5.29.2003
Blog... blog... blog! Spent quite some time checking out blogging places today. There are many... not all equal i think. At least half the websites i've created were 'just to see how it works' and i don't want to get in that situation with blogs! After compiling a list of 15 blog servers... visiting some of the blogs on those servers... and having blogs on more than one place myself, i've come to the conclusion that Blogger is right up there at the top of the list!
Many of the sites i visited seemed to be little more than glorified message boards... lots of interaction, but not much content. Many of them tout the community aspects of their services... but don't offer much in the way of individuality. Want to add pictures? Doesn't look like most of them allow that! A friend of mine uses UpSaid, but she feels it's more difficult to work with the templates... changing colors, backgrounds and such. I've used WebCrimson and feel the same way about templates to a certain extent. It's fairly easy to change background colors, but i've had little luck in changing to background images. You can add photos to WebCrimson, as you can with Blogger, if you have another place to store the photos... but WebCrimson makes it easier to add photos to your blog directly from your hard drive - if you are using FTP to your own website. Blogger isn't quite as simple, but that's not really a big problem anyway.
I'm a little concerned about Blogger's 'new look' though. One friend has tried the 'new' Blogger and turned out a really beautiful blog, but she is using Blogger as her server. I wanted to create a photo blog for the Mayday Project... and first tried Blogger's new look. The difference between my friend and i was that i wanted to use FTP to my personal domain. Although i have Blogger blogs on my domain under the 'old' system, i could NOT get my photo project up to my domain using Blogger's 'new' system. That was the reason i went to WebCrimson and it was a piece of cake! Today WebCrimson is down... bummer! Wanted to add to the photo blog. The bad news? Any blogs using WebCrimson as server are down as well. The good news? Even though i can't work on them, my personal domain blogs are up and looking good! I hope WebCrimson is up and running soon; it's a good place to blog. But... even more..... I hope Blogger gets those little bugs out of their system prior to the big changeover because i'm hooked on running my blogs at my domain.
Many of the sites i visited seemed to be little more than glorified message boards... lots of interaction, but not much content. Many of them tout the community aspects of their services... but don't offer much in the way of individuality. Want to add pictures? Doesn't look like most of them allow that! A friend of mine uses UpSaid, but she feels it's more difficult to work with the templates... changing colors, backgrounds and such. I've used WebCrimson and feel the same way about templates to a certain extent. It's fairly easy to change background colors, but i've had little luck in changing to background images. You can add photos to WebCrimson, as you can with Blogger, if you have another place to store the photos... but WebCrimson makes it easier to add photos to your blog directly from your hard drive - if you are using FTP to your own website. Blogger isn't quite as simple, but that's not really a big problem anyway.
I'm a little concerned about Blogger's 'new look' though. One friend has tried the 'new' Blogger and turned out a really beautiful blog, but she is using Blogger as her server. I wanted to create a photo blog for the Mayday Project... and first tried Blogger's new look. The difference between my friend and i was that i wanted to use FTP to my personal domain. Although i have Blogger blogs on my domain under the 'old' system, i could NOT get my photo project up to my domain using Blogger's 'new' system. That was the reason i went to WebCrimson and it was a piece of cake! Today WebCrimson is down... bummer! Wanted to add to the photo blog. The bad news? Any blogs using WebCrimson as server are down as well. The good news? Even though i can't work on them, my personal domain blogs are up and looking good! I hope WebCrimson is up and running soon; it's a good place to blog. But... even more..... I hope Blogger gets those little bugs out of their system prior to the big changeover because i'm hooked on running my blogs at my domain.
5.28.2003
Okey dokey! I have another page for all my memes and stuff but this particular meme inspired me to go on and on about it and i really really think the thoughts i express concerning the hormone therapy controversy need to be shared with as many women as possible. I've been taking estrogen and progesterone for at least 15 years now and believe in it as a wonder treatment for many women! I know in my heart that the big bureaucratic government machine that tries to make this the most perfect of all possible worlds, in it's zeal to do so harms more people than they help!!! Women who hear ... 'the latest tests indicate....' don't wait to hear the part that says '...an extremely small percent of the total group experienced blah blah blah...' They quit using this great tool. Yes! Hormone therapy isn't for everybody but if you are, like i am, in the small risk group... big hips, favorable family history, etc. don't jump out of this frying pan into that great big boiling cauldron of oil! Think before you leap.
When i went to June's What's On................Right Now? beautiful website, this is truly what was on my mind at the time.
What's On your mind Right Now?
Would you believe...... nothing? Of course not! I don't think that's possible; even when you 'let your mind stray' it's somewhere. Okay, what's on my mind at this moment is... the pro's and con's of using estrogen therapy after menopause. The Today Show just featured a doctor discussing the latest 'finding' about women using estrogen therapy... where we previously thought it helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, the report was an indication of increased dementia in a small subgroup of women in the government-sponsored testing. I take Premarin and Progesterone and... ask anybody who knows me... i think there are nothing but benefits associated with that choice!
All of these government tests are geared to make 'a perfect world' i guess because, i have a greater chance of having an airplane fall on my house than i do for some of these so-called risks! Okay, my house is almost a direct line to the airport, so it might be considered in the landing pattern for a large number of domestic airlines.
I'm quoting various doctors when i say...
My decision about my hormone therapy? I will continue it... but of course i will discuss it with my doctor when i see her in June. You HAD to ask, didn't you? With the kind of stuff on my mind almost all the time.... i think i have as much chance of developing dementia as i do of giving birth at the tender age of sixty-something!
When i went to June's What's On................Right Now? beautiful website, this is truly what was on my mind at the time.
What's On your mind Right Now?
Would you believe...... nothing? Of course not! I don't think that's possible; even when you 'let your mind stray' it's somewhere. Okay, what's on my mind at this moment is... the pro's and con's of using estrogen therapy after menopause. The Today Show just featured a doctor discussing the latest 'finding' about women using estrogen therapy... where we previously thought it helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, the report was an indication of increased dementia in a small subgroup of women in the government-sponsored testing. I take Premarin and Progesterone and... ask anybody who knows me... i think there are nothing but benefits associated with that choice!
All of these government tests are geared to make 'a perfect world' i guess because, i have a greater chance of having an airplane fall on my house than i do for some of these so-called risks! Okay, my house is almost a direct line to the airport, so it might be considered in the landing pattern for a large number of domestic airlines.
I'm quoting various doctors when i say...
- it's a known fact that as your estrogen levels fall during menopause, so does your seratonin... you know, the 'happy' hormone! (Yup! i NEED that!)
- If your body type is a 'pear' - that is... you're a hippy broad... your risks for heart disease is lower. (i'm a hippy brawd.)
- Annual physical exams... mammogram, blood testing, etc. decrease your chances of heart disease and/or over-dosing on the hormone therapy. (Hey! how else can you get your estrogen prescription renewed, huh?)
- About the dementia thing? If you don't use it you lose it! I see 'old' ladies all the time.... dumber than a doornail, they quit thinking when they quit their jobs! Maybe some of them never did much 'thinking' but YOU know who i mean! They say stuff like 'computers? They're hard to learn. I'm too old for that. These old ladies can be as young as in their thirty's and in my mind they're suffering from dementia already!
My decision about my hormone therapy? I will continue it... but of course i will discuss it with my doctor when i see her in June. You HAD to ask, didn't you? With the kind of stuff on my mind almost all the time.... i think i have as much chance of developing dementia as i do of giving birth at the tender age of sixty-something!
5.27.2003
Okay i'm gonna do it! I'm up to my eyeballs in the crappy mess Blogger is in since Google bought the boys out! It looks like Big Busines has screwed up a good thing one more time! It's with mixed feelings i say and do this because Google is my first choice search machine... they are the best in the business! But blogger sucks since they took over. Glad Google made the boys rich; it's nice to see somebody get paid for their efforts; too bad they had to 'fix' something that wasn't broke... because now it is! bye bye Blogger!
My 'Stuff' blog is so messed up right now.... and i've not even done a thing with it!
Here's an FYI - WebCrimson allows you to import templates, etc. from other blogs.... i already have a couple of blogs there and i'm going to try adding one of the blogger blogs.... will keep you posted. (grimace.... i can't smile while i'm being screwed!)
Background? No, it's not what i was going for but it's getting there.....
My 'Stuff' blog is so messed up right now.... and i've not even done a thing with it!
Here's an FYI - WebCrimson allows you to import templates, etc. from other blogs.... i already have a couple of blogs there and i'm going to try adding one of the blogger blogs.... will keep you posted. (grimace.... i can't smile while i'm being screwed!)
Background? No, it's not what i was going for but it's getting there.....
5.26.2003
This in response to Random Questions.... for Saturday May 24.... (I was out of town and busy with family affairs, but felt i MUST answer this fantastic question!
SalasCove is my portal where i have:
18 websites listed under sherle's Index
8 listed under Home (these are the ones at the vanity site, salascove.)
7 jointly with the spouse - his photos my web design
Since then i added Stuff - where i keep most of my memes answers, a new recipe swap where i started putting new recipes i WANT to try and some old ones... and you can add your recipes!, and then a photoblog (begun when i joined in on the mayday project)... and decided to be involved in a couple of photo memes. i also put my 'bookmarks' up to the vanity webspace, then changed one existing blog to the first page of that list with a link to the second page.
i also have a couple of blogs i haven't publicized... one where i keep notes for myself... one i'm just beginning to play around with (my 'pretty' site) and i also send documents up to the net to share with interested parties.
Oh! yes i find it literally impossible to manage all of them... my goal being to consolidate some of the oldest sites into newer versions at the vanity site. Others i''ll just leave - i always update my blogs. Oh! and i have another blog under another name... the one i started to see if i could get traffic without telling family and friends...
oh... didn't i mention 'Muffy's Blog'... from last summer when we doggysat...???
or... Ms. Bubba's BigBook... that i started and just kind of forgot about it?
oh yeah! for a while i had a Yahoo group called 'BlogMonsters Anonymous' with a really great logo and everything, but when it was mostly only family members participating i decided to drop it since we just communicate by phone, messaging, blogging, etc. anyway. Why waste the extra energy involved in trying to recruit people to a group. I guess the 'granni' tag scares off a lot of people too.
SalasCove is my portal where i have:
18 websites listed under sherle's Index
8 listed under Home (these are the ones at the vanity site, salascove.)
7 jointly with the spouse - his photos my web design
Since then i added Stuff - where i keep most of my memes answers, a new recipe swap where i started putting new recipes i WANT to try and some old ones... and you can add your recipes!, and then a photoblog (begun when i joined in on the mayday project)... and decided to be involved in a couple of photo memes. i also put my 'bookmarks' up to the vanity webspace, then changed one existing blog to the first page of that list with a link to the second page.
i also have a couple of blogs i haven't publicized... one where i keep notes for myself... one i'm just beginning to play around with (my 'pretty' site) and i also send documents up to the net to share with interested parties.
Oh! yes i find it literally impossible to manage all of them... my goal being to consolidate some of the oldest sites into newer versions at the vanity site. Others i''ll just leave - i always update my blogs. Oh! and i have another blog under another name... the one i started to see if i could get traffic without telling family and friends...
oh... didn't i mention 'Muffy's Blog'... from last summer when we doggysat...???
or... Ms. Bubba's BigBook... that i started and just kind of forgot about it?
oh yeah! for a while i had a Yahoo group called 'BlogMonsters Anonymous' with a really great logo and everything, but when it was mostly only family members participating i decided to drop it since we just communicate by phone, messaging, blogging, etc. anyway. Why waste the extra energy involved in trying to recruit people to a group. I guess the 'granni' tag scares off a lot of people too.
5.23.2003
I'm what is lamely referred to as a 'senior citizen' ... but that's another blog! I don't feel any different inside of this body than i did when i was thirty, which is to say, i am intelligent and interesting; i am in good shape, although somewhat overweight - somewhere between 25 and 40 pounds according to the continually revised 'weight standards' put out by the life insurance companies and depending on what year they decided i'll NEVER be the correct weight; i am adventurous and can be quite an exciting person; i am woman and i continue to roar!
Ever since receiving my January Social Security check (forced on us by some lamebrained politician when i was a tiny child... or maybe before) i've planned on blogging about how the government can give you a raise, yet mail you less money than you were getting the previous year! Then I saw today's Random Question. Here it is:
From the cover of Time Magazine (May 26, 2003)... 'Hey, Where's my Raise?'..... 'Paychecks are shrinking for millions of Americans. What that means for your future.' So, what does that mean to your future?... and that's if your lucky enough to still have a job! Please comment.
When Dow Chemical.. the Corporate end of it... forced me to retire at the tender age of fifty, it sort of hurt but in reality i wanted to retire 'young' anyway. Because Social Security doesn't kick in until you are at least sixty-two years old, the company agreed to pay me the equivalent of the amount SS would have paid if they had to start paying me that year. (No, i'm not gonna tell you what year that was! You already know i must be at least 62 since i'm collecting SS now... right?)
Cutting to the chase... i can tell you that when SS kicked in and Dow Chemical cut back i actually received a nice-sized increase in monthly income.... which tells me that i was screwed by the Company... surprise... surprise!!! Because of that experience my recommendation to anybody who has to retire with only twenty years in a company might as well take the 'lump sum' and invest it in something stodgy and trustworthy. What you actually get paid by the Big Business is so miniscule as to be almost non-existent. Because i've been an active Social Security contributor since the tender age of 14, it wasn't just my Dow experience that makes this check almost worthwhile. (No, i couldn't live on my SS income alone... it still takes two incomes to get by!)
Oh yeah! ...the question! I don't exactly get a paycheck... the SS check is what many call a 'fixed income' or, as my spouse prefers... a 'guaranteed' income. Well every year SS pays a small increase in monthly checks, based on the cost of living increase from the previous year. Not too bad, huh? Now get this.... at the age of 65 you have to go on Medicare as your primary insurer and the Company insurer cuts itself back to secondary... maybe not so if you're independently wealthy, but for the rest of us.... blah blah.
Here's the old people's 'Catch 22'... this year the government changed their way of calculating our increase, making it even smaller than usual. Then they increased the cost of our Medicare... which we are forced to be a part of!!! Net result? We get a raise, but they take more of it away from us.... and voila! While the cost of groceries, gasoline, clothes and our portion of the medical expense..... all necessary to living in this world.... increases, we have less dollars coming in! Wah wah wah! It could be worse... much worse! Thank you God for placing me here in the United States and not in Iraq or any of the third world countries.
Ever since receiving my January Social Security check (forced on us by some lamebrained politician when i was a tiny child... or maybe before) i've planned on blogging about how the government can give you a raise, yet mail you less money than you were getting the previous year! Then I saw today's Random Question. Here it is:
From the cover of Time Magazine (May 26, 2003)... 'Hey, Where's my Raise?'..... 'Paychecks are shrinking for millions of Americans. What that means for your future.' So, what does that mean to your future?... and that's if your lucky enough to still have a job! Please comment.
When Dow Chemical.. the Corporate end of it... forced me to retire at the tender age of fifty, it sort of hurt but in reality i wanted to retire 'young' anyway. Because Social Security doesn't kick in until you are at least sixty-two years old, the company agreed to pay me the equivalent of the amount SS would have paid if they had to start paying me that year. (No, i'm not gonna tell you what year that was! You already know i must be at least 62 since i'm collecting SS now... right?)
Cutting to the chase... i can tell you that when SS kicked in and Dow Chemical cut back i actually received a nice-sized increase in monthly income.... which tells me that i was screwed by the Company... surprise... surprise!!! Because of that experience my recommendation to anybody who has to retire with only twenty years in a company might as well take the 'lump sum' and invest it in something stodgy and trustworthy. What you actually get paid by the Big Business is so miniscule as to be almost non-existent. Because i've been an active Social Security contributor since the tender age of 14, it wasn't just my Dow experience that makes this check almost worthwhile. (No, i couldn't live on my SS income alone... it still takes two incomes to get by!)
Oh yeah! ...the question! I don't exactly get a paycheck... the SS check is what many call a 'fixed income' or, as my spouse prefers... a 'guaranteed' income. Well every year SS pays a small increase in monthly checks, based on the cost of living increase from the previous year. Not too bad, huh? Now get this.... at the age of 65 you have to go on Medicare as your primary insurer and the Company insurer cuts itself back to secondary... maybe not so if you're independently wealthy, but for the rest of us.... blah blah.
Here's the old people's 'Catch 22'... this year the government changed their way of calculating our increase, making it even smaller than usual. Then they increased the cost of our Medicare... which we are forced to be a part of!!! Net result? We get a raise, but they take more of it away from us.... and voila! While the cost of groceries, gasoline, clothes and our portion of the medical expense..... all necessary to living in this world.... increases, we have less dollars coming in! Wah wah wah! It could be worse... much worse! Thank you God for placing me here in the United States and not in Iraq or any of the third world countries.
5.22.2003
It's your birthday! It's your birthday! It's your birthday!... and all i wanted to do was wish you a 'Happy Birthday' so here it is!
Happy Birthday OttO!... and to your 'twin' as well.... you know.... Gnat! I LUV you!
Happy Birthday OttO!... and to your 'twin' as well.... you know.... Gnat! I LUV you!5.21.2003
Last weekend was a busy one...but we had some relaxing times. The newest photo on the left was one of them. We went in to Ludington on an errand and had a picnic while we were there. Visiting the City Harbor brought back memories of an earlier time... when we were sailing our 36 foot ketch around from the Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. Even though the boat was new, we had a minor mechanical problem as we entered the Ludington harbor and, because we had to get back to our jobs we left the boat in Ludington for a couple of weeks.
As much as I enjoyed sailing that big boat, I don't miss it all that much now that we've retired it. We had some harried experiences sometimes... with a sailboat you can go out on the lake in perfect weather, but if a storm comes up you don't really have time to get in to a harbor fast enough to suit me! Ludington was one of those times. We were sailing south toward Muskegon and approaching Big Sable Point we had really rough water and winds! It can be kind of scarey... even though you know the boat will make it you wonder about yourself! After the point we were in a bay and the weather calmed... almost like turning off a switch!
Last summer we visited the Big Sable Lighthouse... climbed all the way up! The life of a lighthouse keeper back in the old days must have been tiring! I must say, I now prefer viewing that beautiful lake from the ground... and the view from the lighthouse is spectacular!
... and now on to Random Question; Random Days...
How do you feel about your alarm clock?
Big smile! I don't use an alarm clock anymore because i don't have to. I just wake up naturally, and somehow it's still relatively early - around 8:00 a.m. most mornings. Somehow my body let's me get around eight hours of sleep, then it's done..... but on those rare occasions when I must get up super early, I'm glad it's a loud and persistent one.
As much as I enjoyed sailing that big boat, I don't miss it all that much now that we've retired it. We had some harried experiences sometimes... with a sailboat you can go out on the lake in perfect weather, but if a storm comes up you don't really have time to get in to a harbor fast enough to suit me! Ludington was one of those times. We were sailing south toward Muskegon and approaching Big Sable Point we had really rough water and winds! It can be kind of scarey... even though you know the boat will make it you wonder about yourself! After the point we were in a bay and the weather calmed... almost like turning off a switch!
Last summer we visited the Big Sable Lighthouse... climbed all the way up! The life of a lighthouse keeper back in the old days must have been tiring! I must say, I now prefer viewing that beautiful lake from the ground... and the view from the lighthouse is spectacular!
... and now on to Random Question; Random Days...
How do you feel about your alarm clock?
Big smile! I don't use an alarm clock anymore because i don't have to. I just wake up naturally, and somehow it's still relatively early - around 8:00 a.m. most mornings. Somehow my body let's me get around eight hours of sleep, then it's done..... but on those rare occasions when I must get up super early, I'm glad it's a loud and persistent one.
5.20.2003
Random Questions; Random Days... Tuesday May 20
Once again, today's question is inspired by my calendar! "Joy comes from within." Do you feel you are joyful, why or why not? Or, just comment on the quote. A perfect quote! It is so right... feeling 'in the dumps' and dwelling on it will only keep you 'in the dumps' just as seeing the humor in a situation can bring up your spirits and bring you joy! I think I'm a 'joyful' sort of person... most of the time. There are, however, times when that joy gets buried under somebody else's misfortune or unhappiness... especially if that someone else is one of my own family members! I think my glass is generally half full (if it's not full to the brim) rather than half empty! Loved your question, Windy, as I love you!
For more of my memes answers, here's where i keep a lot of Stuff... today i participated in two other memes... This-or-That Tuesday and Treasure-Try It-Trash.
Once again, today's question is inspired by my calendar! "Joy comes from within." Do you feel you are joyful, why or why not? Or, just comment on the quote. A perfect quote! It is so right... feeling 'in the dumps' and dwelling on it will only keep you 'in the dumps' just as seeing the humor in a situation can bring up your spirits and bring you joy! I think I'm a 'joyful' sort of person... most of the time. There are, however, times when that joy gets buried under somebody else's misfortune or unhappiness... especially if that someone else is one of my own family members! I think my glass is generally half full (if it's not full to the brim) rather than half empty! Loved your question, Windy, as I love you!
For more of my memes answers, here's where i keep a lot of Stuff... today i participated in two other memes... This-or-That Tuesday and Treasure-Try It-Trash.
5.19.2003
Random Questions; Random Days.... Monday May 19
Let's say you stopped at a party store for a quick purchase. You gave the clerk a $10.00, but the clerk gave you change for a $20.00. You are aware of the error as soon as the clerk counts back your change. What do you do? Yes I would tell the clerk right away... keeping the extra money would be thievery, don't you think?Thanks Windy... it's good to get a simple one for a change... i didn't have much time today for the 'puter. ;-)
Let's say you stopped at a party store for a quick purchase. You gave the clerk a $10.00, but the clerk gave you change for a $20.00. You are aware of the error as soon as the clerk counts back your change. What do you do? Yes I would tell the clerk right away... keeping the extra money would be thievery, don't you think?Thanks Windy... it's good to get a simple one for a change... i didn't have much time today for the 'puter. ;-)
5.18.2003
Thank you, Windy at Random Questions; Random Days.... for the big question you posed on Saturday May 17!
How do you define art? I think art is an idea... conceived in the mind of the artist... developed through the progression of that idea from abstract to concrete... into something that can be perceived by the audience. Art may be expressed in all manner of forms, graphic, verbal, musical, through dance, acting and mime... and probably more will come to mind as we finish this thought.
We all look at paintings, be they watercolor, acrylic or oil... statuary, realistic or abstract... drawings... pencil, charcoal, pen and ink... but what about photography? I think it is... the image as perceived by a single person at a single point in time, perceived for all time. Okay, you get the idea!
Music as art... we attended a piano recital a couple of weeks ago. One young pianist played well; he marched over to the piano, sat, played, was technically perfect, got up, bowed and marched off. Another child carrying himself with assurance, sat and played... and played with 'feeling'... something that just happens. It was obvious he played from the heart, and loved what he was doing. I think that 'feeling' was the difference between technician and artist.
This 'feeling' comes through in all forms of art... be it visual, verbal or rythmically. I think the art may invoke feeling as well as show the artist's expression of feeling. Love it or hate it... great or not so great... the exceptional format shown by an individual for the pleasure or perusal of others, or kept privately out of the public arena... is art.
How do you define art? I think art is an idea... conceived in the mind of the artist... developed through the progression of that idea from abstract to concrete... into something that can be perceived by the audience. Art may be expressed in all manner of forms, graphic, verbal, musical, through dance, acting and mime... and probably more will come to mind as we finish this thought.
We all look at paintings, be they watercolor, acrylic or oil... statuary, realistic or abstract... drawings... pencil, charcoal, pen and ink... but what about photography? I think it is... the image as perceived by a single person at a single point in time, perceived for all time. Okay, you get the idea!
Music as art... we attended a piano recital a couple of weeks ago. One young pianist played well; he marched over to the piano, sat, played, was technically perfect, got up, bowed and marched off. Another child carrying himself with assurance, sat and played... and played with 'feeling'... something that just happens. It was obvious he played from the heart, and loved what he was doing. I think that 'feeling' was the difference between technician and artist.
This 'feeling' comes through in all forms of art... be it visual, verbal or rythmically. I think the art may invoke feeling as well as show the artist's expression of feeling. Love it or hate it... great or not so great... the exceptional format shown by an individual for the pleasure or perusal of others, or kept privately out of the public arena... is art.
5.16.2003
Random Questions; Random Days.... Friday May 16!
Windy at RQ; RD... posted the following thought for today. I think it's the kind of question that deserves more than a quick answer.
'I found the following quote in my daily calendar. There is no author noted, but I thought it would be a good thought to comment on. So...'
"Of all best things upon the earth, a faithful friend is the best." Write a bit about your best friend, how did you become friends, etc...
Until i met Frank, 'best friends' were almost a myth. They would come; they would go. Call it the fickleness of childhood and the teen years... call it luck... call it lack of charisma(?)... no i don't think so..... my young experience taught me that you can have lots of 'fair weather friends' but as a kid, i never met a girl that i could fully trust as a true friend. The full extent of this observation would probably involve another blog, another topic, and probably a shrink!
...so onward with the current blog. My best friend, my husband, has been my best friend for forty-eight years. It was spring 1955. I was eighteen... went to a small neighborhood bar with my girlfriend, Mary Lynn and her mother (a young widow) to dance and chill out. Was too young to drink and didn't try to get served. It was just fun and a 'girl's night out' kind of thing. Two guys that we'd never seen before came in - they were too young to drink also - and we danced all evening. (Funny, i couldn't drag him onto a dance floor now!) We were inseparable from that night to the present day. In September of the same year we married.
Oh yes! We've argued... we've screamed at each other... at one vulnerable point in my life i even threatened to leave him forever... but love (or stubbornness, or tenacity, or hey! perhaps a mean streak... call it what you will) prevailed. We raised six daughters... and we're proud of every one of them; sent them all to college even though some of them chose to 'finish up' on their own, as adults. We've lived in the same house for forty-three years... done major remodeling jobs on it twice... both worked full-time jobs... retired in the same year.
We've camped in a tent; spent weekends and vacations with six kids on an old houseboat we purchased for a good price; sailed from Port Clinton, Ohio to the Saginaw Bay (just the two of us) on our 36 ft. Formosa ketch; then sailed it under the Mackinaw Bridge across the straits of Mackinaw to Muskegon Lake. After we retired we retired the sailboat (it's currently for sale at a great price) and tried camping in a pop-up camper for awhile... didn't like it and camped in a nice little travel trailor... which led us to the small cottage we bought on a small lake near Lake Michigan. We recently added new windows to it and are currently renovating or perhaps you could say, redecorating, it.
So many women i know complain when they're husbands retire... they're 'getting in the way.' My thinking is these are the women whose 'best friends' are some woman they grew up with! Frank and i have many common interests... currently we're involved in a computer club and the lake association. We spend lots of time with our kids and grandkids... and at the lake. We are always planning some new project or event... hmmm..... i guess you might say we're 'joined at the hip.' What other 'glue' has kept us friends all these years? ... we support each other's ideas... we care for each other during times of pain or illness... we love each other.... and the number one thing in my book...... we've both remained faithful to each other all these years!
Gee, Windy, I'm glad you asked!
Windy at RQ; RD... posted the following thought for today. I think it's the kind of question that deserves more than a quick answer.
'I found the following quote in my daily calendar. There is no author noted, but I thought it would be a good thought to comment on. So...'
"Of all best things upon the earth, a faithful friend is the best." Write a bit about your best friend, how did you become friends, etc...
Until i met Frank, 'best friends' were almost a myth. They would come; they would go. Call it the fickleness of childhood and the teen years... call it luck... call it lack of charisma(?)... no i don't think so..... my young experience taught me that you can have lots of 'fair weather friends' but as a kid, i never met a girl that i could fully trust as a true friend. The full extent of this observation would probably involve another blog, another topic, and probably a shrink!
...so onward with the current blog. My best friend, my husband, has been my best friend for forty-eight years. It was spring 1955. I was eighteen... went to a small neighborhood bar with my girlfriend, Mary Lynn and her mother (a young widow) to dance and chill out. Was too young to drink and didn't try to get served. It was just fun and a 'girl's night out' kind of thing. Two guys that we'd never seen before came in - they were too young to drink also - and we danced all evening. (Funny, i couldn't drag him onto a dance floor now!) We were inseparable from that night to the present day. In September of the same year we married.
Oh yes! We've argued... we've screamed at each other... at one vulnerable point in my life i even threatened to leave him forever... but love (or stubbornness, or tenacity, or hey! perhaps a mean streak... call it what you will) prevailed. We raised six daughters... and we're proud of every one of them; sent them all to college even though some of them chose to 'finish up' on their own, as adults. We've lived in the same house for forty-three years... done major remodeling jobs on it twice... both worked full-time jobs... retired in the same year.
We've camped in a tent; spent weekends and vacations with six kids on an old houseboat we purchased for a good price; sailed from Port Clinton, Ohio to the Saginaw Bay (just the two of us) on our 36 ft. Formosa ketch; then sailed it under the Mackinaw Bridge across the straits of Mackinaw to Muskegon Lake. After we retired we retired the sailboat (it's currently for sale at a great price) and tried camping in a pop-up camper for awhile... didn't like it and camped in a nice little travel trailor... which led us to the small cottage we bought on a small lake near Lake Michigan. We recently added new windows to it and are currently renovating or perhaps you could say, redecorating, it.
So many women i know complain when they're husbands retire... they're 'getting in the way.' My thinking is these are the women whose 'best friends' are some woman they grew up with! Frank and i have many common interests... currently we're involved in a computer club and the lake association. We spend lots of time with our kids and grandkids... and at the lake. We are always planning some new project or event... hmmm..... i guess you might say we're 'joined at the hip.' What other 'glue' has kept us friends all these years? ... we support each other's ideas... we care for each other during times of pain or illness... we love each other.... and the number one thing in my book...... we've both remained faithful to each other all these years!
Gee, Windy, I'm glad you asked!
5.15.2003
Wow! Too many blogs... too little time! 
Now that summer's almost here time is even more scarce than ever! Got seeds planted, got mowing done - an acre is a lot of grass, man! Now i gotta pay the bills! When will it let up? Just got done bloghopping and i have to quit before even getting in a word of my own on the big old www... i'm gonna have to quit something. What will it be? Hmmmmm... i could let him pay the bills.... no... uh-uh... i've got it down to a science - don't wanna mess with success! Gotta go. Oh! btw... here's a picture taken the same day as the big scar happening! Scarey lookin' broad... yes? Wouldn't want to run into her in a dark alley!
Now that summer's almost here time is even more scarce than ever! Got seeds planted, got mowing done - an acre is a lot of grass, man! Now i gotta pay the bills! When will it let up? Just got done bloghopping and i have to quit before even getting in a word of my own on the big old www... i'm gonna have to quit something. What will it be? Hmmmmm... i could let him pay the bills.... no... uh-uh... i've got it down to a science - don't wanna mess with success! Gotta go. Oh! btw... here's a picture taken the same day as the big scar happening! Scarey lookin' broad... yes? Wouldn't want to run into her in a dark alley!5.14.2003
Random Questions; Random Days .... Wednesday May 14 Today's question ... How do you like to spend your down time? What would your dream vacation be?
Web junkie that i am, i spend my 'down time' blogging, reading other people's blogs, making new websites, updating my favorites and looking for new stuff to use on my websites and blogs. My dream vacation would be on a tropical island with all my family there... barbequing, visiting, boating, picture taking, and generally playing around in the water and on the beach. Of course i would require internet access on that island!
There's a brand new Wednesday meme... What's on ...... Right now? Check it out! Want to know how i answered the question for this week? It's with the rest of my Stuff.
Web junkie that i am, i spend my 'down time' blogging, reading other people's blogs, making new websites, updating my favorites and looking for new stuff to use on my websites and blogs. My dream vacation would be on a tropical island with all my family there... barbequing, visiting, boating, picture taking, and generally playing around in the water and on the beach. Of course i would require internet access on that island!
There's a brand new Wednesday meme... What's on ...... Right now? Check it out! Want to know how i answered the question for this week? It's with the rest of my Stuff.
5.13.2003
Booo-Hoooooo! Look at my big old owie!
All in all we had a pretty good weekend! Starting with a piano recital on Friday night... it was excellent!... sliding into documentation of a day in the life for the Mayday project ...a great soccer game (tied 1-1) .....revised plans to go up north, changing the plans from a Saturday trip to Sunday... getting our cable modem connected to make rainy days more fun up there.... and culminating in 'the scar!'
'The best laid plans.....' and blah blah blah.... we were scheduled to meet with Geoff and take some pictures of him at the lake. Not happening. Nature intervened and we had wind and rain all weekend! Better luck next time. Was glad to get on the net before coming home... We got some great cold pictures of the lighthouse at Ludington harbor (brrrrrrrrr!). All ready to go home, this old brawd, carrying a full tote in one hand and a can of Diet Pepsi in the other, proceeded up the steep little mini-hill by the cottage to get in the car.... kabooom! Crash... yell... cry... yell some more.... When i stepped up, my knees didn't want to bend in the correct direction and i fell... my face was bleeding! My 'doctor' gave me an icepack which may have prevented a lot of swelling... we shall see. The cheek hurt so much we didn't notice the right knee was skinned until we got home 2-1/2 hours later... and the tibia bone of my left leg is bruised and swollen!
Wah wah wah! It'll heal! Meanwhile... pity me....
All in all we had a pretty good weekend! Starting with a piano recital on Friday night... it was excellent!... sliding into documentation of a day in the life for the Mayday project ...a great soccer game (tied 1-1) .....revised plans to go up north, changing the plans from a Saturday trip to Sunday... getting our cable modem connected to make rainy days more fun up there.... and culminating in 'the scar!'
'The best laid plans.....' and blah blah blah.... we were scheduled to meet with Geoff and take some pictures of him at the lake. Not happening. Nature intervened and we had wind and rain all weekend! Better luck next time. Was glad to get on the net before coming home... We got some great cold pictures of the lighthouse at Ludington harbor (brrrrrrrrr!). All ready to go home, this old brawd, carrying a full tote in one hand and a can of Diet Pepsi in the other, proceeded up the steep little mini-hill by the cottage to get in the car.... kabooom! Crash... yell... cry... yell some more.... When i stepped up, my knees didn't want to bend in the correct direction and i fell... my face was bleeding! My 'doctor' gave me an icepack which may have prevented a lot of swelling... we shall see. The cheek hurt so much we didn't notice the right knee was skinned until we got home 2-1/2 hours later... and the tibia bone of my left leg is bruised and swollen!
Wah wah wah! It'll heal! Meanwhile... pity me....
5.12.2003
Jenna won the million dollars on Survivor... Jenna!!!... the biggest loser in the remaining four this week! Wah wah wah... can't do anything without a man... wah wah wah... 'my tiny body can't take it any longer'... wah wah wah... 'the other women are jealous because we're young and beautiful'... 'I'm hungry.. let's get naked for peanut butter!'... wah wah wah... 'my beauty is a handicap'... sorry little swimsuit model Jenna won a million dollars! Good heavens! She even played the 'poor pitiful me' card at the last moment when she had her last word before the vote!
I'll admit the tv cameras didn't necessarily tell us the true story about the participants' personalities. Maybe as Jenna told us after it was over, she's just young and learning about life and isn't really that mean. We know the producers showed us segments of the survivors' lives based on the slant they wanted us to perceive. I'm sure the Jury - who lived intimately with her - had a clearer perspective of the 'inner person' involved in the game. Whatever her true strategy - or lack thereof - Jenna did win! Whether it was truly strategy, only she knows for sure, but you've got to admit that luck played a major role! She, with her 'tiny sick body' won the last three immunities... even the 'pole perch' at the end - which Matt probably would have won if he hadn't stopped prematurely!
What message was sent out with the results of the final Survivor vote?When in a competition...
I'll admit the tv cameras didn't necessarily tell us the true story about the participants' personalities. Maybe as Jenna told us after it was over, she's just young and learning about life and isn't really that mean. We know the producers showed us segments of the survivors' lives based on the slant they wanted us to perceive. I'm sure the Jury - who lived intimately with her - had a clearer perspective of the 'inner person' involved in the game. Whatever her true strategy - or lack thereof - Jenna did win! Whether it was truly strategy, only she knows for sure, but you've got to admit that luck played a major role! She, with her 'tiny sick body' won the last three immunities... even the 'pole perch' at the end - which Matt probably would have won if he hadn't stopped prematurely!
What message was sent out with the results of the final Survivor vote?When in a competition...
- Being 'beautiful' helps
- Deception must be expertly done
- Young people are easily dissuaded
- 'Old' is a detriment...
- Anybody over thirty is still old
- Slick, sly craftiness is more important than intelligence and honesty
- I'm old, homely, intelligent and honest...
- ...but hooked on 'Survivor' anyway!
5.08.2003
YOUR NAME IS NOT AN ACCIDENT OF FATE: ACROPHONOLOGY AND YOU
Went to OttO's blog this morning.... and this is what i found. Went to Windy's blog... same thing! What a fun little fluffy thing for an overcast morning. Here's the idea. Go to What's in Your Name? and have your name analyzed. Put it up on your blog and add my link and the name link to your list of blogs you visit. Watch and see if they grow. (Hmmm... mine didn't because i already have both Windy and OttO on my list!) Anyway it's recommended to put x's in your middle and last names... like i did. Have fun!
Shirley: Status is important to you and your ability to achieve success and earn money. You have a need to be noticed and seek status. You work hard to achieve material success through your own efforts. You are relatively demonstrative in your affections. You enjoy being stroked verbally and physically. You enjoy a challenge. You can take thought-directed actions. You have a diplomatic flair to your nature. Equality and fairness are important to you. You can be quite inventive and quite curious. Your independence and freedom are important to you.
Axx: You are adventurous with a tendency to be foolhardy. You are aggressive and definitely have leadership abilities. You can handle details well. You have a methodical mind. You must learn to give 'wise' service and not be a martyr.
Bxxxxx: You have a tendency to resist change. Don't miss opportunities for growth. You have a love of creature comforts, but must learn to handle money. You have a need to be up front. You have a lack of confidence in your mental abilities and do not like being forced into giving your opinion. Your privacy is important to you. You have a rich inner life. You have a great deal of loyalty to those you love. You have much inner strength. You must learn to give 'wise' service and not be a martyr.
Went to OttO's blog this morning.... and this is what i found. Went to Windy's blog... same thing! What a fun little fluffy thing for an overcast morning. Here's the idea. Go to What's in Your Name? and have your name analyzed. Put it up on your blog and add my link and the name link to your list of blogs you visit. Watch and see if they grow. (Hmmm... mine didn't because i already have both Windy and OttO on my list!) Anyway it's recommended to put x's in your middle and last names... like i did. Have fun!
Shirley: Status is important to you and your ability to achieve success and earn money. You have a need to be noticed and seek status. You work hard to achieve material success through your own efforts. You are relatively demonstrative in your affections. You enjoy being stroked verbally and physically. You enjoy a challenge. You can take thought-directed actions. You have a diplomatic flair to your nature. Equality and fairness are important to you. You can be quite inventive and quite curious. Your independence and freedom are important to you.
Axx: You are adventurous with a tendency to be foolhardy. You are aggressive and definitely have leadership abilities. You can handle details well. You have a methodical mind. You must learn to give 'wise' service and not be a martyr.
Bxxxxx: You have a tendency to resist change. Don't miss opportunities for growth. You have a love of creature comforts, but must learn to handle money. You have a need to be up front. You have a lack of confidence in your mental abilities and do not like being forced into giving your opinion. Your privacy is important to you. You have a rich inner life. You have a great deal of loyalty to those you love. You have much inner strength. You must learn to give 'wise' service and not be a martyr.
5.07.2003
Newspapers - pro or con... a point to ponder on a recent meme i obediently responded to! 
Luv those things! the newspaper query was timely... had just this week decided to stop daily delivery after a lifetime of newspapers gathering in the very corners of my existence. At one point in our long marriage we even received two papers daily... the local rag and the Wall Street Journal... and magazines? Don't get me started! The worst of this addiction is that we couldn't possibly read all that stuff. Gradually we've tapered off on the quantity of mags... opting for a few top quality.
Now the newspapers! We get more and more paper... less and less news... what's that all about? Recently i find myself reading one or two issues per week. We also watch the local news every day... typically the same news, with the same biases even. Why do i need a newspaper? ... for the advertisements, the few coupons, and ?... that's about it i guess. When we first subscribed to the newspaper, television was just becoming a household appliance. Now we have several computers sitting around. How times have changed!
First thing i do in the morning is - turn on the computer... my Yahoo homepage gives me the news. For detail, we watch cable news... if i want local news i can always read highlights of the daily paper on the internet. Golly gee. What am i missing... the funnies? Can find all i want online! Hmmm... now that's a no-brainer. If we're just getting the paper for the advertised bargains, we'll join the increasing numbers who buy the local Sunday newspaper. What more do we need?
I finally made the decision to drop all but Sunday papers when i read The Saginaw News last week after our President's ceremonious landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln. It was an inspirational event for me; i thought it was beautiful. Where did the local rag report the event?... on page 3, middle of the page. What was the big headline for the day? Well what could be bigger news that the new roller coaster at Cedar Point? That's right folks... that rag featured an amusement park toy over a momentous occasion in our country's history! That was the day i convinced my spouse we could live without the daily crapper...uh... paper!
Luv those things! the newspaper query was timely... had just this week decided to stop daily delivery after a lifetime of newspapers gathering in the very corners of my existence. At one point in our long marriage we even received two papers daily... the local rag and the Wall Street Journal... and magazines? Don't get me started! The worst of this addiction is that we couldn't possibly read all that stuff. Gradually we've tapered off on the quantity of mags... opting for a few top quality.
Now the newspapers! We get more and more paper... less and less news... what's that all about? Recently i find myself reading one or two issues per week. We also watch the local news every day... typically the same news, with the same biases even. Why do i need a newspaper? ... for the advertisements, the few coupons, and ?... that's about it i guess. When we first subscribed to the newspaper, television was just becoming a household appliance. Now we have several computers sitting around. How times have changed!
First thing i do in the morning is - turn on the computer... my Yahoo homepage gives me the news. For detail, we watch cable news... if i want local news i can always read highlights of the daily paper on the internet. Golly gee. What am i missing... the funnies? Can find all i want online! Hmmm... now that's a no-brainer. If we're just getting the paper for the advertised bargains, we'll join the increasing numbers who buy the local Sunday newspaper. What more do we need?
I finally made the decision to drop all but Sunday papers when i read The Saginaw News last week after our President's ceremonious landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln. It was an inspirational event for me; i thought it was beautiful. Where did the local rag report the event?... on page 3, middle of the page. What was the big headline for the day? Well what could be bigger news that the new roller coaster at Cedar Point? That's right folks... that rag featured an amusement park toy over a momentous occasion in our country's history! That was the day i convinced my spouse we could live without the daily crapper...uh... paper!
5.06.2003
Me? Frazzled? Yup! So little time... so many blogs to write... so many things to do... Answering 'This-or-That Tuesday' meme questions today gave me a couple of really great ideas for a blog! Don't have time to do it now but don't want to forget!
1. Silence is golden
2. Newspapers - pro or con
3. TV news... cable... local
4. Porn today?
As Arnold Schwarzen.....? says.... I'll be back!
