My Spin On It: January 2021

Saturday, January 30, 2021

A Good Wife

Bill decided to, at least, go out and shovel snow for the mail carrier. I said, "I bet that was a little refreshing", and he said, "I'm still thawing."

I also thought it was big of me to make an ACTUAL dinner with crispy chicken and REAL mashed potatoes, proclaiming that I was a good "wifey", "No you're just a good chef; when I do the dishes, that doesn't make me a good wife."

I may have gotten this wrong, but he won't see it, I guarantee it. 

I feel like just going back to being an artiste' and relaxing into the way it was. But deep in my heart, I know every one of us has a bigger responsibility now that our democratic republic just had a close call. It doesn't mean you become somebody else, like someone invested in the arts suddenly becomes a marching political activist all the time. Admittedly, George Takei and others are doing a pretty good job of it, but they have more influence, money, and time.

Earlier on Face Book I told the story about how a fellow student at my college, in the cafeteria, relayed a sermon to me she'd heard.  Interviewer: "What do you do for God?"  Baker:  "I bake bread."  Interviewer: "No, what are the things that you do for God?" Baker: "I bake bread." Interviewer: "But I'm asking what specifically do you do for God?" Baker:  "I bake bread."

Okay, there you have it. Hopefully, there will be a way you can integrate a sense of purpose to your vocation or avocation.

What was left behind was not only a mess but a wake.  We still have people in a number of "cults" who believe lies fed to them on the "fantastic" level.  And unfortunately, as you think, so you act.  

 So what's to be done? Another sermon I'd heard was called, "Duck Herding", about a dog who'd continually chase ducks every morning near the pond, and of course, never succeed at catching them.  Having been one who tends to think she can control people, places, and things in the outer, I've learned it's kind of a lost cause. I guess the answer is, BE the Change, and "Bake Bread Better".

The Inauguration

Got to see President Biden's inauguration at the very moment on the internet, thankfully.

 I was also thinking about my storytelling friend, Virginia Pastoor, who knew ALL.  She wanted to live until she could see Biden get elected, and she did.  (Four years ago, her post was, "Sorry, Ben, we couldn't keep it!")  She didn't know how many hurdles, especially on the 6th, would be thrown in Joe's way to Inauguration today. If, in a certain way, she knows, she probably has been pretty self assured, unlike those of us "down here" biting our nails and gripping our white knuckles.  
Jimmy Kimmel made a comment about how the presidents generally age a lot in four years, but during the time under Trump, it might be...All of Us.
So, I'm not going to look at any selfies taken in 2016 and compare them to 2021. Despite the challenges and hard work we face as citizens, maybe we can go into reverse, aging wise, due to the relief we feel. 
 And even though there was an unfortunate assault on the Capitol (that was Us, they assaulted, because those people represent Us), it didn't morph into what our parents (or grandparents) fought in the 1930s "Over There".
 Because we have more effective ways here of removing a demagogue.

Fuss over States

Night thoughts. I'm not very worried that my wrist aches, because I found out first "hand"

 yesterday that "Rosy, the Riveter" had a harder job than I thought.

 I now have learned from two sources that all this fuss about WI, MI, PA, and GA, have something to do with the demographics in Milwaukee, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.  I even "Googled" around and thought, "Aha!  Some folks are still living in the 50's."   I was around then, and even as a child when we got our first TV, I thought, "Where are all the black people?"  That came quite naturally, as I was living in a neighborhood where I was becoming a minority.  As far as AZ goes, the minority population in Phoenix is a little more mixed, but it adds up. Or maybe John McCain was just saying, "I like people who answer their call to military service and don't screw up the Presidency by not realizing it is also a "service" to our country, okay?" Of course, there were other blue states, but those seem to be the principle ones being fussed over. 

 I've looked out the window a number of times today at the pretty snow and wondered if it would be okay for a senior to walk out there.  Bill answered my question by going out into it and telling me "the weather outside is frightful" (i.e. cold).  It does mean , though, that I have to climb up and down the stairs, because I didn't "go" to Zoom Yoga.

So the Lions Won, Did They?

I was given a good analogy from someone who will not be named, as I might screw it up. It goes (sort of) like this. "The Lions Won!"

"But the scoreboard says they lost." "Someone must be messing with the scoreboard. You can't believe what you read. So, the Lions Won!"

"But the evidence points to the fact that the Lions lost." "I don't see any evidence that they lost. The Lions Won!"

"The evidence has been checked, double checked and triple checked." "Those people aren't calculating right. The Lions Won!"

"The judges have determined that they lost." "No, they won!"

"Sigh."

Four Years Ago Complaint

We Yarn Spinners took off on dealing with clerks and waitresses, etc. about what they're required to ask, and how we've answered. So, if someone at the grocery store asks me again if I'm "finding everything okay", I think I'll say, well...it was a little bit of a hassle trying to climb up in the freezer to the one carton of regular frozen yogurt that wasn't non fat, and the same goes for the regular yogurt. Then, there was the six pack of water that was too far in the back to reach, and I had to get down on my hands and knees to get a carton of orange juice. If that's "finding everything okay", then, yeah.

The Straight Line

I have a cousin who's an artist; in fact I have several who are artists. This one, though, knows me well. She said whenever I was angry, she knew, because she observed a straight line between my lips. I checked the mirror, after yesterday's capitol assault. Yup, there it was.

Graduating from How To Books

We got so upset with how-to books that often disrespectfully told you how to work, economize, organize, and play...(For example: Bill was told he had to have three hours of recreation, and I was told I had to accomplish six things daily, despite the fact that one thing can take all day) so, I rebelled by scheduling nothing. Well, that didn't seem to work. Verification was that Bill said I seemed to be "walking around in a daze" yesterday.

So, I went back to scheduling.  Maybe I only tackled one third of it, but I was more "with it".   I guess it was the "disrespectful" parts of these books were the problem.  One would insist on organizing the kitchen first, even though your office may have been driving you nuts.  The kitchen project was supposed to take a month.  You found yourself STILL organizing the kitchen as you approached the end of the month, and there was no end in sight.  Or the budgeting books would chide you and say, "Order the store brand at least the first time, because your rich uncle isn't going to leave you a hefty inheritance, (don't remind me) so you'd better eat that blah-tasting excuse for a meal, Idiot."  

When my dad coached me on writing, he told me, "You have to respect your reader, or they won't continue reading. They'll just put down the book."

Yet, we continued reading these books.  We must not have had the self respect to say, "Hey...just a minute.  Just how am I going to get all that recreation time in? And what if I'd like to tackle the office first?  How can I possibly go to the next project next month, when I'm not done with this one?

It all goes back to teaching; you had to have a plan. For subbing, you had to have the other person's plan.  I was pretty surprised, when subbing, the kids would ask, "What are we going to do today?" I thought, "You mean even though I'm a sub, you won't just be content to torture me for an hour?  You really want to follow an agenda, to DO something?"  So, kids actually WANT healthy boundaries. 

I guess we never outgrow that need, but when you really "grow up", your plan has to be your own.

Mangled Can

No one believes that I'm capable of cussing like a sailor

and throwing out expletive-deleted adjectives. But when I couldn't find my "good" can opener, someone in the house tried to "help" me open a can of chili beans

by using an alternative method. This left 10 triangles

in the top of the can. Tried to present proof of this, but the evidence was tossed and didn't make it to the recycle bin.

Back out of Whack

I wouldn't wish a back out of whack to anybody. Bill's back did just that. I remember how bad I felt when I broke my shoulder, and it's kind of weird; you don't feel good, (everything's connected, so it affects your whole body) but you aren't contagious. However, because he was in that shape, I took the opportunity to laze the day away in my jammies. I still did things that absolutely had to be done, but it was still a lazy day. Since it was a holiday, everyone should have one. Just don't throw your back out of whack, because then, it won't be fun.

Cultural/DNA Characteristics

When my brother put some ear phones on his head while watching TV, I asked him why. Well, it appears his wife's sharp ears necessitate him putting those on in order to hear the set. Ok, I think I'm going to have to get a pair of those. Bill's sharp ears, the ability to hear everybody in the restaurant or while driving down the alley, the ability to hear the TV three blocks away, contrast with mine. My brother's wife and my husband also contain a fair degree of German, and I notice they like to sprinkle pepper on things I'd never sprinkle with pepper. Tell me DNA doesn't make a difference.

The Freedom of the Blog

Let's see, the only adventure today was the one Bill had, going to correct an insurance mistake (theirs). Not allowed in, due to Covid, so he had to fill out papers in the wet snow, with no clipboard.

 Actually, he tells the story much better.  But I'm not going to press him for that, as he'd probably not like that I'm telling it, summarizing it, that is.

Always looking for a good story, so when I have him review the details, without him knowing it, it will end up in my blog.  He keeps asking. "what is a blog?" I say, "Web Log.  That is what a blog is."  Then, he says, "but then too many people will see it." Actually, most  people avoid blogs like the plague....well, I guess that's a bad analogy, given the at-risk behavior of the public.   For so many years, I've said, "I'm going to write a letter to the editor about this!"  Then, he stops me.  "No, that would cause too many problems."  So, I got turned loose on Face Book and the like.  I'm not sure what, "and the like" is, as I won't even look at Twitter.  All in all, my siblings and I just can't keep our thoughts to ourselves when given a pen, paper, and a keyboard, whereas his family was always very careful and private.  For my family, living in a fishbowl  from the get go, you learn to deal with your vulnerability.

This was stream of consciousness, because it's getting late...streaming before dreaming. 

Senior Hours

Since this is a shopping day, I have to laugh

when they encourage senior hours early  in the morning, (where you'll probably meet a "gang" of seniors).  I've got it figured out.  It's natural to go late, and nobody's around.  Works for me.