Shepherds or Farmers

 I find Shepherd's Pie (once referred to as Farmer Brown) torn out of the "Woman's World" and placed separately on the ottoman. So I'm looking at the recipe on the internet, (because of course, the elves and faeries made off with it) offering to make it. "So, what's your backup?" "Shrimp." "No, make ham and mashed potatoes." So, that's what I do. "When can I make it?" "When there's a frozen Shepherd's Pie dinner in the freezer."

"If it was in the freezer, I would never make the Shepherd's Pie."

Grapes

 The conversation: You left your grape bowl out on the table.

Oh, but they'll spoil.

They won't spoil in that length of time.

I think they'll...

They won't spoil!

But they might become...wrathful.

Caving on his Birthday

 Bill sets up a movie about this couple on a honeymoon, but you know, when she gets possessed by an alien

, it kind of makes for a rocky start to a marriage. To "hide" him from being harmed, she anchors him into the lake as he protests this is not "hiding"! I remember seeing it before, but the end never made sense to me, so he had to 'splain what happened. I won't tell you that part, so as not to spoil it.

Puppysitting

 Pup dog, Logan, put Grandma through her paces today. He was quite naughty, never coming in when I called him. I guess he thought he'd waited long enough in the house for a break. I told him he couldn't go out a second time, because once the girls got home dropped off by yet another grandma, he had forfeited going out again. Still, Leela and I caved, but we had to call on Naia to help coax him back in again. After all this activity, and eating apple slices I gave him, he stood in the kitchen, and I swear I could see his eyelids drooping. I thought, okay Logan, if you're tired, I don't want you to fall asleep standing up in the kitchen. So, I pointed him to his little inside "house", and he seemed grateful to relax.

Okay, so I went unnecessarily to my "volunteer" job today, took an unnecessary trip to Spring Lake to get the granddaughters who'd already gone to their aunt's, and ended up puppysitting. (The one who got the days mixed up was me. I take responsibility.) As Logan Augustus Kingsley sat with his back to me on my lap, I recall singing to him; "Logan was a pup dog who was more often naughty than good, while playing in the neighborhood, and they should take him to Sunday School, so he could learn the rules." It was something like that, and like "The Lost Chord" or the rest of "Kubla Khan", I should have written it down. It was a really cute song, and Logan didn't seem the least bit insulted. Maybe it's the "way" you sing to other mammals that makes the difference in how you get along.

Time Slips

 Looking at lots of videos, some of which are "time slips". Then, checking Face Book, and people are posting "Remember When"...pictures and commentary for my two home towns. It gives you an eerie feeling when you consider there are a few stories out there, right in town, of meeting up with "ghosts" of the past. For example, I know someone who talked to an unknown person who disappeared in one of the "historical" houses. She was told to write it down in their log, for she was one of many who'd encountered that kind of thing there. I'd like to visit at odd hours, when not to many people are around, to see if I could see something, someone, some crowd, or some places looking like they don't belong here.

Well, I'm into time travel, anyway. I saw the first Back to the Future, back in the day. So, when II and III came on the screen, that wiped out the rest of my evening, even though I tried "Time and Again" to shut it off. Got to the part, "The End". Couldn't help myself.

Worksharing

 We did some work sharing today, puppysitting...We're both meditators, so after my shift, I told Bill, he wouldn't have much time. So, he did that before leaving. Good thing. Logan puppy wanted to "race" him in the yard for quite a spell. Doggy was nice enough to run to one end and wait for Grandpa. Then, he ran to the other end, and so this activity repeated over and over again

.

The Plantation Owner

 We used to play with paper dolls. I thought of how we could dress Mitch McConnell up in a plantation owner costume. I also thought of how the slave owners justified their practice by saying it was in the Bible. Lots of horrendous stuff is in the Bible. But let's consider Joseph, for example, being sold into slavery. When his half brothers did that, it wasn't exactly a reward for how much they loved him. Joseph didn't respond by saying, "Oh boy, I'm really looking forward to this next great adventure! Thank you so much, brothers." (Unbeknownst to Joseph, this "adventure" would also include prison.) Now back to old Mitch. My personal feeling is that slavery has not been defeated, but expanded to most of the US population. So, when he's saying, this would be an excuse to sit on your butts, he's really saying, "Okay, slaves, get off your butts, because you're supposed to be out there working for $10 an hour, since you're working for US." Somehow, he got the roles reversed.

Reincarnation's not so Bad

 When somebody introduced the theory of reincarnation to me before, like asking this question, "Where were you before this?" I thought, "Oh no, not another round!" Well, now that I'm older and have to learn all this tech stuff, which includes video/audio and takes an enormously long time, I think, "Yeah...I could get into that", I mean, there must be some REASON why it's taking me so long, yet I have to do this, and what if I'm called up yonder in the middle of setting this all up?, leaving all this unfinished business, surely I could another crack at this (with previous knowledge), and everybody would say, "How did this mere toddler

know all this stuff?"

A Few Challenges

 I had a few "challenges" today while embarking on puppy

sitting for a sick puppy. (I've also concluded that dogs are equal and should have the right to vote. Oh sure, they may just leave a paw print showing they were in the voting booth. But did you see any dogs storming the capitol? I think not!) Upon returning home, the snow shoveling people next door were in the way, and I was forced to park in front of the garbage. The garbage people didn't pick up the trash, and I remember the days when they had to get "out" of their truck and heave the garbage into it. (Our lifestyle contributes to our national weight problem.) But after napping, going grocery shopping ran a little more smoothly. I am still mourning, however, that I bought 3 bars of soap and didn't know there was a coupon for them in my purse. I did use about 8 other coupons, though, including bottle returns. Applause, please.

Went to watch the grand girls this afternoon, and the pup dog. It was really great that the little tyke was feeling so much better as he sat on my lap, and I said, "What are you going to do now, Logan? Are you just going to sit there, and run around and play? You're not even going to go to school or get a job?" So, I told Bill this, and he said, "Oh no, you're going to give him low self esteem, and he'll hang his head, because he doesn't have a job, because you're giving him a goal that's impossible for him to reach!" Yup, that's what I love about this guy...he's so serious, he cracks me up.

Two Trips in One

 Thought I'd have the day off today to work on my project. Looked into the refrigerator, however. I noticed there wasn't much in it. So, checked my day/week/month planner to find out the reason why. Oh, time to do part one of my

shopping. It was pretty quiet by the time I got there, perfect for seniors, in both places. I noticed Bill's Hershey Bar had fallen onto the sidewalk on the way out of the second store, and I couldn't find the other, so I checked back with the manager, who provided me with another one. I said I'd bring one back if I should find it, and she graciously said, that's okay. The only thing unusual was by the time I got outside the , a mask-less lady walked up to me as I was closing my trunk; she said "we're" homeless and would I have a few dollars to spare. Now, these days, that story's not too far fetched, but I told her I didn't. I used to hand out the number of Silent Unity prayer line for those who sincerely need prayer help to better their situations, but I'm not as naïve about intentions anymore. I noticed, as her car pulled away, the manager was kind of leaning out the door well past closing time, saying she was watching. You know, I was probably going to be okay, but that kind of concern is pretty touching.

Seeing through the Ads

 Lineup of commercials:

1) Ordering Uber Eats, (eating take outs: natural weight gainer. and all you did was pick up your phone to call for a delivery),

2)Pre-Made food concoctions to store in the fridge (no energy expended there. And these even get delivered, as well),

3)Saying goodnight to your kid and tapping on your phone to close all locks and turn off all lights (so you won't even have to walk around the house to do those things, now),

4) Sign up for Nutri-System for Men for all the weight you've gained sitting around during lockdown.

So...

Who needs a lockdown to gain weight, when you don't even get off your butt during normal life?

Frozen to the Ground

 Well, that was a first! Since Bill froze shoveling the driveway, and was rewarded with a nice chicken dinner, my assignment was to take the garbage bin to the curb. Then, he would help heist it up on the snow bank. I went out the back. He waited in the front. Soon, he saw me outside, hands waving.

I couldn't even move it from the back. It was FROZEN TO THE GROUND! He found out it wasn't me. We both couldn't move it, so Bill used an icicle chopper, until we finally were able to release it. My Scandinavian DNA, though, felt like it was an experience with which my ancestors would have been familiar. Instead of seeing the usual deer in the neighborhood, I wouldn't have been surprised to see reindeer.

Pandemic Paranoia

 Sometimes, I get a little paranoid during pandemic watch, like imagining my lips are turning blue and my face is getting chalky. Well, I sat out in the living room feeling chilly while watching the news and couldn't even find my sweater. When I found it and put it on, was still chilly. I thought, "What's wrong with me?" Then, I returned to my little office, and (since the heat isn't evenly distributed in the house) felt toasty warm at my computer. The conclusion? It's gotten colder outside. The prediction is it's going to get more so. Hope I remember this tomorrow.

Snowed in and Stuck

 Did not go to the store Friday, because of being snowed in. The car didn't start today, and my other half had the bright idea I should take a cab to cover two stores. This, I did not want to do, and found out that at bottom, was the Coca Cola deficit. The next bright idea, to order a pizza, and I mentioned, they have Coke. This brought on widened eyes and a bright smile. "Yeah!"

As you probably know, our car wouldn't start. All I was ready for today was for Bill to have it towed away and fixed. Instead, he tells me to "get out there" and help before it "dies". Someone from the car repair company had done a temporary restart, so he could get to the car repair place. However, he is stuck in the snow, which is also ice. I'm in my pajamas, but okay, I'll put on my boots with yak trax on them. I'm not sure what I'm doing out there, but I end up saying a brief prayer for help for both of us, and lo, a neighbor comes down the alley to do just that. So, Bill comes back from getting the car fixed, and it's all ready to go. It will have to be fixed more later. I have a good laugh on the way to the store, because the person who lives across from the "Jesus Lives Here" guy has a rainbow sign up and another pro-transgenders sign, which probably makes the JLH guy a little uncomfortable, but the other reason I'm laughing is there are three dogs jumping around in the yard, one of which looks just like my "other" family's dog, only gargantuan. So, I'm early enough to hit the Dollar Tree first. But when I go to Aldi's right next door, I take that quarter you need to get your cart, and it disappears into the gear shift. "Sigh!" When I get back, I already have the "refrigerate-able" stuff ready to go, and while Bill heats a concoction he still calls "Farmer Brown", even though it's "Shepherd's Pie", I'm called out once again to chop the ice that is making snow shoveling three times as hard. I'm left out there while he takes a break. Again, I'm not really sure what I'm doing, telling myself, "Well, even though my mom was a spoiled/refined city girl from Minneapolis, my dad came from the farm, so maybe, I have some strength just based upon inheriting his metabolism." This does not help me, because I remember my cousin telling me he got special treatment, being the last male, since he gravitated more toward reading and art, which he obviously passed on to his "children". So, again, I'm kind of lost out there chopping ice, not knowing what I'm doing in the cold and dark. But somehow, after a little more chopping and shoveling on his part, Bill gets the car back in the garage. And I can get more groceries out of the trunk. The only thing I can say I've accomplished is, I did a pretty good job shopping. We were down to NOTHING; even the toilet paper supply was looking pretty scary. So, I'm pretty proud of that...until I have to do part III of my "grocery" shopping at Meijer....tomorrow.

Before we were all in the Same Boat

 When you've been laid up a little too long, your mind starts playing tricks on you. You start fantasizing that you really ARE the dowager in Down ton Abbey. But you notice you're down to the last few toilet paper rolls; the banana tree has become empty; soup is no longer an option; the orange juice has become rank; the milk has to be measured, so your significant other can eat his cereal; the few "fresh" fruits and vegetables look tired, bruised, and worn; and NO, NO, NO; the servants are NOT going to go to the grocery store after all, nor are they going to cook for you.

Becoming a Grandma in every Respect

 Leela and I happened to be looking at some goal setting things on my door, which included a couple of pictures of me, or my head. So, she says, "Grandma, you're not ugly, but are these pictures of a long time ago?" I said, "Well, maybe about 12 years ago." This blew her away, as she was imagining what she might have looked like back then, being as she's only 8 years old. I think she mentioned something akin to a sperm and an egg, or perhaps, an amoeba or a molecule. But it did get me to thinking, well, that means ever since that time has passed, I've really gone downhill.

An Unintended Poem

 Stuck my head out the window to view the hostile, cold universe,

but thought it could be worse;

We could be in a dome in Antarctica doing research,

Instead of in our toasty little homes, attending Virtual Church.

Studied a little Buddhism and learned about Karma,

Thought it was theory, but you bet your Dharma,

Some folks on the Hill,

Are finally getting their fill.

Since good ol' Uncle Joe and Jill,

And even in Michigan

Snyder can't fish again

Flint water won't give him permisi...again.

And even Lou Dobbs,

Will be out of a Job.

Can we hope next is Hannity,

before losing our sanity?

Perhaps Laura and Tucker...

Guess I'd better stop here.

(This actually started out as a prosaic statement, which shows it's getting late, so I wax poetic. Or perhaps, wane poetic.)

History Repeats after a Century

 Outsmarted the defunct part of my Nook reader. I got another free copy of the book I was reading, placed it in an app from play store, which was on my regular tablet. Resumed reading where I left off. It's getting really interesting, as Woodrow Wilson has been elected President in the States beneath Canada. I already know he was another one who lied about a pandemic, got the Spanish Flu himself, consequently, had a stroke, and word had it that his wife was running the country, since he was "out of it". So, we've already had a woman president. This is an historical fiction, and I got reacquainted with the characters just as if they were close relatives I'd been away from for awhile.

50's Housewife for a Day

 I watched my mom in motion as in, "Road Runner". No wonder she was able to keep the pounds from creeping! But in Mom's case, I think she liked the role, even though she had to go back to work full time with her RN degree. She preferred to be what my brother called his "little gray mother scurrying around the kitchen". One should give it at least a week, though, so as to have the joy of sprinkling, ironing, and hanging everybody's laundry, with underwear concealed behind the sheets.

In appreciation of this, I'm reading this book called, Servants, which is not too complimentary of servitude during that Downton Abbey era. I, so far, haven't thought it's too bad to have skills like that and to be employable in that field. I think the problem was too few had other options. I appreciate domestic skills, never having had them. I'm getting into them now, though, from time to time.

I got inspired by my 50's housewife video, glad we don't have to live that way entirely, anymore, while at the same time, putting on an apron to make a good pot roast with sides and a cheesecake. I don't know, however, if Bill will appreciate the stacks of dishes which were the product of my new found domestication. He doesn't even like cheesecake. Well, I do, and I'm pretty sure I made a much more reasonably priced one, since it was "from scratch". This pandemic is having a strange effect, taking me places I have never gone before.

The purpose of a Grandma is to make cheesecake and fudge. I'll have to admit I'm getting better at that stuff than when I was a mere parent. It might have something to do with always having to go out to work rather than starve. What we ate was quickly thrown together.

The age-old Question

 Although I sneak in a cup of yogurt earlier, my breakfast becomes so late, it's really a brunch, and a late one at that. Well, I sat there thinking do I want an egg or the about-to-be-tossed chicken salad? Then, I started smiling, realizing it was the age-old question,

the chicken

or the egg?