Hold On

 It's the New Year and for some reason I am looking back instead of forward -- at least temporarily.  I am also thinking of things that I sort of miss from the past.  Plus ... I am wondering about things I used to find interesting when much younger.

Does the PA turnpike still have those ramps for run-away trucks? In all my growing up years of traveling that road, only one time did I ever see a truck stuck at the top of one of those ramps. What a thrill that must have been for that unfortunate truck driver.

Will I ever forget the hair and voice of Roseanne Roseannadanna or the sway and voice of Mamma Cass singing Monday, Monday with the "Mamas and the Papas"? (Where and Why in the world did they come up with that name for their group?) And... what about Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence?  Have you heard Disturbed's  rendition of it?  Amazing!  If you haven't, I suggest you Google or YouTube it. I suggest you close your eyes while you listen.

I have some vivid childhood memories ... and ... at the same time, I can still see my grown-up kids as children and wonder if I am actually remembering moments or revisiting photos caught in my head somewhere.

One other question running through my mind.  How is it that I have lived 76 years about 45 minutes from a Great Lake without ever knowing of weather that includes episodes of massive waves and seiche?   Seriously --  I swear I do not remember ever seeing or hearing the word seiche or the seeing photos of the  phenomenon of seiche and now recently seiche talk and photos have appeared twice within a few weeks.  Think about it - one side of a Great Lake recedes because of winds and causes twenty-five foot waves at another location????  This is nuts! I sort of wish I never heard of seiche.  I don't even like the way the word catches behind my front teeth when I say it,  and I am not sure that I am even pronouncing it correctly. Does it rhyme with quiche? Am I alone in this? Had you ever heard of this phenomenon? Please tell me no. 

Anyway -- years come and go.  Everything changes.  It's hard keeping up sometimes. No wonder we occasionally look back to things familiar... and cherish them.

Even holidays.   "... Times they are a-changin'" (Remember Bob Dylan?).   Once in awhile I speculate about this  change phenomenon.  I think it is what Time does to Living ... or.. is it what Living does to Time?

Hold on for the ride. Personally I am hopeful for 2026. It will be amazing to look back on this one.  I also think that you can look backward and forward almost at the same time.  I am doing that right now. Enough on that.  

Happy New Year!

Winter Has Officially Begun

 Winter has officially begun and to think I thought it had already started.  Why? Well -- perhaps subzero temperatures and four feet of snow may have had something to do with that idea as did the recurring phrase "Persistent Snow Band" complete with impressive maps on repetitive weather reports.  I even purchased a handy-dandy battery operated snow shovel (a Christmas present from me to me) that can blow snow twenty feet in any direction -- some of it even blows backward into your face if you are working against the wind.  Perhaps that is why protective googles are included in the purchase.  Perhaps I should have worn them. Anyway -- I had no doubt that it would be a White Christmas here.  Then... the weather took a bit of a turn.

There is still snow, but... Christmas without fresh snow?  Bummer.  The only snow around here really are the rather impressive remains of snow banks at the top of my driveway and a few inches of ground cover.  Drat.  I mean -- who doesn't enjoy waking up Christmas morning to find a lovely, white, fluffy covering of new snow to freshen things up a bit?

Every year I wonder what Christmas must be like for those who do not live in snow country.  I sort of feel bad for them. Then again that is not what Christmas is about.

Either way. Snow or no snow -- Merry Christmas to all!  

A Memory at Holiday Time

Once upon a time... over half a century ago... I was just about out of my parents' home for good when they bought a property that had been, in part, a Christmas tree farm, and a lot of the trees were still perfect or good enough for the holiday season -- even though they had not been trimmed for a while.  So...   my dad thought of the idea of putting an old mailbox and hanging a few tree cutting saws on the fence -- where someone looking for a  tree could put  - I think it was two dollars inside the box - grab a saw and head out into the pasture to find the perfect one -- on the honor system. It was so fun.  When I got home from school for the holidays, I would watch families come, grab a saw hanging next to the mailbox and head out into the pasture to cut a tree, drag it out through the snow, tie it on top of the car and head home to decorate -- to give the season a start with a fresh cut, wonderful smelling tree and more importantly -- a family together memory.  

It was also fun to go out to the mailbox at the end of the day and remove all the one dollar bills. There were a lot of them.  I think my Dad quietly donated the money to a local church that made it their mission to provide food to those who were on hard times.  My Dad could not stand the idea of children going hungry.  It made me wonder if his growing up years didn't have some going to bed hungry memories. After all, he grew up in the era of The Great Depression. The experiences of those times became a heavy, damp, and itchy cloak over entire generations that came to save everything from rubber bands  and "good" pieces of string to bread bags and old shoes -- just in case you might need them. (I still have that tendency - one that was instilled in me when I was very young.)  Anyway -- I also remember that my Dad told me one time about hooking up the team of work horses and driving the buckboard from the family farm into the village of Findley Lake, NY where he sold fresh produce to the city people who were there for the summer.  He showed me the one cottage where people from Erie, PA stayed every summer and mentioned that if it had not been for their generosity in hand-me-downs from their boys, he and his two brothers would not have had clothing or shoes to go to school the following year. Times were not easy.

We have come a long way in a generation or two.  Central heating,  indoor plumbing, enough food and clothing... a tractor to replace a team of horses.... When I think about memories like this one, I am deeply thankful for the life that my parents provided for me growing up and thankful that I could do so for my children as well.  At least I hope I did.  Any parent always wonders if he or she could have done better.  If my kids are any indication  --  we did well together.  They are the best...the absolute best ever. 

Merry Christmas everyone.  Count your Blessings.  Make some memories... the good kind... the kind that you can look back on and smile. Time goes by so quickly....

Note... 55 years ago the average cost of a live Christmas tree was between $12 and $15 unless you wanted a fancy Douglas Fir -- which sold for way more around here.  The current average cost of a live Christmas tree today is between $80 and $100. Further -- I now own most of what used to be that Christmas tree farm.  My Dad gave the land to me about 25 years ago now.  Almost all the Christmas trees were long gone by then. I did have to have 33 huge and sickly pines cut in order have a lawn in front the home I had built in 2001. Maybe they were the last of the Christmas trees -- all grown up by then and on their way out. End of an era tree wise. Then again -- I noticed just the other day that there are two small Scotch pines growing now near the pond in the pasture behind my home.  I am not going to cut them down - ever. I so hope that whatever the combination of insects and fungal blights that killed all the other large pines around here doesn't find them. Anyway -- i am thinking of them as the pasture's Christmas trees -- both of them...a double bonus. 

 Again... Merry Christmas ....🎄

Message to Me at Holiday Time...

What's up with the generation gap?  Does it still exist?  It used to be a big deal back in the 60's.  Are we two generations away from that now?  Or ... is the generation gap just a thing that always is there between one generation and another? There are a lot of questions for which I simply do not have an answer.  

A couple of weeks ago, I asked my brilliant granddaughter for advice on a tricky and awkward situation.  She laughed out loud at the mere thought that I was asking her, an almost 15 year old for advice, but... I was most serious.  Not only is she smart, but she is also an old soul, if you know what I mean, and her advice was not only smart -- it was hysterically funny.  I will go to her again if need be. Her "take on things" and  laughter are a constant joy to me.

Anyway -- the exchange got me to thinking about gaps between generations. I am certain that some are unavoidable but others can be avoided -- at least I hope so. I am trying.  First -- let me be clear on this.  My kids and grandkids are great with me.  I can always ask them who some "famous" person is, or what something means and they are excellent and kind in the way they bring me up to date. That is just one of the things that I love about them.  I sometimes have a hard time keeping up with this world ... maybe because I don't always pay attention. Having said that ...The following is what I tell myself, or try to remember to tell myself, when interacting with my kids and grandkids or people of their ages... when trying to bridge the gap... if there is one.  Message to me...

• First and foremost is listen. Be curious. There is a lot that you don't know. This goes along with always remember that you don't know everything and it may even be fun to learn a few new things. I am getting old.  So what?  It could be just the latest adventure. I so want to be good at it. 
• Don't offer advice unless asked and even then be very careful. Be curious rather than judgmental.  Today's world is a whole lot different than it used to be. Some things never change ... but a lot of things do. 
• Be positive even if you are cranky or ache somewhere.  Don't overshare physical challenges or health complaints. I know you know what I mean when I say that.  A wise person once said -- "You are responsible for the energy you bring into a room." Who was that who said that? I would like to invite them over for coffee.  We could laugh about "stuff".
• Try not to be an obstacle. Be aware of others' space.  i.e. Don't stop suddenly in front of other people or block the way just because you need to put your boots on or are doing something like trying not to fall down.  Figure it out.
• Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. You do funny things even when you don't mean to. If you laugh first, it takes the pressure off of others who find you amusing for whatever reason.  Laughter is good medicine.
• Don't act helpless just because you feel lazy.  It's annoying to busy people and it's dangerous to surrender your independence even in small ways. It could become a habit and it's not good for you.
• Remember that it's totally okay to take a nap once in a while -- no matter how old you are.  Even young people need a nap now and then.  A perk of naps is also that they are a remedy for cranky.  Cranky is not a good thing. It is especially nasty in older people who should know better.
• Take some pride in your appearance.  No one wants to look at or be around an unkempt person in clothes that they may or may not have slept in.
• And finally... I often tell myself -- because I sometimes enjoy being dramatic -- remember my wonderful Mom's advice to never, ever make old lady noises, like moans and groans, when you are trying to get into a pickup truck or out of a chair. It's not necessary and uses up energy that could be put to better use.  

Anyway -- these are the things I tell myself or try to remember to tell myself.  It keeps me going.... I think that trying counts. Writing them all down helps me to remember. 😊 The holidays are here and I want to do a good job of it.  

Meh ...

 When I think about social media -- Facebook, Twitchy, TikTok, X, etc.,  my reaction is sort of summed up in the word Meh... a word I learned on social media, by the way.  It is a word that always makes me smile (in my head) when I read it.  I have never even heard anyone use it in conversation.  I am not even sure how to pronounce it.  Meh.

Along with this M word is another M word -- the word Meme.  I have come to relish meme time ... and reels... but today the focus is memes.  I don't know why they are called that and apparently the term has been around since the mid 1970's, but I fell in love with them as my son began to text more and more of them over time and they always make me laugh -- sometimes out loud when alone.  Now that (the laughing out loud when alone) proves they are or can be funny; right?  Anyway -- I have come to the conclusion that Memes are one of the best parts of social media - perhaps second only to keeping up with family and friends...

The other day I encountered a meme that caught me off guard.  Unfortunately I had just taken a large swig of coffee when I ran across it on Facebook during that particular morning's browsing. Facebook is often the source of funny memes -- in my humble opinion. I sometimes take a photo of them to text later on to family and friends -- or just to look at later for fun.  Anyway --  I follow The Laughing Librarian because I appreciate his/her sense of humor. This particular day The LL was sharing this "WordNerd" meme that included this little known fact in a list of little known facts:

            "The word 'testify' (is) derived from a time when men were required to swear                 on their testicles."

Fun Fact.  I can't help but wonder ...   perhaps if men still had to swear on their testicles, if there would be less lying among politicians or in general.  That might be worth bringing back.  That is my thought for the day.   For what it is worth... meh....

Seriously ... Thanks for putting up with me.  Now it is time, perhaps, to start thinking about Christmas....

Heart Hugs

  

Some things are worth repeating   ...   Happy Thanksgiving!

                                 Heart Hugs 08/19/2021

Recently my granddaughter was helping me go through a bunch of photos and papers in preparation for having to move a ton of stuff so some new carpeting can be laid. She ran across some old blogs of mine and promptly cuddled down into the big reading chair in my “Book Room” to read them.  The first one that caught her eye was the one I wrote in 2015 about her dog.  It is entitled “I call her the Lovely Luna”, and she laughed out loud as she read my description of Luna rolling in bear meadow muffins while pasture prancing.  Then there was “Stranger on the Porch” in which her Uncle Garrett was featured as the hero who came to my back porch with his blow gun to try to dispatch a rabid fox.  Anyway – as I glanced back through those old blogs, I was struck by how light hearted most of them are/were.  They were pre-damncovid and pre-political unrest of great magnitude and before times of a world struggling perhaps more that ever before with all kinds of concerns.  I realized that, as I reread them, I was beginning to think in terms of the good olde days and yet -- they were really just a little while ago really.

There was “Klutz Factor” and “Klutz Factor Revisited’, “There an app for that….”, and “Presbyterian Bunnies”.  “I Cry at the Parades” was about how much I love small town America. I wrote about Tee-shirts decorated with fun sayings and about unsuccessful attempts at home repair. I wrote about upcoming elections, even including a memo that I sent to Donald Trump a year prior to the 2016 election.  I wrote about “Tchotchkes and Other Assorted Treasures”, “Scammed! Not a good feeling”, and “Mouse in the House!”.  And … I wrote about “Ladies Who Lunch” which was about my sister and her lovely friends sharing lunch with me when I was visiting in 2016.

So many….  As I was looking through them, the one that struck me the most though was “Heart Hugs” – so much so that I am going to repeat it today.  If you need to, in these days of social distancing -- you can think of these hugs as mental “air hugs”, those symbolic hugs of the damncovid times.  So – here it is – first published on 10/15/2015.  Who couldn’t use a good hug these days? Some things are worth repeating.

We go back in time together....

 I had a wonderful friend who gave what he called heart hugs.  They were the kind of hugs where you wrapped your arms around each other and pressed your hearts together.  They were indescribably wonderful.  He, being much taller than I, sometimes made these hugs hard to manage, but if I could find a step to stand on, they were perfect.  I miss him. 

Recently on Facebook someone shared a copyrighted “Photo” that made me remember these hugs.  It was a scene of Charlie Brown and Snoopy hugging.  The words? “I love the kind of hugs where you can physically feel the sadness leaving.”  I think the source was something like “You are My O2”.  It was sort of hard to see. Anyway – that is the best definition of a heart hug that I could ever imagine.  Perfect…

A wise woman once shared with me that she never passed up a hug.  She was one smart lady as she was definitely a hugger and thrived on them.  Not all people are huggers through.  I think hugging may be a learned behavior and some families are just not into it.  I am from a hugging family and sometimes I am not into it.  I get it.

Hugs are healthy in general.  Not all may be heart hugs, but all hugs are a good thing… even the ones that send your glasses flying.  I have taught my grandchildren the heart hug. Some things are worth passing on from generation to generation.   I consider it a gift from my friend to them.  They never had a chance to meet him.  I think, as he did, that it is important to share the good things, the best things about people who have passed through your life, whose lives have been a blessing.  It’s a poignant kind of immortality – if the best that was them continues on.

Heart hugs all around.

What I Learned from People Magazine

I think it was the first week of November that I received a People magazine in the mail.  It was one of those trapped in a plastic wrapper with an enclosed envelope that contained all the info on how one could subscribe.  I confess that I threw out the envelope part.  Magazines are wasted on me -- I subscribe and then never read them and wonder why I subscribed in the first place.  Anyway ... 

Diane Keaton was on the cover (I am going to miss her),  and I wanted to read the article about her, so I saved the mag and just got to it this morning. While looking through page by page I discovered some interesting things.  One is that I have no idea of who the "stars" of today are and surprising to me -- the stars of my generation are now old.  I sort of wanted them to stay the same age forever I guess.  It was shocking really -- I picture them in my head as they looked years ago and am, for some reason. surprised that they got older too.   I do know better than that but .... Then again ... I am still a fan of black and white movies.  No apologies.

Seriously -- Fonzie celebrated his 80th birthday the day before Halloween.  Richard Gere is my age and looks it ...  and ... Tiger Woods is almost 50.  Clint Eastwood has a daughter who is in her thirties and Paul Newman's daughter is just four years younger than I am.   John Lodge of the Moody Blues passed away recently at the age of 82. I know that time moves on, but guess I didn't think it was the same for everyone --    I mean -- I can still see Timmy and Lassie in my mind -- clear as day.

One more confession.  I would not recognize Taylor Swift, Sarah McLachlan, or Jennifer Lopez if I stood behind them at the Grocery Store on a slow checkout day, but if I close my eyes, I can see Janis Joplin perfectly --  and hear her voice.  The passage of time is weird.

One other thing I noticed is that I don't care a lot about certain current events that People obviously deems to be important.  Apparently someone named Katy Perry is making out on her yacht with Justin Trudeau (him I have heard about), and ... Brad Pitt, a graying 61, is living with someone who is 35. The story of Kathy Griffin is still sad and continues to be no matter how funny she thinks she is. I don't want to read about her any more.

Does any of this seem strange to others of my vintage? 

Guess that's all for now. I have had enough of People magazine for a while and again -- I am going to miss Diane Keaton ....