Saturday 9: Things

Saturday 9: Things (1962)

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

1) In this song, Bobby Darin is sitting beside his window, looking out onto a crowded avenue. What's the view outside your nearest window?

A. I see oak trees that are yellowing (or browning) as we head toward the "peak" of the leaf-viewing season this Autumn. There is also a yellow tree of some kind, a fence post and wire, and an empty birdfeeder. Sage grass grows in the pasture field, too; it has turned brown.

Out the window.

Sometimes, though, I see something like this:

A doe suckling her twins in the early morning light.

 

2) He likes to remember the romantic things he and his girl used to do, like walking in the park. When did you most recently go for a leisurely stroll? Did you have a destination in mind, or were you just enjoying the walk for its own sake?

A. I don't recall when I last went for a stroll, really. I suppose wandering around The National D-Day Memorial and Poplar Forest last weekend might count. But that was a destination.

3) He notes a couple holding hands. Are you comfortable displaying affection in public?

A. Yes. I have no problem with it.

 

4) When Bobby recorded this song, he was married to screen sweetheart Sandra Dee. Today she is best known as the inspiration for the song, "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee." Can you name another song from Grease?

A. Greased Lightning, Hopelessly Devoted to You.

5) Bobby loved gadgets. He was enthusiastic about his suitcase telephone, which was one of the first mobile phones. Are you an early adapter, or do you wait for new technology to be around awhile and not so new before you try it?

A. I used to be an early adapter, but now I wait. I also keep it as long as it will work. My phone is an iPhone 5SE, if that tells you anything.

 

6) He was a chess fanatic and always kept a magnetic chess board in his briefcase, just in case he found someone who was willing to play him. Are you a good chess player?

A. Not really. I haven't played in a very long time.

 

7) He very much wanted to play Tony in West Side Story, but he didn't the part because the producers didn't think he looked like a romantic leading man. What actor or actress makes your heart skip a beat?

A. Viggo Mortenson as Aragon in Lord of the Rings.

I like the scruffy bad-boy look.

 

8) In 1962, when this song was popular, Jack Nicklaus launched his successful golf career. Do you enjoy playing golf, or watching it on TV?

A. I do not care for either.

9) Random question: Which would we find in your kitchen right now -- cookies or ice cream?

A. Neither, I'm afraid. No ice cream, no cookies. The closest thing we have to a cookie is a rice cake.

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

Autumn

 

Thursday Thirteen

All About the Commonwealth

1. There is no difference, legally or constitutionally, between a Commonwealth and a State in the USA.

2. There are 4 commonwealths in the US: Virgina, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Massachusetts.

3. This means the full name is actually The Commonwealth of Virginia, not simply Virginia. Same with the other three states.

4. There is a Virginia State University and a Virginia Commonwealth University. Two different places.

5. In the 17th century, "commonwealth" meant an organized political community. Today, we call that a state.

6. The term "commonwealth" was preferred by a number of political writers in the years leading up to 1780, so states that still use this are old school.

7. Each of the commonwealths in the US were once British colonies. Putting "commonwealth" in the state title meant the government was now ruled by a collection of its citizenry, not the English crown.

8. During the American Revolution, the colonies of Massachusetts, Virginia and Pennsylvania declared themselves commonwealths.

9. Kentucky was part of Virginia during the American Revolution. In 1790 when it separated from Virginia, Kentucky chose to retain the commonwealth moniker.

10. Today, "commonwealth" means a political unit having local autonomy, but voluntarily affiliated with the United States, i.e., Puerto Rico and the Northern Marina Islands.

11. Puerto Rico has no vote in the US Congress, just like Washington, D.C. They have representatives there, but those representatives have no vote.

12. They also do not vote for president of the US.

13.   The Commonwealth with a capital C is an association of sovereign states consisting of Britain and a number of countries that were formerly under its rule. Membership in the Commonwealth is voluntary, and not restricted to former colonies; both Mozambique and Rwanda—the two most recent members to join—are members despite having no historical tie to the British Empire.

Now, think about the word itself - or the two words that make it up. Common, meaning everyday (us poor folk), and wealth, meaning whatever goods/etc. one considers to be wealth. A commonwealth, then, is made up of all of the citizenry and their wealth.

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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 777th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Poplar Forest

About 10 miles from The National D-Day Memorial is Poplar Forest. Poplar Forest is the name of an octagonal home built by Thomas Jefferson, the nation's third president, for use as a retreat.

Jefferson inherited 4,819 acres of land and 11 enslaved men, women, and children at Poplar Forest through his father-in-law, John Wayles in 1773. The property’s name, which predates Jefferson’s ownership, reflects the forest that once grew there. Several stately poplars in the front of the home welcome visitors today.

In the early years of his ownership, Jefferson managed Poplar Forest from afar, hiring overseers to manage day-to-day duties, as he practiced law and served in a series of government offices. He and his family, however, did spend two months there in 1781 when they left Monticello to elude British capture at the end of the Revolutionary War. During this visit, Jefferson compiled much of the material for his only book, Notes on the State of Virginia.

In 1806, Jefferson traveled from Washington to supervise the laying of the foundation for the octagonal house that exists today. When his presidency ended in 1809, Jefferson visited the retreat three to four times a year, staying from two weeks to two months at a time. His visits often coincided with the seasonal responsibilities of the working plantation. He also oversaw the ornamentation of the house and grounds, and the planting of his vegetable garden. Family members, most often two granddaughters, Ellen and Cornelia Randolph, often traveled to Poplar Forest with him beginning in 1816.

Jefferson made his last trip to Poplar Forest in 1823 when he settled his grandson, Francis Eppes, on the property. Ill health prevented further visits. In 1828, two years after Jefferson’s death at age 83, Eppes sold Poplar Forest to a neighbor.

The design of Poplar Forest is highly idealistic in concept with only a few concessions to practicality—it was so perfectly suited to Jefferson alone that subsequent owners found it difficult to inhabit and altered it to suit their needs. In 1845 a fire led the family then living at Poplar Forest to convert Jefferson’s villa into a practical farmhouse. The property was privately owned until December 1983 when a nonprofit corporation began the rescue of the landmark for future generations. Visitors today see the house as reconstruction, restoration and preservation, are in progress.  -- Poplar Forest website

Here are photos I took during our visit:

The exterior octagon shape isn't as visible as one would think, but it's there.

The story of how Jefferson built the house.

A front shot.

Still trying to show the octagon sides. Note the structure attached. This was the kitchen and guest rooms.

Just another exterior shot.

From left: A privy, the overseer's house, and the enslaved persons quarters.

Enslaved persons quarters in the forefront.

A sign designating the two structures.

The overseer's house.

An interior room in that long side portion.

Jefferson had one of the better equipped kitchens for the time period. It's in the long portion, too, away from the main house.

He constructed an ingenious set of guttering within the rafters to keep water off the roof.

Interior of the house.

Information exhibits take up a lot of the space, but it's rather a small area by today's standards.

This was in the middle of the house proper.

The octagon shape does not lend itself to good use of space.

The National D-Day Memorial

June 6, 1944, was the beginning of the end of World War II. This conflict involved dozens of nations allied against the autocracy of Hitler and others in an effort to overthrow democracy and institute instead rule by one man over millions.

The landing in Europe on June 6, 1944, was called operation Overlord. Overlord was the largest air, land, and sea operation ever undertaken. The landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and over 150,000 service men. Many of the first young men (most not yet 20 years old) entered the surf carrying eighty pounds of equipment. They faced over 200 yards of beach before reaching the first natural feature offering any protection. Blanketed by small-arms fire and bracketed by artillery, they found themselves in hell. When it was over, the Allied Forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead. Yet somehow, due to planning and preparation, and due to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Forces, Europe had been breached and the Allied Forces were able to move inland and begin to liberate cities, towns, and nation-states from Hitler's horror.

Nearby Bedford, VA is the setting of The National D-Day Memorial. Like eleven other Virginia communities, Bedford provided a company of soldiers, activated on 3 February 1941. Some thirty Bedford soldiers were still in that company on D-Day; several more from Bedford were in other D-Day companies.

By day’s end, 19 of the company’s Bedford soldiers were dead. Two more Bedford soldiers died later in the Normandy campaign, as did yet another two assigned to other 116th Infantry companies. Bedford’s population in 1944 was about 3,200. Proportionally this community suffered the nation’s severest D-Day losses. Recognizing Bedford as emblematic of all communities, large and small, whose citizen-soldiers served on D-Day, Congress warranted the establishment of the National D-Day Memorial here.

Here are photos I took when we visited with some out-of-town cousins on October 14, 2022.

From left: my husband, cousin Chris, and cousin Bonnie at the entrance.

The entrance to the memorial. This soldier is assisting another to get upon the beach.

A statue of a soldier in the water.

Statues of soldiers making their way onto the beach.

This poor soldier did not make it.

An overview of the exhibit that shows the rush onto the beach. The water splashes and pops as if there were gunfire.

Cousin Bonnie reading about something.

This statue is quite intricate and shows soldiers climbing the rocks to get up the beach.

Another view of the above statue.

A monument to the Air Force.

The soldier in the water again. Can you see the water disturbances?

A huge wall shows the medals of honors from the Allied nations.

The backside of the opening arch.

My handsome fellow.

The names of the US soldiers who died on D-Day are on this wall.

A little closer look.

The three cousins read the story about the Bedford Boys. This statue is a monument to them.

Bugs

 

This is a moth, but I don't know what kind. I can't find anything like it in my guide book. It may be a Dark Arches Moth, as the closest I can find.

True katydid

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. You are walking down the road and you look down. There is a bug. Do you step on it?

A. Not if I can help it. 

2. What is one fantasy that you want to come true more than any other?

A. A woman as president of the United States while it is still a democracy.

3. Someone knocks on your door. Do you look out the window to see who it is before you open it? Do you open it regardless of who it is?

A. I would look to see who it is. Whether or not I open it depends on who it is. If I don't know the person, I may not open the door. If it is more than one person, most likely I would not open the door.

4. Have you ever eaten Play-Doh?

A. I have no idea. I certainly haven't as an adult. I can't say what I might have done when I was five.

5. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon as a child?

A. I liked them all, but I think Bugs Bunny was probably my favorite. There were other shows that weren't exactly cartoons that I liked: Land of the Lost, H.R. Puff n' Stuff, Isis, and Shazam were among them.

6. Are you a people watcher?

A. Sometimes.

7. I have a bowl of fruit. There are apples, oranges & pears. You help yourself to one. Which one do you choose?

A. A pear.

8. What is your biggest pet peeve in the blogging world?

A. People who go missing without a "I've stopped blogging, bye," notice. Sometimes that is unavoidable, if one becomes ill or dies suddenly. But I always wonder what happened to that person. I think they call that "ghosting" now, don't they?

9. What was the last really funny movie you watched?

A. I can't recall.

10. What word do you use far too often? 

A. F&ck. I think it's my favorite word.

11. How long do you spend in the shower?

A. About 10 minutes.

12. What is something that you've never done that you secretly are dying to do?

A. Travel to Egypt to see the pyramids.

13. Your favorite flavor of soup is . . . ?

A. Chicken

14. You are sitting on a bench in the park and a bug walks in front of your feet . . . 

A. And I watch it go on about its business. It hasn't done anything to me.

__________

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: Potential New Boyfriend

Saturday 9: Potential New Boyfriend (1983)

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

1) The lyrics tell us Dolly Parton has spotted a fella who twisted her ignition key and turned her motor on. That was in 1983. Keys are less common today, since many cars are equipped with push button ignitions and more doors now open for those who know the keypad code or have the right swipe card. What's the last thing you used a key to start or unlock?

A. A door to a house.

 

2) Her potential new boyfriend bought her a drink, and she thanked him real sweet. Have you more recently said "thank you," or been thanked yourself?

A. I thanked my husband for his assistance in making the bed.

3) This is Dolly's first music video. "Potential New Boyfriend" was a top 20 country hit and made #13 Billboard's Dance chart, yet it's not well remembered today. Share a song from one of your favorite artists that the rest of us Sat 9-ers might not know.

A. Melissa Etheridge, The Weakness in Me

4) This is not Dolly's first song about a romantic rival. Her hit "Jolene" was inspired by a bank teller who regularly flirted with Dolly's real (not potential!) husband, Carl Dean. Have you recently fallen victim to the green-eyed monster of jealousy? If yes, what were you jealous of (someone's affections, possessions, success ...)?

A. I am sometimes jealous of other writer's work. Actually, I suppose it is more their success than their writing, but sometimes I am also jealous of their writing ability.

 

5) Dolly enjoys telling interviewers she met Carl at the Wishy-Washy Laundromat in Nashville. Do you have a hamper full of dirty clothes awaiting you? Or are you all caught up with that particular household chore?

A. I have laundry awaiting me, I'm afraid.

 

6) Dolly Parton's Imagination Library makes free books available to children. It was begun in 1995, and by 2020, her charity had distributed 150,000,000 books! When you were a very young reader, what was your favorite book?

A. Miss Osborne the Mop, by Wilson Gage, when I was about 8 or so, was a favorite. I don't recall a favorite from when I was younger; I read everything I could get my hands on.

7) Andy Warhol was fascinated by Dolly. When he asked her what her perfect meal would include, she responded it would have to start with chicken and dumpling soup. How would you have answered Andy? What's your perfect dinner menu?

A. If I could eat tomato products again, honestly a good plate of spaghetti would be wonderful.

8) Thinking of chicken ... In 1983, when this song was popular, McDonald's introduced McNuggets. Today, it's one of McDonald's most popular menu items. Are you a fan?

A. I do not eat at McDonald's. Nor do I eat chicken nuggets.

 

9) Random question: Would you rather visit a desert or a jungle?

A. Who doesn't want dessert? Oh . . . desert. Not that one. Let's go to the jungle where at least I might find water and something to eat.

_______________

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

Thursday Thirteen

Kwizgiver's journal prompt for today was to list 10 things that make you happy, so I will do 13 for Thursday Thirteen.

1. A hug from my husband.

2. A phone call from my brother.

3. A visit with a friend.

4. Playing the guitar.

5. Writing something. (Even a list like this!)

6. Good food.

7. Clothes that fit.

8. A good haircut.

9. Writing a song.

10. Talking to other family members.

11. Watching the deer play in the front yard.

12. Watching a good TV show or a movie.

13. Reading a great book.

___________________

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 777th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Autumn Is Coming

 

Tree Holds the Moon

 

Just Walk Away, Renae

This weekend, I made what for me was a big move. In others' worlds, it was a nothing burger.

In March 2017, I started playing a video game called Elvenar. It's a world-building game. Essentially, you're running a city and through a research tree, you move forward in the game so that the buildings grow and change.

Spacing is a big issue, forcing you to think about how you utilize resources. Trading goods with other players is a necessity. 

Being in a fellowship is also a necessity. To that end, in August 2017, I co-founded a fellowship in Elvenar. While I did not hold the "top" honor of Archmage, I was head mage.

Basically, I ran the fellowship. The archmage was the shield so I could do the behind-the-scenes work.

When I started playing this game, my husband worked at the fire station, still, and it was easy to spend the evenings he was at the firehouse on my game. I'm not a big TV watcher, so the only thing I was neglecting, really, was my reading. At that time, I was having a lot of trouble with my eyes and reading was difficult, so this was not a big deal.

After my husband retired from the fire department, he was home every night. I changed up my routine so that most of my game playing was in the morning or immediately after dinner, when he was in the shower, because I wanted to spend my time with him. 

By this time, I had four cities in this game, with three of them supporting my main city, the one in the fellowship I'd helped establish.

As the game progressed, it began to take up more of my time. Some mornings I would find that three hours had passed and I'd yet to shower and do my chores. I was in charge of keeping up with 25 people, answering their questions, keeping a spreadsheet on their game play, because we were trying to take the fellowship to the top 10.

You don't get into the top 10 by being an occasional, relaxed fellowship. We worked to keep a balance so that other players didn't feel pinched. But ultimately, I was the one who ended up feeling pinched.

I've known for a year that I needed to drop this game. Or step back. But I'd been playing it a long time. I'd spent a little money on it, not much, but I'd certainly put a lot of time in it. It's hard to walk away from something that you're that invested in.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not a little addicted to all things computer, and video games in particular. Video games are set up to lure you in and keep you there. 

This was the first time I'd ever played in a multi-player game. In my other video games, I played solo, because they were solo video games. When I played those, it didn't matter if I walked away for a week or a month and then went back to it. But Elvenar really encouraged players to be in fellowships or else forward movement slowed to a crawl.

I watched players come and go. There were 5 of us, including myself, who had stuck with the fellowship the entire time. Others have been there for several years. Some had left and returned.

The archmage and I are on a first name basis, and I consider him a friend. But he's a bit self-involved. In the past year, we've hardly communicated, and he was playing a lot less, and certainly not as hard as I was.

My reasons to stay were dwindling. And over the summer, I realized that I didn't care if made it through the next chapter in the game or built my city up anymore.

So, Saturday, I sent the archmage a personal note telling him I was leaving. His response was churlish, "More notice would have been nice," and he offered me no reason to stay, no relief from the responsibilities I'd taken on, or even "why don't you just take a month off, we'll hold your place." 

I thought I deserved at least that kind of consideration, but I didn't ask, and he didn't offer. I'm not sure I would have accepted if he had, but I am disappointed that he made no effort to be accommodating. All he could see was that he was being inconvenienced.

Then I sent the fellowship a note:

My Dear Friends:

Now, at long last, we come to the end of our fellowship. It is with sadness that I leave you today, but it is time for me to forego gaming and figure out something else to do with myself.

I depart so that another may help carry the FS into the top 10. I had been waiting for that to happen before I left, but we can't seem to get past 12th place. That's pretty good, though, for a FS that started out in 2017 with just FD and me and something like 303rd place.

May all of you have good health, much joy, and great laughter. And when you're slogging through another chapter of Elvenar, remember that patience is queen in this crazy little game.

This has been my first foray into multiplayer gaming. Thank you all for making it such a lovely time.

With kindest regards,

CountryDew

Yes, my player name was the same as the name I use on this blog.

At any rate, I sent the message, and then I left. (The fellowship dropped to 16th when I did; I have a really high score.)

It was much harder to do than I thought it would be, walking away. And of course, I didn't leave the game. I still have three other cities, though they are in relaxed fellowships, and it doesn't matter if I "make perimeters" or not there. If I don't show up for a few days, no one will say much, and it won't matter. And I can play the other city alone, if I want.

What I walked away from was the responsibility of trying to create a top 10 fellowship. I was tired and it was taking up a tremendous amount of my time.

It is time to move on, but sometimes that is incredibly difficult.

Now let's see what I'm walking toward, shall we?