Sunday Stealing

 

1. What takes up too much of your time?

A. Playing on the computer, reading articles and social media, and the laundry.

2. What do you wish you knew more about?

A. Astronomy. I would like to know the constellations better.

3. What’s the best way to start the day?

A. Get up, get a shower, get rolling.

4. What mystery do you wish you knew the answer to?

A. I always wanted to solve the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle.

5. What’s your favorite genre of book or movie?

A. Fantasy, although according to my reading list this year it's not.

6. What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?

A. 2,728.5 miles to California and 4,015.1 miles to Paris, France.  Alexa told me the mileage.

7. Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?

A. Paris was incredibly interesting with the museums and architecture and all. I would love to go back now that I am adult. I went when I was a teenager.

8. When was the last time you climbed a tree for fun?

A. I am too old to remember when I last climbed a tree. It would have been over 40 years ago.

9. What do you consider to be your best find?

A. My husband. If you mean an inanimate object, then my best find was my wedding dress, which was marked down from something like $2k to $300 because it had a tear in it. But the tear was right where I needed to have the gown taken in anyway, so that was a great deal. I no longer have my wedding gown because it burned up in a house fire.

10. What’s special about the place where you grew up?

A. I grew up on a farm and on a farm, one learns the circle of life. You also learn how to amuse yourself and look after your brother.

11. What age do you wish you could permanently be?

A. I don't think I would want to live forever or be a permanent age.

12. What fictional place would you most like to go?

A. Middle Earth.

13. Where is the most relaxing place you’ve ever been?

A. One of the best vacations we've had was in Charleston, SC. I don't know that it was more relaxing than anywhere else, but we took our time and enjoyed ourselves.

14. What’s the most interesting piece of art you’ve seen?

A. I don't know the name of it, but in the Louvre in Paris there was a painting where the light detail was exquisite. It fascinated me and I could hardly tear myself from the picture to go on the with the tour. You could see the interior of a woman's hand as the light shown down upon her. I probably would never recognize the painting again, but I can still remember that detail of light upon that woman's hand.

15. Who has impressed you the most with what they have accomplished?

A. I went to college with Beth Macy, who is now a famous author who has written several nonfiction books, one of which was made into a miniseries called Dopesick with Michael Keaton. She has done very well. She stepped out of news writing long before I did and was able to channel her work into longer pieces, something I have not yet been able to do. She is just a little older than I am.

My father also impresses me with his business acumen. He has gone from a shoeshine boy to the owner of a country club and a major corporation.

Saturday 9: Minute by Minute

Saturday 9: Minute by Minute (1979)

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

1) It's easier to keep track of the minutes if your timepiece has a second hand. As you answer these questions, are you wearing a watch, or can you see a clock that has a second hand?

A. I am wearing a watch with a second hand. I also have a clock above my desktop, but it does not have a second hand.

2) In this song, Michael McDonald admits he knows his girl has lied to him. Do you suspect any one of your friends/family has fibbed to you recently?

A. I imagine so. My husband is not good about telling me how he received those cuts and bruises, for example. "I just hit it on something," he says, without telling me he was probably doing something semi-dangerous that maybe he shouldn't have been attempting.

3) McDonald's big break came in 1973 when he joined Steely Dan's touring band. What do you consider your first professional success?

A. My first professional success occurred when I had my first article with a byline printed in The Fincastle Herald in 1984. You can see it here, if you want. I recently ran across it.

4) In 1975 he joined The Doobie Brothers. He was originally supposed to be a temporary replacement for Tom Johnston, but he ended up working with the band uninterrupted for seven years. Tell us about something that's happened to you that turned out better than you anticipated.

A. I will have to think about this one. I stay home so much anymore that it's hard to come up with something.

5) In 1986, he guest starred on an episode of The Young and The Restless. Have you ever been hooked on a daytime drama?

A. I watched Dark Shadows when I wasn't supposed to. Later I started watching the Guiding Light during a job layoff, but that ended when I went back to work.

6) Michael and wife Amy raised their family near Nashville, where they had their own pond and a garden they lovingly tended. Do you enjoy yard work?

A. I don't enjoy it now as much as I used to. My allergies are worse and my body is worse, too.

7) In 1979, when "Minute by Minute" was popular, movie star John Wayne died. In 2004, the US Postal Service honored him with a stamp. What was in the last envelope you stamped and dropped in a mailbox?

A. Cards for some relatives who are having birthdays.

8) In 1979, the most popular new car was the Oldsmobile Cutlass. Ads promised drivers the Cutlass could make it easy to get in and out of tight parking spots. Are you good at parallel parking?

A. I am not especially good at parallel parking, no, and will go out of my way to not do it.

9) Random question: Did you know your great-grandparents?

A. Apparently, I knew my great-grandfather, who died in 1969 when I was six years old. I remember absolutely nothing about him, though. His first name was Elkanah, which I find a gob smacking sort of name. I may have met my great grandfather on my father's side when I was about the same age. We went to Florida to see somebody like that. I don't remember much about that, either.

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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. 

Thursday Thirteen

It's another free-for-all Thursday 13! I have nothing in my brain to write out, so here we go with a little freewheeling thinking.

1. The "Top Ten" music show on AXIOS had a "200 top songs" from the 1970s countdown. I disagreed with a lot of the top 20. They had Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen as the number 1. I don't know what they used for their criteria for top songs.

2. I listen to a lot of 1970s music because that's the era I was a teen in. Once I figured out I could turn the dial on the radio in my bedroom, I got off of that country stuff my parents listened to and was Top 40 with Casey Kasem all the way.

3. My husband, on the other hand, listens to hard rock. His bands are AC/DC, ZZ Top, and the Rolling Stones. Our record collection looks freaky, because we kept our old albums. So, he has all of these hard rock albums and I have The Captain and Tenille.

4. The other day I was sitting at the computer working and I started humming Christmas carols. When I realized what I was doing, I stopped. It's far too early for that!

5. There aren't many Halloween songs. Monster Mash is one. Flying Purple People Eater is a possibility. Perhaps the best one is Michael Jackson's Thriller. It helps to have the video with that one.

6. I have read thousands of books, magazine, and newspaper articles over my lifetime. Most stories are forgettable. I read one book when I was about 20 that involved a heroine who was in a car crash. She was a concert pianist and when she realized the car was going to wreck, she put her hands into her lap to protect them so she could continue to play. But she ended up hitting her head and so she couldn't play anyway. I don't know why that has stuck with me. Maybe because I thought it was not a smart thing to do but I understood why she did it.

7. Changing gears now. What do people do with the little bits of leftover bar soap? I keep them but I don't know what to do with them. It seems a waste to throw them out. Sometimes I smush them together and when it's a big enough blob I use it at the sink to wash my hands, but that can get messy. There must be a real solution to this. No, I haven't searched for an answer, it just popped into my head.

8. Monday, we received our 9th notification of a data breach. That's one a month for this year. Some of these have been healthcare billing companies that we knew nothing about. How do you keep your data safe when you don't even know your dentist or doctor uses a different billing company?

9. We also received a notice from the Pennsylvania Turnpike people that we owed them money for being on the turnpike. Except we have never been on a Pennsylvania Turnpike. And we haven't been out of Virginia since 2019. It's a real notice, I checked, but the license plate is actually an Arizona license plate, not a Virginia one.

10. Everything has gotten hard. I don't know if that is age, society, or just life in general, but it seems like everything is much harder than it needs to be. Even going to the grocery store creates anxiety anymore.

11. Speaking of groceries, I cannot find good grapes. I bought some about a month ago - they were Welch's - and they were really good. I bought some more of the same brand on Tuesday, and they are awful. I know some people taste test grapes before they buy them, but I never do that. They haven't been washed and who knows what is on them.

12. Thursday really snuck up on me this week. I thought it was Wednesday which is why I'm trying to get out something that is completely disconnected in thought. Sometimes the days just go really fast. Time really does go by quickly as you age.

13. I never thought I would live this long. When I was younger, I thought if I made it to 30 it would be a miracle. And then I made 30. At some point, I stopped worrying about it. I think that happened after my mother died.

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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 874th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Remembering 9/11

In the days after September 11, 2001, I remember seeing blue skies unmarred by the trails of aircraft, because the planes were grounded. It was eerie to look up and see the sky so blue without the chem trails of planes, the crisscross patterns that indicated people were going on about their day, flying hither and yon without a care.

People were quiet, at first, and helpful, at first. But after a few days, the air changed. I felt anger, hatred, and evil seething in the store when I went after groceries. It has ebbed and flowed over the last 23 years, that feeling that I have when I am in a crowd, but it has never gone away, not since September 12, 2001. For a day - maybe two - we were one nation, pulled together by the horror of what we'd witnessed.

But after that? We were an angry, scared bunch of people, and we've stayed that way. We frayed. We pulled apart. And the distance and the turmoil grew, and in the end, the terrorists won after all, for all that they've been dead for a long time.

In the end, they destroyed us - because we have destroyed ourselves.

We've raised an entire generation in that atmosphere of fear and hate. They don't know anything except fear and hate. That's all they know.

What has it been like for them, growing up in this new world that we allowed to happen, the one where everyone is afraid, and big men must carry guns with little, deadly bullets to compensate for their fears?

I know what it has been like for me to live in this time - it's been basically an ulcer-creating atmosphere. But what must it be like for those young folks, the ones who are now turning 21?

What do they think and feel, having grown up every moment with this disease of the soul, this dark pall that has fallen over this nation?

I remember the blue skies on September 12. I looked up at the blue, blue skies, those brilliant September skies.

And the memories of what we were before, knowing what we could have been, and the thought of those clear blue skies, are what pulls me through.

Today I remember the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on that fateful day, and the numerous others who have died over the years from cancers and demons that day brought on.

Contentment - Day 10

Today has been a bit frazzled, so contentment has been a bit hard worn, but perhaps that makes it all the sweeter.

I found contentment in playing video games. There, I said it. I like to play video games and I'm not the least bit sorry for it. It's a great way to break away from the trials of the day, shut my mind down into a narrow plane of thought, and regenerate for a while.

Contentment - Day 9

We're also having much cooler weather, which is welcome, but still no rain. Our drought is not yet over and it's too late to save the hay for this year. But we could sure use some of those water droplets to help raise the water level for the wells and such.

I finished my 50th book of the year yesterday. When I was younger, I used to read about 100 books a year, but my older eyes tire easier. I find audiobooks compelling because I can multitask while I listen - fold clothes, listen to a book. That makes the chores go faster.

I am glad I am getting in more reading/listening time.

Sunday Stealing

1. What shows do you like?

A. I like Rings of Power, which is based on Tolkien's world, My Lady Jane, also on Amazon Prime, was fun for its 8-episode run, and My Life is Murder on the BBC is not bad. I also watch reruns of The Big Bang Theory, MASH (when they are on), and The Gilded Age (HBO). Going back further I really liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena: Warrior Princess, Star Trek: Voyager, and Cagney & Lacey. 

2. What’s your claim to fame?

A. I was a news reporter for about 35 years. My byline will forever be found among the morgue of the local newspaper, for however long that lasts. What I wrote years ago is now the history of my community.

3. How often do you play sports?

A. Never.

4. Are you early or late?

A. I am almost always early.

5. What quirks do you have?

A. My quirks include talking to myself, singing to myself, rehearsing conversations in my head that I likely never will have, and almost always turning the car around to make sure I have turned off the computer, curling iron, and stove.

6. How often do you people watch?

A. Not very much these days.

7. What’s your favorite drink?

A. I only drink water. But I would love to have a good A&W root beer.

8. What do you hope never changes?

A. Everything changes. Hoping things stay the same is futile. But in the spirit of answering the question, I will hope that grass stays green.

9. What’s your dream car?

A. I always thought the Toyota Avalon was a beautiful car, but alas, Toyota has stopped making them.

10. Where would you rather be from?

A. I'm happy being from where I am. I am from the farmland, the plow, the screams of old women, the ghosts of mothers who were fey, the feisty lovemaking of a miner, and the dreams of a young girl in love.

11. What songs have you completely memorized?

A. I have no idea. Hundreds of them. Not much of anything new, but the older songs from the 1970s-1990s, those I know a lot of.

12. What would you rate 10/10?

A. My husband.

13. What job would you be terrible at?

A. I would not do well at being a waitress.

14. What skill would you like to master?

A. I would like to relearn Spanish. I had it in high school but had nowhere to use it, so I forgot it.

15. What movie title best describes your life?

A. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (according to CoPilot).

__________

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: Summer in the City

Saturday 9: Summer in the City (1966)

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

1) Now that Labor Day has passed and kids have returned to school, summer is unofficially over. Looking back, share a highlight from Summer 2024.

A. The highlight of our summer has been drought and heat. We have mostly worried about hay, about feeding the cows, about ensuring they have water and shade. Up until the end of August, it was too hot to have a good time outside. The temperatures are more pleasant now, thankfully, but the drought has done its dirty work. 

2) Though this week's song is about summer, it was recorded in the spring, March to be exact. What's your favorite season?

A. I prefer spring or fall. Cooler temperatures and colorful. Summer would be great except for the heat.

3) Lovin' Spoonful lead singer John Sebastian sings that he's going to meet his lover on the rooftop. When were you last on the roof of your building?

A. Never. I have never been on the roof of my house. I don't remember the last time I was on the roof of any building, actually.

4) The lyrics refer to sidewalks that are "hotter than a match head." What's the last thing you lit with a match?

A. I don't light candles often, but I have some unscented ones that I use sometimes when a skunk gets too close to the house. The smoke helps alleviate the skunk stink.

5) The Lovin' Spoonful was founded by John B. Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky. When the band broke up, Zal opened a restaurant. Tell us about the restaurant you most recently dined at.

A. The most recent restaurant I was in was the Townhouse Tap House in Daleville. They have an excellent salad bar. They have their own garden and grow their own greens. I've never had a fresher salad than the one I get there.

6) John went on to have a solo career. His biggest hit was "Welcome Back," the theme to a popular 70's sitcom. The first line: "Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out . . .". Do you recall what show used "Welcome Back" as its theme?

A. Welcome Back, Kotter. It had John Travolta in it. I did not watch it much.

7) In 1964, when "Summer in the City" was popular, Americans were tuned in to Bewitched. The show centered around Samantha, a witch married to a mortal. Among her supernatural powers were flight, time travel and telekinesis (being able to move objects by twitching her nose). If you could have one of those powers, which would you choose?

A. Telekinesis would be fun. I could move the furniture without help! And then make the vacuum run and get rid of the dust bunnies under it. Or just make the dust roll out from under the furniture. Either way it would be clean.

8) In 1964, AJ Foyt earned the second of his four Indy 500 victories. Do you watch car racing?

A. I do not watch auto racing, but my husband is a big fan of both NASCAR and the Indy series (which is called something else, but I know not what). He watches all kinds of racing, including funny cars and other different kinds. Since I live here and the house is small, I see the racing if I decide to sit in the living room with him and a book.

9) Random question: Is your big toe your longest toe?

A. I wonder if everyone else had to look like I did. My big toe and my second toe are about even, but I used the level on my phone, and it shows my big toe is a smidgeon higher.

_______________

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. 

Contentment - Day 6

I thumbed through old papers this morning, looking for a manual on a piece of machinery my husband couldn't find.

In doing so, I stumbled over an envelope full of photos. I pulled it out and began looking through them. They were pictures of me from school and a large picture of my grandmother as a young girl that I would have sworn was of my mother if not for the name written on the back. And there were pictures of my mom.

The envelope was one of the last things she gave me before she died.

It wasn't the pictures that got to me though - they were just images. What did get to me was the smell.

The envelope smelled not of old paper, but of my mother. A smell that I'd not thought of in many years, and one that even now I cannot describe.

Something like a cross between makeup, hairspray, and light perfume.

Nothing that comes from a bottle.

Just my mom.

Thursday Thirteen

I do not consider myself someone who takes good care of herself. The other day I was thinking of how much work it is to take care of your own person. It is difficult to take good care of yourself and then add caretaking of others on top of that and wow . . . that's a lot of time to put in. It also takes some skill to take care of someone besides yourself and I think this is definitely undervalued. 

My husband and I do not use the same products for everything, we are definitely a "his and hers" household.

Anyway, here are 13 things I do to take care of me and my beloved:

1. Brush my teeth and make sure we both have new toothbrushes, the toothpaste, and floss that we like.

2. Shower daily and make sure we each have our own unscented soaps we prefer.

3. Wash hair and make sure we each have our own unscented shampoos and conditioners.

4. For me, I require unscented lotion. My husband uses specific stuff on his hands in the winter when they start getting chapped.

5. Clip nails and cuticles. I don't use polish; of course I am allergic to it.

6. See the hair stylist for me. He sees a barber because he likes that hot shave on the back of his neck.

7. Go to the grocery store and (mostly) pass up the bad foods and try to purchase healthy stuff. And then fix it and eat it. This one is especially difficult for me as I dislike cooking. I suspect if I cooked better, we both wouldn't be overweight.

8. Wash clothing and keep it looking nice so as not to scare people when out in public. You feel better when you look your best if you're out. I try not to send him out in wrinkled clothes and same for myself.

9. Put on makeup where applicable. (I no longer do this because I can't find anything that doesn't make my eyes water now, but I used to do this every day.)

10. Exercise in some fashion. I walk on the treadmill.

11. Have down time to rest and regroup, whether that's through reading, meditating, or watching TV.

12. Learn new things to keep the ol' brain working.

13. Change the bed linens once a week so that everything is nice and fresh, and wash the coverings every six weeks or so, unless one of is ill in which case they get washed right away.

There are more things I could list - but it is a glorious chore being human, isn't it?

______________

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 873rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Losing the Velvet

Last week I posted photos of this buck in velvet. 

Yesterday he was back in the yard, but the velvet is starting to come off. I thought some of my readers might like to see this as it's not something that one sees everyday.

Male deer begin growing antlers in late winter/early spring. The velvet covering feeds the bone and helps keep it safe.

The bucks begin to lose the velvet in late August or early September as the velvet starts to lose its blood flow. It also indicates an increase in testosterone in the male deer. This signals the beginning of the rut, meaning the bucks soon will begin chasing the does as they hit their cycle for procreation.

Beneath the velvet is hard bone that makes up the antlers seen in white tail deer. The antlers are shed January-March, usually, and the process begins all over again.

Here is the buck with full velvet:

And here are photos of the velvet starting to come off on the left side of the deer's antlers. Note the red color of the bone as the velvet begins to shed. Eventually they will turn brown or brownish white.

You can see how much smaller the actual antler is once the velvet begins to come off as indicated in the last photo.

I've seen this shedding of velvet before but not often. This is the first time I recall being able to get photos of it (I took them through a glass door; the deer was about 30 feet away from me.).

Hope you enjoyed the biology lesson.

 

Contentment - Day 3

Today I am content because I made it to Food Lion and back without incident.

You never know what's going to happen to you when you step out of your door.

While I was at the store, I saw my dear friend, and we talked later in the day (because who can carry on a conversation in the checkout line?).

Also, I got a great shot of a buck still in velvet but with the velvet starting to come off. I will share that tomorrow if I remember to get it off of the camera.

September Contentment

I enjoyed the August Happiness Challenge so much that I'm going to keep on doing it in September. But I'm going to call it September Contentment.

It helps me to remember the small things that bring joy.

Today I am content because I was able to get the house cleaned up this morning and most of the laundry caught up.

And I'm really grateful for the bleach toilet bowel drop-ins. They've become expensive but the off brands work just as well.

Sunday Stealing

1. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

A. When I ate ice cream, which stopped when I was 12, my favorite was a hot fudge sundae. I don't think that's a flavor, but there you go.

2. If you could invent a new flavor of ice cream, what would it be?

A. Vampire Slayer Ice Cream. It would be covered with bits of chocolate and cherries throughout, along with little slits of pecans that look like stakes.

3. Who do you like to eat ice cream with?

A. I don't eat ice cream. My husband does, though. He likes black raspberry.

4. If you were a flavor of ice cream, what flavor would you be?

A. Neapolitan.

5. Does your family eat ice cream regularly, or just for a special treat?

A. My husband has it occasionally, usually after he's been to the doctor for his bloodwork.

6. What is your favorite treat from the ice cream truck?

A. I used to like ice cream sandwiches when I was young.

7. Does frozen yogurt taste different than ice cream?

A. I think frozen yogurt tastes different from ice cream, but it's an ok substitute.

8. If you could make a super sundae, what would it have?

A. Vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, a cherry on top, 

9. Can ice cream make a bad day better?

A. I suppose it couldn't hurt, unless like me you can't eat it without a lot of digestive issues.

10. Have you ever had homemade ice cream?

A. I have. It was very good.

11. When is your favorite time to eat ice cream?

A. I don't have a favorite time to eat ice cream, but if I could eat ice cream, then I would say that any time is a good time to eat it.

12. What is the best kind of ice cream you ever had?

A. Again, a hot fudge sundae. We had a local place called High's Ice Cream that made the absolute best hot fudge sundaes.

13. Do you prefer your ice cream in a cone or in a bowl?

A. If I ate it, I would prefer a bowl. I never cared much for cones.

14. Is there such a thing as a bad flavor of ice cream?

A. I have no idea.

15. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. What does an ice cream a day do?

A. I guess it brings on diabetes and weight gain.

16. Is ice cream better when it’s fresh or slightly melted?

A. I always liked mine a little melted.

17. What is the craziest flavor of ice cream you’ve ever seen?

A. I have no idea, but at the moment I'm sure pumpkin spice ice cream is heating up. Yuck.

__________

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: Morning Train

Saturday 9: Morning Train (1981)

 

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

1) In this song, Sheena Easton sings about her lover, who takes a train to and from work each day. When is the last time you took public transportation? Where did you go?

A. I can't remember the last time I took public transportation. Maybe on a vacation when we took a tour in Asheville? That would have been in 2008.

2) His workday begins at 9 and ends at 5. Do your days stick to a predictable schedule?

A. No. I get up about the same time every morning and go to bed about the same time every night, but the stuff in the middle is a muddle.

3) In the evening, she sings that they may go to a movie, a restaurant or slow dancing . . . whatever she wants. Which of those would you choose?

A. A restaurant.

4) As a little girl, Sheena Easton performed at family gatherings, not just because she was talented but because she could be a bit of a ham. When you were a kid, were more often shy or outgoing?

A. I have always been shy, which considering what I have done in my life is weird. I was in a rock band, and I was a news reporter. I don't think those are high on the list of things to do for shy people.

5) In the late 1980s she was the spokeswoman for Bally's health clubs. Do you have a gym membership?

A. I do not have a gym membership.

6) In 1987 she played Sonny Crockett's love interest on Miami Vice. Were you a fan of the show?

A. Not really. I watched it a few times but it wasn't "must see" TV.

7) This weekend is a good reason to have a picnic or barbecue. The best-selling barbecue sauce flavors are sweet, spicy, and smoky. What's your favorite?

A. I don't eat barbecue often so I do not have a favorite.

8) Labor Day weekend may offer a golden opportunity for napping and sleeping in. Do you snore?

A. Sometimes I snore. My husband calls them "kitty cat" snores.

9) Labor Day traditionally marks the beginning of the fall. Will you be adding any new fall clothes to your wardrobe?

A. Adding new clothes to my wardrobe is not planned but it is something I need to do. 

_______________

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. 

Happiness - Day 30

Today I am happy because I didn't break the camera.

Yesterday, we had a lightning storm. More lightning than rain, with lots of thunder. I could see bolts of lightning out of my office window.

We generally can't see lightning where we live. It tends to hit behind us where the power lines run. So when I realized it was streaking in the front of the house, I grabbed the camera and set it on "record" to see if I could capture a streak or two.

I have never photographed a lightning bolt. Doing it with the video recorder is not the way to go about it, but I wasn't thinking clearly.

At any rate, about 11 seconds into recording, KA-BOOM! I thought the lightning hit the house across the way, and I wasn't sure it didn't hit something on our house because I heard a weird noise.

When I played back the video, I didn't have the lightning strike. I had a green streak running across the video in the camera from where the electricity made the video a bit wonky.

Too close for comfort, that one was.

But it doesn't seem to have damaged the camera. Whew!

______________________

Happy 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.

Thursday Thirteen

Virginia is a state where one does not have to register with a party to vote in a party primary or general election. Many people do register with one party or the other, but because I was a journalist and never wanted to be viewed as "taking sides," I have never registered with any particular party. Some journalists don't even vote, but I think that's taking it a little far. Voting is one of the most important things a person can do.

Here are 13 reasons why someone may want to consider themselves a moderate or independent voter, and not register with any particular party in the United States:

1. Frustration with the policies and strategies of both major parties.

2. Preference for voting based on individual candidates and issues rather than party lines.

3. Emphasis on evaluating policies on their merits rather than party affiliation.

4. Discomfort with the increasingly polarized political climate.

5. Valuing independent thought and decision-making.

6. Holding centrist views that don’t align fully with either major party.

7. Preference for a non-partisan approach to politics.

8. Belief that no single party represents all their views.

9. Greater emphasis on local issues and candidates.

10. Avoiding the pressure to vote along party lines.

11. Desire for politicians to appeal to a broader base of voters.

12. Aligning voting choices with personal beliefs and values rather than party platforms.

13. Belief in the importance of compromise and bipartisanship and feeling that independents can better represent a diverse range of interests and perspectives.

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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 872nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Five Point Buck in Velvet

 

He brought a long a friend, too.

Happiness - Day 26

Around 3 p.m., my husband came rushing in the house to tell me he'd lost his cellphone. I tried to call his number, and it went straight to voice mail.

In the past when he's lost his phone in the field, we could call it and find it by the ring.

But there was no ring this time.

I jumped into the utility vehicle with him so I could be a second set of eyes and we started going over all the places he'd been on the farm.

About a half-hour later, we spotted it in some cut grass along the side of a bank.

It was so hot, it nearly burned him when he picked it up, he said. It had been sitting in the 90+ degree sun for almost 2 hours. (He has a flip phone, still.)

It also wouldn't turn on.

We returned to the house. After a recharge and a cool down, the phone began functioning again. Whew!

So today I am happy that my husband's phone is working, and I didn't have to make an emergency run into the city to get him something to use.

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Happy 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.