Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Squirrel of a Different Color
We've had a new squirrel turn up in the yard. He (or she) has a black face instead of the gray or brown we normally see. His tail is darker, too. Definitely different markings than the squirrels we usually see.
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Pandemic Journal - Day 95
The coronavirus numbers continue to rise in my community. We're now up to 59 cases total, with 16 of them active. We've had four deaths.
The new cases appear to be coming from a bunch of kids who went to the beach and brought the coronavirus back with them (or so sayth Facebook). Several restaurants locally have had to shut down. Apparently, if a server comes down with the virus, the Health Department is making them close and then deep clean and test everyone.
It doesn't bode well for the economy. I know a lot of folks are very anxious about this virus. People are learning they don't need to eat out or go out of their home to entertain themselves. Ultimately this will prove to be a good thing, but in a capitalistic economy, which is what the U.S. has, it means the profits for those at the top are falling.
Economically, we need to make changes.
We can't have that, so it's better to simply let people die. At least, that is how it looks from here. But the public isn't buying it, or at least, not anyone who is a thinking person, and folks are staying home. I know people need to live their life, yada yada, but life can be lived in many different ways. It isn't always about the money.
In any event, 0.1788 percent of our population now has or has had coronavirus. That is, relatively speaking, not a huge number and therefore not enough to ensure "herd immunity," but it is large enough that I don't want to spend time out of my house. Since I know two of the people who have died from it, it makes it easier to convince me that this is dangerous.
Our last week was mostly uneventful. We had another rain and flooding event - we've had over 30 inches of rain so far this year, which is way more than we normally receive. The water has infiltrated both our electrical lines at the substation and somewhere it is seeping into the phone lines, too, so the power and the phones and Internet both go out now when it rains. One day last week, the power went off and on eight times.
Yesterday I scheduled eye doctor appoints and an overdue mammogram. I am not sure I want to keep these appointments but the mammogram is a call back for a spot on my last one. Otherwise, I would not go. The eye doctor is necessary for my husband, who has some kind of issue with one of his eyes that the doctor wanted to keep a check on. I also need an upgrade in lenses, I suspect. I know I'm having a hard time seeing at times, especially when I'm playing the guitar and Bs and Es look alike. The appointments are weeks away, so plenty of time to cancel if things start looking worse.
The demonstrators are still out. I see them masked and unmasked in video footage. How this will play out with the pandemic, I do not know.
On top of this, we have something called a Sahara Dust Storm, which apparently only happens like every 50 years or so, making its way into the United States. This is bringing dust with silica in it, and people with breathing issues should stay inside. I will be staying inside, and I'm worried about my husband, who won't stay inside, "because it's a beautiful day and I need to be out working." It's also hot and humid and they're calling for storms.
I'm finding Facebook and Twitter both to be very bizarre places these days. If my dad's Twitter account read like the account of #45, I'd ask a judge for a TDO and take charge of his finances. #45 posts some really crazy stuff.
All of this makes everybody nervous. I can feel it in the air when I'm out. It's like, one wrong move, and BAM! a sinkhole is going to open up and swallow you. That is what it feels like.
On a more bucolic note, our peas are blooming, so I should have fresh peas soon. I think I saw a bloom on a cucumber plant, too. Fresh veggies will be welcome. We planted a small garden and I can't imagine there will be enough coming out of it to can. I hope that doesn't prove to be a mistake.
Another Song
This is a video that I made using new software, and somehow I lost the ending of the song. Oh well.
Someone let me know if you can't see it.
Someone let me know if you can't see it.
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes who would it be and why?
A. I would like to spend a day in my husband's shoes, so I could get to know him even better than I do and understand his impulses and his thought processes in a way I cannot simply by observing.
2. Which celebrity gets on your nerves the most, and why?
A. I'm not a fan of Adam Sandler, because he's so misogynistic.
3. If you were going to bury a time capsule, what would you put in it?
A. A copy of The New York Times, Time magazine, Reader's Digest magazine, a huge flash drive with everything I could think of downloaded on it, including photos from all over the world and space, and a personal note.
4. What is your saddest memory?
A. My grandmother's funeral, mostly because my brother did not come.
5. Would you rather be in your pajamas or a suit all day?
A. I am forever in blue jeans, babe.
6. What’s the strangest place you’ve ever gone potty?
A. Out in the woods.
7. How old were you went you had your first kiss?
A. I have no idea. Second grade maybe? How old is that? Seven?
8. Do you have any strange or unique phobias?
A. Can't say that I do, really, unless being afraid of the rise of stupid could be called a phobia.
9. If you could bring back one toy from your childhood, what would it be?
A. Johnny West dolls.
10. If you could be any Disney villain, which would you be?
A. Cruella DeVille (she's the only one I can think of).
11. If your life was a novel, what would the title be?
A. Nevertheless, She Persisted.
12. What do you need more of in your life?
A. Hugs, money, and self-discipline.
13. What are your top 3 quotes?
A. Not all those who wander are lost. - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring.
Be Strong, Speak True, Choose Only Love - Melissa Etheridge
Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on paper. - Ray Bradbury
14. What do you want people to remember about you?
A. That I did my best and was a good person.
15. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?
A. I have often thought that leaving a job I had a law office in 1985 was a particularly bad mistake, because we would have been more financially secure if I had stayed there. But had I stayed, I'd probably never have finished college or pursued writing, so I am not sure it was a mistake, in the end.
________________
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. (#340)
1. If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes who would it be and why?
A. I would like to spend a day in my husband's shoes, so I could get to know him even better than I do and understand his impulses and his thought processes in a way I cannot simply by observing.
2. Which celebrity gets on your nerves the most, and why?
A. I'm not a fan of Adam Sandler, because he's so misogynistic.
3. If you were going to bury a time capsule, what would you put in it?
A. A copy of The New York Times, Time magazine, Reader's Digest magazine, a huge flash drive with everything I could think of downloaded on it, including photos from all over the world and space, and a personal note.
4. What is your saddest memory?
A. My grandmother's funeral, mostly because my brother did not come.
5. Would you rather be in your pajamas or a suit all day?
A. I am forever in blue jeans, babe.
6. What’s the strangest place you’ve ever gone potty?
A. Out in the woods.
7. How old were you went you had your first kiss?
A. I have no idea. Second grade maybe? How old is that? Seven?
8. Do you have any strange or unique phobias?
A. Can't say that I do, really, unless being afraid of the rise of stupid could be called a phobia.
9. If you could bring back one toy from your childhood, what would it be?
A. Johnny West dolls.
10. If you could be any Disney villain, which would you be?
A. Cruella DeVille (she's the only one I can think of).
11. If your life was a novel, what would the title be?
A. Nevertheless, She Persisted.
12. What do you need more of in your life?
A. Hugs, money, and self-discipline.
13. What are your top 3 quotes?
A. Not all those who wander are lost. - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring.
Be Strong, Speak True, Choose Only Love - Melissa Etheridge
Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on paper. - Ray Bradbury
14. What do you want people to remember about you?
A. That I did my best and was a good person.
15. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?
A. I have often thought that leaving a job I had a law office in 1985 was a particularly bad mistake, because we would have been more financially secure if I had stayed there. But had I stayed, I'd probably never have finished college or pursued writing, so I am not sure it was a mistake, in the end.
________________
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. (#340)
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Saturday 9: Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast
Saturday 9: Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast (1972)
. . . Because it's Father's Day weekend.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This song is about a little girl who runs after her daddy. When is the last time you ran? Were you trying to get somewhere in a hurry, or playing a sport?
A. Bwahhahaha. Me, run? I can't remember the last time I ran. Trotted a little bit, maybe.
2) This song was a top ten hit for Wayne Newton. Mr. Newton is better known for his TV work, having made more than 150 appearances since 1963. Have you ever been on TV? Or in a YouTube video?
A. I have been on TV. I was interviewed in a news story a year or two ago, and when I was a teenager I appeared on a Saturday morning show where we used puppets and spoke Spanish. I have been in youtube videos that I have made. You can see me playing my guitar and singing if you go back a few days.
3) The road leading to Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport is named Wayne Newton Blvd. in his honor. When is the last time you were at an airport? Were you flying somewhere, picking someone up, or dropping them off?
A. I haven't been to an airport in several years, and I would have been picking up my husband from a business trip.
4) Wayne says Elvis Presley haunts Las Vegas, and believes that The King of Rock and Roll has given him performing and parenting tips from beyond the grave. When did you last see Elvis? On TV, on a t-shirt, poster or magazine cover, or as a ghostly apparition?
A. Wow. That one took me by surprise. I can't remember when I last saw Elvis. Maybe on one of those "let's sell old music" shows that Time Life puts on, perhaps. A few years ago, I bought my dad a bunch of Elvis stamps. He likes Elvis.
5) When Sam walks with her own dad, the problem isn't that he walks fast. It's that he's always stopping to pick up litter he finds on the grass. Litterbugs are his pet peeve. What's your pet peeve?
A. I can only have one? There are so many. I dislike it when people smoke at the doorways of places. The whole point of not having smoking inside is so people don't have to smell secondhand smoke. This is negated if you can't walk into the place without being enveloped in a cloud of nicotine.
6) Sam's own father often traveled for business, and always gave her the complimentary soaps, shampoos or body lotion he got from the hotel. When she went away to college, she used her collection of little bottles and was grateful for all the money they saved her. What's something you've done recently to economize?
A. I've started freezing food, especially meat. I used to purchase things fresh every week but now that I am not shopping as frequently, I am buying in bulk and freezing.
7) It was her father who taught Sam to drive. Are you a better student or teacher?
A. I think I am a better student than a teacher.
8) Sam's father also always asks if her car in "tip top" condition. Most recently he reminded her to test her headlights, tail lights and turn signals while the car is parked to make sure they're all working. Do you have a car maintenance tip to share?
A. Get a husband and let him take care of it. Otherwise, know what how to find the owner's manual for your vehicle so you can figure out what the strange little lights on the dashboard are.
9) Sam's father satisfies his afternoon sugar craving with an almost endless stream of Butter Rum Lifesavers. Do you usually enjoy a between meal snack?
A. I do. Sometimes it is healthy, most times, not so much.
______________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
. . . Because it's Father's Day weekend.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This song is about a little girl who runs after her daddy. When is the last time you ran? Were you trying to get somewhere in a hurry, or playing a sport?
A. Bwahhahaha. Me, run? I can't remember the last time I ran. Trotted a little bit, maybe.
2) This song was a top ten hit for Wayne Newton. Mr. Newton is better known for his TV work, having made more than 150 appearances since 1963. Have you ever been on TV? Or in a YouTube video?
A. I have been on TV. I was interviewed in a news story a year or two ago, and when I was a teenager I appeared on a Saturday morning show where we used puppets and spoke Spanish. I have been in youtube videos that I have made. You can see me playing my guitar and singing if you go back a few days.
3) The road leading to Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport is named Wayne Newton Blvd. in his honor. When is the last time you were at an airport? Were you flying somewhere, picking someone up, or dropping them off?
A. I haven't been to an airport in several years, and I would have been picking up my husband from a business trip.
4) Wayne says Elvis Presley haunts Las Vegas, and believes that The King of Rock and Roll has given him performing and parenting tips from beyond the grave. When did you last see Elvis? On TV, on a t-shirt, poster or magazine cover, or as a ghostly apparition?
A. Wow. That one took me by surprise. I can't remember when I last saw Elvis. Maybe on one of those "let's sell old music" shows that Time Life puts on, perhaps. A few years ago, I bought my dad a bunch of Elvis stamps. He likes Elvis.
5) When Sam walks with her own dad, the problem isn't that he walks fast. It's that he's always stopping to pick up litter he finds on the grass. Litterbugs are his pet peeve. What's your pet peeve?
A. I can only have one? There are so many. I dislike it when people smoke at the doorways of places. The whole point of not having smoking inside is so people don't have to smell secondhand smoke. This is negated if you can't walk into the place without being enveloped in a cloud of nicotine.
6) Sam's own father often traveled for business, and always gave her the complimentary soaps, shampoos or body lotion he got from the hotel. When she went away to college, she used her collection of little bottles and was grateful for all the money they saved her. What's something you've done recently to economize?
A. I've started freezing food, especially meat. I used to purchase things fresh every week but now that I am not shopping as frequently, I am buying in bulk and freezing.
7) It was her father who taught Sam to drive. Are you a better student or teacher?
A. I think I am a better student than a teacher.
8) Sam's father also always asks if her car in "tip top" condition. Most recently he reminded her to test her headlights, tail lights and turn signals while the car is parked to make sure they're all working. Do you have a car maintenance tip to share?
A. Get a husband and let him take care of it. Otherwise, know what how to find the owner's manual for your vehicle so you can figure out what the strange little lights on the dashboard are.
9) Sam's father satisfies his afternoon sugar craving with an almost endless stream of Butter Rum Lifesavers. Do you usually enjoy a between meal snack?
A. I do. Sometimes it is healthy, most times, not so much.
______________
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, June 18, 2020
Thursday Thirteen
The other day while I was listening to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam talk about making June 19 a paid holiday and the removal of Confederate statues, he noted that what we revere and have around us shows what we value.
This made me look around my office and my home. What do I value? And how many of us bother to consider what we value, and why? I think many people do not question what they value - or even know they value something.
Absence of something could also indicate values. For example, I do not, to my knowledge, have a Confederate flag in my home. However, my great-great grandfather was a Confederate soldier. I honor his history simply by knowing it. I don't need a symbol of a lost cause to indicate anything else.
If you're interested in things like morals and values, and would like to do a little self-study, check out yourmorals.org, which has a lot of interesting tests to take that help you evaluate yourself and how you feel about things.
But just looking around, let's see what I might value:
1. Books. I am surrounded by them here in my office.
2. Education. Books add to this, of course, but there are also three college diplomas hanging on my wall.
3. Music. I have two guitars, a harmonica, an ocarina, and loads of CDs in this one room.
4. History. I have many books of history, mostly local history, so I value the history of my area and my ancestors.
5. Strong women figures. I have a Supergirl poster and a Wonder Woman figure, along with a Charlie's Angel's action figure, in my office. I think there are few more on a lower shelf that I can't see at the moment because there's a guitar in the way.
6. Time. There are three clocks on the wall of my office.
7. Family. I have pictures of my nephews and niece in here.
8. Friends. While I do not have photos of my friends in here, I have many items they have given me that remind me of them.
9. The world. I think that may be symbolized by an old out-of-date globe that I insist on keeping in here.
10. Art. I have a fake Van Gogh painting in my office, along with some of my own photos. Plus I have several cameras.
11. Connectedness. This might be symbolized by the phones and the computer.
12. Money. I keep all the books so all the stuff to do with the farm and my husband's construction business are in my office.
13. Imagination. I have a photo of Gandolf the White in here, along with the aforementioned superheroines, and many of my books are fantasy books. I think it is safe to say I value imagination.
What about you? If you look around your room, what does it say you value?
This made me look around my office and my home. What do I value? And how many of us bother to consider what we value, and why? I think many people do not question what they value - or even know they value something.
Absence of something could also indicate values. For example, I do not, to my knowledge, have a Confederate flag in my home. However, my great-great grandfather was a Confederate soldier. I honor his history simply by knowing it. I don't need a symbol of a lost cause to indicate anything else.
If you're interested in things like morals and values, and would like to do a little self-study, check out yourmorals.org, which has a lot of interesting tests to take that help you evaluate yourself and how you feel about things.
But just looking around, let's see what I might value:
1. Books. I am surrounded by them here in my office.
2. Education. Books add to this, of course, but there are also three college diplomas hanging on my wall.
3. Music. I have two guitars, a harmonica, an ocarina, and loads of CDs in this one room.
4. History. I have many books of history, mostly local history, so I value the history of my area and my ancestors.
5. Strong women figures. I have a Supergirl poster and a Wonder Woman figure, along with a Charlie's Angel's action figure, in my office. I think there are few more on a lower shelf that I can't see at the moment because there's a guitar in the way.
6. Time. There are three clocks on the wall of my office.
7. Family. I have pictures of my nephews and niece in here.
8. Friends. While I do not have photos of my friends in here, I have many items they have given me that remind me of them.
9. The world. I think that may be symbolized by an old out-of-date globe that I insist on keeping in here.
10. Art. I have a fake Van Gogh painting in my office, along with some of my own photos. Plus I have several cameras.
11. Connectedness. This might be symbolized by the phones and the computer.
12. Money. I keep all the books so all the stuff to do with the farm and my husband's construction business are in my office.
13. Imagination. I have a photo of Gandolf the White in here, along with the aforementioned superheroines, and many of my books are fantasy books. I think it is safe to say I value imagination.
What about you? If you look around your room, what does it say you value?
______________
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 660th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Localized Flooding
We are having heavy rains and local flooding. These photos are just from the length of the farm.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
Pandemic Journal - Day 87
We continue to be careful with our outings here at the ol' farm. No eating out. No going to places just to go somewhere. No hanging out at Lowes. We go to the store when we have to - we're trying for every 10 days or so.
It is a good thing I like our home.
Late last week, I baked a cake from scratch - first time for everything, I suppose. I am trying to keep up with the bookwork for our several little businesses. Tedious work, that, and not a favorite thing to do. Actually I'm supposed to be doing that right now but I'm blogging instead.
Queen of procrastination, I am.
Last week the mattress saga finally ended when Sealy sent our replacement mattress under warranty. We had a Sterns & Foster with a 10 year warranty and it died in 8 years. I hadn't realized how much it had shrunk down and flattened out until we received the new mattress. No wonder I have back problems. Maybe this will help.
The new mattress did off-gas for a few days, which bothered me, but it seems to have stopped, or I have adjusted to it, one or the other. For the first two nights we had it, I woke up with my eyes swollen and my whole body feeling "not right," but that has gone away. Seems like anytime we bring anything new in the house, I have a problem with it anymore. It's frustrating.
My mother-in-law, who is 86, appears to have shrugged off the virus for the most part and is going about her routine of grocery store, pharmacy, etc., just as she did before March. We were shopping for her, but she decided to go herself and we can't stop her. I just hope she realizes that if she gets Covid, she will be alone because neither of us will be able to go care for her. But maybe she will be ok. I hope she is at least wearing a mask.
A friend who's been to Richmond said the people there are much more diligent about wearing masks and social distancing than they are around here. We are surrounded by a bunch of "me first" Republicans, so this is no surprise. It will show in where we spend our money. If a business is being careful and has masks on employees, that is where we will shop. I don't go into stores if I see many people without masks, especially staff. Besides, right now one is supposed to wear a mask in public under order of the governor. I think people should think of others and not be foolish, but I'm expendable so what do they care, right? Who cares if a fat ol' childless woman lives or dies? Not them.
I took some great photos of turkeys and a new baby calf, but the computer ate them when I downloaded them and also erased the SD card. I can't decide if something is wrong with the Windows Photo app or if my SD card is bad. It might be the card, as I took some other pictures and it wouldn't download those, either, but I was able to get them by using the camera to download instead of the card reader. I suppose it could be the card reader. This computer is five years old. I hate getting a new one anymore, they are such a hassle to set up. This is a Dell and I plan to use it until something major breaks.
Fortunately, I keep a backup of everything on the hard drive on an external drive. I also back a few things up to the cloud.
Really important things I email to myself - just in case.
Locally, last week someone vandalized the Confederate memorial at the county courthouse by throwing red paint on it. This does not surprise me, although the obelisk is not an ostentatious showing of the Confederacy like a statue of Robert E. Lee might be. I wrote several articles about the monument when I was with the newspaper. It probably needs to be moved to the museum and out of the public sphere. I don't want these statues destroyed, because they are art, but I think they belong outside of places where they are in your face. People are complaining that tearing down the statues is destroying history. Well, no. The history is there, in the history books, and in diaries and a multitude of other places. Taking down a statue is taking down a statue, not destroying history. So move them. It's rather like how I feel I can write what I want in my blog and not on Facebook. Facebook is in your face and you don't have a choice of what you see, sometimes. If you're reading my blog, you came here to read it and shouldn't be surprised by anything you see here, if you're a regular reader.
Speaking of Facebook, I have blocked loads of people on there. Most of them I don't know. If people are particularly nasty in comments on articles I read, I block them so I don't have to see their nastiness. I have not "unfriended" anyone on Facebook although I have unfollowed a lot of people so I don't see their FB posts in my feed. I think I'm down to seeing about three friends and news media of varying sources. Sometimes I go back and follow people, only to unfollow them again. If there is one thing I have learned these last three years, it's that a lot of people around me are racists and bigots. They're nice people and some of them wouldn't hesitate to help me out if I asked, I suppose, just I wouldn't hesitate to help them, but their morality and my morality are very different and I'd just as soon not be exposed to it. Or know about it, for that matter. That's probably very ostrich-like, but I am not interested in starting arguments. I like peace and quiet and I want everyone to be happy.
Right now my county has 10 active Covid cases. We've had a total of 44, with 4 deaths attributed to the virus. The problem is, I don't know where those 10 came from, and probably neither does anyone else.
So I continue to stay home as much as possible. I'm trying to find a new routine again, which I have to do anyway since my husband has retired and is here. That has been enough of a challenge without all the other stuff going on.
It is a good thing I like our home.
Late last week, I baked a cake from scratch - first time for everything, I suppose. I am trying to keep up with the bookwork for our several little businesses. Tedious work, that, and not a favorite thing to do. Actually I'm supposed to be doing that right now but I'm blogging instead.
Queen of procrastination, I am.
Last week the mattress saga finally ended when Sealy sent our replacement mattress under warranty. We had a Sterns & Foster with a 10 year warranty and it died in 8 years. I hadn't realized how much it had shrunk down and flattened out until we received the new mattress. No wonder I have back problems. Maybe this will help.
The new mattress did off-gas for a few days, which bothered me, but it seems to have stopped, or I have adjusted to it, one or the other. For the first two nights we had it, I woke up with my eyes swollen and my whole body feeling "not right," but that has gone away. Seems like anytime we bring anything new in the house, I have a problem with it anymore. It's frustrating.
My mother-in-law, who is 86, appears to have shrugged off the virus for the most part and is going about her routine of grocery store, pharmacy, etc., just as she did before March. We were shopping for her, but she decided to go herself and we can't stop her. I just hope she realizes that if she gets Covid, she will be alone because neither of us will be able to go care for her. But maybe she will be ok. I hope she is at least wearing a mask.
A friend who's been to Richmond said the people there are much more diligent about wearing masks and social distancing than they are around here. We are surrounded by a bunch of "me first" Republicans, so this is no surprise. It will show in where we spend our money. If a business is being careful and has masks on employees, that is where we will shop. I don't go into stores if I see many people without masks, especially staff. Besides, right now one is supposed to wear a mask in public under order of the governor. I think people should think of others and not be foolish, but I'm expendable so what do they care, right? Who cares if a fat ol' childless woman lives or dies? Not them.
I took some great photos of turkeys and a new baby calf, but the computer ate them when I downloaded them and also erased the SD card. I can't decide if something is wrong with the Windows Photo app or if my SD card is bad. It might be the card, as I took some other pictures and it wouldn't download those, either, but I was able to get them by using the camera to download instead of the card reader. I suppose it could be the card reader. This computer is five years old. I hate getting a new one anymore, they are such a hassle to set up. This is a Dell and I plan to use it until something major breaks.
Fortunately, I keep a backup of everything on the hard drive on an external drive. I also back a few things up to the cloud.
Really important things I email to myself - just in case.
Locally, last week someone vandalized the Confederate memorial at the county courthouse by throwing red paint on it. This does not surprise me, although the obelisk is not an ostentatious showing of the Confederacy like a statue of Robert E. Lee might be. I wrote several articles about the monument when I was with the newspaper. It probably needs to be moved to the museum and out of the public sphere. I don't want these statues destroyed, because they are art, but I think they belong outside of places where they are in your face. People are complaining that tearing down the statues is destroying history. Well, no. The history is there, in the history books, and in diaries and a multitude of other places. Taking down a statue is taking down a statue, not destroying history. So move them. It's rather like how I feel I can write what I want in my blog and not on Facebook. Facebook is in your face and you don't have a choice of what you see, sometimes. If you're reading my blog, you came here to read it and shouldn't be surprised by anything you see here, if you're a regular reader.
Speaking of Facebook, I have blocked loads of people on there. Most of them I don't know. If people are particularly nasty in comments on articles I read, I block them so I don't have to see their nastiness. I have not "unfriended" anyone on Facebook although I have unfollowed a lot of people so I don't see their FB posts in my feed. I think I'm down to seeing about three friends and news media of varying sources. Sometimes I go back and follow people, only to unfollow them again. If there is one thing I have learned these last three years, it's that a lot of people around me are racists and bigots. They're nice people and some of them wouldn't hesitate to help me out if I asked, I suppose, just I wouldn't hesitate to help them, but their morality and my morality are very different and I'd just as soon not be exposed to it. Or know about it, for that matter. That's probably very ostrich-like, but I am not interested in starting arguments. I like peace and quiet and I want everyone to be happy.
Right now my county has 10 active Covid cases. We've had a total of 44, with 4 deaths attributed to the virus. The problem is, I don't know where those 10 came from, and probably neither does anyone else.
So I continue to stay home as much as possible. I'm trying to find a new routine again, which I have to do anyway since my husband has retired and is here. That has been enough of a challenge without all the other stuff going on.
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Sunday Stealing
1. How many gravy boats do you have in your kitchen?
A. None.
2. Do the clothes in your laundry basket need ironing?
A. No. I do not buy clothes that need ironing. Ironing is a big waste of time.
3. What is the last thing you wallpapered?
A. It was either the bathroom or the kitchen and it was over 20 years ago and both are long gone. Wallpaper is evil. I will never wallpaper anything again.
4. Wooden floors or carpet?
A. Wooden floors.
5. Why do we put out guest towels if no one is supposed to use them?
A. I don't put out guest towels. I put out towels and expect people to use them.
6. If your spatula could talk, what would it say about your duvet?
A. I broke my spatula the other day. It's dead. It doesn't say anything about anything anymore. That's what happens if you talk around me about my duvet. Who knows what all is buried on this farm?
7. Have you replaced the batteries in your smoke alarms this year?
A. My smoke alarms are 30+ years old and tied to the electrical system, which I think is stupid because that means if the power goes out we have no alarms.
8. If you could put thyme in a bottle, what is the first thing that you'd like to do?
A. Smell it, I guess, since thyme is a spice or herb or something.
9. Do eggs really crack or do they merely have a nervous breakdown?
A. They crack and then they are thrown into a bowl and beaten until they are all gooey and yellow.
10. Why are you whipping the butter? What did it ever do to you?
A. I don't whip butter. I take an axe to the butter and use it on the bread.
11. Do your spoons spoon in the drawer? Have you ever noticed? And more importantly, if wooden spoons spoon do they get splinters?
A. I only have one wooden spoon, so I only worried about what it did with the spatula, but since I broke the spatula I no longer have to worry about that. As for my other spoons, they may spoon all they want. They can even have little spoons if they so desire.
12. You hear: "Dumpling, my Dumpling, come hither." The candles are lit, the fondue is dipping, the Godiva is pouring, the scallions are steaming and the music is playing.....but wait, the windows are open. Why did you close them?
A. I don't even know how to answer that. But my windows are always closed because I'm allergic to everything outside of the house.
13. Do you need a recipe to cook or are you a bohemian chef?
A. It depends on what it is. I make meatloaf without a recipe and it never comes out the same way twice but it's always good.
14. Is your pot black?
A. The one I pee in is almond colored. The ones in the kitchen are shiny.
15. What is the sexiest spice or condiment in your cabinet? What makes it so?
A. Paprika. It's just so . . . pappy and rika gettin' it on on the low down.
________________
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.
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, June 13, 2020
Saturday 9: The Rain
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) The Cowsills were a family band who had three hit singles. Can you name another group of popular singing siblings?
A. The Osmonds. The Jacksons. The Carpenters.
2) This was their first hit, and it reached #2 on the Billboard charts. It was kept out of the #1 slot by the Monkees and "Daydream Believer." What's your favorite Monkees song?
A. Last Train to Clarksville.
3) After seeing the Cowsill brothers perform with their mother and sister, TV producers were inspired to create the sitcom, The Partridge Family. Did you ever watch it?
A. Of course I watched it. I was in love with David Cassidy just like all the girls my age. He was so hot with that shag haircut and those hippy pants.
4) In the song, the narrator takes a flower from a girl in the park. Are there flowers in your home right now?
A. No. I am allergic to flowers. There are artificial flowers but I don't think that is what the question is asking.
5) He isn't sure if the girl was real, or if he dreamed her. Tell us about a recent dream you had.
A. I dreamed I was lured to a cave in which there was an invisible man who played the guitar, and there was a bed with a golden blanket to sleep in. Animals came there and would talk to you. A deer with a small set of horns came and said his name was Joshua. I told him to not grow his horns large so he wouldn't be shot. For some reason I kept thinking of the Lothlorien Flute. (I don't even know what that is.)
6) At the height of the Cowsills' popularity, they were hired by the American Dairy Association to promote drinking milk. If we were to peek into your refrigerator right now, would we find any milk?
A. Yes.
7) After the band stopped performing together, John Cowsill went on to become a back up musician for the Beach Boys. His job has kept him on the road much of the time. When you travel, do you enjoy staying in hotels, or would you rather stay with friends/family?
A. We always stay in hotels. We prefer not to infringe upon our family. After three days, guests start to be like dead fish - you really want them gone.
8) In 1967, the year this song was popular, Elvis married Priscilla in Las Vegas. Have you attended any weddings yet this year? Are there any weddings in your future?
A. Not that I am aware of.
9) Random question: Are the bottoms of your feet ticklish?
A. Not really. My husband's are, though.
______________
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.
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Friday, June 12, 2020
A Day of Firsts
Today I baked my first cake completely from scratch.
I am no cook, and I have always used a Pillsbury or Duncan Hines mix. I'm pretty sure that is the way my mother taught me to make a cake, actually. Get the mix.
No mix today. Boy howdy, I went with the flour, eggs, butter and vanilla. I made a butter cake with buttercream icing. It seemed like the easiest thing to try.
It turned out ok. I think it will be dry in a day or two, though, and not moist, because I am keeping it in the refrigerator (do you need to keep buttercream icing in the fridge? I have no idea.). I have a feeling we won't eat all of it because by Monday I will be throwing it out. But hey, I gave it a go and it turned out ok. There's also the thing that most of my ingredients are old - I don't even know how old. They didn't have bugs in them so I went for it.
I also tried out a new song this afternoon and I think it'll be one I can do, 'cept I need to slow it down a little. It's easy to play, a little more difficult to sing 'cause the timing is just a bit weird. I'll practice it a few times and maybe record it. We'll see. Nobody is watching those recordings anyway.
What else? I think that was it. But cake, icing, and a new song in one day is pretty good.
I am no cook, and I have always used a Pillsbury or Duncan Hines mix. I'm pretty sure that is the way my mother taught me to make a cake, actually. Get the mix.
No mix today. Boy howdy, I went with the flour, eggs, butter and vanilla. I made a butter cake with buttercream icing. It seemed like the easiest thing to try.
It turned out ok. I think it will be dry in a day or two, though, and not moist, because I am keeping it in the refrigerator (do you need to keep buttercream icing in the fridge? I have no idea.). I have a feeling we won't eat all of it because by Monday I will be throwing it out. But hey, I gave it a go and it turned out ok. There's also the thing that most of my ingredients are old - I don't even know how old. They didn't have bugs in them so I went for it.
I also tried out a new song this afternoon and I think it'll be one I can do, 'cept I need to slow it down a little. It's easy to play, a little more difficult to sing 'cause the timing is just a bit weird. I'll practice it a few times and maybe record it. We'll see. Nobody is watching those recordings anyway.
What else? I think that was it. But cake, icing, and a new song in one day is pretty good.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Thursday Thirteen #660
1. I spend a few minutes every morning trying to forgive #45 for not being the person I feel I need in charge in Washington, DC. It is a difficult exercise made even more difficult by the fact that the man cannot leave well enough alone and just shut up. Forgiving is not forgetting.
2. Trying to forgive someone you don't even know simply for existing (which is basically what I am doing, I guess), can be a bit crazy-making.
3. Forgiveness is a multi-step process and it can take a long time. For example, if someone abused you badly, it might be difficult to forgive them.
4. The process is really about yourself, though. The fact that I can't stand #45 doesn't bother him. It bothers me.
5. So first, I have to acknowledge what it is about the person or incident that bothers me. In this case, it would be that the leader of the country is a bully, an ingrate, unbalanced, a bigot, a racist, a dictator-wannabe, loud, and uncouth. Among other things.
6. Then I have to clarify why these personality traits or foibles or whatever one wants to call them bothers me. In my case, #45 reminds me a lot of someone I knew when I was younger. I also simply find him distasteful and stupid (in a smart sort of way) and I have trouble with those qualities in people.
7. I have to own my distress over his actions . . . and then let them go. While his actions have affected me personally - we've lost money because of his trade wars, for example, because the prices of cattle are lower than they were even during the Great Recession - I have to acknowledge that this is how things are and accept that we will have to make do with less through no fault of my own.
8. Another thing one must do when practicing forgiveness is give up the expectation of change. Susan Collins voted not to impeach because she thought #45 had learned his lesson. He didn't learn a thing. So I have no expectations from this man except that the basement will become deeper and things will become worse. There is no bottom with this type of personality.
9. Another thing one must do is not take it personally. He didn't intend for me to lose money with his trade wars, right? Right? Although those distribution of funds from the least to those who already have too much was a slick trick with that so-called "tax cut" and these latest coronavirus "relief" packages.
10. When I read about the latest event/tweet/rally insanity, I have to try to find a way to cope. This should be a positive way of doing it. Sometimes I call a friend and and say, "Did you see what that ##$@#%@# did today?" That may not be so positive although it does help. Better, though, to watch without judgment and see what lasting impact the actions have. Some things are simply stupid beyond belief but have little impact upon me. Things like deregulations of pollution controls, for example, will impact me (and everybody else, really) because I have asthma. Having the cement plant down the road roiling its dusty smoke out across the valley is not good for my health. So these types of activities will require additional thought and I will have to find ways to circumvent them. Maybe I will have to purchase another air purifier, but that will make my electricity bill go up.
11. So then I have to try to forgive the impact upon myself, like the lost money and additional costs, that I can attribute to the person I'm trying to forgive for existing and not being the person I feel I need right now. Like I said, it's an ongoing affair.
12. The next thing I do is wish this person peace of mind. He seems very infantile and very insecure. The way he sits in meetings with his arms wrapped around himself indicts such insecurities and lack of openness of self and mind that it is kind of sad. I hope he finds some way to fix himself, although I strongly suspect he isn't interested in that. That's me being judgmental, though, so I shouldn't think that. Maybe he falls asleep at night reading self-help books.
13. Lastly, when I've had all I can take, I step away. I am trying very hard here to do something quite difficult, and it very tiring. Sometimes I simply have to take a break.
2. Trying to forgive someone you don't even know simply for existing (which is basically what I am doing, I guess), can be a bit crazy-making.
3. Forgiveness is a multi-step process and it can take a long time. For example, if someone abused you badly, it might be difficult to forgive them.
4. The process is really about yourself, though. The fact that I can't stand #45 doesn't bother him. It bothers me.
5. So first, I have to acknowledge what it is about the person or incident that bothers me. In this case, it would be that the leader of the country is a bully, an ingrate, unbalanced, a bigot, a racist, a dictator-wannabe, loud, and uncouth. Among other things.
6. Then I have to clarify why these personality traits or foibles or whatever one wants to call them bothers me. In my case, #45 reminds me a lot of someone I knew when I was younger. I also simply find him distasteful and stupid (in a smart sort of way) and I have trouble with those qualities in people.
7. I have to own my distress over his actions . . . and then let them go. While his actions have affected me personally - we've lost money because of his trade wars, for example, because the prices of cattle are lower than they were even during the Great Recession - I have to acknowledge that this is how things are and accept that we will have to make do with less through no fault of my own.
8. Another thing one must do when practicing forgiveness is give up the expectation of change. Susan Collins voted not to impeach because she thought #45 had learned his lesson. He didn't learn a thing. So I have no expectations from this man except that the basement will become deeper and things will become worse. There is no bottom with this type of personality.
9. Another thing one must do is not take it personally. He didn't intend for me to lose money with his trade wars, right? Right? Although those distribution of funds from the least to those who already have too much was a slick trick with that so-called "tax cut" and these latest coronavirus "relief" packages.
10. When I read about the latest event/tweet/rally insanity, I have to try to find a way to cope. This should be a positive way of doing it. Sometimes I call a friend and and say, "Did you see what that ##$@#%@# did today?" That may not be so positive although it does help. Better, though, to watch without judgment and see what lasting impact the actions have. Some things are simply stupid beyond belief but have little impact upon me. Things like deregulations of pollution controls, for example, will impact me (and everybody else, really) because I have asthma. Having the cement plant down the road roiling its dusty smoke out across the valley is not good for my health. So these types of activities will require additional thought and I will have to find ways to circumvent them. Maybe I will have to purchase another air purifier, but that will make my electricity bill go up.
11. So then I have to try to forgive the impact upon myself, like the lost money and additional costs, that I can attribute to the person I'm trying to forgive for existing and not being the person I feel I need right now. Like I said, it's an ongoing affair.
12. The next thing I do is wish this person peace of mind. He seems very infantile and very insecure. The way he sits in meetings with his arms wrapped around himself indicts such insecurities and lack of openness of self and mind that it is kind of sad. I hope he finds some way to fix himself, although I strongly suspect he isn't interested in that. That's me being judgmental, though, so I shouldn't think that. Maybe he falls asleep at night reading self-help books.
13. Lastly, when I've had all I can take, I step away. I am trying very hard here to do something quite difficult, and it very tiring. Sometimes I simply have to take a break.
______________
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 660th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Do the Ocarina
My brother is very good at picking out presents. (My husband would do well to consult him for special occasions, really!)
For my birthday this year, he gave me an ocarina. I had never heard of this ancient wind instrument. It dates back about 12,000 years.
The instrument is like a recorder or whistle flute. It is about as big as a large potato.
According to the Hal Leonard book my brother gave me, the instrument has been discovered in meso-America, Central Africa, India, and China. Some were clay, others were made from animal horns. Apparently numerous cultures independently developed the instrument.
In 1853, Giuseppe Donati in Budrio, Italy, created the first concert-tuned ocarina. The instrument then traveled all over the world. In the 1900s, it came to the United States and was known as the "Sweet Potato" instrument. Soldiers took the ocarina with them during WWI, and the government issued them to soldiers in WWII.
In 1928, Takashi Aketagawa of Japan further improved the instrument by making it 12-holed and capable of playing three more semitones.
In the 1960s, John Taylor of England invented the pendant cross fingering system, creating an entirely new standard fingering system for the ocarina.
The ocarina was used in the 1985 Japanese documentary The Great Yellow River, which created a resurgence of interest in the instrument. Nintendo helped this along by incorporating it into the Legend of Zelda series of videogames. This has inspired a new generation of players.
So far I have managed Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Happy Birthday. We'll see how I get along with it.
Thank you, my brother, for such an intriguing gift!
Here is a youtube video of someone playing the ocarina who knows how to play it:
Tuesday, June 09, 2020
I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado
My rendition of "I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado" by John Denver
Monday, June 08, 2020
Pandemic Journal - Day 80
Eighty days since Virginia, anyway, declared a pandemic and things went whoopsie daisy and everything fell down, many people are acting like the Covid virus is gone. Maybe it is, I don't know.
Today is my birthday. I celebrated by going out to Supercuts for a haircut. My Covid Cut is no more. My hair looks much better and feels much better, too. The stylist wore a mask, and I wore a mask. The hair around my ears is a little long but I attribute that to the mask. Well, that and the fact that I don't have a regular hair stylist anymore, and haven't for 18 months. In other words, I'm used to my hair looking irregular and a bit "off" these days.
Just maybe not quite as "off" as it looked with my Covid Cut.
My husband did not want me to go out for this haircut. We are still trying to physically distance ourselves from others. It is not ideal, but it is what it is. And I really wanted a haircut.
In other matters, the latest civil unrest seems to have quieted somewhat but I feel it rumbling still beneath my feet. There are rumblings from the white folks whose nose are out of joint because their Civil War statues have been vandalized and are now slated for removal. I consider this an inappropriate rumbling - the statues aren't being destroyed, after all. They will end up in a museum or something somewhere. They shouldn't have been up there anyway. You don't celebrate a lost cause. And my great-great grandfather was a Confederate soldier, so my say is just as valid as anyone else's. Get rid of the ones that celebrate the generals and Jefferson Davis, anyway. Review the others individually and see if there is any merit to having them remain. Memorials to local war dead may be ok, I don't know. I'd really like to see the black community consulted on that.
The rumblings from the Black Lives Matter movement is necessary and a needed demonstration showing that change in the minds and hearts of people of all color is not just desirable but necessary. This is especially true if we're all going to continue living together in this great big melting pot - and I'm not talking about the U.S., I'm talking about Earth.
Of course, some would just as soon we not all live together in this melting pot, and I'm afraid some of those are in power. I never thought the day I'd see fascism and white supremacy gain such a foothold in this country, but here it is, slapping me and everyone else in the face. I find it odd that the people in the right - who tend to be the white supremacists - are so quick to call the people on the left "fascist." Do they not know what the word means?
Let me break it down for you: fascism is bad. It is not, generally speaking, a liberal stance. Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultra-nationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, as well as strong regimentation of society and of the economy. It is what the Nazis practiced. We fought a war against it. If you are against fascism, then you are anti-fascist.
Liberal policies do not use dictatorial power or forcible suppression of opposition. Yes, liberals are intolerant of the intolerant. Jerks should be treated like jerks. But aside from that, liberal policies seem to me to hold the moral high ground. We want mothers to be able to feed their children, we want everyone to have health care and not have to go into bankruptcy over it, we want everyone to have what they need.
The president wants to make what he calls "Antifa" (meaning "antifascist") a terrorist group. Shouldn't most Americans be against fascism? Fascism is in direct opposition to the American experiment. But he calls the white supremacists "very fine people." I don't know how anyone can reconcile these two things in their mind and determine that anti-fascism is wrong and white supremacy is not. Apparently people do.
I claim no answers to these ponderous questions. I cannot make society better except for in my little part of the world. Have I done that? I don't know. I have tried. I tried to for years to write articles sympathetic to all sides, but I live in a mostly white, rural (and Republican) area. I tried to make black issues a subject of discussion from time to time, but mostly I was left hanging. Sometimes I lucked out and called out something and someone else picked up the mantle and ran with it. But I'm not sure it really created change.
Today's society moves so quickly from issue to issue, always putting out the fires of the moment as spotlighted by the media, that is easy to see things left behind. A good example locally are the slave cabins at Greenfield. The county wanted to tear them down to build an industrial building. The Historical Society, by and large, shrugged and didn't put up a fight. I wasn't writing for the paper then so I started writing letters every week objecting to the moving of these historical objects without some kind of plan. Finally, folks took notice and they formed a group. I was too sick at the time to do much else but I hope that my letters helped bring attention to the issue, but maybe all they did was piss off the county supervisors, I don't know. I know it upset a few of them because they told me so. (They are all white and male.)
At any rate, the cabins were moved and saved, but their historical value diminished considerably because they were moved. That was six years ago now, I think. And there they sit, untouched, unrepaired, with no contextual markers, no anything, because the locality does not make this a priority. I don't know how to make it a priority again, I really don't. I guess if the roof falls in on one of them, someone will pay attention. I don't know if that would be different if the structures had some other significance. I mean, the county let a company tear down a house George Washington supposedly slept in and we didn't even blink.
None of that has to do with a man being killed by a police officer and the ensuing demonstrations and protests. It's just background information that shows how little I know about the subject. Asking me for advice on race relations is like asking a potato how an apple grows. I have basic ideas about how things could or might operate, but getting them to that point will take more detailed investigation than I have the ability to perform.
So we stand at this crossroads. Some say this will be a turning point for Civil Rights. I hope so, in a good way. It may be that things grow progressively worse, especially since #45 has called upon the military and threatened our own citizens with our own Armed Forces. This has not gone over well, but I don't see soldiers stepping down from their positions to say, "That's a line I will not cross, Sir." I see retired officers stepping up, and I see reminders that the Armed Forces members serve the U.S. Constitution, not the Commander-in-Chief, but I'm not convinced that most members understand the difference. Perhaps I am wrong, but it seems to me a soldier follows orders, whatever they are, whether he or she agrees with them or not. I have never been a soldier but my father was one, and I know he sure expected his orders to be followed.
I expect to see the Covid numbers rise. It is almost 14 days since Memorial Day, when people really started gathering. This was followed by the protests. So what will we see 14 days from now? Will the Covid numbers rise?
Right now we have 40 known cases in my county. We have 33,000 people. That 0.121% of the population with Covid, and those are only the ones we know of. That's less than the flu, for sure, but we have vaccines for the flu. We have no immunity against Covid.
This county has had 3 people die from Covid, two of whom I knew, and I just learned last night that my husband's cousin's grandson died from Covid.
This illness is still with us. Just because the media has turned its attention elsewhere doesn't mean it is all over and it has disappeared. Maybe it had worn itself out and the warmer weather will kill it off. I do not know. I am not an epidemiologist. But as long as there are active cases being reported, and numbers continue to mount (we've had 110,000 die last I heard), my husband and I will be cautious, and we will wear masks.
This pandemic is not yet over.
Neither is anything else.
Happy birthday to me.
Sunday, June 07, 2020
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
* Would you rather work in a group or work alone? Alone.
* Would you rather be stuck on an island alone or with someone who talks incessantly? Alone.
* Would you rather be too hot or too cold? Too cold. I can always put on a sweater.
* When you’re old, would you rather die before or after your spouse? Before.
* Would you rather have a cook or a maid? A cook who doubles as a maid.
* Would you rather be the youngest or the oldest sibling? I am the oldest sibling, so I will stick with that.
* Would you rather get rich through hard work or through winning the lottery? Winning the lottery is a nice dream, but most people get what they need through work.
* Would you rather have a 10-hour dinner with a headstrong politician from an opposing party, or attend a 10-hour concert for a music group you detest? I go with the music group.
* Would you rather be an Olympic gold medalist or a Nobel Peace Prize winner? A Nobel Peace Prize winner.
* Would you rather have a desk job or an outdoor job? A desk job.
* Would you rather live at the top of a tall NYC apartment building or at the top of a mountain? Top of a mountain.
* Would you rather have Rambo or The Terminator on your side? Um. Neither, really.
* Would you rather be proposed to in private or in front of family and friends? I was proposed to in a restaurant and everyone clapped when I said yes.
* Would you rather have to sew all your clothes or grow your own food? Grow my food.
* Would you rather hear the good news or the bad news first? I'd rather go read a fantasy and forget the news.
* Would you rather be your own boss or work for someone else? My own boss.
* Would you rather have nosy neighbors or noisy neighbors? No neighbors.
* Would you rather be on a survival reality show or dating game show? Survival reality show, except for Naked and Afraid. I like my clothes.
* Would you rather be too busy or be bored? Too busy.
* Would you rather watch the big game at home or live at the stadium? At home with a book.
* Would you rather spend the day with your favorite athlete or you favorite movie star? Movie star, I guess. I don't have a favorite of either one, really.
* Would you rather live where it is constantly winter or where it is constantly summer? Constantly summer so long as there are cool days in there.
* Would you rather travel the US and see the sights in a motor home or by plane? By motor home.
* Would you rather be a little late or way too early? A little early.
* Would you rather have an unlimited gift certificate to a restaurant or a clothing store? A clothing store.
* Would you rather date someone you met online or go on a blind date? I've been married too long for this to matter.
________________
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.
* Would you rather work in a group or work alone? Alone.
* Would you rather be stuck on an island alone or with someone who talks incessantly? Alone.
* Would you rather be too hot or too cold? Too cold. I can always put on a sweater.
* When you’re old, would you rather die before or after your spouse? Before.
* Would you rather have a cook or a maid? A cook who doubles as a maid.
* Would you rather be the youngest or the oldest sibling? I am the oldest sibling, so I will stick with that.
* Would you rather get rich through hard work or through winning the lottery? Winning the lottery is a nice dream, but most people get what they need through work.
* Would you rather have a 10-hour dinner with a headstrong politician from an opposing party, or attend a 10-hour concert for a music group you detest? I go with the music group.
* Would you rather be an Olympic gold medalist or a Nobel Peace Prize winner? A Nobel Peace Prize winner.
* Would you rather have a desk job or an outdoor job? A desk job.
* Would you rather live at the top of a tall NYC apartment building or at the top of a mountain? Top of a mountain.
* Would you rather have Rambo or The Terminator on your side? Um. Neither, really.
* Would you rather be proposed to in private or in front of family and friends? I was proposed to in a restaurant and everyone clapped when I said yes.
* Would you rather have to sew all your clothes or grow your own food? Grow my food.
* Would you rather hear the good news or the bad news first? I'd rather go read a fantasy and forget the news.
* Would you rather be your own boss or work for someone else? My own boss.
* Would you rather have nosy neighbors or noisy neighbors? No neighbors.
* Would you rather be on a survival reality show or dating game show? Survival reality show, except for Naked and Afraid. I like my clothes.
* Would you rather be too busy or be bored? Too busy.
* Would you rather watch the big game at home or live at the stadium? At home with a book.
* Would you rather spend the day with your favorite athlete or you favorite movie star? Movie star, I guess. I don't have a favorite of either one, really.
* Would you rather live where it is constantly winter or where it is constantly summer? Constantly summer so long as there are cool days in there.
* Would you rather travel the US and see the sights in a motor home or by plane? By motor home.
* Would you rather be a little late or way too early? A little early.
* Would you rather have an unlimited gift certificate to a restaurant or a clothing store? A clothing store.
* Would you rather date someone you met online or go on a blind date? I've been married too long for this to matter.
________________
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, June 06, 2020
Saturday 9: When Love Goes Wrong
Saturday 9: When Love Goes Wrong (Nothing Goes Right) 1953
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This is from the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Have you seen it?
A. No, I don't think so.
2) The lyrics tell us that, when love goes wrong, "a match won't light." When did you most recently light a match?
A. I can't recall, but it would have been to get rid of the smell of skunk. I don't burn candles generally, but I do strike a match to make the skunk odor go away.
3) The duet is performed at a French sidewalk cafe, where Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe are (literally) sharing a cup of coffee. With whom did you most recently have coffee?
A. I don't drink coffee. Anyway, it has been so long since I've been out with someone I can't remember who that might have been.
4) The tune was written by prolific composer Hoagy Carmichael. He was influenced by his mother, who earned extra money for the family playing piano during silent movies. Who in your life influenced your career choices?
A. My teachers, mostly. My parents both seemed to think I'd make a good secretary. I didn't agree with them. I despise secretarial work. My idea of a good filing system is a pile of stuff that no one else touches so I know what is where.
5) Jane and Marilyn shared something beyond movie stardom. They were both married to Hall of Famers. Marilyn Monroe was married to Joe DiMaggio, who was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. Jane was married to quarterback Bob Waterfield, inducted into the football Hall of Fame in 1965. Which sport would you rather watch: baseball or football?
A. Football. Speaking of which, my alma mater is undefeated in football. Hasn't lost a game since the college was founded in the 1800s. (It's an all-women college and we don't have a football team. Ha.)
6) Jane and Bob Waterfield were high school sweethearts at Van Nuys High. The Southern California school was used as a set for the 1982 movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Tell us something about your high school.
A. My high school graduating class was about 210 students, and I was fifth in the class. Lord Botetourt High School (LBHS) is one of two high schools in my county and they were both built the same year, 1958, and opened in 1959. As of 2019 it had 69 faculty members serving 1,052 students grades 9-12. The school is named for Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt, the governor of Virginia from 1768 to 1770. Athletic teams are known as the Cavaliers, and the school colors are scarlet and silver. When I went to school, there were fewer students, but not by much. There were two stories with steps, no elevator (I wonder if they ever rectified that). I understand the roof leaks.
7) Marilyn and Joe DiMaggio met on a blind date at a Hollywood restaurant called Villa Nova. Have you ever arranged a blind date? If so, did the couple hit it off and end up dating?
A. I have never arranged a blind date.
8) In 1953, when Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was released, a tornado did severe damage to Waco, TX. Tell us about a major weather event that you endured (tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, etc.).
A. We had what was called then a thousand-year flood. The most severe flooding in our area occurred on November 4, 1985 when heavy storms from the remnants of Hurricane Juan stalled over the area. There were 10 deaths in and around Roanoke, including three who drove into flooded rivers, and three others who refused to evacuate. My husband, a firefighter, was on duty. I had a doctor's appointment that morning and was downtown. I came out of the doctor's office to find the Roanoke River rising up close my car. I ended up traveling multiple directions to find a way on to the interstate to drive the 20 miles back home. However, I could not find a way into my house for a long time. The road was covered by a mudslide in one direction, flooding in another. Finally I went "the long way around" and made it home to find the basement flooded. I went down and threw the power switch, wading in water to do so, and was probably fortunate that I didn't get electrocuted. My husband eventually called me (no cellphones back then). He had been rescuing people left and right, sticking ladders out for folks to grab onto, pulling people off of rooftops. The communities in my county along the James River suffered tremendous damage and loss. I was 23 years old. Here is a video of the damage.
9) Random question: You see a filthy puddle. Floating on top are cigarette butts, a leaf, and a $1 bill. Would you bend over and rescue the dollar?
A. Probably not. But I have been known to stop and pick up a penny, so I suppose it would depend upon my frame of mind, whether or not it was raining, if I had a tissue to touch it with, and if Covid was running rampant in the community.
______________
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. (#340)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This is from the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Have you seen it?
A. No, I don't think so.
2) The lyrics tell us that, when love goes wrong, "a match won't light." When did you most recently light a match?
A. I can't recall, but it would have been to get rid of the smell of skunk. I don't burn candles generally, but I do strike a match to make the skunk odor go away.
3) The duet is performed at a French sidewalk cafe, where Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe are (literally) sharing a cup of coffee. With whom did you most recently have coffee?
A. I don't drink coffee. Anyway, it has been so long since I've been out with someone I can't remember who that might have been.
4) The tune was written by prolific composer Hoagy Carmichael. He was influenced by his mother, who earned extra money for the family playing piano during silent movies. Who in your life influenced your career choices?
A. My teachers, mostly. My parents both seemed to think I'd make a good secretary. I didn't agree with them. I despise secretarial work. My idea of a good filing system is a pile of stuff that no one else touches so I know what is where.
5) Jane and Marilyn shared something beyond movie stardom. They were both married to Hall of Famers. Marilyn Monroe was married to Joe DiMaggio, who was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. Jane was married to quarterback Bob Waterfield, inducted into the football Hall of Fame in 1965. Which sport would you rather watch: baseball or football?
A. Football. Speaking of which, my alma mater is undefeated in football. Hasn't lost a game since the college was founded in the 1800s. (It's an all-women college and we don't have a football team. Ha.)
6) Jane and Bob Waterfield were high school sweethearts at Van Nuys High. The Southern California school was used as a set for the 1982 movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Tell us something about your high school.
A. My high school graduating class was about 210 students, and I was fifth in the class. Lord Botetourt High School (LBHS) is one of two high schools in my county and they were both built the same year, 1958, and opened in 1959. As of 2019 it had 69 faculty members serving 1,052 students grades 9-12. The school is named for Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt, the governor of Virginia from 1768 to 1770. Athletic teams are known as the Cavaliers, and the school colors are scarlet and silver. When I went to school, there were fewer students, but not by much. There were two stories with steps, no elevator (I wonder if they ever rectified that). I understand the roof leaks.
7) Marilyn and Joe DiMaggio met on a blind date at a Hollywood restaurant called Villa Nova. Have you ever arranged a blind date? If so, did the couple hit it off and end up dating?
A. I have never arranged a blind date.
8) In 1953, when Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was released, a tornado did severe damage to Waco, TX. Tell us about a major weather event that you endured (tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, etc.).
A. We had what was called then a thousand-year flood. The most severe flooding in our area occurred on November 4, 1985 when heavy storms from the remnants of Hurricane Juan stalled over the area. There were 10 deaths in and around Roanoke, including three who drove into flooded rivers, and three others who refused to evacuate. My husband, a firefighter, was on duty. I had a doctor's appointment that morning and was downtown. I came out of the doctor's office to find the Roanoke River rising up close my car. I ended up traveling multiple directions to find a way on to the interstate to drive the 20 miles back home. However, I could not find a way into my house for a long time. The road was covered by a mudslide in one direction, flooding in another. Finally I went "the long way around" and made it home to find the basement flooded. I went down and threw the power switch, wading in water to do so, and was probably fortunate that I didn't get electrocuted. My husband eventually called me (no cellphones back then). He had been rescuing people left and right, sticking ladders out for folks to grab onto, pulling people off of rooftops. The communities in my county along the James River suffered tremendous damage and loss. I was 23 years old. Here is a video of the damage.
9) Random question: You see a filthy puddle. Floating on top are cigarette butts, a leaf, and a $1 bill. Would you bend over and rescue the dollar?
A. Probably not. But I have been known to stop and pick up a penny, so I suppose it would depend upon my frame of mind, whether or not it was raining, if I had a tissue to touch it with, and if Covid was running rampant in the community.
______________
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. (#340)
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