I've looked not in just a single store. Several stores.

No steamer peas. Those are the kind I like. Easy to fix. Easy way to get a veggie into my day.

So I did what I do when something bothers me. I wondered first of all, how are peas harvested?

Turns out, they aren't picked by hand like the ones in my garden. Large‑scale pea growers use specialized machines like tractor‑mounted cutters, lifters and a mobile “viner” that strips pods and threshes them. They don't do anything by hand.

So, if it wasn't a labor shortage keeping peas from being picked, because, you know, machines, what was the problem?

"Frozen peas are scarce right now because a combination of unseasonal heatwaves in key growing regions, packaging resin shortages, and maxed‑out cold‑storage capacity has disrupted the supply chain. Retailers also prioritize their own store brands when freezer space is limited, further narrowing options." (So sayth Alexa.)

Ok. Wow. So, what is packing resin? I didn't know. I assumed it was glue because tree resin is sticky. But it's not glue. It's plastic. That means it's the film, the bag, the pouch my beloved steamer peas go into. So, the peas can be perfectly fine, but they will never reach the shelf. There's nothing to put them in.

At least part of the shortage of "packing resin" is happening because the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off Gulf‑origin resin supply, which is a major source for PE and PP resins used in packaging. 

Imagine that! I can't get my peas because of the non-war in Iran.

Now, I don't know whether the bag that should contain my peas is sitting somewhere waiting for resin. But I do know that the resin supply itself has been disrupted, and that packaging is one more potential choke point between a harvested crop and my freezer.

 

In learning about packing resin, I discovered that this is also used in things like sterile medical packaging. Nothing can be substituted for virgin resin in this situation. That sounds scary and concerning, doesn't it?

 

So, let's go back to the "maxed-out cold-storage capacity" issue. This is a supply chain issue involving trucks and drivers.

Turns out that some of the people who drive the refrigerated trucks (those are the ones that keep frozen peas frozen between the plant and the store) have lost their jobs. 

The United States has spent the past year pulling them off the road. A rule change made 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders ineligible to continue working and as their commercial driver's licenses come up for renewal, they will be out of a job. Recently, a crackdown called Operation Highway Shield detained 51 people in three days in July and put 766 drivers and vehicles out of service. The administration says it's about safety. The people losing their jobs were legally authorized to work.

But they aren't driving trucks anymore.

 

So we have vegetables and fruits and other goods just hanging out rotting because the government in its infinite wisdom decided to remove the people who drive the trucks from the highway. Are American citizens lining up to learn to drive these trucks?

Since I don't have peas, I would say not. 

And look at what Indeed has to say about these jobs!

Twelve thousand cold chain jobs!

No wonder I don't have frozen peas on the store shelf.

And I would be remiss not to also point out that we have had a drought along the eastern seaboard from the Mid-Atlantic states to Florida. I'm sure that affects the crops, along with the devastating heat waves we've had in other areas of the country. Peas aren't the easiest crop to grow, or at least they aren't for me.

What I want to know is how this will be resolved?

I also wonder what else I will be looking for soon that I won't be able to find.

Should we be worried about food this winter?

Newborn

 

Today's happiness has nothing to do with me, but my friend's daughter-in-law gave birth this morning. I am happy baby and mom are doing ok.

Nothing like a new little life. Now let's make it a better world for the tiny guy.

Sunday Stealing

 

Four Superlatives

1. Your MOST overused word or phrase: "Interesting." It covers practically everything.

2. Your BIGGEST expense: My husband. 😘

3. Your WORST fear:  Zombie Apocalypse 🧟

4. Your BEST memory of Summer 26: Giving myself a present. 🎁

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

 __________

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: Clown

Saturday 9: Everybody Loves a Clown (1965)

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

1) Not everyone loves clowns. "Coulrophobia" is the irrational fear of clowns. Do you have any fears or phobias?

A. Not really. I'm not a fan of snakes but if I'm the only one home, I'll move it or dispose of it unless it's a poisonous one. Fortunately, we don't see them very often around the house. There's not a water source up here to attract them.

2) This week's featured artist, Gary Lewis, sings that he jokes a lot at parties. In social settings, are you more a talker or a listener?

A. I am more of a listener.

3) He's dreaming of a special girl. Do you often daydream?

A. I daydream quite a lot. Probably more than I should.

4) Gary named his band The Playboys because they were always late to rehearsals and Gary joked that they would rather play than work. Do you tend to be early, late, or exactly on time?

A. I am generally a little early.

5) Gary Lewis had first-hand knowledge of clowns. His father was famous funny man Jerry Lewis. Who always makes you laugh? 

A. My husband and my friends.

6) In 2017, Gary was in the news when it became known that Jerry disinherited all six of his sons from his will. Have you ever attended the reading of a will?

A. I used to work for a lawyer who occasionally did a "reading of a will" like one sees in TV, so yes, I have, but generally it isn't done the way you see it on TV. At least in my state, someone has the will, goes to the Circuit Court and qualifies as the executor of the estate, and sends out notices to potential heirs listed in the will.

7) This past summer found Gary Lewis on The My Generation Tour, performing with other acts from the mid-1960s, like The Lovin' Spoonful, The Hollies, and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. Do you enjoy listening to "the oldies?"

A. I listen to a lot of 1970s music, like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Bread, Linda Ronstadt, etc., so not quite as old as the mid-1960s, but old enough now.

8) In 1965, when this song was popular, Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Have you ever attended a boxing match?

A. I have never attended a boxing match.

9) Random question: What color is your toothbrush?

A. My electric toothbrush is solid white; my regular toothbrush is blue and white at the moment.

_______________

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. 

Early Voting - Vote for Beth Macy

Early voting starts today in Virginia.

I urge everyone to vote for Beth Macy, the Democratic challenger to the current office holder, Republican Ben Cline.

I am an independent voter. I am not registered with any party.

I went to college with Beth. I was working on my undergraduate degree while she was working on her masters degree from Hollins College (now Hollins University). We had several courses together because I was majoring in English and focusing on writing classes. At Hollins, the creative writing seminars had undergrad and graduate students combined, so we saw a lot of one another.

She went on to write for The Roanoke Times. I went on to write for the local weekly paper. She's written five books. I've written and edited a local magazine celebrating the county's 250th anniversary (in 2020), and I have edited about a dozen books for various people.

Varied careers, but since we were both reporters, I can say with certainty that Beth has seen things her opponent has not.

As a reporter, I visited many homes that were the living spaces of very poor people, hoarders, sick people, sad people, and indigent people. I also saw the very nice living spaces of folks who live in McMansions, and the houses in between.

Beth saw the same. We both know that there are a lot of people out there who have done their best, and their best has not been good enough. Some people can try until their arms nearly fall off, and it still won't get them where they can afford to live in a nice house with a white picket fence.

She wrote Dopesick, spent years covering the opioid crisis, won a Nieman fellowship, had her book adapted for TV. That's concrete evidence she understands real people's lives.

Beth is one person and she alone can't change the price of gas, but she can introduce legislation or endorse legislation that already exists to force the current administration to adhere to existing laws, such as the war powers act, and straighten itself up.

She is for a moratorium on data centers, and since that is a big issue right now that actually affects me personally, with new power lines going through the land we farm, then that issue alone would make me vote for Beth. New power lines mean strange people will be on the farm, gates will be left open, cattle will become unsettled by big machinery. Also, there may be a loss of land value because of the larger poles that will replace the more rural-looking ones.

Cline has been in office since 2019. He's introduced and co-sponsored plenty of bills, but when I look at what he's actually accomplished through legislation, the record is pretty thin. I don't see much there that has made a meaningful difference in the lives of people in this district. He's had seven years to make a mark on issues that matter to me, and I personally cannot find one.

If there was anything I could point to that the current office holder had done that offered support for farmers, women, children, affordability, or slowing down the growth of data centers, I might take a second look. But I do not see anything in his voting record that would make me change my mind.

Early voting in Virginia is from today until October 31. If you're in my county, go vote in Fincastle at the Office of the Registrar.

Otherwise, vote on election day, November 3, at your polling place. Check the state elections website to be sure you're registered to vote and to find out where to vote if you don't already know.

Thursday Thirteen

Things I’ve Learned About Myself This Year

1. I don’t need big revelations; small truths arrive just fine on their own schedule. They tend to show up while I’m doing something ordinary, like folding laundry or waiting for the microwave to beep.

2. I function best when the house is quiet and there’s a little chocolate within reach. I don't need anything fancy. Life is better with small comforts.

3. I can write more than I think I can, as long as I stop trying to make the first draft perfect. The trick is remembering that no one sees the messy version unless I let them.

4. I’m calmer when I keep my tech simple and ignore the bells and whistles. Every time I strip away a feature I don’t need, something in my brain exhales.

5. I’m more sentimental than I pretend to be, especially with old newspapers and the odd forgotten receipt that somehow feels historic. Apparently, I’m a sucker for anything that captures a moment in time, even if it’s just a grocery list from 2014.

6. I don’t enjoy clutter, but I will absolutely let it accumulate until it annoys me into action. My threshold for “annoyed enough to deal with it” is surprisingly high.

7. I’m happiest when my routines are predictable, even if I roll my eyes at them. There’s comfort in knowing what comes next, even when I pretend I’m spontaneous.

8. I’m still capable of learning new things, but I do it on my own terms. If someone tries to rush me, the learning shuts down like a stubborn mule.

9. I don’t need a crowd; a few solid people are plenty. Peace is worth more than popularity.

10. I’m more patient with others than I am with myself. I’m working on extending the same grace inward, but it’s a slow project.

11. I’m allowed to say no without writing a three‑paragraph explanation. It turns out most people don’t need the backstory anyway. And "no" is a complete sentence!

12. I’ve realized that “later” is not a plan, it’s a delay tactic, and I’m getting better at catching myself. When I actually do the thing now, it’s never as hard as I made it out to be.

13. I still love a good list, especially one that reminds me I’m doing just fine. There’s something satisfying about seeing my thoughts lined up neatly, like they finally decided to behave.

_________________

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 9765th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Chores and a Tree

Today's happiness consists of getting the household chores done in a timely manner. Yay me!

I also learned that we have a tree in the backyard called a hackberry tree. I had never heard of this tree before.

A hackberry (Celtis occidentalis or Celtis laevigata) is actually a very common native tree in Virginia. The hackberry is one of those quiet, overlooked native trees that people can live beside for decades without ever learning its name. Its leaves resemble an elm, but the bark is rough, warty, and full of quirky bumps. 

Most years it goes unnoticed, yet every so often it surprises you with small purple berries that deer and birds devour before anyone else gets a chance to see them. It’s a tough, weather‑resilient tree that thrives in Virginia without asking for attention, content to simply stand there and get on with the business of being a tree.

We have lived in this house for almost 40 years and this is the first time we've ever seen purple berries come off of this tree. The deer have been eating them up for days.

Out of the House

Today I am happy because I have been out of the house and I've seen many people that I haven't seen in a while.

Also, last night I got to tell a good story and made a whole room laugh at a history lecture.

Midnight Margaritas

SPOILER ALERT - THIS TALKS ABOUT THE MOVIE IN THE PICTURE. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ANYTHING ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU SEE IT, YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS BLOG POST.

Friday, my husband took me to see Practical Magic 2, because he'd promised me at my birthday in June that he would take me to see a movie, and we'd not yet made that happen.

He knew I like the original movie. It's one of those movies I put on when I want to sit down and read and look up occasionally. I slot it in my mind as the same category as Steel Magnolias, Under the Tuscan Sun, and Grease. Well-acted and a fun movie.

And also, a movie that makes me think, which for me is what makes a movie good.

Critics are giving Practical Magic 2 mixed reviews. Well, actually most of the critics seem to dislike it. It is scoring around 35 to 37% on Rotten Tomatoes and recently had a 44 score on Metacritic. They say the sequel lacks the original’s joy and feels forced. 

 Audiences, however, are enjoying the return of Bullock and Kidman, noting the sisterhood and nostalgic moments. I've not seen a single bad word about the movie on my Facebook page, just gushes of how much women loved the movie. I haven't seen what any men think of the movie.

That's because this is a movie for women and about women. Of course the critics don't like it.

Practical Magic in its first go-round was not well-received. It has, over the years, developed a cult following, mostly among women, I imagine, who find some strength in watching other women defeat the assholes who generally make life miserable anyway while looking for the one man out there that a woman can make a life with.

But the Owens sisters are cursed, and any man they love dies.

Sally takes this very hard because she has lost two husbands. She ensures that her daughters do not know they are witches. She tries very hard to forget she is a witch herself. She blocks her own powers.

This is all well and good until her daughter Kylie falls in love. Her beloved Gideon is hit by a car and lies in a coma when Kylie demands to know the truth about her powers.

She also determines to end the curse.

And here is where I shall deviate from an actual review. I have not read these books; I checked and I've not read a single thing by Alice Hoffman, who wrote the books upon which these movies are based.

I am not saying I did not like the movie. The movie was fine as it was. If I have to rate it, I give it a solid 80 out of 100. 

I just felt like it went in the wrong direction.

Kylie leaves to go to England to break the Owens family curse. This bothered me greatly, because when my husband was hurt, it was all I could do to go home to get some sleep when he was in the hospital, and here Kylie goes off by herself to end a curse that's been around for hundreds of years, when she doesn't even know anything about her own powers. Nor has she studied spells or learned how to conjure or take care of herself in a magical world.

In a movie about sisterhood and motherhood and women holding each other up, it seemed to me that either (a) Kylie and her sister Antonia should have gone on this journey together or (b) Antonia should have gone in place of her sister, while Kylie stayed with her beloved to hold his hand and help him feel better.

As it was, Antonia was just barely a placeholder for a sister in the film. She didn't really do much except look after Kylie's boyfriend while she was gone. I kept thinking, “Good grief, give Maisie Williams something to do besides put a stethoscope on Gideon's chest every now and then.” Antonia was supposed to be Kylie's sister, but the movie never gave their relationship the weight that Sally and Gillian's relationship had in the first movie. I would have liked to see what Williams could have done with a more substantial role.

Additionally, this movie went into a little darker space than the first one as far as the magic goes, and the evil seemed to spring up from nowhere in the shape of a long-lost distant male cousin who thought he should have magical powers.

I'd have rather it had been some spirit or demon or something. Maybe that's just me, though.

I liked the movie as it was. I just felt like it wasn't actually as magic as the first movie. If you like Practical Magic, you will like Practical Magic 2.

If you didn't like it, then you won't like this one.

This is a movie I will watch again when it's on TV, and maybe it will become one of those movies that plays on a loop around Halloween. Sometimes I have to see a movie two or three times before I really feel it. Also, I am not a big screen fan; I find the movie theater too noisy and overwhelming, even if we essentially had a private showing because there were only four people, including us, in the theater.

Maybe, like magic, my judgment of the movie will change on a second viewing.

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Practical Magic 2 features Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens, Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens, Stockard Channing as Aunt Franny, Dianne Wiest as Aunt Jet, Joey King as Kylie Owens, Maisie Williams as Antonia Owens, Lee Pace as Ian Wright, Xolo Maridueña as Gideon and Solly McLeod as Tom Lockland.