Last Friday, January 16, the thermometer dipped and dropped to 2 degrees Fahrenheit.
As we readied for bed, the lights blinked.
"That can't be good," my husband said. He glanced out the window.
"The hayfield's on fire!" he cried. He grabbed his britches while I went to the window.
A long line of fire covered the field in front of my in-law's house. I saw car headlights. "I think someone must have hit a light pole," my husband said as he raced for his pick up truck.
"Call Mom and Dad and make sure they're alright."
My in-laws are both 75 years old; my father-in-law is on oxygen. I made the call and my father-in-law answered; he was so agitated and excited that we had little coherent conversation. He did tell me their power was out and he couldn't find a flashlight. Ultimately he hung up on me.
Then our power went out. I hunted up my cell phone and called my husband to tell him he needed to go check on his parents. I couldn't get the car through because by this time the road was blocked with my husband's pick up and a few other vehicles.
There had not been a wreck; instead a power line had snapped. The electricity set the field afire.
I watched out the window as fire trucks arrived; not long after there was no blaze.
My husband powered up a generator for his folks so that his father's oxygen machine could run.
We heat with electricity but do have a fireplace. We don't burn it very much because the smoke from it upsets my allergies. We debated on whether or not to start a fire but decided to wait and see if the power was still out come morning.
We snuggled in for a cold night's sleep. Around 2 a.m., the doorbell rang, the phones went off and a light came on.
The power was back, although it blinked a lot and did not remain on solidly for the next 12 hours
The phones were another story. They were out and nothing I did on my end made them return. The phone company called Saturday night around 6:30 p.m. to say they had a dial tone at their end now and if I didn't have service, there was something wrong in my house.
When I tried to plug in a phone, it rang and rang, with no dial tone, just a buzz.
I had unplugged the computer and all the phones. I finally remembered that the box for the DirecTV plugs into a phone jack so you can order up pay-per-view movies.
I unplugged that, and lo, I had telephone service. However, I still did not have an Internet connection.
I called the phone company to tell them I had a dial tone, and at that time they said it would be Monday before my Internet came back.
And that is why I haven't been posting on my blog!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A Big Day
I simply could not let this day go by without acknowledging it on my blog.
A new day.
A new hope.
A new President of the United States.
I am not as enamoured of soon-to-be President Obama as some; I made no secret that I preferred Hillary Clinton, who will instead by the new Secretary of State. But Mr. Obama will be my president and as such I will give him my support until such time as he proves himself unworthy of it.
I pray that this does bring about a new dawn for this country, and that the many problems we have will begin to be addressed.
A new day.
A new hope.
A new President of the United States.
I am not as enamoured of soon-to-be President Obama as some; I made no secret that I preferred Hillary Clinton, who will instead by the new Secretary of State. But Mr. Obama will be my president and as such I will give him my support until such time as he proves himself unworthy of it.
I pray that this does bring about a new dawn for this country, and that the many problems we have will begin to be addressed.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Thursday Thirteen
I swiped these questions from Becky over at Peevish Pen.
I broke them up and didn't answer all of them; just up to 13.
1. If you’re a writer, what do you write?
I write nonfiction newspaper articles. I average over 30 a month; lately it's been more like 40, leaving little time for anything else.
Writing for me means doing interviews, taking photos, making lots of phone calls. Gathering the information is an important part of the process.
I also have a few novels in the drawer, one finished, several started but not complete. I am also working on a nonfiction history book.
I also sometimes write poetry.
I have a terrible tendency to put my own projects last; hence they don't get done.
2. What do you do when you’re not writing?
I play the guitar. I exercise. I read a lot at night; I average about 50 books annually, mostly fiction at this stage in my life. I also am a wife so there is always cooking, cleaning and laundry. Not to mention going to the market.
3. Are you published? Agented? Hopeful?
My nonfiction has been and continues to be published in many local newspapers (The Fincastle Herald, the Vinton Messenger, the Cave Spring Connection, The Roanoke Times, The Salem-Times Register, The New Castle Record, etc., ); a couple of local magazines - The Roanoker (a very long time ago) and OurHealth. I was also published several times in a statewide magazine called Cooperative Living, and a few other places.
I once had a fiction story published in a Christmas story anthology printed by The Roanoke Times. I've also had some poetry published. All of that was in the 1990s, though. I guess it still counts.
I've been publishing since 1985 when my first piece, entitled "Making Shiloh Apple Butter" appeared in The Fincastle Herald.
I don't have an agent because nothing I've written is at that point.
4. What do you love about books?
I don't understand people who don't love books. They are full of words and ideas and images and they bring entire worlds to your doorstep. All you have to do is read them. They are portable, small, fit well in my hands. They smell good, too, when they're brand new. They have colorful covers and intriguing pictures sometimes.
What's not to love, as Mrs. B. says over at Peevish Pen.
5. What drives you crazy about books?
I can't think of anything that drives me crazy about books. The publishing industry might be something else again - I wish publishers would take more risks with new writers.
6. Starbucks, Peets, or Folger’s Crystals?
I don't drink coffee much. I occasionally have a French Vanilla decaf but not very often.
7. The beach, the mountains, or completely lost and without a map?
I am actually pretty happy on my own little farm, looking out my window and watching the clouds roll by. Last night I saw 17 deer in the front yard. And I do mean the front yard.
8. Are you excited about the new seasons of “Lost” and “American Idol”? If not, what’s wrong with you?
I have never watched either of these shows. See the notation above about reading a book. I would much rather be lost in a book than lost in a show called "Lost". As for American Idol, I stopped watching anything on FOX about 10 years ago.
9. Here’s a $25,000 advance. How will you spend it?
I'd bank it and possibly take six months off from the newspaper (or at least slow down the volume a little) so I could finish whatever the advance was for and start on a new personal project.
10. Kindle: Useful reading device or harbinger of the literary apocalypse?
I am intrigued by these but I can't seem them ever replacing a book or a real newspaper for me. I am old fashioned that way. Let's face it, new media is interesting but ... acid free paper has shown it will lay around for several hundred years. A CD Rom won't last 20. I predict that this era will have few records because the new media isn't going to last to give an historical accounting.
11. If a picture paints a thousand words, how many pictures do 80,000 words paint?
If they are good words, they might paint an entire movie, which would be an awful lot of pictures.
Bad words might not paint anything at all.
12. What book do you wish you had written? Why didn’t you?
Pretty much any book published, although I have read some rather bad books that I am grateful I didn't write. I always wanted to write something like Nancy Drew books. Or Little House on the Prairie Books. Or Phyllis Whitney Books. Or Victoria Holt books. Or Janet Evanovich books. etc. etc. etc.
As to why didn't I, I seem to have a problem with large projects and finishing things. Short articles seem to be what works best for me. It's a kick in the pants but there you go.
13.What part of the world do you live in? And how bothered are you by sentences that end in a preposition?
I live in Virginia. Sentence that end in prepositions do not overtly bother me but I have been known to revise something from time to time to make sure the preposition has been removed. And then I've revised it back because it sounded funny.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
I broke them up and didn't answer all of them; just up to 13.
1. If you’re a writer, what do you write?
I write nonfiction newspaper articles. I average over 30 a month; lately it's been more like 40, leaving little time for anything else.
Writing for me means doing interviews, taking photos, making lots of phone calls. Gathering the information is an important part of the process.
I also have a few novels in the drawer, one finished, several started but not complete. I am also working on a nonfiction history book.
I also sometimes write poetry.
I have a terrible tendency to put my own projects last; hence they don't get done.
2. What do you do when you’re not writing?
I play the guitar. I exercise. I read a lot at night; I average about 50 books annually, mostly fiction at this stage in my life. I also am a wife so there is always cooking, cleaning and laundry. Not to mention going to the market.
3. Are you published? Agented? Hopeful?
My nonfiction has been and continues to be published in many local newspapers (The Fincastle Herald, the Vinton Messenger, the Cave Spring Connection, The Roanoke Times, The Salem-Times Register, The New Castle Record, etc., ); a couple of local magazines - The Roanoker (a very long time ago) and OurHealth. I was also published several times in a statewide magazine called Cooperative Living, and a few other places.
I once had a fiction story published in a Christmas story anthology printed by The Roanoke Times. I've also had some poetry published. All of that was in the 1990s, though. I guess it still counts.
I've been publishing since 1985 when my first piece, entitled "Making Shiloh Apple Butter" appeared in The Fincastle Herald.
I don't have an agent because nothing I've written is at that point.
4. What do you love about books?
I don't understand people who don't love books. They are full of words and ideas and images and they bring entire worlds to your doorstep. All you have to do is read them. They are portable, small, fit well in my hands. They smell good, too, when they're brand new. They have colorful covers and intriguing pictures sometimes.
What's not to love, as Mrs. B. says over at Peevish Pen.
5. What drives you crazy about books?
I can't think of anything that drives me crazy about books. The publishing industry might be something else again - I wish publishers would take more risks with new writers.
6. Starbucks, Peets, or Folger’s Crystals?
I don't drink coffee much. I occasionally have a French Vanilla decaf but not very often.
7. The beach, the mountains, or completely lost and without a map?
I am actually pretty happy on my own little farm, looking out my window and watching the clouds roll by. Last night I saw 17 deer in the front yard. And I do mean the front yard.
8. Are you excited about the new seasons of “Lost” and “American Idol”? If not, what’s wrong with you?
I have never watched either of these shows. See the notation above about reading a book. I would much rather be lost in a book than lost in a show called "Lost". As for American Idol, I stopped watching anything on FOX about 10 years ago.
9. Here’s a $25,000 advance. How will you spend it?
I'd bank it and possibly take six months off from the newspaper (or at least slow down the volume a little) so I could finish whatever the advance was for and start on a new personal project.
10. Kindle: Useful reading device or harbinger of the literary apocalypse?
I am intrigued by these but I can't seem them ever replacing a book or a real newspaper for me. I am old fashioned that way. Let's face it, new media is interesting but ... acid free paper has shown it will lay around for several hundred years. A CD Rom won't last 20. I predict that this era will have few records because the new media isn't going to last to give an historical accounting.
11. If a picture paints a thousand words, how many pictures do 80,000 words paint?
If they are good words, they might paint an entire movie, which would be an awful lot of pictures.
Bad words might not paint anything at all.
12. What book do you wish you had written? Why didn’t you?
Pretty much any book published, although I have read some rather bad books that I am grateful I didn't write. I always wanted to write something like Nancy Drew books. Or Little House on the Prairie Books. Or Phyllis Whitney Books. Or Victoria Holt books. Or Janet Evanovich books. etc. etc. etc.
As to why didn't I, I seem to have a problem with large projects and finishing things. Short articles seem to be what works best for me. It's a kick in the pants but there you go.
13.What part of the world do you live in? And how bothered are you by sentences that end in a preposition?
I live in Virginia. Sentence that end in prepositions do not overtly bother me but I have been known to revise something from time to time to make sure the preposition has been removed. And then I've revised it back because it sounded funny.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The 4th Picture
Kristin at Hello Sweet World tagged me for a photo meme.
Here’s how it works:
1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder
3) Explain the picture
4) Tag 4 people to do the same
I lucked out and have this shot of greenery. Doesn't it make you miss spring? This is from my 2007 folder. Taken in April.
Won't be long before we have this lovely color back!
I'm not going to tag anyone per se, but I hope that June at Spatter, Becky at Peevish Pen, Ms. E. at Roanoke RNR and Beth at Blue Ridge Blue Collar Girl decide they want to do this.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Books: The Sharing Knife
The Sharing Knife
by Lois McMaster Bujold
Copyright 2006
361 pages
This is a good fantasy! I am very pleased to have found another fantasy author.
Fawn has run away from home because she is pregnant. Along the way she sees a band of Lakewalkers. These are magic folks who protect the farmers from a Malice, which is a creature that rises from the ground and takes animals and people and turns them into zombie-like creatures.
Dag is patroller among the Lakewalkers. He saves Fawn from a mud-man (a creature made by the Malice) and together they kill the Malice.
But in so doing, Fawn loses her child. Her baby's essence is now trapped in a magical knife that belongs to Dag.
With this bond, the two eventually fall in love. Dag returns Fawn to her family. They are not bad people but they do not value Fawn very much.
In the end, Dag and Fawn end up together. The story continues in Book 2, which I suppose will deal with the essence trapped in the knife, since that was left unfinished in Book 1.
These books are very much like Tamaro Pierce's young adult works, except with subject matter that is more suited for older readers. Some violence but not too much. Very well-wrought characters, interesting magics.
I read this book in two nights. I really hated to put it down to go to bed!
I'm looking forward to Book 2.
5 stars
by Lois McMaster Bujold
Copyright 2006
361 pages
This is a good fantasy! I am very pleased to have found another fantasy author.
Fawn has run away from home because she is pregnant. Along the way she sees a band of Lakewalkers. These are magic folks who protect the farmers from a Malice, which is a creature that rises from the ground and takes animals and people and turns them into zombie-like creatures.
Dag is patroller among the Lakewalkers. He saves Fawn from a mud-man (a creature made by the Malice) and together they kill the Malice.
But in so doing, Fawn loses her child. Her baby's essence is now trapped in a magical knife that belongs to Dag.
With this bond, the two eventually fall in love. Dag returns Fawn to her family. They are not bad people but they do not value Fawn very much.
In the end, Dag and Fawn end up together. The story continues in Book 2, which I suppose will deal with the essence trapped in the knife, since that was left unfinished in Book 1.
These books are very much like Tamaro Pierce's young adult works, except with subject matter that is more suited for older readers. Some violence but not too much. Very well-wrought characters, interesting magics.
I read this book in two nights. I really hated to put it down to go to bed!
I'm looking forward to Book 2.
5 stars
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Shooting the Moon
Orange moon on Saturday, January 10, 2009, at about 7:15 a.m.
Full moon on January 11, 2009, as it peaked through the clouds.
Nearly full moon taken in December.
Full moon on Sunday, January 11, 2009, at about 6:50 a.m. as it peaked through the clouds.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Growing Old
I had a visit to my doctor today. I have now officially been diagnosed with high blood pressure or hypertension.
It's been high for a while. This past week, perhaps because I was recovering from a cold, it seemed to be higher than usual. At my doctor's urging in October I had purchased an automatic blood pressure machine but I wasn't using it much.
However, I could feel that something wasn't right. I was a little lightheaded. I could feel my pulse in my ears when I lay down at night. My temples throbbed.
On January 2 I started checking my blood pressure. The readings were not great. Definitely pre-hypertension at best.
Most of the readings averaged about 130/104. The top number is not so bad but apparently the bottom one needs to be below 90.
At one point I got a reading of 160/128. That was definitely high.
That wasn't helped by a phone conversation with my aunt, who is a nurse at Lewis Gale. I told her my numbers and she went nuts.
"You're going to have a heart attack or a stroke!" she said. "You need to get to the doctor as soon as you can."
After that conversation, my blood pressure went up to those very high numbers. I hardly slept Wednesday night for fear I might not wake up the next morning.
The doctor this morning gave me a diuretic. These are supposed to help lower your blood pressure.
Every single one of my uncles and my aunt on my mother's side of the family has high blood pressure, so this is not a surprise.
My brother has high blood pressure too (which I just found out) and he says he isn't taking any medication for it. He is three years younger than I.
I am also overweight and of course this adds to it. I have tried lots of diets and failed at all of them, so I suppose this is not something I am successful at.
I hate taking medication, too. Here I am, growing old.
Old age is not a nice reward for a life well-lived.
It's been high for a while. This past week, perhaps because I was recovering from a cold, it seemed to be higher than usual. At my doctor's urging in October I had purchased an automatic blood pressure machine but I wasn't using it much.
However, I could feel that something wasn't right. I was a little lightheaded. I could feel my pulse in my ears when I lay down at night. My temples throbbed.
On January 2 I started checking my blood pressure. The readings were not great. Definitely pre-hypertension at best.
Most of the readings averaged about 130/104. The top number is not so bad but apparently the bottom one needs to be below 90.
At one point I got a reading of 160/128. That was definitely high.
That wasn't helped by a phone conversation with my aunt, who is a nurse at Lewis Gale. I told her my numbers and she went nuts.
"You're going to have a heart attack or a stroke!" she said. "You need to get to the doctor as soon as you can."
After that conversation, my blood pressure went up to those very high numbers. I hardly slept Wednesday night for fear I might not wake up the next morning.
The doctor this morning gave me a diuretic. These are supposed to help lower your blood pressure.
Every single one of my uncles and my aunt on my mother's side of the family has high blood pressure, so this is not a surprise.
My brother has high blood pressure too (which I just found out) and he says he isn't taking any medication for it. He is three years younger than I.
I am also overweight and of course this adds to it. I have tried lots of diets and failed at all of them, so I suppose this is not something I am successful at.
I hate taking medication, too. Here I am, growing old.
Old age is not a nice reward for a life well-lived.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Thursday Thirteen
Knock-knock jokes. Love em or not...
1. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Ray. Ray who?
Ray-ders of the Lost Ark.
2. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Falafel. Falafel who?
Falafel off his bike and hurt his knee!
3. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Centipede. Centipede who?
Centipede on the Christmas tree.
4. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Madam. Madam who?
Madam, my finger is stuck in the door!
5. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Mae. Mae who?
Mae be I'll tell you or Mae be I won't...
6. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Andy Green. Andy Green, who?
Andy Green grass grows all around, all around. Andy Green grass grows all around.
7. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Rather. Rather who?
Rather not come in...
8. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Chimney. Chimney who?
Chimney cricket! Have you seen Pinocchio?
9. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Norway.Norway who?
Norway will I leave till you open this door!
10. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Utica. Utica who?
Utica the high road and I'll take the low road.
11. Knock Knock! Who's there?
UCI. UCI who?
UCI had to ring because you didn't answer when I knocked.
12. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Ed. Ed who?
Ed-vanced pain medicine.
13. And last but not least, my favorite dirty joke: White horse fell in the mud hole!
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.**
**Apparently there is a change in the Thursday Thirteen website. The above has been changed for the new address.
1. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Ray. Ray who?
Ray-ders of the Lost Ark.
2. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Falafel. Falafel who?
Falafel off his bike and hurt his knee!
3. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Centipede. Centipede who?
Centipede on the Christmas tree.
4. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Madam. Madam who?
Madam, my finger is stuck in the door!
5. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Mae. Mae who?
Mae be I'll tell you or Mae be I won't...
6. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Andy Green. Andy Green, who?
Andy Green grass grows all around, all around. Andy Green grass grows all around.
7. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Rather. Rather who?
Rather not come in...
8. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Chimney. Chimney who?
Chimney cricket! Have you seen Pinocchio?
9. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Norway.Norway who?
Norway will I leave till you open this door!
10. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Utica. Utica who?
Utica the high road and I'll take the low road.
11. Knock Knock! Who's there?
UCI. UCI who?
UCI had to ring because you didn't answer when I knocked.
12. Knock Knock! Who's there?
Ed. Ed who?
Ed-vanced pain medicine.
13. And last but not least, my favorite dirty joke: White horse fell in the mud hole!
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.**
**Apparently there is a change in the Thursday Thirteen website. The above has been changed for the new address.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
The Rose
Last night I watched the movie "The Rose" with Bette Midler. I had not planned to watch it but was too tired to read.
We have over 100 channels and there never seems to be anything on.
I saw The Rose in the theater in 1979. I went with my friends. We played together in a Top 40 cover band at that time and this seemed like a good movie for a bunch of wanna-be musicians to take in.
The movie is about a young rocker who just wants her life back but her agent/manager/producer wants her to keep working to make him money.
She does drugs and at the end, dies. Or at least the movie implies she does. I prefer to think she went into a coma and eventually woke up and went on to live a quiet life.
I suppose it is a thinly-veiled Janis Joplin movie.
Bette Midler does a great job in this movie. The song "The Rose" brings tears to my eyes nearly every time I hear it.
I remember when I saw the movie in the theater, us girls in the band were bawling when we left.
I did not cry last night when I watched it but it sure made me feel kind of sad.
We have over 100 channels and there never seems to be anything on.
I saw The Rose in the theater in 1979. I went with my friends. We played together in a Top 40 cover band at that time and this seemed like a good movie for a bunch of wanna-be musicians to take in.
The movie is about a young rocker who just wants her life back but her agent/manager/producer wants her to keep working to make him money.
She does drugs and at the end, dies. Or at least the movie implies she does. I prefer to think she went into a coma and eventually woke up and went on to live a quiet life.
I suppose it is a thinly-veiled Janis Joplin movie.
Bette Midler does a great job in this movie. The song "The Rose" brings tears to my eyes nearly every time I hear it.
I remember when I saw the movie in the theater, us girls in the band were bawling when we left.
I did not cry last night when I watched it but it sure made me feel kind of sad.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Books: The Sunflower
The Sunflower
Richard Paul Evans
Audio Book read by Campbell Scott
Copyright 2005
6.5 hours
I don't know what is wrong with me lately. I seem to be reading and listening to syrupy and sappy books these days.
Must be something in the air.
Anyway, this book brings together two people who have not had easy lives. Paul is a doctor who had a very bad emergency room experience, so bad that he fled to Peru. There he ended up running an orphanage called the Sunflower.
Christine was jilted by her fiance a few days before the wedding she'd dreamed of since she was a little girl. Her friend Jessica insists they go to Peru to get away from it all.
Christine and Paul meet, sparks fly, they separate, get back together, separate again. Typical romance-type stuff.
I had a difficult time getting into the book at the beginning but after a while I settled into it. Not a bad book if you like this kind of thing.
Richard Paul Evans
Audio Book read by Campbell Scott
Copyright 2005
6.5 hours
I don't know what is wrong with me lately. I seem to be reading and listening to syrupy and sappy books these days.
Must be something in the air.
Anyway, this book brings together two people who have not had easy lives. Paul is a doctor who had a very bad emergency room experience, so bad that he fled to Peru. There he ended up running an orphanage called the Sunflower.
Christine was jilted by her fiance a few days before the wedding she'd dreamed of since she was a little girl. Her friend Jessica insists they go to Peru to get away from it all.
Christine and Paul meet, sparks fly, they separate, get back together, separate again. Typical romance-type stuff.
I had a difficult time getting into the book at the beginning but after a while I settled into it. Not a bad book if you like this kind of thing.
Monday, January 05, 2009
I received an award!
Kristin at Hello Sweet World tagged me for a blog award. I am very grateful and happy to receive it.
It is always nice to be acknowledged. Next time I work on my blog sidebar, which I hope to do soon, I will add it permanently.
I'm not sure what the criteria for this award is, but I will pass it along to some of my favorite reads.
So in the spirit of the new year, I pass this along to:
Becky at Peevish Pen
June at Spatter
Debi at Greener Pastures
Amy at The Virginia Scribe
Ginger at landuvmilknhoney
RoanokeRnR
Many thanks again to Kristin for the award!
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Repeat
I was over my cold and cough for about a day.
One trip into Roanoke and poof, it's back.
And that's all I have to say about that.
One trip into Roanoke and poof, it's back.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
A Green 2009*
Once again, it’s that time for resolutions and resolve. What will it be this year? Lose weight? Climb a mountain? Buy a new car to help out the ailing auto industry? Save money by driving around the clunker for another year?
This year I want to concentrate on being “green.”
I want to help save the world, of course, but I also want to save a little bit of my own “green” and maybe put it in a savings account in the bank.
I already recycle my paper, which helps with the landfill fee, but I think there is more to do.
• Recycle plastics. I try not to buy things in plastic but of course there are many items that are plastic. I have a hard time with the #1 and #2 pete. My county only accepts those two classifications of plastic.
As best I can tell, #1 items would be soda and water bottles, salad dressing bottles and peanut butter plastic jars. Those #2 items would be milk bottles, detergent containers, and those plastic bags you get from Kroger.
My county says on its website that it does not accept the trash bags you buy.
• Save gasoline. Even though the price of gas is below $2 as I write this, I think this is an anomaly and higher prices will be something we will live with. Since I am a bit of a lead foot, I need to change my driving habits. It’s not like there is a bus out here.
Apparently I need to keep a clean air filter. Okay, that’s a husband chore. Other helpful things include proper tire alignment and tire inflation, a tune up (whatever that entails – better leave that one to the husband, too!), slowing down (every 5 mph slower saves gas), smoothly accelerating and decelerating (no more stop and jerk for me!), and not having long idle periods.
I think of those tips, slowing down and accelerating are the ones that are most applicable to me. So in the new year I will practice driving the speed limit instead of going 5-10 mph over and hoping I don’t get a ticket.
• Use less electricity. We heat and cool with electricity, which makes us high electricity users. Even so, a $300 light bill for a 1,700 square feet house seems like a lot.
I already have some items on smart strips, which allow you to completely turn off appliances. I also have compact fluorescent bulbs in many of my lights, but not all. My house is 20 years old and some of my ceiling light fixtures simply won’t work with those CFLs. My husband a few months ago actually broke a CFL trying to get it to fit in the hallway fixture.
I’ve read I should unplug appliances. However, many things take a very long time to power up if they’re completely unplugged. Who wants to miss the first five minutes of a show every evening because you have to wait for the DirecTV to do its count down and reset? Does leaving the TV on all day on the vampire juice setting use more power than if you cut the set on five minutes early? I don’t know and I can’t find the answer.
Another electricity-saving hint is washing only in cold water, but I have problems with clothes souring when I wash only on that temperature. Anyone know how to fix that?
• Buy local. I approve of the eating locally movement and I hope to be a stronger supporter of the local farmers market next year. I would like to buy other locally made products as well, though at the moment I don’t know what those might be.
• Use the library. I am a book hoarder and books find their way to my shelves with ease. The Botetourt County libraries (I serve on the Library Board of Trustees) offer up a veritable smorgasbord of reading materials. From fantasy to nonfiction to World War II histories to literary masterpieces, all are available at the libraries.
The 100,000 item collection has items for any age.
If the library doesn’t have the book you want, the helpful staff will locate it for you and you’ll get it eventually.
The library also has magazines, DVDs and tapes, books on tape, music CDs and Internet access. They even have an occasional movie night.
Your tax dollars already pay for these items, so why not take advantage of one of the best cultural assets the county offers? Save a lot of green, up the library’s use numbers, maybe even learn something. If nothing else, be entertained and feel good about it!
*A version of this was published in my column space in The Fincastle Herald on December 31, 2008.*
This year I want to concentrate on being “green.”
I want to help save the world, of course, but I also want to save a little bit of my own “green” and maybe put it in a savings account in the bank.
I already recycle my paper, which helps with the landfill fee, but I think there is more to do.
• Recycle plastics. I try not to buy things in plastic but of course there are many items that are plastic. I have a hard time with the #1 and #2 pete. My county only accepts those two classifications of plastic.
As best I can tell, #1 items would be soda and water bottles, salad dressing bottles and peanut butter plastic jars. Those #2 items would be milk bottles, detergent containers, and those plastic bags you get from Kroger.
My county says on its website that it does not accept the trash bags you buy.
• Save gasoline. Even though the price of gas is below $2 as I write this, I think this is an anomaly and higher prices will be something we will live with. Since I am a bit of a lead foot, I need to change my driving habits. It’s not like there is a bus out here.
Apparently I need to keep a clean air filter. Okay, that’s a husband chore. Other helpful things include proper tire alignment and tire inflation, a tune up (whatever that entails – better leave that one to the husband, too!), slowing down (every 5 mph slower saves gas), smoothly accelerating and decelerating (no more stop and jerk for me!), and not having long idle periods.
I think of those tips, slowing down and accelerating are the ones that are most applicable to me. So in the new year I will practice driving the speed limit instead of going 5-10 mph over and hoping I don’t get a ticket.
• Use less electricity. We heat and cool with electricity, which makes us high electricity users. Even so, a $300 light bill for a 1,700 square feet house seems like a lot.
I already have some items on smart strips, which allow you to completely turn off appliances. I also have compact fluorescent bulbs in many of my lights, but not all. My house is 20 years old and some of my ceiling light fixtures simply won’t work with those CFLs. My husband a few months ago actually broke a CFL trying to get it to fit in the hallway fixture.
I’ve read I should unplug appliances. However, many things take a very long time to power up if they’re completely unplugged. Who wants to miss the first five minutes of a show every evening because you have to wait for the DirecTV to do its count down and reset? Does leaving the TV on all day on the vampire juice setting use more power than if you cut the set on five minutes early? I don’t know and I can’t find the answer.
Another electricity-saving hint is washing only in cold water, but I have problems with clothes souring when I wash only on that temperature. Anyone know how to fix that?
• Buy local. I approve of the eating locally movement and I hope to be a stronger supporter of the local farmers market next year. I would like to buy other locally made products as well, though at the moment I don’t know what those might be.
• Use the library. I am a book hoarder and books find their way to my shelves with ease. The Botetourt County libraries (I serve on the Library Board of Trustees) offer up a veritable smorgasbord of reading materials. From fantasy to nonfiction to World War II histories to literary masterpieces, all are available at the libraries.
The 100,000 item collection has items for any age.
If the library doesn’t have the book you want, the helpful staff will locate it for you and you’ll get it eventually.
The library also has magazines, DVDs and tapes, books on tape, music CDs and Internet access. They even have an occasional movie night.
Your tax dollars already pay for these items, so why not take advantage of one of the best cultural assets the county offers? Save a lot of green, up the library’s use numbers, maybe even learn something. If nothing else, be entertained and feel good about it!
*A version of this was published in my column space in The Fincastle Herald on December 31, 2008.*
Friday, January 02, 2009
Family of Origin
My family of origin consists of four people. My mother, my father, my brother, and me.
Try as we might, we cannot escape one another.
This is what we all looked like in 1983 at my wedding. That's my mother, Glenda, my father, Loren, me, and my brother, Loren Jr.
I turned out to be the shortest. I am the older child by three years.
This is the way I always remember my family. I am generally surprised when I see them looking otherwise, either in person or in photos. I guess my memory stopped when I turned 20.
The above is a shot of my mother in 1993. She would have been 49 years old in this photo. She passed away in 2000 from pancreatic cancer. She was 56.
She hated to have her likeness taken and I was surprised when she posed for this picture. She gave us all this picture as a Christmas present that year.
I took this photo of my father in December 2007. He remarried that year. We do not have the best relationship and I don't see him very often. It is just as well.
This is my brother in December 2007. I caught him off guard while he was driving my niece around in a parade float; hence the lollipop in his mouth. We talk on the phone a few times a month. He has two children and a step son and I make a point of calling to ask about the kids. I hope we are getting a little closer. Maybe time does heal.
This is me. This photo was taken in June 2007.
We are grown up and growing old. I have a lot of relatives with whom I am close and see more frequently than I do my family of origin. It is not something I expect will change but it is something I want to think about.
I hadn't planned to post these photos today but one of my uncles contacted me in search of pictures of my mother. I came across these photos while I was looking for something to satisfy his request.
Try as we might, we cannot escape one another.
This is what we all looked like in 1983 at my wedding. That's my mother, Glenda, my father, Loren, me, and my brother, Loren Jr.
I turned out to be the shortest. I am the older child by three years.
This is the way I always remember my family. I am generally surprised when I see them looking otherwise, either in person or in photos. I guess my memory stopped when I turned 20.
The above is a shot of my mother in 1993. She would have been 49 years old in this photo. She passed away in 2000 from pancreatic cancer. She was 56.
She hated to have her likeness taken and I was surprised when she posed for this picture. She gave us all this picture as a Christmas present that year.
I took this photo of my father in December 2007. He remarried that year. We do not have the best relationship and I don't see him very often. It is just as well.
This is my brother in December 2007. I caught him off guard while he was driving my niece around in a parade float; hence the lollipop in his mouth. We talk on the phone a few times a month. He has two children and a step son and I make a point of calling to ask about the kids. I hope we are getting a little closer. Maybe time does heal.
This is me. This photo was taken in June 2007.
We are grown up and growing old. I have a lot of relatives with whom I am close and see more frequently than I do my family of origin. It is not something I expect will change but it is something I want to think about.
I hadn't planned to post these photos today but one of my uncles contacted me in search of pictures of my mother. I came across these photos while I was looking for something to satisfy his request.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Happy New Year!
A New Year Thursday Thirteen!
Best wishes to you and yours. May the new year bring blessings to all.
Hopes and dreams for 2009...
1. A great first year for the nation with a new president.
2. New stories to write!
3. A happy husband who is two years from retirement.
4. Weight loss for the two people who live in my house.
5. More books to read!
6. Cleanliness and godliness.
7. Green living.
8. Fewer bills.
9. Less stress around the world.
10. Rain to end the drought.
11. Contentment for everyone I know, and those I don't.
12. New friends!
13. Peace, joy and happiness.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
Best wishes to you and yours. May the new year bring blessings to all.
Hopes and dreams for 2009...
1. A great first year for the nation with a new president.
2. New stories to write!
3. A happy husband who is two years from retirement.
4. Weight loss for the two people who live in my house.
5. More books to read!
6. Cleanliness and godliness.
7. Green living.
8. Fewer bills.
9. Less stress around the world.
10. Rain to end the drought.
11. Contentment for everyone I know, and those I don't.
12. New friends!
13. Peace, joy and happiness.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
New Year's Eve
This morning I visited my acupuncturist. I told her I wanted an immediate cure for my cold and congestion.
No pressure there, she said, laughing at me. I like to ask for miracles.
She put 14 needles in me, including some in my sinuses. Those hurt.
My pulses (there are I think nine different pulses in Chinese medicine, one on each arm. This isn't the traditional pulse as in western medicine.) were practically non-existent, she said.
They weren't much better after the acupuncture, which is unusual for me. Usually after I've had a treatment my pulses turn completely around. That was not the case today.
After she removed the needles, she used gua sha, which is "a traditional healing technique, in which a practitioner applies repeated pressurized strokes over lubricated skin using a round-edged instrument. Widely used in China and Indonesia, Gua sha is Chinese for "to scrape for cholera. The application of the strokes causes small red or purple spots to appear on the skin; these fade after two or three days. The technique is most commonly used to treat fever, heat exhaustion, asthma, muscle and tendon injuries, poor blood circulation, headaches, and other minor problems."
That hurt a little, too.
Then she went for the moxibustion. Moxi is "an analgesic technique in which moxa, a flammable substance derived from the leaves of wormwood plants, is ignited on the skin. The technique is intended to warm regions of the body, as well as stimulating blood circulation and energy toward acupuncture points."
Then she did some chi stimulation with her hands, which involved a type of massage on various meridians to move the energy around.
When I left she handed me a small bag of Chinese herbs to take three times a day until my congestion clears up.
I can't say that I feel any better yet but sometimes Chinese medicine takes 24 to 48 hours with me. I seem to be a slow starter or something. So I have my fingers crossed for a beautiful congestion-free morning.
After the acupuncture, I took a trip to Tanglewood Mall so I could buy office supplies at Staples. I rarely go to Tanglewood but I thought I'd miss the Valley View Mall traffic since I was out that way anyhow.
While I was writing my check in Staples, I realized my check numbers were askew. Upon my return home, I tried to figure out where I had messed up. Now I am afraid I might have sent a voided check as payment to one of my credit card companies, instead of re-writing the check as I had intended.
If that is the case, I wonder what they'll do when they open that up?
No pressure there, she said, laughing at me. I like to ask for miracles.
She put 14 needles in me, including some in my sinuses. Those hurt.
My pulses (there are I think nine different pulses in Chinese medicine, one on each arm. This isn't the traditional pulse as in western medicine.) were practically non-existent, she said.
They weren't much better after the acupuncture, which is unusual for me. Usually after I've had a treatment my pulses turn completely around. That was not the case today.
After she removed the needles, she used gua sha, which is "a traditional healing technique, in which a practitioner applies repeated pressurized strokes over lubricated skin using a round-edged instrument. Widely used in China and Indonesia, Gua sha is Chinese for "to scrape for cholera. The application of the strokes causes small red or purple spots to appear on the skin; these fade after two or three days. The technique is most commonly used to treat fever, heat exhaustion, asthma, muscle and tendon injuries, poor blood circulation, headaches, and other minor problems."
That hurt a little, too.
Then she went for the moxibustion. Moxi is "an analgesic technique in which moxa, a flammable substance derived from the leaves of wormwood plants, is ignited on the skin. The technique is intended to warm regions of the body, as well as stimulating blood circulation and energy toward acupuncture points."
Then she did some chi stimulation with her hands, which involved a type of massage on various meridians to move the energy around.
When I left she handed me a small bag of Chinese herbs to take three times a day until my congestion clears up.
I can't say that I feel any better yet but sometimes Chinese medicine takes 24 to 48 hours with me. I seem to be a slow starter or something. So I have my fingers crossed for a beautiful congestion-free morning.
After the acupuncture, I took a trip to Tanglewood Mall so I could buy office supplies at Staples. I rarely go to Tanglewood but I thought I'd miss the Valley View Mall traffic since I was out that way anyhow.
While I was writing my check in Staples, I realized my check numbers were askew. Upon my return home, I tried to figure out where I had messed up. Now I am afraid I might have sent a voided check as payment to one of my credit card companies, instead of re-writing the check as I had intended.
If that is the case, I wonder what they'll do when they open that up?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wall-E
I received the movie Wall-E for Christmas.
We watched it Saturday night.
The movie is, on the surface, a story about a robotic trash compactor that falls in love with another robot when it visits from space. He follows her back to her ship. After some adventures, romance ensues.
However, this movie is full of messages.
There is the "humans are polluting the earth and making it unfit for habitation" message.
And the "humans do nothing but stuff their faces and sit on their fat asses" message."
Also the "corporations are taking over the world and they aren't doing a very good job of taking care of much of anything" message.
And "the smallest person (or robot, in this case) can make a difference" message.
The movie's premise is that B&L Corporation has taken over everything. The world becomes so polluted thanks to the consumer culture that there is nothing left to do but build space ships and leave robot trash compactors to take care of the planet. The idea was to be gone for five years, at which point the place would be cleaned up and inhabitable again.
That didn't happen, and mankind roams around in space for 700 years hoping the planet will repair itself, I guess. The ship's captain sends out probes to earth every now and again hoping for signs of plant life, even though everyone has forgotten what a plant is.
Wall-E is one of the last working robot trash compactors, if not the last one. Eve comes from space; she's a probe looking for a plant.
Wall-E has developed into more than a robot. He likes to watch Hello Dolly and collect stuff, including parts with which to repair himself. I suppose 700 years could do that to a trash compactor.
This movie received good reviews and made Pixar a lot of money.
I couldn't get past all of the "messages" to enjoy the film. I generally like apocalyptic movies - some of my favorites are Waterworld, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, The Postman, etc., and some of my favorite books (1984; Alas, Babylon) deal with the topic.
But humanity was portrayed in such a ghastly manner that I really didn't care if they came back to earth or not. Nor did I care much about Wall-E. I know I was supposed to but I didn't, mostly, I think, because the messages about the world and humanity so overshadowed the little robot that I could hardly see him for the larger back story.
I don't disagree with any of the main messages of the film, but I was dismayed that those messages took center stage. I felt like I was being beaten over the head with them.
Maybe I need to watch it again because I must have missed something crucial to the film since it received such good reviews. Perhaps I shall blame it on my cold.
*In the commentary section on Wikepedia, linked to above, there are notes about others who took issue with the film, many for different reasons than what I've cited.*
We watched it Saturday night.
The movie is, on the surface, a story about a robotic trash compactor that falls in love with another robot when it visits from space. He follows her back to her ship. After some adventures, romance ensues.
However, this movie is full of messages.
There is the "humans are polluting the earth and making it unfit for habitation" message.
And the "humans do nothing but stuff their faces and sit on their fat asses" message."
Also the "corporations are taking over the world and they aren't doing a very good job of taking care of much of anything" message.
And "the smallest person (or robot, in this case) can make a difference" message.
The movie's premise is that B&L Corporation has taken over everything. The world becomes so polluted thanks to the consumer culture that there is nothing left to do but build space ships and leave robot trash compactors to take care of the planet. The idea was to be gone for five years, at which point the place would be cleaned up and inhabitable again.
That didn't happen, and mankind roams around in space for 700 years hoping the planet will repair itself, I guess. The ship's captain sends out probes to earth every now and again hoping for signs of plant life, even though everyone has forgotten what a plant is.
Wall-E is one of the last working robot trash compactors, if not the last one. Eve comes from space; she's a probe looking for a plant.
Wall-E has developed into more than a robot. He likes to watch Hello Dolly and collect stuff, including parts with which to repair himself. I suppose 700 years could do that to a trash compactor.
This movie received good reviews and made Pixar a lot of money.
I couldn't get past all of the "messages" to enjoy the film. I generally like apocalyptic movies - some of my favorites are Waterworld, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, The Postman, etc., and some of my favorite books (1984; Alas, Babylon) deal with the topic.
But humanity was portrayed in such a ghastly manner that I really didn't care if they came back to earth or not. Nor did I care much about Wall-E. I know I was supposed to but I didn't, mostly, I think, because the messages about the world and humanity so overshadowed the little robot that I could hardly see him for the larger back story.
I don't disagree with any of the main messages of the film, but I was dismayed that those messages took center stage. I felt like I was being beaten over the head with them.
Maybe I need to watch it again because I must have missed something crucial to the film since it received such good reviews. Perhaps I shall blame it on my cold.
*In the commentary section on Wikepedia, linked to above, there are notes about others who took issue with the film, many for different reasons than what I've cited.*
Monday, December 29, 2008
The way it goes
Monday a week ago, December 21, I had my work for the newspaper completed.
I decided to clean my home office. I am not a very good secretary when it comes to my own work (although I used to be a very good legal secretary in another life). I pile stuff and don't file it. After a while it turns into a mess.
At 9:30 a.m. I began filing, cleaning and putting away. I had to stop at noon to go to Roanoke. When I returned, I went back to cleaning.
I apparently am not a very good maid, either. I won't say how large the dust bunnies were beneath the book case but let's just say "bunnies" is a good description for those nasty piles of cobwebs and grayish dirt. Actually "hare" might be a better word; I think that is a larger animal. Or maybe dust groundhogs.
Whatever they were, I had them all vacuumed up by the time I ended the cleaning festival, which was around 9:45 p.m.
The next day I woke with the sniffles. Now this could have been allergies from dusting or it could have been the cold virus my husband had picked up the Friday before. In any event, I wanted no part of it.
That meant I had to do the cooking and host a party while not feeling 100 percent. I washed my hands so much while I was baking that I chapped them. I did not want to spread germs.
I was not at my best when I had family over Christmas Eve, but aside from being quieter than normal I don't think anyone noticed.
Christmas Day found me very unhappy indeed as the sniffles turned into a full-blown state of congestion. I even had to leave the Christmas Day celebrations at the in-laws early so I could go to bed.
I feared I would pass it along as a gift to the relatives, too, but so far no one else is sick. I guess if they haven't caught it by now they probably won't.
Friday the miserable congestion moved down into my chest, and I have been coughing ever since.
My brother-in-law brought me whisky yesterday, something called Rock & Rye. He advised me to mix a little with honey and heat it in a cup.
I added lemon to that combination. I don't drink alcohol so I used only two "capfuls" of whisky to a mug of hot water, lemon and honey.
While I am still not well I can honestly say it worked better than the Robitussin I was taking.
I don't know if that works with just any whisky or just with Rock & Rye, but I won't hesitate to try it again.
I see my acupuncturist on Wednesday; I know she'll be able to push the rest of this cold/allergy right on out of me.
I decided to clean my home office. I am not a very good secretary when it comes to my own work (although I used to be a very good legal secretary in another life). I pile stuff and don't file it. After a while it turns into a mess.
At 9:30 a.m. I began filing, cleaning and putting away. I had to stop at noon to go to Roanoke. When I returned, I went back to cleaning.
I apparently am not a very good maid, either. I won't say how large the dust bunnies were beneath the book case but let's just say "bunnies" is a good description for those nasty piles of cobwebs and grayish dirt. Actually "hare" might be a better word; I think that is a larger animal. Or maybe dust groundhogs.
Whatever they were, I had them all vacuumed up by the time I ended the cleaning festival, which was around 9:45 p.m.
The next day I woke with the sniffles. Now this could have been allergies from dusting or it could have been the cold virus my husband had picked up the Friday before. In any event, I wanted no part of it.
That meant I had to do the cooking and host a party while not feeling 100 percent. I washed my hands so much while I was baking that I chapped them. I did not want to spread germs.
I was not at my best when I had family over Christmas Eve, but aside from being quieter than normal I don't think anyone noticed.
Christmas Day found me very unhappy indeed as the sniffles turned into a full-blown state of congestion. I even had to leave the Christmas Day celebrations at the in-laws early so I could go to bed.
I feared I would pass it along as a gift to the relatives, too, but so far no one else is sick. I guess if they haven't caught it by now they probably won't.
Friday the miserable congestion moved down into my chest, and I have been coughing ever since.
My brother-in-law brought me whisky yesterday, something called Rock & Rye. He advised me to mix a little with honey and heat it in a cup.
I added lemon to that combination. I don't drink alcohol so I used only two "capfuls" of whisky to a mug of hot water, lemon and honey.
While I am still not well I can honestly say it worked better than the Robitussin I was taking.
I don't know if that works with just any whisky or just with Rock & Rye, but I won't hesitate to try it again.
I see my acupuncturist on Wednesday; I know she'll be able to push the rest of this cold/allergy right on out of me.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Books: The Hollow Kingdom
The Hollow Kingdom
By Clare B. Dunkle
Copyright 2003
230 pages
I received this book as a Christmas present. It is the first of a trilogy called the Hollow Hills trilogy.
This is essentially a young adult book along the lines of Tamara Pierce.
Kate is a young English orphan. She and her sister Emily have been uprooted and taken to live at Hollow Hills, the maternal family estate. Mr. Roberts, her guardian, is an idiot and jerk. He leaves the girls with two old great aunts.
After they have been there a few months, Kate realizes someone is watching her all the time. Then during an outing, she and Emily get lost. They come upon a gypsy caravan and a mysterious man in a black cloak and hood takes them home.
He turns out to be the goblin king. He is a scary dude. And he wants Kate for his wife.
Kate wants no part of this. Of course the adults do not believe her when she tells them she is in danger; in fact her idiot guardian actually tries to hurry her headlong into danger.
He tries to convince a psychiatrist that Kate needs to go to an asylum, but Kate convinces the psychiatrist otherwise. So Mr. Roberts tells Kate that Emily has vanished in hopes she will tell the psychiatrist about the goblins.
Instead, Kate, believing the goblins have kidnapped Emily, goes to the goblin king herself and offers herself in trade for Emily. Only it turns out Mr. Roberts himself had kidnapped Emily and had her tied up in the basement.
I enjoyed this read and I will look for the second and third installments of the trilogy. I enjoyed the world and the pace of the book was great.
4 stars
By Clare B. Dunkle
Copyright 2003
230 pages
I received this book as a Christmas present. It is the first of a trilogy called the Hollow Hills trilogy.
This is essentially a young adult book along the lines of Tamara Pierce.
Kate is a young English orphan. She and her sister Emily have been uprooted and taken to live at Hollow Hills, the maternal family estate. Mr. Roberts, her guardian, is an idiot and jerk. He leaves the girls with two old great aunts.
After they have been there a few months, Kate realizes someone is watching her all the time. Then during an outing, she and Emily get lost. They come upon a gypsy caravan and a mysterious man in a black cloak and hood takes them home.
He turns out to be the goblin king. He is a scary dude. And he wants Kate for his wife.
Kate wants no part of this. Of course the adults do not believe her when she tells them she is in danger; in fact her idiot guardian actually tries to hurry her headlong into danger.
He tries to convince a psychiatrist that Kate needs to go to an asylum, but Kate convinces the psychiatrist otherwise. So Mr. Roberts tells Kate that Emily has vanished in hopes she will tell the psychiatrist about the goblins.
Instead, Kate, believing the goblins have kidnapped Emily, goes to the goblin king herself and offers herself in trade for Emily. Only it turns out Mr. Roberts himself had kidnapped Emily and had her tied up in the basement.
I enjoyed this read and I will look for the second and third installments of the trilogy. I enjoyed the world and the pace of the book was great.
4 stars
Friday, December 26, 2008
XMas Images 2008
My newest cousin, Jonathan, age 11 mos. He is my first cousin once removed (I think). (My first cousin's son.)
It is an annual Christmas Eve tradition that my aunt come to see me. This year lots of family came: my cousin Matthew, and his wife, Gina, and their daughter, Madison, my uncle Jerry, who was in from Texas, my cousin Ben and his significant other, Nicole, and their son Jonathan. We played guitar and had lots of food and fellowship.
My Uncle Jerry is in the middle of the couch. He is one year younger than I am and was born on my first birthday. I doubt that is something you find in many families.
My first cousin once-removed, Madison, performed a dance for us all. Her mom, Gina, is behind her watching.
Christmas Day found me at my mother-in-law's house where we celebrated Christmas with my husband's side of the family. My nephews, Christopher and Emory and my brother-in-law, Gary, opened presents on one side of the room.
My sister-in-law, Jennifer, took a picture of me taking a picture of her and my mother-in-law, Eunice.
Christmas Eve night, my brother and his family stopped by for a very nice visit. My niece, who is seven, said she wanted a pink hunting gun from Santa. And something called a Biscuit, whatever that is.
This is my in-laws tree before we tore into the presents.
This is my tree.
I hope everyone had a very happy holiday.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Blessed Holiday
Many blessings to my online friends during this most holy time. May the world and its bounty of joys be yours.
Peace to you all.
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Little Christmas Eve*
Dear Santa:
I know it's a little late for a letter, particularly one from an adult. But I thought I would just say "howdy" and see what you were up to.
As far as I know your reindeer have escaped unharmed during hunting season. If anyone shot a reindeer with a harness or a red nose I didn't hear about it, and I keep up with those things. So I expect your flight to be unhindered. I'll be watching on Norad.
I have noticed that a lot of people are having a hard time paying their heating bills this winter. I am hoping you can do something about that. This may actually be a good year for lumps of coal, so you might want to check the list several times and see if folks qualify for that particular heating fuel. Coal doesn't have the best reputation, though, so you might want to find another heat source. Maybe something new that burns clean? I know you can come up with something. It might be a good revenue source for you.
I would ask that anything you are thinking of for me be given to someone at an old folk's home, if they can use it. Those poor people need some attention. I fear for a society that can't take better care of its elderly.
Please leave heapfuls of commonsense for the folks who are in charge. That goes for government leaders as well as media people. The media isn't in charge but it is influential. I have noticed lately that many media stories are now noticing that "this CEO is making so much money." Why weren't they saying that 10 years ago? Please help us writers, reporters and journalists to find our courage and our inquisitiveness again. There is so much that needs investigating that there should be lots of work.
I ask for world peace and no world hunger and all of that every year, Dear Santa, but I suspect that is beyond you. So I am hoping that by narrowing my focus a little bit (see above), you'll be able to work it out easier. I am stopping at three things because it could be a really long list otherwise.
Anyway, Santa, I hope your flight goes swiftly and that your 24 hours of delivering presents is loads of fun. I'll leave the light on for you!
Sincerely,
Anita
*A friend tells me that Norwegians call the day before Christmas Eve "Little Christmas Eve." I love it!
I know it's a little late for a letter, particularly one from an adult. But I thought I would just say "howdy" and see what you were up to.
As far as I know your reindeer have escaped unharmed during hunting season. If anyone shot a reindeer with a harness or a red nose I didn't hear about it, and I keep up with those things. So I expect your flight to be unhindered. I'll be watching on Norad.
I have noticed that a lot of people are having a hard time paying their heating bills this winter. I am hoping you can do something about that. This may actually be a good year for lumps of coal, so you might want to check the list several times and see if folks qualify for that particular heating fuel. Coal doesn't have the best reputation, though, so you might want to find another heat source. Maybe something new that burns clean? I know you can come up with something. It might be a good revenue source for you.
I would ask that anything you are thinking of for me be given to someone at an old folk's home, if they can use it. Those poor people need some attention. I fear for a society that can't take better care of its elderly.
Please leave heapfuls of commonsense for the folks who are in charge. That goes for government leaders as well as media people. The media isn't in charge but it is influential. I have noticed lately that many media stories are now noticing that "this CEO is making so much money." Why weren't they saying that 10 years ago? Please help us writers, reporters and journalists to find our courage and our inquisitiveness again. There is so much that needs investigating that there should be lots of work.
I ask for world peace and no world hunger and all of that every year, Dear Santa, but I suspect that is beyond you. So I am hoping that by narrowing my focus a little bit (see above), you'll be able to work it out easier. I am stopping at three things because it could be a really long list otherwise.
Anyway, Santa, I hope your flight goes swiftly and that your 24 hours of delivering presents is loads of fun. I'll leave the light on for you!
Sincerely,
Anita
*A friend tells me that Norwegians call the day before Christmas Eve "Little Christmas Eve." I love it!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Happy Solistice
It's the longest day of the year.
The night when darkness takes hold
and seems not to let go.
It's the darkest time of the year
and tomorrow the brightness will grow
as we move toward the light.
***
I was trying to think what to do to honor the Winter Solstice and I found a quiz on Peevish Pen called "What Druid Animal Are You?"
Here is my result:
Oh wise Salmon, tell me the tales of the deep! The salmon will travel hundreds of miles to return to it's place of birth, and so shall you... those miles may be emotional, however, since you need to rediscover the child within you. You hold such great power, but cannot express it fully until you are free from the emotional bonds that keep you from it. Rejuvenate your spirit, wise salmon, and rediscover the inner child that you hold back.
***
I was a little surprised at how profound this was.
***
Inspired, I moved to tarot.com, where I only do the free things because I don't waste money on such items.
Here is the I-ching hexagram result:
Sunday, December 21st, 2008 9:21am PST
Your Present Hexagram : Small Influences
A gentle wind gathers the clouds, but still, no rain. Softer influences predominate as the power of subtle forces grows. This is a time for smooth and friendly persuasion.
In the ebb and flow of any relationship, there are always "low tides" -- times when sweeping action is impossible or inappropriate, but when small matters can be attended to profitably, leading to bigger and better things later on. When the tide is rolling in, by all means, ride the wave; but when it is receding like it is now, focus on the little things.
When the times are such that you cannot do much to affect large matters, persuasion and subtle influence can prepare the way for strength in the future. Use your intuition to chart your long-term course, but avoid bold actions for the moment; they are unlikely to work. This is an excellent time to refine existing abilities or develop new talents.
***
The night when darkness takes hold
and seems not to let go.
It's the darkest time of the year
and tomorrow the brightness will grow
as we move toward the light.
***
I was trying to think what to do to honor the Winter Solstice and I found a quiz on Peevish Pen called "What Druid Animal Are You?"
Here is my result:
Oh wise Salmon, tell me the tales of the deep! The salmon will travel hundreds of miles to return to it's place of birth, and so shall you... those miles may be emotional, however, since you need to rediscover the child within you. You hold such great power, but cannot express it fully until you are free from the emotional bonds that keep you from it. Rejuvenate your spirit, wise salmon, and rediscover the inner child that you hold back.
***
I was a little surprised at how profound this was.
***
Inspired, I moved to tarot.com, where I only do the free things because I don't waste money on such items.
Here is the I-ching hexagram result:
Sunday, December 21st, 2008 9:21am PST
Your Present Hexagram : Small Influences
A gentle wind gathers the clouds, but still, no rain. Softer influences predominate as the power of subtle forces grows. This is a time for smooth and friendly persuasion.
In the ebb and flow of any relationship, there are always "low tides" -- times when sweeping action is impossible or inappropriate, but when small matters can be attended to profitably, leading to bigger and better things later on. When the tide is rolling in, by all means, ride the wave; but when it is receding like it is now, focus on the little things.
When the times are such that you cannot do much to affect large matters, persuasion and subtle influence can prepare the way for strength in the future. Use your intuition to chart your long-term course, but avoid bold actions for the moment; they are unlikely to work. This is an excellent time to refine existing abilities or develop new talents.
***
Saturday, December 20, 2008
7:45 a.m.
This morning I slept until 7:45 a.m.! Whoo.
That is late for me. I am almost always up by 6 a.m.
My husband rises at 5 a.m. Every morning. No matter what.
And we go to bed at 10 p.m. We're real partiers, we are.
That is late for me. I am almost always up by 6 a.m.
My husband rises at 5 a.m. Every morning. No matter what.
And we go to bed at 10 p.m. We're real partiers, we are.
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Break of Dawn, Christmas Eve
One of the Christmas myths that caught my fancy when I was very young was the legend of the talking animals.
At midnight on Christmas Eve, the animals in the barn would wake and speak. They would tell one another the story of the birth of Baby Jesus.
The donkey would say that because of his ancestor, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and not in the countryside.
The dog would say that his ancestor to protected them, keeping harm from Mary and Joseph.
The dove would say that her ancestor cooed the little baby to sleep.
The cow would say her ancestor offered milk to the wee child. And so on and so forth.
It was my fondest wish to hear this.
My parents did not spend Christmas Eve at home, generally, so neither of course did us children, my brother and I.
We went to the Webbs, a family who lives at the foot of Caldwell Mountain not far from where I grew up. These folks have been friends of my father’s for longer than I am old, and on Christmas Eve their house was full of loved ones.
The adults would pick guitars and sing carols while the young ones shrieked and chased each other up and down the stairs.
We were often joined by my aunt and uncle, who went with us for the singing, music and fun. My aunt, who is from Salem, tells me she has missed only one Christmas “in the country,” since 1970.
I remember a fireplace crackling merrily, the smell of chocolate chip cookies and the odoriferous wafting of the smell of cedar from the hand-hewn tree, fresh off the farm. There was lots of camaraderie and lots of noise.
Back at my house, I had a dog that I expected to speak at the appropriate hour, so my anxiety tended to grow as the evening wore on. Would we be home in time for me to hear the Christmas magic?
Generally speaking I think we were home by 11 p.m.
I, of course, was sent to bed almost immediately because Santa Claus was on his way and he would not stop for a little girl who did not go to bed.
Year after year I fell asleep before midnight. And finally, when I was almost too old to believe in myths anymore, I had the bright idea of taking the dog to bed with me and staying up to hear what he had to say.
I remember staring intently at Major, the white poodle, in the moonlight.
Waiting. And waiting.
The next thing I knew, my brother was shaking me. “Santa came! Get up!” he whispered.
And in the excitement of toys and presents around the tree, I forgot what I had been waiting for.
I remembered later in the day. I went to my mother with my complaint. “I don’t think the animals really talk,” I said, noting that there went another childhood fantasy out the window.
My mother hugged me. “Of course they do,” she said, pulling my hair from my face. “You fell asleep is all.”
I shook my head. “No Mama. I watched Major and he never said a thing.”
“Then you must have blinked.”
Surprised, I asked what she meant.
“Do you know exactly when night falls?” she said. “Or when the sun comes up and it is daylight? Can you catch those moments?”
I shook my head.
“If you miss the exact moment when it is midnight, that very second, then you can’t see the magic work,” she said.
“It’s just like catching the break of dawn.”
At midnight on Christmas Eve, the animals in the barn would wake and speak. They would tell one another the story of the birth of Baby Jesus.
The donkey would say that because of his ancestor, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and not in the countryside.
The dog would say that his ancestor to protected them, keeping harm from Mary and Joseph.
The dove would say that her ancestor cooed the little baby to sleep.
The cow would say her ancestor offered milk to the wee child. And so on and so forth.
It was my fondest wish to hear this.
My parents did not spend Christmas Eve at home, generally, so neither of course did us children, my brother and I.
We went to the Webbs, a family who lives at the foot of Caldwell Mountain not far from where I grew up. These folks have been friends of my father’s for longer than I am old, and on Christmas Eve their house was full of loved ones.
The adults would pick guitars and sing carols while the young ones shrieked and chased each other up and down the stairs.
We were often joined by my aunt and uncle, who went with us for the singing, music and fun. My aunt, who is from Salem, tells me she has missed only one Christmas “in the country,” since 1970.
I remember a fireplace crackling merrily, the smell of chocolate chip cookies and the odoriferous wafting of the smell of cedar from the hand-hewn tree, fresh off the farm. There was lots of camaraderie and lots of noise.
Back at my house, I had a dog that I expected to speak at the appropriate hour, so my anxiety tended to grow as the evening wore on. Would we be home in time for me to hear the Christmas magic?
Generally speaking I think we were home by 11 p.m.
I, of course, was sent to bed almost immediately because Santa Claus was on his way and he would not stop for a little girl who did not go to bed.
Year after year I fell asleep before midnight. And finally, when I was almost too old to believe in myths anymore, I had the bright idea of taking the dog to bed with me and staying up to hear what he had to say.
I remember staring intently at Major, the white poodle, in the moonlight.
Waiting. And waiting.
The next thing I knew, my brother was shaking me. “Santa came! Get up!” he whispered.
And in the excitement of toys and presents around the tree, I forgot what I had been waiting for.
I remembered later in the day. I went to my mother with my complaint. “I don’t think the animals really talk,” I said, noting that there went another childhood fantasy out the window.
My mother hugged me. “Of course they do,” she said, pulling my hair from my face. “You fell asleep is all.”
I shook my head. “No Mama. I watched Major and he never said a thing.”
“Then you must have blinked.”
Surprised, I asked what she meant.
“Do you know exactly when night falls?” she said. “Or when the sun comes up and it is daylight? Can you catch those moments?”
I shook my head.
“If you miss the exact moment when it is midnight, that very second, then you can’t see the magic work,” she said.
“It’s just like catching the break of dawn.”
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Fire Station #9
Last Friday night, December 12, the firefighters at Station 9 with Roanoke City Fire-EMS got together for a Christmas meal.My husband is the one in the hat without a mustache.
I was told this get-together likely was a first for any station, because of course one of the three shifts always has to be on duty.
However, an off-duty crew from another station (I think it was Station 5 but I'm not 100 percent certain) stepped in to sub for the on-duty shift at Station 9 for a few hours so that the crews could all be together this one time.
Station 9, as I understand it, is slated for an early grave when Roanoke City builds a new station on that end of the city in the upcoming months. Things will not be the same for these guys, who are now working out of one of the older stations in the city.
My husband is a captain at Station 9 on B shift. The shifts work 24-hour days every other day with a four-day break. That means my husband goes in at 6:30 a.m. on Monday and comes home on Tuesday morning at 8 a.m., then he goes back to work on Wednesday morning and Friday morning and then he is off for four days (then he works Wednesday Friday Sunday, so his days are never the same. It can get confusing.).
I am very proud of my husband for reaching this pinnacle of his career. He has worked hard to reach this goal, which he stated to me before we married. "I want to make captain," he said when he took the job as a rookie firefighter.
He has been a firefighter for 25 years. It is a noble profession and I have been honored to watch the brotherhood of men who have served with my husband.
Over the years I have sent them many containers of fudge and cookies and cakes. Firemen have big appetites.
I cannot imagine what it takes to go into a burning building, to run a call on a vehicle accident when people have been torn in two, or how it feels to try to save someone who has had a heart attack. My husband, who is also an EMT, knows how all of that feels. I imagine sometimes it must be like a large lump weighing heavily on his heart.
Emergency services workers have a hard job. It's not one I could do. I salute them all for their efforts.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Holiday Lights
These light displays are all local to me. One is on Woodridge Road. The other is on Country Club Road, and the third is on Stoney Battery Road.
I shot these pictures Sunday night using a Nikon Coolpix 4600, which is a pocket camera I keep in the car for times when I don't have my other cameras with me. Some of the pictures are a little shaky because the car was running.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
I'm Just Sayin'
On Wednesday, I paid $1.25 per gallon for gas at the Citgo at Exit 150.
If you think I did a little dance when I inserted the credit card, you would be right.
Last night when I passed the station, it was $1.39. Climbing before the holidays because people will be traveling, right?
I bet it hits $2.50 by Christmas.
I can't do this with my work. I can't say, oh, today I am going to charge you $X.XX for an article. Two days later it will be $Y.YY. And in three weeks it will cost twice as much.
I haven't noticed the food prices falling as gasoline dropped. If that was the real reason the prices were climbing, then shouldn't a loaf of bread cost less?
I'm no economics major but the economic situation has smelled bad to me for months (if not several years). It seems to me like this is a lot of price manipulation that has absolutely nothing to do with truly being what a product is worth and more about how much somebody can get out of you.
And in some cases we're not being charged enough for things that really are worth more than we're paying, although I am hard pressed to come up with what that might be since I like to hold on to my money as much as anyone else. Art work comes to mind. Painters and writers and creative types who tend to eek out a living. Farmers, too, maybe. I'm sure there are others.
It's messed up, is all I'm saying. It's kind of discouraging.
If you think I did a little dance when I inserted the credit card, you would be right.
Last night when I passed the station, it was $1.39. Climbing before the holidays because people will be traveling, right?
I bet it hits $2.50 by Christmas.
I can't do this with my work. I can't say, oh, today I am going to charge you $X.XX for an article. Two days later it will be $Y.YY. And in three weeks it will cost twice as much.
I haven't noticed the food prices falling as gasoline dropped. If that was the real reason the prices were climbing, then shouldn't a loaf of bread cost less?
I'm no economics major but the economic situation has smelled bad to me for months (if not several years). It seems to me like this is a lot of price manipulation that has absolutely nothing to do with truly being what a product is worth and more about how much somebody can get out of you.
And in some cases we're not being charged enough for things that really are worth more than we're paying, although I am hard pressed to come up with what that might be since I like to hold on to my money as much as anyone else. Art work comes to mind. Painters and writers and creative types who tend to eek out a living. Farmers, too, maybe. I'm sure there are others.
It's messed up, is all I'm saying. It's kind of discouraging.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Christmas Meme
This came from RoanokeRNR, who invited people to take it so I can't say I stole it like the Grinch. I think this is more like Santa stealing into Sombre Town so the Burger Meister wouldn't catch him a la Santa Claus is Coming to Town...
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I actually use both. This year I wrapped most things but there are other years when it all ends up in a gift bag.
2. Real tree or Artificial?
Artificial because I'm allergic to pine and cedar. One year we went through three real trees before we figured out we'd better just go to Sears and buy an artificial one.
3. When do you put up the tree?
Anytime after Thanksgiving. This year I had to wait until hunting season (rifle - deer) was over.
4. When do you take the tree down?
I have taken it down immediately after Christmas but generally try to wait until after January 1. There is some superstition about taking the tree down too early ... it brings bad luck or something ...
5. Do you like egg nog?
Not particularly. In this house we prefer boiled custard.
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
A wooden rocking chair.
7. Hardest person to buy for?
My in-laws both tie for first place. I never know what to get either one of them.
8. Easiest person to buy for?
My husband. I generally know what to get him.
9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes.
10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?
Both. I mail out a lot of cards and I also send email cards to a few people, mostly people I only know via the internet.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
A vacuum. We needed a vacuum but it wasn't a very good thing to receive for Christmas.
12. Favorite Christmas movie?
I can't decide between It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. I like them both.
13. When do you start shopping?
In September. That's the ideal, anyway. Some years it doesn't work out quite like that and it is more like December.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Yes, and that is all I'm going to say about that.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Chocolate covered cherries followed by fudge as a close second.
16. Lights on the tree?
Yes, multi-colored ones.
17. Favorite Christmas song?
I am not sure I have a favorite. I like them all depending on my mood. If I have to pick one, I vote for O Holy Night.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Stay home. I have never been anywhere but in the Roanoke Valley over Christmas. Sometimes I travel to a relatives house but they all live here so I am not going very far. Just once I would like to spend Christmas someplace else. Williamsburg or Disney in Florida, maybe.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixen Comet Cupid Donner Blitzen. And Rudolph. I can also recite a good portion of The Night Before Christmas from memory. And roll my tongue. But I can't wiggle my ears.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
When we were children my brother and I were allowed to open our present from one another on Christmas Eve. The rest were ripped open with vengeance on Christmas morning. These days we do the Christmas Day thing. No early opening for me anymore.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
That it starts so early. The stores push it too soon and I was not happy when one of the radio stations started playing carols a week before Thanksgiving. Let's get one holiday over before we start the next one!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
My favorite ornament says "First Christmas Together" and we've had it since we married. I love Santa Mouse and have a lot of little Santa Mouse ornaments on the tree. My favorite Santa Mouse in my house is one my friend Brenda gave me several years ago. My most favorite belongs to my parents, though.
24. Favorite Christmas memory?
My brother running into my room and waking me up at 3 a.m. whispering "Santa Claus came, get up!" Santa always left toys under the tree for us, unwrapped and waiting.
I also have a fond memory of the year I turned five and received a blue bicycle. A Batgirl doll was sitting on the seat when I arrived in the room.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Peace on Earth.
If I can't have that, then I would like to instantaneously lose a lot of weight.
And if I can't have that, then I would like several good books to read.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I actually use both. This year I wrapped most things but there are other years when it all ends up in a gift bag.
2. Real tree or Artificial?
Artificial because I'm allergic to pine and cedar. One year we went through three real trees before we figured out we'd better just go to Sears and buy an artificial one.
3. When do you put up the tree?
Anytime after Thanksgiving. This year I had to wait until hunting season (rifle - deer) was over.
4. When do you take the tree down?
I have taken it down immediately after Christmas but generally try to wait until after January 1. There is some superstition about taking the tree down too early ... it brings bad luck or something ...
5. Do you like egg nog?
Not particularly. In this house we prefer boiled custard.
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
A wooden rocking chair.
7. Hardest person to buy for?
My in-laws both tie for first place. I never know what to get either one of them.
8. Easiest person to buy for?
My husband. I generally know what to get him.
9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes.
10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?
Both. I mail out a lot of cards and I also send email cards to a few people, mostly people I only know via the internet.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
A vacuum. We needed a vacuum but it wasn't a very good thing to receive for Christmas.
12. Favorite Christmas movie?
I can't decide between It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. I like them both.
13. When do you start shopping?
In September. That's the ideal, anyway. Some years it doesn't work out quite like that and it is more like December.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Yes, and that is all I'm going to say about that.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Chocolate covered cherries followed by fudge as a close second.
16. Lights on the tree?
Yes, multi-colored ones.
17. Favorite Christmas song?
I am not sure I have a favorite. I like them all depending on my mood. If I have to pick one, I vote for O Holy Night.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Stay home. I have never been anywhere but in the Roanoke Valley over Christmas. Sometimes I travel to a relatives house but they all live here so I am not going very far. Just once I would like to spend Christmas someplace else. Williamsburg or Disney in Florida, maybe.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixen Comet Cupid Donner Blitzen. And Rudolph. I can also recite a good portion of The Night Before Christmas from memory. And roll my tongue. But I can't wiggle my ears.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
When we were children my brother and I were allowed to open our present from one another on Christmas Eve. The rest were ripped open with vengeance on Christmas morning. These days we do the Christmas Day thing. No early opening for me anymore.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
That it starts so early. The stores push it too soon and I was not happy when one of the radio stations started playing carols a week before Thanksgiving. Let's get one holiday over before we start the next one!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
My favorite ornament says "First Christmas Together" and we've had it since we married. I love Santa Mouse and have a lot of little Santa Mouse ornaments on the tree. My favorite Santa Mouse in my house is one my friend Brenda gave me several years ago. My most favorite belongs to my parents, though.
24. Favorite Christmas memory?
My brother running into my room and waking me up at 3 a.m. whispering "Santa Claus came, get up!" Santa always left toys under the tree for us, unwrapped and waiting.
I also have a fond memory of the year I turned five and received a blue bicycle. A Batgirl doll was sitting on the seat when I arrived in the room.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Peace on Earth.
If I can't have that, then I would like to instantaneously lose a lot of weight.
And if I can't have that, then I would like several good books to read.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Thursday Thirteen
Good things about Christmas:
1. The reason for the season. My faith is a personal thing, and I am not a flagrant Christian by any stretch of the imagination, but the idea of a savior being born to save the world has great appeal.
2. Carols. I love the sounds of Christmas. They are happy sounds, generally. My favorites: Angels We Have Heard on High and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
3. Lights. I like the way the streets are suddenly visible, lighting the way for wayward children, lost souls and the Lamb of God.
4. Decorations. Okay, so some of them are quite cheesy but I enjoy seeing what people put out. Santa Claus and snowmen and elves and mangers and everything else just add to the general whimsy of the winter.
5. Snow. I know its not necessarily a Christmas thing. Still, it is magical. And Christmas snow is especially magical even if I have never seen a dancing snowman.
6. Food. Some of the best (and most fattening) food comes at the holiday time. Cookies and cakes. Fudge (yum). I even like fruit cake (my husband adores Claxton fruit cakes). Boiled custard (another thing my husband adores). Turkey, ham, yams. Such a buffet!
7. Gift wrapping. Don't you love the designs, the bows, the colors? Or the act of spending time thinking about the people you love while you're wrapping?
8. The presents. I like the giving part - and the getting part, too. It would be dishonest to say I don't really like receiving presents. I enjoy giving things more, though. I like the long process of giving thought to each individual, trying to come up with something that is the perfect thing. Since I limit some of my gift buying to food, "green" items, books, music, and the arts, it is sometimes a challenge.
9. Get togethers. I am not a social butterfly but I enjoy meetings with friends, small parties, family time with relatives seldom seen. This year I have family coming in from Texas; I am looking forward to seeing them.
10. Cooking. This is the one time of the year I do a lot of baking and cooking that I normally have little time for. It's fun! This year I want to try gingerbread - and maybe even make a house! - if I can find a recipe.
11. TV specials. Around here, it is not the Christmas season until Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (the old version, the claymation one) has been watched by the two adults in the house. I also enjoy Santa Claus is Coming to Town and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
12. The tree. This year we bought as special "25th anniversary" ornament to add to our tree. Our tree has firemen and farm equipment on it. I really need to find a typewriter ornament for myself. Maybe I could put a red ribbon around a pencil?
13. Holiday reading. This year in particular I seem to be gravitating toward to syrupy sweet holiday stories. They are nice stories and this is a good time of year to concentrate on "nice."
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
1. The reason for the season. My faith is a personal thing, and I am not a flagrant Christian by any stretch of the imagination, but the idea of a savior being born to save the world has great appeal.
2. Carols. I love the sounds of Christmas. They are happy sounds, generally. My favorites: Angels We Have Heard on High and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
3. Lights. I like the way the streets are suddenly visible, lighting the way for wayward children, lost souls and the Lamb of God.
4. Decorations. Okay, so some of them are quite cheesy but I enjoy seeing what people put out. Santa Claus and snowmen and elves and mangers and everything else just add to the general whimsy of the winter.
5. Snow. I know its not necessarily a Christmas thing. Still, it is magical. And Christmas snow is especially magical even if I have never seen a dancing snowman.
6. Food. Some of the best (and most fattening) food comes at the holiday time. Cookies and cakes. Fudge (yum). I even like fruit cake (my husband adores Claxton fruit cakes). Boiled custard (another thing my husband adores). Turkey, ham, yams. Such a buffet!
7. Gift wrapping. Don't you love the designs, the bows, the colors? Or the act of spending time thinking about the people you love while you're wrapping?
8. The presents. I like the giving part - and the getting part, too. It would be dishonest to say I don't really like receiving presents. I enjoy giving things more, though. I like the long process of giving thought to each individual, trying to come up with something that is the perfect thing. Since I limit some of my gift buying to food, "green" items, books, music, and the arts, it is sometimes a challenge.
9. Get togethers. I am not a social butterfly but I enjoy meetings with friends, small parties, family time with relatives seldom seen. This year I have family coming in from Texas; I am looking forward to seeing them.
10. Cooking. This is the one time of the year I do a lot of baking and cooking that I normally have little time for. It's fun! This year I want to try gingerbread - and maybe even make a house! - if I can find a recipe.
11. TV specials. Around here, it is not the Christmas season until Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (the old version, the claymation one) has been watched by the two adults in the house. I also enjoy Santa Claus is Coming to Town and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
12. The tree. This year we bought as special "25th anniversary" ornament to add to our tree. Our tree has firemen and farm equipment on it. I really need to find a typewriter ornament for myself. Maybe I could put a red ribbon around a pencil?
13. Holiday reading. This year in particular I seem to be gravitating toward to syrupy sweet holiday stories. They are nice stories and this is a good time of year to concentrate on "nice."
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Christmas Promise
The Christmas Promise
By Donna VanLiere
Read by the author
Copyright 2007
This is a sentimental and sweet story about Gloria. She is a widow with four children, one of whom has been missing for the last seven years.
She has created a new life for herself based on service. She makes sure the homeless and other folks in need are helped as best as she can help them. She delivers food, takes in children, and offers counsel. She makes money by teaching basic life skills courses.
Miriam is her next door neighbor. She is not a kind person and she looks down on Gloria. After her house floods, though, she finds herself living with Gloria. And then with a pregnant lady who moves in with Gloria. And then with a five year old child who also moves in.
Chaz takes a new job at Wilson's Department Store. He is a very unhappy fellow.
The lives of the characters all collide with little surprise to the reader. Still, it might bring a tear to the eye.
The book offers Christmas hope and a few miracles. Not what I normally read or listen to, but I liked it well enough.
3 stars
By Donna VanLiere
Read by the author
Copyright 2007
This is a sentimental and sweet story about Gloria. She is a widow with four children, one of whom has been missing for the last seven years.
She has created a new life for herself based on service. She makes sure the homeless and other folks in need are helped as best as she can help them. She delivers food, takes in children, and offers counsel. She makes money by teaching basic life skills courses.
Miriam is her next door neighbor. She is not a kind person and she looks down on Gloria. After her house floods, though, she finds herself living with Gloria. And then with a pregnant lady who moves in with Gloria. And then with a five year old child who also moves in.
Chaz takes a new job at Wilson's Department Store. He is a very unhappy fellow.
The lives of the characters all collide with little surprise to the reader. Still, it might bring a tear to the eye.
The book offers Christmas hope and a few miracles. Not what I normally read or listen to, but I liked it well enough.
3 stars
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The other night we watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Very good movie!
Lots of action, a little romance, plenty of mystery. Vintage Indiana Jones stuff, cleverly updated to the McCarthy times.
Recommended to all Indiana Jones fans.
4 stars
Very good movie!
Lots of action, a little romance, plenty of mystery. Vintage Indiana Jones stuff, cleverly updated to the McCarthy times.
Recommended to all Indiana Jones fans.
4 stars
Monday, December 08, 2008
Random Musings
Last week when I filled up the car with gas, I walked through what I thought was a mud puddle. It turned out to be a gas puddle.
I soaked the bottoms of my good sneakers in Dawn dish washing liquid and in white vinegar before I could stand to put them back on. I walked up and down the streets of Fincastle in them on Saturday and now they smell like asphalt and old apples.
***
Every year I lose a pair of scissors. I don't know where they go. Since I never find them again I guess they must somehow get up on their little pointy ends and tiptoe out of the house. I imagine them running down the driveway, breathless, trying to escape from the evil paper-cutting woman inside who dulls their edges.
Maybe then they make their way to some halfway house for escaped utensils and tools, where they hide out with an assortment of screwdrivers, hammers and silverware. Because they certainly are not here.
***
One of my friends (and a fellow blogger) and I have a great deal in common, from birthdays that are close to the cancer that took our mothers. She recently had surgery and has reported that she will have a large scar on her chest when the opening heals.
I have had a large scar on my chest since I was five years old. Weird!
I soaked the bottoms of my good sneakers in Dawn dish washing liquid and in white vinegar before I could stand to put them back on. I walked up and down the streets of Fincastle in them on Saturday and now they smell like asphalt and old apples.
***
Every year I lose a pair of scissors. I don't know where they go. Since I never find them again I guess they must somehow get up on their little pointy ends and tiptoe out of the house. I imagine them running down the driveway, breathless, trying to escape from the evil paper-cutting woman inside who dulls their edges.
Maybe then they make their way to some halfway house for escaped utensils and tools, where they hide out with an assortment of screwdrivers, hammers and silverware. Because they certainly are not here.
***
One of my friends (and a fellow blogger) and I have a great deal in common, from birthdays that are close to the cancer that took our mothers. She recently had surgery and has reported that she will have a large scar on her chest when the opening heals.
I have had a large scar on my chest since I was five years old. Weird!
Sunday, December 07, 2008
It was a parade!
Fincastle Christmas Parade 2008
The churches came to keep Christ in Christmas
The merry kazooers, townsfolk who always march along humming into their kazooes.
James River High School Band. They were decked out and sounding fine!
Lord Botetourt High School Band. Also decked out and sounding fine! (I have an affinity for the bands, having been a band member myself. I remember those cold marches!)
Sheriff Department's color guard.
LBHS flag girls
The fire departments and rescue squads were well represented.
Ol' St. Nick brought up the rear.
The churches came to keep Christ in Christmas
The merry kazooers, townsfolk who always march along humming into their kazooes.
James River High School Band. They were decked out and sounding fine!
Lord Botetourt High School Band. Also decked out and sounding fine! (I have an affinity for the bands, having been a band member myself. I remember those cold marches!)
Sheriff Department's color guard.
LBHS flag girls
The fire departments and rescue squads were well represented.
Ol' St. Nick brought up the rear.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Christmas 1975
On a December Saturday in 1975, a day much like today, my parents dropped my brother and me off at my grandparents to stay the night.
Dad was the front singer in a Top 40 music band that in the 1970s was well known throughout the valley. It was called Music, Inc., and he and Mom were out most every weekend.
On this December night, I fell while playing with my brother and my two young uncles (I was 12; my uncles were 11 and 16; my brother was 9). My right wrist made a sickening noise as I hit the cement in the basement.
Grandpa rushed me to the emergency room, where x-rays revealed fractured bones. I returned home in a heavy cast. No Velcro removable cast for me; I don't think they made them at that time.
My mother had been informed of my accident and she came to get me instead of leaving me there for the night. She opened the door and walked into my grandparents living room. I saw her and promptly passed out cold in the floor.
The cast was burdensome. I couldn't participate in band class, where I was taking flute. I lost the first chair position to my nemesis, Angie. Every six weeks or so it seemed we swapped first chair position. Since I couldn't play it was no longer mine.
I was in the 7th grade. This was my first year for half-year exams (I wonder if they still give those). The cast had my fingers spread apart so that I couldn't hold a pencil (and I of course was right-handed). I tried to write with my left hand but the scrawl was so bad that my teachers opted to give me oral examinations.
Christmas Day came and went. I don't remember anything I received as a gift. A few days later, my mother and I sat in the living room trying to sort through gifts and put things back in order. My father and brother were out doing farm things.
My mother was depressed and in a very foul mood. I remember crying while we worked because her unhappiness was contagious. I was pretty useless with my arm in a cast, too.
A knock on the door startled us. The neighbor burst in the door. She had run all the way up the driveway, which was about 1/3 mile.
My father had run over my brother with the tractor. He had scooped him up and the neighbor's husband was driving them to the hospital.
I was still in my nightgown. My mother hustled me into the backseat along with some clothes and told me to change as we drove.
She sped quickly down what then was a dirt road and headed toward the hospital, going so fast that when she unexpectedly slid through a curve on Catawba Road I fell into the car door. I landed against my cast; the pain in my wrist was enormous. But I didn't say anything.
At the hospital, we found my father in tears. He had been scraping the dirt driveway with a scraper blade on the back end of the tractor. My brother had been riding on the blade. He fell between the blade and the rear tractor wheels. My father dragged him quite a ways before he heard my brother yelling "Daddy help me!"
When my father stopped the tractor and shut it off, the back wheels rolled backwards, up over my brother's chest.
My brother suffered a concussion, broken ribs and other injuries. As a result of his head injury, his eyes went crossed. He was in the hospital for at least a week.
I spent New Year's Day night with my grandparents. My father had a gig to play with his band and my mother was staying at Community Hospital with my brother.
Late that evening, my grandfather, who was 56 years old, said he wasn't feeling well. Not long after, he collapsed.
The ambulance came and he and my grandmother went to Lewis Gale Hospital. I tried to call my mother at the other hospital but the switch board wouldn't put me through to my brother's room, not even when I said it was an emergency. They told me I could reach her at 7 a.m.
I remember calling her right at 7 o'clock to tell her her father was sick.
About three hours later, my mother came into my grandparents house, crying. My grandfather on January 2, 1975, died of a heart attack.
My brother left the hospital in time to go the funeral but he did not. He was still a little boy, after all.
After months of therapy, his eyes straightened out. The rest of him seemed to be okay, too.
When my wrist continued to ache my mother took me to the doctor, where another x-ray showed I had broken it again. I was in a cast on that arm for about 12 weeks straight.
I'm not sure where that memory came from; I think it is the ache in my wrist today that reminded me the thing probably hurts for a reason. I don't think I've ever written about that dreadful time before.
But that was the holidays in 1975.
Dad was the front singer in a Top 40 music band that in the 1970s was well known throughout the valley. It was called Music, Inc., and he and Mom were out most every weekend.
On this December night, I fell while playing with my brother and my two young uncles (I was 12; my uncles were 11 and 16; my brother was 9). My right wrist made a sickening noise as I hit the cement in the basement.
Grandpa rushed me to the emergency room, where x-rays revealed fractured bones. I returned home in a heavy cast. No Velcro removable cast for me; I don't think they made them at that time.
My mother had been informed of my accident and she came to get me instead of leaving me there for the night. She opened the door and walked into my grandparents living room. I saw her and promptly passed out cold in the floor.
The cast was burdensome. I couldn't participate in band class, where I was taking flute. I lost the first chair position to my nemesis, Angie. Every six weeks or so it seemed we swapped first chair position. Since I couldn't play it was no longer mine.
I was in the 7th grade. This was my first year for half-year exams (I wonder if they still give those). The cast had my fingers spread apart so that I couldn't hold a pencil (and I of course was right-handed). I tried to write with my left hand but the scrawl was so bad that my teachers opted to give me oral examinations.
Christmas Day came and went. I don't remember anything I received as a gift. A few days later, my mother and I sat in the living room trying to sort through gifts and put things back in order. My father and brother were out doing farm things.
My mother was depressed and in a very foul mood. I remember crying while we worked because her unhappiness was contagious. I was pretty useless with my arm in a cast, too.
A knock on the door startled us. The neighbor burst in the door. She had run all the way up the driveway, which was about 1/3 mile.
My father had run over my brother with the tractor. He had scooped him up and the neighbor's husband was driving them to the hospital.
I was still in my nightgown. My mother hustled me into the backseat along with some clothes and told me to change as we drove.
She sped quickly down what then was a dirt road and headed toward the hospital, going so fast that when she unexpectedly slid through a curve on Catawba Road I fell into the car door. I landed against my cast; the pain in my wrist was enormous. But I didn't say anything.
At the hospital, we found my father in tears. He had been scraping the dirt driveway with a scraper blade on the back end of the tractor. My brother had been riding on the blade. He fell between the blade and the rear tractor wheels. My father dragged him quite a ways before he heard my brother yelling "Daddy help me!"
When my father stopped the tractor and shut it off, the back wheels rolled backwards, up over my brother's chest.
My brother suffered a concussion, broken ribs and other injuries. As a result of his head injury, his eyes went crossed. He was in the hospital for at least a week.
I spent New Year's Day night with my grandparents. My father had a gig to play with his band and my mother was staying at Community Hospital with my brother.
Late that evening, my grandfather, who was 56 years old, said he wasn't feeling well. Not long after, he collapsed.
The ambulance came and he and my grandmother went to Lewis Gale Hospital. I tried to call my mother at the other hospital but the switch board wouldn't put me through to my brother's room, not even when I said it was an emergency. They told me I could reach her at 7 a.m.
I remember calling her right at 7 o'clock to tell her her father was sick.
About three hours later, my mother came into my grandparents house, crying. My grandfather on January 2, 1975, died of a heart attack.
My brother left the hospital in time to go the funeral but he did not. He was still a little boy, after all.
After months of therapy, his eyes straightened out. The rest of him seemed to be okay, too.
When my wrist continued to ache my mother took me to the doctor, where another x-ray showed I had broken it again. I was in a cast on that arm for about 12 weeks straight.
I'm not sure where that memory came from; I think it is the ache in my wrist today that reminded me the thing probably hurts for a reason. I don't think I've ever written about that dreadful time before.
But that was the holidays in 1975.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Thursday Thirteen
On the first day of Christmas, I went to the store.
I came home with a long two-by-four.
On the second day of Christmas, I stayed home in bed.
I pulled the covers over my head.
On the third day of Christmas, I thought that I should eat.
Chocolate is my favorite treat!
On the fourth day of Christmas, I camped out online
to buy all my presents on time.
On the fifth day of Christmas, I addressed the cards
That was not hard! Then I ate some chips, had a little dip, and then I nodded off at 8 p.m.!
On the sixth day of Christmas, I set out to buy
a present for my favorite guy.
On the seventh day of Christmas, I heard someone say
Hey, you, have a nice day!
On the eighth day of Christmas, I ran into a friend
who had just bought a new Mercedes Benz!
On the ninth day of Christmas, chocolate cherries called my name. And my diet was never the same!
On the tenth day of Christmas, I put up the tree
then I watched Rudolph on the TV.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, we turned on the colored lights.
We left them on all night.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my husband kissed me twice. I thought that it was really very nice!
On the thirteenth day of Christmas, I fell to my knees and prayed.
Because that is the reason for the day.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
I came home with a long two-by-four.
On the second day of Christmas, I stayed home in bed.
I pulled the covers over my head.
On the third day of Christmas, I thought that I should eat.
Chocolate is my favorite treat!
On the fourth day of Christmas, I camped out online
to buy all my presents on time.
On the fifth day of Christmas, I addressed the cards
That was not hard! Then I ate some chips, had a little dip, and then I nodded off at 8 p.m.!
On the sixth day of Christmas, I set out to buy
a present for my favorite guy.
On the seventh day of Christmas, I heard someone say
Hey, you, have a nice day!
On the eighth day of Christmas, I ran into a friend
who had just bought a new Mercedes Benz!
On the ninth day of Christmas, chocolate cherries called my name. And my diet was never the same!
On the tenth day of Christmas, I put up the tree
then I watched Rudolph on the TV.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, we turned on the colored lights.
We left them on all night.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my husband kissed me twice. I thought that it was really very nice!
On the thirteenth day of Christmas, I fell to my knees and prayed.
Because that is the reason for the day.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
A Really Stupid (and bad) Movie
Last night we watched You Don't Mess with the Zohan, which stars Adam Sandler.
This was, hands down, one of the worst movies I have watched in a long time. If we hadn't ordered it on pay-per-view I'd have stopped watching after the first 10 minutes. As it was I picked up a book while my husband watched it.
Even James, who has a much higher tolerance for bad movies, said after 40 minutes that we just wasted $4 ordering that movie.
He likes Adam Sandler, generally, and has seen most if not all of his movies. I have always found them too stupid to endure for the most part. I can't think of a single one that I would watch a second time.
This movie was so sexist that I wanted to puke. The lead character treated women as if they were nothing but his personal sex toys. The debasement began in the first minute of the movie and continued throughout. If you have any respect for women, or if you find the objectification of women objectionable, then this movie is not for you.
The basic plot is Zohan is some super Israeli fighter who wants to be a hairdresser. He fakes his death and goes to New York. He meets a Palestinian hair dresser who gives him a chance and he turns the salon into a famous place (because of course the poor female hair dresser couldn't do it herself).
I think there was some message about people getting along there at the end and being peaceful but it was pretty much lost in the midst of all of the stupidity portrayed in the rest of the movie.
ZERO stars
This was, hands down, one of the worst movies I have watched in a long time. If we hadn't ordered it on pay-per-view I'd have stopped watching after the first 10 minutes. As it was I picked up a book while my husband watched it.
Even James, who has a much higher tolerance for bad movies, said after 40 minutes that we just wasted $4 ordering that movie.
He likes Adam Sandler, generally, and has seen most if not all of his movies. I have always found them too stupid to endure for the most part. I can't think of a single one that I would watch a second time.
This movie was so sexist that I wanted to puke. The lead character treated women as if they were nothing but his personal sex toys. The debasement began in the first minute of the movie and continued throughout. If you have any respect for women, or if you find the objectification of women objectionable, then this movie is not for you.
The basic plot is Zohan is some super Israeli fighter who wants to be a hairdresser. He fakes his death and goes to New York. He meets a Palestinian hair dresser who gives him a chance and he turns the salon into a famous place (because of course the poor female hair dresser couldn't do it herself).
I think there was some message about people getting along there at the end and being peaceful but it was pretty much lost in the midst of all of the stupidity portrayed in the rest of the movie.
ZERO stars
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Books: Blue Christmas
Blue Christmas
By Mary Kay Andrews
Audiobook
Read by Isabel Keating
Copyright ???
5 hours unabridged
Weezie owns an antique store in Savanah. She wants to win the historical district decorating contest and she especially wants to outdo the owners of the boutique across the way that keeps trying to put her out of business.
She comes up with a Blue Christmas theme for her window and takes first prize. Her boyfriend Daniel gave her the idea because he doesn't like the holiday. He owns a restaurant and must work all the time. Plus his mother left him at Christmas when he was young.
Weezie starts worrying about what is going on in her life when a stranger breaks into her apartment and eats all her food. Then little items start to go missing. She believes it a bag lady is helping herself, so Weezie leaves her little presents. The woman leaves Weezie presents in return.
It looks like it might not be a good holiday but all ends well.
This book was a little on the cute side but it wasn't bad. It kind of fits the season. I enjoyed the characters and the writing wasn't bad.
2.75 stars
By Mary Kay Andrews
Audiobook
Read by Isabel Keating
Copyright ???
5 hours unabridged
Weezie owns an antique store in Savanah. She wants to win the historical district decorating contest and she especially wants to outdo the owners of the boutique across the way that keeps trying to put her out of business.
She comes up with a Blue Christmas theme for her window and takes first prize. Her boyfriend Daniel gave her the idea because he doesn't like the holiday. He owns a restaurant and must work all the time. Plus his mother left him at Christmas when he was young.
Weezie starts worrying about what is going on in her life when a stranger breaks into her apartment and eats all her food. Then little items start to go missing. She believes it a bag lady is helping herself, so Weezie leaves her little presents. The woman leaves Weezie presents in return.
It looks like it might not be a good holiday but all ends well.
This book was a little on the cute side but it wasn't bad. It kind of fits the season. I enjoyed the characters and the writing wasn't bad.
2.75 stars
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Blue Christmas
Now that it is officially the Christmas season, I have a confession to make.
I am not that fond of this particular holiday. One reason is my estrangement with my father, which makes the season bittersweet and emotionally tiring.
In fact, when I sing carols, I sing "Deck the halls with Melancholy, fa la lala lalala there's no way I can be jolly..." which always earns me a "tsk tsk" from my husband.
He loves the holiday, so I try very hard to be joyful for him. I don't complain about the tree (if not for him I wouldn't bother) or the wrapping or the cards or the decorating. I do my best to get into it but I usually have at least one meltdown.
When I was a child the holiday was a time of great strife. My parents fought like insane rabid wolves this time of the year; I suppose they were cooped up in the house together too much. When your parents are yelling and throwing things at one another, it does not make for anything other than great trepidation. Certainly it does not lead to much in the way of anticipation when you're more worried if Dad will still be there in the morning than if Santa is coming.
It is cold and I worry a lot about folks who don't have a lot of money. I just know they are suffering.
Also, there is all of this crass commercialism and gimme gimme and I want I want I want, which I find to be a downer. I love to buy things for other people, or make things for them (I make pounds and pounds of fudge and give it away; I do enjoy doing that). But I really dislike being told "I expect this from you" unless I have specifically asked.
My husband has to work Christmas Eve this year. That day has always had more importance to me than the actual Christmas Day, and I enjoy going to the community Christmas service with him. That won't be happening this year.
I won't grumble about it again and from here on you'll probably think I just adore Christmas. I think it is a very sad holiday, though, and I hope I and others remember that many folks get the blues this time of year.
I am not that fond of this particular holiday. One reason is my estrangement with my father, which makes the season bittersweet and emotionally tiring.
In fact, when I sing carols, I sing "Deck the halls with Melancholy, fa la lala lalala there's no way I can be jolly..." which always earns me a "tsk tsk" from my husband.
He loves the holiday, so I try very hard to be joyful for him. I don't complain about the tree (if not for him I wouldn't bother) or the wrapping or the cards or the decorating. I do my best to get into it but I usually have at least one meltdown.
When I was a child the holiday was a time of great strife. My parents fought like insane rabid wolves this time of the year; I suppose they were cooped up in the house together too much. When your parents are yelling and throwing things at one another, it does not make for anything other than great trepidation. Certainly it does not lead to much in the way of anticipation when you're more worried if Dad will still be there in the morning than if Santa is coming.
It is cold and I worry a lot about folks who don't have a lot of money. I just know they are suffering.
Also, there is all of this crass commercialism and gimme gimme and I want I want I want, which I find to be a downer. I love to buy things for other people, or make things for them (I make pounds and pounds of fudge and give it away; I do enjoy doing that). But I really dislike being told "I expect this from you" unless I have specifically asked.
My husband has to work Christmas Eve this year. That day has always had more importance to me than the actual Christmas Day, and I enjoy going to the community Christmas service with him. That won't be happening this year.
I won't grumble about it again and from here on you'll probably think I just adore Christmas. I think it is a very sad holiday, though, and I hope I and others remember that many folks get the blues this time of year.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving Thirteen
1. I am so thankful for the turkey, in the oven cooking.
2. I am thankful for my husband, who still calls me "good looking."
3. I am thankful for my little house, which keeps me nice and warm.
4. I am thankful for my little car which keeps me safe from harm.
5. I am thankful for my many friends, so dear and kind and true.
6. I am thankful for another day so I can to write to you!
7. I am thankful for my telephone, with calls to loves and friends
8. I am thankful for the gift of time so I can make amends
9. I am thankful for another day to tread upon this land
10. I am thankful for the beaches and their thousand grains of sand.
11. I am thankful for good chocolate and the teeth with which to eat
12. I am thankful for my table and for the upcoming turkey feast!
13. And finally, I am thankful on this great Thanksgiving Day
That here I have a place to list the grace that comes my way.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
2. I am thankful for my husband, who still calls me "good looking."
3. I am thankful for my little house, which keeps me nice and warm.
4. I am thankful for my little car which keeps me safe from harm.
5. I am thankful for my many friends, so dear and kind and true.
6. I am thankful for another day so I can to write to you!
7. I am thankful for my telephone, with calls to loves and friends
8. I am thankful for the gift of time so I can make amends
9. I am thankful for another day to tread upon this land
10. I am thankful for the beaches and their thousand grains of sand.
11. I am thankful for good chocolate and the teeth with which to eat
12. I am thankful for my table and for the upcoming turkey feast!
13. And finally, I am thankful on this great Thanksgiving Day
That here I have a place to list the grace that comes my way.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Remembering Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter of The Carpenters was one of my favorite singers.
Every year I enjoy hearing her Christmas carols. Her songs remind me of my teenage years. I grew up on this voice. All I wanted to do was sing like Karen Carpenter.
What a shame she was unable to enjoy her work and live to see a long life.
She died at the age of 32 from complications from anorexia. I remember hearing of her death; I was home sick myself with mono at the time.
I have watched footage of Karen in concert. She really seemed happiest when she was playing drums instead of singing. She has a perfect voice, though. I am glad she was able to share it with the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)