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 |  I've maxed out. Closed this blog. |
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This is a way of making myself write something coherent and grammatically correct almost every day. I'm opinionated and need an outlet. I'm also prone to flights of fancy. Thanks for stopping by. |
| A friend had strawberry plants spilling out of his garden and onto the pathways. He dug them up from the path, and separated them into bags for giveaways. I took one with 3 plants. Dad had some spilling out of porch pots, so he took those off and planted them all in a newly turned over flower bed in the back. I'm hoping he won't forget and dig them up this fall. We're picking green peppers, yellow squash and zucchini from the garden. I have basil, dill, and chives ready for picking as needed. The eggplants are sill growing. We've gotten one tomato, which is like a lot of home grown tomatoes, oddly shaped. We grow irises from my grandmother's garden. She passed in 1989. My dad rented her house out for a few years, then put it on the market. Before it was sold, my brother dug up her irises, as many as he could. She grew them almost the full length of her driveway, plus a few beds in her back yard. People would stop their cars on her busy street, to come tell her how beautiful they were. So sometime in the 90's these irises came to the house my dad now owns, where I live, and my brother's house in another town. They have sentimental value for us. They have multiplied and are now crowded together. Dad wants to dig them all up this fall and replant them, in rows, neat and orderly. We don't have all the colors my grandmother had. But we enjoy them a lot. So that will be a project for us after the hot weather. |
| I must have seen it as a child, but don't remember anything about it. How The West Was Won is 3 hours on TV with all the commercials. It is star studded. Frankly, I was a little disappointed. Released in 1962, it is in color, and the scenery is pretty good. It starts in the East and moves West. The voiceover parts, read by Spencer Tracy, who is heard and never seen, tie it all together, giving it some historical accuracy and making sense of it all. It puts some perspective on history and ties various events together. It is a tale of 3 generations of one family in their journey to settle new land. Carl Malden is the father, but dies early on. The 2 sisters are played by Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker. Only Debbie is in the movie from beginning to end. The next generation is two brothers, only one that the move follows, played by George Peppard. He's the only one I couldn't recognize without help. Others who appear off and on, and only briefly, include Walter Brennan, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, Robert Preston, Eli Wallach, and J Lee Cobb. If this was based on a book, I'm sure the book was better. It's too broad a scope for one little movie and attempts to cover too much history. It would be better suited for a mini-series over a 3 or 4 night spread. (Maybe it's time for a remake, but political correctness and the rewriting of history would force the changing of facts and story line.) Another issue that may have caused some disjointedness is that there were so many directors. John Ford did a few scenes, another did certain scenes, etc. A fifth one did the linking of the stories. As for the star power, it must have been an unsatisfying experience for them. Their parts were so minor and so brief, there was no character development. Jimmy Stewart did his best with Carroll Baker and in the few moments they had together delivered a powerful and believable romance. Then it was over. His character was killed off. I had the most empathy for Robert Preston whose character just faded away. In the story, there would be years between scenes and people aged dramatically. George Peppard got the opportunity to do more acting than most. Eli Wallach was the bad guy, as usual, and got in a long fight scene with George and Cobb. So you never got to see much of any one star. Debbie's character wasn't all that likable, but they did let her do some singing and dancing, which prolonged her exposure. I enjoyed the voiceovers the most. In the part about the Civil War, he read about North being torn from South, but at the same time East was being tied to the West with telegraph lines, the Pony Express, and the railroads. At the end, the views of the desert and the prairies turned into small towns and farmland, then bigger towns, bridges, traffic, then cities and highways. It kept getting more modern and grander in scope, so you realized the West is still evolving, still being "won". |
| I can't believe there is so much melodrama going on these days. Extremists and haters seem to be everywhere. The Confederate flag has drawn out a lot of crazies, for one example. First, neither "side" understands what it means to the other. I agree it should not fly over any government building. It represents an entity that doesn't exist any longer. But it did at one time, so it can't and shouldn't disappear from museums, gift shops, or personal collections, just like any other flag of a bygone era. It can't be erased from history. At the time it was flown legally, it did not represent slavery, but in the century and a half since then, it has come to mean that in the minds of some people, both black and white. It wouldn't hurt to be sensitive to that. To others it just symbolizes the Southern locations and has nothing to do with war or racism. It's just a nostalgic thing, a genealogical thing without negative connotations. Most people who fought in the Civil War were not slave holders. Poor farmers fought on both sides, and they couldn't afford slaves. The generals and statesmen who did not fight probably owned slaves. And slavery was not an issue when that war began and the Confederacy was formed. It became an issue much later, when something was needed to unify the North, which was losing interest in the war. Unfortunately, that flag has become more of a decoration than a symbol. Groups over the last week have rallied to defend their flag, which has now evolved into a symbol of freedom of personal expression. But have you looked at pictures of those groups? Forgive me for saying so, but they look like shoppers from Wal-Mart were rounded up. On the one hand, you kind of admire their spunk, regardless of what you think about that flag. But, on the other hand, you wouldn't want to be seen with them. It's not the crowd you hang out with in your spare time. There have been numerous anti-Christian demonstrations, involving wiping the butt with pages from the Bible. Anti-American flag demonstrations, gay demonstrations, transgender episodes, etc. And the Trump issues just won't stop. Mind you, I'm not a Trump fan. But I like that he's not backing down. He could cave in and recant to recoup all the lost dollars, but no. He's standing firm. I don't like the challenge to freedom of speech. Macy's and NBC were wrong, and a half dozen others. But the recoil from the negative reaction has actually helped him more than ever. Had they ignored him,he would still be spinning his wheels. But the polls have rated him higher than before. He's getting more backing, and could surge way ahead. Wouldn't that be a kick in the head if NBC and Macy's actually helped boost his nomination? I've never flown a Confederate flag and don't intend to. But I defend the right of people who want to do so as long as they are lawful and respectful of others. I don't support Trump, but I support his right to speak his mind. |
| Remember when standing up came without sound effects? If you're still young and healthy, you won't get that. Aging is not for sissies. If I sit for more than 20 minutes at my computer, staightening out my knees to stand is painful. My first step comes with some peculiar sound that I finally figured was coming from me. I've started getting down on the floor just so I can practice getting back up again without assistance. I can remember after my college days walking for 15 miles for a project, going home to wash and change, then going out dancing for the evening! Those days are long gone. If I walked up and down hills for 15 miles today, I wouldn't be able to get out of bed for 2 or 3 days without limping. 3 or 4 miles and I'm all washed up. I thought weeding the yard and pushing the mower would help get me back in shape after years of commuting and office work. But it's slow going. Even getting out of bed in the morning is a slow process. I have to stretch and twist a lot before throwing my feet over the side. Then I just sit there, feeling the blood flow to my dangling toes. I stand up, then I have to wait to make sure I have my balance before walking. I decided tonight I can count a yawn as exercise. It stretches my jaw muscles. |
| I made old fashioned potato salad the way my mother used to make it. I put extra onion in it because my dad likes extra onion. He liked the salad. I talked to my uncle tonight, so I mentioned I made the potato salad his sister used to make. He asked, "Did you mix the potatoes hot?" Yes, I did. I forgot I shouldn't, because it makes the potatoes mushier. He told me, "Good. That's the way my mama used to make it. Mix it while the potatoes are hot for a creamier salad." Actually, my mom did it that way, too, but I prefer the lumps of potatoes. Oh, well. I didn't have quite enough strawberries to make strawberry pie and leave some strawberries for Dad's breakfast and mid-morning fruit. So I added a sliced banana and blueberries with the strawberry glaze and sliced strawberries instead of whole berries. I'll check it out eventually. I tried the homemade weed killer of white vinegar and Epsom's salts today. It's supposed to be cheaper and safer than the chemicals, even though you have to repeat it every two weeks. Alas, an afternoon thunderstorm snuck up (that's how we say "sneaked up" around here) and washed it all away. So I won't know if it works or not. It's supposed to be safer for the environment, too. I've been having lunch every day out on the back porch. It gives me a few minutes of quite time out in the sun. Not exactly quiet: the neighbors on the back side with the big fence and lots of trees have a pool. The grand-kids and friends come over day. They don't believe in mixed bathing, so men and boys one day, girls and women another. You have to have your swimsuit pre-approved. So there is the noise of kids in the background, which I can tune out since I can't see them. Our bird sanctuary has songs all day. And there's usually some construction or work going on in the neighborhood. But no radios, no one talking to me. I hate dealing with insurance companies. You can do everything they tell you. The medical provider can do everything they need to. Still they won't pay, or they find a reason for a penalty. They get worse every year, but cost more. You almost need a special secretary to help you decipher what's going on and meet the deadlines. God forbid that the provider make a mistake in coding or authorizations. The patient has to pay for human error made by someone else! The mail comes late in the day. So this is a terrible way to end the day. |
| It's Sci Fi night on TCM. I just watched a 1953 production of Ray Bradbury's They Came From Outer Space. It's black and white. The only actor name I recognized was Barbara Rush, but I don't really know anything about her. It kind of surprised me. It wasn't as corny as I expected. It wasn't scary. The characters' reaction to scary things brought more fright than the aliens. We're accustomed to grander special effects, I guess. These aliens were more ethereal, or misty. They were not touchable like today's movie creatures. The story was a good one--aliens who came in peace and by accident. Apparently, it had an influence on Steven Spielberg, who made Close Encounters of the Third Kind and ET. It's not my usual cup of tea to watch Sci Fi, but I kept thinking my late brother would have watched it. So that made it better for me. And it is interesting to find how these earlier films helped shape today's artists. |
| Things are kind of dull. Summer TV continues to bore. My American goldfinches were only here one day. The indigo buntings were on the back porch for just a few days and haven't been back. The eggplants and peppers are growing. One big zucchini came was harvested from the garden. I saw a tiny bit of The Music Man over the weekend. Now I can't get the songs out of my head. It's one of my favorite musicals. I think I know almost all the songs, so it doesn't take much to trigger them. I've been humming "Madam Librarian" all week. Tonight I experimented with a funny pan we have had for a decade. It might be the second time I've used it. The bottom is like a Bundt pan, only thinner metal, with a more shallow hole. You fill it with water and place it on an electric stove. The next tray up is sort of like a double boiler, only a double boiler comes with no hole. Then there are two options for the next tray, and a big domed top. So steam is the most important element. I thought the water would boil away too soon, but it didn't. So what I tried was store bought zucchini, cut up with garlic cloves. I put in a pinch of tarragon, sprinkled ginger and turmeric, and put one scant tablespoon of water to avoid sticking. I knew fluid would eventually cook out of the zucchini. I placed sliced carrots on the tray above it. I didn't need a lot.Then put on the dome top. When I checked, everything was getting tender, the water level was fine, and the stove top was still clean. The zucchini had about a quarter cup of fluid, and that steam had carried the flavor of garlic and spices up to the carrots. I sprinkled salt and sesame seeds on the zucchini. It was all delicious. Easy to cook and clean up. Healthy, too. |
| One old movie I saw recently starred Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, and Eli Wallach. It was black and white from 1961, called The Misfits. I'd heard the name, but had never seen it or heard about it. They were chasing wild horses,mustangs, like cowboys, but using a pickup truck and a plane. They had no intentions of "breaking" them and selling them. They wanted fast money, which meant selling them for dog food. Immediately, I found this appalling. Apparently, so did Marilyn's character after she found out the whole story. Speaking of Marilyn, she did a great job. She was sexy without throwing it in your face or acting overtly stupid. If anything, she played a naive part. Her character was an ex-stripper, but she was conservatively dressed for the role. In real life, she was going through alcohol and drug abuse. Many close up shots had to be done in a softer way to hide the problems. She was in and out of detox during filming. Her marriage was crumbling. It was hard to understand Montgomery's character. He was a rodeo rider with a lot of baggage. Gable played an aging cowboy, and evolved by the end. Eli played the bad guy as usual, purely mercenary. They were all attracted to Marilyn, but she stayed with Gable. It took me a long time to figure out who Eli was, since he wasn't listed on the program. This was years before The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, his most famous movie. He was thin and unwrinkled. I kept wondering if it was a young Larry Storch, who I've only seen in comedies, or a young Robert Vaughn. Then the voice hit me. He was still playing the cynical, greedy role. I took the title to be about the people at first, and, of course, it was in the end. But they called the wild horses "the misfits". Both the people and the horses didn't fit into a changing world. With the exception of one horse, both groups managed to survive. Excellent movie. The script writer was Arthur Miller, who was married to Marilyn. Gable had a heart attack right after filming was finished and died 10 days later. Marilyn died the following year. So it was the last film for both. The movie was not a box office hit. Only in retrospect has it found its place. |
| My brother had an idea about a man we know who is thinking about retiring, maybe. . . some day. He thought we should get his ideas about his work down on paper before it's too late. Some of his customers might like it. So I'm running one small section up the flag pole: Two customers had a conversation among themselves one day. One lady said she had been following Mr. Harry for over 20 years. The second one said that she’d been following him probably more than 30 years. The first lady remarked, “Well, I hope for our sakes, he’s going to Heaven!” The Best Part Mr. Harry’s favorite thing about the meat business has been the customers. He’s enjoyed the wholesale years getting to know caterers, chefs, and restaurant owners. He knew businesses, not just in town, but all over central part of the state. He always had tales about his fellow employees. He became attached to people and felt compassion for them. He loved to repeat their funny stories about where they came from. He played lots of jokes on them, too. He would tell the stories of that, and how each one cussed him out. Eventually, they all would forgive him and keep on going with their own tales. He liked his retail customers, too. His favorites were the children who shopped with their parents. As the years went by, the kids would stop coming in. Then on trips home from college, they’d come in and speak to him. He was always thrilled to see them and catch up with them. One had a pet nick name for him. Many would come back as regulars with kids of their own. |
| I hate phone solicitors. I know they're just trying to make a living. They work on commission. But it is a lousy job. Their employers make a larger percentage than they do. I hate having most or all of my contribution go to their organization instead of the designated charity. I don't mean to be mean, but I just hang up on these people now. I can't tell the scammers from the real thing. I don't have time to do the research while they are on the phone. I don't want to waste time arguing. I hang up. Too many bad organizations and outright thieves have ruined phone solicitation. The honest ones will just have to find some other way. They won't get anything over the phone from me. I encourage others to be just as hard hearted. Give to charity, but only to ones you trust and have researched. |
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