Tuesday, September 28, 2021

HAPPY SON’S DAY….

HAPPY SON’S DAY….

 

I am going to get into trouble for today’s post. See I didn’t do Happy Daughter’s day… But in all fairness, I didn’t know it was Happy Daughter’s Day… But was told last night, that today is Happy Son’s Day…

 

So I decided that this post really should be HAPPY KIDS DAY… As maybe that will get me out of hot water, with my daughter.. and besides, I don’t like praising one child over another.  Yes I will say something if one of them does something that is so special to me… but to praise for all to see, should be all of them.

 

I am sure over the years of reading my blog you have come across the thought that I think I have special children. As each one has done me proud.   You also learn that I don’t take credit for them either. I tell others, that I lay down the foundation as they were growing.. but what they have each become is what they worked hard to do and to become. Each one is special.. different (for which I am glad) brings to the plate the best of being in a human being.. Loved by family, and friends.  Each one has made their mark in life and done it well…

 

SO HAPPY KIDS DAY… HAPPY SON’S AND DAUGHTER DAY…  YOU MAKE ME PROUD TO BE YOUR MOM…

 

Monday, September 27, 2021

For the Love of God, please .. women.. stand tall...

 I found this on Facebook...posted by Glee Violette    (I don't know her)  and it sure brought back a lot of memories....  I lived during this time... 

here are Glee Violette words..

I graduated high school in 1966. Abortion was outlawed then, of course. But even though birth control pills were starting to become available, only married women could get them, and only with written permission from their husbands. Many doctors refused to prescribe them. Taking them was a moral offense that would get you excommunicated from most religions. Many pharmacists would not fill the prescription. And when they did, whispers went around the drug store, and the pharmacist and the clerks would treat you with contempt. It was a big freaking intimidating deal.
If a girl or woman got groped or raped, she usually kept it to herself. She would be blamed, always, for wearing the wrong thing, being in the wrong place, and acting the wrong way. Always.
Even if she was a minor, and the offender was an older relative. Men were praised for being sexual. Women were shamed. Even married women could expect leers and slurs about her condition if she was pregnant. That's why maternity wear was so concealing and prudish then. It was considered disgusting for a very pregnant woman to be out in public. In most jobs women quit immediately when they found out they were pregnant. Or they would be fired. And there would be no unemployment benefits.
Women had to take the oath in the marriage service that she would "love, honor, and Obey". It was even in secular marriages by Justices of the Peace. It was taken for granted. Women had the relationship to her husband that a child had to his mother. Subordinate. Obedient. There were laws, but "slapping around" or spanking a wife who "got out of line", "forgot her place", and "tried to wear the pants in the family", was actually regarded as appropriate by most people. And even when a wife was beaten to the point of needing hospitalization, usually, her husband was merely warned by police to "take it easy on her", and it was the wife who faced interrogation by her clergy, the police, and the hospital about what SHE did to "set him off", and was counseled to change her attitude. She was NEVER to deny a husband his conjugal rights to her body.
Because women could not control pregnancy, even by choosing to abstain, she had no control of her life. The fact that her employment depended on it, meant that no financial institution could take a chance on her being to repay loans. She could not get credit, buy a house or a car, or take out a student loan, unless her husband or her father, somebody legally "responsible" for her, co-signed the loan.
Because she could not control pregnancy, she was denied most jobs in management or training. Companies did not want to invest in temporary employees. They did not want to have to rebuild organizations when key people left.
Colleges denied most applications from female high school graduates. The attitude was that girls were only there to find a husband, and that they would drop out when they married and had babies. (And girls and women who became pregnant out of wedlock were expelled from high school and college immediately). Colleges felt that every time they accepted a female, she was taking the place of a future male breadwinner. It was considered almost immoral in their eyes.
Besides, "everyone knew" that women were not as smart as men, anyway. The silly things had no common sense. They needed to be guided and protected. They were the weaker sex, both physically and mentally. Television and movies made constant fun of them, especially of women who were clever and tried to rise to the level of men, and do their jobs. Those who succeeded were called horrible names, and came to bad ends. Unless, of course, a man came along to put her back in her place and she smiled and went happily back to it. Ah, true love!
Because of all that, her temporary availability, her subordinate status. it was simply unthinkable to see women in positions of authority. Women in the police and the military wore skirts and heels and did not carry weapons, and mostly did secretarial work, or support work as drivers, communication messengers, crossing guards, etc. Women did not appear on media as experts, or host the nightly news. In business, women did not appear in the board room, except as secretaries, serving coffee, passing out papers, and getting touched inappropriately. "Working girls" were fair game.
Look at old video and you do not see any women in orchestras, except as the singer, or on any film crews except as the script girl, or on any newscasts except as the weather girl, in a perky revealing outfit to reflect the weather of the day.
This was the world I grew up in. Where little girls were admonished to pretend to be weak and clumsy and stupid so the boys would feel big and strong. So they would LIKE us. So that someday, one of them would choose us, and marry us.
Our only goal in life was to be a housewife and mother, after a temporary stint as a nurse, teacher, telephone operator, store clerk, waitress or secretary. We were discouraged from "racy" choices like airline stewardess, model, actress or musician, because people would get the "wrong idea" about us. (A girl who became a cocktail waitress or nightclub singer might as well just put a scarlet A on her chest.)
So when Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated high school in 1951 and was accepted at Cornell University, that was a big deal. When she got accepted at Harvard University after marrying and becoming a mother, that was a HUGE deal. When she graduated TOP of her class at Columbia Law School, that was nothing less than astounding. And THEN, she became a PROFESSOR at Rutgers Law School in 1963 (where she was told she would be paid less because her husband had a good paying job). She was one of only 20 female law professors in the entire country.
She was also a volunteer attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1972, Ginsburg co-founded the Women's Rights Project at the ACLU, and participated in more than 300 gender discrimination cases, and argued six gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court between 1973 and 1976, winning five of them. She joined the ACLU board of directors and in 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where she served until her appointment to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993.
In the 54 years since I graduated high school, the social role, the opportunities, and the rights of women changed, thanks to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and other pioneers like her, from basically that of a child to that of an adult human being. We have almost gained equality to men in business and so many other fields. We still have a ways to go to be equal in pay. (And of course, women of color still are kept back at a much lower level than white women). We have only a tenuous hold on control of our own bodies. The same men who claim a mask is a violation of their civil rights to govern their own bodies, have no problem claiming the right to decide every aspect of ours.
The primary goal of McConnell and Trump, and the religious organizations that back them, is to overturn Roe v Wade, and LGBTQ rights, and then every advancement we have made in Civil Rights, Women's Rights, and Voting Rights in the Courts. They want to roll back the clock and re-establish white supremacy and religious authority to where they were in my day. In Ruth Bader Ginsburg's day.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg showed us that anything is possible if we are willing to put the will, the time, the effort, and the work into it. This tiny woman overcame every obstacle and achieved something for ALL of us living in this country today. We ALL need to step up now, and carry her torch forward. We stood on giant's shoulders. We must not fail her. We will not fall, but climb higher, to the place she led us to, the place she wanted us to go.
VOTE. Get everyone you know to vote. Everything we ever fought for and won, is on the line.

I would love to tell you it has all changed for the good of women since then.. but it hasn't..  even 20 years ago... I worked with women who came to work with a black eye or bruises...  men who came at noon on payday, to pick up their girlfriend's paycheck.. and they gave it to them.. even with little ones at home...  and run out of money a week or more before the next payday.  

During the times of this message... I knew women who were beat on for what ever the reason.. and then have the woman say...  I am sorry, if only I did..   (fill in the word) better, he wouldn't have gotten so angry...  I knew these women and I was one of those women...  

So for the love of God, please.. Ruth and so many more.. fought to help you be what you can be.. don't take less.  



Tuesday, September 21, 2021

I am so lazy …compared to my ancestors

I am so lazy …compared to my ancestors

 As I was getting some tiny tomatoes ready for stewing. I was picking off the tops, Forgot what they are called..  But as I was doing it… I was thinking how did my grandmother’s do this?  Prepare food for canning, as they didn’t have freezers in those days… I would be lost without my freezers. 

Now the King does canning.. and does pretty well.. He learn from his Mom.  He helped her which made it so he could do it with instructions from her, as she was in bed or in a chair, when she was sick.   Me, I do jams.. 

I did tomatoes about 50 some odd years ago.. I clean the jars, using boiling water, and blanched the tomatoes and pulled the skin off.. put them in the jar and fill up ½ inch from the top, put on the lids.. tighten down the rims… put them in the pressure cooker. Took them out later, after the time mention….  And put them on two towels and one over the top… Check in the morning… NOT ONE DAMN LID SEALED!! … did I mention I have no patience what so ever..   There I was with 24 quart jars of unsealed tomatoes… for got what I did with them.

So I shred zucchini, and put 2 cups at a time in each container.  As that is what the recipe calls for. Put them in the freezer until winter. Then I make bread in November when it feels good to have the oven on.  Use to make 20 or more loaves for Christmas basket gifts. Don’t do that anymore..  so I keep enough for about 12, and give some to family, off and on. 

And I stew tomatoes and put them in containers in the freezer, and then make marinate sauce when it is nice to have a warm stove.. Or oven over night at 200. 

We are doing less plants as we aren’t eating a lot of squash anymore.  Use to like summer squash. Peppers haven’t do so well of late.

But anyway, was thinking about my grandmothers, and how they would peel and cut up, or snap beans .. huge pots of it.

While they made bread, that had to rise and fall and rise again. Plus start making things for dinner by 3 to have it ready by 5… 


Geesh, I am lazy…. None of this appeals to me anymore.

Monday, September 20, 2021

Sunday road trip in the woods...

 We went up in the woods Sunday...  to see what the damage was.  There was over 6,000 acres burnt and it took over 2 months to be able to get it out....  we could not go up as far where the real damage was.. as the roads are horrible up there part way, and the rest is not drivable...  It was hard for the firemen to fight it, because of the area.  Most of it had to be fought from the air..  We would see planes and helicopters carrying water to the fire daily... some times hourly... This is the lower area, where it came down and cross the road... 






I saw this rock ball.. I told the King I would LOVE to have that on my front lawn... but it is way to heavy to go get and don't know if it would fit in a pick up




if you look in the top middle, you can see the rock ball, that is how far it is from the road. 







Tuesday, September 14, 2021

As the days get colder…

As the days get colder 

Well, the AC went back to the garage.  More yard furniture went to the back shed.  Couple of the solar lights went to the green house, so now they light up the HUGE tomato plant that has taken over half of the green house.

So far I have not giving up on the shorts. But did wear some light long pants yesterday… it was 61 and raining.. 

I know it is just a matter of time..

And as I was putting my clothes from the dryer away, I knew it was going to be soon, when the tank tops and shorts will be in the tote and out will come gloves, hats and caps and scarfs. I am really trying to hang on to summer, but know it is useless.. Although maybe we will get some 70 in October.

More yard art is put away… just about  got most of it put away. Also lazed out and push some of the small stuff under the bushes.

The Roses are still blooming like crazy.. also one that I thought that had died over the summer, actually is trying to hold on… I dug it all up and threw it away.. but some where there is a root, that is not giving up and it is up to 18 inches. That is my Joseph Coat.  So will see next year.. And see if it comes back red… like the one on the side of the house that died and came back red. 

Monday, September 13, 2021

I CAN NOT HOP…

I CAN NOT HOP…

When in elementary school, we played like all kids do.. Hop Scotch..  You know.. hop 1, hop 2, hop 3 then double hop 4 and 5 at the same time.. then 6 and etc.  to Home and then turn around and hop back.  I played hop scotch with the best of them.. did it with my kids at playgrounds.. even one of my grandkids..  So when the great grand son came home from open house at school and drew on my walk way, a tiny diagram of hop scotch…. I showed him the regular size one.  After drawing it all out, with about 14 inch boxes.. I proceeded to show him how to play. I told him you had to hop on one foot to each square and then both feet at the double squares and return to one foot on the next one (6) and then double footed and single footed.    Then I had him stand beside me at number 1.. I stood on one foot (not well, but held my own..) and then proceeded to hop one time .. not good at all.. had to put my other foot down..  Told him, I had not done this for a while.. so out of practice.. So then I went to show him how to hop from 1 to 2. That is when my knee did not hold well, and again my other foot came down to hold me..  To tell you that I was surprised is not true.. I WAS SHOCKED… WHAT THE HELL HAPPEN?  I CAN NOT HOP ON ONE FOOT!!!!  Oh, the embarrassment… the down fall of emotions..

So then I told him how to do it.. I asked him if he could stand on one foot… he showed me that he could… I asked him if he could hop. He showed me that he could stand and hop. So I told him, ok.. now hop into number 1 and don’t put your foot down. He did it, but was wobbly. So I held his elbow and told him to continue on.. and then double hop to the number 4 and 5..  

He was wobbly and I told him it takes practice.. So he was going to do that, then Mom said they were going home..  We bid all good bye…

I went back to the walkaway, gave it one more try.. NOPE..  I  CAN NO HOP… and I am not even going there with hoping on one foot and bending down to pick up the stone you throw to the square.

When I told my friends on Facebook, about it, some asked me if I was crazy and trying to break a hip.. Some even tried, and did a little bit better than I. Others said, no way they were not going to try..  AND THEN my cousin asked me… if I could skip.  Hadn’t thought about that and I haven’t tried it yet.. worry about the downfall of my childhood.. what if I can’t remember how to skip?


WELL, CAN YOU HOP? Or even skip?  Let me know

 


Wednesday, September 08, 2021

Labor Day of past

Labor Day of past

Over the many years of my adult life… Labor Day was the signal of the end of summer.. Going back to my folks, and I continued as an adult.. We open the summer with May 31, with a back yard cook out. With many cookouts to follow....Then on September’s first Monday, we ended the summer with a back yard cook out.

But over the last 4 or 5 years.. it has faded into the past.  Both of them…I don’t know why? I know there are plenty of families who still do it.. but also quite a few who don’t. 

I think the less older generation in the family, the less chance of their being a back yard cook out.  The younger generation tend to think of Labor Day as the last hurrah at swimming, boating, and riding 4 wheelers and etc.  Racing cars and etc. Some towns have their Labor Day Rodeo…     Ellensburg,Washington is one of those.

And is covid the blame as well?  Last year, 2020 we were not allowed to celebrate holidays together with multi-generations.  Like Memorial Day cook outs, 4th of July cook outs and etc…  Did a lot of families decide that it wasn’t worth the trouble of it all?  Will Thanksgiving and Christmas follow?

As I have said this year… THOSE WERE THE DAYS, MY FRIEND…

 Did you celebrate? Or was it just another day to you?

 

Tuesday, September 07, 2021

The beginning of Fall….

The beginning of Fall….

It is the start of fall… and the weather is getting cooler..Because THERE WAS A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE..

I was sitting at the dining room table going thru my mail, when a quick motion caught my eye.. in time to see a mouse come out of the hall way, into the living room and behind some things… as I scream EKKKKKKKKKKK or something like that..  (I DO NOT LIKE MICE.  of any sort… pets or other wise..)

I went over to the area, stomping my feet, in hope of getting it to run towards the kitchen… and the door.

Nothing…   About 10 minutes later as I sat at the dining room table, continuing to go thru the mail.. when here it comes… I jumped up and yelled as it cornered around thru the doorway into the kitchen.. skidding as it went..(guessing it was just as scared of me, as I was of it..although found myself laughing at the skidding).  It went back towards the dryer, where we suspect it comes thru.. although the King does everything to keep the area packed so nothing can come thru the dryer vent area.

 When the King came home.. I told him we have a mouse in the house.. and his traps are all in between the wall and dryer where he left them.. but all have been released.. (due to no mice seen and little great grandson’s fingers.)…  I mention maybe we need a cat, but I still hate the fact that… along with a cat comes.. a litter box.. which we really don’t have room for.  (old one was behind the bathroom door, not a good place)…  He, of course, nixed that..  If cats meowed to go outside to go potty, I would get one. But they don’t..Ok, some have been trained.. but it is rare..

King got the traps out, and took them outside to see if they still work, when OUT OF THE CORNER… SLIDDING THRU THE DOOR WAY .. TO OUTSIDE.. IS … THE MOUSE..  

While I breathe a sigh of relief… I know usually where there is one mouse there are many.. hopefully he was the scout they sent in to see if we  had a good place, goes back and reports the screaming woman.. and to  look at the next house..