Thursday Thirteen

Things I say that I suspect other folks, especially those who live in cities, do not, because I have a rather different sort of lifestyle:

1. There's a cow in the front yard.

2. Nice kill on your deer, dear. Now let's be sure we take meat to neighbor so-and-so (and ramble off a long list because I don't particularly like deer meat). (Yes, we fed a lot of the neighbors.)

3. I saw a coyote try to take down a deer!

4. That's a fairy circle (a round circle of mushrooms).

5. There's a bear looking in the back door.

6. The backyard is full of turkeys.

7. I saw a fox with her kit running down in the holler.

8. The creek is running dry because of the drought.

9. The racoons got into the trash again. (People in the city may have this problem sometimes. Maybe. I'm not sure.)

10. It's raining, so the Internet and the landline phone isn't working properly.

11. I am going to play my guitar until my fingers hurt, because my callouses have vanished and I need to build them back up.

12. My deadline is tomorrow morning, so I will be up past midnight writing this article.

13. I can see the Milky Way tonight because the sky is clear.

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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 886th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday 13

Things I wonder about:

1. What will happen to all of my stuff should I die suddenly? Will it go out in an auction? Will family comb through it? Will anyone want any of it? Would it mean anything to anybody? What is death, anyway? Will I know if my stuff gets thrown in a dumpster? Will I care?

2. Why does it seem to be windier now than it was when I was a child? I do not remember these rabid cold fronts coming through, eating their way through the windows with blistering winds that rattle the shingles on the house. Is the earth rotating faster to make the winds blow more? Is it dust in the air?

3. Why do we have to age? Couldn't we reach a certain terminus of time and stop there? Wouldn't it be nice to cease aging at some great age like 40? Some physicists and philosophers argue that time as we perceive it may not be reality. In some interpretations of physics time is a static dimension, and all moments (past, present, and future) exist simultaneously. What if this is true? Does that mean our perception of time's flow is wrong? Do we experience time not as flow but as a sequence of events? And if that is the case, could we reverse it?

4. What is the meaning of life? (The answer is not 42!) Some people believe life’s meaning is subjective, varying from person to person. Others hope to discover an objective or cosmic purpose that applies to everyone. For many, the search itself is meaningful—an ongoing journey rather than a final answer. There are whole books outlining various theories on this topic, from Nietzche to Freud to Frankl, etc.

5. What will humanity be like in the future? While technology and society may change dramatically, certain human traits—like curiosity, creativity, and the need for connection—are likely to persist. These qualities may continue to define humanity, even in the face of rapid transformation. But with fast technological changes, humans will have to learn to adapt to change. The most exciting possibilities might come from breakthroughs we can’t yet imagine, just as people 1,000 years ago couldn’t foresee modern technologies like the internet or genetic engineering. In the year 2525, if man is still alive . . . what will we find?

6. Are ghosts, spirits, or supernatural phenomena real? I've seen things that I thought were paranormal and experienced things for which I could find no explanation. Beliefs about the paranormal vary widely across cultures and individuals, and the subject remains controversial, straddling the boundaries of science, psychology, and folklore. Why are people fascinated by the paranormal?

7. Are we alone in the universe, or is there life on other planets or in other galaxies? How would we know? The search for life beyond Earth is as much about exploring the unknown as it is about redefining what it means to be human. Life may not be "life as we know it." For all we know, there are living things that only breathe carbon dioxide and not oxygen. Not all life may come from a Class M planet.

8. Why do we dream, and do dreams have meaning? One of my first purchases as a child was a small booklet that cost me 35 cents. It's called "The Book of Dreams: a guide to the mystic meaning of your dreams." It has been on my desk for at least 40 years. Dreams remain one of the most enigmatic aspects of human experience, blending science, emotion, and mystery. I have at various times written down whole notebooks full of dreams (I've thrown those away), and I have attempted to write poems from my dreams. I have studied my dreams, but I also have shrugged them off. Sometimes I gain something from them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I dream about my brother and call him and tell him to be careful.

9. How did ancient civilizations achieve remarkable feats without modern technology? Who built the pyramids? Who built Stonehenge, and why? Where did Machu Pichu come from? The decline of civilizations often reveals patterns, such as overuse of resources, political instability, or failure to adapt to environmental changes. It would be nice to know more about why these things happened, so it can be avoided in the future.

10. Is there such a thing as luck? Does it matter if I eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day? Luck refers to the idea of events occurring due to chance, rather than effort, skill, or planning. While some view luck as random, others believe it’s influenced by mystical forces or personal attitudes. Some, like the author of The Gift book (which I hated and flung across the room), believes that you draw "luck" to yourself by the way you think. Some think luck is fate. Was it luck that penicillin was invented? Luck that put together Steve Wasnick and Bill Gates? Was it luck that I met my husband, and we married?

That's not 13 things, but I am stopping there because that's a lot of sentences. This will just have to be a 10 Thursday for me. All of that thinking made my brain hurt!

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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 887th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

1. This is the week to ponder about the death of my friend who died in 2021. There was no closure. No funeral, no anything except my own personal visit to see her headstone. She was cremated. She died of a terminal illness, but things still feel unfinished. I wonder if it will always feel like this.

2. This was also the week to celebrate the life of my mother-in-law, who had a birthday. We bought her flowers and took her out to eat for dinner. She gets around very well to be an older person.

3. Winter finally decided to put in an appearance with colder temperatures and wind. I don't mind the cold temperatures, but I do mind the wind. It was howling like a coyote with its tail on fire around 5 a.m. this morning.

4. I wasn't expecting any packages today but found one at the back door just a while ago. I wasn't expecting it until Saturday. I do a lot of online shopping this time of year. Maybe one day I will visit the mall. That would be different.

5. My office is messy, and I feel overwhelmed when I think about trying to clean it up. I know I need to do it in steps . . . today just do this section . . . and it will eventually get done, but inertia is easier.

6. My walking on the treadmill is going well. I have moved the speed up a little and am now up to 21 minutes. I know that doesn't sound like much but when you have health issues, trust me, it's good.

7. I have a lot of books that I need to donate or give away, but no one wants books anymore. The library holds a book sale a few times a year and I have donated books to that in the past (and then once or twice bought my own book back without realizing it). But the last few times I've tried to donate books there, they told me they were full.

8. I also need to rid myself of a few guitars. They take up a lot of space.

9. And while I'm ridding myself of things, I have lots of paper records that one day need to find their way to a shredder. I still have checks from 1983 up in the attic. Not that I can get into the attic, but I know they are there. The banks used to mail you your checks back, long time ago.

10. I have a lottery ticket here on my desk that I'm trying to keep at the top of the piles of paper. That thing might be lucky come Friday. Whadda ya think?

11. We have not filled the bird feeder this year. It swings there, empty. When the wind stops blowing, I should probably bring the feeder inside if we're not going to use it.

12. I am listening to a Fern Michaels book that came across the library app when I was looking for something new. I hadn't read a Fern Michaels book in many years. I didn't even know anyone was still writing under that name.

13. Back in the day, not only did I like Fern Michaels, but I also liked Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney. I wonder how many of my blog readers know who those authors are?

There. Thirteen things. Whew. I thought I might not make it today.

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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 886th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen #885

Since is Thanksgiving here in the United States, it seems appropriate (and probably a little lazy) to make a list of 13 things for which I am grateful.

1. My husband of 41 years, who has put up with all sorts of craziness from me and continues to love me in spite of myself. He's a good man and I love him very much.

2. My personal creative process, which encompasses a wide range of things from writing to music to an occasional spurt of coloring in a coloring book. Sometimes I even do crafty things, but not very often. It is generally the writing and the music that attract me and keep me going.

3. I am very grateful for books. I would not be who I am today if I had not been a constant reader, always delving into this world or that. Books broaden my world and keep my brain thinking.

4. Education also tops my list of things for which I am grateful. I loved school, even elementary school, and only found it more to my liking as I aged and moved into high school and then college. I strongly suspect I missed a calling as a professor - I would have enjoyed that, I think.

5. The career I did have as a writer of local news was incredibly satisfying and while it didn't make me rich, it certainly made me well-known and, in some circles, highly thought of. I know not everyone liked what I wrote, but a good journalist makes enemies.

6. I am very thankful for my family, even the ones I seldom see. I have a wide range of cousins out there, too many to list by far, and I recently discovered a new one who lives just down the road from me. She was writing about her great aunt on Facebook in a history group, and that person was my great aunt, too, so we are either second cousins or first cousins once removed. I can't figure that out without a chart, but I think it is the "once removed" part.

7. My friends are also atop my list of people for whom I am grateful. I do not have many close friends, but the ones I have I treasure and love deeply. They help keep me sane.

8. I am especially grateful for my brother, who should be under the "family" heading, I suppose, but I shall single him out because he is the only person in the world who shares my past. My father is still alive but he does not share my past in the way my brother does, because he saw it as adult and child, while my brother and I were both children. We have a tight bond to be siblings, and I am grateful for that.

9. My computer makes me, well, not happy, but it does keep me "out there" and that is something. Occasionally I'd like to throw the thing out the window, but I still use it constantly.

10. I am grateful to be alive. I had a few times when that wasn't a certainty, especially when I had sepsis because of endometriosis and ovarian cysts, and again when I had e-coli, once when I had pneumonia, and a few other times that I won't go into. I honestly never expected to live this long, so each day is a gift.

11. I am thankful for my house, which we moved into about this time of year a very long time ago. In 1987, we built our home ourselves, hammering nails and all of that. My husband had loads of help from firefighters he worked with, many of whom had second jobs as carpenters, roofers, and painters. While not exactly a good old-fashioned barn raising, it certainly was a multi-friend and family effort.

12. I am grateful too for the technology that makes texting possible. It's a quick and easy way to catch up with folks. While I personally prefer an actual conversation to a text, a text is acceptable.

13. There really is no "last" in a list of things for which one might be grateful, is there? There's the beautiful sky, the lovely Blue Ridge Mountains, neighbors, the stars in the dark sky, the clouds that make beautiful sunsets - honestly, there is no end to the list of things I could be grateful for.

And I am especially grateful for you, dear reader, whoever you are and wherever you are. I hope that you have a very wonderful day.

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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 885th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

Back in August, I decided to try to get my stamina up by walking more. I have a chronic pain issue that makes things difficult, but I wanted to try to move past it. I could tell I really needed to be up and moving, having let a lot of my physical therapy exercises slide since 2020.

So, I started out on the treadmill and could manage 3 minutes before pain stopped me. I tried listening to music, then to audio books, and managed to get up to about 5 minutes, but the pain was making it difficult to get beyond such a small time on the treadmill. I knew I needed something to watch that (a) kept me deeply engrossed (so I wouldn't mind the pain so much); (b) greatly enjoyed; and (c) had subtitles because the treadmill is loud.

It turns out that Amazon Prime has all the seasons of Xena: Warrior Princess available - with subtitles! And it's free to watch for prime members.

So, I started watching Xena: Warrior Princess. I was a big fan of the show when it aired originally, but it had been over 20 years since I'd seen an episode.

It took me about a week to walk through episodes 1 and 2. And then I found I was up to 10 minutes before the pain had me stopping. So now it took me 4 days to get through a show.

And then I moved it up to 13 minutes. Then 15 minutes. And now I'm up to 20 minutes. I seem stuck there, so it takes me two days to watch one episode of the show, but that's ok. Twenty minutes a day is not bad and hopefully with time I can move it on up. I try but going longer really sets me back so for now it's better to hold on to where I am and occasionally test it to see if I can go a little longer without as much agony. I may never get past 20 minutes but that's 20 minutes I wasn't doing, right?

Anyway, I have always loved the show, and I thought I'd share 13 reasons why I do:

1. It has an empowering female protagonist. Xena, played by Lucy Lawless, is a strong, independent female lead who defies traditional gender roles. She kicks butt in a campy but enthralling way.

2. The show rests on an iconic duo. Every heroine needs a sidekick, and the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle (Renee O’Connor) is the heart of the show. Throughout the series, their relationship is showcased, and it's a deep and evolving friendship.

3. The series masterfully weaves Greek mythology with creative storytelling, featuring gods like Ares, Aphrodite, and Zeus. The first season also throws in some Biblical stories, and I know later seasons explore other religions, like Tao, Hinduism, etc.

4. The show delivers thrilling fight scenes, including Xena’s signature moves like her warrior cry and chakram throws. For some reason, I really like it when she uses her whip to get herself out of bad situations. She has many skills.

5. The show has a great character and story arc that the writers are fairly faithful to. It has moral complexity as Xena journeys from a ruthless warlord to a hero, seeking redemption.

6. The series tackles themes like love, betrayal, forgiveness, and destiny. It also touches on things like, do we have a soul mate, and the dead can hear our thoughts. Interesting ideas to think about. 

7. The show is campy and has lots of humor and wit. It has quirky characters like Joxer or the playful Aphrodite to help offset Xena's sometimes morose point of view.

8. Despite Xena's dark side, the show offers an inspirational message: we call can go on a quest for redemption and do good. Change is possible.

9. The show's a fantasy, with a mix of myth and history blended into it. 

10. It has memorable villains like Callisto, Caesar, and Alti. They are deeply engaging and provide Xena with formidable challenges.

11. The music score is great. It's the only TV show I ever bought the soundtrack to. It still pops up arbitrarily on my computer playlist sometimes. 

12. The storytelling is varied. Episodes range from epic battles to heartfelt character-driven stories, to light-hearted comedies.

13. Xena and Gabrielle travel across diverse landscapes, from Greece to Egypt, encountering new challenges and cultures.

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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 884th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

Here are some commonly used informal words and phrases, often referred to as “non-words.”

Ain't: A contraction for "am not," "is not," "are not," "has not," or "have not."

Gonna: A contraction of "going to."

Wanna: A contraction of "want to."

Y'all: A contraction of "you all," commonly used in Southern American English.

Kinda: A contraction of "kind of."

Sorta: A contraction of "sort of."

Gotta: A contraction of "got to" or "have got to."

Lemme: A contraction of "let me."

Dunno: A contraction of "don't know."

Cuz: A contraction of "because."

Gimme: A contraction of "give me."

Outta: A contraction of "out of."

Ya: An informal version of "you."

A lotta: A contraction of "a lot of."

Shoulda: A contraction of "should have."

These words and phrases are often used in everyday conversation to convey a relaxed and casual tone. However, in formal communication, it's important to use standard language to ensure clarity and maintain a professional style.

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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 883rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

Here are 13 topics I frequently write about, not necessarily in order:

1. Local life and culture

2. Personal reflections

3. Nature and rural imagery

4. Photography

5. Historical insights

6. Health and wellness

7. Writing and storytelling

8. Literature and book reviews

9. Current events

10. Social issues

11. Personal achievements

12. Relationships

13. Reflections on aging

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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 881st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

It's a Halloween Thirteen!

Here are 13 scary story ideas for the day!

1. The Unmarked Letter

A letter arrived with no return address. Inside was a single sentence: “I know where you’ll be tonight.” She laughed it off—until she saw her own handwriting on the page.

2. The Mirror’s Reflection

Every night, his reflection smiled back at him…until one evening, it didn’t. Instead, it mouthed words he couldn’t hear, pressing a hand against the glass as if begging for release.

3. Whispers in the Walls

New to the house, she started hearing whispers late at night. “Get out,” the voices urged. One night, she saw a shadow dart across her room, only to realize the whispers sounded eerily like her own.

4. The Forgotten Room

When they opened the old storage door in their new home, they found a fully furnished, dusty bedroom. Everything was neatly arranged as if waiting for someone to return—except for the footprints leading to the bed.

5. Nightly Visitor

For weeks, he felt a presence lingering over him while he slept. One night, he woke to see the shadow hovering, murmuring his name with a voice that sounded strangely familiar.

6. The Broken Clock

Every night at 3:15, the broken clock in her kitchen chimed once. She dismissed it until she checked the date on the clock's calendar: it marked the exact day her grandmother had died.

7. A Call from Nowhere

Her phone rang with no caller ID. When she picked up, she heard her own voice, older, weaker, saying, “Don’t go into the basement.” The line went dead, but the warning lingered.

8. The Locked Door

A locked door stood at the end of the hallway, forgotten by everyone but her. Curiosity won out one night, and she turned the key, only to find herself staring at her own empty house . . . from decades before.

9. The Photo Album

She found an old family album filled with strangers’ faces—but there she was in the background of every photo, staring directly at the camera, decades before she was even born.

10. Flickering Lights

Every evening, the lights would flicker once at exactly 9:00. When the electrician checked, he said the circuit was fine. Later, she found an old letter stating that a child had died at 9 p.m. each day for a month.

11. The Midnight Song

A soft lullaby echoed through the house at midnight every night. She brushed it off, thinking it was an old music box. One night, she found the box broken and rusted—but the song still played.

12. Footsteps on the Ceiling

He heard footsteps above him in his apartment, rhythmic and constant, even though no one lived there. One night, they stopped right above his bed, accompanied by a whisper: “I’ve been here all along.”

13. The Haunted Journal

She found an empty journal in an antique store. Every night, new entries appeared, recounting events from her day that no one else could have known—until the last page read, “Tomorrow, they come for you.”

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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 881st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen #880

Here are 13 great things about Botetourt County, VA, where I live:

1. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Botetourt County offers stunning landscapes and picturesque views. One can enjoy miles of hiking trails, including parts of the Appalachian Trail and the Andy Lane Trail. The James River is perfect for kayaking, fishing, and other water activities and the Blue Ridge Parkway, known as "America's Favorite Drive," offers breathtaking views and connects to many local attractions.

2. Historic Towns: Explore the charm of Fincastle, Buchanan, and Troutville, each with its own unique history and character. The Lewis and Clark expedition started in Fincastle and Clark wed a local girl, Judith Hancock, back in the day (1800s).  Buchanan is a great spot for finding antiques and local art. We also have historic communities such as Eagle Rock and Blue Ridge that are not incorporated towns but have intriguing histories of their own. And we mustn't forget the historic Greenfield, now an industrial park but once a part of a large plantation owned by Revolutionary War hero Colonel William Preston.

3. Botetourt County Historical Society & Museum offers an opportunity to dive into the rich history of the area. The Fincastle Library has an excellent genealogy room that is a must-visit for anyone researching their ancestors from this area.

4. We have local festivals, artisan fairs, and outdoor concerts. Last weekend, for example, we had Open Studios, where artists invited the public into their workspaces to show off their paintings, photography, and woodworking skills.

5. The Botetourt Farmers Market offers up fresh, local produce and handmade goods from April until late October.

6. The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail (we call it Route 76) is a popular route for cyclists passing through the county.

7. The Botetourt Sports Complex is a hub for local sports and community events and is a major draw for many out-of-town ball games and competitions.

8. Much of the county is part of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, which offers plenty of opportunities for fishing, hunting, and bird or animal watching. Outdoor sports enthusiasts should feel right at home here.

9. The Botetourt Golf & Swim Club is a great place for golf and relaxation and is open to the general public (along with memberships). The county has another golf course located at Ashley Plantation Golf Course, too, giving golfers plenty of challenge at either location.

10. We have a new brewery opening up in Buchanan! It joins three wineries: Blue Ridge Vineyard, Stoney Brook Vineyards, and Virginia Mountain Vineyards as another spot to enjoy local scenery and chill.

11. The local YMCA in Daleville serves as a community hub. You can pick up or drop off library books there and they have a children's area that is specifically designed to work with disabled youth. They also have a "stay and play" drop-in daycare. 

12. We have a few archeological sites in the county, especially in the northern end, but their location is mostly secret to keep vandals away.

13. Good schools keep our youth active and involved in learning. Botetourt County Public Schools is a highly rated public school district. It has about 4,500 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. According to state test scores, 76% of students are at least proficient in math and 82% in reading.

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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 880th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

1. I received my Covid shot on Tuesday. I chose Pfizer and made a point of not taking the Covid and flu shots at the same time. Aside from a little tiredness on Wednesday, I noticed no ill effects from the vaccine.

2. Better safe than sorry. I know the vaccine won't protect me completely, and I may still catch Covid if I'm not careful, but I am doing my best to stay healthy.

3. That includes trying to eat better, which is always a struggle. Why is it that my body seems to crave the very foods I'm not supposed to eat? When I try to eat better, sometimes a salad makes me feel worse than if I'd eaten a candy bar.

4. Taking care of yourself is a full-time job, one that I wasn't taught to do well by my parents. They didn't exercise, or make a point of leisure. They worked. Hard. And I was brought up to do the same.

5. That said, my inability to "work hard" has a tendency to leave me depressed. My body let me down with its endometriosis and gallbladder attacks and now adhesions in my gut that cause pain during 90 percent of my day.

6. However, I am still sticking to the walking on the treadmill. I am stuck at 20 minutes a day for the moment, but that's 20 minutes of walking I wasn't doing but am doing now. Pats on the back to me for sticking with it in spite of the pain.

7. We have voted already. Early voting started in Virginia in September, and last week we went and cast our votes. I was voter number 1,555, according to the counter that a poll worker helpfully pointed out to me to ensure I could see that my vote was cast and counted by the machine. I do wonder if since I know that if my secrecy of my vote is secure. I'm assuming the vote papers land in a nice little pile. Couldn't a poll worker simply count to 1,555 and say, "Aha! I know how she voted now!" ?

8. I was writing about voting security back in the early 2000s, when this county switched to what they called Win voting machines. They were all electronic, no paper to see anywhere, and I did not consider them secure in the least. I wrote a couple of articles about it, though if I am remembering correctly, they were mostly, "Yes, the voting machines are safe" articles because the voter registrar said so. At the time using the Internet for research wasn't so predominate so it was difficult to find an opposing opinion. Without seeing the articles, I don't recall if I found one.

9. It wasn't that I was a voting conspiracy theorist, I just felt like paper ballots allowed for a trail in the event of something happening. What if the power had gone out? No one could vote. I wasn't concerned about "illegal voters" or anything like that. I was just concerned about the security of the machines themselves. So were other people.

10. I used to think some conspiracy theories were harmless. Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, for example. Now we have conspiracy theories that are detrimental to a lot of people and are causing harm to many. Now I don't think any of them are harmless.

11. Home is where the heart is, and it's where I spend way too much time. It's just easier. And hopefully here I can do no harm.

12. The recent flooding in the mountains from Hurricane Helene have brought back a lot of memories. These old mountains flood terribly when a tropical front stalls over them. I remember the flooding from Hurricane Camille in 1969, Hurricane Agnes in 1972, and the flooding from 1985 (which I don't think was associated with a hurricane, but the remnants of a tropical storm). It doesn't happen often, but when it does happen, it's bad. 

Here's a video of the Flood of '85.

13. Mother Nature is vicious sometimes. But what would we do without her? I feel bad for the folks who were flooded out in various communities on the east coast. I also know that help arrives as quickly as it can. Sometimes all you can do is help yourself. Maybe most of the time.

*I really don't like these TTs where my brain just wanders all over the place.*

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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 879th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen books in my "TBR" pile:

1. The Nature of Witches, by Rachel Griffin

2. "Nothing is worth more than this day," by Kathryn & Ross Petras

3. Coyote Weather, by Amanda Cockrell*

4. Chronicles of Botetourt County, by Edwin L. McCoy*

5. West of Santillane, by Brook Allen*

6. Kingdom of Copper, by S.A. Chakraborty

7. News! by Dan Smith*

8. The President's Daughter, by Bill Clinton & James Patterson

9. Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction, by Orson Scott Card, et al

10. The Year of Living Constitutionally, by A. J. Jacobs

11. From Strength to Strength, by Arthur C. Brooks

12. Atomic Habits, by James Clear

13. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder **

* Local authors. I like to support the local authors when I can.

** I've picked it up and skipped around in it to read various chapters, but haven't read the entire thing.

The big question then is - will I ever get these read? Probably eventually, but this year I seem more into listening to audiobooks than reading. I have this need to listen. I think it is because I myself do not feel heard.

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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 877th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

1. I didn't quite forget it was Thursday, but I came close.

2. I've been trying for weeks to get a flu shot. Finally, last night I got an appointment scheduled at the pharmacy for 7 p.m. for both my husband and I. We arrived to find I had no appointment, but he did. They gave me the shot anyway but charged me $42. 

3. I spent part of the morning on the phone with the insurance company trying to find out why I was charged for something that my paperwork says should have been free.

4. The concierge for the health insurance company suggested I had run across a new employee who didn't know what he was doing. I don't know if he was new, but he did not know what he was doing when it came to my insurance.

5. This is strange because CVS is owned by Aetna. Shouldn't they know how to work together? Now I have to go back to CVS and ask them to fix it.

6. We went to the Fincastle Festival on Saturday. I put up pictures but wrote nothing to go with them because while we had a nice hour there, the Fincastle Festival is not what it once was. Once upon a time, the Fincastle Festival drew 10,000 people or more, and the streets teemed with folks shopping for quality arts and crafts.

7. Large craft shows like the Fincastle Festival once was do not appear to be the draw they used to be. Is this because of Etsy? People making their own little crafts? It's not from the pandemic - the Festival was dying long before that.

8. I also have not mentioned Hurricane Helene and the damage this power of nature wrought on the east coast. The hurricane turned into a tropical storm that left loads of water in its wake, and all of that water dumped on Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia. Whole communities washed away in places where more than 30 inches of rain fell.

9. We are doing our part to help those who were inundated with winds and rain. We are helping farmers through our local farmers' cooperative, which agreed to match up to $25K in donations. We purchased many bags of beef cattle feed to be sent to the farmers who lost their hay and other food sources, and our purchase was matched by the cooperative. It seemed the best way to double the impact.

10. I've also made smaller donations where I can. There is so much that needs to be rebuilt and there are many who lost their lives. The last I heard, over 175 people so far have been found dead from floods. Locally, a young woman died when a chicken coop blew over on top of her in the very strong winds we experienced.

11. There is also a strike by the longshoremen, and this appears to have sent some folks into panic mode as far as buying toilet paper and eggs. Both are made here in the US and should not be impacted by a strike at the ports. However, some of the purchases may be to send to the folks who were more greatly impacted by the hurricane. It looks like panic buying, but perhaps not.

12. I am having trouble managing my time lately. I feel unmoored and ill at ease. I'm not sure what is going on. Perhaps it is the coming winter? The shorter days?

13. My pocketbook, which I have carried for years (since before the pandemic), finally fell apart. I have another but I have not yet changed them out. I seem reluctant to let go of the one that has served me for so long. It was a Kim Rogers, and I have another Kim Rogers to replace it with that I bought at the same time and stowed away for just such a moment, but I am quite attached to my old one.

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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 877th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

Here’s a list of 13 ways to be the ultimate professional, applicable to almost any occupation:

1. Maintain a Positive Attitude. Always bring a positive, can-do approach to your work, especially when facing challenges. Positivity is contagious and helps foster a productive environment.

2. Be Punctual. Arrive on time, meet deadlines, and respect others’ schedules. Punctuality demonstrates reliability and respect for time.

3. Communicate Clearly. Whether written or verbal, ensure your communication is clear, concise, and respectful. Effective communication prevents misunderstandings and enhances collaboration.

4. Stay Organized and Manage Time Effectively. Keep your workspace and tasks organized. Being organized allows you to prioritize, meet deadlines, and be more productive. Prioritize tasks, set realistic deadlines, and avoid procrastination. Effective time management helps you maintain high productivity levels.

5. Show Accountability. Own up to your responsibilities and mistakes. Being accountable builds trust and shows maturity.

6. Dress Appropriately. Adopt a dress code that reflects the standards of your profession or workplace. First impressions count and dressing appropriately shows respect for your work environment.

7. Develop Emotional Intelligence. Be aware of your emotions and how they affect others. Emotional intelligence helps in managing interpersonal relationships and navigating workplace dynamics.

8. Be Solution-Oriented. When faced with problems, focus on solutions rather than just identifying the issues. Demonstrating initiative in problem-solving makes you invaluable.

9. Respect Confidentiality. Handle sensitive information with care. Respect for confidentiality shows integrity and professionalism.

10. Continuously Learn. Stay updated with industry trends and continue developing your skills. Lifelong learning keeps you relevant and competitive.

11. Show Respect for Others. Treat colleagues, clients, and supervisors with respect, regardless of their position. Kindness and respect foster a positive work culture.

12. Adapt to Change and Stay Calm Under Pressure.

Be open to change and adaptable in dynamic work environments. Flexibility is a valuable asset in a fast-paced world. When things go wrong, stay calm and collected. Handling stressful situations with composure reflects strong professionalism.

13. Deliver Quality Work. Aim for excellence in everything you do. Consistently delivering high-quality work ensures you stand out as a professional in your field.

I have trouble with some of these, particularly organization (I have a system, but no one else understands it), and keeping a positive attitude. I'm prone to depression so that makes positivity positively difficult sometimes. I always do my best but have accepted that sometimes the best I can do on one particular day maybe would have been better done on another day, but that's how things roll sometimes.

I don't think I'm very strong on the "emotional intelligence" thing, either. The older I get, the less tolerant I am becoming of people and their idiosyncrasies. I'm trying to do better, which is taking the form of simply not talking and trying to listen without speaking. That in and of itself is becoming problematic. 

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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 876th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen #875

Here are 13 reasons to like autumn:

1. Beautiful Foliage: The changing colors of leaves create breathtaking landscapes, although this year, with the drought we've had all summer, the leaves are either dropping straight from the trees or changing color early.

2. Cooler Weather: Crisp, refreshing air makes outdoor activities more enjoyable. After two months of blistering 90+ degree days, it's time for a bit of a cool down.

3. Cozy Clothing: Sweaters, scarves, and boots make for warm and stylish outfits. I like the bulky clothes because I can hide in them.

4. Festive Holidays: Halloween and Thanksgiving bring a sense of celebration and togetherness. I love Halloween even though I do nothing to celebrate it.

5. Seasonal Foods: Comfort foods like soups, stews, and apple cider are perfect for chilly days. Cooler days are definitely good soup days. Also, I like apples, and they ripen in the fall.

6. Outdoor Activities: Apple picking, corn mazes, and hayrides are fun autumn traditions. I don't personally partake in them anymore, what with my allergies, but I know lots of folks enjoy these types of things.

7. Fewer Allergies: For many, fall offers relief from the pollen-heavy spring and summer seasons. However, it also means mold, and I'm allergic to mold in abundance.

8. Less Humidity: Cooler temperatures often mean less sticky humidity, creating a pleasant environment. I'm thankful for that.

9. Long Walks: Scenic hikes through colorful forests are peaceful and rejuvenating. It has been a long time since I've gone hiking, but I used to love to take a roam around when I was younger.

10. Festive Decor: Decorating with pumpkins, gourds, and warm colors brings a cozy atmosphere to homes, although I personally go for the evil looking pumpkin faces and witches.

11. Starry Nights: Clear, crisp autumn evenings often make for great stargazing opportunities. There's nothing like looking at the vastness of the night sky to realize how insignificant you really are.

12. Football Season: Fall brings the excitement of football games, whether you’re a fan of playing or watching. We sometimes watch the college games, but not the professional games. Also, I met my husband at a football game, all of those many years ago.

13. Back-to-School Energy: A fresh start for students brings a sense of renewal and focus. I always want to buy notebooks and pencils this time of year.

How about you? Does Autumn mean anything special to you?

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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 875th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

 

Thursday Thirteen

It's another free-for-all Thursday 13! I have nothing in my brain to write out, so here we go with a little freewheeling thinking.

1. The "Top Ten" music show on AXIOS had a "200 top songs" from the 1970s countdown. I disagreed with a lot of the top 20. They had Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen as the number 1. I don't know what they used for their criteria for top songs.

2. I listen to a lot of 1970s music because that's the era I was a teen in. Once I figured out I could turn the dial on the radio in my bedroom, I got off of that country stuff my parents listened to and was Top 40 with Casey Kasem all the way.

3. My husband, on the other hand, listens to hard rock. His bands are AC/DC, ZZ Top, and the Rolling Stones. Our record collection looks freaky, because we kept our old albums. So, he has all of these hard rock albums and I have The Captain and Tenille.

4. The other day I was sitting at the computer working and I started humming Christmas carols. When I realized what I was doing, I stopped. It's far too early for that!

5. There aren't many Halloween songs. Monster Mash is one. Flying Purple People Eater is a possibility. Perhaps the best one is Michael Jackson's Thriller. It helps to have the video with that one.

6. I have read thousands of books, magazine, and newspaper articles over my lifetime. Most stories are forgettable. I read one book when I was about 20 that involved a heroine who was in a car crash. She was a concert pianist and when she realized the car was going to wreck, she put her hands into her lap to protect them so she could continue to play. But she ended up hitting her head and so she couldn't play anyway. I don't know why that has stuck with me. Maybe because I thought it was not a smart thing to do but I understood why she did it.

7. Changing gears now. What do people do with the little bits of leftover bar soap? I keep them but I don't know what to do with them. It seems a waste to throw them out. Sometimes I smush them together and when it's a big enough blob I use it at the sink to wash my hands, but that can get messy. There must be a real solution to this. No, I haven't searched for an answer, it just popped into my head.

8. Monday, we received our 9th notification of a data breach. That's one a month for this year. Some of these have been healthcare billing companies that we knew nothing about. How do you keep your data safe when you don't even know your dentist or doctor uses a different billing company?

9. We also received a notice from the Pennsylvania Turnpike people that we owed them money for being on the turnpike. Except we have never been on a Pennsylvania Turnpike. And we haven't been out of Virginia since 2019. It's a real notice, I checked, but the license plate is actually an Arizona license plate, not a Virginia one.

10. Everything has gotten hard. I don't know if that is age, society, or just life in general, but it seems like everything is much harder than it needs to be. Even going to the grocery store creates anxiety anymore.

11. Speaking of groceries, I cannot find good grapes. I bought some about a month ago - they were Welch's - and they were really good. I bought some more of the same brand on Tuesday, and they are awful. I know some people taste test grapes before they buy them, but I never do that. They haven't been washed and who knows what is on them.

12. Thursday really snuck up on me this week. I thought it was Wednesday which is why I'm trying to get out something that is completely disconnected in thought. Sometimes the days just go really fast. Time really does go by quickly as you age.

13. I never thought I would live this long. When I was younger, I thought if I made it to 30 it would be a miracle. And then I made 30. At some point, I stopped worrying about it. I think that happened after my mother died.

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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 874th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.