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Showing posts with the label Thursday 13

13 Songs about Guys

The other day I was thinking about how there are quite a few songs about specific women, such as Michelle, Louise, and Clementine. That got me to wondering what songs do I know that are about particular men. It wasn't easy. I didn't want to Google the answer, so the Husband ( My Guy ) kindly helped me come up with this list. Johnny Angel The Boy from Ipanema Johnny B. Goode Wedding Bell Blues (Remember Bill?)  When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again Go Down Moses  Hit the Road Jack Rocky Raccoon Louie Louie Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Frere Jacques Shaft John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt  There sure are a lot of songs about particular John's. What's that all about? If I look up Shaft, will I find out his real name is John. To check out other bloggers with lists of 13, head to Thursday 13 . P.S. John Shaft, by golly!

13 on this Thursday

1. I hear rain beneath the jazz channel playing on the TV downstairs.  2. The ornamental pear tree is dancing with white flowers.  3. I had to give in this afternoon and change from shorts to long pants.   4. Jamie Raskin!  5. I'm verily impressed with the House Impeachment Managers. They delivered their points, facts, and proof succinctly, comprehensively, and in easy to understand terms. How well will Trump's lawyers convince us Trump's alternative facts are true?  6. Our doctor's office, a provider of the COVID-19 vaccine in our county, called an hour ago to say our age group is now up for the shots. The Husband and I have an appointment for next week.  7.  This morning, I drove around town with four huge bags of potting soil sitting in Eliza Does-a-lot's back seat. There used to be five, but the other day I asked the Husband to pull out a bag so I could plant the potatoes. We bought the soil on Monday.  8. I made broccoli and pine nuts mac & cheese for today

13 Wonderstruck Moments

These are forever stuck in my brain. Fortunate me for having seen them. :-) The first sight of Venice, all full of light, wonder, and history, as I walked out of the train station. Snorkeling among the fish off Maui. The sunrise splattering unto good friend Jennifer and me. The sunsets at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The red rose in bloom on our balcony as the First Husband was dying. The sparkle-sparkle pink notebook I received in an office Christmas gift exchange. Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park on the Big Island of Hawaii where in ancient times warriors made their way to the Honaunau Bay shores to seek refuge from battles they lost. Thunderstorms in the Southwest. Oh my! The Grand Canyon. Driving through a granite walled mountain pass. Anytime. Driving over the Mississippi River. Newborn babies. Tiny fingers, tiny feet, unconditional love. It's Thursday 13 . Come check out other bloggers' 13  with me.  Update: I'm also linking up with I Like Thursday , hoste

13 Words to Express Joy

Happiness Delight Gladness Blissful Glee Cheer Pleasure Good-spirits Jollity Good Will Wonder Contentment Satisfaction Thursday 13 is the meme today. Come check out other bloggers with me.

13 O's

Yesterday was a multiple orgasmic day. Orgasm. Now that's a term I wouldn't have ever associated with a presidential inauguration, the federal government, or executive orders. But, it certainly was. More than 13. This being the day for Thursday Thirteen , I give you only my top 13 O's. Joe Biden sworn in as President of the United States! Kamala Harris sworn in as Vice President of the United States! Lady Gaga singing a heart-felt The Star Spangled Banner . President Joe Biden's inaugural speech . "...This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward. And, we must meet this moment as the United States of America. If we do that, I guarantee you, we will not fail. We have never, ever, ever failed in America when we have acted together. And so today, at this time and in this place, let us start afresh. All of us...." And, then there's Vice President's remarks at the Celebration of America. She describes "American Asp

13 Projects

Sow wildflower seeds before the rain comes. (Hopefully we get rain this winter.) Prune the fruit trees. Make a paper mache elephant. Weave a seat and back for a patio chair. We have several old sturdy metal frame patio chairs that the Husband inherited. Alas, most of the plastic straps on the chairs are broken or about to break. I've got loads of material, so why not see if I can weave something stable and safe to sit on.  Finish this wall hanging. See that big floral piece. I visualize a forest. The Husband says it reminds him of a panty. hahahahaha. Scan Mama's photo albums. Reorganize the kitchen cabinets so I don't need to either get the ladder or call for the Husband to reach up high for something. Clear out unnecessary files and folders in my computer. Make an estate plan. Sew a vest for the Husband. I bought the material for the vest at least 5 years ago. It's simply finding a simple pattern for me to follow. Sew a tunic for me. Get my blood pressure down so

Pandemonium

How's everyone doing? Are you managing to keep your humor through all the natural and man made devastation right now? My gosh! 1. Thank you, dear friends, for checking in on my silence. I would be moaning up a crappy creek right now without the Husband and Molly the pinky-nosed (wild) Cat. Their sweetness and even keel help me keep my anxiety at bay. 2. Our heat wave is over, hurrah. After sweating through more than a week of 90s and triple-digit temperatures, I'm feeling chilled by the 65 F degree weather at the moment. I'm fine with that. It's easier to get warm, then to cool down.  3. We woke up this morning to thick haze and the strong smell of smoke in the air.  The burnt smell came back late yesterday afternoon, after a couple days of barely unhealthy air. It was a nice reprieve. 4. Our poor avocado tree has been shedding its fruit. The Husband says its stressed from the heat and smoke. Today I picked up a couple dozen or so of immature fruit. That's scary.  5

13 Things on My Desk That I Like

I've a lot of stuff on my desk. Who hasn't, right? Here are 13 things on my desk that I double like, no, make that triple,  quadruple like. 1. Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl action figure. She was a gift from the Husband, along with Woody and his horse one Christmas or birthday. 2. My tarnished sterling silver baby cup. I put paper clips and whatever else in it. 3. A coffee mug from Calavera Coffee . That's the specialty coffee shop in town owned and run by a kind-hearted and determined young man. He recently moved into his own store front. May he have the success he wants and more. 4. The Kanger survival multi-tool. The size of a credit card, this stainless steel thing has a knife, a sharpening tool, scissors, and a magnifying glass. It also has the ability to file fingernails, fasten flathead screws, measure things, and open cans and bottles. I think the Husband gave it to me to carry in my purse, but I could be wrong. 5. A solar calculator from the early 1980s. This was Mam

Reading One to Thirteen

My 13 things today are books I've read that have a number in their title, except for #11. I had to refer to my Goodreads list to come up with the titles. Some of the titles are from waaaaaay back, such as the one by Thurber, which I want to re-read. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Tres Pinos—Its Colorful Past by Peter Frusetta  (Tres is Spanish for three.) Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Now We are Six by A.A. Milne Seven Dials by Anne Perry Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart Ten Little Indians (And Then There Were None) by Agatha Christie Index to Murder by Jo Dereske (This is #11 in the Miss Zukas series.) The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen The 13 Clocks by James Thurber What books have you read with numbers in their title? Check out more lists of 13 at Thursday 13 .

13 Things I Bought

I was seduced. To buy each of these 13 things, that is.  It may have been by a salesperson (live or in a commercial) or by someone who was with me. More than likely, it was I who persuaded myself into thinking I certainly wanted and needed something, thus bought it. 1. A mop with disposable cleaning pads and solution that sprays from the mop at a press of the button. It was ridiculous how many cleaning pads I used in one mopping. 2. A manual mini food chopper. It did not chop, mince, or dice for me like it did for the guy in the TV commercial. 3. A red woolen shawl made in Ireland. I wasn't thinking and washed it in the washing machine. Shrunk, it did. 30 years later, the threads have begun to loosen. I may still wear it yet. 4. A food dehydrator. One Christmas I desired a food dehydrator. So Mama gifted me one, as did the Husband. I returned one of them. Drying fruits and vegetables in the oven is far easier. 5. A pair of orthopedic sandals. They were the first pair of shoes that

13 Jobs/Careers that Crossed My Mind

Earlier this month, I listed 13 of my more memorable jobs .  Today, it's a list of jobs (and, in most instances, careers) that interested me once upon a time, pretty much in this order, from teenage me to about 10-years-ago me. 1. High School English Teacher 2. Newspaper Reporter 3. Bookstore Owner 4. Street Vendor/Artist 5. Paralegal 6. California State Superintendent of Public Instruction 7. Heavy Equipment Operator 8. Gardening Service Co-Owner with Daddy 9. Mother of Five 10. Comedy Writer 11. Airport Shuttle Bus Driver 12. Background Investigator 13. Forensic Scientist Check out other bloggers with lists of 13 for Thursday 13 .

My Cheat Sheet to Unwind

1. Breathe. 2. Breathe, again. 3. Breathe deeper. 4. Breathe even deeper. 5. Inhale slowly. 6. Exhale slowly. 7. Close eyes. 8. Inhale slowly, exhale slowly. 9. Think of my happy place. 10. Bathwater-warm Pacific Ocean. 11. Bright, lively, colorful fish. 12. Sun bubbles. 13. Peace. Thursday 13 . Click on the link and check out other bloggers' list of 13.

13 Memorable Jobs

1. Apricot cutter.  My first job. I was ten and I lasted three whole days before I got sick. When I got well, Mama and Daddy said I didn't have to go back. So, I didn't. 2. Babysitter. Once, I couldn't find a kid when we played hide-and-seek because he shimmied up a tree. That seven-year-old taught me to look up. 3. Newspaper columnist. I was paid 10 cents an inch to write a weekly high school column for the hometown newspaper. Even got a byline. A friend and I started the Baling Wire in our sophomore year,  and I went solo from the last half of my junior year to high school graduation. 4. Tutor. I took both paid and volunteer positions, mostly the latter. 5. Hand Pollinator. Every summer, Mama hired teenagers to hand pollinate cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, corn, and other vegetables for her seed company. She finally hired me the year I graduated from high school. I actually liked the work. 6. Office Clerk.  I had several part-time jobs while goin

13 Quick Searches

Doing research is one of my stronger skills, and something I truly enjoy. Here are 13 questions I looked up recently on the Internet. 1. Will the Saharan Dust cloud reach California?  This annual dust storm crosses over the Atlantic Ocean to eventually cover the Southeast.  2. Are venial and mortal sins still a thing in the Catholic Church? Yup. 3. What can I substitute for buttermilk? One tablespoon of lemon juice mixed with enough milk to make one cup. 4.  What is the COVID19 count in my county? As of yesterday, July 1, we had 239 confirmed cases. More than two weeks ago, we were hovering around 136 cases. Some people say it's because the county has been testing more. I don't think so.    5. How do I use coffee as a fertilizer? Mix 1 cup of coffee ground in a gallon of water. You can also sprinkle the grounds into the soil around a plant.  6. What kind of lemon tree do we have?  Lisbon lemon tree. 7. What's a recipe for a one-layer chocolate cake

The Day I Was Born

1. In December is when I was born. "The doctor said you will be born on this day. And you were." The Mama told me, now and then, not necessarily on my birthday. 2. I was born on the Roman Catholic Church's feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, also known as Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The mother of Jesus was said to appear to a peasant named Juan Diego four times at Tepeyac, Mexico in the 16th century. 3. The same day Catholics were honoring Mary, Major Charles Yeager flew the fastest speed ever back then—about 1,650 miles per hour, a mere Mach 2.44. Shazam! 4. I was born nearly three years after Older Sister died on the same day that she was born.  5. Mama was 32 years old when she gave birth to me. Daddy was 48 years old, and Older Brother was five years old. 6. On the day I was born, Frank Sinatra and Edward G. Robinson celebrated their birthday. So did Bob Barker, Connie Francis, and Dionne Warwick. Bill Nighy turned four on the day I came out of the womb.

Another Rambling Thursday 13

1. Who remembers the days of the manual typewriters? Clack, clack, clack. And, if you were a proficient typist, clack clack clackity clickclack clickity. . . ! 2. Anyone else glad he or she took typing in high school? Friends tell me we learned on electric typewriters. I remember the manual typewriters in journalism class. Yup, I felt like a real reporter when I composed my stories on a typewriter. 3. During the days of electric typewriters, a few of my friends typed 100+ words per minute and more with hardly any mistakes.  I dilly-dallied around half that speed with several mistakes. (I hated typing documents that required carbon copies.) 4. The fastest I could type was in the high 70s. I remember coming out of a job interview all psyched about that high score. I thought that I ought to insure my hands. They were, after all, necessary for my livelihood. hahahaha. 5. The other day the husband and I talked with friends over the phone for a couple of hours. That's al

Another 13 Thursday

1. Frost! I thought we were done with it. 2. Mama called the icy stuff snow. "There was lots of snow on Marie's roof," she'd say as I stumbled into the kitchen to fix breakfast. She'd be almost done with her big bowl of different cereals mixed together. 3. Now it's me or the Husband that opens the kitchen curtains on chilly mornings to see the icy roof next door. "Lots of snow." 4. Flutter, flutter, flutter. A whole lot of tiny birds flew out of the tree on our front yard. I watched them all fly as one up into the sky, circle about, then take off to the northeast. 5. Then I noticed the light of the rising sun. Wowza! 6. And, then I wondered why everything was drippy wet. I looked up at the roof next door. Frost! 7. For once I was wise and went back into the house to fetch a shawl. And, my camera. Of course. You never know when the fish may be out.   8. This afternoon I asked the Husband, "What kind of guy are you?"