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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

May 11, 2021 at 10:54am

#1010015

Marching to the Beat of My Own Drum

PROMPT May 11th

What was cool when you were young but isn’t cool now? Is there anything that has become cool in recent years that wasn’t cool in your youth?

I wasn’t one of the “cool” kids. I didn’t like what others liked, and I guess took a certain pride in that. My clothes weren’t trendy, the music I liked was classical or jazz, and I would rather stay in my room reading than be out and about in a car cruising mindlessly. So don’t ask me what was cool. I was out of the loop, living in my own little safe world.

And now, how will I know what is popular if I wasn’t aware when I was fifty years younger? I just decided in the past few years what I am comfortable wearing and doing.

Ask my sister. She was the “cool” one.

Queen NormaJean II GreenEyes

2 Like • Comment • View 3 comments

May 10, 2021 at 11:27am

#1009971

All is Calm on the Western Front

PROMPT May 10th

Think back to a time when you felt completely calm. What made you feel that way?

At this specific time and place in my history, I feel completely calm. This very second, minute, hour, day, month, year, century, millennium. But it could change in a second. I do know that my life could be changed in a blink.

I could get a phone call from my sister. Or my daughter. Or my son. Or my brother. Or my hubby could get a phone call from his brother.

There could be an e-mail that rocks our world and sends us scurrying about to find a hand-hold.

Maybe Will the mail carrier will bring a letter that gives us a start.

But at this very millisecond, I feel calm. God has His arms about me. Just like a big bear. I am snuggled up beside the warm fur, hearing a heartbeat. He reassures me that all is well. I am safe. I am loved. I am taken care of. I have nothing to worry about.

But if something happens to upset my world, He will help. I have that assurance.

2 Like • Comment • View 5 comments

May 9, 2021 at 7:46pm

#1009930

Funniest Word? Is that a Jeopardy Question?

PROMPT May 9th

Write about language - What languages do you wish you could speak? What’s the most pleasant sounding accent? What’s the funniest word in the English language (or your native language)?

I think Americans are at a disadvantage. We should be required to learn at least one other language. Probably Spanish since we have a big Latino population. But French would also be a good choice. The character languages like Arabic or Chinese are scary for me. Perhaps they are easy to learn, but I’m a little leery of them.

There was a guest one year at the motel in Gardiner from Northern Scotland. He had a thick accent, and he stayed for at least a week. I felt bad asking him to repeat himself so often. I was just getting his accent when he left. But that brogue was so interesting, so melodious.

The funniest word? Hmm. Not a clue about that question. But I'll probably think of one as soon as I read everyone else's posting.

2 Like • Comment • View 2 comments

May 8, 2021 at 12:29pm

#1009870

Soaring with the Birds

PROMPT May 8th

Write about your favorite outdoor activities to do in the summer. Are there any activities you haven’t done that you want to try?

I like to go walking in the woods. Hiking if you wish to call it that. I used to like to go backpacking. Unfortunately, our old bones no longer take kindly to sleeping on wafer-thin sleeping pads on rocky ground. So tent camping is out.

We still like to go hiking. So we now take day packs. Enough in our packs just for a small hike.

I also like to watch birds. I took a bird course once in college. That was interesting. There is a man in church who is an amazing birder. Top of his game. I can never, ever, identify birds as he does.

Another skill I would like to learn is flying. That ties in with birds. I always wanted to learn to fly an airplane. The sheer thrill of being up in the air with wings has always intrigued me. In the Musselshell County Historical Museum, we have a full-size, albeit small, airplane. This plane was built from a kit by a thirteen-year-old boy back in the 1920’s, I believe. I would have to go look it up, but the museum is closed as I type this. Anyway, it is a Pietenpol model, restored, and stored in an airplane hangar built for the airplane. Interesting story.

https://www.facebook.com/MusselshellValleyHistoricalMuseum

This young man built the airplane and flew it one time. At night, over Main Street in Roundup, at a time when the sheriff was sleeping. He then grew up to become an aeronautical engineer and pilot.

So never quench the interest and imagination of children. Give them free rein to go in any direction they wish to explore. Perhaps your son or daughter wishes to build an airplane in the garage. Move out the car and let them go.

1 Like • Comment • View 3 comments

May 7, 2021 at 1:05pm

#1009832

To Sleep - Perchance to Dream

PROMPT May 7th

In your entry today, write about dreams. Do you dream often, or do you rarely remember your dreams? What is the strangest or most memorable dream you have ever had?

I do dream. But rarely remember them.

I do know that you dream in REM sleep. Rapid Eye Movement sleep. One has at least five levels of sleep. Level five is REM. And not having dreams can mean not getting decent sleep. At least that is my non-medical theory.

I found this interesting article.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284378#causes

It renewed my knowledge. As we know, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. When I had my sleep study done last year, I was reassured my sleep was normal. So I guess I did spend some time in each of the levels mentioned in the article.

Nightmares, now those are no more than scary dreams. A living nightmare is coming up soon for me. I’ve seen two grasshoppers. Lord have mercy. It’s too early for them! I had hoped our -30° nights had killed them. But perhaps we needed more than a night or two. We needed a winter like Montana had in 1886-87. The temperatures plummeted below zero around Christmas that year. -37° for days on end. It started storming and didn’t let up for at least a month. Thousands of free range cattle perished. It was said there were no potatoes to be had anywhere, flour was $7 a sack, green wood was $20 a cord: that’s wood that won’t burn. Annual wages back in Ohio in that era were about $100-200.

My rants about those evil hoppers was all over WDC last year. We did buy some poison bait. The battle plans are being drawn. Soon we’ll deploy chemical warfare.

So, Hoppers V2. Coming soon to the internet.

Queen NormaJean II GreenEyes

2 Like • Comment • View 6 comments

May 6, 2021 at 11:18am

#1009760

Day of Prayers

PROMPT May 6th

Write about a community service or volunteer experience you’ve had in your life that made an impact on you.

When we lived in Gardiner, we often went to the Food Bank. Sometimes we took food to the folks there. That was usually in the summer when we were working. We didn’t have time to volunteer in the summer. In the winter when we had no job, we took food from the Food Bank. I always wanted to volunteer there, but they claimed they didn’t need help in the winter. I did volunteer at the small library in Gardiner once a month.

Once we moved to Roundup we went to the RSVP office to offer our services as volunteers. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program recruits people of a certain age to volunteer at locations all over town. We volunteer at council on aging and deliver ‘Meal on Wheels’, we sit at the museum and help visitors. We also sit on the RSVP advisory board to help them with programs and their ongoing vision. From that initial contact, we have met many wonderful people in town.

I feel we have repaid our debt and beyond. I will continue to volunteer as long as I can. My husband has backed off a bit in his commitments, but I continue to volunteer as often as I can.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Recently the Mayor of Roundup approached me to take over the management of the city’s celebration. I graciously accepted her invitation and organized an ecumenical committee of friends to help. Another opportunity to volunteer and help my adopted community had presented itself. I had no direction of what to do, and no previous years’ history to work with. So, creative person that I am, I jumped in with both feet and did my best. I used the talent God gave me and we made it work. Now God and His angels will do the rest.

2 Like • Comment • View 4 comments

May 5, 2021 at 10:48am

#1009702

A Long Haul

PROMPT May 5th

If your job gave you a surprise seven-day paid break to rest and recuperate, what would you do with those seven days?

What fun would that be! Wait, I don’t have a job. I am on a permanent paid break. It’s called retirement. I can leave anytime. I can go anywhere I like. We don’t have a dog now, so we don’t have to worry about a dog sitter, or taking her with us.

There’s just one catch, money. Oh, that’s right, someone just gave everyone a boatload of money. So I guess I really have no excuses. We have time, we have extra money, we have no children, no pets.

How did I know a few weeks ago that I was living that dream? Hubby and I went on a seven-day plus paid break. We drove to Ohio, he drove to Virginia and back to Ohio, spent a week, then we drove back to Montana. I spent a week with my aged mother. I visited with family, hubby visited with his children and grandchildren. After that week we drove back home.

We found that people across the Mississippi are a bit more scared than those in the west. Life in Montana was missed. We did enjoy the milder weather and the green grass and trees, but it was nice to be back home.

It was said that soldiers that had the R&R during the Viet Nam war (my husband at the time and I did that) were more likely to be killed when they returned to combat. They’d lost their edge. They let down their guard just a little during that week of rest and recuperation. As well-meaning as the military was to give us that week together, it put soldiers at a higher risk when they returned to duty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%26R_(military)

Why do I mention that? I think when you go on vacation, you relax, you get careless. You eat too much, you stay up later, you sleep in, you take naps. You drink too much, you bend the rules. You let down your guard a little. Then when you go back home, it’s like you have to recover from a hangover. Ugh.

And sure enough, when we got home, we were tired from driving. We got no sleep while visiting. We ate too much. As a result, both of us caught colds. The enemy attacked us. But after a few days of doing nothing, sleeping the normal cycle and eating our normal diet, we’re back to normal.

Our takeway? Paid vacations are fun but I don’t think we’re cut out to be long-haul truckers.

Queen NormaJean II GreenEyes

5 Like • Comment • View 4 comments

May 4, 2021 at 12:49pm

#1009645

Curl up with a good book and a cupcake!

PROMPT May 4th

May the Fourth Be With You!

Write about a movie franchise or book series that you love.

I love the ‘Great British Baking Show’. I know that is not a movie franchise. But I do so love to watch the baking and creating. Plus the English countryside is wonderful. The way the amateurs create wonderful baked beauties makes me want to go play in the kitchen with butter, flour and eggs. And they do it for the glory, not a monetary prize. You can find replay of the shows here:
https://www.watchnow.com/show/the-great-british-baking-show

Remember the Pillsbury Bake-Off contests? Those were big in the past. So as I checked to see if that Pillsbury contest was still a thing, I found something they are doing that is wonderful:
https://www.pillsbury.com/about-us/operation-homefront

As for books, I stated before I like C.J. Box. His Joe Pickett series is good. Joe Pickett, the character, is down-to-earth, a family man, and totally human with the concerns and foibles of a real person. I love the way the author has written him and his fictional family. Start at the beginning, ‘Open Season’, from 2001. The current one, ‘Dark Sky’, has just been released. I hope to get it soon. Perhaps at Barnes and Noble the next time I’m in Billings. Or Amazon. My daughter works for Amazon. So throwing a little bone their way keeps her employed.
https://cjboxbooklist.com/c-j-box-books-in-order

His other books are good also. There is one, ‘The Highway’, that has recently been on TV. Perhaps you saw ‘Big Sky’? Now that one was dark and sinister. The heroine, Cassie Dewell, and her partner try to solve a murder and get involved in a dark web of intrigue. It takes place in Montana, whereas the Joe Pickett series of books usually take place in Wyoming. It’s fun to see local places referenced, even if the TV series is filmed in Canada.

Perhaps this afternoon I will sit on my porch swing, eat a cupcake, and read a book. If it's not snowing that is.

4 Like • Comment • View 6 comments

May 3, 2021 at 2:04pm

#1009583

The Weekend Review

PROMPT May 3rd

What was the best thing that happened in your life over the weekend? Looking at the week ahead, what are your goals and how will you motivate yourself to achieve them?

The best thing was a message from darling granddaughter that her senior pictures were in. She’ll be mailing me some. I can’t wait to see them. She, Jade, is such a dear soul.

One nice thing that happened in my life was rest. I caught a sinus infection from hubby so I made myself stay home and do nothing. I guess I really needed to do just that. Nothing. I read, napped, did some computer work.

Another good thing was some rain. This part of Montana is usually dry, but this past winter was exceptionally so. I think a friend of mine posted we got about 1/2 inch of moisture, rain or snow, in the past few months. So folks, looking forward, we need to get some rain, snow, some kind of wet so that when it gets hot and dry we won’t have fire danger.

That rain we got helped water a tree we planted, a lilac bush, and some grass seed. Perfect timing. And it saved us a bit on our water bill.

Thank you, God, for your many blessings. In the week ahead, I see several appointments on my calendar. I pray I will be able to keep them all, the good Lord willing.

5 Like • Comment • View 10 comments

May 2, 2021 at 12:30pm

#1009535

Tiny House

PROMPT May 2nd

What smell or sounds brings back great memories of your childhood?

Well, a not-so-great memory is of the small bedroom I shared with my sister. It was at the end of a very short hallway from the living room in our small home. Eight hundred square feet for the five of us. It just got relisted for sale. I had to look at the house again on Realtor.com.

At night as I tried to get to sleep, darling sister would lie in bed and fret about noise coming from the living room.

TV noise, father smoking. Talking. Eating. You name it. She was insistent that all be quiet.

So she would yell and yell. Night after night.

“Shut up! Be quiet!”

Mercy sakes. Ever try sleeping with that every night?

She is still that way today. Sleeps with a white-noise fan. Wanders the house for a stray noise.

“What are you doing up? Why are you awake?”

That greeted me one time when I was staying at her house.

“Um. Going to the bathroom?”

Mumbles and grumbles as she went back to her bedroom.

I got to thinking, why didn’t my parents ever chastise her? Stop the cycle. But back then, you didn’t tell parents what to do.

Happier memories were of playing in my uncle’s pool. He lived just two doors down. Riding my bike up to Connie's house to play, we always tried to build a treehouse in the summer. Or in the winter skating on the pond across the street if it was cold enough to freeze over. And if there was enough snow, down the street was a great sledding hill. You got extra points if your sled made it all the way to the creek and you could avoid the pine trees in your way.

Seems that my happy memories were of being outside. Escaping the tiny house.

Queen NormaJean II GreenEyes

4 Like • Comment • View 2 comments

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