The other day one of my email pals told me that I have "a skin too few," which is the British way of telling me I'm thin-skinned.
That's not a compliment in today's world. People with thin skin are thought to be overly sensitive to insult and criticism. Apparently, being appalled by bad manners, crude comments, misogynistic and masochistic behaviors and immorality makes you a silly person who should develop a thick skin and get over it.
Why, though, should I develop a rind of callousness when it is so easy to be nice? What is really going on is that people want to be able to say and do what they will without worrying if they are offending anyone. And if they offend someone, they want to put it back on the person offended, not take responsibility for their own behavior.
It is easy to be nice, moral, and kind. I don't understand why people aren't. Instead they have chosen to be mean, cruel and vicious.
This has long been a problem for me, this thin skin I wear. My father in particular was always telling me to buck up, to grin and bear it, to grow a thicker hide. As if being sensitive is some crime, some aspect of my personality of which I should be ashamed.
It is the thick-skinned people who should be ashamed. They should be ashamed of their callousness, their immorality, their cruelty. But our society applauds them and denigrates those like me.
Commentators use the term "thin-skinned" to denigrate people they don't like. Conservatives use it toward progressives with great enthusiasm. Bill Maher calls Bill Clinton thin-skinned; Bill O'Reilly calls President Obama thin-skinned.
I guarantee they weren't calling those leaders "thin skinned" to be nice. Neither Maher or O'Reilly are very nice people.
However, the thin-skinned people of the world make society a better place. Because the thin-skinned people eventually say, stop making me bleed. Stop scraping away at my scabs and wounds. Eventually, someone finds the strength to say, ENOUGH, DAMN IT. And then they set about creating change so that those wounds can heal.
That's part of the social network that many people find so abhorrent these days. Social Security was put in place so that thin-skinned people could see that the elderly survived and did not live in poor houses. Unions came into being so that workers could be employed with dignity and fair wages. Thin-skinned people brought about the 40-hour work week and gave people a life outside of working for meager wages.
Thin skinned people don't accept the status quo because they know, in their hearts, that society and the world could be a better place if the thick-skinned numbskulls who want to be able to defecate in the park without offending anyone would only mind their manners and be more human and humane.
Thin skinned people are thought to be the half of the world that has trouble fitting in. A simple search will bring up lots of comments on thin-skinned people and their need for political correctness.
There's even a psychology about it. Thin-skinned folks suffer more from depression and chronic illnesses. They react more strongly to sensory stimuli (bright lights, smells). They remember more and were greatly affected by the things that happened in their childhood. They have low immune systems and allergies. (This comes from this website called Your Emotional Type. There's an online test you can take at the link that tells you how thin or thick your skin is, and this article at psychcentral.com also talks about the book and being thin-skinned.)
I think the thick-skinned people are the problem, though. Thick-skinned people need to have more empathy and sympathy for their fellow human beings. They need to be less self-absorbed and consider the world around them. They need to realize it isn't all about them and what goes on in their watermelon rinds.
They're loud mouths who want the freedom to ridicule and rub people the wrong way. But you know what? Free speech doesn't mean you have to be cruel. You think I'm P.C.? Yeah. I'm P.C. I don't think you have to be mean to be kind. I think you have to be kind to be kind. I think the world would be a better place if you over there with the thick skin would stop and think before you open your mouth. Thank goodness not everybody has thick skin. Because without us thin-skinned folks to jerk you back from the precipices, you would destroy the world.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
Fortune Cookie Sayings
Life to you is a dashing and bold adventure.
Wisdom is only found in truth.
Every friend joys in your success.
(Found these on my desk whilst doing a little cleaning.)
Wisdom is only found in truth.
Every friend joys in your success.
(Found these on my desk whilst doing a little cleaning.)
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Sunday Stealing: Would You Rather, II
From Sunday Stealing
Would You Rather Meme, part two
1. Would you rather go to a movie or to dinner alone?
A. It doesn't matter.
2. Would you rather always say everything on your mind or never speak again?
A. Can I vote for this as weirdest question in a while?
3. Would you rather make a phone call or send a text?
A. Make a phone call. I don't text.
4. Would you rather read an awesome book or watch a good movie?
A. Read the book, then see the movie.
5. Would you rather be the most popular person at work or school or the smartest?
A. The smartest. Popularity is highly overrated.
6. Would you rather put a stop to war or end world hunger?
A. If we had no wars and put that money toward helping people, as we should, we would probably manage both goals.
7. Would you rather spend the night in a luxury hotel room or camping surrounded by beautiful scenery?
A. I live in beautiful scenery but I am not pampered much, so I think I'll go with the luxury hotel.
8. Would you rather explore space or the ocean?
A. Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages . . . Speaking of which, if you're not keeping up with the New Horizons and Pluto, you are missing out. You can read more about it at the NASA website at this link. This is super cool stuff and we should all be excited about it. I mean, Pluto! Dang.
9. Would you rather go deep sea diving or bungee jumping?
A. How about neither.
10.Would you rather be a kid your whole life or an adult your whole life?
A. Okay, maybe this gets the nomination for next weirdest question. But if I had to be stuck at a certain age, as I have said before, I'd like it to be my late 30s or early 40s. Still young but wiser.
11. Would you rather go on a cruise with friends or with your spouse?
A. With my spouse. However, he is a landlubber so I don't see it happening.
12. Would you rather lose your keys or your cell phone?
A. Neither. But I can do without the cell phone, the aged ol' thing.
13. Would you rather eat a meal of cow tongue or octopus?
A. Oh good grief. I'll go you one better and tell you to go eat mountain oysters.
14. Would you rather have x-ray vision or magnified hearing?
A. I already have too many super senses. I mean, I can smell snakes, for heaven's sake. And I hear frequencies others don't. My eyes are poor, though, so how about just normal eyesight?
15. Would you rather work in a group or work alone?
A. Alone. Good thing I chose writing as my occupation, huh.
I had a nice birthday. My husband took me out for baked spaghetti, the first I'd had in a year (thanks to ulcers). It was delicious. I bought myself the sneakers I wanted, and had cards and calls from friends and family. One of my friends visited and gave me an interesting Tarot reading.
Later in the week, I had breakfast with one friend and lunch with another.
So a good birthday week for me. Thanks for all the good wishes.
Would You Rather Meme, part two
1. Would you rather go to a movie or to dinner alone?
A. It doesn't matter.
2. Would you rather always say everything on your mind or never speak again?
A. Can I vote for this as weirdest question in a while?
3. Would you rather make a phone call or send a text?
A. Make a phone call. I don't text.
4. Would you rather read an awesome book or watch a good movie?
A. Read the book, then see the movie.
5. Would you rather be the most popular person at work or school or the smartest?
A. The smartest. Popularity is highly overrated.
6. Would you rather put a stop to war or end world hunger?
A. If we had no wars and put that money toward helping people, as we should, we would probably manage both goals.
7. Would you rather spend the night in a luxury hotel room or camping surrounded by beautiful scenery?
A. I live in beautiful scenery but I am not pampered much, so I think I'll go with the luxury hotel.
8. Would you rather explore space or the ocean?
A. Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages . . . Speaking of which, if you're not keeping up with the New Horizons and Pluto, you are missing out. You can read more about it at the NASA website at this link. This is super cool stuff and we should all be excited about it. I mean, Pluto! Dang.
9. Would you rather go deep sea diving or bungee jumping?
A. How about neither.
10.Would you rather be a kid your whole life or an adult your whole life?
A. Okay, maybe this gets the nomination for next weirdest question. But if I had to be stuck at a certain age, as I have said before, I'd like it to be my late 30s or early 40s. Still young but wiser.
11. Would you rather go on a cruise with friends or with your spouse?
A. With my spouse. However, he is a landlubber so I don't see it happening.
12. Would you rather lose your keys or your cell phone?
A. Neither. But I can do without the cell phone, the aged ol' thing.
13. Would you rather eat a meal of cow tongue or octopus?
A. Oh good grief. I'll go you one better and tell you to go eat mountain oysters.
14. Would you rather have x-ray vision or magnified hearing?
A. I already have too many super senses. I mean, I can smell snakes, for heaven's sake. And I hear frequencies others don't. My eyes are poor, though, so how about just normal eyesight?
15. Would you rather work in a group or work alone?
A. Alone. Good thing I chose writing as my occupation, huh.
I had a nice birthday. My husband took me out for baked spaghetti, the first I'd had in a year (thanks to ulcers). It was delicious. I bought myself the sneakers I wanted, and had cards and calls from friends and family. One of my friends visited and gave me an interesting Tarot reading.
Later in the week, I had breakfast with one friend and lunch with another.
So a good birthday week for me. Thanks for all the good wishes.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Saturday 9: American Pie
Saturday 9: American Pie (1971)
... because Country Dew suggested it
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
One of my favorite songs! (I even know most of the words, and it's a long song.)
Thank you, Sam, for using my song!
1) In the lyrics, Don McLean refers to having once been a paper boy. When you were a kid, what job or household chores did you do for spending money?
A. I lived on a farm, so I had many chores, and I did not necessarily get an allowance as such for them. I looked after my brother, who was three years younger than I, I fed chickens, I bottle-fed calves, I carried in firewood, I started dinner, washed dishes . . . but my favorite memory of making money has nothing to do with the farm. It was the summer we stayed my grandmother's house in Salem every day. One day I looked down the street and saw that they were getting ready to asphalt the road on a hot summer's day. I talked my grandmother into letting me, my brother, and my young uncle set up a lemonade stand, because I knew those men would spend money on something cold to drink. When the fellows got close, I held up a sign that said "ICE COLD LEMONADE" and the dimes flowed into our pockets. They drank all we could carry out to them.
2) Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye. What's the last drink you ordered?
A. A root beer. I don't drink alcohol, so I only have a boring answer for that one.
3) He drove to the levee but it was dry. When is the last time it rained where you are?
A. Apparently it rained yesterday (Friday) while I was out, which only made things hot and muggy. We are a little low on moisture for the year and have concerns about our hay-making program.
4) When McLean was working on the song, he wrote the lyrics out in long hand. It took him 16 pages of lined notebook paper. Today it's a laptop/smartphone/tablet world, and Sam can't remember the last time she hand wrote anything longer than a sign on her front door that read, "Bell broken. Plz knock." What about you? What's the last thing you wrote with pen or pencil?
A. I keep a journal that I write in long hand. I also still take notes for newspaper articles in long hand, depending on the story. And I love to work on poetry in pencil.
But the very last thing I wrote was a telephone message for my husband.
5) McLean's most recent CD is called "Addicted to Black," in reference to Olivia in The Twelfth Night. Quick! Without looking it up, name another character from Shakespeare.
A. Othello. Macbeth. Hamlet.
6) Don was born in New Rochelle, New York, which was named one of The Best Walking Cities in America by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). What about your neighborhood? Is it easily walkable?
A. Nope. We are rural and have no sidewalks. We don't even have a neighborhood, really. Uneven fields make for difficult walking. Plus there are cow pies.
7) In 1971, the year this song was popular, Walt Disney World officially opened. Have you ever been to DisneyLand or Disney World?
A. In 1993, to celebrate my graduation from college, my husband and I went to Disney in Orlando, Florida. Epcot had not been open long. We went in early June and it was incredibly hot.
8) Also in 1971, Mattel introduced Malibu Barbie. This doll was a "sun-loving California girl" and had a distinct tan. Have you ever used a tanning bed?
A. I tried it one time, and became so claustrophobic that I had to get out of there. I felt like a vampire in her coffin.
9) American Pie is also the name of a 1999 movie. Have you seen it?
A. I have seen parts of it when my husband has had it on. But I've not watched the whole thing.
... because Country Dew suggested it
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
One of my favorite songs! (I even know most of the words, and it's a long song.)
Thank you, Sam, for using my song!
1) In the lyrics, Don McLean refers to having once been a paper boy. When you were a kid, what job or household chores did you do for spending money?
A. I lived on a farm, so I had many chores, and I did not necessarily get an allowance as such for them. I looked after my brother, who was three years younger than I, I fed chickens, I bottle-fed calves, I carried in firewood, I started dinner, washed dishes . . . but my favorite memory of making money has nothing to do with the farm. It was the summer we stayed my grandmother's house in Salem every day. One day I looked down the street and saw that they were getting ready to asphalt the road on a hot summer's day. I talked my grandmother into letting me, my brother, and my young uncle set up a lemonade stand, because I knew those men would spend money on something cold to drink. When the fellows got close, I held up a sign that said "ICE COLD LEMONADE" and the dimes flowed into our pockets. They drank all we could carry out to them.
2) Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye. What's the last drink you ordered?
A. A root beer. I don't drink alcohol, so I only have a boring answer for that one.
3) He drove to the levee but it was dry. When is the last time it rained where you are?
A. Apparently it rained yesterday (Friday) while I was out, which only made things hot and muggy. We are a little low on moisture for the year and have concerns about our hay-making program.
4) When McLean was working on the song, he wrote the lyrics out in long hand. It took him 16 pages of lined notebook paper. Today it's a laptop/smartphone/tablet world, and Sam can't remember the last time she hand wrote anything longer than a sign on her front door that read, "Bell broken. Plz knock." What about you? What's the last thing you wrote with pen or pencil?
A. I keep a journal that I write in long hand. I also still take notes for newspaper articles in long hand, depending on the story. And I love to work on poetry in pencil.
But the very last thing I wrote was a telephone message for my husband.
5) McLean's most recent CD is called "Addicted to Black," in reference to Olivia in The Twelfth Night. Quick! Without looking it up, name another character from Shakespeare.
A. Othello. Macbeth. Hamlet.
6) Don was born in New Rochelle, New York, which was named one of The Best Walking Cities in America by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). What about your neighborhood? Is it easily walkable?
A. Nope. We are rural and have no sidewalks. We don't even have a neighborhood, really. Uneven fields make for difficult walking. Plus there are cow pies.
7) In 1971, the year this song was popular, Walt Disney World officially opened. Have you ever been to DisneyLand or Disney World?
A. In 1993, to celebrate my graduation from college, my husband and I went to Disney in Orlando, Florida. Epcot had not been open long. We went in early June and it was incredibly hot.
8) Also in 1971, Mattel introduced Malibu Barbie. This doll was a "sun-loving California girl" and had a distinct tan. Have you ever used a tanning bed?
A. I tried it one time, and became so claustrophobic that I had to get out of there. I felt like a vampire in her coffin.
9) American Pie is also the name of a 1999 movie. Have you seen it?
A. I have seen parts of it when my husband has had it on. But I've not watched the whole thing.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Books: The Paying Guests, by Sarah Waters
The Paying Guests
by Sarah Waters
Copyright 2014
Kindle Edition Version 1
(560 pages)
Looking at the nearly 1,500 reviews on Amazon, I see a mix of reviews about this book.
If I must give it stars, I give it three stars. This is not a five star book. It was on the New York Times bestseller list and it has received rave reviews, but I am not quite sure why.
To be sure, it's well written. At the end the author lists a pile of resources she checked for historical accuracy. The book is set after the War (although to be honest, I don't know if it was WWI or WWII, because ultimately it didn't really seem to matter that much). If the research is in this book, I am not sure where it is.
I felt manipulated almost from the beginning as I read. The author wanted me to think and feel a certain way, I'm sure, but using third-person limited omniscient to do that seems deceitful on the part of the author. The narrator was not the most reliable and I have never been one to like unreliable narrator books. I could not relate to the main character much, though I think the author wanted us to really like and feel sorry for Frances.
Generally, though, I found her tiresome, and when the book ended with a dull thud, I wished the woman had jumped off the bridge upon which she sat at the end.
Frances and her mother must take in borders because her father frittered away their money, something they learn after his passing. She also lost several brothers to the war, and has forgone a relationship to care for her mother.
The new borders, Lillian and Leonard (note to author - names really should not be so alike, unless you really want readers to mix them up. Couldn't one of them been called something that didn't start with an "L"?), are carefree and different. They are the "clerk class" and as such a lower breed than the upper crust from which Frances and her mother have fallen.
I found it difficult to like any of these characters from the start, and never really warmed up to them. Had my book club not been reading this book, I am not sure I would have finished it. I like internal monologue as much as the next person, but there was too much of it in this long book. I would have like to have seen more of London in the time period, but what little was there was not drawn well and I really had no sense of place as I read. I might have well have been reading about a Martian family after some war on the Red Planet, so little sense of place did I feel after I read this.
Waters is a new author to me, and she is much acclaimed. I must have missed something or perhaps this story came to me at a bad time and I am not able to appreciate its depth and quality. I am sure if that is the case, my book club members will set me straight in a few weeks.
by Sarah Waters
Copyright 2014
Kindle Edition Version 1
(560 pages)
Looking at the nearly 1,500 reviews on Amazon, I see a mix of reviews about this book.
If I must give it stars, I give it three stars. This is not a five star book. It was on the New York Times bestseller list and it has received rave reviews, but I am not quite sure why.
To be sure, it's well written. At the end the author lists a pile of resources she checked for historical accuracy. The book is set after the War (although to be honest, I don't know if it was WWI or WWII, because ultimately it didn't really seem to matter that much). If the research is in this book, I am not sure where it is.
I felt manipulated almost from the beginning as I read. The author wanted me to think and feel a certain way, I'm sure, but using third-person limited omniscient to do that seems deceitful on the part of the author. The narrator was not the most reliable and I have never been one to like unreliable narrator books. I could not relate to the main character much, though I think the author wanted us to really like and feel sorry for Frances.
Generally, though, I found her tiresome, and when the book ended with a dull thud, I wished the woman had jumped off the bridge upon which she sat at the end.
Frances and her mother must take in borders because her father frittered away their money, something they learn after his passing. She also lost several brothers to the war, and has forgone a relationship to care for her mother.
The new borders, Lillian and Leonard (note to author - names really should not be so alike, unless you really want readers to mix them up. Couldn't one of them been called something that didn't start with an "L"?), are carefree and different. They are the "clerk class" and as such a lower breed than the upper crust from which Frances and her mother have fallen.
I found it difficult to like any of these characters from the start, and never really warmed up to them. Had my book club not been reading this book, I am not sure I would have finished it. I like internal monologue as much as the next person, but there was too much of it in this long book. I would have like to have seen more of London in the time period, but what little was there was not drawn well and I really had no sense of place as I read. I might have well have been reading about a Martian family after some war on the Red Planet, so little sense of place did I feel after I read this.
Waters is a new author to me, and she is much acclaimed. I must have missed something or perhaps this story came to me at a bad time and I am not able to appreciate its depth and quality. I am sure if that is the case, my book club members will set me straight in a few weeks.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Thursday Thirteen
My desk is a horror badly in need of cleaning. I have things piled everywhere.
Here are some of them:
1. Eight Pilot G-2 .05 pens, the only pens I write with.
2. A copy of The Roanoke Times.
3. A copy of The Fincastle Herald (the local paper for which I sometimes write).
4. An Ethernet cable.
5. A pair of 1/2 pound dumbbells.
6. A New Balance box with a pair of new sneakers in it.
7. A light box that is supposed to help with mood.
8. A pair of nail clippers.
9. Four Dove chocolate wrappers that I was saving because they have little sayings in them. I was keeping them to see if I could get 13 different ones for another TT.
10. Earphones.
11. An 18-inch stack of magazines consisting of Taste of Home, Oprah, and Writer's Digest.
12. A pair of binoculars.
13. Birthday cards from Monday's birthday celebration.
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 399th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Here are some of them:
1. Eight Pilot G-2 .05 pens, the only pens I write with.
2. A copy of The Roanoke Times.
3. A copy of The Fincastle Herald (the local paper for which I sometimes write).
4. An Ethernet cable.
5. A pair of 1/2 pound dumbbells.
6. A New Balance box with a pair of new sneakers in it.
7. A light box that is supposed to help with mood.
8. A pair of nail clippers.
9. Four Dove chocolate wrappers that I was saving because they have little sayings in them. I was keeping them to see if I could get 13 different ones for another TT.
10. Earphones.
11. An 18-inch stack of magazines consisting of Taste of Home, Oprah, and Writer's Digest.
12. A pair of binoculars.
13. Birthday cards from Monday's birthday celebration.
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 399th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Live Bait
I saw this sign at one of the convenience stores in Botetourt.
It reminded me that I used to enjoy fishing. However, I don't think I've dipped a pole in the pond in over 20 years.
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
Fairy Stone State Park
While we were out driving around last week, we stopped in at Fairy Stone State Park. It is located in Patrick County, VA, not far from Stuart, VA.
I have always wanted a Fairy Stone. The little stones, which are cross-shaped, are also called staurolite.
Unfortunately, I took most of these photos out of the car window, so they aren't very good.
The park was lovely. We drove through, though, and did not take advantage of anything but the gift shop, where I purchased a couple of little fairy stones.
This park is the largest of one of the six original state parks in Virginia. It opened in 1936. There is a lake with a beach, cabins, and opportunities for hiking, fishing, and camping. The park has 4,868 acres of land.
The park official told us that the park, the lack and many of the cabins that are available for rent were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
I have always wanted a Fairy Stone. The little stones, which are cross-shaped, are also called staurolite.
Unfortunately, I took most of these photos out of the car window, so they aren't very good.
 |
| Park entrance |
 |
| Gift shop. |
 |
| Picnic and recreational area |
 |
| Lovely little bridge |
 |
| One of the newer cabins, I think. |
 |
| They have a lot of cabins. |
 |
| A nice creek. |
 |
| Another cabin. |
 |
| The best view of the big lake I could get from the car. |
 |
| One of the earliest cabins. |
 |
| The Fairy Stones |
The park was lovely. We drove through, though, and did not take advantage of anything but the gift shop, where I purchased a couple of little fairy stones.
This park is the largest of one of the six original state parks in Virginia. It opened in 1936. There is a lake with a beach, cabins, and opportunities for hiking, fishing, and camping. The park has 4,868 acres of land.
The park official told us that the park, the lack and many of the cabins that are available for rent were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Monday, June 08, 2015
They Say It's My Birthday
So yep, another year's gone by. I've spent nine of them writing almost daily on this blog.
I spent the first 20 living at home with my parents, the last 32 living my husband. I took eight years to obtain a BA, and another eight to obtain a masters degree.
I have been writing for The Fincastle Herald is some capacity or another for 31 years. I've written and published literally thousands of articles and photographs. I've managed to be published in about a dozen different venues, but I've yet to write a book.
Twelve years of my life were taken up working at various lawyers' offices.
I've had more than a dozen different surgeries.
My journals take up boxes of space in one of the closets.
My hobbies still include writing, music, and reading. And video games. Mustn't forget that big time-waster. I like to garden, too, but that has become too physical for me in the last two years.
I enjoy fantasy, science fiction, mysteries, mainstream literature, and weird stuff. I am not a "prepper" but I keep a lot of toilet paper around in case there is an apocalypse. Can't have the world coming to end with nothing around to wipe your bum.
My friends on Facebook number about 500, and I am blessed with a number of folks that are true-life in-the-flesh friends.
My husband loves me.
So not bad for 52 years, I suppose.
I guess if one looks hard enough, you can see that young girl in the old woman pictures at the top.
I spent the first 20 living at home with my parents, the last 32 living my husband. I took eight years to obtain a BA, and another eight to obtain a masters degree.
I have been writing for The Fincastle Herald is some capacity or another for 31 years. I've written and published literally thousands of articles and photographs. I've managed to be published in about a dozen different venues, but I've yet to write a book.
Twelve years of my life were taken up working at various lawyers' offices.
I've had more than a dozen different surgeries.
My journals take up boxes of space in one of the closets.
My hobbies still include writing, music, and reading. And video games. Mustn't forget that big time-waster. I like to garden, too, but that has become too physical for me in the last two years.
I enjoy fantasy, science fiction, mysteries, mainstream literature, and weird stuff. I am not a "prepper" but I keep a lot of toilet paper around in case there is an apocalypse. Can't have the world coming to end with nothing around to wipe your bum.
My friends on Facebook number about 500, and I am blessed with a number of folks that are true-life in-the-flesh friends.
My husband loves me.
So not bad for 52 years, I suppose.
I guess if one looks hard enough, you can see that young girl in the old woman pictures at the top.
Sunday, June 07, 2015
Sunday Stealing: Would You Rather?
From Sunday Stealing
Would You Rather Meme, part one
1. Would you rather go into the past and meet your ancestors or go into the future and meet your great-great grandchildren?
A. I have no children, and thus there will be no great-great-grandchildren. However, I do have a freaky obsession with the fate of humanity, so I'll go with going forward. I can always check up on the great-great-grand nieces and nephews, I suppose.
2. Would you rather have more time or more money?
A. I'd prefer both, but if I must chose, then I would chose time. The older I become, the less I have of it.
3. Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button on your life?
A. A pause button would have been nice when I was about 44 years old. Now, I'd like a rewind, at least for a few years. I'd go back and never have that gallbladder surgery, that's for sure.
4. Would you rather be able to talk with the animals or speak all foreign languages?
A. Wouldn't being able to talk to animals also be speaking a foreign language? So wouldn't you be able to do both? Wouldn't you be a regular babbling Dr. Doolittle?
5. Would you rather win the lottery or live twice as long?
A. If I could be healthy, I would live twice as long. But if I am going to be an invalid, then I may as well take the lottery and live it up.
6. Would you feel worse if no one showed up to your wedding or to your funeral?
A. I had 350 people at my wedding. I daresay, given my husband's standing in the community, that there will be many people there to support him. So long as he has his needs met, I am good with however the end for me turns out. If nobody comes to my funeral and he doesn't need anybody there, I am okay with that. I'll be dead anyway.
7. Would you rather be without internet for a week, or without your phone?
A. Without my cellphone would be fine, because I also have a landline. Hence, I would not miss anything, especially since I keep my cellphone in the car because it doesn't work in the house.
8. Would you rather meet George Washington, or the current president?
A. I want to meet the first female president, if that's okay with you.
9. Would you rather lose your vision or your hearing?
A. How about I keep them both?
10. Would you rather work more hours per day, but fewer days or work fewer hours per day, but more days?
A. That question made my head go around in circles. Mostly, I would like to feel well enough to work. I don't particularly care how many days or hours in the day.
11. Would you rather listen to music from the 70’s or music from today?
A. I confess I am a 70s gal, and I listen to that music more often than not.
12. Would you rather become someone else or just stay you?
A. I suppose it would depend on who I was becoming. Do super powers come with the new me? Will I be able to fly, deflect bullets with my magic bracelets, or travel at the speed of light? Would I be able to keep my brains and lose the old body?
13. Would you rather be Batman or Spiderman?
A. What a sexist question. I would rather be Xena: Warrior Princess. She'd kick both of their asses from here to ancient Greece and back again.
14. Would you rather be stuck on a broken ski lift or in a broken elevator?
A. How about we not get stuck anywhere? I'm not fond of heights and I already have an elevator phobia. You should have seen how white I was every time I got off the elevator at the hospital last year when my husband was hurt. The nurses thought I looked worse than he did.
15. For your birthday, would you rather receive cash or gifts?
A. Another birthday question! My birthday is tomorrow - send amazon gift cards, please. I bought myself the sneakers yesterday.
Would You Rather Meme, part one
1. Would you rather go into the past and meet your ancestors or go into the future and meet your great-great grandchildren?
A. I have no children, and thus there will be no great-great-grandchildren. However, I do have a freaky obsession with the fate of humanity, so I'll go with going forward. I can always check up on the great-great-grand nieces and nephews, I suppose.
2. Would you rather have more time or more money?
A. I'd prefer both, but if I must chose, then I would chose time. The older I become, the less I have of it.
3. Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button on your life?
A. A pause button would have been nice when I was about 44 years old. Now, I'd like a rewind, at least for a few years. I'd go back and never have that gallbladder surgery, that's for sure.
4. Would you rather be able to talk with the animals or speak all foreign languages?
A. Wouldn't being able to talk to animals also be speaking a foreign language? So wouldn't you be able to do both? Wouldn't you be a regular babbling Dr. Doolittle?
5. Would you rather win the lottery or live twice as long?
A. If I could be healthy, I would live twice as long. But if I am going to be an invalid, then I may as well take the lottery and live it up.
6. Would you feel worse if no one showed up to your wedding or to your funeral?
A. I had 350 people at my wedding. I daresay, given my husband's standing in the community, that there will be many people there to support him. So long as he has his needs met, I am good with however the end for me turns out. If nobody comes to my funeral and he doesn't need anybody there, I am okay with that. I'll be dead anyway.
7. Would you rather be without internet for a week, or without your phone?
A. Without my cellphone would be fine, because I also have a landline. Hence, I would not miss anything, especially since I keep my cellphone in the car because it doesn't work in the house.
8. Would you rather meet George Washington, or the current president?
A. I want to meet the first female president, if that's okay with you.
9. Would you rather lose your vision or your hearing?
A. How about I keep them both?
10. Would you rather work more hours per day, but fewer days or work fewer hours per day, but more days?
A. That question made my head go around in circles. Mostly, I would like to feel well enough to work. I don't particularly care how many days or hours in the day.
11. Would you rather listen to music from the 70’s or music from today?
A. I confess I am a 70s gal, and I listen to that music more often than not.
12. Would you rather become someone else or just stay you?
A. I suppose it would depend on who I was becoming. Do super powers come with the new me? Will I be able to fly, deflect bullets with my magic bracelets, or travel at the speed of light? Would I be able to keep my brains and lose the old body?
13. Would you rather be Batman or Spiderman?
A. What a sexist question. I would rather be Xena: Warrior Princess. She'd kick both of their asses from here to ancient Greece and back again.
14. Would you rather be stuck on a broken ski lift or in a broken elevator?
A. How about we not get stuck anywhere? I'm not fond of heights and I already have an elevator phobia. You should have seen how white I was every time I got off the elevator at the hospital last year when my husband was hurt. The nurses thought I looked worse than he did.
15. For your birthday, would you rather receive cash or gifts?
A. Another birthday question! My birthday is tomorrow - send amazon gift cards, please. I bought myself the sneakers yesterday.
Saturday, June 06, 2015
Saturday 9: You're No Good
Saturday 9: You're No Good (1974)
... because Harriet suggested Linda Ronstadt
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
This is a great song!
1) This week's featured artist, Linda Ronstadt, turns 69 next month. Will you be celebrating any family/friend birthdays this summer?
A. Actually, my birthday is Monday. I will be 52. My husband's birthday was earlier in the week, and my brother's was yesterday. June is a big birthday month for us.
2) Linda sings that she's learned her lesson and it's left a scar. Tell us how you got one of your scars.
A. I have so many. But one of the more interesting ones is a thin scar just below my thumb joint on the backside of my hand. I hit my hand on a filing cabinet corner at the county courthouse while I was doing some research, and before I realized I had cut myself, I bled all over some public records. So my DNA will forever be ensconced at the courthouse.
3) This song is about a lover who is, obviously, no good. Let's be more positive. Who is the nicest person you know?
A. Most people I know are nice, so I can't really pick out the nicest. However, my physical therapist, Audrey, has been incredibly kind to me over the last year and has gone above and beyond her job to help me feel better, so I will give kudos to her today. I am pretty sure I wouldn't be standing on my own two feet right now if she hadn't helped me make it through the winter.
4) Linda says that she grew up on Mexican music, which was sung by her entire family. Do you speak any Spanish?
A. Yo hablo muy poco español. Yo tome español durante tres años en la escuela secundaria. But I have forgotten most of it and had to look up the words for that second sentence.
5) She toured often throughout her career and is quoted as saying, "they haven't invented a word for that loneliness that everybody goes through on the road." Are you missing someone right now?
A. I spend a great amount of time by myself. My husband works three jobs so he isn't here as much as I might like.
6) Ms. Ronstadt was once involved with George Lucas of Star Wars fame. Who is your favorite Star Wars character?
A. Princess Leia.
7) In 1974, when this song was a hit, The Magic 8 Ball was still a top-seller at toy stores. It retailed for just $1.99, and promised that all you had to do was gaze at it, concentrate, and wait to learn your fate ... "if you dare!" If you could get an answer to one question about the future, what would you ask?
A. How long will it be before humanity destroys itself?
8)1974 is the year when Mikhail Baryshnikov defected to the United States. Have you ever been to the ballet?
A. I have been to dance recitals for my niece where they performed ballet. Does that count?
9) Random question: What's your shoe size?
A. I wear a 7D in New Balance sneakers, preferably the 928 model, if anybody wants to go to Zappos and send me an expensive birthday present. ;-) (Updated 6/6/15 at 8:25 a.m., I just ordered myself a pair!)
... because Harriet suggested Linda Ronstadt
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
This is a great song!
1) This week's featured artist, Linda Ronstadt, turns 69 next month. Will you be celebrating any family/friend birthdays this summer?
A. Actually, my birthday is Monday. I will be 52. My husband's birthday was earlier in the week, and my brother's was yesterday. June is a big birthday month for us.
2) Linda sings that she's learned her lesson and it's left a scar. Tell us how you got one of your scars.
A. I have so many. But one of the more interesting ones is a thin scar just below my thumb joint on the backside of my hand. I hit my hand on a filing cabinet corner at the county courthouse while I was doing some research, and before I realized I had cut myself, I bled all over some public records. So my DNA will forever be ensconced at the courthouse.
3) This song is about a lover who is, obviously, no good. Let's be more positive. Who is the nicest person you know?
A. Most people I know are nice, so I can't really pick out the nicest. However, my physical therapist, Audrey, has been incredibly kind to me over the last year and has gone above and beyond her job to help me feel better, so I will give kudos to her today. I am pretty sure I wouldn't be standing on my own two feet right now if she hadn't helped me make it through the winter.
4) Linda says that she grew up on Mexican music, which was sung by her entire family. Do you speak any Spanish?
A. Yo hablo muy poco español. Yo tome español durante tres años en la escuela secundaria. But I have forgotten most of it and had to look up the words for that second sentence.
5) She toured often throughout her career and is quoted as saying, "they haven't invented a word for that loneliness that everybody goes through on the road." Are you missing someone right now?
A. I spend a great amount of time by myself. My husband works three jobs so he isn't here as much as I might like.
6) Ms. Ronstadt was once involved with George Lucas of Star Wars fame. Who is your favorite Star Wars character?
A. Princess Leia.
7) In 1974, when this song was a hit, The Magic 8 Ball was still a top-seller at toy stores. It retailed for just $1.99, and promised that all you had to do was gaze at it, concentrate, and wait to learn your fate ... "if you dare!" If you could get an answer to one question about the future, what would you ask?
A. How long will it be before humanity destroys itself?
8)1974 is the year when Mikhail Baryshnikov defected to the United States. Have you ever been to the ballet?
A. I have been to dance recitals for my niece where they performed ballet. Does that count?
9) Random question: What's your shoe size?
A. I wear a 7D in New Balance sneakers, preferably the 928 model, if anybody wants to go to Zappos and send me an expensive birthday present. ;-) (Updated 6/6/15 at 8:25 a.m., I just ordered myself a pair!)
Friday, June 05, 2015
More Woods Brothers Museum
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| Guitar signed by Ralph Stanly |
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| Wife of Glenn Wood. I did not get her name, I'm afraid. |
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| Hubby looking at a Bill Elliott car. |
Here is a good article about Wood Brothers Racing.
Thursday, June 04, 2015
Thursday Thirteen
I love music. I play a little guitar and sing (to myself), and a very long time ago had aspirations to a music career. Had I applied myself and not married instead, who knows? Maybe I'd have been the next Sheryl Crow or something. But that was not my path.
Anyway, here are 13 women musicians that I enjoy, in no particular order. The links will take you to youtube videos of the songs.
1. Aretha Franklin. Born in 1942, this 73-year-old Queen of Soul is still touring and belting out her top hits. My favorite song of hers is RESPECT, but I love hearing her sing regardless of the title.
2. Stevie Nicks. Another older singer, Nicks in her Fleetwood Mac days had (and has) a distinct voice that had me turning up the radio every time I heard her. I still love the sound of her voice, that quavering sound of solitary despair that only she can offer. It is hard for me to pick a favorite Nicks song, but I will go with Landslide, a song that always sticks in my throat when I hear it.
3. Janis Joplin. I don't suppose one can list female musicians without listing Joplin, the greatest white female blues singer ever. I learned to love Janis late in life, particularly after having read a biography. Her life was cut too short by drugs, unfortunately. I wonder what would have happened had she lived? Favorite song: Bobbie McGee.
4. Heart. This band gets me two women - Ann and Nancy Wilson. Ann has vocal chords that are unmatched in range, while Nancy kicks butt on guitar. Favorite song: The Dog and the Butterfly, though I confess that's a hard choice.
5. Melissa Etheridge. MLE captured my heart with her video Come to My Window, but it is her song You Can Sleep While I Drive that brings me to tears when I hear it. I have more of her albums than any single musician and can play many of her tunes on the guitar myself.
6. Sheryl Crow. Crow's early work in particular grabbed me because of its soulful mix of country and pop. She's turned a little country of late but I still listen to her earlier records. My favorite song is one that was not a hit, but the one that touches me most. It's called Weather Channel.
7. Chrissie Hynde is the lead singer of The Pretenders. She's been a rock and roll girl for 40 years and I've always loved the sound of her voice. My favorite song is I'll Stand By You.
8. Linda Ronstadt. While her early songs made her career, it was one of her later albums, the 1989 Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind, that made me love her more than ever. That album was a mix of rock, pop, and blues with soulful tunes on it that at that particular time in my life were particularly poignant and meaningful to me. I loved every song on that album, but my favorite was probably Shattered.
9. Carole King. This prolific song writer scored with the album Tapestry and most of her songs resonate still. Some of our best-loved older songs were created by King's prolific pen (You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, Pleasant Valley Sunday, to name two). My favorite? You've Got A Friend.
10. Pat Benatar. She hit it big as I was finishing high school, and thus her impact upon my final teenage years was huge. Hit Me With Your Best Shot, her megahit, summed how many of us felt about that time, kind of like we were all beaten up but still standing. She also lived in Virginia when she was starting out.
11. Celine Dion. I know, there will be many who will mock this choice, but I truly like her voice. She has a great range and while her style is not one I listen to all the time, occasionally I like to hear her powerful vocals. Her songs are classical love ballads, and you know, sometimes a girl wants to hear something like that. Because You Loved Me is probably my favorite of her songs.
12. Cyndi Lauper. I became a Lauper fan in her later years, not so much for her songs, really, but for her political work and guest appearances on various shows where she supported women's rights, though she is listed as a LGBT activist and not as a feminist on Wikipedia (I see equality issues as human issues - everybody should be equal regardless of gender or sex preferences. But I acknowledge that equality is something certain segments of the population have to constantly fight for). Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a song (and video) that won many awards.
13. Karen Carpenter. She was another singer who died too young. The Carpenters soft pop songs were part of my tween years and beyond. I imagine We've Only Just Begun has been played at many weddings over the years. Carpenter was also a drummer and I've read that she hated having to move from behind the drums to the forefront to sing. Her voice was another so distinctive that it could not be denied. Rainy Days and Mondays is my favorite Carpenter song.
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 398th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Anyway, here are 13 women musicians that I enjoy, in no particular order. The links will take you to youtube videos of the songs.
1. Aretha Franklin. Born in 1942, this 73-year-old Queen of Soul is still touring and belting out her top hits. My favorite song of hers is RESPECT, but I love hearing her sing regardless of the title.
2. Stevie Nicks. Another older singer, Nicks in her Fleetwood Mac days had (and has) a distinct voice that had me turning up the radio every time I heard her. I still love the sound of her voice, that quavering sound of solitary despair that only she can offer. It is hard for me to pick a favorite Nicks song, but I will go with Landslide, a song that always sticks in my throat when I hear it.
3. Janis Joplin. I don't suppose one can list female musicians without listing Joplin, the greatest white female blues singer ever. I learned to love Janis late in life, particularly after having read a biography. Her life was cut too short by drugs, unfortunately. I wonder what would have happened had she lived? Favorite song: Bobbie McGee.
4. Heart. This band gets me two women - Ann and Nancy Wilson. Ann has vocal chords that are unmatched in range, while Nancy kicks butt on guitar. Favorite song: The Dog and the Butterfly, though I confess that's a hard choice.
5. Melissa Etheridge. MLE captured my heart with her video Come to My Window, but it is her song You Can Sleep While I Drive that brings me to tears when I hear it. I have more of her albums than any single musician and can play many of her tunes on the guitar myself.
6. Sheryl Crow. Crow's early work in particular grabbed me because of its soulful mix of country and pop. She's turned a little country of late but I still listen to her earlier records. My favorite song is one that was not a hit, but the one that touches me most. It's called Weather Channel.
7. Chrissie Hynde is the lead singer of The Pretenders. She's been a rock and roll girl for 40 years and I've always loved the sound of her voice. My favorite song is I'll Stand By You.
8. Linda Ronstadt. While her early songs made her career, it was one of her later albums, the 1989 Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind, that made me love her more than ever. That album was a mix of rock, pop, and blues with soulful tunes on it that at that particular time in my life were particularly poignant and meaningful to me. I loved every song on that album, but my favorite was probably Shattered.
9. Carole King. This prolific song writer scored with the album Tapestry and most of her songs resonate still. Some of our best-loved older songs were created by King's prolific pen (You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, Pleasant Valley Sunday, to name two). My favorite? You've Got A Friend.
10. Pat Benatar. She hit it big as I was finishing high school, and thus her impact upon my final teenage years was huge. Hit Me With Your Best Shot, her megahit, summed how many of us felt about that time, kind of like we were all beaten up but still standing. She also lived in Virginia when she was starting out.
11. Celine Dion. I know, there will be many who will mock this choice, but I truly like her voice. She has a great range and while her style is not one I listen to all the time, occasionally I like to hear her powerful vocals. Her songs are classical love ballads, and you know, sometimes a girl wants to hear something like that. Because You Loved Me is probably my favorite of her songs.
12. Cyndi Lauper. I became a Lauper fan in her later years, not so much for her songs, really, but for her political work and guest appearances on various shows where she supported women's rights, though she is listed as a LGBT activist and not as a feminist on Wikipedia (I see equality issues as human issues - everybody should be equal regardless of gender or sex preferences. But I acknowledge that equality is something certain segments of the population have to constantly fight for). Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a song (and video) that won many awards.
13. Karen Carpenter. She was another singer who died too young. The Carpenters soft pop songs were part of my tween years and beyond. I imagine We've Only Just Begun has been played at many weddings over the years. Carpenter was also a drummer and I've read that she hated having to move from behind the drums to the forefront to sing. Her voice was another so distinctive that it could not be denied. Rainy Days and Mondays is my favorite Carpenter song.
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 398th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Woods Brothers Racing Museum
Yesterday, for my husband's birthday, we went to Stuart, VA. It's about a two-hour drive. We went to see the Woods Brothers Racing Museum.
It's a very nice museum with a lot of things to see. I will post more photos on Friday. They let me take all the photos I wanted.
We had a great time.
It's a very nice museum with a lot of things to see. I will post more photos on Friday. They let me take all the photos I wanted.
We had a great time.
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
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