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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. |
| At the end of a yard sale, they were giving small things away. I found a reference book called The Complete Directory of Prime Time Network TV Shows. The subtitle is "1946-Present". Well, it was copyrighted in 1979. So the "present" is 1979. I like old TV, so I took it. I've had a great deal of fun with it already. There is a great index of actors, a list of hit theme songs, and a list of the most popular shows by year. Most of the book is an alphabetical listing of the shows by title, with a synopsis and a brief history. I've already cross-referenced a lot of things. I've discovered my favorite stars were in more shows than I knew about. It's amazing how something cheap/free can bring so much entertainment. This one actually feeds my more recent addictions: vintage TV watching. Now I want to find the book that covers the following 35 years. That would take me up to 2014. If I run across a book on old movies, I'll be busy for years. |
| There are "doers". Every organization needs them. The ones who weed the lawn at the church or the club, who cook the meals, who volunteer to do the books, or do security. Every charity and civic organization needs doers, the ones behind the scenes, who take no glory, but tend to the heat or a/c and lights, who clean up and lock up. We can't function without them. Homes and corporations, even hospitals are the same way, whether they are paid positions or not. But there are also listeners, readers, and thinkers. They're needed, too. People who like to write tend to be in this category more than the first. It's tough to decide which one we need to be at times. When do we let the grass grow another day or two and spend time with a friend who needs a shoulder to cry on. Do we sometimes miss the "rock star" or the "angel" when we have the opportunity to bask in their company, because we're busy doing laundry, washing dishes, or running errands? Those things need to be done, but do they need to be done right now? When we are old and gray, will we lament the missed opportunities to just hang out with someone who became famous? Will we regret not watching the sunset with someone we valued? We don't want to be remembered as lazy or irresponsible. But do we want to be remembered as workaholics, or self-involved, or too busy for friends and family? I am confident that I will not lie on my deathbed and say, "I wish I had done more housework" or yard work or commuting. Mary and Martha were two sisters, or relatives, in the New Testament. Neither one was wrong. But Martha was jealous and resentful that Mary wasn't helping her prepare the feast for company. She went to Jesus to get him to send Mary into the kitchen. But he told her that Mary was taking advantage of his presence while the time was available. We don't know if Martha understood, or if Mary even heard the conversation. But he indicated to her that listening to him, asking questions, was more important than feeding him. It's up up to us, moment by moment, to discern when we need to carry on business and when we need to stop and listen. |
| I've seen the ads for making a good living copy writing. It turns out that what they mean is writing those long boring, repetitive ads that drive you crazy when you click on one of those catchy titles. It's deceitfulness actually. I certainly don't want to be one of those people. You know those tag lines you see on a search page or on Facebook or other websites that carry ads for other people. You click to see what can relieve arthritis or help you shed those last 5 pounds or which 5 foods you should never, ever eat. Twenty-three minutes later in a PowerPoint Presentation which is just an oral reading of the written word, you finally find out what they're selling, and its exorbitant price. Boy, do you feel misled! Worse, you're now targeted by other ads like that one! These ads are extremely repetitive. Every time you feel like a point is about to be made, they write, "more about that in a moment". Then they go on with testimonials. Nothing has changed in hundreds of years. They're still selling "snake oil" or books or pills, but not face to face. It's on your computer. I couldn't make a living by lying and writing crap and fooling people. But then I couldn't run phone scams or do identity theft either. They are all ways of manipulating people, whether direct dishonesty, or just conniving to sell a book or "system". I suppose the copy writers feel like people are at least getting something tangible for their money, even if it isn't the miracle they're painting. |
| My church had a yard sale this weekend. They're making a profit. Thursday was for members only, but Friday and Saturday were open to the public. The members donated everything from furniture and lamps, rugs, sheets, small appliances, books, toys to a new TV. A member died recently without close family. She left her clothes, household goods, and personal affects to the church, except for heirlooms designated to her nieces and nephews. She was very neat and particular, so everything is in good shape. We didn't do clothes for the yard sale, so the ladies of a very small size had already gone through her very nice wardrobe. What they didn't take went to Good Will and the area clothing closet. (The people who go to the clothing closet tend to want outdoor clothing, jeans, durable clothes, not fancy sweaters or wool skirts.) I bought her recliner with an electric lift for my father. I just have to figure out how to get it into the house and up the stairs, once I get it here. This morning, my dad told me he wanted a floor lamp he had seen there. So I went back today and got the last one they had. It was $5. I wouldn't have bought it because it looks old and worn. The shade isn't the original. But it had an expensive bulb in it. If he doesn't like it, I'll give it away. For $5 I can't lose. It's his house, and he keeps knocking over the expensive "day" lights and breaking them, so $5 is the right price for him. The church is making a lot of money from the donations. People are leaving with what they think are treasures. Volunteers have manned the doors and money. We will use all of the proceeds to do mission projects, mostly in our town, but some to a Haiti project. |
| Sounds like a title for a good scary novel. But it's a TV show. Uh huh. I watched an hour show. The camera fortunately blurs our the appropriate circles of film. Two individuals actually go out naked on some uncivilized island or jungle and have to survive for 21 days, with only one tool each, no food or water. This sounded crazy. I thought a few minutes and I would be done. But I watched the whole thing. They are screened in advance for good health and physical endurance. They do not carry bug spray, sunglasses or sun screen, soap or toothpaste, or toilet paper. They have no compass, only a map. Each is driven separately, having never met each other. When they reach the drop off point, they strip, and they are given a burlap sack which drapes over one shoulder or around the neck and conveniently hangs over their privates at times. The sack is used to carry any food or things they pick up. They are given their choice of a tool. On the show I saw, the woman chose some weird kind of knife. The man picked a pot with lid, so they could boil water. No they do not have matches. They are dropped off about a mile apart and wander around to meet up for the first time. And wouldn't you know, it would be one man, one woman. Naked. How many people really want to endure something like that? Not a sexy atmosphere. A survival atmosphere with someone of the opposite sex, naked, unarmed, grubbing to survive. The bugs are everywhere. They sweat in the heat. The bare skin burns in the sun. And they can't find clean drinking water. They know there is some in the jungle, but there's also alligators there. In this episode, they decide shelter is their first priority because of the sun and heat. The guy actually does a good job of building a frame with natural materials latched together and pushed into the sand. She uses her knife to cut green branches with broad leaves. That becomes the roof and the beds. By the second day, they hide in the shade of the shelter, but realize they are dehydrated and must find water. They turn to snails, eaten raw, for protein. He knows this works from book knowledge. Successfully building a fire turns out to be a severe problem for them. At the end of the show, they rank them again. Both have lost a lot of weight, him more than her. Their feet are cut up, and they are sunburned and tired. He is humbled, but has actually learned new skills. She actually had good experience to start, but not much confidence. She ends up with a higher rating, because she succeeded in things they needed, and her self esteem has grown. I actually felt like the show had merit. Survival skills interest a lot of people. I'm not completely sold on the idea of them being totally naked to do it, but the title probably does get more people to watch. |
| Today I made a strawberry pie. Now my question is "Why do we eat strawberry pie?" There are perfectly good, wholesome strawberries, covered with a thick mass of sugared, mashed strawberries with cornstarch on a fat-filled pie crust. We go from healthy to unhealthy. It's delicious, of course. But why? First, you have to bake a pie shell. I filled my pan with the raw dough. I've never made a pretty crimped edge, but it tastes okay, so there. I checked about halfway through the baking, and oh no! This shell was shrinking. It no longer covered the edges, but was halfway down the sides. I pulled it out, took a fork, and started poking more holes in the bottom to let out the air underneath. I started smoothing it out, pressing out the lumps, and pushing it back up the sides. The fork gave it a distressed look, so I used my thumbs (I always wash for kitchen work) to press it up. I gave up and finished cooking it. It ended up with a few cracks in the bottom. Well, the crust did taste fine. It saved you from dying of the sweetness in the throat that gags you. It was so good, I had to have just another half slice. I was too ashamed to have more. I still wondered why we don't skip the glaze, and just do the high calorie crust cut up in small pieces with some sliced low-calorie strawberries instead. A dollop of whipped cream optional. You wouldn't have to worry about its appearance, and it would cut down on the guilt a tad. Pies can be very interesting. I guess we make them just because we can. I have had tomato pie (I didn't care for it) and yellow squash pie (two thumbs up), I have made buttermilk pie and cornmeal pie; both were delicious. I have made apple, pumpkin, peach, and coconut pies, with varying types of crusts. Pillsbury makes a nice crust, but I still can't crimp them correctly. Store versions fall a little short of Pillsbury's standards. Pie-making is a fading art. Ask a group of cooks for pies, and only a few show up. Ask the same group for cake or cookies, and you'll get an abundance. I don't count "pizza pie" as pie. And quiche falls in a category all by itself. A "crustless" pie may be better for your hips, but it just isn't pie. |
| Omigosh, the heat! Of course, when it runs too long, our AC freezes up. Every afternoon as it hits the high 90's, it just runs but doesn't cool. We have to turn it off for an hour or so, and let the heat defrost it. Then it works fine the rest of the day. The repairman comes, and he can't fix it either. It's just too small a heat pump for our house. It looks huge as it is, but the house is not that big. So when we start baking, our energy goes. Today, we actually lasted until dinner time. So I watched an old movie from 1973, with the ceiling fan going, and a floor fan in the other room. I had to crank the volume to hear over the fans. I'm really getting into these old movies more than ever. Richard Benjamin, James Coburn,James Mason starring in The Last of Sheila. I don't remember ever hearing of it before, and I was a big fan of all those stars. There's a young Dyan Cannon and Raquel Welch.I kept staring at Raquel, knowing she was a young version of someone I should recognize. I had to look it up. It's an Agatha Christie style whodunit, with lots of bends and turns. And, no I had no idea who did it, until the very end. It's about movie stars, directors, and producers. It makes them all look like a very cold bunch. (No stereotype there.) Your sense of justice is not served in the end. The ending brought to mind Deathtrap, which also starred Dyan Cannon years later. The Last of Sheila is a spell binder! |
| My brother and I had a pity party last night. We both wear glasses now. I have bifocals. Because of the frames we chose, we both think we resemble our maternal grandmother. Some people might think that's not a bad thing, but she was no beauty even when she was young. From the pictures I've seen of her when we were babies, she had jet black hair which she kept in a long braid, wrapped around her head. She was big boned, but thin as a new grandmother. She probably was a size 18 before she died, but that came from years of retirement, and not walking everywhere all the time once she learned to drive. She never wore make-up or colored her hair. So I remember her as salt and pepper, then solid gray. But she had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. I admired her for learning to drive after age 55. My dad's mother was only 5'2", small boned, and had a size 5 foot. She did wear make-up, accessorized her outfits, and could really dress up when she wanted. She colored her hair that cheap blue shade. She wore glasses, too, but we don't look like her. We thought for a while that we might because my dad, my aunt, and my uncle all wrinkled the same way she did, and had matching jowls, None of us (I have 3 brothers) were short or small boned. In fact my cousins on my dad's side joke with us about the big heads that run in our extended family. It's tough on pregnant women. I know I'm making us sound like mutants. But isn't it odd how genes dictate our appearance, and how we evolve through the decades? Out of 4 grandparents, why do we resemble one more than another then at a certain stage resemble another? Why are the dominant genes the ugly ones? Both my grandfathers were sort of nice looking. We could have had some of their traits, but no. We can't overcome Mother Nature. I guess we'll just keep our glasses on, not look in the mirror, and hope we end up with some of their observed traits, like generosity, humor, hard work, honesty, nurturing, pride in a job well done. They were, after all, revered by their grandchildren, even if we are starting to look like them in their old age. |
| I occasionally experiment in the kitchen. I have discovered there is a reason they don't mix mushrooms and yellow squash. I know from an old cookbook that if you have a recipe requiring buttermilk, and you don't have any, substitute a cup of sweet milk with 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar. (Sweet milk, for you non-cooks, means regular milk, not canned or buttermilk.) I have learned that a little tarragon in scrambled eggs is good. Too much tarragon and you've ruined the eggs. Turmeric is used in making prepared mustard, so it has a mild flavor. You can add it to meat, vegetables, salads, etc. And it's supposed to be good for your joints. It does turn dishes a little yellow. Dry mustard can be used in almost anything as well. It comes from the mustard seed, is mild flavored, and turns things a bit yellow. I really like to add it to cheese dishes, especially cheddar. It heightens the flavor. Ginger and curry are two I've been trying lately. Curry is good on vegetables and cooked fruit. Ginger doesn't just go in cookies and desserts. It goes on everything. Today, for Father's Day, I broiled steaks with salt, pepper, and ginger. They loved them. (I didn't tell them about the ginger.)I fixed stir fry vegetables with chicken last week, using ginger, lite soy sauce, and sesame seeds. I'm tired of buying an expensive spice for one recipe, then letting it sit in the cabinet until it's too old to use and discarding it. I'm going to learn the best use of the most common spices and do it. The family will like it or start taking me out! |
| Not everyone had a great dad or knew who one was, for that matter. But a strong father seems to make a great deal of difference in the family life.Sometimes, it's the step-father, or grandfather, or uncle or some other guardian who takes the place of a father. All children benefit from a father figure, even if he isn't perfect. Some studies were done in Africa of elephants. Herds of young males with no older males present went rogue. They fought over the female. They bullied the babies. They rampaged everywhere. Then the game wardens took some older males out of other herds, transported them to the terrorist herds, and an amazing thing happened. The wild herd calmed down. The older males set the example and peace was restored in their natural ranks. No elephants had to be put down or tranquilized. The elephants policed themselves. Students of human behavior have compared humans of all races and continents to the elephants. Where the young men are left on their own, they tend to go over the top with their own strength and power. They bully women and children and the elderly. But where there are solid male heads of household, male teachers, and male leaders, these young males become more productive and socially acceptable. There is a very strong case for fathers to take responsibility for their own kids. Boys learn to imitate the men they are around.That includes swearing or holding doors open for women. They see. They imitate. To all the fathers out there, Happy Father's Day. Be the kind of man you want your kids, or any kids, to become. |
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