Derp

 I am a septuagenarian (over half way through that decade now), and I know how to do a lot of things.  I cook, clean, drive, write, read, mend, crochet, knit, do some lawn chores, saw small branches and ... fight with technology and keeping up with things.  All in all - I think I do a pretty fair job of it.   So... needless to say when I found it difficult to figure out how to plug and unplug the extension cord that I was using for my Christmas tree, I was flummoxed and somewhat appalled really. The things we do for holidays.

The thing is, I had complicated the situation by thinking that the only place for it to plug into was a power bar on the floor under my desk.  The choice of location was the issue - or at least that is what I tell myself. 

Getting the extension cord to reach that spot was no problem.  Neither was getting to the floor.  It was the reaching the power bar that was the main problem and I immediately regretted my initial decision when I realized that I am not nearly as limber as I had thought.  I mean I knew the getting back up might be a challenge, but I had not anticipated the under the desk floor maneuvering would be so difficult.  I am just thankful that no one was there to make a video of the process.

Anyway -- I managed to move the foot massager that has a permanent home under my desk with no problem and then dragged myself closer to the power bar only to find that every plug had to be moved to make room for the extension cord thingy. I mean try to do that when you are holding yourself up on your elbows and bumping your head on the underside of a desk. Plus it is difficult to see what you are doing! After much struggle and coming to the conclusion that not all plugs fit right, I realized that I would have to do this process again every Christmas season.  No  -- not going to do that ... so I reversed the process only to discover/remember that the chair I was counting on to help me get back up swivels -- freely and easily because of the WD 40 "thing".  I know. right? 

I made it eventually and as I sat in that chair sweating and wondering if I had pulled every single muscle in my body, I rethought the whole idea and wished I had run through the whole process in my head before I even began.  I am too old for this foolishness. I do find it sort of amusing though and realize that I may/probably, in fact, do the same thing again. It's not too hard to laugh at myself. Further -- I don't think I am alone in this sort of thing.  I also find that possibility amusing and sort of nice really.  It's a special club.     Derp!

Blast From The Past

Recently I ran across a story slide show written by Barrie Davenport entitled 12 Things Boomers Learned In School That Are Totally Irrelevant Today.  Of course I was intrigued. He offered wonderful descriptions, but I will just offer you the basics as I am certain that you have your own memories of every item on the list.  I will put my own thoughts/memories in parentheses next to each item. Please feel free to share yours if you are so inclined.  Would love to hear from you.

1. Cursive (Use your whole arm, not just your fingers.  Make those ovals -- round, and round. I can hear the teacher's voice in my head.)
2. How to use a slide rule (I cried more over math issues than I did about boys when I was in school.  Still cannot do anything with 9's. Failed slide rule. The mere thought of one still gives me the heebie-jeebies.)
3. Typing on a Typewriter (Wish computers were available when I was in school or a young teacher -- although -- it helps develop patience when one has to retype an entire page to get rid of one error.)
4. Diagramming sentences (no comment, but I think I still know how to do this. I know someone who actually likes/liked doing diagramming. We are friends in spite of this.)
5. Home Economics (no comment - other than I also know a person who still uses individual envelopes for budgeting -- not the same person who likes diagramming sentences.)
6. Memorizing State Capitals (I still try to recall them once in a while. I cannot, but my grandkids area able to fill in the blanks.)
7. Balancing a checkbook (I am still compulsive about doing this.  Not sure I understand why.)
8. Spelling Bee (I was always impressed with people who could spell.  Still am. I am not a good speller, but am a whiz with spell check.)
9. Dewey Decimal System (I loved the little wooden card holding drawers.)
10. Reciting poetry by heart. (I can still recite most of "Little Orphant Annie" that I learned in 5th grade.  I used to recite it to my grandkids when they were wee ones.)
11. Mastering penmanship (Never did learn that.)
12. Preparing for nuclear war drills (I never did understand how crawling under a desk or crouching in a hallway with a book over your head would do the trick.)

Shared memories for sure.  

Ah ... the Memories

I know that you already know what I am about to write, but just want to share a couple of ideas with you so you know that we are together in this.  Companionship is sometimes a very good thing... especially on a cold winter's day when few are moving about and a short day seems long.  So .. here we go....

From time to time I enjoy looking through a small basket of my favorite photos.  I have a couple of these baskets in my home. I also have boxes full of photographs and even a few albums from before I realized that I didn't have to put everything in chronological order.  I am just not an album person, I guess, but I do admire those who are.  I do print out photos from my phone.  Not a fan of digital. I just like holding photos (and books) in my hands. I am , after all, a old-fashioned Boomer. Anyway - I was looking through one such basket the other day and saw photos of me laughing with old friends and realized that I had laughed with them perhaps more than with anyone else in my life - other than family, of course. The memories were so good.  Some of these friends have passed on and others I have not seen in a long time and may never see again.  I just hope that if they run across old photos they also will relive the fun times in their minds and smile. There comes a time when memories are all you have of someone. At this stage of the game, we all know that.  It's nice to hang on to the good ones.

The other idea, and along similar lines, is that situation when you have a question that no one can answer because anyone who might know the answer is gone.  It's a part of it all really, but is underlined when you become a part of the oldest generation of a family. You remember some of the story, but need to fill in the details or confirm something...and you cannot. So frustrating.

All that being said...    things you already know  ....

In my humble opinion -- that is why old photos and personal journals and writings in general area very good thing.  Just sayin'. 

Happy 2025!  Wishing you a lot more good memories...   Maybe take pictures to capture the moment -- and write them down....

off like a herd of turtles

Christmas flew in and out in record speed, and as the old saying goes: "It's the start of a brand new day, and I'm off like a herd of turtles." Went to bed last evening wondering, once again, how all that anticipation, preparation, and excitement can come and be gone so quickly.  Now on to the New Year.   2025 Here we go....

I will spend the rest of this week and perhaps even the first part of next finishing off leftovers, undecorating my house and getting everything ready to begin anew on January 1st with a clean and organized home.  It's a fresh start -- a new beginning that comes once every year.  Sort of nice, isn't it?  Then comes Spring and another chance to start anew. Double bonus.

Never one for New Year's resolutions, I do plan on on a couple of things.  I want to concentrate on mindfulness -- even of the "small" things... and also on personal growth... both of these in conjunction with quality time with family and friends.  I think it is a good plan.   Doable.  Doable is a good thing. Doable is much preferable over "impossible to accomplish" ... or "doomed to failure".  I believe in starting off with the positive.  "I can do this." Fingers crossed. 

Wishing you a Blessed New Year!

Yikes!

Recently I watched Psycho on Turner Classic Movies.  Remember what a stunner it was when first released? Good olde Alfred Hitchcock. Guess I have become numb to the horrors of the possibility of getting stabbed in the shower. I found it to be a captivating and relatively calm movie by today’s standards or lack thereof. I also found it rather amazing that the only two things I remembered about that movie were the shower scene and the one in which the rocking chair spins around and Norman Bates' mother is revealed in all her skeletal glory.  As for the rest -- it was like I was watching it for the first time.  Now I am wondering if Wait Until Dark is still as terrifying. One blind woman against three sadistic men who terrorize her and anyone watching the movie.  As for Deliverance ... the terror lives on a bit.  I still have a problem with banjo music.

To think that I spent years peering through the shower curtain while I showered and disliking to drive through the forests of southern states.  The transformation is astounding when I think about it. Nowadays it is people in hockey masks that scare me in a startling way... or .. anything that even smacks of the opening music of Jaws.  Actually my first encounter with Jaws was the book, and as I sat reading it in my back yard, I picked my feet up off the ground and looked around for fins.  Later on that summer when at Rye beach in New Hampshire, I didn't go into the ocean more than knee deep and even that was scary.  

Obviously, it's been a long time since I have been to a scary movie. Further --  I am totally out of my Stephen King phase - books or movies. It's more than the fact that he is now just way too woke for me. Guess I am at that point where I am no longer in the mood to be terrified.  The real world is sometimes scary enough.  Just watching the news can put me on edge. That's why I frequently go on "news blackouts".  I figure at my stage of the game, I am an easy target in way too many situations. The mere thought of walking through a parking lot to get to my car sometimes makes me sweat.  This nana no longer runs. 

The thing is -- I have not given up hope that things will be better after January 20th... Inauguration Day ... in case you have forgotten.  Things are already better.  I feel like the world is already a safer place than it has been for the past four years. One can feel the sigh of relief. I think of it as the great exhale. Then comes the fresh air. I think that I may even watch the news again -- at some point -- maybe.  

'Tis the season...

Tomorrow my son and daughter-in-law arrive for a long weekend. They are traveling from west of Indianapolis.  Call it Thankmas or Christgiving.  Either way -- good family time together. Just hope the weather cooperates and makes an easy trip for them.  My daughter and her family will be spending time here as well. I think I am ready with preparations, but most importantly -- I am ready for family together time. Trust me -- there is never a dull moment when we are together.  So fun! Time together -- best gift ever.

The tree is up. The food has been planned. The fridge is full. Presents wrapped.  Christmas CD's ready to pop into the olde Bose.  Life is good.  We will celebrate two holidays and then each celebrate Christmas once again in a couple of weeks. Bonus. Actually in my family, as I was growing up, Christmas was always celebrated early -- on Christmas Eve.  Santa even came early.  He had a lot of places to be. Had to start early. No problemo. I have carried on the Christmas Eve tradition.  It makes Christmas Day less chaotic somehow.  Anyway ...   

It doesn't matter a bit to me what day we celebrate.  It is the time together that counts. I am blessed to have time with my loved ones. I don't take it for granted; that's for sure.  Thankful here. 

To others celebrating early -- Merry Christmas whenever!  Ho... Ho... Ho...  'Tis the season....

Moving on now....

Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror for this year and the Christmas season in barreling in.  Unfortunately some people are having still having a hard time with their unhappiness at election results here in the United States. It's remains, in some cases, a family and friend problem. What a waste of potential good family and friend together time.  If you aren't happy yet, you need to get on board. It may be a matter of perspective that you need to reevaluate or put on the proper shelf. Whatever. Fix it. Don't let another holiday pass without your family and friends-- even those with whom you may have differences of opinion.  Seriously. Talk about something else other than your unhappiness.  We all have our struggles. Hopefully it is as simple as that. It may not be, but trying counts.

The whole situation reminds me of the story of the Cherokee grandfather and the wolf.  I was reminded of this by a "dear friend/sister-cousin" who is often a source of inspiration when it comes to ideas for this blog. She was reminded of the story when it appeared in a Louise Penny novel. Recently I saw it on a Yellowstone rerun as well. It shows up here and there and everywhere these days.  Probably most of you have heard this story from one source or another, but some things are worth a "relook" once in a while ... especially when confronted by the challenges and struggles of living.

The story goes like this: 

"One evening, an elderly Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside each of us.

He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”

“The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, ''The one that you feed.'”

                               (quote from online site:  mindful FAMILY MEDICINE)

Moving on now....