Forty-one Years Ago

Today is my wedding anniversary. I have been married to the same man for 41 years.

Marriage is not easy. It is hard work, especially when you have two strong-willed and stubborn people living together. I was not and never will be a submissive wife. In fact, I removed that word "obey" from our wedding vows. Love, honor, and cherish only in this marriage. None of that obeying stuff on either party's part.

We both look at each other sometime and say, "Didn't we just get married about three weeks ago?" but there is a lifetime of memories behind those words.

There is the day we met.

The day we wed.

The day we moved into the home we built ourselves, each of us pounding nails.

The day I had the first of many surgeries, almost a month to the day after I went off birth control so we could try for a baby.

The day I finally had a hysterectomy, and the knowledge that the idea of a child was no more.

The days he became a lieutenant and each successive promotion after, until he became a battalion chief for the fire department in the nearby city.

The death of my mother and the death of his father.

The births of our nephews and my niece, and now my grand niece and nephew.

The day he caught his arm in the hay baler and the long recovery from that accident.

The day he had his ankle fused together.

The day he had his hip surgery.

So many days, all of them flying by as we aged, and time moved faster and faster as we acknowledged that our time was growing less with each passing moment.

 Those early jokes we made to one another about being old - now almost a reality (neither of us have dentures, but we have mouth guards).

And here we are, still holding hands when we walk through the store, still kissing in the parking lot, still holding on to each tightly in spite of the bad times and the good.

Still laughing at private jokes, making up silly songs to sing to one another, still learning who the other person is, even after all these years, because people wake anew every day, and you have to learn it all over again.

God love him, he has put up with a lot of crazy from me, with my creative bent leading me down strange paths, from writing to newspapers to editing books and doing other things that make a heart happy and a bank account poor.

Marrying him was the best day of my life. I hope it was the same for him, and I think it was.

Love. It's what the world is all about.

Sunday Stealing

1. When do you feel most authentically yourself?

A. I feel I am myself around my husband, my friends, and when I am writing. I am also myself when I am playing music.

2. What are you thankful for today?

A. Today I am thankful for my husband, who went out to run errands. On Monday, we are celebrating our anniversary.

3. Name a memory you hope you never forget.

A. I hope I never forget the day I married.

4. What are ways you connect with long distant friends?

A. I email them, send instant messages or texts to them, or write a real letter to them. I also occasionally call some of them.

5. How do you reconnect with yourself when you feel lost?

A. I usually go to sleep. After I wake up, I am more myself.

6. What would be your signature drink if you owned a café?

A. The Writer's Block would be an iced coffee, almost a slushie type of drink, with a big ice cube in it and a splash of Irish whisky.

7. What is something you’ve let go of as you've grown older?

A. I have let go of the idea that I have to always be doing something.

8. What are the things you're most likely to lie about?

A. I am most likely to tell white lies. "Does this look good on me?" "Well, of course!" Even if it doesn't. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

9. What’s something you wish you had more time to learn?

A. I wish I had more time to learn how to drive a spaceship away from this planet.

10. List social media trends that puzzle you.

A. All social media trends puzzle me.

11. List local phrases and terms you use often.

A. "Cut off the light," which means to turn off the light. "Fixin' to," which means getting ready to go do something. "Bless your heart," which means either that's sad or not, depending on word emphasis and/or context. And then there's "over yonder" which means, well, over there somewhere.

12. If you could only wear only three colors, what would they be?

A. Black, blue, and purple.

13. What are your favorite books, music, tv, movies, and media this month?

A. This month is only half over, but we have been enjoying West Wing, which we somehow missed the first go-round.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: My Girl

Saturday 9: My Girl (1965)

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

1) Temptations' lead singer David Ruffin sings that he has sunshine on a cloudy day. How does the sky look where you are today?

A. The sky today is partly cloudy. Some blues, some puffy white clouds, and a few dark clouds hang over the tops of the mountains.

2) He maintains that even when it's cold outside, to him it feels like the month of May. What's your favorite month?

A. I'll go with June.

3) In addition to their vocals, The Temptations were known for their stylish suits and choreography. Are you a better dancer or dresser?

A. I am neither a dancer nor a good dresser. 

4) Today, nearly 60 years since its release, "My Girl" is one of the most popular karaoke songs. Do you know the words?

A. I know some of them. "I guess you'd say what could make me feel this way? My girl. Talking 'bout my girl." Some of the lines are coming back to me now. This is not a song I've spent a lot of time learning.

5) The Temptations delighted Mets fans when they performed "My Girl" live at Citi Field during the playoffs last month. The World Series is now over and the 2024 season is on the books. How did your baseball team do?

A. I do not have a baseball team.

6) "My Girl" was written by Ronald White and Smokey Robinson. Smokey grew up with Aretha Franklin, and he's said they played together in the sandbox. When you were little, which playground activity was your favorite: sandbox, jungle gym, swings or slide? 

A. I was not a fan of any of those activities. The jungle gym was for the bigger kids, generally. The swings were always taken, and the slide burned your butt in the hot sun. I don't think we had a sandbox.

7) In 1965, when "My Girl" topped the charts, Winston Churchill died. One of his favorite sayings was, "I am always ready to learn but I do not always like to be taught." What's something you learned recently?

A. I learned about a disease called lipedema when my doctor suggested I have it. She can't actually diagnosis it and apparently neither can anyone else in this end of the state. There is no cure if I have it. Lipedema is an abnormal fat buildup on both sides of your lower body, usually in your legs. But it can also be in your arms. It can cause pain and make daily activities difficult. Lipedema doesn’t respond to diet and exercise like ordinary fat. It is a hereditary disease.

8) British-born comedian Stan Laurel also died in 1965. He's been cited as an influence on Jerry Lewis, Dick Van Dyke and Matt LeBlanc. Without looking it up, do you know who Stan Laurel's famous partner was?

A. Hardy. Laurel and Hardy.

9) Random question: Imagine we Sat 9-ers are taking you to a restaurant for your birthday. Do you find servers who sing "Happy Birthday" cute or annoying?

A. I generally find it annoying, but it only happens once a year, so it's ok if it happens.

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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

Here are some commonly used informal words and phrases, often referred to as “non-words.”

Ain't: A contraction for "am not," "is not," "are not," "has not," or "have not."

Gonna: A contraction of "going to."

Wanna: A contraction of "want to."

Y'all: A contraction of "you all," commonly used in Southern American English.

Kinda: A contraction of "kind of."

Sorta: A contraction of "sort of."

Gotta: A contraction of "got to" or "have got to."

Lemme: A contraction of "let me."

Dunno: A contraction of "don't know."

Cuz: A contraction of "because."

Gimme: A contraction of "give me."

Outta: A contraction of "out of."

Ya: An informal version of "you."

A lotta: A contraction of "a lot of."

Shoulda: A contraction of "should have."

These words and phrases are often used in everyday conversation to convey a relaxed and casual tone. However, in formal communication, it's important to use standard language to ensure clarity and maintain a professional style.

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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 883rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Negative Space

I was looking out the window a few moments ago, and I saw a gigantic cat climbing up in a tree. Clearly there was a huge cat head, with a paw playfully heading up the tree, batting at something.

The image was in the negative space between the limbs and remaining leaves, and now that there's been a little wind, it's gone.

Images appear to me all the time, and always have. My grandmother's bathroom had this tile with little squares of different colors on it, and I would bide my time doing my business by finding various items among the squares. Horses, cows, dogs, cars. Whatever my mind made an image of. Sometimes I could find it again, but often times, I could not.

One year, apparently a particularly bad year for me as an elementary school student, I found solace in a dinosaur made from a brush pile along a fence that I saw every afternoon on the school bus. I did not see it in the morning, but each afternoon on that hour-long bus ride, I would stop doing my homework and look for my dinosaur.

The dinosaur was there all year, and it brought me great solace to see it every school day.

The following year, though, I could not find the dinosaur. I wasn't even sure where to look for it, and I never saw it again.

I see dancing horses, gargoyles, and faces in the bathroom mat or in the bathroom tile these days, though they are gone after I blink. They are not really there. I simply have an overactive imagination, one that sometimes comes out through my eyes.

Negative space is an art concept. Sometimes it is called "white space," the area around and between the main subjects of an image. Negative space can significantly impact the visual effectiveness of artwork, photography, and design. Apparently, you can also see images in it when you look at trees.

I use negative space sometimes in my photographs. Landscape photography in particular can convey feelings of solitude when you have a single subject, like a cow or a deer, surrounded by huge fields, my wonderful Blue Ridge Mountains, and a blue sky. Negative space enhances the emotional tone and makes the subject seem more significant given the scale and context of the picture.

Sometimes what is left out can be just as impactful as what is included. Occasionally things left unsaid, left undone, left unseen, have great impact upon our lives, only we may not realize it. Some think these voids must be filled, but they may be better left alone. The truth may be out there, but that doesn't mean it has to be spoken. Rather than rushing to fill silence with words, leaving space for reflection or simply being present can often communicate more than words ever could.

Negative space teaches us to let go of unnecessary distractions and focus on what is essential. Just as I might zoom my camera out instead of taking a close up, we can edit our lives by eliminating what doesn’t serve us—whether it’s physical clutter, excess commitments, or unhelpful habits.

There is beauty in simplicity, balance, and intentionality. What we leave out - the things we don't say or do - can be as meaningful as the things we do say or do. Sometimes the most profound growth comes from the spaces where we allow ourselves to simply be.

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Sunday Stealing

1. Name a hobby you've learned from a friend.

A. When I was in the 4th grade, my mother had taught me how to knit. But I did not keep it up and had forgotten how to do it. My friend T. brought me knitting needles and yarn and patiently showed me how to knit again, as well as crochet. I managed a couple of scarves but that's about it. I simply do not have the patience for it.

2. What are your physical activity preferences?

A. I like to walk.

3. List music you think is essential for everyone to hear.

A. Music that is essential for everyone to hear includes classical music (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart),  Queen, Pink Floyd, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, and Taylor Swift.

4. Name something you have to relearn every time you do it.

A. I cannot remember how to pay the Medicare bill online for my husband when it arrives, so I have to relearn it every 3 months.

5. When do you start thinking about holiday season planning?

A. I generally start thinking about it in August. I don't want it all crammed onto one credit card bill.

6. List some quirks & preferences you have about writing letters.

A. The only preference I have for writing letters is that I need to do it on the computer because my handwriting is so bad.

7. If you had to limit your reading to only 3 genres, what would you pick?

A. I would pick fantasy, nonfiction, and mysteries.

8. When joining teams, would you rather lead or follow?

A. I'd rather not be on a team at all. Can I simply sit in the stands?

9. What’s your dream concert, and who would be performing?

A. My dream concert would be a completely private performance, with no one in the audience but me and a few members of family and some friends, with a lineup of Pat Benatar, Heart, Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Pink, Linda Ronstadt, and Stevie Nicks. (I think I just created a personal feminine festival.)

10. What is the funniest, weirdest, silliest, animal/pet you’ve ever met?

A. I honestly have no answer for this question.

11. How has love changed for you over the years?

A. I think I am more mellow in some respect, but less tolerant and more judgmental in others.

12. Name a book, movie, or song that brings you a sense of peace.

A. I have no idea why this piano song makes me feel peaceful, but it does. I used to fall asleep to it before my husband retired.

 

13. List names you like but which wouldn’t suit you.

A. Buzz, Velvet, Ginger, April, Nicole.

14. What’s a part of yourself you're still working to understand?

A. I am working to understand my very quick temper. Sometimes it scares me, I become angry so quickly these days. My fuse used to not be so short.

15. Name something you love about yourself today.

A. I love that I took the time out of my day to listen to a young woman's fears about the incoming administration.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Saving All My Love for You (1985)

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

1) This was Whitney Houston's first big hit, her introduction to a mass, national audience. But music was not her first career. While she was still in high school, Whitney was a model and Seventeen magazine cover girl. Is there a print magazine in your home right now? If yes, who is on the cover?

A. George Washington is on the cover of the print magazine on the kitchen table.

2) During her modeling days, she also appeared on packaging for Simplicity patterns. Can you sew?

A. I can sew on buttons and occasionally patch things, but no, I cannot sew. My mother used to sew. She made many of my clothes up until she made me something that was so outrageous that the first time I wore it to school, all the kids laughed at me. Then I begged for "store bought" clothing. Or at least less outrageous material. I think it was fabric that she'd gotten on sale somewhere. I don't remember what it looked like, just the laughter.

3) "Saving All My Love for You" was the record that made Whitney Houston a superstar in the UK. Let's flip that: Tell us about a British performer you enjoy listening to.

A. Sir Michael Philip Jagger is the lead singer and founding member of The Rolling Stones.

4) This song was composed by Michael Masser. He left his career as a stockbroker to pursue his passion for music and scored his first major hit with "Touch Me in the Morning" by Diana Ross. Do you feel you have a greater affinity for the analytical/logical or the creative/emotional?

A. I am an English major, and I write stuff, so I suppose I am more attuned to the creative/emotional side of things. However, I can be very logical when necessary.

5) The lyrics were written by Gerald Goffin. He, too, took a circuitous route to music success. After high school he joined the Navy. When that stint was over, he went to college and studied chemistry. He worked in a lab for a while, but that was just to earn a regular paycheck until he could support himself with songwriting. What was your first job after you finished your education? How long did you stay at that job?

A. My education took me 10 years to obtain, as I did not go the traditional college route. I worked the entire time I was in college at various jobs. Several were in manufacturing, many were in the legal profession, and some were in the news writing business. When I finally received my bachelors degree in 1993, I was working at a law firm, and I stayed there for another year. Then I went into freelance writer only, although I had been freelancing since 1984.

6) While this week's song was Whitney's first hit, it wasn't her biggest hit. That was "I Will Always Love You," from the soundtrack of her movie The Bodyguard. "I Will Always Love You" was written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton. The film's star and producer Kevin Costner called Dolly personally to get her permission to use her song, a courtesy she appreciated. Who has recently been thoughtful or kind to you?

A. Several of my friends have been nice to me this week. We've been supporting one another.

7) Whitney was a big fan of tomato soup. So is Barbra Streisand. (Maybe it bestows some kind of musical superpower!) What's your favorite soup for an autumn day like today?

A. I like chicken with rice.

8) 1985 wasn't just big for Whitney. It was also the year Bruce Willis became a household name when his TV series premiered on ABC. Can you name it?

A. I think it was Moonlighting but I never watched it.

9) Random question: While dining out, have you ever sent food back?

A. I have, but I don't recall the circumstances.

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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

Here are 13 topics I frequently write about, not necessarily in order:

1. Local life and culture

2. Personal reflections

3. Nature and rural imagery

4. Photography

5. Historical insights

6. Health and wellness

7. Writing and storytelling

8. Literature and book reviews

9. Current events

10. Social issues

11. Personal achievements

12. Relationships

13. Reflections on aging

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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 881st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

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VOTING TUESDAY

Today is a significant day. It's election day, November 5, 2024, and it's the anniversary of the "Flood of '85," a major event for my community wherein a large portion of many small towns were wiped out by a natural disaster of magnificent proportions on that long-ago election day.

Today is also the day I let it all go, I hope. I hope I write this out here and never think of it again. I hope I am wrong about so many things.

My mother never voted. She's been dead for 24 years, and of all the things I know about her, this one bothers me the most. It bothered me the day she told me she had never voted - and in thinking back, I realized I'd never once gone with her to the polls or seen her show much interest in politics - and it bothers me still, on this day when I have voted to save the life of my nieces (one by marriage), my great niece, and young women unknown to me, should any of them find themselves in need of gynecological care that some states are denying women. I voted to ensure that young women I love do not have fewer rights than I did at their age. I voted to ensure that they could get or keep credit cards, purchase and own property, and not become property.

I have always voted. I have never missed an election, except the one in 1985 when everything flooded, and I couldn't get to the polls. Fortunately, that wasn't a big election year. I know for some folks who suffered from flooding earlier in October, voting might be difficult today. I hope that those people are doing better and that those who want to vote have been able to do that. I hope they get to do the one thing that every citizen of this nation should do.

My mother never voted because she didn't want to serve on a jury, she said. At one time, the jury pools were pulled from the voter rolls, although they've long stopped doing this. But that was her reason. She didn't do her civic duty because she didn't want to do her other civic duty as a citizen of this nation.

I consider serving on a jury to be an honor, and an obligation as part of my role of living in the United States. I've been called a few times but always sent home - journalists aren't people lawyers want on juries. They generally look for people who don't know how to think. I know this because I worked for lawyers once upon a time, too.

My love of country and desire to pay it forward comes from . . . I'm not sure where. Books, maybe? My teachers? My education? It surely did not come from my mother, who never voted.

The other day, someone made fun of me because I am afraid. Because as a woman, I have always been afraid, and I have often been mocked for that by men who do not understand what it is to be a woman in a nation that makes women second class citizens even now, even when we still have some rights but do not have them in the U.S. Constitution. There is no equality for women written into the laws of this land. There are band-aids and coverlets, but there is no law that says men and women are equal in the eyes of the law.

I have been abused by men. Before I met my husband, I was abused by many men. I won't go into the details of that, but suffice it to say, I have no reason to trust anyone who is male, except for my husband, who has proven to me time and again that he is trustworthy. But even he has that male privilege thing going on.

Even he doesn't really understand my fears.

My recent fears have been because I have been personally threatened by people in my community. As a news writer for 40 years, I am fairly well known here, though hopefully not so much now since I'm not writing for newspapers anymore. For 35 years I wrote without fear of repercussions because I believed strongly in the law and in the power of the Fourth Estate. I believed in revealing truth to power, that democracy dies in darkness, that shedding the light on what government officials were doing was the right and honorable thing to do.

And then 2016 came and it all went to hell. Suddenly the media was the "the enemy of the people." Two years ago, I made my first call to the local sheriff's office to report a threat to my life. I've made several calls to the local sheriff's office since.

Some people may laugh about this. Who is going to hurt me, the person making fun of me said. Give me names. I gave no names because I could hear the ridicule in his voice. I ended the conversation.

But we have a candidate running for the presidency, the most honorable office of this land, who just days ago said this:

"The former president, speaking at a rally here about the efforts the Secret Service has taken to protect him after two apparent assassination attempts against him, began pointing out the panes of ballistic glass surrounding him at the outdoor venue.

“All we really have over here is the fake news, right? And to get me somebody would have to shoot through the fake news,” [he] said. “And I don’t mind that so much.”

He doesn't mind if the "fake news" media are shot. He basically invited someone to go out and do that. He is a former president, after all. People follow his directions. They fight like hell for him.

While I know there are some who say, "Oh, they're talking about the mainstream media as 'the enemy of the people,' not people like you who write for little publications," not everybody thinks that way.

There are people who think any media is now "the enemy of the people."

And that's why I have had death threats. And why other media people I know have had death threats. They've escalated mightily since 2016.

A hate group on social media found out I was concerned about threats to the local supervisors back in the summer. For that, I got put on a "list" to be given to God knows who. And then there's just the fact that I've been writing about the local government for years, though I think this blog has put me more in harm's way than news writing ever did. On this blog, I think people can see more of who I really am. And they see that I am a strong woman - I've had to be, to survive - and nobody likes a strong woman.

A few years ago, some men went before the local government and asked the county leaders to recognize their "militia." This was a loosely organized group of people who wanted to be soldiers without being in the military, I guess. The leaders here said no, we don't need that, we have a sheriff's office and the state police. However, leaders in an adjoining county said, "yes."

I am 99% certain we have people here locally in a militia; I think it has since combined with the adjoining county but I'm not 100% sure of that. I haven't looked into it because I don't want to be associated with any such thing.

I have watched as a certain candidate recently used the colors of black and gold at one of his revivalist rallies in Michigan. Do you know who else uses black and gold? The Proud Boys. You know who they are? They're a white supremacist hate group. They led the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

If a certain candidate wins or loses, I have no doubt that he will call upon his "militias" to do damage. Either they will go after state government officials, or they will go after federal ones, but I am expecting these people to be ordered to do damage, one way or the other, by taking down the "swamp" or by taking out the "others."

It seems likely they will also go after people on "lists" created by hate groups on social media.

Maybe they will go after bloggers who have not been happy with the former guy. Maybe they will go after anyone who has ever said anything disloyal to the former guy.

Maybe it's all in my imagination, and nothing at all will happen.

Thirty-nine years ago, I did not vote because of a flood. My mother never voted. I think young woman stand to lose their rights if a certain candidate wins this election. I think I stand a chance to sustain grave injury, if not to my physical person, then to my psyche. 

I'm not sure how this all ties in together, to be honest. But here it is. I wanted to lay it all out there before this day is done.

My mother never voted. I missed one vote because of a flood. My life has been threatened. I voted to save the lives of young women.

Does any of that matter? Should it?

What is one life, anyway? What are a few lives?

There are billions of people, after all. Everyone is expendable (see Covid response).

I voted like my life depends on it.

Because I think it does.

Dona Nobis Pacem

 

I am joining in with other bloggers to write about peace today. I have done this before, although some years I forget. I started in 2007, but since 2020 I have blogged about peace annually.

This year, Blog4Peace is the day before election day in the USA. The theme is "hold the light" but I cannot write on that theme. Not right now.

Instead, I am going with "let the peace begin inside of me." Because I do not feel peaceful about much of anything.

I am fearful and afraid. I race in and out of the grocery store as if I were on fire, running from the visions of the scowling, angry faces of the members of my community. Oh, of course they are not all looking like they are going to eat me; most of them, in fact, smile if I smile and are polite and say, "excuse me," if they cut in front of me.

But the atmosphere feels tense and I feel exposed and seen. I feel like they are going to accost me, though for what, I have no idea.

Being hidden and unseen, or feeling afraid and fearful, are not the ways to bring about peace within oneself; nor are they ways to bring peace to a world that is sorely in need of it.

How can I, an older woman, overweight, out of shape, and afraid of my own shadow, be able to make a difference - in anything? What can someone like me do to bring about peace? I can hold no meetings with great worldly leaders. I cannot even manage peace in my own relationships, particularly not with the men in my life.

But I can slow down in the grocery store, and smile at the people who glance my way. It is not my concern what they think of me - those are their thoughts, not mine. My only concern is what I think of them. I must choose to see them as I see myself and acknowledge that they too are lonely and afraid, even if they don't show it.

Maybe I can bring peace one single, slow step at a time.

Let it begin with me.

Sunday Stealing

1. Name some local events, parades or festivals – either in your hometown or state.

A. We have several local festivals, one in Fincastle in September and one in Buchanan in the first weekend in October. We have Christmas parades in both towns, too. Buchanan has a carnival and a July 4 parade. We also have a farmers' market during the growing season, and there are music events in Daleville over the summer.

2. Life update – what’s happened recently, moving house, family wedding, vacation, new pet, visited with a friend, and so on.

A. I go to the grocery store, come home, and put the groceries away. No one has moved, we've had no weddings, no one has died, no new pets, I haven't seen any friends except at the aforementioned grocery store. I am trying to lay low and keep my mouth shut and am not being successful at that.

3. Do you have any family traditions this month?

A. No.

4. The holidays are about two months away. Do you begin shopping or creating now or wait until December?

A. I began Christmas shopping in August.

5. What is your favorite November memory?

A. My mother once made a pumpkin pie that did not set up properly. We called it "pumpkin pudding." It was good all the same, although I think she was unhappy about it.

6. Now that the weather is getting cooler do you prefer staying indoors or going outdoors? What do you do?

A. I am indoors most of the year because of my allergies to everything outside. In the spring, it's the pollen. In the fall, it's the mold. In the winter, it's the cold that makes my asthma act up. 

7. Describe your favorite local restaurant.

A. I don't have a favorite local restaurant, although the Daleville Tap House serves a very good salad. They grow their own greens in a hydroponic garden, so they are always fresh.

8. Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving?

A. I do not know what this means.

9. If you could take any class, what would you select?

A. I would return to my English literature classes.

10. To celebrate November would you rather enjoy pumpkin pie or sweet potato?

A. I am not a fan of either one.

11. How do you handle setbacks and failures?

A. Not very well.

12. If everything in your house had to be one color, which color would you choose?

A. Most everything in my house is one color, some variation of earth tones. The walls are off white or almond. I'll go with that one.

13. Who or what would you haunt if you were a ghost?

A. If I were a ghost, I would like to haunt the White House. But I think the laws of being a ghost imply that ghosts haunt things they are familiar with, like homes or pieces of furniture, so I am not sure that is possible.

14. Have you ever worn clothing with the labels still attached?

A. Not intentionally.

15. What's something weird that you recommend everyone try at least once?

A. Apologizing and/or asking for forgiveness. Apparently, that's an old-fashioned notion, to say, "I'm sorry" and mean it. Manners are now weird.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Back to December

Saturday 9: Back to December (2010)

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

1) Taylor Swift sings that when her mind wanders, it usually returns to a specific day in December. How about you? Do you often daydream? Or do you focus on what's happening in the moment?

A. I daydream all the time, I'm afraid. Of course, I also focus on what's happening when I should or need to, but I am alone a lot, and the stories in my head simply make the time go faster.

2) She's looking back on December. We're going with a different take: As we enter November, what are you looking forward to this month?

A. Well, there's Thanksgiving, but it has never been one of my favorite holidays. There is also Christmas shopping, which I've already started, and possibly the chance to see some people I've not seen in a while. We'll see. Oh, I have a doctor's appointment in the middle of the month. Yippee!

3) The lyrics recount a casual conversation between two former sweethearts. They talk about their families, their careers and the weather. Are you good at making small talk?

A. I do not consider myself good at making small talk. That doesn't mean I can't do it, it just means it's not something I particularly care to do. I would rather ask someone what they think about a cloud or when was the last time they looked at the night sky, instead of talking about the weather or some celebrity personality.

4) This song was rumored to be about her breakup with Taylor Lautner, the actor best known for playing a werewolf in the popular Twilight series. In acknowledgement of the Halloween season: Did you ever trick or treat as a werewolf, vampire, witch, ghost or other scary creature?

A. I have been a witch on Halloween. Some might say I am that every day.

5) Taylor is currently involved with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, and naturally this is his busy time of year. How's your football team (NFL or NCAA) doing this season?

A. I do not have a football team, but my husband roots for the University of Virginia and based on his commentary, they are not doing all that well.

6) Taylor loves chicken tenders and says she'd eat them every day, if calories weren't a consideration. If you were to enjoy tenders right now, what dipping sauce would you prefer --sweet/sour, barbecue or honey mustard?

A. I would go with either the sweet/sour or the honey mustard. BBQ is hard on my stomach.

7) Thinking of food ... Taylor Swift recently donated $5 million to Feeding America with the funds earmarked for those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Does it make you feel good to do good? If yes, what is something you've done recently to help others? (It may give other Sat-9ers ideas for something they can do.)

A. I like to do good, of course. What have I done lately? I've donated to political causes by writing postcards to get out the vote, sent money to my alma mater, gave money to the victims of Hurricane Helene in southwestern Virginia, bought a food box for the poor at the grocery store, let someone who only had a few items go ahead of me in line at the store, paid for the meal of the person behind me at a fast food drive-thru, checked on a friend. I have another friend I text every night as a wellness check. Sometimes doing good is simply holding the door, smiling at someone who looks sad, saying "thank you," or offering to help even if the offer is rejected.

8) Back in 2010, when this week's song was a hit, the iPod Nano was also popular. Did you have an iPod?

A. I still have an iPod. I don't use it much but that might change soon. I am seriously considering disconnecting Alexa and going back to the iPod for my music. It's either that or buying a new radio.

9) Random question: Did you more recently run the dishwasher or the clothes washer?

A. I most recently ran the dishwasher, but they both get a workout throughout the week. And guess what, I repaired my own dishwasher earlier this week. The upper rack had a part break, so I ordered it online, it arrived, I watched a video, I took the thing apart, put it back together, and reinstalled the rack. All by myself, so my husband who has been busy with a septic tank installation wouldn't have to do it when he came in late in the evening. And also because I absolutely hate to handwash the dishes.

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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 a Halloween Thirteen!

Here are 13 scary story ideas for the day!

1. The Unmarked Letter

A letter arrived with no return address. Inside was a single sentence: “I know where you’ll be tonight.” She laughed it off—until she saw her own handwriting on the page.

2. The Mirror’s Reflection

Every night, his reflection smiled back at him…until one evening, it didn’t. Instead, it mouthed words he couldn’t hear, pressing a hand against the glass as if begging for release.

3. Whispers in the Walls

New to the house, she started hearing whispers late at night. “Get out,” the voices urged. One night, she saw a shadow dart across her room, only to realize the whispers sounded eerily like her own.

4. The Forgotten Room

When they opened the old storage door in their new home, they found a fully furnished, dusty bedroom. Everything was neatly arranged as if waiting for someone to return—except for the footprints leading to the bed.

5. Nightly Visitor

For weeks, he felt a presence lingering over him while he slept. One night, he woke to see the shadow hovering, murmuring his name with a voice that sounded strangely familiar.

6. The Broken Clock

Every night at 3:15, the broken clock in her kitchen chimed once. She dismissed it until she checked the date on the clock's calendar: it marked the exact day her grandmother had died.

7. A Call from Nowhere

Her phone rang with no caller ID. When she picked up, she heard her own voice, older, weaker, saying, “Don’t go into the basement.” The line went dead, but the warning lingered.

8. The Locked Door

A locked door stood at the end of the hallway, forgotten by everyone but her. Curiosity won out one night, and she turned the key, only to find herself staring at her own empty house . . . from decades before.

9. The Photo Album

She found an old family album filled with strangers’ faces—but there she was in the background of every photo, staring directly at the camera, decades before she was even born.

10. Flickering Lights

Every evening, the lights would flicker once at exactly 9:00. When the electrician checked, he said the circuit was fine. Later, she found an old letter stating that a child had died at 9 p.m. each day for a month.

11. The Midnight Song

A soft lullaby echoed through the house at midnight every night. She brushed it off, thinking it was an old music box. One night, she found the box broken and rusted—but the song still played.

12. Footsteps on the Ceiling

He heard footsteps above him in his apartment, rhythmic and constant, even though no one lived there. One night, they stopped right above his bed, accompanied by a whisper: “I’ve been here all along.”

13. The Haunted Journal

She found an empty journal in an antique store. Every night, new entries appeared, recounting events from her day that no one else could have known—until the last page read, “Tomorrow, they come for you.”

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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 881st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.