Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. If animals could talk, which one do you think would complain the most about their day?

A. A horse or an ox that works on a farm. "I had to pull that plow for miles today and it was 94 degrees out! And I didn't get enough water. And he used the whip twice because I stumbled over uneven ground. And the hay tastes blah."

2. What do you think cats dream about during their epic naps?

A. Chasing squirrels.

3. If squirrels organized an Olympics, what events would they have?

A. High wire walking, jumping, hiding things, and sunbathing.

4. Do you think penguins ever get jealous of birds that can fly?

A. No.

5. If animals had their own social media, what kind of posts would we see from them?

A. Cow: It's so dang hot today. I still can't believe he fenced us out of the pond and makes us drink from that feed trough. I want to lie in the water! It is moooey hot under the trees! I udderly do not understand how this little bit of shade is supposed to help. Also, flies.

6. What would be the title of the autobiography of a lazy house cat?

A. Livin' the Life of Reily

7. If you had to choose an animal to be your personal bodyguard, which one would you pick?

A. A big dog.

8. Do you think dogs secretly judge us for not being able to sniff out everything they can?

A. No.

9. If animals could wear clothes, which animal would have the best fashion sense?

A. Cats.

10. If a group of owls started a band, what would their music style be?

A. They'd play bluegrass so they could whooop it up.

11. What do dolphins think when people swim with them?

A. They think they are dolphins and are out for a swim with people.

12. What do you think squirrels gossip about when they chatter to each other in the trees?

A. Where they hid the nuts.

13. If elephants played hide-and-seek, where do you think they'd hide?

A. Behind skinny trees.

14. What do you imagine a llama would say if you asked it about the meaning of life?

A. It would be all spit and tongue.

15. If you could swap places with any animal for a day, which one would it be, and why?

A. I would swap places with a lion so I could see a different land and be supple and strong in movement.

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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: My Sharona

Saturday 9: My Sharona (1979)

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

 

1) The Knack's lead singer Doug Fieger wrote this song for his girlfriend, Sharona Alperin. That's Sharona on the record sleeve shown here. Who took the most recent photo of you?

A. I guess I did, a selfie. I don't generally have my photo taken, nor do I take selfies often, but I recently received a decent haircut, and I took a picture of it for future reference.

2) Today Sharona Alperin is a realtor in Southern California. (The photo on her website is more demure than the record sleeve.) She specializes in high-end properties. Have you ever attended an open house, not because you were interested in purchasing the property but because you were curious about the inside?

A. I don't think so, but I have thought about it.

3) Doug Fieger's brother is Geoffrey Fieger, a prominent attorney in Detroit. Have you ever consulted a lawyer?

A. I have, yes. I also used to work for attorneys. I did that from 1983 to 1994, and freelanced for the local media on the side. I also put myself through college during that time.

 

4) The Knack's record producer was Jimmy Miller, who also worked with The Rolling Stones. What's your favorite Rolling Stones song?

A. Beast of Burden.

 

5) In 1994, more than a decade after its initial release, "My Sharona" became popular with a new audience because it was included on the soundtrack of the movie Reality Bites. What's the most recent movie you watched?

A. Barbie.

6) President George W. Bush said he loved listening to "My Sharona" on his headphones while riding his bike. Do you often have music on when you exercise?

A. Yes. If I exercise.

 

7) In 1979, when this song was popular, the CBS TV show Alice was a hit. It was about a widowed mom who made ends meet working in a diner. Have you ever worked at a restaurant?

A. I have not, although I did work in the cafeteria at Camp Fincastle one summer. It wasn't a restaurant, but it dealt with food.

 

8) Also in 1979, the Voyager spacecraft sent back photos of Jupiter and its rings. Without looking it up, can you name all the planets in our solar system?

A. Earth, Mars, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Jupiter and sometimes Pluto.

9) Random question: If you could erase your most painful day from your memory, would you do it?

A. I would be hard pressed to know which of my memories is my most painful, so probably not, unless there was some way to narrow that down.

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

Happiness Challenge - Day 25

 

A surprise package came in the mailbox.

My brother sent me two plastic jars along with a note telling me not to deny his brother-in-law his beloved pickles simply because he is clumsy. 

I had to laugh, as I had been researching plastic jars for pickles but hadn't yet made a purchase. My brother said he uses these for pickles. 

So I am happy that my brother thought enough of my husband to send him plastic jars for his pickles, and I had a good chuckle.

A Sad Day

Yesterday, the former president presented himself to a jail in Georgia to have his fingerprinting and his mug shot taken.

It's been all over the news.

This is his fourth indictment since he left office. While I strongly believe he tried to stay in office illegally and, at the least, incited a riot, I find it sad that this is now what the world sees of America.

The world sees that we are a bunch of haters who elected someone who is a grifter, a con man, and a not-nice person by any stretch of the imagination. 

Hopefully, though, the world also sees that we are a nation of laws, and if one breaks those laws, then one is tried, and justice is served.

I take no joy in knowing that (a) this is the type of person so many people adore and want to follow, for reasons that continue to elude me and (b) that our government and our national reputation has been so wounded by this person and his ilk.

I have always believed in the power of the government to better the lives of its citizens. I have believed it can happen at the local level, and I believe it can happen at the state and federal levels. But the people in charge also must believe that.

The former guy believed, as best I could tell, that the government should only help him. I certainly didn't see much come out of his administration that helped me. Even the monetary loans during the pandemic were giveaways of federal funding to those who didn't need it, for the most part. Maybe they helped out somebody somewhere.

While seeing our country diminished makes me sad, I think it is important that the former guy be charged with conspiring to defraud the American people out of their choice for president. It is how we move forward from this and defend democracy and maintain the rule of law. I do not see this as a failure of the legal system, nor do I see these charges as political. I see them as necessary if the republic is to continue to function under the U.S. Constitution.

If these charges had not been brought, then the U.S. Constitution may as well be, as the former guy has suggested, tossed out the window. I would be less confident in the judicial system had charges never been brought, and even now I have concerns about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court and what role it will ultimately play in all of this. Because you know eventually, that is where some, if not all, of these indictments will end up if the former guy is found guilty. Maybe even if he is found innocent, I don't know.

I look for calmer days sometime in my lifetime. Preferably they would be ones where I don't have to look at the mug shot of a former president.

Thursday Thirteen

1. Alexa now says to me, "This reminder sounds important. Shall I remind you every hour until you tell me it's done?" when I ask her to remind me to do something. Not every time though. I wonder how she determines what sounds important and what doesn't.

2. She does make a good nag. Instead of nagging my husband to take his blood sugar, for example (he's prediabetic), I have times set up daily for Alexa to nag him. She nags him when I know he is going to be home. Usually he ignores her, but at least I am not the one doing the nagging.

3. Some time ago, Amazon changed the way I could listen to music on Alexa (unless I pay extra to join Amazon Music, which I won't do because I think I pay enough to be a prime member). There are ways around it, but it is aggravating to just want to hear one song and have to either tell her to stop after she plays it or to wade through several other songs to hear the one you want. You can tell her to skip to the next song, though, and she will.

4. The music change lessened my use of the device, so much so that I may not replace my Alexa when she has a technological heart attack. Instead, I plan to turn to my phone as my reminder and music player. I'm not sure what to do about nagging my husband, though.

5. When I am writing, I like to listen to Sheryl Crow or a few of Melissa Etheridge's albums. Not all of their songs, though. I am selective. I had a playlist but Alexa won't play it now. Well, she'll play it "and similar songs" because I won't join their little music club. So now I listen to that playlist on my computer while I'm writing. It's important that I not be interrupted by some song I wasn't expecting when I am using the music for background while I write. I have to keep my train of thought chugging along or I lose what I'm thinking.

6. The Alexa music change also upset my guitar playing, because before I could ask her to constantly replay a song while I tried to learn it. I can't do that now, so I use youtube. Like I said, there are ways around the issue Amazon created, but I have to take a few extra steps. I mean, I used to have to lift up a needle on a record player and find the song on an LP, so this is still easier than the "old days."

7. Since I have been using Alexa (and Siri on my phone), I have not been overly concerned about the new AI. I have played with ChatGPT and I have used the Bing AI to create images for my blog. I have found them both convenient and helpful, though I do not always get the results I expected.

8. While I might use ChatGPT for something on my blog, I would never use it in an article or anything I was being paid for. This is my personal space, so I feel like it's not a problem. However, I understand why writers and artists are upset about the way the AIs are being utilized and why some people consider it artistic theft. I also know some people are actually creating books to sell on Amazon using AI, and the information in them is not fact checked. This is not cool, and it is worrisome.

9. My brother told me he saw someone using a robot to mow their lawn the other day. It's like an iRoomba except for grass. To me that sounds like a great thing, but we have a lot of yard and it probably would have to mow a little, recharge, mow a little, recharge . . . I'm not sure it would have the whole 3 acres mowed before it had to start all over.

10. I also wouldn't mind having one of the iRoomba vacuums. It would be nice not to have haul out the vacuum cleaner. We live near a cement plant, and it gets dusty here. I could dust every day and it would look dusty anyway. Actually, it looks dusty almost immediately after I dust. This is why we run two air purifiers in the house. And, of course, the dust settles on the hardwood floors.

11. AI is going to be a great tool, but it is also going to be used for ill. The Internet offered, and still offers, great promise, but some humans tend to be destructive and find ways to use most anything in a bad way. Not everyone's mind goes off in that direction, thank goodness, but I think it is getting harder to tell truth from tall tale on the Internet. 

12. That's why I have multiple news sources that I turn to when I'm looking up things. Then I take the aggregate of the information and determine what is likely truth and what is likely not. Sometimes that is hard, and I think AI is going to make that even more difficult. It's already difficult to determine if an article in The Onion is truth or fiction, what with all the weird going on in the world.

13. For now, I am content with using AI as I am using it, but I am diligent and won't use it for profit (although I have to wonder now, if the computer finished my phrases for me, is that AI and is that utilizing it improperly?). I wish everyone felt that way, but I guess that would be asking too much. After all, I live in the "land of the free to make money anyway you can go about it."

*Bing AI created the images. Ironic, yes? But I couldn't draw them, nor could I pay someone else to. And it does liven up the reading a bit. :::shrug:::

______________

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 822nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Happiness Challenge - Day 23

 

I ate baked spaghetti and it didn't kill me! Or give me horrid reflux.

This may not seem like a big deal, but I have not had spaghetti of any kind for over 3 years. I had such a horrid time with an ulcer and accompanying acid reflux that I'm only now slowly trying new foods. Or rather, old foods that I used to take for granted.

It was so good! That first bite was like nirvana.

So maybe spaghetti is something I can add back into my diet occasionally. I know to eat foods that bother me before 2 p.m. and we had this for lunch. 

This is progress!

Oh, and my husband's year follow-up on his hip replacement (which was the reason we were out in the first place), came back great and he doesn't need to return for five years! So yay for that, too.

Happiness Challenge - Day 22

 

Today I am happy that my husband didn't cut his leg off.

He dropped a pickle jar as he was putting it back in the refrigerator, and it shattered. A big piece hit his leg and shaved off a good inch of skin. It wasn't deep, but it bled a lot.

I rushed around trying to take care of him and clean up pickle juice all at the same time. I was trying to keep the pickle juice from running under the refrigerator, plus there was glass everywhere, and he was bleeding somewhat profusely.

After I got him in a chair and his bloody shoes off of him so I could see what he'd done to his shin, I saw that he probably didn't need stitches. I hunted up the bandages and patched him up, then cleaned up the mess. After he rested and the blood finally stopped oozing, he helped me clean up. I was having difficulty with the mopping, so I was glad he was well enough to help me with that.

I told him I was not buying him anymore pickles. This is the second jar of pickles he's dropped and busted in the last year.

Pickle juice is very hard to get up off the floor.

Happiness Challenge - Day 21

 

Today I finished up an editing project. It was a lot of work, and I was pleased with the job I did. The manuscript was interesting and that always helps.

It has been a while since I edited a full manuscript for someone. This would be the 12th book I have edited. I have learned a lot since I started editing manuscripts and I think I do a much better job now than I did when I first started. For one thing, I learned that the manuscript needs to be as perfect as I can make it in all ways. Publishing houses do not check for discrepancies or fix things anymore. The first book I edited had mistakes in it because the author told me not to fix them - he said the publishing house would correct things and he didn't want to pay me to do it (mostly the problem was different spellings of the name of the same person). However, after the book published and I received a copy, I saw that the publishing house didn't correct hardly anything, if anything at all. So now even if I'm not being paid to fix something, I do it anyway.

To ensure I catch everything, I read most of the book aloud as I go through. Generally, I read through a chapter, make changes (using the track changes feature in MS Word), then go back through the chapter again using the "final" view and read that chapter aloud to ensure I didn't miss anything. Then after I have finished, I review the whole book for consistencies in headings, chapter headings, numbers, etc., and pick out chapters or paragraphs to review to make sure things are flowing properly.

I use Chicago Style but most authors also have their own preferences, so I keep a notepad of those to refer to as I go along. I also list names here, characteristics if relevant (you wouldn't want Barbara to show up with green eyes in chapter 10 when they were blue in chapter 2), and things like that.

This project made me happy because it is something I do well and it was enjoyable work, if a bit stressful because of a deadline. I actually like to work when I enjoy what I'm doing.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

Name Your Favorite . . .

    Place: Home.

    Color: Blue.

    Smell: My husband's chest.

    Magazine: The Atlantic

    Texture: Creamy, like a good chocolate.

    Thing to do when bored: Read

    Precious stone: Pearl

    Animal: Deer

    Time in history: This one, I guess, since it's the one I live in.

    Font: Times Roman (Yes, I know, boring.)

    Sound: My husband's voice.

    Fruit: Watermelon.

    Vegetable: Broccoli.

    Store/shop: Amazon.

    Quote: "Not all who wander are lost." J.R.R. Tolkien

    Historical figure: Mary, Queen of Scots

    Letter: Like in the alphabet? Q.

    Memory: The day my grandfather gave me a guitar.

    Dessert: Chocolate cake.

    Candy: Chocolate. (I'm so easy to guess, aren't I.)

    Restaurant: Don't have one anymore.

    Language: English.

    Thing to learn about: Local history. 

    Thing about yourself: I'm not an idiot.

__________

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.

Happiness Challenge - Day 19

Today I was helpful on the farm!

Honestly, I don't do much around here except take care of my man and do the bookkeeping. I keep an eye on the cows, but I seldom visit with them. Sometimes I chase a cow when it gets out, and I may drive him - my husband, not a cow - back and forth, but otherwise, the farming is the domain of the manly man.

Yesterday while he was riding around the fields, a part fell off the tractor. It was a $150 part. He went out this morning to look for it, but could not find it.

So, I asked him to take me along on the John Deere Gator and let me help him look for it.

And I found it!

I felt like I'd won the lottery.

And that made me happy because I was helpful, and because now I don't have to spend $150 on a part.

Saturday 9: Michelle

Saturday 9: Michelle (1965)

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

 

1) In this song, Paul McCartney sings to Michelle in French, "Sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble." Can you say anything else in French?

A. Par le vous Englais? That's about it.

2) Paul admits that, as a teenager, he'd perform the first few bars at parties to impress girls. It was John Lennon who encouraged him to "turn it into a proper song." Tell us about a time you were glad you took advice from a friend or coworker.

A. A coworker gave me the name of a therapist back in the 1980s; I took her advice and saw the therapist.

 

3) A big Elvis fan, Paul is proud to own the bass that was played on the 1954 recording of "That's Alright, Mama." Tell us about one of your prized possessions.

A. My most prized possessions are my wedding ring and my college diploma(s). 

4) John was also an Elvis fan and honored The King by naming one of his cats Elvis. Do you share your home with any pets? If so, let us know their names.

A. I have no pets in the house. We have cows, but we don't name them because then they are harder to sell. It also makes eating a hamburger difficult.

5) John was a heavy smoker who often attempted to quit. He tried hypnosis but that didn't work. Have you ever been hypnotized?

A. I have.

6) George Harrison fell in love with Hawaii and bought a 63-acre estate. If you could take off tomorrow for a vacation to any of our 50 states, which one would you choose?

A. I would love to go to the northern states in the fall, when the leaves are changing. So perhaps Maine in October?

6) While Ringo Starr quit signing autographs for fans in 2008, he will donate autographed memorabilia to charity for auction. Have you ever bid on an item at auction? Did you win?

A. I used to go to auctions frequently when we first married. I did win my bids on some things.

 

7) As a young boy, Ringo had a severe case of appendicitis and his appendix was removed. Do you still have your appendix?

A. Yes, I still have my appendix. For 20 years I thought I didn't, only to find out that the doctors didn't remove it during my hysterectomy like I thought they did.

 

8) In 1965 -- before Advil and Tylenol and Aleve -- Americans took aspirin to relieve pain. If we peered into your medicine chest, would we find aspirin?

A. Yes, I keep a bottle of aspirin here in case one of us has a heart attack.

9) Random question: You're at dinner with a married couple who begins to argue. Would you intercede and try to make peace? Or would you just sit back and mind your own business?

A. Mind my own business, unless someone became violent or abusive, in which case I'd call the police. Or at least threaten to in hopes of shutting them down.

_______________

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

Happiness Challenge - Day 18

Today I sing a song of myself. I am a woman, and I have the right to vote (for the moment).

Just over 100 years ago today, Congress ratified the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote in 1920.

The Amendment passed Congress on June 4, 1919, and it was ratified on August 18, 1920.

From the government archives:

The 19th amendment legally guarantees American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle—victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see final victory in 1920.

Beginning in the 1800s, women organized, petitioned, and picketed to win the right to vote, but it took them decades to accomplish their purpose. Between 1878, when the amendment was first introduced in Congress, and August 18, 1920, when it was ratified, champions of voting rights for women worked tirelessly, but strategies for achieving their goal varied. Some pursued a strategy of passing suffrage acts in each state—nine western states adopted woman suffrage legislation by 1912. Others challenged male-only voting laws in the courts. Some suffragists used more confrontational tactics such as picketing, silent vigils, and hunger strikes. Often supporters met fierce resistance. Opponents heckled, jailed, and sometimes physically abused them.

By 1916, almost all of the major suffrage organizations were united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. When New York adopted woman suffrage in 1917 and President Wilson changed his position to support an amendment in 1918, the political balance began to shift.

On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and 2 weeks later, the Senate followed. When Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920, the amendment passed its final hurdle of obtaining the agreement of three-fourths of the states. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification on August 26, 1920, changing the face of the American electorate forever.

The campaign for woman suffrage was long, difficult, and sometimes dramatic; yet ratification did not ensure full enfranchisement. Decades of struggle to include African Americans and other minority women in the promise of voting rights remained. Many women remained unable to vote long into the 20th century because of discriminatory state voting laws.

If we are not careful, if we don't watch who we elect and understand what is going on around us, we will lose this right that our foremothers fought and died for.

Today, I am happy to sound the alarm: rights can be taken away. Be careful, watchful, and diligent.

Thursday Thirteen

Things I would never post on Facebook but would like to (so of course I post it here instead):

1. I am holding out a slight hope that saner minds will ultimately prevail but can only wait and see. It's been a sh*tshow here for months, thanks to a few loudmouthed bullies who think their tax dollars count for more than anyone else's, and that their morals are the only morals. They define the word "bigot" in all of its definitions.

2. Moms for Liberty - aka Klanned Karenhood - best thing I've seen today

3. #bannedbooksareworthreading

4. If you haven't actually seen the movie, read the book, or watched the show, you have no right to bash it simply because your conservative friends think badly of it.

5. We don't do that because there wouldn't be any daddys, daddys' best friends, grandpas, uncles, mothers, aunts, or siblings left once they were all dead, plus people are innocent until proven guilty. 1 in 5 women and 1 in 20 boys have experienced molestation before they turn 18. Who do you think does that to them? It isn't a book, I can tell you that. There aren't enough orphanages to take in all the kids who would be left without parents if you did that. Who do you think molesters are? Sneaky people the kids don't know? It's their family members and family friends.  - in response to a meme saying "we put dogs that molest kids to sleep, why don't we do that to child molestors [sic]." 

6. [Name of person], most of these are fake, and they use them to hack your account. Your friend is right. You should delete this right away. - in response to the multitude of "lost dogs, children missing, or house for rent really cheap" posts.

7. Using "for the children" is the last refuge of scoundrels and fascists.

8. Some of these people wouldn't know an intelligent thought if it came up and bit them square in the a$$.

9. Take that "perfect" phone call and stick it where the sun doesn't shine.

10. Go away, you damn scam man. - in response to all the pretty men who post on my page and want to be my friend. (I block them.)

11. There is no price tag on stupid. Stupid comes free.

12. I'll believe I have fiber Internet availability when I am actually paying the bill and it's been installed. (I still have DSL. A local company constantly advertises it on my FB page, but I am "not eligible" to receive it.)

13. The "independent thinkers" haven't had an original thought since they fell out of the birth canal. If it hasn't been fed to them by some group, they just have dead air between their ears.

______________

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 821st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Happiness Challenge - Day 16

Today I saw the chiropractor. I had a bit of a reaction to the adjustment (or maybe to my blood pressure medicine) - when I sat up, I had spots dancing before my eyes.

My chiropractor gave me cold water and made me sit there for a very long time. After I dressed, she kept me in the waiting room talking until she felt like I was good to go.

It's nice to be cared for by someone who, well, cares. She didn't have to go out of her way to make sure I was fine before I drove home, but she did.

In a world where money rules, today I am happy that I have managed to find some healthcare providers who actually care about me as a person.

Happiness Challenge - Day 15

Today is house cleaning day, meaning that the young woman who has been helping me clean the house once a month for several years came in to help.

I keep the place generally picked up, but she does the heavy stuff for me now - the mopping and such that I can no longer manage thanks to that bum abdominal surgery I had in 2013 that left me in chronic pain. I am unable to use my abdominal muscles for the things one must use them for - like slopping water on the floor or running the vacuum for several hours.

During the month, I keep the clutter picked up, dust, and run the vacuum from time to time - I can manage it infrequently and in small time frames.

But I can't mop.

So yay for a clean house.

Happiness Challenge - Day 14

Today I ran into someone I hadn't seen a long time when I was in the grocery store. We talked a bit about the issues with the library - we have a few homophobic bigots who want books dealing with LBGTQ+ issues removed from the public library.

We also talked about retirement, moving on from what we used to do, and stuff like that.

As I was turning to go, the friend turned to me and said, "I hope you know you've always been an inspiration."

I was stunned. "No, I didn't know that. But thank you!"

It was so nice to be on the end of such a nice compliment. I don't think of myself as being an inspiration to anyone - and yet apparently I am.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What are things you would do first if you won a billion-dollar lottery?

A. Hire a financial advisor and lawyer.

2. What is something you probably spend too much money on?

A. That would be potato chips.

3. How do you feel about the dentist?

A. I love my dentist. She is great and takes good care of me. I also love to get my teeth cleaned and I would do it every three months if I could afford it.

4. What foods are you most picky about?

A. I don't eat spicy foods, and I'm allergic to black pepper.

5. Name some Internet friends / penpals you want to visit in person.

A. Oh, I would love to visit all of them. I'd like to meet Bev, who does Sunday Stealing, and Sam, who does Saturday 9. I'd like to meet Kwizgiver (which should happen given that she has a sister who lives not far away . . .), and Stacy, and Diane, and oh . . . just everyone.

6. What are your healthiest habits?

A. I'm not sure I have any. Let me think. I shower daily and use lotion. I brush my teeth twice a day, sometimes three. 

7. What are the easiest, low effort foods and snacks for busy days?

A. Trail mix, or a granola bar.

8. Where do you go in summer to unwind?

A. Same place I go in winter - to my office in my house, or to my chair in the living room. 

9. List your comfort books, tv shows, and movies.

A. My comfort books would be The Lord of the Rings trilogy or most anything by Janet Evanovich or Nora Roberts. TV shows would be Big Bang Theory or MASH. Movies would be Under the Tuscan Sun, Dirty Dancing, Steel Magnolias, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

10. Make a list of good things.

A. All of the stuff in #9, sunshine, clouds, rain, rainbows, clover, bees, grass, books, music, writing.

11. Name your favorite places to take photos.

A. Out the back and front doors of my house.

12. What are the routines and habits you stick to most?

A. I shower regularly, generally eat before 6 p.m., and go to bed about the same time every night.

13. What are some topics you’d love to learn more about?

A. I'd like to learn more about astronomy, archeology, music theory, and other languages.

14. What happened about this time last year?

A. I wrote 33 blog posts last August. My husband was recovering from his hip replacement surgery about this time last year and getting along well, so I would have been dealing with him.

15. What are some favorite memories of someone you’ve lost?

A. My grandmother had varicose veins, and when I was quite young, I was sitting with her and I starting tracing the lines on her legs. I looked up at her and said, quite earnestly, "Gee, Grandma, you're cracking up!"  She loved that and reminded me that I said it many times.

She used to talk to her friend, "Mama Fore" every day. We were not allowed to interrupt when she was talking to Mama Fore.

When I cut my thumb open when I was 10, I passed out in her arms.

I called her once a week just to talk after I became an adult. I miss that.

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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: Diana

Saturday 9: Diana (1957)

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

1) Legend has it that Paul Anka wrote this song about his favorite babysitter. In your younger days, did you make a little extra money as a sitter?

A. I did. I did not do it often, but I babysat occasionally. I did it for one couple for quite a while. I was too young to drive so they would drive me home. The gig ended after the man tried to assault me in his car when he drove me home one night. After that, I refused to babysit for them, although they may not have asked me again. I can't remember for sure.

2) Paul sings he doesn't care what "they" say about his love for an older girl. Have you ever had a romantic relationship that your friends or family didn't approve of?

A. Not really, no. I mean, that would have been over 40 years ago anyway, so what does it matter?

3) Paul was once a choirboy, singing with the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral choir in Ontario. Have you ever performed with your church choir?

A. No.

4) When Paul was 15, he left Ontario to find fame and fortune in New York. He had $100 in his pocket, a gift from his uncle. Tell us about someone in your life who believed in you and encouraged you.

A. My teachers were generally encouraging. My math teacher in high school encouraged me to go to college more so than others did. I think she was disappointed that I took a long circular route to get there, but I did it, and obtained a masters degree, too. If I'd gone to college, I would not have met my husband and my life would have been completely different.

5) Paul seldom gets credit for one of his most familiar compositions: the theme to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Since Johnny retired in 1992, The Tonight Show has been hosted by Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and Jimmy Fallon. Which of these Tonight Show hosts is your favorite?

A. I didn't watch The Tonight Show; I watched David Letterman. Now I go to bed too early to watch any of them. I've seen Jimmy Fallon on other things and liked him on those.

6) In 1978, Paul Anka hired Las Vegas' first female bartender for his restaurant, Jubilation. Where did you most recently dine out?

A. We are still doing mostly take-out. That's our new normal, apparently. The last place we ate out was Coach & Four back in June.

7) In 1957, when "Diana" was a hit, Wham-O began producing Frisbees. The toy was a massive success, even outselling the hula hoop. Do you enjoy tossing a Frisbee?

A. I haven't tossed a Frisbee in decades. I used to like it ok when I was a kid.

8) Also in 1957, the book Peyton Place was made into a blockbuster film. Book lovers often say that, no matter what, the movie is never as good as the book. Do you think that's true?

A. No. They are different artistic mediums, and I don't think they can be fairly compared. It's like trying to compare an oil painting to a knitting project.

9) Random question: This Saturday, the treat's on Sam. Will you have buttered popcorn, caramel corn or cheese popcorn?

A. Just plain buttered popcorn, please. Thank you, Sam.

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

Happiness Challenge - Day 11

 

Today I am happy that the grocery stores are stocked. I remember during the pandemic when the sight of shelves instead of products scared me, along with everyone else. So, I am happy today for a full grocery store, even if some things I used to purchase seem no longer to be available (at least not around here).

I am also happy that I had a long chat with my friend today. We hadn't talked for a day or so and I missed her. It is amazing how much a conversation with a similar soul can lift the spirits. So, thank goodness for friends!

I am also happy that I ate a little pizza, and it didn't upset my stomach. I don't think it's something I can eat often, but it's nice to see that perhaps a piece every now and then won't do me in.

***

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

This meme comes from The Gal Herself.

Happiness Challenge - Day 10

 

I saw a buck in velvet this morning. He was like a shadow, moving quickly across the glen, but I caught a visual of him and his beautiful horns. My deer always make me happy.

Today I worked on an editing project, and it is nice to have work to do. Especially this kind of work, which I can pick up and put down at my leisure. And it's work I enjoy. That always helps.

Most of the day I was alone, and I enjoyed that as well. I like my alone time.

I finished a Neil Gaiman audiobook, Norse Mythology, this morning, too. I learned a lot about that mythology that I hadn't known. I knew a bit of it, and I could hear echoes of other mythologies in it, but it was good to learn something new.

Thursday Thirteen #820

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person seeks to make another person doubt their own perceptions, memories, or sanity. It's a tactic used to gain power and control over someone by making them question their reality, thereby weakening their confidence and ability to trust their own judgment. The term "gaslighting" originates from a play called "Gas Light," in which a husband manipulates his wife by dimming the gas lights in their home and then denying that they had changed, making her doubt her perception.

Here are 13 ways to identify when someone might be gaslighting you:

1. Denying: The gaslighter flatly denies events or situations that you clearly remember happening, making you question your memory.

2. Withholding Information: They purposefully withhold information or keep secrets, causing you to doubt your understanding of what's going on.

3. Contradictions: They contradict themselves frequently, making it difficult for you to grasp the truth and leaving you feeling confused.

4. Trivializing Feelings: The gaslighter dismisses your emotions or reactions as overreactions, making you question your own feelings and emotional responses.

5. Projection: They accuse you of things they are doing themselves, deflecting attention away from their actions by putting the focus on you.

6. Shifting Blame: Gaslighters shift blame onto you, even for their own mistakes or inappropriate behavior, leading you to feel responsible for things that aren't your fault.

7. Minimizing: They downplay their behavior or the impact it has on you, making you doubt the significance of your concerns.

8. Creating Confusion: Gaslighters intentionally confuse you by changing their story or manipulating facts, leaving you unsure of what's true.

9. Isolation: They isolate you from friends, family, or support networks, making you more dependent on them and less likely to get validation from others.

10. Doubting Your Memory: They repeatedly claim that your memory is unreliable, causing you to question your recollection of events.

11. Using Others: Gaslighters might enlist others to support their version of events, making you feel like everyone agrees with them and you're in the wrong.

12. Setting Unrealistic Expectations: They set unrealistic standards for you and then blame you for not meeting them, eroding your self-esteem and self-worth.

13. Changing Reality: Gaslighters may rearrange objects, hide things, or subtly change your environment to make you doubt your sanity or perception.

If you suspect someone is gaslighting you, it's important to trust your instincts and seek support from trusted friends, family, or a mental health professional. Gaslighting can have serious effects on your mental and emotional well-being, and recognizing it is the first step towards protecting yourself from its harmful effects.

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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 820th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Happiness Challenge - Day 9

 

We didn't get the rain we needed, but today was a pretty day. It got a little humid after lunch as some storm clouds rolled through (they dropped no rain), but I thought it was lovely outside.

The garden is producing in abundance, especially tomatoes. It is too bad I cannot eat tomatoes much anymore, and my husband doesn't like cooked tomatoes at all, so it is not worth the effort to can or freeze tomatoes. It is unfortunate that the produce all comes in at the same time, but I guess summer abundance meant not starving in the wintertime in the old days, when that was all one had to eat.

Also, I went over to my father's for a guitar-playing session with him and a friend of his. I like playing my guitar.