Thursday Thirteen #725

These quotes are from Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury.

1. To try to know beforehand is to freeze and kill.

2. Self-consciousness is the enemy of all art, be it acting, writing, painting, or living itself, which is the great art of all.

3. We writers "build tensions toward laughter, then give permission, and laughter comes."

4. We writers "build tensions toward sorrow, and at last say cry, and hope to see our audience in tears."

5. We writers "build tensions toward violence, light the fuse, and run."

6. We writers "build the strange tensions of love, where so many of the other tensions mix to be modified and transcended, and allow that fruition in the mind of the audience."

7. "We build tensions, especially today, toward sickness and then, if we are good enough, talented enough, observant enough, allow our audiences to be sick."

8. No tensions . . . must be built which remains unreleased. Without this, any art ends incomplete, halfway to its goal. And in real life, as we know, the failure to relax a particular tension can lead to madness."

9. Again and again my stories and my plays teach me, remind me, that I must never doubt myself, my gut, my ganglion, or my Ouija subconscious again.

10. It is a lie to write in such a way as to be rewarded by money in the commercial market.

11. It is a lie to write in such a way as to be rewarded by fame offered you by some snobbish quasi-literary group in the intellectual gazettes.

12. Each of you, curious about creativity, wants to make contact with that thing in yourself that is truly original. You want fame and fortune, yes, but only as rewards for work well and truly done.

13. What is the greatest reward a writer can have? Isn't it that day when someone rushes up to you, his face bursting with honesty, his eyes afire with admiration and cries, "That new story of yours was fine, really wonderful!" Then and only then is writing worthwhile.

Just an FYI, this is one of the few books on writing that I didn't really care for. The other was Stephen King's book, On Writing, which I know receives many oohs and ahhs from writers but I found it very male oriented and patronizing. Bradbury's book is simply out of date and reads dated, unlike say, Bird by Bird, by Ann Lamont, or Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg. I have an entire shelf full of books on writing, and there are only a few that I did not find particularly useful. This Bradbury book had a few nuggets in it, but not enough that I want to keep the book, and nothing I'd not read elsewhere.

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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 725th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Turkey Trot

I glanced out my office window and saw two tom turkeys strutting and chasing after a female over in the woods.

Nothing to do but grab the camera!

 

I was so zoned in on the turkeys I didn't even realize I'd taken this photo of a deer and turkeys until I downloaded the pictures. It is always nice to manage a shot of a deer and turkey at the same time!

The Guitar I Learned to Play On

I started learning the guitar when I was 11 years old. I learned on a small parlor Gibson guitar that belonged to my father.

He still has it, and yesterday when I was visiting him, I asked about the guitar and he brought it out of the closet.

Here it is.

Believe

I've been writing a song again.

This one came as an inspiration from a request from a friend and former teacher. She wanted a happy song.

For me, this is about as happy as it gets, I suppose.

The ending is abrupt because I messed up and it was the 7th take and I was tired so I just stopped and said that was enough. I could have posted the end where I messed up and let everyone see me curse, but that's the great thing about editing software. That type of thing can be deleted!

I'm playing an acoustic Yamaha FG-150 and using a Boss RC-3 Loop Station for the drums.

The words are below the song.

So, here's Believe.

Believe

My teacher she said write a happy song

I said I’m pretty sure I’ll get that wrong

But I’ll try. . . . . I can try.

She said I don’t want to hear about your fears

No more crying, no more tears, and no sighs.

. . . . No goodbyes.

So there’s an elephant dancing to my beat

And a zebra running down my street and a rainbow –

. . . . Yeah a rainbow

And there’s a violet growing in the summer rain

A beautiful girl with love to gain and I know

. . . . Oh yes I know.

That days go like the seasons.

And a happy song needs a reason

So I’ll go sit on the bleachers

And write a song for my teacher.

Cause I know, yes I know – that she believes in me.

There’s a kitty cat knocking on my back door

A ladybug crawling on the kitchen floor

And she’ll fly – O yes she’ll fly.

My lover tries to tickle me behind my knee

I laugh aloud because I am pleased and I know why

Yes I know why

That a day may be a dreamland

And a happy song will help you understand

That you will do everything you can

And I know, yes I know, that I believe in me.

And a day is like a season

And a happy song needs no reason.

And I know, yes I know, that I believe in me.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?

A. Yuck, followed by, "She cut my hair too short."

2. What shirt are you wearing?

A. An old T-shirt that says "Keep it Rural" and "Live, Laugh, Farm"

3. Do you label yourself?

A. Of course. I'm a decent human being. That's a label. I'm a writer, a musician, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, etc.

4. What does your watch look like?

A. It's a Timex Indiglo and it has a gold and silver stretch band. Also the date on it is never right because it is too much trouble to set it.

5. What were you doing at midnight last night?

A. Sleeping.

6. Last furry thing you touched?

A. Does yarn count as a furry thing? If you mean a critter, I haven't touched an animal in ages. My husband has a lot of body hair. That's kind of furry. Maybe my husband?

7. Favorite age you have been so far?

A. I think my early 40s. Body parts didn't hurt so much and I was doing work I enjoyed.

8. What is your current desktop picture?

A. It's solid blue. I don't like pictures on my desktop. I have lots of shortcuts on there and it makes it cluttered and hard on my eyes to have a picture on my desktop.

9. If you had to choose between $1,000,000 or to be able to fly what would it be?

A. The $1 million.

10. The last song you listened to?

A. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is on as I write this. Ask Alexa or Siri, "I see a little silhouette of a man" and see what they say.

11. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?

A. I haven't bought anything from a vending machine in years. When I worked at a place with a vending machine, I would go to the supervisor and ask for my money back, which he would return. But that was a lifetime ago. Today, unless it was the only source of sustenance and I was incredibly hungry, I'd probably shrug it off and move on. Life is short, stuff like that is not worth any consideration.

12. Would you move for the person you loved?

A. Yes.

13. Name three things that you have on you at all times?

A. My watch, earrings, and pants. I could add a shirt to that but we already talked about shirts earlier.

14. What’s your favorite town/city?

A. I don't have a favorite town or city anymore.

15. Does anything hurt on your body right now?

A. Yes.

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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: Cardigan

Saturday 9: Cardigan (2020)

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

1) When she's feeling low, Taylor Swift compares herself to an old cardigan, forgotten under the bed. Do you store anything under your bed? Or do you try to keep that area clear (except for dust bunnies)?

A. We keep the area under the bed clear so it can be cleaned easily. 

2) The lyrics begin with a reference to a new phone. Do you foresee yourself getting a new phone before 2021 ends? Or are you happy with the one you've got?

A. I am very happy with my cellphone, which is an iPhone 5 (the original iPhone SE). It's small and it works for me. The battery is not holding a charge as well as it was, so that will become an issue at some point. I'm hoping I can figure out how to change out the battery and continue on with this phone. There is absolutely no reason I shouldn't be able to do that.

 

3) She sings that her lover haunts all of her "what if's." Have you recently wondered, "what if?" What were you musing about?

A. I wonder all the time about "what if I'd never had that last abdominal surgery" that left me in chronic pain. (Try having a Charlie horse in your lower belly all the time. Yikes.) I might have died, but then again, we'll never know.

4) Taylor Swift admits that she rewinds after concerts by watching Friends reruns. What do you do to relax?

A. Read or listen to music.

5) Thinking of TV shows, Taylor appeared on a 2009 episode of CSI. That series was about crime-scene investigators who use forensics to solve murders. Do you enjoy crime shows?

A. Not generally.

6) Taylor grew up on an 11-acre tree farm where she learned to ride. Her mother was a horsewoman and hoped riding was a passion they could share. When she was 12, Taylor admitted to her mother that she really wasn't that into it and wished she could spend more time on her music. Her mother was supportive. Tell us about a tough conversation you've had that turned out well.

A. A very long time ago, I told my husband I wanted to finish my bachelor's degree sooner rather than later, and he agreed. We took out a credit line on the house so I could finish up. I was pay-as-you-go, so when I had my diploma I had no student loans, and only owed a few thousand on the credit line. We paid that off quickly and that was that. He was also supportive when I went back for my masters in 2010.

7) She enjoys good, old-fashioned mysteries, especially those by Agatha Christie. Are you currently reading a book?

A. I just finished A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny and my next read is Under the Lake by Stuart Woods.

8) In 2020, the year this song was released, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek died. The search for a new host has caused interest and even controversy. Would you enjoy the job?

A. I think I would if I were younger, although I'm not as smart as Alex Trebek, Mayim Bialik, or Ken Jennings.

9) Random question: Of Superman's three superpowers -- tremendous strength, the ability to fly, and x-ray vision -- which would you choose?

A. Strength. It would be nice to be able to lift things, and I am making the assumption that if one has that ability, one does not have a bad back or torn shoulder or any of the things that go along with overwork and overuse.

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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. 

The Bucks Stop Here

Thursday Thirteen

1. People remember more about me than I remember about me, sometimes. I find this perplexing and occasionally scary.

2. This is especially true of folks who knew me at certain stages of my life - my teen years, my late 20s, and my mid-30s. Sometimes I run into people I knew from those times. I have no idea who they are. They know who I am.

3. Even now, people I should know say hello to me in the grocery store. I am clueless. I am almost grateful for the mask and the reasons now not to stop and make small talk, when I have no idea what it is I should say.

4. I learned long ago to make generic small talk, ask generic questions, try not to let on that I had no idea who I was speaking with. Sometimes it would come to me days later - Oh! that was so and so. Sometimes I never know. I interviewed hundreds of - maybe more than a 1,000 - people. I can't remember them all, but many remember me.

5. Memory is a strange bird. I have read so much - perhaps I stay lost in story, wandering around like Little Red Riding Hood, seeking my grandmother's lap. I know I'll never find it but here I am, lolling time away in the big bad forest.

6. Some things I remember like they happened yesterday. Many things I do not. Much of the minutia of my life I lost when I shredded my journals earlier in the year. I don't miss it, but sometimes I wonder what exactly I tossed away. I didn't reread them. I'd already lived it once.

7. The other morning I woke with the words, "I remember, we were flying along and hit something in the air," in my mind. I googled them, and found the song DOA by Bloodrock. It came out in 1970. I would have been seven years old. I don't recall anything else about the song, but that first line has stuck with me for 51 years. It's a very gory song about an airplane crash.

8. Other memories include dreams. I have had several reoccurring dreams in my life. One is of a bathtub full of blood; another is a scarecrow chasing me through an apple orchard. Nightmares, both. I seldom dream those dreams now but up until a few years ago, they were a constant.

9. I also have remembered things I couldn't have remembered. My mother told me that when I was about three, I started talking about Scotland, a castle, a graveyard, and a beheading. I went into such detail that it seemed I must have been there, and she forbade me from speaking of it again. She said it left her shaking when I described it.

10. My brain seems to latch on to bad incidents more so than good ones. I remember more bad than good, generally speaking, though if I think hard I can wiggle something good out of a memory or time frame. But it is work. The bad memories fly forth like fireworks from a match. The good memories I have to tease out, like a woman with over-sprayed hair must tear through her locks with a comb to make them behave.

12. One of my earliest memories involves a sandbox. Wind blew sand in my eyes, and it burned. I started screaming. My mother was there and I was running around half blind, shouting, "Call Grandma! Call the fire department!" until my mother could grab me up and rinse my eyes out with water. I wonder how she felt now, as I did not call for her, nor did I even want her help. That must have hurt. What was the reason for my reaction?

13. And lastly, in this strange meme about memory and a tripping down a memory lane full of bricks and overgrown trees, I leave with this - the things we remember are not always our truths. Nor are we our memories. They are but a part of us, and it is up to us to deal with them as we may.

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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 723rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Hawk

 

Celebrating 250 Years

Saturday, the county had what I suspect will be its last effort to celebrate its 250th anniversary, which was actually last year.

The committee, of which I was a small part, had planned an entire year's worth of marvelous activities, but then the pandemic hit. We all know what happened then. Events stopped, things shut down, and gatherings were taboo.

Efforts to try again this year sputtered to a halt again after the Delta variant began increasing numbers of folks with the Covid-19 virus.

However, they had a monument to dedicate, and Saturday was also the Historic Fincastle Festival, so they chose that day to dedicate the monument, hoping for a crowd.

Had things been better organized by Historic Fincastle, Inc., so that the damn music that was about 100 feet away from the courthouse had stopped for the whole 15 minutes the dedication ceremony lasted, there may have been a crowd. As it was, the musicians actually TURNED UP THE VOLUME when the dedication event started and I could barely hear most of the event. I suspect most people couldn't hear.

At any rate, the thing was dedicated. I was asked to be there because I'd edited the 250th Anniversary Magazine, which turned out to be about the only part of the celebration that came to fruition.

A sign about the event

Fincastle Mayor Mary Bess Smith gave a speech.

These are the women who made up the committee that did all the planning.

Steve Vest, former director of the Botetourt County Library
 system, wrote a song for the event.

His wife, Jayne, sang the song.
Too bad I could barely hear it.

Weldon Martin, former Executive Director of the
Botetourt County Historical Society, gave a speech.

Billy Martin, Blue Ridge District Supervisors, gave a speech.

Curtis Brown, President of the County-Wide League
 and a minister, gave a final prayer for the dedication.

The monument pre-reveal.

Here it is!

Here is a picture, from left, of me,
Billy Martin, Wendy Wingo, Lois Switzer,
 Donna Vaughn, and Angela Coon at the monument.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. If America is one nation under god then are atheists citizens?

A. America is not one nation "under god" so yes, atheists are citizens. The phrase "under god" was not added to the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954 and was a reactionary part of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Additionally, the judicial system has codified the separation of church and state as outlined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and further explained by one of the country's founders, Thomas Jefferson. The concept was part of the Enlightenment movement. There is not a state religion in the United States of America and the First Amendment ensures that there will not be one. A majority religion does not make up a state religion.

2. Is there anything that you believe should be banned for any reason?

A. Yes. Stupidity, because it decays growth and discourages education. I don't know how one would go about that, however.

3. How often do you eat too much?

A. Apparently more than I think, given that I am overweight.

4. If you died tomorrow, what mark would you have left on the world?

A. My articles and the magazine I wrote for the 250th anniversary of my county would have to suffice, since I have no issue.

5. Are you a city person or a country person?

A. A country person who likes museums, theater, and other city stuff.

6. What annoys you the most about yourself?

A. My ability to procrastinate beyond all reason.

7. Who was your childhood hero?

A. Batgirl on the old Batman TV show is the first to come to mind.

8. With nearly 100 channels why is NOTHING ever on?

A. There is always something on. Nothing is determined by each individual and what he or she wishes to watch.

9. Would you adopt a stray kitty wandering through your neighborhood?

A. We have had barn cats before. They were feral cats, usually dumped here by lousy former owners. However, I am allergic to all animals and kitties need good laps to purr in, so I would not adopt the kitty. I would take it to the no-kill animal shelter.

10. Which Lord of the Rings movie has the best ending?

A. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. It has three cut scenes that fade to black, which is unusual. The first is when Gandolf and the Eagles fetch Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins from Mount Doom as it erupts. The second is after the viewer sees that Frodo and Sam are alive and back in Gondor, and the Fellowship members are all together again. The third is shortly after Aragorn is sworn in as king. There is another scene, when Frodo leaves with the elves, where there is a fade to white, and then the final end, which shows Samwise returning home to his wife and children, entering their hobbit hole, and closing the door.

11. What are you missing in your life?

A. Structure and accountability.

12. What could you make a sculpture out of that's in the room with you right now?

A. My desk, maybe. Or carve up a book to look like something.

13. Do you believe in the lost city of Atlantis?

A. I don't "believe in" it. I think it is a possibility that a city existed and was swallowed up by the sea or an earthquake. But Atlantis is considered to be an allegorical fictionalized city created by Plato to show that Athens was the superior city state. But it is nice to think it's the home of Aquaman.

14. Have you ever read The Little Prince?

A. I have. I think I may still have it here somewhere.

15. What fantasy book would you like to see made into a movie?

A. Most of the good ones have already been done in some fashion or another. Animal Farm or 1984, perhaps? Or another adaptation of Fahrenheit 451. Any of those would be very appropriate for today. Incidentally, the movie adaptation of Dune is coming out in October.

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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: San Francisco

Saturday 9: I Left My Heart in San Francisco (1962)

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

1) This song is a valentine to the city of San Francisco. Songwriters George Cory and Douglas Cross moved to New York to find fame and fortune and found themselves homesick for the city by the bay. Have you ever been homesick? Or, in the parlance of the song, where have you left your heart?

A. I still live in the area where I grew up. I often feel like I'm missing someone, but not something, even though I have no idea who I'm missing - a part of myself, perhaps. I love the Blue Ridge Mountains, though, and I miss them when I am visiting flatter country.

2) Cory and Cross were buddies with Ralph Sharon, a piano player who often worked with Tony Bennett. Ralph brought the song to Tony and the results were very happy for all involved. Have you more recently done, or been on the receiving end of, a favor?

A. My husband drove me to the pharmacy the other night because I'd taken some medication and didn't feel it was safe to drive.

 

3) The lyrics compare San Francisco to Paris, Rome and Manhattan. Have you visited those cities?

A. I have been to New York and to Paris, but I was very young.

4) This week's artist, Tony Bennett, sang professionally for the last time in August. He retired after performing at Radio City Music Hall with Lady Gaga. Their musical collaboration dates back to when they both performed at President Obama's inauguration. Though 60 years apart in age, they became fast friends based on their shared love of jazz. Do you find that most of your friends are older than you, younger than you, or within 5 years of you?

A. Most of my friends are a little older than I am.

5) While Lady Gaga grew up listening to Tony Bennett, as a young man Tony recalled listening to Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Joe Venuti. Which singers did you enjoy during your teen years? 

A. I was a teenager in the late 1970s, so I listened to The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, the Village People, Bread, Air Supply, Fleetwood Mac, The Captain and Tennille, and others like that.

6) While he's famous for singing about San Francisco, Tony is a proud son of New York. Born in Queens, he chose to end his career at Radio City Music Hall and was excited to perform "New York State of Mind" with Billy Joel at Shea Stadium in 2008. Do you have a favorite Billy Joel song?

A. Piano Man is probably my favorite, but We Didn't Start the Fire is also an interesting piece of work.

 

7) Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra may have been competitors but they shared mutual admiration. Sinatra called Bennett "the best singer in the business," and Bennett did a Sinatra homage album called Perfectly Frank. Think of people you have worked with over the years. Tell us about someone who has impressed you, and why.

A. When I started writing for the newspaper, there were two women working there doing copyediting and other chores concerning layout. At that time, the paper was put together using copy and paste - literally, printing things out and gluing the paper together. One of the women was B.J., and she is still there. She has always been in the background but as everyone knows, it is the woman behind the boss who is really in charge of things. She has gone through several editor changes and still keeps a firm grip on the structure of the paper, adapting to the upgrades and changes from cut and paste to computers, and cameras from real black and white photos to digital. She's an institution and no one thinks about it, but she's the one who knows how to spell all the names, the location of all the small communities and who lives there, and the ins and outs of our little part of the world. I am impressed with her staying power, her editing abilities, and her fortitude. She's a strong woman.

8) The 1970s were a difficult period for Tony. During the days of disco and Studio 54, he said singing new songs made him feel like his mother, a talented seamstress, when she was forced to make a cheap dress. OK, so Tony doesn't like disco! Is there a genre of music you just don't care for?

A. Rap and Hip Hop. I don't get them. I suppose I am of the wrong generation. I actually like disco.

9) Random question: Imagine you're the passenger in a long car ride. Are you more likely to be calm or fidgety?

A. It depends. If I've been kidnapped and forced in the car at gunpoint, I'd be very fidgety indeed. If it's a long ride with my husband to a vacation destination, we will have a book on tape playing and I will simply be there, listening.

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

Thursday Thirteen

1. Thirteen sentences. That's all I need for a Thursday Thirteen. Why does that sometimes seem so hard? It's just 13 sentences! But some days it seems impossible - then I do it.

2. Colleen over at Looseleaf puts her Thursday Thirteens up early. I am frequently of late trying to come up with something at the last minute. Like this morning. She always has grand Thursday Thirteens, too.

3. Looking around my office, I think, well, you could list 13 things in your office. But I have done that before.

4. Still, some things in here are not business-like. Two guitars. A pair of binoculars. Tic-tacs. Cameras. Pictures of Gandolf, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, and Supergirl. Three clocks!

5. Of all the rooms in the house, this one most reflects me and my interests. The rest of the house is homey and . . . bland. Really. But it is comfortable.

6. This room is simply cluttered, even though I've removed  seven grocery bags full of books from it this year. Still cluttered.

7. It's a little dusty, too. Hard to keep it clean when there is stuff piled everywhere and I dare not move some little piece of paper because it has something I found profound hastily scribbled on it.

8. Lost my train of thought, so backup and start over again. If I were a locomotive, I'd be lost, except I would have GPS built in, not to mention tracks, so I would only be so lost. Unless I jumped the tracks, in which case I'd be wrecked.

9. The other day I stepped outside and interrupted a hawk trying to kill something in my oak tree. The hawk angrily flew off, but whatever it was chasing - I assume a squirrel - was high in the tree crying pitifully. It was heartbreaking. I don't know if it was badly injured or simply terrified or both. Nor do I know if it lived. Mother Nature is sad sometimes.

10. Now here comes my husband in the house, yelling, "Hello, I'm home," and of course that breaks my concentration, so I'm back to starting all over again.

11. The day is gray but not rainy. We needed sunshine today because we have hay on the ground. He's in the house because he can't work in the field to get the hay up.

12. We did not have a good hay year anyway because we had a drought here, while other parts of the country drowned in flood waters. The weather has been crazy. 

13. We do have enough hay to get the cows through the winter, though. So that is good.

_______________________

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 723rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Mushroom Fairy Ring

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Who do you take for granted?

A. Hopefully no one. That said, I have been married for 38 years, so it is easy to think my husband will be there every morning when I wake up. However, since he was a firefighter we were always careful to not have arguments when he was on call, or to make up quickly if he were. I always knew he could be killed at any time. That hasn't really changed, because farming is not exactly safe work.

2. Short, knee, or ankle skirts? (if a man, have you ever worn kilts?)

A. No skirt, but if I wear one, it is usually to my ankles. They apparently don't make knee-length skirts for short fat people unless you pull them all the way up to your neck.

3. Do you wear a hat?

A. No. I used to love hats, but I quit wearing them a long time ago. I was married in a hat with a veil on it. My mother hated that hat but I loved it.

4. Who's your favorite cartoon character?

A. Bugs Bunny. I learned a lot from that rascally rabbit.

5. Does break dancing impress you?

A. It's interesting and I wish I could move like that. I don't know that it "impresses" me but it is rather fascinating.

6. Are you a miracle?

A. No.

7. Have you ever eaten tofu?

A. Yes, and it was awful. Every now and then I go on a health binge and buy some, try to fix some recipe, and it is totally inedible. I know I am not the world's greatest cook, but that stuff is simply awful.

8. Does the moon have an effect on your mood?

A. Maybe. I know it has an effect on some parts of me. 

9. Many people will say that the Harry Potter books are pure fluff with no literary value. Do you agree?

A. That's a judgmental statement. They have helped kids like books and read, so that is great value right there. I would not call them great literature, but they have literary value.

10. What are you doing next Wednesday?

A. There's nothing on my calendar, so I'm sure it will be a day of laundry and perhaps a trip to pick up groceries.

11. Why do so many people think Elvis is still alive?

A. For the same reason so many people won't take the Covid-19 vaccine. 

12. Are your hands cold?

A. Not at the moment, but they frequently are.

               

13. Have you ever given blood?

A. When I was much younger I gave blood. 

14. What sci-fi books do you read?

A. I just finished Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. I can't believe I never read that before. I've been going back and picking up some of the older novels that I somehow overlooked. I recently read Dune as well. But generally I do not read science fiction, as I prefer fantasy. I have gone through periods where I've read series books, like Star Trek, though.

15. Have you ever belonged to a sorority or a fraternity?

A. I belonged to what was called the Pinnacle Honor Society. I was one of the first members of this at my college. It is a society set up specifically for older women who return to the college for their degree. I don't think it is national, I think it's something specific to the college I attended. I did not live on campus, so of course I did not belong to a sorority.

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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.

Remembering September 11

Twenty years ago on this day, I, along with most Americans, watched the aftermath of two hijacked planes crashing into The Twin Towers in New York City. As a nation, we watched the towers collapse in a swirl of dust, debris and screams.

The 9/11 attacks are a sober reminder for me of how badly the US government sometimes behaves in world relations, how poorly some citizens of this world think of this country, and how hard our people work, pray, and play.

September 11 also reminds me that all in the world are a part of the circle of life. Everyone, regardless of race, color or creed, deserves a chance to live. That includes bankers in the World Trade Center and Iraqis huddled in their homes during bombings in Baghdad, shooting victims in schools and theaters, people who catch Covid-19, and everyone else who is robbed of their life prematurely.

I hope for peace every day and I wish for wisdom in the leaders who hold the decisions for such things in the palms of their hands.

Perhaps one day issues will be resolved without bloodshed and tears, and the world will lose its hatred for one another and embrace good will. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening any time soon.

Now we are more divided than ever, the world over. I remember that not long after the TV coverage began to die down, a feeling of helplessness settled over me. I think it settled over much of the nation. For many it never went away. I'm not sure it will. It left many feeling emasculated and I don't believe that has yet been assuaged.

The government used the attacks as a reason to implement the USA PATRIOT ACT, which abolished many civil liberties, including the right to check out what you wanted from a library without being turned into the police if somebody thought it was suspect. Unfortunately, while some of this kind of behavior settled down, the current atmosphere encourages these types of activities, particularly where it pertains to immigrants, women having abortions, or anyone perceived as "other."

The government also began spying on emails and telephone conversations and doing other Big Brother things. I seriously doubt that ever stopped.

I wish that love, not vengeance and revenge, had been the lesson learned from September 11, 2001. Because for a day or two there, we united as a nation, grieving and striving to rescue those in harm's way, and much of the world stood with us, too.

If only it had lasted.

From one end of the world to the other, we are all connected, each and every one. There is now so much hate, so much death. What can a person do in the face of so much anger and despair?

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On this day I also remember the 343 firefighters who lost their lives in the Twin Towers. There is no greater sacrifice than to perish while trying to save others. May they be at peace.

Saturday 9: Jose Cuervo

Saturday 9: Jose Cuervo (1983)

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

 

1) In this song, Shelly West sings that she woke up late on a sunny morning. How's the weather in your part of the world?

A. It's cooled down from the 90s and 100s, but the humidity remains a little high.

2) She wonders if she started any fights while under the influence. Who's the last person you quarreled with?

A. I'm sure I snapped at my husband for something or another. That's what married people do.

 

3) OK, margaritas for everyone! Shelly sings that she likes hers with salt. What's your order? Classic or strawberry? Salt or sugar on the rim?

A. Um. I don't drink. Can I please just have a strawberry icy?

4) Jose Cuervo was a real person. He was one of the first to put tequila in bottles instead of barrels. Since bottles are easier to ship, it was a good decision. Tell us about a recent choice you're glad you made.

A. I started walking on the treadmill again.

5) This week's featured artist, Shelly West, decided upon a career in music while still very young. She went on the road and sang backup for her mom, country music legend Dottie West, when she was still in her teens. When Sam was in her teens, she really didn't give her professional future that much thought. How about you? Did you already have career ambitions when you were in your teens?

A. I always wanted to be a writer, but was never encouraged to do it except occasionally by a free-thinking teacher. My mother wanted me to be a secretary like her. My father wanted me to work for him. I wanted to go to college. It was a battle of wills. No one won, really.

 

6) In 1983, the year this song was popular, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. Do you ever fantasize about being an astronaut?

A. I do, although I did it more when I was younger. Now I'm a bit old for space travel, I suspect. But what an adventure that would be! I'd want to head toward a distant galaxy, knowing I'd never return to Earth.

7) Also in 1983, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was born. The NFL season is just kicking off. Do you have high hopes for your team this year?

A. I don't have a team. But go University of Virginia!

8) In 1983, Motorola introduced the first cell phone. Do you have an easy time adapting to new technology?

A. Generally. Sometimes it throws me, and the older I am the weirder some of it seems.

9) Think of the last potato chip you had. Was it plain, sea salt, barbecue, sour cream and onion, etc.?

A. It was a Lays Baked Potato Chip. Those are the only kind I can eat.

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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. 

Evening Sky, September 1