Relatively Speaking

I had a chance to start re-reading memoirs by my Great Aunt Alvina, my grandmother's sister. Strange, how I had a chance to help take care of her at my mother's cousins' house when she was 92. She said very little at the time. She's speaking to me now, though; many years later, I am reading what her girlhood was like. You know, the quietest, frailest of us have a history and were once young and experiencing life. It was a wonderful "trip" into the past. More yet to read...
I mentioned reading my great aunt's account, only to discover that our next door neighbor of 30 years may, in fact, be related to me. I knew they were Swedish, so understood their affinity for having his coffee "just right" (he's passed, now) and never would skip his a.m. Java, even if a medical test required it. But it never occurred to me he may have been a relative. Another good reason for loving your neighbor; could be they're your family.☺️

It appears that my mom got her zany performing storytelling skills from my grandmother. I never would have even considered that, as my grandmother, when she stayed with us, was generally quiet and dignified. Here's my mom trying to appear dignified. On her nurses' training evaluation, it said, Dignified: Not very. There are also a few ancestral pictures to the side of her portrait.

Thoughts in 2020

I went to an inbox I rarely frequent and found out that a few classmates (who are blurred, since I didn't pay) wrote two contradictory memories: Soft spoken, and ambitious & outgoing. I deduced that's why people like me like to write. 
On one hand, nobody will listen, anyway. 
On the other, I am still determined to get my thoughts out there. 
Bill gets messages from a guy he doesn't know telling him the latest on classmates. I tell him, and he doesn't remember them. They remember him, but not the other way around. I said, "What did you do?" "Went to school, played in the chess club (where they didn't talk), and went home to study." 
Too bad people didn't realize what fun people we were.

Mic Covered and Restored...More Virtual Progress

Project continues, got a mic pop cover at Dragon Sound, but brushed by the adapter plugged into the computer and broke it, so had to go back to 🐉 Dragons again to replace the part. Bill figured out how to make it fit. First test on tape recorder failed until it was all figured out by turning over the cassette...Yay!

Soft box lamps: More Adventures in Virtual Progress

This was a process.  Watching videos for all sorts of ideas; Finding old lamps, replacing a small bulb, aluminum foil inside the lamps, black poster board cut for the outside of the lamps, old cut pillow cases for the fronts, duct tape for the backs to hold the extended shades, file clips for the fronts.  Instead of cutting the wires for the lamp, cutting the shades was much easier.

                                 Not much to look at, unless I superimpose
                                 happy faces, 😊😌 but they seem to work. 

'Twas the Night Before Christmas Eve...

My family thinks of me in terms of "figuring stuff out" 🕵️‍♀️and "fixing stuff". 👩‍🔧 So, my first assignment on this busy day before Christmas Eve, is to fix the pleated blind in the kitchen. I finally locate where the problem is, in the bottom, but what a mess of strings! So, I look up "how to" videos on the subject, and one guy says, "first thing, don't get them, because they always do this." Then, he goes on to tell how to fix it, to the degree that, at least, it goes up, but only 3/4 of the way down. I shall be like Edison. So far, I've figured out a thousand ways "kNOT" to do this, but I shall press on until I've invented the light bulb.💡 Now, I've taken out two parts on the bottom and un-knotted the strings. The bottom lies on the floor awaiting attention when I get around to it. Wrapping 🎀🎁🛍 and baking and other last minute excursions should be a SNAP after this hassle.

Pizza or Bust!

I had a very carefully planned store hopping 🦘 plan in mind, which I was proud to carry out, even to the point of calling📞 Bill to see if he could pick up some vitamins Sunday, so I wouldn't have to make another stop. Meijer was my final stop, and it went as smoothly as the other two... bottle deposits, special coupons, etc..., or so I thought. Final purchase, the Pizza,🍕 the two kinds we usually get were gone, and I had this special coupon. Another phone call 📞wherein I explained I could still cut up onion slices and green peppers for the pepperoni and cheese pizza. No, we couldn't skip the pizza for another time. I wanted it tonight. I was very proud to have completed this project, just in time for getting back for O'Donnell, but ever the watchful husband finds the pizza to be...thawed. I mentioned it was the very last purchase from the freezer? I was to check the phone 📞number on it, and they were closed, so time to check the internet. Continual protests about me being flexible and having something else, like shrimp🍤...ugh! Wife protests back, No, I want my pizza!🍕 So, back to the store, saying over and over, it's not their fault, cool it. Long story short, I got my way, and got my solid, frozen🥶 pizza. 🍕 The plan was to show them my receipt on the way out. No one checked, so I just waltzed out,💃 got to the car, 🚗realized what I'd done, and decided, if they have a problem with me not showing my receipt, they can follow me in a cop car🚓 right to my door, and I'll have it ready for them.

On the run & Costume changes

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Day went like this...eye doctor👁 (some have a dental phobia, 🦷but I have an eye doctor👁 phobia) Nevertheless, I was relieved that the eye that felt "different" was fine. Then, break for more coffee☕️ and late breakfast. Then Meijer grocery, (Bill doesn't see the need for umbrellas. 🌂 I can see his point of view, as when I got to the Meijer parking lot, the umbrella turned inside out with the spokes pointing upward. Worse yet, it threatened to pull me skyward, like Mary Poppin's exit.)🌬+.

then, Aldis grocery,(during which time, I was kind of flying blind.🕶👀) then, home, then, work at Tellabration, (Good Show 👩‍🎤and Good Audience Energy!) then, home for the news, pizza,🍕 and finishing the laundry...This kind of explains why it's nice to just "chill" looking at internet comedy😅😂🤣 and Friend Face. Besides, I've already surpassed being "up there" (i.e. mature age) and deserve a break today! 🍔🍟