Search where?

This Portfolio (normajeantrent)

All of Writing.Com

◄ September ► 2021
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30
Archive				RSS

Create New Item

Read & Review

Community

Browse By Type

Browse By Genre

Writing Resources

Thursday, Apr. 25, 2024

3:18am EDT

Members: 711

Guests: 4,887

Total Online: 5,598

PORCH PONDERINGS

by QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

Rated: 13+ · Book · Biographical · #2198921

Norma's Wanderings around a small section of Montana

Well, hey there!
Welcome to Roundup, Montana! If it's a nice day, we'll sit a spell on my porch and talk awhile.

"All the resources we need are in the mind.” Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th President of the United States of America.

Another quote I find interesting: "Creativity is intelligence having fun." Albert Einstein

What's on your mind today?

Signature for use by anyone nominated for a Quill Award in 2020

Signature for nominees of the 2019 Quill Awards

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Kåre Enga in Udon Thani

35 minutes ago
In response to "Oscar and Tony and Grammy winner !!!"

I don't have to explain my trip back to Montana as you get the picture.

I've been stressed for so long...

I can relax at the hostel and in Seoul airport.

Need to arrange a ride home though...

I assume you'll not be available.

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

about an hour ago
In response to "Drama"

Elycia Lee ☮

Try cutting back your plants. Then try dusting them gently. They breathe through the surface of the leaves.
I found this on Google about rubber plants:
Water when the soil is almost completely dry. ...
Spray with a mister every few days, they like to keep their leaves moist.
Place in a bright room, but keep away from super sunny windows to avoid sunburn Between 15°C to 25°C is their optimum temperature.

Kåre Enga in Udon Thani

Apr 20, 2024 at 11:50am
In response to "Drama"

I should be in Missoula May 1st. Chance of 20° or 70° ... sun, rain, snow, tornadoes, earthquake, Yellowstone blowing up?

Elycia Lee ☮

Apr 20, 2024 at 11:02am
In response to "Drama"

I never overwater them, but I think I'm underwatering them. The leaves are curling. When I put them out, their leaves burn. When I wipe them, lines appear on them... I really wanna start over, but I don't know how to... My rubber plants bottom stem leaves have dropped. Only the top is growing. For one of them, their baby leaf hasn't been growing for over 6 months now... Sounds like you've got quite the green finger there.

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

Apr 20, 2024 at 11:00am
In response to "Drama"

QPdoll

It was good to be out and work in the garden. We were both tired after, but that's okay. Digging in dirt always helps. There is always dirt in our lives. We have to dig up through it to get to the shining world on the other side.

1 Like

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

Apr 20, 2024 at 10:57am
In response to "Drama"

Elycia Lee ☮

Well, if your rubber plants aren't doing well, try dusting them. Prune them. Don't overwater. I always am cutting back things. Makes people nuts. But sometimes you have to cut back the dead to to get to the living. A metaphor for lots of things in our lives.

1 Like

QPdoll

Apr 20, 2024 at 10:47am
In response to "Drama"

Drama, indeed! Glad you were able to take some stress relief time.

Elycia Lee ☮

Apr 20, 2024 at 10:44am
In response to "Drama"

I'm actually jealous that your fallback plan to stress-relief is gardening.

Can you infect some to me? Currently, all I have is an iron plant and two rubber plants. My rubber plants are not doing well. Your job does sound interesting.

1 Like

Elycia Lee ☮

Apr 11, 2024 at 5:36am
In response to "Test Results"

EMG sounds horrible. Get well soon. Hope this phase in life would pass and that you would have that quiet period that you yearn for.

1 Like

Schnujo is Late to Lannister

Apr 11, 2024 at 3:30am
In response to "Test Results"

Wow! You do have a lot going on, but I'm glad you're trying to make the best decisions you can for yourself.

I had an EMG once. Yeah, not a pleasant experience and mine yielded no new info, so that was even worse -- it was all for nothing.

I hope things improve soon! Take care of yourself!

1 Like

September 30, 2021 at 11:17pm

#1018453

OctoPrep is coming!

Is it really the end of September? How can that be true? It seems just yesterday I was bemoaning the fact it was over 100° for days on end. Now it is below 40° in the mornings. The trees are losing leaves, and the leaves are changing colors.

The garden is going bad, the tomatoes are done. The squash is ripening, and probably ready to pick. The potatoes are safe underground, but ready to dig up. We turned off the irrigation to the garden and to the ornamental plants around the house. Then hubby used the air compressor to blow out the water to winterize the lines.

Today we did an overdue shopping trip to Billings. I don't enjoy the day-long shopping anymore. Stop here, stop there. Multiple errands, haircut, groceries, cleaner, this and that. We arrive home exhausted. The only perk is lunch out. There are no decent restaurants in Roundup, so we do enjoy a nice lunch for a change.

Tomorrow we start the OctoPrep contest. This should be fun. I did cheerleading last year and enjoyed it immensely. We sure do have an abundance of talent, but then, most everyone that is active on the site already knows that.

I cannot wait to read what everyone has to present this year! For those that didn't see the image I shared with some of the participants, here you go:

2 Like • Comment • View 2 comments

September 27, 2021 at 11:56am

#1018135

Back to Reality

Two big items marked off my calendar yesterday, the WDC Masquerade party is over. Seems I came in second. Yippee! I solved the mystery with Nancy Drew. Now Nancy is headed back home. She may be back next year to help with another case.

Yesterday was the last performance of the Illustrious Musselshell Players. We wrapped up our season and the play 'Every Little Crook and Nanny'. I played the part of Jocelyn Minnow, a retired nanny. It was a comedy, as usual. Let me tell you, this was a labor of love. We slogged through this play during the second act. I felt like we needed to refund some money to the attendees. But everyone had kind things to say, so I guess it went over well.

Now back to life as usual. Pictures will be posted as soon as I get them off the camera. Yes, camera. I don't use a cell phone so they are safe on that camera chip.

Later, now I have to see about lunch. Reality calls.

3 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

September 21, 2021 at 1:55am

#1017804

Nancy Drew

I created my first little trinket. Thanks to Bubblegum Jones

for the tutorial on how to do it. Of course it was easy. Why didn't I do one before?!

It is definitely turning to fall here. There is snow in Yellowstone, my tomato vines got frozen one night, and it is cool during the day now.

Tonight coming home from play practice there was a full glorious moon. The man that lives there was smiling and wishing me luck.

Enjoy the trinket! Limited supplies so get her while you can. Nancy Drew won't be around for long.

2 Like • Comment • View 2 comments

September 18, 2021 at 12:43pm

#1017658

Rest Day

There is to be a big change today. It was 32° yesterday, it knocked back the tomato vines a bit. Now today the high is to be 90° with high winds. Good grief.

It sure has been a strange weather year. No snow to speak of, no rain to speak of, but plenty of sun and wind.

Today is a quiet rest day for me. I've been down several days with stomach problems. So I need the rest. I thank God for the Sabbath.

1 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

September 18, 2021 at 12:05pm

#1017657

Busy Life

PROMPT September 18th

Take us through a day in your life at your job/career. Talk about some of the more important responsibilities you have as well as what your major tasks entail. It’s always interesting to see how others work

I no longer work at a full-time job that pays me a wage. I am a volunteer. I volunteer at many organizations in my little town.

Currently, I am in a community theater group that has a production next week. This group raises money for a community center in a smaller town nearby. Population of this 'town' is about 50. It is the biggest fundraiser for this community center. So I donate my time and gas money for this worthy cause. It also is a ton of fun. Win-win situation in my mind.

Also coming up is a day where I start working on a non-profit mass mailing. I am the chairperson of M.U.D., a unity drive that fundraises for 12 non-profits in the county. We'll mail out over 2,000 fliers asking for donations. I've called for volunteers to help me bundle these for the post office. Then I sit back and wait for the donations to come in. In January, I'll total the donations and write checks for the recipients.

Another venture I have is the SE Montana Tourism board. I am the rep for Musselshell county. Next week we have a retreat in Billings. We spend the day, have a nice restaurant meal, stay overnight in a hotel, then the next day have a board meeting. It is always fun and informative.

Now that I type that out, I realize that this is all happening next week. My first thought if I read this from someone else, is 'overachiever'. But wait, there's more!

We deliver meals on wheels once a week, we volunteer at the museum in the summer, I'm on the advisory board for RSVP (retired senior volunteer program), Northern Treasures (thrift store), RCP (Roundup community partners), and the hospital women's auxiliary. Whew. Plus I handle the script for our church's radio show every Monday afternoon.

So I keep pretty busy. But it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars.

2 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

September 16, 2021 at 1:20am

#1017492

The Coroner

We do Meals on Wheels on Wednesday. I know I've told that before. Well, today we're out and about, I tell hubby, turn here, at the motel. There's a man there we deliver to. He misses the turn. But then he takes a left turn at the intersection ahead, gets in the lane of the traffic going the wrong way for a few dozen yards then turns into the motel, right in front of a sheriff's vehicle sitting there. Duh. And the best part is the sheriff didn't see us, and the sheriff's vehicle had the coroner symbol. Hmm.

So, we made an illegal turn into the motel. In front of the sheriff. Who was actually the coroner. At a motel.

After we stopped laughing hysterically at the weirdness of that, we continue on. You cannot make up this stuff. Life just is so full of these moments.

When we managed a motel in Gardiner, there was talk of a person that died in one of the rooms there some years before. So if a guest was late in checking out, that was always the fear. You didn't want to walk into a room to find a dead person.

I had play practice tonight. Good grief. I wanted to smack someone. There is this one lady. I had to say some prayers for patience. She is not in the play, she is helping with the set, with the makeup, with prompting of lines. Well, let's just say she got on my last nerve tonight. My attitude is you should let someone try to figure out their line, not immediately tell them if they forget. And if someone does forget, they should say 'line?' so the prompter knows they need help. Well, let's just say practice was too chaotic and maddening.

We still haven't had much rain to speak of. It rained a bit on the way back home tonight from Musselshell. A few drops. But as soon as I got to Roundup, it stopped. It truly is as if we live in a bubble or something. Strange. It can rain all around, but not here in town.

Perhaps tomorrow. Everything is better in the morning, right?

2 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

September 12, 2021 at 12:20am

#1017269

9/11/01

Today is the anniversary of 9/11/01. It's hard to believe it has been 20 years. Time sure does fly, it seems. So much has happened in the world, the country, and my own personal life.

I still get teary-eyed watching those videos of the planes hitting the twin towers. Mercy sakes, what a horrible, dreadful day it was. I was blessed to not have any family affected by this tragedy.

I watched a show today about an airport in Newfoundland that had to take all planes coming across the Atlantic. Gander, Newfoundland. Amazing story of the air traffic controllers and how they had to find places for all the planes that day that couldn't enter US air space. They landed 224 jets in 4 hours. Incredible. I never knew of this.

Today was quiet here. Not much going on. Church was good, some people out sick. But nothing major. The Covid virus is bad in Billings, no so much here. We are pretty isolated and lucky for that fact. Now the hospital here will be getting some patients that Billings hospitals cannot house. Seems the two large hospitals there are full of patients. Our little one will now be getting some of the overflow. Mixed blessings for sure.

My childhood friend is an airline attendant. She posted this image today. I find it interesting, so I thought I would share. I also wrote an essay for The Writer's Cramp about my life that day in 2001 when our country changed forever.

1 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

September 8, 2021 at 1:28pm

#1017033

Fall is Near

It sure is a nice day today. I'm on my porch enjoying the moderate temperature and no wind. But fall is definitely in the air. NIghts are cooler, days are shorter. The sunlight is less intense.

Hubby and I went on a drive on Labor Day. We'd done so little all summer, so I thought it fitting on the last official day to go somewhere. So we went to Pictograph Caves near Billings. It was a little disappointing. The pictographs are all but gone, for various reasons. Very little remains of the wonderful artwork by native people of ancient times. But the caves are amazing.

Then we stopped at the Four Dances natural area. This area is the rimrock formation seen all around Billings. Sandstone cliffs that overlook the Yellowstone River and Billings beyond. It was once a sacred area for the native Crow people. I said at lunch, "I have to write about this." And so I did.

STATIC

Ghost of Four Dances

(E)
Winner! Daily Flash Fiction 9/6/21
#2258008 by QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

I melded the two areas into a little tale.

Last night my hubby is up all hours with a sinus problem. Ugh. I pray it is allergies, and that is what we are treating. I have a different problem today, the old irritable bowel is rearing its ugly head. And then on the way home from play practice last night the warning light for the tires comes on. Great.
So, no Meals on Wheels today. And of course, now if you say you don't feel well, panic sets in.

"Oh no. Is it?" And then you reassure the other person, "No, just an allergy attack." or "No, just an upset stomach."

The birthday celebration week for WDC is over. I hope everyone got to participate in one of the fun activities or contests. I'm Nancy Drew in the Clue game going on still. Check it out, see if you can find the murderer.

FORUM

Wdc 21st Birthday Masquerade Party

(13+)
You're invited to a party. Can you figure out 'who-dun-it' before everyone else?
#2256318 by Brooklyn

1 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

September 3, 2021 at 1:43pm

#1016685

The Beginning of a Change

We are in the midst of a climate change here in Roundup. The temperatures are cooling off. The trees are starting to change color. There is a small amount of something falling from the sky. It is rumored to be rain.

We've heard of rain before. It is that phenomenon that allows grass to grow, trees to live, wells to refill, rivers and streams to flow full. But never this entire summer have we seen this happen.

So thanks be to God for His wonderful gift of seasons changing and rain. Autumn. It comes early here.

Yesterday we ventured down to Billings. Billings is now the hot spot in our state for this virus problem. So there were people wearing masks again, but by far the majority are not. I did not, nor did my hubby. Things are not bad here in town. A few people sick, but no big epidemic. So we continue on with our life.

A quiet afternoon is in store. We volunteer at the museum on Friday afternoons from May through September. It's a nice time to read, talk with visitors, or just sit and do nothing.

And there is great value in doing nothing sometimes. We should all try it. Just sit and think. Let your mind wander. Daydream.

Wonderful things sometimes come to those who dream.

1 Like • Comment

© Copyright 2024 QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham (UN: normajeantrent at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/blog/normajeantrent/month/9-1-2021

Site Links:

Resources:

Need help?

Please post questions in
our support forum.

Places of Interest: Unique Wedding Invitations for unique wedding needs. Color Copiers found here.
Baby Names can be hard to pick. Hands-free hygenic toilet seats covers. Dramatic Music rocks.
Vampires are people too. Write Poetry here. Try this Stock Market quiz.
Teaching is a noble job. Get info on Tax Refunds.

All Writing.Com images are copyrighted and may not be copied / modified in any way.
All other brand names & trademarks are owned by their respective companies.

Generated in 0.38 seconds at 3:18am on Apr 25, 2024 via server web2.