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Friday, May. 17, 2024

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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

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Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Schnujo is Late to Lannister

Apr 28, 2024 at 7:30am
In response to "Oscar and Tony and Grammy winner !!!"

I know carpal tunnel can be really bad. My friend's son has it really bad. At only 21, his hands were already numb because his dad wouldn't let him learn to drive so he couldn't go to the doctor and his dad wouldn't take him. He's finally moved out and learned to drive. His hands are better after he got a different job, but he's still got issues.

Have you tried learning to do speech-to-text? I hear it's quite a difficult transition for some folks, but once you get it, everything is a breeze after that. I keep meaning to take a series try at it. I did a few sentences one day, just to test it out, but didn't get too far. I need to really buckle down. It seems slower because the words don't appear on the screen as fast as when I type. But in the end, I can talk faster than I can type and I don't have to wait for it to catch up after ever sentence. lol I do need to figure out how much I can talk before it loses the thread, though.

But then, when writing fiction, I have to stop and think a lot, so it will probably be fine. lol I just need to do it enough that I feel comfortable not watching the screen anymore. I hear that's the real sticky point -- watching the words slowly appear as you are talking can be really distracting, so they recommend you don't do that. I will for a bit, just to get a feel for things and to satisfy my curiosity. But hopefully, if I take this seriously, I can let go of that need with practice and really get going.

Hmmm...I know I talk a lot. And I can talk while doing things I can't do when typing like getting dressed or making dinner or whatever. I wonder if I could actually finish a project through speech-to-text or if being bored sitting there typing isn't the real problem.

It's something to ponder and play with. Thank you! As usual, you've helped me with my writing YET AGAIN!

You're the best!

1 Like

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

Apr 28, 2024 at 1:37am
In response to "Oscar and Tony and Grammy winner !!!"

schunujo I don't worry about NaNo or OctoPrep. I think that event is far enough in the future. I am bummed that I cannot garden this year. I've been typing and writing all this time with just one hand and three fingers so...

I am excited to get the pain level lessened. Then I found out from my daughter the other day that she suffers from carpal tunnel as well, but as is typical for her, she won't get it treated. The problem with that syndrome is if it gets too severe, you could actually lose total function of your hand. Now that is the worst case scenario of course. I am scared enough by that prospect, I'll endure a few more months of recovery pain to heal the problem.

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

Apr 28, 2024 at 1:32am
In response to "Oscar and Tony and Grammy winner !!!"

Kåre Enga in Montana

When are you arriving back in Montana? And which airport? I'll be tied up for a few days after surgery. But I think once my husband goes back east to get our car, perhaps sometime in May we pray, I could make a road trip.

1 Like

Schnujo is Late to Lannister

Apr 25, 2024 at 7:13pm
In response to "Oscar and Tony and Grammy winner !!!"

Wow! You have so much going on!

I'm really sorry all of this is happening at the same time.

But I am super glad the doctor thinks he can fix you, even if you won't be good as new. But new things are too expensive anyway.

I'm certainly glad you'll be in much less (hopefully no) pain in the (hopefully not too distant) future!

I've also had times when a specialist told me I should have seen him sooner. Well, maybe if I hadn't been required to get a referral...

The surgery timing sounds pretty good with a 6-month recovery time. You'll be pushing it for NaNo, but I think you can do it. After all, I need my best cheerleader out there!

In truth, you have a big impact on my success in NaNo, but I could probably do it without you if I had to. Most importantly, I want YOU to be okay -- happy, healthy, and pain-free! If that means you miss a year of NaNo, so be it. YOU are more important.

QPdoll

Apr 25, 2024 at 6:00am
In response to "Oscar and Tony and Grammy winner !!!"

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

and Kåre Enga in Montana

I hope you both can find transportation on Monday! Good luck to you!

Norma, it's good you have your surgery scheduled. I think you'll feel so much better with pain relief. My husband had carpal tunnel surgery and he is happy that his fingers don't go numb anymore.

Safe travels to you both!

1 Like

Kåre Enga in Montana

Apr 25, 2024 at 2:42am
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.

1 Like

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

Apr 25, 2024 at 2:05am
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 Montana

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

December 21, 2020 at 9:42pm

#1000635

I'll be the Star

21. Winter Solstice
Our shortest day and longest night...
We’re about to enter the season of winter: Quiet. Reflection. Incubation. Going Inward.
Write something inspired by that.

Tonight there is to be the “Christmas Star”.

Hubby and I drove up to the high school. It’s on a high point. Great, it’s foggy. You could see maybe three feet in front of you. No star tonight. We could barely find the moon. Maybe tomorrow night. We decide the hill where the little airport is located is the best bet. Cloudy? I hope not.

When I was alone and still in Ohio and a bit of a new-ager for a time, I would light candles and have a little ceremony each winter solstice. Then play some wonderful music and zone out the night with wine. I’d cuddle with my cat. We’d have a bit of a cry about the past. But those days are over. I hate this time of year. It is dark. It is cold. It is depressing to be since I cannot be with the rest of my family. I should be happy. I have my health. I have my husband. I have a place to live that I own. I have my Lord. But somehow I want more.

This is the first day of winter. Well, we’ve not had much of any bad weather yet. A bit of snow, a bit of wind. No below zero temperatures. It did rain today. Hooray, any moisture is welcome. The big wind yesterday gave way to rain today. A big wind here usually means weather in a day or so.

I may be going back to Ohio to visit my mother and the rest of my family in a few weeks or less. My granddaughter from California may tag along. That will be a fun road trip to brighten up my winter doldrums. Sorta like ‘Thelma and Louise’ but without the surprise ending. Or Brad Pitt. Or the good looking actresses. Well, at least one will be good looking. And young. Okay fine, it won’t be anything like ‘Thelma and Louise’. It will be ‘Granny and Jade’. We’ll make our own adventure.

2 Like • Comment • View 2 comments

December 20, 2020 at 9:25pm

#1000580

Middle C stands for Corona

20. Go Caroling Day
Have you ever gone caroling, or had a group of carolers show up at your door?
Write something about caroling.

We wanted to go caroling again this year as a church. We usually go to the nursing home at the local hospital.

Poor nursing home residents. They’ve been in lockdown since March. No visitors, no gifts. Now this Christmas they can’t have a tree. No cards. No caroling. Nothing. They can have nothing in their lives that cannot be cleaned with disinfectant. No visitors. Nothing. Think of how dreary your life would be if you were in a real lockdown.

That is the way it was in the days of the Plague in the Dark Ages. You were locked into your home. From the outside. You didn’t have the key. If someone died inside, you were stuck with that body until they could come and take it out.

And eventually the people figured out how to get out of their homes. They made copies of the house keys. They snuck out of upstairs windows and crept out in the dark of night when the watchers were sent on errands.

I know the lady in charge of the nursing home. She is so frustrated. The new mandate is that now all the residents have to start wearing masks. “Really?” She questioned. They’ve seen no one, except for employees, since March. But they, the residents, are excited about it. Now they now get to wear them - just like everyone else. This is getting insane.

I am of the opinion that we all need to stop with the mask wearing. I know I’m in the minority. I feel that we are losing immunity with this. How can our immune systems get challenged if we don’t let germs in?

I know that some members of the population are vulnerable. But aren’t they already due to lifestyle choices, medical problems, age, disability? And if it isn’t this Covid virus, it would be the flu, or pneumonia, or some other problem.

I think that if you want to go caroling, you should go.

It’s outside, in the fresh air. If people want to listen, they can come outside. Where I live it’s pretty chilly now. I don’t know but from what I think I know about viruses, they don’t do so well in temperatures in the 30s.

1 Like • Comment • View 2 comments

December 19, 2020 at 10:37pm

#1000529

Watch that Muffin Top!

19. Oatmeal Muffin Day
Oatmeal is on the healthy side and good for lowering cholesterol.
I feel like I'm being tricked by putting it in an 'unfrosted cupcake’.

I like muffins. But not those 3# monsters disguised as healthy you can get at Costco. I mean the little ones you can make yourselves. I have a few muffin cookbooks. I’ve tried a few and sometimes they turn out great, sometimes they are like paperweights.

So you can make carrot cake spice, pecan, cinnamon, apple spice. But there are also savory ones. But I think I have a problem with bacon and chives and cheese in a muffin. I would rather have a sweet one. But cornmeal muffins are good with chili.

Muffin top - eat too many muffins and you’ll get this hanging over your belt! You know the problem, that lap of stuff hanging over your belt just like that fat little top of a fancy little muffin.

And while we are on the subject, who decided that a muffin and coffee are the breakfast for folks now? What happened to good old oatmeal? Or what about some eggs and toast, nix the bacon? But you cannot go wrong with just a bit of yogurt and some fruit. Maybe a bit of granola thrown in there for some texture would be nice as well.

I’ll bet most people don’t know that Kelloggs and C.W. Post were the pioneers in fast breakfast foods. This link will take you to some interesting trivia. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/battle-cornflakes

Imagine a world without Kelloggs’ Cornflakes or Post’s Grapenuts. And those two choices are much better than today’s muffins.

Queen Norma Jean

1 Like • Comment • View 2 comments

December 18, 2020 at 7:44pm

#1000461

Cookie!

18. Bake Cookies Day
As if we need a designated day for this, lol.
Write about your favorite cookie(s) or cookie baking experience.
Anything to do with cookies!

Cookie exchange, a fun tradition. There was one this year at the Senior Center, but it took place at a time I couldn’t attend. Darn.

Peanut butter blossoms with the chocolate kisses on them and chocolate chip - the best. Brownies, lemon bars, shortbread, and also banana bread. I think I can consider that to be like cookies since I bake it in a square pan and put chocolate chips in it. But I can never seem to have enough ripe bananas to make this. Hubby eats one each day on his oatmeal. I could buy ripe bananas just for this purpose, but I think that is just a waste of money. I would rather buy a really large bunch and let them ripen.

I like to make cookies. You need to set aside about an hour of time to do them, but then you have the problem of getting rid of all of them. Do you eat them or give them away? And do you eat the raw dough as you wait for the cookies in the oven? You do? Shame on you. There are raw eggs in there. But you've probably found the cure for Covid-19, so carry on.

Eat them. Every last one. Then suction up the crumbs off the plate. Let everyone else make their own. Bugger on them. Besides, sharing would probably spread that stupid virus. Whatever, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Now I just remembered the Cookie Monster on Sesame Street. "Cookie!"

1 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

December 17, 2020 at 8:36pm

#1000399

Health Lecture - Listen Up!

17. Maple Syrup Day
Did you know that this sweet and unique flavor originated in America?
Native American Indians were the first to harvest and boil the sap of the maple tree into a thick syrup.
Talk about, well, maple syrup, of course.

Love this syrup. I can eat this natural sugar. Why would anyone use anything else once you taste this?

You can keep the nasty maple flavored high fructose syrups, the pancake syrups that people seem to think are the best. Empty nasty calories. No wonder we have an epidemic of obesity in this country. I heard a term. DIABESITY.

So it goes hand-in-hand. Diabetes with heart disease with obesity. You get a problem with your blood sugar so you gain weight then you get a problem with your blood pressure so then you get a problem with your cholesterol. Pretty soon you are on all these meds to take care of one problem after another. It’s a slippery slope.

Gaining weight can be diet related. When I shop I like to look in people’s carts. I am Miss nosy butt I know, people. But my goodness. Some seem to buy nothing but ramen noodles, white bread, and ice cream. Our diet in this country is abysmal. We are so far removed from the diet we are supposed to be eating for our best health. It is best to eat mainly vegetables and grains, fruits sparingly, with a bit of protein and dairy. Who does that? Who is willing to do that?

In my home we have cut way back on the amount of protein we eat. As you get older, you don’t need to eat as much as you used to. Most of us don’t have physical jobs anymore. We don’t expend the calories as we used to. So why eat huge meals?

We try to eat something fresh every day.

Fresh vegetables and fruits can be challenging here in Montana. But I try to get kale at the store. At least that I can find now. And avocado. That we try to eat every day. Hubby balked at first, so I try to convince him it is like taking a vitamin. That he identified with. He takes lots of vitamins. Avocados are good for many reasons, especially for your skin and eyes. We also take loads of vitamins. Multis, Vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, collagen. Probably have very wonderfully healthy pee.

Gracious, now I sound like someone’s evil Aunt. Enough with the lecture. I am guilty of drinking CocaColas and eating potato chips until the entire bag is gone.

2 Like • Comment • View 2 comments

December 16, 2020 at 8:37pm

#1000342

Cocoa is Cacao

16. National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
Sounds like a great to 'pig-out' and enjoy!
Have you ever eaten anything 'unique' covered in chocolate?

Never wandered outside the usual. But I know there are chocolate covered insects.

But why waste chocolate on something like that? I'll kill the little buggers with bug spray, not chocolate.

I agree with everyone else that white chocolate is an insult to the name of chocolate. It tastes like sugar and fat, not the good taste of dark chocolate.

I love chocolate anything. But again with the diet issues. I can eat a little bit of real chocolate. But too much of anything is not good for me. So a little chocolate goes a long way. So give me a good piece of Godiva. Ahhh. Now that is good chocolate.

I have an old cookbook I got somewhere forever ago. It is from Hershey, and has old recipes from the 1930’s. The recipes are great but another good feature is the trivia and photos from that era. Every now and again I’ll pull that out and make something from it. But the best chocolate recipe I make often is that brownie recipe from King Arthur flour. I’ve mentioned it before. So here it is:

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/fudge-brownies-recipe

You won’t be disappointed if you make these. I don’t put the espresso powder in. Otherwise, I follow that recipe as written.

This year may be the year to make these as a gift. Impress your friends and family. Make a batch and put them in a tin. Unless you eat them all first.

2 Like • Comment • View 3 comments

December 15, 2020 at 7:23pm

#1000292

Cats heard us, they got a day

15. Cat Herder's Day
Ya, good luck with that.

Herding cats. Kind of like getting toddlers all in a row, and then getting them ready for bed. Or juggling ping pong balls. It is an impossible task.

I read about ‘cat herder’s day’. Seems it is to honor those that excel at an impossible task. Well, sign me up. I have excelled at so many. Where is my National Norma Day?

Norma is an old-fashioned name. You don’t hear it much. Unusual. I was teased in school. Normal, abnormal. I’ve heard them all. But my hubby calls me NormaJean. That I like.

SO, back on topic. We know that dogs

are wonderful, our friends. But cats

have staff. They expect us to wait on them.

I had a great dog. Her name was Bonnie. She’s been gone for over a year now. Bonnie didn’t expect you to wait on her. She waited for you. Bonnie never was around cats. She tried to get close to some, but never figured them out.

But I had a great cat once. She was given to me by a coworker. She was a calico. I was single at that time. She slept with me. And if I remember right, liked to sleep on my head. But somehow that didn’t annoy me. In fact, she didn’t bother me much. Didn’t claw the furniture. Didn’t climb the curtains. Didn’t meow all hours of the day and night. Just was a delight. When I moved and couldn’t take her to the new place, she went with my son. He eventually gave her to his mother-in-law. This cat lived to be about twenty years old. She didn’t have a name when she lived with me. Just called her ‘cat’.

All cats should take a lesson from her. Live long and prosper.

1 Like • Comment • View 3 comments

December 14, 2020 at 8:48pm

#1000246

Trees

14. Roast Chestnuts Day
Every Christmas holiday we all sing about "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...."
But, have you ever roasted chestnuts!?

NO, never. Don’t even know what they taste like. Are they edible nuts? Well the name says they are. Do you have to roast them? See? I don’t even know that.

I grew up in a town where most of the streets were named after trees. I lived on Beech Street. There were Elm, Poplar, Chestnut, Pine, Oak, Cedar, and Sycamore streets.

Currently in my town, Roundup, they are taking down green Ash trees. There was something in the paper about pro-active intervention against the green Ash tree insect that is coming to or already in Montana. So the city is removing some of the old green Ash trees that are in bad shape. I don’t see any around my house that are marked for destruction. I’m glad. I hate to see trees demolished.

Roundup was named Montana's Tree City for 2020. The city plants many trees each year. I applaud that effort. We had the city plant a tree for us this fall. They actually replanted a tree for us. A tree we paid for last year died. Not our fault. We think they made an error in planting it, so they replaced it for free. I love trees. They add oxygen to the atmosphere. They cool the earth. They can shade your yard and make it 10 degrees cooler under the leaves.

We all know this poem, or should:

Trees

BY JOYCE KILMER

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

You know you can count the apples in a tree. But only God can count the trees in an apple.

Think on that for awhile.

3 Like • Comment • View 5 comments

December 13, 2020 at 10:10pm

#1000199

We all Scream for Ice Cream!

13. National Ice Cream Day
What are your favorite flavors, weirdest flavor you've ever tried, or a flavor you would NEVER try!

‘Chopped’ on the Food network has the weirdest ice cream flavors sometimes for the contestants to work into their menus.

Sweet corn, bacon and eggs, green tea, ash, and garlic are some of the flavors I’ve seen made on the show. Ick is all I can say. I think some would be better as a sauce. Somehow the idea of a garlic ice cream just curdles my stomach.

The best ice cream product I’ve had recently was in North Dakota at a restaurant in Bismarck. It was vanilla gelato. Oh my was it good. I wish I could say they made it in-house. But no, the waitress didn’t know where it came from. Darn.

So, gelato or ice cream?
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gelato-vs-ice-cream

I don’t think I would ever eat an ice cream made from offal. Awful offal.
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/offal

Yep - anything made from entrails or internal organs is off my diet list.

But we make our own ice cream sometimes.

We have a little ice cream machine. We buy Lactaid milk, cream and use fresh farm eggs. It better than the best vanilla ice cream you can buy. Even then, I can only eat just a smidge. So, an occasional treat. If we are feeling especially daring, I’ll get out my ancient Hershey cookbook and make homemade fudge sauce.

But if we are feeling especially daring and evil, we will get out a homemade brownie, put on a scoop of homemade ice cream, cover it with that homemade chocolate fudge sauce, then some whipped cream, yes, real whipped cream. Not Cool Whip! Because you know Cool Whip is nothing more than whipped petroleum products and sugar. Factory made goodness. Hooray for science!

And then take something for the side effects. Those wonderful inventions that are Imodium and Pepto Bismol.

1 Like • Comment • View 3 comments

December 12, 2020 at 11:16pm

#1000141

Send me a Gift

12. Pointsettia Day
According to Mexican folklore, there is a story of a little poor girl who had nothing to bring to church for Christmas. On her way to church, she picked some plants by the side of the road. As she entered the church, the leaves at the tips of the branches turned into bright, brilliant red flowers. You guessed it... Poinsettias.
Write anything you like about Poinsettias.

I know Poinsettia are poison to your pets.

And you can get them to bloom again if you put them in a dark room. And they grow wild in a temperate climate. And they are very pretty. And they are usually in the front of church in December. That’s pretty much it.

So of course, I had to investigate this further. Because the uneducated mind is a terrible thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia

But the trick here in Montana if you buy a live plant around the Christmas holiday is getting it home. From store to car to house. Somewhere in the transfer it’ll get a blast of arctic air. So I just enjoy pictures of them. Unless someone wants to send me one. Is FTD still in business?

Message me. I’ll send you my address. I’ll send you a Christmas card.

1 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

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