Thursday 13 #455

1. Hey Nineteen, by Steely Dan

2. Touch of Gray, by Grateful Dead

3. Against the Wind, by Bob Seger

4. End of the Line, by the Traveling Wilburys

5. 100 Years, by Five for Fighting

6. Glory Days, by Bruce Springsteen

7. Time in a Bottle, by Jim Croce

8. Hip to Be Square, by Huey Lewis & the News

9. New Kid in Town, by the Eagles

10. Still Crazy After All These Years, by Paul Simon

11. The Long and Winding Road, by the Beatles

12. Time, by the Alan Parsons Project

13. You Wear It Well, by Rod Stewart


Can you guess my theme for Thursday 13 today?

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 455th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. 

We May Not Have Tomatoes

Our tomato plants look terrible because we have horn worms. Every time we spray or dust for pests, it rains and washes it off.



The tomatoes have been damaged by a bug. Note the lack of leaves.

It is a good thing we do not garden for a living, for we would surely be failures at it.

We are not that kind of farmer. We grow good grass and have nice cattle, but we are not very good at keeping the vegetable crop going. Either the deer eat it or the beetles get it.

That's why this year we only have tomato plants. But if we don't get the beetles/worms/whatever stopped, we won't even have those.

This year, we are growing leafless tomato stalks in our garden.

A long time ago, when we were young, we had a large garden. We grew cucumbers, squash, and corn. We harvested green beans and peas. It was (and is) backbreaking work that I am no longer able to do, and my husband hasn't the time to do.

Our garden grew smaller as we aged. For a few years, we had no garden at all, but we missed having a few fresh veggies (especially tomatoes). So we planted a small garden around the side of the house where we used to have a C-Band satellite. Its removal left a large space of dirt, which we enlarged a bit and fenced off to keep the deer out.

At various times that small garden has been quite bountiful, offering up squash, beans, peas, tomatoes, and even corn. But in the last few years, squash beetles have killed every plant, seemingly overnight, and this year we just didn't fool with anything but tomatoes.

Now it seems we can't even get those to grow.

But we are excelling at tomato stalks.



In 2008, we grew corn.

We May Have Blackberries

If the sun ever shines for a long period, and the rain stops making everything moldy and damp, we may have blackberries.



Blackberries - not ripe



A few ripening blackberries.

These blackberries do not look all that appealing, frankly. I don't think they had enough of whatever they need at the right time. They are not plump and juicy looking, but instead seem a bit weak and pitiful.

They will probably taste seedy.

What To Do on a Gray Afternoon

My brother gave me an Erector set for my birthday earlier in June. I had mentioned how envious I had been of his when he was younger, so he sent me one.



Supposedly the best set out there.

Yesterday was a gray day. It rained off and on. My husband was inside with a cold that we've been passing back and forth since early June. I am finally getting over it after four weeks; he is on his second round.

So we decided to find something to do, and opened the Erector set.

Two and a half hours later, we had built a dune buggy.

I placed it on the fireplace hearth, for now. It seemed a shame to build it and then take it apart right away.

Those nuts and bolts are very small. Next time I think we need one of those magnetic screwdrivers/wrenches to make sure we don't drop tiny pieces.

We both agreed this set was not like the ones either of us remembered from childhood. There are more plastic pieces now, and fewer metal ones.

But it certainly made for an interesting afternoon, and at least we weren't watching TV or playing on social media.

Sunday Stealing: Controversy

From Sunday Stealing

Controversy!

1. Would you try a recreational drug if all were legalized?

A. I might. It would depend on how well it mixed with my blood pressure and pain medications. I would have to do some research first and maybe consult with my doctor. Now, if I were 30 years younger, the answer to that question would simply be yes.

2. Are you happy that the U.S. Supreme Court once again upheld a woman’s right to abortion?

A. Yes. Even though I was not able to have children myself, and wanted them, I do not think anyone other than the woman has the right to make a decision about her body. I do not believe a zygote is a person. People need to stop forcing their own beliefs and opinions on others and manage their own lives and mind their own business.

3. Would our country cope any differently with a woman president?

A. I guess we will find out.

4. Do you believe in the death penalty?

A. No.

5. Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already?

A. It already is in some places. If it becomes legal in Virginia, we might grow it. It could be a good cash crop for the farm. One never knows.

6. Do you believe in God?

A. I believe in a higher power.

7. How do you feel now that same-sex marriage is legalized?

A. I doesn't affect me one way or the other, and I think everyone should have the same civil rights as I do. So I am in favor of it. I also think people should be able to pee wherever they want, as they have for like, forever, until people started minding other people's business to the point that now peeing is a topic of discussion.

8. Do you think it’s wrong that so many Hispanics are moving to the USA?

A. They have to live somewhere. It's not like my ancestors are Native Americans. They came from Scotland, Ireland, and Germany. So no, it is not wrong. We have allowances in numbers and rules in place, and so long as the laws are followed, I have no problem with it. Illegal immigration is another matter.

9. A 12-year-old girl has a baby . . . should she keep it?

A. That depends upon the circumstances. In any event, she shouldn't be forced to have it if she doesn't want it.

10. Should the alcohol age be lowered to 18?

A. If you're old enough to go into the Armed Forces, then you're old enough to drink. However, I did look up the question and it appears that each state saves somewhere between 800 and 1000 young lives because of the higher drinking age, based on some study. If that is the case, then perhaps we need to raise the draft age to 21.

11. Should the wars in the Middle East be called off?

A. That's a pretty uninformed question. One does not simply "call off" a war. If you mean, should the United States withdraw completely, that's something else entirely. I am a pacifist and believe war is waged solely for the power and prestige of others, so it would be nice if we could "call them off." However, it doesn't work that way. I may like Tolkien, but I live in the real world.

12. Do you believe in spanking your children?

A. I don't have children. What other people do to their kids, so long as it is lawful, is none of my business. Now if they were beating the kids and leaving bruises, which I think is not legal, then it becomes my business and I would call the police.

13. A mother is declared innocent after murdering her 5 children in a temporary insanity case… what do you think?

A. That she should not have had children in the first place, and I hope she is spending time in a mental institution receiving the help she needs to come to terms with what she has done.

14. Would you want to prosecute someone for burning their country’s flag as a method of protest?

A. No.

15. It’s between you and a person who is being kept alive (with NO hope) by life support machines… one has to die? Who?

A. Well, if the other person has no hope of recovery anyway, there is no point in my dying, too. But if my dying would let the other person live, then that would require a different line of thinking. I might give up my life for someone else under different circumstances.

16. Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers?

A. I'm 53 years old. I am no longer in the career I was in where I had to stay neutral on various matters (when I was in journalism). If people don't like my opinions, they don't have to read my blog. If you have been reading a long time now and any of these answers surprise you, then you haven't been paying attention.

Also, I answered these while I was feeling kind of punchy and irritable. I wonder if it showed.

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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: Battle Hymn

Saturday 9: Battle Hymn of the Republic (1968) . . . because it's 4th of July

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

This performance of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is from Robert Kennedy's funeral. So this week, we focus on him.

1) During WWII, when he was just 17, Robert Kennedy enlisted in the Navy. He was disappointed he was never involved in combat. Tell us about a time when you felt fate/circumstances kept you from something you wanted.

 

A. I wanted a child. I was not able to have one.

2) Bobby was trained as an altar boy and throughout his life regularly attended early morning mass. When is the last time you attended a worship service?

A. It has been quite a long time.

3) He may have been an altar boy, but he was no angel. During junior high he was suspended for punching a classmate. Who is the last person who made you very, very mad?

 

A. Aside from someone in the political arena? Probably my husband, though I cannot at this moment recall any specifics.

 

4) He had his first date when he was a senior in high school. Looking back, Mary Bailey Gimble told Kennedy biographers that she knew he had a crush on her and wondered why it took him so long to ask her out. Tell us about one of your early crushes.

A. I thought David Cassidy on the Partridge Family was the bomb. That long hair and sexy voice. Oh my. He could have come on and got happy with me any time, when I was that age. Sigh.

5) Bobby's wife Ethel is as bubbly and talkative as he was introspective and shy. He was organized, she's messy. While opposites may attract, do you believe the happiest marriages are between partners who are more similar than different?

A. My husband and I are very similar and we get along well. I think it depends on the people and one can't really make such blanket assumptions.

6) By November 1960, when he was 35 years old, Bobby already had served as legal counsel to two Senate committees and run his brother's successful presidential campaign. He was looking forward to a quieter life teaching law but gave in to family pressure to become President Kennedy's Attorney General. Tell us about a time when you were at a crossroads. Who influenced your decision?

A. I was working at a job I absolutely hated and a person I respected convinced me to look into the women's adult education program at Hollins College. At the time I was attending the community college. Her push toward the college changed my life.

7) In 1777, Colonists celebrated July 4 with the firing of cannons and muskets, followed by a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. What is your neighborhood doing to observe the day?

 

A. The nearest little town always sets off a nice fireworks display. Further down the road, another little town has a parade, carnival, and fireworks.

8) The Revolutionary War still raged during that summer of 1777. General George Washington allowed his soldiers to celebrate with a double ration of rum on July 4. Do you know anyone who is serving in the military this 4th of July?

 

A. I am sure the children of some of my acquaintances are serving, but they are not people I am close to. So while I know many who have served, I do not know any active military at the moment.

9) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will you be eating this 4th of July? 

 

A. I have no idea. I don't know where I will be.

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

Is It Safe?

Yesterday my light bill arrived. Our electricity use is always high, and for a long time I have tried to figure out why. I think it's because we run two air purifiers in the house - we are not far from one of the county's largest polluters (a cement company, which has in recent years made significant efforts to clean up its processes but I still watch their smoke stacks churn out dust with great frequency) - and I have asthma. But even so, our bill is double that of some folks who have a much larger house, kids, etc.

We also run a dehumidifier in the garage. We started this many years ago when we ran into a minor mold problem. At that time, we were using a whole-house humidifier system that originated from the garage, and the moisture collected there. The dehumidifier fixed the issue, but it runs a lot. We have since done away with the whole-house humidifier, so I am not sure we need a dehumidifier running in the garage all the time. Maybe we only need one that turns on when I bring the car in wet from a rain.

So after looking at the electric bill, I went to the garage and stared at the dehumidifier for a while. It was running and the filter was dirty. I cleaned the filter. It has electronic stuff that you can program to make the thing run at various levels and times, but I couldn't figure out how to change the humidity level so that it would only turn on when the garage hit 50 percent humidity instead of 35 percent. I wrote down the model number and went to the computer to see if I could find the instruction manual for the dehumidifier on the Internet.

I found, instead, that the dehumidifier had been recalled back in 2013 because of the potential of fire. That was the very first thing that popped up when I typed in the model number.

That was unexpected.

I visited the recall site and submitted the information and was told that yes, my machine should be unplugged immediately. They would send me a "recall kit" and eventually refund some money.

The product was made in China. Most things are these days, I'm afraid.

After I finished filling out my information, I went back to the recall site. I was amazed at the vast amount of items sold in this country that are dangerous, hazardous, and poorly constructed. I grew up in an age when one did not worry if the product purchased was going to burn down the house. You expected it to be wired properly and to work as advertised. Refrigerators were made to last 30 years, not five. Yes, I am old, but I would rather pay more for a refrigerator that would last me 30 years than have to put up with bringing in a new appliance every time I turn around.

If you are interested in seeing if something you own has been recalled, you can go to recall.gov and check it out. You can see if your car has a recall on it, check household products, medications, and food.

It appears that most things made are recalled at some point, from the looks of the list. I imagine most readers have read about the IKEA recall of millions of dressers. But have you heard about certain children's nightgowns that have been recalled? Or that HP has recalled batteries for notebook computers? Or that Nature Valley protein chewy bars have been recalled? Or that some Honey Maid Teddy Grahams have been recalled?

All kinds of tires are listed under their own separate section of recalls. Tires are rather important when driving a vehicle. Yet there is a long list of tires that shouldn't be on your car.

An entire generation has grown up thinking this is the way things have to be. They don't. Manufacturers used to make products they were proud of. The workers were proud they were making it, too. You were proud to own it.

Now all we do is fill up landfills with this useless junk. This is what will continue to happen so long as the unwary consumer continues to purchase these poorly manufactured items.

We should demand quality, and expect to pay for it. It is a pain to have to replace my washing machine every couple of years because the machines they make now are made to break the day after the warranty expires. If I knew my washing machine was going to last beyond its (very limited) warranty, I would be willing to pay more for it.

I am, apparently, in the minority.

When I buy my new dehumidifier, I will do my homework and buy the "best one" as described online on some website that I may or may not trust. Right now, the "best one" in my price range, according to a couple of websites, is a Frigidaire. It's made in China.

So far, I have found only one that is made in the USA. It is large enough to take in my entire house, which I don't need, and costs $1,000 more than the "best one," the Frigidaire, I listed above. I can't find an American made dehumidifier in the size I need.

What are we as consumers supposed to do? Take time every day to visit the recall.gov site and see if everything in our house is safe? I bet I have other items in my home that have been recalled, things I will use every day, never knowing they have been deemed unsafe.

Why are we letting consumerism and our love and worship of money rule (and ruin) the world?

Thursday 13

Goddesses from around the world -

1. Arianrhod. She is the Celtic moon goddess who rules over a magical realm called Caer Sidi. She can change into a large owl and uses this form to observe mortals. Through her large owl eyes, she can see into the depths of a human soul.

2. Freya is the Valkyrie warrior goddess who also represents love, beauty and fertility. Oh, and death, too. That's a lot to throw on one goddess. She is often depicted with two large, blue cats, gifts from the god, Thor.

3. Idunn is the Norse goddess of youth and springtime. She keeps the Golden Apples and allows each god and goddess to eat one each do. This keeps them young and immortal (need to find that particular tree, I guess).

4. Isis is the Egyptian goddess who represents the ideal femininity. She is patron to all women, mothers, and children. She gave humans the gift of agriculture and reading. (To bad her name has turned into a foul acronym in modern times.)
 
5. Pomona is a Roman goddess who is responsible for agriculture. She watches over fruit trees and cares for those who take care of them.

6. Venus is another Roman goddess who is associated with vineyard, love, and beauty. She also has the power to transform weapons into objects of peace.

7. Eos is the Greek goddess of the dawn. She rises into the sky each morning and break up the night with her rays of light. Her siblings are Helios (the sun) and Selene (the moon).

8. Gaia is said to the be the first Greek deity, as she it the goddess of earth. She was born from chaos, and all other gods and goddesses supposedly are descendants of her union with Uranus (the sky).

9. Ix Chel is a Mayan goddess who is responsible for sending rain. She is also a protector of mothers and children. She brings floods if she is unhappy. (Apparently West Virginia took the brunt of her sadness earlier in the week, along with China, which I don't think we in the USA even heard about, but there was a big weather issue there, too, and around 100 people died and over 800 lost their homes.)

10. Pachamama is the Ican goddess of the earth. She protects the harvest and represents fertility. If she is angry, she turn into a dragon and causes earthquakes.

11. Inanna is the Sumerian goddess of love, wandering, and restlessness. She creates chaos in the lives of those who disobey her, and therefore is frequently associated with war or disaster. (She sounds like one to stay away from.)

12. The White Buffalo Woman of the Lakota and Sioux Native American tribes in the U.S. is considered to be the mother of life. She gave the first Native Americans their ceremonies, songs, and dances. She carries a sacred pipe, which she gives as a gift to those who wish to remain in communication with the spirit world.

13. Oshun is the West African goddess of love and fresh water. She heals the sick and brings fertility and prosperity. (I think, given the state of the water supply today and in upcoming years, we may need her to come around more often.)


These goddesses were taken from Goddesses Coloring Book by Marty Noble, a Dover Coloring Book, copyright 2012.



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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 454th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. 

Remembering My Grandmother

Today is the anniversary of my grandmother's death. She passed away on June 28, 2007. I can't believe she has been gone for nine years.

Grandma was my mother's mother. My grandmother was 40 years old when I was born, and she went on to have a sixth child, a young son born on my first birthday. I tend to remember her young, because she was young when I was growing up, although to a child 40 looks old, I know.

My mother's mother was my full-time, hands-on grandma. My father's mother is still alive at the age of 96, but she lives in California. I did not get to know her.

I knew Grandma, though. She started keeping me when I around three, I guess, and then kept my brother. She had a houseful of kids, with a son four years older than I and then the son a year younger, and my brother and me.

My mother worked at a job only a block from where my grandmother lived, which was handy. When my brother or I (or both) stayed with Grandma, she could drop us off and pick us up without problem.
After school started, Grandma kept us during the summers when school was out, and on weekends when my parents would be away (my father played in a Top 40 band). I was sickly and missed about 30 days of school every year. Grandma took care of me on those days.

My grandmother cooked every day. My grandfather worked at the Kroger warehouse, where he was a foreman. He went in early and came home at 4:10 p.m. every day. And that was when he wanted to eat.

So we always had an early dinner at my grandmother's. And I still eat early to this day, preferring to have it all over and done with by 6:15 p.m. at the latest.

If Grandma had a food speciality, it was macaroni and cheese. I'm not talking about mac and cheese like you buy in the Kraft boxes. I really can't describe her mac and cheese except that she made a lot of it and we all ate it.

She also liked to fix pudding. She did not use instant mixes but made the cooked kind of Jello brand pudding. I remember one day she was out of chocolate. Of course we wanted chocolate.

She made up some chocolate milk and used vanilla pudding mix to create what we thought was the best chocolate pudding ever.

After that, we asked for her special chocolate pudding instead of the normal kind. We did not always get it, but she made it occasionally.
Grandmas are like that, you know. They offer up treats and love in all sorts of ways.
My grandmother's birthday is also in June, so I have been missing her this month. I have thought of her often and I hope she knows she remains in my heart.

Click Click

Click click. Click click.

When I sit in my office without the radio on, or anything but the clocks ticking, I hear a clicking noise.

It seems to be coming from the area near my printer. I've heard it for days.

I can't find the noisemaker, though, nor pinpoint its exact location. I've moved things around, searching. I thought at first it was the air blowing from the units when the air conditioner turned on, hitting a piece of paper, perhaps, but no.

Click click. Click click.

Is it a bug? Something in the wall? A bird outside?

Tick tock. Tick tock. Those are the clocks on the wall.

Peck peck. Peck peck. That's my fingers on the keyboard.

Click click. Click click.

My mystery noise continues. I wonder, am I losing my mind?

Are termites eating my house?

Is there a snake in the wall?

Could it be a mouse?

Click click. Click click.

It doesn't sound like a mouse. Mice scurry. I know what a mouse sounds like.

They do not go click click.

Click click. Click click.

A snake would slither and bump, wouldn't it? And it wouldn't sound like it was in the metal hollow legs of the desk holding my printer.

Click click. Click click.

Click click. Click click.

Do termites make noise?

Click click. Click click.

If I disappear, I leave this post so you'll know that something grew large, and ate me.

Click click.

Sunday Stealing: King of Beasts

CountryDew rockin'
out the free world
circa 1979.

Sunday Stealing: The King of the Beasts Meme

1. Would you post a picture of you for us? A. Look to the right.

2. Would you date an 18-year-old at the age you are now? A. No.

3. Do you prefer to work with women or men? Why? A. I have no preference.

4. Do you have any opposite sex friends? A. Yes.

5. Can you commit to one person? A. I've been married for 33 years. So yeah.

6. If you’re married or in a relationship have you ever been tempted to cheat? A. No.

7. Do you think your life will change dramatically before 2018? A. Unlikely, but one never knows what tomorrow holds.

8. If the person you are interested in says they like someone else, what would try to sway them? A. I don't understand this question.

9. Are you good at hiding your feelings? A. Apparently not.

10. There is no question 10.

11. When was the last time you cried? A. It has been a while. I don't recall.

12. Have you ever fell for someone you didn’t expect to? A. No.

13. What is something you have to do tomorrow? A. Laundry. Gee, don't I live a fun life?

14. Name something you dislike about the day you’re having.  A. I am concerned about Brexit, the flooding in West Virginia and in my own county, and my husband's chest cold.

15. Have you ever wanted more from one of your best friends of the opposite sex? A. No. These are strange questions. Are they written for single 22-year-olds?

16. Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have? A. Does a fantasy character count?

17. Who was the last person you talked to before you went to bed last night? A. My husband.

18. Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell everything to? A. My husband.

19. When was the last time that you were jealous in a romance situation? A. Far too long ago to remember.

20. If you had to delete one year of your life completely, which would it be? A. That's tough. It would be easiest just to delete me entirely.

21. Did you have a good day yesterday? What did you do? A. That would be Friday, since I'm answering this on Saturday. I went to the market.

22. If a person you had wished you could have a relationship with for a long time and you suddenly found yourself together alone, what would you be doing right now? A. In this day and age, we'd both be sitting with our noses in our cell phones, chatting with someone else we wanted to be in a relationship with.

23. Do you replay things that have happened to you in your head? A. Yes.

24. Don’t tell me lies, is the last person you texted attractive? A. I don't text.

25. Is your life anything like it was two years ago? Is it a good or bad thing? A. It is worse than it was two years ago, mostly because of health issues.

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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.