Happy Hath Day

Since I learned the mnemonic

I have celebrated this day. Sadly, the modern teachers avoid ‘oldies’ words. It is harder to say hath over has for our tongues but they miss teaching moments by modernizing.

I can’t believe we are at the beginning of the end. Gird up your loins folks! We’ve made it through the first end month. The -embers and scary -ober are here.

A quick Fall-in-Oregon Outback, well, view from my window update.

Less on the trees.

More on the driveway.

(Last year @Willowdot21 had a hard time with this. I hope her health is better now.)

Anyway, Happy Hathvember!

One-liner Wednesday

For Linda G. Hill’s One-liner Wednesday I offer this.

__________________

I didn’t know if that’s been done yet. My husband’s contribution was, “Eh.” I’ll save that for later.

The Falling of Fall

Just a couple pictures or more if they show up well. I’m writing this on Monday and there is going to be rain by this afternoon, so the wind is blowing like crazy. I love it. The smoke level is low and hopefully the fires will die down a bit with the rain. One can only hope. I feel so badly for the people who are much more impacted by these fires that we are.

Okay, let me share these Fall pics.

This was a couple of days ago. A few yellow leaves on the tree and mesquite bush, a stray leaf on the ground here and there.

Now from Monday before the rain, which at this point I am still hoping for.

This morning as I was taking the picture the wind blew so hard a couple boxes left their area near the trash and landed in the driveway. Kali had to investigate this new part of the driveway. A lot more leaves on the ground now. But there are still green leaves here and there.

Happy Autumn, everyone!

Review: The Butchers by Katie French

The Butchers by Katie French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are many different reviews on this book, low stars and high. I’m giving it five stars as I still care for the characters and the situation enough to make it through the whole series. And I look forward to the new book in a takeaway series in the future but in the same place.

What I hate has nothing to do with this book, except the way books have to be labeled. Yes, it is nice to have a guideline of readability levels. But maybe we need something that says, this is gory and has a lot of killing and blood. There is a romantic element but no sex. There are gender issues addressed in the way of this series’ settings.

But here’s my thing: Why do young adult books have to have young adults? I remember being a young adult and loving science fiction. The more, the better. Those characters were men, not anyone that looked like me. Still, I consumed them. Am I happier to see books that reflect every age of me now? Absolutely! I’m not ever depicted in exciting books, adventures, etc. Auntie is the closest to me. I think all of us need a variety of types of characters to get to know. What we relate to are the places, flaws, ability to rise above, etc. 71 year-olds are people who need all that, too!

The reading level is easily accessible by middle grades though a parent or teacher may want to talk to the child about it. Certainly, children these days watch shows on the media that contain all that is here. And for many, the survival of our characters teaches how one might be to be out in the New Mexico desert with bad guys everywhere out to kill you.

But barring all those elements, this story pulls me in. From the very beginning, The Breeders. I do agree that it is hard to differentiate between characters. Even having the title of the chapter as the heads up for the viewpoint, the character Sounds the same until he/she bring up individualized things. I’m not sure how to fix that confusion that happens if you are reading by listening only to text-to-speech. But I somehow got used to it and felt the new chapter beginning.

All-in-all, I loved these books enough to overcome the issues presented. I’m looking forward to reading more by Katie French.

View all my reviews

Daycares in Finland Built Their Own ‘Forests’, And It Changed Kids’ Immune Systems

Incredible.

Source: Daycares in Finland Built Their Own ‘Forests’, And It Changed Kids’ Immune Systems

Stream of Consciousness Saturday, Near, Far

Since reading the prompts that Linda gave us, THIS earworm has been buzzing through my head. You’re welcome!

It’s hard to bring my consciousness out of the song and experience of Titanic And Celine beating her chest at the emotional part of the song. But let me see if I can try.

I am feeling far from everyone. Even those who are near, in my house. Each time they go out shopping I get worried that they will catch COVID or other flu and bring it home. None of us here in this house are as healthy as we would like to be. Most of us are in that age group. So we have to maintain a bit of distance for a while from each other. Our county cases are going crazy right now. So, I’m keeping my six feet even at home.

On the other hand, I am so grateful for the ways I can stay near to all my friends and family, yes, even those in my home. It is not uncommon for my husband and I to text each other from other rooms of the house. Let’s say I am busy, and Kali needs to go outside. A quick text, and he’s coming through and letting her out. We have even FaceTimed each other. Others might say that is lazy, but pain levels send my husband to his bed so he can put on leg massagers and raise the foot of his bed for better circulation.

Zoom and FaceTime bring the far, near. I am so happy that at least one part of the Jetsons of the far future has come to us today.

Even tonight, this technology has given me an unbirthday gift. My friend and her granddaughter have been enjoying a book they kept telling us about it. The other friend was able to pick up the book at her library, so she started reading it today. I couldn’t buy it right now. Out Libby didn’t have it yet. And I decided against the trip to the library even though I miss it horribly. My friend ordered and sent the Kindle version, so I start to read this tonight (if I finished my other book) or tomorrow night! Near/far friends and family warm my heart and soul!

Amazon

I can’t wait to read of this adventure far, far away yet near.

Unfinished Friday

It may look like a couple previous hats. But this one will have a basket-weave pattern on part. But here is the hat in progress:

Happy Friday!

Podcast Thursday

I have spent this week attending a Podcast seminar on FaceBook. Well, actually, I took the live class on Monday but found the rest of the classes at awkward times to live watch. So I binged the rest today and I’ll have to watch Friday’s class when I get the chance. Here is the YouTube of what I watched Monday.

I’ve mentioned here that it is in my plan to make a podcast. I still feel strongly that it is something I should and want to do. I don’t know why, exactly. I certainly am lost in trying to do this but I will be doing it.

My aim is to have a chat about this 71 year-old lady and what that feels like for me. I plan to share my passions good and awkward. Crochet, knitting, loom knitting, piano, singing, recorder, artwork, and especially my writing. I could do write-a-longs or read alouds of my own books.

When I was young, and I hate to admit it but even now, I love going into other people’s lives and homes and getting to know people intimately. I enjoy feeling the comradery of a good knit and bitch or sing-a-long.

Report cards pf my youth give me promise that I can do this. What did get written on almost all of them? ‘Darlene talks too much in class.’ Not that reporting that to my parents helped at all. Neither did moving me to different seats. I always made friends with whoever I sat with. One teacher even moved me up near his own desk. Guess what? It wasn’t long before he and I were in a conversation. He spent nearly a whole class chatting before he realized that he, too, had fallen for my gabby self. So, it is called a gift of gab, right?

Another reason I want to do this is to join baby-boomers and anyone else who feels isolated. I know with my cataracts reading has been so hard. That ability encompasses so much of our lives, not just reading books. Reading the phone number to make a call, reading ingredients on a package, etc. I want to make life more accessible. I have already made this blog available on Spotify but not my own voice, just the robot voice offered on Anchor. By the time I get to the writing the blog time, I don’t have the energy to read the words.

But the gabbing is something I want to use to get to know people better. Not just hear myself speak. So I am asking all of you to give me suggestions of what I might cover. Thanks for being the great bunch of friends you are here. I can hardly wait to see what you recommend. I think blogging helps me so much and I think the podcast will, too.

One-liner Wednesday

According to Filicia Day in today’s lesson, Creating is hard; it takes doing and digging, and digging, and digging. [Not a direct quote but from my notes while listening. I thought that we were digging a grave for all the failures so the real one could live.]

Amazon

This fun little prompt is Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday. Follow the link to find the rules of the game and other prompts and check out her books!

Frustradisappointia–Insurance Woes

Today was the long awaited consultation appointment for possible cataract surgery.  It didn’t happen.

It has been nearly a year since I was told I had very bad cataracts. One eye (I call my reading eye) couldn’t even see the big black E. But even my good ‘distance’ had developed a cataract. I can still see to drive, and with reading glasses I can read a bit on my phone about 7″ from my eyes. This is still difficult and hurts my hands. Not to mention that every word I type has to be corrected.

So we had this appointment set up during the pandemic. Last week we got a call that I needed to get my Primary Care Physician to send approval.

That’s crazy. I had called my insurance to find the first ophthalmologist. You would think that when the eye doctor referred me to the surgeon it would be okay.

Nope. PCP needed to approve. And she was out of town last week. So yesterday I had to go see her. She said she’d get on it. Don’t worry just go to the eye surgeon.

You know that niggling feeling you get? Yeah. I decided we needed to call before driving two hours only to be turned away.

When I say ‘we’ it is because my husband is a great advocate for me. When I feel overwhelmed he will go to bat.

Hey, Chris:

Anyway, sure enough the fax didn’t make it and by the time it did it was going to be too late for the appointment.

I asked if there were helps for people like me who had trouble seeing. They just said ‘no’. I know there are but you need a doctor to sign off on them.

I’m a baby-boomer. I know I’m not alone in this. We’re not making enough money to have any choices but where’s the help?

Insurance robs me on every check. But where are they when patients and doctors agree treatment is necessary?

Okay, if you made it this far you win. ❤🤗😘🤷‍♀️

Thank you for reading my rant.

But happy last day of summer!