Not the Uber Driver

This year, we are making hay on someone else's property, which means driving equipment six miles to its destination.

This requires multiple trips, with my husband driving a tractor over to the property while hauling a piece of equipment. Then I have to ferry him back so he can get another tractor and another piece of equipment.

It is also important that I go in front or behind him (whichever he requests) with my hazard lights flashing to keep traffic from hitting him.

He finished up the haymaking and this morning we went after the equipment. He drove the dump truck with a trailer over there so he could load the last of the hay, and I followed. He dropped the dump truck and trailer off where he had hay stacked, and then I drove him up to the landowner's shop space where he had a tractor with the equipment my husband needed to load the hay.

There I was to wait on him so I could then follow him and the dump truck home, and then bring him back so he could get another tractor and drive it home.

Yes, it was as complicated as it sounds.

Anyway, during the first part of the delivery and waiting process, I needed to turn the car around. I started backing it up, using the backup camera on the car, and then suddenly, "WHAM."

"What the f*ck did I hit," I wondered aloud. It stopped me dead, whatever it was. I pulled up a bit and looked in the backup camera. All I saw was what looked like gravel.

I got out and saw that there was actually a stump covered with gravel in the middle of this area. This was a flat, graveled area, part of a shop and machine storage place on this landowner's property, that shouldn't have a stump in the middle of it. 

It most definitely should not have a stump covered mostly with gravel that looks nearly invisible on the backup camera of a car.

The landowner was nearby but apparently did not hear my collision. I couldn't see anything wrong with the car, so I turned it around and waited for my husband to return on a tractor (also belonging to the landowner - he let us borrow it because we have a tractor out of service). 

I told him what I'd done and confessed to backing into the stump. Husband looked but couldn't see anything wrong, so we determined I'd probably hit the stump with the car tire.

He also told me that he and his helper had nearly hit the camouflaged stump while they were over there working. "I couldn't have said anything if it had done damage," hubby said. "It's a bad place for a stump."

It's stuff like that that makes me glad I'm not an Uber driver. Sheesh.

Sunday Stealing

1. What is most important to you?

A. That's a broad question. Many things are important to me. My personal happiness and safety, my husband in all regards, other family members, etc. Having a clean house is important to me, writing is important to me, reading is important to me, conversations with friends are important to me. I would be hard-pressed to pick out a "most important" thing.

2. What is your best trait?

A. I am open to new experiences. I have a broad range of interests - a Jill of all trades, if you will.

3. Name a movie that makes you happy.

A. Mamma Mia! That's just a fun movie.

4. Names something that excites you.

A. Chasing after a story for work used to excite me. I could get caught up in it to the exclusion of everything else.

5. Name something that worries you.

A. The state of my community and the that of the nation.

6. List some actions you admire.

A. I admire people who are actively working to save our democracy. 

7. What year has been your best so far?

A. That's rather difficult to say. But I had some good years from about 2004 to 2012, when I was writing for The Fincastle Herald and doing really well there.

8. Who do you trust?

A. My husband and some of my friends.

9. Name a song from your childhood.

A. Daisy, Daisy (A bicycle built for two). My grandmother used to sing it to me.

10. What did you wear today?

A. Jeans and a shirt.

11. Name a book you are currently reading.

A. I am currently listening to Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan. I have On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder, as my book-in-hand read at the moment.

12. What do you want less of?

A. Pain.

13. What is a question that needs to be asked?

A. 

14. What is the best idea you’ve had this week?

A. 

15. How are you creative?

A. I write in this blog. I play the guitar. I journal. Stuff like that.

__________

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: Wait Till You See Him

Saturday 9: Wait Till You See Him (1967)

This song was chosen in honor of Father's Day. Hear it here.

1) This is Nancy Sinatra's celebration of her father, Frank. She singles out the sound of his laugh as something special. Do you know anyone who has a great laugh?

A. Yes. My friend T. has one of the heartiest laughs I've ever heard. I love to hear it.

2) Frank Sinatra recorded this song himself a decade earlier. It was one of more then 1,400 recordings he made over his career. When you think of him, what song comes to mind?

A. When I was 17.

3) Nancy always called her famous father "Daddy," while her younger sister Tina referred to him as "Pop." How did/do you call your father?

A. I call him Dad, usually. Sometimes I call him Pop.

4) Nancy went on to have two daughters of her own. The girls recall that their grandfather was loving and supportive, even when they went through a punk rock phase with spiky hair, lots of leather, and studs. Frank defended their extreme choices as a healthy means of self-expression. Did you have arguments with your parents over your clothes or hair? If you're a parent yourself, have you always approved of your kids' fashion choices?

A. I don't recall arguing too much over my clothing. My mother despaired when I discovered blue jeans and dumped dresses, I think, but I was in middle school by then and I guess she didn't feel like arguing about it. Once I switched to jeans, I never looked back.

5) Back when our own Crazy Sam was in high school, her father gave her driving lessons. What grade would you give your driving today?

A. Probably an A-. I am much more cautious now but suspect my reflexes aren't as strong as they used to be.

6) For family barbecues, Sam's dad dons his "Kiss the Chef" apron and mans the Weber. What's the last thing you grilled?

A. We don't have a grill anymore and haven't had a grill for several years. After some birds nested in it, I threw it away because, well, eww. We didn't replace it.

7) Because he takes his grilling so seriously, Sam once invested in a pair of forged steel tongs for Father's Day. Does anyone on your gift list have a passion that makes them easy to shop for?

A. Not really. My brother and I like similar nerdy things, like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, so sometimes that is helpful.

8) Traditionally the most popular Father's Day gift have been ties, wallets and belts. However experiences -- like tickets to a concert or a sporting event -- are gaining in popularity. Which would you prefer to receive: something to own and hold or an experience to remember?

A. I like experiences, but I have health concerns to consider with that.

9) Random question: Have you recently mistakenly called someone by the wrong name?

A. Not recently. I have done it in the past, though.

_______________

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. 

Vengeance and Vandalism

My morning routine was interrupted by a notice from a friend that there had been vandalism - again - at the local sports complex and elementary school. Both are about 3 miles down the road from me.

By the time I arrived, the messages had been painted over by a county employee or a sheriff's deputy.

There was a lot of paint at the entrance to the elementary school, and then along the exit turn-off into the sports complex, and then up the lane that goes to the sports complex.

What at least some of it said before it was painted over was a threat:

F U Botetot board of directors. Livin large. Class wars. Fuckin 9 mil to murder you all.

On Wednesday night, the Board of Supervisors (not the board of directors) had held a public hearing on the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2024-2025. I did not go because I knew it would be contentious, and it was. I understand there were lots of accusations against the supervisors. They are frequently accused of misuse of fund, of being on the take, etc. I do not believe any of that for a second. If I thought it were true, I'd be among the first to yell "foul" in my capacity as a freelance writer/journalist and longtime news reporter. 

From what I have heard, at Wednesday night's meeting, people talked over one another, they chanted, clapped, and were generally rude. This has been going on at public meetings since at least 2020, so much so that it is a relief when I am watching the meetings and these people have stayed home for whatever reason. (Wednesday night's meeting was not live streamed; they moved it to the high school to accommodate the expected large crowd.)

The citizenry is out of control. They are attempting mob rule. I do not doubt that at least one of these people is actually capable of killing someone. And I know exactly where this comes from. It's coming down through the evangelical churches to my community, and it's the result of having a fascist for a president for 4 years and a Republican party that is no longer Republican, but instead an arm of fascism. These people want an authoritarian state. They need a daddy to lead them, I guess.

And just to be clear, vandalism that costs more than $1000 to repair (and this will, it will require new asphalt) is Class 6 felony in Virginia. If it doesn't cost more than $1000 to repair, it's a Class 1 misdemeanor. Destruction of property or vandalism may also be charged under other code sections as well.

Class 6 felonies are punishable by one to five years in prison. The misdemeanor is punishable with up to 12 months in jail. Both would require restitution for repair costs, too.

This disgusts me in ways I can't even describe. To think that there are people in my community who would act this uncivilized, this demonic, is simply vile. What's worse, these people think they are right and that they have the right to act this way.

They don't. I hope the sheriff catches them and hurls them in prison where they belong.

Thursday Thirteen

1. I took the recycling to the recycling dumpsters early this morning, before the heat came, and saw that the plastic dumpster, at least, was compromised. Someone had tossed heavy plastic shelving in the bins. We can only recycle items with "1" or "2" in the little recycling logo on the bottom of things. Heavy plastic shelving doesn't fall in that category.

2. Generally, I suspect most of our recycling actually ends up in the landfill. I am very conscientious about recycling paper and plastic (I don't use much glass and tend to keep what I do to reuse as storage containers). But it doesn't do me much good if others don't do the same. Still, I do it.

3.  My car is not a hybrid or electric vehicle, but I also don't drive it that much. I put less than 10,000 miles a year on it. The car is 10 years old and only has 63,000 miles on it. I like to think that my staying at home so much is helping the planet.

4. The refrigerator door was not working properly, and my husband and his friend fixed it this morning. The bushings in the door hinge had worn out and the door wasn't closing. Some days I would go in the kitchen to find the door standing open a few inches. It took him 45 minutes to fix it, but that was because one of the pieces got stuck.

5. The refrigerator is 11 years old. The stove is 37 years old. The crockpot is 41 years old. Many of my things are 41 years old and I still use them. 

6. My trashcan in the bathroom is a testament to the longevity of plastic. It is at least 37 years old, and may be 41 years old, as I can't remember when I bought it. It still has a sticker on it that says $2.99 from some place called Hechinger. That apparently was a store similar to Lowe's and it went bankrupt in 1999. I honestly don't remember it at all, although apparently, I shopped there. I don't think anyone would have given me a trash can for a gift.

7. My trash can would not be a candidate for the recycling bin, either, just like those big heavy plastic shelves that I saw in the recycling bin. But it isn't degenerating or degrading or rotting or anything like that and it is still a perfectly fine little trash can. So, if I had tossed this trash can in the trash 40 years ago, it would still be in the landfill. Maybe the elements would work on it a little, but this stuff has a long lifespan.

8. Speaking of lifespans, I recently read an article about a turtle that was 192 years old. I can't imagine living that long. Imagine how much trash that turtle has seen.

9. I also read a story about a woman who was eaten by a python in Indonesia. It swallowed her head first. She disappeared and when people went looking for her, they found the python with a full belly and cut it open. What a horrible way to die.

10. On Facebook, they have this section called "reels" that shows videos. For some reason, I get a lot of paranormal or spooky videos. Most of them appear to me to be fake, but sometimes I am not sure. I was seeing a lot of tractor trailer driver videos and then suddenly more paranormal stuff. I wonder what caused that algorithm to change?

11. The influx of AI stuff to the search engines is confusing and I don't trust any of it. The best thing about Microsoft's Copilot is it gives references. I go check the references before I believe what I'm reading. And as for AI pictures - they are everywhere. Usually I can tell, but not always. It's a bit unnerving.

12. All of this reminds me of the first time I received an email from a certain friend. I just happened to be checking my mail when her note arrived, and I read it, answered it, and turned it around fairly quickly. She was mad at me for doing that, saying there was no way I could have thought about what she'd written in the short amount of time it took. "It should take days to write me a response like that," she had said. Well, I type fast, and I think fast. I didn't need days to respond to an email. That was around 1992.

13. Hopefully email has saved reams and reams of paper and lots of trees. I have gone back to writing "real" paper letters to a few people, though. It is more intimate and feels more personal.

______________

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 864th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Rural Living v. Farming

I enjoy living in a rural area. I like the meadows, the mountains, the forests, the trees, the privacy.

There are deer to watch as they bound down the hillside toward the gully, racoons skittering across the driveway at dusk, an occasional bear on the back porch, squirrels everywhere, birdsong filling the skies with a lovely cacophony of sound, turkeys strutting and chasing bugs - all manner of wildlife to watch and enjoy.

But farming? Farming is a different animal. It's not "rural living." Farming is work. Farming is income. Farming is expensive.

I seriously doubt most people know what goes into that hamburger they grab at the fast food restaurant. So, I am going to tell you.

First, the farmer has to have property. Generally, these days, this is generational land, handed down from parent to child, because most people can't afford to buy the acreage necessary to farm. There are small farms of about 25 acres, perhaps, and small farms can feed a community. They can't feed a nation.

Our farm is not a big farm, but neither is it a small farm. It is a small farm compared to the massive farms out west, but for this area, it's not small.

So that's the first requirement. Land. Land means upkeep, it means real estate taxes, it means physical labor. It takes machinery to keep it up. That means large expensive purchases for things like a tractor, a hay cutter, a tedding machine for the hay, a hay rake, a baler, and a trailer. That's the least you'd need, really, if you are going to raise cattle.

Then you need a place to store the machinery. If you're making hay, you need a place to store the hay.

Then you need to keep the machinery up and running. That requires gas, oil, fluids of all kinds, and then repair parts because everything breaks down, every summer. So you need someone to write the checks and do the bookkeeping (that would be me, in our case).

Next, one must buy cattle. That's an outright purchase of a cow or 50, and then you bring them home and turn them loose on the land. You have to build fence to keep them in. You have to tag them, give them minerals, make sure they have water, rotate their grazing pasture, watch them when they give birth to ensure the calves come out ok. The cows need certain shots required by law for various diseases. You have to keep the flies off of them, chase away the coyotes, shoo away the vultures.

Then you rent a truck and haul the calves to the market when they're grown. If you're lucky, in about three years' time you've recouped the initial cost of the cow and if she lives a while, the rest could be called profit - minus all the constant upkeep, of course.

So next time you think about the price of beef in the grocery store, remember that a whole lot of effort goes into ensuring that hamburger is in the meat freezer. It doesn't just come from the back of the store.

It comes from us. To be precise, it comes from my husband, who works hard and has shed sweat and blood over those animals.

Sunday Stealing

1. Are you afraid of the dark?

A. No. I should be, but I am not.

2. Can you curl your tongue?

A. Yes.

3. Can you wiggle your ears?

A. No.

4. Did you ever participate in a talent show?

A. Yes. When I played in band, both the high school band and the rock and roll band I was in, I was in talent shows that involved them.

5. Do you have any piercings or tattoos?

A. My ears are pierced.

6. Do you prefer Mac or PC?

A. I have a PC. I have always had PCs. If I thought that my older stuff would convert easily to a Mac, I'd try a Mac, but I don't know and can't seem to find out.

7. Do you still have your wisdom teeth?

A. No. I had them cut out when I was about 16. I was quite sick from it.

8. Do you watch cartoons?

A. I haven't in a long while, but I don't mind them.

9. Have you ever been hospitalized?

A. Many times.

10. Have you had braces?

A. Yes.

11. Were you ever a Girl or Boy Scout? (Or a brownie)

A. No.

12. What is one food you refuse to eat?

A. Coconut.

13. What's the most expensive item of clothing that you own?

A. Probably my sneakers.

14. What's your favorite foreign food?

A. I like Chinese, although I strongly suspect what is called "Chinese food" around here is so Americanized as to be unrecognizable as real Chinese food.

15. Who's your favorite fictional character?

A. I don't really know, but I'll go with Nancy Drew this time.

__________

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: Footloose

Saturday 9: Footloose (1984)

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

1) In this week's song, Kenny Loggins encourages everyone to lose their blues by dancing. What reliably shakes you out of a funk?

A. I don't know that anything "reliably" shakes me out of a funk, as I am pretty funk-stubborn, but a walk helps, as does phone calls with friends, journaling, reading a book or playing music. Maybe I need to dance more.

2) To cut footloose, he has to kick off his "Sunday shoes." What's on your feet as you answer these 9 questions?

A. A pair of APEX sneakers and socks.

3) This is the title song of the popular 1984 movie of the same name. It's so well-identified with the film that the AFI named it #96 of the top 100 movie songs of the last 100 years. Have you seen Footloose?

A. Yes, I have seen it, but it has been a long time.

4) The title of his 2022 memoir, Still Alright, was inspired by "I'm Alright," the song he wrote for the raucous golf comedy, Caddyshack. Do you play golf? (Yes, putt-putt miniature golf counts!) Do you watch it on TV?

A. I have played miniature golf. We used to do that when we went to the beach. I don't watch golf on television.

5) Thinking of movies, Kenny says watching Yankee Doodle Dandy when he was just 7 years old made him think performing looked like fun and says, "I knew deep inside this is something I could do." Do you recall when you set off on your chosen career?

A. I have always been a reader and my teachers urged me to write, but I think it was when I was reading Nancy Drew books when I was about 9 or so that I realized that was what I wanted to do: write. In particular, I wanted to write Nancy Drew books. I'm not sure how that turned into a career in news reporting.

5) Kenny grew up in Everett, Washington, north of Seattle and 84 miles from the Canadian border. Have you ever visited Canada? If yes, where did you go?

A. I have never been to Canada.

6) In 1977 Kenny struck up a friendship with Stevie Nicks, who was a source of encouragement and would sing with him on one of his biggest hits, "Whenever I Call You Friend." Tell us about when you met one of your best friends.

A. When I first met one of my closest friends today, she was dressed in a cow suit at the library. I was there to write an article about an event she was participating in. Later, I did another article about a book she had illustrated, and we hit it off. I generally try not to become friends with the subjects of my articles, but sometimes it's inevitable.

7) In 1984, when this song was a hit, Angela Lansbury premiered in Murder, She Wrote, a show still seen in reruns today. Were/are you a fan?

A. I have seen a few episodes of the show, but it never was must-see TV.

8) Let's tweak your memory about something else that happened in 1984. Without looking it up, can you recall why Michael Jackson's Pepsi commercial made headlines the world over?

A. Didn't his hair catch on fire while making that commercial?

9) Random question -- Think of your last professionally prepared meal. Did you dine in, carry out, or have it delivered?

A. We had take-out salad for lunch on Friday, and I bought extra to have for lunch today (Saturday).

_______________

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. 

Tomorrow's the Day

Tomorrow is my birthday. I already have my present, a new iPhone SE. Yes, I am still behind with an SE model, but I don't like those big bulky phones they have out at the moment. I'm a short little fat person and I need something small.

I used to like birthdays and holidays, but I do not find them as enjoyable as I once did. More and more, they're just other days. It's not like all of those birthday greetings on Facebook actually mean anything. FB makes it easy to wish someone a happy birthday (and at the moment I don't even know if my notification is turned on, I have turned it off in the past).

That's part of growing old, I guess. Life kind of sucks the joy right out of everything, once you've been around the block a time or two.

Anyway, tomorrow's Saturday, and I was born on a Saturday. The story goes that my mother worked Friday, went into labor at the office, and gave birth to me in the wee hours of the morning. My father said I had the cutest little ears. Or maybe that was my grandfather. Somebody said it, anyway.

I still have cute little ears. Ha. One of them is a bit tender because I accidentally hit it with a hot curling iron yesterday.

So happy birthday to me!

Thursday Thirteen

1. Thursday sneaks up on me sometimes. Like today. It's Thursday and 2 p.m. and I've not done a Thursday 13! Whatever is going on!

2. It rained a toad strangler yesterday afternoon, dumping nearly 2 inches of water according to the gauge. From the looks of the washed-out driveway, it was a lot of water.

3. After using the same iPhone SE for about 7 years, I bought a newer version of the iPhone SE for my upcoming birthday. My old one was an iPhone 5; I think this one is like an iPhone 8 or something. I do not like the newer iPhones; they are huge. If I wanted to carry a refrigerator around at my ear, I'd do that.

4. Speaking of refrigerators, the door on mine is not closing properly. After moving everything about and ensuring nothing was blocking the door, I was flummoxed. Then I happened into the kitchen when nothing else was running - no heat pump humming, no TV blaring, and opened the door. It made a little "shush shush" sound, like something was rubbing. From that information, my husband deduced that something calling a bushing in the door hinge had worn out.

5. Sometimes one needs a little quiet in order to find the source of the problem. Too much noise, too much yelling, too much shouting, only lends to confusion. Be still, says me. Be quiet.

6. So far, the stillness hasn't helped me figure out all the things I need to on my new phone. I seem to have lost one of the most important apps and I can open it if I go into apps, but I can't open it straight from the phone and I don't know how to fix it. I am hoping time will help.

7.  We had more rain this afternoon. We've had more rain in two days than we had in most of May, I think. We have been dry here.

8. Some parts of the state have been wet, though. This reminds me of people who can't get their head around two facts at once, for some reason. Like how the price of toilet paper can be high and the economy can still be good. The fact that the price of toilet paper is high might lead one to think the economy is in the um, well, you know, but actually it's kind of roaring along. Maybe not for everyone, but all in all, we're lucky we're not doggy-doo-doo deep in a depression following the pandemic.

9. I told my husband the other day that I did not feel emotionally depressed, but I felt logically depressed. He looked at me like I was nuts. But you know what I mean, right? Emotionally I felt fine, but my brain was still telling me the bad interior soundtrack that leads to depression in the first place. Hard to shut that down when it's been rolling for a half-century.

10. Some businesses are closing, and the price of gas is still high. Some people believe, I guess, that the president calls the local BP station and tells it what price the gas should be today. They don't understand capitalism or economics. Actually, a lot of folks don't seem to understand much of anything that pertains to reality because they're living in some weird space that I do not inhabit.

11. I had thought the local special thinkers were known only to the rest of us locals, but I recently learned that the surrounding counties are well aware of the things going on in my community. One person called them "anti-development people" who are really "“the government only works when it works for me” people. That seems about right.

12. You could also call them "hurrah for me and F-U" people.

13. As for me, just call me, so long as it's not to be mean. 

______________

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 863rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Writers I'm Supposed to Love

When I was taking Advanced Placement English in high school (it was, in theory, college level English), I remember a little argument I had with Dr. Shots (she had a Ph.D. and insisted on the title) about the deconstruction of a piece of work.

Apparently, I had had enough of the "they used yellow here for sickness, green for jealousy, why do you think this lamp is placed here," because I told her I didn't think authors meant for their work to be analyzed in such depth and detail.

"Sometimes a lamp is just a lamp," I said. Or something to that effect.

You'd have thought I'd blasphemed the chin of God the way she came after me. Of course, every word was carefully chosen, every sofa, every lamp, every blade of grass, had a deeper meaning than just being a blade of grass. What was I doing in her class, telling her (with her Ph.D) that writers didn't always mean something else with what they wrote?

"Because I write, and I don't do that," I responded. "Not consciously."

"Then you're not a writer," she snapped, putting an end to the discussion.

She was the only teacher to ever say that to me.

After that, I kept my mouth shut and dutifully turned in my papers or spoke up in class saying that of course the lamp meant that the character had an idea or had seen the light about some issue. It wasn't put there simply so she could read the book in her hand.

Then I went to Hollins College, now Hollins University, which is a women's undergraduate degree school that is well-known for the writers it puts out. Think Margaret Wise Brown and Anne Dillard, just to name two. Or Lee Smith and Jill McCorkle.

There the poetry in particular was analyzed in great detail, even that which was written in the 17th century. I went on to read Virginia Woolf and numerous other writers while taking eight long years to get my bachelors.

And I always found the examination of works tedious, and I stubbornly (and secretly) held on to my conviction that sometimes a lamp is just a lamp. But I wrote the essays about the books secret meanings and dissected the poems as required.

Of course, sometimes imagery has double meaning, and of course sometimes the more literary authors put cute language in their works to add to the character. The book I'm currently listening to has a daughter of a woman who was dying of cancer eat a chicken pot pie with her mother and the hospice worker. What does the chicken pot pie symbolize?

Damn if I know. Dinner table scenes are great for conversation; they had to eat something. Maybe it symbolizes the daughter's fears about her mother's upcoming death (she's chicken, get it?). Maybe it was just there.

Barbara Kingsolver, Ann Patchett, Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Gilbert, and now Ann Beattie (whom I am listening to - maybe it's something to do with the name "Ann"), are among the literary writers that I am supposed to like. They use great turns of phrases and create deep characters. Every word has been carefully chosen. I imagine these writers spend days pouring over one sentence until they are utterly sick of it, trying to make sure they've chosen chicken pot pie instead of Thai food for the correct reason.

And I listen or read their books and find they do not move me. Occasionally they write one that I find intriguing and enjoy, but overall, they are not my favorite authors. They may have a good sentence or two that makes its way into my little "writer's notebook," but the stories seldom stick with me.

Who do I like to read? I like Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, Susan Wiggs, Kate DiCamillo, Debbie Macomber, Nora Roberts, Louise Penny, Kristin Hannah, etc. These are not literary giants, but they write well and have interesting stories that move along just fine. Sometimes they make me laugh and sometimes they make me think. I liked The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. I like a lot of fantasy writers, like Neil Gaiman, Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, Phillip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin, etc.

I wrote for newspapers. I wrote to educate and inform, not to puzzle people and have them wonder about the significance of someone eating chicken pot pie. I like my fiction to be straight up and to the point, anymore. I read Overstory and while it received rave reviews, I found it incredibly boring. Great concept, but my goodness, couldn't that have been put out into the world in some way that wasn't so long and drawn out?

It is good for me to listen to authors I do not like, to stories I don't always enjoy. I never know what I may find in such tales. I do it now as a part of my life's growth cycle, so I don't get stale. I listen to or read everything from memoir to nonfiction self-help to the aforesaid authors to Catch-22. I seldom listen to or read something a second time (Tolkien being the exception). 

Life is a learning experience. This is part of how I live it. But sometimes it frustrates me, because I still think I'm right. A lamp sometimes is just a lamp.

Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico

This morning the news comes with the word that Mexico has elected a female president.

More than 100 countries, including the United States, have never been led by a woman.

We're supposed to be the leader in the free world, but that's just poppycock. We're so far behind the times in true freedom and liberty that it's a joke. We have lots of freedoms to do things, but not freedoms from things. Like the freedom to go to the movie theater and know we won't get shot in our seat. Or the freedom to be rid of advertisements we don't want. Or spam phone calls. Stuff like that.

I love my country, but the bass ackwards mindset of its citizens in among the more perplexing and aggravating things about it.

My state has never had a female governor. Other states have, but not mine.

My local Board of Supervisors has had females on it, and currently has one of five. Shouldn't that be more like three of two, when women make up half of the citizenry?

We have a female vice president and that scares a lot of people. Oh no, she might become president! She might do some good in the world! Horrors.

Crickey.

Sunday Stealing

1. If you like art, who is your favorite artist and why?

A. I like art, but I don't know that I have a favorite. I have a Van Gogh print on my wall in my office, so I must like him ok. Most of the art in my house comes from local artists. P. Buckley Moss might be the most famous local artist. I have three of her paintings, one of my college and one of two children; one named after my husband and another named after me.

2. If you were able to learn any three skills or talents instantly and with success, what would they be? 

A. How to draw/paint, how to code on the computer, and how to deal with people.

3. If you were to live in Ancient Times, where - in what country - would you want to live in?

A. I would want to go all the way back to prehistoric times, since "Ancient Times" is not defined. I want to see pterodactyls and brontosauruses.

4. What is something you’re embarrassed to admit to liking? Whether it be a guilty pleasure show, or unusual hobby, etc.

A. I like animated movies, but I'm not embarrassed about that.

5. What is the worst job you’ve ever had?

A. I worked at bank for about two months and hated every minute of it.

6. What is something that you wanted to do as a child that you would still like to do now?

A. I wanted to be an archeologist or a geologist. If I were in better physical shape, I think it would be fun to go on an archeological dig.

7. What do you hate being judged for more than anything else?

A. How I look.

8. What is your life’s mission?

A. Apparently to mess around with my husband's head. Otherwise, I don't really know.

9. If everyone walked around wearing warning labels, what would yours say?

A. Approach with caution.

10. At what age did you first feel like you were an adult?

A. I think when I was 29 and received my bachelors. I'd already had a hysterectomy and knew my life was going in a direction I hadn't planned.

11. When did you not speak up, but wish you had?

A. Some things are always better left unsaid.

12. What is something that makes your skin crawl?

A. Snakes. I am not a fan of snakes. Or spiders. Creepy crawly things.

13. What was the last thing to give you butterflies in your stomach?

A. I get butterflies when someone tells me they love me.

14. What's your favorite type of media to work with? (Paint, clay, pens etc.)

A. I like colored pencils.

15. What question do you hate answering?

A. A whole lot of these, to be perfectly honest, but they make me think and sometimes I need that. Mostly I dislike the questions that ask how I relate to someone else. I don't know who reads my blog, so I seldom answer those types of questions directly.

__________

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.

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my one and only fellow. 

He gets to celebrate his special day today.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: 5-10-15-20 (1970)

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

1) In this week's song, The Presidents sing about a long married, very happy couple. Who is the longest married couple you know? Who is the happiest? Are they the same couple?

A. I'm sure there are people I know who have been married longer than I, but I have hit 40 years of marriage and that is a long time. We are content with the life we have created together.

2) The lyrics ask repeatedly: "Aren't we happy?" Are you feeling happy today? Why or why not?

A. I'm feeling content today. I have some health issues nagging at me, and lots on my mind, but that's fairly usual for me.

3) This happy couple enjoys watching children at play. Is there a park, playground or schoolyard near you?

A. There are two elementary schools; one is six miles away and the other is 5 miles away in the other direction. The elementary school that is six miles away is near a sports complex that has lots of ballfields.

4) This song reminds Crazy Sam of when she used to recite the multiplication tables. Think back to your school days. Was math one of your favorite subjects?

A. I loved my math teachers but not so much the subject. It pains me that I couldn't do an algebra problem if my life depended on it now, when I took years of it and made straight As. I skipped math for the most part in college and took "literary math" which was more about the famous personalities in math than the actual doing of math. It's like my Spanish - if you stop using the skill, you lose it.

5) The Presidents seems like a good name for a band formed in Washington DC. What would be an appropriate name for a band from your hometown?

A. The Botetourt (pronounced "body-tot") Beaters.

6) DC trivia: The street names are letters, but J was skipped. That's because in the 1700s, the way many wrote their alphabet, "J" looked like "I" and so "J" was passed over to avoid confusion. Tell us something we may not know about your hometown (or state).

A. Botetourt was part of the raids during the Civil War, and the area we call Buchanan was burned during Hunter's Civil War Raid, and the bridge over the James River was destroyed, too. Also, this is where the James River begins. It's like a creek of sorts here, or a small river, but when you see the James at Williamsburg, it is massive.

7) In 1970, when this song was on the Billboard chart, The Mary Tyler Moore Show premiered on CBS. The theme song said Mary could "turn the world on with her smile," yet in real life, MTM was self-conscious about her "wide mouth." Are you comfortable looking at photos of yourself?

A. Not really. I don't take pictures of myself often, nor do others.

8) Also in 1970, Dinah Shore became one of the first women to host her own national daytime talk show. Today, Kelly Clarkson, Drew Barrymore, Tamron Hall, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Ripa all have their own shows, and The Talk and The View are both hosted by women. Who is your favorite talk show host?

A. I don't have one. Sorry.

9) Random question -- Would you rather have a job that has you on your feet all day, or one that has you parked in a chair?

A. I tend to stay parked in a chair, so that one.

_______________

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

Songs that young folks today may not understand:

1. Operator, by Jim Croce. The song captures a heartfelt conversation with a telephone operator, where the speaker attempts to reconnect with a former lover who has moved away with his best friend. The narrative conveys a mix of sorrow and resignation, as the speaker ultimately decides not to complete the call, telling the operator to “keep the dime” — a reference to the cost of the call at the time.

2. Kodachrome, by Paul Simon. The song’s title refers to the Kodak film known for its rich color saturation, symbolizing the vivid memories of youth. With catchy lyrics Simon reflects on how life seems more radiant and full of possibility when seen through the ‘Kodachrome’ lens.

3. Wichita Lineman, by Glenn Campbell. The song tells the story of a solitary lineman working on the telephone lines in the vastness of the American Midwest, capturing the essence of loneliness and longing.

4. White Rabbit, by Jefferson Airplane. The song is renowned for its allusions to Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass,” using the fantastical tales as metaphors for the psychedelic experience. With its famous lines “One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small,” the song became an anthem of the 1960s counterculture, inviting listeners to explore altered states of consciousness and to “feed your head” with knowledge and new experiences.

5. American Pie, by Don McLean: This iconic song is a tribute to the late Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson, who died in a plane crash (often referred to as “The Day the Music Died”). The lyrics are rich with cultural references from the 1950s and 1960s.

6. Vincent (Starry Starry Night), by Don McLean: Another gem by Don McLean, this song is a heartfelt tribute to the artist Vincent van Gogh. It beautifully captures the essence of van Gogh’s life and struggles.

7. Piano Man, by Billy Joel: This classic tells the story of patrons at a piano bar and their interactions with the pianist. The lyrics mention various characters, including the “real estate novelist” and the “waitress practicing politics.”

8. Sixteen Tons, by Tennessee Ernie Ford: This folk song describes the hardships faced by coal miners. The line “I owe my soul to the company store” refers to the practice of miners being paid in company scrip, which could only be used at the company-owned store.

9. Big Yellow Taxi, by Joni Mitchell: While not necessarily historical, this song laments environmental issues and the loss of natural beauty. The line “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot” has become a well-known phrase.

10. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, by Gordon Lightfoot: A haunting ballad about the sinking of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior. The song pays tribute to the crew members who lost their lives.

11. Space Oddity, by David Bowie: Released in 1969, this song tells the story of an astronaut named Major Tom during a space mission. It captures the fascination with space exploration during that era.

12. In the Year 2525, by Zager and Evans: A futuristic song that imagines the world’s evolution over centuries. It’s a thought-provoking reflection on humanity’s trajectory.

13. The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down, by Joan Baez. The song is a narrative set during the American Civil War, told from the perspective of a Southern farmer named Virgil Caine. It captures the pain and loss experienced by those on the losing side of the war, with vivid imagery of the fall of the Confederacy.

______________

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 862nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.