Category Archives: Auntie Lenora

Healthing

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Weather in the Tries: Mostly sunny days, one day up to 86, the lowest to 75. Nights will be high 40s to low 50s. More sunny days than cloudy ones. Now, I ask you, can it get any better?

Healthing.

As many of you know, I have neuropathy in my feet and legs. Primarily in my feets. Finally found a wonder drug that helps, and I seldom have a problem any more. With the neuropathy. But, for the past few years when walking I would more often that really appreciated, have my right leg feel like it was being filled with molten lava. The leg first felt tight, like it was swelling (it wasn’t) and then the lava came. Made for shorter walks.  I’d make it home, grab a book, get more or less horizontal with my foot up, and I’d be fine. Usually about that fast.

The podiatrist said it was a nerve issue and if it got too bad, he’d send me to a neurologist or orthopedic surgeon and whichever I chose would probably send me to physical therapy first then talk about surgery. On my spine? Uh, I don’t think so. So, I thought about it, and had an appointment with my regular doctor, and told her what the other doctor said, and she said she’d send me to PT. I think I appreciate it. I tell Housemate I am dying. He says no, I am healthing. What does he know? My quads feel like they’ve been made out of jello. Lime jello at that, and everybody knows I hate lime jello. My knees feel like they’re made of lemon-lime jello. Barely a half step better than lime jello.

The PT has me doing exercises. I’m doing them. Most of them. Being an almost octogenarian and trying to do exercises is not as easy as it used to be! However, they must be doing some good, as yesterday when I got the mail, there was a package in our box for a neighbor on the 2d floor of a different building. Sammy and I took it upstairs. Sammy had NO problem with the stairs (he’s considerably younger than I am, and has four legs), and I had far less problem than usual! But when I got down on the floor a bit ago to do one of the exercises, I could not get up. Blessings upon Housemate! He got behind me and lifted me. This healthing is somewhat painful, and a lot of hard work but if I can get built up to walking long distances in a year, I’ll consider it worth the while. But it is asking a heck of a lot from an old lady.

(And, yes, I know where to find sympathy—in the dictionary between sh*t and syphilis!)

Photos of the Week:

Like I had energy to walk the dog AND take pictures? OK, here’s a couple from days gone by. The yellow flower is a Prickly Pear I took on the side of a road back in 2007 when Kay and I toured the country, and the other is fog on the Columbia River.

Books: Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

Finished Brotherhood of the Wheel by R. S. Belcher and The Color of Dirt by Giulio Magrini. Hope to have all reviews posted in next couple of days.

Movies: Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

Watched four movies this week. Ashes of Time Redux, Lars and the Real Girl, Twilight Samurai, and The Hidden Blade. If anyone knows where I can buy (for a reasonable amount) a copy of Love and Honor, the third in the Samurai movies by Yoji Yamada, please let me know.

My good friend Dixie recommended a K-Drama series she thought I might like, The Extraordinary Attorney Woo. She has a photographic memory and knows how to use it. She has some other issues, to. She is the first autistic person appointed to the Bar and, admittedly, I know very little about autism, so don’t know if she’s playing it “correctly” or not but I’m enjoying it tremendously. Thank you, GF Dixie 😉

I think LA Law was the first time they actually had an actor with Down’s Syndrome play a character with DS, and his girlfriend also had DS, and I believe she, too, had DS in real life. I don’t think the star of Attorney Woo is autistic, but she’s doing a good job, I think, of portraying it. What I like is the fact that this is the third K-Drama I’ve seen where one of the main characters is somewhere on the spectrum, and they are a part of the ‘real world’ and not portrayed as undesirable, or unwanted, or victims needing rescue.

And that’s it for this week. No Earworm, no Quotes.

However, I truly wish to tell you about a new way to eat ice cream. Put ice cream in the bowl. Add chocolate sauce. Still with me? Okay, next grab your jar of Chili Crisp (Housemate and I like Fly By Jing), stir with a fork, and take a fork full of the crisp and dribble on the chocolate sauce. Oh, yummmmmmm. 

Have a great week. If you can’t stay out of trouble, for heaven’s sake, don’t get caught! And don’t forget to find out where your nearest Middle Eastern bakery is, and give them some of your business. And if you want some cookies that aren’t all that sweet, try the sesame cookies or the date biscuits. Yummmmm. Every country has their own styles, and I think it’s safe to say that every area/city/town has their own way of baking and cooking, too.

Bread and Soup

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Weather in the Tries: We are, I believe, in our cooling times. The weather this past week has been in the 80s and 70s, and coming up is more of the same, but more 70s than 80s. The nights are in the 50s. Sammy is much happier sleeping under the blanket now ;-)just about all of our days will be sunny, or partly so, with 40% chance of wetness falling on Thursday. Or only 40% of the Tries will get wet? Whatever.

Bread and Soup:

Favorite Daughter and I decided to go shopping at Al Basha Market last weekend, it’s our local Middle Eastern/Mediterranean  Grocery, and carries such wonderful foods. Of course the store has the most wonderful of smells as you walk in—spices, coffees, teas, and the freezers are filled with all kinds of bread (none of them American), meats (halal), fish, and who knows what all? The guys who own it work there and are very helpful. I always try to buy at least one thing I’ve never had before, and the other day I came home with a jar of stuffed small egg plants. Yummm.

But, I digress. For whatever reason I got to wondering if we had a local Middle Eastern bakery, so looked it up on my favorite frenemy, Google. There is one in Kennewick, and it is literally right next door! So favorite daughter and I stopped there first just to see what they had. And what they had was marvelous—bread so fresh it was still warm! And all sorts of other goodies. The pistachio baklava is to die for! And I saw date things, and kunefe, which I’ve yet to try. Favorite Daughter liked hers—a lot. I finally tried the Kunefa! It is a marvelous, wonderful cheesy delight. They make theirs with sweet cheese, and a shredded phyllo dough that I understand is slightly different than our phyllo dough. Oh my oh my! Auntie Lenora gained 5 pounds yesterday, yes, it’s that good, stop and have some. The happiest 5 pounds you’ll ever wear.

Mr Al-Hayyawi putting samoon dough on the ‘record’ and his helper removing it

For me, the hit of the show is the samoon, an Iraqi bread. Unfortunately, I could probably live off bread, and having Somer Bakery so close, an easy and way too short walk, may prove to be more of a temptation than I can handle. (Somer means Civilization, and I am for sure positive they will civilize me!) The single breads cost a dollar, or $4.95 for a bag of five. Samoon is a pocket bread, like pita, but nothing like the pita from your friendly grocery store. The bread is thicker, about like a slice of our bread, and has a marvelous taste and texture. So far, I’ve had mine with olive oil and za’atar (thyme, salt, and sesame seed), with the stuffed eggplant, with scrambled eggs, peanut butter, onion jam, butter, and just plain. (I can see my friend who lived in Palestine for several years and was married to a Palestinian for 55 years shuddering and shaking her head in disbelief at how I have desecrated the almost holy bread with things I shouldn’t. Maybe she won’t read that part of the paragraph 😉 (I hope we’ll still be friends.;-) (I also like olive oil and za’atar and chipotle powder on my popcorn. She just knows I’ll pay for that eventually 😉

The oven he uses is a thing of beauty—and magic. It looks kind of like a large record turning on the player at about perfect number of rpm that produce breads instead of music. Well, the bread is a symphony for your tastebuds, so music it makes. Mr. Al-Hayyawi puts the dough on it as it turns, and when it comes around again after passing through the heated part (maybe he has tamed some small dragons? or djinn?), it’s baked and nicely browned. And also puffed up. I swear, I can gain wait just inhaling the perfume of fresh baked bread!  

They also make pies—pizza-like pies. Their pies have several different toppings—ground beef, za’atar, cheese, spinach, and all sorts of wonderful goodnesses. They are wonderful. They also have a more traditional pizza, but why would anyone want that when they could have the Iraqi pie?

The pie menu. I’ve had the Lahm bi ajeen and the Manaeesh Zatar, both are delightful. –photo by Sonja Smith

Since I like to shop local when I can, and put money back into my local economy, and prefer locally owned and operated, when possible, I know I will be putting a fair share in the new Somer Bakery, 5601 W Clearwater Ave, Unit 111, Kennewick WA 99336. They are wheelchair accessible, have free wi-fi, accept plastic, have contactless payments, and even use Apple Pay. Hours during the week are 7.00-7.00.  Weekend hours are a little shorter.

There are tables and chairs, so you may sit and eat, converse with a friend, (and dare I say that everyone in there is a friend waiting to be introduced), read a book, drink coffee or tea. If I was a bona fide food critic, I would give Somer’s 5 out of 5 stars. But since I’m just a wannabe blogger, and I make my own rules, they get 10 out of 5 stars. Don’t ask me how I do that, I just do.

The bread of heaven–samoon

Since I know a lot of my readers don’t live close enough to the Tries to visit, try the next best thing—see if you’re fortunate to have a Middle Eastern Bakery in your town, and if so, check them out. In the meantime, if you’re heading this way to check out the wineries, etc., plan a stop at Somer’s bakery. Everything goes better with good bread. It’s worth the drive. Honest. Trust me. I understand that in many areas of the Middle East, one can take their bread dough to the baker and he will bake it, then you return to pick it up.

Rolls and other yummy breads.

A link crossed my screen the other day from Cooking Professionally, with a recipe for Football Soup. Of course, I had to check it out. I was interested in whether they used brand spanking new footballs, and if so, which brand (or does it matter?), how many and what part, or if they used well-kicked footballs for tenderness. And do we use American footballs or European footballs. Are they cooked and seasoned the same?  Of course, I had to check the recipe, because to be honest, footballs in my soup just doesn’t sound like anything I really want to try, though it is a novel way to dispose of them. Now, though, I’m curious if the people who posted the recipe could be sued for lying? There is no football/soccer ball listed in the ingredients. Just the same, I’ll stick to nail soup or stone soup, thank you very much. 

In the last few days, recipes for Fairy Bread, Cemetery Cake, and Teacher’s Pet Casserole have all come across my screen. Now, I know there are those who claim fairies don’t exist, but obviously they do exist or there wouldn’t be a recipe calling for them. I mean, how could anyone make bread out of Tinker Bell and her siblings? I truly do not understand how anyone can make bread out of Fairies, cake out of Cemeteries, even assuming they just use the flowers, and not the bones, but making a casserole out of pets is too much—well, possibly if one’s pet is an alligator, but then why ruin it in a casserole when ‘gator bites are so delicious? Oh, wait. Maybe said teacher uses the student who is her pet? Oh, no. Surely not. No, it must be the guinea pig? Or???

Photos of the Week: What? You want MORE photos? Oh, alright…

My first ever samoon with some extra virgin olive oil and some zatar. There truly isn’t a better way to eat bread, but there are some different ways, which are very good, but olive oil and zatar are truly hard to beat.

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

I’m still reading reading Brotherhood of the Wheel, by R. S. Belcher. I try to read at least one chapter a night. Sometimes, I don’t make it 😉

Earworms:

Taqsim Arabic oud music

Best of Iraqi oud Nasser Shama I can listen to this all day!

And there it is. This week’s Coffee Break Escape! Cooler nights, cooler days, everyone seems happier. And Housemate Dan and I didn’t turn the a/c on once this summer, using open windows and fans. Even Sammy Brave Dog seems happier.

I Don’t Read…

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Weather in the Tries:

The nights are for real getting cooler. The days are, too. At least most of them. This week will be mostly in the 90s, with three days at 101, as of 4.30 Sunday afternoon. Who knows how it will change by Monday, and No one but that wee butterfly in Seoul, South Korea knows if we’ll still get 3 hot days. 

I Don’t Read…

As most of you know, perhaps all of you know, I do not read books on math, spy stories (nonfiction or fiction), romance, or horror. Heaven’s to Murgatroyd! I found a series of books that are classified as horror, and I’m having a hard time putting them down. I have read books 1, 3, 4, and am now on 2. Five and 6 are somewhere between the author’s computer and my bookshelf. It is the Golgotha Series by R. S. Belcher, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The horror is more along the lines of ewww and yuck than nightmare horror. Of course, there is violence, but something occurred to me the other day—I don’t mind violence in shows or books as long as it is improbable. Our Hero single handedly saves Los Angeles from the bad people, the rock falls from outer space to the desert only to not be a rock, but an egg of a violent predator who loves warm blooded beings. Only one person, also from another planet, can save us. Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman. And the violence in these books is like that. Totally improbable. Think of the old Lethal Weapon movies. Now throw in some spirits, ghosts, wayward angels, and other such stuff all in a desert town in Nevada with the name of Golgotha, where everyone is welcome. Some are welcome to live, some are welcome to die, but all are welcome.

I heartily recommend the series by R. S. Belcher, and I strongly recommend reading the first one first, Six Gun Tarot. The others you can read as you find them, but you’ll have a great grounding if you start at the first. It’s far less violent than Game of Thrones was/is. And I’m considerably chuffed that Six Gun Tarot was Mr. Belcher’s debut novel. How cool is that?

Speaking of, I understand there is a prequel out, now, to GoT, The House of the Dragon (???) I imagine it will be as violent as the original, possibly more so. George RR (RailRoad) Martin is involved in this one, too. If any of you watch it to the end, I’d appreciate your comments. I quit GoT at the end of Season 5. I was afraid they would kill off the few favorite characters I still had standing. Especially Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). I did see the episode where he offed Daddy Dearest and thought that was awesome. (I didn’t like his Daddy at all). I know that when the story lags, an author should kill his/her darlings, but damn, I’d get emotionally involved with a character in one episode, and the next s/he would be offed. And I really didn’t want anyone to kill the dragons. 

Remember when Diana Gabaldon came out with the Outlander series? My housemate at the time and I bought the first three books, heard the fourth came out and headed to our local bookstore. We went up and down every aisle but the Romance one. Finally, we asked for help. The books weren’t in historical novels. They weren’t in thriller. They weren’t anywhere to be found and yet the store advertised they had them. Yeah, you guessed it, they were in the Romance Section. 

I seldom buy fiction books. They take up too much room, they weigh too much, but there are some authors I really, really want to own their books and not rent them. Patricia Briggs, Ann Bishop, and now R. S. Belcher. I’m pretty sure they’ll play well together on my bookshelf. And notice their last names all start with B so as my mind slip/slides away maybe I can still find my old friends on shelf B.

Photos of the Week:

You looking for a good book to read at the beach on your last summer get away? I suggest this one. And I won’t even be begging you for a review, Amazon has heard all us authors whine and cry, and now you readers can just go in and give books you’ve read a Star Rating, no words involved. How about them apples? Huh? And this book is just chock-full short pieces—poems, stories, and opinions. Honest. Trust me.

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

No knew books this week. I’m still working on #2, and I’m reading it very slowly because I don’t want to finish it and have to come home. I kinda like Golgotha. It’s a happening place, know what I mean, Jelly Bean? 😉

Earworms:

Went to YouTube to check my music videos, and there was a new one for me, Arabian Harp. What lovely music to have in the background while I work on the computer. 

Quotes from Salmon Rushdie:

“Faith without doubt is addiction.” —Salmon Rushdie

“From the beginning men used God to justify the unjustifiable.” —Salmon Rushdie

“We all owe death a life.” —Salmon Rushdie

“A photograph is a moral decision taken in one eighth of a second.” —Salmon Rushdie

We’ve had cooler weather, and Boy Howdy! is it nice for sleeping. I’m pretty sure it won’t be too long before I have to put the heavier quilt on the bed, but for now both Sammy and I are enjoying the lighter weight of the summer quilt. I believe next week end is Labor Day weekend, the “official” end of summer, at least for a lot of kidlets, and their teachers, unless they’ve all quit. When I worked at The Boeing Company, I was rather surprised at all the teachers I knew who worked there. Far less hassle, better wages, better hours, and no kids allowed. Enjoy this week, especially if it’s your last one of the summer 😉

Home Again, Home Again…

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Weather in the Tries:

MOS (More of the Same), i.e. extremely warm to hot. 😉

Home Again, Home Again…

Arrived home from the Dark Side a couple hours or so ago. And, yes, the Dark Side was dark for a couple of days. And cool, and I found myself wearing jeans instead of shorts, and a lightweight house jacket thingy I made years ago.

BUT, and this is the important part: I had a wonderful visit with friends. I left the Brave Dog home with Housemate, and am glad I did. The drives over and back were hot and stressful. Lots of traffic that actually moved quite well, until the Road Work signs appeared. Ugh!

Have four books to review and post, but probably not tonight. Have read volumes 1, 3, 4 of the Golgotha series, 5 & 6 are not yet published, and volume 2 was waiting when I got home. Volume 2 is a trade paper book, the others are mass paper, and in the beginning of V2 is a map of the town of Golgotha. As you probably know I love maps! Can you tell what I’m going to be doing in just a few minutes?

Because it is still Monday, I wanted to get something written so your Monday won’t be a total loss without a new Coffee Break Escape, I’m putting it together, and will get it sent soon. While it’s still Monday.

My friend who lives in the Dark Side, is dairy intolerant. It is also difficult for him to get around, so we want NOTHING with dairy to come into his domain. I found a recipe I thought he’d like, Apple Fritter Cake, which is to die for. It calls for melted butter, I ignored that, and the glaze is to be made with milk—I substituted Scotch Whiskey 😉 You may have to subscribe to their free newsletter—believe me, it’s worth it. This cake was a huge hit, for those fortunate enough to get any. Next time I make it, I think I will nuke the apples, sugar (surprisingly small amount), and cinnamon with a bit of cornstarch for a few minutes, then mix it in. The apples were good, but not quite as done as a bakery fritter. And, being a cake, it was baked not fried. I baked it in our new Anova Precision Oven, and it was quite interesting to see the whole degree of flex to maintain the temperature for baking. 

I think the cake would be good with peaches, blueberries, cherries—whatever your little tastebuds have a hankering for. You might want to adjust the cinnamon appropriately 😉 Very little sugar (1/4 cup), no egg (12 oz of beer).

My friend’s youngest son, Alex, was there when I arrived. He looked so much like my Favorite Son, I did a double take. There are differences, but still…. 😉 And, like Favorite Son, a delight to meet. 

Photos of the Week:

Two shots of one of Sheryl’s Hydrangea plants. Sheryl is/was a Landscape Architect, and her yard is fantabulous. More shots next time. 

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

Books 3, 4 of the Golgotha series and two books of poetry, Discovery by Don Krieger and I Am the Rage, by Martina McGowan. Two powerful books of poetry. Anyhow, I’ll try to get all the reviews up in the next couple of days.

Earworms:

I wasn’t going to have any earworms this week, but I remembered an old song I learned in Girl Scouts, Make New Friends, and thought I’d share it. It one of those simple songs that goes into a ‘round’ easily and I think it’s a song we big people ought to learn and sing more often than we do. Check it out. This version is a bit longer than I remember, but I surely do like it. 

Quotes from Blues muscians:

“The blues tells a story. Every line of the blues has a meaning.” —John Lee Hooker, blues singer, songwriter, guitarist (1917-2001)

“There’s no way in the world I can feel the same blues the way I used to. When I play in Chicago, I’m playing up-to-date, not the blues I was born with. People should hear the pure blues – the blues we used to have when we had no money.” — Muddy Waters (1913–1983) 

“The blues is celebration, because when you take sorrow and turn it into music, you transform it.” —Odetta Holmes, Folk, blues, spirituals guitarist, lyricist (1930-2008)

Sammy was delighted I came home. I sat on the sofa for a good half hour, and he snuggled in my lap. I came into the office to write this, and he was over talking to Housemate. Aah, the fickleness of animals. My folks and I used to have a cat who would ignore is for days when we’d go someplace and leave him. If we were gone a couple days, it wasn’t much, but if we were gone a month, he’d ignore us for at least a whole week. The neighbors thought it funny. He’d still go to them for food. Tis good to be home. I missed Sammy and I missed you all, too.

How My Brain (or at least what’s left of it) Works

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Weather in the Tries:

It gonna be hot, today and tomorrow 96, 99. Then up to triple digits until next Monday. Where I will be is gonna be in the 80s. Nights down as low as 55, mostly in 60s. You just have NO IDEA how happy I am knowing that Climate Change is a hoax. That keeps me mighty cool. 

How My Brain (or at least what’s left of it) Works:

Okay, I really don’t know how it works, I’m just grateful it still does. Well, it sorta works. I forget words now and then, but since I bought a Bling-y phone cover, I haven’t lost my phone.

I also bought a new headset with mic a while back. It’s really kinda neat. For sure it’s more comfortable than the one I’d been using. It also cost more. Noticeably more. And it comes in colors (mine is lilac and cost a dollar less than Housemate’s default black one). It’s a gamer’s headset. The only game I play on my computer is solitaire. The sound effects are of cards being shuffled, dealt, etc. Certainly nothing requiring such a headset. It is fun hearing commercials in stereo though as the music comes in one ear and goes out the other. It’s also wireless. When I’m in a zoom gathering, I can get up to get more coffee and not miss anything (unless I nuke it, then the headset goes off until the nuker goes off). And it has an on/off button. 

There are four notes that go up for on and down for off. And that’s what made me remember my Auntie Marie’s old Chinese Myna Bird, Mac. Everyone in the family would talk to Mac, and we would give him the same four notes, A, B, C, D going from low to high, and he would repeat it. Until my cousin’s husband gave him the same notes. Mac would look at Husband and say the same notes backwards, D, C, B, A. We never did figure that one out. Until that old bird died, he never slipped up and repeated it “correctly” nor did anyone else get the same reverse treatment.

I tried one time and gave him D, C, B, A. He looked at me, then admonished me that it was A, B, C, D. You have not lived until you’ve been admonished by a Chinese Myna Bird.

For his sleep at night, Auntie Marie would put a paper lunch sack in his cage and Mac would go into the bag, tuck his head under a wing, and sleep. All night. Unless he woke. Auntie Marie woke one night and heard Cousin sewing out in the other room where Mac lived, but she was doing it in the dark. Auntie Marie got up to tell Cousin to turn on the light, she needed more than the sewing machine light. She went out into the room, and no one was at the machine. Mac had awakened, and was apparently bored, so thought he’d “sew” himself a new outfit. 

‘They” say smell is one of the best triggers to bring up memories, but in this case, it’s four notes on my gamer’s headset. 

Restaurant Hack:

One of my favorite sandwiches that I only eat in restaurants, never make my own, is a good Reuben, on grilled rye bread. Alas, we seem only able to convince local restaurants to use the marbled rye bread instead of a good black rye. If they can make a good Reuben with the marbled stuff, you know it’s good. But then, Cook ruins it by placing the hot sandwich on the plate so the bottom slice of bread steams and gets soggy. I always ask for fries as my side, and I ask the waitperson to please ask Cook to put the sandwich on top of the fries. Of course, then I have to explain the why of it—when the sandwich goes on the fries, it has air under it as well as heat, and doesn’t get soggy. So, there you go. If you order a grilled sandwich in a restaurant, ask for it to be placed on top of your fries. If you can afford the restaurant and really wanted a side salad, order it, you can afford it. You don’t have to eat the fries. The fries are there for your sandwich. Try it, you’ll like it. Unless, of course, you like soggy bread on your grilled sandwiches.

The reason I only eat Reubens in restaurants and not at home is they are treats. If I make them at home, they are no longer a treat. I also don’t cook lobster at home for the same reason. Going to a restaurant is a treat and I never order anything I can make at home. I also find myself not ordering salads all that much anymore either. That’s because Housemate makes killer salads, why would I pay for lesser eats?

Photos of the Week:

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

I finished Six Gun Tarot by R. S. Belcher. Oh, saddle up, Buckaroo, it’s a ride and a half. Read my review.

Earworms:

In a real western mood, thanks to Mr. Belcher. Check out some of these oldies.

Roy Rogers (remember him?) & Sons of the Pioneers, Tumbling Tumbleweeds

Sons of the Pioneers, Ghost Riders In the Sky

I remember those songs from when I was an itty bitty kidlet—my folks were still together and we lived in Klamath Falls, Oregon

Quotes from the Old West:

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” —Judge Roy Bean

“Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.” —Unknown

“Always drink upstream from the herd.”—Will Rogers

I will probably be a wee bit late next week. I’m going to be on the road coming home Monday, so I’ll do the best I can, but it might even be Tuesday before Monday’s gets posted. Patience, Grasshopper!

Sammy is thrilled. I’m leaving him with Housemate. Housemate spoils him rotten. Does he get water in his kibble dish like a normal dog? No. He gets organic chicken stock! And special treats made just for him. I won’t worry, though, unless he starts eating salads. If he and I have to fight over Housemate’s salads, there’s gonna be a come to the table meeting!

Have a great week. And stay cool.

A Dangerous Place

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Weather in the Tries:

Oh, my goodness gracious. We’re headed back to triple digits Today and Tues, then 99 to 97 for the rest of the week. Can you spell H-O-T? But I can’t complain–for a couple of reasons: 1. nobody cares and 2. it’s my choice to live here 😉

A Dangerous Place to Be:

I read this article the other day and it got me to thinking, again, of an old idea of mine. 

We have nine, possibly ten (one source says the US Merchant Marine is, another says not. Who knows? Above my pay grade) uniformed services in the US. The Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, and National Guard under the Department of Defense. The US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the NASA Commissioned Officer Corps, and, I think, the US Merchant Marine. Remember that the next time you attend trivia night at your local watering hole. But don’t bet money on the Merchant Marines. They may well not be considered part of the Uniformed Services. Things change; I’m old.

I understand why we no longer have the draft, and I agree. However, I’ve long thought all citizens should put some time in for their country—”ask not what your country can do for you—ask, what you can do for your country.” From President John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961 (it’s a short address, give it a read through).

Are you a pacifist, who would rather die than fight, great! No, seriously, great. It’s easier to fight than turn the other cheek. There are jobs for you, too. When I was stationed in Germany during the Viet Nam era, I worked with several young men who were registered Conscientious Objectors. They were all Medics. And some of the bravest young men I’ve ever had the honor of meeting. You can still do something for your country—save lives. I’d like to see the Public Health Service expanded so those who have reasons to not join the military can still put their time in for their country at the same pay scale and rank structure as the military.

Also, while in Germany, I learned that in the French Army (at that time, who knows what they do now) there was no such thing as a “4F” classification. If a young man wasn’t able to do anything but sit on a stool in the kitchen and peel potatoes for two years, then he sat on a stool in the kitchen and peeled potatoes for two years to help feed the rest of the troops. Got bone spurs on your feet? Sit on that stool and peel spuds! 

Would I like to see the draft reinstated? No. Well, I don’t think so, and yet… I would like to see something like the draft, but not as we used to have it. (Figuring that one out is also above my pay grade.) I think everyone should put in a minimum of two years for their country. Don’t want to join the military or the Merchant Marine? Join the Public Health Service. If you qualify for a commission, such as a RN, MD, DDS, etc., good on you. If you don’t qualify for that, go in as ‘enlisted’ and become a medic, technician, etc. Go where sent and expect to be sent to areas where there are few if any medical personnel. Help in ORs and ERs, inner cities and rural. While we’re at it, let’s set up some “free” college programs, payback in time. Four-year RN degree? Five years of service in Public Health afterward. (I think that’s the pay-back required of the military academies but won’t swear to that one.) 

A final quote from the same inaugural speech by President Kennedy:

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”  Maybe a few of our so-called politicians should read and cogitage this, eh?

Another article just came across my screen from MedPageToday that says Americans Have No Right to Healthcare—It’s high time we change that. Indeed, it is! Click here for the article. It’s not long, and is in readable English, not Medicalese. And if you think Americans are entitled to health care as a right, contact your congresspeople, and if they disagree with you, vote the suckers out in November.

Photos of the Week:

Our apartments buildings each have a large, open entry with individual doors off the large hall. Housemate and I came home the other afternoon and these 6 ducks came out of our entry. I have no idea what they were doing, but they looked guilty as sin! Yes, there are 6 ducks, the first one is black and almost at the water. He looks more like a shadow than a duck.
I think this is a Muscovy duck, she’s really quite dark, almost black with a striking white head with red eye patch. Anyhow, she’s sitting on a nest. I haven’t seen how many eggs are in it, but I’m concerned that the babies won’t be big enough to fly south this winter. Perhaps the hoax, aka climate change, has her biological clock mucked up?

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com.

I’m in a fiction kinda mind these days. Am reading Six Gun Tarot, the first in a series by R. S. Belcher. Not sure how to classify it—cowboy noir fantasy weird twisted? It starts off in 1869 in Golgotha, Nevada. A friend gave me a bundle of ebooks, and book four of the series was in it. I started the book, and decided I wanted to read the series in order. I don’t usually have a problem coming into the middle of a series, and didn’t have a problem with this one, but the universe was enough different, I wanted in at the beginning, Six Gun Tarot. I’m about 1/3 of the way through and thoroughly enjoying it. So far it gets a strong recommendation. Here is an excerpt from GraphicAudio.

Earworm: some of JFKs likes in modern music taken from Return to Camelot

Mack the Knife, Bobby Darin

September Song from Knickerbocker Holiday

The Black Watch perform at the Whitehouse, 13 Nov 1963

Quotes of the week taken from The Best JFK Quotes of All Time

“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” – John F. Kennedy

“Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men.” – John F. Kennedy

“The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds.” – John F. Kennedy

Sammy Brave Dog says he isn’t too sure of my likes in music. I found an hour plus concert of The HU. Sammy says he’s really glad I wear my new head set so he doesn’t have to listen. I think Housemate is probably happy I have new headset, too. It’s a gamer’s headset, and really pretty good but I can’t move the mic and when I talk on it, I can’t hear myself speak. It’s a weird sensation, but people at the other end of the phone or zoom meeting have no problem, so I guess I am talking 😉 Oh, and on the front of each ear piece is a long thread light that changes colors and reflects on the outer edge of my glasses lenses. Kinda neat. My new mouse also has a light, but it doesn’t change colors and is nice to find it in a hurry. (It sits on a pull out keyboard drawer in a shadow.)

On Writing

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Weather in the Tries:

Well, Tuesday was supposed to be cooler, I guess if you consider 102 cooler than the todays 106, then yes, it will be cooler (I write/schedule this on Sunday). If my phone isn’t telling tall tales, we will be triple digit for 3 days, then high 90s for three days, then back to triple digit. It would be considerably more bearable if we could get nights down to low 60s or lower. Oh, well, this is the desert, and better here with far less humidity than over on the Dark Side of the Cascades. They are really miserable over there.

On Writing:

Received an email from ProWritingAid on Tuesday with the title: Does Good Gramar Make You More Sexy? ProWritingAid is an app that can help anyone become a better writer, or so they say. In the meantime, I had to chuckle at some of the results. 

Apparently, men say that good grammar is important, then swipe their dating app for physical attributes. However, younger women are “31% more likely to choose well-written profiles” over ones filled with grammatical mistrakes. But the one that got me was that Americans seem to care more about good grammar than Brits. This surprised them?? Obviously, they never read Eats, Shoots & Leaves that was written a few years ago by a Brit.

Admittedly, grammar is not my strong suit, but I also don’t claim to be a grammarian. I tried, but could not read what should have been Eats, Shoots, & Leaves. The one thing I understand, at least most of the time, is the Oxford comma. It serves a vital function. And, besides, it’s cute.

However, back to the ProWritingAid’s surprise about American’s being more caring about grammar than Brits, I remembered something from my time in the military and being stationed in Germany. Many of the GI’s were able to wrangle assignments to the University of Heidelberg. Because they were considered foreign students (Brit or Ami) they had to take and pass an English test—in a German University. Go figure. All the guys gathered for their test, and much hilarity ensued with one group teasing the other about not speaking “real” English but speaking American. So, the forty or so guys filed into the testing room, took their test and re-assembled in the hall waiting for their scores. To a man (no women were in this group) all the Americans passed with high scores, and all the British flunked and had to take remedial English to qualify. Apparently, at that time, the English saw no reason to teach English to those born there and growing up using the language. I don’t know if anything has changed or not, but I assume (silly me) that it’s not, as they were surprised at the outcome.

I spent some time on dating apps in years gone by, and I found good grammar a turn-on v. bad grammar. I had never given it any thought, really, as to why, until now. At some level bad grammar told me he probably had lower self-esteem, a younger sense of humor (think 5th grade potty humor), possibly be more needy and looking for mama, probably preferred sports to good books—if he read at all, and would have more limited conversation skills. Now, according to this article, women with good grammar were penalized more. Ya know what? That’s probably okay. An intelligent woman wants a partner in a relationship, not a boy to raise, especially if she’s of an age and has already raised her children.

ProWritingAid is a for-profit app, I do not use it, but do receive their emails. If you are looking for a writing app to help you, check it out. read the fine print, and then draw your own conclusion. And if anyone cares, my title today is On Writing. That is also the title of an excellent “How to Write” book by Stephen King. It’s okay. One may not copyright a title.

One more thing…Housemate sent this to me. He found it in a book online, and thought I’d like it. He was correct, and I’m sharing it with you for the same reason, I think you’ll like it. One of those things that we probably all know at some level but have not consciously cogitated.  From The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase. Adjectives, writes the author, professional stickler Mark Forsyth, “absolutely have to be in this order: opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun. So you can have a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife. But if you mess with that order in the slightest you’ll sound like a maniac.” 

Poem-a-Day. It’s no secret I love poetry—reading it, writing it, living it. I subscribe to at least two Poems-a-Day, and one I get on Mondays only. The one that came on 27 Jul, Why Do You Love the Poem? —by Charles Bernstein, is one of the best I’ve read in a while. I use repetition, both in my poetry and in my prose, though not so much there. I’m a firm believer that when used to good effect, it’s worth the while. Give this poem a minute of your time. Even if you don’t love poetry. (Stretch yourself now and again—it’s good for you.;-) 

Photos of the Week:

One of our more melodic residents enjoying the sprinkler.
Who called this meeting? Why?
I got a new phone cover. the sides are encrusted with wee diamonds (glass) and the back is dynamic with the sparklie’s moving. Originally purchased for fun, but all the bling sure makes it easier to find my phone!

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

I’ve started a couple of books. One is the fourth in a series, and I became intrigued enough to buy Volumes 1, 2, & 3 and put 4 away until I get the others. Not sure exactly what the genre is, western, horror, fun??? Then I started another urban fantasy. And then along came Jones, slow walking—sorry, I got carried away for a few seconds. I decided it’s time to haul out some novels I’ve written, and go through them again to polish as much as possible, then see if I can interest an agent and or publisher.  If those count as books read, and read again, and yet again…My Adventures as Brother Rat and Forgotten Daughter. Does it count that I need to read them cover to cover to make changes? Those of you who have read any of my novels as a reader, I would appreciate knowing which novel you read, and if you had problems with the names.

Earworms:

Years ago, waaaaaay back in my own ancient history, Folk Music was the big thing in music. I loved it. I loved Joni Mitchell. Then I wandered away from folk music to rock n roll, blues, classical, whatever. At some point I remember that Ms. Mitchell had some health problems and alas, she dropped off my radar. Well, the other day, someone sent me an NPR link about the Newport Folk Festival concert where Joni Mitchell made a surprise appearance and stole the show. Her voice is deeper, but she’s still got what it takes and then some!!! Check her out. Read the article. Watch all the videos! Joni Mitchell, entertainer extraordinaire!!

Just Like this Train

Both Sides Now with Brandi Carlile (shall I admit this is one of my “I’m gonna cry now” songs? Naw, I don’t think you need to know that do you?)

Summertime

Circle Game

Quotes from Joni Mitchel courtesy of Inspiring Quotes:

“All my battles were with male egos. I’m just looking for equality, not to dominate. But I want to be able to control my vision.” —Joni Mitchell

“I see music as fluid architecture.” —Joni Mitchell

“I learned a woman is never an old woman.” —Joni Mitchell

I think the Brave Dog will be happy when this heat dome dissipates. The sidewalk doesn’t seem to get too hot, but the driveway does, and the mid-late afternoon walks are of necessity, short, and usually in our small yard. The early morning walk is usually the only ‘long’ one of the day right now.

NOT a Rant ;-)

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Weather in the Tries:

Aw shucks, what can I say? It’s gonna be some warm with more sun than clouds mostly in the 90s & up. It’s okay, unless it gets too humid. Come on down….

Not a Rant:

I truly do appreciate y’all allowing me my now and then rant, but ya know what? They are somewhat exhausting to write. Hope they aren’t too hard on you to read.

So, when I lived in ABQ, I put a quilt top together, and pieced the backing. Then, I moved back here, so packed it. The other day, I decided to dig it out of Shed 54 (my storage unit) and bring it home to finish. I found it, brought it home, and unfolded it to iron and butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Not only was the top pinned to the back (no batting in the ‘sandwich’ as this is a summer quilt) but I’d started quilting, and as luck would have it, I still had the same thread. I set my machine up and started quilting. Now, when I pin a quilt together, I use small curved stainless-steel pins, and I seldom fasten them, then as I quilt, I remove them. Wow. I was sore for several days from patting my back at how smart I was to have it already to go.

Yeah. Right. I got the first 3 or 4 rows quilted, and then ran into a rusted pin. Not only was the pin rusted, it was rusted to the fabric. Draw something to scale that is 65” on top and bottom, and 91” on the sides. Every five inches horizontal and vertical, put a pencil dot. Now, just for grins, go in and randomly erase any 20-25 dots you want. Yeah, what’s left are the rust zits on my quilt.

Fortunately, my ex-neighbors in Florida worked in a hospital and had access to the salespersons, and got me a good, metal forceps. They used theirs for joints, I use mine to pull the quilting needle when it’s got too much fabric on it. Or, if the rusted pin has melded with the fabric, I use it to pull the pin out. So not only does my quilt have rust zits all over it, there are also some wee teensy holes. 

I have the bestest families—but you already know that—both of blood and of choice, and I’ve got cousins and sisters of choice who quilt and I put the word out, and they in turn put the word out—how does one get rust out of fabric??

One does NOT use bleach, unless one has Stop Bleach (Sodium Thiosulfate) at hand. I don’t. But several people suggested white vinegar and sunshine. Of course, they weren’t thinking of a huge quilt, and their directions read almost like Martha Steward wrote them. Lay the fabric on a clean, old, folded towel, pour a bit of vinegar on the spot, let set a minute or so, blot with a clean cloth and place fabric in the sunshine to dry. The combination of white vinegar and sunlight should cause the rust spots to fade. I can’t deal with the pouring of the vinegar on each and every zit on the quilt let alone using something to politely dab it on—I’m going to buy a gallon of it, put the quilt in a tub, add vinegar, and agitate every so often. Alas, I have to do this at someone else’s home because though I’ve got the sun (see weather above) I don’t have the space to lay the quilt out. Unless I float it on the pond, and I think that would upset the ducks. The geese would just walk on it. And the turtle? Who knows what she’d do?

Seriously, there is no place big enough to lay it out that has that much sun. We have a lot of trees, so though we get sun, it’s spotty. A couple hours here, a couple hours there…and we have ducks, geese, turtles, frogs, dogs, and kids. For the most part, the dogs are leashed.

I’m going to visit friends this next week, and though they live on the Dark Side of the mountains, they may actually get sun for an hour or two (snicker/snort), and they do have a couple of yards big enough, I hope, to lay the quilt out, if not on the grass, on the bushes. So, perhaps, I’ll have a ‘new’ quilt next week. Summer quilts are nice on cool nights when a sheet isn’t enough, and a regular quilt with a filling of some sort is too much. They were/are used a lot in the South in the summers, hence the name.

Speaking of turtles… a few days ago was the first I knew we had any in the pond, and the ladies who told me said it was pretty big, maybe 8” wide by 10” long (shell size guestimate), they had found it in the road and put it back in the pond. I got ready to run a couple errands on Thursday about noon, and there was a huge turtle in our yard. She had dug a hole and was laying eggs, I stood ‘guard’ so no one would pick her up and put her back in the pond—and one gal came by, saw her, and reached for her before I could stop her and ask her to leave her alone. When I explained why, she stopped, and looked, and allowed as how it was pretty neat. I waited a bit longer, and she covered the nest in fact it’s pretty hard to see. I marked it with a big rock next to it, not on top, until facilities can come by and paint around it, or something. Don’t think the riding mower will do the eggs any good, but anyhow, I have pictures and one video of mama turtle laying eggs and covering nest. She then started heading someplace not safe for her, so I picked her up and put her near the pond. She wasted no time to get back in the water.

Photos of the Week:

Yep, that me inside of Roses Cantina, having almost finished a quart of Margarita! I could still walk when I left 😉
If there is no picture, click on the ‘start’ triangle to see Mama Turtle. I’m not sure ‘mama’ is a proper term, she lays the eggs, covers them, then goes back to the pond with no maternal instinct. They should hatch around mid September.

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com I needed something a bit more uplifting after the last Allende book which I haven’t finished, and may never. Especially if none of you have read it and can assure me it’s not truly a downer all the way through. So, I opened my phone, and found one I’d downloaded some time ago, A Trifle Dead (Café La Femme Mystery Book 1 of 3) —by Livia Day. A lot of people are, I strongly suspect, closet readers of Cozy mysteries. I, my friends, am so far out of that closet, I don’t even know where it is anymore. This one takes place in Tasmania, and one of the supporting characters is a Scot from the Auld Sod, itself. I have to give Ms. Day credit, it’s very difficult to write believable accents, and she does a marvelous job of it. Not over done, but enough to add spice to the story, and make me homesick for a place I’ve never been. I’m about 27% of the way through the book, and it is fun. Of course, by 30% it could downhill on a runaway rollercoaster—but I don’t think so.

Earworms:

El Paso, Marty Robbins. Yes, Rose’s Cantina is real, that’s where I got a top shelf margarita—a whole 32 ounces in a quart canning jar. Fortunately it was a lot more mix and less tequila because I drank the whole thing. Oh, if you ever get to visit, the food (and drink) is (are) wonderful, but please, don’t play the song. The staff will appreciate you more.

Big Iron, Marty Robbins. Yeah, I like Marty Robbins. And I like the Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. Shucks, if Marty sang it, I love it. 

Seven Spanish Angels, Willie Nelson & Ray Charles. Two of the all-time greats, together.

Quotes on Quilting from Quiltdom:

“Sewing small pieces together gives me a peaceful heart and a quilt to wrap you with, my love.” ― Benita Skinner

“Our lives are like quilts – bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love.” ― Unknown

 “After all, a woman didn’t leave much behind in the world to show she’d been there. Even the children she bore and raised got their father’s name. But her quilts, now that was something she could pass on.” ― Sandra Dallas

The Brave Dog here. She is in getting more coffee, so I jumped up on her chair. Back to the turtle–believe me, it wasn’t even worth a sniff, let alone worrying about. Humans! But I have to admit, my human checks the walkway and driveway with her hand before she lets me walk. That’s because she does’t want my wee feets burned. Favorite walking time is early in the morning or after sunset in the evening. See, my human really does love me. Okay, she’s coming back, I’d best get this posted so she’ll think she did it before she filled her cup.

Dancing While on Lockdown

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My friend Nonie sent this video to me a month or two ago and I watch it frequently. The dancers are good, but the audience at the end cracks me up each time I watch. We all need something to bring us cheer and happiness, laughs and giggles. So here. Laugh. Giggle. Join the dance. It’s less than a minute long. Indulge! Save it to your desktop and indulge often. It’s necessary. Honest. Trust me.

And I’m still getting emails, about five a day, from Team Other (formally known as Team Opposition). Oh. Em. Gee. They are better than getting a joke a day. Of course, I also get emails that are almost the same from Team Us, so I can’t complain about the one and not the other. Somehow, the ones from Team Other are funny, and Team Us emails are just annoying. Perhaps it’s my warped sense of humor?

The little House Finch outside my patio could care less how many emails I get from anyone, or even if I get any. All he (females are drab, males have color) cares about are the seeds he’s busily harvesting.

My new computer is here, is up, and is working. I wasn’t sure how to get all the stuff from my old computer to my new one; but figured a good place to start would be to use the Quick Start guide that always comes with new computers. Bwahahahaha! Tweren’t none! They assumed (silly Apple people) that if I was smart enough to buy an iMac, I was smart enough to plug it in and turn it on. Eventually, I figured that out. Then there were two pictures that kept alternating. One of the keyboard; the other the mouse. Eventually I realized there is a wee teensy on-off switch and I had to turn them on. Sigh. From there it was relatively painless. Did I have another Mac? Yes. Did I have data I wished to transfer from it to the new one? Oh, yes. Well, then, do this, this, and go have a cuppa. Voila! If directions are there, I’m pretty good at following them ;-). Sometimes. Especially if they are in words. English words.

I do have suggestions for Apple, not that they’re overly excited to reach out to me, or read the emails I’ve sent — 

  1. While the keyboard is stylish, and cute, I can’t use it. Make it so it breaks in half and can be tented (think Gold Touch) and add a ‘right’ delete button as well as a ‘left’ delete button, I would be much happier with it. I tried using the new keyboard and my carpal tunnel started acting up again. The oh-so-stylish magic mouse has also been swapped out for my ‘tower’ mouse. Same reason: tunneling carpals.
  2. ALL the slots for peripherals are in the back, at the bottom. Nothing remains on the side. There are nonApple after-market ‘hubs’ one can buy and fasten to the front or bottom of the iMac for most of the slots, or one that the iMac can stand on, adding an inch or so to the height, that handles jacks, and everything else. Still, when one pays what they pay for a computer, I think one should get a couple of ‘easy’ fixes for free. Especially when I’m the one forking over my retirement check!
  3. They could also preload it with a no-charge commercial-free game of solitaire! 

So, now I have my new one working away, and I hope to get back to podcast recording soon. I really want to go live before the end of June.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date to go dancing. Harharharhar….!!!

Have a great week. Remember to laugh, sing a little, dance like no one is watching and be sure to stop by again—same bat time, same bat channel. The coffee will be made, the biscotti are homemade, and we always have time for a short break. Stay safe, stay healthy, care for, and love one another—because one another is all we’ve really got.

Auntie Lenora