From Sunday Stealing
I Want To Be Famous Meme
1. Would you like to be famous? In what way?
A. I wouldn't mind being J.K. Rowling famous.
2. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
A. I used to when I was interviewing powerful and important people for my work.
3. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
A. Writing a good piece, reading, playing the guitar, taking a nice walk, and going to dinner with my husband.
4. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
A. I sang to myself Saturday (Elvis, thank you Saturday 9). I sang to someone else on Thursday.
5. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
A. The body.
6. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
A. I suspect it will be slow and agonizing and not at all pretty. Most human deaths aren't. We are nicer to animals than we are to the humans we love. We end an animal's suffering but make our loved ones suffer to the bitter end.
7. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
A. My husband.
8. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
A. I would not have been afraid of my maternal grandfather.
9. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
A. The ability to instantly lose a lot of weight.
10. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
A. Why I procrastinate.
11. What does friendship mean to you?
A. It means having someone to be there for, and who is there for me, regardless of whatever is going on.
12. What roles do love and affection play in your life?
A. They're pretty high on my list of important things to have.
13. When did you last laugh?
A. Saturday.
14. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
A. I'm a mid-day person.
15. Seen anything weird lately?
A. Just my face in the mirror.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Saturday 9: Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Saturday 9: Crazy Little Thing Called Love (1980)
... because Diana suggested Queen
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this video, Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury is wearing a leather jacket. Do you have a leather jacket?
A. I have one but I don't wear it anymore.
2) There's a statue of Freddie in Switzerland. There's another statue of him above the Dominion Theater in London. Tell us about a statue or memorial in your town.
A. We have an obelisk monument at the county courthouse. It was dedicated October 27, 1904 and put up by the Botetourt Monument Association.
The monument is unusual in that on one side it says this:
“To the women of Botetourt in remembrance of their constant encouragement, steadfast devotion, tender in ministrations and unfailing providence and care, during the war and in the dark reconstruction years.” Most of these Civil War memorials do not honor the women, from what I understand.
The other side lists “the deeds and services of the twelve volunteer companies … that went to the war from Botetourt County.” It is “in memory of our brave and loyal officers and enlisted men who were killed in battle and who died from wounds and disease, during the war, and of our faithful comrades who have died since the war.”
Since I live here and have ancestors who died in the War Between the States, I don't have a problem with it. It is a memorial for the dead, nothing more, though I realize others may differ in opinion, and perhaps rightly so. I do have a problem with the flags that people put out by it, but not with the memorial itself.
3) Mercury said this song was inspired by Elvis Presley. What's your favorite Elvis song?
A. Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you.
4) This song was covered by the animated Alvin and the Chipmunks. Do you still watch cartoons?
A. I haven't in a while. As an adult, I watched Captain Planet and the Planteers and a show called Reboot, which was quite original. As a child, I watched Bugs Bunny, Underdog, Bullwinkle, and all of the other cartoons that '70s children viewed.
5) The members of Queen met while attending Ealing Art College in London. Are you still in touch with the friends you had in your late teens and early 20s?
A. Facebook has made this much easier. When we had our 30th high school reunion, most of my classmates found one another on Facebook. So while we are not exactly in touch, we're Facebook friends. Some of them I have blocked, some I never "friended" in the first place. However, one of my closest friendships dates back to 1983; we worked together when I was 20 and we still meet monthly for lunch and usually talk once a week on the phone. We are not Facebook friends.
6) During Queen's hey day in the 1980s, Mercury stayed in shape with tennis and swimming. Are you more accomplished on the court or in the pool?
A. I'm more accomplished with the eating of chocolate chip cookies. Can you eat those while you're playing badminton?
7) In 1980, when this song was popular, Brooke Shields made a jeans commercial where she said, "Nothing comes between me and Calvins." It actually only aired for a short time because so many viewers called and complained about it. Have you ever called or emailed to protest something you saw on TV?
A. I wrote a letter protesting the cancellation of Cagney & Lacey and another in support of a second season of Designing Women. Does that count?
8) 1980 is also the year the Post-It note was introduced. What's the last Post-It you wrote?
A. An address for someone to whom I need to send a sympathy card.
9) Random question: Do you blush easily?
A. Not as easily as I did when I was younger. But I do blush.
________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
... because Diana suggested Queen
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this video, Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury is wearing a leather jacket. Do you have a leather jacket?
A. I have one but I don't wear it anymore.
2) There's a statue of Freddie in Switzerland. There's another statue of him above the Dominion Theater in London. Tell us about a statue or memorial in your town.
The monument is unusual in that on one side it says this:
“To the women of Botetourt in remembrance of their constant encouragement, steadfast devotion, tender in ministrations and unfailing providence and care, during the war and in the dark reconstruction years.” Most of these Civil War memorials do not honor the women, from what I understand.
The other side lists “the deeds and services of the twelve volunteer companies … that went to the war from Botetourt County.” It is “in memory of our brave and loyal officers and enlisted men who were killed in battle and who died from wounds and disease, during the war, and of our faithful comrades who have died since the war.”
Since I live here and have ancestors who died in the War Between the States, I don't have a problem with it. It is a memorial for the dead, nothing more, though I realize others may differ in opinion, and perhaps rightly so. I do have a problem with the flags that people put out by it, but not with the memorial itself.
3) Mercury said this song was inspired by Elvis Presley. What's your favorite Elvis song?
A. Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you.
4) This song was covered by the animated Alvin and the Chipmunks. Do you still watch cartoons?
A. I haven't in a while. As an adult, I watched Captain Planet and the Planteers and a show called Reboot, which was quite original. As a child, I watched Bugs Bunny, Underdog, Bullwinkle, and all of the other cartoons that '70s children viewed.
5) The members of Queen met while attending Ealing Art College in London. Are you still in touch with the friends you had in your late teens and early 20s?
A. Facebook has made this much easier. When we had our 30th high school reunion, most of my classmates found one another on Facebook. So while we are not exactly in touch, we're Facebook friends. Some of them I have blocked, some I never "friended" in the first place. However, one of my closest friendships dates back to 1983; we worked together when I was 20 and we still meet monthly for lunch and usually talk once a week on the phone. We are not Facebook friends.
6) During Queen's hey day in the 1980s, Mercury stayed in shape with tennis and swimming. Are you more accomplished on the court or in the pool?
A. I'm more accomplished with the eating of chocolate chip cookies. Can you eat those while you're playing badminton?
7) In 1980, when this song was popular, Brooke Shields made a jeans commercial where she said, "Nothing comes between me and Calvins." It actually only aired for a short time because so many viewers called and complained about it. Have you ever called or emailed to protest something you saw on TV?
A. I wrote a letter protesting the cancellation of Cagney & Lacey and another in support of a second season of Designing Women. Does that count?
8) 1980 is also the year the Post-It note was introduced. What's the last Post-It you wrote?
A. An address for someone to whom I need to send a sympathy card.
9) Random question: Do you blush easily?
A. Not as easily as I did when I was younger. But I do blush.
________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Diesel Engine
Saturday while we were in Blue Ridge awaiting the arrival of the J 611 steam engine, a diesel engine pulling a load of hazardous materials cars came chugging through.
My husband, who is a battalion chief with a city fire department, grimaced as he watched the cars go by. "Wouldn't be nothing left of us if one of those derailed right now," he muttered.
Fortunately, nothing happened, and I and many other photographers who were standing around lived to await the steam engine. I noticed they also took pictures of the diesel.
I like trains. As machines, they have beautiful lines and are lovely to look at. I am not sure what draws me to them, but I love to watch them glide along the tracks.
Interestingly, I also like the forlorn look of train tracks as they make their way along the sides of mountains and down valleys. The sight calls out to my heart.
Thursday, July 09, 2015
Thursday Thirteen
1. The other night I dreamed I took a home tour in Fincastle. When I reached the end, I forgot where I parked my car. I backtracked, found my car, climbed in, and continued to drive around LOOKING FOR IT! Finally I realized what I was doing and had a good laugh at myself . . . woke up chuckling.
2. My electricity has gone off at least one time every day this week. What's up with that?
3. I shut a door Tuesday. Will another open?
4. So far I have seen three fawns running around the house. They play together like little dogs.
5. Junk on my desk: checkbooks, old newspapers, numerous yellow pads, a RoadScholar catalogue, two Kindles, and a Nook. That's just the beginning of it.
6. One of the oldest books in my collection is a tiny little thin "Dell Purse Book" that I paid 35 cents for a very long time ago. It is called The Book of Dreams: a guide to the mystic meaning of your dreams. It says it is abridged from Zadkiel's Book of Dreams & Fortune Telling.
7. I found a copy of Zadkiels's Book of Dreams and have it here in my collection. Unfortunately, I can't put my hands on it and am not sure exactly where it is. But I always know where the little tiny old pamphlet, now yellowed with age, rests.
8. A friend read the Tarot for me for my birthday. The cards told a story relating to business and finance, and that I needed to be on my guard against people trying to waste my time. The cards described me as cynical and someone who has difficulty with conflict and who doesn't deal well with difficult people. Nor do I trust men and I have had a difficult life.
9. Even though I am well into middle-age and almost old, there are many things I do not know.
10. The clouds have beauty even when they are dark and brooding.
11. I have clutter but haven't figured out how to rid myself of it. I am not a fan of Goodwill as I have read reports about how much the CEO makes and how the company treats its employees that makes me not want to hand items over to it. It is, though, the nearest place for getting rid of old clothes and other things. I'm too rural for a yard sale.
12. Craigslist scares me. I know some one reading this is thinking, "she should sell that stuff on craigslist." I have dealt with craigslist with other things, and I find it a dreadful way to do business. You don't know who you're dealing with and how they might retaliate. The world has become too scary for shy folk like me.
13. I really need a candy bar, preferably a Milky Way Midnight.
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 403rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
2. My electricity has gone off at least one time every day this week. What's up with that?
3. I shut a door Tuesday. Will another open?
4. So far I have seen three fawns running around the house. They play together like little dogs.
5. Junk on my desk: checkbooks, old newspapers, numerous yellow pads, a RoadScholar catalogue, two Kindles, and a Nook. That's just the beginning of it.
6. One of the oldest books in my collection is a tiny little thin "Dell Purse Book" that I paid 35 cents for a very long time ago. It is called The Book of Dreams: a guide to the mystic meaning of your dreams. It says it is abridged from Zadkiel's Book of Dreams & Fortune Telling.
7. I found a copy of Zadkiels's Book of Dreams and have it here in my collection. Unfortunately, I can't put my hands on it and am not sure exactly where it is. But I always know where the little tiny old pamphlet, now yellowed with age, rests.
8. A friend read the Tarot for me for my birthday. The cards told a story relating to business and finance, and that I needed to be on my guard against people trying to waste my time. The cards described me as cynical and someone who has difficulty with conflict and who doesn't deal well with difficult people. Nor do I trust men and I have had a difficult life.
9. Even though I am well into middle-age and almost old, there are many things I do not know.
10. The clouds have beauty even when they are dark and brooding.
11. I have clutter but haven't figured out how to rid myself of it. I am not a fan of Goodwill as I have read reports about how much the CEO makes and how the company treats its employees that makes me not want to hand items over to it. It is, though, the nearest place for getting rid of old clothes and other things. I'm too rural for a yard sale.
12. Craigslist scares me. I know some one reading this is thinking, "she should sell that stuff on craigslist." I have dealt with craigslist with other things, and I find it a dreadful way to do business. You don't know who you're dealing with and how they might retaliate. The world has become too scary for shy folk like me.
13. I really need a candy bar, preferably a Milky Way Midnight.
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 403rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, July 08, 2015
Tuesday, July 07, 2015
Monday, July 06, 2015
Here Comes the 611!
The N&W J class 611 is a steam engine that is the only one of its kind left in existence.
It is one of 14 built between 1941 and 1950.
The newly restored engine is housed at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke. It has been making a few rounds on tracks in the state since it arrived here last month.
This weekend it, it made passenger runs from Roanoke to Lynchburg and back.
We went to Blue Ridge Saturday to see it come through. We were, actually, in "Webster," as the sign says, at the Webster Brick Plant.
Lots of folks with cameras were there to take photos. I don't know when I will ever get to see a steam engine run again, so I was glad we took this rare opportunity to see her chug along.
Sunday, July 05, 2015
Sunday Stealing: Mash Up
From Sunday Stealing
Mash Up Meme
1. What’s overdue for a good cleaning?
A. My clothes closet.
2. What’s overdue for some kind of professional examination, service, maintenance, or upkeep?
A. Apparently my whole body.
3. Who’s overdue for a phone call or letter to you?
A. No one that I am aware of.
4. What’s overdue for an appearance in your neighborhood?
A. A UFO.
5. Who’s overdue for a good comeuppance?
A. No one I know personally - or at least no one I will say. Out in the world, I think any of the reality stars probably could use "a good comeuppance."
6. What’s a gross food you like anyway?
A. Fried green tomatoes.
7. Who’s an unlikeable person you like anyway?
A. Well, half the country dislikes Barack Obama for reasons I don't understand; he's more Republican than Democrat. So I will go with him.
8. What’s an unpleasant task you enjoy performing anyway?
A. Folding clothes.
9. What’s a dumb song you enjoy anyway?
A. Puff the Magic Dragon
10. What’s a lousy restaurant you frequent anyway?
A. If it is a lousy restaurant I don't go there. So I have no answer to this question.
11. What's your favorite Sci-fi film/program etc?
A. Science fiction would be Star Wars. Fantasy would be The Lord of the Rings + The Hobbit.
12. Have you ever had a proper Tarot reading?
A. As opposed to an improper one? What is that, one where you are forced to disrobe when a card is turned over? But yes, I have had Tarot readings by real people (as opposed to say, tarot.com, which I also like). For entertainment purposes only.
13. Have you ever used the phrase "back in my time" to someone younger than you?
A. I am more likely to say, "when I was younger," or perhaps "back in my day," both of which mean the same thing. And yes, I have said those phrases. But not "back in my time."
14. Have you ever done something really unbelievable, only to have no one around to see it?
A. Yes. But it was so unbelievable that I can't talk about it.
15. If you were famous would you want a statue or a building named after you?
A. If I were simply famous and not rich, neither. If I had plenty of money and could make a massive donation, I wouldn't mind having a library or a college building named after me. I don't care about a statue.
Mash Up Meme
1. What’s overdue for a good cleaning?
A. My clothes closet.
2. What’s overdue for some kind of professional examination, service, maintenance, or upkeep?
A. Apparently my whole body.
3. Who’s overdue for a phone call or letter to you?
A. No one that I am aware of.
4. What’s overdue for an appearance in your neighborhood?
A. A UFO.
5. Who’s overdue for a good comeuppance?
A. No one I know personally - or at least no one I will say. Out in the world, I think any of the reality stars probably could use "a good comeuppance."
6. What’s a gross food you like anyway?
A. Fried green tomatoes.
7. Who’s an unlikeable person you like anyway?
A. Well, half the country dislikes Barack Obama for reasons I don't understand; he's more Republican than Democrat. So I will go with him.
8. What’s an unpleasant task you enjoy performing anyway?
A. Folding clothes.
9. What’s a dumb song you enjoy anyway?
A. Puff the Magic Dragon
10. What’s a lousy restaurant you frequent anyway?
A. If it is a lousy restaurant I don't go there. So I have no answer to this question.
11. What's your favorite Sci-fi film/program etc?
A. Science fiction would be Star Wars. Fantasy would be The Lord of the Rings + The Hobbit.
12. Have you ever had a proper Tarot reading?
A. As opposed to an improper one? What is that, one where you are forced to disrobe when a card is turned over? But yes, I have had Tarot readings by real people (as opposed to say, tarot.com, which I also like). For entertainment purposes only.
13. Have you ever used the phrase "back in my time" to someone younger than you?
A. I am more likely to say, "when I was younger," or perhaps "back in my day," both of which mean the same thing. And yes, I have said those phrases. But not "back in my time."
14. Have you ever done something really unbelievable, only to have no one around to see it?
A. Yes. But it was so unbelievable that I can't talk about it.
15. If you were famous would you want a statue or a building named after you?
A. If I were simply famous and not rich, neither. If I had plenty of money and could make a massive donation, I wouldn't mind having a library or a college building named after me. I don't care about a statue.
Saturday, July 04, 2015
Saturday 9: Hungry
Saturday 9: Hungry (1966)
... because it's 4th of July
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Are you eating anything as you respond to these questions?
A. I have a glass of water but that's it for the moment.
2) Paul Revere and the Raiders performed in Revolutionary garb. Have you ever worked at a job that required you to wear a uniform?
A. I have not. I wouldn't mind it. I hate having to find something to wear every day. Seems like a waste of brain cells.
3) The "Paul Revere" of Raiders fame was born Paul Revere Dick in Boise, Idaho. What else is Idaho known for?
A. 'Taters. What's 'taters, Precious? What's 'taters? You know, po-ta-toes. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew. (Sorry, couldn't help myself, Lord of the Rings movie fans will get it.)
4) The original Paul Revere was a silversmith by trade, known for making church bells. Can you hear church bells from your home?
A. No. I hear cows mooing, turkeys gobbling, and birds chirping, with one mocking bird in particular singing his little heart out and a cardinal going "we-choo." But no church bells. Mother Nature gives me sounds every day that are just as pretty as any bell.
5) In April, 1775, Paul Revere literally rode into history when he galloped into the night, spreading the word that "the British are coming." Name another Revolutionary War-era hero.
A. Colonel William Preston, once of Botetourt County, Virginia (home to several Revolutionary War Heroes), lived in the area at a farm he named Greenfield Plantation in 1761. William Preston moved his living quarters from Greenfield to Drapers Meadows in 1774, but retained control of the Botetourt property.
He represented Botetourt County in Virginia’s House of Burgess in the 1760s, before there was a United States. He was a pioneer and a soldier who defended the Virginia frontier before and during the Revolutionary War. He served as a Colonel in the militia.
He was also one of the 13 signers of the Fincastle Resolutions, a document which predates the Declaration of Independence. It was written in January 1775 and promised resistance until death against Britain in order to preserve certain liberties.
He was also a founding trustee of Liberty Hall in 1776. The college later became Washington & Lee University.
His son John, also a Revolutionary War soldier and a Botetourt County statesman, became owner of the Greenfield farm after Preston and his wife died. The Preston family owned Greenfield through seven generations and sold the land in the late 20th century. Botetourt County now owns 922 acres of the property and has attempted to turn it into an industrial park.
As an aside, Greenfield bordered property owned by my husband's 6th-great grandfather.
6) Historians tell us that Revere's famous "midnight ride" actually took place between 9:00 and 10:00 PM. When is your usual bedtime?
A. Anywhere from 9:30 PM to 10:00 PM. It's a big night if I'm still up at 10:15 PM any more.
7) Earlier this year, officials from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts uncovered a time capsule buried in 1795 by Paul Revere and Gov. Sam Adams. It included coins and newspapers. If you were to bury a time capsule that reflects American life in 2015, what would it include?
A. Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing memes, a cell phone, a copy of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, pictures of major cities with a Google view of men in ties and women in skirts hurrying and not speaking to one another, pictures of homeless people and prisons, a Coca Cola can, a bottle of water, pictures of The Rolling Stones from the 1960s and now, one each of the different quarters of the various states, and a copy of the U.S. Constitution.
8) Will you attend a fireworks display during the 4th of July weekend?
A. Depends on the weather. At the moment we have rain.
9) What's your preferred way to celebrate Independence Day -- a parade, a picnic, or both?
A. Actually, I prefer to stay home, read a book, and have some one else cook dinner. I have covered enough parades as a news reporter to have had my fill of them, regardless of holiday, and picnics are for ants.
... because it's 4th of July
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Are you eating anything as you respond to these questions?
A. I have a glass of water but that's it for the moment.
2) Paul Revere and the Raiders performed in Revolutionary garb. Have you ever worked at a job that required you to wear a uniform?
A. I have not. I wouldn't mind it. I hate having to find something to wear every day. Seems like a waste of brain cells.
3) The "Paul Revere" of Raiders fame was born Paul Revere Dick in Boise, Idaho. What else is Idaho known for?
A. 'Taters. What's 'taters, Precious? What's 'taters? You know, po-ta-toes. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew. (Sorry, couldn't help myself, Lord of the Rings movie fans will get it.)
4) The original Paul Revere was a silversmith by trade, known for making church bells. Can you hear church bells from your home?
A. No. I hear cows mooing, turkeys gobbling, and birds chirping, with one mocking bird in particular singing his little heart out and a cardinal going "we-choo." But no church bells. Mother Nature gives me sounds every day that are just as pretty as any bell.
5) In April, 1775, Paul Revere literally rode into history when he galloped into the night, spreading the word that "the British are coming." Name another Revolutionary War-era hero.
A. Colonel William Preston, once of Botetourt County, Virginia (home to several Revolutionary War Heroes), lived in the area at a farm he named Greenfield Plantation in 1761. William Preston moved his living quarters from Greenfield to Drapers Meadows in 1774, but retained control of the Botetourt property.
He represented Botetourt County in Virginia’s House of Burgess in the 1760s, before there was a United States. He was a pioneer and a soldier who defended the Virginia frontier before and during the Revolutionary War. He served as a Colonel in the militia.
He was also one of the 13 signers of the Fincastle Resolutions, a document which predates the Declaration of Independence. It was written in January 1775 and promised resistance until death against Britain in order to preserve certain liberties.
He was also a founding trustee of Liberty Hall in 1776. The college later became Washington & Lee University.
His son John, also a Revolutionary War soldier and a Botetourt County statesman, became owner of the Greenfield farm after Preston and his wife died. The Preston family owned Greenfield through seven generations and sold the land in the late 20th century. Botetourt County now owns 922 acres of the property and has attempted to turn it into an industrial park.
As an aside, Greenfield bordered property owned by my husband's 6th-great grandfather.
6) Historians tell us that Revere's famous "midnight ride" actually took place between 9:00 and 10:00 PM. When is your usual bedtime?
A. Anywhere from 9:30 PM to 10:00 PM. It's a big night if I'm still up at 10:15 PM any more.
7) Earlier this year, officials from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts uncovered a time capsule buried in 1795 by Paul Revere and Gov. Sam Adams. It included coins and newspapers. If you were to bury a time capsule that reflects American life in 2015, what would it include?
A. Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing memes, a cell phone, a copy of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, pictures of major cities with a Google view of men in ties and women in skirts hurrying and not speaking to one another, pictures of homeless people and prisons, a Coca Cola can, a bottle of water, pictures of The Rolling Stones from the 1960s and now, one each of the different quarters of the various states, and a copy of the U.S. Constitution.
8) Will you attend a fireworks display during the 4th of July weekend?
A. Depends on the weather. At the moment we have rain.
9) What's your preferred way to celebrate Independence Day -- a parade, a picnic, or both?
A. Actually, I prefer to stay home, read a book, and have some one else cook dinner. I have covered enough parades as a news reporter to have had my fill of them, regardless of holiday, and picnics are for ants.
Friday, July 03, 2015
Cake Decorating FAIL
My friend Diane posted a recipe on her Facebook page recently for a "firecracker cake." It was a Bundt cake with red, white, and blue icing drizzled on it. It looked beautiful, and was even red, white, and blue on the inside. You can see pictures of what I wanted to do here.
I planned to give the cake away.
My husband accompanied me to the grocery store when I went for ingredients. He complained because I don't make cakes for us. Make cupcakes instead, he suggested, so he could have a couple.
I thought about it. I could make multicolored battered cupcakes, I decided.
Maybe I could figure out how to do something with the icing. I'm a creative person. I could be creative.
I made 12 cupcakes. Unexpectedly, I grew tired, something that happens more frequently than I care to admit when I am trying to do something. It is hard for me to stand up and cook for a long time and I suppose I'd had a busier day than I realized.
At any rate, I didn't want to make any more cupcakes.
I looked at the remaining batter. I dumped it into an 8x8 pan to make a small square cake. I thought, well, I could do a small cake and maybe make a fireworks pattern on it. I could make a gift of the small cake if it looked nice.
The cake parts turned out okay except the blues and reds were not dark enough. They were more like pink and lavender. It takes A LOT of food coloring to make dark red and dark blue.
After the cake and cupcakes cooled, I mixed up the icing. It looked light in color, but I personally don't think food coloring is all that healthy for you and I didn't want to continue adding more.
So I proceeded to try to make a fireworks on the small square cake.
In my opinion, it looked like someone had thrown up Pepto Bismal on a pair of thread-bare blue jeans.
No way was I giving that to anyone.
I ended up icing the cupcakes in white icing, blue icing, and
pink icing.
They looked okay.
There was still a little blue and pink icing left. So I spread it over the square cake to hide the fireworks effort.
That looks even worse, doesn't it?
Of course the square cake wasn't leaving the house. The cupcakes, however, did go to my intended destination, and the recipient was just as happy as if it had been a cake, I think.
I also handed out some of the square cake to a visitor, making sure I cut the part that was mostly pink. So there is not a lot of cake here for us to eat, which is good because we don't need to be eating it, anyway.
But there is a little, and the husband is happy about that. I think I made everybody happy and then some, with one little cake.
It even made me happy because I made others happy, even if I did not make a beautiful cake.
So how about you? What's your most recent recipe fail?
I planned to give the cake away.
My husband accompanied me to the grocery store when I went for ingredients. He complained because I don't make cakes for us. Make cupcakes instead, he suggested, so he could have a couple.
I thought about it. I could make multicolored battered cupcakes, I decided.
Maybe I could figure out how to do something with the icing. I'm a creative person. I could be creative.
I made 12 cupcakes. Unexpectedly, I grew tired, something that happens more frequently than I care to admit when I am trying to do something. It is hard for me to stand up and cook for a long time and I suppose I'd had a busier day than I realized.
At any rate, I didn't want to make any more cupcakes.
I looked at the remaining batter. I dumped it into an 8x8 pan to make a small square cake. I thought, well, I could do a small cake and maybe make a fireworks pattern on it. I could make a gift of the small cake if it looked nice.
The cake parts turned out okay except the blues and reds were not dark enough. They were more like pink and lavender. It takes A LOT of food coloring to make dark red and dark blue.
After the cake and cupcakes cooled, I mixed up the icing. It looked light in color, but I personally don't think food coloring is all that healthy for you and I didn't want to continue adding more.
So I proceeded to try to make a fireworks on the small square cake.
In my opinion, it looked like someone had thrown up Pepto Bismal on a pair of thread-bare blue jeans.
No way was I giving that to anyone.
I ended up icing the cupcakes in white icing, blue icing, and
pink icing.
They looked okay.
There was still a little blue and pink icing left. So I spread it over the square cake to hide the fireworks effort.
That looks even worse, doesn't it?
Of course the square cake wasn't leaving the house. The cupcakes, however, did go to my intended destination, and the recipient was just as happy as if it had been a cake, I think.
I also handed out some of the square cake to a visitor, making sure I cut the part that was mostly pink. So there is not a lot of cake here for us to eat, which is good because we don't need to be eating it, anyway.
But there is a little, and the husband is happy about that. I think I made everybody happy and then some, with one little cake.
It even made me happy because I made others happy, even if I did not make a beautiful cake.
So how about you? What's your most recent recipe fail?
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Thursday Thirteen
Yesterday was my father's birthday. He turned 74.
So here are 13 facts about my father.
1. He was born in a cabin in West Virginia. His father was a coal miner at the time.
2. When he was seven years old, his uncle bought him a shoeshine kit and he shined shoes in Summersville, WV to earn money.
3. His family moved to the area we live in now around 1949. Eventually they ended up in Salem, living in the house that shared a backyard boundary with the home of a young lady my father would marry.
4. During his early teen years, my father had a wholesale bait-selling business, complete with employees.
5. He also had a lawn-mowing business. Back then, he cut lawns for $2.
6. He joined the military when he was 17. He served for 37 months, part of that in Korea. His last military job was decoding messages for the government.
7. After he left the military, he worked as police officer in Salem and married my mother. They had two kids in four years.
8. After a few years, he went into sales.
9. He moved to rural Botetourt in 1969, purchasing property that bordered his father-in-law's old home place. He began farming and raising cattle.
10. In 1973, he started his own business selling industrial rubber products. The company was initially called The Rubber House of Roanoke. Later, the name changed to Cardinal Rubber and Seal.
11. He played guitar and sang in a band called Music, Inc. in the 1970s and early 1980s. Today he plays guitar and sings in a band called Stone Coal Gap.
12. In 1999, he became an auctioneer.
13. My mother died in 2000; he remarried in 2007.
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 402nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
So here are 13 facts about my father.
 |
| Me and my father in 2012. He was playing Santa Claus at one of the local churches. |
1. He was born in a cabin in West Virginia. His father was a coal miner at the time.
2. When he was seven years old, his uncle bought him a shoeshine kit and he shined shoes in Summersville, WV to earn money.
3. His family moved to the area we live in now around 1949. Eventually they ended up in Salem, living in the house that shared a backyard boundary with the home of a young lady my father would marry.
4. During his early teen years, my father had a wholesale bait-selling business, complete with employees.
5. He also had a lawn-mowing business. Back then, he cut lawns for $2.
6. He joined the military when he was 17. He served for 37 months, part of that in Korea. His last military job was decoding messages for the government.
7. After he left the military, he worked as police officer in Salem and married my mother. They had two kids in four years.
8. After a few years, he went into sales.
9. He moved to rural Botetourt in 1969, purchasing property that bordered his father-in-law's old home place. He began farming and raising cattle.
10. In 1973, he started his own business selling industrial rubber products. The company was initially called The Rubber House of Roanoke. Later, the name changed to Cardinal Rubber and Seal.
11. He played guitar and sang in a band called Music, Inc. in the 1970s and early 1980s. Today he plays guitar and sings in a band called Stone Coal Gap.
12. In 1999, he became an auctioneer.
13. My mother died in 2000; he remarried in 2007.
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 402nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
Black Squirrel
This little fellow popped up in the back yard Monday. I was surprised, as I don't recall ever seeing a squirrel this color before.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Mamma Fore
When I was a child, my grandmother, who passed away eight years ago this past Sunday (June 28), spent a good hour on the telephone talking to "Mamma Fore" nearly every day.
I have no idea who Mamma Fore was. I don't know how my grandmother and this woman met, or how long they knew one another. My aunt and uncles may know, but I was too young to understand anything other than if the phone rang, and it was Mamma Fore, you went and amused yourself for the next hour. You didn't ask for anything unless blood was involved, because Grandma was talking to Mamma Fore.
This came to mind to me recently while I was mentally listing folks I could call in the event of an emergency, followed by folks I could talk to just to chat.
The list for emergencies was pretty extensive; the list just to chat, however, was not long.
I know a lot of people and interact with them every day via the computer. I have hundreds of friends on Facebook, one person I have emailed at least twice a day for almost 15 years, and others that send me funny videos or bits of information, and to whom I return that favor.
But to call and chat? Very few people do that anymore. They chat via Facebook and/or text all day long - why would they need an hour-long block of time simply to focus on one person and one thing?
I daresay not many children today have Mamma Fores to worry about, because their mothers don't have that kind of time. They are too busy carting Junior off to a ball game or texting Dad about thus and such.
My grandmother had a small world. I remember my mother used to fuss because my grandmother could easily spend a half-hour on the phone with a salesperson, talking about everything from TV shows to the actual product in question. She invited the Fuller Brush Man in when he made his regular visits, and she always bought something from him.
Otherwise, her world consisted of her two young sons, one of whom was younger than I, and me and my brother.
Sometimes she talked to neighbors while she hung clothes. Occasionally she would go see Aunt Elsie, but not often - nobody went to see Aunt Elsie much (though they became great friends in the nursing home in their late years) - and every Friday, like clockwork, Grandma would walk the three blocks up East Riverside Drive to her old home place.
That's where one of her sisters lived.
She hauled us along and we played in the yard while Grandma did Aunt Neva's hair. The place always smelled like beans, mostly because from what I remember there was usually a big potful on the stove, simmering away all day with a big hunk of fatback in there for flavoring. Nobody ate beans that weren't cooked nearly to nothing in that household.
Sometimes Aunt Susie (my other great-aunt) would join the two sisters for her share of hair makeover. Apparently my grandmother gave great home permanents. They stunk terribly and made your eyes water, but gave you soft curls. Or so I gathered.
That was pretty much my grandmother's world, especially after my grandfather died. She had three TV stations to watch, and she watched the news regularly. She read every word of The Roanoke Times & World News, because even though she only had a fourth grade education, she seemed to think being well-informed was important. When those folks called to sell her something, she could converse about the topics of the day if the situation called for it.
And of course, when Mamma Fore called, the news could take up a bit of time. Back then the news was more than a sound bite and an emotional jab in the ribs; it was real knowledge made up of truth, facts, and science. Those are things we've lost along the way, so much so that I strongly suspect my grandmother was better informed than half of the population living today, in spite of the information at our fingertips.
I don't recall when Mamma Fore died. I suppose by that time I had become a teenager, one of those selfish persons who didn't visit grandmas much and who had no time for older folks. I'm sure it broke my grandmother's heart whenever Mamma Fore passed on. Shame on me for not knowing this.
Her loneliness, I know, increased a thousand-fold. Everyone's loneliness increases as we age, and our friends begin to leave us, dropping one by one. Younger people don't understand it.
I'm just beginning to.
I am missing those days of Mamma Fore, those simpler times of telephone calls and conversation. I am now old enough to reminisce of another time and place, I guess.
I have no idea who Mamma Fore was. I don't know how my grandmother and this woman met, or how long they knew one another. My aunt and uncles may know, but I was too young to understand anything other than if the phone rang, and it was Mamma Fore, you went and amused yourself for the next hour. You didn't ask for anything unless blood was involved, because Grandma was talking to Mamma Fore.
This came to mind to me recently while I was mentally listing folks I could call in the event of an emergency, followed by folks I could talk to just to chat.
The list for emergencies was pretty extensive; the list just to chat, however, was not long.
I know a lot of people and interact with them every day via the computer. I have hundreds of friends on Facebook, one person I have emailed at least twice a day for almost 15 years, and others that send me funny videos or bits of information, and to whom I return that favor.
But to call and chat? Very few people do that anymore. They chat via Facebook and/or text all day long - why would they need an hour-long block of time simply to focus on one person and one thing?
I daresay not many children today have Mamma Fores to worry about, because their mothers don't have that kind of time. They are too busy carting Junior off to a ball game or texting Dad about thus and such.
My grandmother had a small world. I remember my mother used to fuss because my grandmother could easily spend a half-hour on the phone with a salesperson, talking about everything from TV shows to the actual product in question. She invited the Fuller Brush Man in when he made his regular visits, and she always bought something from him.
Otherwise, her world consisted of her two young sons, one of whom was younger than I, and me and my brother.
Sometimes she talked to neighbors while she hung clothes. Occasionally she would go see Aunt Elsie, but not often - nobody went to see Aunt Elsie much (though they became great friends in the nursing home in their late years) - and every Friday, like clockwork, Grandma would walk the three blocks up East Riverside Drive to her old home place.
That's where one of her sisters lived.
She hauled us along and we played in the yard while Grandma did Aunt Neva's hair. The place always smelled like beans, mostly because from what I remember there was usually a big potful on the stove, simmering away all day with a big hunk of fatback in there for flavoring. Nobody ate beans that weren't cooked nearly to nothing in that household.
Sometimes Aunt Susie (my other great-aunt) would join the two sisters for her share of hair makeover. Apparently my grandmother gave great home permanents. They stunk terribly and made your eyes water, but gave you soft curls. Or so I gathered.
That was pretty much my grandmother's world, especially after my grandfather died. She had three TV stations to watch, and she watched the news regularly. She read every word of The Roanoke Times & World News, because even though she only had a fourth grade education, she seemed to think being well-informed was important. When those folks called to sell her something, she could converse about the topics of the day if the situation called for it.
And of course, when Mamma Fore called, the news could take up a bit of time. Back then the news was more than a sound bite and an emotional jab in the ribs; it was real knowledge made up of truth, facts, and science. Those are things we've lost along the way, so much so that I strongly suspect my grandmother was better informed than half of the population living today, in spite of the information at our fingertips.
I don't recall when Mamma Fore died. I suppose by that time I had become a teenager, one of those selfish persons who didn't visit grandmas much and who had no time for older folks. I'm sure it broke my grandmother's heart whenever Mamma Fore passed on. Shame on me for not knowing this.
Her loneliness, I know, increased a thousand-fold. Everyone's loneliness increases as we age, and our friends begin to leave us, dropping one by one. Younger people don't understand it.
I'm just beginning to.
I am missing those days of Mamma Fore, those simpler times of telephone calls and conversation. I am now old enough to reminisce of another time and place, I guess.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Book: The Goldfinch
The Goldfinch
By Donna Tart
Read by David Pittu
32.5 hours
Unabridged
Copyright 2013
This book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in April 2014. The Washington Post titled its article about this, "The Disappointing Novel That Just Won a Pulitzer."
This book is 784 pages, and it was very long to listen to. It has taken me, literally, two months to hear it in my car. In desperation I finally listened to the final three hours of it in my office, taking up yesterday afternoon to get through the final three discs.
Did it deserve a Pulitzer? I don't know. If this was the best out there for the competition, then I suppose it won as it should. But I think perhaps there were better stories available, maybe unfound or unrecognized as such. It concerns me that the things we value these days are not golden, but instead are some kind of gilded and bronzed enigma that should be something, but isn't.
The Washington Post reviewer calls the book a junk shop passed off as something unique and rare, to paraphrase. I cannot disagree.
The plot is simple: a young boy, Theo, is in a museum with his mother when a bomb goes off. His mother dies. In the confusion of the explosion, Theo, at the insistence of a dying old man, grabs up a 1600s-era painting called The Goldfinch and shoves it into a backpack. In his shock, he finds his way from the museum and home. He has a bad family life anyway, with an alcoholic and gambling father who had left the family a year earlier.
Tart spells this out painfully, giving us a blow-by-blow of young Theo's heartache, his inability to understand all that is going on about him, his surprise when his father turns back up, though the reader knows (nudge nudge) that the boozer has come back only for the estate money, whatever there may be. The boy goes with his father to Vegas. He makes a friend, he learns to do drugs.
The painting comes to symbolize hope, fear, sorrow, greatness, love - all of life - for this young boy, who grows into manhood keeping this great secret.
The joke's on him, though, for all is not as it seems. I won't give away any more plot in case someone actually wants to read this book. But the story meanders greatly, going into much detail and depth about things that may or may not matter. Nothing is permanent in Theo's life and the story of the ephemeral quality of life is thematic throughout, but never satisfactorily explained by the author, not even in the dramatic musings at the end of the book. In the end, it's a nihilistic point of view, that we're all just here to pass through airports.
The first part of the book was engaging, and I suppose that was what kept me involved. The book read more like three books, and it was really one long character study about a damaged person. Perhaps it should have been some sort of series.
Tart's work has more than 21,000 reviews on Amazon. Forty-one percent of readers give it 5 stars. Ten percent give it 1 star.
I give it 3 stars. It was interesting enough, obviously, or I would have stopped listening to it a long time ago, but it seemed overly drawn out. The ending came rushing at the reader without any real sense of deservedness. Much of what happened to the character seemed to have no impact on him or whatever message the author was trying to impart.
Because of that, I have problems not so much with the book as I do with the fact that this is the book that won the Pulitzer. I think I expected better, and expectations sometimes can color what we read or hear.
By Donna Tart
Read by David Pittu
32.5 hours
Unabridged
Copyright 2013
This book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in April 2014. The Washington Post titled its article about this, "The Disappointing Novel That Just Won a Pulitzer."
This book is 784 pages, and it was very long to listen to. It has taken me, literally, two months to hear it in my car. In desperation I finally listened to the final three hours of it in my office, taking up yesterday afternoon to get through the final three discs.
Did it deserve a Pulitzer? I don't know. If this was the best out there for the competition, then I suppose it won as it should. But I think perhaps there were better stories available, maybe unfound or unrecognized as such. It concerns me that the things we value these days are not golden, but instead are some kind of gilded and bronzed enigma that should be something, but isn't.
The Washington Post reviewer calls the book a junk shop passed off as something unique and rare, to paraphrase. I cannot disagree.
The plot is simple: a young boy, Theo, is in a museum with his mother when a bomb goes off. His mother dies. In the confusion of the explosion, Theo, at the insistence of a dying old man, grabs up a 1600s-era painting called The Goldfinch and shoves it into a backpack. In his shock, he finds his way from the museum and home. He has a bad family life anyway, with an alcoholic and gambling father who had left the family a year earlier.
Tart spells this out painfully, giving us a blow-by-blow of young Theo's heartache, his inability to understand all that is going on about him, his surprise when his father turns back up, though the reader knows (nudge nudge) that the boozer has come back only for the estate money, whatever there may be. The boy goes with his father to Vegas. He makes a friend, he learns to do drugs.
The painting comes to symbolize hope, fear, sorrow, greatness, love - all of life - for this young boy, who grows into manhood keeping this great secret.
The joke's on him, though, for all is not as it seems. I won't give away any more plot in case someone actually wants to read this book. But the story meanders greatly, going into much detail and depth about things that may or may not matter. Nothing is permanent in Theo's life and the story of the ephemeral quality of life is thematic throughout, but never satisfactorily explained by the author, not even in the dramatic musings at the end of the book. In the end, it's a nihilistic point of view, that we're all just here to pass through airports.
The first part of the book was engaging, and I suppose that was what kept me involved. The book read more like three books, and it was really one long character study about a damaged person. Perhaps it should have been some sort of series.
Tart's work has more than 21,000 reviews on Amazon. Forty-one percent of readers give it 5 stars. Ten percent give it 1 star.
I give it 3 stars. It was interesting enough, obviously, or I would have stopped listening to it a long time ago, but it seemed overly drawn out. The ending came rushing at the reader without any real sense of deservedness. Much of what happened to the character seemed to have no impact on him or whatever message the author was trying to impart.
Because of that, I have problems not so much with the book as I do with the fact that this is the book that won the Pulitzer. I think I expected better, and expectations sometimes can color what we read or hear.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Sunday Stealing: Unusual Things
From Sunday Stealing
Unusual Things
1. Who was the last person of the opposite sex you laid in a bed with?
A. My husband.
2. Where was the last place you went out to eat?
A. Shakers, a local restaurant that serves excellent food and plays good music.
3. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed?
A. I had some blackberry wine in 2012 when I received my master's degree. Yes, I know, I'm a big load of fun.
4. Which do you prefer - eyes or lips?
A. Can't I have both?
5. Medicine, fine arts, or law?
A. Can't do without any of them.
6. Best kind of pizza?
A. I prefer a vegetarian pizza with no black olives.
7. Is your bedroom window open?
A. No. Why would you ask that question? Are you are a sex criminal? (Big Bang watchers will get that reference.)
8. What is in store for your future?
A. Well, Monday and Thursday I see my physical therapist.
9. Who was the last band you saw live?
A. Elton John.
10. Do you take care of your friends while they are sick?
A. I am not a very good nurse, but I try. I take them food, call and check on them, run errands. Most of my friends have family and they turn to them first.
11. Any historical figures that you envy?
A. I can't say I envy any of them, but there are many that I admire.
12. How many songs are on your iTunes?
A. I don't have iTunes (gasp!).
13. What brand of digital camera do you own?
A. I have several Nikons and one Canon.
14. When was the last time you got a good workout?
A. I walked on the treadmill yesterday.
15. Are you experienced?
A. At what? Breathing? Yeah, I've been doing that for a good long time. Blinking? Been doing that, too.
16. If you need a new pair of jeans, what store do you go to first?
A. J. C. Penny.
17. Are you a quitter?
A. If I was, I think I'd have given up on blogging a long time ago.
18. What are two bands or singers that you will always love?
A. The Eagles, Melissa Etheridge.
19. What of the seven deadly sins are you guilty of?
A. Ah, now I have to look them up. Okay. Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust,envy,and gluttony. I'm overweight so I guess I'll go with gluttony.
20. Did you just have to google the seven deadly sins to see what they were?
A. Yes, I did.
Unusual Things
1. Who was the last person of the opposite sex you laid in a bed with?
A. My husband.
2. Where was the last place you went out to eat?
A. Shakers, a local restaurant that serves excellent food and plays good music.
3. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed?
A. I had some blackberry wine in 2012 when I received my master's degree. Yes, I know, I'm a big load of fun.
4. Which do you prefer - eyes or lips?
A. Can't I have both?
5. Medicine, fine arts, or law?
A. Can't do without any of them.
6. Best kind of pizza?
A. I prefer a vegetarian pizza with no black olives.
7. Is your bedroom window open?
A. No. Why would you ask that question? Are you are a sex criminal? (Big Bang watchers will get that reference.)
8. What is in store for your future?
A. Well, Monday and Thursday I see my physical therapist.
9. Who was the last band you saw live?
A. Elton John.
10. Do you take care of your friends while they are sick?
A. I am not a very good nurse, but I try. I take them food, call and check on them, run errands. Most of my friends have family and they turn to them first.
11. Any historical figures that you envy?
A. I can't say I envy any of them, but there are many that I admire.
12. How many songs are on your iTunes?
A. I don't have iTunes (gasp!).
13. What brand of digital camera do you own?
A. I have several Nikons and one Canon.
14. When was the last time you got a good workout?
A. I walked on the treadmill yesterday.
15. Are you experienced?
A. At what? Breathing? Yeah, I've been doing that for a good long time. Blinking? Been doing that, too.
16. If you need a new pair of jeans, what store do you go to first?
A. J. C. Penny.
17. Are you a quitter?
A. If I was, I think I'd have given up on blogging a long time ago.
18. What are two bands or singers that you will always love?
A. The Eagles, Melissa Etheridge.
19. What of the seven deadly sins are you guilty of?
A. Ah, now I have to look them up. Okay. Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust,envy,and gluttony. I'm overweight so I guess I'll go with gluttony.
20. Did you just have to google the seven deadly sins to see what they were?
A. Yes, I did.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)