And Your Mother's Aunt's Middle Name Is...

Last week, I renewed my subscription with SiriusXM. I wasn't going to do it because I'm not in the car all that much these days, but I now can stream it through my Bose, so I said, "What the hell." I was able to negotiate the same price as last year, so I thought that was fine. As a bonus, I received an Amazon Echo Dot for free. I didn't know this was going to happen until I got the email, so I ordered the thing. This was the first of it's kind in my house. I only use "Okay Google." on my phone very, very infrequently and have never used any other device such as this to 'connect.' To me, it just seemed as if you are BEGGING to have your privacy invaded. And so, the Echo Dot sat on my counter for a week...I just didn't know if I was going to keep it or give it away. Last night, I finally 'connected.' I'm going to give it a go and see what I think...I really don't know if my privacy can be compromised any more than it already has been. And this goes for EVERYONE'S privacy, as well. Here goes 'the rest of the story...'

A 'shirt-tail' relative posted this on Facebook**: 'I'm sitting at Starbucks, crowded with people. A couple of tables away from me were two people, talking loudly between each other, making phone calls, talking on the phone with clients. I am not eavesdropping, but I hear every single word they say. They were loud. One of them, on the phone with a client, asked the client for his/her SSN. He repeats every--EVERY--digit OUT LOUD: xxx-xx-xxxx. Then he repeats it again, out loud, to "make sure I got it correctly."' 

This lady lives in New Jersey, but frequents the New York City area...I have no idea just where this incident took place. Suffice it to say, there was a HUGE breach of privacy here. My question is:  How many times a day does something like this happen? I guess it isn't JUST Facebook, Google, Apple, etc, etc, putting us at risk...looks as if those we 'trust' with our information are just as bad about protecting us.

I'm not as concerned about Amazon 'stealing' my privacy...I don't think I have any left for ANYONE to steal!


**I edited what was posted on Facebook for clarity and punctuation.

More Politics!?!?

I know I said I don't like to get too political on this blog, but I just can't help it. One of the very prominent political issues that The Husband and I shared with great enthusiasm, is the denying of climate change/global warming. And here I go...

To begin, I DON'T believe we are put here on Earth to 'rape and plunder.' I very proudly voted for the deposit tax on beverage bottles/cans to be reinstated in this state. I find it a pain in the ass to bring them back to the store, so I give them to The Oldest and, as a family, they save the money to help pay their way at the county fair each year. I have seen how much bringing cans back to the store has helped this state; the amount of debris on the sides of the roads and in wilderness areas is minuscule, compared to what it used to be. It is a good thing. I support common sense solutions to keeping the Great Lakes clean and usable. I don't care for too much cutting of the trees here...again, common sense solutions. Just some of what I believe in.

And then we have some things that really get under my skin...

The wetlands reclamation (or whatever it is called) is ridiculous. Because some construction, at some time, happened to 'destroy' some wetland (read that as 'swamp') here in the city, new wetlands had to be built. Within one mile of me, I now have FOUR swamps. (Could actually be more, but sometimes they hide them.) I don't ever remember the amount of mosquitoes that we have now...all at a time when more diseases are being spread by the critters. There are people I know, that have property, that are not allowed to have roads because they would disturb the wetlands. One couple wanted to make their camp a permanent home, but without easy access, they can't do it...it remains a summer escape, nothing more. I don't understand this. We also have a ban on the killing of grey wolves because they are protected.** That was all well and good when it was passed, but now the population is to the point where they have to kill livestock to sustain themselves. Again, some of this stuff needs to have common sense applied to it.

So, I can see the reasons for some regulations/concerns and not see some others. (The above is just a smattering of climate/environmental issues that I have opinions about. 😁) That being said, I have a REAL problem with this entire climate change hysteria going on now. And here we go...

I'm so old that I remember being inundated with the 'facts' about how we were entering into a new ice age. I remember thinking about how far south I would eventually be living...and, at the time, I LOVED warm weather and was a happy little camper thinking of living 'down south.' NOW they're telling me that I have to move even farther north in order to escape the rising temperatures. I also remember how the population of Earth would grow so large that there would be massive famine, at all times, around the world, and here in the US. We were told that the population couldn't be sustained and that people would be dying in massive quantities. We weren't supposed to be able to grow enough food to feed the world. Well, one thing is true, we are told that the famine is STILL coming because of over population...it just didn't happen by the turn of the century as I was told. In 2007 (and this was The Husband's favorite story against global warming/change) the Great Lakes were at an 'all time' record low. Basically, we were told that they were drying up and IF they were to recover, it would take decades. A few years later, the levels recovered to 'normal' and this year, all of the Great Lakes have record high levels. Hmmm...

I believe there is a changing in the climate, but it is something that has happened over and over and over again, as long as the Earth has been here. While some of what we have seen (pollution, for example) is man-made, the majority of what is screamed at us is just cyclical and usual. We don't have records from 2000+ years ago, so we can't know if what is happening NOW happened then.

While I might not live long enough to see it, I think there will be a 'what were we thinking' moment in the future. Coal-fired power plants--such as where The Husband worked--are being dismantled and power plants using alternate fuel are being built. We now have natural gas fueled plants here...all supposed to provide cheaper electricity for us. And when EVERYTHING is using natural gas, just how much will the price of the fuel rise? And how much will our 'cheaper' electricity cost then? We also have a 'solar garden' to help provide electricity to our city. Works well enough in the summer, but the six months of the year when we have/can have snow, it doesn't work so well. (I know how 'well' this works because The Husband 'bought' some solar panels and I get 'credit' on my electric bill from the power generated from my panels. Even in the middle of the summer, I get no more than a $10 credit per month...in the winter, at the most, it is a few cents. All of this on a $100+ bill.) Solar, at this time, is NOT a solution where the sun doesn't shine for days, weeks, even months, at a time. And I won't even get into the problems with wind power.

There is NOTHING wrong with exploring other means of doing things. We can look into alternate fuel sources for power...and look at different, alternate ways to grow food. I have no problem with doing things differently, in theory...it's just when scare tactics are used to try and FORCE drastic change, very quickly, that I have problems. We are told we MUST change our ways of doing things, yet those who are screaming the loudest are doing more 'damage' to the environment than the normal people are. I don't fly private jets around the world or live in a McMansion (or bigger) house, so my gas/electric/water consumption is, at the most, comparable to what the majority use. I DO have a smaller-sized SUV, but for me, it is a necessity so that I can get around during the snow months, especially. (We have minimal public transportation here, so private ownership of a vehicle is close to being 'must have.') I would make changes if it was PROVEN that it is necessary, but I haven't seen the proof. (I can bring up as many articles 'proving' my opinion as anyone on the other side of this issue can cite. Statistics, to me, only prove whatever YOU want them to prove. The way they are presented can show whatever 'facts' the presenter wants.)

Anyway, when ALL the facts are ultimately presented/believed, I have to wonder just how much support this will get from the young 'uns. It is an inconvenient fact that they will have to give up a lot more than us old timers will. I remember a time when there was no internet, cell phones, cable TV, high school students driving their personal cars to school, certain foods being unavailable during some months, no fast food drive-in restaurants on every street corner, and you get my drift. I don't think a lot of people have thought this through very well...there are a lot of things they will not want to give up. But it isn't only the young ones: How many people are going to give up their cars or their daily Starbucks fix (unrecyclable/non-reusable cups) or their drive to the restaurant because they can't be bothered to fix a meal at home. And what about all of the STUFF we HAVE to have: BIG houses, more clothes than we can possibly wear, cell phones, ear phones, TVs, recreational toys... (So much of what we have uses enormous amounts of energy to build/make. If we can't use energy for 'things,' then we will have to go without.) Not to mention how much this is going to cost...not many people are going to be happy having to pay the taxes necessary to implement the changes being talked about.

In no way am I saying there can't be a conversation...but it HAS to be more than one sided. It has to be open and honest, not just fear mongering. And BOTH sides HAVE to listen to each other. There is much too much screaming and not wanting to hear what the other side has to say...that's not the way to get things done. It would be very easy for me to say 'the sky is falling' and 'this world has had it,' but I've lived through a few of these 'moments' in my time...and we always have seemed to come out okay. I think we might be able to survive this crisis, also.


**I believe we make a lot of things worse, rather than better, when we decide to 'fix problems.' If we let Mother Nature take care of some things, maybe she would have the correct solution and not what WE think is right. For example, pandas. There are those that feel as if we should just let them become extinct...they can't live without aggressive human intervention, so maybe nature just says it's their time to go. A thought, anyway...

The World Is Going Crazy With All This 'Wokeness'

Most of the posts that I do are about personal things. I tend not to get political, or comment on current events. I find this to be a good thing...keeps this blog from blowing up. That is, if anyone actually finds and reads it. 😁 But there are times when I just can't ignore something, and this is one of those times...

Political correctness is killing us. There isn't a thing, anymore, that can be enjoyed without someone telling us we're not allowed to. Whether it's racist, cultural appropriation, misogynistic, etc, there are very few things that someone, somewhere, doesn't call out. It is exhausting just trying to remember what we are, and are not, allowed to say, do, like. While I don't agree with most of this stuff, I DO watch myself...I don't want to 'trigger' or offend anyone. And for the most part, my friends and relatives stay away from this stuff, too. That is why, when someone from The Family shows an absolutely insane opinion about something, it pisses me off. And I have to vent.

A niece posted the link to this article on Facebook...she agreed with it. An Open Letter to the Female Hat-Wearing Dog From “Go Dog, Go” My eyes rolled so far in the back of my head that I could see my brain! I don't get it!

The author of this article is upset with a children's book. A book that is in the same vein as a Dr Seuss book. Just a simple little book that teaches children to read. Nothing earth shattering about it and not much of a story line, but simple readers don't really have much of a story line. (Remember 'Dick and Jane?') The one possible story line in "Go Dog, Go" involves a female dog asking a male dog if he likes her hat. He doesn't like any of them until she wears a 'party hat.' Simple, innocent. But someone got her panties in a bunch over this.

The article is upset because the female dog is displaying a "heart-wrenching struggle for approval." I guess the female dog's self worth is all tied up in the male dog's approval. WHERE do these people get these ideas? The female dog asks, "Do you like my hat?" The male dog answers, "I do not like that hat." And she walks away. Where in that exchange does her self worth come into play? I just don't understand this way of thinking!

When this PC culture has taken over EVERYTHING, including simple children's stories, I think it's time to just rein things in a bit. It seems as if far too many people wake up every morning with the thought "Just WHAT can I be offended by today?" Take a deep breath, walk away, and leave it alone. "Go Dog, GO" isn't going to bring down any progress the feminists have achieved...it's JUST a children's book!


***I KNOW that the author put a little postscript at the end of the article, labeling this as 'satire.' I read a few other things she wrote and she seems to agree with at least some of her satirical opinions. Even if she wrote this without believing ANY of what she said, there are way too many people who would applaud this as 'wokeness' and complete truth. It IS a crazy world these days...

A Day in the Life

I am slowly getting used to the new normal. Some days are busier than others and some days I do absolutely nothing. It works. Today, I was out-and-about, so time moved a bit quicker than normal. I actually am thinking about getting ready for bed here and it is not even 9:30! Yeah, life has changed...

For whatever reason, I woke up at 7:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I tried, but my body said 'NO,' so I started to move around by 8:00. I made coffee, turned on the computer, emptied the dishwasher, and got all of the kinks out that I could. The older I get, the harder it is to just get up and running after sleep...my muscles atrophy overnight, I believe. I think if I stayed in one position for more than four hours straight, I would just turn to stone. Age has plenty of disadvantages.

While I drank my coffee and ate breakfast--and I can't for the life of me remember what I ate--I read my email and the news headlines. (THAT will give you heartburn in a mighty hurry...thankfully, I take Prevacid every morning!) I putsied around the interwebs for a bit--Twitter, Facebook, etc--and then went to shower.

I started out early enough today, so I was able to be very leisurely about getting ready to go out. I had a hair appointment across town and got there in plenty of time. After I had my hair 'did,' I went to the produce store on that end of town. They have as many local items as they can, and if not local, at least grown in the state. I have had good luck with the produce from there...it seems to stay fresh longer than what I get in the grocery stores. For the first time, I bought cotton candy grapes. I found them to be quite good and they did remind me of cotton candy. I think what I like best was the lack of tartness that green grapes usually have...these were quite sweet and mild. I also bought some peaches and I will be interested to see how happy I am with them. I usually buy nectarines, so we'll see.

Also, since I was on that end of town, I stopped at our local pet store. This is not your ordinary pet store, however. They not only cater to household pets, but they have what you might need for your horses and other grain eating animals. They have gardening supplies and whatever is needed to feed any outdoor critters. The place has almost a warehouse atmosphere and has been a staple in our town for quite a few years. As winter is fast approaching, I decided it was time to start stockpiling food for my winter critters. The Youngest and her husband gave me a galvanized garbage can that they no longer need, so I have a great place to store what I buy. I figure I'll get a little at a time and have more than enough to get through the first part of the winter, anyway.

I am doing a little more of this type of 'running around' as time goes on. These are the kinds of things that The Husband and I would do together, so it is an adjustment to do these on my own. It is nice to be in a small city, however, as I don't feel 'alone' when I'm in these stores. The people working in them are so nice and sweet that I want to take them all home with me! It's nice to see that there still are some businesses that like to take good care of their customers.

When I got home, I put my purchases away and got into more comfortable attire. (I'm relying on my slippers a little too much these days.) I had grapes for a snack while watching a hockey game and that pretty much brought me to this point. Nothing earth shattering, just a pleasant day running a few errands in a leisurely fashion. I can do days like this.

More On Being Alone...The Parent Dilemma

The Mother passed about a year and a half ago. I don't know if I ever thought she would go first and I didn't think she would go at the age of 80...just seemed too soon. However, as I told many people, she really hadn't been herself for a couple of years, so she 'left' some time before her death. It really hurt that we weren't able to get back to being as close as I would have liked after our estrangement, but, life goes on. Her and The Father had just celebrated their 64th anniversary.

A couple of weeks ago, I found out that The Father was having some medical issues. These 'spells' he was having were similar to what he was experiencing before it was determined that he needed a pacemaker, which he had done a few months back. Things seemed to be going well and then this...

He has been through a battery of tests and emergency room visits and appointments with his primary care doctor, all with the conclusion of "we can't find anything wrong." Yet, he still insists 'something' isn't right. The Oldest Daughter and one of my nieces said that they think he has 'given up' and has lost his zest for life. Very possible.

There are two things that could be happening here and I completely understand both. First, I think it is next to impossible to get the medical community to understand what you are going through...especially as one ages. I know that I can't explain my aches and pains in a way that doctors have been taught to understand. The terminology, for one, is so different between 'medical-ese' and 'normal' language, that it is next to impossible for one group to understand the other. While The Father is far from stupid, he still doesn't have the command of the language that someone else might have. He doesn't use the internet, at all, and really doesn't venture outside of his comfort zone when it comes to reading or what he watches on TV, so he probably isn't communicating in a great fashion. But even though I think I might have a better command of the language than he does, I find that I can't make myself understood either. And the way I explain this is here:  Think of the 'pain chart' with the emojis that you see in a medical setting or the pain scale of 1-10 in how much pain you're in. Do either one of these really represent what you are going through? And what if the pain you are feeling is intermittent? And what if what you are feeling is in no way a 'textbook' response to what a doctor might expect? (I don't have textbook symptoms with a lot of my medical issues, so what do they do with me?) It is very difficult to talk to some doctors and until they are given a lot of instruction about dealing with older people, I don't know that things will improve.

The second thing that could be going on is that he possibly is 'giving up.' And I so understand this. Feeling as if there really is nothing more to live for, isn't a death wish...it isn't a suicidal tendency. When your soulmate...The Father's of 64 years, mine of 45 years...is gone, especially when you are retired and 'left alone,' there really feels as if there is nothing left for you. You can keep yourself busy and do things, you can be with people and be happy with them, but it isn't the same. You have thought of yourself as 'we' for the majority of your life and now it is a non-existent thing. You really wonder what your worth is and if you even want to put forth effort to find out if there is any worth left in your life. Everyone else's life continues as normal for them (which it absolutely SHOULD) but your life is irreparably altered. And this is something NO ONE can understand until they have gone through it themselves. So, if he is feeling as if he wants to give up, I understand.

Now, for a solution to The Father's issues...  I don't know what to say about the medical thing. He is very opposed to anyone talking to a doctor on his behalf...and I'm not sure it would do much good anyway...especially if it is a communication issue. He doesn't feel as if it is anyone else's business what goes on at the doctor's office and this is something that we can't do anything about. (If you ever heard that Finn's are stubborn, then you KNOW what dealing with The Father is like.) So, until something is measurably wrong with him, he will continue to 'not feel well.' As for the being alone thing...if he could be talked into going into a senior citizen apartment complex/facility, I think he would have many, many happy years ahead of him. The activities and people would keep him busy and he would have someone around at all times so that he wouldn't/couldn't wallow in any self pity. BUT, this would have to be suggested in a way that he thought it was his own idea..not something that is an easy thing to do. So, until The Family can come up with a solution, this is life as we know it...at least, for now.


***Before anyone gets worried, I am NOT suicidal or wanting to die! It hasn't even been a year for me, so I still am trying to figure out what the rest of my life is going to look like. I still grieve and I still wallow...it is a process, one I am dealing with. One, three, or five years from now, I may look back at this post and wonder how I could have felt this way...one never knows. I live one day at a time for now, and that is more than I could hope for.

Watching The Neighbors

There are two apple trees in the yard behind the main part of my property. (I have a lot and a half, which my house sits on.) One of the trees is completely dead and the other is half dead. It is my belief that the Virginia Creeper vines are what killed the tree, but I'm not sure. But, that really is beside the point. Anyway, these trees have been at one stage of dying off for quite a few years. They are on the other side of the fence and don't really bother me...they are of no hazard to me or my yard. Actually, I like having them there because they provide a place for birds to sit and they get an awful lot of activity from woodpeckers. A couple of days ago, I heard a chainsaw...

When I'm in the computer room, it is difficult for me to figure out what direction a noise is coming from. (It doesn't help that I have hearing loss and don't wear my hearing aids at home, usually. 😆) Once I got to the kitchen, I looked out and saw that the dead apple tree was being trimmed/taken down. As I watched, it occurred to me that the person doing the cutting probably wasn't very qualified for the job. He was a young guy, no older than early thirties. He was wearing shorts, but had 'chaps' on, covering the front part of his legs. He was wearing sneakers. He had no gloves on or goggles...nothing safety-related, unless the chaps were. He had an extension ladder to climb up into the tree, but had problems with it. At one point, he took the two pieces of the ladder apart, but the remaining section wasn't long enough for him to get to where he needed to be. Then he tried to put the pieces back together, but I really don't think he knew how to do it...it didn't go together properly, but he still was determined to use it to climb on. He continued to try and place the ladder so that it wouldn't shift once he was on it...but he wasn't having much luck. When I saw him go up the ladder while holding onto a chainsaw, I had to leave and go into the other room. I got far too nervous seeing what was happening...and I thought he probably was going to get hurt very badly. By the time I ventured back into the kitchen, the guy was done with what he was doing. I'm not sure if he was okay. However, only the limbs of the tree are gone and the trunk remains. Is he done? Did he HAVE to stop because something went wrong? Will the other tree be trimmed? It all is a mystery. But I'm not too sure he won't be back:  the ladder is still propped on the tree trunk.

Another eventful day in my life. 😁

Observing the Backyard

 

I spend a lot of time watching the wildlife in my yard. Sometimes I will sit and watch for quite a while, but a lot of what I do is stop as I pass a window and look at what is going on out there. I won't apologize for writing about the critters too often...just be forewarned. 😀 (And every window I looked out of ISN'T pointing toward the backyard...)

--The computer room is on the side of the house, so the window doesn't actually face the backyard. I do, however, have a view of my neighbor's fence and the trees in their yard, two of which are large pine trees that are growing against the fence. I believe the grey catbirds have a nest just on the other side of the fence from where my window is. This summer is the first time I have, to my recollection, seen grey catbirds and it has been quite fun to watch the pair bringing bits of food to the little ones. I haven't seen the young 'uns and haven't seen the adults for a few days, so I'm thinking the nest might be empty. It was fun while it lasted.

--Today I watched the chickadees forage through the pine trees. I'm not exactly sure of what they were looking for...I didn't see what they were eating. It was fun to watch them flit from branch to branch, close enough that I could almost touch them.

--Because the neighbor's have feeders in their yard, the birds use the pines as shelter, so I get to watch a great variety as I sit here at the computer. There are nuthatches, goldfinches, blue jays, wrens, warblers, and so many more. Winter will be a busy time outside of this window...

--The other day, in my backyard, the birds gathered...not sure what was going on, but I had--at the same time--grackles, blackbirds, blue jays, robins, brown thrashers, woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds. Some were in the trees behind my yard, some were in the feeders, and some were on the ground. I'm not sure when the last time was that I saw such a variety at one time in and around the yard.

--I have a shallow birdbath/bird feeder that was given as a gift from friends. Since they gave it--a couple of years ago--it has been kind of hanging out in the backyard, doing nothing. This summer I decided to relocate it to the front yard and keep it full of water for the summer. The goldfinches have taken a liking to it and drink water when needed. They don't stay long and are very skittish, so it's a joy whenever I get to glimpse that flash of bright yellow in front of the porch.

--The squirrels have been busy, busy lately. I don't know if this means a long, cold winter or if someone in the neighborhood is overfeeding them, but they have been active. I do find them not only burying their peanuts, but they have been moving them around from place to place. And they have found that the turned over soil from the drainage work is a great place to bury what they have. I guess grass seed should be put down sooner rather than later, with the hope that they won't continue digging. But why stop them from having fun...

--Also, the squirrels are doing their annual pruning of the neighbor's oak tree. They are going at it fast and furiously this year...I have quite a number of branches in the backyard. I have never figured out why they do this...they start way too early for them to be gathering acorns and too late for them to be building nests. I would really love to know what their plan is.

--Chipmunks are moving into the yard again...and I no longer have anyone around to trap them. I'm hoping the neighbors will do their part to try and keep them under control...after all, it's them feeding them continuously, every day all year long, that is the major cause of the little rats' existence. I could possibly become friends with one of the 'mountain men' and see if they want to have any chipmunk pelts...probably too small to be worth it to them. 😆

--I caught something on the backyard camera the other night, but it just moved along the bottom of the range of the camera. It almost looked like a cat, but I don't think it was. And I'm pretty sure it wasn't a skunk, either. I'm thinking it may have been a weasel, possibly a muskrat. I'm not sure what else it could have been...and as small as this critter was, I don't think it would trigger the camera if it walked through the middle of the yard. I'm now wondering if I will have to get a regular critter cam before winter sets in...

--I had a young six-point buck in the yard for quite some time last night. I don't believe he ate any of the apples that have fallen from the neighbor's apple tree. There really aren't enough for anyone to make the effort and come to pick them for their bait pile, so I have no idea what is going to happen to them other than rot on the ground. The lawn guys are going to be dealing with one horrid mess!

--Haven't smelled any signs of skunks recently...which is good. If I knew there were a lot, then the chances would be good that my yard is being overrun by grubs...something that would need to be taken care of. I have only seen one on-camera and that was only because I was doing a look-see and happened to catch it in the backyard. They are much too small to set off the motion detection, so I have to catch them at just the right time. I really don't need them to set up housing under the storage shed like the did a few years back.

Alone Can Be Nice

While I have done a little lamenting about being alone, there really are some nice things about only having yourself to worry about.

Today, I had every intention of washing clothes. I got side tracked by other things and decided the wash could wait one more day. Now THAT'S something I can be happy about.

I also like the fact that I don't have to eat on a time schedule. If I want to eat my evening meal at 4:00 PM or at 10:00 PM, it is my choice. I find that I eat when I'm hungry, more often than by the clock. Wasn't always the case when The Husband was here. Also, if I decide to have soup and nothing else for an evening meal, so be it...I definitely don't need to have a four course meal.

If I feel like spending my entire day at the computer, I can do it. I also can spend some time there, walk away, do something else, and go back to the computer without having to worry that whatever I was working on would be a problem for another person. I like being able to leave the computer set at my profile and only having to sign out when I'm ready to close for the day.

It is nice to have several projects going at one time and move from task to task if I feel like it. When I have someone else around, I feel as if I should finish one thing before moving on to the next, but now I don't have to.

Also, if I leave something somewhere, it will still be there when I go to look for it. (If I can remember where I left it in the first place. 😁)

And sleep...I can sleep whenever, wherever, and however I want. It is a freedom that really can only come from living alone after retirement.

So, along with the negatives, there ARE some perks to being along...you just have to know where to find them.

Perplexing

I own the above t-shirt. I had someone ask me, "Understand what?"

I'm not sure if the person has no sense of humor, is dumber than a bags of rocks, or was complimenting me.