Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas Eve to my readers who celebrate, and a fantastic day to those who don't!

Many blessings to all.

And to all, a good night!

Thursday Thirteen

It's Little Christmas Eve, and I'm feeling nostalgic. Here are toys I remember from childhood. How many are still around? Which ones did you, dear reader, play with?

1. Lincoln Logs 

2. Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots

3. Candyland game

4. Barrel of Monkeys

5. Baby Tenderlove

6. Mrs. Beasley doll

7. Fisher Price Farm Set

8. Paddle Ball

9. Johnny West & Friends dolls 

10. Action Jackson doll

11. Little green army men

12. Erector set

13. Tonka Toys

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 736th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

All Lit Up

We took a drive around to look at Christmas lights the other night.

Lots of folks have lights out this year.

I shot these with my iPhone 5SE. I don't care if it is old, it still takes a decent picture.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

Questions continued from last week.

16. Do you want any piercings?

A. I have a piercing in each ear. I don't need any more holes in my head.

17. What’s your mouse pad look like?

A. It's a picture of fish. It's from the National Aquarium in Baltimore and I have no idea how I got it, as I've never been there. I've had it for many years. I should get a new one sometime.

18. Have you ever been to a psychic/tarot reader?

A. I have. I saw one at a "holistic healing" festival, or something like that. He was spot on.

19. How do you identify spiritually (do you follow a religion, what do you think about soul/spirit, etc.)?

A. I do not agree with the established Christian religions, and so I follow my own path. I think our souls go out into the universe. Some souls stick together and some scatter apart like dust. That depends on the path the soul is on. Logically, there likely isn't such a thing as a soul and the best one can hope for is to be good worm food.

20. Do you prefer your nails long or short?

A. Mine are quite short. I stopped biting them during the pandemic and they're starting to look a little better, but it will be a long time before the damage of 50+ years of gnawing on this dissipates. 

21. What are your favorite smells?

A. Vanilla, cookies baking, my husband's chest after he's had a shower.

22. Do you still use a radio or just use your phone/computer for music?

A. I use Alexa mostly, but I have a waterproof radio in the shower.

23. What kind of socks do you prefer to wear?

A. I prefer crew socks. My doctor had me switch to the Dr. Scholl's diabetic sock because they're looser and she'd prefer I wore ankle socks, but I can't stand those.

24. Do you have any family heirlooms?

A. Yes.

25. Are there any musicians you didn't like at first but grew on you?

A. I like The Beatles more now than I did when I was young.

26. Is there anything you used to love but now dislike?

A. There are foods I no longer eat because they disagree with me, but that's not disliking them.

27. Your favorite place to be aside from your home?

A. In a bookstore.

28. What is your favorite kind of tea?

A. Decaf Irish Breakfast Tea, but I only drink water now. I haven't had any tea in about a year.

29. Any old home remedies you use when you're sick?

A. I use Vick's on my feet when I have a cough and eat honey to keep things loose. I also inhale warm water vapors from a steaming pot. Sometimes when my ear hurts, I have my husband put his mouth over my ear and simply breathe - it equalizes the pressure a little. He doesn't do it as well as my mother used to, but he gives it a go. My grandfather used to blow cigarette smoke in my ear to stop it from hurting. I do not advise the last one.

30. What level of brightness do you usually keep your phone at?

A. It's a little to the left of the middle, whatever that is.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Please Come Home for Christmas

Saturday 9: Please Come Home for Christmas (1992)

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

1) In this video, Jon Bon Jovi recalls decorating the tree with Cindy Crawford. They took turns wearing a Santa hat. Will anyone in your household be donning a Santa hat this season?

A. Doubtful. We're having trouble getting in the Santa Claus mood around here this year.
 
2) He sings of the salutations he's received from friends and relatives. Have you received many holiday cards this year?

A. Not many so far.
 
3) Will you wrap many presents? Or do you prefer to use gift bags? 

A. I wrap and use gift bags. Some presents are easier in gift bags.
 
4) Jon Bon Jovi says he and Frank Sinatra are distant relatives. Do you believe that musicality is a genetic gift, or that it can be taught?

A. I think you can teach someone to play an instrument and play it well, but they have to feel it to make it be music that grabs your heart.

5) Jon is such a big Star Wars fan that he wrote a carol called "R2-D2: We Wish You a Merry Christmas." There a dozen Star Wars movies. How many have you seen?

A. I am not sure. Maybe eight or nine. I know I haven't seen them all.

6) Jon once guest starred as Carrie's love interest in an episode of Sex and the City, the popular HBO sitcom set in New York. The new reboot, And Just Like That, also centers around NYC life. Where does your favorite TV show take place?

A. My former favorite TV show took place in National City (Supergirl). I don't have a favorite TV show at the moment. Old favorites took place in mythical worlds, in New York City, in an apartment in what I think was Phoenix, etc.

7) Jon met his wife, Dorothea, when they were still in high school. Do you remember who you wanted to marry when you were in high school?

A. I don't recall wanting to marry anyone when I was in high school. But then I married when I was 20, which is not so far out of high school.

8) At Christmastime 1992, when this song was released, toys that tied into Disney's Little Mermaid were very popular. Have you purchased toys for anyone on your gift list this year?

A. Yes, I have purchased toys for my great niece and great nephew.

9) Jon recorded "Please Come Home for Christmas" to benefit The Special Olympics. Here's your chance to plug a cause or organization that's near and dear to you.

A. Roanoke Area Ministries (RAM) is an interfaith non-profit that advocates for those facing or are threatened by homelessness and hunger. Founded in 1971, the organization opens its doors to those needing care coordination, day shelter services, meals, and emergency financial assistance.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  

Thursday Thirteen #735

The nearby town has a "tinsel trail" of decorated Christmas trees on display. We visited the other night. It wasn't quite dark enough for the lights to make the display all merry and bright, but the trees were pretty to look at.

The Tinsel Trail is sponsored by First Bank and the county Chamber of Commerce.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 735th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

A Jam for My Friend

My friend, B., died on December 3. The family chose not to have a service. Instead, in the obituary, we were all advised to spend an hour having fun in my friend's name.

I had a sinus infection and was sad, so I wasn't exactly into fun at the time. Instead, I picked up my guitar and settled into a bluesy honkey-tonk jazzy something or another that went on and on and on without an end. This video ultimately was 20 minutes long; I cut it back to 6 minutes.

The rhythm guitar and drum loop was created using a Boss RC-3 loop station. I played the background rhythm first with the drums from the loop station. It's a simple jam in E7, A, and B. The lead guitar runs are simply me playing whatever I was feeling at the time.

The D string went out of tune a little bit during the time I was playing, and I can hear it in this part, which is unfortunate because I thought this section had some of the best lead runs in it. Oh well. What's a "live" performance without some error, right?

I hope B. enjoyed it.

Crime in My County

Today I went to see my chiropractor. I've been seeing her for almost 20 years. We are not "friends," exactly, but I expect I'm closer to her than many of her patients. I think I am the patient she's seen the longest, or close to it.

Her office is in a small mall. It's generally quiet over there where the mall is located. It's "over the mountain" and while part of Botetourt, I think folks there often feel like the red-headed stepchild, because most activity and growth centers on this side of the mountain.

My hairdresser is also in this mall. She's the person I have settled on after years of bad Super Cuts hairstyles after my hair stylist of 30+ years retired.

The first thing I noticed when I pulled into the mall was a big, cracked window at my hairdresser's place. The window was not shattered, so no one gained entrance, but someone sure tried to break out the glass.

My chiropractor was visibly upset about this. Apparently, it happened last night, and the violence of it upset her. She is often alone with patients in the later hours at this little mall and wants to feel safe. She also wants her patients to feel safe. 

The hairdresser was nowhere to be seen and her shop was closed. The police had come and gone. Someone had thrown a huge rock at the window. I tried to think what might be in a hairdresser's shop that would entice attempted robbery but came up blank. They'd have had better luck at the dentist's office a few doors down. He, at least, would have had some drugs in there, even if it was just numbing agents.

I was not unsettled by this; I've done business with many of the folks who are or have been located in this mall and never had a problem in the 20 or more years I've been going there. But, it brings things into focus. 

We do not live in safe times. We need to lock our doors. We cannot trust that our neighbors mean us no harm.

Fear has found us here, in the backwoods, in the ruralness of home.

To feel fear is a great loss, and I'm afraid it's the ruling emotion of our times.

A Clear Phone Screen

A while back, I took the case from my phone, removing the screen protector in the process, in order to have the battery replaced.

The battery replacement went fine. The screen protector, not so much. It was terribly dirty when I replaced it and it bothered me.

Today, UPS brought me a replacement screen protector for my little iPhone 5SE, and in about 20 minutes, I had a clear screen on my phone again.

This makes me very happy as the dirty-looking screen that I had before, with the old screen protector on it, was driving me nuts every time I looked at the phone.

So, yay for a clean phone screen protector! Hurrah for clarity!

I was even able to get the case back on it without a lot of grumbling. Good as new!

It's the simple things, yes?

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Have you ever been caught outdoors away from shelter during a thunderstorm?

A. Yes. When I was at band camp, the director kept us on the field even though the lightning and thunder was all around us. He made us keep marching until the rain started. I thought it was terribly irresponsible of him.

2. Did you ever build furniture forts as a child?

A. I'm sure I did, but I don't recall anything specific.

3. Do you use any medicines daily? 

A. Yes.

4. When was the last time you used a disposable camera?

A. Years and years ago.

5. When was the last time you flew on a plane?

A. In 1993. I'm not a big traveler.

6. How many first cousins do you have?

A. At least a dozen. I'm pretty sure I missed someone in there, though.

7. What’s the longest period of time you’ve gone without sleep?

A. About 24 hours.

8. Did the house you grew up in have a big yard?

A. I grew up on a farm. We had fields.

9. What has been the most difficult class you’ve ever taken?

A. Some kind of math class, I'm sure. It's been a long time since I was in school and took the core courses.

10. What’s something that’s much more difficult than a lot of people realize?

A. Living a good life. Having a good marriage. Being true to yourself regardless of what others think.

11. What are some things a house would need to have for you to purchase it?

A. Hardwood and tile floors, no mold, preferably one that hadn't had pets or smokers in it.

12. Would you ever go out in public wearing pajamas?

A. Not unless it were an emergency, and I were on a stretcher.

13. Have you ever had a lemonade stand?

A. Yes. When I was young and we stayed with my grandmother, my brother, my young uncle. and I would set up a lemonade stand in the summer. We used the money to go to the skating rink or to see movies.

14. Do you think you look older or younger than your real age?

A. I look a little younger but not by much.

15. Where have you lived throughout your life?

A. I have never lived more than 30 miles from where I am now.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Driver's License

Saturday 9: Drivers License (2021)

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

1) This song is about a girl who just got her driver's license. Who taught you to drive?

A. My father. I was driving when I was 12 years old. A straight shift, even.

2) Do you like your driver's license/state ID photo?

A. It's a driver's license. I need it. It doesn't matter if I like it or not.

3) Think back to the first ticket you received. How old were you, and what was it for?

A. I received a ticket for a wreck; I rear-ended someone. That was about 1994, I guess. I topped a hill, and a car was stopped for a school bus. I hit the car. I was on my way to a job interview. Busted up my knee. I had to go to driver's school and then there was no more ticket and nothing against my record. Driver's school, incidentally, was a joke. I didn't get the job, either.

4) In this week's song, Olivia Rodrigo is brokenhearted, driving through her boyfriend's neighborhood, certain that he has taken up with the sophisticated blonde girl. When it comes to romance, do you have a jealous streak?

A. No. My husband is a faithful man.

5) Olivia grew up in Temecula, California. Temecula is home to 40 wineries and dozens of tasting rooms. Have you ever attended a wine tasting?

A. No. I don't drink.

6) Her first on-screen appearance was in a commercial for Old Navy stores. Old Navy is owned by the same company as Banana Republic, Gap and Athletica. Have you done any of your holiday shopping at one of those stores? (Yes, their websites count.)

A. No.

7) She went on to star in projects for Disney studios. That's also how pop stars Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and Christina Aguilera got started. Arguably the first teen star created by Disney studios was Annette Funicello. Do you remember her?

A. I do. She was on the Mouseketeers.

8) "Drivers License" was one of this year's most popular songs. One of this year's most popular books is John Grisham's The Judge's List. Do you expect to do much reading between now and the end of the year? If so, what's on your TBR (to be read) list?

A. It's Better This Way, by Debbie Macomber, A Queen in Hiding, by Sarah Kozloff. If I get those read that will be a lot of reading; the last book is about 600 pages long.

9) Random Question: What is the longest line you ever stood in, and was it worth it?

A. It would have been for something at Disney in Orlando, and no. Nothing is worth standing in line for, if you ask me.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

Last night before I fell asleep, I was thinking about what to write for Thursday Thirteen. Old commercials popped into my mind.

1.  Valleydale

2. Frito Bandito

3. Oscar Meyer

4. Armour Hot Dogs

5. Chiquita Bananas

6. Where's the Beef?

7. Mr. Whipple squeezing Charmin

8. Evans Drug Store, Evans Drug Store, good prescription service! Intersection at Airport and Williamson Road! Delivery in the city, and in the county, too! For drugs, cosmetics, school supplies, it's Evans Drug store! (Local commercial. I remember the words)

9. The lady dipping her hand in dishwashing liquid - Palmolive.

10. The Maytag Repair Man

11. Pearl Drop Toothpastes (my grandmother hated this one)

12. The Native American with a tear in his eye because of all of the trash thrown out.

13. Mikey! He likes it! (Life Cereal).

Here's 14 minutes worth of old commercials:

Many of these would be considered incorrect today. But they are an interesting way of looking at the world I grew up in.

_____________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 734th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

O Christmas Tree

 

Our Christmas tree this year. You can't see much of the ornaments for all the shiny lights and tinsel!

Aspiration?

Late yesterday afternoon, I think I inhaled something down the wrong pipe.

The something was either from reflux, as I was bending over at the time, or a small piece of a white chocolate Lindt ball that maybe I hadn't swallowed. That was the last thing I had in my mouth, anyway. But bending over causes reflux and I am not sure what happened, except I choked a bit.

I coughed and coughed. Nothing came up. I went about my business. I kept coughing sometimes, but it felt funky in there, and still does.

I can breathe, and I can eat, and I can talk. I drank a cup of hot water (on the theory that if it's a piece of Lindt chocolate, the hot water should melt it, right?) and that set off my sinuses, and they drained. I coughed more. My husband beat me on the back a lot (I need the chiropractor now).

This morning when I woke up, my jaw was locked because I took the mouth guard off to ensure I was breathing ok. So, there I was with my jaw locked, hacking away, and spitting up hoping something would come out. 

But nothing did. I can't tell if it's an aspiration or if something scratched my throat. I have had a sinus infection and still have sinus drainage, so some of it could be from that. I just know I'm uncomfortable.

My jaw has unlocked, but it is quite sore. I ate a scrambled egg (something soft) and found eating made the weird feeling worse. As long as I stay quiet, I seem to be ok, but every now and then if I take a deep breathe, there's that weirdness again.

I put in a call to my doctor to be on the safe side, but I haven't heard back from her. I don't consider it an emergency, and I definitely don't want to go to the emergency room for this, but I also don't want to end up with pneumonia because something went down the wrong way.

What a weird thing to be dealing with on a Wednesday morning.

I Wimped Out

A while back, I said I was going to replace my cellphone battery myself.

I wimped out and took it to Batteries Plus this morning instead. It cost more to fix it, but at least I felt more comfortable knowing they likely wouldn't break the phone.

However, the screen protector cover on my cellphone case is now bleary. I removed the case and the cover before I left the house to take it to the store. I didn't realize the cell phone screen protector cover had sticky stuff on the back. I may have been able to have left that on there, I don't know. I'm not sure what the fellow had to do to get the battery in.

Of course, in removing things, I touched the sticky stuff, so now the screen on my phone isn't as clear as I would like. Not to mention I left it sticky side up, and it's four years old, so dust has settled on it, and it's stuck there, too.

I tried to blow the sticky side clean with a can of air, but that didn't help.

The screen protector being a bit unclean doesn't really affect anything on the phone. Perhaps I should buy an entirely new case, but my phone is an iPhone 5SE (1st generation 2016) and I would have to order it. They're not cheap, either. They've gone way up since I bought my phone in 2017.

It looks like the best cases are otterbox, but I'm not sure of that and will need to do more research before I make a purchase. 

The one I have is supposedly military grade, but I bought it from Zazzle at the time and it's been discontinued. This case has held up well as it and the now-bleary screen protector have been on the phone since 2017 without a problem. It's certainly been a good case.

At least I have a new battery. Hopefully I can continue to use this phone for a few more years, until they do away with 4G, anyway.

The Union Prom

My husband was a firefighter and member of the local firefighter's union for almost 40 years. We never once went to the Union Reward Banquet (aka Union Ball or Union Prom).

Until Saturday.

Saturday night we went because my husband had retired in 2020, and there was no Union Ball in 2020 because of the pandemic.

So, all of the retirees were honored Saturday night. There were quite a lot of them, though less than half of them came to the "Union Prom" to receive their chrome-plated axe.

Here are photos from the event:

Me trying to be "artsy" with the cellphone camera.

My husband and his cousin with their retirement axes.

My husband had served the longest. When he retired, he was
the second-longest serving member of the fire department.

All of the retired firefighters who showed up to claim their retirement axe.

My husband, his cousin, and some fellow I don't know with their axes.

My husband's cousin and his wife. We sat with them.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What are your plans for December?

A. Go to my husband's long-delayed retirement party, see my doctor, have Christmas.

2. How do you celebrate your wins/success?

A. I tell somebody, usually the husband.

3. Are holiday movies only for the holiday season?

A. No, but I prefer them then.

4. What would you consider a waste of money?

A. Diamonds.

5. What do you like to eat for breakfast?

A. Eggs, bacon, grits, toast, grape jelly. That's what I like to eat, but it is not what I eat.

6. How do you feel about poetry?

A. I love poetry. I write and publish poetry.

7. Are you shy?

A. Yes.

8. Do you take time to reflect on your goals?

A. I don't have goals at the moment. It's something I need to fix.

9. Name something you are curious to know more about.

A. The weather. I would like to know more about how the weather works than I do.

10. Name something that makes you feel fancy.

A. Wearing dangling earrings.

11. How are you still handling the pandemic?

A. I have my vaccinations and booster shot, and I continue to wear a mask in public. I greet people at the door with a mask on, unless I know them. I also continue to do pickup at the grocery store, though I sometimes go in because let's face it, those kids can't pick out a decent cut of meat. Mostly, I stay home.

12. A close friend you’ve never met in person.

A. I have several friends among the respondents in this meme who I consider "a close friend" but I've never met them in person. I also have a friend in England whom I haven't met, and friends in my video game that I likely will never meet.

13. Do you get in on trends early or later?

A. If I am in on a trend, it's an accident.

14. What is something you do on a regular basis?

A. Eat. Drink. Sleep. Read the newspaper. Look at my watch. Ask Alexa to play music. Play music myself. Write. Read.

15. Do you enjoy spending time with family?

A. Sometimes. Depends on who it is.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.