Seems to happen about this time every year... the calendar changes to January and we all start thinking about "Resolutions... NEW year Resolutions". I don't make resolutions any more.. they just depress me when I don't keep them. Instead, I just take a little time to reflect on what made me happy in the PAST year. Since New Year's Resolutions seem to centered around things that will make our life better (i.e., "happier), I like to try & keep my eye on what ACTUALLY makes me happy. Over time, I've come to realize (as I think many of us do as we age) that happiness isn't a destination, it's a path. And it's the little things (the scenery on the path) that give a sense of happiness along that path. It's never permanent, and it's always changing, but there's always the knowledge that there is another happy moment coming along somewhere. It gives me a sense of anticipation to know it's just around the corner, and it also allows me to stop on the path occasionally just to savor the "scenery". Because we all know that there are also "un-happy" moments as well, it's important to look ahead to the beautiful sunrises from fabulous vistas as we negotiate the rocky, difficult parts on the path. AND.. to not be so focused on those potential hard spots that we miss the happy scenery when it's right there in front of us.
An interesting note re: happiness that I recently read: Most of us don't always know what makes us happy. According to the article, this is "due to a phenomenon called hedonic adaptation After an initial rush, we quickly adapt to whatever it is we think will make us happier & soon begin to take it for granted, at which point it no longer brings contentment. For example, when you step into an air-conditioned room on a hot day, you feel great, but after about five minutes, it's simply what it is: comfortable, but no longer pleasurable." I believe this is also why a new job is only exciting for a relatively short time.. then pretty soon we're looking around for something else. To avoid this "phenomenon", I try to thank God each day for the little things that bring me joy and contentment. In this way, I also remind MYSELF of everything that is good in my life.
So... what ARE "a few of my favorite things"? Well, boring perhaps, but here we go:
Clean sheets - if I had money to spare, I'd pay someone to come to my home each day just to change my sheets.
Flowers - Not something I get very often, even for myself, but when I do.. they give a long-lasting sense of contentment.
Games - just sitting & playing a game with my loved ones... you are so much more focused on other people when the tv isn't on! It's a time to just "be".
A beautiful winter night - the quiet and solitude outside in the winter, especially on a clear, moonlit night.. it's beyond words.
A dinner with my loved ones that I don't have to prepare OR clean up. - To just sit and visit and linger. That is contentment.
My dog - Josie is a constant source of amusement, unconditional love and security.
Absence - of bad news, of chaos, of stress
Meeting new people - I LOVE to sit and visit with interesting people who have new stories and experiences to share.
Visiting with old people - figuratively and literally. Sitting with a longtime friend and remembering good times, or visiting with elderly people and learning the surprising stories of their lives.
Music - Sometimes I'll be in the middle of something, and I start hearing music in my head. It's like my own personal soundtrack of my life. Of course, there are certain songs that invoke memories of past good times (and bad) but sometimes, it's just a new tune to my life. Then, I imagine I'm a character in a movie and this music is the soundtrack. It makes me feel larger than life and also encourages me to look around & just bask in the moment.
New Years is a time of reflection and anticipation. Looking back on the trail of the past year, I can see the dark patches of briars & brambles and how they were made bearable by the moments of beautiful vistas and sweet music. And, that allows me to look ahead to the New Year with excitement and a sense of expectation of the majestic. I love new paths - I'm ready to see what's around the next corner!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Memento's
Mom went to her final reward on Wednesday, December 1st. The memorial was Saturday, when we all said good-bye to her. Losing a loved one is always difficult. Jeff’s sister, Julie, passed away last June also. So, we are now facing holidays without key family members.
It’s interesting to me how our thinking changes when we lose someone important. Little things that meant nothing, or almost nothing, now seem quite important. A recent Real Simple magazine had suggestions for what to keep for your offspring. It’s suggestions piqued my thought process. The author pointed out that it’s often the everyday items that become the most meaningful both to us and to those who love us. Items like a concert ticket stub from our first concert. Or perhaps our favorite jeans, or a crayon picture from kindergarten. The point was made that old wedding dresses seem to be everywhere, but wouldn’t you love to have the bell-bottom, flowered jeans your mother wore in the 60’s? Or the apron that your great-grandmother wore in the 1890’s? What about the hand-written letters that your parents exchanged prior to their marriage or while apart due to war or other separations?
It made me look around & take inventory of what things are meaningful. Obviously, we all agree that memories are what really count. The remembered times spent with those we love. But, in reality, don’t many material things trigger those memories? And so, we are attached to specific items, not for their intrinsic value, but for the memories they carry within, the keys they hold to unlock the times and adventures stored in our memories. And, recognizing this, it raises the question - what things should I keep for my children and descendants? We tend to think of “heirlooms”, those big, solid furniture pieces or valuable jewelry or trinkets as the most important treasures. I have bedroom furniture from my maternal grandmother that I prize, a pocket watch from grandfather, a rifle from my other grandpa and even my wedding ring is a tangible link to my treasured ancestors. But… if there were a fire and I had only seconds to grab what was important, what would it be? Have you just sat in your house & looked around & thought about what you REALLY wouldn’t want to lose? It’s an interesting exercise. In my case, it can be somewhat challenging. I kind of pride myself on having nothing in my house that doesn’t have some sentimental value. I have to love it to have it. I buy nothing just because it matches something else. There needs to be a story attached. So, there are a great many things I wouldn’t want to lose – the first (and only) pastel picture I ever painted (and it even turned out kind of good!). The antique library card-file, the dragon or gargoyle statues – they all invoke memories and feelings of connection to my past.
But… but… those are not the things I’d save in an emergency. The items that really touch me, are the (mostly) little things. The picture of my dad & I on the river bank when I was just a toddler. The shadow box we put together after his funeral that contains the obituary, picture, and other mementos of that day. His Bible. A crocheted doily from my mother. Dad’s baby book. My mother’s high school picture. The recipe box from my mother that has recipes written on the back of envelope’s sent to my great grandmother in the early part of the 19th century.
So, I’ve started making note of things my children may find most meaningful once I’m gone (or perhaps even before!). The sweater I have from my Dad, our marriage license, photos, certain cards exchanged with loved ones… who knows what may find it’s way into a “treasure” box? And in this season of bittersweet remembrances of Julie and Mom, I ask you – what do you most treasure and what will you save for YOUR children?
It’s interesting to me how our thinking changes when we lose someone important. Little things that meant nothing, or almost nothing, now seem quite important. A recent Real Simple magazine had suggestions for what to keep for your offspring. It’s suggestions piqued my thought process. The author pointed out that it’s often the everyday items that become the most meaningful both to us and to those who love us. Items like a concert ticket stub from our first concert. Or perhaps our favorite jeans, or a crayon picture from kindergarten. The point was made that old wedding dresses seem to be everywhere, but wouldn’t you love to have the bell-bottom, flowered jeans your mother wore in the 60’s? Or the apron that your great-grandmother wore in the 1890’s? What about the hand-written letters that your parents exchanged prior to their marriage or while apart due to war or other separations?
It made me look around & take inventory of what things are meaningful. Obviously, we all agree that memories are what really count. The remembered times spent with those we love. But, in reality, don’t many material things trigger those memories? And so, we are attached to specific items, not for their intrinsic value, but for the memories they carry within, the keys they hold to unlock the times and adventures stored in our memories. And, recognizing this, it raises the question - what things should I keep for my children and descendants? We tend to think of “heirlooms”, those big, solid furniture pieces or valuable jewelry or trinkets as the most important treasures. I have bedroom furniture from my maternal grandmother that I prize, a pocket watch from grandfather, a rifle from my other grandpa and even my wedding ring is a tangible link to my treasured ancestors. But… if there were a fire and I had only seconds to grab what was important, what would it be? Have you just sat in your house & looked around & thought about what you REALLY wouldn’t want to lose? It’s an interesting exercise. In my case, it can be somewhat challenging. I kind of pride myself on having nothing in my house that doesn’t have some sentimental value. I have to love it to have it. I buy nothing just because it matches something else. There needs to be a story attached. So, there are a great many things I wouldn’t want to lose – the first (and only) pastel picture I ever painted (and it even turned out kind of good!). The antique library card-file, the dragon or gargoyle statues – they all invoke memories and feelings of connection to my past.
But… but… those are not the things I’d save in an emergency. The items that really touch me, are the (mostly) little things. The picture of my dad & I on the river bank when I was just a toddler. The shadow box we put together after his funeral that contains the obituary, picture, and other mementos of that day. His Bible. A crocheted doily from my mother. Dad’s baby book. My mother’s high school picture. The recipe box from my mother that has recipes written on the back of envelope’s sent to my great grandmother in the early part of the 19th century.
So, I’ve started making note of things my children may find most meaningful once I’m gone (or perhaps even before!). The sweater I have from my Dad, our marriage license, photos, certain cards exchanged with loved ones… who knows what may find it’s way into a “treasure” box? And in this season of bittersweet remembrances of Julie and Mom, I ask you – what do you most treasure and what will you save for YOUR children?
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Leave Well enough alone
Ok, so I'm the first to admit that sometimes things NEED to be fixed or helped along or tampered with... but I recently was reading an article in a Yellowstone Park publication, and there was the following quote from a man who gave a presentation at their Scientific conference last year.
"Today we are both burdened and invigorated by a powerful sense of crisis, and I can tell you that in the history of the national parks, crisis is the highest form of peril."
He goes on to offer several "sweeping generalities that historians are so fond of". The first two are: "Pretty much every generation of us since Comstock's time has contained a majority of people, even among the scientists, who were absolutely convinced that they kneww all they needed to know in order to do right by Yellowstone. Second, they were always wrong."
The writer notes that he doesn't mean they always did the wrong thing, but "their confidence in doing whatever they did was rarely as warranted as they imagined."
I find it refreshing that ANYONE admits to those two truths, especially a scientist. But, what struck me, is how those two statements could be applied to many, if not all, aspects of our current society. Science especially seems inclined (to me) to make certain absolute statements, with no indication that the scientists recognize that they are human and fallible and that scientists across the ages have thought they had "the answer" only to have it disproven later.
And, what about politics or civil issues such as our military or our citizens needs / problems? Each area has it's "experts" who announce they've got "The Solution" if we'd all just listen to them.
What is my point? Not sure I have one, except that I'm not sure that we always need "The Solution". One other point the speaker in the above article made was this: "... we have sold nature short, underestimating its power, its resilience, its complexity, and its capacity to surprise us with unimagined consequences of our well-intentioned attempts to care for it." We have a tendency to feel a need to "fix" everything, when often the best option is to back off & let it fix itself. No, I don't think that's ALWAYS the answer, I just think it's the answer more often than we'll admit.
"Today we are both burdened and invigorated by a powerful sense of crisis, and I can tell you that in the history of the national parks, crisis is the highest form of peril."
He goes on to offer several "sweeping generalities that historians are so fond of". The first two are: "Pretty much every generation of us since Comstock's time has contained a majority of people, even among the scientists, who were absolutely convinced that they kneww all they needed to know in order to do right by Yellowstone. Second, they were always wrong."
The writer notes that he doesn't mean they always did the wrong thing, but "their confidence in doing whatever they did was rarely as warranted as they imagined."
I find it refreshing that ANYONE admits to those two truths, especially a scientist. But, what struck me, is how those two statements could be applied to many, if not all, aspects of our current society. Science especially seems inclined (to me) to make certain absolute statements, with no indication that the scientists recognize that they are human and fallible and that scientists across the ages have thought they had "the answer" only to have it disproven later.
And, what about politics or civil issues such as our military or our citizens needs / problems? Each area has it's "experts" who announce they've got "The Solution" if we'd all just listen to them.
What is my point? Not sure I have one, except that I'm not sure that we always need "The Solution". One other point the speaker in the above article made was this: "... we have sold nature short, underestimating its power, its resilience, its complexity, and its capacity to surprise us with unimagined consequences of our well-intentioned attempts to care for it." We have a tendency to feel a need to "fix" everything, when often the best option is to back off & let it fix itself. No, I don't think that's ALWAYS the answer, I just think it's the answer more often than we'll admit.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Interesting Idea to help the poor in developing countries
Ok, so you all know that I love many (not all) the articles in Wired magazine. I am posting a portion of one article from that magazine here.. It has an interesting take on how we should help developing countries.
"The Tata Group, India’s version of Acme and maker of the supercheap Nano automobile, recently introduced a $22 water purifier that works without electricity or running water. (Every few months it needs a new $6 filter.) A big-hearted, philanthropic, and important effort? You bet—cue the somber stats about preventable waterborne diseases. But check out the size of the market for a product like that: Some 900 million people worldwide lack access to clean water, 200 million of them in India alone. Tata is saving lives and making a killing.
That’s why, at next year’s G-whatever meeting in France, world leaders would do well to rip up those big checks to tin-pot autocrats and channel the cash to startup companies instead. Help those companies make cheap, useful products to sell to the world’s poor, who will use them to become less poor, and everybody wins. Management guru C. K. Prahalad advocated this very idea six years ago in The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits, and now a few companies like Tata are putting it into action.
D.Light Design is a case in point. After witnessing the inefficiencies and harmful health effects of kerosene lamps as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin, Sam Goldman returned to the US to earn an MBA and pursue a very specific agenda: Replace kerosene lighting, everywhere, with inexpensive solar-powered LED lamps. Three years ago, he launched D.light to produce such lamps and has already sold 250,000* to customers throughout the developing world at an average price of $20 apiece. The company hopes to light the homes of 50 million people by 2015.
Another example: Forty percent of humanity gets by on less than $2 a day, and most of those people are rural farmers. Efficient drip irrigation systems could triple or quadruple their yields while reducing their costs, but manufacturers haven’t bothered making drip systems for tiny farms. In 2004, a company called Global Easy Water Product began selling a setup that can be used for small plots. The price: $32.50 per quarter acre. In just two years as a for-profit venture, it has sold more than 250,000 units in India.
“Conventional development economics was always about increasing per capita income to a certain level before people become consumers,” says Vijay Govindarajan, a professor at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. The new view flips that logic on its head: Providing access to modern technologies by creating supercheap products may, in fact, be the best way to improve economic well-being. For entrepreneurs, the race is on to tap that massive population of penny-wielding consumers-in-waiting. Put another way, if Coke and Marlboro can sell to the world’s poor, companies whose products are actually useful should be able to do it, too.
(Here the article discusses the path such companies need to take to get those products developed at a low cost)
The trick is balancing affordability and quality. In a Harvard Business Review article last year, Govindarajan, together with Tuck colleague Chris Trimble and General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt, wrote that people in emerging markets “are more than happy with high-tech solutions that deliver decent performance at an ultralow cost—a 50 percent solution at a 15 percent price.” That’s not a green light for lame products, though. As in any market, what’s being sold has to fill an unmet need. The poor may be poor, but they’re not stupid.
Contributing editor David Wolman (david@david-wolman.com) wrote about diploma mills in issue 18.01.
*Correction appended Sept. 23, 2010 at 2 pm. D.light has sold more than 250,000 lamps, not 20,000 as previously reported.
"The Tata Group, India’s version of Acme and maker of the supercheap Nano automobile, recently introduced a $22 water purifier that works without electricity or running water. (Every few months it needs a new $6 filter.) A big-hearted, philanthropic, and important effort? You bet—cue the somber stats about preventable waterborne diseases. But check out the size of the market for a product like that: Some 900 million people worldwide lack access to clean water, 200 million of them in India alone. Tata is saving lives and making a killing.
That’s why, at next year’s G-whatever meeting in France, world leaders would do well to rip up those big checks to tin-pot autocrats and channel the cash to startup companies instead. Help those companies make cheap, useful products to sell to the world’s poor, who will use them to become less poor, and everybody wins. Management guru C. K. Prahalad advocated this very idea six years ago in The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits, and now a few companies like Tata are putting it into action.
D.Light Design is a case in point. After witnessing the inefficiencies and harmful health effects of kerosene lamps as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin, Sam Goldman returned to the US to earn an MBA and pursue a very specific agenda: Replace kerosene lighting, everywhere, with inexpensive solar-powered LED lamps. Three years ago, he launched D.light to produce such lamps and has already sold 250,000* to customers throughout the developing world at an average price of $20 apiece. The company hopes to light the homes of 50 million people by 2015.
Another example: Forty percent of humanity gets by on less than $2 a day, and most of those people are rural farmers. Efficient drip irrigation systems could triple or quadruple their yields while reducing their costs, but manufacturers haven’t bothered making drip systems for tiny farms. In 2004, a company called Global Easy Water Product began selling a setup that can be used for small plots. The price: $32.50 per quarter acre. In just two years as a for-profit venture, it has sold more than 250,000 units in India.
“Conventional development economics was always about increasing per capita income to a certain level before people become consumers,” says Vijay Govindarajan, a professor at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. The new view flips that logic on its head: Providing access to modern technologies by creating supercheap products may, in fact, be the best way to improve economic well-being. For entrepreneurs, the race is on to tap that massive population of penny-wielding consumers-in-waiting. Put another way, if Coke and Marlboro can sell to the world’s poor, companies whose products are actually useful should be able to do it, too.
(Here the article discusses the path such companies need to take to get those products developed at a low cost)
The trick is balancing affordability and quality. In a Harvard Business Review article last year, Govindarajan, together with Tuck colleague Chris Trimble and General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt, wrote that people in emerging markets “are more than happy with high-tech solutions that deliver decent performance at an ultralow cost—a 50 percent solution at a 15 percent price.” That’s not a green light for lame products, though. As in any market, what’s being sold has to fill an unmet need. The poor may be poor, but they’re not stupid.
Contributing editor David Wolman (david@david-wolman.com) wrote about diploma mills in issue 18.01.
*Correction appended Sept. 23, 2010 at 2 pm. D.light has sold more than 250,000 lamps, not 20,000 as previously reported.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Healthcare
Most of you know that I typically strive to avoid political discussions. However, since this is MY blog and I can say what I want to, here goes!
My opinion is relatively short (for me - and no funny puns about how tall I am!). The idea of being forced to have health care insurance absolutely infuriates me! We DO have insurance at the moment, because our employer's require that we do so. They require it so that THEY can get the group discount on THEIR insurance. So, we pay nearly 20% of our pay for an absolutely worthless piece of crap. We have a $5,000 yearly deductible, and NO preventive care. The only thing this insurance would be useful for is if one of us got cancer or lost a limb - literally. AND... shortly after Obama forced the bill through, our insurance went up again - a lot! So, had to UP the deductible even more, and drop Jeff from coverage just so we could afford to pay the premiums on an insurance we don't want but that both the government and our employers are forcing on us. We could be paying LESS into a Christian based insurance group and get WAY better coverage - but it's not allowed! And, now, to top it all off, it seems that Obamacare isn't even constitutional! Following is a link to a Snopes report of an essay that was published by an attorney, as well as another article by several others... see what YOU think!!
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/connelly.asp
My opinion is relatively short (for me - and no funny puns about how tall I am!). The idea of being forced to have health care insurance absolutely infuriates me! We DO have insurance at the moment, because our employer's require that we do so. They require it so that THEY can get the group discount on THEIR insurance. So, we pay nearly 20% of our pay for an absolutely worthless piece of crap. We have a $5,000 yearly deductible, and NO preventive care. The only thing this insurance would be useful for is if one of us got cancer or lost a limb - literally. AND... shortly after Obama forced the bill through, our insurance went up again - a lot! So, had to UP the deductible even more, and drop Jeff from coverage just so we could afford to pay the premiums on an insurance we don't want but that both the government and our employers are forcing on us. We could be paying LESS into a Christian based insurance group and get WAY better coverage - but it's not allowed! And, now, to top it all off, it seems that Obamacare isn't even constitutional! Following is a link to a Snopes report of an essay that was published by an attorney, as well as another article by several others... see what YOU think!!
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/connelly.asp
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Reprint from "The Kalispell Times"
Ok, so when we were up in Kalispell, I picked up a little free paper that restaurants have sitting out, called "The Kalispell Times". It had a reprint from "The Kalispell Times" on September 16th, 1920. I simply had to repost it here for those of you who aren't up there. I want you all to know that the duplications, misspellings, etc., were all part of the original article (or so I assume - they may be the result of the reprint - at any rate, they aren't MINE).
Wheel of Booze-Laden Car Comes Off and Runner Abandons Cargo. Smuggler Escapes and Sheriff Possesses His Dodge and $2,000 Worth of Whiskey.
Out at the station of Power there is a Dodge automobile and a cargo of whiskey which Sheriff I.S. Martine of Teton county gauarded all one day in the hope that the owner would appear and claim his property.
The owner disappered in to the darkness at 3am on foot, after smashing a wheel in an attempt to evade the sheriff, who waited for this appearance in the belief that if he returned at the same speed at which he left he could be back 'most any minute.
Sheriff Martine received a tip at this Choteau office of the coming of the cargo and left for Power late in the evening. At Power he was only five minutes ahead of the whiskey runner and that he did not get his man was due only to a handicap resulting from the intense darkenss.
Misjudging the distance of the car as it approached, Sheriff Marine stepped into the road whiel the driver still had time to turn, and turn he did.
As the car swerved around, the high speed caused the spindle of one front wheel to snap off and the driver was instantly afoot -- and running.
Within the car was whiskey worth $2,000 if bootleggers' prices are to control, which with the automobile brought the value of the property abandoned by the driver up to at least $3,500.
This catch was the second run down in the north country within the apst week. Sheriff S. Alsup of Shelby pursued a whiskey laden Ford fro a long distance last Monday, but the chase ended with the sheriff having the satisfaction only knowing that his man did not escape with his load.
The smuggler's Ford was faster than the Sheriff's, but Alsup of Shelby pursued a whiskey Ford for a long distance last MOnday, but the chase ended with the sheriff having the satisfaction only knowing that his man did not escape with his load.
The smuggler's Ford was faster than the sheriff's, but Alsup tried to overtake it with bullets from his gun.
With every shot the smuggler would drop out a sack of bottles, the same as a balloonist throws off sand bags to gain altitude, and finally so reduced his load that he pulled out of the sheriff's sight.
In going back over the road Sheriff Alsup found seven sacks which the runner had thrown out. Each sack had originally been filled with bottled whiskey, but of the entire lot only four bottles had survived the fall.
Ok, so: FYI: Jeff says the proper spelling of the Sheriff's name is "Martine" with an "t", and he was quite well known apparently.
And, I have to say that my favorite line is "but Alsup tried to overtake it with bullets from his gun"... giggle
Wheel of Booze-Laden Car Comes Off and Runner Abandons Cargo. Smuggler Escapes and Sheriff Possesses His Dodge and $2,000 Worth of Whiskey.
Out at the station of Power there is a Dodge automobile and a cargo of whiskey which Sheriff I.S. Martine of Teton county gauarded all one day in the hope that the owner would appear and claim his property.
The owner disappered in to the darkness at 3am on foot, after smashing a wheel in an attempt to evade the sheriff, who waited for this appearance in the belief that if he returned at the same speed at which he left he could be back 'most any minute.
Sheriff Martine received a tip at this Choteau office of the coming of the cargo and left for Power late in the evening. At Power he was only five minutes ahead of the whiskey runner and that he did not get his man was due only to a handicap resulting from the intense darkenss.
Misjudging the distance of the car as it approached, Sheriff Marine stepped into the road whiel the driver still had time to turn, and turn he did.
As the car swerved around, the high speed caused the spindle of one front wheel to snap off and the driver was instantly afoot -- and running.
Within the car was whiskey worth $2,000 if bootleggers' prices are to control, which with the automobile brought the value of the property abandoned by the driver up to at least $3,500.
This catch was the second run down in the north country within the apst week. Sheriff S. Alsup of Shelby pursued a whiskey laden Ford fro a long distance last Monday, but the chase ended with the sheriff having the satisfaction only knowing that his man did not escape with his load.
The smuggler's Ford was faster than the Sheriff's, but Alsup of Shelby pursued a whiskey Ford for a long distance last MOnday, but the chase ended with the sheriff having the satisfaction only knowing that his man did not escape with his load.
The smuggler's Ford was faster than the sheriff's, but Alsup tried to overtake it with bullets from his gun.
With every shot the smuggler would drop out a sack of bottles, the same as a balloonist throws off sand bags to gain altitude, and finally so reduced his load that he pulled out of the sheriff's sight.
In going back over the road Sheriff Alsup found seven sacks which the runner had thrown out. Each sack had originally been filled with bottled whiskey, but of the entire lot only four bottles had survived the fall.
Ok, so: FYI: Jeff says the proper spelling of the Sheriff's name is "Martine" with an "t", and he was quite well known apparently.
And, I have to say that my favorite line is "but Alsup tried to overtake it with bullets from his gun"... giggle
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Yes, 2 in 1 day!
Ok, so ran across some more silly police reports to share with you:
"A man wouldn't give a woman her hamster until police showed up. Police gave the woman and her hamster a ride." Ok.. is this code fo something? And where did they give her a ride to? And why?
" A woman with a hamster said she planned to stay at the North 19th Avenue rest area until morning when a trucker would pick her up to go to North Dakota." OHHHH... and it all makes sense! Of COURSE she's from North Dakota!!! j/k... I AM a Montanan you know!
'"False" asphalt was installed in somebody's driveway.' Ok, I have to ask... what IS "false" asphalt?
"A man wouldn't give a woman her hamster until police showed up. Police gave the woman and her hamster a ride." Ok.. is this code fo something? And where did they give her a ride to? And why?
" A woman with a hamster said she planned to stay at the North 19th Avenue rest area until morning when a trucker would pick her up to go to North Dakota." OHHHH... and it all makes sense! Of COURSE she's from North Dakota!!! j/k... I AM a Montanan you know!
'"False" asphalt was installed in somebody's driveway.' Ok, I have to ask... what IS "false" asphalt?
I'm Back!
Ok, so maybe I'll finally have time to post again! The season just kept me TOOO busy to think about posting a blog entry, so skated by with Facebook posts. But, those are so short! I can't really get wound up on there! LOL
Ok, so nothing too earth-shattering to share for today, anyway. But, I did see some "funny" entries in the police reports recently. So, here they are for your amusement as well:
"A bear was seen walking down Brentwood Avenue around 1:30 a.m." - oookkkaayy... and so?
"A bear was rifling through garbage on Rogers Way around 2 a.m." - and now we know where the bear on Brentwood was headed!!
"A chicken was running loose in traffic on West Main STreet around 8:45 a.m." - headed to work perhaps? Or running from a bear?
"A chicken was seen between the County Courthouse and the Pioneer Museum around 1 p.m." - (is this starting to sound vaguely like Animal Farm?)
"A man sent a naked photo of himself via email to a woman he didn't know & the woman threatened to post the picture around town. Police told the man not to send naked pictures of himself to strangers." - Well, DUH. And, does that by extension, make it okay to send naked pictures to friends?
"A bear was in a red Chevy Suburban in a parking lot on Firelight Drive around 3 a.m." - soooo.... was he driving? Making out? Reading a book? Was he warned for loitering?
And, my personal favorite: "10 wayward Gnomes were found on the Hyalite Canyon trail"... anyone know of a Home for Wayward Gnomes?
And that's life in Montana!!
Ok, so nothing too earth-shattering to share for today, anyway. But, I did see some "funny" entries in the police reports recently. So, here they are for your amusement as well:
"A bear was seen walking down Brentwood Avenue around 1:30 a.m." - oookkkaayy... and so?
"A bear was rifling through garbage on Rogers Way around 2 a.m." - and now we know where the bear on Brentwood was headed!!
"A chicken was running loose in traffic on West Main STreet around 8:45 a.m." - headed to work perhaps? Or running from a bear?
"A chicken was seen between the County Courthouse and the Pioneer Museum around 1 p.m." - (is this starting to sound vaguely like Animal Farm?)
"A man sent a naked photo of himself via email to a woman he didn't know & the woman threatened to post the picture around town. Police told the man not to send naked pictures of himself to strangers." - Well, DUH. And, does that by extension, make it okay to send naked pictures to friends?
"A bear was in a red Chevy Suburban in a parking lot on Firelight Drive around 3 a.m." - soooo.... was he driving? Making out? Reading a book? Was he warned for loitering?
And, my personal favorite: "10 wayward Gnomes were found on the Hyalite Canyon trail"... anyone know of a Home for Wayward Gnomes?
And that's life in Montana!!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Father's Day!
Great day today. Took a fairly long ride and saw lots of wildlife - elk, black bear, whitetail deer, otters (see the pic w/ Sage & the otter), cranes, ducks and lots of flowers.
RFDtv last night was great as always. Rider's in the Sky were on Larrys' Country Diner - they are always great. And my new favorite song is "I've cooked everything , Man", sung to the tune of "I've been everywhere, man". VERY funny. And, T. Graham Browne (did you know he's Jim Ed Brown's nephew?) was on Country Family Reunion. He has such a great voice.
Our 1st guests arrived today. We have to go "Meet" them tonight after dinner. Just found that out today - oh joy! But, guess it could be worse.
Well, I'll post pics & sign off. Short blog today - no rants!! Take care everyone!!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
A Life Well Lived
Jeff & Ben returned from PA very early Sat a.m. (4am). Their plane was delayed in Detroit and Denver due to tornadoes and other storms. But, they made it home safe & sound & are glad to be back.
Their time in PA was good for all, however. The community really rallied behind them (as they have for the last 6 years of Julie's cancer). I found it inspiring how people reacted and how they showed their care. So many gave of themselves - not just time and money, but things that were uniquely from them. The dance/music studio where Julie's kids had taken lessons, have promised that both kids may attend for free as long as they're interested and in school. The local Bed & Breakfast donated rooms to any of the Artley family that needed them for the memorial. The local grocery store gave $100's in dollars in coupons to her husband and kids, and also loaded Jeff & Ben up w/ food for their return trip (and the owner even remembered all Jeff's favorites from when he worked there in h.s.!) The funeral home made up beautiful, laminated copies of the obit, with pictures and a poem for each of the family members. And, of course, there were many generous monetary gifts for the family to assist with funeral expenses, to go towards the children's future needs, etc.
For the memorial itself, 100's of people showed up. Every extension office, in every county of the state, sent a representative (50 of them total). The University sent representatives, have promised to name a seed after Julie (I didn't even know they still did that! So, perhaps someday you'll plant a "Julie carrot" or some such thing!) Jeff said they started greeting people at 5:30 (memorial was supposed to start at 6:30) and at 7:30 they were still greeting and had to be pulled away so it could star, and there were still 50 people in line! Nearly every family member, no matter how far away, made it a point to be there.
The impact that Julie had on her family, community, church and the general public at large through her work, was obviously immense - and inspiring to see the depth of that impact. She will be sorely missed, but we rejoice in the knowledge of our reunion with her in heaven some day.
We love you Julie - Enjoy your new perfect body, free of pain and limitations.
Their time in PA was good for all, however. The community really rallied behind them (as they have for the last 6 years of Julie's cancer). I found it inspiring how people reacted and how they showed their care. So many gave of themselves - not just time and money, but things that were uniquely from them. The dance/music studio where Julie's kids had taken lessons, have promised that both kids may attend for free as long as they're interested and in school. The local Bed & Breakfast donated rooms to any of the Artley family that needed them for the memorial. The local grocery store gave $100's in dollars in coupons to her husband and kids, and also loaded Jeff & Ben up w/ food for their return trip (and the owner even remembered all Jeff's favorites from when he worked there in h.s.!) The funeral home made up beautiful, laminated copies of the obit, with pictures and a poem for each of the family members. And, of course, there were many generous monetary gifts for the family to assist with funeral expenses, to go towards the children's future needs, etc.
For the memorial itself, 100's of people showed up. Every extension office, in every county of the state, sent a representative (50 of them total). The University sent representatives, have promised to name a seed after Julie (I didn't even know they still did that! So, perhaps someday you'll plant a "Julie carrot" or some such thing!) Jeff said they started greeting people at 5:30 (memorial was supposed to start at 6:30) and at 7:30 they were still greeting and had to be pulled away so it could star, and there were still 50 people in line! Nearly every family member, no matter how far away, made it a point to be there.
The impact that Julie had on her family, community, church and the general public at large through her work, was obviously immense - and inspiring to see the depth of that impact. She will be sorely missed, but we rejoice in the knowledge of our reunion with her in heaven some day.
We love you Julie - Enjoy your new perfect body, free of pain and limitations.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Experience & Catastrophes
I ran across this TR quote that I've put above. Makes me think about the BP oil spill... it's not like this is the first time it's happened... not even the 1st time for the U.S. And yet, have we learned? And, will we learn from this larger spill - a true catastrophe?
An article in the paper last week made a very good point. We Americans, from a nation of historical adventurers, farmers, miners, fishermen, sailors and so forth, have become removed from our roots. Today, a very small minority are in the "production" of our basic needs, and the vast majority are in "services" (whatever that means). We have become disconnected from the source of our basic life requirements. We all use gasoline, oil, and massive amounts of petroleum products (can anyone say "plastic"?) but somehow we're surprised that the process by which those items are acquired is a messy one? Where do we think it comes from? I once had a newspaper article that listed the difference between real cowboys and urban cowboys. One of the items was "A real cowboy owns at least 2 head of livestock, usually cattle. An urban cowboy wouldn't recognize a cow if one walked up and kissed him on the lips. He has been led to believe that milk comes from cartons." This is the truth for ALL our supplies today. Meat comes from animals (sorry to disillusion those who thought we "synthisize" it a-la-Star Trek), vegetables come from DIRT that has animal crap IN it, and plastic, gasoline, oil, and various other supplies come from CRUDE OIL that is dredged out of the deep earth, in a variety of ways.
Now, I'm NOT condoning what happened. I'm simply saying that WE are as much at fault as BP. If we insist on requiring such supplies, we have to take responsibility for these types of incidents. Either we, as a whole, do whatever it takes to ensure "SAFE" acquisition(as far as that can be carried since NOTHING is foolproof), or we do without it (maybe actually put serious effort into pursuing alternative sources?), or we suffer the consequences and pay the price - a concept that seems to have been lost in recent generations, as evidenced by the inability of many people to take responsibility for their actions!
Yup, it's my blog, and I'll rant if I want to!! But, now I want to move on to more fun items. We went riding Sunday (my birthday "escape the ranch" ride) and here are some pics. There's also some taken different days on the ranch, one is a bear track Jeff saw when out hiking. He didn't see claw marks, so most likely just a really big black bear. In a couple days I'll post some pics of horse drives.
An article in the paper last week made a very good point. We Americans, from a nation of historical adventurers, farmers, miners, fishermen, sailors and so forth, have become removed from our roots. Today, a very small minority are in the "production" of our basic needs, and the vast majority are in "services" (whatever that means). We have become disconnected from the source of our basic life requirements. We all use gasoline, oil, and massive amounts of petroleum products (can anyone say "plastic"?) but somehow we're surprised that the process by which those items are acquired is a messy one? Where do we think it comes from? I once had a newspaper article that listed the difference between real cowboys and urban cowboys. One of the items was "A real cowboy owns at least 2 head of livestock, usually cattle. An urban cowboy wouldn't recognize a cow if one walked up and kissed him on the lips. He has been led to believe that milk comes from cartons." This is the truth for ALL our supplies today. Meat comes from animals (sorry to disillusion those who thought we "synthisize" it a-la-Star Trek), vegetables come from DIRT that has animal crap IN it, and plastic, gasoline, oil, and various other supplies come from CRUDE OIL that is dredged out of the deep earth, in a variety of ways.
Now, I'm NOT condoning what happened. I'm simply saying that WE are as much at fault as BP. If we insist on requiring such supplies, we have to take responsibility for these types of incidents. Either we, as a whole, do whatever it takes to ensure "SAFE" acquisition(as far as that can be carried since NOTHING is foolproof), or we do without it (maybe actually put serious effort into pursuing alternative sources?), or we suffer the consequences and pay the price - a concept that seems to have been lost in recent generations, as evidenced by the inability of many people to take responsibility for their actions!
Yup, it's my blog, and I'll rant if I want to!! But, now I want to move on to more fun items. We went riding Sunday (my birthday "escape the ranch" ride) and here are some pics. There's also some taken different days on the ranch, one is a bear track Jeff saw when out hiking. He didn't see claw marks, so most likely just a really big black bear. In a couple days I'll post some pics of horse drives.
Contentment
Snow over night... but gorgeous morning. Sure would like some WARM weather - for more than a few hours, though.
RFD.tv guests Sat night - Ray Stevens, Rider's in the Sky, Charley Pride & a few others. Very entertaining. Gotta say I'm loving Ray Steven's new release "We The People"... talk about to the point! And, of course, the Rider's in the Sky are always awesome.
Jeff & Ben are due home tonight from PA. The memorial was apparently extremely well-attended and the family was showered with love & condolences. Jeff said that everyone wants to do "something". The owner of the little local grocery store (it has a small cafe in the back where they ate breakfast today) loaded Jeff & Ben up w/ all kinds of food for their trip back. I think he's really glad he went - it was important for him to be able to be part of that for his own closure.
On an entirely different note: Jeff & I were talking the other night about an old friend of his from high school - Chris Hazel. Chris was labeled "Mentally handicapped" in school, but his parents made sure to treat him like any other kid - anything he wanted to try, they made sure he was able to do so. He played basketball w/ Jeff on the h.s. team and graduated w/ him. He took one job washing dishes at a local kids camp & was there for several years, eventually moving on to the kitchen at the very large psychiatric facility located in a nearby town, where he also washed dishes & was general kitchen help. He's been there almost 20 years & is talking retirement!! What a lesson we could learn from him. He's been totally content at that one job - and more importantly, a job that most of us would HATE and would want to move on from as quickly as possible. He never missed a day of work and takes great pride in doing a good job. Why aren't we all that content? Why do we feel such a need to "move up, move on, move out"? Why can we not just take pride in a job well done? Lord knows, Jeff & I are as bad or worse as anyone else... and I'm not sure why - where does that drive come from? And why do we, as a society, worship it as such a good thing? Wouldn't the world in general be better place if everyone would look for contentment in their current situation, rather than always striving for that elusive "Something Better"?
And... just to be perverse... let's consider that other side of the coin. We seem to want that "Something Better", but NOT at the expense of any actual work! We want it to fall in our lap and just somehow "get better". Lord forbid we have to actually experience any discomfort or difficulty to get there! Why on earth would someone choose to feel miserable indefinitely over feeling uncomfortable briefly if it would lead to a better life?
Ok, that's my rant for the day. Perhaps I just stated what you already know... or perhaps you'll have something to mull on? Or, most probably, it's just me being difficult and wanting Something Better to land in my front yard. :)
RFD.tv guests Sat night - Ray Stevens, Rider's in the Sky, Charley Pride & a few others. Very entertaining. Gotta say I'm loving Ray Steven's new release "We The People"... talk about to the point! And, of course, the Rider's in the Sky are always awesome.
Jeff & Ben are due home tonight from PA. The memorial was apparently extremely well-attended and the family was showered with love & condolences. Jeff said that everyone wants to do "something". The owner of the little local grocery store (it has a small cafe in the back where they ate breakfast today) loaded Jeff & Ben up w/ all kinds of food for their trip back. I think he's really glad he went - it was important for him to be able to be part of that for his own closure.
On an entirely different note: Jeff & I were talking the other night about an old friend of his from high school - Chris Hazel. Chris was labeled "Mentally handicapped" in school, but his parents made sure to treat him like any other kid - anything he wanted to try, they made sure he was able to do so. He played basketball w/ Jeff on the h.s. team and graduated w/ him. He took one job washing dishes at a local kids camp & was there for several years, eventually moving on to the kitchen at the very large psychiatric facility located in a nearby town, where he also washed dishes & was general kitchen help. He's been there almost 20 years & is talking retirement!! What a lesson we could learn from him. He's been totally content at that one job - and more importantly, a job that most of us would HATE and would want to move on from as quickly as possible. He never missed a day of work and takes great pride in doing a good job. Why aren't we all that content? Why do we feel such a need to "move up, move on, move out"? Why can we not just take pride in a job well done? Lord knows, Jeff & I are as bad or worse as anyone else... and I'm not sure why - where does that drive come from? And why do we, as a society, worship it as such a good thing? Wouldn't the world in general be better place if everyone would look for contentment in their current situation, rather than always striving for that elusive "Something Better"?
And... just to be perverse... let's consider that other side of the coin. We seem to want that "Something Better", but NOT at the expense of any actual work! We want it to fall in our lap and just somehow "get better". Lord forbid we have to actually experience any discomfort or difficulty to get there! Why on earth would someone choose to feel miserable indefinitely over feeling uncomfortable briefly if it would lead to a better life?
Ok, that's my rant for the day. Perhaps I just stated what you already know... or perhaps you'll have something to mull on? Or, most probably, it's just me being difficult and wanting Something Better to land in my front yard. :)
Friday, June 4, 2010
Updates & Musings
Well, lots of updates for the last couple weeks and some more musings on my part...
Julie passed this a.m. at 8:30 ET. Jeff is torn about going back for the memorial or not. It's a bad time to leave the ranch as the owners are leaving for their oldest son's college graduation in CA, and Kelly (the wife) is dealing with her own dad's decline. He is on hospice and not expected to last much longer either. So... we'll see how timing and other factors fit. I said he should go... there are things in life that are important, and things that we just THINK are important. This job will be here if he goes, but he won't get another chance for closure.
It's been raining non-stop here for weeks. We did get a couple hours of nice sunshine yesterday, but it's back to rain today. Our staff is getting somewhat discouraged - it's hard to stay excited about a ranch job when reality hits! They all are enjoying the area, however. Most go for a hike or bike ride nearly every day. Each time I wonder if it's the day one of them will get eaten by a grizzly or stomped by a moose. These kids have NO common sense. One came back the other day & said she'd seen a grizzly up close & personal but that he didn't know she was there. WHAT? A grizzly will ALWAYS know you are there... it may just not deign to notice you! And the next day, TWO of them came back & said they'd ridden / walked (they were separate) right by a cow moose & her calf. YIKES! (as my big sis would say!) We are seeing lots more animal life than earlier this year. Elk & moose w/ their calves, bear, baby rabbits (they are SO cute!) and so on. Of course, the baby rabbits are STUPID and 3 have been killed by dogs.
Here are some pics from several weeks ago when we walked up to the pond on a nice day. And, also some pics from our Memorial Day softball game. We invite 2 other dude ranches located close by to come and we have the game and then a potluck. It was lots of fun. Pretty cool to play the game in such a setting! And it held off rain for the game which was nice. But it was COLD.
Well, that's enough for one blog... I'll probably write more later & post a second one in a day or two. Hope everyone has/had a fantabulous weekend!!
Julie passed this a.m. at 8:30 ET. Jeff is torn about going back for the memorial or not. It's a bad time to leave the ranch as the owners are leaving for their oldest son's college graduation in CA, and Kelly (the wife) is dealing with her own dad's decline. He is on hospice and not expected to last much longer either. So... we'll see how timing and other factors fit. I said he should go... there are things in life that are important, and things that we just THINK are important. This job will be here if he goes, but he won't get another chance for closure.
It's been raining non-stop here for weeks. We did get a couple hours of nice sunshine yesterday, but it's back to rain today. Our staff is getting somewhat discouraged - it's hard to stay excited about a ranch job when reality hits! They all are enjoying the area, however. Most go for a hike or bike ride nearly every day. Each time I wonder if it's the day one of them will get eaten by a grizzly or stomped by a moose. These kids have NO common sense. One came back the other day & said she'd seen a grizzly up close & personal but that he didn't know she was there. WHAT? A grizzly will ALWAYS know you are there... it may just not deign to notice you! And the next day, TWO of them came back & said they'd ridden / walked (they were separate) right by a cow moose & her calf. YIKES! (as my big sis would say!) We are seeing lots more animal life than earlier this year. Elk & moose w/ their calves, bear, baby rabbits (they are SO cute!) and so on. Of course, the baby rabbits are STUPID and 3 have been killed by dogs.
Here are some pics from several weeks ago when we walked up to the pond on a
Well, that's enough for one blog... I'll probably write more later & post a second one in a day or two. Hope everyone has/had a fantabulous weekend!!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Day of Rest?
Well, didn't get to church today. STILL no vehicle since the mechanic has decided he needs 75% of the total bill of $4,600!! So, looks like we won't have one for quite awhile!! Btw.. here's a pic of the fried spark plug that they pulled out of it.
I spent over 6 hours yesterday cleaning just the bathroom and sitting room of the bunkhouse - yuck!! And I'm STILL not done. And that was added to the ... I've forgotten... maybe 5 hours put in on those 2 rooms in the 2 days prior. But, I THINK I'm down to just the floors to mop and a few little items.
Then, got to do a major cleaning in the house today! I'm exceptionally tired of 409, Pledge, vacuum's and mops. NEXT spring, God Willing, the lodge and bunkhouse will NOT have been left in such bad shape when they get closed up. My body is very sore from all the bending, squatting, climbing, scrubbing (I spent 45 minutes on ONE shower stall - it's not even a tub, just a stall!). But, at least I can't say that I'm not getting enough exercise. Cleaning our house today, though, was almost worse. Not because it was dirtier, but I got 409 in my eye first thing and so it was burning ALL day. Then, set the oven to clean and some nasty fumes came out of that so it just contributed to the general all over pain.
OH... and Sage found a poor little baby rabbit somewhere. It has hair but it's eyes aren't even open yet. She didn't kill it, but now it's out there just squirming around the yard. It's momma doesn't seem to be coming to get it. And Jeff won't let me keep it. His response was "Sure, go get your eyedropper & feed it for 2 days until it dies".
RFD TV last night was great as usual. Emmylou Harris was with Marty Stuart and hte lead singer from the Statler Bros was on Country Family Reunion. On Larry's diner, he had a group called The Time Jumpers which is a group of performers who have their own gigs but get together Monday nights somewhere in Nashville & play. It includes Ranger Doug from Rider's in the Sky, Vince Gill and others. They are REALLY good... the steel guitarist is this years Steel Guitarist of the year, and they've been nominated for a number of awards.
Isn't Josie cute hanging over the rail? Ben took this pic.
And, this was our night visitor the other evening. It was pretty funny with him looking in our windows. Jeff opened the door & the screen door window & he stuck his head right in! Btw, we have our 1st foal of the year! No pics yet, but I'll post when I get them.
Well, that's about it this week. Our 1st employee flies in Friday, but I think she'll probably ride out w/ Kelly on Saturday. Most of the rest show up Saturday as well. So, it'll be very nice to have the help getting things done, but it will mean much longer days and cooking for 20 people for 3 meals a day. And so it starts... :)
I spent over 6 hours yesterday cleaning just the bathroom and sitting room of the bunkhouse - yuck!! And I'm STILL not done. And that was added to the ... I've forgotten... maybe 5 hours put in on those 2 rooms in the 2 days prior. But, I THINK I'm down to just the floors to mop and a few little items.
Then, got to do a major cleaning in the house today! I'm exceptionally tired of 409, Pledge, vacuum's and mops. NEXT spring, God Willing, the lodge and bunkhouse will NOT have been left in such bad shape when they get closed up. My body is very sore from all the bending, squatting, climbing, scrubbing (I spent 45 minutes on ONE shower stall - it's not even a tub, just a stall!). But, at least I can't say that I'm not getting enough exercise. Cleaning our house today, though, was almost worse. Not because it was dirtier, but I got 409 in my eye first thing and so it was burning ALL day. Then, set the oven to clean and some nasty fumes came out of that so it just contributed to the general all over pain.
OH... and Sage found a poor little baby rabbit somewhere. It has hair but it's eyes aren't even open yet. She didn't kill it, but now it's out there just squirming around the yard. It's momma doesn't seem to be coming to get it. And Jeff won't let me keep it. His response was "Sure, go get your eyedropper & feed it for 2 days until it dies".
RFD TV last night was great as usual. Emmylou Harris was with Marty Stuart and hte lead singer from the Statler Bros was on Country Family Reunion. On Larry's diner, he had a group called The Time Jumpers which is a group of performers who have their own gigs but get together Monday nights somewhere in Nashville & play. It includes Ranger Doug from Rider's in the Sky, Vince Gill and others. They are REALLY good... the steel guitarist is this years Steel Guitarist of the year, and they've been nominated for a number of awards.
Isn't Josie cute hanging over the rail? Ben took this pic.
And, this was our night visitor the other evening. It was pretty funny with him looking in our windows. Jeff opened the door & the screen door window & he stuck his head right in! Btw, we have our 1st foal of the year! No pics yet, but I'll post when I get them.
Well, that's about it this week. Our 1st employee flies in Friday, but I think she'll probably ride out w/ Kelly on Saturday. Most of the rest show up Saturday as well. So, it'll be very nice to have the help getting things done, but it will mean much longer days and cooking for 20 people for 3 meals a day. And so it starts... :)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Old School
Watched rfdtv again last night. It has become our favorite night of the week! Marty Stewart had Merle Haggard on as his guest, and then we watched Larry's Country Diner where Jimmy "The Sheriff" Cupps was featured - he's a fantastic guitar player! It was very interesting to listen to him as he reviewed some very famous "rips" of country guitar players. Then he played some of his own stuff, and they finished up w/ a couple of Marty Robbins songs sung by his son, Robbie. Then, we watched Country Family Reunion which always has several "older" country singers on. John Conlee sang "Old School" which is one of our favorites.
It made me wonder where we're headed - would most of us agree that "old school" was a better way of life? Or is simply because we're nostalgic or that we tend to view the past through some sort of filter that only makes is SEEM better? I really think that in a lot of ways it was better - not to say that there have been improvements today, but sometimes it seems like every "better" thing must be accompanied by an equally "bad" thing. The improvement in communication for example: Until relatively recently, we couldn't stay in touch except perhaps by phone or a letter. Now, we can be on opposite sides of the world and get instant updates from family or friends. We can pick up a cell phone and reach someone even if they're never home (or we never are). But - doesn't it sometimes seem like we've lost some "quiet" time in our lives? We're losing some sense of privacy and seem to feel the need to share every little detail of our lives with everyone else. What happened to a little mystery?
Or, even taken a little deeper - women's rights. We had none for decades - eon's even. Now we do. That is a very definite positive. But, with those rights, many of us seem to have come to the conclusion that we not only do we HAVE rights - we just always ARE right. And, also, as we enjoy the ever-expanding option of choices available to us, thanks to those rights, are we losing some of what it meant to be "wife", "mother", "female", "sister"? Are we so focused on getting what the guys have that we are in danger of becoming manly women? Do we really need to be as aggressive or tough as men? Maybe we do, but I still feel like we lose something when we give up any part, even a fraction, of our femininity.
Ok, well, enough of my "filosofizin' " as a friend of ours would say. I hope all you ladies had a great Mother's Day. Our's was somewhat quiet. Went to church this a.m., & then home. But, Jeff cleaned my kitchen for me and heated up my lunch. And then Jeni & Luke called which was great. Now I plan on lazin' around & readin'. OH.. BTW.. saw a Grizzly bear this a.m.! And me without a camera! GRRR! He was crossing the highway just about 1/2 mile from where our road meets it. He crossed & we pulled over to watch him, so he turned around to watch US. Makes a person very thankful for big metal boxes! I'd have been more than a little concerned with his scrutiny if it'd been out on trail somewhere. He looked really good, especially for spring. Probably ran around 450lbs at least, so in the fall he'll be a big feller. He was quite black but had those lovely silvertips on his hump. Also saw two red-tailed hawks on Friday right outside the lodge kitchen window. Is it mating time for them yet? They were grabbing talons in mid-air but then breaking apart right away. So, not sure if they were fighting over food (one of them did have something it was eating on the ground) or "getting in the mood". We see the hawks a lot around here. The massive gopher population, not to mention the plethora of stupid rabbits makes for a smorgasbord of hawk-kibble. Elk are starting to move back into the area as well. And, two Sandhill cranes have settled down here. They are a VERY large bird!! They always sound like they have a frog in their throat (well... maybe they do!).
Well... my book is cooing my name, so I think I'll go immerse myself awhile. Btw.. sorry no pics this time!
It made me wonder where we're headed - would most of us agree that "old school" was a better way of life? Or is simply because we're nostalgic or that we tend to view the past through some sort of filter that only makes is SEEM better? I really think that in a lot of ways it was better - not to say that there have been improvements today, but sometimes it seems like every "better" thing must be accompanied by an equally "bad" thing. The improvement in communication for example: Until relatively recently, we couldn't stay in touch except perhaps by phone or a letter. Now, we can be on opposite sides of the world and get instant updates from family or friends. We can pick up a cell phone and reach someone even if they're never home (or we never are). But - doesn't it sometimes seem like we've lost some "quiet" time in our lives? We're losing some sense of privacy and seem to feel the need to share every little detail of our lives with everyone else. What happened to a little mystery?
Or, even taken a little deeper - women's rights. We had none for decades - eon's even. Now we do. That is a very definite positive. But, with those rights, many of us seem to have come to the conclusion that we not only do we HAVE rights - we just always ARE right. And, also, as we enjoy the ever-expanding option of choices available to us, thanks to those rights, are we losing some of what it meant to be "wife", "mother", "female", "sister"? Are we so focused on getting what the guys have that we are in danger of becoming manly women? Do we really need to be as aggressive or tough as men? Maybe we do, but I still feel like we lose something when we give up any part, even a fraction, of our femininity.
Ok, well, enough of my "filosofizin' " as a friend of ours would say. I hope all you ladies had a great Mother's Day. Our's was somewhat quiet. Went to church this a.m., & then home. But, Jeff cleaned my kitchen for me and heated up my lunch. And then Jeni & Luke called which was great. Now I plan on lazin' around & readin'. OH.. BTW.. saw a Grizzly bear this a.m.! And me without a camera! GRRR! He was crossing the highway just about 1/2 mile from where our road meets it. He crossed & we pulled over to watch him, so he turned around to watch US. Makes a person very thankful for big metal boxes! I'd have been more than a little concerned with his scrutiny if it'd been out on trail somewhere. He looked really good, especially for spring. Probably ran around 450lbs at least, so in the fall he'll be a big feller. He was quite black but had those lovely silvertips on his hump. Also saw two red-tailed hawks on Friday right outside the lodge kitchen window. Is it mating time for them yet? They were grabbing talons in mid-air but then breaking apart right away. So, not sure if they were fighting over food (one of them did have something it was eating on the ground) or "getting in the mood". We see the hawks a lot around here. The massive gopher population, not to mention the plethora of stupid rabbits makes for a smorgasbord of hawk-kibble. Elk are starting to move back into the area as well. And, two Sandhill cranes have settled down here. They are a VERY large bird!! They always sound like they have a frog in their throat (well... maybe they do!).
Well... my book is cooing my name, so I think I'll go immerse myself awhile. Btw.. sorry no pics this time!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Yellowstone Park
Had a fantastic weekend with both Jeni & Luke down from Kalispell. So, all three kids in one house! It was a great time. Here are some pics we took while there. Also saw elk but I've posted so many of those pics that I'd thought I'd skip it this time! The Trumpeter Swan was pretty cool, and of course, tons of bison. No babies yet - sigh.
Snow again today - gotta love the mountains. Supposed to be wet (i.e., snow for us) until next week!!
And, the 1st couple pictures are of our last snow storm last week and also of a couple of the horses out at our winter pasture in Manhattan (MT, not NY, Gordon!)
That's about it for now. Happy b-day to Karen (Friday) and Happy Belated B-day to Sue!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday's!
Woke to a BEAUTIFUL day today - should get LOTS of snowmelt today! Birds were all in chorus - there were Doves cooing which is just one of the sweetest things ever. There were also bluebirds flitting around, junko's, nuthatches, Stellar's Jays, and more. Yesterday, we had a visit by Trumpeter Swan's!! So, anyway, was enjoying the morning & when the boss needed some info from Jeff, I decided to take my bowl of ceral & walk down to the barn to get him. Took like 10 steps out the door & fell on my butt! The snow melted on top enough yesterday, to refreeze as a snow base, with a skating rink top. I slid down the hill on my back about 10', and then couldn't get my feet under me to stand up! But.. I DID save my cereal!
When I finally was able to stand up, I promptly fell AGAIN - hard - and hit my head too. AND.. this time I had soggy Grape Nuts dripping off my chin, soaking my shirt & sticking ot my pants. Crawled over to a bare spot & the dog helped me get up. Was able to get down the rest of the hill without walking on snow, but had to have Jeff haul me back to the house in the gator. And, of course, had to suffer his amusement at the Grape Nuts. Now I'm sore all over!
On the upside - we had a GREAT day in town yesterday. I got a vacuum! Now I don't have to try & vac with the end of the shop vac hose - which does NOT work, btw. We got to eat Pizza (although I let the guys pic and the Taco pizza just didn't do a lot for me) and went to the bookstore and just general errands. Jeff & Ben's big purchases were a pair of pants each and a book each.
Probably won't get to town again any time soon (can't afford it, if nothing else!) although I'm concerned I may need to take Josie to the vet. I'm pretty sure she's getting another bladder infection. What is WITH that?
Anyway, that's my exciting update! Happy Monday to everyone!!
When I finally was able to stand up, I promptly fell AGAIN - hard - and hit my head too. AND.. this time I had soggy Grape Nuts dripping off my chin, soaking my shirt & sticking ot my pants. Crawled over to a bare spot & the dog helped me get up. Was able to get down the rest of the hill without walking on snow, but had to have Jeff haul me back to the house in the gator. And, of course, had to suffer his amusement at the Grape Nuts. Now I'm sore all over!
On the upside - we had a GREAT day in town yesterday. I got a vacuum! Now I don't have to try & vac with the end of the shop vac hose - which does NOT work, btw. We got to eat Pizza (although I let the guys pic and the Taco pizza just didn't do a lot for me) and went to the bookstore and just general errands. Jeff & Ben's big purchases were a pair of pants each and a book each.
Probably won't get to town again any time soon (can't afford it, if nothing else!) although I'm concerned I may need to take Josie to the vet. I'm pretty sure she's getting another bladder infection. What is WITH that?
Anyway, that's my exciting update! Happy Monday to everyone!!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Paranoia, Conspiracy Theories & Boredom
I finally get to go to town tomrrow! It's been like 6 weeks, at least, since I went anywhere, besides church Sun a.m. I get to eat someone else's cooking, don't have to clean up after the meal, go shopping. I'm SO excited! We did have potluck at church last Sunday, but I had to cook for that too. We were the last ones to leave, as usual... because we talk until everyone is gone. Jeff said "You'd think we don't get out to visit much!" LOL
One of the upsides (or downsides, depending on your view) of being home so much, is the amount of reading we get accomplished. I've read a lot of books.. but also a lot of newspapers, magazines, journals, periodicals, and trash. This can all add to your knowledge base - and to your paranoia level. I read an article in a magazine last night about the fungas known as UG99. It is a new "improved" version of a wheat fungas (Red rust) that was eradicated in the 60's. Prior to that time, it caused worldwide famine and death, since wheat is the primary nutrition for most of the world - including the U.S. Here, wheat is the 3rd largest crop behind soybeans and ... something else. But it IS our main grain crop. Now, this new version of the fungas is spreading rapidly throughout the world. It was discovered in a very small area of Uganda in 1999 (hence the UG99 designation). Since then it has spread quickly. The biggest fear for us, is that one of the spores could hitch a ride on a person via plane and land here. ONE spore contains 10 BILLION little fungi - so just the one spore could cause widespread crop failure here. If they don't find someway to stop it or engineer resistance to it, we could be looking at a repeat of worldwide famine and death. A loaf of bread could become a huge luxury!
And, if that's not enough - in the paper this a.m., there was an article on hospitals, and the fact that the rate of serious infections DUE to hospitalization are INCREASING! As many as 98,000 people a YEAR DIE from medical errors and preventable infections and medication mixups! The hospital issues include bloodstream infections following surgery, urinary infections from catheters, various other infections due to medical care and bloodstream infections due to central venous catheters (neck, chest or groin placement). Shouldn't these types of deaths be TOTALLY preventable?
Ok, that's my ranting for the day. I'm wondering if I have too much time on my hands? I guess as long as I don't start blaming aliens for the pine beetle infestation, I won't worry too much. Although I'm pretty certain that Leprechaun's are resposible for the shoes that hang on electrical & telephone wires by the road. :)
Still no word on our vehicle - the mechanic has had it 6 weeks and STILL isn't done. Unbelievable. Well, better go hunt some leprechauns before the alien spores take over my mind... ta ta!
One of the upsides (or downsides, depending on your view) of being home so much, is the amount of reading we get accomplished. I've read a lot of books.. but also a lot of newspapers, magazines, journals, periodicals, and trash. This can all add to your knowledge base - and to your paranoia level. I read an article in a magazine last night about the fungas known as UG99. It is a new "improved" version of a wheat fungas (Red rust) that was eradicated in the 60's. Prior to that time, it caused worldwide famine and death, since wheat is the primary nutrition for most of the world - including the U.S. Here, wheat is the 3rd largest crop behind soybeans and ... something else. But it IS our main grain crop. Now, this new version of the fungas is spreading rapidly throughout the world. It was discovered in a very small area of Uganda in 1999 (hence the UG99 designation). Since then it has spread quickly. The biggest fear for us, is that one of the spores could hitch a ride on a person via plane and land here. ONE spore contains 10 BILLION little fungi - so just the one spore could cause widespread crop failure here. If they don't find someway to stop it or engineer resistance to it, we could be looking at a repeat of worldwide famine and death. A loaf of bread could become a huge luxury!
And, if that's not enough - in the paper this a.m., there was an article on hospitals, and the fact that the rate of serious infections DUE to hospitalization are INCREASING! As many as 98,000 people a YEAR DIE from medical errors and preventable infections and medication mixups! The hospital issues include bloodstream infections following surgery, urinary infections from catheters, various other infections due to medical care and bloodstream infections due to central venous catheters (neck, chest or groin placement). Shouldn't these types of deaths be TOTALLY preventable?
Ok, that's my ranting for the day. I'm wondering if I have too much time on my hands? I guess as long as I don't start blaming aliens for the pine beetle infestation, I won't worry too much. Although I'm pretty certain that Leprechaun's are resposible for the shoes that hang on electrical & telephone wires by the road. :)
Still no word on our vehicle - the mechanic has had it 6 weeks and STILL isn't done. Unbelievable. Well, better go hunt some leprechauns before the alien spores take over my mind... ta ta!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Don't you just love the 1st snowfall of winter?
Oh.. wait ... you say it's NOT winter? Weird... It started snowing last night & snowed all day & is STILL snowing... we have probably a foot of new snow. But, it's supposed to get relatively nice the rest of the week so hopefully it'll melt fast - probably get lakes now.
Not much new to post right now.. our days tend to be pretty quiet. Still no vehicle, but we're hoping we're close... but it's going to cost a bundle. NOT happy about that, but we'll see how things go. Now it'll be a catch 22... right now we can't take our 3 days or breaks as we have no vehicle, and when we DO get our vehicle back, we won't be able to afford to go anywhere. Sigh.
That's about it for now. I'll post a pic of our snowstorm today, later.
Not much new to post right now.. our days tend to be pretty quiet. Still no vehicle, but we're hoping we're close... but it's going to cost a bundle. NOT happy about that, but we'll see how things go. Now it'll be a catch 22... right now we can't take our 3 days or breaks as we have no vehicle, and when we DO get our vehicle back, we won't be able to afford to go anywhere. Sigh.
That's about it for now. I'll post a pic of our snowstorm today, later.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Survivor - MT Style
Rec'd in email today.. not sure it's origination, but kinda funny.
Due to the popularity of the Survivor shows, Montana is planning to do its own, titled 'Survivor -Montana Style.'
The contestants will start in Helena , travel over to Billings and
Lewistown . Then, they will head northwest to Missoula then up to Kalispell. From there they will proceed west to Libby and Troy. Then final leg will
be back to Helena !
Each will be driving a pink Volvo with California license plates and a
HUGE bumper sticker that reads: I'm gay. I'm a vegetarian. Beer is harmful to your health. Republicans suck. Obama is God.
Deer hunting is murder, and I'm here to confiscate your guns.'
The first one that makes it back to Helena alive wins..
Due to the popularity of the Survivor shows, Montana is planning to do its own, titled 'Survivor -Montana Style.'
The contestants will start in Helena , travel over to Billings and
Lewistown . Then, they will head northwest to Missoula then up to Kalispell. From there they will proceed west to Libby and Troy. Then final leg will
be back to Helena !
Each will be driving a pink Volvo with California license plates and a
HUGE bumper sticker that reads: I'm gay. I'm a vegetarian. Beer is harmful to your health. Republicans suck. Obama is God.
Deer hunting is murder, and I'm here to confiscate your guns.'
The first one that makes it back to Helena alive wins..
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Days of Leisure
Well, we had our 3 day weekend (Sun - Tues), but no transportation so had a quiet couple days around the house. We did get our first "visitor" - our pastor from church came last night & had pie & coffee. That was cool. We also got TONS done. Lots of cleaning & other little projects. I worked on Luke's quilt too. Jeff went for a walk today in the snow.
Last Sunday, we took a walk also, those are the pics at the bottom of Sage (our snow Loch-ness dog). She loves to get off the trail, but the snow's really deep, so she kind of does this lunge & sink move to get anywhere.
The third pic is Ben in the sled behind the snowgo the same day. That's how we got to the trail we used.
And, the first two were taken today. Winter has returned for another visit - with a vengeance! We got a fair amount of snow overnight, as the first pic shows, the 2nd one I just took in the middle of a blizzard that has blown in. Don't know if you can tell in the pic but it is REALLY blowing out there. Our boss took off for his nightly ski not too long ago.. wonder how he's enjoying it? Probably as much as he enjoyed his adventure on Sunday. He & a friend left early in the a.m., on a snowgo (pulling the friend on his ski's) to go x-country skiing up higher. Somehow they ended up WAY east - in Ennis! He had to call his wife to come get him at 9pm! We haven't heard that whole story yet... :)
Well, power went out as I was finishing this up last night, so am getting it posted today. We had a very quiet & dark evening. Read till the light went, then Jeff played his harmonica while, then we played a game by lantern & hit the hay early. That's about it for updates for now... everyone take care!
Last Sunday, we took a walk also, those are the pics at the bottom of Sage (our snow Loch-ness dog). She loves to get off the trail, but the snow's really deep, so she kind of does this lunge & sink move to get anywhere.
The third pic is Ben in the sled behind the snowgo the same day. That's how we got to the trail we used.
And, the first two were taken today. Winter has returned for another visit - with a vengeance! We got a fair amount of snow overnight, as the first pic shows, the 2nd one I just took in the middle of a blizzard that has blown in. Don't know if you can tell in the pic but it is REALLY blowing out there. Our boss took off for his nightly ski not too long ago.. wonder how he's enjoying it? Probably as much as he enjoyed his adventure on Sunday. He & a friend left early in the a.m., on a snowgo (pulling the friend on his ski's) to go x-country skiing up higher. Somehow they ended up WAY east - in Ennis! He had to call his wife to come get him at 9pm! We haven't heard that whole story yet... :)
Well, power went out as I was finishing this up last night, so am getting it posted today. We had a very quiet & dark evening. Read till the light went, then Jeff played his harmonica while, then we played a game by lantern & hit the hay early. That's about it for updates for now... everyone take care!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Life Lessons Learned from my Log home
1. Build up a firm foundation to stand on.
In your life, you want to have something solid to stand on while working on the rest of your life. If you have a rickety stool when you start to clean your beams, you can fall.
2. Plan to get dirty.
Life is messy. You should wear clothes that can get dirty, don't use good dish towels for cleaning cloths, wear eye protection and figure that you'll need to clean up later. Dust falls DOWN.. into your eyes, onto your just-swept floor.
3. Keeping your life from becoming a wreck will take constant maintenance.
Once you get one beam polished with your Old English, the wall next to it will show the dust. Once you get that wall done, the door appears drab. Do the door, the floor will require mopping.
4. There will ALWAYS be residue.
If you let an area of life get too dirty, it'll ALWAYS show residue even after it's cleaned up. So will your hands from cleaning it - oil is HARD to get off!
5. Don't expect someone else to clean up your messes.
Especially if they're 14-yr old boys. They miss spots.
6. Don't expect your whole life to be perfect.
You can clean for DAYS (or years) and never have everything perfect at once. You need to enjoy a relatively clean "room" and let the rest go.
"My home is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy!"
Here are some pics from our Rockin' Friday night: Jeff playing harmonica, Ben working on a science project report, Josie sporting her sweet new purple bandana I just sewed, and also Josie peeking through the bars again!
In your life, you want to have something solid to stand on while working on the rest of your life. If you have a rickety stool when you start to clean your beams, you can fall.
2. Plan to get dirty.
Life is messy. You should wear clothes that can get dirty, don't use good dish towels for cleaning cloths, wear eye protection and figure that you'll need to clean up later. Dust falls DOWN.. into your eyes, onto your just-swept floor.
3. Keeping your life from becoming a wreck will take constant maintenance.
Once you get one beam polished with your Old English, the wall next to it will show the dust. Once you get that wall done, the door appears drab. Do the door, the floor will require mopping.
4. There will ALWAYS be residue.
If you let an area of life get too dirty, it'll ALWAYS show residue even after it's cleaned up. So will your hands from cleaning it - oil is HARD to get off!
5. Don't expect someone else to clean up your messes.
Especially if they're 14-yr old boys. They miss spots.
6. Don't expect your whole life to be perfect.
You can clean for DAYS (or years) and never have everything perfect at once. You need to enjoy a relatively clean "room" and let the rest go.
"My home is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy!"
Here are some pics from our Rockin' Friday night: Jeff playing harmonica, Ben working on a science project report, Josie sporting her sweet new purple bandana I just sewed, and also Josie peeking through the bars again!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Weekend
Well, once again I've been organizing. And, asking myself "How many office supplies does one person need?" I unpacked at least 6 boxes of paper, labels, files, folders, paper clips, pens/pencils/markers, envelopes of various sizes & color, blank CD's & empty jewel cases & cd envelopes, notebooks (oh LORD the notebooks!) and assorted other ... stuff. Do you know that I probably have 300 writing instruments? And, of course, I made Ben go through & test every one to make sure it still worked. Drives me NUTS when I pick up a pen & it doesn't write! Or a marker and it's dry... grrr. The crazy thing about this much office stuff, is that I sold or gave away at least this much before we moved out of OR!! On the bright side, living as far away from a source of such items as we do, Bendigo has NO excuse to not complete school assignments! We always have the things he needs to finish them!
Oh! And good news! I'd finally given up ever finding the tax returns I'd prepared for OR, MT & ID & started doing new ones. After I'd gotten started on those, I thought "I'm going to look ONE more time & see if I can find those".. and lo and behold they were right where I'd put them (and where I had looked THREE other times). So, while a little frustrating, I was VERY happy that I didn't have to redo them! So, those are off in the mail yesterday too!
Today, after church, Ben & Jeff hiked to the top of Lincoln peak, which is the peak we see out our window. Here are a couple pictures they took from the top, including the panoramic and also a couple from the walk Jeff & I took yesterday in the snow (we finally got some more! But it all melted today :( )
Oh! And good news! I'd finally given up ever finding the tax returns I'd prepared for OR, MT & ID & started doing new ones. After I'd gotten started on those, I thought "I'm going to look ONE more time & see if I can find those".. and lo and behold they were right where I'd put them (and where I had looked THREE other times). So, while a little frustrating, I was VERY happy that I didn't have to redo them! So, those are off in the mail yesterday too!
Today, after church, Ben & Jeff hiked to the top of Lincoln peak, which is the peak we see out our window. Here are a couple pictures they took from the top, including the panoramic and also a couple from the walk Jeff & I took yesterday in the snow (we finally got some more! But it all melted today :( )
Friday, March 12, 2010
Facebook (2)
Read a GREAT article in Real Simple last night (well, not great as in literary genius, but great as in "I totally get that!"). It was all about Facebook and the ambivalence so many of us feel towards it. According to the author (Susan Dominus) "A force for socializing like no other, Facebook is a great game of six degrees of separation; a virtual, ever changing map of one's interlocking worlds; or a visual, highly annotated Rolodex that's available to select people in your life. Only on FB is friend a technical term: Confirm that someone is a friend and the site may announce that relationship to everyone else you've already listed as a friend."
Later in the article, she goes one to say "It's not just the time demands of the site that can be taxing; it's also the complexities of online social mixing - which, in contrast to regular daily life, involves mysterious sets of protocol and frequent overtures from unlikely sources. At it's most unnerving, FB feels like a crowded, never-ending cocktail party, one where you might find a tormentor from junior hihg, a blind date from your 20's, and your boss's boss all comparing ntoes - possibly with each other - on the photos you posted today from your 40th-birthday party last night." (Btw.. did I mention that when I joined FB, it suggested a guy I went all the way through school (kindegarten to senior year) with? And we did NOT get along even though our mother's thought we should? No WAY I'm adding him!!)
"Those kinds of social juxtapositions can make you giddy. (Isn't that whats' great about having a wedding, the chance to see all those different worlds collide?) But the constancy of those collisions - uncontrolled by seating arrangements, unlimited by the size of a catering hall - can also be uncomforable, even baffling."
The author goes on to relate a story about a friend of hers (using a fictional name for privacy). " recently accepted a friend request from someone she hadn't seen since the 6th grade and found herself plunged into the social anxiety she had experienced at that age. Suddenly she had access to the online conversation of her classmates. How was it that everyone seemed to have stayed in such close touch? Why were they ignoring her comments? Why were they making fun of the fact that they had sung "The Rainbow Connection" at graduation, a memory Joanna had always considered sweet and lovely? 'My memories are being invaded by other people's memories' ". And, again, relating to this - my high school classmates seem to have stayed in close touch, but I don't even remember a lot of them! They keep talking like I should have these fantastic memories of our time together... maybe I have early-onset alzheimers? BUT... occassionally, there is a redeeming moment - like today when one of them posted a link that plays a song we sang in Concert Choir in 1984.. I didn't even know such a recording existed!
"The past is no longer distant and blurry, a source for vague wonder and speculation..... on FB, practically every chapter of one's life that has ended, for better or for worse, may be reiissued with its own epilogue. Beautifully loose ends can be tied up, without warning, into something finite and sure. It makes you wonder: Whatever happended to...whatever happened to?"
Granted, the author goes on to note that "For some people, it's that time-traveling component that makes the site worthwhie". We can go back & take part in those past areas of our lives that made us feel alive - vibrant discussions of politics, "arcane pop-culture trivia". And, of course, it allows us to stay in touch w/ friends & relatives on a more intimate scale - especially when the live long distances away or we have very busy lives - than if we tried to use mail or email alone.
The article was much longer and move involved that I've shown here, but I found it timely and pertinent (which is kind of funny, since I just joined FB but just got around to reading this article from the April 2009 issue - basically it's a year old!) So, anywho, thought I'd share that here, since one of the limitations to FB is the ability to ramble as long as you want! :) In my blog, I have no limitations!
Later in the article, she goes one to say "It's not just the time demands of the site that can be taxing; it's also the complexities of online social mixing - which, in contrast to regular daily life, involves mysterious sets of protocol and frequent overtures from unlikely sources. At it's most unnerving, FB feels like a crowded, never-ending cocktail party, one where you might find a tormentor from junior hihg, a blind date from your 20's, and your boss's boss all comparing ntoes - possibly with each other - on the photos you posted today from your 40th-birthday party last night." (Btw.. did I mention that when I joined FB, it suggested a guy I went all the way through school (kindegarten to senior year) with? And we did NOT get along even though our mother's thought we should? No WAY I'm adding him!!)
"Those kinds of social juxtapositions can make you giddy. (Isn't that whats' great about having a wedding, the chance to see all those different worlds collide?) But the constancy of those collisions - uncontrolled by seating arrangements, unlimited by the size of a catering hall - can also be uncomforable, even baffling."
The author goes on to relate a story about a friend of hers (using a fictional name for privacy). "
"The past is no longer distant and blurry, a source for vague wonder and speculation..... on FB, practically every chapter of one's life that has ended, for better or for worse, may be reiissued with its own epilogue. Beautifully loose ends can be tied up, without warning, into something finite and sure. It makes you wonder: Whatever happended to...whatever happened to?"
Granted, the author goes on to note that "For some people, it's that time-traveling component that makes the site worthwhie". We can go back & take part in those past areas of our lives that made us feel alive - vibrant discussions of politics, "arcane pop-culture trivia". And, of course, it allows us to stay in touch w/ friends & relatives on a more intimate scale - especially when the live long distances away or we have very busy lives - than if we tried to use mail or email alone.
The article was much longer and move involved that I've shown here, but I found it timely and pertinent (which is kind of funny, since I just joined FB but just got around to reading this article from the April 2009 issue - basically it's a year old!) So, anywho, thought I'd share that here, since one of the limitations to FB is the ability to ramble as long as you want! :) In my blog, I have no limitations!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Junk Drawers
And No, I don't mean the one I carry around behind me! So.. I know you all have junk drawers... how long has it been since you totally organized it? Ok, I know that is kind of defeating the purpose of and the essential meaning of and the quintessential place-in-the-universe-of a "junk drawer". But, this IS me we're discussing here. I just can't STAND the idea of stuff just being thrown in a drawer with no order or arrangement! So, I unpacked our "junk drawer" box today and organized it as I put it away (it actually was organized and arranged the last time it was moved also- but moving and boxes are hard on organization). And found an amazing - and disconcerting - number of totally useless and outdated items. But, of course, those were totally offset by the items that make you exclaim "Hey! I needed one of those!" or "I wondered where that went!"
And, organizing a junk drawer also raises the question of what should actually be IN a junk drawer. I mean... should it truly be "junk" and "junk" by whose definition? Or, should it be a "Useful" drawer? Or.. a "this totally has NO other location this could call home" drawer? I mean... do you keep all the little tools you use around the house in the junk drawer (I especially like my flower-decorated set of pliers, tape measure, box knife, etc). Do you keep your batteries in it? How about electrical cords? Post it notes? Rubber bands, paper clips, nails, screws, string, air freshener, padlocks, pencils, mints, old keys, your "handyman's useful tips" book, dog brush, double-sided tape, a deck of cards, outdated coupons, old notes.. shall I continue? Yes, all of that and MORE - WAY more was in my junk drawer box.
Well, beyond my attacking the junk in my life (HAH! I WISH!) I cleaned the laundry room, did my full days work for the ranch, washed & folded clothes, made dinner (pork chops & scalloped potatoes)... it was a VERY productive day!
The boss leaves tomorrow for their spring break vacation. Jeff and I were kind of laughing because we don't really mind when he's around - he's easy to get along with, doesn't hover or micromanage or any of that - but it is still kind of relaxing when they're gone. Not that we plan on slacking off or anything, but it's just a different feeling to have the place to yourself!
Btw.. here's a pic of Mom that we took during our trip up there last week. She always scolds me when I take her pic, but it's not like she can run away! It was SUCH nice weather that day & so we forced the doors & went out into the courtyard for a bit. (The doors are not "plugged in" during the winter so residents can't wander out there, so you have to pull them open). The red sweater was one I'd taken up to her that day. Also, there's a pic of the dogs cuddling in the car, of Josie peeking down from the loft (she likes to be where she can keep an eye on everyone) and of bison down at the range in Arlee.
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