Thursday Thirteen

I'm tossing out a happy Thursday Thirteen today as I team up with The Gal Herself and her August Happiness Challenge. "Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world."

Yesterday when I was listening to a talk on Facebook, the speaker noted that authoritarianism cannot last in the face of joyful, happy people. So, let's all get out there and find our joy!

Since it's also Thursday and hence time for Thursday 13, what better thing to do than run up a list of 13 things that make me happy? These are not in any particular order.

1. A hug from my husband.

2. A call from my brother.

3. A call from a friend.

4. Reading through old articles I wrote and seeing (a) how much I wrote and (b) how good it was.

5. Eating chocolate.

6. Playing music on my guitar.

7. Singing songs to Alexa.

8. Hearing from an old friend.

9. A talk with my father.

10. Writing in my blog or working on a project.

11. Watching a good TV show.

12. Found money (the kind you didn't know you had, like a $20 in a coat pocket or something)

13. Reading a good book.

And here's my Happiness Challenge icon for this year:

______________

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 868th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Sun and Moon Flag

About six weeks ago, I picked up this flag for the garden at one of the local "country" stores that we have around here. I was flipping through the flags, saw the sun and moon, thought, "Oh, cool," and grabbed it up without thinking anymore about it (it was also on sale).

It's actually a little weird, now that I've had it out and looked more closely at it. At first, I thought the moon had a mustache, but I see that's just a lip. I guess.

The sun doesn't look masculine, and the moon doesn't look feminine. I know my Greek mythology better than other kinds, and the moon has always been feminine and the sun masculine in those tales. In Greek mythology, the sun god was originally Helios and the moon goddess Selene. However, over time, Apollo became a sun god and Artemis became the goddess of the moon, and they came to be associated with Helios and Selene, respectively.

However, in Norse mythology, the sun is feminine and the moon masculine. They were considered to be sister and brother.

It depends upon the culture.

Which is to say that these celestial bodies have no sexual orientation that we are aware of, just like Earth doesn't, though we tend to say Mother Earth. We could just as easily call the planet Father Earth, though that sounds strange to my ear. It may not sound strange to other cultures, though.

What do you think of this flag? I'm glad it's starting to fade in color because I'll have to replace it soon. I'm not sure it's one I will put back out.

I'm finding it a little creepy, to be honest. 

Look, Squirrel!

I think we have an addict on our hands. This squirrel is out on this stump, licking at it, almost constantly.

Back in the fall, I placed a maple-flavored deer mineral tablet on this stump in the back yard. The deer ignored it as best I could tell, and I forgot about it. It disintegrated from time, sun, and rain.

This squirrel seems to be completely addicted to what I assume are the remnants of this mineral tablet. It is there every morning when I get up. It's there whenever I look out the kitchen window.

I hope whatever it is, it is good for squirrels.

My First Article

I don't know that I've posted this ever before, but I was going through some old papers and found the very first article I ever had published.

Mentions of it have appeared at various times, but here's the actual article as it appeared on November 1, 1984.

I can still remember how excited I was to have published something. I was so excited that I met my mother at the local store where she stopped every day on the way home from work to pick up bread or milk or something so I could show her the article. (I'm guessing my husband was at the firehouse, working.)

After that I knew I would be writing for the rest of my life, even though my mother had told me more than once that it was a dead-end career and I'd never make a living at it. While it did not make me rich, it made me happy, and it allowed me to contribute to the household coffers. It also made me quite knowledgeable about my community and what was going on during the 40 years I've written about it.

In looking through these old papers, I see I wrote about everything from soccer and basketball games to vultures to floods to new business openings to supervisors' meetings and everything in between. In all honesty, I don't remember 80 percent of these articles. But there they are in black and white.

Most days I don't think that what I did amounted to much, but honestly, it was quite a career, and quite an endeavor to keep the public informed.

If only they had actually read it.

Sunday Stealing

1. What are your plans for August?

A. I have a doctor's appointment in the middle of the month.

2. What are your mid-year resolutions or goals?

A. I don't have any.

3. Are you good at taking care of plants?

A. Yes, I take good care of plants, but aside from a Christmas cactus and a cactus that are out in the garage, I don't have any indoor plants. 

4. What makes you feel nourished?

A. Besides food? A good hug.

5. Which animals do you see most in your area?

A. Deer.

6. What books are on your summer reading list?

A. I have been binging on Robyn Carr's Thunder Point series of late.

7. What projects do you want to tackle this summer?

A. I need to clean my office again. For some reason it's where all the papers and notebooks gather. They must party like crazy at night when I am not in here.

8. Do you have weddings, graduations, summer celebrations?

A. I do not have any celebrations going on that I am aware of.

9. Which summer snacks are you excited to enjoy again?

A. I enjoy watermelon in the summer.

10. How much time do you like to take for vacations?

A. We usually take 5 - 7 days when we take a vacation, but we do not plan to take a vacation this year.

11. Where are your favorite picnic locations?

A. I haven't been on a picnic in at least 20 years, if not longer.

12. Name something that would be out of character for you.

A. Going on a long holiday by myself would be out of character for me.

13. Which summer movies are you excited to see?

A. I haven't been interested in the summer movies so far.

14. What are your favorite free / cost effective ways to have fun?

A. We like to take drives or visit relatives.

15. Who do you trust most to house & pet sit?

A. We generally don't need that service, but I would trust my brother or my sister-in-law to do that if necessary. Or my husband's cousin.

Saturday 9: Nevertheless

Saturday 9: Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You) 1969

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

1) In this song, Liza Minnelli acknowledges that she may be "taking a terrible chance." Have you done anything risky lately?

A. I find it risky simply going to the grocery store anymore. But that's normal risky. I haven't done anything beyond normal risky in quite a while.

2) In 1969, when Liza recorded this song, she was 23 and her career was really beginning to take off. She was a sought-after guest on TV talk and variety shows and received her first Oscar nomination. Give us a quick overview of your life at 23.

A. When I was 23, I had three years of marriage under my belt. I was attending Hollins College (now Hollins University) part-time as well as attending Virginia Western Community College part-time, working a part-time job, and doing a little freelance writing. We were getting ready to build our house, so we were looking at various house plans. I was driving a black Ford Thunderbird. I was on Interstate 581 heading from VWCC to my job at a law office when I heard the announcer say that Challenger had exploded, and I had to pull over because it upset me so much. I have always been a space program geek. 

3) Also in 1969, the first Gap store was opened in San Francisco. What have you recently added to your wardrobe? If yes, where did you buy it?

A. I bought bras last. I purchased them at Walmart. Not exciting, I know.

4) Liza says she always has apple juice in her refrigerator. What's something you're certain to have in your frig?

A. A gallon of unsweetened tea.

5) Liza's favorite card game is poker. What's yours?

A. Rummy.

6) Though Liza recorded the song in 1969, "Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You)" was written way back in 1931. It has been recorded more than 50 times by artists as diverse as Bing Crosby, Andy Gibb and Bob Dylan. Before today, had you heard it?

A. I don't recall hearing this song before.

7) "Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You)" is credited to Bert Kalmer and his partner, Harry Ruby. Another one of their hits was "Who's Sorry Now?" Do you owe anyone an apology?

A. Not to my knowledge. I have discovered through the years that people can be angry or upset with you for a long time and you never know it. So, there is probably someone somewhere who thinks I owe them an apology for something.

8) Together they also wrote "Hooray for Captain Spaulding," sung onscreen by Groucho Marx in the movie Animal Crackers. There were five Marx Brothers in all. How many can you name?

A. Just the one mentioned in the question, Groucho Marx. 

9) Random question: Do you believe talking to plants helps them grow?

A. I don't think it hurts anything. 

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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. 

Notewothy

In the National News

Covid numbers are rising and are high in 26 states.

The WNBA All Stars team beat Team USA in a fast-moving and high-scoring game of women's basketball on Saturday, July 20, 2024.

An outage on Friday, July 19, left airports, hospitals, and businesses stranded when the Internet went down.

President Joe Biden decided on Sunday, July 21, 2024, to drop out of the presidential race due to health issues and concerns about his age, making him a one-term president. He has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run for the office. He gave a speech about his resignation on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on July 23, 2024 following the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024.

An explosion of hot water and rocks in Wyoming shocked visitors and forced the temporary closure of an area of the Yellowstone National Park. No one was injured.

A major fire in California near Chico has forced evacuations as over 70,000 acres burn. Called the Park Fire, it is believed to have been intentionally set.

Celebrity Deaths

British blues and rock musician John Mayall died at the age of 90.

Abdul "Duke" Fakir, the last surviving member of the Four Tops, passed away on Monday, July 22, 2024.

Local News

Botetourt County Board of Supervisors at its 7/23/2024 meeting approved a change (4-1) to ordinances that allow for civil fines for grass height and inoperable vehicles. The changes move these nuisance ordinances away from the sheriff's office and into the community development office under the authority of the county administrator, though the issue could still be taken to the courts if landowners do not cooperate with the locality. According to comments at the supervisors meeting, the sheriff had said he did not have the staff to enforce the ordinances.

The county supervisors declared a state of drought for the county.

The Botetourt County Historical Society won a grant of $6,500 to use for the upcoming 250th anniversary of the nation.

Thursday Thirteen

One of the things I've noticed for a while now is the decrease in products that I buy, as in, there is less of what used to be in the box.

This is nothing new. It's cyclic and we've gone through this before. I remember when Pop-Tarts were made smaller sometime in the 1990s and I boycotted Pop-Tarts for years in protest. (Now I cannot stand them; they taste like cardboard. Were they that bad when I was a kid and I loved them?)

The eggheads who run things call this "shrinkflation," which is where you are paying about the same price you were for a widget, but the widget is smaller. So here are 13 things I've noticed that are now less in size but cost around the same.

1. Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate bags dropped from 12 oz (down from the original 16 oz) to 10 oz. It doesn't matter so much if you're making chocolate chip cookies, but it played havoc with my fudge-making capabilities last winter, as all of my recipes call for the larger amount of chocolate.

2. Dove Sensitive Skin Soap was one of the first "shrinkflation" items I noticed, as suddenly I was going through a bar of soap much more quickly than I used to. I checked and sure enough the old bars I had under the kitchen sink were 4 oz, while the new bars in the bathroom were 3.75 oz. That's about a week's worth of washing in that quarter ounce.

3. Honey Nut Cheerios boxes have gone from 12 oz to 10.8 oz. I prefer the smaller boxes anyway; no one eats this but me and by the time I get to the middle of a family-sized box they are starting to taste stale. Cereal is quite expensive now, though. I only buy it when it's on sale.

4. Candy bars are smaller. I can tell this mostly by the calories, because they used to be 240 calories and now, they're 220. Some are even less. The loss of calories is good, but the candy costs more for less. Some of it doesn't taste as good as it did, either. I don't know what they've changed in some of the recipes for candy bars, but they did themselves no favors. (Cadbury Eggs grew smaller a few years ago, and this past year I think they were smaller still. So small, in fact, that I couldn't justify the 50 cents for them. They also don't taste as good as they once did.)

5. Nature Valley bars. I eat the cashew ones, and they are not as long as they used to be. They're about 1 bite less.

6. Potato chips have changed bag size. A lot of chips have dropped from 9.75 oz bags to 9.25 oz bags, or some variation thereof. And the price of chips is through the roof; we have started cutting back on our consumption of these. We shouldn't be eating them anyway.

7. Bounty paper towels have dropped from 165 sheets to 147 sheets. I don't know why they didn't do a round number, like drop it to 145 sheets. Weird.

8.  Sun Maid Raisins are now in a 9 oz box when it used to be a 12 oz box for about the same price. Doesn't matter so much in the recipes I use, but it does matter in some things. 

9. Some toothpaste has dropped from 4.1 oz to 3.8 oz. That's probably a week's worth of toothbrushing, like the Dove soap. Essentially these drops in personal care items mean you end up purchasing at least one more item a year than you would have at the old larger size.

10. Coffee has dropped from a 2 pound can to a 1.9 oz can. Fortunately, only my husband drinks coffee and he only has one cup a day.

11. Sugar is no longer in a 5-pound bag; it's in a 4-pound bag.

12. Ice cream used to come in 1/2-gallon (2 quart) containers; now the containers hold 1.44 quarts.

13. Trash bags have changed in number in the boxes. Hefty bags went from 90 to 80 in a box. I suspect the same goes for Zip-loc and other bags, but I haven't paid attention to that. I try not to use those in favor of non-disposable storage containers.

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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 867th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway. (It's really more than that, but I've put some of them away, never to be seen again.)

Pink Sunset

 

Ugly People Doing Ugly Things

House of the Dragon - SPOILER ALERT

If you're not caught up on the House of the Dragon series, you may not want to read further. Or if you have never watched Game of Thrones but plan to one day, you may want to skip this.

My husband dislikes this show, House of the Dragon on HBO. It's a spinoff from Game of Thrones, set 100+ years earlier than Game of Thrones.

I don't much care for the show, either. As my husband said, it is a show full of ugly people doing ugly things.

We seem to be watching it out of habit, and because there isn't anything else on to watch right now.

Initially I thought I would like to see two women vying for the throne, but it turns out, that isn't a draw.

I need somebody to root for in a story, and there isn't anyone. None of these characters are especially likeable. In Game of Thrones, the very first person we like is Ned Stark, and we rooted for Ned Stark. His death, then, was a gut punch.

People die on House of the Dragon and there is nothing. I do not feel anything.

When Princess Rhaenys Targaryen died after Aemond Targaryen's dragon killed her dragon, nearly killing the young King Aegon Targaryen in the process, I didn't feel anything. Her character had not been well developed. And the young king came across as a spoiled brat, sort of an early version of Joffrey from Game of Thrones. I'm sorry he is badly wounded and the portrayal of that is striking, but aside from not liking to see anyone suffer, I don't feel for him.

Actually, there are so many characters, and so many with similar names, that I have a hard time keeping them apart.  And I think that is part of what is wrong with this show. It is moving slowly to try to develop so many characters with so many similar names that it becomes a bit wearying trying to keep up with them all.

It's also a little boring. I think it needs more dragons and less people.

I can recall the names of characters from Game of Thrones even though it has been years since I saw that, and I have no desire to watch that series again. I have to go to the HBO House of the Dragon page to look up the names of all of these ugly people doing ugly things. I can tell you the name of the two women who are vying for the throne - Alicent and Rhaenyra - and a crazy guy named Daemon who is Rhaenyra's uncle and husband, and a guy named Cole who is Alicent's lover, and that's about it. But there are oodles of other characters, and I cannot keep them all straight.

Fantasy has long been a favorite genre, and I am not ill-equipped to deal with a show on this scale. But I have to be interested in the characters if I want to take the time to track them.

And these characters do not interest me. I keep waiting for that to change, but we're about done with this season. I think it'll be at least a year before the next season shows.

By then I won't remember a thing about this show.

Too Much Fertilizer?

My husband pulled these extra-large radishes out of our little garden the other day. Apparently, we left them too long in the ground. The wallet is for size. My husband's hands are twice the size of mine. 

They are as big as turnips! We didn't eat them; we threw them out for the animals.

In Velvet

 I spied this buck taking a break in the field and was entranced by the velvet on his developing antlers.

Sunday Stealing

1. What would you put in a time capsule?

A. An MP3player with good music on it, a DVD of selected news stories (real news, not that entertainment junk), a couple of real newspapers, a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, printed photos of many different things, from the personal to the public, and a personal letter addressed to "whomever has opened this time capsule."

2. What’s something you’re really good at?

A. Thinking. I tend to be an overthinker. I'm also a decent writer, And I make good fudge.

3. What part of society would you like to change?

A. I would like to see health care be better in the United States. It is too expensive, our mortality rate lags behind other nations with more socialized are, and people go bankrupt here simply trying to live because of the high costs associated with something like having a heart attack.

4. What have you eaten in the past 24 hours?

A. Honey Nut Cheerios, chicken & broccoli over rice, a Nature Valley Cashew bar, and an egg sandwich.

5. What is an unusual fact about you?

A. I was born with a huge mole in the shape of a bullet on my chest. Doctors removed it when I was 5 years old and left a massive scar on my chest.

6. Do you collect anything?

A. I have a very small collection of Department 56 houses (the Dickens Village), more cheap guitars than I need, and a lot of books. I also have a fair number of clocks, but not an extravagant collection. Just a few more clocks than a person needs to have.

7. Have you played sports?

A. No. I was in the marching band in high school, which was rather physical.

8. What is your favorite blog?

A. Besides my own? I don't know. I read most of the Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing blogs, some during the week, some not. I don't really want to name a favorite and leave someone out.

9. Ketchup vs. mustard?

A. Ketchup.

10. Do you believe in ghosts or aliens?

A. I don't think "believe" is the appropriate word. I can neither confirm nor deny, just I can neither confirm or deny the existence of a god.

11. The last movie you saw in a theater.

A. I think it was the first Wonder Woman. No, wait, I saw Barbie in the theater. So Barbie.

12. The silliest thing you have done this week.

A. I have not felt well so I don't know that I have done anything silly this week.

13. Have you ever done anything illegal?

A. I have driven over the speed limit. I smoked marijuana a couple of times when I was a teenager.

14. What would you wish for right now?

A. Good health.

15. What shoes do you wear the most of?

A. Tennis shoes. That is pretty much all I wear. Even my dress shoes are a pair of black sneakers.

__________

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: Disco Duck

Saturday 9: Disco Duck (1976)

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

1) In this song, Rick Dees begins by describing a party where he can't resist that disco beat. What's the last party you attended? Was there dancing?

A. The last party I attended was my father's 80th birthday party. There wasn't real dancing but there was a bit of shagging in the corner.

2) While this record was a massive international hit in 1976, it got off to an inauspicious start. Rick Dees said it took him less than a day to write the song, and more than three months to convince anyone to let him record it. Tell us about a time you were tempted to give up but were glad you didn't.

A. It took me 8 years to earn my bachelor's degree. There were plenty of times when I wanted to give it up, but I stuck with it. I may not have done what I thought I would with the degree, but I am glad I have it.

3) In the hit movie Saturday Night Fever, students are briefly seen learning to dance to "Disco Duck." Can you name another song from Saturday Night Fever?

A. How Deep Is Your Love by the BeeGees.

4) Dees was already a top disc jockey in Memphis when "Disco Duck" was released. With the record's success, his radio career soared and he got a better job reaching a greater audience at a radio station in Los Angeles. Are there any disc jockeys you loyally listened to every day?

A. Not anymore. I used to listen to Dick & Dave on Q99 (local station) but I haven't done that in years.

5) After more than 20 years, Rick lost his regular radio slot to Ryan Seacrest. But he still shares "the hottest music on the planet" through the Rick Dees Hit Music app (available at the Apple App Store or Google Play). What app have you recently downloaded to your phone?

A. Skyview Lite. It shows you the names of stars and constellations when you point your phone at the sky.

6) He used his favorite radio format to create a cookbook called Rick Dees All-Time Top 40 Greatest Desserts. If you could finish a delicious meal with the dessert of your choice, anything at all, what would you order?

A. A chocolate brownie with whipped cream on it.

7) In 1976, when "Disco Duck" was a hit, The Bionic Woman premiered on ABC. Because of her "bionic parts," Jamie Summers could run super fast, had super-sensitive hearing, and super-human strength. If you could have one of those qualities enhanced -- speed, hearing or strength -- which would you choose?

A. Strength.

8) Also in 1976, like this year, the world got together for The Summer Olympics. Will you be following the international competition?

A. We will likely watch some of it, but the Summer Olympics have never been a favorite.

9) Random question: You're bone tired, exhausted, and you have an early day tomorrow. As you wash your face and brush your teeth before bed, one of the two bulbs in the bathroom fixture goes out. Do you 1) change the bulb before bed or 2) promise yourself to do it in a hurry tomorrow as you're rushing around in the morning or 3) decide you can live with one bulb for a while, go to bed, and replace the burned-out bulb when you get around it?

A. I would decide I could live with one bulb until I could get around to replacing the burned out one. I am short and changing a light bulb involves climbing up on something and one needs to be clear-headed and not in a hurry when doing that.

_______________

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. 

Noteworthy

Celebrity deaths in the news recently:

• Shelley Duvall: The talented actress known for her role in The Shining passed away in her sleep at the age of 75 at her home in Blanco, Texas.
• Dr. Ruth Westheimer: The legendary celebrity sex therapist, who fearlessly discussed matters of intimacy and relationships, died at the age of 96 in her New York City home. Her legacy includes a weekly radio show called “Sexually Speaking” and over 40 books, including the iconic “Sex for Dummies.”
• Richard Simmons: The effervescent fitness guru, known for his energetic workouts and colorful personality, was found dead in his Los Angeles home. He had just celebrated his 76th birthday one day before his passing. Richard Simmons inspired countless people to get moving and embrace a healthier lifestyle.
• Shannan Doherty: The talented actress, who graced our screens in shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, fought a courageous battle against breast cancer. She passed away last weekend, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and strength.
• Jacoby Jones: In the world of sports, retired NFL star Jacoby Jones was found dead in his Houston, Texas home.
• Bob Newhart, the beloved comedian and actor known for his deadpan humor and iconic roles in sitcoms like The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, passed away on July 18, 2024, at the age of 94. His career spanned over six decades, and he was celebrated for his unique comedic style and contributions to television and comedy.

In the News

President Joe Biden has Covid-19 and is in seclusion while he recovers.

A global Internet outage shut down airports, banks, and many businesses. At the time of this writing, the outage is being blamed on a software glitch.

The Republicans last night elected their nominee to run for the offices of president and vice president of the U.S.

A Little Kiss

 Momma deer taking care of her baby.

Thursday Thirteen

I have a friend who tells me I am "neurotic" all the time. I used to cringe when I heard this, because that's not a good trait in our society.

I also wasn't entirely sure I knew what it meant. Of course I've heard the word, but it isn't one I use myself to describe, well, anyone. So, I looked it up. I never like to assume.

It is, unfortunately, true. I took a free test at bigfive-test.com and it came back as my being totally neurotic.

According to the test, neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings. Freud originally used the term neurosis to describe a condition marked by mental distress, emotional suffering, and an inability to cope effectively with the normal demands of life. He suggested that everyone shows some signs of neurosis, but that we differ in our degree of suffering and our specific symptoms of distress. Today neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings.

Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression, but are likely to experience several of these emotions.

People high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult.

So, without further ado, here are 13 traits of a neurotic person (they may not all apply to me):

1. Anxiety: Frequent feelings of worry or fear.

2. Irritability: Easily annoyed or angered.

3. Emotional instability: Rapid mood changes and difficulty regulating emotions.

4. Self-doubt: Lack of confidence in one’s abilities or decisions.

5. Depression: Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

6. Self-consciousness: High awareness and concern about how others perceive them.

7. Moodiness: Frequent mood swings.

8. Stress vulnerability: Difficulty coping with stress.

9. Pessimism: Tendency to expect the worst outcomes.

10. Guilt: Often feeling responsible for things that go wrong.

11. Perfectionism: Setting unrealistically high standards for oneself.

12. Social withdrawal: Avoiding social interactions due to fear or anxiety.

13. Overthinking: Excessive rumination on problems or worries.

There are more, of course. Aren't there always?

Maybe I'll change my sign-off to the Neurotic Dragon Queen.

______________

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 869th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

His New Favorite Picture

 

A love note from our great niece put my husband in a fine mood. We have it proudly displayed on the refrigerator.

Common Whitetail Dragonfly

I saw this critter out on the patio the other morning and snapped some photos. My guidebook says it is a common whitetail dragonfly. I don't know what it was doing at my house, since we've no ponds or standing water in the yard, but with the drought who knows what is flying where.

It was interesting to watch its little head bobbing up and down while I was shooting photos.

Sunday Stealing

1. What is the hottest temperature you've seen this summer so far?

A. I think I saw 105 F on the thermometer recently. That's very hot for Virginia. 

2. What is your favorite summer beverage?

A. Water is all I drink anymore.

3. Have you seen any fireflies/lightning bugs yet? Cicadas?

A. I have seen lightning bugs. The cicadas missed us this year.

4. What are the last 3 things you bought online?

A. An iPhone case, a glass cover for my phone, and a digital book.

5. Where do locals go to cool off?

A. The James River has its start in my county, so many folks find comfort there. We have many creeks, rivers, and ponds around, though, and some of those are in the National Forest. Others are on private property.

6. Where did you buy your last postcard and what was on the pc?

A. My last postcard likely was purchased in Myrtle Beach, SC, and had a picture of the beach on it. I don't really remember, as I haven't bought a postcard since before 2020.

7. What's your favorite summertime scent?

A. Watermelon is my favorite summertime scent. That's also my favorite summertime treat.

8. What kind of a/c do you have - central, room, fans only, chillers, none and what temperature do you set it to?

A. We have a heat pump that circulates cold air throughout the house. I suppose that is central air. I change the temperature depending on the heat outside, so it doesn't really have a setting.

9. Do you have a summer vacation planned and if so, where are you really going?

A. I do not have a summer vacation planned.

10. What are your favorite summer activities?

A. We do some gardening in the summer, but mostly our lives revolve around the farm and getting in hay and ensuring the cattle have water. 

11. What's your favorite summertime food?

A. Oops, I already answered this. Watermelon is my favorite summertime food.

12. Did you ever go to summer school?

A. I never went to summer school. I did, however, go to band camp, which was held in the summer, and it was generally awfully hot for that.

13. What's your favorite summertime memory?

A. Well, let's see. I answered a similar question yesterday, so I will give a different answer here. We used to play in the creek in front of the house. We built up a little dam, my brother and me along with some of the local kids who could walk to our house, and made ourselves a little pond area. We caught crawdads there, and had some floats we could lay on, and other floaty type toys that one would have found in the early 1970s.

14. Do you like fireworks?

A. I like fireworks. I am not fond of the noise or the smoke, but they are lovely to look at.

15. How do you feel about the longer days of summer?

A. The days are not any longer, there is just more light available. They are still 24-hour days. I can't do anything about the amount of light, so I just live with it like everyone else does.

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