I Knew This Day Would Come

When technology first became part of our lives I was skeptical.  I remember my husband and son buying our first computer.  There was no internet.  I had no interest.

Then, we moved and home computers were common -- or more so at least.  I wanted one in the worst way.  We bought one, obtained internet access and I never looked back.  It was like a whole new existence.

Then came things like video games and then tablets, smart phones and e-readers.  I loved it.  I stayed away from smart phones because of the radiation -- however, I now have one but don't have a data plan.  I just wanted a bigger screen.  I have had every generation of Nook that has been manufactured.

The Nook is a source of aggravation to my daughter and I understand completely.  Bean loves it but my daughter is concerned about radiation emission.  So, we have had to cut Bean off and really limit her time with the device.  I was allowing her to play yesterday and she wanted to buy a new game.  She is really "into" these animal simulation games and I find them to be disturbing.  However, we were trying to install one and it wouldn't install.  It kept saying that there was no resource.  She cried.  I was frustrated.  I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong -- this wasn't rocket science.

I came home last night and did a bit of research as to why I couldn't get anything to work.  There is was -- without one bit of fanfare or advanced warning -- Barnes and Noble has ended their app and video store.  It ended a couple of weeks ago. They also ended the ability to connect to Google Play. I received no emails or advanced notice.  It just isn't there anymore.  One article said that they would only have books and that could cease to be as well. I wonder if, after putting everybody else out of business, B&N is going to cease to be as well.

So, slowly but surely my devices are becoming obsolete.  I found a way to download the games -- through the internet and google play.  I downloaded a couple of games -- PacMan and something where the chicken has to cross the road without getting run over.   However, I believe we are going to start backing out as well.  I have an ipad which the kiddo can't play with.  I have been giving thought as to whether I want to buy a kindle in case the powers that be decide they just want to do away with the Nook altogether which I guess will be the case or if I just want to go old school -- you know, real books, crossword puzzle books -- that sort of thing.

Bean is going to have to face the music.  Her days are numbered on devices.  Her mother will be happy.  She will not.  However, it will be better for her as there are so many health concerns surrounding the use of such devices.

I just wish they would have told us.  Nothing quite as unsettling as a Nona that can't come through.

Sheesh -- what are these people thinking.

Politics -- Yuck

I am not a political person even if I was born into a political family.  My father was a newscaster so he was always watching/listening to/reading about current events.  He was an outspoken guy with lots of opinions and wasn't above spitting and sputtering and raving and ranting and using a bit of salty language when the world of politics wasn't going his way.

I wasn't interested.

I am still not.

I am religious.  I feel like all the answers are in The Word.  However, I do live in this world so I can't avoid the all-encompassing politics.

This political season has been especially nasty even though it has been entertaining.  Now, as things are winding down, I am finding it to be very troubling and a bit sinister.

We have it down to five candidates -- Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump.  I am not sure about any of them.

Bernie Sanders is just an old hippie hanging on to his socialist agenda from the 60's.  He does seem to be finding a following with the young people but since I was a teenager in the 60's he is just making me feel old.  For the record -- I was never a "hippie"-- my hair wouldn't grow long enough and my parents weren't impressed with the movement so that took care of that.

Hillary Clinton is -- well -- Hillary Clinton.  I feel that her presidency would just be in extension of her husband's presidency or her BFF PresBo's presidency.  We need to ask ourselves if we want more of the same or something different.

John Kasich -- He seems to be the adult on the stage.  He seems low key and he seems to make sense.  However, he doesn't seem to be gaining much ground and I have to wonder why he is still in the game.  Would he be the best man for the job?  Possibly but he doesn't have much of a following.

Donald Trump -- well, I don't need to say much here, do I?  Flamboyant? Crass? Crude? Politically incorrect or just correct?  Knowledgeable or not?  I am not sure but he certainly is stirring the pot.

Ted Cruz -- ok, this is where the sinister part comes into it.  I heard some tv-speak this morning about how the whistle is going to be blown on his wife -- her antics exposed.  I couldn't even tell you what the woman looks like so I decided to do a little Google search.  Well, well, well.  Seems as though Mrs. Cruz and her hubby are in favor of a one world government and have worked toward it.

Whoaaaaa! Putting on the brakes! One World Government?  I remember doing a lot of reading about that as well as the New Age Movement back when my children were in elementary school back in the late 70's and early 80's.  New Age agendas were alive and well and plaited into public school curriculum all over the place.  The more I read back then, the more frightened I became.  My children were removed from public school and life went on.  I sort of forgot about the One World Government and the New Age Movement.  It sort of disappeared into the woodwork as my life moved forward.

However, like lots of things, even though it is undercover doesn't mean it is gone.  So, here it is, resurrected and rearing it's ugly head.

People need to read and do their research and draw their own conclusions.  This has gone from entertaining and mildly comical to really serious business. 
We need to thoroughly vet out candidates and their families so we can know what they really stand for.  I have seen Cruz stand there, Bible raised in the air sounding more like a southern preacher than a presidential candidate but is that just a ruse?  Is he telling the truth?  I won't even bring up the birther issue here -- his association with this new age, one world order community is a lot more important to me than his mother's birthplace. 

Read people, read.  Research.  Some of it will be inaccurate but read it anyway.  The truth will suss out.  This election is probably more important than any in my lifetime.  We should approach it with knowledge and make our choices appropriately.

Just sayin'.  Off the soap box now.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I really like St. Patrick's Day -- I never decorate or bake green cookies or drink green beer but it is an opportunity for me to remember my Irish roots and look at cute little pictures like the one above.

I am a member of the Conn family. Here is a young photo of my 2nd great grandfather -- Henry Patrick Conn with one of his young sons -- Elisha, I believe.




Here is an older version of 2nd great grandfather, Henry Patrick -- the young boy on the right is my grandfather, Aaron Patrick Boyett, Sr.  The little girl is Aaron Patrick's sister -- pretty little thing, isn't she?

I never knew much about this family, never heard much about them until I started doing family history and discovered these lovely photos.  I have met cousins through the Ancestry.com DNA project and it is all very interesting.

Our St. Patrick's Day started early -- about 4 a.m. -- with a raging hail storm.  It hailed for quite sometime  and when it was over I went back to bed, settled in, got back to sleep and wouldn't you know, it started all over again.  Our cars sit out because -- well, I can't talk about it -- so I am sure they are pretty messed up.  I would be surprised if they weren't because some of this hail was golf ball sized. It was big enough to set the car alarm off -- and lots of wind as well.  We will be inspecting the roof later as well. 

Yesterday was fun though, even though my allergies were escalating and my throat was killing me.  We went to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame Museum and it was great fun.  I had never been there and I enjoyed it immensely.

I did discover that my daughter, even though she enjoys country music is not one bit cowgirl.  This was no surprise.  But I did enjoy seeing all the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans displays and there was a special exhibit of the movie "Lonesome Dove" -- I am going to pull the DVD out and watch it again.  Nothing like a little Robert Duvall.  I really wish they would have let us take photos because there was a lot to share -- I especially liked the Annie Oakley exhibit.  As is common with these sorts of exhibits, I was aware of how small she was.

I might add that the gift shop was great but very pricey.  So, I came home with nothing. 

I  guess I will be having more Benadryl for my morning snack even though I feel like I am a bit better than I was yesterday.  As I said on FB -- if the rain didn't wash the pollen away I am sure the hail beat it into submission.

In honor of the day I thought I would show you a couple of things that are a daily part of my life that sort of represent my attachment to all things Celtic --

My first quilt attempt twenty years ago.  Machine pieced, hand quilted -- green Irish Chain.

On my 40th wedding anniversary we were in Austin at a store called Things Celtic.  I wanted a new claddagh ring -- I have a James Avery one but I wanted a band so my husband bought me this one for our anniversary.  Mine is silver. I wish I had the gold one.  Or maybe one with diamonds! I love Claddagh rings.

Have a wonderful St. Paddy's Day! For me, I am going to go out and look for that pot of gold -- surely there is a rainbow out there somewhere after all this rain.

Help!

Today was the day -- ok, today is still the day -- be positive, Melissa! Today the closet was the target of my merciless decluttering attempt.  I have failed miserably.  I might have to blame it on the time change -- I have been a little "off" today.  But, I can't even get started!

I guess I should Marie Kondo it but I don't want to drag everything out and dump it on the floor so I will have to have an abbreviated event.  I have a nice size closet in my laundry room that I used to hang the ironing until I could get around to it! Ha! I can tell you how well that worked for me -- the ironing never got done and I recently moved the clothes that I hadn't worn in about 5 years into my closet.  Now I can't get anything else in the closet and I need to be brutally honest with myself -- am I ever going to wear those clothes that have been hanging out in the ironing closet for years?  Probably not.  But I can't make myself put them in a bag for give away.  Somebody come and help me -- please.

I have managed to get laundry done -- completely -- this morning and the kitchen has been scrubbed down.  I just need to get to the closet.  Blah.  Maybe after lunch.

For the last several days I have been having skin issues.  I have had rosacea in the past and am having a little flare up now.  I think I mixed too many products and just got my skin irritates.  So, I was in Beauty Brands looking for rosewater as Central Market didn't have any and a lady came up and asked me what I was looking for, I explained and she directed me to this product.

The lady told me that I can use it as a regular moisturizer every day and that it will help the inflammation as well.  She was right.  I have used it for a couple of days and it has calmed down the flare up and it is truly moisturizing.  I used it before bed last night and I woke up with it still working.  So, I think this might be my new moisturizer. 

While I was there talking to a young salesgirl I noticed she had really lovely skin.  Of course, she was not much more than twelve -- I told her that and she laughed. So, she was a jobber for a line of products called True Isaac Mizrahi.  She led me over to the display and we chatted about how us fair skinned gals have problems getting makeup matched.  She told me she could match me and by golly, she did!

It matches my skin perfectly, is mineral based and contains no parabens.  I used it for the first time yesterday and it was wonderful.  It didn't sink into fine lines which I have many and it lasted all day.  I will be going back for more of their products.   Both of these products are things I would never have taken a second look at if I hadn't had direction.  I usually stay with what I know but, unfortunately, I think my new Bare Escentuals BB primer with sunscreen is what has gotten my skin all flared up.  I am allergic to some types of sunscreen and I think that is what happened.  So much for my $35 purchase.  I will probably return.  Bother.

So, I guess I will go back to the closet.  Oh, wait, it is almost lunchtime! Yay! Maybe I will have more strength for the closet after sustenance.  Hee hee!

Your Childhood Fear

Sometimes I need a nudge to write as not every day is blog worthy.  I ran across a site -- The Daily Post (dailypost.wordpress.com) -- which gives some suggestions for blog posts.  All of the suggestions are nostalgia based.  I think I will give it a go.

The topic I chose out of the five suggested is "Your Childhood Fear". 


I had a good childhood.  I was born in that time right after World War II when American was coming back from those dark days.  I grew up in post war tract housing just like almost everybody from my generation.  My house was a small (tiny by today's standards) white, asbestos shingle house with a blue roof and blue window shutters.  It was a plain little house but it was my little house. 

I remember that house so well and our lives that transpired within.  One of our rituals was bath time.  Our bathroom was typical of the time.  The walls were tiled with four by four inch ceramic tile -- ours was light blue with dark blue trim and the floors were light blue hexagon tile.  There was a tub, a sink, a potty, a medicine cabinet, a linen closet, dirty clothes hamper and a gas wall heater.  Those bathrooms were fairly large and very utilitarian.  I was glad mine matched the outside of the house -- I liked the blue theme going on.

My mother saw to my bath and in the winter she would light the heater to get the room toasty warm -- all that tile could be chilly -- and before I emerged from the tub she would hold my pajamas up in front of the heater to warm them.  I just loved the feel of those warm pajamas.

I must have been very small because I was still in diapers and plastic pants when the great fear began.  I brought it on myself trying to emulate my mother's routine.  One day, in the winter, the heater was on and I decided the thing to do was to "warm" my plastic diaper cover in front of the heater.  The cover had snaps down both sides so it opened up flat and I very deftly placed the cover on the heater draped from top to bottom and went about my business.

My mother smelled something burning.  Could it have been melting plastic?  Why, yes it could.  She rushed into the bathroom and pulled the diaper cover from the heat and yelled at me (and rightfully so) that I could have burned the house down! She was frightened and I guess I was too except I don't really remember the incident, I just remember being told about it. 

What I do remember, however, is having a recurring nightmare for years about my house burning down.  In the dream my mom, dad and I -- and the cat -- would be standing at the curb looking back at the house which was going up in flames.  I was terrified.  One day in school we had to draw a family picture and this is the scene I drew.

The dream finally stopped when I was 19.  Why, you ask?  Because our house caught fire one January night.  We aren't sure why -- my father suspected foul play but the fire department stated the cause was a gas leak at the hot water heater.  The next day I found myself standing at the curb looking back at the house that had burned down.  And I was no longer afraid.

Oh What A Week! -- Or Two!

In my previous post I explained that I would be away for a while because I was going to help my daughter out.  That was a bit cryptic and I didn't mean it to be, I just don't like to post online personal things that could be identifying factors.

The fact of the matter is my son-in-law was in Boston for a business trip.  My daughter doesn't mind staying alone but the mornings are a bit - uh - hectic to say the least.  She teaches school.  Bean goes to school.  They have to get ready and leave all at the same time.  It is pretty much a logistical nightmare without son-in-law so I spent the night to help with the mornings.  It worked well, they have a comfy bed for me and, since Bean retires reasonably early, I had ample reading time.  The only downside was the drive back and forth.  Lots of driving.  Tired.

So, Thursday night of that week, son-in-law Chip returned home on a later flight.  I had already returned home and climbed in my bed with my book. The phone rang about 11 -- it was my daughter in a panic.  Chip had returned home SICK! REALLY SICK! I thought maybe there was an exaggeration going on but 104 temp in an adult is not an exaggeration.  He was medicated and put to bed with the plan to tote him to the doctor the next day.  The next day came and I picked Bean up from school and brought her home with me.  She hadn't really seen her father yet or been around him so I just removed her from the situation. Chip had a raging case of the flu.


This was an impromptu decision so I really wasn't prepared.  There was grocery shopping to be done, art supplies to be replenished, beds to be made -- so much for "resting up".

So, Bean spent the weekend through Monday with us.  Yes, she missed school on Monday but we just live too far away for us to get her up and to school on time.  She wasn't happy about that but nothing could be done.

The weekend was chock full of activities.  Saturday involved a Girl Scout outing -- a movie with her troop.  We were able to go to the new movie theater in Keller -- we saw "Zootopia" -- and it was lovely.  The food was great, the theater was new and nice and the movie was -- meh -- a little too much adult humor for me but I guess they have to have something for all the adults in the audience.

Sunday found us attending a birthday party at the Grapevine Aquarium --

The aquarium was nice but honestly, it made me dizzy.  There were many acrylic floors over water with moving fish and it just sent me reeling.  It was lovely and I am sure it would be quite interesting if I weren't in charge of a youngster and it wasn't so crowded.  However, the kids loved it and there were all sorts of activities so a good time was had by all.

Monday was the finale of our little impromptu "break" and it was spent doing laundry and gathering things strewn all over -- and did I mention there were scones?

I did take some photos around the garden -- this season of anti-winter we have been having has resulted in an early spring and here are some photos to prove it.  Now if the rain would just quit I would be happy -- oh, and if we could abolish daylight savings time -- that would help.

I also took some time to set up my little home gym.  And I do mean little! I don't have room for anything large so I have accommodated myself in a little corner of my bedroom

Tony Little Gazelle -- sorry the pic is sideways -- use your imagination

a pedaler 

a chair that provides upper body exercise

coupled with the pedaler it makes a nice little recumbant bike

Ab rocket -- yes, I have had this for a while -- it is good but getting on the floor is a challenge

Now the goal for the coming week is to clean out my closet.  I would say 90% of what I have in there I haven't worn in at least 5 years and it is going -- away.  Soon.  I bought two new blouses and a new polo shirt which is good and I am going to order some new slacks.  Trying to streamline things -- however, it won't happen until I get started.

I am reading a book titled "Embers" by Antoinette Stockenberg.  It is pretty good so far -- about 1/3 of the way through -- but I hope it doesn't turn stupid.   I have read supernatural books that started out really good and then just turned silly as the story progressed.  I hope this isn't that way. I will let you know.

So, that is my two week hiatus.  Not very relaxing but definitely full of activities that were new to me.  My weekends are usually very quiet but last weekend was a nice change.  Maybe I will eventually recover.  But, oops, here comes DST weekend -- so much for that!

St. David's Day

Happy St. David's Day!