Thursday Thirteen #715

1. A book on trees.

2. A composition notebook.

3. The cap on my Boost bottle.

4. My calendar.

5. Post-its

6. Yarn

7. An alligator clock.

8. The packaging of address stickers.

9. A book called Natural Cures.

10. Duct tape.

11. A tote.

12. The matte around my bachelor's diploma.

13. Stems and leaves of artificial flowers on a shelve.

These are all things in my office that are green.

_______________________

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 715th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

An Eventful Morning

Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, I woke with the calf of my leg feeling like 10,000 bees were stinging it.

At first I thought it was a muscle cramp, but it didn't feel like that. I've had muscle cramps. This felt more like the time a few years ago when I had a superficial blood clot in the same area. I rose and walked around a bit.

Later, after we were both up, I asked my husband to look at my calf. He said it was swollen. It wasn't hot to the touch, but the swelling was a concern.

My doctor's office answered the phone at 7:45 a.m., and I was immediately worked in. I really lucked out with my doctor. I wouldn't trade her for anything.

She sent in a student first, who did a thorough examination of my leg and noted that not only was it swollen, it was redder than the other leg. By this time it no longer felt like thousands of bees stinging me; it merely throbbed and was quite sore when touched.

My doctor came in, took a quick look, felt my pulse in my ankles, and told me she didn't like it. She ordered blood work, and said that I was going straight to the hospital for an ultrasound. No arguing with her this time.

(Last time I'd had a superficial blood clot, I didn't do the ultrasound until months later, because it took a long time to resolve.)

My doctor's nurse managed to draw blood on the first stick - a rarity - and then I had to wait while they wrote the orders for the imaging my doctor wanted. (Apparently there is a blood test for clotting. It's called D-dimer test. I'll have those results tomorrow.)

I called my husband and he told me to come home and get him so he could go with me. I hated dragging him away from his farm work, but he insisted. So I went home and while he changed clothes, I made us both ham sandwiches, which we ate on the way to the hospital.

The wait at the hospital was relatively short, given that I was being worked in there, too. We were gone a little over two hours.

The good news is the ultrasound technician found no blood clot, though she said I had some deep varicose veins. My doctor had said if it wasn't a blood clot, then it was probably phlebitis. 

Phlebitis is an inflammation of the veins. 

So I suppose that is what I have. It generally goes away on its own. My grandmother had this, if I remember right, so I'm going to go with a hereditary condition.

Given that my diet has been weird for the last six months, I am not surprised that other health concerns might crop up. I'm probably missing some important nutrient, only I have no idea what.

The initial concern of course was that I had symptoms of a DVT, a deep vein thrombosis. This can be life-threatening because the clot can break lose and travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. 

Symptoms of a DVT, according to the Mayo Clinic, are, (1) swelling in the affected leg, (2) pain that starts in the calf and feels like cramping or soreness, (3) red or discolored skin, and (4) a feeling of warmth in the affected leg.

I had all the symptoms except the last one. Thankfully, the ultrasound showed no blood clot. So I'm ok. My leg is sore but it will be better.

If you, dear reader, experience these symptoms, don't hesitate to go the doctor. They take these things seriously and would rather rule out something life threatening than treat for a pulmonary embolism or visit you in your casket.

Cabbage White

I think this is a butterfly known as a cabbage white. It's the best identification I can find in my field guide.

These are good close-ups even if I do say so myself. The critter was so busy sucking on the clover in the yard, I couldn't catch a photo of it with its wings open, though.

The Nephew Builds a House

My nephew has started construction on his new home. It is on the hill on the farm across the road from ours.

I look directly at it out of my office window.

This was the view (the photo is from about 10 years ago):

And now this is the view:

Those scars in the earth is where his house will be as they've started the foundation. 

I am excited for him. He is only 25 years old, so this is a big step for a young man. He has a two-year old daughter whom I did not get to see much of during the pandemic and he and his wife are expecting another child. It will be fun to look out my window and watch tiny little figures playing on that hillside.

He's a fine young man. He visits us when he can (not during the pandemic, of course, but he's coming around now when he has a minute, and bringing his little girl). He asks my husband for advice about many things. He's a hands-on, outside kind of man, much like my husband. He likes to get dirty and he enjoys working. He also is very much in love with his little girl. She adores her daddy, too. That is so nice to see.

Had we had children, I would hope a boy would have turned out much like my nephew, as he takes after his uncle in many ways. He even has hands like my husband's (big with long fingers).

I am so glad one of the nephews wanted to live on the farm.

Changes always. Change is good. 

Life goes on.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Did you eat paste and/or glue as a child? 

A. Not that I recall.

2. Look at the wall to your right, what is on it?

A. A plate that says "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves," a mirror, and a copy of a Van Gogh.

3. Do you put butter and/or salt on your popcorn?

A. No.

4. What does your favorite coffee cup look like?

A. It has Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman on it.

5. Would you rather have a pet hippo or a pet elephant?

A. A pet elephant.

6. Toilet Paper - hard, soft, extra soft?

A. Extra soft.

7. Have you ever rescued/taken in a stray animal?

A. We used to have barn cats, but we don't anymore. They bred too much and we had them rehomed.

8. If you realize your house is on fire while you are using the bathroom, do you wipe or just run for the door?

A. What a question! Given that this recently happened when I thought I smelled something burning, apparently I'd just run for it.

9. Now, if you only had $10 to buy one thing, what would it be?

A. Food.

10. What’s your favorite type of potato?

A. Um. The kind you eat?

11. How long do you keep unmatched socks before you get rid of them... and how do you dispose of these socks?

A. I reuse them as dust rags. I don't know how long I keep them.

12. What was the last thing you took a picture of?

A. A picture that I wanted to use as my new lock screen on my cellphone.

13. Do you use a cookbook?

A. Sometimes.

14. Bottled or tap water?

A. Both.

15. Do you like pumpkin pie? Do you cheat and buy a premade one or do you make it from scratch? 

 Heck, do you even make pumpkin pie at all?

A. I don't make pumpkin pie nor do I eat it.

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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: Purple People Eater

Saturday 9: Purple People Eater (1958)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.

This was always a fun song.

1) When actor Sheb Wooley brought this song to MGM Records, they initially rejected it, saying it just wasn't the kind of thing they wanted to be associated with. Then executives discovered how popular the audition recording was with the 20-somethings in the office. MGM released it after all and it became a #1 hit. Tell us about a time you were glad you changed your mind about something.

A. A long time ago, I was looking to change doctors. I visited a doctor, we'll call her Dr. L., who was with one of our two large medical facilities. I liked her, but I knew her mother, and I felt there was a personal conflict. I didn't go back, and found a doctor at the other facility. Fast forward a few years and Dr. L. opened her own office in nearby Daleville, no longer affiliated with one of the large facilities. I went to see her. She's now my doctor and I have never been sorry for a second that I have her as my physician.

2) This song has been so enduringly popular that in the 1970s, the Minnesota Vikings defensive line referred to themselves as the Purple People Eaters. What football team do you root for?

A. I root for the University of Virginia college team. I don't root for professional leagues.

3) The song was initially inspired by Sputnik, the satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1958. In the 21st century, do you think space exploration is a worthwhile public investment? Or would you prefer  governments spend that money here on earth?

A. I think there is enough money, if spent wisely, to do both. I am a big space fan and I think space exploration brings about technological improvements to things that eventually wind up in our everyday lives. We need good goals as a country, too. Goals that aren't about war or power take-overs, but about learning and understanding. Space exploration helps with those goals and has the capability of pulling parts of the country together.

4) The Purple People Eater is a visitor from another planet. When you imagine creatures from outer space, are they frightening or friendly?

A. In Douglas Adam's book, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, they annihilate Earth. They are out to get us in the movie Independence Day. They are cuddly in E.T. In Star Trek, they tend to look a lot like us, but not always. I think, though, that a species capable of interstellar flight and exploration would not be conquerors but instead live on a higher plane that we have not yet reached, and therefore would bring goodness, hope, and understanding to the planet.

5) This record was the biggest hit Sheb Wooley ever had. He was better known as an actor, costarring with Clint Eastwood on the 1950s TV show, Rawhide. What's your favorite Clint Eastwood movie?

A. I don't like Clint Eastwood. I have seen some of his movies but I don't recall liking any of them. There was one about a girl and baseball that was tolerable. I don't remember the name of it.

6) Sheb and Clint remained buddies and appeared together decades later in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). Tell us about one of your longest-lasting friendships.

A. My friend Leslie is a wonderful person. She's very sweet, kind, and super smart. We've been friends for 38 years. I met her in one of my first jobs. She loves dogs, and is a widow now. She is 70 but continues to work full time. Her family is an old Botetourt family. Her mother taught my husband in elementary school. She loves me unconditionally, and I love her back.

7) In 1958, when this song was popular, hula hoops were a national craze. Did you ever play with a hula hoop? If yes, were you good at it?

A. I played with them, but I was not good at it. I think I was lucky if I'd get the thing to go around five times.

8) Also in 1958, Arnold Palmer won his first Masters Golf Tournament. When did you most recently play golf?

A. I have only played putt-putt golf, and it has been many years since I did that.

9) Random question: Do you believe women gossip more than men?

A. No. But I think it's quite the cliché and Hollywood has certainly worked to perpetuate it.

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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. 

You Who Allow Yourselves to Feel

You Who Allow Yourselves to Feel 

By Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

You who let yourselves feel: enter the breathing

that is more than your own.

Let it brush your cheeks

as it divides and rejoins behind you.

Blessed ones, whole ones,

you where the heart begins:

You are the bow that shoots the arrows

and you are the target.

Fear not the pain. Let its weight fall back

into the earth;

for heavy are the mountains, heavy the seas.

The trees you planted in childhood have grown

too heavy. You cannot bring them along.

Give yourselves to the air, to what you cannot hold.

In Praise of Mortality: Rilke's Duino Elegies & Sonnets to Orpheus by Rainer Maria Rilke / Translated by Joanna Macy

Thursday Thirteen

1. If I write something ambiguous and it mentions family or friends, and no one specific, don't assume it's about you. I have a large family and many friends. If a reader does assume that it is about him or her, and especially if it is negative, maybe that person should do a little examination of his or her conscience to see what wrong may have been done to me in the past. It is never too late to apologize.

2. That said, many things have been bothering me in the last month. My father's 80th birthday brought up a lot of past memories that I'd just as soon not be recalling. But there they are. I will deal. My problem, no one else's.

3. Open your eyes to a wider view of the world and place yourself in someone else's shoes for just a few minutes. Rethink your opinions. No one is right 100% of the time. Gaslighting people is bad. If you don't know what that is, look it up.

4. I write nonfiction, poetry, and fiction. Sometimes they all run together. There's a lot of truth in my poetry as well as my fiction, and always truth in my nonfiction. This is my blog and I can and will put whatever I want on it. I don't ask anyone to read it. I'm pleased that people do, and happy if it resonates with some folks, but ultimately this is my creative outlet. I enjoy connecting and relating to others. But if one has nothing nice to say in response to what I write, then say nothing.

5. If I am writing about someone in particular, generally it is not because I am mad. It is because my heart is hurting. I have many layers of protection but that doesn't mean someone can't stab me in the chest from time to time. Honestly, there are only a few people who can manage that, and they know exactly how to twist the knife.

6. I have spent the past year and a half trying to "make up" for things I felt I'd done that may have wronged someone, or left something undone that I needed to repair. I have been successful and the list has only one item remaining on it. I'm sure I've done things to people without realizing I caused hurt and/or pain, and maybe eventually my list will grow long again, but I can only make an effort to remedy the pain of which I am aware. 

7. People need to communicate better when things become tough and emotional. Sitting on grudges and resentments for 20 years doesn't do anyone any good.

8. Nothing is black and white; it's not all zeroes and ones, and we are complex creatures with conflicting thoughts and emotions. I may think one thing one day and something else the next if the information persuades me. I am malleable that way, because I do not believe life is static. It changes constantly, and so too does science and emotions. I am not the same person every day of my life.

9. I try to live an honest life (although I'm sure I fail at it frequently; most people do). I learned a long time ago that lies get you nowhere, and deceit only causes pain. People who lie have to remember those words for a long time, and sometimes they can't keep their story straight. Truth is easy to recall. Deceitful people bring more harm to themselves but they can also damage others, intentionally or not.

10. Hopefully I have lived my life in such a way that if someone spoke ill of me, others would not immediately believe me capable of the accusation. In these biased and political times, I'm not sure I can do that to everyone's satisfaction. The simple fact that I consider myself an Independent and not an affiliate of any political party may, in fact, be enough to be thought ill of. (Contrary to what some believe, I'm not a far-left Democrat. I'm just not far right enough for them.)

11. Goodness exists. I believe that everyone has good inside of them. Finding it and understanding it may be another matter altogether. What some see as good, others may see as evil. This moral ambiguity is problematic, but I follow my personal moral compass. It has been gleaned from my parents, teachers, coworkers, books, strangers, and many life lessons.

12. Success is how I define it, not how anyone else defines it. I may not be able to build my own rocket and fly it into space, but I consider my life successful. I've done many things, overcome a great deal, and I am still standing even if many days I simply want to stop. I have days when I have to take life one minute at a time, because if I didn't, it would completely overwhelm me. I do what must be done to get to the next minute, and the next, and to keep my existence as successful as I know how.

13. My goal is never to harm another. Even people that may deserve a little harm receive the benefit of the doubt where I can offer it. Harm is the antithesis of living a good life. Speaking unwisely can be harmful. A friend once introduced me to a group of people by saying, "She doesn't say much, but when she finally speaks, it's usually good to listen." I consider that one of the best compliments I've ever received.

_______________________

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 714th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Oh Deer!

 

Wasps

 

More Life Lessons

Family members are deceitful and will turn on you faster than any hand-picked friend every thought about doing.

Blood may be thicker than water, but it stinks worse, too.

White male privilege is the bane of this world.

Money is indeed the root of all that is wrong with this country. It is the God of the USA. The former guy represents money, hence the worship of him.

Not much in life is worth the hassle.

I am cursed.

An Orange Rose

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Do you ever feel completely rested and unrushed?

A. You mean people actually feel that way?

2. If you had to wear all white for the entire day, how long before you spilled something on it?

A. About two minutes.

3. What would you include inside of your emergency kit?

A. My medicines, bandages, a jar of peanut butter, a water cleaner doohickey, a hatchet, my wind-up flashlight that also will charge a cellphone, the cellphone, a pot, a can opener, and a knife.

4. What’s more fun than a barrel full of monkeys?

A. A hat full chipmunks.

5. Is it hard for you to let go of certain things, even if you have too many of them?

A. Not that I am aware of. Well, maybe my guitars. I can only play one at a time, after all.

6. When was the last time you were ready to throw in the proverbial towel? Did you end up letting go, or decided to fight on anyway?

A. At this particular moment, I am ready to throw in the towel. I don't know yet how this will end.

7. What is the color of awesome?

A. It's an infinity circle that is swathed in blue, white, and black.

8. What is your favorite black and white movie?

A. The only one I know of is It's a Wonderful Life, so I'll go with that one.

9. If you could describe your mood in a color today, what color would it be?

A. Gray.

10.  If you could wish for anything and it would come true, you wish for?

A. Good health.

11. What are some of the wacky things that you like to do?

A. I don't know that I do wacky things. At least, they don't seem wacky to me.

12. If you could have any author –living or dead – write your biography, who would you choose?

A. Mary Johnston. She died in 1936 and is from my area. She wrote the best-selling novel of 1900.

13. If you could be a “fly on the wall” anywhere and at any time in history, where and when would you choose?

A. I'd go back to 1609 and be a long-lived fly and listen until about 1700.

14. What is the last thing you made from scratch?

A. I don't know. I cook raw meat frequently but I don't go out and kill the pig or chicken.

15. When we are able to travel again, where would you love to go?

A. Ireland. Scotland. New Zealand.

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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: Mairzy Doats

Saturday 9: Mairzy Doats (1944)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.

1) While today this is considered a children's song, "Mairzy Doats" was a #1 hit and a staple on radio stations in 1944. Do you know any of today's most popular songs?

A. I do not. At least, I do not recognize the titles. I listen to current radio from time to time so I'm surprised I don't recognize a single song on the list.

2) One of the song's writers recalled that the song was inspired by an old English nursery rhyme. Tell us a rhyme you remember from childhood.

A. Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do! I'm half crazy all for the love of you! It won't be a stylish marriage. I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two! (My grandmother used to sing that to all of us grandkids.)

3) This week's group, The Merry Macs, was formed by three brothers -- Judd, Joe and Ted McMichael -- who learned to harmonize at home. Did you grow up in a musical household?

A. I did. My father sang and played guitar. He played in a Top 40 cover band for many years. My grandfather from California also played guitar and sang, as did all of my father's brothers. My maternal grandmother sang and played piano a little. My mother also sang.

4) When the McMichaels decided their new group needed a woman's voice, they asked Cheri McKay to join them. Realizing all their names began with Mc, they began calling themselves The Merry Macs. Have you ever performed with a singing group? (Yes, that garage band you played in after school counts.) If yes, what was your band called?

A. Almost Famous.

Here's my band. I played guitar and sang backup and a few lead songs:

I also played flute in the high school band.

5) The Merry Macs' first gigs were playing high school dances. Do you have any memories of school dances you'd like to share this morning?

A. Well, my band played one of the high school dances. That was fun.

6) Once their recording career took off, The Merry Macs went to Hollywood. They appeared in a film with the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. Who last made you laugh?

A. I haven't had much to laugh about lately. Let me think. Hmm. I think it was Alexa with a really bad joke.

7) In 1944, when "Mairzy Doats" topped the charts, sunscreen was invented. It was first developed to protect soldiers during WWII, and that original formula was sold to Coppertone. Do you regularly use sunscreen?

A. No. I don't go outside that much and I can't stand anything but unscented stuff and it's hard to find. I tend to wear a hat, sunglasses, and long sleeves in the summer.

8) Also in 1944, a board game called Murder! was introduced in England. In 1949 it made its way to the United States and was renamed Clue. It's still popular today. Can you name any of the original 6 "characters" in the Clue game? (Extra credit: One was replaced in 2016; who was it?)

A. The Butler. That's all I got and I'm not even sure that's correct.

9) Random question: The new house you just bought comes with a big mirror on the ceiling of the master bedroom. Would you take it down or leave it there?

A. Thirty years ago, I would have left it up. Now it would come down. Although to be honest, I'd have never bought a house with a mirror on the ceiling in the master bedroom to begin with. I'd have insisted on a new ceiling without holes in it if I did.

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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. 

Artemis

I have a poem in Artemis, a poetry and art journal, again this year. I am very honored to share space with former Virginia poet laurates as well as two national poet laurates in this work of art.

My poem is called The Earth Journey. You can see an early draft of it from my blog in 2017 here. The poem as published is more polished.

It is also one of the few poems I've had published that wasn't workshopped when I was in college. This is a relief because I was starting to think I couldn't write anything current that was publishable. I guess I can!

Buy a copy for yourself today at Store – Artemis Journal.

Thursday Thirteen

Things I've learned -

1. Once a black sheep, always the black sheep. But you can ignore the role and move ahead anyway.

2. Liars lie without thinking about it. Sometimes they believe it themselves.

3. The only thing that stays the same is change.

4. Gut instinct should be listened to, not ignored.

5. Everyone has something to teach you. Sometimes the lessons are subtle, though.

6. Success is how you define it. Screw everyone else's definition.

7. It's ok to make a mistake. It's how we learn.

8. Being nice is the best way to get through life. It may not get you far, but it will keep your conscience clean.

9. There is no point in comparing yourself to other people. We all have our own journey.

10. Take care of your health. It's the most important thing you have, besides time.

11. The word "should" is unhealthy. Maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't, but it's not a good word to use, especially when giving or receiving advice.

12. Anticipation is sometimes better than the actual event. Of course, sometimes the event is worse than anticipated.

13. Fake people are not good people, and they aren't people I want to spend much time with.

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 713th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Local Artists at the Museum

On the lower floor of the History Museum of Western Virginia, they had a display of local current artisans/crafts persons' works. I was familiar with the three they highlighted.

Jake Cress is a woodworker with a sense of humor.
 

I am fairly sure the real chair he made like this is in the Smithsonian, but I could be wrong. This was a tiny replica.

Jake Cress's Hickory Dickory Dock clock. It is really cool in person.

This table by Jake Cress, with a mouse coming out of Aladdin's Lamp, is also a lovely piece of furniture.

These copper pieces were made by Porter Caldwell, who, I am sorry to say, is no longer with us. His business lives on with his understudy. The website is here.

The above three pieces were made by Bill Simmons (the corner cabinet) and Willie Simmons, his son (the second two pieces). Bill Simmons is no longer with us, but his son makes exquisite pieces, bowls like the one above, and all sorts of wood-turned pieces. He does extraordinary work. I'm not sure how Fincastle ended up with such terrific wood workers, but the little town did.

These were the last pieces I wanted to show from our adventure at the museum. Local art should be encouraged, and while I can't afford as much local work as I'd like, I enjoy showcasing it here on my blog when I can.

Canning Labels

Botetourt County has a long history of canneries in its agricultural communities. 

In the early 1900s, Botetourt County was the second-largest tomato-canning county in the United States. An article in the September 30, 1903 edition of The Richmond Times Dispatch states that Botetourt annually packed more tomatoes than any other locality except for Harford County, MD.

Botetourt farmers packed over 250,000 cases of tomatoes and shipped them by rail all over the country.

There were about 150 canneries in the county, with nearly every farmer, large and small, working to produce a crop of tomatoes once winter passed. The canning industry employed hundreds of men, women, and children and brought an estimated $800,000 to the county annually. Each of these canneries had their own packing labels. 

The labels were a work of art. 

 The tomato industry came to a screeching halt when a blight struck the tomato plants. Even today, tomatoes do not grow all that well in our area. That, combined with new federal regulations and consolidation, ended this era of beautiful folk art labels.

These labels were at the History Museum of Western Virginia as part of the Botetourt County 250th anniversary exhibit.
 

 

Dad Had a Party

My father turned 80 on July 1, and his wife threw a party for him at the country club. It was supposed to be a surprise party, but you can't invite over 100 people and not have someone blab. So he knew he was having a party, he just didn't know who was invited.

His big surprise was that my cousin from California came in for the party and to stay for a week. Dad seemed pretty pleased with his big event.

The entry decorations

My father as a young man, circa 1976 or so. Maybe earlier, I'm not sure.

Dad and his wife enter the party!

My brother makes a speech.

This is where he starts to bring in the surprise guests.

Dad realizes his nephew from California is there.

Hugs all around.

Dad was very happy.

The surprise left my father speechless, which my brother considered a score.

My brother and his girlfriend.

Dad greeting folks.

Just an overview to show lots of people there. I think there were nearly 80 people present.

My father, my brother's girlfriend, and my cousin Lisa.

My cousins George and Becky.

Dad with my cousin Steve.

Dad and his wife Rita share a moment.

My step mother and my cousin.

My stepmother, her daughter Shonna, and Shonna's friend.

Cousin Steve.

My husband with Steve and Lisa