I wrote that yesterday was a heat wave. I was wrong. It wasn't. The temperature got to 72 today!
I got a ride to the grocery store, and sat on my porch to read the paper and crochet and eat! Storms forecast for tonight and tomorrow - 100% chance of rain, then back to freezing. Party tonight 6-10 (church folks like last year) canceled - too many out sick.
Too late to arrange to go to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra's New Year's Eve concert. This is the 9th one they've had, and I've attended 5 of them - missed the 1st in 2003 because of eye surgery, missed another because it was Sunday and no way to get there, missed last year's because of the aforementioned party. They are early: 6-about 8:15, held at The Alabama Theater, and a sell-out or almost. I've always bought a "nose-bleed" seat (the cheapest but the sound is the best). The ASO fashions the concert on the ones held in Vienna, Austria, ending with the "The Blue Danube" waltz and the "Radetzy Polka". You can find wonderful versions of those 2 songs on youtube.
At least with the rain, the neighborhood should be quiet!
About Me
- Netagene
- I am a member of the church of Christ. I have been writing things since I was little. Some have been printed, some posted. I write to teach or encourage; to blow off steam; and for fun! I had my own motorcycle in my 40s; I was a bluegrass music DJ for about 13 years; I've performed some. I am a member of the NRA. In 2003 (age 59), I became high partial legally blind; in 2005, I had to get hearing aids! Franklin Field said: "Poor eyes limit your sight; poor vision limits your deeds". And no kidding, the picture was made April, 2012!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Uh-oh!
Today is a "heat wave"! The temperature is mid-50s. Still chilly wind, and damp air (storms forecast).
I wish our mayor and city council members were forced to ride the city buses. They spend so much money for "consultants" for things that have either been voted down (such a domed stadium - the 17,000 seat arena we have is rarely filled), or for other projects that would be fine if more of us could get to and from such places.
The bus people get the blame when NO ONE can do anything without money! There is no dedicated funding here for public transit.
The 1st "uh-oh" today is that it took me an hour and a half to go somewhere which should have taken about 30 minutes. I scheduled paratransit to go a store. The driver was on time and had no other stops before dropping me off. The transmission on that bus was acting up, so she drove to the bus yard (which was on the way) to get another bus. The 2nd bus stalled right after she rounded malfunction junction downtown. She got it rolling again, but almost hit a concrete overpass rail in getting the bus off the travel lane. She radioed for a supervisor and for a mechanic. After she dropped me off, she was to get a lady in a wheelchair. The bus that the mechanic brought ran fine, but the lift wouldn't work, so I know another driver had to pick up the other person. The dispatcher did at least let me get my ticket back.
The 2nd "uh-oh" is that the store I went to was Michael's Arts & Crafts. I bought about $200 worth! But at least I paid less than $100 (had you going there, didn't I!) ... because of a gift certificate and because all but 3 small items I bought were on sale! It's hard for me to pass up soft 100% wool yarn that's 40% off in price! I bought that as well as other beautiful yarn and some other things, a few which were 70% off (wintry things: snowflakes, etc.). I make a lot of hat/scarf sets, some shawls, some baby blankets, and so on. I will gradually be posting pictures of things I make, which I will sell, on my other blog.
So now I've got even more yarn to knit (some) and crochet (a lot)! If you'd like to buy some of the things I make, let me know!
I wish our mayor and city council members were forced to ride the city buses. They spend so much money for "consultants" for things that have either been voted down (such a domed stadium - the 17,000 seat arena we have is rarely filled), or for other projects that would be fine if more of us could get to and from such places.
The bus people get the blame when NO ONE can do anything without money! There is no dedicated funding here for public transit.
The 1st "uh-oh" today is that it took me an hour and a half to go somewhere which should have taken about 30 minutes. I scheduled paratransit to go a store. The driver was on time and had no other stops before dropping me off. The transmission on that bus was acting up, so she drove to the bus yard (which was on the way) to get another bus. The 2nd bus stalled right after she rounded malfunction junction downtown. She got it rolling again, but almost hit a concrete overpass rail in getting the bus off the travel lane. She radioed for a supervisor and for a mechanic. After she dropped me off, she was to get a lady in a wheelchair. The bus that the mechanic brought ran fine, but the lift wouldn't work, so I know another driver had to pick up the other person. The dispatcher did at least let me get my ticket back.
The 2nd "uh-oh" is that the store I went to was Michael's Arts & Crafts. I bought about $200 worth! But at least I paid less than $100 (had you going there, didn't I!) ... because of a gift certificate and because all but 3 small items I bought were on sale! It's hard for me to pass up soft 100% wool yarn that's 40% off in price! I bought that as well as other beautiful yarn and some other things, a few which were 70% off (wintry things: snowflakes, etc.). I make a lot of hat/scarf sets, some shawls, some baby blankets, and so on. I will gradually be posting pictures of things I make, which I will sell, on my other blog.
So now I've got even more yarn to knit (some) and crochet (a lot)! If you'd like to buy some of the things I make, let me know!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Still Cold!
It's getting old staying inside, so with the thermometer on the front porch showing 40 (a heat wave!), I put silk long johns on under my slacks, added a tank top under a turtle neck long sleeve pullover, socks and Crocs, gloves, a fuzzy beret, and a windbreaker with a hood, and left home for almost an hour. Three of the 4 front steps were still icy, so I put a bath towel on them to get to the driveway. I left the towel on the car(less) carport, knowing I'd need it later. I walked the equivalent of a block or 2 to the Family Dollar store and bought a few goodies. My new phone has a camera, so even though my neighbors' yards have been clear of snow since Sunday afternoon, my yard still has snow! Here's a picture of my front yard, and the SE corner of the back yard. Brrr!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Yucky Snow and Ice!
My yard is about the only one that still had considerable snow all today. My house faces north.
To the east is a vacant building (formerly fast food) so is mostly parking lot. The back yard of the house to the west, which back yard and the west side of my lot joins, was almost completely clear of snow mid-afternoon, as was the back yard of the house slightly behind me (our back yards meet at an angle). The front yards of the houses across the street from me (which face south) were also almost completely clear of snow mid-afternoon.
But all of my yard that I could see (no windows on the east side, but that side is surrounded by the house, and trees on 2 sides) still was almost completely covered with snow. I have a screened-in front porch, with 4 steps to the driveway. About noon, I leaned out a little and brushed the snow off, then threw down a bath towel, gingerly stepped down 2, and by using a "grabber", got my newspaper (the carrier puts it right at the base of the steps). The back deck also stayed covered with ice and snow.
Worship was changed to 3 p.m. only today, but neither the folks I ride with, nor I, attended. There are just too many hills in this area, as well as a lot of areas that never get much sun. I'm sure there was plenty of black ice. I've been reading the paper, working the word puzzles, knitting, crocheting, eating, and singing church songs.
To the east is a vacant building (formerly fast food) so is mostly parking lot. The back yard of the house to the west, which back yard and the west side of my lot joins, was almost completely clear of snow mid-afternoon, as was the back yard of the house slightly behind me (our back yards meet at an angle). The front yards of the houses across the street from me (which face south) were also almost completely clear of snow mid-afternoon.
But all of my yard that I could see (no windows on the east side, but that side is surrounded by the house, and trees on 2 sides) still was almost completely covered with snow. I have a screened-in front porch, with 4 steps to the driveway. About noon, I leaned out a little and brushed the snow off, then threw down a bath towel, gingerly stepped down 2, and by using a "grabber", got my newspaper (the carrier puts it right at the base of the steps). The back deck also stayed covered with ice and snow.
Worship was changed to 3 p.m. only today, but neither the folks I ride with, nor I, attended. There are just too many hills in this area, as well as a lot of areas that never get much sun. I'm sure there was plenty of black ice. I've been reading the paper, working the word puzzles, knitting, crocheting, eating, and singing church songs.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Are Weeds - Flowers?
Is it a weed, or is it a flower?
Insidious invader? Oh, don't look so sour!
Dandelions yellow and low to the ground -
I love to see them everywhere, so pretty, sunny, and round!
Nandinas and lantana can take over, and spread,
But they're lovely when contained, maybe bordered in a garden bed.
I love the sweet honey that bees make from clover.
The white, red, and purple makes a useful ground cover.
And the nectar from honeysuckle covering the fence -
Sure it can take over - long vines that grow dense.
Some plants keep soil from eroding. I've seen mangrove trees.
Don't dredge and fill for condos, but let the beaches "be".
Some plants that are called real flowers can still take up a yard.
You plant and prune and still they die, even when you've worked so hard!
Ivy climbs. Its tendrils grab, covering trees and walls,
But it, too, stops erosion, like a green cascading fall.
You dig and plant and twist your back. You ache, and land in bed.
I'll relax on my swing and enjoy my weeds - pink, green, yellow, and red!
- by Netagene - Mother gave me some of her old "Birds & Blooms" magazines, so just before midnight (a couple of hours ago), I wrote this. And yes, I DO love it when my yard has a lot of dandelions - I DO think they are beautiful - and clover and ivy, and honeysuckle on the back fence, though I did have to have the nandina dug up because it was starting to spread too much and I had not the eyesight nor the energy nor the money to put a "wall" of bricks to enclose it. -
Insidious invader? Oh, don't look so sour!
Dandelions yellow and low to the ground -
I love to see them everywhere, so pretty, sunny, and round!
Nandinas and lantana can take over, and spread,
But they're lovely when contained, maybe bordered in a garden bed.
I love the sweet honey that bees make from clover.
The white, red, and purple makes a useful ground cover.
And the nectar from honeysuckle covering the fence -
Sure it can take over - long vines that grow dense.
Some plants keep soil from eroding. I've seen mangrove trees.
Don't dredge and fill for condos, but let the beaches "be".
Some plants that are called real flowers can still take up a yard.
You plant and prune and still they die, even when you've worked so hard!
Ivy climbs. Its tendrils grab, covering trees and walls,
But it, too, stops erosion, like a green cascading fall.
You dig and plant and twist your back. You ache, and land in bed.
I'll relax on my swing and enjoy my weeds - pink, green, yellow, and red!
- by Netagene - Mother gave me some of her old "Birds & Blooms" magazines, so just before midnight (a couple of hours ago), I wrote this. And yes, I DO love it when my yard has a lot of dandelions - I DO think they are beautiful - and clover and ivy, and honeysuckle on the back fence, though I did have to have the nandina dug up because it was starting to spread too much and I had not the eyesight nor the energy nor the money to put a "wall" of bricks to enclose it. -
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Housework versus ...
When Mother calls, she usually asks what I'm doing. This morning I told her, "Reading the paper and working the puzzles in the paper - how can I do housework when there's so many puzzles to work!!!" (And crocheting and knitting to do! I always have some "WIP": right now - a baby blanket, a chicken-in-a-basket tea cozy, and a couple of scarfs ...) I work the search word puzzles, the scrambled word puzzles, and the crossword puzzles; once in a great while I can figure out the cryptograms; I've never been able to work Sudoku! (I wasn't good in algebra either; in my mind, numbers and letters don't mix!)
The house will be here when I'm gone ...
The house will be here when I'm gone ...
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Music to God!
Thinking about singing and how sometimes my voice is so bad that I don't like to hear it, even though I was in school choruses from about the 4th grade on through junior college. I am mostly a 2nd alto, but because I learned to read music, sometimes I'll sing lead or tenor as well as alto, depending on the pitch.
Many years ago, Luther Blackmon, a preacher for the church of Christ who I guess did not have what is considered a good singing voice, said that his voice sounded like "an alligator eating Post Toasties".
Also, at the Eureka Springs church in metro Tampa, Florida, was a woman, who like most of us there, loved to sing. I remember that she could carry a tune just fine, but her voice was so grating that it almost hurt to hear her - and hear her, we did because with the quality of her voice, which of course she was unable to help, did not blend and could easily be picked out in a crowd of singers.
But to God? Well, we are commanded to sing. If it's beautiful praise to God, who am I to question it? " ... I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" - I Corinthians 14:15.
Many years ago, Luther Blackmon, a preacher for the church of Christ who I guess did not have what is considered a good singing voice, said that his voice sounded like "an alligator eating Post Toasties".
Also, at the Eureka Springs church in metro Tampa, Florida, was a woman, who like most of us there, loved to sing. I remember that she could carry a tune just fine, but her voice was so grating that it almost hurt to hear her - and hear her, we did because with the quality of her voice, which of course she was unable to help, did not blend and could easily be picked out in a crowd of singers.
But to God? Well, we are commanded to sing. If it's beautiful praise to God, who am I to question it? " ... I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" - I Corinthians 14:15.
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