Vocabulary building

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!

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Politics continued...

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.

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

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

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?

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

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

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!