Saturday 9: PS I Love You

Saturday 9: P. S. I Love You (1953)

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

 

1) In this song, a man fills his lover in on what's going on in his daily life, including that he was in bed by 9:00 PM. Do you have a regular bedtime?

A. Generally speaking, we do, yes.

2) He reports that yesterday it rained, but all in all, he can't complain. Do you often find yourself discussing/complaining about the weather?

A. Right now, everyone's talking about the drought in Virginia/North Carolina and the fires we are having. As farmers, we live and die by the weather, so it's a constant.

3) This song was recorded many times, by artists as diverse as Rudy Vallee (1934) and Bob Dylan (2017). It's endured because the theme -- reaching out and staying in touch across the miles -- is universal. Is there anyone in your life with whom you regularly correspond? If yes, do you prefer cards/letters, emails or texts?

A. I have a friend in England I email, and I send letters to two people. Other folks I text and/or email.

4) This 1953 version was a hit for The Hilltoppers. The band members met at Western Kentucky University and took their name from the nickname of their school's athletic teams. What was the name of your school's team?

A. My college's athletic team had no such name. Generally, it goes by Green & Gold, the school colors. My high school's athletic teams were called the Cavaliers.

5) The Hilltoppers always performed in W sweaters, for Western Kentucky. Do you own any sweaters, caps or jackets that celebrate your alma mater?

A. I have a sweatshirt in my closet.

6) By 1960, The Hilltoppers' records weren't selling anymore. But they continued to perform and in 1970 they became the house band at The Holiday Inn in Fort Walton Beach, FL. They were so popular with tourists that they played at that Holiday Inn for years. When did you last stay in a hotel, motel or airbnb?

A. September 2019.

7) In 1953, the year this recording was popular, the Eisenhowers moved into The White House. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was known for her down-to-earth style. For example, she often shared her recipe for Million Dollar Fudge, saying that since it's easy to make and foolproof, she recommended her fudge as the perfect hostess gift. When you're invited to someone's home, do you bring a hostess gift?

A. I do if it is a party, but I haven't been to something like that in years.

 

8) Also in 1953, radio personality Arthur Godfrey made news for having one of the nation's very first hip replacements. Have you/would you ever be part of a clinical trial, either for a new drug or medical procedure?

A. I was part of a control group that had something to do with hormones and pregnancy, a very long time ago.

 

 9) Random question -- Do you fold your socks or roll them?

A. I roll them now, but I folded them up until I married. My husband grew up with his rolled and that's how he wanted them. I grew up with mine folded. It's not something I care much about, so long as I can find them to put on my feet.

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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. 

The Battle

 

Two young bucks having a go at one another. As best I could tell, it was a draw.

Thursday Thirteen

We all know that the prices of food, in particular, are particularly galling these days. It's easy to blame Biden, the Democrats, or the Republicans, but I put the blame on Corporate Greed. I think that's really where the fault lies. They want to see how much they can get before they have a backlog of something or another.

They are also changing products. I was sad today to see that they've made Ritz crackers thinner and less buttery. You just can't count on anything anymore.

To help with the wallet-punch at the checkout, here are tips to save money on groceries.

1. Check what you already have and make a list before you go shopping. This way, you can avoid buying duplicates or items that you don’t need.

2. Limit your shopping trips to once a week or less. The less you go to the store, the less you spend on impulse buys or gas.

3. Stick to your list and avoid unnecessary purchases. If you see something that is not on your list, ask yourself if you really need it or if you can wait until next time. (I know, sometimes you have to have the ice cream. Indulge, just don't over do it.)

4. Pay attention to prices and compare different stores and brands. You can use apps or websites to find the best deals and coupons in your area. (I personally do not find this helpful because of my location. It's too far between stores to make it worthwhile. I buy certain things on one trip to one store and certain things on another trip to another store.)

5. Buy the Sunday paper (if they still have one in your area) or look online for coupons that apply to the items you need. You can also use apps to get cash back or gift cards for buying groceries.

6. Shop at warehouse clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club if you have a membership. You can save money by buying in bulk and getting discounts on gas and other services. (We gave up our Sam's Club membership because we weren't using it. We saved a whole $34.35 with a $55 membership fee. Not cost effective.)

7. Buy seasonal, local, and organic produce when possible. They are usually cheaper, fresher, and better for the environment than imported or conventional produce.

8. Buy frozen, canned, or dried foods when fresh ones are not available or too expensive. They can last longer and still provide nutrients and flavor.

9. Buy generic or store-brand products instead of name-brand ones. They are often cheaper and have similar quality and ingredients.

10. Buy cheaper cuts of meat or seafood and use marinades, sauces, or spices to make them more tender and tastier. You can also stretch your meat budget by using less meat and more vegetables, beans, or grains in your dishes.

11. Plan your meals ahead and use leftovers creatively. You can save time and money by cooking in bulk and using what you have in your fridge or pantry.

12. Cook from scratch and avoid buying pre-made or processed foods. They are usually more expensive and less healthy than homemade ones.

13. Make your own snacks and drinks instead of buying them. You can make granola bars, popcorn, smoothies, coffee, tea, and more with simple ingredients and save money on packaging and additives.

Extra tips:

14. Grow your own herbs, vegetables, or fruits if you have space and time. You can enjoy fresh produce for free and reduce food waste by harvesting only what you need.

15. Store your food properly and use it before it goes bad. You can use apps to track the shelf life of your food and get reminders to use it up.

16. Donate or compost any food that you can’t use or eat. You can help reduce hunger and environmental impact by giving away food that is still edible or turning it into fertilizer for your plants. But don't give away food items that are out of date. The food banks can't use those. Maybe your neighbor can, but the food banks can't.

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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 832nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

They Come Close

This is not a great picture, but this morning, I glanced out of my office window and this little buck was right there. I could have touched him if there hadn't been a window between us.

Here's a bad photo to prove it. The siding is the window curtain. Really! 

The Long Day

Yesterday, I took my husband to the hospital for MOHS surgery. This is surgery for skin cancer. About six weeks ago, I noticed a small black dot on my husband's face. It was different from his other skin lesions, and I suggested he have it checked.

It came back positive as a basal cell carcinoma and the primary care physician did not get it all in the initial biopsy. Of course, his came back as a rare kind since it was black. Usually, these things are a little white pearly bump. Basal cell is not that big of a deal and is fairly common, although no one wants to be told they have a cancer.

Anyway, the surgery to remove the remainder of his skin cancer was yesterday. We were told it could be an all-day event.

Actually, it took about as long for him to get this taken care of than it did to have his hip replaced.

When he went in, the woman looked first at a place below his ear, which we had thought was a cyst. She said no, it needed to come off, and since she was cutting on him, she did both places. The initial place was across from his eye and down about a finger's width on his cheek.

She did the surgery on both places, and we waited. The test results indicated she'd cut out all the cancer in the first spot, but the new second spot that she'd decided to go ahead with was positive (no one ever said what kind of cancer it was), and she didn't get it all.

So, we had to wait some more for him to go back in for a second surgery on this spot.

We had lunch at the hospital cafeteria while we waited. Then we waited some more in the waiting room. We were there about six and a half hours, and he came out with half of his face bandaged up.

When we returned home, he went hunting. He was supposed to take it easy today, and he mostly has, but he is back out hunting again this evening.

In the meantime, some other family things that are not my story to tell, but which are worrisome, have been weighing heavily on my mind.

It's made for a tough few days.

When the Computer Dies

My Dell desktop, an Inspiron 3850, was purchased in February 2021. I didn't like it from the start.

The memory card access hole broke as soon as I inserted a card. Dell tried to tell me I'd inserted the card too hard; I told them I'd been using computers since they were in diapers and knew very well how to insert a memory card into a desktop. They sent me a new memory card reader, but I had to take the computer apart and install it myself, which I did. And then bought an external memory card reader because the one in the computer is flimsy.

Then I discovered that the video card, which I had been assured was strong enough to handle my favorite video game, Skyrim, did not in fact work with Skyrim. Nor could I upgrade the video card because when I looked to see if I could, I found videos indicating that upgrading generally burned up the motherboard, even to the point of catching the entire computer on fire.

So back in May when the thing started telling me "No Hard Drive Detected," at start up, I think part of me was hoping for a new computer even though I try to use my computers for five years or more before I get a new one. I continued to use it, and nothing I did told me the hard drive was bad. I ran the Windows disk check, and the DOS check, and went to the Dell site and let its little support assistant run a check, and everything said the hard drive was fine.

I did find where the "No Hard Drive Detected" error seemed to happen a lot in Dells and it seemed to be a BIOS firmware issue. I read the instructions on how to enter the BIOS and set everything back to factory default. I did this several times.

The computer would run ok and then the error message would come back. I'd turn the computer off, and it would boot up and I'd go on about my business. But it became more and more frequent, more indicative of a problem.

I started looking at new computers.

We have computer repair stores in the nearby city. One of them has a very good reputation. I decided to take it there and see if it was the hard drive or the BIOS. If it was the BIOS, I figured they could fix that easily enough. Plus, I could live with the boot-up issue long enough to get through the year and finish up the documentation for the taxes, which was my main concern, if the hard drive wasn't bad.

I did not want the computer out of my site. I didn't want to leave it overnight. I never have computers fixed. If I can't fix them, I take the hard drive out them, and put the rest of it in the hazard waste pickup at the landfill. I have a box full of hard drives. 

Also, I did not want to go by myself. You see, in the mid-1990s I went into a local computer store, where I'd had a computer built. Apparently, women aren't supposed to go, even now, into computer stores, and 30 years ago I was assaulted by the owner when I went in for assistance with the computer he'd built for me. I spoke to a detective about it, but it was one of those "your word against his" things, aside from a few finger marks on my arm where he'd held me, and the county prosecutor didn't want to press charges. In the end, the sheriff's office convinced the man that leaving town was a good idea, and he closed up shop and left the state. 

They were satisfied with that outcome. I was not.

So, my husband went with me Friday to tote my computer into the fix-it place. We got there at 9:05 a.m. There was not a woman in site. A man took the computer from my husband, took it in the back and hooked it up, and then said, after about 15 seconds, that the hard drive was failing. Would I like him to replace it? I asked what that would cost, and he quoted me a price for a 215 GB drive. I told him that would be useless to me because I already had 192 GB of stuff on my 1 TB drive. I said put the screws back in it and give it back to me.

Next thing I know, out comes the super salesman, who says he is the company owner. He promises me a 512 GB SSD hard drive along with a secondary 2 TB storage drive, and they would transfer everything over for me and it would be like nothing ever happened. On top of that, he'd give me Adobe photoshop and some other programs. Oh, and it would have Windows 11 on it, but they could make it look sort of like Windows 10. Same price as the one the guy quoted earlier. He wanted to earn my business, super salesman said.

I looked at my husband, who shrugged and said it sounded ok to him. I agreed. What else could I do, really? The man said to come back after noon, and it would be ready.

We didn't call. We made the 45-minute drive back because, well, the man said it would be ready. But it was not ready, and we had to be at a funeral, so even though we killed an hour in the city and called again to see if it was ready, we found it was not. That left us with no choice but to go to the funeral and pick the computer up on Saturday.

Only I would have to do that by myself, because my husband had other plans. I was not happy with any of this. I hadn't wanted to leave the computer overnight. I was worried about my passwords being on the computer hard drive. I also didn't want to go into the store by myself. It was obviously a very male sort of place and women who went in there weren't supposed to know anything about computers except how to turn them on and play solitaire, and maybe use Word.

But I went and got the thing. A nice young man hooked up the computer and quickly showed me what it looked like. I asked a few questions - did I have full administrator privileges, for example. And then I mentioned my issue with the video card and Skyrim. He said it should run Skyrim. I said it never would and I doubted it would. He said to try turning down the graphics, like I hadn't already thought of that.

Anyway, I brought it home. After I downloaded Norton and reinstalled that to ensure my computer was safe, I spent 3 hours changing passwords. Most things require two-factor authentication so I was getting text messages left and right while I was trying to remember what sites would be the most dangerous to have someone get into.

Several of the programs ended up in a folder called "programs you need to reinstall." They were mostly old programs. I can't get the old MS Outlook 2003 calendar program that I prefer to work, but the MS Outlook 2007 program they installed on the computer is something I can adapt too, aside from all the birthdays and anniversaries I have now lost. iTunes appeared to have been lost forever but suddenly tonight Apple did an update and it seems to be working, although everything I had there is gone. Finding my pictures has been a trial, but they are there. Just not where I had thought they would be.

Next time I will do what I wanted to do in the first place. I will buy a new computer and start fresh, or just let them put in a new hard drive with Windows and give me back my hard drive. I back up my documents and photos every 30 minutes to an external hard drive, and installing programs is time consuming but doable. (Note: Windows 11 doesn't have an external hard drive backup app, you have to go around in circles to get that done. I've watched a video on it but haven't set it up yet, which is fine because I haven't done much, except the calendar, that requires any saving.)

I think this has been just as time consuming as setting one up anew, and it's not set up like I would have set it up. It took a long time just to get the desktop to look like something I wanted to look at. This may have been the cheaper route, but I'm not at all convinced it was the better one.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

A - Ambition: Write a book.

B - Birthday: Too old for birthdays now.

C - Computer: Dell with a newly upgraded SSD hard drive and 2 TB extra storage disk.

D - Dream: World peace.

E - Exercise: I live a sedentary life.

F - Favorite Food: Chocolate.

G - Garden: We had cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, loofas, watermelon, kale, radishes, and green peppers this year.

H - Hobby: Playing guitar.

I - Idol: I don't know that I have one. Maybe Melissa Etheridge.

J - Job: I was a news reporter and photographer.

K - Kids: Baby goats are cute.

L - Location: Virginia, Mother of Presidents.

M - Military: My father and uncles served.

N - Name or Nickname: Sweetie Pie is what my husband calls me.

O - Optimist or Pessimist: Pessimist.

P - Pets: None. I'm hyper allergic.

Q - Quote: "Well, I didn't vote for you." - Peasant Woman to King Arthur in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

R - Reads: Anything I can. Currently working on the latest edition of The Atlantic, a Stuart Woods book, and an Elizabeth Stout novel.

S - School: Got my masters degree just before I turned 50.

T - Travel: Always wanted to see the pyramids, but don't expect it will happen.

U - Unfulfilled ambition: To be abducted by an alien.

V - Vacation spot: Williamsburg, VA

W - Wardrobe: I wear a lot of jeans and t-shirts.

X - X-tra facts about me: I am shy, not stuck up.

Y - Years online: Geez. At least 30, I guess. I was dialing into bulletin boards as soon as I learned about them and was one of the first AOL users because it had an 800 number that allowed me to call in at no cost, and I could go from there. That would have been 1993.

Z - Zodiac sign: Gemini

Saturday 9: True

Saturday 9: True (1983)

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

 

1) In this song, lead singer Gary Kemp tells us he's overwhelmed by his feelings as he and a girl dance "toe to toe." What song did you most recently dance to?

A. I am not sure. I haven't felt much like dancing. I was playing guitar to In-a-gadda-da-vida by Iron Butterfly earlier; I assume I had a little movement with that.

2) Falling in love makes him want to listen to "Marvin all night long," a reference to Motown great Marvin Gaye. What's your favorite love song, and who sings it?

A. I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston version.

3) This song was inspired by Kemp's feelings for singer Clare Grogan. When they first met, they discovered a shared love of literature and for his birthday, she gave him a book she thought he'd enjoy. Who received the most recent birthday gift you gave, and what was it?

A. I gave a friend flowers a card for her birthday.

4) Despite the popularity of the song it inspired, the Kemp-Grogan romance never really took off. Gary was involved with another woman and Clare was seeing other men and reluctant to settle down. The timing just wasn't right for them. Do you believe luck plays a big part in romance?

A. I expect it does, yes. You have to be at the right place, in the right frame of mind, etc. For all of that to happen takes a little luck.

5) The cover art was created by Kemp's friend, David Band. David sketched it after seeing a man startled when a bird flew too close to him as he entered a pub. To Kemp, it represented how surprised he was by the sudden intensity of his feelings for Grogan. Band went on to become a world-renowned artist, with his work exhibited in galleries and museums in Australia, New Zealand, England and the United States. What museum have you most recently visited?

A. I went to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in September 2022.

6) In 2020, Kemp and bassist Guy Pratt launched their podcast Rockonteurs about the stories behind popular songs. Do you regularly listen to podcasts?

A. I do not.

7) Super Mario Bros. debuted in 1983. Without looking it up, can you name gaming's most famous siblings?

A. Mario and Luigi?

 

8) Also in 1983, for the first time, London's Abbey Road recording studio was open to the public. Visitors were treated to a multi-media presentation called The Beatles at Abbey Road. During the two months it was open, more than 22,000 tickets were sold. What's the most recent ticket you purchased?

A. The ticket to see the Barbie movie back in the summer.

 9) Random question -- At your favorite restaurant, a genie will grant you one of these two wishes: 1) you can eat whatever you want without gaining weight or 2) you can order whatever you want for free. Which do you choose?

A. Oh, #1, definitely. What a wonder that would be, to walk by a chocolate chip cookie and not gain 3 pounds.

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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. 

 

Dona Nobis Pacem - Peace Blog 2023

 

Thursday Thirteen

Tuesday, November 7, is voting day. In Virginia, we can vote early, and I've already cast my ballot. Will you go vote on Tuesday? I sure hope so!

Here are some reasons why you should go vote:

1. Express Your Voice: Voting is a way to express your opinions and values in the political process.

2. Influence Policy: Your vote can help shape the policies that affect your daily life.

3. Hold Elected Officials Accountable: Voting allows you to choose leaders and hold them accountable for their actions in office.

4. Change the Status Quo: Voting gives you the power to bring about change if you're dissatisfied with current conditions.

5. Protect Your Rights: Voting is a way to safeguard the civil rights and liberties that previous generations fought for.

6. Diverse Representation: Voting helps ensure a diverse and representative government that reflects the nation's demographics.

7. Support Your Community: Voting can lead to improved local infrastructure, education, and public services.

8. Economic Impact: Elected officials make decisions that can impact job creation, wages, and economic stability.

9. Environmental Policies: Your vote can influence environmental policies and address issues like climate change.

10. Social Justice: Voting can contribute to achieving social justice and equal rights for all citizens.

11. Healthcare Access: Your vote can impact healthcare policies and the availability of affordable healthcare.

12. Education Funding: Voting can influence funding for schools and access to quality education.

13. Preserve Democracy: By voting, you actively participate in the democratic process, which is essential for the functioning of the nation.

When you vote, you are influencing the policies and decisions that affect your life and your community. Whether it’s health care, education, environment, or economy, your vote matters!

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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 832nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Mums the Word

In 2009, I purchased some dying mums from Home Depot. They were yellow. They didn't really look like mums to me, but I thought they were worth the 50 cents or whatever I paid for them.

I planted them in my whiskey barrel in my rose bed.

They flourished there. I did not expect them to live.

I especially did not expect them to be around 14 years later.

Nor did I expect them to change color.

But here they are in all their glory today!

Obviously, they are no longer yellow. Over the years they have gone from yellow to purple to this deep maroon.

Happy Halloween!

 

More Autumn Color

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Do you decorate for Autumn?

A. Not really. I take away the fake springish flowers and replace them with autumn ones. That's about it.

2. How often do you clean out your closets?

A. Not often enough.

3. When is the last time you planned a surprise for someone?

A. Working on that now.

4. Are there foods you really don’t like?

A. Coconut. 

5. What is something you recently learned?

A. That we have hidden populations all over the place. Not just immigrants, but disabled folks, different folks, women, children - all invisible to the populace as a whole. All considered things to be bargained with, or done away with, or used for power and gain. I think I knew this, deep down, but it has become a reality of fact for me in recent days.

6. Name items you’re most likely to buy at a convenience store.

A. I don't normally shop in convenience stores, but I might buy a candy bar or a bottle of water there.

7. Do you believe in the paranormal?

A. Yes.

8. How would you describe your spirituality?

A. Eclectic.

9. Do you make plans far in advance?

A. No.

10. Do you like being scared for fun?

A. No.

11. What has been difficult for you lately?

A. I seem at odds with myself and have lost my purpose. Even though it has been 10 years since I last wrote for The Herald, I miss my work there. I miss my old life. I have also been having great amounts of physical pain, and that makes it difficult to get through the day.

12. Have you ever written or read fanfiction?

A. Yes on both counts.

13. What type of wall art do you have in your home?

A. I have some P. Buckley Moss photos and some local artists' works.

14. Are you more likely to be private or overshare?

A. I probably do a bit of both, and probably at the wrong time on each count.

15. What have you recently learned to live without?

A. New stuff.

__________

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: Spooky Scary Skeletons

Saturday 9: Spooky Scary Skeletons (1996)

Unfamiliar with this week's featured song? Hear it here.

 

1) In this song, Andrew Gold sings that these skeletons send shivers down his spine. Do you often involuntarily shudder or shiver?

A. No, I'm just always cold. I think it's my blood pressure medicine.

 

2) While they appear frightening, these skeletons are harmless and only want to socialize with us mortals. Can you think of something -- or someone -- that intimidated you at first but that you were more comfortable with as you became more familiar?

A. Any new job was that way. At first, I was terrified but then it eased up eventually.

3) The video for this song was originally created in 1929. Skeleton Dance was a short movie produced and directed by Walt Disney himself. In 2006, Disney Studios paired Gold's song with this animation for a Halloween DVD. Do you have any DVDs that you watch seasonally (every Halloween, every Thanksgiving, every Christmas, etc.)?

A. I watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy at some point from about November 15 to the new year. We also watch Jeff Dunham's Christmas Special on DVD, which is funnier than what was shown on TV. And we must watch Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer. We have that on DVD as well as on the DirecTV recorder. At Halloween, I like to watch Practical Magic.

 

4) You may not realize it, but you likely already know one of Andrew Gold's songs. He wrote "Thank You for Being a Friend," the theme to TV's Golden Girls. Blanche, Dorothy, Rose or Sophia: Which is your favorite?

A. Which is my favorite Golden Girl? Hmm. I think it's a tie between Dorothy and Rose.

These questions will help us get into the Halloween spirit . . .

5) Introduced in the 1880s, candy corn was originally called Chicken Feed. It was developed by a candy manufacturer who gave it the orange/white color and special name to differentiate it from jellybeans. Do you like candy corn (a) all year around or (b) at Halloween only or (c) never?

A. (c) never. Candy corn is nasty.

6) What candy will trick-or-treaters get when they show up at your front door?

A. We never have trick-or-treaters because we're so rural. I suppose if someone showed up, I'd have to toss them some gum or change or something.

 

7) Halloween was a 1978 movie by John Carpenter about Michael Myers, who kills while wearing a ghostly mask. In the original movie, the mask used was a $2 Captain Kirk mask, painted white. Both Halloween and Star Trek are successful franchises of more than a dozen movies. Have you seen more of Michael Myers or Captain Kirk?

A. Captain Kirk.

8) In 2022, a survey of California schoolchildren revealed that Buzz Lightyear was the top pick of Halloween costume. When you were little, did you prefer to dress up for Halloween as a hero, like Buzz, or a scary monster?

A. I usually went as a hobo, as it was an easy costume to put together.

 

9) Some long-time White House employees claim they have seen Abraham Lincoln's ghost wandering the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Have you ever seen a ghost?

A. I have seen several ghosts. I saw many when I was a child; one sat at the foot of my bed for several years. As an adult, I have seen two ghosts. One was a Confederate soldier who walked down the aisle at the Courthouse in Craig County during a night meeting of the Board of Supervisors. At the time, they were discussing improvements to the Courthouse. The soldier walked down the aisle and turned right, going through the wall at the second story window. I sat there waiting for someone to say something, but apparently no one else saw him. The other event happened during the day. I was driving to Fincastle when I looked to my right and the housing subdivision that was there disappeared completely, and in its place was a field with trees, and I saw several Native Americans on horseback meeting with white men in what looked like buckskin clothing. I stopped the car and the image disappeared. (No, I wasn't drinking.) 

_______________

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

We are, allegedly, out of the Covid pandemic and into the endemic stage of the virus. That means we get to learn to live with it.

I know the pandemic changed many things for a lot of people. Some people changed nothing about their lives, but I suspect most everyone was affected in one way or another.

Here are 13 things that I have changed, modified, or otherwise fixed or broken since 2020:

1. I no longer bite my nails. This is one of the biggest changes for me. I stopped biting them almost as soon as the government shut down. At that time, remember, even though I assumed the virus was transmitted through air, there was much concern that it was transmitted via touch as well. Remember wiping off the groceries with a Clorox wipe? I stopped biting my nails *snap* almost just like that. I keep them trimmed very short and they will never be lovely nails because of so much damage to the nail bed from biting them for 57 years of my life, but I have stopped biting them.

2. I wash my hands. A lot. I wash my hands the minute I walk into the door if I have been somewhere. If I've been to the grocery store, I wash my hands and then empty the car, put the groceries away, and wash my hands again. 

3. I have inside sneakers and outside sneakers. I used to wear my shoes everywhere, but now I have a pair that (mostly) stays in the house, and another pair out in the garage that I wear when I go to the store or whatever. I think this has helped cut down on debris in the house and dust and dirt on the floor. My husband also no longer wears his outside shoes in the house.

4. I use hand purifier in the car every time I get in it. Go to the store, get in the car, use hand cleaner. 

5. When I gas up the car, I use a tissue or something to hold on to the handle and touch buttons.

6. I still wear a mask in the stores, especially if they are busy. I am generally the only person in the store with a mask, but not always. I may go in a store without a mask if it's a quick stop and there aren't a lot of cars in the parking lot, but I always have a mask with me and if I start to feel like an aisle is getting crowded, I won't hesitate to put one on.

7. I have not been sick (for me, anyway), since 2020. I used to have bronchitis, pneumonia, sore throats - constant colds and allergies. Staying isolated and masking has kept me well, aside from an occasional asthma attack and constant post-nasal drip. I used to get so sick about twice a year that I spent a month in bed, usually in March and again in the fall. Not so now.

8. We eat more home cooking, although I dislike cooking. Our meals are not fancy, and they are rather bland and boring, but we eat in a lot more than we eat out these days. And if we eat out, we generally pick it up and bring it home. I think I've eaten in a restaurant maybe six times in the last three years.

9. My ulcers returned. I lost 20 pounds, and I kept 15 of it off. The other 5 pounds keeps coming and going, but maybe I will one day get a grip on that.

10. I stopped exercising, which was a huge mistake, and the scar tissue issue in my abdomen has increased, along with low back pain, mid-back pain, and my TMJ issues. It's all related, somehow or another.

11. My husband retired. He was a battalion chief with the fire department and just coming off of an ankle fusion when the pandemic hit and things shut down. He was eligible to take his retirement and did so. His reasons were many. This was a huge adjustment for me. He seemed to do fine with it, though he missed "his guys." I missed my long nights of book reading, but we've about adjusted. I think.

12. I spent more time playing the guitar. I haven't necessarily gotten better, but I haven't gotten any worse, either.

13. My car, which is 9.5 years old, only has 60k miles on it, mostly because I don't go anywhere anymore. I think it will be with me for some time.

How about you? Did you make life changes in the last 3 years?

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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 831st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Autumn Colors

 

Camouflaged

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. October reading & writing goals and plans . . . were nonexistent.

2. Something I did that totally paid off . . . was allowing my husband to be generous.

3. I want to see this make a comeback . . . that would be print, as in newspapers and books.

4. Generational traits I really value . . . include fortitude, loyalty, sense of humor, and ability to love.

5. Changes I’d like to see in my daily environment . . . include less dust, a re-do of my office, and a re-do of my husband's office.

6. Favorite soup dishes . . . are basically chicken with rice.

7. Start with the best part or save the best for last . . . or do a little bit of both, depending on the circumstances.

8. The most chaotic part of my daily life . . . is the waking up part.

9. If I could only eat 10 things, I’d pick . . . watermelon, peas, chicken, chocolate, green beans, peaches, grapes, bread, cashews, and potatoes.

10. What Autumn feels like where I live . . . is like the final stages of a long hug from a loving friend.

11. The teacher who would be most proud of me . . . is my high school math teacher.

12. My go to Halloween snacks & treats . . . are not on my mind because we have no trick-or-treaters.

13. 10 ways my life is great right now . . . include (1) I am breathing, (2) I have a comfortable bed, (3) my brother loves me, (4) my husband loves me, (5) my friends love me, (6) I have a good doctor, (7) I have a computer, (8) I have good books to read, (9) I have my cognitive functions, (10) I am still standing upright.

14. A perfect day indoors looks like . . . sitting in a chair with a good book and no worries.

15. Pumpkin spice . . . is enjoyed by other people. I'm not a fan.

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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.