Saturday 9: Feels like the First Time

Saturday 9: Feels like the First Time (1977)

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

Welcome to the first Saturday 9 of 2021! 

1) Look up from your screen. What's the first thing you see?

A. A card that says "No one can stop you but yourself," which my high school math teacher sent to me last year.

2) Looking back on 2020, what surprised you?

A. The selfishness of my fellow Americans surprised me. It shouldn't have, but it did. I had no idea so many people would walk right past someone dying and leave them there. Basically that is what someone who refuses to wear a mask for public health purposes is doing. Killing people because they have no time or empathy for anyone else. I don't see wearing a mask as being any different from signs that say "shirt & shoes required," wearing a seat belt, or stopping at stop signs. No one has the right to do things that infringe upon the health of others, and that is what not wearing a mask does.

3) Have you made any resolutions for 2021?

A. No. I know of some things I would like to achieve, but things are so unsettled right now I think it would be foolish to commit.

4) In Italy, it's said that if you wear red underwear on New Year's Eve, you'll have good luck all year around. Do you have a lucky charm?

A. I do not.

5) In Spain, some New Year's Eve revelers believe that, at the stroke of midnight, you should eat exactly 12 grapes, one at a time and one right after the other, to bring you luck for the next twelve months. Did you have anything special on your New Year's Eve menu?

A. No.

6) In this week's featured song, Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm lets us know that he'd sail across a stormy sea to reach his true love. How is the weather where you are today? Are you kicking off 2021 under calm skies, or is it stormy?

A. It is raining and cold. It is a good day to stay inside and read a book.

7) In the 1990s, Gramm joined forces with Billy Joel in a series of concerts to preserve the Montauk Point Lighthouse. Do you have a favorite Billy Joel song?

A. Just the Way You Are

8) In 1977, when this song was popular, Star Wars was breaking all box office records. The Spy Who Loved Me, a James Bond movie, was also a hit. If you were going to binge on one of these film series, would you choose Star Wars or Bond?

A. Star Wars.

9) Random question: Would you rather have nothing but green lights for all of 2021, or never have to stand in line for anything all year?

A. I would rather never have to stand in line for anything all year, because that technically would also include sitting at red lights, wouldn't it? Besides, with Covid-19 still raging, I'd rather not be in a long line for anything.

 ______________

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. (#370)

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2021! At long last, 2020 is over.

Unfortunately, as years tend to do, this one so far looks like last year. It's raining, it's cold, and there is still a bad virus out in the world.

But now we move on. Beginning years of decades seem to not be the best ones. Maybe soon this will be the Roaring '20s of the 2000s. I hope so.

There are many rituals about the first of the year. The ones I am aware of have to do with what you eat and opening doors. I have never subscribed to any of them, so while I tried black-eyed peas one year, they were not on the menu today.

I did get up and open a door and shoo out the old year and then waved in the new. I didn't think it could hurt anything and fresh air is always nice.

Another superstition, maybe it's a local one, I don't know, is that good luck comes depending upon who enters the house first as a visitor - a man brings good luck, a woman brings bad luck. (Sexist much?)

This superstition has haunted me a long time. When I was seven, we went to my grandmother's house on New Year's Day. I was so excited to see my grandmother that I bounded into the house.

My grandmother immediately burst into tears. "She came in first. We'll have bad luck all year long," she wailed.

My grandfather, who had watched my father enter second, suggested that only held true for adult visitors and children didn't count, so my father was bringing good luck.

My grandmother was having none of it. I had ruined the entire year. I still remember her clutching at her chest and the tears in her eyes.

I was walking bad luck.

As one might imagine, this had quite an impact upon me at that particular age. I spent the entire year ducking anytime something bad happened, sure I would be blamed. My young uncles would tease me if something happened - a glass broke, I remember, - and remind me it was all my fault. 

I was bad luck.

This kind of thing can dampen the spirits of even the most resilient child. I, however, have always been prone to melancholy and moodiness. 

That year I was about as melancholy and moody as a little girl of seven could be. I had moved to a new school that year. I told my classmates to stay away from me - I was bad luck. I shied away from making friends.

I told my teacher I was bad luck. After about the third time of hearing this, Mrs. Wright sat me down and told me there was no such thing as good or bad luck. She asked me where I'd gotten the notion that I was bad luck.

"My grandmother said I was bad luck because I'd walked in the door first on New Year's," I explained.

I remember seeing Mrs. Wright inhale deeply and look off in the distance. Then she looked back at me.

"Now see here. There is no such thing as bad luck or good luck. That's all superstitious nonsense and you should not believe any of it," she said.

"But my grandmother dropped a glass," I said. "She said it was my fault."

"Everybody breaks things. In life, things happen. We have to accept that. But they do not happen because someone walked into a room. Sometimes things simply happen, and all we can do is accept them," she said.

This advice lightened my heart, but only a little. (To this day, I do not leave my house on New Year's Day. Nor do I go into anyone's house first, if I can help it.)

However, on this New Year's Day, I think back on Mrs. Wright's advice and realize that she was right. I also realize that this lesson - that sometimes things simply happen and we must accept that - is one lost on the majority of the population right now.

The virus happened. The election happened. People have car wrecks, lose their jobs, lose their families, and sometimes - maybe most of the time - it's through not fault of their own. Nor is it bad luck. Sometimes it is the result of a choice made a decade ago, one that a person may not remember ever having made. 

Sometimes things happen.

Occasionally, we break a glass.

Thursday Thirteen

So, we're all getting ready to kick 2020 out the door and hope for better things 2021. Honestly, as introverted as I am, I did not find this year to be much of a burden. I prefer doing my own shopping, but the pickup at the stores works to keep us fed. I also miss my twice-monthly visits with my chiropractor, but other than that, life has basically gone on as normal for me. I don't mind the masks and will probably keep wearing one in the stores. Even though I have been sick a few times this year, I haven't been as ill as I normally am, and I chalk that up to masking, hand washing, and physical distancing.

I don't do resolutions anymore - I am old and there's no point, really - but here are a few things I'd like to do in 2021.

1. Get the vaccine shot for the Covid-19 virus. 

2. Take day trips. (We haven't been doing this because I always have to go to the restroom every couple of hours and it's hard to find a clean restroom in the best of times. I certainly didn't want to go into a filthy public restroom during a pandemic.)

3. Take a vacation. I would like to go to Washington, D.C., to the Library of Congress. I would also like to go to Philadelphia, Chicago, and Orlando, Fl. But things will have to be much better before this happens.

4.  Go out with friends.

5. Return to my regular chiropractic adjustment schedule.

6. Lose weight. This would be easier if I didn't have to eat.

7. Read more books.

8. Take more photos.

9. Write more.

10. Keep up with our tax information better. I tend to let it go and do it in spurts. I need to do it once a month, at the least. Once a week would be better.

11. Learn new songs on the guitar.

12. Get to know my little grand niece better.

13. Read the entire Bible. I've done that once before; it's time to do it again.

____________

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 688th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The Clothes Dryer

I do a lot of laundry, considering there are only two people here.

My husband can go through three changes of clothes in a day, working on the farm. In the winter, there are extras - insulated coveralls, jackets, thermal underwear. 

If I don't stay on top of it, stuff piles up.

Saturday is always change-the-bed day. However, the day after Christmas, I suggested we wait and change it on Sunday because I had not done the laundry for two days plus we'd each received new clothing. All of that needed to be washed.

I put my husband to work taking a few items from his closet. It's the rule - new clothes in, old clothes must come out.

I washed a load of clothes, hung them up. Turned around and loaded the dryer with a load of towels.

I turned the dial and there was nothing. It moved freely. This dial on this dryer had always been a bear to turn; even my husband found it difficult to move around the circle.

Now it moved and nothing happened.

I bought the dryer on February 21, 2019. It hadn't even hit two years yet.

"The dryer won't run," I yelled. He came in and twisted the dial. 

"The timer is broken," he said.

I went to the warranty drawer (yes, I am organized enough that I have a warranty drawer), and pulled out the file marked GE Dryer 2019. I had purchased a 3-year extended warranty through Lowes.

First I tried to call. I ended up somehow with GE, even though I'd called Lowe's, and was informed the one-year manufacturer's warranty had ended.

My husband took the phone from me and went through the menu options again, this time getting the correct place.

He was on the phone for over an hour. The customer service person, whom we shall call Miriam, did everything she could think of to keep from having to pay out on this warranty claim. She asked for non-existent numbers, non-existent invoices, etc., etc.

My husband, finally, had had it.

"Let me get this right. I'm sitting here with a receipt for a warranty I paid $130 for, and a receipt for a dryer that I paid for, and you're telling me because there isn't some number that you think I am supposed to have, that you're not going to service this dryer. Is that what you're telling me?" His voice was terse and his jaw was set.

But yes, that was what she was telling us. She would, however, set up an appointment with their factory repair people and someone would be in touch.

In the meantime, I had a load of wet towels to deal with. I have a clothes rack, so I put it up in the kitchen next to a space heater and eventually got the towels dry. They were stiff as a board, but they were dry.

My husband watched a video on how to fix the dryer at some point during the day.

Sunday night, as we were getting ready for bed, I had a thought. "You know, I've always turned that dial clockwise," I told my husband. "Maybe I should try turning it counterclockwise."

He laughed at me.

I went in to the laundry room and turned the dial counterclockwise. After a few turns, it started making the strange ticking sound it had always made when I turned it before. I stopped it on a drying cycle, and hit the start button.

It ran.

My husband cursed.

That wasn't the end of it, of course. Monday morning he rose at 5 a.m., because he had to feed. He threw a load of his thermal underwear in the washer and put it in the dryer.

I watched the timer. It went a little long, but it dried the clothes. He left to feed and I tossed another load in the washer. This time, the dryer didn't want to work as well. It stopped before the clothes were dry. I backed it up and started it again.

When my husband came back from feeding, I told him the dryer still wasn't working right. He called Tribles, which is a place that carries appliance parts, and told them what he needed.

They had a timer.

He went after it. I emptied out the laundry room so he'd have room to work. He came home, replaced the timer, and just like that, we were back in the laundry business.

We cancelled the appointment with the repair person.

I learned several things. First, I will never, ever buy the extended warranty from Lowes again. In all likelihood, I will never purchase another appliance from Lowes. Their customer service is simply awful.

Second, I had no idea how much my life revolved around doing the laundry. I hop up and down every 45 minutes to go wash something or dry something. I also like doing it.

Lastly, this thing of planned obsolescence that the manufacturers have going on simply is horrible for consumers. A $600 dryer should last me a very long time, not less than two years.

So This Was Christmas in 2020

Quiet.

Less stressed.

Maybe not as much fun, but definitely ok.

Yes, I missed my family and my husband's family. But things are changing anyway, so I think the Christmases of the past will stay there.

Facetime likely will be the new reality.

Our holiday began on the 23rd, with my father and stepmother stopping by. We all stood outside my house in a chilly wind, masks on our faces, talking about the strange year. My father dared not get any closer because there was a Covid outbreak at his company. While he is retired, he still goes into the office occasionally. Everyone was awaiting test results.

We had placed two chairs on the deck - one for taking presents, one for leaving presents. It worked well.

My brother came by later, dropping off gifts and picking his up. When I put on a mask and moved to go outside to speak with him, he stopped me. "You stay in the house!" he said firmly. He, too, works at my father's business and was awaiting test results. (The family's all came back negative, but several employees have not been as lucky.)

I am sick a lot. Since August, I've had two infections that required antibiotics. Immediately after Thanksgiving, I started fighting a digestive thing that mimics the ulcers I had in 2013. It's either ulcers, my hiatal hernia, or intensely bad reflux. Whatever it is, it took the chocolate out of the holidays, and I've dropped eight pounds by eating a mostly bland diet. (The pounds can go, so that is not a bad thing.)

Christmas Eve in the past would have been a long day. I always had a open house; people came and went from about lunch time until 8 p.m. My table would have been piled with food - cakes, cookies, fudge, brownies, cheeseballs, crackers, etc. This year, I made three small cheeseballs - one for my husband and me, one for my mother-in-law, and one to stash in the freezer for a few weeks.

That was the extent of my cooking.

Christmas Eve this year was calm and quiet. I did laundry. My husband fed the cattle. We watched the weather, which was calling for snow. 

Around 4 p.m., my brother and I had Facetime. He opened his gifts and I opened mine. We have always exchanged presents on Christmas Eve.

He told me his son had become engaged the night before, on the boy's birthday. (My nephew announced it after Christmas on Facebook, complete with photos.) He warned me Christmas would be different in the future, probably. Of course it will be, if my nephew becomes a father himself. My brother will want to spend the holidays with his grandchild.

My brother gave me some Legolas Greenleaf Tea from England. His girlfriend gave me a Kalimba, a thumb piano, to learn to play. I gave him cookware (he loves to cook) and a book of photos of children, made from pictures I'd taken over the years. He and his girlfriend gave me a Joe Biden coloring book. We are opposites in politics, but I took no offense. I don't see Joe Biden as a superhero, as he was depicted in the pages. He's just a nicer guy than the current occupant of the White House.

Christmas morning, we woke to snow on the ground. I couldn't remember the last time I'd awakened to snow at Christmas. I remember Christmases when there was already snow on the ground from earlier snowfalls, but not waking up to the shimmering whiteness of a new snow.

My husband and I opened our gifts to one another.  We bought each other clothes, mostly. I gave him nine books to read; he's already finished one of them. He gave me a looper for my electric guitar, which I will have to learn how to use. It allows me to have background tracks to songs.

My father and stepmother had given us a goodie basket that included fudge (I froze that until my tummy is better), three Christmas bells that once belonged to my mother, and chocolate items from Harry & David's. Those I haven't figured out what to do with yet. I don't know if you can freeze truffles.

I received two books from friends. Another friend brought cookies earlier in the week, and gave me a cooking gizmo that makes spirals out of zucchini and squash.

At lunchtime, we visited my mother-in-law. She lives across the street (which is not as close as it would be in a city - it's a half-mile away). We had ham biscuits accompanied by crackers and cheeseball. We gave her a necklace, a sweater, and an embroidered blanket. She gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card, which I have already spent online.

Past Christmas Days used to be full of people. We'd got to my mother-in-law's and have dinner. My husband's sister's family would be there as well. We'd have a merry time exchanging gifts.

We did not see any of my husband's family on Christmas Day, aside from his mother. We wore masks in her house except when eating.

I think those party days at my husband's mother's house are over. My sister-in-law is a grandmother now; she wants to be with that grandbaby, not her older brother. I understand that. Life goes on, as it should.

I spoke on the phone with my aunt in Texas. I talked briefly with my father and he later texted me that he and my stepmother loved their presents. My niece also texted me a thank you for her present.

It really was the most stress-free Christmas I can remember. A little sad, too, I suppose - I would have loved to have seen my great niece (18 months old) around presents and a tree. I would have liked to have seen my niece, who turns 19 next week, to congratulate her in person on her first semester of college.

I told my husband we've moved into the realm of "old people's" Christmas.

It wasn't so bad.

We had each other.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Star or Angel?

A. Angel. Although we've had a star, too, over the years.

2. White Lights or Colored Lights?

A. We like colored lights.

3. Blinking Lights or Still Lights?

A. Blinking lights.

4. When do you open your gifts?

A. Most gifts are opened on Christmas Day. My brother and I exchange presents on Christmas Eve. When we were young, my mother used to allow us to open our present from each other on Christmas Eve in order to calm us down.

5. Do you buy gifts for your pet?

A. I give the cows hay. That's all they need.

6. Be honest: What's the worst gift you've ever gotten?

A. A vacuum cleaner from my husband. He learned in short order that household items are not considered decent Christmas presents from him. If someone else wants to give me a vacuum cleaner, that's fine, but he must by me more personal presents.

7. Have you ever traveled for the holiday?

A. No. Well, when we were young we used to go to my grandmother's house, but that was 30-minute drive. I don't consider that traveling.

8. Did you see Santa as a child?

A. I first read that as "satan." Ha. I did. Maybe I've seen them both.

9. Can you name all the reindeer?

A. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen. Rudolph came later, as did Olive the other reindeer.

10. Have you ever gone caroling?

A. Not that I recall.

11. Do you drive around and look at the Christmas lights?

A. We certainly did this year. There wasn't much else to do.

12. Have you ever left Santa cookies?

A. I did when I was a child.

13. Have you ever had a white Christmas?

A. We had one this year.

14. Have you ever made a gingerbread house from scratch? From a kit?

A. I have tried and failed miserably. Gingerbread and I do not seem to get along.

15. Be honest: Do you think the season is too commercial?

A. I think the season is nothing but a commercial.

16. Imagine you were going to create the quintessential holiday soundtrack -- which song(s) absolutely must be included?

A. The older ones.

17. What are your Christmas pet peeves?

A. The Christmas stuff going up in September, mostly, not that it mattered this year as I wasn't in the stores to see it. The other is the stress and expectations. Covid actually made this one of the least-stressed holidays I've ever had, because nobody really had an expectations.

________________

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: Purple Snowflakes

Saturday 9: Purple Snowflakes (2018)

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

1) The lyrics ask where the snowflakes go. Sam can answer that: she shovels them! Do you shovel or use a snow blower? Or do you live in a warmer climate with no snow?

A. We shovel. Or rather, my husband does. If I catch it early enough, I sweep it away if it's a dry snow, but sometimes I couldn't keep up. I am lucky I have my husband to help me with such chores. He also uses a tractor and a plow for the driveway and the farm.

2) This week's artist, John Legend, recalls his Christmases growing up, singing carols with his family around the piano. Do you have a piano, or any other musical instruments, in your home?

A. I have 6 guitars, a guitelele (a combination of a guitar and ukulele), a ukulele, a folding electric piano, an harmonica, an ocarina, a dulcimer, and a new present, a Kalamba, which I will have to learn to play now. (It's a thumb piano.) I like making music.

 
3) This song is from John Legend's first Christmas album, A Legendary Christmas. It was a massive hit. Did you add any new music to your holiday collection this year?

A. I did not, but I listened to new music through Alexa.

4) John and his wife Chrissy Teigen go caroling with friends. What's the last song that you sang?

A. I was whistling Jingle Bells when I sat down to work on this blog entry. It is blowing snow outside; we woke to a white Christmas and I'm writing this on Christmas Day.

5) Chrissy's hobby is cooking. While she likes experimenting with new recipes, her young children prefer their familiar favorites, like mashed potatoes. She tosses a bay leaf into the water as the potatoes boil to add enhance the flavor. Do you have a dish that's considered your specialty?

A. I do not, although I make good fudge.

6) John prefers to unwind with a good book and loves comparing reading recommendations with friends. Did you discover any books in 2020 that you'd like to recommend to our Sat 9ers?

A. I discovered Melissa Caruso, a new fantasy author. I like her books. I also recommend Laini Taylor if fantasy is your genre.

7) This song was written by Motown powerhouse Marvin Gaye. Who is your favorite Motown artist?

A. Gosh, there are so many. I will go with the Commodores/Lionel Richie tied with Aretha Franklin.

8) In 1972, Marvin wrote another Christmas song, "I Want to Come Home for Christmas." He dedicated it to the troops then serving in Vietnam. Do you know anyone who is protecting us this holiday season? Tell us about him or her. Whether they are in the armed forces, the police or fire department, or the ER, we want to say thank you!

A. I know many firefighters who are on duty. My husband has retired after serving for 37 years, so he is home, but I spent many Christmas Days and other holidays without him when we were younger. Matt is a young firefighter who helps us out occasionally on the farm. I think he was proposing to his girl on Christmas Eve! We haven't heard if she said yes.

9) Random question: You go into the kitchen to make your perfect sandwich. What fixings do you need?

A. Two pieces of bread and egg salad. That's my perfect sandwich. Or if egg salad isn't available, then two pieces of bread, Miracle Whip, and a scrambled egg.

______________
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. 

Merry (White) Christmas

A white Christmas here in Virginia! We woke to snow. I can't remember when that last happened. Ages and ages ago.

White Christmas, 2020

Thursday Thirteen

Ghosts of Christmases past -

Santa in a parade around 2007.

A young cousin and her mother. (The cousin is 15 now.)

A table full of holiday decorations.

My niece takes a peek under the tree.

Santa sings a solo. (That's my brother under that beard.)

My sister-in-law and mother-in-law surrounded by gifts.

Hubby and two nephews hanging out on Christmas Eve, around 2008.

Me with Santa. (Santa is my father.)

My sister-in-law, my mother-in-law, my brother, and my husband around 2011.

My stepsister, my stepmother, and my father, about 2012.

A painting created by a dear friend.

My favorite Santa.

_____________

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 687th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The Conjunction Minus One Day

I missed the "great conjunction" of Saturn and Jupiter on December 21, as we had cloud cover.

So I tried again last night. We had clear skies but the two planets had already begun to drift apart.

To my astonishment, through the telephoto lens on my camera, I could see four of Jupiter's moons. I could not get the camera to photograph them, but I could see them. I wondered what it was like to be the first person to ever look through a zoom lens and see that a star was actually a planet, and that it had moons. Can you imagine how amazing that must have been? And how scary? It didn't scare me because I knew it was Jupiter and that it had moons - but that first view. Wow.

Anyway, I made a stab at photos and they came out poorly. I will share nevertheless.

While we waited for twilight to pass, I caught this image of an airplane and the moon.

This image was the best of the bunch. The planets are oblong a bit, but those two little dogs around the bigger white dot are two of Jupiter's moons. The smaller planet is Saturn. As you can see, they had moved apart.

This is how they looked, more or less, to the naked eye.

This has a little more definition of Jupiter as a planet. I never saw Saturn's rings, but I was happy enough with Jupiter's moons.

I took these with a Nikon Coolpix B700. This camera came out in 2016 and that is the year I received it for Christmas. It is four years old and I am having problems with it. Last night it became stuck in open position and nothing worked, so I had to go inside and remove the battery to reset it. I would like to learn more about using this camera but since I am sensing I may need another in the near future, I probably won't. I still turn to my Nikon P500 Coolpix, which is at least 10 years old, as my go-to camera, or my Canon Sure Shot, which is even older, for everyday photos. They just don't do the job with night photos (or birds) that this one does. (I did not ask for a new camera for Christmas; things are just too wonky right now. But maybe my birthday in June?)

More Birds

 A tufted titmouse and a pileated woodpecker.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What’s your favorite thing about the holidays?

A. When they are over. Really. The holidays are exhausting, they're fake, and I always am glad when they're over. Plus it's cold and when they're done it means spring is on the way. I like some things about the holidays - family, friends, giving presents, decorations and lights. But it is terribly stressful.

2. Do you send out Christmas cards and if so how many do you send?

A. I do send out cards and I think I sent out about 55 this year.

3. Be honest: holiday newsletters. Love ‘em or hate ‘em?

A. I read them when people send them, but I don't send them myself. I write notes sometimes in cards. This year, as soon as someone wrote "the China virus" I stopped reading and threw the note and the card in the trash. But that only happened once.

4. Be honest: photo cards. Love ‘em or hate ‘em?

A. They're ok. I prefer cards, but it is nice to see how the kids change from year to year.

5. How soon do you start shopping?

A. Sometimes I start shopping as soon as one is over - lots of sales. Sometimes I wait until October.

6. Real or fake tree?

A. Fake tree. I'm allergic to the real ones.

7. When do you put up your tree?

A. We put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving.

8. When do you take down your tree?

A. When I feel like it. There is some lore about needing to take it down before the new year so you don't drag the old year into the new - if that's the case then this thing will come down December 26. 

9. Describe your typical tree (size, decorations, type).

A. It's a fake tree about 7 feet tall, the decorations are a mix of old and new, we use garland and tinsel and we both prefer multi-colored lights to white ones.

10. What do you top your tree with?

A. An angel.

11. Do you put Christmas lights outside your house?

A. We used to. We haven't for the last several years.

12. Is there a wreath hanging on your door?

A. No. It's been windy and last year one of them blew away, so I haven't put any out.

13. Do you hang up stockings?

A. Yes.

14. Your favorite Christmas Movie(s)

A. It's a Wonderful Life, The Lord of the Rings trilogy (not Christmas, but it's what I watch), but honestly I don't really have one that I have to watch.

15. Be honest: A Christmas movie you hate.

A. I don't know. Is there one with Adam Sandler in it? That one.

16. Favorite Christmas Song(s).

A. Do You Hear What I Hear. O Holy Night. Gloria (in excelsis deo) (it is fun to play on the guitar).

17. Be honest: If I hear this/these Christmas songs again I will throw up.

A. There isn't one.

18. Give or Receive?

A. Both.

19. Eggnog or Mulled Cider?

A. Cider, but not mulled. Just plain.

________________

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: Happy Holidays

Saturday 9: Happy Holidays! (from the archives)

1. Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you by pass it altogether -- either because you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas?

A. I sat on Santa's lap. I remember once he came to the house - my brother cried the entire time he was there.

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there?

A. I hope I am on the Nice list, and I'm there because I've been a good helpmate to my husband, a good sister to my brother, a good friend, a good citizen, and an overall decent person.

3. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If so, which one traveled the farthest?

A. I sent something to Texas. No, wait, I sent something to my friend in England. That would be the farthest away.

4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year?

A. Yes. I bought a roll-up piano, which is to say, a toy. It wasn't that expensive but it is something to play with.

5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie? Have you seen it yet this year?

A. My favorite holiday-themed movie is Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, which isn't a movie but a TV show. I have seen it. As for movies, I like to rewatch The Lord of the Rings trilogy this time of the year.

6. Thinking of movies, Christmas is lucrative for Hollywood. Have you ever gone to a movie theater on Christmas Day?

A. We tried once, a very long time ago, but the theater was closed.

7. Have you ever suffered an embarrassing moment at the company Christmas party?

A. Not really, but I will tell you about the last "company" Christmas party I was at. The newspaper threw a party and invited the freelancers as well. They played Dirty Santa (which I had never taken part of), and when it was my turn to go up and pick a gift, I went not to the table where the presents were, but to the liquor station and picked up an unopened bottle of wine (this was on a dare from my editor). "I choose this," I said. Everyone applauded and the boss nodded her assent. Of course it became the present everyone wanted after that. I think I ended up with a mug in the end.

8. What's your favorite beverage in cold weather?

A. I like hot tea or hot chocolate.

9. Share a memory from last Christmas.

A. My husband was down with his ankle, having had fusion surgery on November 23. He insisted he would be fine to go up to his mother's for Christmas Day if our nephew would help get his knee scooter in the car. I ended up lifting the thing and moving stuff (he wanted to go before the nephew showed up), but we got him up there. He owes me a big Christmas for that this year, don't you think?

He chose a Christmas red cast. Or fire engine red.
Whichever.

Thanks to Sam for the questions!

______________
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. 

It Was Ice, Baby!

Wednesday night into Thursday, we were expecting a snowstorm, but we received ice instead. Fortunately, we had nowhere to be.

 

Thursday Thirteen

Books I've read this year -

1. Days of Blood & Starlight, Gods & Monsters, by Laini Taylor. These were the two books in a trilogy. This modern-day fantasy set worlds against one another, places inhabited by those humans would consider demons and angels. They were fast reads even though each book was quite long. 5 stars

2. Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls. I read this as part of my catch-up reading, as I occasionally go back and hit the classics. This was the story of a boy and his hound dogs, a coming of age classic that, while not exactly tear-jerking, was an excellent read that passes the test of time. 5 stars

3. The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett. Some of Ann Patchett's books I like, some I don't. This one fell somewhere in the middle. The story revolved around a home where two siblings once lived, until the wicked stepmother came in and basically threw them out when their father died. The reader followed the characters as they grew up. 4 stars

4. The Tale of Despereaux, Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo. These YA books read quickly and I was entranced by both. They were very different stories. The Tale of Despereaux was about a mouse in a castle. Because of Winn-Dixie was about a girl and a dog she found. I know the latter has been made into a movie that I have not seen. 4 stars

5. Skin Game, by Stuart Woods. Woods writes in a breezy style. These are quick-read books mostly meant for men, I think. Skin Game is in the Teddy Faye series, and I like those better than some of his other books. In this book, Faye goes to Paris at the invitation of the FBI because there's a mole in the offices there. Faye has a way of solving problems that sometimes is inventive (sometimes not so much), but mostly I like these stories because Faye is not a womanizer like Stone Barrington, a character in one of Woods' other line of books.

6. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, by Mark Manson. I felt like this book was written for the generation behind me, or maybe the one coming out of college. Basically, the book said you have to care about some things, but not too many things. Decide what is important and care about that and let the rest go. Basically, it was another way of saying, "Find your passion and focus on that," except in cruder terminology. The author doesn't advocate for happiness all the time, which was a relief, because let's face it, nobody is happy all of the time. He also advises learning to live with the bad stuff, although I don't recall coming away with any take-aways that were life changing from reading this. 3 stars

7. The Explanation for Everything, by Lauren Grodstein. This book was published by Algonquin, and it is the first book published by Algonquin that I didn't immediately fall in love with. The story was about a professor who was in a life crisis. He teaches classes about atheism, but is challenged by a couple of students about whether or not there is a god. While the book was well-written, I had trouble relating to any of the characters. They felt rather wooden on the page. 3 stars.

8. The Tethered Mage, by Melissa Caruso. I love fantasy stories, and I enjoyed this one even though the main character really doesn't have magic. She's a political figure in charge of someone who has magic, for in this world those with magical powers are forced to work for the government. Lots of political intrigue and strong character building kept me reading this one, which is part of a series. 5 stars.

9. Uprooted, by Naomi Novak. This was probably one of the best fantasies I've ever read. This book won the Nebula Award and was a Hugo Award Finalist. A young woman is chosen to live for 10 years in a wizard's tower, a long tradition in the community. The wizard chooses the woman he believes has the strongest powers, and this time he finds someone whose strength of magic and of will are comparable to his own. The characters were marvelous, the magic believable, and the storyline flawless. 5 stars ++

10. Your Life Calling, by Jane Pauley. I kept waiting on this book to get better, but it never did. I have watched Jane Pauley for most of my life on TV, and she's a wonderful broadcaster and interviewer. She is not, however, a good writer. This book plodded along and never delivered on its promise (or premise, if you ask me). I had really wanted to read this book and learn something that would help me settle into my new role as old crone. I was disappointed. 2 stars

11. All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doer. This Pulitzer Prize winner was a breathtaking read, one that I could not put down. A blind girl is ripped from all she knows during World War II. Meanwhile, in Germany, a young boy is taken from his sister and the orphanage he calls him to serve in the German Army. The reader knows that these two will meet somehow, and the race to that meeting keeps the plot moving along swiftly. Excellent writing, character development, story building, and historical research. 5 stars++

12. Making a Literary Life, by Carolyn See. This was an interesting little book about writing. Not so much about craft, really, as about how to live like you want to live. If you want to be an artist, go live like you think an artist would live. If you want to be a writer, go live like you think a writer would live. My biggest take-away from this book was a concept the author called, "Charming notes." This was the idea of writing a real letter (the book was written in 2002, pre-social media) to an author (or an artist, or a potter, or whatever your creative juices suggest) in the hopes of getting a return letter back, perhaps even starting up a dialogue if one were lucky. With this in mind, I've written several "charming notes," including one to See's daughter, who is also a writer. (She responded!) Not everyone has responded, but some have. It's also difficult to find an actual address to send a letter - everyone wants an e-mail or to use their contact list so you sign up for their email. But I am trying to send out a "charming note" once a month. (See suggested every day, but that's a bit much.) I consider a book like this successful if I get anything at all out of it, and obviously I developed a new little routine from this one. 4 stars

13. Look Alive Twenty Five, by Janet Evanovich. These are my guilty pleasure books, these "detective" books about bail bonds woman Stephanie Plum. They read quickly, make me laugh, and are enjoyable. I don't read them for technique and I don't expect a lot out of them. In this story, Plum sets out to find out why the managers of a store her boss acquired continue to go missing.

I read many other books this year, these are just a few of them. As you can see, I read a lot of different styles and genres. I also read the newspaper every day, and I read Readers Digest from cover to cover when I get the magazine. I read a lot of blogs, too. So I do a great deal of reading.

_____________

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 686th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.