QUESTION OF THE WEEK 11-30-2020

What do you use primarily...Desktop, Laptop, Tablet or Phone?

 

REMEMBER WHEN

 I cried when I ran across these videos.  There was a time our little 10 acre plot was active and full of life.

JUST LIKE KIDS

 My 50 year old son and my 24 year old granddaughter loved acting crazy at our 3 person Thanksgiving.  I think they got high on turkey. 

They are playing a game she learned on TikTok

The scissors were to cut the string on the water bottles.

The plate with whipped cream was supposed to fly in his face.

Instead he caught it and got it in her face.

I was glad when she put down the scissors.

Still the encounter continued.

But it was a happy ending.

A DIFFERENT CELEBRATION

Today is the 105th anniversary of my mother's birth.  I miss that wonderful woman every day of my life.  Happy Heavenly Birthday Mama💓💖

Mama 1915 to 2007

Mother in 1959

WORDS FOR WEDNESDAY 11-25-2020

 

furnishing

tablet

platform

arrow

frame

content

AND/OR

vase

eagle

ballroom

propelling

brand

epilogue

 

FOOD DISTRIBUTION by Granny Annie

Phyllis could not be sure what others were furnishing. She would make her best effort to fill the baskets with bread, milk and canned goods to distribute to the homeless. Hopefully these things would help.

Children Brix and Bunny were each given a drawing tablet and crayons to keep them busy and out of the way. Phyllis planned to have them sit on the platform in this large dance-hall so she could keep an eye on them.

Volunteers were gathered to hand out the food while other people were lined up to receive the donations. There were arrows posted for standing at social distances and each face was framed with a mask. The people seemed content to wait...at first.

Phyllis did not like the big doors to the ballroom left standing open. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a large eagle came swooping through the doors over the heads of the guests. This was unheard of. Why would a wild bird enter this sanctuary and begin propelling itself at the people?

Brix and Bunny were delighted with this intrusion and began jumping up and down on the platform. This caused a brand new heavy vase in the corner to crash to the floor.

The sound of the crash caused a panic as everyone headed for the doors, crowding and pushing thus creating a disastrous epilogue to this tale.

FUNCTIONAL BEAUTY

 I live on the Grand Lake O' The Cherokees.  It is a beautiful place to live but when the leaves fall and the color is gone it is hard to find pictures worth taking.  However, on my drive Sunday I passed this place that is less than a mile from my home.  It is a the rock quarry.  Trucks loaded with crushed rock move in an out of the location every week day.  We buy the rock from them to fill our drive way and for other projects. Often we hear explosions from there that feel like we are having an earthquake.  Our yard and field might look green and grassy but underneath there it nothing but rock.  It is good to know this mountain of minerals serves a purpose.

A quarry is a place where rocks, sand, or minerals are extracted from the surface of the Earth. A quarry is a type of mine called an open-pit mine, because it is open to the Earth's surface. ... The most common purpose of quarries is to extract stone for building materials. Quarries have been used for thousands of years. They serve a functional beauty in our area as a source of income for many workers.

 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK 11-23-2020

 Do you hold a grudge or do you forgive and forget?

 

22 POUNDS

Joining the crowd, I was gaining weight during this pandemic.  Everyone was  complaining about all the food they were devouring to take their minds off the dilemma. This was not something I wanted to keep doing and then I remembered a story.

There had been a news program highlighting a woman in her 70's who had lost 120 pounds by walking 20 minutes a day in her one bedroom apartment.  I have a 1700 sq.ft. home and live on ten acres.  It would be easy to walk 20 minutes inside and/or outside.  That was my start. Now I am up to 1 hour each day and have lost 22 pounds.  Taking time to walk has also cut down on my eating time.😋

One thing that keeps me going is listening to books.  I download favorite authors free on my phone for audio books from the library and listen while I walk.   I am also using my cell phone to count the steps and track my calories. Ten more pounds loss will make my first goal.  Hope I haven't jinxed myself telling this.

DINNER HELP --NOT

 My son texted me last night around supper time.  He needed my recipe for Cheesy Spaghetti.  Being the great mom that I am, I rushed to find it, not wanting to delay his meal.  Of course it was not in my file where expected.  I searched and searched and finally found it.  Instead of texting it back to him I called to read it to him. He responded cheerfully, "Oh, Beth found it. No problem."  I was glad they had it and said "Let me know how it turns out."  He responded, " We're not having it tonight.  I just needed it for the ingredients to put on our weekly grocery list." "Great" I said.

All of my recipes now:

WORDS (PICTURES) FOR WEDNESDAY 11-18-2020

 

Instead of words to inspire us this week, we have pictures.  I will do my absolute best to give it a try.

Madeline sent her two sons out to play.  Eric was 12 years old, the older by 15 months and was quite careful about following his parent's rules.  Michael was a typical younger child, 10 and soon to be 11.  He was spoiled and forgiven most often for breaking rules.

This day the boys had taken their BB guns with them to prowl the abandoned water plant near by.  It was the perfect place to shoot out remaining windows and the plant security did not mind since the entire place to was to be demolished eventually.

Michael grew tired of these targets and suggested they take a walk around the new housing development.  Eric agreed to this change of path but cautioned Michael not to use his BB gun there.  Michael swore he would not shoot the gun unless it was into a tree stump or something like that.

The boys lived across the railroad tracks in a less than fancy neighborhood.  They loved to tour this soon to be completed housing addition. They would select one or another fancy house and pretend they were going to live there.

This place was more closely guarded than the water plant and they had to work hard to avoid the security guard here.  He was a grumpy, mean fellow and enjoyed running them off when he would see them trespassing.  

Eric and Michael heard the guard coming their way with keys jingling and thudding feet.  He commanded them to freeze and instead of running them off, he grabbed them both up and actually put his handcuffs on them.  This Security guard was playing real policeman.  He lectured the boys and advised them of the punishment for trespassers. He taunted them about their rag-tag appearance and promised them their poverty stricken lives would never bring them to live in a neighborhood like this.  He ask for their address and neither Eric or Michael replied.  He whipped the boys and punched them.   The guard then turned them loose and ordered them home, promising to take them both to jail if they ever came back again.  

The boys ran home and Michael especially was very angry.  As they made their way back to their house, they vowed to return to the housing addition that night and knew what they would do in the darkness. Their pets, a pup and duck, listened to the boys whispering and knew nothing good would come from the promised pranks.

These two pets watched as their boy humans crossed the backyard in the dark heading across the tracks with their BB Guns loaded.  Yes Eric and Michael managed to shoot out a multitude of newly placed windows in these houses, laughing as they imagined the security guard's face the next morning.  They did not imagine the night security guard was watching.  He caught them, grabbed them up and took them to jail. Their mother took the call from the police station and instead of coming after the boys, she sent their father Jacob, a hardworking man who was going to lose a night's sleep over his menacing boys.  You can just imagine "the rest of the story".

WORLDWIDE RECOVERED

 It is difficult to find statistics on the number of recovered COVID cases.  Once I did find that 6M had recovered in the US when the total number of cases was 9.4M and deaths were 236,000.  I cannot find those updated statistics anymore but I did find worldwide numbers.

Worldwide

Total cases 54.8M

Recovered      35.2M

Deaths      1.32M

QUESTION OF THE WEEK 11-16-2020

 How is the COVID Pandemic most affecting your life?

WEATHER REPORT

 This crazy Oklahoma weather was on me before I knew it last night.  Here is the evolution of events.

Picture one -- What is going on?

Picture two -- check the weather report.

Picture three -- Tornado watch.

Picture four -- Maybe  not so bad.

Picture five --power is out.

At least all the fallen leaves are off my lawn.

I AM WOMAN

Picture of the newly divorced in 1975. Who knew it would be 26 years before I married again. Loved the company of these wonderful children and still do. What adventures we had together over those years. How absolutely terrified I was when this picture was taken.

1975

 

FAVORITE ZOOM

How many of you have enjoyed zooming this COVID season? We are looking forward to another big one on Thanksgiving Day. We set our time to include Goddaughter in Los Angeles, Navy Grandson in Florida, Godson in Berlin and future Grandson-in-law in England. The rest of us are on Central Time. I cannot wait. April 26, 2020

MY OTHER BLOG

 Feel free to visit any time.  Markerings by EAGHL.

 

WORDS FOR WEDNESDAY 11-11-2020

 THE NEIGHBOR'S DOG

The wild canine had destroyed my lovely botanic collection. After gathering the scattered beauties I calmed myself with a glass of Port and thought over the situation. Ah ha! The perfect solution struck me. I found an elastic band , a small rock and a wishbone piece of wood. I fashioned a slingshot and sat with my finger on the weapon's band awaiting the return of the troublesome dog.

 

I used these first 6 for today's challenge.

Botanic

Gathering

Finger

Port

Canine

Elastic Band 

If you wish to participate and know the other 6 words for today, go to Elephant Child's blog.

OLIVE OIL TOO

 

 Popeye the Sailor Man really existed.....

 

His real name was Frank "Rocky" Fiegel. He was born in 1868 in Poland. He was a retired sailor contracted by Wiebusch's tavern in the city of Chester, Illinois, to clean and maintain order. He had a reputation to be always involved in fighting, so he had a deformed eye ("Pop-eye"). He always smoked his pipe, so he spoke only with one side of his mouth. He loved to be around children. There is no accounting of his imaginary adventures which boasts about the exploits of his physical strength, ensuring he never lost a fight. The author of Popeye, Elzie Crisler Segar, born in Chester, met Frank when where the young man was to listen to their stories and years later honored him with the character Popeye the Sailor Man. Olive Oil also existed, she was Dora Paskel, owner of a grocery store in Chester. She is also described to dress just like Olive Oil. Segar kept in touch with Frank and had always helped him with money. Frank and Popeye also carried some inherent features like courage, chivalry and virility.

 

LOVING YOU

 Thinking of Ron today on what would be his 81st Birthday. Here is a rarely seen photo of him. He loved this 3 piece suit. I miss him still.  I love him always.

WORDS FOR WEDNESDAY ON FRIDAY

 WINTER DIET ENDS

She looked out her living room window and felt the sun beating through. Sheila missed the Winter view of snow and seeing the Ilex filled with beautiful red berries. Spring had passed and Summer was finally here. It was time once again for the dreaded company picnic but she was ready. 

This required gathering was a most hated event for her but this year she could dress in a skimpy crop top and short-shorts. She had worked hard and today Sheila could finally show off the pounds she had lost.

The sun would beat down on them and every table would be filled with delicious food. Today would probably put an end to her stoic dieting. It would no doubt be a fiasco. How could she pass up these plates and bowls filled with friend chicken, barbecued meats, potato salad, pies and cakes. She knew she would over indulge and end the day throwing up. Tomorrow she would awaken with a food veisalgia. 

But it would all be worth it!!

Pinterest image

 

 

I'LL BE WATCHING YOU

 "Every move you make every breath you take, I'll be watching you." That's my 2 dogs. I started getting dressed to go vote and they both headed for the door.  They know my every move and what it means.

Frankie Doodle is almost 4 years old.

Slimbo Jimbo is nearing 15 years old.

 

 

Will we have breakfast before you go?

 

 

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

Will things settle down in the United States after November 3, 2020 or will it just be a beginning on that day of hate and disruption no matter the election outcome?  

 "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  Beginning of our Declaration of Independence