teachersays

Signs for the obvious.

2012-01-25T16:02:00.004-07:00

This is the longest I've gone without a new post, but I guess I've needed inspiration. Hubby was talking about a comedian whose routine was about how many stupid signs we routinely run into. Lately, I've noticed that he is right.

In the airport you'll see signs telling you that the moving sidewalks end. Good to know; one might not notice and expect the floor to carry us onward.

In Maui we came across a sign informing us that the sidewalk was ending. Within three feet, the concrete stopped and there was a sturdy fence across the end. The sign was obviously needed to keep us from walking into the fence.

After driving on a twisty, turning road for quite a while, we kept noticing signs that said "curves ahead." No kidding, this road is famous for its curves, that's why we were on it. I even bought a tee shirt that said I survived it.

How about the signs that tell you the road has no shoulder. That's something we would not know without a sign?

I know there are lots more. I'll post again when I remember what they are. In the meantime I'll ponder why we need these signs. Are people really that dumb or is it just a result of the "sue somebody" mentality that seems to be out there?

Say what?

2011-10-25T14:15:00.004-06:00

It must be difficult for advertising agencies to come up with new ideas that will get people to pay attention to the products or companies they are working for. But from my own, admittedly critical, view, some of them are just too.....annoying. I've heard it said that hating a commercial is as good as liking it. Just as long as you pay attention. I don't think that is true for contrary folk like me. I've been known to boycott businesses whose commercials I hated. Here are some recent commercials you've probably heard:

"Do you dream in chocolate?" What does that mean? Everything is sepia-toned? It doesn't even make sense. Come to think about it, I don't ever remember any food in any of my dreams. So I suppose I don't dream in chocolate, about chocolate, with chocolate or looking at chocolate.

Makeup "feels invisible." Isn't the definition of invisible that something can't be seen? I've blogged, or Facebooked, before about feeling like I was invisible when people ignored me. (Oh no, I've just verbed another noun. It's getting to me.) Anyway, I'm not sure how makeup can feel invisible. If it is invisible, why would anyone wear it? If it has terrific qualities why not sell those points. Am I the only one who doesn't feel makeup once it's on? Do others go through their days conscious of the stuff on their faces? Maybe it's me.

A store has "more fashion, less price." This is so grammatically screwed up it doesn't even make sense. One has to assume that a person can own more fashion. Is that like more shoes? Less price is senseless (pun intended).

How about a credit card that gives you "50% more cash?" Just having the card gives one more cash? Cool, I didn't know one got cash by getting a credit card. Using my cards eventually costs me, but maybe I don't have the right one. If it's 50% more, would Oprah get multiple times what I would get because she already has way more money than I do?

I've got to stop paying attention to commercials, but then what would I have to blog about except my fabulous grandchildren? I'll keep thinking.

Gifted students need gifted teachers

2011-10-02T11:05:00.004-06:00

Normally I defend teachers. I know that it is a tough job--way harder than an average outsider thinks it is. I've written opinion pieces for newspapers, debated with people (and parents) critical of teachers, and served as guest speaker in a few education courses in a local college.

It is also a career that I truly loved. I miss working with kids. There is nothing quite like watching a young person catch on to a difficult concept, or seeing the love of reading and books develop, or hearing someone say that you helped them understand something they never thought they could. Letters from former students thanking you for making a difference for them are worth more than gold for your heart.

However, it is much harder than it used to be. Teachers are constantly berated and criticized, blamed for things over which they had no control. Parents can be demanding and unreasonable. Government requirements and intrusion are squeezing out creativity and fun.

That said, all teachers are not good ones--especially for all students. It is unrealistic to expect a teacher with 30 students to individualize lessons in 30 different ways. Given. But, when a teacher has a class filled with mostly gifted students (tested and put there on purpose), I think the teacher should also be gifted. They know the frustrations.

Can anyone tell me the value of having a student write each of the spelling words in 8 different colors, if said student got 100% on the pretest?

Can anyone explain the value of having a parent of a second grade student (who reads comfortably at a 6th grade level) counting the number of words read in 20 minutes?

What does it benefit a talented student to spend time doing a math worksheet that contains problems he/she could do easily two years ago?

Some teachers, schools, and even school districts do a very real injustice to the capable students. They drown them with unnecessary busy work, require them to do nothing while reiterating material over and over for the struggling students, and ignore their needs for new and expanded learning.

No Child Left Behind has caused such concern about the students who need the most help, schools are seriously short-changing the gifted and talented.

Not a good trade.

2011-09-21T15:11:00.005-06:00

I shouldn't reprint comics, I know. But sometimes they are just sooo good. Not many people are interested in reading my blog, so I think I can get away with it again.

I loved this one because it is so true. So many children now have grown up with electronic devices (my hubby calls these "glowing boxes") and they have missed the story-telling and talking that families used to do. I just heard about another study detailing how watching the fast-paced cartoons shows (they specifically mentioned Sponge Bob) have shortened toddlers' attention spans. I have noticed the difference.

I remember another comic where a smart-aleck student was relating asking his teacher what happened to Clark Kent's clothes when he left the phone booth as Superman. He said that before the teacher could formulate an answer, several students raised their hands to ask what a phone booth was. Oh, I'm getting old.

I have also watched the dip in vocabularies and reading levels. Kids today are learning too much too early about sexual things and not enough about patience, listening, and using their imaginations. I don't think it's a good trade off.

Right and wrong order.

2011-09-15T18:57:00.006-06:00

I'm going back to my posts about the right and wrong way to do things having to do with marriage and sex. I just read an article with some real study results. The piece was written by a couple who speak about marriage and families, and just had their book published about how parents can avoid getting their children caught in the entitlement trap.

The article explains the research methods to study which relationships last the longest and are the happiest. The early sex, later marriage lost out to the marriage, then sex.

Of course there are exceptions; we all know some. The article went on to say that real life doesn't happen like it does in movies and TV programs. People don't generally end up in bed on a first date. But, we need to be careful making sure our children, and grandchildren, understand the reality and the pitfalls in believing the fantasy.

Perceived Intelligence

2011-09-08T17:01:00.005-06:00

I was waiting somewhere and browsing through a Reader's Digest. There was an article about the importance of a good interview when applying for a job. It mentioned there were four common grammar errors that would raise or lower your perceived intelligence.

One was the correct use of good and well: knowing when to use an adjective or an adverb.

Another was knowing the difference between less and fewer (one of my own pet peeves): fewer gallons, less fuel.

A real tricky one for most people is the pronoun agreement: "I saw him and her," "He and I went to the game," etc.

The last one was a bit of a surprise because I can think of other errors that could have made the list (incorrect use of reflexive pronouns like myself and yourself, lay and lie, sit and set), but it was the sounding of the "t" in often. The article said that some thought pronouncing the "t" made them sound knowledgeable, but the effect was just the opposite.

I think sometimes it is just laziness or carelessness, but it does give others an impression that one might want to consider.

Entitlement

2011-09-01T18:43:00.006-06:00

I like this Luann comic because it hits a problem I've posted about before. Lots of young people have come to believe that much is given but not much is required. Commercials are always telling people about the things they "deserve." Does everyone deserve a nice car, a comfortable house, a pocket full of credit cards? Why?

Hard work is for fools and those who don't know better. Work is to be avoided, gratification cannot be delayed. Parents reward their children for small tasks, until they won't perform the tasks without a reward. Why should they?

The newspaper also had a good article a few days ago titled The Entitlement Trap. Lots of today's young people are caught in it.

Really good bread

2011-08-29T16:52:00.005-06:00

I've been thinking about bread. No, not the money, the food. In my quest to stay healthy, I'm trying to eat fewer added chemicals. What has surprised me is the stuff that is in some bread.

I took these pictures today at the grocery store. The loaves carried labels trying to appeal to people who want healthy complex carbohydrates. They were some of the most expensive on the shelves; the cheap white bread has a much longer list of ingredients with lots of words I probably can't pronounce. I don't eat a lot of bread, but when I have a piece of toast I'm picky.

I could do a commercial for Prairie Grain bread. The company is in Salt Lake City and they make several varieties that I love. Look at the ingredient list on one of my favorites.
Isn't that simple? I even understand what everything is. Besides, it's delicious--heavy, moist, with a little crunch, and not too sweet. Now the problem. I can't buy any here. I've only found it in the Salt Lake City area. So, when I go I stock up and freeze it. If I run out, I'll have to calculate the cost of driving the 300 mile round trip to buy a dozen loaves versus paying the shipping to buy it online in smaller batches. Of course I'll have to factor in the other things I could do while I'm in the city. But I've got enough for a while.

Read the label on your favorite bread. It could be enlightening.

The way it shouldn't be.

2011-08-18T08:10:00.005-06:00

I'm not sure what to do now. We just received a wedding invitation for a nephew, complete with a note on the announcement that they are registered at Target. It also said "There will be a Card Box." I guess that means there will be a place to put congratulatory cards, especially those containing money. I've never seen a note like that on an announcement before; there are usually places at a reception to put cards. This felt like avarice.

The wedding ceremony will be at "their house" where they have been living for more than a year. I guess I am hopelessly old fashioned, but if they already have a functioning home, why do they need a reception and gifts? Greed.

I think a standard white wedding and reception is stupid and selfish. They should get married in a simple family ceremony and then, if they want, have a party and invite friends and family to celebrate with them. Doing things this way is all wrong and I am really worried about the mind-set of so many. It's so much me, me, me, what I want, what you need to give me, what I deserve.

Mom told me she had caught some new reality show about a man, with his teenage children, looking for an engagement ring for their mother. Really? After being together long enough to have teenagers, getting all old-fashioned about proposing with a diamond? Then I imagine they'll plan a lovely traditional wedding. The media puts it on air and young people watch and learn.

I'm stopping now, so much is being lost and I feel a bit....sad.

The way it should be

2011-08-06T13:34:00.004-06:00

I just attended a niece's wedding reception. She was beautiful, the weather was lovely, the groom was handsome, the parents were proud, and friends and family were everywhere. I have no doubt that this marriage will be successful; they did everything right. They have known each other for years, they are best friends, their families know and like each other, and they made a very serious faith-based commitment to each other.

As odd as it is nowadays, they fell in love without falling into bed. They did things in the order than was expected of young people 50 years ago. It seems pretty rare today, and I have to say it does irritate me to get a wedding reception invitation for a couple who has been living together for several years or already has a child together. If you are going to do things that way, don't expect a new toaster from me, that just seems greedy.

Most of my family members are still married to their original spouses, but there are several who have been through divorces or had children without being married. Sometimes it takes a mistake or two before you get it right, but it is sure harder that way.

Congratulations to this new couple, and best wishes for a long and happy life together.

More tales about the underchlorinated gene pool

2011-07-07T19:14:00.004-06:00

I found myself in a position to overhear conversations between some of the very parents I am concerned about. These people hadn't met before the situation that brought them together, but they must have sensed a kinship because they talked freely for quite a while: One spent 3 1/2 years in jail, losing custody of a child born when she was 16; both had been in drug rehab--more than once--both had experience with spouses in jail and divorce. It seemed like they were trying to get their lives together, but I wondered how successful they would be. On the edge of the conversation was a teenager who, although not involved in drugs, had divorced parents she traveled between and a mom who got her boyfriend's name as a tattoo. Then, surprise, they broke up. She had a couple of stories to add.

It was all extremely sad. How do people get so messed up, and what is it doing to the children?

Shallow gene pools

2011-06-13T19:28:00.003-06:00

I am really worried about the general intelligence of many of the people in this country. It sounds condescending, but think about this: how many really smart, accomplished people do you know who have more than one or two children (if any)? I don't know many. On the other hand, think about those who are having more than two. Utah is a bit of an anomaly, but in general the undereducated, economically depressed in this country are having the most children. That may be okay except that these same parents are often unmarried, transient, and ill-equipped to help children succeed. Many of them struggle with substance abuse, and pass that to innocent children.

There are horrendous articles in the media about abused and neglected children--and so many of those parents have several others. About a week ago there was a 3-year old girl found wandering along a street. It took police 6 hours to find out who she belonged to, then only because a "relative" recognized her picture on television. Apparently her mother dropped her off at a home with several "adults" who didn't even notice she wasn't there until contacted by police. The article mentioned that the girl had very limited verbal skills. Obviously. No one bothered to wonder about her, much less talk to her.

My friend and colleague used to say she had a sign (she'll recognize herself) that said, "The Gene Pool Needs Some Chlorine" or something to that effect. Oh, if it were that simple.

Continuing commercial grammar irritants

2011-06-10T17:21:00.008-06:00

I mentioned ages ago about how phrases like, "How do you Kohl's?" drive me nuts. It makes no sense. That's like asking, "How do you Chevrolet?" or "How do you Utah?"

There are a couple of new ones: "When you Orbitz, you know" is an annoying new one. So then, "When you Travelocity you also know?" Geez.

I've also expounded on the loss of adverbs. We are asked to Drive Safe, Shop Local, and Eat Healthy. Now Lipton wants us to Drink Positive. Really? Then they were additionally clever by saying "You are what you tea." It is a rearrangement of what you eat, and I imagine the marketing team that thought that up is very proud. I hope someone there thought it was as stupid I think it is.

Post Script. I just barely heard that Just For Men (covers gray) wants us to "Live Forward."

These are the reasons I love my DVR, and hardly watch anything where I have to sit through commercials.

Toe socks

2011-05-22T13:54:00.007-06:00

I have strange feet. Maybe everyone has something unique about their feet, but I know my genetics give me certain toe characteristics. Most of the time my feet don't cause me any trouble. I'm too old and fond of comfort to ever wear the high-fashion footwear that some young women like. I'm not sure I would ever have worn such shoes.

I do like to walk and soon after I began this blog I posted about the MBTs I found and loved. They stopped the burning pain I would have in the balls of my feet after about 2 miles.

However, after a long walk, especially on a warm day, the configuration of my toes caused pinch blisters. My third and fourth toes were too cozy and when they were pushed together a little by my shoes, blisters blossomed. What I didn't know was that my oldest son has the same problem. I did know that he is very resourceful. He introduced me to toe socks--but not the multi-colored novelties for winter. These come in a variety of weights and styles, some to wear under regular socks, some heavier.

I bought some. They are a bit tricky to put on my "cozy" toes, but once on they don't feel much different than ordinary socks. So far, no blisters for me!

My son just showed me his new toe shoes. Probably not something for me; I'll just wear my comfy MBT sandals when my toes need their space.

Hearing aids continued

2011-03-28T19:10:00.002-06:00

I was talking about my hearing loss theories with another family member, and she had some good insights. As mentioned in my last post, I think people don't get hearing aids as often as they buy glasses because:

1) it's way more expensive,

2) the loss is gradual and they adapt to a quieter world, or

3) they don't know what they can't hear.

She thought the big reason might be #3. She knows her hearing isn't good (too many childhood infections in one ear), and she related a recent experience. She went to a movie and sat with her husband in the back of the theater because that's where he likes to sit. Then, she went to the same movie with someone else and sat in the middle. She was amazed at the things she could hear that she had missed the first time. Nothing like good anecdotal evidence to validate my theory.

On a new, but somewhat related subject. Is anyone else bothered by television shows where the dialog is difficult to hear, but the commercials blast you out of your chair?

Glasses or hearing aids?

2011-03-16T12:10:00.003-06:00

I have a question. Maybe others can help me understand.

When someone's eyesight changes, especially because of age, people are quick to seek help. They buy glasses, or contacts, or have surgery to restore their vision.

When someone's hearing changes, they are much more hesitant to do anything about it. I have a couple of theories. Hearing aids are much more expensive than glasses, so cost is definitely a factor. But my best theory is that people don't notice their loss at first and gradually adjust to a quieter world. Then, when they finally decide that they need help, the hearing aids restore the noise and it seems too loud. It's uncomfortable. Maybe another consideration is that we know when we can't see something, but we don't know about the things we can't hear.

When a family member and I were talking about vision and hearing loss one day, we pondered which was worse. Her pragmatic choice was hearing loss was worse, because if someone couldn't see, others would be quick to help. If someone couldn't hear, others would just find it annoying. Think about it.

I remember hearing that Helen Keller was asked a similar question. Her response was that being blind separated people from things; being deaf separated people from people.

I've been near-sighted almost forever, but I have contacts and glasses. If I should begin to lose my hearing (which is still excellent--bionic according to my hubby), I'm heading right for a hearing aid. I don't want to miss a thing.

Literally?

2011-02-25T13:49:00.003-07:00

I love this comic. It reminds me of when I had a teenage boy around the house. I particularly enjoyed it today because I've noticed the same thing Jeremy (the teenager) did: many people misuse the word literal. It's used by "celebrities," talk-show hosts, radio commentators, and lots of others who do not truly mean "literal." I guess they are trying to make the point that what they say is important or worth remembering, but that's not the meaning of the word. English has so many words, it shouldn't be that difficult to use one that makes sense,

Let us count the ways...

2011-02-21T12:44:00.002-07:00

"A rough-coated, dough-faced ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough, coughing and hiccoughing thoughtfully."

Notice anything? Some of the words are a bit old-fashioned, with alternate spelling choices, but this sentence has the syllable "ough" pronounced in 8 different ways. It is no wonder that English is such a beast to learn as a second language. Add that to the fact that English has more words than pretty much any other language and be glad you learned it as a child.

Valentine Day question

2011-02-14T11:36:00.003-07:00

This may be an odd Valentine post, but I've been wondering something.

Is it Valentines Day (a day of many valentines),

Valentine's Day (a day belonging to a specific valentine), or

Valentines' Day (a day belonging to many valentines)?

It is the same conundrum as Mothers Day....Mother's Day, or Mothers' Day (Fathers Day too). Most often the apostrophes are just ignored or forgotten. Maybe it's just as well since we have a difficult time deciding where they go anyway.

I'm not kidding

2011-01-25T14:23:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to reinforce that I'm not just making this stuff up. Yesterday I had a mail request from the Alzheimers Association--light day.

Today I have mailers from: Feed the Children

March of Dimes (I've gotten quite a few from them)

CARE

National Cancer Research Center

and St. Labre Indian School (never had one from them before).

I have the feeling that the more different charities I support, the greater the exponential growth of the requests I receive. It's pretty depressing.

Bugged by charity mailers

2011-01-23T19:20:00.011-07:00

I know there are many worthy charities out there, but I have a bone to pick. Apparently, once a person donates to one, their name and address are shared with all. That bothers me. I send donations to several charities I know and care about. Suddenly I have multiple daily requests for money, from places I have never received requests from before.

I've been away from home for a few days and my mailbox contained requests from:

Habitat for Humanity

Children's Cancer Research Fund

Arthritis Foundation

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Easter Seals

Others I hear from regularly are:

March of Dimes

American Heart Association

Alzheimers Association

VFW Nation Veterans Service

Arthritis Foundation

American Cancer Society

National Foundation for Cancer Research

Those are just the ones I can think of right now. Many of these requests for money are using guilt as a persuasive technique. I have two nickels today, along with more sheets of personalized stickers, note pads, book marks, cards, and 2011 calendars. If they give me something, surely I'll feel the need to send money. I don't like it. I can tell the information came from one place because of the way my name is spelled. Getting one plea from each organization might be okay, being deluged is quite another.

The charities would have more money for their causes if they spent less on postage and personalized sticker sheets.

Just sharing

2011-01-16T22:20:00.003-07:00

Sometimes I wonder if Hagar isn't right, but just on those discouraging days.

Oh those mysterious apostrophes.

2011-01-12T14:09:00.002-07:00

I so wish that more people had paid attention in English classes. The apostrophe seems to be so confusing for so many.

I saw a big, new, temporary sign outside a restaurant exclaiming they had "twenty-five new omelet's."

I am acquainted, through my Home Owner Association, with a nice gentlemen who sends up updates on the work the landscaping company is doing. In mid-December they "blew out the walks and patio's....and will clean up the next few visit's." I have noticed the apostrophes occurring less and less in his reports. Don't know if he is realizing they are not needed, or just getting tired of putting them in.

Signs in stores are notorious for misplaced apostrophes: "employee's only," "please don't open box's," and "10 item's or less" (and, yes, it should be "fewer" too).

There is a service station that made me feel all warm when I first noticed its name. I thought "Hooray, someone cares." The marquee says it is "Russ's." So few actually know what to do when a word ends in s, and because of that the rules will change to account for those who didn't know what was actually correct. Right or wrong, that's the way it is.

Favorite book?

2011-01-08T08:30:00.003-07:00

I've been asked a few times--recently too--what was my favorite book. I've found it impossible to answer. I can't think of a book that I loved more than any other. I can give a list of authors whose novels I have consistently enjoyed, but books? Impossible.

I was working on a list of possible books for my 9-year-old granddaughter who just got a Kindle for Christmas. It was fun to remember some of the good books for her age, but I realized that I'm out of the loop now. I used to read lots of the new books written for kids so I would know what was available and what my students were reading. I hate to recommend books I haven't read because sometimes books are published for young readers that I think are awful. Anyone have any new, wonderful books for young girls?

More fiction fun and odd words

2010-12-14T18:30:00.003-07:00

I was just watching my DVR-saved episodes of Sanctuary on the SyFy network. Someone in the story made reference to needing House for a medical question. I just get a kick out of writers who don't take themselves too seriously. Two very different programs on different networks makes it even more fun.

On another blog topic, I saw a business that was having a Pre-Grand Opening. That was a new idea to me. Is it just a little opening, with a grand one to come later? What does that mean?

Odd words and phrases

2010-11-12T12:22:00.002-07:00

I've noticed another couple of odd phrases and words recently. A newspaper article was about an accident that occurred in an "unmarked crosswalk." I couldn't help but wonder what that meant. I guess I've been under the impression that it was the markings that made a crosswalk. It's against the law to cross the street between intersections--unless there is a marked crosswalk. Is it okay to cross at any intersection? What exactly makes a marked crosswalk--lights? paint? If the paint is faded or the light is out, is it still a safe place to cross or is it now unmarked? I'm confused.

Another thing I read mentioned disinhibition. My first thought was, "huh?" I decided it must be the same as less inhibited or less inhibition. Does disinhibition sound that much more erudite? It surely caught my attention, but I'm not sure that's what the writer intended since I can't remember what in the heck the article was talking about. I guess I'm suffering from disremembrance.

Redundancies

2010-10-25T08:23:00.004-06:00

A newspaper article this morning stated that a robber had been wearing a "fake wig." I wondered how that is different from a regular wig. These silly redundancies are all over the place: people get "free gifts," "added bonuses," and sometimes "cash money."

Have you heard people say the "exact same" thing? Or how something happens "each and every" time? Do you make "future plans?" Can anyone make past plans? Maybe it's like a "past experience." It is so difficult to count on a future experience.

How many times have you heard people say they have a "personal opinion?" I thought opinions were always personal. You have heard others comment that their solutions were the "sum total" or the "true facts." If you pay attention, the redundancies are everywhere.

Some of the silliest are used with the prefix "pre." One can "pre-order" something not yet available (isn't that an order?), or parents with babies can often "pre-board" an airplane (don't they just get on like everyone else?).

I'm finished for a while. Maybe I'll have "temper tantrum" before I fix a "tuna fish" sandwich for lunch. I'll "postpone until later" any "final conclusions."

More fiction and reality mixes

2010-10-20T17:42:00.005-06:00

Castle is a fun television show that mixes fiction and reality. If you don't know the premise, Richard Castle is a writer of novels who "consults" with the police department, often helping to solve mysterious crimes. Occasionally, he hosts poker games with other writers. The fun is that the other mystery authors in his games are the real thing. James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell appeared as themselves. I'm hoping others will stop by too.

Beyond that, the novel that Richard Castle supposedly finished (based on the female detective he works with) was actually published--listing Richard Castle as the author. Apparently it did well enough that another novel from the television series has also been printed and released. I guess the ghost writer, affiliated with the television series, didn't mind not being given credit for writing it. Maybe he gets some of the royalties.

Crazy stuff.

Fiction and Reality together

2010-10-15T15:51:00.002-06:00

It makes me smile when a character in a television show, refers to another television show. Or, when someone in a fiction novel is reading another current fiction novel. Fiction kind of intersects reality. Clive Cussler always puts himself in his novels. The protagonist normally runs into an unusual man who gives his name as "Cussler." I think it's good fun figuring out when he'll drop in and out of the story action.

The best reference, however, is one I just heard. I was listening (while driving) to Spider Bones, by Kathy Reichs. Someone in the story made reference to a murder suspect who wasn't very bright--probably didn't understand CSI, or Law and Order, and was definitely not intelligent enough for Bones. Of course Bones is the television series based on Kathy Reichs's novels. It made me chuckle all alone in my car.

Follow up

2010-10-01T08:06:00.002-06:00

I saw another secret yesterday. There is something that automobile dealers don't want us to know.

I can't imagine what that would be. Everything from the rebates and special financing deals, vehicle histories, to the actual invoice cost of the vehicles is on the Internet. I don't know, the whole "there are big secrets" idea feels wrong to me. There are no big secrets--I, and people I know, have worked in dealerships. Businesses are there to make a profit selling vehicles. People shopping want to pay as little as possible for the car they want (or, if you believe some of the commercials, the car they "deserve"). Where's the secret?

Secrets

2010-09-27T11:59:00.004-06:00

Isn't it amazing how many secrets are kept from us? You'd think, in this day of immediate information, that no one could hide valuable facts. Ha! Apparently it can be done.

Those selling the benefits of natural supplements and herbs insist that there are things drug companies don't want us to know.

Some PhD holders have determined that there are self-help remedies that our doctors won't tell us about.

I just saw an ad informing me that there was a skin care secret that was hidden from us by cosmetic manufacturers and dermatologists.

Easy weight loss options kept from the public by the diet pill makers, simple at-home teeth whitening concealed by those selling whiteners, and the best, independent wealth made quick and easy with only the purchase of a few classes or DVDs (why didn't we know that?).

See, you just thought you had plenty of information. So in spite of the fact that we know (if we care) what every "celebrity" had for dinner, and whose done what awful thing to someone else, we are in the dark about many important realities. It is absolutely amazing.

Fabulous Fall

2010-09-25T12:24:00.004-06:00

We sent on a drive last night, across some of our favorite places. These pictures don't do justice to the scene. With the late afternoon light, it positively glowed.
This is one of those years the Quaking Aspen turn many shades--from almost red, to pink, to orange, and to yellow, with a little green still thrown in.

I'm not a fan of winter, but autumn in Utah is fabulous!

Our changing language

2010-08-23T10:57:00.005-06:00

Sometimes I wonder if our changing Americanized English language is improving or deteriorating. Generally I think it's the latter--especially since so few people actually pronounce deteriorating correctly (just listen).

Lots of kids make a common, but very logical, language mistake. If they don't do something 'on purpose,' then it must have been done 'on accident.' It is not correct, but it makes sense. It reminds me of a quote I used to have on a chart: If English were sensible, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.

Language does adjust and change as people use it. Nauseous is officially defined as "offensive to the taste or smell, disgusting, repellent." Yet I hear people all the time using it to describe themselves, "I was nauseous all day," or "the whatever made me nauseous." I'm certain they weren't saying that they were disgusting and offensive, causing others to be affected with nausea.

The adjective they should have used is nauseated, but that is an extra couple of syllables, or it sounds less cool--I don't know.

However, if enough people used a word incorrectly, it becomes okay. My dictionary says, "Today, however, the use of nauseous to mean 'affected with nausea' is so common that it is generally considered to be standard." I'm probably going to be out of step for a while longer.

One last thing I've noticed is some people have an itch and itch it. When I have an itch, I scratch it. Has anyone else heard someone say they are itching a bug bite? Is it a local thing? My hubby claims not to have heard it used that way, but he's not the world's best listener.

Misleading sign

2010-08-11T20:53:00.005-06:00

My son sent me this picture. Advertising is, by it's nature, a little misleading. This sign is an egregious example. If you can look very closely, there is minuscule writing after the cent sign. Guess what it says: "& up."

Following this idea, clothing stores could put out signs saying everything is $1 (as long as you could buy a pair of socks for a buck); furniture stores could advertise living room sets for $3 (I guess they could have a pair of candle holders or something for that price); and car dealerships could advertise cars for $100 (as long as there was one old clunker for a c-note). As long as there was a teeny, tiny "and up" on the sign it wouldn't technically be false.

I have seen this done on individual clothing racks in department stores, but not on such a grand scale. But again, this is Orlando, Florida, and I suppose tourists are gullible fair game.

On my soapbox again.

2010-07-30T14:56:00.006-06:00

Warning! I'm climbing on my grammar soapbox again; continue reading at your own risk.

Okay, at least I'm doing it here and not on my Facebook page--my young family members probably don't visit here much and it's just as well. Most of them know how I am, and I make some of them very nervous. That's alright with me, but I can see the decline in reading from people's writing.

1. A young woman, applying for a job, used the word 'youl' rather than 'you'll' or 'you will' on her application. Obviously there was no spell checking involved. Maybe it's a leftover from texting shortcuts, but I'd think one would be very careful on a resume.

2. As I visited a public restroom on my travels today, I saw where some young woman had tried to write a thoughtful message on the stall door. It was about not taking "life for granite." Admittedly, that's mostly how we say that, but I couldn't help myself, I took my pen and corrected it (the first time I've ever written on a bathroom stall).

3. I am almost numb (almost) to the frequent use of your when it should be you're; there rather than their or they're; the careless misspellings; and the confusion about where apostrophes belong.

It is so discouraging. I don't think many young people read good books anymore.

Too Many Commercials for me

2010-07-29T15:22:00.002-06:00

I've been watching too many commercials recently. They are very difficult to avoid, whether on television, radio, or computer. My ability to tune them out is not always effective, yet I like having the TV or radio on just for background noise and company.

I am amazed by the fact that every automobile insurance company can save me money when compared to all other companies. Exactly how is that possible? The last few days I've heard that claim from GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, State Farm, Esurance, and a new one (at least to me) 21st Century. Amazing.

Ford trucks are built tough, yet you shouldn't sent a truck to do a Sierra's job (GMC) because they are professional grade, but nobody makes a better truck than Toyota's Tundra. As with so many things, quality seems to be very subjective.

Every fast food place or restaurant offers the best food at the lowest prices, and (as I've posted about before) every instance calls for an attorney so you can "get what you deserve" and the lawyers can get what they want too.

All the new television programs are smash hits, and all new movies "must see."

Fortunately I have a DVR and I can pause live programming for a while, then fast forward through commercials. However that requires my attention, something I don't want to give while I'm unloading the dishwasher or folding laundry.

I guess I need to work on not paying attention, but I don't know if I can do it.

Smile while driving

2010-07-16T11:01:00.002-06:00

I saw some personalized license plates too cute not to share. It is nice to be able to smile while driving in messy traffic.

A nondescript blue van held PTERPAN, and a small white (of course) car carried a dark-haired SNOWHTE. I guess it could have meant that the car was snow white, but what fun is that?

Now I'm on the lookout for CAPTNHK or MR SMEE (I'm sure WENDY is out there somewhere). And think of the possibilities for the dwarves (or dwarfs): HAPPY, DOPEY, DOC, GRUMPY, SNEEZY, SLEEPY, and BASHFUL, all within the confines of a license plate format.

I'll keep watching.

It's like...

2010-06-28T12:17:00.004-06:00

I know that I wrote about this some time ago, but unfortunately, I haven't noticed the frequency diminishing. Sometimes when I read the status updates on my young Facebook "friends," it seems as if there is a written code, understood only by a select few. I miss careful grammar and good spelling, and really appreciate those who take it seriously.

NEW VIDEO: Federal Spending By The Numbers | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

2010-06-10T16:22:00.000-06:00

NEW VIDEO: Federal Spending By The Numbers | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

I'm a little strange, I know.

2010-06-08T18:44:00.005-06:00

Anyone who has read my blog may have noticed that I am a license plate watcher. I notice the fun, silly, and bizarre personalized plates, as well as the regular plates. I don't know how other states do it, but Utah as a certain pattern to its plates. There are two main designs: Ski Utah and the Delicate Arch, plus the many specialized plates. The ski one is what you get for no extra charge so it is the most common.

When the Ski Utah plates came out they were three numbers and three letters. They began with ### ALL (L means letter for my purposes), as more people got plates they just continued through the alphabet: ### BLL, ### CLL, until the last ones I saw were ### PLL (they skipped O--too much like zero). Then, just a short time ago Utah changed the pattern. Now the Ski plate has L## #LL. But again, they began with A##, #LL. I've seen some that start with B now.

The Delicate Arch plate had the same pattern, but started from Z (### ZLL) and worked up the alphabet. The last ones I saw before the change was ### ULL. The new design and pattern is the same as the Ski one, except it also started with Z (Z## #LL). I'm guessing that they had to change the pattern: the Ski plates were clear to P and the Arch plates were at U. Before long they would meet.

While you're thinking I'm a bit touched in the head let me say another thing I noticed today. I happened to get behind a Cadillac Escalade then a Mercedes SUV whose registrations had both expired the end of January! People who drive expensive cars can't afford to keep them legally registered? I kind of understood a jeep whose had expired the end of May, but January?

Come on people.

How to you say it?

2010-05-24T16:14:00.004-06:00

I've spent a lot of time doing nothing with my mother this month as she heals from knee replacement surgery. We found ourselves wanting to make a list of common words that we've heard pronounced differently. We realize that we've spent most of our lives in our home state, and it has some language quirks we're aware of. Beyond those, listening to other people and watching television has made us notice discrepancies. I haven't looked these up in the dictionary yet, we are more interested in the daily speech of regular people. I'm going to try to make the pronunciation differences clear. Which comes closer to your own speech?

Orange ore-enj or are-enj?

Strength straygth or strehnth?

Aunt ant or auhnt?

Illegal ill-eagle or ee-legal?

I know there are more, but these are the ones that come to mind. I'm avoiding all the obvious area words (creek, barn, horse etc.). If more words come to mind (mine or Mom's), I'll expand my post.

Euphemisms

2010-05-05T22:05:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking about the way people speak, and the euphemisms we use. I read somewhere that when we are very hurt or upset, a swear word or two can make us feel better. Admittedly, a mashed finger, stubbed toe, or bumped head (like raising up under an open cabinet door) has caused me to use a *%&@#% word or two, and it did seem to help more than "shucks."

Words like "darn" and "dang" are so common that I'll bet people don't even consider them euphemisms for damn (although my dictionary does).

Two of the latest euphemisms seem to be "freakin," "frickin," "friggin," or "flippin." No, it's not the same as the naughtier word, but the intent feels similar, and I guess that's what bothers me. It's like when you see something written that says "effing." We know what it means.

I remember vividly when I saw that particular word written in public for the first time--it was startling (and I was in high school). Nowadays I would likely be extremely uncomfortable walking through a high school hallway. I don't like the way the original word has become so common, but I don't like the euphemisms much either. It's like the difference between a slap on the cheek and a punch in the jaw--the purpose is to make the same impression, it's just a matter of degrees.

Blogger confusion

2010-04-27T16:33:00.002-06:00

Once in a while, Blogger drops me and requires me to sign in again. Is this a common problem? My computer is seldom turned off; it usually just sleeps. When I wake it, sometimes I am signed in and sometimes I am not. Sometimes I can just click "sign in" and it pulls my blogs right up. Occasionally, I have to do the whole e-mail address/password thing.

Is this a glitch of my Internet provider, my computer, my modem, or just a blogspot quirk?

More fun license plates

2010-04-13T20:57:00.005-06:00

Okay, I wasn't planning to do this, but I can't resist another look at vanity license plates. Sometimes I just smile at them and then forget, but when I can I record messages to myself on my phone. I have a pretty good accumulation now and I can't just erase them--that would be wasteful. So here goes.

The plates often seem to describe the drivers/owners like the Suburban that carries RVR RNR, the red van with 4GETFL L, a Toyota driven by MINNIE, a dark truck with WTR DOG, and a truck that said KID FXR (not sure what that meant). There was a sporty Mustang GT that was GPASTOY, but I was jealous of the dark Gray Jeep that carried a TREKKIE (me too).

Some plates are a kind of advertising like a pest control truck with BUG MD, or a Prius that says EAR LADY. Some could describe the owner, the vehicle, or the attitude like the Suburban that was HRD COR, the black truck with LGTNFST, the black BMW that said PAINLES, and the Mustang with BRN RUBR. A big white truck was EXPIRED (pondered the meaning of that for a while), a dark green SUV was FOILED, and a huge orange truck was BIG TINY.

And often they are just interesting like the sporty Subaru that was WAFFLES, the red sedan that said MEOWCH, the light colored SUV made me smile with O MY HALE. A gray crossover said 6 BUCKS (must mean something), an older big, blue sedan said YAMAHA (could be the musical instruments, motor vehicles, or something else entirely), a small SUV was GGGGGGG (easy to remember), and finally a red, Saturn Vue that said B GUDE.

Get A Job So We Can Tax You | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

2010-04-07T08:33:00.000-06:00

Get A Job So We Can Tax You | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Commercials are killing me...

2010-03-30T11:17:00.004-06:00

Commercials are so killing me. "How do you Sizzler?" "Do you Kohl's?" "To be incredible, eat incredible."

I guess now that we've given up on adverbs, we can use proper nouns however we choose.

Apparently I Toyota while hubby GMCs. I Apple, he Lenovos. Oh, yesterday my mother, sister and I Red Lobstered.

It does eliminate the need for verbs.

I don't know about others, but these changes in our language are awfully tough for me to take. We are losing a lot of the art of thoughtful communication.

Tattoos for everyone?

2010-03-24T11:39:00.005-06:00

Tattoos aren't just for rebellious youngsters anymore. Sure, there are the butterflies on the shoulder, dragons on the calf, who knows what on the arms (just watch an NBA game); however, some adults are going in another direction.

I know a number of people who have, or are considering, tattoos on their faces. Mind you, these are women. Some in their 40's, some older. As you may have guessed, it's permanent makeup. The younger ones are perhaps tired of the need for daily "enhancements" to look as youthful as they feel. Maybe, like the women in movies and on television, they want to wake up looking good. It has always bugged me that women on television always have mascara and glossy lips--after sleeping, after whatever.

As we age, menopause readjusts our hair growth. We lose eyebrows and eyelashes, gain mustaches and chin hair. Getting rid of hair is easier than growing it where we want it. I can see the benefit in permanent eyebrows--I'm not crazy about how mine look right now. Mom is considering having hers done, she's only worried that they'll be in the right place. She doesn't want to have a permanent look of surprise, or lop-sidedness. It's not exactly something you can wash off.

As for me, I'm stuck with makeup. Needles and anticoagulants are not good company. It is kind of too bad; I'd like some really nice eyebrows and eye liner.

Golfing and Computing

2010-03-16T11:35:00.004-06:00

I've had a couple of reminders lately that I'm not exactly a spring chicken. Sometimes when I glance in the mirror, I see myself as I feel--adult, capable, but ....youthful. Then, life gives me a small reminder that while I may be adult and (mostly) capable.....ah

I've had my second golf lesson. The young man helping me was very sweet and gave me lots of positive reinforcement about what I was doing. However, the next day I had a sore muscle or two in places where I didn't realize I had muscles. I guess that happens to new golfers no matter what the age and I count any muscle usage as helpful. Next time we're going to try using a wood. Oh dear, I hope I can find the proper muscles for that.

I had another lesson about the ins and outs of my MacBook Pro. They are very helpful and there are many shortcuts and tricks that I would never have known about without the Apple Store's experts. The Apple word processing program is called Pages, and it is another reason I felt my age.

I learned to TYPE--on a manual typewriter. Later, I was thrilled to work on electric typewriters, and when I worked at the college I had an IBM Selectric, with a correction key. That was SO cool. I got so I would type along, realize I'd made a mistake and correct it without looking away from my copy. The error was lifted and replaced, slicker than slick.

WORD PROCESSING came along later, while I was teaching, and it was terrific. You could see everything before you had to put it to paper. Correcting was a snap.

But the word processing software got more complex. As I have fought with various programs, Microsoft Word for Windows has made me the craziest. It tried to give me way more help than I wanted. Pages is at least as "helpful." I was telling my Apple instructor how frustrating that can be for a person who typed, and the woman having a lesson across the counter heard me and seconded my comment. As it turns out, she was just a couple of years older and understood completely. If I want to make a list by using tabs, I think I should be able to. Apparently, if an item on my list is longer than the others, that confuses the program. I should ask the Pages software to insert a list. Then request that it stop using a list when I'm ready to go back to the paragraph form.

I know that the youngsters who grew up word processing don't understand my struggle. That's okay, there's still plenty I don't understand either.

Golf Lessons

2010-03-03T11:30:00.003-07:00

This afternoon I'm heading for my first golf lesson. I'm trying not to give in to natural trepidation about learning a new physical skill, but it's a bit scary.

When I was in school (I used to tell students that it was just after the dinosaurs had died off), there were NO competitive sports for girls: no basketball, no softball, no volleyball, no swimming, no track and field, no golf. Drill team was the closest and it was far less physically challenging than the things high school groups do now. Therefore I will never know if I could have been good at any of them. Now, I throw like a girl (a small one), I can sometimes hit a softball (not to the outfield), and I'm not a confident swimmer (I blame that on contact lenses).

However, some lovely ladies/neighbors occasionally play and they invited me to join them. Why not? They seem to do it more for fun and companionship than competition, and I have the time now. I am planning on a 4-lesson plan and I have no illusions about being a terrific golfer at this stage, but it want to be able to hit the ball so it goes generally forward.

I'll let you know how things go.

Too fancy for me

2010-02-25T06:00:00.001-07:00

I'm sure now that my palate is far from sophisticated. I enjoy the Food Network programs, and I"m always interested in how food is prepared. That said, I am not someone who would enjoy eating in all the finest restaurants.

Hubby and I went out for a special dinner, paid $125, and left wondering exactly what the fuss was about. It was one of those meals where you need to keep the menu so you can tell what is on your plate. For my entree, I had a "protein" (as the cooking shows call it) that was drab, flavorless, and overcooked. It had a blueberry reduction (I think) over it that gave it a slight bitterness. There was another creamy sauce with mushrooms (that was pretty good), and another starchy something that was quite sweet. Stuck in the garlic mashed potatoes (I recognized those) was a thickly-sliced piece of carrot, three spears of asparagus, and something dark reddish-purple (not sure, maybe a beet slice or candied apple).

I've come to the conclusion that I don't like savory and sweet at the same time. I also like things to taste like themselves, not drowned in some odd sauce. Hubby's rib eye was covered in two sauces. One I think was Gorgonzola cheese sauce (trying to remember what was described in the menu). He said it was okay, but nowhere close to the best he's eaten.

The chefs and critics on television talk a lot about 'presentation.' To heck with the pieces of red pepper along the edge of the plate. And I don't care if each bite doesn't have all the flavors my taste buds can detect. I want something that tastes good.

Another Anniversary

2010-02-22T18:00:00.002-07:00

I borrowed this meme from another blogger who had saved it from Valentine's Day. It seems kind of appropriately fun for our anniversary. Last year, about this time, my post was also about our upcoming anniversary. Funny how little time seems to have passed.

♥ What are your middle names?
Mine is Anne, his is an initial (honest).

♥ How long have you been together?
Nearly forever. Married Feb. 23, 1968 (42 years ago).

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About 4 years.

♥ Who asked who out?
He asked me, always...it was another time.

♥ How old are each of you?
I'm 61, he's 60.

♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most?
Both really, they all live pretty close.

♥ Do you have any children together?
Two intelligent, terrific sons.

♥ What about pets?
Nope.

♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Can't think of a specific situation, we've gone through quite a bit together.

♥ Did you go to the same school?
Yes, high school and college.

♥ Are you from the same home town?
Four miles apart.

♥ Who is the smartest?
Good question, and one we "debate" often. We have very different skill sets.

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
To what? Sometimes I think it's me, sometimes it must be him.

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We alternate. He's a steak lover, I like a big bowl of soup.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Italy.

♥ Who has the worst temper?
He does. I'm more of a sulker.

♥ Who does the cooking?
Me. His only food domain is outdoors (grills, dutch ovens, fire).

♥ Who is more social?
It depends on the surroundings and where we feel comfortable. I tend to talk to total strangers more, so maybe it's me.

♥Who is the neat Freak?
I wouldn't say either of us. He lets clutter accumulate, I keep it contained. When he cleans, he really cleans. I may just mop the kitchen floor when its needed, rather than mop the hall and entry way at the same time.

♥ Who is the more stubborn?
He would say I am. I would say I am...persistent.

♥ Who hogs the bed?
Neither, but that's why we have a big bed.

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Him, without fail. Our bio clocks work on different schedules.

♥ Where was your first date?
No idea. We did stuff together and with friends all the time.

♥ Who has the bigger family?
Oddly enough they are the same: both have 4 siblings.

♥ Do you get flowers often?
No, only on rare occasions.

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
We visit the grandkids whenever possible. It's the pits to have them on opposite coasts.

♥ Who is more jealous?
Neither, why would we be?

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
Not too long. He was serious before I was though.

♥ Who eats more?
He does, but many days when he is working he only eats one meal a day.

♥ Who does/ did the laundry?
Me, although he can and does if he needs to.

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
Depends. He's a PC and I'm a Mac.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
Always him. He can't bear not being in control.

We are prime examples of opposites attracting, and we've had some mighty fine battles. But, we have never considered not being together. I have a magnet on my fridge that sort of sums us up:

He chuckled when he saw it too....

Hoping for Heroes

2010-02-06T20:18:00.004-07:00

I find myself hoping that there are real life heroes like there are in some of my favorite novels. When politicians dither and argue and play games intended to build their positions of power rather than work to protect their constituents or the county, I really want to believe heroes quietly do what needs to be done. I want there to be rugged, decent, smart people like Dirk Pitt, Mitch Rapp, or Jack Reacher. I like my heroes determined to do the right thing, even it it is dangerous. If movies or television is your medium, I want Jack Bauer or John McClane on my side.

I'm sure others can think of their own fictional heroes to add. I'd enjoy finding some more. I just hope there are real ones just like them.

Quick follow up

2010-01-28T22:05:00.002-07:00

On my return trip today, I saw a person in my rearview mirror (driving a jeep). In my view, the steering wheel covered his/her nose and upper lip. Think about where that put the eyes. It does make me worry.

No driver?

2010-01-26T16:16:00.004-07:00

Has anyone been behind a car that didn't seem to have a driver? My regular 300 mile trek today put me behind a couple of vehicles where a headrest was all I could see. Usually, it turns out that these cars are driven by ladies--the quite young or the very mature. Occasionally, it will be a young male, but those cars are often tricked-out, blasting bass, and--what do they call it--lowered.

I tend to worry when I see a driver who can barely see over the dash. Obviously they can't see the hood of their car, or even the road directly ahead. How do they park? Do they just know from experience (maybe bad) how far their seat needs to be from objects in front of them? What if something blew onto the freeway right in front of them? Would they even see it?

When I drive my car, the seat is all the way up. I don't mean toward the steering wheel up; I mean above the floor up. I like to see where the hood ends. Hubby is not a lot taller than I am, but more of his height is in his torso so my seat location is too high for him. Fortunately, it is easy to change. The newer vehicles can assign a seat location to each key fob.

I think being able to see more than just the tops of mountains and the sky is valuable stuff.

Following rules

2010-01-20T15:20:00.004-07:00

Am I the only one who believes that rules are there to be followed? If we don't need to obey, then let's drop the rules. I've heard that "rules are meant to be broken," yadda yadda, but no, dang it, that's wrong.

My community has a pool. There is a set of rules posted by the pool and on homeowners' key holders. Just about every time I've had an occasion to visit the pool (mostly when my grandkids are visiting), there are folks there who are rule-breaking. Now, if we don't want to obey certain rules, then let's get rid of them. But putting up a list, then disregarding it, is goofy.

How about the driving rules? How often do you see someone turn without signaling, pull in the lane ahead of you before he can see you in his mirror, or use the turn lane as a way to pull into traffic? Are there appropriate rules about these things for a reason? If so, they should be followed. If not, then driver's ed teachers can give up trying to teach them.

Yes, there are dumb rules, and we often follow these because the consequences are too unpleasant not to--like having to take off flip flops or scarves when going through airport security. What's the danger there? I believe in sensible rules to keep things safe and somewhat orderly. But rather than have a million rules people ignore, let's just have a few good ones and

try to follow them.

Beautiful view

2010-01-15T08:53:00.002-07:00

I took this sunset picture from the airplane window, December 26. I'm not sure what city we were flying over--somewhere on route not far from Atlanta. The setting sun was visible under the dark clouds for just a few minutes, and it was really beautiful.

When I was moving holiday pictures from my camera to my computer, I decided to join Skywatch Friday. I haven't done one for a long time.

Vocabulary building

2010-01-07T08:28:00.003-07:00

I love to read. My profile lists some of my favorite authors, but I find new ones I like as I go. Having a Kindle makes getting new novels quick and easy; I don't even have to put on my shoes.

I have tried some of Amazon's free novel downloads. I have enjoyed a few, but I'm getting a bit more discriminating as I go. Most of the new, free books offered are science fiction and romance. Now I like a little romance as much as the next girl, but I've found that the plots are all the same. I need more than handsome man meets beautiful woman; they disagree; they succumb to the inevitable and admit their undying love.

I also like good science fiction, but not all of it is good. I think it is easy to write because authors don't have to follow rules. My sixth grade creative writers always wanted to write science fiction so they could make stuff up. There has to be a compelling story under the weirdness.

There are authors who not only write a good story, but take you to school too. I have a decent vocabulary, but books by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston show me my inadequacies. I just finished a novel and paged back through it to gather some of the expressions that I needed to look up (thankfully, the Kindle has a built-in dictionary).

"...incipient panic..." "...vertiginous trail." "...pink alpenglow..."

"I'm a pedant and an obscuranist..." "...froth subsumed into an angry ocean."

"...the lingua franca of the service decks." "...the oenophilic ritual."

"...air so thick with schaden freude..."

Some of these are from other languages so even my MacBook dictionary doesn't recognize them. Make no mistake, I liked the novel. And I think that reading something that makes me think is good for me. I may even be a bit of a pedant.

Commercials drive me nuts!

2010-01-05T17:37:00.003-07:00

I use TiVo to zip by commercials, I listen to books on tape in the car. But, occasionally, I accidentally hear commercials. On my drive up today, I heard a couple of interesting ones.

Did you know that you can get the sleep you have been dreaming about? Excuse me, but if you have been dreaming, weren't you already asleep? Does anyone dream about sleeping?

Do you know that a man's overall "quality of life" is affected by his prostate? Sounds like a pretty superficial life if its quality is impaired by a slightly enlarged prostate. How about the quality of a person's life who has lost a limb, had a stroke, is fighting cancer? Makes having to go to the bathroom in the night seem unimportant.

See, I shouldn't listen/view commercials. They drive me nuts, and I'm not even posting about the grammar and speech errors--eek.

Bad, bad blogger

2009-12-31T22:06:00.004-07:00

I've been busy, busy, with holidays and family. I know that's a good thing, but I've been a lousy blogger. With a trip to Florida for a week, a flight back to Salt Lake (very late the day after Christmas), a 300 mile drive back home with my California kids already there, so a house full of activity, I haven't taken the time to attend to my blogs.

I have occasionally checked in to see what others were doing, but posting myself seemed too time consuming. My company goes home on Saturday, then in a day or two maybe I'll have something to say. Don't give up on me.

Have a wonderful New Year!

Are we that gullible?

2009-12-15T12:31:00.002-07:00

I wonder......are people really as dumb as some advertising agencies think we are?

I watch few commercials (can't do without my TiVo), but this morning I just had the television on while baking. A car dealership ad made me chuckle. If they can't beat another dealer's price by $250, they'll actually pay you $250. What do you think are the chances that they can't beat the other's deal?

My personal favorite ad is the "if we can't give you the best deal, we'll give it to you free." I heard that one today too--a mattress company. Yeah, how many $600 mattresses do you suppose they give away rather than beat some other company's price by a few dollars?

Are there some of us gullible enough to believe that if we owe more on our car than it's worth, a car dealer can "save" us by selling us a newer car? Or that we can buy a car for "$88 down and $88 a month"--listen carefully to the high-speed disclaimer that follows.

What frightens me is that the advertisers or businesses think consumers are stupid...or even worse, maybe we are.

Holiday Decor

2009-12-08T10:47:00.002-07:00

I actually love the holidays! That said, for at least 5 or 6 years, we haven't done any home decorations. Christmas is about children and ours weren't here anymore (whichever place we were). So we went to them.

It seemed silly to put up a tree or lights when we left home days before Christmas and normally didn't come back until after the New Year. That is a busy time anyway, and it just felt like more work than fun. After flying from one coast to the other to play with grandkids, coming home to taking down decorations was too big a bother.

This year will be a bit different and hubby thought we needed a few decorative touches--weird coming from him. We are leaving on the 19th to go to Florida, but after Christmas my California kids are coming back this direction. The kids want to play in the snow and the 12-year-old has plans for a snowboarding lesson. So, we bought a couple of 4-foot topiary trees, some cute little solar-powered snowmen for the walk, and I dug out a few things from my Christmas boxes. I can't compete with neighbors who go all out, but it feels kind of nice to have a little holiday inside and out. Besides, it isn't enough to be a big deal to put away.

Next year? Who knows.

Sneaky changes

2009-11-13T08:42:00.005-07:00

My mother's biggest product annoyances have to do with quality and container size changes.

She says that when Dawn detergent first came out, it was much better than the competition. It made lots of suds, was very tough on grease, and only a little squirt was necessary. Since that time, however, the quality has slipped away until it is like all other dish washing products. My mom loves to cook so she speaks with some authority about dish washing.

Charmin introduced Plus bathroom tissue (that's the correct term for what used to be called toilet paper). When it first came out Mom said it was very soft and one could actually feel the lotion/aloe. Now, however, when one can actually find the Plus version of Charmin, it is nowhere near as wonderful as it once was. She even sent a hand-written letter to the company to complain.

Mom, who is an excellent cook, also decries all the sneaky changes in container sizes. She has family recipes that call for a "can" of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk--not any more, the cans are smaller. Who knows what amount to add now? Same for cans of pumpkin and pie fillings, condensed soups, and evaporated milk. I guess the people who first wrote the recipes didn't foresee that the companies would ever change their packaging. Who could have predicted that rather than raise the price of a product they would choose to instead make the container smaller? Did they think we wouldn't notice? We did, and found it extremely irritating.

Products I've doomed

2009-11-11T11:00:00.004-07:00

I've doomed quite a number of products, simply by liking them. It's just a sad fact that I am now resigned to accept. If companies knew that when I buy something repeatedly, they are in trouble, it would probably be worthwhile to keep things away from me. A few years ago, hubby and I actually made a list of things we have liked that disappeared from the shelves. I don't remember all the things on our list then, but it is still growing.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love potato chips of all kinds. Years ago we unintentionally encouraged the demise of Eagle Potato Chips, but more recently I'm responsible for the loss of Lay's Dill Pickle flavor. They were soooo yummy and I miss them.

Costco has been recipient of my jinx with a number of products: Kirkland Roast Beef in a can (wonderful for sandwiches), dried peaches and dried strawberries (don't remember the brand names but they were so good), and fresh bran muffins.

I am amazed that I can still buy TAB (the first diet cola), but maybe it is safe because I drink it less now that they have started to add Aspartame to its formula. Coca Cola got lucky--or smart.

Mom and I were talking about this yesterday and she mentioned a number of products she has loved that have not disappeared, but have changed until they are mere shadows of their former selves. A post for another day.

Halloween Surprise

2009-11-01T14:21:00.003-07:00

I spent Halloween at my son's home in California. It is becoming quite the trick (pun intended) to make 4 children ages 4 to 12 happy on Halloween. Complicating the evening is that they just moved to their new house in June and wanted to spend some time trick or treating in their old neighborhood too. The girls (youngest two) wanted friends to come along, the oldest (boy) wanted to go with friends, the second son didn't care that much about the whole thing.

So, Grandma stayed at their house to hand out candy to trick or treaters there. WOW! For a time, I just stood in the open doorway because there wasn't time to actually close the door. This entire area is full of families with children. That's one thing my son and daughter-in-law liked about it. After a couple of hours, the second boy and the youngest girl came home and helped me, but it was a busy night.

Normally, I don't like handing out candy on Halloween. I used to bribe my youngest son with pizza and a friend staying over to answer the door. I've left a large bowl of candy on the porch with a note to take a piece, or I've been sure to be away. However, the trick-or-treaters here were unfailingly polite. Everyone had a smile and a thank you. Most were accompanied by parents, but even the adolescents on their own were courteous and pleasant. One little boy was a chef, complete with a stainless bowl for his treat, a very small child had on an adorable Nemo costume (his mother was a red crayon). This is a very well-behaved neighborhood; I can see why they like it here so much.

It's a wonder

2009-10-22T14:49:00.003-06:00

It is a wonder that intermediate/middle school students ever learn anything at all. They are so energetic; so interested in what their classmates are doing or thinking; trying so hard to fit in yet be just a little unique; and feeling so unsure of themselves. They want to entertain each other--usually with small insults or exaggerations--so everyone knows they are there, but they shy away from too much attention. It's a very complex time of life and it doesn't leave much room for actual learning work. I guess we just have to hope that something sneaks in and attaches.

Subbing is nice because there is no real preparation and no follow up. The tough part is stepping into someone else's routine and someone else's expectations. But I'm home now, in one piece, and I left no damage behind. Hopefully I even helped a little.

Comics speak to me

2009-10-21T16:33:00.006-06:00

Sometimes certain comics really speak to me. Whoever writes/draws Non Sequitur has tickled me several times, enough that I actually cut them out and save them. I'm sharing a short series today because I've been thinking about this kind of stuff. I hope you can read them--enlarging will help--because I don't have a scanner; I just took pictures of them.Sometimes those really smart kids are the toughest.
Of course, unless they are paired with the really smart teacher.
Naturally, those same smart kids also need savvy parents.

I'm substituting tomorrow for a math teacher in an Intermediate school. I hope I remember what to do.

Talking to children

2009-10-10T17:15:00.003-06:00

I love to be in a public place and see parents talking to children. Notice I said talking TO them, not just yelling in their general direction.

So often I hear, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy...," without so much as a glance at the child. One day I counted 12 times as the mother was too involved in what she was doing to acknowledge her child. Now it was probably true that what the child needed was not earth-shaking, but how important must he/she feel when mommy is so difficult to reach. Worse than that, though, are the threateners, the arm jerkers, the snappers who drag tired children through store after store and expect perfection. I am always offended by parents who refuse to buy a small candy or toy for a patient child while filling their carts with expensive energy drinks, beer, and cigarettes.

Sometimes, however, I see conversations. I overhear discussions about which cereal would be best, which aisle contains the tomato juice, or what kind of apples to buy. I see parents and children engaged. Those warm my heart.

As children are listened to, their opinions considered, their choices allowed, they gain a vital sense of importance and worth. It gives them a sturdy foundation, a confidence in themselves. Even before I became a teacher and saw the various ways parents could hamper children's development, I knew that talking TO kids was vital.

They understand more than you think they do and they know more than most people give them credit for. My mother (and her mother) knew that too.

Smiling faces

2009-10-09T16:34:00.002-06:00

I just got back from a leisurely trip through a super store (that has everything) and I smiled at three toddlers and two babies--they all smiled back.

I noticed years ago that while a parent may look through me or around me, children--especially the little ones--always look at my face. I read somewhere that babies are genetically programmed to look at human faces. It must be true. So, I always look back and smile. Most of the time they respond with a smile of their own, even the very small ones. Occasionally a parent will notice and acknowledge me with a smile, but often it is just the child and me.

Try it. It is pretty cool and there is nothing like receiving a bright, happy smile from a little one.

Another political cartoon

2009-09-24T18:10:00.003-06:00

Just posting another newspaper political cartoon that exemplifies the worries that many of us have about the overhaul of "health care/insurance."

Politics continued...

2009-09-16T09:02:00.003-06:00

This political cartoon was in the Deseret News this morning. Too bad it wasn't in yesterday; it goes so well with my concerns.

If anyone is truly interested in delving into the difficulties and possible solutions for the health care/insurance debate, here is a very long, but well-written article. The author is even a democrat, and although his piece is lengthy, I thought he had some very valid points. Take a look. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200909/health-care

Beware, I'm a bit political today.

2009-09-14T17:07:00.003-06:00

When it comes to estimating the cost of a program, the government--no matter who's in charge--cannot be trusted. When President Obama and his congressional supporters estimate his health-care (insurance) plan will cost between $50 and $65 billion a year, you can laugh or cry.

Let's check history. When Medicare began, in 1966, it cost $3 billion. President Johnson and the House Ways and Means Committee estimated that Medicare would--adjusted for inflation--cost $12 billion by 1990. It was more than $107 billion. That's $107,000,000,000.

Another big lie was Social Security. It began in 1936, started gently, and the Congress's promise was that after about twelve years we would pay up to $.03 for each dollar earned, and up to $3000 a year was the most anyone would ever pay. Have you checked your FICA deductions lately? Even worse was the closing line in the original Social Security pamphlet: "...the United States government will set up a Social Security account for you. ...The checks will come to you as a right."

There is no Social Security account containing my money, and the Supreme Court has ruled twice that Americans have to legal right to Social Security payments.

So, I am very skeptical of government promises.

Ask yourself why President Obama (and his colleagues) were in such a hurry to pass "health care" reform. Why was it so important that it get done in August, or before the year's end? The provisions of the bill don't take effect until 2013. If it was so necessary and beneficial, why the wait? If we don't need it until 2013, what's wrong with the normal process of hearings, the study of pros and cons?

I would think, if things are as dire as he says they are, the President would want people to experience the benefits of this package before the next election. Oh, maybe that's just it. Maybe no one is supposed to see how this really works until after the election.

It just seems like our current government is trying to push through things that have not been done in the past, before the people know what is really happening.

Remember, we were assured it was vitally important to get the stimulus approved very quickly. Our economy depended on it. But why? Much of it will not be distributed for more than another year. I guess, for those who are seeking more power over the economy, there was the possibility that things would start to improve on their own--and that would be bad.

When the President's Chief of Staff talks about not letting "a crisis go to waste" or how "it's an opportunity to do things you could not do before." It seems about gathering power and control while circumventing and deceiving the public, not serving the people.

Happy Birthday Lindsey

2009-09-09T12:19:00.010-06:00

My youngest grandchild is 4 years old today. The time is going by incredibly fast.We were able to spend the Labor Day weekend with her family (Grandpa hadn't see their new house), and we enjoyed it immensely. We took a day to visit the San Diego Zoo, and she is always willing to pose for the camera.She looks angelic, sweet, and pretty enough to be on magazine covers.

But watch out for the twinkle in her eyes and big smile on her face....she can also be a ball of fire.She loves fancy princess dresses and tiaras, lip gloss, shoes, make believe games, pre school, jumping, running, dancing, and riding her bike (training wheels don't slow her down).

Happy birthday, princess. We love you.

USPS troubles

2009-08-29T12:39:00.005-06:00

I've been alive quite a while, and for most of that time the U.S. post office was the way to communicate with those far way. I've used the mail to pay bills, send gifts and cards, and correspond with friends and relatives in far-flung places. For the most part, it worked. It was a little slow, but seemed dependable and efficient. Sometimes people would blame the post office if something didn't show up when it was expected. I assumed that the post office was just being used as a scape goat, when someone didn't plan ahead far enough to ensure timely arrival.

My first problem was maybe two years ago. I use my bank's online bill paying services for most of our routine expenses. But, my local utility is small and not set up for electronic payments. So, the online service contracts with a company out of state that would withdraw the money from my account and send a check. Then one month, the utility bill showed that the previous month's payment was not received. I had no idea because the money had been taken from my bank account. When I investigated, the post office was blamed (lost in the mail). I have no idea who really dropped the ball, but I paid for both months. By the next month, the check had shown up. After that, I mailed my own check. At least I could tell whether or not it had been received and deposited.

In late January I sent a Priority envelope with a cashier's check in it. It vanished! It didn't get where it was going, didn't come back to me, no one knows what happened.

In June I sent a birthday gift to a friend in Texas. I didn't hear from her, which was highly unusual. When we corresponded later--by e-mail--she told me she had sent a thank you card. I've never gotten one. Maybe it's with my priority envelope.

Now this came in my mail.

It was less than half of what was sent, but luckily our names and address were on one of the remaining pieces. This is what was printed on the other side of the plastic bag.

I had to laugh. I thought the postal service was struggling because of a declining volume of mail. I've contributed to the decline, but this year has not made me more confident. I use UPS more because they can actually track packages. Yes, it is more expensive, but I haven't had anything disappear or arrive as pieces in plastic.

Does no one care but me?

2009-08-17T17:14:00.003-06:00

I got a kick out of this comic, even though it was a slap at teachers. Considering the grammar and language mistakes that permeate society now, there must be lots of poorly performing educators. Just some examples that come to mind:

Signs that encourage us to "Shop Local" and "Drive Safe."

A commercial for a tire shop that "Does it right and does it complete."

A radio traffic report said that things "are running smooth."

With this service, one can get their auto loan "quick and easy."

A certain bed means you will "sleep fantastic."

At the Outback steakhouse, you can "live adventurous."

NAPA has something that will "keep your engine running strong."

A customer testimonial says that her "fireplace turned out beautiful."

A news anchor on television wondered where someone was at.

A sportscaster described a football player as "running explosive."

Many seem not to have ever heard of subject/verb agreement, especially when there is a prepositional phrase included. Few know how and when to use an apostrophe.

Communication by text message, notes on Facebook walls, and blog postings often contain lazy language. Shortcuts, fragments, crazy or missing punctuation, and misspellings are common, all in the name of speed.

I will assume that, given a different circumstance, many could write a decent, coherent thesis, but sometimes it is difficult to believe. From my perspective, it is all very sad.

Camping with Grandsons

2009-08-10T08:36:00.007-06:00

We had a terrific time playing with our three grandsons for a week. Our camp offered lots of fun hiking and exploring. Notice on this hike that the photographer was trailing--that's generally the case, especially uphill. My brain is willing, but the body requires several rest stops.
Grandpa knew where to go and we ended up in a lovely meadow.

Naturally, one cannot possibly camp without making S'Mores over a fire. Who cares if they are messy, they're required.
We also caught a few fish, played games, went for rides on the ATV (with helmet), practiced our target shooting, ate lots of good food, got a bit dirty, talked, and laughed a lot.

We took a day to visit Bryce Canyon National Park. Hubby and I hadn't been for many years and the boys not at all. It is still an amazing place!

Some of the formations are called HooDoos and we thought this one looked like two people standing on a precipice.
It was a fun time with three wonderful kids who don't get to see each other very often. We were sorry to have to send them back to their parents and sisters.
The three younger grandkids are our granddaughters (8, 5, and 3). We'll soon need to find a way to do something fun to get them together too. Darn these sons who end up on different coasts. The boys (and grandpa) are already planning to camp again next summer.

The Garden Update

2009-07-23T20:56:00.003-06:00

It is gorgeous again. It survived a week without my father-in-law (while he was cruising) and he will have another bumper crop. This is a shot of some of the potatoes and corn.This shows the peas, cabbages, onions, lettuce, and cucumbers and squash in the far end.
This view is carrots, beets, (you can still see the peas), with the pole beans, and two other kinds of beans at the end. Off to the picture's left are about 50 tomato plants (there may be more, I'm just guessing), and we've begun to enjoy the fresh tomatoes.
The radishes are gone, as is the Swiss Chard, and I'm sure I've missed stuff.

In addition, he has at least 8 peach trees, 3 pear trees, a plum tree, and a half dozen apple trees--most of which have fruit. It is turning into a bountiful year, and much of the work the rest of us can do is yet to come. Boy, it is worth it though!

Panic on the Zuiderdam

2009-07-13T09:36:00.006-06:00

I'm not sure how many people who occasionally read this have cruised, nor am I sure how different cruise lines handle luggage, but this experience gave a serious panic attack to a normally calm traveler--me.

We dock in Vancouver during the night. In order to make leaving the ship organized and efficient, they ask that you set your luggage outside your stateroom the night before. They have already provided color-coded tags and paperwork so your suitcases get to the correct bus or airport.

We gave thought to what we'd need to carry, packed, put the luggage in the hall, and peacefully slept our last night on the ship.

At 6:00 the next morning we woke to clean up and leave the ship. MY PANTS WERE GONE! In hubby's packing zeal, he'd taken the britches I was planning to wear. It was my fault because I hadn't made it clear to him and they weren't with the rest of my clothes, but knowing that didn't stop the helpless panic. I knew the ship's shops were not opening that morning. I called the office and was told they could not get to our luggage; it was crated for transport. If I hadn't had a shirt, I could have used my pajama top and my jacket and been okay, but no pants?! The bottoms to my pjs were short, and very pj-looking.

Then the office told me that they had a collection of left-behind clothing and I could come and look. I threw on the robe that came with our stateroom and went down three decks to the front office. There was a pair of women's capris, but they were at least 4 sizes too big and wouldn't have stayed on without a belt. There were some white stretch pants, but they were very thin like long underwear. And there was a pair of blue scrub-type pants, just a couple of sizes big, and with an elastic waist. I was saved.

With the top I had planned to wear, they actually matched, and with the top out and my jacket on, it wasn't too obvious that they were kind of baggy.
I was saved from severe embarrassment holding up oversized denim capris, and probably no one even knew what we had done. Thank goodness that some people accidentally leave clothes for those of us who send too many away. It was a rocky end to a lovely trip, but all's well that ends well.

More Alaska Cruising

2009-07-08T08:57:00.014-06:00

One of our shore excursions took us by "motor coach" into the Yukon Territory, then we rode the very scenic narrow gauge railroad back down. It was a fascinating journey, hearing about the gold rush and seeing where people actually traveled in the quest for wealth. This was one our our stops: Emerald Lake.

This strange place is call Tormented Valley because it looks unlike any other place. The guide told us they sometimes film science fiction movies using it, because it's different enough to look like another planet.
I admit that I don't remember the name of this lake (there are so many), but it was so calm that I got a beautiful reflection picture from inside the bus.
Our last shore excursion took us to this gorgeous Cirque. That is a steep-sided, half open valley where a glacier once began. We were very lucky to get a sunshiny day, but it is so difficult to get the majesty and size of everything from a 2-dimensional photo. Clicking to enlarge will help, but one truly has to be there.
We spent a day on the ship while visiting Glacier Bay. It is so cool (pun intended) to be close to these rivers of ice. I was taking the pictures from Deck 10 so you have to enlarge the picture to see some kayakers. Every so often we'd hear the cracking sound and hurry to look, but the park rangers on board told us that meant we had missed the ice falling: you could see it before you could hear it.
Those of us who had brought binoculars enjoyed watching several large brown bears wandering along the edge of the water. The biggest one had an interesting black and brown coloration.
Hubby's sister wanted to show her family how pretty the inside atrium of the ship was, so we took a few (this one with her dad and sister hiding behind). She has MS, but she got along beautifully and loved everything about the cruise--her first.
I've spoken to a number of people who have done way more cruises than we have, but I've not met anyone who didn't love the Alaskan Inside Passage. If you like magnificent scenery, it is one to try.

Cruising the Inland Passage

2009-07-06T09:46:00.009-06:00

When we arranged our cruise, we opted to fly to Seattle and take the "motor coach" (bus) to Vancouver. Of course ships leave from Seattle, but to get the specific date and tour we wanted, this was our choice. We actually arrived in Seattle the day before and stayed in a lovely hotel, because we did not want to worry about airline delays or tight schedules. We spent some time the next morning in the SeaTac Airport waiting for our turn to be called.I'm cheating with the chronology a little because this picture wasn't taken at the Vancouver dock, but it does show our ship, the Zuiderdam--along with hubby and his two sisters.
Holland America really knows how to take care of its guests. My father-in-law celebrated his 82nd birthday and, without our saying anything, he was brought a birthday cake and fussed over and sang to.
The dining room option was nice. They had two formal nights when we dressed up, but the food every night was fabulous. This picture is a little dark because of the light from the window (stern of the ship), but that's okay because I didn't ask permission from the family to put their pictures in here anyway. If a dining room was a bit too...serious....there was always the more laid-back buffet, or the grill, or the taco bar, etc.
This cruise took us up into what is called the Tracy Arm. It was just beautiful with the glacier and all the mini icebergs. The ice in the bottom of the glaciers is very blue because of the pressure from above. Something about the way the crystals change and oxygen is forced out.
Our first shore excursion was in Juneau. Of course we had to visit the Mendenhall glacier. There is a trail that leads clear out to the ice, but we didn't have quite enough time to walk it. All the pictures can be bigger with a click, if you enlarge the one below, you can see some people in a canoe. If you enlarge the glacier above, you get a much better look at the blue ice.
We had to take our whale-watching dinner cruise. That was very exciting because we saw humpbacks bubble-net feeding. The person narrating the trip said she had been doing these excursions for three years and this was the first time she had seen that behavior. Hubby and I were lucky enough to have seen it before on an earlier trip, but it was just as cool the second time. We also caught a very young whale playing near the surface. It wasn't at all shy and gave us a lively show. It is, however, very difficult to have the camera pointed at the right place at the right time. Hubby did get a little video of the youngster.

I think that's enough for today. I'm driving back home tomorrow, then I'll have some time to share some more of our trip.

North, to Alaska

2009-06-26T08:28:00.003-06:00

This afternoon we're flying to Seattle: hubby and I, his parents, and two of his sisters. Hubby's brother is in charge of the garden, and his other sister is making progress fighting off the effects of her stroke. She is doing better all the time, but there is a long and tedious road ahead.

We stay in Seattle tonight, then travel to Vancouver where we board the Holland America Zuiderdam headed for Alaska. It seems a little callous to have fun when family members are struggling, but this has been planned for months and hubby's hospitalized sister insisted we not change plans. Maybe she'll have good surprises for us when we get back.

We're not taking computers because it's iffy as whether we could get them to work on the ship's system, so I'll be quiet until we get back. I hope to return with beautiful pictures and fun stories. I'll catch up after Independence Day.

It's that time of year again

2009-06-23T16:45:00.006-06:00

My father-in-law asked for some pictures when his garden started growing. I took this first picture a month ago. My mother-in-law was skeptical about getting it all planted before the end of May, because often they have a freeze before mid-June. But, he was optimistic and eager to get it going, so he took the chance.

The reason it looked so weed-free and healthy is shown in the above picture: dedication.

This was the way it looked on Sunday. He was disgusted with the wind blowing because it was drying things out too quickly.
It is too big to get in one picture, so I snapped from a couple of angles. The corn rows are separated by rows of potatoes. The corn was planted at slightly different times to try and keep it from all being ready at the same time. Sometimes it doesn't work.
There are rows of tomatoes, carrots, radishes (won't be good for much longer), beans, onions, peas, cucumbers, squash, Swiss chard, beets, cabbage, and other good stuff. What you won't see are weeds.

He will turn 82 while we are on our cruise next week. We think his beloved garden is what keeps him young.

Decency and Responsibility or Laws and Rules?

2009-06-22T18:07:00.004-06:00

I've read a couple of pieces written by Walter E. Williams, a professor of economics at George Mason University. I found myself agreeing with many of his points about how people seem to have changed--and not for the better.

His contention is that somehow parents have failed to completely pass along the values and traditions of preceding generations, and that some of today's accepted behavior would have been "despicable" a number of years ago.

1. Television advertisements that promise to help people get out of paying half of what they owe. (Included in one of my old posts--bothers me too.)

2. Ads that promise help getting someone out of paying their tax debt. (Also in my post.)

3. Foul language spoken even by children, often to adults and teachers.

4. Baby showers for unwed mothers.

5. Men sitting while a woman or elderly person must stand.

6. The fact that it is a newsworthy event when someone returns some valuable thing to its proper owner.

7. Big, white weddings for couples who have lived together for years, and may even have children.

Today, besides being told that we are not responsible for our own debts, we are constantly reminded that we "deserve" a new car or a well-paying job. Why?

As Professor Williams states, ...do "high rates of illegitimacy make a positive contribution to a civilized society?" Do couples or children benefit from living in uncommited, temporary situations. It used to be controlled because it was considered shameful and undesirable.

Talking back to a teacher would have immediately earned a trip to the principal's office and a call to parents. And parents probably would have sided with the school. Now even a stern talking-to comes with a potential for litigation, because children (and parents) cannot be held accountable.

Now we seem to require ordinances that set aside bus or train seats for "Seniors or Disabled," because no one would think of it otherwise? The behavior of gentlemen used to shield women from "coarse" behavior. Today, we used sexual harassment laws instead.

Professor Williams explained that during the 40s, his family lived in North Philly, in a housing project. He goes on to say that there were no bars on windows, no locked doors during the day, and on hot nights many slept outside on lawn chairs. He continues, "Keep in mind that the 1940s and 1950s were a time of gross racial discrimination, high black poverty and few opportunities compared to today. " His conclusion is that these neighborhoods were far more civilized and that should make one wonder about the excuses that try to blame today's problems on poverty and discrimination.

Laws and rules are poor substitutes for traditions, morals, and values. His final sentence was, in my opinion, powerful. "Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we've become." When did it become so unusual or difficult to just do the right thing?

Living brings trials..

2009-06-12T09:34:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted for a week because thoughts have been difficult to pull together. I am very worried about the direction of our country. I'm afraid my children (and grandchildren) are going to have a big price to pay for the enormous and growing government debt. (A post by itself.)

I am concerned about the level of education and intelligence of our population. Did you ever watch "Jaywalking" on Leno, or listen to the mangling of our language on television and radio? Does it concern anyone else that young people know more about Britney Spears and Kobe Bryant than Abraham Lincoln , Ben Franklin, or today's leaders? (Another post.)

Finally, our own family has had its own stresses including a younger sister-in-law who just suffered a massive stroke. We're all saying prayers for her.

One a fun note, I'm traveling tomorrow to watch four of my fabulous grandchildren while my son and his wife move to their new house. In reality, I'll mostly be trying to contain and entertain the 3-year-old (nicknamed Tornado). I don't think I'll take my laptop because I'm not sure when their Internet connection will be switched, and I doubt I'll have much time to spend on it anyway.

Hopefully, by the time I get back home, my sis-in-law will be improving, and family struggles will be subsiding. Then watch out, because I'm likely to get prolific and opinionated. Wait, I'm already opinionated. Aren't we all?

Desert Springtime

2009-06-04T19:10:00.013-06:00

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Believe it or not, this is the sun. It has been windy all day and I love the variety of the sky. We have high cirrus, fluffy-looking cumulus, and kinds in between. It is still warm at 7 p.m.--I'm guessing low 80s, but hubby says I always guess too cool--so I had a lovely walk.

I have a couple of serious posts working around in my head, but they're not ready yet. So I decided to join SkyWatch Friday. I hope hubby's flight home isn't too rough tonight.

Congratulations!

2009-06-01T13:07:00.005-06:00

Saturday, I cheered at a graduation. My brother's daughter graduated with her Bachelor of Science Degree as a Registered Nurse. I was particularly proud because hubby and I were allowed to share her a bit as temporary surrogate parents for three of those years. Never having had daughters, it was fun to have her (and her younger sister for a while) in the house during the week.

When she was accepted into the nursing program before her junior year, the advisor told her she would have to choose: nursing or basketball--it was not possible to do both. Since the basketball scholarship was what made it possible for her to attend this private college, and she was determined to become a nurse, she was not deterred. Maybe everyone could use a slice of her optimism. Her basketball team made it to the second round of the NAIA national finals, she finished her nursing degree, and--in addition--she got married midyear when she found 4 free days.

She is a terrific girl and we are nearly as proud of her as her parents are.

New Camera

2009-05-29T08:20:00.004-06:00

Well, I did it. I broke down and bought a new little camera to replace the one that disappeared. I know that one of the rules of life states that as soon as I popped for a new one, the other one would turn up. I told hubby that the purchase was certainly worth it if only to know where the other one has been. So far, though, we haven't seen it.

I read the reviews to see if I maybe should switch to a Nikon Cool Pix, but this camera won me over. With some little cameras you could get 12 megapixels, but who needs that? I don't plan to make posters. And some reviewers say because of the difficulty of squeezing in that many pixels, some of the pictures are "noisier." This little camera is a lot like the one I lost, with a few new features. I am taking VERY good care of this one. When my other one shows up, I'll tell you where it has been hiding.

Finally, it was less money than I paid for my older one, and from the Costco pack I also got a leather case and a bonus 2 GB SD card. Pretty cool.

A new collection of vanity plates

2009-05-26T20:27:00.004-06:00

I had 13 recordings on my phone of new personalized license plates I've seen. I'm not sure why they are also called vanity plates, although there are a few that lend themselves to that way of thinking: A silver sedan was BUILDT; a black BMW coupe was SO SEXY; and a big, black Sierra truck was NICE HUH. But there is the difficulty of whether the plate is referring to the vehicle or its owner. The occupants are much harder to read.

Then, on the other hand: a big, red Dodge truck was OLD DUDE, but the old dude's wife was driving. And I wasn't sure about the charcoal-gray Dodge truck that was DIRT DR. Can just anyone be a soil physician? Exactly what does that entail? Is there much study involved?

Some plates convey an attitude like the white Honda sedan that said HOME (too much time in the car?), or the PT Cruiser convertible that was COZZEE. Another PT Cruiser (black this time) was TUMCHFN, and a pretty blue Jaguar was LOCAL (but I don't remember whether or not it was a Utah plate). Maybe the Jag is comfortable anywhere. I'm guessing a Jaguar owner can afford to be.

Somewhere I saw ITHAPNS. I made the recording standing outside in the wind and I couldn't tell what I said the vehicle was. It would have been very clever on an older car with dents and paint problems. BUBBSY was on a red coupe, and I am assuming that it was an endearing nickname; a gray Honda said ANT HIL. That could mean a lovely aunt named Hilary or Hilda, or a home for 6-legged insects--maybe both.

My favorite, though, was on a cute yellow convertible Thunderbird. It's a favorite quote from a movie my family has watched multiple times: ASUWISH.

Until next time...

What's in a name?

2009-05-20T13:01:00.004-06:00

A columnist in my newspaper really made a good point, and I want to share part of his column. I know that every child is unique, and every parent wants to make sure we all recognize that individuality. But, pleeaase, have a heart. Any of us who have spent time in large groups of children (from preschool up) know that names can be a source of great amusement. You young parents to be need to be aware of the difficulties when names are too odd, spelled in unusual ways, or require constant repeating.

The columnist is Doug Robinson:

Apparently, my recent column on weird people names struck a nerve. There are strong feelings about alternate spellings — Soozy, Mychal, Stefanee, Arika — and “made-up” names— Diggery, Moon Unit, Lea (I’ll explain later) and so forth.

One reader wrote: At my job, I take appointments, and I’m required to write down the person’s name with correct spelling. The strangest spelling I’ve ever seen is the name “Susie”— spelled “Siouxzy.”

That poor girl would automatically have to spell her name every time! He continues:

From a reader named Jo Ellen: Two true stories from a niece who worked as a nurse in a St. Louis, Mo., hospital: A baby named “Le-a.” Want to try to guess the pronunciation? “Ladash- a.” (Note: This name was reported by several readers, as was Da-Da or “DaDashda”). There was also a baby boy named Marco. Want to try to guess the pronunciation? “D-marco.”

To quote the mother, “The d is invisible.”

Invisible letters...quite a trick. Besides, Le-a should really be pronounced Lahyphena, but maybe I shouldn't give anyone ideas.

He has some general guidelines he thinks parents should follow. I think they are pretty darn sensible.

1. If you can’t walk into a truck stop or gift shop and find a key chain or a coffee cup with that name or the same spelling, then try something else. 2. You must be able to determine the gender of the child when you hear/see the name.

No more girls named Stevie, Mychal, Jordan, Chase, Devon, Drew, Kyle or, for all we know, Harold and Arthur.

There are lots of unisex names: Morgan, Tyler (yes), Tracy, Kelly, Kris (Chris), etc.

3. You must be able to say it when you see it. Use of punctuation doesn’t even come up for consideration. Le-a is out. If you plan to name your next kid “& Smith” or “* Johnson” and expect anyone to call him/her “Asterisk” or “Ampersand,” think again.

4. You should be able to spell the name when you hear it — for the most part, people should not have to ask. Let’s nationalize the spelling of some names and move on — is it Shayne, Shane, Shain, LeShane? Attention, future parents, if you have doubts about the spelling of a name, ask for help.

Different can be good, but it can also be a real pain. He has more general rules.

5. Please, enough already with using last names for first names — Taylor, Kennedy, Madison, Johnson, Anderson, Lincoln.

6. No naming kids after weather phenomena— Misty, Dusty, Smoky, Winter, Autumn (Autymn), Spring, Stormy (Stormee), Windy (Windee), Nimbus, Precipitation, Humidity (Humiditee) and so forth. Those are pony names, not human names.

7. It must be a name for people, not for objects, etc. “Apple,” doesn’t cut it, and neither does Avocado nor Celery nor any other fruit or vegetable.

8. If you get too cute with the name, you’re probably trying too hard. A reader named Derek (Darrick?) reports that a co-worker gathered these names from his Facebook account: Jermagesty, Tequila, Bacardi, Champagne, Abcde (pronounced like “rhapsody”).

I heard a young mother in a store, calling to her runaway toddler, "McCartney, come back." Obviously, I'm not sure of the spelling, although I thought immediately of Paul--must be my age.

His last bit of wisdom was about using great characters, like from the Bible, for names. Lots of pressure for Abrahams, Isaacs, and Jacobs.

Mom and I have talked about this too and we agree that if a child is exceptionally bright, friendly, and beautiful, he/she can survive a weird name. But, woe be to a child who has any weaknesses.

As I have many young nieces and nephews who are planning parenthood, I hope they read his last thought: “A man’s name is not like a mantle which merely hangs about him, and which one perchance may safely twitch and pull, but a perfectly fitting garment, which, like the skin, has grown over and over him, at which one cannot rake and scrape without injuring the man himself.”

He ended by signing, Duhg Robynson, but he could have used another y.

Newspaper Corrections silliness

2009-05-16T08:24:00.003-06:00

Just a quick thought before I go to exercise this morning: I need some language help again. I've posted before about the strangeness of newspaper corrections, and I'm still confused.

My newspaper printed a couple of corrections today because a man accused of a crime was "incorrectly identified" in the paper yesterday. Does that mean the wrong man was identified yesterday? The picture is the same. Shouldn't he have been identified yesterday? Was the middle name they used yesterday not his?

Even more confusing: a city was "misidentified." Just how does that happen? Is the city in the correction accurately identified? Was a different city in the paper before? Did someone spell something wrong?

I hope my city isn't misidentified, unless it's for something bad, then maybe it is okay, but what if it is incorrectly identified? Is that different? Is it better to be incorrectly identified or misidentified? I'm so baffled.

Lost forever?

2009-05-08T08:21:00.007-06:00

I'm having trouble with a real mystery. I have a Canon EOS Rebel camera that I got quite a few years ago. It is a lovely camera, but when planning our trip to Italy last year I wanted something smaller. So, I bought a little Canon ELPH. It was so convenient and easy to carry, and the menus were much like my other Canon so there was little to learn. It took good pictures and because it was so small, I carried it around all the time.

I can't find it! I used it for the SkyWatch posting on April 23, and I took it when hubby and I went to visit our parents a couple of days later. That's where my memory ends. I don't remember getting it out at either place (and our parents don't remember seeing it). I drove back to the city early the next week and made sure to pack the battery charger, but don't recall packing the camera. We have looked everywhere!

This really bugs me because I don't normally lose things. Hubby has been known to misplace stuff from time to time, but I usually know where things are. Until now. This is soooo frustrating. I've checked in the logical places, the weird places, and the bizarre places. Where could it be?

Hubby's solution is that we'll buy me another one before our cruise in June. You know what will happen? As soon as I have a new one, the lost one will turn up. But that's not possible, I've looked everywhere. There must be a hole in the space/time continuum.

The last one?

2009-05-06T08:59:00.006-06:00

Maybe this is the final installment. There are some real truths underneath the humor.

I'd better go now and check my Facebook page to see if anyone wants to be my "friend." Then I think I'll go out and actually converse with people for a while. Moderation in all things.

To Twitter or not to Twitter?

2009-05-05T09:09:00.004-06:00

I guess Brian Crane is thinking about the technological world in sort of the same way I have been, only he's funnier and a much better artist.
I'll be interested to see what's in tomorrow's newspaper. In the meantime, I'll try and figure out something to post that actually belongs to me.

Follow up

2009-05-04T08:26:00.004-06:00

Here's the next Pickles about blogging. I thought I'd share.

Of course, I don't advocate violence....but it is a comic strip and it made me chuckle.

Blogging sounds bad?

2009-05-01T09:28:00.006-06:00

Don't have much time for a thoughtful, considered post today. I have to do a couple of things then be ready when hubby finishes his work week. We are in the city and he will drive our 300 miles home with me this time. But, this comic was in my newspaper this morning and I thought others may enjoy it too.

My youngest son tells me I need a FaceBook page and although I'm considering that, I refuse to Twitter. I'm not sure anyone needs to know--or cares--that much about what I'm doing. Are young people forgetting how to socialize and speak to each other in person? I hope not.

Finally gotten around to it.

2009-04-28T14:38:00.003-06:00

I've finally taken the time to post and give credit for several awards fellow bloggers have bestowed on me. I do, and did, appreciate them. It just took me almost forever to do something with them. Even that was with the patient instruction of one of the award presenters. Thank you.

Next, I need to figure out how to give an award myself. I'll work on that; hopefully it won't take nearly as long.

Last old slide.

2009-04-26T18:16:00.007-06:00

This is the last of grandma's slides that show the dresses my mother made for me--at least since I was about 12 years old. I know my sisters could put together a similar set. She was so much more clever than I realized at the time.

When I was a senior in high school, the music/theater director led us in writing a play (or maybe it was an operetta). The plot was about lonely miners and a bunch of women who are looking for husbands. My part was that of a tomboy, a pal of the miners, who naturally falls in love with their leader. He doesn't look at me as a bride, until I dress like the other women and show my feminine side.

Of course there was a predictable happy ending with lots of brides and grooms.

I'm not certain this was the only killer red dress. I remember another one too, but apparently there was no picture taken. Okay, that's my stroll down memory lane. Besides making me more aware and appreciative of my mother's talent, I took my sewing machine in to be serviced. I think I'll try a little sewing of my own. I'll start small.

Spring in the Utah high desert

2009-04-23T17:48:00.008-06:00

I went for a walk yesterday in the late afternoon. That is the warmest part of the day here, but it felt good to me. The picture is looking southeasterly, and I could see that rain was trying to fall in the distance, but probably not reaching the ground. I loved the different blues of the sky and the reds of the mountains. It is windy today which might mean a cool down for the weekend. I like the heat, and always feel bad for those people who seem to have a comfort zone of less than 10 degrees. You know the ones: too cool below 69, too hot above 78. They probably have seven days all year when they are truly comfortable.

There are other wonderful shots at SkyWatch.

More inadequate appreciation of Mom

2009-04-20T11:46:00.014-06:00

Here are more photos of the dresses I know were made by my mother. At the time, I just accepted that she would put together something for me. I suppose, as an ordinary, self-absorbed teenager, the fact that she was darn good at it flew right by me....whoosh.

The young man with me was a classmate and also part of the cast of Showboat. The white dress was fabulous.

I decided to put a couple more dress pictures in, even though my eyes seem to be closed in the pictures. Appreciate the dresses, not me. This one had a collar of sequins. I have again cropped out my date--not because he wasn't a nice guy, but my romantic history is not the point here.

Mom must have made this suit too, probably just to wear with the boots. I sang "These Boots are Made for Walking" at some event. I know I'd ham it up a lot more now than I did then. Oh the confidence and wisdom of age--if we could have that and the youth and beauty at the same time. Watch out.
This dress is another one I remember. It was a pretty brocade with fake fur on the sleeves.
I really liked this dress because there are at least two pictures of me wearing it. This was after our wedding and the birth of our son, so it must have been for a sibling's special prom or something. Oh my gosh, we are so young and skinny!

Is everyone tired of my memory lane yet? I haven't found too many more pictures among grandma's slides showing more cool clothes, but I know there is a killer red dress somewhere. Maybe I'm almost finished.

You have to smile.

2009-04-14T08:41:00.005-06:00

I just spent a week with my son's family in South Carolina. I got to go to a baseball practice with my 11-year-old grandson and a softball practice with my granddaughter. The baseball practice was familiar. I had sons who played, students who played, and I knew what to expect from boys that age. It was baseball practice.

On the other hand, my granddaughter's softball practice was...entertaining. First of all, she is barely 5--the youngest in the coach-pitch league that goes through 9-year olds. Let me tell you, there are a lot of differences between 5 and 9 year old girls. Second, she is a very girly girl. She even runs delicately. She gently and gracefully puts her toe on the bag, she sometimes spins around before picking up a ball from the ground, and when she comes in from the field she is often skipping. One of her coaches made a circle on the field so she would remember where to stand.

Her mother says that when she comes to bat, the audience smiles and "aaahs" because she is so small. Once the coaches have managed to get her to stand in the right place and hold the bat correctly, there are no expectations. She does, however, occasionally hit the ball. It doesn't go very far, but enough that she can sometimes dance her way to first base. She says that makes her coach call her his secret weapon. They are very sweet with her. (You can click to see the picture better.)

I don't know if she will always like softball, but she does like to visit with others and play games so she's having fun. That is really what matters now.

Underappreciated Mother

2009-04-03T10:56:00.016-06:00

I hurried back through the many slide copies to find a few that I could quickly recognize as me. I wanted to put them in a better order, but loading pictures so they turn out where I want them seems to be beyond my technical ability.

On the left is a dress for Pioneer Day, which is a very big deal in the place where I grew up. I must have been involved in some special performance.

I don't know what dance the red dress was for, but I did crop out the guy I was dating at the time. I have several more shots with he and I together.

I think the orange suit was for something like an interview for a beauty pageant or something. I needed to look polished and respectable, but stylish.

The blue shift with ruffles and the lavender dress remain a mystery in my memory. I have a corsage in one, so it must have been a dance. But, my hair was up in the other so it was also obviously for something I thought important. Those shapeless dresses were cool in the mid-sixties.

This very young me was for my first big dance. The high school held a "post prom" the day after the real deal, especially for junior high students. I was in 7th grade and had a date with a boy in my class.

This last shot is a real keeper although I don't remember why we took it. It is my sisters and I with my grandmother, who passed away when she was far too young. As near as I can figure, I was about 18 (which would make my sisters 16 and 14--give or take a year).

I am pretty sure than my mom made most of these clothes. I'll have to show them to her and see how many she remembers--probably more than I do.

I do know that I took her for granted. I don't now.