Thursday Thirteen

1. At the start of the pandemic, when we were home always (as we are now, for the most part), I stopped wearing makeup. It seemed a waste to continue using it and my husband didn't mind.

2. When I returned to wearing makeup, which was Covergirl, I realized it made my eyes itch to use mascara (and using the other makeup made the rest of my face feel oddly, too). I bought new mascara, but the problem continued.

3. I asked others about hypoallergenic makeup, and most everyone said either Physician's Formula or Clinique.

4. Monday, I went to Walmart and found they had a small section of Physician's Formula makeup. I purchased only mascara (and it was expensive).

5. Yesterday, I wore the mascara. After several hours, my eyes began to itch.

6. This morning, my eyelids are so sore I can barely stand to wash my face. 

7. So that was a waste of money. I hate to waste money, but I don't know how else to find a product that I'm not reacting to.

8. Apparently, I need something beyond "hypoallergenic" since their idea of hypoallergenic and mine are different things. 

9. That leaves Clinique, which I know is quite expensive, and I'm not sure who carries it locally. It's probably near the perfume counter at Macy's or Belk (and I'm highly allergic to perfume), and I don't go in those stores often.

10. I don't look bad without makeup, but I look better with it. I don't look better with swollen eyelids, though.

11. The Covergirl mascara also claims to be hypoallergenic. It only makes my eyes itch; it doesn't make them hurt, so for now if I feel I need that little something extra, I will use the Covergirl.

12. I wonder how many other women are allergic to makeup? It must be many or there wouldn't be the "hypoallergenic" claims on products.

13. Any suggestions? Is it time to embrace my own self-beauty, and go without my face covered with products that may be harmful?

____________________

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 749th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

TV and Movie Thoughts

The HBO series My Brilliant Friend upsets me with every episode. Yet, I can't not watch it. I am breathless in my vigil to see what happens next, even though we're talking fairly routine life stuff here - marriage, having children, almost having an affair. And at the heart of it, a childhood friendship between two similar yet very different young women.

Today I am quite grumpy, as I didn't sleep well. We watched My Brilliant Friend last night and I think it carried over into my night and this day. The show reminds me, quite vividly and pointedly, of the relatively small shelf women and women's rights stand upon. Actually, it's more like we and those rights stand upon the head of pin, much like thousands of invisible and unreal angels.

Because the truth of the matter is, women are, every day, thrown around, mistreated, and married to be a man's sex partner, maid, cook, and baby carrier. All over the world. Even here. 

In the current climate, and with the Republicans doing their best to make the vetting of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson look like a roadside circus while she, being a woman, can't burst into tears and sobs like her predecessor in the process, Bret Kavanaugh. That's because if she did, she'd be called out for it in multiple ways and a single tear would disqualify her, while Kavanaugh's whiny ass histrionics were simply a reflection of a poor man who'd been unfairly raked over the coals because of his purported abuse of women.

And My Brilliant Friend shows how poorly women have been and continue to be mistreated. It also shows how to kill a spirit in someone who needs only a wee bit of support to become outstanding. Elena wants to be a writer, but no one supports her efforts.

It makes me sad.

The Gilded Age ended its season Monday night. That show is no Downton Abby, in spite of being written by Julian Fellowes, who also wrote the latter. The Gilded Age is American greed and capitalism in full display, complete with backstabbing, bitterness, lies, deceit, and merciless racism and again, gender inequality. It was a train wreck from the get-go, but again, one I watched because looking away didn't seem to be an option.

I don't know if I was waiting for Mrs. Russell to find her place amongst the old guard in high society, a position she coveted to the point of insanity, or if I was waiting for the old guard in high society to fall on its face, or for the servants and lower-class labor workers to rise up and proclaim the world belonged to them.

The characters were not likeable, except for Marian, the poor relative who came to live with the rich aunts in New York, and Ms. Scott, the Black woman who went to work for Marian's aunt and who wanted badly to be a writer. She also has a much more complicated life than one may have thought from the first few episodes.

(I note both of these TV shows have women who want to write in them. Perhaps that is the draw for me . . . watching these women who love what I love try to overcome.)

And then there's Spielberg's West Side Story. I may have seen the original at some point, but if I have, I don't remember it.

I disliked this version. I disliked it a lot. There wasn't a character to feel anything for, or time to feel anything for one, anyway. The dancing was fun to watch, some of the songs familiar, and it was certainly well done and spiffy, but I did not like it.

The character I most liked was the girlfriend of the Bernado. Anita (yep, that is her name) is all common sense and she understands the world. She also was a great dancer. I liked her best of all and not simply because she had my name.

This has been nominated for 7 Oscars and a bunch of other awards. I follow a few screenwriters on Facebook and they loved it, although from the comments I could see that not all of their followers liked it. I thought it was an incredibly shallow movie, however skillful the dancing. I felt nothing for the lead characters.

I knew the movie was based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, so I had an idea of how it would end. It seemed more like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, if you ask me.

Even though this version did nothing for me, I would like to see the original in order to make a comparison. There must be something there I am missing, yes?

Break It To Me Gently

This is a cover of Break It to Me Gently, a song made famous before I was born by Brenda Lee, and later by Juice Newton when I was a teenager.

I am playing a Dean Vendetta electric guitar and using a Boss RC-3 Loop Station. I recorded first the rhythm, then some of the lead, and am adding rhythm and lead when I recorded this with my iPhone. The drums come from the Loop Station.

This is actually harder than it looks. :-)

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Do you like sushi?

A. I have never had it nor have I ever had the desire to try it.

2. What color is your car?

A. White.

3. What is your favorite thing about the place where you live?

A. It's lovely here, with the Blue Ridge Mountains ringing the Roanoke valley. The seasons are beautiful, with spring - almost here - dressing up the trees and shrubs with flowers, and summer settling into a comforting sea of green that stretches for as far as one can see. In Autumn, the trees put on their best finery, with colors ranging from dull browns to brilliant reds and flaunty yellows, and while winter can appear dull and dreary, a snowfall quickly changes the world to a wonderland spectacular. And even in the deep darkness of the winter days, there is always the promise of the spring to come. Additionally, most folks are decent - maybe not as kind as in my younger days, but humanity remains. History, too, calls to me, keening out my roots that go as far back as I can trace them, for here my ancestors from England and Scotland settled, seeing something of their homeland in these wonderous Blue Ridge Mountains. And then there is my husband, without whom I would be lost.

4. Are there brands of certain items that you will ONLY buy that brand (ie paper towels, ketchup, etc.)?

A. We have to have Heinz catsup, Baked Lays potato chips, and Lays lightly salted wavy potato chips. I also prefer Cheer Free for washing my private clothes, but it is hard to come by these days so I will be switching to All Free and Clear when I've used the last of my Cheer Free. Additionally, other items must be unscented and hypoallergenic because of my allergies.

5. Are you allergic to any food? Animals? Plants? Medicines?

A. I am allergic to shellfish, dogs, cats, (anything with fur), most trees and grasses, molds, dust and dander, and a few medications. Basically, most of the world.

6. Have you ever been stung or bitten by an animal?

A. I've been stung by bees and spiders. I had a spider bite me on my little finger one time and I couldn't feel it for over a year! I don't recall any serious animal bites.

7. Do you have a favorite bird? Do you feed the birds at your house or the park?

A. I do not have a favorite bird. We put out a bird feeder in the winter months. We were a little late getting it out this year and the birds either didn't need it or had a difficult time finding it.

8. What would you recommend binging on Netflix or similar?

A. I don't subscribe to anything but Amazon Prime and HBO Max (comes with my DirecTv). We enjoyed Downton Abby (that was on PBS), and watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Gilded Age, My Brilliant Friend, Gentleman Jack (returning in April!), and a few other shows. In the past, we really liked Six Feet Under, Masters of Sex, Band of Brothers, and Game of Thrones.

9. What is your proudest achievement?

A. Remaining married for almost 39 years, if that counts. If it doesn't, then obtaining my masters degree.

10. Do you have or are you from a big family?

A. My immediate family had four people in it, but my mother had four brothers and a sister, and my father had a sister and three brothers. So, I had lots of aunts and uncles and cousins, although my father's family all moved to California when I was a baby so I never really knew them except as voices on the phone.

11. What do you do for exercise?

A. I walk.

12. What would be your favorite breakfast? (You didn’t have to cook it yourself.)

A. Eggs, bacon, grits, a piece of toast with Concord grape jelly, biscuits and gravy, and apple juice to drink. I haven't had a breakfast like that in years.

13. Is there an item that you really want but cannot afford?

A. I try not to lust after the things I cannot have.

14. What was the farthest distance you made for your holidays?

A. I don't understand this question.

15. Are you afraid of speaking in public?

A. I am not fond of it, but I have done it.

__________

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: Get on Your Feet

Saturday 9: GET ON YOUR FEET (1989)

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

1) In this song, Gloria Estefan encourages us to stand up and make it happen. What's something you want to accomplish this fine Saturday?

A. Saturday is "change the bed" day, so hopefully that will happen. I would also like to take a drive. We'll see how it goes.

2) She sings that we've all been through some nasty weather. How has winter 2021/22 treated you thus far (weather wise)?

A. We've had a somewhat mild winter, just a few snows and days of cold temperatures. But winter always looks so bleak and dreary - I am glad to see the grass greening and the sheen of green on the tips of trees, if it that does mean my allergies are back.

3) Best known as a recording artist, Gloria is also a best-selling author of children's books. When you were a kid, were you a big reader?

A. Yes, and I still am.

 

4) In addition to music and writing, she's a linguist. As a college student, she supported herself as an English/French/Spanish translator at Miami International Airport. When were you most recently at an airport? Were you traveling yourself, or picking someone up/dropping them off?

A. I was last at an airport around 2017, when I picked my husband up from a business trip.

5) Gloria made her acting debut in 1999's Music of the Heart, a Meryl Streep movie about music teachers in Harlem. Did you have music classes in school? Have you ever taken private lessons?

A. We had music classes at my elementary school. Mrs. Tingler taught us many different songs and brought lots of instruments for us to try out. She taught us many songs, some of which I still sing. Later, I was in band, which began in the sixth grade. I played the flute. Mrs. Arrington came to the school and gave private piano lessons (during class time, I'm not sure how they managed that) and I took lessons from her at her home, too, during the summer. She found me frustrating because I didn't want to learn Bach, I wanted to learn The Eagles. I also took private guitar lessons when I was teenager and again when I was in my early 30s and working downtown. I took them on my lunch hour.

 

6) Today Gloria is one of the celebrity residents of Star Island, a man-made island in Biscayne Bay. Star Island is connected to the mainland by MacArthur Causeway, named for General Douglas MacArthur. Tell us about a street in your neighborhood, and who it's named for.

A. My street is called Blacksburg Road, and it's called that because it's the way people traveled from Fincastle to Blacksburg. It isn't named after anyone. I am not in favor of naming things after people anymore (you just never know what skeletons hide in closets). I think schools, streets, and other public spaces should be named after trees, birds, or geometrical shapes or nondescript nouns, like "Cloud Street" or "Blue Sky School."

7) 1989, the year "Get on Your Feet" was popular, was the year of the first HDTV broadcast. By 1998, high-def shows and TVs were dominant. How many TVs are in your home? Do you watch shows on your computer or phone?

A. We have two TVs, one in the main living area and one in the bedroom. We seldom use the one in the bedroom. I have never watched a show on my phone (tiny little screen) but I have watched shows that I couldn't get on the TV for whatever reason (storm knocked out the satellite dish or something) to catch up on a series.

8) Also in 1989, The Simpsons premiered. It's now the longest-running prime-time TV show ever. Are you a fan?

A. I have never watched an episode of it, although I am familiar with it. Dooh! It is rather hard not to be familiar with something like that.

9) Random question: Should husbands wear their wedding rings?

A. I don't know that they should, but it is nice when they do. Most men I know are in businesses that require the use of their hands - my husband was a fireman and is a farmer, and he does not wear his ring because when he was fighting fires, the ring could get hot and burn his finger, and as a farmer it can become caught in farm machinery. If a fellow at a computer all day, then I suppose he could wear his ring without worrying about losing his finger. I used to be diligent about wearing my wedding band, but I am not so much anymore. We're married whether we have the rings on or not.

 _______________

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.  

Abstract Art

I found this photo on my camera. I like it. I didn't take it intentionally; I must've hit the button when I was moving the camera.

Thursday Thirteen

I've been around for almost 60 years - so I thought I would see what all has been invented since I was born. Many of these things we take for granted now, but they're relatively new.

1. Unmanned aerial flight. These came into use during the Vietnam War, and we see them now being used as drones in the war in Ukraine. 

2. Coronary bypass surgery. We take it for granted today that if we have a heart attack, we'll get a quick stent and be out of the hospital the next day, but this life-saving procedure didn't become a reality until 1967.

3. The smoke detector. An annoying beep that's saved countless lives, this little lifesaver wasn't invented until 1969. Now it's a requirement in all new construction in most areas of the country.

4. MRI. The magnetic resonance imaging machine is widely used in medicine today and is a go-to for finding cancer tumors and other problems in the human body. But this product wasn't used until 1973!

5. The barcode. That "bleep, bleep" that's created when the product purchased goes over the scanner at the self-checkout wasn't invented until 1974. There is scarcely anything sold today that doesn't have one of these on it.

6. The first supercomputer was installed in Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1976. It was called that because it could deal with a lot of data at a time.

7. The PC was introduced to the public in 1977, when Apple II, Commodore Pet, and Radio Shack's TRS-80 all hit the market, four years before IBM introduced its first "PC." While I owned none of these, I did own a Commodore Vic 20 way back in the day.

8. The Sony Walkman, a small portable cassette player, was introduced in 1979. People could carry around their favorite music!

9. The first computer virus was created in 1982. Rich Skrenta, 15, created an application called Elk Cloner as a prank, and it became the first virus to spread outside its home network. Elk Cloner spread via floppy disk and attached to the Apple OS II operating system. When users booted from the disk, Elk Cloner transferred to the computer's memory; any additional disks inserted without rebooting were also infected. On every fiftieth boot, the computer displays text written by Skrenta:

Elk Cloner: The program with a personality / It will get on all your disks / It will infiltrate your chips / Yes it's Cloner! / It will stick to you like glue / It will modify ram too / Send in the Cloner!

What a legacy to leave, eh?

10. Microsoft Word, the program few of us can do without these days, saw the light of day in 1983. It became a household name with the introduction of Windows 3.0 in 1990.

11. In 1986, the first LISTSERV came into being - also known as the electronic mailing list. How many email newsletters do you get?

12. In 1992, IBM introduced a weird little thing called the Simon. It wasn't sold in the US until 1994, and it was a commercial failure. It was also the world's first smart phone.

13. In 1998, the first piece of what would become the International Space Station was launched into the atmosphere.

Of course, there are thousands of other things that have been invented in my lifetime, although most build upon previous inventions. What invention would you consider to be the best in the time you've been on this Earth?

____________________

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 748th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Daffy for Daffodils

 

They are looking a bit worse for wear, but the daffodils appear to have survived the weekend's cold snap and light coating of snow. I love catching glimpses of yellow and knowing it's a daffodil reaching up toward the sky.

Doorway to Nowhere

This is my special secret door that takes me different lands. It is a door standing all by itself in my side yard.

It used to be the entrance to a fenced-in garden, but my husband decided we weren't gardening anymore (not exactly the time to be deciding that with the way food prices are), and he took down the fence last year and planted grass.

For unknown reasons, he left the door. Maybe he thinks we may garden there again sometime.

At any rate, it's now my magic door. I can enter from one side and come out as someone completely different.

Or I can walk through it and be on another planet.

This door will take me wherever my imagination leads.

I wonder if I should spray-paint it pink.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What emotion do you experience the most?

A. Is anxiety an emotion?

2. What embarrasses you most in front of other people?

A. Falling down.

3. What do you love most about yourself?

A. I'm fairly creative and I'm not stupid about too many things.

4. Who has influenced you the most?

A. Many of my teachers and college professors; authors, my parents, my brother, my husband, my other family members - I can't really say who has influenced me the most.

5. What would you like to change about yourself?

A. I would like to be healthy.

6. If you could do one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A. Eat and never gain a pound.

7. If you had the option of adopting a baby fox of baby koala, which would it be?

A. The koala because we don't have those here.

8. If you had to be on a reality show, which would it be?

A. Either Survivor, where I would be the first one voted off and then I'd have a long vacation wherever they send the losers, or The Voice, although I'd never make it to the judges because I don't sing that well.

9. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be?

A. Scotland.

10. How many bones have you broken?

A. Two for sure, not counting toes.

11. What do you fear about getting older?

A. Losing my mobility and capabilities.

12. How do you relieve stress?

A. I read, play guitar, or play video games.

13. Are your feet the same size?

A. I guess. I've never measured them.

14. 100 kittens or 3 baby sloths?

A. Neither. That's way too many kittens to care for and I have no idea how to deal with a sloth.

15. What do you want more than anything else in life?

A. To overcome.

__________

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: Beautiful Day

Saturday 9: Beautiful Day (2000)

Unfamiliar with this week’s song? Hear it here.

1) This song is about finding joy in an imperfect world. What brings you joy today?

A. I spent Friday with my husband on a beautiful semi-warm and sunny day. We took a long drive.

2) The lyrics mention being stuck in traffic. A poll of Boston commuters revealed that drivers have a variety of responses to be stuck in traffic — everything from bored to impatient to angry. How do you feel when you’re stuck in a traffic jam?

A. Mostly resigned. There isn't anything I can do about it.

3) This year Bono and his wife, Ali, celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Who is the longest-married couple you know?

A. Well, I'm sure it's not us, although we're hitting year 39. At the moment, though, I am hard-pressed to think of anyone else.

4) When Bono inducted Frank Sinatra into the Grammy Hall of Fame, he complimented Frank on his “swagger.” Do you think you have “swagger?”

A. No. I have fatigue. Tired people seldom swagger. They might sway, but I don't think they swagger.

5) When U2 guitarist The Edge did a charity concert at the Sistine Chapel, he became the first rocker to perform there. If you were to travel to Rome, what sites would you be certain to visit?

A. The Sistine Chapel sounds good. Also St. Peter's Square, the Coliseum ruins, and the Vatican, I suppose. 

6) This week’s song was chosen because St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and U2 is one of Ireland’s most famous exports. What else is Ireland famous for?

A. They don't have snakes. They have a kissing stone. They have a great accent. They had druids and Celtic priests. They had a potato famine. They have civil wars over religion.

7) Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish. Is it a favorite of yours?

A. No, I can't say that it is.

8) St. Patrick is credited with driving snakes out of Ireland. Ophiophobia is the fear of snakes. Do you suffer from ophiophobia?

A. I am not fond of snakes, but if I am the only one around to remove one, then I will remove it (and have done so on occasion). The best way is to go after them with a hoe.

9) St. Patrick’s Day fantasy: A leprechaun will share his gold with you, but you must request a specific amount for a single item. How much would you ask for, and what would you buy?

A. I would ask for $2 million and I would buy land.

_______________

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.  

New Life

This little baby calf was born yesterday in the rain. Calves do not immediately get up and walk around - that's a myth. It takes them a little while. They stand up once and get a drink and then lay back down. Usually in a few hours they are up and about. They do run around in circles sometimes. This one has a good mamma. She was very attentive.

Thursday Thirteen

Since March is National Women's History Month, I thought I'd write 13 things about one of the women who had a big influence in my life, my maternal grandmother.

1. Grandma took care of loads of children. She had six of her own, and I think she kept almost every grandchild at some point.

2. Almost every day, Grandma talked to someone named "Mama Fore" around 2 p.m. They would talk for an hour. If we were staying at Grandma's, we were not to interrupt her during her talks with Mama Fore unless we were bleeding, and even then we'd better be gushing blood.

3. Grandma made macaroni and cheese that I cannot replicate. It was hard and crusty, for one thing. I have no idea what she used to make it, and I'm not even sure I liked it, but it seemed to be a staple for the evening meal.

4. On Fridays, Grandma would walk up to her sister's house to do her hair. Aunt Neva lived about three blocks from Grandma, but across a four-lane highway. Grandma usually made us walk when we went up there with her, but sometimes she let us ride our bicycles after we aged a bit.

5. Grandma had a big rag bag in the bottom of a closet in the hallway. We would pull sheets and things out of there to make capes or I'd wrap dolls in them. We were supposed to put them back. Generally, I think I did. I'm sure I forgot sometimes.

6. If you were sad or hurting, Grandma would scoop you up and hold you tightly and sit in her rocking chair. She'd sing, "Daisy, Daisy" to you, rocking fiercely, until you calmed down. I watched her do this with all of the children. It usually worked.

7. Grandma only went to school through the fourth grade. She worked at the Oscar Mayer factory before she married. She never learned to drive a car, though. After my grandfather passed away, this became problematic because she still had two young boys at home. My mother or my aunt or one of my older uncles would take her to the grocery store. I remember Mom tried to talk her into driving, but Grandma would have no part of it. Neither of her sisters ever learned to drive, either. I wonder why?

8. When I was 15, I went to the prom. I had my date drive all the way to Salem so I could show my grandmother my prom dress. She called my mother after I left and my mom said she cried because I thought to do that. (I was the oldest grandchild, by the way.)

9. As I aged, and after it was no longer long distance to call my grandmother, I would call her and it didn't seem to matter what time of day it was, she always had time to talk, even if she was watching my cousins. I miss those conversations, even if all we did was talk about mundane things.

10. Grandma looked for the first robin every year; she said it was the herald of spring. I don't think she liked winter much.

11. After we were a little older, when Grandma kept my brother and me during the summer when school was out, sometimes we'd walk up to Salem. It was about a mile and a half walk. We'd go to downtown and use whatever money we'd saved to buy balsam airplanes, paddle balls, or models, or whatever else we could find. Then, before we walked back home, Grandma would take us to Brooks Byrd Pharmacy and buy us all snow cones. I always had the blue one.

12. Grandma hung out the laundry on the line more than she used the dryer. She preferred the fresh smell of the air to the dryer.

13. She grew lovely peonies in the side yard. They were beautiful.

____________________

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 747th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The Nephew's House

My nephew is getting closer to moving into his new home. Still some work to do, but construction is a long process and somewhat weather dependent.

The house is "across the way" from us. That's his house on the left.

This is a close up with the long lens of my camera. As you can see, on this day there were lots of workers there. Still yard work/landscaping to do and it looks like maybe the columns on the porch need to be installed. Not sure what's happening on the inside, but I know from when we built our house that the interior work seems to take forever.

It's a nice looking home. I like the white siding with the black shutters. Very classy.

I know he will be happy when he is moved in!

International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day. Women make up more than half of the population, but in most countries are underrepresented and continue to be treated poorly due to domestic violence and abuse. The patriarchy is alive and well, and while women have made some advances in the last 100 years, it is good to remember that women couldn't have their own credit cards in the United States until the 1970s, they couldn't vote until the 1920s, and continue to have to fight the government, ignorance, and complacency simply for control over their own bodily functions.

We've come a long way, baby, but we've still got a long way to go, and many would like to see us go backwards. 

To celebrate the day, I thought I'd offer up some local history about women who have made great impact here. I'm using a book called Notable Women West of the Blue Ridge 1850-1950 for my source.

Lucy Breckinridge is celebrated locally because she kept a journal during the US Civil War. She began a diary on August 11, 1862. Her journals are one of the few documents we have about how women thought and were treated during that time. She was a wealthy upper-class woman, complete with servants, but she died at the age of 22 of typhoid fever, just after the Civil War ended. Her diary has been published and can be purchased on Amazon and other places.

Callie Wright of Troutdale, Virginia (which is not that close to me but is a rural community), is the first woman mayor in the Commonwealth. She served from 1930-1934. She was born in 1894 and died in 1986. She worked at the First National Bank. The town was facing bankruptcy and dissolution as a town when Wright took over as mayor. By the time her term ended, the town's debts had been paid and the community again took pride its town.

Martha Louisa Cocke grew up at Hollins Institute (later Hollins College and now Hollins University, my alma mater), and graduated from the college in 1874 with diplomas in English literature, French, history, Latin, mathematics, and natural science. She assisted in the administration of the college and taught English, French, German, and Mathematics there. She was named president of Hollins Institute in 1901.  She served for 32 years. During that time the school changed its name to Hollins College and built a theater and gymnasium and later erected another dozen new structures. She was the first woman college president in Virginia.

Georgia Meadows (1903-2001) was a Black woman in my county. She received education at Hughes Hill School, a one-room elementary school located here. She left the county to attend Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute (now Virginia State University) in Petersburg. She graduated with a BS in Education in 1922 and went on to earn a master's degree in Education from Columbia University in New York City. She also attended the University of Virginia, Northwestern University in Chicago, and worked on her Ph.D. in Education at Harvard. She returned to her home community where she taught school for 48 years. She was a consultant to the school administration with regards to education plans for the Black community. Additionally, she served as vice president of Total Action Against Poverty, served on the board of League of Older Americans, and organized the Fincastle Senior Citizens Club. In 1973, the US Federation of Colored Women's Clubs awarded her Clubwoman of the Year.

Viola Wick Painter (1904-1981) of this county was a music educator and choral director. She served as organist for the Fincastle Presbyterian Church for 32 years and for St. Mark's Episcopal Church for 27 years and directed the Fincastle Methodist Church Choir for 7 years. (I guess she didn't care about the differences in denominations!) She was President of the Botetourt County Red Cross for 10 years. (This woman would have been a distant cousin of mine. Unfortunately, I never met her. I know her grandchildren, though.)

Mary Johnston (1870-1936) was a novelist from my county. Her first book, Prisoner of Hope, was published in 1898. In 1899, her second novel, To Have and To Hold, was an overwhelming success - it was the best-selling book in 1900 - and the book was made into silent films in 1918 and 1921. She believed in equal rights for women and was a suffragette. She was the first woman to ever address the Virginia Legislature when it was in session, where she advocated for the right to vote. She wrote 23 novels and multiple short stories and articles. Some of her books can be found on Amazon.

Of course, to my mind (journalist that I was) every woman - every person - has a story and has contributed something to his or her community, even if it wasn't meant to benefit others! (I know some people like that.) Billions of people have lived on this planet, and at least half of them were female.

They - we - (and I) - have voices that deserve to be heard, acknowledged, and understood.

Sleeping Deer

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. How long have you lived in your current residence?

A. I have lived here over 35 years.

2. What changes have you made to it since you got there?

A. We have replaced the roof, installed vinyl siding over the cedar siding, ripped up the carpeting and put in hardwood flooring and tile, and installed a walk-in shower in place of a tub.

3. What surprised you about living in your place or in your neighborhood?

A. Nothing. I'm not far from where I grew up. I have always known this area.

4. If someone were considering moving in next door, what would you warn them about?

A. Bears and coyotes.

5. If you have to move in the next 45 days, what are you definitely not taking with you?

A. This big ol' Sauder desk that's so heavy we can't move it.

6. What are you currently reading?

A. I'm listening to State of Terror, by Louise Penny & Hillary Rodham Clinton, I'm reading Compete Confidence, by Sheenah Hankin, PhD, on my Kindle, and I have A Queen in Hiding, by Sarah Kozloff, by my chair (a real book).

7. What did you recently finish reading?

A. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop, by Fannie Flagg, Heartburn, by Nora Ephron, and The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon (it was 804 pages long!).

8. What do you think you’ll read next?

A. I don't know, I'll have to finish the three I'm working on.

9. When did you take the road less traveled?

A. Apparently most of my life. I've always been an odd duck.

10. Did you ever participate in a talent show?

A. When I played with my band in high school, we participated in a talent show.

11. When did you most recently strike out?

A. Is striking out good or bad? If you're the pitcher, isn't striking out the batter a good thing? If you're the batter, I suppose it's not so good. I suppose most recently I "struck out" in my search for Lays Baked Potato Chips. I couldn't find any.

12.  Where do you go to find yourself?

A. I journal or talk to someone. Sometimes I sits and thinks, and then I sits some more.

13. What do you have mixed feelings about?

A. The state of the nation.

14. What did you most recently add to your collection of something?

A. Last fall I bought a little travel guitar. It wasn't very expensive. I have a small collection of inexpensive guitars.

15. When did something most recently stir you to tears?

A. The other night when I was watching My Brilliant Friend. That show almost always makes me weepy even when it shouldn't. I'm not sure why.

__________

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: Good for You

Saturday 9: Good for You (2015)

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

1) In this song, Selena Gomez sings about how eager she is to look good for her lover. What color do you look best in?

A. Blue or dark green. My eyes are hazel, and blue makes them look blue and green makes them look green. I have fair skin, so lighter colors make me look washed out.

 

2) She compares herself to a diamond, which is the birthstone of people born in April. Do you know your birthstone? Is it a gem you often wear?

A. My birthstone is a pearl or alexandrite. I have a couple of pearl necklaces, but I don't think I have any alexandrite. I used to wear the pearls frequently pre-pandemic. There isn't much point in putting them on these days, since I don't go anywhere.

  

3) Selena Gomez is a successful singer who has appeared on the Billboard charts more than 30 times. She also has her own cooking show on HBO Max. In each episode, Selena invites a chef to help her master a new recipe. She says that, off camera, the dish she enjoys making most is spicy miso ramen soup. What's your favorite soup?

A. Campbell's Chicken Pub Style Soup. I used to like tomato soup, but my stomach doesn't like it anymore.

4) She was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the Hulu miniseries Only Murders in the Building. Have you streamed anything interesting lately that you would like to recommend to Sat 9ers?

A. Season 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is on now on Amazon Prime. New Shows are out on Fridays. I am also watching The Gilded Age and My Brilliant Friend. I recommend all three. My Brilliant Friend is in Italian, so there are subtitles.

 

5) Selena Gomez provides the voice for Mavis Dracula, daughter of the Count, in the animated Hotel Transylvania movie and its sequels. In these family movies, Dracula and his family run a luxury hotel where monsters can vacation and get away from it all. The tone is similar to The Munsters and The Addams Family, TV shows from nearly 60 years ago. Caspar the Friendly Ghost has been entertaining children for generations. When you were a child, were you fascinated by ghosts, goblins, monsters and other such creatures?

A. Yes, and I am still fascinated by them. What is in our psyche that makes us feel the need to make up such creatures?

6) Selena's busy schedule is especially impressive when you realize that she lives with lupus, a chronic condition that can affect the skin, joints and kidneys. She credits "diet, routine and medication" for helping her avoid flare-ups. Do you have any tips that might help us increase our productivity and efficiency?

A. Use a timer. Work at something for 10 minutes. If you want to keep going after 10 minutes, do so. If you don't, stop. At least you worked at it for a little while.

7) In 2015, when this week's song was popular, Leonard Nimoy died. Without looking it up, do you know why he was famous?

A. He played Mr. Spock in Star Trek. I know it wasn't because of this video, although it's quite cute and who'd have thought there was a connection between Star Trek and The Hobbit?

8) Also in 2015, NASA announced that water had been found on Mars. Do you follow news about science and space?

A. I do. I went outside the other day in very windy weather to see if I could catch a glimpse of a SpaceX liftoff from Wallops Island, but I could not see it. I'd rather follow news about space and science than anything else - it's real news. Not opinion.

9) Random question: What was the best year of your life?

A. I'm still waiting on that to happen. I have had years where good things have happened: my marriage, college graduations, etc., but not really a single year. That said, I have recently noted I'd like to go back to the period of about 2004-2006; I was relatively healthy, working hard at my writing with the newspaper, we hadn't had the 2007 recession yet, and the nation wasn't so divided that I could feel the hands at my throat choking me every time I looked in the eyes of someone at the grocery store.

_______________

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.  

 

Bird on a Wire

 

Thursday Thirteen (#745)

1. If I sing a song and no one is home to hear it but me, did I really sing it?

2. If someone lies to you but you never find out about it, is it still a lie?

3. If I look at you and see great beauty, but you look in the mirror and see an ugly hag, which version is the truth?

4. If I look at the sun and go blind, did I blind myself, or did the sun do it?

5. If household dust is really skin shedding, why do I not lose weight? There's enough dust under the bed to make a whole person.

6. If I talk to my husband, but he doesn't hear me (because he's about half deaf), did I really speak?

7. If someone tells me I have a great sense of humor, but I don't believe them, do I have a sense of humor, or not?

8. If I can still see my hand in the moonlight, is it really dark?

9. If one clock says it's 3:05 p.m., and the other says it's 3:04 p.m., and Alexa tells me it's 3:06 p.m., what time is it really?

10. If my scale says I weigh X, but the doctor scales say I weigh Y, which is my true weight?

11. When I take off my glasses, the mountains are a blur of green and brown. If I put them on, I can tell there are trees there. Which is the truth, the blur or the sharp sight of trees?

12. If we are doomed to repeat the past, does that mean one day we will all ride horses?

13. If Windows 11 is not initially installing Cortana, does that mean Cortana is a failure of a program?

____________________

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 745th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.