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 |    My random thoughts and reactions to my everyday life. The voices like a forum. |
| I do not know quite what happened or when , but my hubby and I now qualify for seniors' discounts at some venues. This creates a quandary; in order to save money, but not face, we have to admit to our age. HMMMM..... We definitely do not consider ourselves to be old. In this day and age ,when people as a whole are living longer and healthier lives why are 'young seniors', those in their fifties, like moi, considered 'old'?? It's so true that age is just a perception! "Maturity" is very objective/subjective, and I object! Whew, a few years have skittered by since I composed this biography block. Those "fifties" are in the rear view mirror and they are distant, fond memories. Oh, I do not plan to stop writing any time soon. |
| Talk Tuesday! What's something you do because your parents did it? And what something you don't do because your parents did it? So, now we're discussing how my parents shaped me, molded me, influenced, and even possibly scarred me? What have I become? I am the experimental child, the one my parents nurtured/tolerated , rightly, or wrongly. I set the bar for the other three. If I survived, my siblings were most likely to follow suit. Huh, supposedly I was a late, reluctant, do-I-have-to type of walker who preferred to be carried everywhere. I took my first tentative steps when I was eighteen months of age, and I cannot claim to have mastered walking to this day. I was an early and non-stop talker though. I defied the baby book wisdom and loved veggies, but perversely hated fruit. Basically, I trained my parents to go with the flow, and accept me as I am. My father was the cook of the family and his one rule was that we had to at least try/taste everything. Onions, garlic, tabasco, peppers, curry, octopus, whatever, if it was served, it was supper. Maybe we actually leaned more to take it, or leave it. Yeah, I followed suit with my three. I am an adventurous eater thanks to my Dad. He provided me with a cast iron stomach; no heartburn or acid indigestion, or morning sickness, ever. My kids will eat almost anything, but they have drawn a firm line in the sand and refuse to eat beans, and raisins. I guess that's not too bad. Both of my parents were avid readers. I inherited, or copied this trait. I read to my offspring until they chose to make reading a personal habit. My father was a smoker when I was a young child. I loved the smell of his tobacco smoke, and I'd sit spellbound as he tapped, and then restuffed his pipe. Eventually, he gave up smoking. I experimented with one package of cigarettes that I shared with my teenage pals before I decided that smoking wasn't for me. Dad also liked his beer on hot summer days. Me, I have never tolerated the aroma and taste of beer....blech! My Mother was more of a reserved person, and she taught me to never talk to strangers. I took this as a challenge instead. I will and do speak with anyone and everyone. People are fascinating! Probably it was born of a need to be cautious and careful, and a hard won lesson, but Mom could be negative. She preached look before you leap, and think twice before you act. Sometimes, she sounded like a pessimist who foresaw the worst happening, a disaster in the making. She was not really an explorer or adventure-seeker. She was comfortable with her routine. Some of my best trips/vacations have been spontaneous. No pre-planned destination, no clear sleeping arrangements, no worries about food, just jump in the car and drive. |
| Motivational Monday! Author Philip Roth , born on this day in 1933, once said "I think I write and publish as often as I do because I can't bear being without a book to work on... I don't feel I have this to say or that to say or this story to tell, but I know I want to be occupied with the writing process while I'm living." What do you think? What gets you through the end of one thing and the start of another? I can certainly understand Roth's reasoning re the process of writing. I don't always have a burning reason, or motive, or message, but I like writing. Stories usually evolve from an idea, a spark, a memory, or a prompt. Sometimes, I have a sense of where the story is going, but more often than not the words carry it along. I like the challenge of writing. There are so many words and combinations thereof to mix/mingle/unite. Scenery, action, and characters may be described/portrayed in endless ways. Anything may be altered and re-configured. Seemingly random unconnected words may be woven into a tale that has flow. A few of my stories are motivated by actual events and people. I am drawn to preserving/sharing this. Oftentimes, I attempt to provoke laughter. We have our foibles, and our triumphs. I'm certain I will continue to discover more fodder for my writing. |
| The Sunday News! Rather than me providing you a link and asking your opinion, why don't you just tell us what's good in your neighborhood this week. Good news! Our local restaurant is sporting a replacement window, or more accurately a large pane of glass after a thief shattered it several weeks ago. No more boards and pieces of wood to block the welcome sunshine. The bad news is that the culprit is still at large. The question is why did he/she not force open the door? Oh, the sap is running, dripping, flowing. Hooray, the maple trees are awake. The warmer, sunnier days, and below freezing nights create optimum conditions. This is a sign that Spring will return. No, I haven't spied a robin yet. Snow was melting today. This is fantastic news after another long winter. My family and I enjoyed each other's company today at my great-nephew's 6th birthday party. We sprayed silly string at each other. We posed for silly photos wearing fuzzy black moustaches. Of course, we sang 'Happy Birthday' loudly, and off key. There was raucous laughter, and several conversations echoing all around the table. |
| Creation Saturday! What's your definition of "lucky charms"? And what are some of yours...for personal use, and for the benefit of others? I guess this prompt is not referring to the colourful marshmallows in a certain cereal, is it? I never did like that breakfast food. Okay, do I have a talisman that somehow grants me luck? Hmmm, no not that I'm aware of. I'm not superstitious, or a believer in totems and such. Now, I did own a rabbit's foot when I was a kid. I never felt that it protected me, or provided a bounty of whatever. It was simply an object that someone gave me, and it was a novelty. If it really was a genuine rabbit's foot, it seems macabre. I know it's a cliché of a joke, but obviously the poor rabbit was not lucky. Whoever decided carrying around a piece of a dead animal could be fortuitous was morbid. I remember wearing a gold ring with my engraved initial when I was younger. Nope, even this piece of jewellery did not prove to be lucky. In actual fact, this ring had to be cut from my injured hand because of some ill-timed accident. I do lay claim to an Irish heritage, but is there the luck of the Irish? Well, I am blessed with my family, friends, and health, so that is the ultimate "luck". |
| Fun Fact Friday! On this day in 1993, ostrich meat was officially declared fit for human consumption in France. What's the strangest food you've ever tried, or would want to try? Huh, this blog prompt reminds me of the television program 'Fear Factor' in which contestants were surprised with gross foods they were encouraged to eat in an attempt to overcome their fears. Crawling tarantulas, insect smoothies, one-hundred year old ostrich eggs, anything was on the twisted menu. I always wondered who kept an egg for one-hundred years, and was this authenticated? First of all, this begs the question why? Why hold onto an egg ? And secondly, how was it stored? Did it sit in a dusty cupboard, or a dilapidated shed? Did someone, a century ago, think there would be value, or a market someday for ancient eggs?Anyway, no, I have not dined on old eggs, at least not to my knowledge. Nor have I chewed on a large, hairy spider. Years ago, fellow Guiders and I chocolate-coated different foodstuff such as gummy worms, bits of pretzels, and the like. We convinced the girls camping with us that we were going to eat chocolate-dipped insects, and the girls lined up with their eyes closed and their mouths opened. Several, retched and shivered at the thought of eating bugs, but not one stepped out of line. Of course, the moment their taste buds kicked in, they recognized they were not ingesting creepy crawlies. As if... But what have I tasted ? Let's see... I have eaten elk, bear, moose, deer, so, wild game. I'm not a fan of the greasy venison, but then again, I do not like the taste of mutton. I'm a disgrace to my British/Irish heritage. Over the years, I've tasted many types of seafood. I fail to "see" what all the hoopla is about oysters. To me they are not a delicacy. Yep, I've chowed down on octopus, and squid. Lobster and crabs are tasty. I seem to like any fish, but my favourite seafood is scallops and shrimp. Oh, let's not forget "escargots" which is a lovely-sounding French word for snails. Meh, again, they're nothing special. I believe people only eat them for the garlic butter they are served with. I do wonder who the first person was who decided to eat snails. I suppose for hunters/gatherers snails were easy prey. Now, frogs on the other hand, must take a bit more effort to catch. I'll admit, they don't taste half bad. Apparently, food doesn't always have to be attractive. I have an old pioneer cookbook with some different recipes in it. The one for squirrel stew starts with recommending the removal of buckshot/pellets. Yah, probably a good idea. You know I have never had me some squirrel. I wonder if chipmunks and prairie dogs are lumped in with squirrels? Wait! I'd almost forgotten that I have eaten haggis, and loved it. It certainly isn't a pretty dish/concoction either, but what do you expect for a meal cooked and served in a sheep's stomach? Huh, apparently, I do like one specific part of a sheep after all. |
| The Wildcard Round! This week's winner, chosen from all eligible entries by the Virtual Dice, receives 5000 GPs! Pick three words that sum up your week so far (and tell us why you chose each word). Just checking, but this is the second full week of March, correct? In my area, it came in like a meek lamb, all sunshine and deceptively milder temperatures. As expected, the snow and cold returned. Sigh, March is a very long, drawn out month. At least, my family has plenty of birthdays to celebrate this month. My youngest daughter's special day has blessed her again. My father-in-law's second wife claims this time of the year. My niece and her two sons, my great-nephews, also count this month as a reason to party. So, my first word of the week is birthday. The two boys are now six and two. Birthday cake is never a bad thing. A reunion with the extended family is also fun. Of course, we pose for silly photos. Both kids learned to stop and say, "cheese" before they could walk. The youngest loves to blow out the cake's candles, and so we relight them several times just for him. Un fortunately, he bites those same candles when he is supposed to be licking off the icing like his older brother. This year, he sang 'Happy Birthday' to himself. It's the first song he has memorized. For the past two years, the littlest guy has been stripped before he receives a slice of the cake, 'cause, yep, he digs in and creates a sticky mess. I'm sure he thinks this is a tradition, and not a necessity. Maybe he'll be like Pavlov's dog. When he hears the Birthday song and sees the cake, he'll tear off his clothing. Okay my second word of the week has many synonyms, but they all mean the same thing. Pain is that word. More specifically, I refer to the physical variety. I live with and endure chronic knee pain. Too often it leaves me breathless, and it robs me of sleep. Ah, such is my life. I rarely complain, this is my reality. I keep busy in an attempt to ignore it. It is a further real pain to experience a new ache though. It's bad enough that I limp, but as of this past Sunday, any movement is extra excruciating. Somehow, and yes, it's true I only rolled over, I have managed to pull a muscle/ligament in my side. Of course, this week I have dropped stuff onto the floor, and the only way to retrieve it is to bend over. Alas, my efforts to sleep have been further thwarted. Rising to my feet, and dropping into a chair, leave me cursing. The pain dulls to a more manageable level when I remain vertical, but this is not always practical. Ah well, I'm counting on that old adage " this too shall pass." So, I need one more word to sum up my week, right? Hmmm..... That word is decluttering. Strange as it seems, I somehow felt the urge to Spring clean, re-organize, get rid of the "crap" as my hubby affectionately calls our stuff. Aren't we all pack rats to a certain extent? We all collect something. Now, I do not for one moment consider myself to be a hoarder, but stuff tends to accumulate after almost forty years of wedded bliss. That's a great deal of gifts, purchases, souvenirs, memorabilia, inheritances, and more. I'm counting on one of the local churches to host its annual Spring rummage sale to which I will be contributing. I am reluctant to thin out our personal library. Oh, I share, and sometimes give away a book or two. I have favourites, and novels I want to re-read. Perhaps there will be further grandchildren who will enjoy the kids' literature. My room mate may not notice, but I filled a largish box today. It is progress, or so I placate myself. |
| War Chest Wednesday! From a previous challenger... What is your "philosophy of life"...something that guides the way you live? Why that? Do I have a particular philosophy that I follow? There isn't a lifestyle guru spouting special wisdom for me to slavishly emulate. I'm just trying to get along. I do like the live, laugh, love approach though. I believe in tasting new foods, travelling to explore different locales, attempting various hobbies, and such. Life is too short, eat dessert. I chat with people I encounter. Life is meant to be lived, and I take that to mean go out and take a chance. No, I'm not advocating risky behaviours, just variety is the spice of life stuff. There is so much to see and do in this big old world. Laughter is the best medicine, the best policy, the spice of life. It is common to all languages, and understood by everyone. It's an ice breaker, and a tension dissolver. It unites us. We are all human with foibles that we can find humorous.Love, we all need it. We want to feel special and accepted. We wish to matter. Creating enduring friendships and close-knit families generates love. Volunteering in the community also spreads acceptance and tolerance. Something I was repeatedly told as a child still holds true today. If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all. Nobody responds positively to criticism, slurs, animosity, judgment, or negativity. What's that song lyric? Give love a chance. |
| Talk Tuesday! Ever thought there was something going on in your life that you should've talked to your parents about, but didn't? Only to realize...you maybe should've, and it wouldn't have been a big deal in the first place? Hmm, do I have something I want to get off my chest, and confess to my parents? My short and sweet answer is no. I can't think of a thing. I was not a wild child by any means. Some other kids may have called me a goody two shoes, or a nerd, or a teacher's pet. Ya, I was boring, and not a rule breaker. By the way, where did that expression, goody two shoes, come from? Why specifically two shoes , and not one, or no shoes at all? Oh, right, maybe because a perfect person would always be wearing an entire pair of footwear. Is there an opposite saying such as baddy no shoes? My life was an open book. I was the eldest of four kids, and as such I was expected to be responsible and set a good example. There's that word good again. It does get over-used. |
| Motivational Monday! Legendary author Jack Kerouac , born on this day in 1922, once said "Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion." What do you think...is this true? And at what point did you stop caring about something being trendy or popular and just started to fully enjoy it solely because you liked it? No one would ever make the mistake of referring to me as trendy. All of my life I've been a t-shirt and jeans kind of gal. It's comfortable, inexpensive, and wash and wear. I don't "get" the latest fads, who made what, who is wearing what, who is promoting what. Names and labels are meaningless. I don't recall ever swooning, or pining over an item of clothing. If I wasn't wearing off the rack apparel, I wore outfits sewn by my Nanny. I remember she created matching ponchos for my younger sister and I. I believe this cape-like garment was a fashion fad made popular by the Brady Bunch girls. (Oh boy am I really dating myself here!) My poncho was a lovely turquoise, and I liked it because it was a gift. I don't believe I'd ever voiced a concern/demand that I'd die without one. It merely served a purpose as did my other jackets. For a kid, it was super easy to pull it over my head. There were no zippers, or buttons to struggle with. Since I've already revealed the decade of my childhood, I can also admit that this same grandmother sewed mini skirts for me as was the trend at the time. More than once, I heard her describe these good ol' days when she could cover my tushy in a tiny swath of cloth, remnants actually. I just went with the flow, and the offer of free clothing. Now I'm remembering something long suppressed. To my mother's disappointment, my hair insisted upon being long and straight. For my kindergarten debut, she decided I should have curly hair as was the haute coiffure of the time. To save money, Mom herself curled my stubborn tresses with a home perm. She'd had to admit defeat with more traditional hair-curling methods such as rollers/curlers. ( Oh, those pullers of hair would make an effective torture device! It's impossible to sleep with those things stabbing into your skull.) I cannot believe that my own parent thought I looked "cute" with what appeared to be a large, bushy Afro. My hair and I had the last laugh because even those perming chemicals only managed to curl my hair for a few days. I have always preferred my hair loose and undressed. I wonder why? I seem to have been a child victim of trends. Well, there is one fad that I adopted and continue to follow today. I like to wear toe socks, you know, socks that look like gloves for feet. Each toe is separated and has its own cover. Granted they take a bit more finessing and tugging to pull them on, and nobody I know has the gigantic baby toe manufactured for a pair, but I wear them. In fact, my entire sock wardrobe consists of bright colours, patterns, cartoon characters, and holiday themes. If I must sport foot cover because I choose to live in a cold climate, than it should be fun. |
The Sunday News! This week, Martin Shkreli cried in court as he was sentenced to seven years in prison for his part in federal fraud charges. You may know him as the smug Pharma-bro with the punchable face who jacked up the price of a life-saving HIV medicine from $13.50 a pill to $750; I prefer to remember him as the douchebag who made a mockery of his purchasing the single copy in existence of the Wu-Tang Clan's album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin (there's still time to save us, Bill Murray!! ). So this week, my question is "Why should we feel sorry for this guy?", along with "Why are people with access to hedge funds controlling our pharmaceutical industry...instead of, ya know, like, doctors?" I do not feel sorry for Marty. This "douche bag" made his choice. Are we not taught that you have choices? I believe he made his bed, and it's his to lie on. He was/is greedy. He maximized his profits on the pain and suffering of others. If it is possible to humble him, perhaps prison time will do it. I have no experience with the American pharmaceutical business. I am unaware of the drug pricing. I do know that some Americans have chosen to cross the border into Canada to purchase their needed drugs because the prices here are not astronomical. I cannot fathom bankrupting myself in order to medicate/treat an illness. |
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