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Monday, Mar. 31, 2025

5:07pm EDT

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PORCH PONDERINGS

by QueenNormaJean marching on!

Rated: 13+ · Book · Biographical · #2198921

Norma's Wanderings around a small section of Montana

Well, hey there!
Welcome to Roundup, Montana! If it's a nice day, we'll sit a spell on my porch and talk awhile.

A poem captured my attention the other day.

Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget 
Falls drop by drop upon the heart, 
Until, in our own despair,
 Against our will,
 Comes wisdom 
Through the awful grace of God.

Aeschylus

What's on your mind today?

Signature for use by anyone nominated for a Quill Award in 2020

Signature for nominees of the 2019 Quill Awards

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

QueenNormaJean marching on!

Mar 23, 2025 at 9:46pm
In response to "The Survivors Club"

I am rereading this for book club for a science book. A curious choice, but it may work.
So I've gone over the rule of 3's. The current chapter is 'who lives and dies in the ER'. Huh. Well, first off, go to a decent hospital in my opinion. Now this is just me, but the hospital ER in my town is okay for routine problems. Broken bones, stitches- things like that, per my history with them. But they have messed around enough with my care that when I have something really urgent, I head down the road 50 miles to a Level 1 trauma center.

NJ

Wordsmitty ✍️

Mar 19, 2025 at 8:24pm
In response to "The Survivors Club"

The only 3 saying I remember is that "bad things come in threes. So once the first happens you can expect two more soon" - Murphy.

Oh, wait. I may have gotten that backwards. It could have been good things. Like finding money. Did I mention there was a fresh, crisp five dollar bill in my back yard the other day? True!

Have no idea where it came from or why it hadn't blown away. I keep looking for the ten and the twenty, but never arrived. Maybe I was right in the first place.

1 Like

Ichabod Crane-writing-reading.

Mar 19, 2025 at 6:38pm
In response to "The Survivors Club"

I heard of the '3's years ago but I had forgotten them.

1 Like

tj wanderlust-words-in-motion

Mar 19, 2025 at 6:34pm
In response to "The Survivors Club"

Sounds very interesting.

1 Like

Kåre เลียม Enga

Mar 18, 2025 at 4:40pm
In response to "The Teacher"

Does the teacher want everything stirred up? A thought to consider. Her family and her history may be intertwined with the drama. If she says no... I'd say, "let it be".

Wordsmitty ✍️

Mar 18, 2025 at 12:15am
In response to "The Teacher"

Smith Brothers cough drops are what I remember growing up. Cherry was what I preferred. The company still exists and besides Wild Cherry has Black Licorice, Honey Lemon and Warm Apple Pie. I don't remember the last, but haven't looked to see when that flavor started.

They have an "old" B&W commercial on their website. https://smithbrothers.co

Oh, I guesss I should have posted this before you got better.

AmyJo-Spring's finally here!

Mar 18, 2025 at 12:12am
In response to "The Teacher"

Sounds like a lot of drama. Wouldn't want to be involved. Teachers are scapegoats in a lot of ways, and have too much responsibility.

1 Like

Bunny Sox

Mar 18, 2025 at 12:00am
In response to "The Teacher"

Sounds like the superintendent is sweating 💦

SandraLynn

Mar 13, 2025 at 11:35am
In response to "Release the Kraken"

Small town drama is more in-your-face. It cannot be swept under the rug. I feel for that teacher. Someone that sensitive should not be a bully principal. I wish healing and no more illness for you.

Wordsmitty ✍️

Mar 13, 2025 at 2:37am
In response to "Release the Kraken"

Is it possible that the tooth kraken escaped the dentist and is causing all this problem in town? Well, at least you can't say life has been boring. Time to look up kraken kurses for a cough solution.

March 19, 2025 at 6:32pm

#1085697

The Survivors Club

I'm in a book club. I have to have read one on Science coming up. So I peruse my book shelf. I think this one may work.

'The Survivor's Club' by Ben Sherwood is a book from 2009

It discusses ways to and stories of surviving.

I found this especially interesting - the rule of threes:

Per the author, this is from the U.S. Air Force- remember, your body temperature is 98.6

Then from there:

You cannot survive:
3 seconds without spirit and hope
3 minutes without air
3 hours without shelter (in extreme conditions)
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
3 months without companionship or love

I was thinking on this while walking today. I remembered all but couldn't remember the timeline for the shelter. It was sooner than I thought.

But if you logically think of these, it makes sense. Without hope, you're doomed. Without air, you're dead. Without shelter, especially in cold or wet conditions, you're soon chilled. Without water, you'll dehydrate. Without food, you'll starve. Without another person, you can have all the other variables but wither away for lack of human companionship.

Then I think of the movie with Tom Hanks - 'Castaway'. He ended up with all those variables. Now granted, the companionship wasn't human, it was an inanimate object. But he transferred his love and affection to it. He also had a picture of his wife. But he had the others in the list. And it was easier for him to maintain his body temperature on an island in the tropics. Fish in the sea. Fresh water caught in a storm, if I remember.

This is an interesting book. A myriad of situations people have had and survived.
Some chapter titles:
The Science of Luck
Too Mean to Die
What Does Not Kill Me

Guess what I'll be reading for a few days!?

Comment • View 4 comments

March 17, 2025 at 10:38pm

#1085610

The Teacher

Remember I told you that a teacher at the high school got summarily told she was not rehired for next year? Well, in Facebook for the community the other reporter for the newspaper put a 'teaser' promo out. She promised a 'tell-all' from both sides about this incident.

One thing mentioned in the post was that "“Employees who resign are eligible to apply for positions in the future.” I wondered about this statement by the superintendent. Why would I want to apply for a position that I was asked to resign from? Interesting. This person, superintendent, is in deep doodoo right now. As is the entire school board. Parents, teachers, students. It will be interesting to see what transpires.

Now, I wasn't asked to do this. I subsequently emailed the teacher and asked for an interview. But I told her I'd like to forget the school drama, and focus on the personal side, her family and her history. We'll see if she responds.

And finally I am getting over this blasted coughing. Cough syrup- inhaler. Finally!!!!

Comment • View 4 comments

March 12, 2025 at 11:18pm

#1085302

Release the Kraken

Let's see - there is trouble in town. But then in a small town, there is always trouble of some sort.

The latest is what happened at the school board meeting on Monday. My newspaper publisher urged me to go. "Norma, I hear that this meeting may get 'spicy'." Her exact term. So I went not knowing exactly what that meant. Oh yeah, spicy is what you call Wendy's Chili. Mildly hot. This gathering was Carolina Reaper - tear your throat out - spicy.

Seems there was a big kerflugle between a HS teacher and the HS principal and the superintendent. The teacher, a female, is the cheer coach. She raised monies for new uniforms. They were due, they uniforms were over 10 years old. Fair enough. So the cheer team raised a great deal of money from the local community for this.

Then she goes to the principal to ask about the uniforms - to purchase and whatever. He disses the idea. So she goes over his head and approaches the superintendent. The superintendent pretty much calls her a liar and tells her she has until Monday at 4 PM to either resign or be considered a 'not to rehire' for next year. Pretty much resign or be fired. She let them know at 3:55 on Monday she resigned.

So the board meeting called for public comment. At least 15 people spoke. Students of the teacher, parents, teachers who were co-workers all spoke of this kind, caring, smart person who really cares about her job and her students.

Public comment was over. The vote was taken, they accepted her resignation. Move on to the next topic - buying a bus. And there was more discussion about the bus than the idea that this person, whose life is now torn up, was perhaps treated unfairly.

The next day students walked out of school. Billings TV channels came up. I wanted to do a story, but another reporter got the assignment. So I may reach out to the teacher in a week or so. I got her personal information after the meeting.

I told her never to stop fighting, ignore the small-minded people in the world. I also told her of a teacher I had in HS. My English teacher who instilled in the love of words, of writing. A good teacher can have such an impact.

And then that night I also learned there was a small fire at one of the refuse sites in the county. WHAT!!!! So I quickly emailed some people to see what I could find out. We had a refuse committee meeting last night. The people that tend to that little dump site set a fire a week ago, but didn't keep a good eye on it. Then when some wind came up on Monday, the fire reignited and burnt an acre or two. Outside the dump site, on private land. Two fire departments responded - Roundup and Hawk Creek, a small rural group. The worst of it all, no real damage was done, is that there was no 'burn permit' issued to the dump. You have to have a permit to do open burning. No big deal. No cost. But you need to let the powers that be know if you're going to be doing any kind of open burning.

So we had a prolonged discussion about this last night at the meeting. The guys involved will get their 'hands slapped' and reminded that they need to take care of business properly. Egads.

I am still getting rid of this cold, or whatever, I have. Coughing still. I went to the dentist the other day and the hygienist told me she's had a cough for a few months. Oh great. But at least my extraction site, where they pulled the tooth, is healing. Because they had to 'drill' it out, it will take longer to heal. Again, oh great. I told them, it was like taking that tooth out 'released the kraken'. The dentist was a little taken aback. But think about it. Tooth out, fainting spell, getting sick, getting sicker, needing drugs and antibiotic, still coughing.

Yep - released something.

Comment • View 4 comments

March 6, 2025 at 11:27am

#1084893

Weather Change

The Crud is creeping away - slowly. Antibiotic, prednisone, inhaler are all doing their job. Along with cough syrups and rest. The body is able to reset if given enough time and energy to do so.

I went for an eye exam yesterday. So the eye doctor told me I was the patient he actually sees the most. Ahh, as if that was a term of endearment, not. I guess I have been going quite a bit in the last year or so. Macular degeneration - dry eye - blepharitis. Gracious. But the news was good. All those problems are getting better. I do autologous eye drops- they are made from my own blood serum. And the difference is notable he told me. Good thing since they are like gold. Pricey little drops that insurance, of course, will not pay for.

Our weather is starting to moderate. The big snow we had quickly melted and left the barren ground, still mostly frozen. The DES folks stated that the rapid snow melt equaled 1-3 inches of water. That's like a good rain storm here. And good for the ground if some of it managed to sink in. The other good event was no major flooding in the Musselshell River as in years past. Just minor, and some minor flooding of roads and other little problems.

I am working with the publisher of the local paper to learn the distribution of said paper. I still write for the weekly, and now she wants to have help in case for some reason she is out of commission but still needs to get the paper in the mail, in the local outlets. She also wants me to learn the layout and formatting. Sure - glad to help. Love learning new skills.

Isn't it said somewhere you should learn something new every day?

Comment • View 2 comments

March 2, 2025 at 8:22pm

#1084665

Creeping Crud - Cold Season

I got the good 'end of winter not quite yet' creeping crud. Cough, congestion. I think this is related to feeling crappy last week. Possibly related to fainting last week. Everyone in town that I know is coughing. No one has the flu or Covid or RSV. No fever. Weird. So I've been taking cough syrup and mucus relief. You know what they say about a cold, treat it and it'll last a week. Don't treat it, it'll be gone in a week. But that is barring complications, so don't take this as medical advice.

I went to the County Commissioner's meeting on Friday last, as I do now. Everyone in the courthouse, with few exceptions, was coughing. I hope I wasn't contagious. Oh well, if I was, bad on me.

It's a nice spell of weather right now, 50's and 60's. Bright blue skies and the snow is virtually gone. The Musselshell County DES people, the fine men that monitor such things told the commissioners that the rapid snow melt yielded 1-3 inches of water. Nice. Good for the upcoming spring and inevitable dry summer we'll have. No major flooding, also good.

I walked down by the river, running muddy and fast, but not over the banks. Ice floes on the river banks, but not crowded under two bridges as they usually are in flooding.

Tomorrow I have to go talk to the hand specialist about my MRI done a few weeks ago. I have to see what the magic machine saw. Is it fixable, or do I just treat the symptoms? Do I throw more $$ at this, with recovery time, or just gut it out?? ROI is in the back of my mind. Especially if I am thinking of major dental work soon. My hand does hurt today, but I think it's a change in weather coming, windy tomorrow with another snow storm possible.

I need to get back into the swing of things here on the site. Is anyone else being thrown into the doldrums with world events?? I seem to be. So I have to buck up and ignore and get back to writing.

I really do.

Comment • View 4 comments

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