Reflections of a Boomer

ML VanBlaricum

VVV Open Mic 5 31 2020 Reflections of a Boomer

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I have to wonder what such delight could happen if lyrics of music of the 80s + were collaged?

Food, Glorious Food

Food. Give me food.

Think back to your youth and remember foods that you loved, that was a peculiar speciality for your home area. What was it? Would you eat it now?

Take your time and peruse the food below. As you say, ewww, try to recall history where cooks always found a way to stretch a dollar/pound and feed a family. 

Amazon has quite an extensive selection.

Varied menu
Granted, this menu is decidedly upscale. Blackberry bread pudding? Oh, yeah.

creamed squirrel over fried grits

Wines for Wild game pairings

Hasenpfeffer rabbit stew

stuffed skunk

Cake for dessert Crazy cakes

In our rural area, where some farmers still live in "hollers/hollows", wild game is a food source, and is still hunted. Deer and Elk hunting are important in the economy of Pike County, Illinois.  Celebrities and sports figures can be seen in the local diner in November. 

Southerners also hunt these wild animals, as part of their food base. 

Did our family eat wild game? You betcha, it was part of the culture. Mom prepared rabbit, squirrel, snapping turtle, ducks, geese, venison, elk, and frog legs. She emphatically refused possum and skunk. "Have to draw the line somewhere."

Since this was part of the culture and time, we didn't think anything about our dinner. Mom could cook anything, wild or not.

At least now, canned products may be purchased which removes hunting, killing, cleaning, skinning, and cooking. Two cans of creamed possum for $12? Worth every penny.

Sites for further information:  Amazon cookbooks.  Broken Arrow Ranch, Amazon Wild Meat assortments

**These days, some cans are gag gifts. Have to read the can label carefully to confirm that. "Here the beavers have been known to get under your covers and snuggle you to sleep."

August Sucks #3

The exhibition celebrates the history of an old candle making factory which was based on Bankside more than 100 years ago  

It is August 19 and the day will be roasting hot by noon. Temperatures of our area may reach 108 deg. today. 

Just when the inside feels like I could bake cookies on the counter, a magical thing happens.

Source: livia-maria

Our local energy company SDG & E electric employs the FLEX energy plan to keep the electrical grids from overloading.  That means they can turn my A/C off.  Off!! with the fan still running. 

Source

Off, with the interior thermometer rising slowly up the scale.  82º?  That is nothing.  86º, and it keeps rising.  I stop looking.

Outside?  Thermometer past 95 and still going...

The A/C returned.  God bless it.

Truth is: Summer makes me cranky.  Life sucks.  Leave me alone.

This is a re-post from 2014 or 2013.  It doesn't matter; hot one year or the other doesn't matter.

Stand and Honor

Whitney Houston, Superbowl 2011

Gail Williams, a former blogger from "atthefarm" sent this to me:  "Our family, new friends, and my husband and I watched the Super Bowl yesterday and we moved to tears by the military as the National Anthem was played. So young, so proud.  Some of the players stood at attention as well, hand over heart."

When the Music Stopped

For those who are unaware:  Since before the 1960s, at all military base theaters all over the world, the National Anthem is played before a movie begins. What did the soldiers do? As observed by a chaplain:

I recently attended a showing of “Superman 3” here at LSA Ananconda.  We have a large auditorium that is used for movies as well as memorial services and other large gathering.

As is the custom at all military bases, we stood at attention when the National Anthem began before the movie began.

All was going well until three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem, the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-to-22-year-olds back in the States?  I imagine that there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and yell for the movie to begin. Of course, that is, only if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here in Iraq, these 1,000 soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward.  The music started again, and the soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention, Again, though, at the same point, the music stopped.  What would you expect 1,000 soldiers standing at attention to do?

Frankly, I expected some laughter, and everyone would eventually sit down and wait for the movie to start.

No!!  You could have heard a pin drop while every soldier continued to stand at attention.

Suddenly, there was a lone voice from the front of the auditorium, then a dozen voices, and soon the whole room was filled with voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off:

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say, does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

It was the most inspiring moment I have had in Iraq, and I wanted you to know what kind of U.S. Soldiers are serving you/us. Remember them as they fight for us

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins, LSA Anaconda at the Ballad Airport in Iraq, north of Baghdad.

National Anthem sung by Marvin Gaye

Terminating Life

Definition of "abortion": the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy.

late term size

Adelaide, born at 24 weeks
If an unborn/fetus can be aborted at 23 months, it is deemed not viable.
At 24 weeks, the moniker changes to "baby".

Sizes of  unborn, right to left, 12 weeks, 18 weeks, 24 weeks, then 28weeks

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/fact-checking-the-washington-post-on-late-term-abortion/

Information is readily available, both pros and cons. The term "abortion" is also considered to be: feticide: act of destroying or causing an abortion".

Infanticide, genocide, Judeocide, Matricide....all the words ending in "cide" refer to killing. 

The issue of abortions will be big in these elections. A few states allow abortions right up to the time of delivery (even the day before). The above site has some information that might be helpful to understand the current situation.

Mother Teresa comments about abortion:

"What is taking place in America," she said, "is a war against the child. And if we accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another." February 1997 - National Prayer Breakfast in Washington attended by the President and the First Lady.

Love it or hate it: Snow

Keep shoveling..

Weathermen in the Northeast called the latest snowstorm an anomaly.  Frank was called in to the warehouse to forklift pallets of salt for the snow plows.

He had wished to be part of the snow plow guys, but he wasn’t ambidextrous enough, which was of great help in such a job and meant better money.  Frank continued to deliver bags and bags of salt.

Finally tow trucks were able to pull abandoned cars to the impound lots, including Frank’s new sports car.   Always deleterious in care of his belongings, Frank discovered heavy salt residue mixed with icy snow covering the car had eaten through the snazzy black paint, creating zebra stripes in the paint.

Frank shook his head sadly.  At least he had faithfully paid his car insurance.

The italicized bold print words are from Wednesday Words from 2015 or 14. A dear blogger, Delores, created  this challenge for writers. Thanks, Delores!

The temperature here in S. California has been intense. One day it was 105 degrees, where it lingered for several days. This week 109 is predicted. Death Valley is at 133 deg. The idea of snow sounds mighty good.

Warsh Day

We are spoiled by technology and inventions that gradually led us to today.

Modern day washer!

My mother taught me how to use this when I was 10 years old. Darn hard work, too. The woman above seems really happy.

labor saving clothes washing

Step up to modern washer

1949 Whirlpool

But how did this all get a good start? This is how washing was done in my grandmother's era.

Old farm and country photographs

Grandma's instructions on how to wash clothes:

ArauiotsmSgndpusotnau l3css, fmr2o0re1d9 ·

"Warshing Clothes Recipe" - imagine having a recipe for this ! ! !
Years ago a Texas grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe:
This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook, spelling errors and all.

WARSHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
(a requested re-post Aug. 2019 - CR)
.

 Photo credit: Mrs. Bostain washing clothes, vicinity of Penland, N.C. ca. 1930. Bayard Morgan Wootten Photographic Collection, University of North Carolina.

"Warshing"--growing up in the Midwest? That's how it was said.

Never ever complain about laundry now.

What have we learned?

So, there you have it.

2015 A-to-Z Bloghop

Z is for Zimbalist, as in Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.  He was the good guy, always on the side of law, suave yet manly.  “Dapper, leading man” was the way Hollywood described him.

He was best known for his role in “The F.B.I.” series.  He inspired so many kids that they pursued a career in the F.B.I.  In 2009 the FBI director Robert Mueller presented an honorary Special Agent badge to Zimbalist.

He was a private celebrity who valued his family and living his life as a devout Christian. He died in May of 2014 at the age of 95.

b. 1918-- d. 2014

BUT think about it for a moment: he was an actor who was always working, never took roles below his quality requirements: he represented someone that kids admired; he placed family above everything; he lived a Christian life in the atmosphere of a rough Hollywood; his children succeeded in life, and they loved him.

How many men can claim that?

The A-to-Z Challenge began a decade or so ago. Since then the number of participants has exploded.  There were several organizers, but I remember Arlee Jackson and Alex Cavanaugh being active in its infancy. This was the last post, last letter. April 30, 2015. Good times, good writing, good memories.

With words alone

sheet music "Jesus is King"

The first musical instrument was the voice. In these vocals below, voices rule. Each are performing songs I really enjoy: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons (and sung by Pentatonix), You Raise Me Up performed by BYU Vocal Point, and Amazing Grace performed by Peter Hollens.  Each is about 4 minutes.

Radioactive performed by Pentatonix, (Imagine Dragons)

BYU Vocal Point, You Raise Me Up, 

Peter Hollens Acappella Amazing Grace 

Singing and songs fill the spirit with a deep emotion. I need music like this. We all need music that lifts our spirits.

The Lark in the Morning

Meadowlark by James Audobon

Dear thoughts are in my mind

And my soul soars enchanted,

As I hear the sweet lark sing

In the clear air of the day.

For a tender beaming smile

To my hope has been granted,

and tomorrow she shall hear

all my fond heart would say

.

I shall tell her all my love,

All my soul's adoration;

And I think she will hear me

And will not say me nay.

It is this that fills my soul with its joyous elation,

As I hear the sweet lark sing

In the clear air of the day.

Wikipedia.org

Sir Samuel Ferguson, Born 10 March 1810, Died 9 August 1886

Sir Samuel Ferguson, "Perhaps the most Irish Poet 

in the 19th century, because of his interest in Irish mythology

and early Irish history, he can be seen as a forerunner of 

William Butler Yeats and the other poets

of the Irish Literary Revival."

Wikipedia.org 

Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.

Victor Hugo

joy of quotes

Missing photos from And the Rolls Keep Coming In.

Since yesterday's photos really didn't transfer, here maybe will be replacements:

These are the missing photos. Dang. How I hate messing with the computer when my head won't cooperate. Fill in the blanks.

And the rolls keep coming in

PInterest

Today I have watched Mythbusters, followed by Bourne: Supremacy. Currently, I am following Jurassic Park, which we have seen at least four times over the past four months. We have been watching Anime' Hunter X Hunter, we are now on episode 28.  By golly, I hope that Gon and Kurapika defeat Hisoka soon. I hate him so much.

Shortly after the toilet paper ravaging, someone mentioned that TP could be ordered online. So I did some researching and came up with some orders. What I ordered in March arrived in July.  The quality is quite different from Charmin's. 

#1 from China, #2 Korea, #3 Charmin

Charmin, 2 ply

64 rolls, 3 ply

3 ply, Korean

Okay, the size differences we have clearly displayed. But, the important question is: which one is most absorbent, stronger?

The comparable sizes: #1 and #2 are the same size.  #3 Charmin is smaller. 

The least absorbent is #3 Charmin. #1 also low absorbency.  #2 was excellent.

Good well-made product, Korea

Given my rigorous research, I guessing that we are set for four or more months. By then, who knows what product will find itself flying off the shelves.

This is such an odd choice of a post. But, the brain said "Why not? Why the heck not?" So, who knows what else will fly off my fingers.