Progress

Sunrise from a couple of days ago. The snow is mostly gone now.

Good morning from my chilly new home -for my computer anyway. As part of our efforts to get ready for construction, I moved my computer into one of the extra bedrooms, and it's cold. This new environment may prevent me from lingering at the computer and playing another game that I don't need to. :) I layered up yesterday to work here, but then I was too hot for the rest of the house. I'm sure I figure out a good compromise, but until then, Brrrrr.

Ward also moved his computer from the office into the living room and is ready for work today. We added a table in there to have a coffee pot and microwave on the main level when construction begins, but we had to be careful not to block the window ledge the cats love. We're a bit worried about how the construction will affect them, especially because they are so old. But I think if they get adequate lap time, they will be okay.

The guest room has reached capacity on the number of boxes it can have and still be able to get to the bed. Wally occasionally sleeps there when he visits, and we have company scheduled for a visit in about a month. We want to be able to offer them reasonable accommodations - at least a clear path in and out of the room and surface to put a suitcase on.

And it goes on. I have a donation pickup scheduled in a week, but I'm going to have to start boxing some of it up before then because the pile is getting in the way. I also have feelers out to find a place to donate our old working appliances. The first place said they don't want them, and I'm waiting to hear back from another. 

My fingers are cold, so I think it's time to move on from this room. I have to get ready for work, anyway, which, by the way, is still hectic because, in addition to the test kits, we are now passing out N-95 masks.

Until next time...

Busy

I'm working on some extra projects right now, so my posting here may be sparse for a few weeks. Although, I'm not sure how you will tell the difference from my regular, irregular schedule. :)

Every couple of days, we are having
snow and ice to contend with. 

First, some of my computer writing time is being taken up each week with a gift I received for Christmas. My sister-in-law got me a subscription to StoryWorth, a service that sends you a question each week to answer, and after a year, your responses are published into a book. It's a means of saving family history and telling a personal story. The questions are open-ended and require effort. For example, the question I'm working on now is, "What were your grandparents like?" I'm finding it challenging to discuss four different grandparents (and a bonus one we discovered a few years ago) in only a few paragraphs. Actually, this answer is more than a few paragraphs, and I'm only discussed 2/5 so far. I have told some of my family stories here on my blog, but with Storyworth, I can add specific names, places, and times that I don't share here. We'll see how it goes. I may get tired of this before the year is done, but I would like to do this for my kids and others.

Also, we have a date for construction to begin on our kitchen. In just two weeks, we have to have several rooms emptied. The kitchen is the main focus, but the domino effect of closing doorways and opening others have spread the job. And then there are things like if the new floor is going to extend into the connecting laundry room and bathroom, do we want to take this opportunity to put in a new toilet and vanity to replace the worn 33-year-old ones? We need to shop for those things if we do. And we're trying to figure out how we will function the 2-3 months the project is supposed to last. We have a small canning kitchen in the basement, so we have options there. However, we are moving cabinets from upstairs to downstairs to replace the small, crude ones there now, so we have to have that area empty, too. However, that's the first thing they will do, so hopefully, we will have a usable space down there before too long. But even before a functioning "kitchen," we have to figure out our workspaces since the office is one of the areas we have to cleanout. Ward works from home every day, so he will need a good space to relocate into. There are options for everything; we just have to figure them out.

So I'll see you when I see you. Actually, that might be more often than I plan because I am talking with you now because it's easier than working on either of the projects I mentioned above. 

Fleeting

The first news came when my niece, Lianne, told her grandfather and the rest of us that she might be late with his Christmas present. If he could wait until April, she and her husband Ben were going to have twins. These would be their first, and we were all excited about the news.

Lianne and Ben lived away, and we visited with them at Thanksgiving. Lianne was out of the morning sickness phase and starting to show. They were both so happy and excited. Lianne and Ben's next visit was going to be in January when there would be a baby shower for them in the area. A registry was formed, and gifts arrived, awaiting the shower.

However, the shower was canceled. The twins arrived unexpectantly on Dec. 30, just one day before Lianne's birthday. Little Sawyer and Allison (named after Ward's sister, who passed away a few years ago) were tiny, each weighing just over 1 pound. But they were alive and surrounded by excellent medical care. The parents held vigil round the clock with the babies. The hospital gave them a room to shower and sleep in, although I don't know how much sleep they got. There were ups and downs every day. Allison held onto Lianne's finger, then Sawyer's oxygen level dropped, and so it would go. Lianne pumped breast milk and gave it to Allison on a Q-tip. Ben read to them, The Hobbit and All Creatures Great and Small. However, little Sawyer passed away after being on this earth for just a week. He died in his mother's arms after she baptized him. The parents were consumed with grief, but they had a daughter who needed them, and the vigil continued.

Allison's medical problems persisted, but we heard reports about how she had the family eyebrows and was a feisty little thing. Every day forward brought a new day of hope. We all celebrated her two-week birthday by sending pictures of us embracing life. But this morning, Allison went to join her brother. She was just too little. When it looked like the end was near, Allison and Ben got to hold Allison, and miraculously, all of her vitals improved to perfect. Babies know their parents. Lianne and Ben spent many hours holding her before she passed. A family portrait shows how much the parents were in awe and loved those babies.

Now the long process of grieving and recovery begins. I wish Lianne and Ben strength and pray they can find comfort and peace in the days ahead.

My Neck of the Woods

 or to paraphrase weatherman Al Roker, "Here's what's happening in my neck of the woods."

The most recent snowfall. We are forecast to get three times this much tomorrow.

Today is a welcome day off from a busy week at work before I return tomorrow. Our library has begun handing out COVID test kits for county residents, and there's been somewhat of a frenzy. While there is separate staff handing out the kits, we are fielding continuous phone calls asking about the status of the distribution. These constant interruptions make it hard to assist people who want help with actual library services. But it's all good. People are happy to get the kits, and we are happy to be providing the service. BTW, I don't know the current COVID-related numbers anymore because I've stopped listening to the details. I just know that they are high, and more and more people I know are getting sick. But this too shall pass, she says wearily.

Well, I didn't get this posted yesterday, so let's see what I can do before I'm off to work. And speaking of work, I just found out one of my coworkers now has COVID, which he contracted from his wife. It's been five days since I've seen him, and that was from a distance, both masked. So I think I'm okay. 

And speaking of COVID-related matters, we are experiencing empty grocery store shelves here like most of the rest of the country. I think we are seeing the perfect storm of residual supply chain issues, worker shortages because of COVID, and a big snowstorm last week with a promise of another tomorrow. And to top it all off, these have led to panic buying. Panic buying is the only thing we can really control, but human nature gets in the way, and panic buying results. While we don't exactly have an overly full pantry or freezer here, we won't go hungry for a long time if we get no more supplies.

Until next time...

Tuesday 4, True Crime and Mystery

This week Tuesday 4 asks questions about true crime and mystery. Join me if you'd like.

1. Was there a notorious crime in the news that caught your attention or interest? Did you follow that case to it's conclusion?  If there was no solution, do you pay attention to news about the case long after? (for instance the Lindbergh kidnapping case... Patty Hearst, etc., ) I have followed various crime cases in the news, but never to the extent of every detail. However, one in particular that I followed closely was the Jon Benet Ramsey murder. Her mother was from WV and I had met her a few times at school functions. Also, her kids were the same age as mine. I still glance at any headlines I see about the case all these years later since it has not been solved.

2.Does the mystery genre of literature and movies interest you?  Does any one book ,series or movie stand out for you? In general, I'm not a mystery reader or movie watcher. I don't like the intensity of them. I'm more of a half-hour comedy type of person. However, the mention of Lindbergh's in the first question reminded me of a fiction book I enjoyed about the Lindberghs, The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin. I also have liked these mystery series: Alan Bradley's Flavia Deluce, Jaquiline Winspear's Maisy Dobbs, and Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache.

3.  Ever play Clue or any one of the new mystery games available?  Do you enjoy solving mysteries or puzzles? I enjoyed playing Clue as a kid and I played it with my kids, too. While I like a good mystery or puzzle, I don't try to solve them often. However, my husband and kids are excellent at them and they enjoy the challenge.

4. Some towns are known for mysteries that took place there.  Do you have something like that in your town or state?  If not.. how about telling us about something that has always puzzled you! It seems that every place has its share of mystery and ghost stories, but I don't know many of them. However, not far from where I live, they filmed the Blair Witch Project, a supernatural horror film. And in WV, there is the legend of the Mothman. In the mid-1960s, people claimed they saw a 10' creature with wings and red eyes. 

Mothman

2021, The Year in Review - Part 2

 According to my blog

I will pick up from where I left off last time and finish the second half of the year.

July - 9 posts

This month saw me celebrating two birthdays. First was my father's when I posted about things I had learned from him. Next was my birthday when I paid tribute to my mother because I was not an easy baby. We were still looking for outdoor things to do and went to a bluegrass concert on a local farm where there was plenty of room to spread out. Despite the weather being very hot, I posted pictures of several flowers that were thriving. Also, I took a break from my attempts at being positive and did a post about things that were annoying me, primarily changes in our bank's software. And this was the month that I started answering prompts from Tuesday 4 and discussed blogging, movies, and a visit from the future.

Besides flowers, I shared a picture of one of the baby bunnies around our yard.

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August - 13 posts

During August, we took two trips - one to research Ward's genealogy in Pennsylvania and one to West Virginia for a family reunion. The hot weather continued with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. In the garden, tomatoes and basil were producing, and I made several batches of tomato sauce and pesto. For my Tuesday 4 posts, I discussed my personal characteristics, books and movies, cooking, and my wedding.

We found the church where Ward's grandfather was baptized during our genealogy trip.

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September - 7 posts

The garden was winding down in September, but I still harvested basil, tomatoes, beets, and carrots. I shared the story of how we got our current two cats to celebrate their birthday, and I posted about the ribbons we won at the local fair. During my Tuesday 4 posts, I talked about my home and the Wild West. This month, my blog also documented wooly worm activity, but the real wildlife story was about a snake that got taped to a wall in our house.

The Wild West post featured a picture of Theo getting ready
for Rodeo Days when we lived in Texas.

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October - 11 posts

This month found us on another short getaway to Pennsylvania but in a different area than in August. Like most of our getaways, we enjoyed visiting historical sites along with parks. We also spent a day in Annapolis, getting an overview of the city for a return visit. Again, I was in a complaining mood and mentioned a few of my pet peeves, including too many moving graphics on the TV news. I answered Tuesday 4 questions about October as well as remembered Halloween traditions from my childhood. With fall in full swing, there was not much talk of harvest except for a few apples I made into an apple crisp.

One of the pictures from our Annapolis trip.

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November  - 6 posts

In November, Ward and I took an anniversary trip to WV where we hiked in the ice and snow. I answered Tuesday 4 questions about my hometown and the month of November, and Theo gave me his own version of Tuesday 4 that resulted in two posts about seeing situations from two sides. Also, I talked about our Thanksgiving preparations and a busy grocery store trip.

We were surprised with our first camellia blooms this month.

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December - -9 posts

I began the month with more details about the anniversary trip we took at the end of November, but most of the month discussed holiday preparations and plans. These were mostly positive, but I did do one post about the melancholy feeling that I was having. I did a post on my mother's birthday about how she changed the date she celebrated it so it wouldn't always be lumped in with Christmas. In the Tuesday 4 posts, I discussed my name and books and movies.

We had a very warm December and there were still a few flowers in the yard.

So there you have it. My year in review or at least a review of what I had time (or the inclination) to post about. I was more active in 2021 than I was the year before. In 2021, I averaged 2.5 posts/week and in 2020, I averaged 1.5 posts/week. The increased numbers were in part because of participation in the Tuesday 4 questions. 

Who knows what 2022 will bring? And who knows what I will choose to post about? I have great ideas, and you may see some of them when blogging moves further up on my priority list. Those darn things like work and chores keep getting in the way. :)

Until next time...

2021, The Year in Review -Part 1

... According to my blog

I find it interesting to look over my blog from the previous year to see how often I posted and what I chose to post about. You may not find it as interesting as I do, but here it goes anyway. :)

January-17 posts

January found me unsettled because of coronavirus uncertainties. My family was not yet eligible for vaccination, so we continued with our hypervigilance. To help combat these feelings, I posted every day for two weeks with positive, everyday topics. Also, our friend Kris, a healthcare worker, shared her experience with early vaccination.

In January, we visited a lighted, outdoor boat display. 

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February -6 posts

This was a month of talking about winter weather - snow, sleet, ice, and more snow, sleet, and ice. To have something else to post about, I shared new things I had learned: rice is really bad garbage disposals. And this is also when we began in earnest to plan for a kitchen remodel with high hopes. 

At the end of the month, I tried a new-to-me method of starting seeds in milk jugs outside.

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March - 6 posts

Just as February posts were dominated by winter, March posts were dominated by spring as things started to bud and bloom. We continued our outdoor outings exploring a city park. However, the most important event of this month was that Ward and I received our first vaccination. 

Nothing says spring to me like crocus.

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April - 26 posts    

I once again participated in the A-Z blogging challenge, where I posted every day except Sundays. I tried something different this year using a theme -  Fruits and Vegetables. I explored new-to-me veggies and fruits, shared recipes, showed what was growing in my garden, and examined the nutrition of various fruits and veggies. I still struggled to post every day, but looking back over them, I find them interesting. 

For "V", I made vegetable soup with what I had on hand.

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May - 9 posts

May was a month of moderate weather and an outside focus. The cooler-weather vegetables were doing well in the garden, and I was trying to figure out where to plant more things that I had been gifted. Flowers were prominently featured in several posts. 

We were finally fully vaccinated (so we thought), and we had a few family members over for a cookout to celebrate Ward's birthday. Also, since we were fully vaccinated, we took our first trip in over a year. We drove to WV to visit cousins and, along the way, explored historic sites, including ones that involved my ancestors more than 200 years ago. There was a feeling of hope as we were slowly doing activities we hadn't done for a while. 

 

The rhododendrons were blooming early in the month.

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June - 8 posts

I continued posting about the trip to WV that we took in May. There were more signs of "normalcy" as people were allowed back into the library. We began harvesting vegetables from our garden, including broccoli, lettuce, carrots, peas, and beets. The weather was unseasonably warm and brought a storm that took down a much-loved tree in our front yard. I also shared another storm of sorts when I posted about the invasion of cicadas this month.

Stayed tuned for 2021 in Review, part 2.

She said, He said it better.

Dolly Sods, WV

I don't know if you've paid attention, but Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia had been in the news a lot for the past several months. He is a moderate Democrat who sometimes agrees with President Biden and sometimes does not. This is frustrating to some. Obviously, it was to Bette Midler when she tweeted her disdain for him.  She is entitled to her opinion and feelings, as everyone is, but what I and many others had a problem with is she included the entire state of West Virginia in the derogatory remark. 

Below is an opinion piece written by Stephen Baldwin and published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail newspaper about the Bette Midler tweet. 

As you know, this is not a political blog. Not at all. But I wanted to share an example of someone taking the high road because that is not the way many do business these days. (Or at least according to the news.)

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Stephen Baldwin: Bless your heart, Bette Midler

By Stephen Baldwin, Dec 29, 2021

On Dec. 20, singer and actress Bette Midler tweeted, “What #JoeManchin, who represents a population smaller than Brooklyn, has done to the rest of America, who wants to move forward, not backward, like his state, is horrible. He sold us out. He wants us all to be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate and strung out.”

When I read that, I just shook my head and muttered, “Bless your heart, Bette Midler.”

I felt sorry for her, because she obviously never kayaked the Greenbrier River. She never watched the sun rise over Dolly Sods. She never heard Bill Withers belt out “Lean On Me” at church on Sunday morning. She never experienced the hospitality of a West Virginian who would literally give anyone the shirt off their back and the food on their plate if they came through town needing help.

I’m a lifelong West Virginian, and we’ve heard the jokes our whole lives. Jokes about dental care, substance abuse and statehood. One time, this country boy checked into a hotel in the big city. I presented my driver’s license for proof of identity. The clerk said, “Oh, you’re from the western part of Virginia?” “No ma’am, I’m from West Virginia.” She replied, “I didn’t know it was a separate state.”

“Yes ma’am,” I replied, “We’ve been the keepers of God’s country since 1863.”

Contrary to Midler’s short-sighted tweet, we hold a long history of substantive contribution to American

democracy that has helped move the country forward.

West Virginia is the home of Katherine Johnson, who was such a brilliant mathematician that her colleagues at NASA — especially astronaut John Glenn — trusted her more than their advanced computers.

West Virginia is the home of Woody Williams, who is America’s oldest living Medal of Honor recipient.

West Virginia is the home of James Rumsey, inventor of the steamboat.

West Virginia is the home of Booker T. Washington, who was born into slavery and yet became one of the leading American intellectuals of the 19th century.

West Virginia is the home of Chuck Yeager, who was the first human being to break the sound barrier.

West Virginia is the home of Pearl S. Buck, who remains one of America’s greatest authors.

Despite this rich history, do we struggle? Yes. One-quarter of our children live in poverty. Our overdose rate is the highest in the nation. Our greatest export is our high school students — they graduate and leave. As a pastor and state senator, these are the issues I spend every day working to overcome alongside my fellow mountaineers. 

Honestly, we could use Midler’s help, rather than her judgment. She’s a wealthy, well-known professional. Condée Nast recently named West Virginia one of the best travel destinations for 2022. I invite Midler to come visit West Virginia.

When Anthony Bourdain, God rest his soul, visited us in 2018, he said, “Here, in the heart of every belief system I’ve mocked or fought against, I was welcomed with open arms by everybody.” As a fellow New Yorker, I think Midler will find the same thing. We will welcome her with open arms. Apology accepted.

Yet, the nation remains divided — along partisan, cultural and geographic lines, as this incident exposed. What can we do about it? Hear me out. Rural America is often criticized for being out of touch with the modern world. I think the modern world is out of touch with the real America. The real America is a land of contrasts — big and small, rich and poor, black and white, young and old, city and

country. Most people spend time in both worlds, and most of us see the value in both worlds. The truth is that we need each other. America is not America without the country and the city. The country pastor and the city actress.

So, bless her heart. Seriously. I wish Midler all the best and God’s blessings this holiday season.

Let’s you and I do our part to heal this deep divide in America today. Come on down to West Virginia and see why it’s called “Almost Heaven.” We’ll save you a seat at our table.

West Virginia Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, is pastor of the Ronceverte Presbyterian Church.

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The continuing story- 

After backlash, Ms. Midler tweeted this apology.

"I apologize to the good people of WVA for my last outburst. I’m just seeing red; #JoeManchin and his whole family are a criminal enterprise. Is he really the best WV has to offer its own citizens? Surely there’s someone there who has the state’s interests at heart, not his own!"

I have several things to say about her apology, but I'm not sure I can take the high road like Mr. Baldwin, so I won't comment. :)

Until next time...

Thankful Sunday, January 2, 2022

A few things from the last week.

I am thankful for our large table. To have more seating, Ward made a tabletop extension for our banquet table. It easily holds 10 people. 

And with a nice tablecloth, you'd never know that there's a sheet of plywood underneath.

I am thankful for carolers. The kids in the neighborhood practiced and
then caroled on two different nights. They were as good as they were cute.

And each house got a homemade card from them.

I am thankful for new poinsettias. We got two poinsettias as gifts from friends this year.

And the plan is to keep them alive so they can bloom again next year like this one.
That's the plan anyway. :)

I am thankful the cats had fun at Christmas. Our cats are over 18 years old and are not very lively. However, the Christmas things seem to give them new life.

But they didn't forget how to enjoy a sunbeam.

I am thankful for new ornaments. My sister-in-law made this one with epoxy.

And the tree is still up to hang it on.
Some of the decorations are down,
but the tree will stay until Jan. 6, Epiphany. 

I am thankful for a new puzzle.

And an old coloring book. Both provided some relaxing downtime.

Until next time...

Happy New Year!

“Again, the time elapsed.”
― Carolyn Keene, The Secret of the Old Clock

Not much to say, except, "Here we go again!"

Below is what I posted last year at the beginning of 2021. While the details are different, the big picture is the same. Maybe this will be the year that we can finally let our guard down because, you know, "Hope springs eternal."

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 Welcome, 2021!

In the new year, may you find the peace
of a cat sleeping in a sunbeam.

I know that a new year always brings new hopes and dreams - especially this year. Hopes of not living in constant fear of the coronavirus. Hopes of being rid of the vigilance it takes to be safe. Hopes of not hearing upsetting statistics every day. And dreams of talking to someone face to face. Dreams of being able to hug family members and friends. Dreams of taking a trip. Dreams of sitting in a restaurant.

While there is no doubt that everyone wants this pandemic that started in 2020 over, it has been remarkable in some ways. It has unified people around the entire globe. We have been united in trying to figure out the best procedures, treatments, and vaccines for the disease. Sometimes there have been disagreements on what those are, but there has been a common goal--to be rid of the devastating effects of the coronavirus. That blows my mind. Around the world, everyone is thinking about the same thing and feeling empathy for each other.  I guess you might call that the silver lining to the storm cloud of 2020.

So I'll just summarize and say, "Goodbye, 2020, and thank you for all that you taught us, and Welcome 2021, we have high hopes for you."