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Showing posts with the label nonsequitur rambling

Thirteen in the Garden, More or Less

1. I've been working in the yard the past few days. It's getting where I prefer being outdoors. What am I talking about?  I've always rather be outside. It was when I was living in San Francisco that I got used to being indoors. After all, I can walk around without shoes. 2. Speaking of being barefoot. Last night we watched Sayonara , starring Marlon Brando, a 1957 film based in Japan about the prejudice against interracial relationships, in particular, marriage (Heavens to Murgatroyd) between American military men and Japanese women. There was also a hint of lust between a Japanese man and an American woman, which probably drew both an aghast! and a titillated hmmm from the audience.  3. There's a similar theme in the musical South Pacific . In one scene, the American officer, who's in love with an island girl, and the American Army nurse, who's horrified the deceased wife of the man she loves was an island woman, commiserate about having to foll

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

Thoughts While Cracking Walnuts

1. What words convey the sounds of walnut shells ricochetting? 2. Crack. Obviously. 3. Zing. A shell flies into the air. 4. Zingg. A shell soars far. 5. Ping. A shell ricochets on something. 6. Thump. A shell hits something. 7. Tinkkk. A shell vibrates on a surface. 8. Crack. Thump. The shell hit a chair.   9. Crack. Zing. Ping. Tinkkk.  The shell ricocheted off the glass tabletop onto the floor.   10. Crack. Ping. Zingg. Thump. Tinkkk. The shell bounced off a chair and hit the wall. 11. Too bad we didn't have goggles. Across the table, the Husband shielded his eyes while he read on his iPad. 12. Could anyone intentionally hit someone with a walnut shell? 13. "A blue ribbon walnut cracker," said the Husband. Check out Thursday 13 for more lists of 13.

Mercy, It's Percy from New Jersey

Percy the Basket Pelican has sat on our front yard for two years. I'm thinking he's happy. "No more paint job for me," said Percy from New Jersey. I'm fine with that.      Yesterday was sunny and cold. Today is rainy and not so cold. The forsooth sayers were correct: Wear long pants, not shorts, and put on socks and a knit cap when I'm cold. Sixty-six, I'm still learning. Keep on smiling! That I shall as I hop over to All Seasons . Wilst thou join me?

Thinking Out Loud

1. We went into a mandatory Stay-Home-People! on March 18, under the order of the county public health head honcho. The next day, Governor Newsom decreed it for all of California. 2. Does shelter-in-place work? 3. California's population is nearly 40 million. The total of COVID-19 cases as of April 1, 2020, were 8,155 with 171 deaths. The count for our county was 23 confirmed cases, ten recoveries, hurrah! Alas, one death. 4. I'm glad we have pro-active leaders at the local and state levels. 5. A neighbor sneezed loudly and profusely in his backyard. Could his droplets make its way up and through our hallway window upstairs? I hope he's healthy. 6. While working in the front yard yesterday morning, I felt a very tiny drop fall on my face. It wasn't raining nor was it foggy. Hopefully that liquid was only morning dew. 7. I've been experimenting a lot in the kitchen. That's a good thing. 8. The other day I made flour tortillas, using smushed lentils and sesam

A Little of This and That

Can I get a "cute"?  How could I resist showing off that photo of Molly the pinky-nosed (wild) Cat's recent cuteness. So, what kind of little of this, little of that have you been doing while staying at home? This afternoon I made a delectable dish of creamy brown rice and mushed red lentils that I savored slowly, the way I do with desserts. Sure I'll combine brown rice, lentils, fresh garlic, kim chee, and eggs again, but the exquisite taste (there I go floating) won't ever get repeated, even if I knew the amounts I used.  Oh well, c'est la vie. :-) Clackity clack clack clackity clack clack. . . . I've been sewing covers for the outside pillows. See the top two pillows. The covers were made from Mama's nightgowns that she liked but hardly wore. Must wear out the old stuff first you know. The fabric of the flowered pillow on the bottom is from the Husband's mom's stash. I wonder what she was going to do with the upholstery quality mater

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?"

Rambling

1. Aren't those avocados gorgeous? Handsome? Ooh-la-la? 2. The middle one in the front was picked about two weeks ago. It didn't seem right to take a photo without it. They are from the same tree, after all. 3. This morning, the Husband and I went out to the avocado tree expecting to pick the last one of the season. The tree graced us with four HUGE fruits. Thank you, tree. 4. "They're as big as the ones that grow in Hawaii," said the Husband. Not really, but we can dream. 5. We saw another avocado hanging way up in the tree. Perhaps that's the last one of the season. 6. A couple days ago, our county public health officer called for a shelter-in-place until April 7. We're required to stay home unless we work for stores, companies, services, and government agencies that are necessary to stay open for the community. We can leave our houses to shop for food, see doctors, pick up prescriptions, and do other essential things. We can also go out

Full of Questions

I forgot what I thought I wanted to write about. That's what happens when too much time passes between Ah-ha-I've-something-to write and turning on the computer, which may only be a matter of climbing the stairs to the office. Obviously it wasn't anything worth saying out loud. Ever wonder if you've said or written something that was quoted by others? Wouldn't that be cool? Yesterday our governor (in California) urged all of us, senior citizens, to stay put in our homes so that we won't risk contracting the coronavirus. The Husband and I pretty much hunker down most of the time, so this suggested decree is not a burden. Although I did panic for a moment when I thought we might not pay our property tax bill on time because the bank and the tax office may suddenly close. Then it came to me that we can use a credit car to pay online or over the phone. I'd rather not, so I may suggest to the Husband that we go out in the world sooner rather than l

Takes All Kinds

Sometimes I just got to shake my head and roar with silliness. I like retirement. My smiling thanks to these meme hosts: Jesh at All Seasons , Angie at Mosaic Monday , and Jeanna at Say Cheese!   P.S. The photo of me was taken by the Husband.

A Fine Day

1. See the jack rabbit. That's what I saw this afternoon. 2. Yak, yak, yak.  Chat about this, wonder about that. Discuss current events. Reminisce. Giggle, chuckle, laugh. We spent a wonderful afternoon today hanging out with good friends. One of the many fine things about being retired. 3. What else about today? I got to climb the ladder to saw away at tree branches, to be continued on the weekend. 4. By four o'clock, the almost full moon was already saying, "Hey there!" 5. Some call the second full moon of winter the Snow Moon. 6. The California Coastal Redwoods, sequoia sempervirens, range from Monterey county to the Oregon border and may grow within 50 miles from the coast. So, it's possible for redwoods to grow in Hollister where we call our home. 7. Experts say redwoods can be raised in a pot until it's about 5 or 6 feet tall. Hmmmm. 8. The Giant Sequoias are the largest species of redwood, which live only on the western slopes of

More Changes

We left the fruit on the high branches, and some of the lower branches, of the persimmon tree for the birds and squirrels. I don't know if the neighborhood feral cats like persimmons. Molly the (wild) Cat sniffs her nose at the orange fruit. The other morning good fortune struck. I not only watched a crow in the persimmon tree, followed by a bunch of tiny birds, but also a squirrel. That squirrel was chittering so loud, the Husband and I went out to the back yard to find out what all the fuss was about. I wouldn't be surprised if the squirrel was yelling at the tiny birds to get out of its persimmon tree, because that was where the furry guy headed after it ran down the birch tree in the next yard.  January was a flurry of decluttering, reorganizing, and sewing curtains, along with getting as much heavy stuff done before my cataract surgery next week.  (My gosh, already, next week. Shudder) I was such a worker bee that I became physically, emotionally, and spiritually

Regardless, It Happened.

Irregardless. Literally. Irregardless, literally. Literally irregardless. Irregardlessly. Literally. Literally irregardlessment? Dis-irregardlessously. Literally! Literally pre-irregardlessness. Post-irregardless! Literally. Literally re-irregardlessment! Regardless. Literally? Figuratively. Ahhhh, I needed to work through a bit of snarkiness. Thank you for listening. I'm back to feeling like a Barefoot Susie. Happy Holiday Season to you!  :-) P.S. I'm heading over to Thursday 13 . Come along.

eXasperation

This afternoon I found two important documents that I have been seeking for a few years. Ask me where I found them? Go ahead. Please Where did I find them? Thank you for asking.  The documents were under a bunch of junk in my nightstand. Yup.  My search still continues for several other documents, including Mama's U.S. naturalization certificate and my baptismal record with my real name, unlike my birth certificate. The last time I recall seeing these other important family records was five, six, or seven years ago. At the time I placed them somewhere safer. Ha! Where or where they can be?  I'm heading over to ABC Wednesday . Come join me.

A Real 13, Really.

1. I got to the DMV office around 8:10 this morning. I was number 005. Yippieee! 2. In 10 minutes or less, my number was called. I didn't hear it because I was talking with the woman next to me who was a friend of Mama's. 3. I could barely see the first line on the eye chart with my right eye covered. "I'm getting cataract surgery on this eye." Thankfully, the young lady gave me a pass on the vision test. 4. No written test. I skimmed the handbook and took all the online practice tests earlier this week, just in case. It's still a win for me because I now know some new rules. 5. Did you know that in California you can pass on the right if there are multiple lanes, such as on the freeway? Now the Husband can't growl at people who pass on the right. "In my day. . . ." I also learned that you won't be criminally charged if you refuse to undergo a DUI test. Not that I foresee myself ever being in such a situation. 6. I couldn't g

Rambling -- 13

1. I'm hoping we won't need to turn on the furnace until December 1. 2. Right now we're doing fine with wearing heavy long-sleeved tops and long, warm pants, snuggling beneath blankets on the couch, and turning on the space heater. 3. I baked the first apple pie of the season. 4. Baking warms up the house. 5. We have a gas furnace. It would be more efficient if the majority of the heater vents weren't next to windows. What kind of design is that? 6. I need to renew my driver's license very soon. So, today, I checked out what I needed to do. Make an appointment so I don't have to wait forever in line, I thought. Ha! The next appointment is in January. Way too late. 7. I'll apply for the Real ID, too. That one may be a hoot to navigate. 8. Someone screwed up my name royally on my birth certificate. My last name is misspelled. Instead of showing Mama's maiden surname as my middle name, the certificate has Gusman . Mama's middle name before she marrie