Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Right now I'm watching and listening to a live Melissa Etheridge concert on Facebook. She does them daily at 6 p.m. EST. Check her out.

2. Being inquisitive is my well known quirk.

3. Are you happy?

4. Dessert first, then dinner!

5. That's why I am not the person I thought I'd be when I grew up.

6. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my favorite tv shows ever!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching either Tommy or My Brilliant Friend, tomorrow my plans include reading a book and Sunday (which is also tomorrow), I want to talk to someone on the phone.

8. If I could go anywhere on a road trip, I'd go to Disney in Florida.

9. The minds of about 25% of the population is something I don't understand.

10. Thanksgiving makes me think of turkey.

11. Reading is the best way to relax!

12. It looks like Autumn is going to bring another wave of Covid 19.

13. Mixed nuts is one of my favorite healthy snacks.

14. The smell of macaroni and cheese cooking makes me think of my grandmother.

15. When I am feeling lazy I take a nap (which I seldom do).

16. When I look to the left, I see two guitars, books, my husband, and my cameras. What more could a girl want?

17. The living room, my office and the bedroom are the room(s) that have the best view in my home.

18. Dirty deeds was done dirt cheap!

19. Voting and understanding the role of government in life are a responsibilities that all qualified citizens must share.

20. If you have any chocolate, feel free to share it with me.

Saturday 9: All Right

Saturday 9: All Right (1983)

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

1) This song has an optimistic message about love: "It gets tough sometimes, but you can give it one more try . . ." Do you tend to take an optimistic look at life?

A. I am a glass is half-full kind of girl. I try to be realistic which leans toward pessimism, I'm afraid.

2) In this song, Christopher Cross sings, "Time and time again I see people so unsure like me . . ." Tell us about a recent time when your confidence could have used a boost.

A. When I was initially caring for my husband after his surgery in November, it was so difficult to take care of his needs. Then I got sick as well with a respiratory thing. I felt like I couldn't do anything right.

3) The Doobie Bros.' Michael McDonald plays on this record. Do you have a favorite Doobie Bros. song?

A. China Grove. Or maybe Long Train Runnin'. Or Ol' Blackwater. One of those three.

4) Though no longer making hits, Christopher Cross still has loyal fans who attend his concerts. Time permitting, he spends time after each show signing autographs. Have you ever asked a celebrity for his/her autograph?

A. Not in a very long time. I have two pictures here that are supposedly autographed, one of Bonnie Raitt and the other is of Charlie Sheen before he went totally nuts. I've had them a good 25 years or more.



Bonnie Raitt (left) and Charlie Sheen. I have no idea if the autographs are original. I won them in a contest in the early days of the Internet.

5) Christopher Cross' dad was an Army doctor stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC. With all the museums and monuments, our nation's capital could be a great place for a kid to grow up . . . except sometimes we take the advantages of our hometown for granted. Tell us about a nearby museum, park, theater, etc., you'll visit again when this period of crisis is over and it's agreed that it's safe to do so.

A. We have a walking trail called the Cherry Blossom Trail that is a nice walk. It is not closed to the public (I don't think), but I have heard that the city folks are using it so much that it is full of people because the city closed the greenway because so many people were on it. What part of "stay home" and "stay six feet away" do people not get?

6) In 1983, when "All Right" was popular, Flashdance was a hit in movie theaters and on the radio. What's the most recent movie you watched? Most recent song you heard on the radio?

A. The most recent movie I watched was Despicable Me, and the most recent song I heard on the radio was To Live Like You Were Dying.

7) Also in 1983, America West Airlines took off, flying between Las Vegas and Phoenix. They went nationwide in 2005 after they merged with US Airways. In 2013, they merged again, this time with American Airlines. Do you collect miles in an airline loyalty program?

A. No. I don't fly.

8) Super Mario Bros. debuted in 1983. Can you name gaming's most famous siblings?

A. Um. No. Do you mean video game siblings, or gaming like tennis, as in the Williams sisters?

9) Random question -- Under hypnosis, you discover you lived three past lives. In the first, you were wealthy beyond your wildest imaginings, thanks to a loveless marriage. In the second, you were a star on the roller derby circuit who had earned the nickname "Smasher." In the third, you were a brilliant mathematician who worked your way through school as an exotic dancer. Which of these would you find most shocking?

A. I don't find any of them shocking. After recent current events, I don't find too much shocking anymore.

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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.

After the Storm

Thursday Thirteen

Some of my favorite children's books:

1. Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell

2. Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry

3. Stormy, Misty's Foal, by Marguerite Henry

4. My Friend Flicka, by Mary O'Hara

5. Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell

6. Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery

7. Any Nancy Drew book, by Carol Keene

8. Any Hardy Boys book, by Frank W. Dixon

9. Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

10. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

11. Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

12. Miss Osborne the Mop, by Wilson Gage

13. Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls


What are your favorite children's books?


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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 652nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The Mattress Saga

Around the same week that the world stopped because of the coronavirus, my husband began to complain that he was having trouble sitting on the bed to put on his shoes.

I initially thought it had something to do with the ankle surgery he had in November. I solved the problem by bringing a kitchen chair into the bedroom so he could sit and put on his shoes.

However, when Saturday came and it was time to change the linens, I discovered that the mattress on his side of the bed was bulging out about three inches. Super bulging, actually. This was why he couldn't sit on the bed - the mattress was collapsing.

We'd purchased the mattress in June 2012. At that time, my husband was complaining constantly of his back hurting and I thought a new mattress would help the problem; it did. Score one for the wife.

I hunted up the warranty paperwork. To find the warranty, it said, one had to look at the "do not remove" tag on the mattress.

This tag was hidden from me, as we have a hypoallergenic cover on the mattress. And of course the tag, once I felt around for it, was not at the end that opened. The mattress cover had to be removed.

This mattress is huge and fat. It weighs about 150 pounds. I can barely lift a corner to get the sheets tucked in properly. After much cursing, tugging, and pulling, I got the mattress cover off and threw it in the wash.

I took pictures of the tag with the information I needed. My husband came in and helped me put the now-clean mattress cover back on it. We left the tag at the zipper end. We also turned the mattress so that the bulge was down at my feet and not at our upper bodies.

We'd purchased this mattress from Haverty's. Haverty's went out of business locally in 2013, though I understand the chain still exists in other places. Nowhere near us, though.

I contacted the furniture store we use now, and asked if they could help. The manager called me back with a number to call for the mattress manufacturer. I called that number. A nice woman told me that my mattress still was under warranty but I should deal with the store from which I bought the mattress.

After much explaining, she understood that the store is no longer in my area. The mattress warranty then fell under the mattress manufacturer. They needed pictures. They needed to be sure the mattress wasn't soiled or otherwise misused. They also needed a picture of the silk tag identifying the mattress.

The silk tag, of course, was at the end of the mattress under the cover and not where the thing zips up.

We waited until the next Saturday, because I change the bed linens every weekend, to take the mattress cover off again and take pictures. We took every photo I could think to take, including one with a ruler showing the bulge, and measurements of the mattress across the bottom and at the bulge. We could also see that the mattress was bulging on the sides in other areas, so total failure at some point was imminent.

The is the biggest bulge in the mattress.

Our effort to measure the bulge.

I went to the website and submitted the photos, the warranty information, the receipt, and everything else they had asked for.

Then I received a notice that they needed more pictures. Sigh.

I called to see what they needed, because I couldn't imagine what there was left to take a photo of. The helpful person on the phone put me on hold, reviewed the photos, and immediately approved my claim.

Then she looked up what an exchange mattress would be, because mattresses do not stay the same. They change every year, like clothing, so that you can't go back the following year and purchase the exact same mattress.

It seems to me that if one makes a good product, one should stick with that, but I'm not a manufacturer or in retail, so perhaps there is some profit motive I am missing. I also think a mattress with a 10-year full replacement warranty and 25 years of some kind of restitution after that would last at least 10 years, but it didn't. (I think refrigerators, dishwashers, and washers and dryers also should last a good 25 years or more, like they used to do, but they don't anymore.)

At any rate, the next step was to test the mattress the helpful lady said would be the replacement.

The furniture stores here are not completely closed. They have limited hours. But I have been trying hard to self-isolate (up until yesterday) because of my asthma and my propensity to catch every virus that flies past me in the air.

So we did not go straight out to test a mattress. The company gave us 90 days to do that because of the current shut-downs and the virus situation.

Since we had to go out yesterday to take care of my husband's retirement paperwork, we decided to go by the furniture store and check out the mattress. My husband had called around on Saturday and found a store that had one.

When we reached the store, they would not allow us in because they were limiting patrons to 10 at a time. I did not mind the wait. I thought this was a good thing. One person came out and the man doing the counting said one of us could go in. I told my husband to go in and check out the mattress and then he could come out and I could go check out the mattress. He put on his mask and went inside.

Later another person left and the man motioned that I could join my husband. I put on my mask and went inside. I tested the mattress, which my husband thought was great. I thought it was a little hard but I actually sleep on a bed wedge anyway, for the most part, and not on the mattress.

My husband said that was the mattress he wanted.

Yesterday I called the mattress company again to order the mattress. I was told that (a) the plant is not operating at the moment and (b) if I ordered one now, it would be delivered to the doorstep and dropped off. Or I could wait and call back after May 15 and see if they were bringing items into homes and setting up the mattresses.

The man on the phone told me the new mattress would weigh 153 pounds. That is very heavy.

The part of me that is concerned about off-gassing from this mattress wouldn't mind letting it sit in the garage for a few days before we tried to sleep on it. However, the part of me that knows there is no way my husband and I could remove the old mattress and bring in the new one won out, and I will call back after May 15.

In the meantime, I am hoping the mattress holds together and we don't end up on the floor. We don't have a spare bedroom and the couch isn't made for sleeping.

I don't think this is something duct tape can fix.

So we've also had this going on in the midst of this pandemic. A sagging mattress. It is always something.

Pandemic Journal - Day 38 (The Descent Into Madness)

Yesterday, I ventured out.

Having not been out much since March 13, except for car rides to look at lovely landscapes, it felt freeing to go riding down the interstate and into the city.

The purpose was to finish up my husband's retirement paperwork. When I last wrote, I had not planned to go. My husband had said I wouldn't be allowed in the building. He would bring home papers I needed to sign, and then we would have to find a notary.

When he came in to ready for his appointment, he wondered if they would let us in the building one at a time. Could he finish his paperwork and then have me go up and sign what I needed to sign, so we wouldn't have to seek out a notary?

He suggested I go with him to find out. "Get out of the house for a while, anyway," he said. I put on a little eye shadow and mascara - since I would be wearing a mask I saw no need to do more - and we hopped in the car.

We made a stop prior to going into the city that I will save for another post. Then we went to the municipal building. He donned his mask and went inside.

I sat. And sat. I hit the electric button to turn on the air but it doesn't get cold without the engine on, and you can't turn the engine on without hitting the brake pedal in my car and I was on the passenger side, so I rolled down the window.

The city was quiet, but a few people walked by. Not a one moved away from the car. When I realized they were going to pass close to me, I rolled up the window, or else grabbed my mask and donned it as they went by.

One woman called me a "fucking bitch" as she walked past me, I guess because she saw me putting the window up. She passed within a foot of me. What else was I supposed to do?

I amused myself for a time watching two young teenagers using their skateboard on the circuit courthouse steps. They were filming each other as they took long jumps off the steps onto the sidewalk.  I kept waiting for one of them to fall and break a leg, but neither missed badly enough for that. Finally, an adult told them to stop and they vanished.

My husband appeared along with someone from the finance office. She notarized my paperwork by the car. And just like that, my old fella was officially retired from the fire department.

There should have at least been a fire truck to send him off, but these are strange times.

Then we went to Sam's Club. My husband left me in the car again as he donned his mask and trekked inside. He bought some of what we needed, although apparently there is not a piece of paper (towels, tissue, or toilet paper) left anywhere in the valley. We are not yet in dire need of toilet tissue but an extra four-pack would have been nice. Oh well.

I watched folks go in and out of the store. I noticed a strong lack of children, which was probably good. It felt a bit like playing Skyrim, which is a video game that has a lot of AI presence but only a few children in it. Many people wore masks, but many did not. I thought more women then men wore masks. Perhaps it is not manly to wear a mask, although my manly man doesn't mind it a bit as he values his life more than his pride.

Once my husband returned to the car and unloaded his purchases, we set off again. This next stop involved me. We went to Food Lion. I had his mother's grocery list and he had ours. We both donned masks and gloves, and went into the maw of the zombie den.

And it truly was like being in a zombie video game. Some people had on masks, others didn't. People were rude, simply shoving carts out of their way. They did not hesitate to step close to you and few gave you distance. I don't know how many times I moved to get away from people. Lots, judging by the steps on my Fitbit.

The entire place seethed with anger, fear, and frustration. It was so strong, you could smell it and I certainly felt it. People looked beaten and mad. The only thing missing from my zombie video game was a noise in the background going, "I want brains. Must have brains."

I felt terror being in there, shopping amongst my neighbors. I think the last time I felt that so strongly was after 9/11. People were terrified and angry then, too.

Food Lion had no paper products and no cleaning products, both of which were on my mother-in-law's list. I decided I would give her my emergency toilet paper package and an extra can of Lysol I had, even though it was not the scent she wanted. I finished gathering her items and then helped my husband with our list.

It was a madhouse even trying to leave. No one left you space at the cash registers. I felt hemmed in by people who should have been far away from me. I was grateful I had on a very good mask even if it was fogging my glasses and giving me a bit of claustrophobia. I wouldn't dare go into a grocery store without a mask after seeing that craziness in there yesterday.

My friend in England tells me her stores have set up one-way routes up and down the aisles, with tape on the floor so people know where to stay six feet back, and they are doing exactly that. God forbid we be that civilized here. No, we have to shove carts out of the way and reach over top of people for fear that we won't get the last remaining item on the shelf even though there are plenty of them there (except for the paper items and there wasn't even any use going down that aisle).

We came home and unloaded our groceries first - my husband didn't want his ice cream to melt - and I handed him my toilet paper and the Lysol to take to his mother. Then, while he went to his mother's to unload her groceries, I wiped our purchases down and put them away. It was a relief to return to the relative quiet of my little hobbit house.

At least here I feel calm and sane.

Out there, in the world, lies madness.

Brains, indeed.

Pandemic Journal - Day 37

We have two cows down, one who lost a calf (stillborn), and another that hurt her foot. We must watch the mamma cow for mastitis. She and other are in the barn lot where we can keep a close check on them.

The turkeys have been strutting a lot in the fields. Mating time.

My husband continues to move forward with his retirement. He signs the final paperwork today. Hopefully it will all work out, but in these days of unknowns, well - who knows?

Spring has come and is quickly heading towards summer. The trees are greening up with amazing speed. They are almost nearly leafed out, bedecked in green finery that will last for a while.

A few cold nights slowed the grass growth a bit. A little frost won't hurt it, though I do worry about the fruit tree growers nearby. Perhaps it didn't hurt them if the cold was nearer to the ground.

We have all we need so far. We are staying away from people as much as possible, aside from grocery shopping. We've cut that back to about every 7 to 10 days. If the stores are out of things we normally eat, we either substitute or do without.

My niece wrecked her vehicle over the weekend. I haven't spoken to her and only learned of it this morning from my brother. He said she is fine though the vehicle did not fair so well.

I still watch Melissa Etheridge in concert every night. We have also added Tommy Emmanuel's concerts on Friday night to our watch list. My guitar doesn't have all the notes those two can play!

The numbers have stayed steady in our county so far as the Covid-45 continues to keep things shut down and the economy in flux. However, the nearby city is rising, creeping upward, and that is worrisome. We're not that far away and sometimes you have to go into the city for things you need.

All in all, so far so good.

Thumbs up!

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Did you become what you wanted to be when you grew up? Are you happy with your choice?

A. At various times I wanted to be an archeologist, a geologist, an English teacher, a musician, and a writer. I ended up writing. I don't regret it. I did not go exactly where I thought I would with it but I have published literally thousands of articles (and became a photographer to go along with it and published thousands of those, too), and while I am no longer as well-known as I was when I was more active in publishing, I had a satisfying following for a while. The only thing I haven't done that I had expected to do by now is write a book.

2. Did man really go to the moon or was it a publicity stunt?

A. We went to the moon. Really? Is the earth flat, too?

3. Given the opportunity to change one major aspect of your life (i.e. career, relationship, family) with no guarantee of the outcome, would you take the chance? Why?

A. Yes. I would do so with eye closed and heart open and hope for better results in some areas.

4. Does money buy happiness?

A. No, but it buys health insurance.

5. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

A. Tell Alexa, "Stop." She is my alarm. Then I crawl out of bed, put on my slippers, and go to the little women's room.

6. What are we going to do when we run out of room to bury the dead?

A. Cremate.

7. What is your greatest fear? Why? Is it rational or unreasonable?

A. My greatest fear is ending up alone and homeless, living under a bridge. It is probably not rational but I also do not think, given the current political climate, that it is unreasonable should something happen to my husband.

8. How do you feel about the exploitation of your private data in the digital age? Does it ever cross your mind or are you hyper-aware of the risks?

A. I am very aware of it and have taken precautions where feasible. I have even put off buying a new car because I am aware that they are tracking everything now in a vehicle. They may be doing that in my 2014 Camry but it wouldn't be as complete as what they are doing now. I read an article about this in Reader's Digest at lunch today.

9. You can be forgiven one debt. What is it? If you don’t have debt, then how did you do it?

A. I guess that would be paying off a tractor.

10. Hot or cold?

A. Hot or cold . . . what? Cold water, hot tea.

11. What is your favorite thing in the world (aside from family, friends, pets)?

A. An internet connection.

12. You have to give up one of your five senses. Which one would you go without?

A. Taste, I guess. I need my eyes and ears and I couldn't type I suppose without touch.

13. Do you believe everyone has a doppelgänger?

A. I think we all have someone who looks a bit like us though maybe not at the same time in history. I've been mistaken for someone else on occasion, and have mistaken others for someone else.

14. Likewise, does everyone have a soulmate or is it just a matter of proximity and circumstance?

A. It is probably circumstance but the idea of a soulmate is nice.

15. Imagine you have a theme song that plays every time you enter a room. What would your song be?

A. Suicide is Painless (The Theme from MASH) with the words.

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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: I Don't Care

Saturday 9: I Don't Care (2019)

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

1) This song begins with Ed Sheeran admitting he's not enjoying the party he's at. What's something you have to do this weekend, but don't want to do?

A. Cook a turkey. My husband decided that this should be the weekend we cook a turkey I bought on sale at Thanksgiving and stuck in the freezer. I'd intended to cook it Christmas but because I caught a respiratory thing I didn't fix it. Now it is thawing and must be cooked tomorrow.

2) Justin Bieber sings about trying to have a conversation at a party. Have you seen any of your social gatherings cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic?

A. My book clubs have been cancelled.

3) Both Ed and Justin conclude that this party -- and everything else -- is okay because they're with the ones they love. Who in your life always makes you feel comfortable and content?

A. Nobody ALWAYS does. Nor do I expect anyone to do so.

4) Ed and Justin have both appeared on The Simpsons. Are you a Simpsons fan?

A. I don't believe I have ever watched an entire episode.

5) Speaking of animation, Ed Sheeran has said that he'd love to do a Disney soundtrack, like Elton John's Lion King. Do you have a favorite Disney movie?

A. Now that Disney owns the Star Wars franchise, I guess it would be the original three Star Wars movies.

6) Justin Bieber is fluent in French, and Ed says he knows enough to get by. Say something to us in French.

A. Je pense que la réponse du gouvernement fédéral au virus est au mieux idiote. J’aspire à l’époque où les adultes étaient en charge.

7) Justin can solve a Rubik's Cube in less than two minutes. Are you good at puzzles?

A. Generally. I used to be able to solve a Rubik's Cube in less than two minutes but that was a long time ago. I doubt I could even solve it at the moment.

8) In 2019, the year this song was popular, 20 new governors took office. Tell us something about the governor of your state (or commonwealth)?

A. My governor is a physician and therefore I trust his judgment in dealing with a pandemic. He is not without flaws, but who is?

9) Random question: Did you more recently give a compliment, or receive one?

A. Gave one. I told my husband he was good at installing septic tanks and driving the backhoe. That is what he will be doing now that he has retired from the fire department.

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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 Peaceful Easy Feeling

Thursday Thirteen

Some of my favorite pandemic memes:

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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 652nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Pandemic Tuesday - Day 31

Sunday night, I couldn't stand it any longer. I grabbed the pair of small shears out of my husband's hair-trimming kit, stood naked in the shower, pulled the mirror to me, and hacked away at my hair.

Normally I wear a shag style. Now it's more like a mullet that stands out straight on one side. It's shorter, anyway, and what's done is done.

I took about 2" of hair off of my head. I picked up what hair I could and shoved it into a bag; my husband filed in with the battery-powered vacuum and took care of the rest. I showered and blew my grey locks dry. I knew the cut would be bad - a previous effort to trim my bangs had not gone well. It's all I can do to manage a curling iron.

My hair had been 4 days overdue for a cut when the pandemic shut-ins began. My previous cut had been a tad short, so I was letting it grow out a bit for just a trim - a trim that probably won't happen for at least another month, if not two. Or three.

Who knows?

Hair is something that will grow back, so whatever damage I've done will one day be remedied. In the meantime, I can wear a hat.

Honestly, it is not like I'm going out anyway. I've left the house four times since March 13, and during all of those outings, I stayed in the car. My husband is insistent that I not leave the safety of the vehicle.

Since I last wrote, I ventured out to ride with the husband to drop items into a FedEx drop box, pick up medication at the drive thru-pharmacy, and to purchase lunch from Bellacino's at the curbside pickup. We ate with his mother. We try to do that occasionally so she doesn't die of boredom up there alone in the house. At least he and I have each other to fight with.

He is here all the time now since he has retired. Well, he is off farming and putting in septic tanks at times, but after 37 years of getting up at 5 a.m., he has discovered he likes to sleep late. He likes to fix breakfast. I let him. My routine is in flux. I can't expect anything to become regular, though, until the virus issues lessen.

I've picked up work editing a manuscript, so that has been fortunate. It helps the afternoons go by more quickly. From 2 p.m. onward, I struggle. I start roaming the house. My restlessness seems endless and ongoing. I fight not to eat (another) candy bar. My husband has lost weight in the months he has been home because I do not fix the major meals he had at the fire station. I haven't lost a pound. I am still eating just as I always have, if not more. My exercise routine is nonexistent, not because of lethargy but because of a bad case of heel spur/plantar fasciitis in my left foot. It is all I can do to walk to the kitchen, must less contemplate a 30-minute bout on the treadmill.

Audiobooks are my friends. So is music. My one bright spot of the day for the last two weeks has been the live 3-4 song concerts Melissa Etheridge is putting on for her fans. Every single day on Facebook at 6 p.m., there she is, playing favorites and telling us all to drink lots of water, take a walk, and spread the love. She is a damn good guitar player and my eyes are glued to her fingers while she plays. Her songs are full of difficult chords; I want to see how she does it.



Me jamming with Melissa Etheridge. This is after my haircut. Can you tell where I scalped myself?

I call my brother frequently. He is running an essential business; he makes frequent trips to the store. He brought me Easter candy to give to my husband. I fret over his being out in public so much and worry that he isn't taking precautions. I have been dreaming about him regularly, and this concerns me. In our family, we're a little fey. Dreams are not taken lightly. Fortunately, they are not bad dreams, but I do not dream about him as a rule. So every morning after I dream of him, I call and ask him if he is ok. He knows it is because I dreamt of him. I don't even have to tell him. I don't know if he is amused or irritated by my concern.

Other family members I've not heard from in years have called. My first cousin in Texas, Matthew, called and talked for a long time (the first time in about three years I'd heard from him), then sent me pictures of his daughter and his new truck. The next night I texted him and told him guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel was performing live on Facebook. I found it funny because he'd told me in our phone conversation that he didn't waste his time on things like Facebook and Instagram. His wife, though, has a Facebook account and the next thing I knew we were texting about guitar licks as we both watched the man play.

My husband's cousin, whom I've met about three times, lives in California, and she called Friday and talked for well over an hour. I kept suggesting she call my mother-in-law, who is her aunt, but I don't know if she did.

When I was a reporter, I learned that the secret of good conversation is to talk little, listen a lot. People like to hear themselves speak. They like to be acknowledged. No one wants to be alone all the time, not really. Not even someone like me, an introvert in the extreme. I like to let the long pauses grow longer still during conversations. That is when someone will pop out with the most unlikeliest of sentences.

Sunday night, we had 3" of rain. It flooded to the south. Monday morning, I opened the patio door and listened to a symphony of birds as they sang their hearts out after the long night of heavy rain.

The wind picked up and blew the grass dry in between rain showers as the day progressed.

Last night, I stepped out on the patio to breathe in the fresh, clean air. The wind had died down, and in the ensuing silence, I heard an unmistakable noise.

It was the background chatter of the 17-year locust.

The BIG Announcement

My husband, after 37 years with the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department in Roanoke, Virginia, has retired to work on the farm and install septic systems.

He was a Battalion Chief for the last 10 years of his career. He started there February 15, 1983 and rose through the ranks to run half the city when he was on shift.

He was the second-longest serving firefighter in the department when he retired. One other man has been there a few months longer. He takes with him a lifetime of experience and memory.

Battalion Chief James Firebaugh, 2019

I remember when he took the job. We were dating, and he would not propose to me until he had found work that was more permanent than farming and digging septic tanks with his father. (Interestingly enough, that is now what he will be doing.)

His grandfather passed away when he was about two weeks into the job, and he had to take funeral leave right away. He had not accrued vacation when we married in November, so we married over a four-day break.

His work schedule was basically 10 days of 24-hour shifts during the month. However, they rotated and went like this: Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 4 days off - Wednesday, Friday, Sunday - 4 days off - Friday, Sunday, Tuesday - 4 days off . . . hopefully one gets the idea of how that went.

Spending 10 days a month alone did not bother me generally, although it was a given that if the hot water heater was going to go out or something else around the house was going to go whacky, or if I were to become very sick, it would be a day when he was at the fire station and not on one of his off days.

During his off days, he helped his father farm and install septic tanks just as he always did. For the first 10 years of our marriage, he also served a volunteer firefighter with the Fincastle Fire Department, and I was very glad when he gave that up. We saw each other at night and then of course not every night because he was at work. I also had classes at night and then I worked a lot at night after I became a full-time writer/freelance news reporter, so our time together was minimal, really.

Until he injured his arm in 2014, we had not spent more than three weeks together without him having to go back to work. While he recovered from that injury, which occurred on the farm and not at the firehouse, we were together about two months. In late November, he had surgery on his ankle, and we have now spent all of these nights together. As my stepmother said, "You didn't kill him, so that is a good thing."

During his career, there were several incidents that I recall. The first is the Flood of 1985. Roanoke City and surrounding areas drowned in over 11 inches of rain, and he was on duty. I was out at a doctor's appointment. We had no cellphones back then, so it was hours before we each found out the other was ok. He and his crew made some daring and heroic rescues at that time, using the ladder truck to reach out over raging waters to pluck people from streams.

Here's a youtube video about the flood.

He also worked what is locally known as the TAAP fire, when the Total Action Against Poverty building burned down. It was cold and the firefighters all had icicles hanging from their gear as they fought the blaze. I couldn't find any photos of that, though I'm sure there are some somewhere.

Around that same time, Chief Harry McKinney passed away. I attended the funeral because his daughter was my math teacher in high school and we have kept in touch all of these years. I remember feeling so out of place sitting with my husband amongst that sea of blue uniforms. My husband had a lot of respect for Chief McKinney. There is no funeral like a fire service funeral, I must say.

Of course there are many other fires, wrecks, etc., that he worked throughout his career. I have no idea how many people he watched die, how many people he saved when he was working as a medic - those statistics may be kept somewhere, but I doubt it. He was a citizen doing his civic duty, on the job taking care of his community.

This is what one of the firefighters wrote about him on a page dedicated to remembering the firefighters:

"James has served as the Northside Battalion Chief (Battalion 2) for the last ten years. He has served many roles during his tenure and leaves large shoes to fill. James served as chair of the apparatus committee and was directly involved in the design of many of our trucks throughout the years. He also served as one of the original members of our regional Hazardous Materials Response Team. James, regardless of his or other people’s rank, has always been someone that could be easily spoken to and has always been a force to be reckoned with in the firehouse. He has carried a strong presence on fire scenes when a job needed to be done but isn’t one to stand available for a photo."

There aren't many pictures of him at fire scenes. Usually he has his back to his camera in the ones he is in. He never sought recognition for anything he did.

Having a square-off with another battalion chief, apparently.

He's the guy on the far right hanging on the hose and shouting orders. Best guess is this was when he was a captain.

He had intended to return to work following his ankle surgery. His recovery from that took longer than he anticipated, and then the Covid-45 virus hit. He decided he could not risk bringing that home to me (I have asthma) or to his 86-year-old mother, whom he checks on every day. She lives alone but he takes her the newspaper and the mail and checks on her a lot. When we heard the news that the virus had hit the fire department in Lynchburg, I think that sealed it for him.

So his career comes to an end, and he will be back where he started, really, farming full time and running a septic installation business. He loves to do that work, so he will be happy.

I have grown used to having him about the house more, so I don't think I will hit him upside the head with anything. The Covid-45 virus has interrupted our schedules, but it has interrupted the whole world's schedule. Eventually we will find a flow that works for us.

My heart is full of pride for all that he has accomplished. It is no easy task to go from firefighter to battalion chief.

May he enjoy his new life without the fire service and all the stress that brought him.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What is something you are doing due to the pandemic that you normally don’t do? After the pandemic will you continue to so this?

A. I am trying not to bite my nails in an attempt to keep my hands from my face. Hopefully that will continue. We'll see. I have chewed on them my entire life; that's a long habit to break.

2. What made you happy, sad, or frustrated today? List, all big and/or small, as there may be some of one or all of these feelings!

A. It is still early for a range of emotions. I was happy when I woke up, as I had dreamt I was mailing the state Attorney General a letter about my medication costs, which went up 700% from last month to this month. I also had snuck in a chocolate rabbit for my husband. I sat that out and was glad to surprise him. Things have gone downhill since, and now I'm sad.

3. What is one of the first things you will do when the pandemic is over?

A. Probably go to the store. I would like to get a haircut but I expect it will be another month before I can do that - everyone will be booked and I don't have a regular stylist.

4. Are you an essential employee or do you know someone who is? Is this affecting you in some way?

A. My brother continues to work as his business is essential (something to do with making things for the military). I worry about him a lot. He has been good about stopping at the store a time or two for things we've not been able to find. He is out a lot because he has to keep his company up and running.

5. What are you doing to destress during this stressful time?

A. I read, play guitar, play video games. Same as I always do.

6. Have you tried any new recipes during this time? Please share your recipe if you want to.

A. I made a meatloaf that did not have a tomato base. I used vegetable soup in it and cut up a summer squash and put that in it too. It was pretty good.

7. Have you always lived where you do now? If not, how did you wind up in the place you currently live?

A. I have always lived in this area. We built our house here 33 years ago.

8. Where is the last place you visited on-line?

A. My video game, Elvenar. It's a city-building game. I've been playing it for a couple of years.

9. What is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you?

A. That they love me.

10. Tell me about the last photo on your camera (phone or real camera or both!)

A. The last picture on my phone is a photo of a mailing label so I can track a package. The last picture on my camera is of my husband removing a tree stump with his backhoe.