Care Package

Close to Easter 2015 I received a care package from a very good blog friend, Jolene of Jo's Jumbled Jardinière.  It was my first package ever from Singapore.  She's a very sweet girl--a good wife, sister and friend (some of her current friendships started in...well, I'll just say they started when she started school :).  

Jo included a selection of items for my taste buds and my mind.  The package had:

--Yan Yan (tasty cookie sticks with a pool of chocolate for dipping):
--Pepero (chocolate covered pretzel sticks):
--Inspirational magnets:
--Captain America (Diamond blocks):
--a book on the Evolution of Language: and
--a jar of candy--including eyeglass candy packaged in the shape of a lucky 8!  The jar included samples of Haw Flakes, White Rabbit taffy, lemon candy (Smarties style), grape Magic Pop (pop rocks).  

You're probably thinking (and I wouldn't blame you) that I ate it all too quickly to take any pictures.  But I did take pictures.  I lost them when my IPod crashed right after that.  I still had the jar of candy, so I took more pictures of that and the non-consumables with my replacement IPod.  Since I am somewhat cursed when it comes to pictures*, my IPod and computer won't speak to one another.  So no pictures!  I've tried many times.

But pictures or no pictures, I remember and appreciate your kind gesture, Jo!  Thank you!!!

PS - Thanks to Jo, I know that, after a brief fling with Malaysia, Singapore became truly independent in 1965.  50 years ago!


* I lost almost all of my childhood and early adult photos when someone stole the leather bag my wife had put them in.  She had taken them to her office to scan them--so we would always have copies.  Cursed! 

Context (and "So long, farewell...")

In early November I received a promotional e-mail from "Brad's Deals" touting shopping bargains for the day.  The first item listed on the Subject line was "personalized stockings".

That confused me.  Why would a woman need her stockings to be personalized?  Is it like moms putting their kids' names in their underwear before they go to summer camp???  I deleted the e-mail without opening it.

In mid-December I saw a Christmas stocking in a commercial.  Christmas stockings!!!  Of course, THAT is what "Brad" was promoting in early November.  This reinforces my belief that Christmas is promoted too early--before I'm ready to think about it.  Let me get to Thanksgiving, then start bombarding me with Christmas.

That said, merry Christmas to all (who celebrate it) and to all...farewell. 

I'm closing down Waiting for Wisdom. Saturday Night Live stole one of my stories, so I'm out.  It has nothing to do with the fact that I haven't had a good idea for a post in many months.  :D 

Thank you for humoring me over the years and being part of my extended family.  I over-shared like crazy here and you were always understanding, supportive and a wonderful source of treasured observations, humor and advice.


PS - But you're not free of me yet!  I'll still be visiting your blogs and commenting, hopefully on a regular basis.

Disappointed...

in myself.  I started to name this post "Today's yesterday", but that might have given the impression I think this post is deep.  It's not.


During quiet moments it's not unusual for some of my own recent events to come back to me. Conversations, encounters, decisions...anything, it doesn't have to be a big thing.  It's not intentional.  It's just where my mind goes at times.  We all do it to some extent.


As I was commuting home yesterday I remembered seeing a story on the news last week about a murder near a gas station in a neighboring county.  As my wife walked through the room that evening I said, "Hey look, gas is $1.97 there."


Gas!  A man had been killed and I was noticing the price of gas.  At the time I didn't think anything of it.  But it was bad.  I didn't realize I'd gotten desensitized to the news.  I shared this story with a friend at work and he laughed--but out of surprise rather than thinking it's funny.


Any suggestions on how to re-sensitize? 

Sleep Cycles

My belief that some of us are simply born to be night owls keeps growing stronger.  That was given a big boost this week when a friend posted that her baby preferred to sleep all day and stay up all night.  She's doing everything possible (short of drugs) to flip that around, but it's hard to fight mother nature. 

I know, because I am one of those night owls. 

As a small child I tossed and turned almost every night when trying to get to sleep.  Eventually I'd give up. 

• Then my feet would go up on the wall. 
• Then I'd sit up, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. 
• Look out the window. 
• Sit in the rocking chair in the living room. 
• Then sit on the end of my parent's bed, in case one of them was awake.

If one of them was awake, they were too smart to admit it.  Eventually I'd go back to bed.  Morning would come too soon.  Morning still comes too soon. 

My daughter takes after me with regard to sleep.  So it was no surprise to me when our then-4 year-old daughter told us she'd seen a cartoon that was only on at 2am.  She saw a commercial for the show and said, "I watched that last night."  My wife said that was impossible, but our girl described it too well to be mistaken.

I suspect there might actually be more of "us" than there are of the early-to-bed crowd, but they run the world.  They get up early and make all the rules while the rest of us are still sleeping!  :D 

Candyman

The version given to us by the "greatest generation" granted childhood wishes ("you can even eat the dishes"). 

The version created by the baby boomers will kill you just for saying his name. 

This could mean nothing...maybe it's not a trend...but I'm suddenly worried about what the millennials are going to do!!!  (As soon as they get out of their parent's basements.)


PS - You guessed it, I had nothing to post.  So I gave you a sample of one of the silly, random thoughts that cross my mind during my daily commute to work.  :D

Free Speech

It's interesting to read how people in the US react when there is a negative reaction to "speech" they agree with--the standard, uninformed reaction is to say the First Amendment to the Constitution protects us from being criticized for what we say.  Too many have a basic misunderstanding of what the First Amendment guarantees. 

The text reads:  "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ... "

It's actually not that cut and dried--you can't threaten people (especially important people).  But the government can't arrest you for disagreeing with a law, policy or regulation; saying what you think of any or all religions; or sharing your views on patriotism, abortion, races, countries or whatever. 

But it does NOT mean:

• people won't mock you, ostracize you
• you can't be fired for things you say
• people won't boycott your business

You're (almost) free to say what you want without interference from the government.  But the First Amendment does not shield us from the reactions of other people--including employers, customers, friends and neighbors. 

A Hollywood celebrity learned this lesson recently.  He participated in an anti-police rally and is quoted as saying, “When I see murders, I do not stand by . . . I have to call the murderers the murderers.”  (He was referring to the police.)  In response, several police unions called for a boycott of the celeb's new movie.  In a subsequent interview, he said, "I was under the impression that I was an American and I had First Amendment Rights." 

He is and he does.  But being free to say what you want does not mean there will be no consequences for you. 

Belated Halloween Post

I forgot to share a Halloween/ghost story this year!!!  But it's never to late to post whatever we want, so here's story about a ghostly encounter in my parent's dark, spooky basement. 

Basement? Cellar might be a more appropriate word. It was unfinished, with a concrete floor and cinder block walls. It flooded on occasion, so the washer and dryer were up off the floor on pallets. The cellar was lit by four single, bare light bulb fixtures--one in each quadrant. Only one of the lights could be turned on from upstairs.  The other 3 had pull chains. At night it was a creepy place.

I made frequent trips to the cellar to move clothes from the washer to the dryer and to bring clothes up from the dryer. That was a regular chore. During one night time trip to the cellar, it felt more creepy than usual. Dread would be too strong a word, but I wasn't happy to be down there.

I hurried a little and tried to show no fear. Did I mention I was 8? Anyway, I filled the clothes basket--which was as big as I was--turned off the light over the washer and headed for the stairs. In my haste, I slipped when I was halfway up the stairs. I started to fall backwards with the laundry basket on my chest. I gasped, holding my breath in anticipation of the impact (with the concrete floor). But instead of hitting the floor, I felt something touch both of my shoulder blades...like two hands catching me. Suddenly I was standing straight up again, just a few steps down from where I had slipped. It happened so quickly I wasn't sure what HAD happened.

Did my grandmother save my life that night? (According to family lore, my dad's mom haunted the house.)  Or at age 8 did I have the reflexes of a cat and catch myself? Since my hands were clutching the laundry basket and the basket itself was laying across my chest, I don't see how I possibly could have caught myself. Someone...something saved me that night. I like to think it was my grandmother.

This was the only odd experience in my parent's cellar...but as I reached my teen years, odd things started happening in my attic bedroom.  (Spooky things.)