Christmas Countdown Begins!

 12/1/2020

Today, for some people, they begin to think about gifts. Me? Practically done. I say practically because I have several lists on Amazon. Each day I go over those lists and contemplate whether to pull the trigger or delete the item. These are executive decisions! And, one that I don't take lightly.

There was something on the news yesterday, about delays in getting packages. The large carriers are being used to ship the much needed vaccines. On doing this, I understand. It's been a dreadful year, and people, including Jeff and I, are anxious to be vaccinated. 

Here's what Dr. Faucci (sp?) says:

"But I would recommend to people to not abandon all public health measures just because you have been vaccinated.” Those fundamentals include: universal wearing of masks, maintaining physical distance, avoiding large crowds, doing more outdoor activities and washing hands frequently. And, that these measures will likely last “for much of 2021.” This is not the news that people wanted to hear. Myself included.

I heard on the news yesterday, that some of the planes carrying packages, may be used to carry vaccines. At the moment, vaccines should take priority, since most of us are ready and willing to be vaccinated.

Thinking about this, I feel an urgency to get things ordered from Amazon now, just in case my packages won't arrive on time.

It's likely that I won't be able to finish all of my latch hook kits in time. So, a picture will have to do.

Already, the shelves in stores, have a lot of empty spaces. There is a run on all things Christmas. Looking for ornament hooks, took some time for Jeff to find them. I now have everything I need to decorate our little tree, but so far, it has been put on the back burner. I have other things that need my attention first. And, please don't ask me what those priority jobs are, because I try to avoid thinking about them. Perhaps, if I don't think about them, they'll magically go away!! I wish.

Jeff and I have an ongoing conversation, which we have every year, about whether it's cool or cold outside. I think it's already cold, but Jeff thinks the temperature is merely cool. 

I think that's all the news I had swirling around in my head.

Please be safe, particularly when you go outside.

P

Back To Work

 11/30/2020

Happy, gloomy weather from Maryland. And, since the Thanksgiving holiday is past, you and I, are all at work today.

Jeff made Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us. It was excellent. We had just the right amount of food for the two of us. Plus, we have "tovers" for two days. I think today that Jeff is going to take the last bits of turkey, into a vegetable soup for dinner. I know from past soups/stews that he makes, it will be delicious. And, it's the perfect day for soup!

We watched movies on Thursday and Friday. Chores be damned. Of course, those chores can only be held of so long. I think I'd better get to the laundry today, if nothing else.

Sunday, we did the usual shopping. I had been given a new prescription for glasses. First stop at Costco, was to order new glasses. Now, that the ugly spot on my face is almost gone, I opted for a pair of glasses, without a frame on the bottom. 

We did minimal shopping at Costco. Just grabbed a few thinks that Jeff likes for lunch. We spent so little money, that I thought we might be arrested!

Then on to WalMart, which was filled with shoppers. I needed a few Christmas things, like ornament hangers, being one. Since there was no "buddy", I walked around the store under my own power. And, after I've walked around the store, looking at things, I know instantly when it's time for me to get to the car. There are simply no chairs at WalMart, where you could park yourself and rest up a bit. Bella and I walked to the car, and timed it just right. For me, walking is not something I can do for very long. When I do this, my body, especially the hip, let's me know when I'm done!

The evening was spent as usual, eating pizza, girls begging for a piece of the crust, and some television. In theory, I could spend an entire day, and then some, watching all the romantic Christmas movies. I know that there's not much of a plot, but I don't care. They have a calming effect on my body.

My sister box arrived. If you've never heard of this, I'm here to tell you how much fun this exchange is. We buy gifts of all kinds, for our boxes. And, this year, we decided to put a new book in each of the two boxes. Once, we're done reading the books, we'll swap. Each gift in the box is wrapped, more or less, if it's wrapped by yours truly. There aren't a lot of surprises in my life right now, so I super look forward to my sister box! Every thing, no matter the size, has to be wrapped, whether it be a book marker, or something much larger. My sister hit all the right boxes. New slippers, more of her art work, little jar of sea shells (obviously from California), and last but not least, a little bell. The bell has a nice sound, but appears to be old. I'm going to try and use brass polish to see if it makes a difference.

This is the time of the year, when I start suffering from SAD (seasonal affect disorder). If at my desk, my SAD light is on. There are many sizes of these lights. Some are quite small. I opted for a very large light, and it sits to the left of me, when I'm on the computer. Such as right now.

I have many things that need doing, and somehow, I, for whatever reason,just can't get anything done. Lost my mojo I guess. I started cleaning up the linen closet, I was nearly finished, and then just stopped. 

I have several lists on Amazon, that I look at every day. Most of the time, I delete an item, and rarely add one. It came to me over the weekend, that the boys really don't need anything. And, that can also be said of the DIL's. So, I've started looking at more unique things to buy. 

I was asked to put out a list on Amazon for me. This year, I believe was the first time that anybody asked for a list. And, while I like everything, most of the items on my list are books. Because, like everyone in the family, I don't really need anything, but I also, at the same time, love everything. Confused much? 

Well, that's my news in a nutshell. If you're wondering, and likely you are not, there are exactly 25 days until Christmas. This year, I'm actually a little behind, which is not like me at all. 

Happy Monday. Be safe everyone.

P

 

Celebrating Tomorrow

 11/5/2020

All over the country, people, i.e., cooks, are getting ready for tomorrow. And, for most people, this can be an exhausting day.

Even though most of us, are staying and eating alone, doesn't mean that we shouldn't forget about the horrible year, that was 2020. I don't know about you, but going forward as I age, that Jeff and I will be eating alone. A Zoom call comes to mind!

Jeff is doing the cooking. Just because I had one little moment, that could have potentially burnt the house down, why would has stopped by days of cooking. With the exception of doing the dishes, and that's so exciting, I no longer cook and/or bake anything. Some people would gladly turn over the reins to somebody else. But, the days were I was able to be useful in the kitchen have gone by the way side. It's just one more thing, that I am, for the most part, prevented from doing. My world just keeps getting smaller and smaller. My driver's license expires in the next few years, and  and that I'm going to turn my license in.  I could do this earlier, if the virus wasn't around, 

To prevent boredom tomorrow, Jeff and I have many movies to watch. Or we could watch a football game. It's likely that either way, we'll probably take a nap. And, the girls love to nap, anytime we're ready! How lovely is that?

I understand the necessity of being safer if you just stay in your house. Seriously, this is the start of the holiday season. Black Friday shopping is almost a rite of passage. But, here at home, you can find and you can buy almost everything through Amazon. Amazon, as well as other retail establishments (where you actually go to a mall) are just about over. Pretty much, for me, going to a store, that is not WalMart, is all about touching items. 

While this isn't a fair representation of the meal that Jeff and I will have. It is the picture of most Thanksgiving dinners. And, everybody over eats, because this holiday happens to be the one day of the year, where we give thanks.

I'll be taking a long weekend, like most of you are, and be back in my chair on Monday.

Enjoy your time with family and friends.

P

 

Zoom Call for Grandparent's Day

 11/24/2020

In a matter of days, just about everybody, will be eating their Thanksgiving Dinner. And, unfortunately, most of us, Jeff and I included, won't be celebrating with family or friends. Nope, it'll just be us. One of the things that we've done in the past, is to go into a store on Black Friday. And, everybody should do this once. We're not there to buy anything, simply to watch the madness in the stores. Particularly, for big ticket items, televisions, etc., people will almost literally bend over the item that they're buying. Grabbing, and holding on, is very important. Given the opportunity, people will, at least those on the greedy side, will take said item away from you. And, you wonder why a lot of people, such as myself, use Amazon or the like.

Jeff went to the store over the weekend, and picked up the usual ingredients, for making stuffing, gravy and cranberries. No pie, because I'm really working on my calorie count, and at this particular moment, pie doesn't seem to show up as a good food item for me. Bummer. But, there is some hope - peppermint ice cream has, in the big picture, relatively few calories!

Our family, through the weaving of electronics and wires, have a way to see movies or hear music. In anticipation of the long weekend, I gave Andrew a list of movies that I thought Jeff and I would like to see. Turns out, those movies were already there. But in my defense (and I always need one), I wouldn't have probably been able to find them on our family movie-sharing system.

If we didn't have movies to watch, we would have been forced to take a nap; and/or watch a football game. If we watched a game, we could probably close our eyes for a minute or two! Either way, I'm pretty sure that a nap is in the future! And, the "girls" love naps, particularly when they are on our laps. What a nice rhyme!!

I write, and I write. My writer, but from time to time, I can come up with one or two sentence poems. I believe that if all the stars were aligned just right, then I believe my destiny would be to write. Oh, and not just write, but get paid to write. That would be wonderful. In the big picture, if I ever earned more than a dime or two, I would definitely buy Jeff a new plane. He deserves it. If, for no other reason, than he has to put up with me 24/7!!

Since this is a short work week for most of you, I will also take a break starting on Thursday.

Be well.

P

 

Talking About Friday!

 11/23/2020

Good morning everyone. This is a happy week. There are only three working days this week, and subsequently, only three for me as well. When I was working, I always looked forward to any three day weekend. So many possibilities for those days, but sleeping in was a priority for yours truly.

On Friday, Stacey (DIL), who like Wendy (DIL), are very busy women. They run their homes, home school their children, etc. 

Needless to say I was thrilled when Stacey called and suggested a play day. We all know that I don't leave the house very often. And no, in my opinion, WalMart isn't really an outing, at least for me. 

The first stop was a store called "Donation Nation". Think of a swap meet, but being inside, which is much nicer. Obviously, the prices are very reasonable. And most, not all, are being sold for just a few dollars. I picked out a few things to buy. When I went inside, I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to find anything that I neither wanted or needed. 

I bought two cobalt blue jars with lids. Did I need them? Of course not. Did I want them? Sure I did. So far, those beautiful jars are still sitting on my kitchen table. Which goes to show, that you shouldn't buy, something that is merely pretty, but serves no purpose.

I did buy a beautiful bear, that is now sitting on the back of the sofa. It has no purpose, but I just like having him there. I've given some thought, to putting more stuffed animals or dolls, on the couch. We don't get a lot of company, so our formal couch is just that -- Formal. 

While shopping at Target, I bought a lot of things. I bought gifts, of course. It is that season after all. A beautiful cranberry wreath, which is very pretty on our green door. Since it's not actually a Christmas wreath, I may leave it up through the winter. 

More things bought for my sister box, which I'm hoping we'll be able to send out perhaps this week. You can pretty much buy anything for your sister box. But, you have to wrap each item. My wrapping skills are awful. I use a lot of tape, and if the gift is going to any of the girls, I put on one of those sticky bows. Classy!

The one thing that my sister and I agreed on, was that each of us would put a hard back book in the box. Too many of the paper backs, tend to use smaller print. And, when it comes to reading, bigger is better!

Our last stop was at a used book store. I took my new and very small rollator (sp), into the store. I can do real damage in a book store. It doesn't matter to me, in the least, if a book is old or new. While I was in the store, I bought books that I wanted to read. But, I also bought books that were very old. I like these old books, mostly because of their age, and the smell of old, yellowed pages. Do I read any of these? Nope - just decorations I guess you could call it. In my mind, you can never have too many books. I generally donate books I've read. Other than my sister, who lives in California, do I know of other "bookie" !! I read a lot of books, or as Jeff would tell you, I scan a lot of books. And, it's true that I don't always read every line. If I scan through a page, I get the jest (write word? write spelling?) of that page. There are also pages where I read every page, mostly because I need to follow along with the author. In my mind, I have written several books. Pen to paper? Not so much. It's not like I don't have time to write. But of late, I have lost my mojo when it comes to writing.

Jeff and I have a shared Christmas list on Amazon. It's a private list because it's really a list of things that I might buy for somebody in the family. Just about every day, I add and/or delete something on that list. I have to make a hard call, will the recipient like and/or enjoy what I give them?

Christmas decorating has never been a thing after Scott moved out. Scott does Christmas decorations and lighting to perfection. In the past, there would be lights on the roof, around the porch, as well as the bushes in front of the house. And, they were beautiful, and much admired. 

Since the boys et al don't come to the house often. Scott comes home when he's seeing a customer in the area. Andrew? He was here a few years ago, when I asked the boys to help with some yard work. I don't know of any reason that keeps him from visiting. Perhaps, he doesn't like it here for whatever reason, and that's okay. Every person has their own reasons why they do, or do not, something. It's not my place to try and determine what that reason is.

Probably like you, we will be spending Thanksgiving at home. Better to be safe than sorry. Jeff and I will have a smaller version of our dinners in the past. I'm fairly positive, that we'll have "tovers" (left overs) for the next day or two.

Andrew, maintains a site, I guess you could call it that, of movies, etc. Yesterday, I sent him a short list of movies that Jeff and I can enjoy over the long weekend. I have my fingers crossed, that I've picked wisely!

Stay well. Talk to you tomorrow.

P

 

 

Company Today!!!

 11/19/2020

Today is a big deal for me. Why? Because, I'm having company - how exciting is that? Stacey, is taking a car in for service. She'll get a loaner car, and then if everything in the universe stays on the path, she'll come and visit me. 

For months, the people who I love understand the necessity of distance. Jeff and I haven't seen family in a very, very long time. Jeff and I are only out of the house, 2 or 3 times a week. Jeff does and always has taken very good care of me. There are not enough words to thank him for putting up with me. It's difficult to have someone, such as myself, around 24/7. And, no surprise, but I can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. 

I have chatted with Stacey and Benjamin on Zoom, a couple of times. It's nice to see and talk to both of them. 

I know this, and you do as well, there is nothing in the world, better than human touch. Scott came over last weekend, and he was good company, for both of us. 

I'm pretty sure the holidays are going to look a whole lot different than the past! And, there's no reason to complain. We're all in the same boat. Jeff and I will cook our Thanksgiving alone. After eating, we can watch a football game (i.e., actually meaning take a nap), or watch a movie. I know that we are not the only two people on the planet, that will, for the safety of others, as well as ourselves, stay home. 

I'm wondering what we'll do for Christmas. One thought that I have is that Jeff and I could deliver the presents to Andrew and Scott's houses. And, if the families would rather we not come inside, leave their presents outside. Doesn't that sound like a good way to celebrate Christmas? Since the virus is out of control, at this moment, people and/or family don't want to really be in contact with you. This is not a personal affront, it's just part of our reality.

The boys are not big on hugs. But, Stacey, Benjamin, Wendy and Elly are huggers. We hug when we arrive, and hug when we leave. And, I miss all of that. The power of human touch is very important.

Here's what I found on the internet. 

How many hugs do we need? Family therapist Virginia Satir once said, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” While that may sound like a lot of hugs, it seems that many hugs are better than not enough.

That's a lot of hugging. But, being hugged by your family or friends, gives you a wonderful feeling. 

When the vaccine is available, Jeff and I want to be first in line. This has been a, to put it delicately, or not, has been a shit show. Forgive the language, but it's the only word that, at least for me, can describe this year.

I've been around a while. I was in junior high when President Kennedy was assassinated. I have watched missiles burst into flame. The Vietnam War, the war in the Middle East, and I could go on and on. But, if you took all of those events and put them together, they wouldn't stand a chance against the battle of 2020.

My family wasn't big on hugs. Even on our wedding day, Mom and Dad almost didn't know what to do, when Jeff hugged them.

My parents loved all of us, they just had a difficult time expressing their feelings. My brother, sister and myself received wonderful presents. They took us to exciting places, while my Dad was stationed in Europe. But, they almost flinched when we tried to hug them. 

I think that Jeff and I, over the years, have tried to physically show the boys how we felt.The boys are adults now, and we can tell them that we love them. When we leave their houses, the boys will give me a one armed kind of hug. 

I had two women in my life, which, I think, made me a good mother (pat on the back). After my Dad passed away, my mother, lived alone. And, though she had opportunities to meet people where she was living, remained to herself. 

I had a different relationship with my mother-in-law, and that's all I'll say about that. These two women influenced my thoughts and dealings with my two daughter-in-laws. I was going to be better. I was going to tell them how I felt. And, I would do this often. And I do and I did.

Since we can't hug our extended families, we can hug whomever we're living with. And, you can, over Zoom, I suppose give yourself a hug. And they'll know that hug is intended for them.

Let's all hang in there, particularly during the holiday season. We will long remember, the virus, the number of people who died, and how our lives were turned upside down.

Before I leave, give yourself a hug, it's free and from me.

P

 

 

Technology and An Old Woman!!

 11/18/2020

A long, long time ago, there were typewriters. And, if you don't remember typewriters, then yoi are clearly not as old as me!

I started taking typing classes while I was in junior high. Typewriters, at that time, were manual. And, that simply means you, the typist, had to do all the work. What margins you should use. How long is the written document. Watch those bottom margins!

My research, and because my brain is fuzzy, I found this description: "press and hold the margin-set lever on the right-hand side of the typewriter carriage. The margin-set lever is often located next to the larger carriage release lever--the lever you depress when you want the cylindrical carriage to move back to its starting position". (confused much?)

I went to the internet looking for a description on how to describe how to actually type. I found this: "You need to HIT the keys with a light, quick stroke, keeping your hands from resting on the keys. In order to type on a manual typewriter, your fingers, and especially your thumbs had to be strong. And, getting your fingers stronger, does take time.

The earliest "typewriter" came onto the scene in 1872, and it looked something like this:

 

I don't know about you, but I get the chills just looking at this behemoth piece of metal. I'm sure it worked. But, I, can't even begin to describe how. I do see the platen on the top and keys on the bottom. To me, it looks like a machine that you would need to stand up to use.

Looking back, the first typewriter was invented in 1714. 

The first commercial model was manufactured in 1873 and was mounted on a sewing machine stand.

However, there have been only four major and important improvements since the original machine in 1873. These improvements in the order in which they appeared are as follows:

Visible Writing. 

• The Capital Shift, which made possible the use of upper and lower case characters in a machine compact enough to be operated by touch.
  
• Power Operation, which brought for the first time to the typist's desk the speed and versatility of electricity.
• Proportional Spacing, which brought to the typist's work the beauty of the printed page.

The IBM was responsible for two of these four major changes in the typewriter industry, namely, Power Operation and Proportional Spacing.

Mark Twain, the American humorist, was among the first purchasers of a typewriter, and he was the first author to submit a typewritten manuscript to a publisher. I never knew that.

The rest of the typing history is just that - history.

I will tell you this. My Mother told me that I could type so fast because my fingers were small. She might have been right. I started working in 1968 and retired in 2013. Even up to the very end, I literally could type as fast as a person could talk. Not to brag. Ah, why not!

Now that I have bored you all to death, and I can just about see eyes rolling back, I'll bring this interesting, at least to me, bit of history to an end.

Stay save everyone. 

P