Friday, August 27, 2021
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Thursday Thirteen #720
1. I consider myself fortunate that I've had no immediate family members pass away from the corona virus. I've had distant relations and friends die from it, though. It has not missed me. Globally, 3.9 million people have died from this "hoax" of a virus. Over 629,000 of those were in the United States. It is no hoax.
2. The thing I am writing about is first world inconvenience, to be sure. I realize things are worse in many other countries. I am writing from a place of privilege. I know that.
3. Of the many things I worried about having a shortage of, underwear was not one of them. Yet here I am having underwear issues.
4. I wear my underdrawers, as my husband calls them, until they need to be replaced. As in, there is no more cloth around the elastic, they barely stay up, and they wouldn't even make a good dust rag. I hadn't bought any new ones in several years. Of course I need some now.
5. I'm on my third attempt to purchase underwear that actually fits. Apparently, Hanes and Fruit of the Loom both have changed their manufacturers from those in China to industries in Guatemala. (Why they couldn't have brought those jobs to the USA is beyond me, but I don't own the corporations.)
6. The new underwear are smaller. Flimsier. They are cut differently in the legs.
7. They also cost double what they did pre-pandemic. If the reason for the manufacturing change was to keep from paying the tariffs the former guy imposed on China to keep prices low, well that didn't work.
8. I do not have a small butt. I am a big girl. I'm fat. I know this. But in years past, buying underwear has not been a problem.
9. First I bought the size I had been wearing in the Fruit of the Loom Fit for Me brand. Too small now. Apparently butt sizes are different in other countries.
10. Then I bought the size the chart said to purchase in the JMS Hanes brand. Too big. One pair was smaller than the others - what was up with that? Why didn't they fit? Was the chart wrong? Did I misread it? Who knows?
11. Today I ordered a larger size of the Fit for Me because they seem to be better made than the JMS, although from the comments online they are certainly not the quality we the consumer had become used to and expected from these companies.
12. I know in the grand scheme of thing that having your underwear fit is a non-thing. It pales in comparison to most of the ills of the world.
13. But damn, it's been a burr up my butt for four months now!
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
August 25 Happiness Challenge
Today I am giving out a big shout to grocery pick up.
I didn't like it when I first started it, back at the beginning of the pandemic, but the store also wasn't up to speed on it.
Now, it goes like clockwork. I sit at the computer, pick out what I want, go to the store, let them know I've arrived, they load it in my trunk, I bring it home.
Easy peasy.
I had gone back to in-store shopping when things looked a bit brighter, but with the cases on the rise, I have returned to using the pick up option. I also had forgotten some of the things that aggravated me when I shopped inside, things like screaming children, overwhelming perfume scents, and cigarette smoke at the door exit.
Seeing people I know is one of the good things about shopping in the store, along with the exercise of walking the aisles, but I came home and walked on the treadmill. So there's that.
Hurray for options.
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Monday, August 23, 2021
August 23 Happiness Challenge
This afternoon my hubby and I took a long drive to Christiansburg and on into Radford. We never got out of the car and we were listening to a book, but it was nice to spend the time together. It's hot here, too hot for him to be out working, so we wandered around in the air conditioned car, looking at tractor implements.
That's how farm girls and guys get it on, I guess.
Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.
Sunday, August 22, 2021
August 22 Happiness Challenge
My brother called me this afternoon. We didn't talk long, but hearing from him made my day. We hadn't spoken in a while because he's been busy with life stuff, so I was pleased he found a minute to call me. He means so much to me.
Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.
Sunday Stealing
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, August 21, 2021
Saturday 9: Woman In Love
Friday, August 20, 2021
August 20 Happiness Challenge
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Thursday Thirteen
My beautiful county of Botetourt in Virginia is home to more than 90 summits, ridges, and trails. The county is an outdoors person's paradise. Our views are spectacular. Want meadows? We have them. Want sunflowers? We have those, too. Want woods? They're everywhere.
Here is a list of 13 mountains that are in Botetourt (some just partially), in alphabetical order.
1. Back Creek Mountain
2. Broad Run Mountain
3. Brushy Mountain
4. Caldwell Mountain
5. Coyner Mountain
6. North Mountain
7. Purgatory Mountain
8. Rathole Mountain
9. Read Mountain
10. Scurff Mountain
11. Sheets Mountain
12. Timber Ridge
13. Tinker Mountain
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
August 18 Happiness Challenge
My house is clean! Not clean like I keep it clean, but sparkling. It's really clean.
I have a young woman who comes in about every 5 weeks to do the mopping and heavy cleaning that I'm no longer able to due thanks to the f*cked up surgery I had in my abdominal area over eight years ago. While it sucks to not have the strength to mop and crawl around under the bed cleaning up spider webs, I'm very happy that we can afford to have this young woman come in and help me every so often. With the heavy cleaning under control, I can manage to dust occasionally and run the vacuum to keep the dirt down.
Today was cleaning day. I'm very thankful that this young woman is available to help me out.
And very happy to have the spider webs gone.
Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
No One's Child
This is a song I have been working on for a while. The chorus came to me first, and the rest of it eventually fell into place.
This is a ballad (I guess). I am using an electrified acoustic guitar along with a Boss loop station. A loop station (also called a looper) allows me to add stuff to the song like lead guitar playing while strumming. You will see it toward the end.
I only got the looper this weekend so I'm still learning how to use it, and I think I go flat on the first line because I'm still sniffling a bit with my sinuses, but I needed to get this recorded before I forgot the tune.
So here is No One's Child.
Monday, August 16, 2021
August 16 Happiness Challenge
It rained some more! The fields are a lovely green now. The cattle are looking quite content and everything has lost the coating of dust and grime that had settled on the tree leaves and grass.
We are expecting more rain which could end up with flooding, but after having this months-long drought, I am not going to complain.
See how green?
Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.
Sunday, August 15, 2021
Sunday Stealing
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, August 14, 2021
August 14 Happiness Challenge
Today I am happy that it rained last night. We are so dry. Everything is much greener today, but the rain forecast for today hasn't materialized. So I will be grateful for yesterday's rain.
I am also happy I live in a small home with air conditioning, because it is well over 90 degrees outside with high humidity. I would be toast without the A/C and probably having an asthmatic fit from the air.
I am also happy that my sinus infection seems to be easing. Whew!
Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.
Saturday 9: Smelly Cat
Friday, August 13, 2021
I Want To Ride My Bicycle
Thursday, August 12, 2021
Thursday Thirteen
Childhood games and toys! I doubt many of these are still played or played with these days.
1. Hide and seek.
2. Dodge ball.
3. Red Rover
4. Jacks (or Jax, I've sometimes seen it spelled)
5. Hop Scotch
6. Lite-Brite
7. Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots
8. Silly Putty
9. Spirograph
10. Freeze Tag
11. Kick the Can
12. Mother, May I?
13. Battle Ship!
Others: Lincoln Logs, Barrel of Monkeys, Operation, Slinky