I am a rut person…

I am a rut person…

Guess it is the New England in me, that doesn’t like change, so I do the same thing .. 90% of the time.

Might come in handy, if and when I get Alzheimers, as they say they do things over and over.  And no one will notice.  Ha ha.. 

Just things seem comfortable.. get up in the morning.. make my coffee,  cereal with coffee in it, with strawberries or blueberries.. Tuesday thru Sunday, I read the paper and do the crossword puzzle.. and then I am ready for the day.

I occasionally stray from the usual… especially in the summer, when there is a lot to do. And I can drive to town to get supplies or even just go down to the beach for a walk.

At night, I watch the game shows on NBC with the King, and then he heads to bed.. some times I watch tv.. sometimes I am on Facebook to see what my friend or family is up to.. Or fleshing out my blog story.  Then the news and bed. That is the usual winter routine.

Summer all bets are off, because there is a lot to do in the yard.

I can't hear you....

I can’t hear you…..

Saw years ago, a shirt that said…

“I AM NOT DEAF…. YOU DON’T TALK LOUD ENOUGH”.  

Guess I should have bought it.. 

I have worn hearing aides for about 6 years. I go in for a check up once a year.  That is at Costco. Which is what I could afford.   I had bought some before that.. that cost me over $2,000 USED.. reconditioned..  they were worthless (I could hear people behind me but not next to me or in front of me…and the doctor who sold them to me.. told me he couldn’t do anything with them..  and there was no guarantee as they were not new.  What a lesson.

So the King and I .. both of us with hearing problems.. decided to check out Costco. 1. they were cheaper..  2.. I COULD ACTUALLY HEAR WITH THEM!!!  With that came free cleaning each year, and free testing.   Last year I had them boost it up a bit..  I am afraid I am going to have to have them boost it up a LOT this time.. I am having more and more trouble hearing.  And those with soft voice…FORGETABOUTIT… And if some lowers their voice because they don’t want others to hear..  nope, nada… 

I even bought some of those cheaper ones they advertise in magazines.. at $49… that are suppose to be like tiny amp. … nope, did not work.  They lied when they said you could hear someone across the room.. hell, I couldn’t hear the person beside me.   

So anyone who is more than 2 feet from me.. it is a lost conversation.  And I am honest about it.. I have gotten so I tell them.. I don’t hear well, and if you want me to hear you, you are going to have to talk louder.. 

What is amazing.. some people I have no problem at all.. and they don’t talk extra loud.. maybe it is just the tone.

So if you see me.. and talk to me.. step up the volume for me.. as my hearing aide doesn’t go any higher.

Stirrring up trouble....

Stirring up trouble…..

From time to time I stir up trouble with my Democrat and Republican friends… Especially some of their extreme right ones…

With the rumors of maybe Oprah Winfred should run for President… and the screams from the far right… about it.. I mention.. maybe a good Democrat ticket would be Oprah Winfred and for her VP.. have Michelle Obama.  Two intelligent women..   I almost lost my head… lol.

And when I was laughing so hard.. they told me it wasn’t funny…

Personally, I would like to see a good man.. or even a woman, who had common sense.. and would return to having policies for the people. All the people… Some one who knows how to run the country.. and not into the ground.  There has to be an even keel ground from the pendulum swing back and forth for the past 20 years.  By the way, for about 40 years or more, I thought the most fair taxation was to do something like 7% straight across the board. No matter who you are.. no matter what your wages are… or your income.. That if everyone paid a certain %... it would be so much less complicated.  You wouldn’t have to do income tax each year… because it would be deducted from your check.  And all the CEO’S.. would have to pay the same % and no loop holes what so ever.  And no special money for different business.   You either make it or break it. If you run a good business… you will make money. Just like the mom and pop stores use to do. They had no loop holes.  So if you are a billionaire, you will pay the same %. No loop holes.

But that will never happen.. and where do you find a good man, with common sense and wants to lead the country for the people…all the people?  Because if you found him… he will tell you to get lost, he wouldn’t want anything to do with the zoo they call Washington DC the town of corruptions..  While we are at it, let’s get rid of the professional politicians..with a 12 year max term.

Just when are the people going to take back the government, any way. We have no say so over any law.. any law that Congress comes up with. 

Donations…

Donations…

Do you donate to the national charities?

I don’t .. I only do local ones.. and I select which ones of those..  And then there is the personal funds… like Go Fund it.. and etc. for a local person..  I don’t do that either, unless I know the person and know the story to be true. And even then I got over to the person and give.   And then there is some I don’t do money at all.. But if they need food… I will go to the store and buy food for them.  If they need clothes.. I find out the sizes and I buy for them.. maybe at the thrift store, if money is short for me.

Got stiffed to many times in the past.. so rare is the money side of it. But if I know it is a genuine need, I will help out. I have gathered money with friends and we have paid the electric bill, and etc.

I learn about 50 years ago.. had a relative that was great at calling out for help for milk for the baby, food and etc.. Asking for $20…. Then find out that she and her husband went out drinking and dancing.  Bought cigarettes… heck, my husband and I couldn’t afford to go out.. yet we paid for them… under false pretenses.  My other sister in law and I were matching stories and found out we both got hit at least 3 times..  So I came up with … let us buy the items and give.. next time..  Imagine the surprised look when we showed up with milk and food. After the second request, and the same results.. the relative stopped asking..

So I have made it my way of doing things. I am not heartless, just don’t like to be taken advantage of.

How about you? Do you donate? Nationally? Local?  And personally, do you have a limit?

Just because you can say it…

Just because you can say it…

               

Just because you can say it, doesn’t mean you should.

Some people think it is okay what Trump had to say about…. “Why do we want all these people from shithole countries coming here?”  Some say, he was just saying it like it is..  And he does have the right to say what he wants.. it the American way of the first amendment. Which protects everything everyone wants to say.. except for the word said loudly.. unless it is the truth.. FIRE FIRE…  But again, just because you can say it.. it doesn’t mean you should.

It also saddens me that people do defend his words .. not from the first amendment stand point, but from the fact they think he is so wonderful that anything he says, they defend.

And the ones that make me cringe the most.. are my friends.. as I have a couple of people we call friends that think Trump is great.   You might ask me.. why do I keep them for friends?  And my answer is.. that they have other qualities worth the friendship… so far… There is times when they make me cringe as I lock my teeth together.. And I try my best to keep politics out of the conversation.  

I had a friend who found out that I voted for Obama the first time around.. And she flipped out when she found out I was going to vote for him. Instead of trying to change my mind, she went on the attack. With words about my mental condition and how I didn’t deserve to vote.. that my voting privileges should be taken away. There was a full page of these thoughts.. As I read them in shock, as I have NEVER EVER told another person how to vote. I encourage them to get out and vote, even when I know they aren’t voting for the same person I am.  When I reached the bottom of the page.. I got another email from her… telling me that it was the final email I would get from her.. and she was blocking me from her email box.

I was flabbergasted to say the least.  I sat there in shock. Disbelief.  This was a woman who I admired. We worked together..We worked in a nursing home and we went up against the powers that be several times together for the residents.  I lost a friend.. or at least I thought we were friends.  Evidently not..  So as I deal with friends and the Trump situation.. I try to be a good friend.  And believer everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

So he can say it…but he shouldn’t have. Even if it was behind closed doors.. As President in the past have found out.. it always gets out. 

What Hawaii taught us....

What Hawaii taught us.

What a scare for the people of Hawaii on Saturday.  I can’t even imagine the thought process they had other than being so scared. Go to shelters.. WHAT SHELTERS? I am sure they have shelters from really bad weather.. like schools and halls and etc.  But for a bombing?

My cousin was visiting with his son.. they spent an hour in a bathroom before they got an all clear.. it was a mistake.  And why did it take 38 MINUTES of hell… (for the people) to send out an all clear message to the people?  38 MINUTES… think about it…you get antsy waiting for a minute on the microwave.. 38 minutes!!!!!!

So what has Hawaii taught us all?  It has taught us we are not prepared in the least of ways..  What if North Korea did send one of their missiles?   To even Portland  or Seattle..  As I told the King.. actually, asked him… what would we do?  If we had gotten word that the missile was heading to us?  What would we do? Where would we go?

How far reaching would the bomb be? If it hit Seattle.. or even Spokane???  And if it was a nuclear bomb?   I guess what would come into play, is what my mother told me in the 1950’s. That was when a lot of people were digging holes in their back yards for a bomb shelters.

She told me that she and Dad would not be doing that…  That if in fact a bomb did come.. she would take us out side… and have us all bend over and kiss our arses good bye.. because no filter system was going to keep the gases out of any bomb shelter. and it would turn into a tomb..  So she would look around one more time.. of the beauty of our home and yard.. and we would be gone.

Etiquette for funerals

Etiquette for funerals.

What is the proper etiquette for funerals these days?

See when I have gone to funerals in the past, there was a few things you could do.. 

1.    give a card

2.  . put money in that card

3.  . take a dish to the family home

And then there is .. who do you go to funerals for?  And why?

I go to funerals to pay respect. Some times if it is some one I know really well… I go even if I don’t know the family.. Which in a way is kind of crazy.. because they have passed so how do they know I showed up.   I guess my answer would be… because I want the family to know their love one meant something to someone other than family.

I also go to some with my husband, because he has asked me to go with him.  In support for him.  Some I have him go by his self, as there are so many people there that he knows and I have not a clue of who they are.  That way he can mingle with others after funeral gathering and visit with all of his old friends, without worrying if I am getting bored.  He can go, take his time, and as long as he wants.. I am good with that.

Then there are the person’s family. Of which I know them as well.. so want them to know I respect their love one.

Now for the top 3 questions..  I or my husband will take a dish over to the family house, to help out so they don’t have to cook for the families who come into town.  We do this for those who we know well…. And local.

We always give a card.. even if for some reason we don’t go to the funeral.. we will send the card.  And with the internet now, and funeral homes having a guest book.. I will go on there and leave some words.

Now the big question.. do we put money in the card. They answer here.. at least for us.. is ..if we know the family is in a bad financial place, we will put money in.  But that has gotten to be a rare thing.  I know when my husband before the King… passed away… people had put money in.. (this was 30 years ago) it helped a great deal… it help with food and etc, until my finances got straighten out after his death.

But one hardly ever hears of it now. And some don’t even bring a card.

So what is your funeral etiquette or your way of doing things? 

Tax time.. and Tuesday’s

I have thought it over.. and will do Tuesday and Wednesday… with an occasional Throw back Thursday added from time to time…

I seem to have too much going on …on Monday’s and lot of time doing great grandson duty on the weekend.. with a few hours on a weekday… sometimes.  I am on an “as needed schedule”.  So Tuesday and Wednesday seem logical… And we will see how it goes.  As I find it is still fun to do this.. just wish I could fine more to laugh about.  Well, I can, but some people get upset with my sense of humor.

Did I mention over the years that I hate Tax time?  Maybe it comes to mind because last night I spent 3 hours just going thru papers. Reciepts, and etc.  Even though I thought I was doing a good job of putting the tax related papers in a folder.. I guess I wasn’t because I found at least 20 receipts that I will need.

I have one of those folding folders.. with a slot for each month. And every financial paper that I get.. either a receipt or warranty, etc… I put in the folder for that month…. So filling up 12 slots for month receipts and one extra for tax related papers.  It also makes it easier for finding a receipt for something that went belly up.  Or if I get a notice of a non payment, I can show that I did.. So it works well…. And at this time of the year.. it is like a fat cat.  So I go thru them all, to make sure I have all the tax related papers.  Also see where my money went..  even for the non tax related items…  And I have come to the decision, that if I could give up eating… I would be a rich woman.  One grocery store alone was $3,673….and I don’t want to even talk about Wal-mart… of course we didn’t eat everything that we got at Wal-mart.

Anyway… see you around here on Tuesday’s and Wednesday, if you aren’t doing anything…

So what have I decided to do about the blog?

Good question… I still like writing from time to time… so I have been thinking.. maybe make it a once a week blog… Wow what switch from the beginning.. where it was all the rage.. And it was new … and I blogged daily.  Some times twice a day.  We all did.. had so much in us to talk about.

Also I find it  Therapeutic , good for warring off Alzheimer’s.  I have a friend I sent my blog to. And she still enjoys reading it.. 

I have the most trouble when there just flat isn’t anything to write about.  Well, anything I care to write about.  As the world makes me think of the title of a old movie.. THE GOD’S MUST BE CRAZY..  Also I rather write about something funny… humorous. …  as I think the best of all sounds is laughter..   and the kind I like is the one that is not at the expense of others.. Me? That is ok.. because some times I do some dumb things.   And getting old sometimes can be humorous. 

So I guess the answer is I will continue.. just not as much.

What party are you, they ask..

And the answer is neither. Well, not quite true. If you are a regular reader, you know I made up my own party back when Bush Jr. was running the first time.

I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican.. and I hate saying I am an Independent, because some of those Independents are off center if you know what I mean..  So I made up the Cafeteria

Party… where you walk down the aisle of political parties and pick from each one..  but for the past 8 years I have been on a diet as there isn’t any one worth having.  Except for a few locals.  

I remember when they use to be good politician  men, as there was a rarity for women to be politicians. There were the Kennedy’s, the Eisenhower’s.

Eisenhower was a very friendly President. He use to come to Newport, R.I.  to the Naval base there.. where the War College was.  I use to walk to my job from home quite often. And when he was there, I would see him practicing his golf shots on the large lawns they had there. He and his guards were there.  He always waved at me each morning. All because the first time, I walked by, I waved at him.  I thought that was pretty cool.. I was too young to vote yet..so couldn’t  voted for him.

 Funny story.. I worked for the Naval Exchange on the base…and the first time he came on base, we all decided in our 2 offices that we  would go and watch him go by.  We were told we could only go on our lunch… IF he came at that time. We found out he was coming at 10’30am.. which was way before our lunch.  After talking, we told the bosses that we would go, and work thru our lunch time. One of the bosses said no.   we were bummed… At about 10:20, we knew he was coming soon…and we could make it to where he was going by, in about 5 minutes.. We all decided to go.. after all, if we ALL went..what could they do?  They couldn’t fire all of us.. So we agreed and went… and we did work thru our lunch time, so the government didn’t lose any work time.  I had a brownie camera in my pocket and when he came, I took a picture..  And when I got it developed.. there was only the flag on the front of the car in the picture.  I guess that is the first walk out they ever had.. a protest.. before protesting was cool.

So what party am I.. none of the ones you know about.. I am a Cafeteria Party…

Old Wife’s tale of January 1st.

Old wife’s tale I heard in 1959, on January 1^st.was that what ever you do on January 1^st of the year.. is what you will be doing the whole year around… 

That year.. was my first year in San Diego, California.. and on that date.. there was a mile earthquake.  Now a 18 year old.. from Rhode Island where the worse we had was hurricanes.. it crossed my mind, as I watch the over head light swing… they don’t make California houses very stable.   And to be honest with you.. I don’t know how many more earthquakes there were the rest of the year.  One in Idaho in 1985 scared me worse than those did. That is were the house, the truck in the yard was dancing.. and I was running thru the house at 6am, screaming at the kids.. GET OUT OF THE TRAILER… EARTHQUAKE!!

Now this year.. if that old wives tale is true… then I will be having breakfast with two of my grandchildren.. and watch my great grandson… and then having a fantasic dinner … made by my husband.