From Sunday Stealing
I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly Meme
1. Have you ever had a pen pal?
A. I have an e-mail pal in England that I've written to for about 14 years. We started writing to one another shortly after 9/11. Most of the emails go through a private yahoo group, and at last count there was something like 15,000 back-and-forth responses there.
2. What’s your favorite breed of dog?
A. Poodle
3. Can money buy happiness?
A. No, but it can pay for health care.
4. Do you listen to music when you’re down?
A. I get up, and nothin' gets me down. You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around. And I know, baby, just how you feel. You got to roll with the punches and get to what's real. Might as well jump!
5. What is one thing you spend way too much money on?
A. Books. Video games. Computer stuff. That's actually three things but I never said I was good at math.
6. Can you honestly say you’re okay right now?
A. I'm about the best I have been in over two years. That is not "okay" yet but it is better than it was.
7. What was the last thing you spent money on?
A. Groceries, which included bananas, chicken, bread, and medicine.
8. Is your current hair color mostly your natural hair color?
A. It is ALL my natural hair color. Including the gray, which I describe as "soft white," like a GE light bulb.
9. Who have you texted in the last 24 hours?
A. I don't text.
10. Were you in a good mood last night?
A. I was pretty irritable, actually.
11. Do you have a reason to smile right now?
A. Not particularly, though I always enjoy Sunday Stealing. Yay thieves!
12. How often do you hold back what you want to say?
A. Well, apparently I have a reputation for being blunt, or so I learned this week, so not as often as I thought I did.
13. Do you think that in the end, everything will fall into place?
A. Life events don't have a "place," they happen, it's life. Whether or not they are good or bad is a matter of perspective.
14. Are you currently looking forward to anything?
A. I have new furniture ordered. I am looking forward to receiving it.
15. Do you have any TV shows on DVD?
A. I have all of Xena: Warrior Princess, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Legend of the Seeker, Cagney & Lacey, Band of Brothers, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and a few seasons of Hercules, the original Charlie's Angels, Six Feet Under, Star Trek: Voyager, and probably a few more that I am not recalling.
__________
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.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Saturday 9: All the Way
Saturday 9: All the Way (1957)
... because The Gal Herself is into Sinatra
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this song, Frank sings, "who knows where the road will lead us?" Which leads Sam to ask, does your vehicle have GPS?
A. Yes, it does, and it tells me to turn into the cattle gate and not my driveway every time I have it on headed for home. My driveway is about 100 more feet down the road. It has yet to give me the proper way to anywhere.
2) Sinatra introduced "All the Way" in the movie, The Joker Is Wild. During that film he also sang "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)." A few years later, in the movie Robin and The Seven Hoods, he declared Chicago as his "kind of town." Besides Chicago, can you think of another city Frank immortalized in song?
A. New York.
3) When Frank was 19, he saw a pretty girl sitting on her front porch, giving herself a manicure. He went and got his ukulele and serenaded her. That girl became his first wife, Nancy. Tell us how one of your romances began.
A. My girlfriend and I were standing around under the goal post at the high school football game (which they no longer allow). She edged me towards this fellow she'd been wanting me to meet. She introduced us and then he stood there not saying much. I asked stupid questions about the game, even though I know football and didn't have to ask what was going on.
He asked me out for the next night, but I was going out with my parents for their anniversary. After the ballgame, I ran into him again at Mike's Market, where I'd stopped for a soda. My girlfriend coyly told me she had another way home and I should go with the fellow to the local dance spot, which at the time was a bar in the Ramada Inn off the interstate. I went (I was 19 and too young to be in there). We danced. We kissed. I drove him home.
He called the next day and on Sunday he went with me to take the Sunday school children to Waldron Park, and one of the kids puked in the backseat of my mother's station wagon. He helped me clean it up. We've been married for 32 years.
4) Both Frank and Nancy grew up in New Jersey. When you think of NJ, what else comes to mind?
A. Atlantic City. Shores. East Coast.
5) Sinatra made Las Vegas as famous for entertainment as for gambling. He was so identified with the Strip, that when he played Caesar's Palace the marquee simply said, "He's Here." Have you ever been to Vegas?
A. I passed through it when I was 12. We had a cross-country drive with my mother, father, brother, grandmother, two young uncles, and myself, all crammed into a huge van. By the time we hit Nevada, my mother was screaming, "Let me out! I want a divorce now! I can get one here quick!"
6) Thin for most of his life, Frank was blessed with a metabolism that allowed him to whatever he wanted without gaining weight. He especially enjoyed clams posillipo. What's your favorite Italian dish?
A. I am afraid I don't know the difference between Italian or anything else. I will say spaghetti even though I don't know if that is really Italian. It has tomato sauce in it, so maybe.
7) Perhaps because of his hardscrabble childhood, Sinatra was a soft touch for charities devoted to kids. One of his favorites was Variety, which sends disadvantaged children on day trips to museums, zoos and sporting events. Here's your chance to tell us about a cause that's near and dear to your heart.
A. Volunteer fire and rescue squads are very important to rural communities. Most communities would not have emergency services if people didn't volunteer their time and money to train and learn how to put out fires. I have been to and helped out at many barbeques and other fundraisers for the local fire departments as they tried to earn enough money to buy equipment, including vehicles, or build new structures. I remember one Saturday all I did for hours was wash potatoes, slap Crisco on them, and wrap them in foil. Hundreds and hundreds of baked potatoes.
Our area now has a combined emergency services department that is a mix of paid people and volunteers (and yes, it creates problems), but the volunteers remain the heart of the service. That is changing and eventually I imagine it will all be paid, but that means raising taxes, and unfortunately people would rather watch their neighbor die of a heart attack than part with an extra penny.
If you receive a solicitation from your local volunteer fire department or rescue squad, please make a donation.
8) Sinatra was a neat freak who couldn't stand dust or clutter and showered at least twice a day. He got this from his mother Dolly, who was compulsive about housecleaning and hygiene. Can you think of a time when you caught yourself doing something and thought, "I'm just like Mom/Dad!"
A. When I play guitar, sometimes I think about my father.
9) In 1998, Sinatra was buried with the things he always had in tow: a bottle of Jack Daniels, a pack of Camels, a Zippo lighter and 10 dimes. Why the dimes? According to his daughter, "He never wanted to be caught not able to make a call." Of course, 17 years later cell phones have replaced pay phones. Anyway, tell us what you always carry.
A. My asthma inhaler, my car keys, a hair brush, a credit card, and dental floss.
... because The Gal Herself is into Sinatra
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this song, Frank sings, "who knows where the road will lead us?" Which leads Sam to ask, does your vehicle have GPS?
A. Yes, it does, and it tells me to turn into the cattle gate and not my driveway every time I have it on headed for home. My driveway is about 100 more feet down the road. It has yet to give me the proper way to anywhere.
2) Sinatra introduced "All the Way" in the movie, The Joker Is Wild. During that film he also sang "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)." A few years later, in the movie Robin and The Seven Hoods, he declared Chicago as his "kind of town." Besides Chicago, can you think of another city Frank immortalized in song?
A. New York.
3) When Frank was 19, he saw a pretty girl sitting on her front porch, giving herself a manicure. He went and got his ukulele and serenaded her. That girl became his first wife, Nancy. Tell us how one of your romances began.
A. My girlfriend and I were standing around under the goal post at the high school football game (which they no longer allow). She edged me towards this fellow she'd been wanting me to meet. She introduced us and then he stood there not saying much. I asked stupid questions about the game, even though I know football and didn't have to ask what was going on.
He asked me out for the next night, but I was going out with my parents for their anniversary. After the ballgame, I ran into him again at Mike's Market, where I'd stopped for a soda. My girlfriend coyly told me she had another way home and I should go with the fellow to the local dance spot, which at the time was a bar in the Ramada Inn off the interstate. I went (I was 19 and too young to be in there). We danced. We kissed. I drove him home.
He called the next day and on Sunday he went with me to take the Sunday school children to Waldron Park, and one of the kids puked in the backseat of my mother's station wagon. He helped me clean it up. We've been married for 32 years.
4) Both Frank and Nancy grew up in New Jersey. When you think of NJ, what else comes to mind?
A. Atlantic City. Shores. East Coast.
5) Sinatra made Las Vegas as famous for entertainment as for gambling. He was so identified with the Strip, that when he played Caesar's Palace the marquee simply said, "He's Here." Have you ever been to Vegas?
A. I passed through it when I was 12. We had a cross-country drive with my mother, father, brother, grandmother, two young uncles, and myself, all crammed into a huge van. By the time we hit Nevada, my mother was screaming, "Let me out! I want a divorce now! I can get one here quick!"
6) Thin for most of his life, Frank was blessed with a metabolism that allowed him to whatever he wanted without gaining weight. He especially enjoyed clams posillipo. What's your favorite Italian dish?
A. I am afraid I don't know the difference between Italian or anything else. I will say spaghetti even though I don't know if that is really Italian. It has tomato sauce in it, so maybe.
7) Perhaps because of his hardscrabble childhood, Sinatra was a soft touch for charities devoted to kids. One of his favorites was Variety, which sends disadvantaged children on day trips to museums, zoos and sporting events. Here's your chance to tell us about a cause that's near and dear to your heart.
A. Volunteer fire and rescue squads are very important to rural communities. Most communities would not have emergency services if people didn't volunteer their time and money to train and learn how to put out fires. I have been to and helped out at many barbeques and other fundraisers for the local fire departments as they tried to earn enough money to buy equipment, including vehicles, or build new structures. I remember one Saturday all I did for hours was wash potatoes, slap Crisco on them, and wrap them in foil. Hundreds and hundreds of baked potatoes.
Our area now has a combined emergency services department that is a mix of paid people and volunteers (and yes, it creates problems), but the volunteers remain the heart of the service. That is changing and eventually I imagine it will all be paid, but that means raising taxes, and unfortunately people would rather watch their neighbor die of a heart attack than part with an extra penny.
If you receive a solicitation from your local volunteer fire department or rescue squad, please make a donation.
8) Sinatra was a neat freak who couldn't stand dust or clutter and showered at least twice a day. He got this from his mother Dolly, who was compulsive about housecleaning and hygiene. Can you think of a time when you caught yourself doing something and thought, "I'm just like Mom/Dad!"
A. When I play guitar, sometimes I think about my father.
9) In 1998, Sinatra was buried with the things he always had in tow: a bottle of Jack Daniels, a pack of Camels, a Zippo lighter and 10 dimes. Why the dimes? According to his daughter, "He never wanted to be caught not able to make a call." Of course, 17 years later cell phones have replaced pay phones. Anyway, tell us what you always carry.
A. My asthma inhaler, my car keys, a hair brush, a credit card, and dental floss.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Seed Spittin'
A very long time ago, a hundred years now by my reckoning, aging ancient woman that I am, watermelons had seeds.
No kidding. They harbored big black huge seeds, and lots of them.
When an adult split the melon in half, the seeds were everywhere. Melons were bigger back then, too. They were long and too heavy for a kid of 12 to lift, at least not without a lot of grunting.
After the first cut, the melon would be sliced into smiles. The fruit would grin at you with huge black teeth, those seeds just waiting for you to take a bite.
I remember my father would bring one home and he'd haul it down to the springhouse to let it get cold. It was much too large for the refrigerator. And we'd think about that melon for a day or two, waiting for dad to bring it up and take the big knife to it.
Sometimes on a hot summer afternoon, usually a Sunday, I'd sit on the back porch at my grandmother's house where we'd chow down on some glistening red melon. It tasted sweet and the coldness against the heat was like an iceberg making its way through your stomach.
And the seeds? Oh, we spat them out. At each other. Sissy girls like me would wave our hands and squeal if the mood struck, but mostly I spit back. Sometimes we'd put a can in the yard and see who could spit seeds into it. Or see who could spit those seeds the farthest.
But mostly we spit them at one another. Sometimes you'd gather up a great number in your mouth and then try to send them out rapid-fire like, taking your target by surprise. This took some finesse and tongue work, but it was manageable if you did it right.
If you had a front tooth out, then you'd try to spit the seed through the gap. Sometimes that was hard, especially if the seeds were large.
Occasionally you'd end up with a watermelon with soft little white seeds. While the fruit tasted good, the seeds were a disappointment. Not much spitting went on when you ended up with one of those bad melons.
Nowadays, those bad melons - seedless watermelons, they call them - are about all one can purchase in the store. I haven't seen a regular ol' big oblong fat seeded watermelon in years. Whole generations of children have grown up without spittin' a seed at a sibling and watching it stick to his or her cheek.
They don't know what they've missed.
No kidding. They harbored big black huge seeds, and lots of them.
When an adult split the melon in half, the seeds were everywhere. Melons were bigger back then, too. They were long and too heavy for a kid of 12 to lift, at least not without a lot of grunting.
After the first cut, the melon would be sliced into smiles. The fruit would grin at you with huge black teeth, those seeds just waiting for you to take a bite.
I remember my father would bring one home and he'd haul it down to the springhouse to let it get cold. It was much too large for the refrigerator. And we'd think about that melon for a day or two, waiting for dad to bring it up and take the big knife to it.
Sometimes on a hot summer afternoon, usually a Sunday, I'd sit on the back porch at my grandmother's house where we'd chow down on some glistening red melon. It tasted sweet and the coldness against the heat was like an iceberg making its way through your stomach.
And the seeds? Oh, we spat them out. At each other. Sissy girls like me would wave our hands and squeal if the mood struck, but mostly I spit back. Sometimes we'd put a can in the yard and see who could spit seeds into it. Or see who could spit those seeds the farthest.
But mostly we spit them at one another. Sometimes you'd gather up a great number in your mouth and then try to send them out rapid-fire like, taking your target by surprise. This took some finesse and tongue work, but it was manageable if you did it right.
If you had a front tooth out, then you'd try to spit the seed through the gap. Sometimes that was hard, especially if the seeds were large.
Occasionally you'd end up with a watermelon with soft little white seeds. While the fruit tasted good, the seeds were a disappointment. Not much spitting went on when you ended up with one of those bad melons.
Nowadays, those bad melons - seedless watermelons, they call them - are about all one can purchase in the store. I haven't seen a regular ol' big oblong fat seeded watermelon in years. Whole generations of children have grown up without spittin' a seed at a sibling and watching it stick to his or her cheek.
They don't know what they've missed.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Thursday Thirteen #405
1. I win Jeopardy when I play along at home, but I doubt I'd fair well in the actual TV program.
2. The rumor is there may be a reboot of Xena: Warrior Princess in the works. This was my favorite TV show when it was on from 1995 - 2001. I think though the rumor is simply that - rumor.
3. Have you noticed the lack of originality in TV and movies? Seems like the networks and Hollywood simply recycle the same stories and storylines over and over. I mean, how many times can you remake Batman? I like Batman, but can't we come up with a new superhero?
4. I recently started watching Downton Abby. I am late coming to the show but I do find it intriguing. From what I've read, it is historically accurate, or as historically accurate as historical fiction can be.
5. I am a big fantasy reader and watcher, but two of my three closest friends neither watch nor read the genre. I find it interesting that opposites attract in this area.
6. TV used to be the biggest part of most people's social down time, but I think these days that time is taken up with social media, funny cat videos, and video games. Not all of it, of course, or TV would fail, but the TV's share has fallen. Might that have something to do with the lack of original programming?
7. My electricity has been blinking off and on for a while. It did it steadily for a week, then stopped, but this morning it went off again. It is very frustrating. I have to reset the internet and can't stream my TV programs.
8. The electric company sent out a notice asking if we would participate in a program that would allow *them* to turn my air conditioning off during times of peak power usage. Here's a story about it from the local TV station. I have asthma and can't take the high humidity, so we declined. Plus we want to be in control of our own power usage, thank you very much. If we want to pay the bill then we should be able to do that. But what's to stop them from putting such a device on everyone's unit? They could do it and all you could do is complain about it. The consumer no longer has power, and I'm not talking about the electrical kind.
9. Speaking of power, who do you think really runs the United States these days? Is it the elected government, or the unelected and stock-holder owned big-money corporations?
10. We don't mind letting big corporations like Facebook, Microsoft, or Apple having all of our personal information, including private documents that we place in "the cloud" for safekeeping. We trust a big insurance company to make our health care decisions. But we distrust the government to do or keep anything. Why is that? Nobody can tell me the difference. It's not like we have a choice either way. If you want to use any technology product, you have to agree to their little EULA documents. How is that different than a law?
11. I think we have too many laws on people, but not enough regulations on companies. We have it backwards. We regulate the personal lives of nobodies but let the big guys do whatever they want. I'd rather it be the other way around.
12. In fact, the regulations on small businesses are different than those on large corporations, and generally much more punitive. This is true of small farms as well.
13. I'm not sure how I went from TVs to farming regulations, but sometimes Thursday Thirteen just works out that way.
_____________
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 405th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
2. The rumor is there may be a reboot of Xena: Warrior Princess in the works. This was my favorite TV show when it was on from 1995 - 2001. I think though the rumor is simply that - rumor.
3. Have you noticed the lack of originality in TV and movies? Seems like the networks and Hollywood simply recycle the same stories and storylines over and over. I mean, how many times can you remake Batman? I like Batman, but can't we come up with a new superhero?
4. I recently started watching Downton Abby. I am late coming to the show but I do find it intriguing. From what I've read, it is historically accurate, or as historically accurate as historical fiction can be.
5. I am a big fantasy reader and watcher, but two of my three closest friends neither watch nor read the genre. I find it interesting that opposites attract in this area.
6. TV used to be the biggest part of most people's social down time, but I think these days that time is taken up with social media, funny cat videos, and video games. Not all of it, of course, or TV would fail, but the TV's share has fallen. Might that have something to do with the lack of original programming?
7. My electricity has been blinking off and on for a while. It did it steadily for a week, then stopped, but this morning it went off again. It is very frustrating. I have to reset the internet and can't stream my TV programs.
8. The electric company sent out a notice asking if we would participate in a program that would allow *them* to turn my air conditioning off during times of peak power usage. Here's a story about it from the local TV station. I have asthma and can't take the high humidity, so we declined. Plus we want to be in control of our own power usage, thank you very much. If we want to pay the bill then we should be able to do that. But what's to stop them from putting such a device on everyone's unit? They could do it and all you could do is complain about it. The consumer no longer has power, and I'm not talking about the electrical kind.
9. Speaking of power, who do you think really runs the United States these days? Is it the elected government, or the unelected and stock-holder owned big-money corporations?
10. We don't mind letting big corporations like Facebook, Microsoft, or Apple having all of our personal information, including private documents that we place in "the cloud" for safekeeping. We trust a big insurance company to make our health care decisions. But we distrust the government to do or keep anything. Why is that? Nobody can tell me the difference. It's not like we have a choice either way. If you want to use any technology product, you have to agree to their little EULA documents. How is that different than a law?
11. I think we have too many laws on people, but not enough regulations on companies. We have it backwards. We regulate the personal lives of nobodies but let the big guys do whatever they want. I'd rather it be the other way around.
12. In fact, the regulations on small businesses are different than those on large corporations, and generally much more punitive. This is true of small farms as well.
13. I'm not sure how I went from TVs to farming regulations, but sometimes Thursday Thirteen just works out that way.
_____________
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 405th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
I Bought a Dell
Last week I noted I might need a new computer. I made the purchase this weekend. I bought a Dell.
The one that had lasted for six years was also a Dell. I have noted that most businesses that send folks out with laptops send them out with Dells. They seem to be the workhorse computer, sort of like IBM used to be.
One thing I like about a new Dell is that there is not so many add-ons. HPs in particular come crammed with all kinds of things you don't want or need. It is a relief to find a fairly clean hard drive.
I always do a clean install of my programs instead of copying over from the old computer. I personally think it makes the machines run better and usually I have accumulated a lot of things that I really don't need. I save my documents and pictures to an external drive and go from there.
Setting up a new computer that way can be quite time consuming, however. One must reenter all passwords, and all bookmarks are lost, and sometimes programs you may have downloaded five years ago and used frequently are no longer available, or are now available at a huge price.
Of course, many things are now "in the cloud" so I really don't have to do much with emails, etc. However, I am not one to put my documents "in the cloud" because I consider my things to be private.
Amazing how we trust a big company, set out to do only one thing - make a profit - with all of our personal documents and pictures, but we don't trust the government to do a single thing. I think this is weird. Why would you trust either one? Frankly, I trust the government more. At least it offers the illusion of accountability through the voting process.
So anyway, I don't use the Microsoft OneDrive much (their document cloud) and I doubt I use the free cloud space Dell offered for a year (mostly because then next year I'd have to pay for it). I also kept my MS Office 2007 and chose not to upgrade to the "subscription" service of Office 365. Why would I want to pay $100 a year for that? Ultimately I may have to, but only if I am still writing.
So far I like my new computer even if it does have Windows 8.1. Fortunately Windows 10 will be out next week and I am hoping that it will resolve some of the weirdness of Windows 8. Microsoft seems to offer a bad operating system every other upgrade, although I didn't think Vista was as bad as people made it out to be. Windows 8.1, though, is definitely confusing.
The sales person told me that they would not be upgrading Windows 8.1 computers in the store because Microsoft is offering a free Windows 10 upgrade for a year, so it will probably be Christmas before the stock catches up to Windows 10. If the sales person had said that I could buy a Windows 10 computer in three weeks, I might have waited, but that was not the case.
Buying a computer is worse than buying a car. There are too many choices and ultimately it came down to reliability and price. It helped that I didn't need anything but a tower, so that kept costs down.
The one that had lasted for six years was also a Dell. I have noted that most businesses that send folks out with laptops send them out with Dells. They seem to be the workhorse computer, sort of like IBM used to be.
One thing I like about a new Dell is that there is not so many add-ons. HPs in particular come crammed with all kinds of things you don't want or need. It is a relief to find a fairly clean hard drive.
I always do a clean install of my programs instead of copying over from the old computer. I personally think it makes the machines run better and usually I have accumulated a lot of things that I really don't need. I save my documents and pictures to an external drive and go from there.
Setting up a new computer that way can be quite time consuming, however. One must reenter all passwords, and all bookmarks are lost, and sometimes programs you may have downloaded five years ago and used frequently are no longer available, or are now available at a huge price.
Of course, many things are now "in the cloud" so I really don't have to do much with emails, etc. However, I am not one to put my documents "in the cloud" because I consider my things to be private.
Amazing how we trust a big company, set out to do only one thing - make a profit - with all of our personal documents and pictures, but we don't trust the government to do a single thing. I think this is weird. Why would you trust either one? Frankly, I trust the government more. At least it offers the illusion of accountability through the voting process.
So anyway, I don't use the Microsoft OneDrive much (their document cloud) and I doubt I use the free cloud space Dell offered for a year (mostly because then next year I'd have to pay for it). I also kept my MS Office 2007 and chose not to upgrade to the "subscription" service of Office 365. Why would I want to pay $100 a year for that? Ultimately I may have to, but only if I am still writing.
So far I like my new computer even if it does have Windows 8.1. Fortunately Windows 10 will be out next week and I am hoping that it will resolve some of the weirdness of Windows 8. Microsoft seems to offer a bad operating system every other upgrade, although I didn't think Vista was as bad as people made it out to be. Windows 8.1, though, is definitely confusing.
The sales person told me that they would not be upgrading Windows 8.1 computers in the store because Microsoft is offering a free Windows 10 upgrade for a year, so it will probably be Christmas before the stock catches up to Windows 10. If the sales person had said that I could buy a Windows 10 computer in three weeks, I might have waited, but that was not the case.
Buying a computer is worse than buying a car. There are too many choices and ultimately it came down to reliability and price. It helped that I didn't need anything but a tower, so that kept costs down.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Wasps
Wasps began building this colony on the front porch. It looks like a lot of work to make such a thing. I like how geometry shows itself in nature.
Of course we had to eliminate the wasp nest so the insects would move along. My husband is allergic to stings so we can't have them around the house.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Whistle Pig
This groundhog is one of many that hangs out at the house. Nothing seems to scare them off. I know where the hole is and I've put mothballs down it and other smelly things but nothing deters the groundhog.
This one looks quite indignant in the last picture because I opened the door and scared him. As you can see, he did not run far - only to the trash cans. One of his hidey holes is near there.
They live under our small outbuilding and I feel sure one day the thing is going to fall in because the ground beneath has all been dug out by these creatures.
I know animals have a place in the ecosystem, but I would like it if this one would find a home somewhere else.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Sunday Stealing: Let's Not Be Difficult
From Sunday Stealing
Let's Not Be Difficult
1. Do you like your movies and books to be more lighthearted or serious?
A. It depends on my mood. Sometimes you want to laugh, sometimes you want to cry.
2. What’s more important, first impressions or lasting impact?
A. Lasting impact. First impressions can be wrong, if the other party is open-minded enough to afford the other a second chance and another opportunity to acquit oneself in a more appropriate manner. That said, I think many people lose out on what might have been good friendships because of poor first impressions.
3. Order these areas of psychological health from what you need the least improvement into what you need the most improvement in: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, spiritual
A. Intellectual, environmental, social, spiritual, physical, emotional
4. Do you react appropriately to things and control your feelings?
A. I certainly hope so. I am sure, though, that I have my moments. Don't we all? I mean, come on, KG, why are you asking all of these questions? :::sob:::
5. Do you have stable relationships?
A. I've been married for 32 years. I have friendships that have lasted as long. So I would say yes.
6. Do you need to be in a relationship to feel good about yourself?
A. No, but a relationship is nice to have.
7. Which is the clearest and most concise, your thoughts, your speech or your writing? Which is the least clear and concise?
A. My thoughts, my writing, and my speech. The latter would be the answer to the second query.
8. Are you always trying to learn new things?
A. Yes. Today I learned that Windows 8.1 really is as bad as I thought it was, and I can hardly wait for Windows 10 to come out.
9. Do you feel at peace?
A. I am content at the moment.
10. Do you have strong morals and ethics that you believe in and adhere to?
A. Yes.
11. Do you think of the needs of all humanity or just the needs of yourself and those you know?
A. I tend to think of the needs of all, and we are doing a pitiful job of taking care of one another.
12. Do you recycle?
A. Yes.
13. Are you active in your community?
A. I was when I was well.
14. Are you sensitive to the needs of others?
A. I try to be.
15. Do you dress up to go out?
A. Yes.
16. What could make you lose respect for someone?
A. Finding out that they have chosen to be a misinformed or uninformed idiot.
17. If you won $1,000 every week until you die, would you still go to work?
A. No.
18. What trend has been getting on your nerves lately?
A. It would be nice if people would stop shooting one another. I hate that this has become so commonplace that the headlines scarcely cause alarm in the United States.
19. Do you forgive yourself when you make a mistake?
A. Not until I've had 40 lashes and worn a hair shirt for three months.
20. Is ignorance really bliss?
A. Ignorance may be bliss, but it does not make for good economic policy, nor is it any way to lead the House of Representatives in the United States Congress.
21. What can be described as ‘even better than the real thing’?
A. Well, let's see. Coca Cola is the real thing. It used to have real cocaine in it, I understand, so I suppose that means cocaine would be better than the real thing.
22. What’s in your wallet right now?
A. A couple dollars, a receipt for a brand new Dell computer tower (with Windows 8.1 on it, which as stated aforesaid, sucks), and some change.
23. Do you write letters that you never send?
A. Yes.
24. Do you ever get the feeling people are laughing at you?
A. I just laugh with them, so it doesn't matter.
25. Who’s the one person you’d like to drop a house on?
A. Oh my. Could we put all the GOP candidates in a cluster and let it fall on them, forcing the Grand Old Party to start over, this time perhaps with people who do not make them look like a bunch of old white guys from the 1950s who are hell-bent on segregation and dehumanizing women and poor people? I honestly would like to see them field a decent candidate, not a clown.
________
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.
Let's Not Be Difficult
1. Do you like your movies and books to be more lighthearted or serious?
A. It depends on my mood. Sometimes you want to laugh, sometimes you want to cry.
2. What’s more important, first impressions or lasting impact?
A. Lasting impact. First impressions can be wrong, if the other party is open-minded enough to afford the other a second chance and another opportunity to acquit oneself in a more appropriate manner. That said, I think many people lose out on what might have been good friendships because of poor first impressions.
3. Order these areas of psychological health from what you need the least improvement into what you need the most improvement in: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, spiritual
A. Intellectual, environmental, social, spiritual, physical, emotional
4. Do you react appropriately to things and control your feelings?
A. I certainly hope so. I am sure, though, that I have my moments. Don't we all? I mean, come on, KG, why are you asking all of these questions? :::sob:::
5. Do you have stable relationships?
A. I've been married for 32 years. I have friendships that have lasted as long. So I would say yes.
6. Do you need to be in a relationship to feel good about yourself?
A. No, but a relationship is nice to have.
7. Which is the clearest and most concise, your thoughts, your speech or your writing? Which is the least clear and concise?
A. My thoughts, my writing, and my speech. The latter would be the answer to the second query.
8. Are you always trying to learn new things?
A. Yes. Today I learned that Windows 8.1 really is as bad as I thought it was, and I can hardly wait for Windows 10 to come out.
9. Do you feel at peace?
A. I am content at the moment.
10. Do you have strong morals and ethics that you believe in and adhere to?
A. Yes.
11. Do you think of the needs of all humanity or just the needs of yourself and those you know?
A. I tend to think of the needs of all, and we are doing a pitiful job of taking care of one another.
12. Do you recycle?
A. Yes.
13. Are you active in your community?
A. I was when I was well.
14. Are you sensitive to the needs of others?
A. I try to be.
15. Do you dress up to go out?
A. Yes.
16. What could make you lose respect for someone?
A. Finding out that they have chosen to be a misinformed or uninformed idiot.
17. If you won $1,000 every week until you die, would you still go to work?
A. No.
18. What trend has been getting on your nerves lately?
A. It would be nice if people would stop shooting one another. I hate that this has become so commonplace that the headlines scarcely cause alarm in the United States.
19. Do you forgive yourself when you make a mistake?
A. Not until I've had 40 lashes and worn a hair shirt for three months.
20. Is ignorance really bliss?
A. Ignorance may be bliss, but it does not make for good economic policy, nor is it any way to lead the House of Representatives in the United States Congress.
21. What can be described as ‘even better than the real thing’?
A. Well, let's see. Coca Cola is the real thing. It used to have real cocaine in it, I understand, so I suppose that means cocaine would be better than the real thing.
22. What’s in your wallet right now?
A. A couple dollars, a receipt for a brand new Dell computer tower (with Windows 8.1 on it, which as stated aforesaid, sucks), and some change.
23. Do you write letters that you never send?
A. Yes.
24. Do you ever get the feeling people are laughing at you?
A. I just laugh with them, so it doesn't matter.
25. Who’s the one person you’d like to drop a house on?
A. Oh my. Could we put all the GOP candidates in a cluster and let it fall on them, forcing the Grand Old Party to start over, this time perhaps with people who do not make them look like a bunch of old white guys from the 1950s who are hell-bent on segregation and dehumanizing women and poor people? I honestly would like to see them field a decent candidate, not a clown.
________
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, July 18, 2015
Saturday 9: Bubbly
Saturday 9: Bubbly (2007)
... because Jodi suggested Colbie Caillat
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Singer Colbie Caillat says this song was inspired by a trip to "the beach and having a wonderful day with a person you like." Have you been to the beach yet this summer?
A. No, I have not. At the moment I have no plans to go.
2) Are you careful about applying sunscreen?
A. Not particularly, unless I am at the beach, which I am not. For this reason, I end up with a "farmer's tan" nearly every year.
3) Colbie made her TV debut in a 2009 episode of Saturday Night Live. Are you a big SNL fan?
A. I haven't watched it in years.
4) "Bubbly" is often a synonym for champagne. When's the last time you enjoyed a glass of bubbly?
A. Probably in the late 1980s at someone's wedding.
5) Colbie sang the National Anthem at the third game of the Red Sox/Cardinals World Series in 2013. How is your favorite baseball team doing so far this season?
A. I don't have a favorite baseball team.
6) In 2005, Ms. Caillat tried out for Season 4 of American Idol but was eliminated very early in the process, before she could even audition for Simon, Paula and Randy. The winner that year was Carrie Underwood. Are you a Carrie Underwood fan?
A. Apparently not, since I can't think of anything she sings.
7) In 2007, when "Bubbly" was popular, actress Yvonne deCarlo died. She was best known as Lily on The Munsters. If you had to choose (and yes, this Saturday you have to), would you rather hang out with Lily Munster or Morticia Addams?
A. Hmm. Tough choice. And you're not playing by the rules of no rules there, Sam, making a rule that one must choose. But I will be good and say Morticia Addams.
8) In 2007, MySpace was faced with a serious challenge from Facebook, and it's obvious which social network won. Did you have a MySpace account? If so, do you still post to it?
A. I never had a MySpace account.
9) Random question: Which have you had longer, your ironing board or your plunger?
A. My ironing board. It's the one I bought when I married.
________
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 Jodi suggested Colbie Caillat
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Singer Colbie Caillat says this song was inspired by a trip to "the beach and having a wonderful day with a person you like." Have you been to the beach yet this summer?
A. No, I have not. At the moment I have no plans to go.
2) Are you careful about applying sunscreen?
A. Not particularly, unless I am at the beach, which I am not. For this reason, I end up with a "farmer's tan" nearly every year.
3) Colbie made her TV debut in a 2009 episode of Saturday Night Live. Are you a big SNL fan?
A. I haven't watched it in years.
4) "Bubbly" is often a synonym for champagne. When's the last time you enjoyed a glass of bubbly?
A. Probably in the late 1980s at someone's wedding.
5) Colbie sang the National Anthem at the third game of the Red Sox/Cardinals World Series in 2013. How is your favorite baseball team doing so far this season?
A. I don't have a favorite baseball team.
6) In 2005, Ms. Caillat tried out for Season 4 of American Idol but was eliminated very early in the process, before she could even audition for Simon, Paula and Randy. The winner that year was Carrie Underwood. Are you a Carrie Underwood fan?
A. Apparently not, since I can't think of anything she sings.
7) In 2007, when "Bubbly" was popular, actress Yvonne deCarlo died. She was best known as Lily on The Munsters. If you had to choose (and yes, this Saturday you have to), would you rather hang out with Lily Munster or Morticia Addams?
A. Hmm. Tough choice. And you're not playing by the rules of no rules there, Sam, making a rule that one must choose. But I will be good and say Morticia Addams.
8) In 2007, MySpace was faced with a serious challenge from Facebook, and it's obvious which social network won. Did you have a MySpace account? If so, do you still post to it?
A. I never had a MySpace account.
9) Random question: Which have you had longer, your ironing board or your plunger?
A. My ironing board. It's the one I bought when I married.
________
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 17, 2015
What to do, What to do
My Dell Inspiron 545 desktop, which I purchased in early 2009, recently developed a problem starting.
I like to shut my computer down every night and not leave it running all the time. I noticed about 10 days ago that it wasn't turning on right away when I pushed the button. After I hit it a second or third time, though, the computer would boot up.
Then Sunday it wouldn't power up for the longest time. Finally, after one desperate plea, it powered up. I went online to the Dell site and chatted with an agent, who suggested I needed a new power button. This comes in a front panel called a bezel. It was $18 so I ordered it.
My husband and I last night installed the new part. The computer powered right up. But this morning it took a few hits on the button again, and this afternoon when I returned from an outing, it took quite a number of pushes before the computer kicked on. The problem is not fixed.
Best Buy will look at the computer for free but the fellow on the phone said it was probably either the power supply or the motherboard. While the GeekSquad won't charge me to look at the computer and make a diagnosis, to fix it would cost labor plus parts, with a low estimate of $150, probably more.
I can purchase a new Dell tower for anywhere from $325 to $600. But Windows 10 comes out July 29. The new tower would have Windows 8.1 on it and I'd have to do an upgrade.
So do I purchase a new tower and not do much to it until I do the Windows 10 upgrade? Or do I keep fiddling with this older computer? I wasn't planning on a computer purchase this year, but it would be kind of nice to have a new one. Do I wait and see if on Sunday there's a sale on computers with Windows 8.1?
Generally my rule with computers has been if you have to start messing with it because something is wrong, replace the thing and be done with it. I've tried fixing them in the past and it simply eats money. I've already wasted $20 trying to fix this one.
Then there is disposal. What do you do with an old computer? The last ones I gave to Goodwill didn't work because I removed the hard drives. Those I gave to my husband and told him to use them for target practice. I don't want my old hard drive getting out into the public, reused on reconditioned computer where some smart kid can figure out what used to be on the thing.
Six years out of a computer is not bad. I wish they lasted 10 or 15 years, but that is asking too much with technological changes. I've been very happy with this tower and this set-up; it has worked for me. I like having a desktop and am not keen to switch to a laptop for my permanent work space.
So what do I do? Fix the old one, or buy something new and spend all the time it will take to set it up, reinstall programs, probably have unexpected expenditures on software because something won't work, or what?
I like to shut my computer down every night and not leave it running all the time. I noticed about 10 days ago that it wasn't turning on right away when I pushed the button. After I hit it a second or third time, though, the computer would boot up.
Then Sunday it wouldn't power up for the longest time. Finally, after one desperate plea, it powered up. I went online to the Dell site and chatted with an agent, who suggested I needed a new power button. This comes in a front panel called a bezel. It was $18 so I ordered it.
My husband and I last night installed the new part. The computer powered right up. But this morning it took a few hits on the button again, and this afternoon when I returned from an outing, it took quite a number of pushes before the computer kicked on. The problem is not fixed.
Best Buy will look at the computer for free but the fellow on the phone said it was probably either the power supply or the motherboard. While the GeekSquad won't charge me to look at the computer and make a diagnosis, to fix it would cost labor plus parts, with a low estimate of $150, probably more.
I can purchase a new Dell tower for anywhere from $325 to $600. But Windows 10 comes out July 29. The new tower would have Windows 8.1 on it and I'd have to do an upgrade.
So do I purchase a new tower and not do much to it until I do the Windows 10 upgrade? Or do I keep fiddling with this older computer? I wasn't planning on a computer purchase this year, but it would be kind of nice to have a new one. Do I wait and see if on Sunday there's a sale on computers with Windows 8.1?
Generally my rule with computers has been if you have to start messing with it because something is wrong, replace the thing and be done with it. I've tried fixing them in the past and it simply eats money. I've already wasted $20 trying to fix this one.
Then there is disposal. What do you do with an old computer? The last ones I gave to Goodwill didn't work because I removed the hard drives. Those I gave to my husband and told him to use them for target practice. I don't want my old hard drive getting out into the public, reused on reconditioned computer where some smart kid can figure out what used to be on the thing.
Six years out of a computer is not bad. I wish they lasted 10 or 15 years, but that is asking too much with technological changes. I've been very happy with this tower and this set-up; it has worked for me. I like having a desktop and am not keen to switch to a laptop for my permanent work space.
So what do I do? Fix the old one, or buy something new and spend all the time it will take to set it up, reinstall programs, probably have unexpected expenditures on software because something won't work, or what?
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Thursday Thirteen
Country Mouse
1. use a toll booth on a freeway.
2. use the subway.
3. dress like I am not a tourist.
4. hail a cab.
5. drive in more than four lanes of traffic.
6. use public buses.
7. pull a calf from it's mother when it's having trouble being born.
8. fetch eggs from the henhouse.
9. start a fire with next to nothing.
10. drive a tractor.
11. bale hay.
12. plant a garden.
13. name wildflowers, trees, birds, and other wildlife.
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 404th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
I don't know how to . . .
1. use a toll booth on a freeway.
2. use the subway.
3. dress like I am not a tourist.
4. hail a cab.
5. drive in more than four lanes of traffic.
6. use public buses.
I do know how to . . .
7. pull a calf from it's mother when it's having trouble being born.
8. fetch eggs from the henhouse.
9. start a fire with next to nothing.
10. drive a tractor.
11. bale hay.
12. plant a garden.
13. name wildflowers, trees, birds, and other wildlife.
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 404th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
The One Where I Weigh in on Marriage
In my local paper today, a "pastor" wrote about his opposition to same-sex marriage.
No big surprise there.
But one paragraph caught my eye:
Note that this fellow is saying that ANY marriage that doesn't produce children is counterfeit. Unworthy. Not holy, even if that initial ceremony was performed in a church by a minister, with both parties avowing their love before their God.
As a happily married woman of 32 years, one who lives in a union that produced no children because of medical reasons, I say this:
This idiot has denigrated me, my husband, and my marriage. He has spat upon the marriage of every childless couple in this country. He has negated the marriage of every older person to another - because I assure you, there aren't many 60-year-olds having children.
He has insulted my father's second marriage, one that is bringing him much comfort in his later years.
This imbecile is talking about same-sex marriage, but he doesn't stop there. His paragraph goes on to include all marriages that do not produce children, so he's including me in his rant.
So I am ranting back. What makes this pea-brain think he is the authority on anything, much less my marriage? I don't even know this person and he has insulted my integrity. He reads from a different Bible than I, for mine advocates love and forgiveness, not mass judgments.
It also doesn't define marriage like we do today. What we have today is a human interpretation of the words, but the words themselves aren't actually in the Bible.
So there, fool.
Incidentally, I have no problem with same-sex marriage. I don't have a problem with old folks having nuptials. I don't have a problem with two people marrying and not having children.
I do have a problem with people whose intelligence is lower than a snake belly being in places of leadership, such as a pulpit (or Congress).
What is wrong with these religious zealots that they can't live their own lives, and leave the rest of us alone?
No big surprise there.
But one paragraph caught my eye:
To call a same-sex union marriage is an affront to a holy God. God considers marriage, ethnicity and life as sacred. Marriage is far more than male and female becoming one physically, but the result is a child. Marriage that cannot produce children naturally is a counterfeit, a secular impostor claiming sacred status. (emphasis mine)
Note that this fellow is saying that ANY marriage that doesn't produce children is counterfeit. Unworthy. Not holy, even if that initial ceremony was performed in a church by a minister, with both parties avowing their love before their God.
As a happily married woman of 32 years, one who lives in a union that produced no children because of medical reasons, I say this:
Go fornicate with yourself, you venomous toad.
This idiot has denigrated me, my husband, and my marriage. He has spat upon the marriage of every childless couple in this country. He has negated the marriage of every older person to another - because I assure you, there aren't many 60-year-olds having children.
He has insulted my father's second marriage, one that is bringing him much comfort in his later years.
This imbecile is talking about same-sex marriage, but he doesn't stop there. His paragraph goes on to include all marriages that do not produce children, so he's including me in his rant.
So I am ranting back. What makes this pea-brain think he is the authority on anything, much less my marriage? I don't even know this person and he has insulted my integrity. He reads from a different Bible than I, for mine advocates love and forgiveness, not mass judgments.
It also doesn't define marriage like we do today. What we have today is a human interpretation of the words, but the words themselves aren't actually in the Bible.
So there, fool.
Incidentally, I have no problem with same-sex marriage. I don't have a problem with old folks having nuptials. I don't have a problem with two people marrying and not having children.
I do have a problem with people whose intelligence is lower than a snake belly being in places of leadership, such as a pulpit (or Congress).
What is wrong with these religious zealots that they can't live their own lives, and leave the rest of us alone?
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Sunday Stealing: I Want to be Famous
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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