tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63158512628435229402024-03-19T05:58:05.669-04:00Live and Learn-Toss and TurnObservations from Everyday LifeLive and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.comBlogger1854125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-16718950494931748942024-03-14T09:11:00.003-04:002024-03-14T09:11:38.093-04:00Ramblings<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I've been kind of aimless recently, so to focus myself better, I made a list of goals for the week. It included things from housework, yardwork, paperwork, and personal matters. In addition, it included all of the week's commitments, including appointments and work. It's not a comprehensive list, just something to make progress on things that aren't shouting, "I must be done now!" I love to cross things off a list, so this should work well for me. I won't bore you with the details of my goals, but one of them was to write at least one blog post this week. So here I am.</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAx1WrEtkl7V23D7tKFpgNm-9rUodwK56PLkGzrDu4ewgG37ged3wJ5l5Y-ov1ju6gcwDctq6I00I6CUojNvZpRTKQzQB-e3WNd4G3Ly9OMYqOCo4ESiJKmRAcoK-DbX6i9qxttZtQS9AdzULkKoIJRwLFYhUyBt2Fxin7a3k7Y04ERABE2wSGv-Uxnd9u/s4080/IMG_20240313_221046238.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAx1WrEtkl7V23D7tKFpgNm-9rUodwK56PLkGzrDu4ewgG37ged3wJ5l5Y-ov1ju6gcwDctq6I00I6CUojNvZpRTKQzQB-e3WNd4G3Ly9OMYqOCo4ESiJKmRAcoK-DbX6i9qxttZtQS9AdzULkKoIJRwLFYhUyBt2Fxin7a3k7Y04ERABE2wSGv-Uxnd9u/w301-h400/IMG_20240313_221046238.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ward's latest puzzle. </td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The great thing about a blog post, especially on a blog where you're not trying to make money, is that you can write about anything. Or nothing, which is what I seem to be doing thus far in this post. 😀</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We finally have a new car. We're still wading through the insurance paperwork and the paperwork to title it in the trust (we have resigned the papers 3x now), but we have it. However, I'm still a little gun-shy about driving it. That's what happens when you're in a crash, but you gotta do what you gotta do. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Boy, our life is boring. Or I have a bad memory because I can't think of anything else to write about. Let's see. We continue attending dance class and learning the cha-cha and waltz. We're slowly meeting people there and having a good laugh as we try to copy what the instructor is doing. It was recommended that you get dance shoes that are flexible and have a sole that lets you both slide and stop on the floor. Patches of suede on the soles supposedly accomplish this. However, dance shoes are expensive, so we got little slip-on sleeves that go over our shoes that help accomplish the same thing. For the level that we're on, they work just fine.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There goes my timer (12 minutes today). I have to leave now to see the allergist. We'll discuss whether I need to continue with allergy shots now that we don't have any cats. He once said that it takes a good six months to get rid of most of the cat's dander, even with thorough cleaning. I'd be happy not to have to go for allergy shots all of the time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope you're enjoying some nice spring weather, although I see on the news that much of the western half of the country is having snow. Today, we're having a warm day, and I'm hoping to take advantage of it between my appointment this morning and my work tonight.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p><p><br /></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-24011715794427375812024-03-09T10:17:00.003-05:002024-03-09T10:17:57.656-05:00Look What I Found!<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> We had two wonderful spring days last week among the cold, blustery days we've been having. I took the opportunity to work outside during these days and start the spring cleanup of the various beds. While I do some fall cleanup, I leave much of the growth to protect the roots of the perennials. Cleaning that up and pulling the winter and spring weeds seems overwhelming at times, but I like to be outside and touch the plants and the dirt. I see and learn so much when I'm up close and personal with them. However, the best part of this week was seeing my first spring flowers with their bright, cheery colors, signaling that winter will soon be over. Every day, there are more blooming. However, our last frost date is not until the middle of May, but spring is definitely on its way.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are some of the things I found this week in my yard.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUnXsgylAVf7ac2tXwDm5JNy24lxuKd_ADK-i7U2b5GQ91hYAaCz4IBXwqubGBAlGlh3PvioPZ4veJKiRkhuVACkhG7Xv07Gdb_TaJ6OFrBKH0yaadEbD6QirBqs8xDaO-io6TGQ5_IYhDvzgsZsPl_Ew6t03mPkTGIXi-x9dLSOYOO30f1Mj-usty-rp/s5152/IMG_3634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUnXsgylAVf7ac2tXwDm5JNy24lxuKd_ADK-i7U2b5GQ91hYAaCz4IBXwqubGBAlGlh3PvioPZ4veJKiRkhuVACkhG7Xv07Gdb_TaJ6OFrBKH0yaadEbD6QirBqs8xDaO-io6TGQ5_IYhDvzgsZsPl_Ew6t03mPkTGIXi-x9dLSOYOO30f1Mj-usty-rp/w640-h480/IMG_3634.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When we first moved into this house, I found that among the various plants, there were no crocuses. So, I promptly planted them here and there for spring surprises throughout the yard. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippGHVHL3rAj3EFuasnoIKwKFEfX5YIKiSM5wOrZhlb3_LpmRl8SPldiZRViPNqueRcMWS0fiSv7ifiIbNxv_ilSRWfUgHqbSr3-owoicv2WzowHC9EBdZ9MILKTROOc8psAcnez4Hdt0M0GsHt60BLM7lgncSr5IcfSoBOLdkr4WORLvtojbsew4FBIdR/s5152/IMG_3637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippGHVHL3rAj3EFuasnoIKwKFEfX5YIKiSM5wOrZhlb3_LpmRl8SPldiZRViPNqueRcMWS0fiSv7ifiIbNxv_ilSRWfUgHqbSr3-owoicv2WzowHC9EBdZ9MILKTROOc8psAcnez4Hdt0M0GsHt60BLM7lgncSr5IcfSoBOLdkr4WORLvtojbsew4FBIdR/w640-h480/IMG_3637.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another set is around the corner.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23WzN5Yl2Xez4TimI1uaf33UluD6ZHp_69n9ZBkI_feuQSuJZlxwEZqbEVywZdyc2a5XIfnBdz5v-aYsmSp1MbnMoZMBMcFprRUqfVHVtZWqtZZGCkenOB_SnCQlx4uvCjQjRMsVeae7fSqR79LETNrNabRkTrZ_dSpj-cOde8RYhZHcTLuoBZNX1UWha/s5152/IMG_3647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23WzN5Yl2Xez4TimI1uaf33UluD6ZHp_69n9ZBkI_feuQSuJZlxwEZqbEVywZdyc2a5XIfnBdz5v-aYsmSp1MbnMoZMBMcFprRUqfVHVtZWqtZZGCkenOB_SnCQlx4uvCjQjRMsVeae7fSqR79LETNrNabRkTrZ_dSpj-cOde8RYhZHcTLuoBZNX1UWha/w640-h480/IMG_3647.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However, some crocuses are just coming up or are being eaten as soon as they do. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00QOAdaHoKimt-y594eUK__YBqHEYfSGIK8-iXYv7mir9Aw4nnipEDGzxbjWMG-vk5tM9mnZ3mp1vsHxdaQbANg2W8ifdsElkKRN707OiXTHnoR07n8Z19FqxwdbOmS7c-oVw_JSvHxyBOCrBE0JpAYyK8UWHLNCN8GOSgoWYnH_ajEhuMeoCw8c6PyWF/s5152/IMG_3627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00QOAdaHoKimt-y594eUK__YBqHEYfSGIK8-iXYv7mir9Aw4nnipEDGzxbjWMG-vk5tM9mnZ3mp1vsHxdaQbANg2W8ifdsElkKRN707OiXTHnoR07n8Z19FqxwdbOmS7c-oVw_JSvHxyBOCrBE0JpAYyK8UWHLNCN8GOSgoWYnH_ajEhuMeoCw8c6PyWF/w640-h480/IMG_3627.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The squirrels bury various nuts around the yard. Here is an acorn they left behind. If you look closely, you can see it is just starting to sprout.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQRHTO4SQf8QNQ0Ggb2kHuNOTakGs9DZ3vZ3LtZ0ZELNFDfDlyVhpdPKe9aYZdL4kj1ZepNo8eY_7hEXDN7VgLZDTyTs1VJuAeWbb1ppWv2zS_fbjomG1EiItEFLJut97yhrP5hghfUjsBsMMrZDRr8nnbOQM1-klU5Ht4NHc2mBM33gZVf3dFxfI2QYa/s3319/IMG_3623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2445" data-original-width="3319" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQRHTO4SQf8QNQ0Ggb2kHuNOTakGs9DZ3vZ3LtZ0ZELNFDfDlyVhpdPKe9aYZdL4kj1ZepNo8eY_7hEXDN7VgLZDTyTs1VJuAeWbb1ppWv2zS_fbjomG1EiItEFLJut97yhrP5hghfUjsBsMMrZDRr8nnbOQM1-klU5Ht4NHc2mBM33gZVf3dFxfI2QYa/w640-h472/IMG_3623.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And speaking of squirrels, you can see their teeth marks around the bird feeder. This feeder is touted to be squirrel-proof, and unlike all others that say the same thing, this one actually works! Last fall, the birds stopped coming to the feeder completely, so after a few months, we took it down. We put it back up this week, and the birds have returned. Hooray! Here, you see a male house finch and a female one peeking from behind. Finches are our most frequent visitors to the feeder.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02ycqNntffTCaGAs7hueNR16jBkgLFn0LBkyDkieFSOiFHXByWg7okS5Dgut6eEQVCm3xKdX8CQbfZmn9_wd2ib6leFuVouwMh46vHL-mMJ5Lc8XVrM2qfn5E6jYM5w9TmU4armPHpR3UvaBtyEV7iDAMx4_t-oxlLEJ_mWvfBDaiZYXIOvvDWDafkEso/s5152/IMG_3609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02ycqNntffTCaGAs7hueNR16jBkgLFn0LBkyDkieFSOiFHXByWg7okS5Dgut6eEQVCm3xKdX8CQbfZmn9_wd2ib6leFuVouwMh46vHL-mMJ5Lc8XVrM2qfn5E6jYM5w9TmU4armPHpR3UvaBtyEV7iDAMx4_t-oxlLEJ_mWvfBDaiZYXIOvvDWDafkEso/w640-h480/IMG_3609.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The daffodils that are close to the warm house are blooming. Others are just a few leaves poking above the ground.</span> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGAgwSYsqpFy-ycjb67Z8Ho-KMq53ZAX-_4x92k3f8rDQvUAGc-8HHI5B4nU8ZHaCtJFW7Z6mLJN8P_OavYDXnADDoAGWFtwkcgk9i85bfKRQqgn1KYqOoUZchXGqV90yHZl3_ZFGXzlL0aQtcTpsfguG37D-VH-W87BTUg37vyGkpi00WN5SclQWPvkh/s5152/IMG_3619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGAgwSYsqpFy-ycjb67Z8Ho-KMq53ZAX-_4x92k3f8rDQvUAGc-8HHI5B4nU8ZHaCtJFW7Z6mLJN8P_OavYDXnADDoAGWFtwkcgk9i85bfKRQqgn1KYqOoUZchXGqV90yHZl3_ZFGXzlL0aQtcTpsfguG37D-VH-W87BTUg37vyGkpi00WN5SclQWPvkh/w640-h480/IMG_3619.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A few of the forsythia buds have opened. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3jSVtkY0CYSSd2n4f_YseJn7VS1fOcCp0ANJDLLwzwWTB3Walsyqo5E8rGAd47ZXw0RKGGD11Q-mf-PvSZC3iCRdhwcqoz-aIbOOw2gl-WzfZ9TBqSfRdxH5Sk82uNYeTy3McO_3MUEL-C2bw4aTzrSDMOmTmyrBE3yRWVpDn3Ds9VDXiWiDMtGhoKEQ/s5152/IMG_3651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3jSVtkY0CYSSd2n4f_YseJn7VS1fOcCp0ANJDLLwzwWTB3Walsyqo5E8rGAd47ZXw0RKGGD11Q-mf-PvSZC3iCRdhwcqoz-aIbOOw2gl-WzfZ9TBqSfRdxH5Sk82uNYeTy3McO_3MUEL-C2bw4aTzrSDMOmTmyrBE3yRWVpDn3Ds9VDXiWiDMtGhoKEQ/w640-h480/IMG_3651.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The high winds blew part of a giant bee's nest down from one of the pear trees. (That grass looks pretty green, doesn't it? I guess it's enjoying all of the rain.)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope you are finding some signs of spring where you are.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p><p><br /></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-89642105233720451112024-03-06T20:32:00.002-05:002024-03-06T20:32:30.599-05:00Good Intentions<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Gonna try my hand at speed blogging again. That might be the only way I'm going to make another post happen. I've been meaning to post for about a week now, but somehow it hasn't happened. You what they say about good intentions... </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="title" data-author="Khalil Gibran" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/367793?ref=good-intentions" id="title_quote_link_367793" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; display: block; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention. </a><a href="https://www.azquotes.com/author/5491-Khalil_Gibran" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #a94c1c; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Khalil Gibran</a></p><div class="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: 0px; padding: 18px 0px 26px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="title" data-author="Peter Drucker" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/81890?ref=good-intentions" id="title_quote_link_81890" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.</span><span style="font-size: 1.1em;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.azquotes.com/author/4147-Peter_Drucker" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #a94c1c; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peter Drucker</a></p><div class="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: 0px; padding: 18px 0px 26px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="title" data-author="Darren Hardy" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1497926?ref=good-intentions" id="title_quote_link_1497926" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old habits eat good intentions for lunch. Change your habits so you can change your outcomes. </span></a><a href="https://www.azquotes.com/author/92491-Darren_Hardy" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #a94c1c; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Darren Hardy</a></p><div class="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: 0px; padding: 18px 0px 26px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="title" data-author="Michael Josephson" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1420115?ref=good-intentions" id="title_quote_link_1420115" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; display: inline !important; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An ounce of action is worth a ton of good intentions.</a> <a href="https://www.azquotes.com/author/20059-Michael_Josephson" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #a94c1c; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Michael Josephson</a></div><div class="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: 0px; padding: 18px 0px 26px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="title" data-author="Samuel Johnson" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/600028?ref=good-intentions" id="title_quote_link_600028" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The road to hell is paved with good intentions. </span></a><a href="https://www.azquotes.com/author/7532-Samuel_Johnson" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #a94c1c; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Samuel Johnson</a></p></div><div class="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: 0px; padding: 18px 0px 26px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Apparently, they say a lot of things about good intentions, as just <a href="https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/good-intentions.html">a little googling</a> proved. I'm only familiar with the saying by Samuel Johnson. Although he is credited with saying it in 1775, there are many earlier versions out there, including some translations in the Bible. Or so Wikipedia says. Now you know all of my reliable sources -Google and Wiki. 😉</span></div><div class="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: 0px; padding: 18px 0px 26px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My timer just went off, which is set at 14 minutes today. I didn't get very far in the post because I got a little distracted wondering about the saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Oh, well.</span></span></div><div class="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: 0px; padding: 18px 0px 26px; vertical-align: baseline;">Until next time...</div></div></div>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-22413666989689439042024-02-25T18:13:00.001-05:002024-02-25T18:13:25.068-05:00This and That<p> <b style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> or Speed Blogging </b></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">In an attempt to post more often and not overthink things, I will be doing speed blogging from time to time. I will blog for however long it is on my timer. Currently, that's 12 minutes. Read ahead for a bit of stream-of-consciousness posting. : ) Generally, I end up sharing this and that from my week. Let's see where my mind takes me today.</span></i></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 13.2px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGwGXQxEO8Cy_J1rXzo5i7hLBF341X4T3ftlOAtOSPL3-apKlJlQeoRSbAWmKVqgJnuiOAsBD6lj79Gqkf_hXL9OLu4qrkeITGZ-6XTCroh82DHlP328776Kyy7JyXpePG4dFWohCyh4Tz-bzgE0dTrzmsMyfw9DJLYLwUnOAakqZdEeXZx5d0YbHdXM1/s5152/IMG_3599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGwGXQxEO8Cy_J1rXzo5i7hLBF341X4T3ftlOAtOSPL3-apKlJlQeoRSbAWmKVqgJnuiOAsBD6lj79Gqkf_hXL9OLu4qrkeITGZ-6XTCroh82DHlP328776Kyy7JyXpePG4dFWohCyh4Tz-bzgE0dTrzmsMyfw9DJLYLwUnOAakqZdEeXZx5d0YbHdXM1/w640-h480/IMG_3599.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No spring crocuses yet, but I found these little phlox braving the cold.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's been a somewhat restless day - no big projects in mind. I've just been wandering around from thing to thing. I started using the timer about an hour ago, so I'm a little more focused now.</span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Last year, I bought an amaryllis bulb from a clearance rack. It was packaged for Christmas, but it was long past that. But it was cheap, so I took a chance. It grew leaves, but didn't bloom. I just stuck it out in the garage until I noticed it a few weeks ago and saw it was trying to send up leaves. I brought it inside to see what would happen. And much to my delight, it grew and bloomed. </span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today, <span style="background-color: transparent;">I took it away from the window and into another room to take a picture. After placing it on a table with good light, I went to get the camera. And that's when I heard a crash. I guess it was top-heavy and toppled to the floor, breaking the pot it was in along the way. Not gonna lie. A few curse words were said when I heard that pot breaking. I cleaned up the mess and put the blooms, which had broken off, in water. I don't know if they will last since the stem is hollow. Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQwW7I48ThBqsbASrn9wk6ue7S0CteoLNYBmBn6r015_X7aCNe9c_goQ3cN3yTRiuq9A6F4GJsoQmH1WDwWQ_Ggq20BXLVTh-xjiRVMtBD1Zr6I7nAbTKYl9OP3uOfXvsHqxLSyUaIvDO7mzrt6yUjnW-cbtCZLb5PyCl4_WTFnZVuRVrzkTES_NsGJre/s5152/IMG_3606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQwW7I48ThBqsbASrn9wk6ue7S0CteoLNYBmBn6r015_X7aCNe9c_goQ3cN3yTRiuq9A6F4GJsoQmH1WDwWQ_Ggq20BXLVTh-xjiRVMtBD1Zr6I7nAbTKYl9OP3uOfXvsHqxLSyUaIvDO7mzrt6yUjnW-cbtCZLb5PyCl4_WTFnZVuRVrzkTES_NsGJre/w640-h480/IMG_3606.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are continuing to wade through paperwork with our totaled car. Even though we bought the car at the end of January, we found out Friday that they had just submitted the paperwork for the title and tags. MVA says that it should take about another month. Unfortunately, you can't hurry bureaucracy, but you sure can get annoyed with it. Another- Oh, well. That's the way the cookie crumbles or the car smashes.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a neighborhood walk this afternoon with Ward. I'm trying to walk outside every day to help with sleep. While exercise is important, sunlight is also important to trigger certain sleep-related hormones. I have about a week's worth of data, and I would say, overall, that my sleep has improved.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We started our next set of dance lessons. This time, we will "learn" cha-cha and the waltz. After I finish here, we need to go practice. One hour a week on two dances is not enough time for me to learn them. I am not what you would call a quick study - at least not in this area.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My timer is beeping, so that's all for now.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-34486443674751542932024-02-18T20:02:00.005-05:002024-02-18T20:10:47.950-05:00Dancing<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Or Dancing is Possible Even with Two Left Feet</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincHS4-fnSCATt1tTSJkucWzYFTiFS8IK0VnwnyTjWY-lm-giTcoeJS5YSDceMhRQFH_IHvYW1EOKAIekNZEHELJxCCsHJCFPMEiuNhwop1QDEsWLp4LGh237VBJRjbt6hn4lbWrP5EUWT5zZSa0eaYqdVYoyZFcxg4cJj2U2GjO8DZk8gOuZmvMtU-nSq/s5152/IMG_3595.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincHS4-fnSCATt1tTSJkucWzYFTiFS8IK0VnwnyTjWY-lm-giTcoeJS5YSDceMhRQFH_IHvYW1EOKAIekNZEHELJxCCsHJCFPMEiuNhwop1QDEsWLp4LGh237VBJRjbt6hn4lbWrP5EUWT5zZSa0eaYqdVYoyZFcxg4cJj2U2GjO8DZk8gOuZmvMtU-nSq/w640-h480/IMG_3595.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I don't have any dancing pictures, so here's what we woke up to yesterday.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In a previous post, I mentioned different dance things Ward and I were doing and said I would elaborate on them in the future. So here it is - the elaboration of my dancing experiences through the years.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm not a dancer. Never really have been. Part of this is because of inexperience, and part of this is because of a lack of coordination. I grew up in a small town with no dance classes like many little girls take. I don't think we could have afforded them if they had been available, anyway. The only dancing I did in my youth was square dancing in PE. I went to a couple of dances in high school, but I didn't dance much because I wasn't sure what to do. My lack of coordination became apparent when the simple dances I had to learn as a cheerleader took me twice as long to learn as everyone else.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Fast forward to my twenties when Ward and I took ballroom dancing with a group of friends through the local community college. Our instructor was named Louie, and he didn't do much more than talk and tell stories. But we ended up going to a dance where we did a basic foxtrot around the room with others. I guess we did okay because we didn't run into anyone. I don't know if that was because I knew what I was doing or if Ward was steering me away from others. But it was fun, mainly because we were doing it with friends.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Fast forward to many, many years later, and I am trying my hand at dancing again. Or maybe I should say for the first time, really. If I had gained any skills from before, they have atrophied over the years. The reason dancing activities are coming up again is because of Ward. He joined a gym when he retired and enjoyed the group exercise dance classes, including Zumba and line dancing. He encouraged me to join him, and I did <strike>occasionally</strike>, very occasionally. It wasn't long before Ward had all the moves, and my main goal was not to run into anyone when I sporadically showed up. With a little experience in hand, we went to a line-dancing event and a good time was had by all - including those of us who were a little confused from time to time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ward continued to be encouraging and said how much he enjoyed doing these classes with me. Trying not to be a stick in the mud, I signed us up for group lessons through the rec department for Samba and Rumba lessons. These dances were on a whole other level. Because now, not only did I have to not trip over my own feet, Olga, our instructor, was adding all kinds of things like changing how the weight changes on the foot through different steps, moving our hips in more directions than I knew was possible, and contracting different sets of abdominal muscles on different steps. Needless to say, I was often confused. But I didn't run into anyone - mainly because it was a small class in a big room. So, my main goal was achieved. While these were not quite as fun as the line dancing, we have signed up for the next session, which is couples ballroom dancing. We'll see how that goes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So am I enjoying all of this, or is this what you do when you're married to someone who says how much he wants to dance with you? If truth be told, I would not have done any of this without Ward motivating me. But you know what? I need a nudge <strike>every once in a while</strike> often to get out of my comfort zone. And I am happy that he nudged me. Because you know what? When I actually get the steps and am time with the music, it's a great feeling. So thank you, Ward.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Do you like to dance? Do you consider yourself a dancer?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p><p><br /></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-76134235451133395762024-02-12T15:05:00.007-05:002024-02-12T17:11:00.450-05:00This and That<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> or My Speed Blogging for the Week</b></span></p><p><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In an attempt to post more often and not overthink things, I will be doing speed blogging from time to time. I will blog for however long it is on my timer. Currently, that's 16 minutes. Read ahead for a bit of stream-of-consciousness posting. : )</span></i></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYX-kcEkbzye7HfnPifBc5KdEkN_ao3lyywm8gR16EjXxiYdheEOFTCO-pbQ71h1S3isF2t7Y5535re5sgfywf4__dV7cu3u1NUDWCEZNizEbka4nQY9_WTN8cUA8Rlsvjefi_OddeCLj39SwHNqtG0-jbEqJJidYHkRhWm7hw8opWRUpUs3g465siCbmU/s1967/DSC03684.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="1967" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYX-kcEkbzye7HfnPifBc5KdEkN_ao3lyywm8gR16EjXxiYdheEOFTCO-pbQ71h1S3isF2t7Y5535re5sgfywf4__dV7cu3u1NUDWCEZNizEbka4nQY9_WTN8cUA8Rlsvjefi_OddeCLj39SwHNqtG0-jbEqJJidYHkRhWm7hw8opWRUpUs3g465siCbmU/w640-h442/DSC03684.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have had two sightings of bluebirds this past week.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;">Well, the Super Bowl has come and gone, and if you're into football, it was a good game. And if you're a Swiftie, I guess it was a good game, too. I'm not into either one, but I enjoyed checking in then and again on the game and the commercials, which, BTW, are not as special as they used to be since there are so many of them. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was discussing this with Wally the other day, telling him about the "good old days" when there was not so much content available. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;">I was telling him about Christmas shows when I was a kid. We only had one channel until I was older, and we only had two shows to watch before Christmas - Rudolph and Frosty. I got so excited when I started to see commercials for them and loved seeing them every year - just once. That made them very special. There are many advantages to the plethora of things we can watch these days, but I think this abundance dilutes the experience.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Also, I've been stressed lately because our new car was in an accident. The good news is that no one was hurt. The bad news is that the damage was bad enough that it might be totaled. It's been in the shop for almost a week, waiting for an evaluation. The car is so new that we don't have the tags or permanent registration yet. I can only imagine what the paperwork will be like if it's totaled. But maybe they'll fix it. I don't know how to predict. In the meantime, we are lucky that Ward and I are able to coordinate our trips without it. </span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaking of Ward, he smoked two pork shoulders yesterday, and Wally and Theo came over for dinner. All of the carnivores enjoyed Ward's efforts, and Wally and Theo </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;">were very happy to leave with a lot of meat, as was Ward's plan. </span><span style="color: #222222;">We still had plenty of meat left, but unfortunately, the roasted carrots, my favorite part of the meal, </span><span style="color: #222222;">were gone</span><span style="color: #222222;">. I'll roast more once we get to the store to buy some.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The work on cleaning out our files is moving along at a steady pace - not a fast one, but progress is being made. We found a place that will do shredding for free, so we took two large bags to them last week. The place is out of our way, but we had an errand in the area, so we took advantage of the service. We do regular shredding of a few papers here and there, but we are generating large volumes of them with our file cleanout, so we'd rather not see how strong our shredder motor is. </span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Looks like time is up for now. Hope you are having an enjoyable week and find at least one thing to smile about each day.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></span></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-11266219709405887922024-02-09T19:32:00.003-05:002024-02-12T15:10:03.584-05:00A Walk in the Park<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was a beautiful day with blue skies and temperatures in the 50s. Definitely, a day that we did not want to waste on inside chores. So, after a productive morning at home, Ward and I went to a nearby town to walk in their park. We considered something more rural but decided most trails would be muddy - which we didn't want. We had been to this park before but had yet to explore all of it as we did today. We were not the only ones enjoying the park and sunshine; we saw many other people enjoying it just as we did. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are pictures from our walk in the park.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqexOSRnJnRSIvZI3-EnaNJKcjxZjMIzJ9daETHvCzhSerTflrqRLtUFeBZCmBSEVKMiGBYkqfOUDffy4c6J93EMDXi0MTRgYG41UovKm2WDMFdVOqESwRk30kk-Pp0Yimc7PJrxJ9IyEfCZAmQwwCB6PCymi3_DQESBh6WEWyKhO36q94TCLdSvRjLMO4/s4080/IMG_20240209_151427710.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqexOSRnJnRSIvZI3-EnaNJKcjxZjMIzJ9daETHvCzhSerTflrqRLtUFeBZCmBSEVKMiGBYkqfOUDffy4c6J93EMDXi0MTRgYG41UovKm2WDMFdVOqESwRk30kk-Pp0Yimc7PJrxJ9IyEfCZAmQwwCB6PCymi3_DQESBh6WEWyKhO36q94TCLdSvRjLMO4/w640-h360/IMG_20240209_151427710.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The park is centered around Carroll Creek, which flows through it.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgL7Lrf8rQCN5sCCYI0zUBQFv7cJjPobPdzAAYTlwLyCKEP6gBVNlVIaMhIEZxeMhwbm2kewUgmS-Q6UZF6GdJFogPyDGzok-JHgLSujW2D4b_Jr2kwClKk7u02C9VMl-30-q2hWmdJLFlmti6D1IZ-vOYUXlBfiWhE9VqoczDNfEm3vQuwiHYTQQohyphenhyphenS/s4080/IMG_20240209_145253747.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgL7Lrf8rQCN5sCCYI0zUBQFv7cJjPobPdzAAYTlwLyCKEP6gBVNlVIaMhIEZxeMhwbm2kewUgmS-Q6UZF6GdJFogPyDGzok-JHgLSujW2D4b_Jr2kwClKk7u02C9VMl-30-q2hWmdJLFlmti6D1IZ-vOYUXlBfiWhE9VqoczDNfEm3vQuwiHYTQQohyphenhyphenS/w640-h360/IMG_20240209_145253747.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I got excited when I saw a swan in the creek. It turns out that it was made out of plastic.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTh3XlWYw7aco2xYOEOThPd_D0dh3SMd2J49xC8eyVHcmAohKJFid0ElJt1oaWIFDArvfkf8WuGaL9sOlsDwXiZ4FSEcO7S5ph42j-TM7F3orxBx9mpCBd2C-RnlhyphenhyphenVIBYpLABP96ZlVW3Vp_6PUgPaE09Qm4KizD0KR7XmB7buB_1bB3iDA3Rh2DKvKms/s4080/IMG_20240209_150112678_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTh3XlWYw7aco2xYOEOThPd_D0dh3SMd2J49xC8eyVHcmAohKJFid0ElJt1oaWIFDArvfkf8WuGaL9sOlsDwXiZ4FSEcO7S5ph42j-TM7F3orxBx9mpCBd2C-RnlhyphenhyphenVIBYpLABP96ZlVW3Vp_6PUgPaE09Qm4KizD0KR7XmB7buB_1bB3iDA3Rh2DKvKms/w360-h640/IMG_20240209_150112678_HDR.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This swinging bridge across the creek was initially built in 1875 <br />and moved to this location in 1929. Subsequently, they have<br /> upgraded it to make it safe by today's standards.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFypLxnO_jZUGBtQ0GdPd9_M4C2cmStN1CrLlQKViLQ_hl7N2yVKO0kYflm4Wq6otmLxD9T7Oiwv0ETfEuhbtZjMrk8IRwRZmtMwLBqT0PBrJrc-pzkoIZxnPwfIlvmwMxfSqyoynquPVE95PdqtrFv_Dctxec0O6o-9sslji2D6uM6V1_z5IvUeE_TCbB/s4080/IMG_20240209_150742330.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFypLxnO_jZUGBtQ0GdPd9_M4C2cmStN1CrLlQKViLQ_hl7N2yVKO0kYflm4Wq6otmLxD9T7Oiwv0ETfEuhbtZjMrk8IRwRZmtMwLBqT0PBrJrc-pzkoIZxnPwfIlvmwMxfSqyoynquPVE95PdqtrFv_Dctxec0O6o-9sslji2D6uM6V1_z5IvUeE_TCbB/w640-h360/IMG_20240209_150742330.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The park also has a lake where we saw this statue of Lefty Kreh, a fly-fishing innovator. <br />We saw real people fishing, also.</span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdrUGUiRpRUSh8C0H2Wp9kWjrGkoEYJtDQzu0zo4KmxdU0kw8JIXi7xIZXQ7PDuB0kcWWPj4-jZh0ek1Ra3Nowlq_x30yGjndUl31DDM8sr8SUX3un2OUtHeMOn57FoPNd95Cdlmxc54FgTTayLqHhXPKI95oJyyNWzJmvIbWUEV-BTeHnaBh1_Jrcoqp/s2760/IMG_20240209_151133968.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1872" data-original-width="2760" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdrUGUiRpRUSh8C0H2Wp9kWjrGkoEYJtDQzu0zo4KmxdU0kw8JIXi7xIZXQ7PDuB0kcWWPj4-jZh0ek1Ra3Nowlq_x30yGjndUl31DDM8sr8SUX3un2OUtHeMOn57FoPNd95Cdlmxc54FgTTayLqHhXPKI95oJyyNWzJmvIbWUEV-BTeHnaBh1_Jrcoqp/w640-h434/IMG_20240209_151133968.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And we saw real waterfowl on the lake when we spotted these mallards. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnQgfMH3rI6aftHXdhhWUFdaSBrsOV3jbN-mCh5yO6epjFPmVZKYVxvG4-loGyeqOriJ6Wb2QF3FaYkhi6AFvhuBWGvVX7wO2kdrMPVfQuGskWhINXpQp6XE4fle9Ml9QShqoY_YCJnO2Jvora2ch-Y8tEpcPeibOFU9V4B7rbZp0DNbZptyKp2f26Y-F/s3313/IMG_20240209_145347179.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3313" data-original-width="2218" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnQgfMH3rI6aftHXdhhWUFdaSBrsOV3jbN-mCh5yO6epjFPmVZKYVxvG4-loGyeqOriJ6Wb2QF3FaYkhi6AFvhuBWGvVX7wO2kdrMPVfQuGskWhINXpQp6XE4fle9Ml9QShqoY_YCJnO2Jvora2ch-Y8tEpcPeibOFU9V4B7rbZp0DNbZptyKp2f26Y-F/w428-h640/IMG_20240209_145347179.jpg" width="428" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The park has an amphitheater as well as a bell tower. The tower has 49 carillon bells <br />and still plays concerts. Someday, we will make it to one of them.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKZnwhLfwkbc6Q5cA50ONcRl6aPUyYK-3_T18S36eJd9jNXsm0TNtanbiqwERfjS-8Ws8PTpTsUqc8PsJ4Xtz1kpqJHcE6XsF_WbN3TaAQQH1kGqi7vY8y-VPiccZhbPTjjAt06QyhmxMYEnXSiEVnmpCbj2YQA4bYp-FMu4_cgAQWrwaZd2OjK0Wbe1l/s4080/IMG_20240209_144647110.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKZnwhLfwkbc6Q5cA50ONcRl6aPUyYK-3_T18S36eJd9jNXsm0TNtanbiqwERfjS-8Ws8PTpTsUqc8PsJ4Xtz1kpqJHcE6XsF_WbN3TaAQQH1kGqi7vY8y-VPiccZhbPTjjAt06QyhmxMYEnXSiEVnmpCbj2YQA4bYp-FMu4_cgAQWrwaZd2OjK0Wbe1l/w640-h360/IMG_20240209_144647110.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On the edge of the park is a former armory. The building was built in 1913 in the style of medieval fortifications. Today, it houses rec department facilities.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We did a little more exploring around the neighborhoods near the park before we headed home. It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></div><div><br /></div>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-50329866875168410502024-02-06T20:40:00.003-05:002024-02-07T07:11:04.998-05:00Time. Again.<p>I've been writing a blog for over 12 years, and I've covered a lot of material - some of which I don't even remember. So I come back to a theme then and again. And sometimes, I just rerun something I've written before because, you know, why reinvent the wheel. And that's what I'm going to do today. Maybe it will seem new to you like it did to me.:)</p><p>In the<a href="https://liveandlearn-tossandturn.blogspot.com/2024/01/again-time-elapsed.html"> first post of this year</a>, on New Year's Day, I started to write about time and its passage. However, I ran out of time and energy to do the research I needed for the post, so I punted and promised a post about it later. Well, you know what? I did a post about time a few years ago. And while it does not cover everything I promised in my January post, it does bring up some interesting points about time. </p><p>Without further ado, here is one from the files.</p><p>________________________________________________________</p><h2 class="date-header" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1em; min-height: 0px; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; letter-spacing: inherit; margin: inherit; padding: inherit;">SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017</span></h2><div class="date-posts" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry" style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; min-height: 0px; position: relative;"><a name="722458407535421800"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://liveandlearn-tossandturn.blogspot.com/2017/10/time-flies-sometimes.html" style="color: #3a79c9; text-decoration-line: none;">Time Flies, Sometimes</a></h3><div class="post-header" style="font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-722458407535421800" style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 630px;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZUgCyfxkxXBUIwOIQSsxhhnan63B9NFk7LrZj_wJMkGw-EAo68cNB3Wvg19Ge0j3guiNBMMR2WcrEs5iLOXqbWuonLz5GdHkS7ilhrs1aZ2ztptXMzr3e0YGYoBZzXsd3cIbQLRsxBmV/s1600/DSC00247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #3a79c9; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZUgCyfxkxXBUIwOIQSsxhhnan63B9NFk7LrZj_wJMkGw-EAo68cNB3Wvg19Ge0j3guiNBMMR2WcrEs5iLOXqbWuonLz5GdHkS7ilhrs1aZ2ztptXMzr3e0YGYoBZzXsd3cIbQLRsxBmV/s320/DSC00247.JPG" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a>I turned around yesterday and realized that, somehow, it was the end of October. How could that be? In my mind, I just finished July. Time is a funny thing. It's a constant but seems to speed up and slow down at different times. How does that work? I stumbled across an article that gives insight into this question.<br /><br />It all relates to how we process things in our brain, according to a study done in Munich, Germany, and reported by <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-time-seem-to-speed-up-with-age/" style="color: #3a79c9; text-decoration-line: none;">Scientific American</a>. Researchers interviewed 499 people aged 14-94 about their perception of time. They found that in short durations up to a year, for all ages, time seems to go fast--especially when they were having fun. The difference came when time was examined in retrospect. Time from childhood went slowly, while time from later years (over 40) went much faster.<br /><br />Here's how the researchers explained this phenomenon. The brain lays down memories for novel experiences. However, it doesn't do that for familiar ones. So when you experience a lot of new things, like everything in childhood, there are a lot of memories to go with that time period. However, when you experience fewer new things, like much of adulthood, you have fewer memories. So the same time period can seem either long or short depending on how many memories you have associated with it.<br /><br />I'm not sure this explains how time seemed to jump from July to October, but it does explain some other things, like why I remember and quote more things from my childhood than any other time. This subject needs more examination. When I have time. :)<br /><br />Do you notice time in different ways?</div></div></div></div>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-17883535845120778492024-02-03T08:29:00.001-05:002024-02-03T09:01:31.374-05:00Spring ?<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> As of late, I've seen pictures of snowdrops and crocuses on Facebook posts. So, with high hopes in hand, I went looking around my yard to see what signs of spring I could find. No snowdrops yet, but I did find a few things had poked their heads above the dirt. Winter is definitely not over, but spring is coming. Get ready for some pictures below of mostly brown with a few splashes of green as you see what I found.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRI5L5vUWEUZ7Ndjuspsw6gx757Bc-4g_shW5cm6xuRnxZJnVaFPXPfAW2gl1NN63UcpQxbBdveQpDkRZyEY9XF4UQmVwBlgWaGpSb3sbpRn2GrrgJAru-m5HsBl0CvhYxYpl4rWQcn_-p3i4exx0_G3SiqWSI-HPgOEot0_DvTowGBV00xG5ELerbu1cg/s5152/IMG_3558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRI5L5vUWEUZ7Ndjuspsw6gx757Bc-4g_shW5cm6xuRnxZJnVaFPXPfAW2gl1NN63UcpQxbBdveQpDkRZyEY9XF4UQmVwBlgWaGpSb3sbpRn2GrrgJAru-m5HsBl0CvhYxYpl4rWQcn_-p3i4exx0_G3SiqWSI-HPgOEot0_DvTowGBV00xG5ELerbu1cg/w640-h480/IMG_3558.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tulips</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_HEpeoEqJe9kBWv0hBcyEFycxDEURjc94OyucOc-zT_8U2Cq_-DNuTN9ySc1tBkvLoIO_Lhbx-KjvwT9LINqsa8oxFJS_sIwnYiQnlmMddE0MyblUJ5p-fqOriN_RPkOnGtiRZRzavk9-lKVAxDE_m2aBWWzqW2B50lGDN1lkFQCrGKQRwDvNLt19otF/s5152/IMG_3560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_HEpeoEqJe9kBWv0hBcyEFycxDEURjc94OyucOc-zT_8U2Cq_-DNuTN9ySc1tBkvLoIO_Lhbx-KjvwT9LINqsa8oxFJS_sIwnYiQnlmMddE0MyblUJ5p-fqOriN_RPkOnGtiRZRzavk9-lKVAxDE_m2aBWWzqW2B50lGDN1lkFQCrGKQRwDvNLt19otF/w640-h480/IMG_3560.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Crocuses</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZeQ5me0ML_UoHOJKcXT3SGo6xPp66aQqlpEpxMmCEtZnhqK9HZ7kf2tRgItmgaepF8oGZSiCGspSmzQoDVWYrStRjZmI4-gm0MskWQEWoTL_rQyhm_B0qWHdTTk2ZDNUybudcfq9uBR4K_GD7OT4ARu8wjra8XnBlifyaE0zrhNWk7ApWUwcWv0sn4m2E/s5152/IMG_3562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZeQ5me0ML_UoHOJKcXT3SGo6xPp66aQqlpEpxMmCEtZnhqK9HZ7kf2tRgItmgaepF8oGZSiCGspSmzQoDVWYrStRjZmI4-gm0MskWQEWoTL_rQyhm_B0qWHdTTk2ZDNUybudcfq9uBR4K_GD7OT4ARu8wjra8XnBlifyaE0zrhNWk7ApWUwcWv0sn4m2E/w640-h480/IMG_3562.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Daylilies</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwz57z4da6UQgzCu05Boo9jQ7be7oeKWMAlTx0PT8KY-77eswDRLsIyDcutHsg3KT2_rZ7cQTcZsNqxIp6rwtS0Ed7ex_Lqc3zoqNpuefusm849x6ENuQIfgIj476JWcnNPBfqctm-awDXwrncvPw7PaG9-1oal9pEstgIvukxcH14g0zfQLoMIGxr6cCv/s5152/IMG_3565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwz57z4da6UQgzCu05Boo9jQ7be7oeKWMAlTx0PT8KY-77eswDRLsIyDcutHsg3KT2_rZ7cQTcZsNqxIp6rwtS0Ed7ex_Lqc3zoqNpuefusm849x6ENuQIfgIj476JWcnNPBfqctm-awDXwrncvPw7PaG9-1oal9pEstgIvukxcH14g0zfQLoMIGxr6cCv/w640-h480/IMG_3565.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Daffodils</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBKMTj6xzgd4BqRQWNkZlpOP34oXIZNx-Iia8h-U3uEnil8Ugo1UqDZE6gU22-SihRM-25UmVTU8KVNUtnEAiOpM9H2x-dLSG0NMlsBwHEtIKwmTfUC-c1iiYaopbzFtD0gwgoB5vyiZAt5CrR4IDoors5vt8I8GMpPXvccQHrbQFc5PhZvdXjJQFuCzi/s5152/IMG_3569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5152" data-original-width="3864" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBKMTj6xzgd4BqRQWNkZlpOP34oXIZNx-Iia8h-U3uEnil8Ugo1UqDZE6gU22-SihRM-25UmVTU8KVNUtnEAiOpM9H2x-dLSG0NMlsBwHEtIKwmTfUC-c1iiYaopbzFtD0gwgoB5vyiZAt5CrR4IDoors5vt8I8GMpPXvccQHrbQFc5PhZvdXjJQFuCzi/w480-h640/IMG_3569.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hydrangea. Last summer's blooms are providing <br />some interest in the winter.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8tQnHKoSD3falzYCDjhaWJO7R7bkz4UomxsCMln0towWxmisty-kaeM854pSNKgcQyjbd4l8yckzChzzTTyOjPSH1tiTHO72qs5iXthX_9_ZdEpccpEx18gc61O0s0WRsp8BvYEArCVBsh2PXcFntIvDPweLXIJRz5YR3mYUlxcsr-vAo_Ro0WTulyg3/s5152/IMG_3571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8tQnHKoSD3falzYCDjhaWJO7R7bkz4UomxsCMln0towWxmisty-kaeM854pSNKgcQyjbd4l8yckzChzzTTyOjPSH1tiTHO72qs5iXthX_9_ZdEpccpEx18gc61O0s0WRsp8BvYEArCVBsh2PXcFntIvDPweLXIJRz5YR3mYUlxcsr-vAo_Ro0WTulyg3/w640-h480/IMG_3571.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mums</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncwO904klsZkJm2KbkeOoozLrMsFryUQo9RetPIAzBA6rtXUGyc2Z_lLQnWLxxY2W-A7j0ZYluo9rzzFPKxUFvwQYbtcR0dTdy3o7-fK97tjd68LCvlcS6YLasj96OIx10LXi9Ojibhxg0I0E3w-QjIk0HKuwmKaLOsQc7d4PDKqjGohQqIhFgsIYz8jS/s5152/IMG_3577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncwO904klsZkJm2KbkeOoozLrMsFryUQo9RetPIAzBA6rtXUGyc2Z_lLQnWLxxY2W-A7j0ZYluo9rzzFPKxUFvwQYbtcR0dTdy3o7-fK97tjd68LCvlcS6YLasj96OIx10LXi9Ojibhxg0I0E3w-QjIk0HKuwmKaLOsQc7d4PDKqjGohQqIhFgsIYz8jS/w640-h480/IMG_3577.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nandina. The nandina berries provide color all winter long<br /> because the birds don't like them.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yTR_fhXBOUzddr82Mlrtc7q_GskKrq713b1G2i-fI9EBxn6JNRgdKjl2Az3RchmdO1JyAZhsri1s_d60gJGqEbSQN5vnMMiGLIptRrAnkZ6qaOER25nsOgsd4845QE-AkM7SVS9hyphenhyphentWC3XPCnokHC-zQ88DqAj4lR8g8BYS4p1EDQr-9WI10q_FYgReR/s5152/IMG_3583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yTR_fhXBOUzddr82Mlrtc7q_GskKrq713b1G2i-fI9EBxn6JNRgdKjl2Az3RchmdO1JyAZhsri1s_d60gJGqEbSQN5vnMMiGLIptRrAnkZ6qaOER25nsOgsd4845QE-AkM7SVS9hyphenhyphentWC3XPCnokHC-zQ88DqAj4lR8g8BYS4p1EDQr-9WI10q_FYgReR/w640-h480/IMG_3583.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Beautyberry. The birds do like these berries, so there are only a few left.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gC3lnjm5cFTp2z0xeCctdkPoIzk-2ipWkF-yOVhJ-n9nJRk2sRhD8LVxCbhue0qvY02r0v0BOgxGd3KBEs82eHVFc82Dxij9zIwvZGLk2MY8HVUrMFAPzUsfLEzSjkA4OQh3iyY679BhG1QaRaJEYb9h0dpb6nhrxfElZ59WWVcaDfMRUU1zJMWH1mp9/s5152/IMG_3578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gC3lnjm5cFTp2z0xeCctdkPoIzk-2ipWkF-yOVhJ-n9nJRk2sRhD8LVxCbhue0qvY02r0v0BOgxGd3KBEs82eHVFc82Dxij9zIwvZGLk2MY8HVUrMFAPzUsfLEzSjkA4OQh3iyY679BhG1QaRaJEYb9h0dpb6nhrxfElZ59WWVcaDfMRUU1zJMWH1mp9/w640-h480/IMG_3578.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lilac buds</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">According to the groundhog yesterday, spring is coming soon. So we shall see.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-25026166367273694622024-01-31T11:24:00.001-05:002024-02-01T07:43:00.630-05:00Speed Blogging, January 31, 2024<p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">In an attempt to post more often and not overthink things, I will be doing speed blogging from time to time. I will blog for however long it is on my timer. Currently, that's 16 minutes. Read ahead for a bit of stream-of-consciousness posting. :) </span></i></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><i>________________________________</i></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Note: I haven't been taking many pictures recently, so pictures with this post are from this day 10 years ago, Jan. 2014.</span></i></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRvfW1-dCwfmhN5ubkxZM-Ywy1a74NtcEm5HZ01l2QPmh-57cUXzv-BmLr1cPENBBQQkpv7YgEM-DgAnz2DkwwSHmublhKPiUkf_TJXBuaBKqV2yMRWt-ZoeTlJYpxC4P-bUBn4QW_R9-8qNiZxaNX4M7TBfrpBnKn4Cd0jHYoABVVJW5hb34lMX-QmMB/s3648/DSC00132.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRvfW1-dCwfmhN5ubkxZM-Ywy1a74NtcEm5HZ01l2QPmh-57cUXzv-BmLr1cPENBBQQkpv7YgEM-DgAnz2DkwwSHmublhKPiUkf_TJXBuaBKqV2yMRWt-ZoeTlJYpxC4P-bUBn4QW_R9-8qNiZxaNX4M7TBfrpBnKn4Cd0jHYoABVVJW5hb34lMX-QmMB/w640-h480/DSC00132.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Back when we had 4 kitties. Annie, Lucky, Lucy, and Leo.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I will have to stick to my timer today because I need to help Theo, who is locked out of his car. He is in the dentist's chair, so I have a few minutes before I have to leave. In the meantime, we have workmen here working on a loose tile in the kitchen. Ward will stay with them. Luckily, I don't go to work until later this afternoon, so I'm free to help.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I heard something the other day that had me making one of those "Well, in my day..." comments. Someone told me they were at a local brew pub and tried to pay with cash. Then, the employee said they didn't take cash. I was surprised to hear that. I know that most people use less cash these days by using a credit card or some form of electronic payment. But cash is what it's all based on! It seems like there should be some kind of regulation that businesses have to accept cash. I don't know how common this no-cash policy is. I do know a few people who only take Venmo for their handcrafted things, but that's different than an establishment where you can come in off the street. Anyway, times are a changin'.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjXvVqOYZs_lKsopfprOJilRWw9A1mSAHaNIJyPxDBBQLEAdcAwZqIYZhicyX80piJVjJpaLglbO9ZlslVqrY1nsFg7ELDBMbCewoF8RYkTgKjtATRl7oraK_Zl5wEv5a2HQvV3hAcQSIpXV4MjgPwuW9nrjBzFoUf5RiKGbDRFyW9h17AI7B4aFuLq0W/s3648/DSC00145.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjXvVqOYZs_lKsopfprOJilRWw9A1mSAHaNIJyPxDBBQLEAdcAwZqIYZhicyX80piJVjJpaLglbO9ZlslVqrY1nsFg7ELDBMbCewoF8RYkTgKjtATRl7oraK_Zl5wEv5a2HQvV3hAcQSIpXV4MjgPwuW9nrjBzFoUf5RiKGbDRFyW9h17AI7B4aFuLq0W/w640-h480/DSC00145.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Female cardinal</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This past week has been busy. I worked more than usual, and we've had a few more extracurriculars than usual. Ward and I are basically introverts who sometimes find it an effort to socialize in unfamiliar places. But we try to do it anyway. Last weekend's big event was a line dancing party at the local American Legion Hall. We had no idea what to expect. Although we did know some people there, we spent most of the time by ourselves. That is, except for the other 150 people we were dancing with. It was a good fit for us, and we had fun. They spent the first two hours teaching dances, and the last hour was free dancing. And the experienced people knew just what dance to do for what song. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Times up for now. Another time, I may talk more about me and dancing.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p><p><br /></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-57281233676111874352024-01-25T08:36:00.002-05:002024-01-25T11:13:23.317-05:00Getting Rid of Stuff<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> We're in the middle of a decluttering effort at our house. I'm not sure how long it's going to last, but so far, it's going well. We have finished the cat things, our bedroom, and our bathroom and have started our files. After going through the tedious and difficult process of deciding what needed to go and what was going to stay, we still had to process what we were getting rid of. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So far, we have gotten rid of three carloads of stuff, another seven big bags, and two boxes that were picked up. Here are the places where things have gone: vet's office, Humane Society, charity pickup, church thrift store, women's shelter, friends, recycling center, home recycling, the dump, and trash. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I tried not to get too hung up on finding just the right fit for an item because that can be immobilizing. But I hoped that by donating something to the right place, it could still be used, or it wouldn't be a burden on someone else who would have to get rid of it because it really was trash. Also, we tried to coordinate our donation trips with other errands to be mindful of our time and gas.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>So I said that I tried not to</span><span> get too hung up on finding just the right place for things, but when you look at the list, maybe I did. Do find it hard to declutter? Do you worry about donating things to the right place, or do you say, "Good enough is good enough"?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-79413529336825660512024-01-22T17:26:00.004-05:002024-01-22T17:49:57.146-05:00Snowflakes<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3kRb3ABuk2bVJRwB08DFYgOUsSQ8Rngk99leNgmh3U3JGmQgXDObyGI7M6ntjDaYqS-LIqIu1tB-u_ICd2uqAgr3L5ASu7J15yjwHW7tRxLWZ2yxRqrH8HMr8q2U53a1zke7wjTqr99P8HK8JRBT-1Rbza9jsx4Yw6mLKpLZ1z07OJhOHTFv8RLDxTo0/s5152/IMG_3545.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3kRb3ABuk2bVJRwB08DFYgOUsSQ8Rngk99leNgmh3U3JGmQgXDObyGI7M6ntjDaYqS-LIqIu1tB-u_ICd2uqAgr3L5ASu7J15yjwHW7tRxLWZ2yxRqrH8HMr8q2U53a1zke7wjTqr99P8HK8JRBT-1Rbza9jsx4Yw6mLKpLZ1z07OJhOHTFv8RLDxTo0/w640-h480/IMG_3545.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Recent snow in my neighborhood.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span>With snow covering most of the country, I think it's time </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">again</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">to share a poem Theo wrote when was a young boy. It's simple but describes fresh snowfall well. At least, I think so. (Of course, as his mother, I'm not biased. 😀)</span></span></div><p></p><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Snowflakes<br /><br />Snowflakes falling from the sky,<br />Landing softly on the ground,<br />Often times I wonder why,<br />They never ever make a sound.</i></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Landing softly on the ground,</i></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Snowflakes white and glistening,</i></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Nothing ever to be found,</i></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>For someone who is listening.</i></span></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-11475886800896800492024-01-21T21:45:00.001-05:002024-01-21T21:46:52.462-05:00Speed Blogging<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i> <span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;">In an attempt to post more often and not overthink things, I will be doing some speed blogging from time to time. I will blog for however long it is on my timer. Currently, that's 16 minutes. </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;">I haven't been using the timer much today, but that's what's on it from the last time I used it. Without further ado...</span></i></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC4tnTz-lL3E-VIlzB5PHDpcivZ35qm8UYJNYTU4Vqz2IMQQe0WgrKtjGGRTG00eOj13obA2WIB0SM_ZHPbR5uqxEyr087QzDKr7CMlDgChQUIqtsmDObfIjVHXslI66Mpt6CR4bWlH-22KfyhQYojRBsc7GuH7VEEuVWfFEy1nNvVr1ryHSJwDBgj0bH/s5152/IMG_3551.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC4tnTz-lL3E-VIlzB5PHDpcivZ35qm8UYJNYTU4Vqz2IMQQe0WgrKtjGGRTG00eOj13obA2WIB0SM_ZHPbR5uqxEyr087QzDKr7CMlDgChQUIqtsmDObfIjVHXslI66Mpt6CR4bWlH-22KfyhQYojRBsc7GuH7VEEuVWfFEy1nNvVr1ryHSJwDBgj0bH/w640-h480/IMG_3551.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Out the kitchen window</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We have been having winter weather like much of the rest of the country. Luckily, we have not seen its extremes. This past week, we had a couple of snowfalls (maybe 8-9" total) with temps in the teens and high winds. Enough bad weather to cancel several things, including our dancing class on Monday night and the line dancing party we were going to go to on Friday. The latter has been rescheduled for next week.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We also missed a stargazing party at a local brewery because of the bitter cold and wind. There's another one scheduled for next month. Ward used to do these kinds of events where he would set up his telescope with others for people to look at different things in the night sky. I was so amazed the first time he showed me some of Jupiter's moons and the rings of Saturn. Maybe this will get him back into star gazing. His telescope has been packed up in the basement for several years. Sometimes, when I look at stars and think about what I'm actually seeing, my brain has a hard time comprehending the vastness of it all, and it sort of freaks me out. There. Now you know some more about my peculiarities. :)</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;">I<span style="font-size: medium;"> mentioned earlier that we had car problems and are getting a new car. After being unsuccessful last week, we tried again on Saturday to buy the car that had come in for us. After a couple of hours, they determined that the person who had to approve the paperwork wasn't in, and it would have to wait. Hopefully, we will have a new car by tomorrow evening.</span></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAMTpPMHvrykD9URJY1YOl0IYCe_SXtFX3tZoIlO3B_ntImIQ_o300Bgsn-HT9v1xTRpv5-CLtRes1X8zI4zXsvJws-N9CqJM_tYh3277dmM96HPYrciY6pdeHlE0JSnVKLhhyTpfTaGNuyIaQgI_7RXqpBMkNqM5nghMrJMOFPtSZ8Om_daNtJHfu3QH/s3857/IMG_20240120_135719337_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2254" data-original-width="3857" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAMTpPMHvrykD9URJY1YOl0IYCe_SXtFX3tZoIlO3B_ntImIQ_o300Bgsn-HT9v1xTRpv5-CLtRes1X8zI4zXsvJws-N9CqJM_tYh3277dmM96HPYrciY6pdeHlE0JSnVKLhhyTpfTaGNuyIaQgI_7RXqpBMkNqM5nghMrJMOFPtSZ8Om_daNtJHfu3QH/w640-h374/IMG_20240120_135719337_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ward worked another puzzle this week. This one was 1000 pieces, and he completed it in just a few hours. Have I mentioned that Ward is good at puzzles? :)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I had been wanting to do some decluttering in the new year. We started with our bedroom and bathroom. I am happy to say that we have completed that area. We have looked through the closets, every drawer, shelf, and cabinet, gotten rid of what we didn't need, and reorganized the rest. One benefit of this exercise is that I found some things I had forgotten I had that I want to start wearing or using again. </span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff;">This weekend, we started on our office. I don't know how long this will take because an awful lot of papers can be crammed into a small space. And our space is not that small. I sorted two major folders today. It's just a drop in the bucket, but I feel pretty good about it. Ward and I usually have different ideas about what we want to keep, so part of the job is reaching a compromise on that.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff;">Last night, we went out to dinner with my brother and sister-in-law. Wally and Theo came along since they hadn't seen them at Christmas. You may remember that "the boys," as I call them, both had COVID at Christmas. A good time was had by all. </span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff;">Today, I made a big pot of vegetable soup - always a favorite of mine. I was especially pleased because I was able to rescue a few things from the fridge and pantry. Other than that, we've been eating a lot of hummus, tzatziki, and crackers. </span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff;">The timer is beeping, so I guess my time's up for this post.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff;">Until next time...</span></span></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-54462315600048711302024-01-18T10:58:00.006-05:002024-01-18T11:55:50.503-05:00Mrs. Schoolcraft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoJ0uTWrhThElaq3QhWQRcyzBtZ8XLbOpiJrkUdE6IS_oXq7VoOrx4pg_9t-waew8cO-dCzLRN_3pt2fZ4Jks_P6saEvJ3eiUyC4cEO8WxlSuyRxrvcGMshzRXVIflq9SvQVwjvFtVKvMNQTRrI9ejUufoOgkXhE2GVDwEanFDfcxtuXQo_jA2XyM1o1EW" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1308" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoJ0uTWrhThElaq3QhWQRcyzBtZ8XLbOpiJrkUdE6IS_oXq7VoOrx4pg_9t-waew8cO-dCzLRN_3pt2fZ4Jks_P6saEvJ3eiUyC4cEO8WxlSuyRxrvcGMshzRXVIflq9SvQVwjvFtVKvMNQTRrI9ejUufoOgkXhE2GVDwEanFDfcxtuXQo_jA2XyM1o1EW=w400-h234" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mrs. Schoolcraft</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I grew up in a small town in West Virginia. We lived on a short, hilly street, and directly across the street was a house much like ours - an older, two-story house. After a series of neighbors who lived there for a year or two, Clem and Donnie Schoolcraft moved in.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">They were an elderly couple; at least, they seemed that way to me then, but when you're 12, everyone looks old. But if I had to guess, they were in their seventies. They had lived their whole life out in the country and moved to town for convenience as they got older. Mr. Schoolcraft didn't do much but sit quietly on the porch. Probably because his wife was such a talker. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Mrs. Schoolcraft could talk non-stop, seemingly without taking a breath. She loved to talk with friends on the phone, people in the neighborhood, people at church, and people she saw at the store. She would go to visitations (sometimes called viewings or wakes) at the two funeral homes we had in town, whether or not she knew the person who had died or their family. She would go hoping to run into someone she knew because visitations often brought people into town that you might not usually see. When she talked with my mother, the drone of Mrs. Schoolcraft's voice would put my mother to sleep every time. We always smiled when we saw her nodding off.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Mrs. Schoolcraft was not only a talker but a hard worker. She always said that she wanted to wear out before she rusted out. The fact that she had a serious heart problem didn't slow her down a bit. Her house was immaculate, and she would regularly be seen on her porch roof washing her upstairs windows. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And she loved flowers. Her porch and yard were full of bright flowers in the summer, and along with the flowers, she had huge ferns on her porch. She did all the work to keep her yard looking good, including trimming the hedge that grew along the side of her property. When she trimmed her hedge, it would go something like this. She would get out her electric hedge trimmer and start cutting. Then, at some point, she would cut the cord in half, and she would bring it over to my father, who would fix it. And it would work until the next time she trimmed the hedge. Mrs. Schoolcraft cut that cord every time she used the hedge trimmer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I told you about Mrs. Schoolcraft because of what happened yesterday. I was shredding the large volume of vet bills we had accumulated, feeding them a few at a time until there was a jam. Upon further investigation, the jam was a metal rabies tag that had been taped to a bill that was stuck in the blades. I worked with it a bit until I took it to Ward to see if he could fix it, and he got the shredder working again after some work with screwdrivers and pliers. I was annoyed with the mistake I had made and checked the other papers to make sure that there were no other tags on the remaining papers. I started shredding again, and all was going well until the shredder jammed. Again! And I am embarrassed to say that this time, I got two tags stuck in it at once. While I had checked the remaining papers, I did it more by feeling than by separating every single page. I sheepishly took the shredder back to Ward, who fixed it once again, although it took a lot longer this time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So, as I made the same avoidable mistake, I thought about Mrs. Schoolcraft and how she cut the cord of her trimmer every time. And that made me smile through my embarrassment as I remembered her. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So now I'm off to finish the shredding, and I want you to know that I have separated every single sheet of paper to check for any other shredding hazards that may be lurking. I know that will make Ward happy. 😉</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time..</span>.</p><p><br /></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-27351414259776139562024-01-14T19:19:00.000-05:002024-01-14T19:19:55.875-05:00Speed Blogging<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> Or Stream of Consciousness for 14 minutes.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In an attempt to post more often and not overthink things, I will be doing some speed blogging from time to time. I will blog for however long it is on my timer. Currently, that's 14 minutes and 5 seconds. I have been using that amount today to move me along from task to task.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlMBpoE35HJc03Jhs8rteaW7xpzWpsinQW8hMcrlYXcko9mOES1DzfKOyUwVIoaeC3xI4mCFrfi4bSCyUHLUnqweY84n3rdFAdNlW-HW6PW9jPN-8VaEstZC3Npt1olwT-Sfq-EguQ_Wpx3oggmzVh-8VgAw8cA2ahVvl2Vjm0nnS_tLx5YSlsYKZsI07/s5152/IMG_3516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlMBpoE35HJc03Jhs8rteaW7xpzWpsinQW8hMcrlYXcko9mOES1DzfKOyUwVIoaeC3xI4mCFrfi4bSCyUHLUnqweY84n3rdFAdNlW-HW6PW9jPN-8VaEstZC3Npt1olwT-Sfq-EguQ_Wpx3oggmzVh-8VgAw8cA2ahVvl2Vjm0nnS_tLx5YSlsYKZsI07/w400-h300/IMG_3516.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A recent puzzle Ward worked of Dolly Sods, <br />a beautiful area in eastern West Virginia.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week, our cat, Annie, died. Our last one. It's amazing how quiet and lonely the house feels now that she's gone, even though she was only a small cat who slept most of the time. Yet, Ward and I both feel the loneliness. Oh, well. It's all part of life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We have started to go through our cat stuff since we won't be getting any more cats (allergy problems). We have thrown away some things, donated others, and cleaned others that will be donated soon. I've been calling around to rescue organizations to see what they could use. I know it's soon, but I want to move on and just remember the fun times of 40 years of having cats in our family.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaUziUKvPhMy55ar5K0wxUdaHh7SvdizuuP-CeozB0UnMtdMiPam-KPb46UPCJkDByNJ7o0kVr2BaLj_3-z1SpA3C_J1ZjOeQFMX93wixvXv_4wcPU3v1bdwaYgmJ0asE6abPL1930ojJAoKfpyfUSQ95d5IXZ4tugO3tenJy3bObsmAOLlAMDImkmFQe/s2856/100_0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2142" data-original-width="2856" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaUziUKvPhMy55ar5K0wxUdaHh7SvdizuuP-CeozB0UnMtdMiPam-KPb46UPCJkDByNJ7o0kVr2BaLj_3-z1SpA3C_J1ZjOeQFMX93wixvXv_4wcPU3v1bdwaYgmJ0asE6abPL1930ojJAoKfpyfUSQ95d5IXZ4tugO3tenJy3bObsmAOLlAMDImkmFQe/w640-h480/100_0191.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Annie</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In the meantime, we have been having major car problems to the point that we are buying a new car. A process that I find very stressful. We narrowed it down to three models, which we shopped for on Friday. After much discussion, we decided on what we wanted, and Ward was going to buy it on Saturday while I was at work. However, the three cars we saw on Friday were all sold by the time Ward got there on Saturday. We've put a deposit down, and they should get another one in a couple of weeks. BTW, car prices are ridiculous these days and are selling over the MSRP!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Today, we've had a much-needed quiet day working around the house. I am hoping to do some major decluttering this winter. We've started with our bathroom and plan to move on to our bedroom. I've been working a little at a time, cleaning out a drawer here and a shelf there. We're making progress and plan to continue. By doing it this way, the task doesn't seem so overwhelming. Ward went through his shirts a few days ago and found 20 to give away. He hasn't gone through them since he retired and only needs a few now. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On the fun side, Ward and I signed up for 6 weeks of samba and rumba lessons at the local rec center. We had our first lesson last week. It was fun because I didn't worry too much about not getting it right. My main goal (as with exercise classes) is to generally move the same way as everyone else so I don't bump into anyone. The instructor has an accent that is hard to understand but is nice. The classes are a fun diversion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We recently watched an excellent, feel-good movie called "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_Dave_(film)">Bank of Dave</a>." It is about a rural Englishman who starts his own local bank and is the story of the little guy pitted against the big guys. It is based on a true story. Netflix made the movie, but we watched it on Amazon Prime for $3. I highly recommend it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okay, I just checked my timer because it seems like my time should be about up. Guess what? I forgot to press start. Oops!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, that's it for my speed blogging today. What have you been up to?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-61137748393971290292024-01-11T10:39:00.001-05:002024-01-11T10:46:45.317-05:00And Then There Were None<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYZG_H4VzjAT1WLUg2Kz0Ct6e4g4xR3YYALplPuo1dg2Do_hGZgaXhZIH72iX-9ymOniTI2G_QXZcQFPZbh6yKTacLTBEii4Ik-S4dk2ziMvDOzdhcLzdmID1BlUv2rj4DV7hWejv6ZU__B_5QHhsYD3IXP_dM2TkyILkCGddaG9RnbVzK4FZDaV_QsOv/s5152/IMG_1786.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYZG_H4VzjAT1WLUg2Kz0Ct6e4g4xR3YYALplPuo1dg2Do_hGZgaXhZIH72iX-9ymOniTI2G_QXZcQFPZbh6yKTacLTBEii4Ik-S4dk2ziMvDOzdhcLzdmID1BlUv2rj4DV7hWejv6ZU__B_5QHhsYD3IXP_dM2TkyILkCGddaG9RnbVzK4FZDaV_QsOv/w640-h480/IMG_1786.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Annie, a few months ago.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> When I started this blog, we had four cats. Now we have none. Yesterday, we had to put Annie down. She had taken a turn for the worse, and it was time. Several years ago, I found out that I was allergic to cats, so we won't be getting any more. After 40 years of having cats, it is going to be a hard adjustment to make.</span><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwPL-8geipGLhi6PQOnum7eKBBByirNvLSgZrLz75_WNHoldgXRHxsZvVK3vl3CENyW2USAqOkII36M84Hd7Xi7xrQtsspsoVPHSGzvS8gVMJbu3F3D-2eFIR5opZnuxDAmbQ7aua-Iin/s1600/Color+Cats+2.jpg" style="clear: left; color: #3a79c9; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwPL-8geipGLhi6PQOnum7eKBBByirNvLSgZrLz75_WNHoldgXRHxsZvVK3vl3CENyW2USAqOkII36M84Hd7Xi7xrQtsspsoVPHSGzvS8gVMJbu3F3D-2eFIR5opZnuxDAmbQ7aua-Iin/w400-h294/Color+Cats+2.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Annie (left) and her brother, Leo - the early days</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got Annie over twenty years ago when we adopted her and her littermate, Leo, from a pet rescue organization. They joined our other two cats, Lucky and Lucy.</span></span><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Annie came into the household adventuresome and bossy. Among other things, she tried to take over the favorite spots of the older cats. This had mixed results. After a few months, the pecking order was finally established, and much to her chagrin, Annie was the Number Two cat.</span></span><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When she didn't make gains in territory, she focused on eating. She soon figured out that I usually did the feeding, and she stuck to me like glue. Annie would always be the first one eating, pushing others out of the way if necessary, even though they each had their own bowl. She would bump my hand as I was pouring food so more would spill into the bowl. Then, if any food was left from the other cats, she would finish it. </span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mJz9gVanqNOHwfa4uBGDjefemsIQb3B2AAPHJ4sfzdNyEm8T541C7ZX5b54K5neYKuxZrw-MHeay6wKVzIrc3IcUyPiQ9viiDRG_cc-oRqPArpRFgEWhdy2D4xaSeXT_LRJ3IC1mCEuX/s1600/Annie+jumping.jpg" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mJz9gVanqNOHwfa4uBGDjefemsIQb3B2AAPHJ4sfzdNyEm8T541C7ZX5b54K5neYKuxZrw-MHeay6wKVzIrc3IcUyPiQ9viiDRG_cc-oRqPArpRFgEWhdy2D4xaSeXT_LRJ3IC1mCEuX/w562-h640/Annie+jumping.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="562" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Annie in her heavier days.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Her competitive eating soon made her rather Garfield-like, but her size did not slow her down, however. She was still the loudest cat and the most aggressive hunter. She was always first on the scene when anything new came into the house. But she also loved her lap time and a scratch under her chin.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Annie slowed down over the years but was still eager to let you know when she wanted something. Her very expressive meows let you know that you should fill her food bowl or come sit down and pet her.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmbwkyX2h1FCc1Tl6sYf75dg2bUSUzX4kF60TUTuSG_u9yRW6LNvKfC8DXJc4RRW2IWk05r728s6-CT05nW9Bso0557uFTdD4l7slvHKug7liVPcDoD2hZaHDenR-dZKZNLJFsD8ubFx6ZhlMosf6sxMdzqDUYciAnQOGJTNOj96eRywOhEnd_16S6M3Hw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmbwkyX2h1FCc1Tl6sYf75dg2bUSUzX4kF60TUTuSG_u9yRW6LNvKfC8DXJc4RRW2IWk05r728s6-CT05nW9Bso0557uFTdD4l7slvHKug7liVPcDoD2hZaHDenR-dZKZNLJFsD8ubFx6ZhlMosf6sxMdzqDUYciAnQOGJTNOj96eRywOhEnd_16S6M3Hw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Annie still getting in trouble in her old age.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A few weeks ago, we discovered a rapidly growing tumor on her leg. Because of her age, removal was not an option. We watched as she kept going despite the discomfort she was having. However, yesterday, we found her having difficulty with her bodily functions and clearly in distress. We guessed that the tumor had spread to other parts of her body.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Making the decision to end a pet's suffering is always a difficult one, but Wally said something that helped. </span><span>He visited over the weekend and noted even though Annie was definitely </span><span>showing her age, she still had her personality. So when yesterday, she wasn't showing her "listen to me now" ways, we knew it was time. </span></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Goodbye, Annie. You were a great addition to the family, and you are sorely missed.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div></div>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-91486617260733628082024-01-10T12:30:00.001-05:002024-01-10T14:15:58.563-05:00Ward's Been Busy<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ward has been interested in woodworking since he was a kid. However, most of his life he has not had much time to do more than read about it, but he always hoped that would change. And because of that hope, when we were shopping for houses before our last move, one of the requirements was that it had to have something he could use as a shop or a space where he could build one. This house came with an extra garage, so as soon as he saw it, he said, "Sold!"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Fast forward to a few years later, and Ward has been spending time in his workshop upgrading his equipment and honing his skills. Retirement has helped with that. He's happy, and I'm happy. And he's getting pretty good.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are some of the things he made for Christmas gifts this year.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7x0UbN-2S_cL6SoJzMB9vS18X6anSLlqJh6BNyST7kVFAomrpGaujURQl_4hrt5cZCQxcE9bMiZhHr6ibDhWH_wiYgWhiIXh_p6bwGW8tZ_5KsUOgC_unGH64ogtW9MqoKxFQVqAxlzB1zBZjMyfrrXZBpEapq9XaxJlFFuPwR2C84AiDWSG2ib6_FJX/s1171/IMG_20231227_134851721.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1171" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7x0UbN-2S_cL6SoJzMB9vS18X6anSLlqJh6BNyST7kVFAomrpGaujURQl_4hrt5cZCQxcE9bMiZhHr6ibDhWH_wiYgWhiIXh_p6bwGW8tZ_5KsUOgC_unGH64ogtW9MqoKxFQVqAxlzB1zBZjMyfrrXZBpEapq9XaxJlFFuPwR2C84AiDWSG2ib6_FJX/w640-h480/IMG_20231227_134851721.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a console table he made for Wally and Theo. They have a niche at their place where this table fits perfectly. (Painted pine base, maple top.)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrf3C9QIPOBw4abt3iyGEi4a9Ka1L0AwjQDug83cCcZX1fJHLPxJ4bcXMYLCRiwlkV46hXuY8eBl9aH31aw5gftcmjPJmGT9FP3Vf6xeEF9xsVdBIN2FrqhQreiAKvh-lXTLmSEqVuUJNf4wi-G3lzpfi2SdY7cAoWOau-4UrMcUo85axtCPHnc9MXMk_4/s1171/IMG_20231214_092944098.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1171" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrf3C9QIPOBw4abt3iyGEi4a9Ka1L0AwjQDug83cCcZX1fJHLPxJ4bcXMYLCRiwlkV46hXuY8eBl9aH31aw5gftcmjPJmGT9FP3Vf6xeEF9xsVdBIN2FrqhQreiAKvh-lXTLmSEqVuUJNf4wi-G3lzpfi2SdY7cAoWOau-4UrMcUo85axtCPHnc9MXMk_4/w640-h480/IMG_20231214_092944098.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A cutlery tote. (Cherry)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZfQ5tc_bwllFeTfPwCFw5VP76-QsdsuFTdkRdDvzON5Ha7Rl5dgRz5uEmAUUynU8HwsaN0mPvHzvDEzUjjPQSvbZhQ9f_bp5m_ggM5RW1VfWlJtxDEy5q7Y6XEmTHcyEwgkn4F4f_p3kWtFepAHp0eWYNWP1zjZJfYSX5Uw9bm1EDCmlkP5NqzYFMEVM/s1171/IMG_20231224_100416569.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1171" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZfQ5tc_bwllFeTfPwCFw5VP76-QsdsuFTdkRdDvzON5Ha7Rl5dgRz5uEmAUUynU8HwsaN0mPvHzvDEzUjjPQSvbZhQ9f_bp5m_ggM5RW1VfWlJtxDEy5q7Y6XEmTHcyEwgkn4F4f_p3kWtFepAHp0eWYNWP1zjZJfYSX5Uw9bm1EDCmlkP5NqzYFMEVM/w640-h480/IMG_20231224_100416569.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kindling box filled with hardwood scraps. (Pine)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5pOoeaHTm3wVhY87zrKHA9_QW__kKcmzZjNjdzXTEK0fOUa3MukDmr-LUZoUbFyZd7P2lbla3hOJkU8MdwJ651PEmAhmRf8ku0eRNIPrzNzPlvR8zirnmQdG2cmyGYLlNQcotPwLl6HQoHkkpS6jUF_lEB4hHkwOSqWryoXbm7GsLpmhaT4XABdHszeQ/s879/IMG_20231214_092821634.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="659" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5pOoeaHTm3wVhY87zrKHA9_QW__kKcmzZjNjdzXTEK0fOUa3MukDmr-LUZoUbFyZd7P2lbla3hOJkU8MdwJ651PEmAhmRf8ku0eRNIPrzNzPlvR8zirnmQdG2cmyGYLlNQcotPwLl6HQoHkkpS6jUF_lEB4hHkwOSqWryoXbm7GsLpmhaT4XABdHszeQ/w480-h640/IMG_20231214_092821634.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">M&M dispenser. Ward's father always has peanut M&Ms around for visitors to enjoy, so Ward thought this dispenser would be fun for him. Peanut M&Ms are irregularly sized and shaped, so he had to go through several prototypes to find the best design. (Fir)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEici8Lpq1oj3tSnkIRr4Ck6Bi9sDuaXgwZVOXE7bfW6-2W1j4nWevTgP2MiArLUUOvr2E4NKiQqvEjjI3TaFPyIXdLTZ3EBQ1wb82-F4iW-bDP3AKkrAHxgWWz9hRx4IH4FlBaCLX49WvtKGoKKZP7jwTJqD6MGMbW2txXObOt_x6XABP1qW2PQEJCJ0ATJ/s879/IMG_20231216_181458838.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="659" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEici8Lpq1oj3tSnkIRr4Ck6Bi9sDuaXgwZVOXE7bfW6-2W1j4nWevTgP2MiArLUUOvr2E4NKiQqvEjjI3TaFPyIXdLTZ3EBQ1wb82-F4iW-bDP3AKkrAHxgWWz9hRx4IH4FlBaCLX49WvtKGoKKZP7jwTJqD6MGMbW2txXObOt_x6XABP1qW2PQEJCJ0ATJ/w480-h640/IMG_20231216_181458838.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was one of the earlier prototypes. It works great with regular M&Ms, but he is redesigning and putting a different base on it. I told him I wanted to keep this one. (Pine)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Next up, Ward is building a kitchen island for a friend. I want to get on his list because I have several things I want him to build.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-20472029556651789132024-01-07T15:46:00.002-05:002024-01-07T15:46:21.407-05:002023 in Review, the Second Six Months<p> </p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> As has become my tradition, I will look at what 2023 was like for me, according to my blog. Here it is, 2023- the second six months. (In case you're interested, here's the<a href="https://liveandlearn-tossandturn.blogspot.com/2024/01/2023-in-review-first-six-months.html"> first six months</a>.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">July</span></b></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKbIX9ZQxGl-weebO9chyDbKHcOAmXjNla_sZJXP6uI0aRfZsYnXAhT2vVDpkDwAPbqvOUX8Omljm9ZjrdLP7YvrjDJ33XOk0I74iiiSXbqF_ILANFEwU-O7nDTauWihD01kdshG1H-OMvhr-GtwlExLscPRvYD9AtEV_94AF0t3ar64vGzK6S5PmLkVR0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKbIX9ZQxGl-weebO9chyDbKHcOAmXjNla_sZJXP6uI0aRfZsYnXAhT2vVDpkDwAPbqvOUX8Omljm9ZjrdLP7YvrjDJ33XOk0I74iiiSXbqF_ILANFEwU-O7nDTauWihD01kdshG1H-OMvhr-GtwlExLscPRvYD9AtEV_94AF0t3ar64vGzK6S5PmLkVR0=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We picked blueberries at Uncle Billy's house this month.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I began the month with a 4th of July post about when Ward's mother got her US citizenship. Later, I talked about a baby shower I was having and about Wally and Theo getting a new place. I ended the month with a travelog about the trip Ward and I took to Pennsylvania. And, as always, I featured what was growing in our yard. </span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPwtZ-jWjFp7FvWjBXIYBsNrCxJ2ogPsYeiXTREtsMlkJe32jDiC5U_PG0r0OfwHWwBuhNnGQkNNa8ONd8SXZdGYzKCulpIbyRusFT2Fd1tfe6JX_RCUFKNlaSDN3b3iZZid0nU2tx1BItea-ZqKxGlydDplUOILh5menyBGXNsvEIe4_Vep6LlfCiBZKz" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPwtZ-jWjFp7FvWjBXIYBsNrCxJ2ogPsYeiXTREtsMlkJe32jDiC5U_PG0r0OfwHWwBuhNnGQkNNa8ONd8SXZdGYzKCulpIbyRusFT2Fd1tfe6JX_RCUFKNlaSDN3b3iZZid0nU2tx1BItea-ZqKxGlydDplUOILh5menyBGXNsvEIe4_Vep6LlfCiBZKz=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The highlight of the PA trip was a visit to The Ruins, an abandoned coal mine adorned with hundreds of mosaics.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>_________________________________________________________________</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>August</b></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwa1BzfGdlZEdLnXxNP4vUbp9TLm98VBMlkL2i8cbeAy-PzEB6LvLuOuIWrvUGFQK64QJ4eM4WMGp5CO8mLnFUIceQpeHga8caPgricnOqMgGG0uawflxWZdIIYTfdWZGasVPzGNuELaUrBEFSh8xe1VmI6UCprvOa1-ZV9WnezgwBQ8BjldnAmrJdMDNZ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwa1BzfGdlZEdLnXxNP4vUbp9TLm98VBMlkL2i8cbeAy-PzEB6LvLuOuIWrvUGFQK64QJ4eM4WMGp5CO8mLnFUIceQpeHga8caPgricnOqMgGG0uawflxWZdIIYTfdWZGasVPzGNuELaUrBEFSh8xe1VmI6UCprvOa1-ZV9WnezgwBQ8BjldnAmrJdMDNZ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A volunteer sunflower planted by the birds.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;">I </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">did six posts in August. In August, we took a day trip to Pennsylvania to visit Camp Micheax and found other interesting things along the way. I chronicled the odyssey of trying to find a new rug and did a meanderings post in which I talked about an eye patch I had to wear and tomatoes that needed to be processed. In addition, I did two focused posts - one about my perfectionism and one about coping with the overwhelming bad news we hear every day. And no month would be complete without some flower pictures.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNNQYJQk4_1PUznNV2hz0QZ-sU6bDEZ0X2rLci_wyT7lEAho8jS4ZAeIKdWbCe4RVk4mDriyFxrsBndXaHAjFGKDEzcCCAhAGEkNVXAiVdbAv9w6fEt0ozvgPzzmD-hAiDgam6atzB5qe7xfeAD9Ax9l83LCbDze74Ju1hQJlYd7NO2SKlyS7A3jvL0BJF" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNNQYJQk4_1PUznNV2hz0QZ-sU6bDEZ0X2rLci_wyT7lEAho8jS4ZAeIKdWbCe4RVk4mDriyFxrsBndXaHAjFGKDEzcCCAhAGEkNVXAiVdbAv9w6fEt0ozvgPzzmD-hAiDgam6atzB5qe7xfeAD9Ax9l83LCbDze74Ju1hQJlYd7NO2SKlyS7A3jvL0BJF=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the few structures still standing at Camp Micheax. </span></td></tr></tbody></table>_________________________________________________________________</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>September</b></span></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAY02SyNHe36TdTl2eruWj1eQvOjjO0BNuUZ1carO6A24c20azbugr3HojXoCIyyCtnsMt9uIpMKmbkzFGsHIkDHtmwCTVEdUycYkoCpkB_7BYxZO3I-H266GbzNP5q_3nl1DLpoIejZg24u8vOlbuUwpaFzzeQJAZUyzLjptFMvLbtVtwnzvHTh3_Jtbg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAY02SyNHe36TdTl2eruWj1eQvOjjO0BNuUZ1carO6A24c20azbugr3HojXoCIyyCtnsMt9uIpMKmbkzFGsHIkDHtmwCTVEdUycYkoCpkB_7BYxZO3I-H266GbzNP5q_3nl1DLpoIejZg24u8vOlbuUwpaFzzeQJAZUyzLjptFMvLbtVtwnzvHTh3_Jtbg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a surprise iris bloom in September.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-size: large;">I did seven posts in September. We began the month with a trip to West Virginia and Ohio for a family reunion. While there, we explored Marietta, the first settlement in the Northwest Territory. At the end of the month, I was chronicling a trip we took to Peaks of Otter Virgina. In between, I talked about singing and a broken apple tree branch. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpFJKo6eRLcJhypAQFpxqxLJvz8dSIyZXL7_TOsRj3H5F_ndJ-tVFzFIQbrlRD5tGNSrVE4vNR8vSS4IpkaHLm-u_Hr_sNgf0kmcF4HNehOZ_X_c4tbj1CONgiCnaFfa0YdNfdwWLncQBk8hhN_BVvHXOZ4eiAL4WuApVhQHebmLT1_M2t2SbsEELML9N6" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpFJKo6eRLcJhypAQFpxqxLJvz8dSIyZXL7_TOsRj3H5F_ndJ-tVFzFIQbrlRD5tGNSrVE4vNR8vSS4IpkaHLm-u_Hr_sNgf0kmcF4HNehOZ_X_c4tbj1CONgiCnaFfa0YdNfdwWLncQBk8hhN_BVvHXOZ4eiAL4WuApVhQHebmLT1_M2t2SbsEELML9N6=w640-h482" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Flat Top Peak at Peaks of Otter.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />__________________________________________________________________</span></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>October</b></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdGsN3mxz6efzjfJ-sMlJ_olLSzUwf3ChFVNHsZr43jJbM_wYwBLxHu6Y1vkKadZmRvEbxFUW97_z1L2PK3wK4IS8J7BxUDL3hQRSJrOQNzPQlt8T0pUIzNqcLyU8LsXLZihlT4Th5HDFmnCHZIKs0aAaj747xGonS-Kh4Pjmajt4jDE2Y7pjQ2H6W8B__" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdGsN3mxz6efzjfJ-sMlJ_olLSzUwf3ChFVNHsZr43jJbM_wYwBLxHu6Y1vkKadZmRvEbxFUW97_z1L2PK3wK4IS8J7BxUDL3hQRSJrOQNzPQlt8T0pUIzNqcLyU8LsXLZihlT4Th5HDFmnCHZIKs0aAaj747xGonS-Kh4Pjmajt4jDE2Y7pjQ2H6W8B__=w640-h482" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We hiked along Smith Mountain Lake during our VA vacation.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I did eight posts this month. The month began with a continuation of our trip to Virginia. Back home, Ward and I hiked at a local Audubon Sanctuary, and I blogged about being inspired to do more outdoor things in the cold after seeing a TV show focused on Maine. (BTW, still working on that goal. I don't like cold!) And I did a couple of posts where we were beginning to see signs of autumn.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4RqmQ9hiamWReoga4L2dwBNdYifArcKW6czmtJJMnADlpS9bEua7a-MLemPLcPBw67Gz3h2e9HljKdfOJe5cdWm7sOEkoYcSW_i6G7Bods0fgZBuQ8omR8IDx1y8jto2_P-fZad48Xy4KJK4keFASH5I3UkgZqbYTGHJ3R5Di74S3-50XGgMUIcUk1onX" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4RqmQ9hiamWReoga4L2dwBNdYifArcKW6czmtJJMnADlpS9bEua7a-MLemPLcPBw67Gz3h2e9HljKdfOJe5cdWm7sOEkoYcSW_i6G7Bods0fgZBuQ8omR8IDx1y8jto2_P-fZad48Xy4KJK4keFASH5I3UkgZqbYTGHJ3R5Di74S3-50XGgMUIcUk1onX=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The fall mums were blooming this month.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />________________________________________________________</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>November</b></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0OAIf2Y5USa6GdyJ_J8PYjTxS3pzErsJBlk21xmsRVrvyFlw1w9OHp31eU8UIGGhDtLbOoov8LSYbqDbmOpfaOi2Tked-ePztb6wIGXbOsQXmmkpS5c8EQcU9kxI_6iWklnW9wbjaCCTHeiO_rSgJ6B_y_Ghy3Yykr0QsfPVYOJriKFIeXKsxClxK72N7" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0OAIf2Y5USa6GdyJ_J8PYjTxS3pzErsJBlk21xmsRVrvyFlw1w9OHp31eU8UIGGhDtLbOoov8LSYbqDbmOpfaOi2Tked-ePztb6wIGXbOsQXmmkpS5c8EQcU9kxI_6iWklnW9wbjaCCTHeiO_rSgJ6B_y_Ghy3Yykr0QsfPVYOJriKFIeXKsxClxK72N7=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Beautyberries were providing some November color in the yard.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></b></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I did five posts in November. Several of the posts this month involved the planning we did for our Thanksgiving dinner with 30 people. We had our credit card stolen, and we bought new furniture without fretting over it for a long time, as we had done in the past. Kris did a post telling us about her new cats.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz5_zrlcDV3N6Rk5rKTi6ZzOA4sDV69G0UceepGBQHNjB5mwcfvQFjeNHhSm9JZyn9eEhCcywWM54Qhdp4hZAhm4c2sjFAjaZBGMVW59iSszmpzubEvfoj2CvWXINppR_prTR3As_CX5MKjjjm8rIbZiNolKoYYcTz1FwMyWhIy1LHfYMyP3uv-luTEc-h" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz5_zrlcDV3N6Rk5rKTi6ZzOA4sDV69G0UceepGBQHNjB5mwcfvQFjeNHhSm9JZyn9eEhCcywWM54Qhdp4hZAhm4c2sjFAjaZBGMVW59iSszmpzubEvfoj2CvWXINppR_prTR3As_CX5MKjjjm8rIbZiNolKoYYcTz1FwMyWhIy1LHfYMyP3uv-luTEc-h=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kris's cats, Pippa and Stuart</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;">______________________________________________________________</span></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>December</b></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyRTWJL_BpP6TmBOSOOD1qKxCQGwJdCH76XrP3hFQ4iusnQeRu7KdztirXXfkzy8DZHkVFzXrZiscP9anItJn0OBawZhdNloKk5Ahuxvb_xwv6MfMkorb8vKcpEd7_98eH9EZ4RUbuEhUB0E5BiHOyvHSob_aEat1aoep3U-7X-MpMaqQ5-g9gN_c7cBBV" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyRTWJL_BpP6TmBOSOOD1qKxCQGwJdCH76XrP3hFQ4iusnQeRu7KdztirXXfkzy8DZHkVFzXrZiscP9anItJn0OBawZhdNloKk5Ahuxvb_xwv6MfMkorb8vKcpEd7_98eH9EZ4RUbuEhUB0E5BiHOyvHSob_aEat1aoep3U-7X-MpMaqQ5-g9gN_c7cBBV=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was short-lived, but we had our first snow of the season in December.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I finished up the year with 10 posts in December. Most of the posts this month talked about Christmas, including four posts featuring ornaments from our tree. On Christmas Day, I did a tribute to my mother. And on a non-Christmas topic, I mentioned the extremely long false eyelashes I had been seeing and wondered if anyone had any insights into this trend.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgc9znxgC9-RutGfaQV6mqqtTefeB1LWdEXpWkrFH6hQUQOndTFF67hGEEf2jt--X8QUGhmT_cscO1LOYyjIJlMXOHZbaR-BFlJ9rJfxKThhRLCdhDyEpQcjm-tMPpvyZinw2VOT31zpt1_ZMTz6qxM-GJTPt52r18BKAMUVqQfZXgiZN9-NA8SAlgQAYTZ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgc9znxgC9-RutGfaQV6mqqtTefeB1LWdEXpWkrFH6hQUQOndTFF67hGEEf2jt--X8QUGhmT_cscO1LOYyjIJlMXOHZbaR-BFlJ9rJfxKThhRLCdhDyEpQcjm-tMPpvyZinw2VOT31zpt1_ZMTz6qxM-GJTPt52r18BKAMUVqQfZXgiZN9-NA8SAlgQAYTZ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ward sent me Christmas flowers at work.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;">________________________________________________________</span></span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So there you have it - my Blogging Year, 2023, in review. I would call it a year of maintaining the blog posting about once a week. I didn't have regular features, but I did post many flower pictures, which may be my favorite kind of post. I continued to have writer's block as I was conflicted about rambling about my mundane everyday life and wanting to say something more meaningful or clever. And that resulted in me not posting anything at times. </span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What does 2024 hold for Live and Learn? We shall see. Maybe I'll spend more time on the blog and write some meaningful regular posts here. Or perhaps you will get to hear more of my everyday ramblings. Tune in. :)</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Until next time...</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-3716008627638730502024-01-04T08:59:00.004-05:002024-01-04T11:32:49.979-05:002023 in Review, The First Six Months<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> As has become my tradition, I will look at what 2023 was like for me, according to my blog. Some day, if I give up on privacy issues, the review will be a more accurate picture of life as I know it. And sometimes, I wonder why I even bother about online privacy. I think Google already knows everything about me, and what they don't know, Amazon probably does. Anyone with a bit of time and inclination could figure out anything they wanted. But I digress. Here it is, 2023, according to my blog.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I didn't do a lot of posting this year, with a total of 73 for the year. Over the 12 years I've been blogging here, that number is just above my lowest year in 2017 when I did 70 posts. My highest year was in 2013, with a total of 278 posts.</span> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>January</b></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpWQFWBLsB7LHwAkrh1l4Mrq_iJVlQO1OvHwOCS7s2ZV8DqFACytX-NLkx6y58jnCbgRQJC8oxAcg_SIbiDrXfB4E3D5_xPxb_0FQeTIh-kL4AoxXJEZDXa5U114z-RwsNgFkd2YS_Tt7NQu_zhFQNnHOcHPZ9qW7lapJGzqrKWHYm54oNVS_0wAKnA8Co" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpWQFWBLsB7LHwAkrh1l4Mrq_iJVlQO1OvHwOCS7s2ZV8DqFACytX-NLkx6y58jnCbgRQJC8oxAcg_SIbiDrXfB4E3D5_xPxb_0FQeTIh-kL4AoxXJEZDXa5U114z-RwsNgFkd2YS_Tt7NQu_zhFQNnHOcHPZ9qW7lapJGzqrKWHYm54oNVS_0wAKnA8Co" width="313" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what I thought for most of my posts this month.<br />Source?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">I did six posts this month, two of which were a review of 2022. Most of the posts were This and That with no central theme. We took a hike on New Year's Day, I worked on my Storyworth Stories (an autobiography of sorts), and I tried speed blogging to stop procrastinating and post something. That worked for that one time. I should try it some more now that I've been reminded of it. The one themed post I did was about being left-handed and directionally challenged.</span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTbqwb6PS3GSBZIHIvLgM66HqIECstBheK3cqKggSMgbhcajxXkmnNh2dgxMNh8qCwsOqIjlXdFdyqgwU6Xhc1StHJ53cY_ichowVli3iCcPusyVPD-zNWzlEpQ4PAq1rf1lly8wRx1yoq8JRKP_GZAsVfqrs_zBDh0woO95uWebtVugI_8OhocgoWuU7g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTbqwb6PS3GSBZIHIvLgM66HqIECstBheK3cqKggSMgbhcajxXkmnNh2dgxMNh8qCwsOqIjlXdFdyqgwU6Xhc1StHJ53cY_ichowVli3iCcPusyVPD-zNWzlEpQ4PAq1rf1lly8wRx1yoq8JRKP_GZAsVfqrs_zBDh0woO95uWebtVugI_8OhocgoWuU7g=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was the sign that inspired the post about being directionally challenged.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />____________________________________________________________________________<p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">February</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_uyYnNiBUbpUxdgwJpBXyvvGEeTPiO5eTfIUtE4IfAJgYDgzU3RpimlbbFrAH9t0X5KcE7OJfpUmtzT9nyb2PfA9UhSoqV_moZS7SlXL2M-7lJeXdaRyhOjgREkOwkWXQd6ofqZOw_k0_RsoHeL4tLcgM1G2AspoLWynJyJytueoUmAjYV7abWCS-yzKv" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_uyYnNiBUbpUxdgwJpBXyvvGEeTPiO5eTfIUtE4IfAJgYDgzU3RpimlbbFrAH9t0X5KcE7OJfpUmtzT9nyb2PfA9UhSoqV_moZS7SlXL2M-7lJeXdaRyhOjgREkOwkWXQd6ofqZOw_k0_RsoHeL4tLcgM1G2AspoLWynJyJytueoUmAjYV7abWCS-yzKv=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Snowdrops were the 1st spring flower in our yard.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><span style="font-size: medium;">I did six posts this month, also. I was excited about seeing snowdrops, our first spring flowers, but I lamented that none of our crocuses were blooming like I had seen elsewhere. Ward and I took a trip to West Virginia and Virginia, and we celebrated Valentine's Day by doing couples yoga for something different. We visited our first parks in our quest to visit all of the parks in our town. </span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRmwb_PngLbi5s0R8mv4pGXZbrUC-5jMYk3HO8w37nonppcM6BRuEuZaL6WY5-JVdkDMGuki4IeOr5JqQF1RjGvxjY9vZEoaV-dnZuvY1ugaWXo1MRvDc2uWhkJ4qi5QHU4bnPGoMaRD2nldWdVOQ6s_EGsTop3sJxeigCP0LKaPSf5go62pKgEL10IayN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRmwb_PngLbi5s0R8mv4pGXZbrUC-5jMYk3HO8w37nonppcM6BRuEuZaL6WY5-JVdkDMGuki4IeOr5JqQF1RjGvxjY9vZEoaV-dnZuvY1ugaWXo1MRvDc2uWhkJ4qi5QHU4bnPGoMaRD2nldWdVOQ6s_EGsTop3sJxeigCP0LKaPSf5go62pKgEL10IayN=w481-h640" width="481" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pocket park we visited in our town.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />_______________________________________________________________________<p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>March</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I did four posts this month, and they mainly featured spring flowers. I was excited that spring had finally sprung.</span></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW1_7Qi9ntYijSUlvAwIUDmsHJIuUAOILfSOj5O8iSLcxTuP_KdTvRDpozDt8mtW0MAvzC8ocRbupj7qKzbVOfNHiZKK2lLBRQZuBgBxGRLOscvn_UsXOAXdNbzjZR8lEk_RbsZ4YeATKLD9WlSfAnTZIIewenCU7rhUFD0SvmB0f_dEbtQTKJRyea0NPr" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW1_7Qi9ntYijSUlvAwIUDmsHJIuUAOILfSOj5O8iSLcxTuP_KdTvRDpozDt8mtW0MAvzC8ocRbupj7qKzbVOfNHiZKK2lLBRQZuBgBxGRLOscvn_UsXOAXdNbzjZR8lEk_RbsZ4YeATKLD9WlSfAnTZIIewenCU7rhUFD0SvmB0f_dEbtQTKJRyea0NPr=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The crocuses were blooming this month.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn3DD-EWs7aLRfeAGRLz2vla53dtb0gtyQBpRFQNuuc8CzFzvw5zGgtqdH0kFBT9HXUT93rN-E-yukZ6OH3NdmOuTHOqVhT5DSZrbLq8nMMiOVIScISEfVvHcO-WzxPTS4QHo86sjIrPDTLJVu1TLPJtjehmYkVHhlsoBiBgPb2s3FjGa9o0JthO08H93t" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn3DD-EWs7aLRfeAGRLz2vla53dtb0gtyQBpRFQNuuc8CzFzvw5zGgtqdH0kFBT9HXUT93rN-E-yukZ6OH3NdmOuTHOqVhT5DSZrbLq8nMMiOVIScISEfVvHcO-WzxPTS4QHo86sjIrPDTLJVu1TLPJtjehmYkVHhlsoBiBgPb2s3FjGa9o0JthO08H93t=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So was the ornamental plum.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>_________________________________________________________________________<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>April<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8RRIuO4IJjyRKcU3YXsBImBdMco7HsrosdFMRkORGBrW9NSRbfmGRTPb458rYQFJc_9Jo-K_yFuQDVqZZF2wB4_UyqIyAPoDs8jLYQPqINJYaAQvjvtwhZU8mg-a2rqL3RnLTiz8KpEWp_DY9s3otv1z6kuQdF_XcO8hSo_evFT2NA7sxb-hn8lRFyE4z" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8RRIuO4IJjyRKcU3YXsBImBdMco7HsrosdFMRkORGBrW9NSRbfmGRTPb458rYQFJc_9Jo-K_yFuQDVqZZF2wB4_UyqIyAPoDs8jLYQPqINJYaAQvjvtwhZU8mg-a2rqL3RnLTiz8KpEWp_DY9s3otv1z6kuQdF_XcO8hSo_evFT2NA7sxb-hn8lRFyE4z=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /></b></span><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This month, I did five posts. There were a lot of pictures of the continuation of spring blooming around the yard. We celebrated Wally's birthday with a hike, and I was sprouting beans in baggies on a window in preparation for a STEM program I would do. I also summarized the driving trip that Ward and I took to Georgia and South Carolina to visit family and friends.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhvRymnukZi-fzLZyMIbX4iM7ixIgvo2y-wg7hvDK3e8f1sg817xekX2JIRAhGHVq7nbdfQ81tdeQkf5ZT1WSo4smXH3SPXJ6qXi2ofPoH2p-xO8wFrYzB2qaeNErE7gbEhjhHzDJgIwUyGbfx4f-UeN8iK3t_w1RFOaK3pcQcySmzO1X5GoF1d6Gh3B4V" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhvRymnukZi-fzLZyMIbX4iM7ixIgvo2y-wg7hvDK3e8f1sg817xekX2JIRAhGHVq7nbdfQ81tdeQkf5ZT1WSo4smXH3SPXJ6qXi2ofPoH2p-xO8wFrYzB2qaeNErE7gbEhjhHzDJgIwUyGbfx4f-UeN8iK3t_w1RFOaK3pcQcySmzO1X5GoF1d6Gh3B4V=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our trip south included hiking to various waterfalls.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />____________________________________________________________</div></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>May</b></span></p><p><span><b></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEim4TLBqXfUgf-amykAY3G-HZzDw8ihBDiq31D-5zaoFa_kkg5S1UMPolozyi7JBuKh8Yuo_5tauLbHIYWyOeHHHPxODO5iLOhoEOidkY6XJtkNeuKAiKSc82HyE1U8NtDjM9ywPXxZtvo7-k_mZ7aAqwK_SJIEk04tXzOsQ9oAVgTD1j_wWR47nOvbazfP" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEim4TLBqXfUgf-amykAY3G-HZzDw8ihBDiq31D-5zaoFa_kkg5S1UMPolozyi7JBuKh8Yuo_5tauLbHIYWyOeHHHPxODO5iLOhoEOidkY6XJtkNeuKAiKSc82HyE1U8NtDjM9ywPXxZtvo7-k_mZ7aAqwK_SJIEk04tXzOsQ9oAVgTD1j_wWR47nOvbazfP=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rhododendron were blooming.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><b><br /></b><span style="font-size: large;">I did four posts in May. I continued to feature the blooming flowers and the hazy skies we had from the Canadian wildfires. I did a review of Crumbl Cookies, and there was a tribute to our cat, Leo, who passed away this month. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjFIdsH70vkEiSOmYWBqldHnvKymN7eu0GNutHc5QAmftRn6qpqe3W_L2UBTNnYiD9ko9WifHB8s8BAFijUhRNMYG8qUdawI9ux28Ge9mhJnCVVw6bHLeNe4It3fWOvG8GNuYRV1Uj13B8ZBpLo-khvl7y33lppxOziHmttUK5iJ7tbZPbLMyM799Tr05r" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="640" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjFIdsH70vkEiSOmYWBqldHnvKymN7eu0GNutHc5QAmftRn6qpqe3W_L2UBTNnYiD9ko9WifHB8s8BAFijUhRNMYG8qUdawI9ux28Ge9mhJnCVVw6bHLeNe4It3fWOvG8GNuYRV1Uj13B8ZBpLo-khvl7y33lppxOziHmttUK5iJ7tbZPbLMyM799Tr05r=w640-h547" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Leo</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />___________________________________________________________</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>June</b></span></p><p><span><b></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbjWbnYpmQu50CDl4CaITf-YxYd5XQvCLO4Qnrsc1-LM3lYb7EujhpjqArhU_oNphn2hO7Lwo90hdHMiIJoxZQtrhk3Rd8rNhT4CFuxxUpXblWc_mMqyhv-yvdHyHNX2AuSHVcBVDoFi5ylIsj8Kk0hHpBrVAEl4eMs1pAPQOr2DFmJm8nOZGDJqz4t3-M" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="640" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbjWbnYpmQu50CDl4CaITf-YxYd5XQvCLO4Qnrsc1-LM3lYb7EujhpjqArhU_oNphn2hO7Lwo90hdHMiIJoxZQtrhk3Rd8rNhT4CFuxxUpXblWc_mMqyhv-yvdHyHNX2AuSHVcBVDoFi5ylIsj8Kk0hHpBrVAEl4eMs1pAPQOr2DFmJm8nOZGDJqz4t3-M=w640-h450" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bee with pollen sac on tomato plant.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><b><br /></b><span style="font-size: medium;">I did five posts in Jun</span><span style="font-size: medium;">e. Along with the flowers, I showed vegetables that were growing. Also, I did a Father's Day tribute to my father and presented my father-in-law with a book I made for him chronicling his life. We took another hike with Wally.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEial271IxXvHpQujh7qsLCs4ZncXowtSKxBL6_wITfqYKVfOFljZtno7FH6PN1sHI14ENEduJjZoCu4LC1DftyoCDFpaqway1kDHwwA1z66X5wJXzD5bRapEHokzebVEq66No3lHvknla4XPTmesb-7DTlo2GxNuDgyVhYPqfL06pkU5-0s4TbB4PsjlFtv" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEial271IxXvHpQujh7qsLCs4ZncXowtSKxBL6_wITfqYKVfOFljZtno7FH6PN1sHI14ENEduJjZoCu4LC1DftyoCDFpaqway1kDHwwA1z66X5wJXzD5bRapEHokzebVEq66No3lHvknla4XPTmesb-7DTlo2GxNuDgyVhYPqfL06pkU5-0s4TbB4PsjlFtv=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Apples were growing for the first time on a tree we planted a few years before.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />___________________________________________</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Tune in next time for the next six months.</span></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-86801648380236734742024-01-01T11:45:00.003-05:002024-01-01T11:48:17.155-05:00Time for "Happy New Year"<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHgRLYqEidV5oYP7ufIX6WTz3eSAaYfR8q3RQXRRYjTtLAUHj4jOjqoW_lyXenBZXVrjDfFvlIPRKracuDmVQegfSD3-zuNwi7xx3IbqYdeY3QmdVo80ijtM2CNyrWcPdLVs4MNH-CCcfETLfM7R9wRFUymeSRmpXBwYS-HzxtDSDFRoeME-JB-K0LOXJP" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="320" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHgRLYqEidV5oYP7ufIX6WTz3eSAaYfR8q3RQXRRYjTtLAUHj4jOjqoW_lyXenBZXVrjDfFvlIPRKracuDmVQegfSD3-zuNwi7xx3IbqYdeY3QmdVo80ijtM2CNyrWcPdLVs4MNH-CCcfETLfM7R9wRFUymeSRmpXBwYS-HzxtDSDFRoeME-JB-K0LOXJP=w400-h371" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-size: large;">"Again, time elapsed."</span><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-size: large;">―</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6001.Carolyn_Keene" style="color: #3a79c9; text-decoration-line: none;">Carolyn Keene</a>,<span style="font-size: large;"> <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_the_Old_Clock" style="color: #3a79c9; text-decoration-line: none;"></a></i></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_the_Old_Clock" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #3a79c9; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-decoration-line: none;"><i></i><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Secret of the Old Clock</i></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy New Year!</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another year, another week, another day. Time is such an interesting thing. We use it to keep track of things as they pass, and sometimes, it's important, and sometimes, it's not. Some people can keep track of it easily, some can't. In some countries, the trains run on time. In other countries, they don't.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It has been measured using different standards by different cultures. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Well, I was going to develop this post with interesting anecdotes (Wally and Theo stories) and with scholarly and philosophical ideas about time. I was going to discuss how different cultures use time (stories about Ward's background and mine). And I was going to finish up with a quiz about time.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>But you know what? That takes a lot of thinking, and I'm not in the mood to tax my brain right now. 😀 Not to mention that it's time to go drop off one of Wally and Theo's gifts that Ward made. I'll show it in another post.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>So until then, I hope you are having a relaxing day and thinking about all of the great possibilities ahead in 2024.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-53120007029460922382023-12-29T09:16:00.000-05:002023-12-29T09:16:28.605-05:00Happy Ending<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYlgWxY51C8qawPRtW6MPkimJEbvY8lIxO5WITva6FihGr8KA5vy6TQ46Ev0o74qGxrBCMh15y7NjJ8S1kKZprvnJOqMtIYeZ5TRGnZBoC5tJuZcj7-soTdscZQgM3hN7k4qn0c8F6SBOWEyRMOAKWOw-fMT5LQSlJnFbRPpW41cSjpyE-4vUjZe20yST/s5152/IMG_3510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYlgWxY51C8qawPRtW6MPkimJEbvY8lIxO5WITva6FihGr8KA5vy6TQ46Ev0o74qGxrBCMh15y7NjJ8S1kKZprvnJOqMtIYeZ5TRGnZBoC5tJuZcj7-soTdscZQgM3hN7k4qn0c8F6SBOWEyRMOAKWOw-fMT5LQSlJnFbRPpW41cSjpyE-4vUjZe20yST/w640-h480/IMG_3510.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clean rug on a sunny day.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A few months ago, I sort of went off the deep end looking for a new rug for the living room after our cat peed on it. (If you want to remember, you can read the details below in a post I did at the time.) After a lot of effort, we decided to give up and just live with what we had. That was until I was at work one day, and a coworker mentioned that she was waiting for a call from the rug cleaners. One thing led to another, and we ended up taking the rug to professional rug cleaners. Because we were out of their pickup and delivery zone and had to drop it off ourselves, they gave us a substantial discount - about $350 cheaper than the other one we got. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We got the rug back this week, and it looks good. And although it still shows a little wear from cat scratching, the stains are gone. One end is a little faded, so we solved that by turning it and putting the unfaded side toward the window. And Ward says he doesn't even notice any of those things.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Yay! I guess good things come to those who wait. Next up is to get new chairs for that room. The chairs we have are inexpensive ones we bought at Ikea to stage things at our last house when we were selling it. And, of course, the cats scratched up the sides of them. But for now, they are working. And I really don't want to go furniture shopping anytime soon.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p><p>_____________________________________________________________________</p><p> </p><h2 class="date-header" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1em; min-height: 0px; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: inherit; margin: inherit; padding: inherit;">FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2023</span></h2><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry" style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; min-height: 0px; position: relative;"><a name="4593616564932794829"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://liveandlearn-tossandturn.blogspot.com/2023/08/rug-crazy.html" style="color: #3a79c9; text-decoration-line: none;">Rug Crazy</a></h3><div class="post-header" style="font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4593616564932794829" style="line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 630px;"><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3eDSq7PWdygGu6QXeO_gVMaY7vDCP9Jg_KaV2B9TwDdwH5UGdxJhXiBJCy5ryy6W_jIhQjxsXgpPqAJxJLUiwvA1zQlLGyxr5amOp0fJRLL4JngPFwyvbOF786Nw7wBPgGktP5n45io98sol7PfeeXdYXjOAqtKw3xmHW3U29Fy3nWEw6pjsApkg5x2U/s5152/IMG_2916.JPG" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3eDSq7PWdygGu6QXeO_gVMaY7vDCP9Jg_KaV2B9TwDdwH5UGdxJhXiBJCy5ryy6W_jIhQjxsXgpPqAJxJLUiwvA1zQlLGyxr5amOp0fJRLL4JngPFwyvbOF786Nw7wBPgGktP5n45io98sol7PfeeXdYXjOAqtKw3xmHW3U29Fy3nWEw6pjsApkg5x2U/w640-h480/IMG_2916.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The original rug. It's hard to see the stains and fading in the picture.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It all started when we planned to have a baby shower here for my nephew and his wife. Or maybe it really started when our cat Leo died, and his remaining sister decided to show how she felt about that by peeing at various places around the house. Or maybe it all started even before that when Leo, in his old age, was peeing in various places before he could make it to the litter box. Not really sure.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But there was definitely a problem because I could smell cat pee when I passed the living room. That was after we removed the bookcase that had been used as a litter box. The smell wasn't strong, and Ward couldn't smell it, but it was definitely there. And I didn't think we needed to host a baby shower with any extra odors because of the heightened sense of smell accompanying pregnancy. So, after more investigation, we figured out that the rug in there had been peed on sometime in the past. We rolled it up and took it to the basement to store until we figured out what we were going to do with it.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qvjcze8R3zRIx-9mtScPqon9mT_RZ4PqmL_gWNt8G4fztiMBCWKWH39fzwSQ0PVKejGe197TeTDg6Ez5UdfOVx9TnkJISNQkiTajYay_XAzgLa9LInhMem0YWvv-bB74CtHFo1AJ2rUDQCN4ELmdCAqSz6ViFEq7G3pqeG6jPKTnRfB-PQsLAo0M32BN/s5152/IMG_2918.JPG" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qvjcze8R3zRIx-9mtScPqon9mT_RZ4PqmL_gWNt8G4fztiMBCWKWH39fzwSQ0PVKejGe197TeTDg6Ez5UdfOVx9TnkJISNQkiTajYay_XAzgLa9LInhMem0YWvv-bB74CtHFo1AJ2rUDQCN4ELmdCAqSz6ViFEq7G3pqeG6jPKTnRfB-PQsLAo0M32BN/w640-h480/IMG_2918.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rug #2 on the porch airing out. BTW, the blue rug in the back, I picked out the first place we went. We weren't trying to match anything and just needed something so the floor wouldn't get scratched. It serves its purpose and adds a little color.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The day before, I had visited Aunt Martha and saw a new rug she had ordered online and liked the looks of it. So I ordered one from the same place, and with miracles of shipping, it arrived Thursday before the shower on Saturday. However, it came in a box and had a lot of creases in it - too many to fall out in just a couple of days. So we rolled that one up and put it aside until we could figure out what to do with it. We had bare floors for the shower, but in the end, I don't think anyone noticed.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We brought the new rug back out, and while the colors were okay, I didn't like the looks of it. It was one of those washable rugs that are made to go into a washing machine. We have a couple of runners like that, but I didn't like the looks of it in a bigger 8' x 10' size. So we returned it, but only after paying a hefty shipping charge. So I said if I got another rug online, it would be with an easy, free return. </span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We shopped many stores to see what was in stock. And I spent who knows how much time shopping online and couldn't find one that fit the bill anywhere. The colors were right, but the pattern was wrong. The pattern was good, but the colors weren't right. Too thin. Too expensive. Too cheap looking. Nothing seemed to work. </span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the meantime, I was looking for a place that would clean our old, smelly wool rug. We had had it for many years, but overall, it was in decent shape except for the stains and pee smell. It took a while, but I finally found a cleaner who would clean it for $400. About twice as much as we paid for it (granted, that was years ago at Costco), and that was more than we wanted to spend.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, figuring we had nothing to lose, we borrowed Miss Landers' carpet cleaner and cleaned the rug even though that was not a recommended practice for a wool rug. We got a lot of dirt out of it, but the stains remained. And while the pee smell was gone, it smelled like a wet dog, even after it was dry. The smell lessened with time but still smelled, and I was bothered every time I walked by the room. (Once again, Ward could smell nothing.) So then, I liberally spread baking soda and borax over the rug and let it sit</span> <span style="font-size: medium;">for a few days.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-6cS0NQHHeG8GWagucKgnfiwtAJgr31LLh5VuEHO_mUYneld-jl9Lc1yTU_sE5fbeGT3kNbkJDjHZNMZ3jtW8DANs1vKaY-FFgfZ8JzQh9WeYbR3BUN1ZsoLwLAySNvnljOHNx84rxyIEk1XC0vQDN0iwccWqf7NmslUL4Ddz4dsSz3pHEke3Yi4MdBu/s5152/IMG_2922.JPG" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-6cS0NQHHeG8GWagucKgnfiwtAJgr31LLh5VuEHO_mUYneld-jl9Lc1yTU_sE5fbeGT3kNbkJDjHZNMZ3jtW8DANs1vKaY-FFgfZ8JzQh9WeYbR3BUN1ZsoLwLAySNvnljOHNx84rxyIEk1XC0vQDN0iwccWqf7NmslUL4Ddz4dsSz3pHEke3Yi4MdBu/w640-h480/IMG_2922.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rug #3 clashed with the floors.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But I couldn't help myself and continued shopping online until I found another rug that seemed just right. Good colors, a good design, and an okay price. But when it arrived, the colors weren't right, the pile was low, and it stunk. Three strikes and it was out. I was so disappointed, but we returned it with much less hassle than the first one if you don't count the awkwardness of carrying around a bulky rug.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then, it was time to vacuum the old rug to see if the baking soda and borax had performed</span><span style="font-size: large;"> their magic. And what a mess that was. I spent two days on it and ended up with fine, white dust over everything in the room. I hadn't realized that even though all of the dials on the vacuum were set correctly, instead of sucking up the powder, it was blowing it everywhere. Eventually, I got it under control, and the rug smelled better. It still had an odor, but it was faint. The stains and fading still bothered me but weren't obvious at first glance. I guessed we could live with it.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That was until I stopped by Homegoods one day to see what rugs they had. And there was a decent one that seemed to fit the bill, so we bought it and brought it home. Granted, it was a nice-looking rug, but it clashed with the floors. I had always considered the floors a neutral background, but they're not. The golden red oak floors did not look good with the maroon red of the rug. Ward didn't see a problem.</span><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">(Have I mentioned that all of my senses are more sensitive than his?) So we took that rug back today.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We're back to what we started with. And yes, you can call me obsessed, crazy, or whatever other term you want. I have used all those words to describe myself during this rug quest. However, Ward has only rolled his eyes at me a couple of times and has not said a word during this rug drama. And what a remarkable man he is that he didn't say what he must have been thinking. And for that, I am thankful.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></p></div></div></div></div>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-18955071645409279202023-12-25T09:08:00.002-05:002023-12-25T09:08:28.054-05:00Merry Christmas!<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> <span style="color: red;">Merry</span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">Christmas</span> <span style="color: red;">to</span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">One</span> <span style="color: red;">and</span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">All!</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The holidays, especially Christmas, are a time when emotions seem to surface more readily. And often, they are tinged with sadness. While I have shed a few tears this year, my emotions were not as raw as they were my first Christmas after my mother passed away. Here is a post I wrote back then.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you are feeling sad, I hope you can find at least one reason to smile today.</span></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://liveandlearn-tossandturn.blogspot.com/2018/12/christmas-smiles.html" style="color: #3a79c9; text-decoration-line: none;">Christmas Smiles</a></h3><div class="post-header" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8012238739704366960" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 630px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; float: right; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1em; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1QryD010BfH_E7f68eMvp-HLtQmpq1PnpixL8su_hU2TZY97YQP1WuM2w2wy1PCj5mb-bBZBOunucJXQJR5Ef9-2NejeOu-f3T2HWMV17qT-xPT7Cfxg6CD1CG0BaHsIpkBS2noAOsD-/s1600/DSC02630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #3a79c9; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1177" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1QryD010BfH_E7f68eMvp-HLtQmpq1PnpixL8su_hU2TZY97YQP1WuM2w2wy1PCj5mb-bBZBOunucJXQJR5Ef9-2NejeOu-f3T2HWMV17qT-xPT7Cfxg6CD1CG0BaHsIpkBS2noAOsD-/s320/DSC02630.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px; text-align: center;">My mother, last Christmas</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Tears flow easily these days. I miss my mother. I have always heard that the holidays are especially hard when you have lost someone, but I've never really experienced it like this. It's taken me by surprise because, in my logical mind, I thought I would be thinking about all of the special Christmas times I had with her and be sad. But logic is not necessarily at work here. It's not the Christmases I miss. I miss the emotional connection.<br /><br />My mother had dementia and slowly left us over the years in many ways. It was discouraging and sad to watch, but no matter what her outward appearance was, I always felt a connection between us during my visits. Towards the end, she was usually quiet, often with a distant stare. But then I'd say something, and there would be a little glint in her eye or a slight smile, and I knew that she was communicating in the way that was available to her at that point in her life. We were connecting, and it made me happy. Before I experienced the last couple of years with my mother, I never would have thought that those difficult times would be the ones I missed the most. But for now, they are.<br /><br />However, life goes on no matter what the circumstances and this grief is not consuming my life. It's just a part of it. I am ahead this year in many things and feeling more relaxed than usual. I am enjoying the Christmas lights and the Christmas music. I am having good times with my sisters and friends. Ward and I are having long talks and making fun plans.<br /><br />With all those things, I'm trying to live what my mother taught me until the end of her life. She kept living even when it seemed to the outside world life wasn't worth it. So, as I think of her little smiles, I smile, too. Through the tears.</span></div>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-86704492140738597702023-12-24T15:41:00.002-05:002023-12-24T15:41:33.011-05:00Ornament Parade - Handmade by Grownups<p><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Over the next few days, I will be rerunning posts where I featured ornaments from our Christmas tree. Like many of you, each ornament brings a special memory with it. These are good memories for me, but they can also bring a tear or two as I think about people from my past who are no longer with me. But with no further ado, here is the fourth set.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">______________________________________________________________________</span></p><div style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Today, I'm showing you some of our ornaments made for us by family and friends. If you're into crafting, you may find an idea or two you want to try.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDt8jwtg0dgDXK3gwV-POg_WODOoNSabU3Dvl5t5OOLTuVxjkq2zoJEpBwyfvNWzOjut58Gw0akS4dSLGtRsBk8wXHetQChDLMGs3-W6NFWIz2hNUo-YZGyZbB_YZqefGCbGa7pU9FeDj/s1600/DSC00642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDt8jwtg0dgDXK3gwV-POg_WODOoNSabU3Dvl5t5OOLTuVxjkq2zoJEpBwyfvNWzOjut58Gw0akS4dSLGtRsBk8wXHetQChDLMGs3-W6NFWIz2hNUo-YZGyZbB_YZqefGCbGa7pU9FeDj/s640/DSC00642.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a dried orange slice that<a href="http://liveandlearn-tossandturn.blogspot.com/2012/12/dried-orange-slices.html" style="color: #3a79c9; text-decoration-line: none;"> I made</a>. I made another set I gave away with red beads glued in the middle.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0-KkccM0TAEd3LiIXqlEK00CMiSHSbwEqOHnhipigyyZpxwzs6MTAnliyTF2WnNtdjDABzCeamfwLWe6l9oKwptZBDGX2ZwwgJytZTc5r2f24CohnpmvQgHH3kWLu-dKp0Z-RMVWI_hb/s1600/DSC00643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0-KkccM0TAEd3LiIXqlEK00CMiSHSbwEqOHnhipigyyZpxwzs6MTAnliyTF2WnNtdjDABzCeamfwLWe6l9oKwptZBDGX2ZwwgJytZTc5r2f24CohnpmvQgHH3kWLu-dKp0Z-RMVWI_hb/s640/DSC00643.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This wreath was made from buttons from my grandmother's and mother's button cans. One afternoon, I sat down with my sisters, and we all made ornaments of various kinds from the buttons. We had fun reminiscing about the clothes the buttons had been taken from.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQ79kXE6t2GjN2Sgx6mQR20I3bG3aODpeMnHCYJZOWVCT38VKF_oh720j5TSmYZye45URdca0AvGnOR28WoXKNcZrs1Px61jPCZI0EtjicCRUHStLD2iuUHQL-JPUkeb-LyhmhzW7LmxP/s1600/DSC00645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQ79kXE6t2GjN2Sgx6mQR20I3bG3aODpeMnHCYJZOWVCT38VKF_oh720j5TSmYZye45URdca0AvGnOR28WoXKNcZrs1Px61jPCZI0EtjicCRUHStLD2iuUHQL-JPUkeb-LyhmhzW7LmxP/s640/DSC00645.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This powder puff lamb was made by a friend. Notice the clove sticks for legs.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxmoN5aLEebp-byMLkWXxLuNGMV2fCsHD8Xj9KGAEHpA4to3YrrCAW7yRaJ_nEAcvW7fODTnO1nonY26BzuFi1_u2e0OpaC9r93kLWK8FaczLLRM7jliS7LFwNbUPaehJ9dqQBuC_4u9y/s1600/DSC00647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxmoN5aLEebp-byMLkWXxLuNGMV2fCsHD8Xj9KGAEHpA4to3YrrCAW7yRaJ_nEAcvW7fODTnO1nonY26BzuFi1_u2e0OpaC9r93kLWK8FaczLLRM7jliS7LFwNbUPaehJ9dqQBuC_4u9y/s640/DSC00647.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This mailbox was made by my aunt. It has two letters and a package inside - very fun detail.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-UdiKOC6xiT879_RJgSewNQXYrYdVnD222-BmNtdM_QxXHn2BgpH_XgTzw4tR3M_YO5cseVKdLl9uWZ8V_UFTNEdUh_trkyv2IlVFnpNKRT9nWjcr0_WdPBFQ7xq6ekg4etCo8QYGIbu/s1600/DSC00650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-UdiKOC6xiT879_RJgSewNQXYrYdVnD222-BmNtdM_QxXHn2BgpH_XgTzw4tR3M_YO5cseVKdLl9uWZ8V_UFTNEdUh_trkyv2IlVFnpNKRT9nWjcr0_WdPBFQ7xq6ekg4etCo8QYGIbu/s640/DSC00650.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This angel, made by a friend, is crafted from two doilies.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUA6euu7Xa9fs53kanrvNcb2cnhXoS_wHcLcWHJ_gvm1fcj-jFSMs2MBCGOWLmSa-7gVykAEkKz5wnMwVtA9dd8M_R8EydI3LiVwAC2AWPMOPIvFjvN10j9YBlVFQpX0oub4tocdrmd_xB/s1600/DSC00652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUA6euu7Xa9fs53kanrvNcb2cnhXoS_wHcLcWHJ_gvm1fcj-jFSMs2MBCGOWLmSa-7gVykAEkKz5wnMwVtA9dd8M_R8EydI3LiVwAC2AWPMOPIvFjvN10j9YBlVFQpX0oub4tocdrmd_xB/s640/DSC00652.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another friend knit the cover to this ball. I've been meaning to try this myself, but it remains on my To Do list at this point.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsQw0MoLGIXFI8NAgTJZbY_5R3wP9KjQLv3SCcdVFC4r6C2lignK9uEG5R-SwfqqKVoKjX4yA5ryfnFr7tTN0XoMbrg4JvFKgId9Bdwlv-y_is-ni34GlvqOB6kDBWTddE8_gijyTYgFT/s1600/DSC00654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsQw0MoLGIXFI8NAgTJZbY_5R3wP9KjQLv3SCcdVFC4r6C2lignK9uEG5R-SwfqqKVoKjX4yA5ryfnFr7tTN0XoMbrg4JvFKgId9Bdwlv-y_is-ni34GlvqOB6kDBWTddE8_gijyTYgFT/s640/DSC00654.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This painted ornament was made by the same local artist mentioned in another post. It was a coincidence, but the picture of the house looks just like my grandparents' house where my father grew up. That makes it extra special for me.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6MHXT_Zj-S6Eg7xojy1Bc26a8HYVpBsBjFd1bH8UXI9HNW_dAjqQidsTsMT_KQGdX10_oRLaCofBI4xZ0kGCaxMSnL20bqHUqsGng6XsCfjsxt03XzB1SLQzAVnun1N3DsCQSegtjaQl/s1600/DSC00658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6MHXT_Zj-S6Eg7xojy1Bc26a8HYVpBsBjFd1bH8UXI9HNW_dAjqQidsTsMT_KQGdX10_oRLaCofBI4xZ0kGCaxMSnL20bqHUqsGng6XsCfjsxt03XzB1SLQzAVnun1N3DsCQSegtjaQl/s640/DSC00658.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was made by my best friend in grad school. School took up every waking minute at that point in time, so I don't know how she had time to make it, but she did. That made me appreciate it even more.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-p9vSf6ZyKHMIsK1iC8X6TCt7dW4MTFqG7IEsw3chLXD0vTyolz45Gr8__82Rj3iInfRJ6gi1j74q0s1ZSW4nPo1EHniIiHxYCCdQM124GYRYBMfK3f8X5ByBhLZHZarOPiIP8lRCpVC/s1600/DSC00661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-p9vSf6ZyKHMIsK1iC8X6TCt7dW4MTFqG7IEsw3chLXD0vTyolz45Gr8__82Rj3iInfRJ6gi1j74q0s1ZSW4nPo1EHniIiHxYCCdQM124GYRYBMfK3f8X5ByBhLZHZarOPiIP8lRCpVC/s640/DSC00661.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">My aunt made this Queen Anne's Lace flower ornament. It is a pressed flower encased in epoxy. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-F2p5gzdjSsnVizAI8WwDRPP0ys-6RFDM9Psh4Tycev8G1ht_9Vlvy4__73K6437WzvxBK509D1plWKTOT5llIPEwk5T-KEG71ieF0hBiIdGjn-g1TrCfJtVksDRHOH3Eajf3i66yMQAT/s1600/DSC00664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #4174ff; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-F2p5gzdjSsnVizAI8WwDRPP0ys-6RFDM9Psh4Tycev8G1ht_9Vlvy4__73K6437WzvxBK509D1plWKTOT5llIPEwk5T-KEG71ieF0hBiIdGjn-g1TrCfJtVksDRHOH3Eajf3i66yMQAT/s640/DSC00664.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">She also made this Christmas stocking.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Christmas is tomorrow, but I will be continuing with my ornament parade next week.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time...</span></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-21565713701524786682023-12-23T19:45:00.001-05:002023-12-23T19:45:23.147-05:00Ornament Parade - Kid's Handiwork<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"> Over the next few days, I will be rerunning posts where I featured ornaments from our Christmas tree. Like many of you, each ornament brings a special memory with it. These are good memories for me, but they can also bring a tear or two as I think about people from my past who are no longer with me. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">But with no further ado, here is the third set.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">_____________________________________________________________</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We have several ornaments on the tree made by Wally, Theo, and other relatives when they were younger. What's significant about these is that most of them were made by kids more interested in jumping off the chair instead of sitting on it and doing a craft. It took a lot of effort for them to make these and that didn't go unnoticed by Ward and me.</span></span><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnRxLieaLjjo_ibcCFDHt3z5f7BCk6LyTfZkPH0Hvd67WWSqKoER5_sJYbtoQeO7gqHoTuTD28KtgjTuS7Je_OxMao2bxTwt8D1eT2w6DwJvG6xcu1ApKrYf4rhtq2p2F_uM_29N39tJK/s1600/DSC00681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnRxLieaLjjo_ibcCFDHt3z5f7BCk6LyTfZkPH0Hvd67WWSqKoER5_sJYbtoQeO7gqHoTuTD28KtgjTuS7Je_OxMao2bxTwt8D1eT2w6DwJvG6xcu1ApKrYf4rhtq2p2F_uM_29N39tJK/s640/DSC00681.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is a series of this kind of ornament with Wally or Theo's picture in a frame decorated by them.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Y9tacwaVwJEXBw7da6bnEV0molzQ-ISELfrhZ0d-k7tFTqy4iD44LhGGtEKHm3GYyMKtBLzzdZJMbtaM_O6rpklP5f2e-xRV6k6Y1tJ5g-YXuOSw0kcpQD1hk6hM-cZbc2REhwm3NcZn/s1600/DSC00682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Y9tacwaVwJEXBw7da6bnEV0molzQ-ISELfrhZ0d-k7tFTqy4iD44LhGGtEKHm3GYyMKtBLzzdZJMbtaM_O6rpklP5f2e-xRV6k6Y1tJ5g-YXuOSw0kcpQD1hk6hM-cZbc2REhwm3NcZn/s640/DSC00682.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This one was x-stitched by my younger cousin and was a gift for one of our early Christmas trees. I think she was in middle school at the time.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyXRKBH-MlAKdc5rotU_fQfS2EU4MbC8UH7hkhfWlby9lzDbjNwDzRqwoEeR_kMOOV3BNBGanviBfEygNioPGFA2skg7EscD-qAxpbPbJc3NGpBXVK7l_eEPOMD6612ufVO3rRmSjpGWy/s1600/DSC00683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyXRKBH-MlAKdc5rotU_fQfS2EU4MbC8UH7hkhfWlby9lzDbjNwDzRqwoEeR_kMOOV3BNBGanviBfEygNioPGFA2skg7EscD-qAxpbPbJc3NGpBXVK7l_eEPOMD6612ufVO3rRmSjpGWy/s640/DSC00683.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This one was made by Wally in kindergarten. I think it was supposed to be a round wreath, but the wire the beads were strung on is flexible, and the "wreath" has been in many different shapes over the years.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEMsN060Af8FlRV6dx9hc2JvGzvyMtpYGcX1nI7sZeFaM-n0ENMAWMqspvHycfDz5skS5gXfI9Ge1qahheAZGFC-ySb3bb0WhkIrc7fFnbtZk7MsNkS2xU3uA2QMx9JsHNpSP22SPatzb/s1600/DSC00677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEMsN060Af8FlRV6dx9hc2JvGzvyMtpYGcX1nI7sZeFaM-n0ENMAWMqspvHycfDz5skS5gXfI9Ge1qahheAZGFC-ySb3bb0WhkIrc7fFnbtZk7MsNkS2xU3uA2QMx9JsHNpSP22SPatzb/s640/DSC00677.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This gods-eye was made by my nephew. We were very proud of him for making it because working with his hands was definitely not his thing when he was younger</span><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRr515tRsfSW9oV8knChMmp3WMTZWx-1e536B0Uu8GvB2vy_crj-rTQVIE_zaQfEgsOE5F_1mdmE7wMbWqhsaFR2wSPWXJY0_sYOxypxLFirFS-4Ezz16ba1SoLgGjz0fJxpK20eWNyUc5/s1600/DSC00686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRr515tRsfSW9oV8knChMmp3WMTZWx-1e536B0Uu8GvB2vy_crj-rTQVIE_zaQfEgsOE5F_1mdmE7wMbWqhsaFR2wSPWXJY0_sYOxypxLFirFS-4Ezz16ba1SoLgGjz0fJxpK20eWNyUc5/s640/DSC00686.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wally and Theo made this when they were in early elementary school with a group of kids in the neighborhood.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1O5uzbIiF-lD2y2ThLlV4OIFvqausnsM56wwZ9hrgmDEAqewFVMGvfSEwRqGje-RtZVz2RDjjbfPq8pTX2asUlXnQpHIMwquai8ZLNANHwHP4oKkKMgmyxkdqkD4e-7ZxdZegeG0tK9f/s1600/DSC00678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1O5uzbIiF-lD2y2ThLlV4OIFvqausnsM56wwZ9hrgmDEAqewFVMGvfSEwRqGje-RtZVz2RDjjbfPq8pTX2asUlXnQpHIMwquai8ZLNANHwHP4oKkKMgmyxkdqkD4e-7ZxdZegeG0tK9f/s640/DSC00678.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm not sure how, but this was made by my niece with gelatin. Originally, it was a sun catcher, but it got too hot in the window and started to warp. Then, I retired it to be an ornament we enjoy yearly on our tree.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc7K-qv0pjWjVBS7LtNxkANbbfijeVJrtIh4lKSrMAY1wa6KvC-lIrrMqWCBFQZiyRFcJt-62la0R7l1riPpGGJ5Z4PjTszstUtXHXFdpF52A7gxNIgfGDkb4oj6DJlSY-QTSjRSPfqUa/s1600/DSC00688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc7K-qv0pjWjVBS7LtNxkANbbfijeVJrtIh4lKSrMAY1wa6KvC-lIrrMqWCBFQZiyRFcJt-62la0R7l1riPpGGJ5Z4PjTszstUtXHXFdpF52A7gxNIgfGDkb4oj6DJlSY-QTSjRSPfqUa/s640/DSC00688.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This one was made by Theo when he was a Tiger Cub Scout. If truth be told, I think his den leader had as much of a hand in it as did Theo.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfCUMtaSWhFJdNKYpIMMhKaQQvKIqBk8r_69czsvrBtdKHj6YpLA5-AIK-lTuqeCHv8HPXuEzZXVOakKoOoIvfq2k5qklhyK8X5fsa9FtLhMvlGnGRb7wZLVmMrzrClz5X4sDID2LwnIb/s1600/DSC00689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfCUMtaSWhFJdNKYpIMMhKaQQvKIqBk8r_69czsvrBtdKHj6YpLA5-AIK-lTuqeCHv8HPXuEzZXVOakKoOoIvfq2k5qklhyK8X5fsa9FtLhMvlGnGRb7wZLVmMrzrClz5X4sDID2LwnIb/s640/DSC00689.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was made by Wally in first grade.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yUOcJ_RXYmumE65xRvaIO_HGZ64hg5ejsyXjOijZPzh7Phc2wtJR_YgxgmhQp7eC4ujg54_mi11scg8wEjvYNQJ8awHQDqrVuxAkyKjv8ZYWwFsg_qF7I6kmVX9g_TtxSQ7I75lbEbgV/s1600/DSC00692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yUOcJ_RXYmumE65xRvaIO_HGZ64hg5ejsyXjOijZPzh7Phc2wtJR_YgxgmhQp7eC4ujg54_mi11scg8wEjvYNQJ8awHQDqrVuxAkyKjv8ZYWwFsg_qF7I6kmVX9g_TtxSQ7I75lbEbgV/s640/DSC00692.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/18493/scented-applesauce-cinnamon-ornaments/" style="color: #3a79c9; text-decoration-line: none;">cinnamon applesauce ornament</a>. I helped Wally make a set of these in first grade to give to his teachers and other special adults. For the first several years, they gave off a pleasant cinnamon smell.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9wgnmicXSHCsKuIGyB6twUU5rDGWtUqwLATcluhCRknBxY1n6Se1kx7Vf5FD9mXkgmnED_xfnWcSyEGgSYRCxVycrd8GP5qelULLV2voaGbAmyy1yKZ2o3FLXAr0ZVKzWvVU-7ywyh9-/s1600/DSC00698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9wgnmicXSHCsKuIGyB6twUU5rDGWtUqwLATcluhCRknBxY1n6Se1kx7Vf5FD9mXkgmnED_xfnWcSyEGgSYRCxVycrd8GP5qelULLV2voaGbAmyy1yKZ2o3FLXAr0ZVKzWvVU-7ywyh9-/s640/DSC00698.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is not an ornament but a decoration Wally made in preschool. The teacher spray-painted a pine cone and mounted it on a thread spool. Wally then glued sequins on it for ornaments. Many sequins have fallen off over the years, but it's still a cute little tree.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>More to come...</p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6315851262843522940.post-48320681042135354782023-12-23T13:21:00.005-05:002023-12-23T13:23:44.774-05:00Ornament Parade- The White House Years<p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Over the next few days, I will be rerunning posts where I featured ornaments from our Christmas tree. Like many of you, each ornament brings a special memory with it. These are good memories for me, but they can also bring a tear or two as I think about people from my past who are no longer with me. But with no further ado, here is the second set.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">____________________________________________________</span></span></p><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2627960278889530872" style="background-color: #f0f4ff; color: #222222; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 630px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfh0F8FX-6XuTPUte8-3fFH2UMaFUNinAhj6aNkh40APtkv1NSTeo6JYfMhbz0feU3p32YH5ihReCBjTPalUiVaIf-swvewCviggVe6rwoh453ER6Sa38JZSHUx9k7rENuNV5j3G3ME2V/s1600/DSC00586.JPG" style="clear: right; color: #3a79c9; float: right; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1058" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfh0F8FX-6XuTPUte8-3fFH2UMaFUNinAhj6aNkh40APtkv1NSTeo6JYfMhbz0feU3p32YH5ihReCBjTPalUiVaIf-swvewCviggVe6rwoh453ER6Sa38JZSHUx9k7rENuNV5j3G3ME2V/s200/DSC00586.JPG" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="131" /></span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"> The White House Historical Association, founded by Jackie Kennedy in 1961 with a mission of protecting, preserving, and providing public access to the history of the White House, puts out an ornament every year honoring a certain President. </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif">We have five of these that were gifts from a coworker and friend of Ward's.</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></i><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif">Each one comes with literature discussing the symbolism of the ornament, a bio of the President it commemorates, and what life was like with his family in the White House. Very interesting reading, and who doesn't want a history lesson while decorating the tree? :)</span></span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>James A. Garfield</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pOnVTEv_kLJudSrmZY6L4CIlUhJOR0pFRhxU1Payrmldn1RYst5gxkMkXOV2dnPKgIR-tuNOcB_yUVNliMpmgFL-kA72UMsP3h7Kj38KPZuNk3EwvVRB_BwSGRtci2kTQxDJh-JZjVAZ/s1600/DSC00562.JPG" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pOnVTEv_kLJudSrmZY6L4CIlUhJOR0pFRhxU1Payrmldn1RYst5gxkMkXOV2dnPKgIR-tuNOcB_yUVNliMpmgFL-kA72UMsP3h7Kj38KPZuNk3EwvVRB_BwSGRtci2kTQxDJh-JZjVAZ/s640/DSC00562.JPG" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Ornament 2005 honors President James A. Garfield. He was our 20th president and was elected in 1891. He served less than a year before he was shot and later died. The ornament's color scheme and wreath design are from art objects, including china, needlework, and historic frames from the family home in Ohio. The pattern on the box is also based on wallpaper from this house. The JAG monogram is from decorations at his inaugural ball, and the ceramic stone in the middle was inspired by a period engraving of the South Front of the White House.</span><br /><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><br /><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Chester A. Arthur</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span face="calendasplus, "helvetica nueue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.05); color: white; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 1px; text-align: justify; text-transform: lowercase;">t</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNohSEZsKg2rOUjAYOrVaAWcXNPXz_REn2WTWCUukU_ThumqTV7AMzi4xJz1cZuOmcxuBQa1JNUSYzPlyTTCJ4TyjiUo4gSry9a8bUVSA00FQMW_Fo4KFWc72Y5CxMNocVO0ZsCQ5DlKy/s1600/DSC00582.JPG" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNohSEZsKg2rOUjAYOrVaAWcXNPXz_REn2WTWCUukU_ThumqTV7AMzi4xJz1cZuOmcxuBQa1JNUSYzPlyTTCJ4TyjiUo4gSry9a8bUVSA00FQMW_Fo4KFWc72Y5CxMNocVO0ZsCQ5DlKy/s640/DSC00582.JPG" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Ornament 2006 honors Chester A. Arthur, our 21st president. Arthur became President in 1881 after the untimely death of James Garfield. The country was recovering economically during that time, and Arthur's White House was a luxurious one. The ornament design is inspired by several motifs in the White House during Arthur's residence, many of which were designed by Louis Tiffany.</span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Grover Cleveland</b></span></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LOL3sssVJHVnmtNe-XBXSgjUAlhsvN1-L3sMwAe7Q-fCqxIVoYM_69QGFej3K_48xrsLUFca0pgagS7wK7ro-Bu1bGcDiEbrpw0VeUTQBOSwllcDibEp93KSbOs4rYFmisWFYjkuAOMd/s1600/DSC00546.JPG" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LOL3sssVJHVnmtNe-XBXSgjUAlhsvN1-L3sMwAe7Q-fCqxIVoYM_69QGFej3K_48xrsLUFca0pgagS7wK7ro-Bu1bGcDiEbrpw0VeUTQBOSwllcDibEp93KSbOs4rYFmisWFYjkuAOMd/s640/DSC00546.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px;"><span style="font-size: small;">2007--Front</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOIHtLjZcr4zxM_xi1ltOhR9ruvMG1AWHLy3ABjgGU-IxKjAFTx4DD3RfnNMbWtu9Hwkj0KzH2In5bBKecF61DBo_CyWBdclK06MWOjFVFNVO4Rq0_ok1eE4u2rOOqvRBB6ctx7KcNiyj/s1600/DSC00580.JPG" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1511" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOIHtLjZcr4zxM_xi1ltOhR9ruvMG1AWHLy3ABjgGU-IxKjAFTx4DD3RfnNMbWtu9Hwkj0KzH2In5bBKecF61DBo_CyWBdclK06MWOjFVFNVO4Rq0_ok1eE4u2rOOqvRBB6ctx7KcNiyj/s640/DSC00580.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="604" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">2007--Back</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: center;">Ornament 2009 remembers Grover Cleveland, who was our 22nd and 24th president. He was elected in both 1885 and 1893 and was the only U.S. president elected for two non-consecutive terms. Cleveland was also the only President married in the White House. The front of this ornament is a reproduction of an engraving of that event. The back is his bride, Frances Folsom's, monogram. </span><br /></span><br /><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="text-align: center;">++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"></span></span><br /><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Benjamin Harrison</b></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNTLYJ0XCybne5lDCwh6YZLC1Kd3W_l70C3ZkwRFnGk9nCbf5QVXEzjtW6oiahZ_j5WBScPOiGLTm90K4OiKPtxU2ZLzcH_tIWmqFxpkcBBNxhHMzYNPXp9MGbn4WG1MVLBDHpXhIQQwO/s1600/DSC00559.JPG" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNTLYJ0XCybne5lDCwh6YZLC1Kd3W_l70C3ZkwRFnGk9nCbf5QVXEzjtW6oiahZ_j5WBScPOiGLTm90K4OiKPtxU2ZLzcH_tIWmqFxpkcBBNxhHMzYNPXp9MGbn4WG1MVLBDHpXhIQQwO/s640/DSC00559.JPG" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"> Ornament 2008 honors Benjamin Harrison. Harrison was our 23rd president, elected in 1889. The ornament is based on the family's Christmas tree, the first recorded decorated tree in the White House. The toys beneath the tree are presents Harrison's grandchildren received for Christmas.</span><br /><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13.2px;">++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Grover Cleveland</b></span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y6RNX5z8Q84so064jJAHVX2QB-HGdY1IB0xsjj3zRAaxy-BpM58jTLnkO8Y03r_DWvD1o1ryS9PJJ2-DYlhRol4HjJ8H2Hr9JdYGdvh9XezchdYujc20buH33R95oJPcF_LhsDlZyjQh/s1600/DSC00558.JPG" style="color: #3a79c9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y6RNX5z8Q84so064jJAHVX2QB-HGdY1IB0xsjj3zRAaxy-BpM58jTLnkO8Y03r_DWvD1o1ryS9PJJ2-DYlhRol4HjJ8H2Hr9JdYGdvh9XezchdYujc20buH33R95oJPcF_LhsDlZyjQh/s640/DSC00558.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">2009--Front</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(207, 221, 243); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPLzNcf41Y8zV6j5J8ceV5wyKZZbVvMWiBx7Emyp6n1l8UDawp98dz8cMBQN3iC0aJwQ9Hd1e9BJkKC7BrbWSWB3EQ7OSQcjwzksbm3eQot1f8OLGxDYUn4ktBGe46SqkOkIa7mBc-_VL/s1600/DSC00576.JPG" style="color: #4174ff; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1600" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPLzNcf41Y8zV6j5J8ceV5wyKZZbVvMWiBx7Emyp6n1l8UDawp98dz8cMBQN3iC0aJwQ9Hd1e9BJkKC7BrbWSWB3EQ7OSQcjwzksbm3eQot1f8OLGxDYUn4ktBGe46SqkOkIa7mBc-_VL/s640/DSC00576.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">2009--Back, This ornament honors Grover Cleveland's second presidential term, which started in 1893. It features the south facade of the White House, where you can see a lit Christmas tree through the windows of the Oval Room. This was the first electric lights used on a White House tree. The back creates a scene from a tree trimming party that the Clevelands held annually for their children and those of the Cabinet members.</span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Tune in next time for more of the Ornament Parade.</span></p>Live and Learnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com6