Saturday 9: Bunny Hops

Saturday 9: This Is the Way the Bunny Hops

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

1) Why do you suppose there are so many songs about Santa Claus, yet very few about the Easter Bunny?

A. Because the Easter bunny doesn't go HO HO HO. He goes HOP HOP HOP.

2) This song was written by The Kiboomers, two early education teachers who are passionate about the power of music to help kids learn. Tell us about a teacher who had an impact on your life.

A. Practically every teacher I ever had made some impression. My first grade teacher made a negative impact on me, though. Her name was Mrs. Zircle, and she was mean. (I didn't know it at the time, but her husband passed away right before the beginning of the school year. So I have forgiven her.) She always sided with the boys, regardless of what was going on. For example, I never got to ride the little riding toys because the boys always pounced on them first and then wouldn't share. If you complained, she made you stand in the corner. When I made a bad grade in something (I think it was usually math), she made me cry. Actually I think she made most of the class cry because she would stand over your desk and tell everybody what a rotten student you were. I suspect it is, in part, why I am such a perfectionist and so eager to please. I hated being yelled at. She would also make you hold out your hand and she'd smack it with a ruler.

3) Legend has it that the Easter Bunny was introduced to America in the 1700s by German immigrants. These children waited for a magic creature who left colored eggs. Today's kids dye Easter eggs themselves. When did you most recently color eggs?

A. About 40 years ago.

4) The Easter Bunny is usually shown carrying a wicker basket filled with eggs, toys and candy. Is there any wicker in the room you're in right now?

A. No.

5) While marshmallow Peeps are manufactured all year around, they are most popular at Easter. Do you prefer the chicks or the bunnies?

A. I don't like Peeps at all.

6) A little time in the microwave can do ugly things to a Peep. Have you ever nuked a Peep?

A. No.

7) Would you prefer a hollow or a solid chocolate bunny?

A. Hollow would be fewer calories, I suppose. Unless of course it was a very big bunny.

8) A traditional American Easter dinner usually includes glazed ham or roast lamb. Which would you rather have as your main course?

A. I have never eaten lamb, so I will go with ham.

9) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated?

 

A. A hot shower.

 

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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.

A Sad Story of Sewing

Try as I might, I am not capable of making lovely items from material, thread, yarn - or much of anything else. (I take beautiful pictures and write lovely words to make up for it, though. And I can color.)

These past eight months or so I have delved into these homemaking crafts, remembering with each attempt why the idea of Home Ec in high school never appealed to me. All thumbs, untidy, unable to do a straight stitch - that's me. I am the pig pen of sewing and home crafts.

Back in the fall, I purchased two pair of stretch jeans. At the time of the purchase I knew the pants were too short when I tried them on, but my husband, who was with me, said, "Oh, they look great." Against my better judgment, we bought the britches.

Since I am allergic to most dyes, I have to wash dark jeans multiple times in white vinegar and/or baking soda. So both of these jeans went straight into the wash. I think it took 11 dips in vinegar before I stopped smelling the dye odor.

After that, I tried them on and yes, they were too short. I hate it when my pants do not break around my shoes. If you can see my shoe strings, my jeans are too short.

I wore them occasionally around the house but the too-short issue bugged me.

Here they are, all nicely hemmed.

 
And then I ripped the hem out. Yikes.

I used to do this in high school, an act that drove my mother crazy. She hated the raveled look at the bottom of my jeans, that I would sometimes end up walking on them, and the fact that I would do that to my clothes.

To compromise, I let her run a line of thread around the bottom of my jeans with the promise of carefully cutting off the raveled parts from time to time.

My mother was into sewing. She could take a piece of cloth and turn in into a pair of pants or a blouse. Presto change-o. Her expertise did not pass into my genes, apparently.

Looking at my newly no-hemmed pants, I recalled how my mother sewed that line along the bottom to keep my jeans from unraveling all the way up to my knees.

I pulled out my "vintage" Brother sewing machine, circa 1989 or so.

 

I took it from its hidey-hole in the closet, letting it see the light of day for the first time in at least 10 years. It was already threaded and ready to go. I zipped one leg in and raced the thread around it.

 

It wasn't even, but it would keep the pants from raveling too much.

 

 

 
I set out to do the second leg. I made it about a fourth of the way around and then the machine stopped.

As you can imagine, I opened that up and it looked like Frankenstein to me. I had a dim memory of how to check on things, but of course the manual for this machine is who-knows-where. So I yanked out the bobbin and poked around.

I found lots of broken little pieces of thread, which I cleared out. Then I tried to remember how to make the magic of pulling the thread from the bobbin back through happen.

After quite a few hesitations and many instances of broken thread, I finally made that work. But the machine itself simply sat and hummed.

So, with three-fourths of a pant leg to finish, I moved the needle by hand with the thing on the side that makes the needle manually go up and down, and finished the pants.

And what a relief that was!

Thursday Thirteen #495

Today I thought I'd show you my husband's NASCAR model collection. He put these together from about 1993 - 1996, so they're more than 20 years old.

My husband is a big Ford fan so most of these are Fords. There is a Richard Petty Pontiac and a Dale Earnhardt #3 Chevrolet in there somewhere, but I think the rest of them are Fords.

There are 37 of these model cars in this curio cabinet, along with other racing memorabilia (there are 25 more in another cabinet in another part of the house):

He was a big Bill Elliot fan, so he has a couple of shelves dedicated to Bill's cars. These are the #94 McDonald's cars that Elliott drove in the 1990s.

This car is a special edition "Batman Forever" #94 along with the Bill Elliott #9 Coors car.

This is Dale Jarrett's #88 car.

After Bill Elliott stopped driving the #9 car and went to #94, Mark Martin took over the #9 car.

This is the #16 driven by Ted Musgrave and the #75 driven by Rusty Wallace.

This is the #21 McDonald's Ford driven by Jimmy Spencer (1994), and the #2 Miller car driven by Rusty Wallace.

My husband had extra glass shelving made for the cabinet and some of the cars are in these thin shelves. They're a little hard to get to, but they make a colorful display.

This is the car that my husband loved best, Bill Elliott's red #9 Coors car that won him the name "Million Dollar Bill" in the 1980s.

A closer shot of some of the other cars that I am afraid to touch for fear they will fall apart.

This the Dale Jarrett #21 Citgo car.

I wanted to give you a close-up so you can see how detailed these things are.

The #10 Tide car belonged to Ricky Rudd and the #28 belonged to Davy Allison. Allison died young in helicopter crash in 1993.

Around 1996 the model cars became hard to find and more expensive to purchase as manufacturers moved to pre-made die-cast vehicles. Two of the model car manufacturers merged and they stopped putting out the different vehicle color changes for the drivers. So my husband stopped building model cars.

It was a good hobby for him for a while, though.


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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 495th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Moonset April 10, 2017

Clouds.

Taken with a Nikon Coolpix P500 at approximately 6:25 a.m.

Sunday Stealing: Sassy Questions

Sunday Stealing: The Sassy Questions

1. If you could say anything you wanted to say to Donald Trump, what would you say?

A. I would ask him why he has given me the impression that he thinks some people are "better" than others, and why he has given me the impression that he believes money is more valuable than humanity. I would ask him if he thinks science is false and if he knows the difference between facts and lies. If my impressions are incorrect, then I would ask him to explain to me what it is he really values and why, and ask him how he could correct my impressions (because I suspect I am not the only one with those impressions).

2. If you had to be the mother of Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan, who would you choose and why?

A. Neither.

3. You get to be Queen for a day. The kids are all taken care of, and you can spend as much money as you want. What do you do all day?

A. Go out with a friend to a book store, see a movie, have a nice lunch, maybe purchase new clothes.

4. Is there a song that brings tears to your eyes every time you hear it? If so, which one?

A. Vincent (Starry Starry Night), by Don MacLean.

5. A fairy taps you on the shoulder and tells you that you can either have a perfect face or a perfect body for the rest of your life. Which do you choose?

A. Face. I can hide the body under clothes.

6. If you could live any place in the world and money was no object, where would you live and why?

A. I would live on a cruise ship that travelled the world, so I could see every country and eat at the buffet so I wouldn't have to cook.

7. What is your biggest regret in life?

A. Not having children.

8. If you could go back and visit one person in your life who is now dead, and ask one question, what would that question be and why would you ask it?

A. I would go to my grandfather, my mother's father, and ask him how it felt to be dead, so I would know what to expect when it happens to me.

9. If you had the choice to age forward (like we are now) or aging backwards (think Benjamin Buttons) which would you choose and why?

A. I'd rather just reach 30 and stop, like an elf. If aging backwards means losing wisdom, then I chose the current situation.

10. What will the epitaph on your headstone say?

A. She tried.

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

Saturday 9: Work from Home

Saturday 9: Work from Home (2016)

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

1) This song is about a woman who doesn't get to see her lover often enough because he's on the night shift. Have you ever worked nights?

A. Yes. When I was an active news reporter, I covered many night meetings, some of which ran long into the wee hours of the morning. Election night coverage was difficult until the paper changed its delivery date from Thursday to Wednesday; after that, we didn't have to stay at the polls to write up the results for the Thursday paper and meet the early Wednesday morning deadline.

2) She promises that if he takes the day off, she'll make it feel like a vacation. Have you traveled anywhere fun so far this year? Do you have any leisure trips planned for 2017?

A. We have not made any travel plans for 2017 nor have we been anywhere outside of the local area. We want to go inland, like to Tennessee or Kentucky or somewhere in that direction this year. Any suggestions?

3) The ladies of Fifth Harmony are enthusiastic supporters of the Girl Scouts, rewarding troops who excel in fundraising activities with free concerts. The Scouts' best-known fundraiser is their cookie sale. What's your favorite cookie (Girl Scout or otherwise)?

A. Chocolate chip. Preferably, a homemade one.

4) Fifth Harmony also participated in Goodwill's Fall Haul campaign. They encouraged high school students donate as many items as possible to Goodwill, and the winning school got a free concert. When did you last take gently-used items to a resale organization?

A. Back before the holidays, or immediately thereafter. I can't remember which.

5) Do you ever shop second-hand or thrift stores?

A. Generally I do not. I am highly allergic to molds and dust and I find those places trigger my asthma. Even Goodwill tends to smell like old musty cardboard.

6) Fifth Harmony member Normani Kordei competes on Dancing with the Stars this season. Would you do better on DWTS or The Voice? In other words, are you a better singer or dancer?

A. I am a better singer than dancer, but I do not consider myself to be someone who excels at either.

7) In February 2016, when this song was first released, The Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl and Spotlight won the Best Picture Oscar. Can you recall who won the 2017 Super Bowl and Best Picture Oscar, just two months ago?

A. The Super Bowl was the Patriots and La La Land won the Oscar. I didn't look it up. How did I do? (*Ok, I went and looked. I failed the Oscar one. Moonlight apparently won that.)

8) 2016's most popular TV show was Game of Thrones. Are you a fan?

A. Oh yes. However, I do not have a favorite character as they all tend to die in that show.

9) Random Question: What's the subject line of the newest message in your email spam folder?

A. HARP Refinance Program Has Helped Millions, See If You're Eligible

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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.

World Health Day 2017

Today is World Health Day, a program of the World Health Organization.

This year, the topic is depression. WHO estimates more than 300 million people have depression, an increase of more than 18% since 2005. In my opinion, this is a low estimate.

In the United States, people often lack of support for mental disorders. People who have mental health concerns often fear the stigma associated with depression or other mental concerns. This  prevents many from seeking the treatment they need to live healthy, productive lives.

Society needs to address issues of prejudice and discrimination with regards to mental illness before this issue will be properly addressed. A person who is depressed needs someone to talk to, a person to trust.

Admitting the problem is often the first step towards treatment and recovery.

Additionally, governments at all levels need to invest more in mental health support. Even in high-income countries, nearly 50% of people with depression do not get treatment. On average, just 3% of government health budgets is invested in mental health, varying from less than 1% in low-income countries to 5% in high-income countries.

Here in Virginia, we've seen how the lack of government involvement in this very serious issue adds up to bloody fatalities. In 2007, Virginia Tech lost 32 students in a mass shooting by a student known to have serious mental health issues. However, teacher concerns were not addressed.

In 2014, Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds was brutally attacked and stabbed by his own son, who then killed himself, after the young man was released because local resources could not find a safe place for him.

Those are just two incidents that readily come to mind when one thinks about depression and mental health issues today.

Treatment involves either a talking therapy or antidepressant medication or a combination of the two.  More than 90 countries, of all income levels, have introduced or scaled-up programs that provide treatment for depression and other mental disorders.

Failure to act is costly. According to a WHO-led study, which calculated treatment costs and health outcomes in 36 low-, middle- and high-income countries for the 15 years from 2016-2030, low levels of recognition and access to care for depression and another common mental disorder, anxiety, result in a global economic loss of a trillion US dollars every year. The losses are incurred by households, employers and governments. Households lose out financially when people cannot work. Employers suffer when employees become less productive and are unable to work. Governments have to pay higher health and welfare expenditures.

Additionally, there are strong links between depression and other non-communicable disorders and diseases. Depression increases the risk of substance use disorders and diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. People with these other conditions have a higher risk of depression.

Depression is also an important risk factor for suicide, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year. It is a common mental illness characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that people normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for 14 days or longer.

In addition, people with depression normally have several of the following: a loss of energy; a change in appetite; sleeping more or less; anxiety; reduced concentration; indecisiveness; restlessness; feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or hopelessness; and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

If you or someone you know suffers from depression, help is available. In Virginia, Veterans may call the Veterans Crisis line 1-800-273-8255, press 1 or visit their website at www.veteranscrisisline.net/.

Others can contact a local public health office for more information. This website lists local health districts for Virginia.

You can also find additional information at the National Alliance on Mental Illness website.

Thursday Thirteen

On April 6, 1896, the first modern Olympics took place in Athens.

Here's a look at some sporting events that are no longer used in the competition:

1. Distance Plunging - Seen only in 1904, this Olympic sport required athletes to dive into the pool and coast underwater without moving their limbs. After 60 seconds, referees measured the distance the athletes had drifted.

2. Live Pigeon Shooting - Used in the 1900 games in Parish, this sport meant gun enthusiasts took aim at live moving targets. According to reports, more than 300 birds were killed at the event. After that, Olympic officials skipped lived targets.

3. Deer Cardboard Cut-Out shooting - Following the dead bird debacle in 1900, the Olympics in London in 1908 featured "running deer" as targets. However, the targets were cardboard cut-outs, not live animals.

4. Tug-of-War - This game appeared at the 1900 Olympics in Paris and remained on the roster through the 1920 games in Antwerp. An eight-man team had to pull the opposition team six feet in order to win. If neither team failed to do that, the team that pulled the other the longest distance won. The British team, which generally used London City police officers, excelled at the event.

5. Rope Climbing - This game was in the first modern Olympics in 1896. Climbers raced to th etop of the rope. This game remained on the roster until 1932.

6. Solo Synchronized Swimming - This game women debuted at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and remained on the roster through the 1992 event, even though it is hard to synchronize with one's self. After 1992 the event became a team sport for women. Men have never participated in any form of synchronized swimming in the Olympics.

7. Croquet - This sport made a one-time appearance in Paris in 1900. It is thought to be the first Olympic sport in which women participated. Only French competitors signed up for the event, and only one spectator purchased a ticket to watch the game.

8. Rogue - A cousin to croquet, this sport made the Olympic roster in 1904 in St. Louis. Only Americans played this time, and the game did not make another appearance.

9. Dueling - Pistol dueling put in an appearance in the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens. The event consisted of shooters aiming at plaster dummies instead of real people. The event only took place once.

10. Horse Long Jump - Using a horse to make a long jump took place at the Paris games of 1900. The winning leap was 6.10 meters, compared to the human leap of 8.95 meters. The game never returned. Another horse-related event, equestrian vaulting, took place in the 1920 games in Antwerp. In this sport, riders performed pirouettes, handstands and other acrobatic feats on top of a horse's back.

11. Singlestick - In this game, competitors attempted to hit one another with a club was held in one hand. The game was played in 1904 at the Summer Olympics in St. Louis.

12. Dog Sled Racing - The Olympics tested dog sled racing during the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. The event took riders over a 25.1 mile course that traversed country roads and horse paths. The event was considered a demonstration.

13. Firefighting - This event took place at the 1900 Paris Olympics in both professional and volunteer classes. The professional event was won by Kansas City Engine and Hook and Ladder Company #1. Portugal won the volunteer class.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 494th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Birds

A yard full of  . . . something. I thought they were starlings but after looking at my guide book I think they are something else. Maybe a boat tailed grackle?

 

These are photos of a northern flicker, a type of woodpecker (I think).

 

April Means Giraffe

I confess.

April the giraffe has caught my attention. I tune in once a day (sometimes more) to see her wander around her cage.

April lives at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY. She is 15 years old and this will be her 4th calf. She has never lost a baby.

She has been pregnant for 15 months! Yikes.

Even though she was supposed to give birth about six weeks ago, she is still carrying around her baby. This baby supposedly will be six feet tall and weigh about 150 pounds when born.

Having seen many dogs and cows give birth, and even a deer once, I have not seen signs that indicate this giraffe is going to drop her calf anytime soon. But I am not her veterinarian, who continues to assure the 150,000 people who are always watching that birth is imminent.

You can see April live at this link.

Meanwhile, I did a few still captures of her as she was trying to eat the camera (or something close to it) and then messed with them creatively (mostly because it is my understanding that once I turn them into something else I'm not violating any copyright).  I also grabbed one of her standing far away because, well, long neck and legs and all.

Giraffes are kind of cute. She has really long eyelashes, but you can't tell that in these touched up pieces.