Thursday Thirteen

Right now, we are supposedly in the "Information Age" (1970 - present).

Other ages that you may have heard of include the Age of Enlightenment, the Bronze Age, the Industrial Age, the Victorian Era, etc.

I wonder what people in the future might call this time period. (That's provided humanity manages to last another 1,000 years, something I doubt.) Here are some guesses.

1. The Technological Age

2. The Age of Dictatorships

3. The Age of Ignorance

4. The Age of Me-ism

5. The Dark Times

6. The Doomsday Age

7. The Digital Age

8. The Discombobulated Age

9. The Era of Arrogance

10. The Age of Multimedia

11. The Age of Endless Wars

12. The Bubbleheaded Period

13. The Graceless Age

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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 642nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The Evils of Social Media

I do not actually do a lot of social media. I have my blog, a Facebook account, a LinkedIn account, and a Twitter account.

I check the Twitter account probably less than once a month. I'm just not a fan of it. I can't remember the last time I looked at my LinkedIn account.

My blog I consider my personal space. If you want to read it, you come here. It's not in your face or anything. I think it is the best way to air my feelings and to say things I want to say. If you come here and read it and don't like it, you don't have to remove from your newsfeed or anything. You just don't come back. If you don't like my politics or my religion or whatever, then simply move along. I don't need you to tell me how awful I am and that you're never coming back to my blog. Just go. I know of people who no longer read me for whatever reasons, and while I initially wondered what the problem was, after a while I no longer missed them. I doubt they miss me.

Facebook is difficult. I look at it but don't post a lot. I read what other people are doing, although in the last three years more and more people have been "unfollowed" than I ever thought I would think about doing that to, because they've proven to be racist bigots in their political posts. Sometimes I go back and re-follow everyone, but then my FB page fills up with some pretty vile stuff, so off they go again.

I've also blocked a lot of people I don't even know because I saw something they wrote in comments on a newsfeed page. Yikes. Some folks are just downright nasty.

My point, and I do have one, is that there is someone on the other end of your nasty email or your nasty post or your nasty feed or your nasty blog or whatever it is. Your words might be breaking someone's heart. 

I don't write nasty blog posts. I might write that I disagree with the current administration and I wish things were different, but that's opinion, not nasty.

Nasty is calling the Obamas monkeys, or saying that black people get what they deserve, or saying that the Superbowl half-time show was unAmerican because it had Latinos in it (I saw several people say this. Good grief.). Sorry, but we're a melting pot. You get to have your opinion but I don't have to read it the next time, because I may have unfollowed you if you say things like that in a particularly vile way.

I have always been a nice person and tried to play nice and by the rules. It is true what they say, that nice girls finish last. I'm ok with last. I can sleep at night, I don't have to worry which lie I told to which person, and I know in my heart that I've done everything I can to ensure growth and prosperity not only for myself and my family but for others. I know that I used my forum on the newspaper to try to educate and promote goodness and kindness. I can't help it if people could not or did not read or comprehend. (Would newspaper writing be social media? Maybe so. Never thought of it that way before.)

Anyway, the nasty words people write to others can leave hurt feelings, broken hearts, and total dismay in their wake. I presume the people who write these things don't care. Political correctness, after all, has become a bad thing, but I'm talking more about manners and graciousness in general. You know, being polite, which is something that many United States citizens are not very good at.

You, dear reader, always welcome to read what I write and to disagree. That doesn't mean I have to approve of your disagreement or that I will leave your comment on my blog. It doesn't mean you have to follow me on Facebook - you're welcome to unfollow me or even block me and unfriend me if you want. That is your right.

But please do remember that words have consequences. If what you say might hurt someone's feelings, then is there a reason to say it at all?

I would like a nice world. This current one, where to me it feels like bullying and meanness is the rule of the day, is pretty scary.

Some of the rules I grew up with:

• Mind your manners.
• Play nice with the ball.
• Be kind always, because it is harder to be kind than to be mean. Mean is the easy way out.
• Find your inner goodness, let it shine.
• If you have to stand up for something, stand up for something that makes the world better, not tears it down.

I wonder what happened to those soft little rules.

Happy Birthday, Botetourt!

Saturday, Botetourt County held the opening event for its 250th birthday. The event was charming and totally Botetourt County in its tone. It was inclusive, patriotic, and it spoke to both our past and our present. The 250th anniversary committee, comprised of Donna Vaughn of Eagle Rock, Lois Switzer and Angela Coon, both from Fincastle, and Wendy Wingo of Blue Ridge, did an outstanding job in coordinating not only this effort but also in helping me put the county's 250th celebratory magazine together.

The program for the event.

Inside of the program.

 

 

The event was held at the Lord Botetourt High School auditorium.



It was a full house. By the time the event started, it was standing room only.

Brent Watts was master of ceremonies. He is the Chief Meteorologist at WDBJ7.

 

The Sheriff's Department and Botetourt County Fire and EMS Departments presented the flag, and Boy Scout Troop
211 of Daleville led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Teresa Hamm, right, sang the National Anthem

Students from Cloverdale and Troutville Elementary Schools sang patriotic songs.

Virginia House of Delegate Terry Austin gave a speech. He used to be a member of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors.

The combined choirs of Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church and Lapsley Run Baptist Church rocked the house.

The Anniversary Address by the Honorable Malfourd "Bo" Trumbo, retired Circuit Court judge and former Virginia State Senator, addressed the county's history and explained how we really are, as Robert Douthat Stoner named his book, "The Seedbed of the Republic."



David Austin & Friends sang the 250th Anniversary Song, which they wrote. The song is called "Where My Home and My Heart Meet."

 

This is the cover of the official 250th anniversary magazine.

There were additional displays in the cafeteria, along with punch and birthday cake. The magazine wasn't given out until the end, because the Sestercentennial Committee didn't want people leafing through the magazine during the event ceremonies. I gave out the magazine and many folks asked me to sign a copy. Because I was busy I didn't get to see the other displays in the cafeteria.

I thought this was a very good event and a great start to our year-long celebration.

Happy birthday, Botetourt!

Sunday Stealing #320

Sunday Stealing

1. How do you like your eggs?

A. Scrambled.

2. How do you take your coffee/tea?

A. I put a teaspoon of sugar in my tea once a day. The rest of the time it is unsweetened. I do not drink coffee.

3. What are your favorite breakfast foods?

A. Bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, and grits with butter.

4. How do you prefer your peanut butter: smooth or crunchy?

A. Smooth.

5. What kind of dressing do you use on your salad?

A. Olive oil or Thousand Island, usually.

6. Which do you prefer, Coke or Pepsi?

A. I don't drink either anymore, but at one time I was a Coke drinker.

7. You feel like cooking. What do you make?

A. I can't imagine that I have feelings of wanting to cook very often, but I don't mind baking too much, so something like brownies or a coffee cake.

8. You’re feeling lazy. What do you make?

A. I open a can of soup or have a sandwich.

9. You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?

A. Chicken alfredo.

10. Is there a food you refuse to eat?

A. I do not eat coconut. I'm also not a fan of olives.

11. What is your favorite fruit & vegetable?

A. My favorite fruit is a banana, and my favorite vegetable is peas.

12. What is your favorite junk food?

A. A chocolate bar.

13. What is your favorite between-meal snack?

A. Sigh. A chocolate bar.

14. Do you have any weird food habits?

A. I don't think so. Well, I eat popcorn with a spoon and I have been told that is not normal, but at least my hands aren't greasy.

15. You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?

A. Nuts and salad.

16. How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?

A. Not spicy at all.

17. What is the perfect nightcap?

A. A glass of water.

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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.  (#320)

Saturday 9: Waiting All Day

Saturday 9: Waiting All Day for Sunday Night (2012)

Happy February! White Rabbits!

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

1) This week's Saturday 9 has a football theme because there's a big game Sunday. Will you be watching?

A. I doubt it. Sunday night is Supergirl night. This girl has her priorities.

2) The Super Bowl is a big day for food consumption in the US, second only to Thanksgiving. What's on your menu this weekend?

A. Nothing in particular.

3) The NFL has decreed that the Super Bowl will never be played in a city that has a median February temperature of less than 50º. Would your hometown qualify for the Big Game?

A. I don't think so. We have a temperature range usually from below freezing to 45 degrees in February, although this year it could be like June since January was like March.

4) This version of the NFL theme song mentions the Steelers and the Broncos. During the regular season, which team do you root for? How did they do in 2019?

A. I don't generally watch football. I do root for the Virginia Cavaliers (University of Virginia) in college football.

5) This version of the Sunday Night Football song is by Faith Hill. She also has ties to the MLB, since her husband is Tim McGraw, son of the Mets' pitcher Tug McGraw. Which sport do you prefer -- baseball or football?

A. Neither. Baseball is boring and football is violent.

6) Faith has performed live at more than one The Super Bowl in the past, performing both "America, the Beautiful" and "The Star Spangled Banner." What's your favorite patriotic song?

A. America the Beautiful.

7) She has a perfume line with Coty that was a big seller at CVS during Christmas 2018. What's the last item you bought at a drugstore?

A. Bandages for my husband's ankle incision, which is healed but still tender where his specialized walking boot cuts across it.

8) Faith Hill is the producer of a talk show on CMT called Pickler and Ben. Is the TV on as you answer these questions? If so, what are you watching?

A. My TV is off because my husband is napping while I answer these questions.

9) Random question: You've got a chip in your hand and three dips to choose from -- guacamole, salsa, and onion. Where does your chip get dipped?

A. Onion.

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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.

Thursday Thirteen

1. Saturday we have big doin's happening in my county. This year, we are 250 years old! The kick-off event is Saturday afternoon and I have been asked to be there.

2. That's because I was responsible for putting out a 100-page magazine that celebrates the county.

3. In other news, my husband continues his recovery from his ankle fusion surgery. He is walking in a boot but not exactly moving fast.

4. In fact, he's reading his third novel. Mind you, this is the third book he's read in the 36 years we've been married!

5. January has been a weird weather month. Too warm, for one thing, for this time of year.

6. I was listening to a history podcast this morning and it was about Auschwitz. The speaker noted that Auschwitz didn't start with gas chambers. It started with "the othering" of people.

7. That's where we are now, in a great divide that has people unable to compromise or reach common ground, not only politically but now personally.

8. You have to sit down and talk in order to understand one another. For example, all of these people protesting proposed gun laws - you do know there are already many, many gun laws in the Virginia Code, don't you? They've all passed the sniff test and nothing being proposed in the current legislative session has been upended in federal courts. You're upset because you're "othering" and not thinking things through. You're not an "other" to me. You're my neighbor. Let's chat.

9. I've been an "other" since the day I was born, I'm afraid. Female = other in the minds of some men. Guess what. We're human beings too, and you wouldn't exist without us.

10. At the supervisors' meeting Tuesday, someone called me the "Dragon Queen of Botetourt." I don't know whether to be honored or offended.

11. Someone else told me to be honored, because no one should fail to take me seriously. I don't misstep often, and I'm usually right when I call someone out.

12. Also the other day, someone told me he didn't trust press people because his father was able to go into a tornado-damaged area by creating a fake press badge. I told him it wasn't my fault his father was a liar and a cheat. That did not go over well. I don't think this person and I will be friends.

13. These days my time is spent looking after my husband and doing our bookkeeping for the 2019 year, which I let slide but now must do so I can get things to the accountant. But soon I will need a project and a change of direction. What will I do, I wonder? My future in my crystal ball looks unclear.



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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 641st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Pileated Woodpecker

This pileated woodpecker found another of our dead ash trees and went to work on it. The bird found the beetles and went to town. It made a huge mess at the bottom of the tree.

Remembering Challenger

In 1986, on January 28, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded and broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

By then, space missions were no longer a big deal. They had become routine, and mainstream America wasn't paying much attention. To remedy some of that apathy, NASA had implemented the "teacher in space" initiative.

Christa McAuliffe was chosen to be the first teacher in space. As a result of her being on board, many school TVs were tuned to the 25th space shuttle flight that morning. Thousands of children watched the shuttle explode in real time.




I was on my way to work, having finished an early morning class at Virginia Western's Roanoke campus. I worked part-time at a law firm then. I knew the shuttle was launching so I turned on the radio to hear it.

I was on I-581 when the announcer said the shuttle had broken apart. I started crying and was crying when I reached the office. The other secretary was somber, having heard the news, but I had to pull it together and work. My first chore, as it was every day, was to drown a poor plant that one of the attorneys said had to be watered every single day. That day I watered it with my tears.

The space program today is nothing like it was when I was growing up. We don't send people to the International Space Station anymore - we send our folks up in rockets from other countries. Private companies have taken over what used to be government-sponsored work. The private companies are harder to root for. They are, after all, in it for money in some fashion or another.

The government was trying to beat the Russians. However, back then we were not so fearful, so terrified, nor so lazy. Back then, people wanted to explore new worlds, to reach out to others, to see and understand that we live on one great big blue-green world that we all must share, together with an infinite number of other species.

We don't think like that today. Our space efforts now are militarized; we want to shoot the aliens, not embrace them. We fear our own shadows and can't tell right from wrong any more. Live and let live is no longer the slogan of the day.

We lost a lot when we lost Challenger, but in the last 34 years, I think we've lost more than a space program.

I think we've lost ourselves as human beings.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. How do you get past the gray skies during winter?

A. I climb aboard my starship and head out above them into the universal twilight.

2. Do you like snow? Why or why not?

A. I do not like it as well as I did when I was younger. Now it is troubling, as it is difficult to feed the cattle in the winter, and I frequently am homebound because I have a regular car instead of a 4-wheel drive something.

3. What are your favorite activities to do during the winter?

A. Read and play music.

4. What does a perfect winter day look like to you?

A. Christmas!

5. What are your favorite meals/food you enjoy eating during the winter?

A. Chocolate, especially fudge, and chocolate covered cherries.

6. What is your favorite winter holiday and why?

A. Christmas, because I am able to give to people I care about.

7. What are your favorite pizza flavors and toppings?

A. I am currently relegated to eating alfredo pizza because tomato sauce tears up my stomach. I used to enjoy a good veggie pizza, though.

8. What are some items in your daily bag/ backpack?

A. My inhaler, tissues, backup medications.

9. What are your favorite snacks?

A. Chips, raisins, chocolate.

10. Name some foreign countries that you would like to visit.

A. Scotland, New Zealand, Ireland, England.

11. What things that remind you of home?

A. Mountains, deciduous trees, and cows.

12. If you have one, list some items from your Amazon Wishlist.

A. Shadow Castle, by Marian Cockrell
    How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t: 14 Habits that Are Holding You Back from Happiness, by Andrea Owen (Paperback)

13. What was your favorite Christmas gift?

A. My brother gave me signed Melissa Etheridge guitar picks. Awesome.

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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: Go Where Baby Lives

Saturday 9: Go Where Baby Lives (1957)

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

1) The lyrics tell us that the girl of his dreams lives up on a hill. Is there a hill near your home? Or is the terrain pretty flat where you are?

A. I live on a hill. I am surrounded by hills and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

2) Another clue to her whereabouts is that she's about a mile from town. Will you be staying close to home this weekend, or will you be traveling a mile or more?

A. I don't expect to leave the house. We're expecting icy weather and I don't care to be out in it.

3) Sam admits she's crazy about the sax solo. Is there a particular musical instrument that you love to listen to?

A. I love to listen to guitar and/or piano music.

4) This is the only record The Strollers made for States, a company based out of Chicago. States was only in existence for five years (1952-57) and this was the 63rd or 64 records released before they went out of business. Tell us about a business in your neighborhood that recently closed their doors.

A. Ballast Point is still making beer, but in September or thereabouts they closed the front restaurant that was much ballyhooed when it opened as being the best thing to ever happen. The national brand also was sold and no one is quite sure what is going to happen to the brewery in our nearby industrial park.

5) More than 60 years after its initial release, this song enjoyed new popularity when Xfinity used it in commercials for their wifi. What company is your internet service provider? Are you happy with it?

A. My service provider is my local telephone company. I cannot get high speed and only have DSL. My area is too rural for other service, the company says. Not enough people to make it worth running the fiber optic lines down this way.

6) In researching this week's song, Sam googled "strollers" and was surprised to discover how many different types of baby buggies are available today. When did you most recently push a child in a stroller?

A. Gosh, I don't know. Fifty years?

7) In 1957, the year this song was released, President Eisenhower celebrated his second inaugural with a parade featuring more than 50 marching bands. The mercury never quite reached 45º that day. How's the weather outside your front door?

A. It is foggy and rainy. A little colder and we will have ice to content with.

8) One of the best-selling books of 1957 was Peyton Place. This steamy saga of small town life launched two films, two television series, and several made-for-tv movies. Is there a book that you enjoyed that was successfully turned to a movie?

A. The Lord of the Rings. (Bet you didn't see that one coming.) I also thought the 1994 movie version of Little Women was very good.

9) A Peyton Place-inspired question: Can a man be physically unfaithful to a woman, but still love her?

A. Oh, philosophy! Wow. I am no man, so I can only guess at this question, but I suspect he can be unfaithful and yet still love the woman. The better question is will the woman continue to love the unfaithful lover?

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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.

Thursday Thirteen #640

Not on the list, but should be.

Black swan, also not on list but should be

1. Robins

2. Bluebirds

3. Crows

4. Vultures

5. Turkey buzzards

6. Turkeys

Turkeys

7. Hawks

8. Bald Eagles

9. Cardinals

10. Blue jays

11. Red-winged blackbird

12. Starling



Not sure what this little dude is, but he/she sure
looks angry.

 

13. Peregrine falcon


Birds I've seen around my house.


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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 640th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The Secret Surprise

Saturday, I received an envelope all the way from Italy.

I don't know anyone in Italy.

Upon opening it, I found a small A in a circle.

I initially thought it was a pin, like a scarf pin.

 

Turns out, though, it's a book marker. It came from my nephew, Emory, who lives in Florida now. He'd sent it for Christmas but it apparently was delayed. I was delighted that he took the time to think of me and order this.

I shall cherish this beautiful little item because it came from someone I love very much. He's a great young man, soon to be - oh my gosh! - 30 years old.

The Coyote

This coyote was sitting about 150 yards from my house Monday morning. That's a little close.

We hear them frequently at night, and last fall I saw one try to bring down a small deer very close to my house, too.

We've also lost a cow to a pack, and have to watch the calves when the cows are calving. They do go after the livestock.

They may look like dogs, but they are quite vicious.

The photos aren't very clear because I didn't have my tripod.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

Your high school graduation class of: 19 - A really long time ago.

1. Did you marry your high school sweetheart? No. But I went to school with the man I married.

2. Type of car? Datsun.

3. What kind of job? I played guitar in a disco/Top 40 band.

4. Where did you live? At home on a farm.

5. Were you popular in school? Not particularly.

6. Were you in choir/band? I was in band.

7. Ever get suspended?  I received in-school suspension once for skipping band class.

8. If you could would you go back?  No.

9. Still talk to the person that you went to prom with? No.

10. Did you skip school? Yes.

11. Go to all the football games? Most of them, because, band.

12. Favorite subjects? English, although my favorite teacher taught math.

13. Do you still have your yearbook? Yes.

14. Did you follow the "original" career path? Yes.

15. Do you still have your class ring? Yes.

16. Favorite teacher? My algebra teacher. We are still friends. She came to visit me last week and she just turned 70! Happy birthday, Tina!

17. What was your style? I don't think I had one.

18. Favorite shoes? They were like moccasins but not and you can't find them anymore.

19. Favorite thing to eat for lunch? Whatever.

20. Favorite band? Eagles.

21. High school hair? It was long.

22. How old when you graduated? I was 17 but I turned 18 a few days later.

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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: Miss Independent

Saturday 9: Miss Independent (2003)

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

Until a few weeks ago when I heard this on the radio and saw it scrolling saying it was a Kelly Clarkson song, I'd have sworn this was an 1990s Sheryl Crow song. Oh well.

1) The song begins with Kelly describing a woman who is "independent" and "self-sufficient." Are you feeling especially independent and self-sufficient this morning? Or is there a particular task on your to-do list that you wish you had help with?

A. I'm feeling tired and worn out. I wish I had a bookkeeper to keep our books because I hate doing the bookkeeping for our several businesses. I need to finish up 2019 so we can get the taxes to the accountant.

2) Kelly especially enjoys that this song was a hit, because she had to argue with the record company to even include it on her album. Tell us about a time you're glad fought to get your way.

A. It wasn't a fight, but I am glad I insisted on going to Hollins College (now Hollins University) to obtain my BA (and later my MA in 2012).

3) The video depicts a very lively party that spills from the house to the pool area. What's the last party you attended? Was it held indoors, outdoors, or did the revelers enjoy themselves both inside and outside?

A. I guess the last party I attended was the little shindig we hosted for my nephew and his bride. It was indoors, mostly, and hopefully most everyone enjoyed themselves.

4) The partiers are playing with "silly string." Have you ever indulged in a "silly string" battle?

A. I can't say that I have.

5) Kelly Clarkson has a new daytime talk show. Who hosted the last entertainment talk show (as opposed to news) that you watched?

A. Bill Maher last night.

6) Kelly Clarkson told a foodie website that one of her favorite foods is sushi (especially California rolls). She said she's surprised how fond she is of it, since as a kid, sushi is a food she wouldn't even try. Tell us about something you had to be convinced to try, or do, that you were surprised to find you enjoyed.

A. It took a while for me to decide to try coloring, but once I started it I found it quite relaxing and I'm actually pretty good at it.

7) In 2003, when "Miss Independent" was released, Microsoft and Sony were furiously competing for gamers' attention. Do you own Playstation or Xbox, neither or both?

A. Neither. I used to have an Xbox but it was the first version and long out of date. I got rid of it some time ago and never replaced it. There are enough time-wasters on my cellphone now to make up for that.

8) Also in 2003, the best-selling cookbook was The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. It features foolproof recipes for old favorites like waffles, pancakes, flat breads and crackers. When you look for a new recipe, are you searching for an easier/better way to make something familiar, or are you more likely looking to try something new?

A. Usually for something new, or some way to make something like chicken a little differently. Fixing meals and eating has become problematic. Hey, I could use a chef in response to one of the earlier questions.

9) Random question: Which has gotten you in more trouble -- love or money?

A. Probably love.

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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.