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This is my first attempt to be a blogger. I hope to type a few items that you will enjoy. |
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I do not know where to begin with this description. The time period is from 0 to now. Please don't ask how long that is. I am sure with certain clues, you will be able to figure that out. I am writing this on my favorite old computer at home. I have a computer room that doubles as a retreat for a few of my pets when they want to be alone. I will cover mostly current thoughts. I hope to add some pictures as I have seen in a blog. I think that to do this sharing will take a lot of work, but the pictures I have seen are well worth it. Occasionally, I might review a flashback in mylife. I have times when I just roll that special even around in my mind until it has every possible facet examined. Usually this time is to try to figure out a "what if" scenario. If some of my items have no zest to it feel free to say so. I think that after I have some a few trial runs, then the real me will be out for all of the world to see. Luck you! As the saying goes, "Come with me and the best is yet to be." |
 Day 4106 Memorable Hotel Experience I have participated in fencing for 14 years. My joy in this sport is that it a chess like match between two people. In the training, the person gets some excellent exercise for the body. (especially the legs) At the end of the season, there is a tournament to qualify for the U. S. Fencing championships in foil, epee, or sabre. There can be team competition. These winners are awarded points to earn a spot on the U. S. Fencing team. Men do not compete against women. I have qualified for the championships which are held in different cities for the following years. And as this competition lasts about a week to ten days, one must stay somewhere, so they need a hotel or place close to the competition site. And during one year, someone put on the competition forms a list of the hotels that would offer the fencers a special rate if they registered early. This is what I chose to do. I sent in my registration and received a notice with a confirmation number soon thereafter. I get nervous when I board the plane.. My fencing bag with all of my equipment cannot be taken on board with me. I worried that something might be broken, or that my bag would not be loaded. I arrived at the city and found my bag. Part one of the trip had been accomplished. The next part was to find a taxi or hotel bus to get me to my hotel. Part two was accomplished. When I arrived at the hotel, there was a long line of fencers waiting to be checked in. With my fencing equipment bag, suitcase and purse, I looked like a mess.I was also tired and needed something to eat. When it was my turn to check in, the hotel person told me that they had already given my room away. I gave a look that might mean that he or the hotel might be in for a lot of trouble. After about 10 minutes, the head person of the desk walked up to me. He informed me that the hotel decided to open up some of the suites for the fencers. There was one catch. I was asked if I could share a room with someone I did not know. I figured that this was better than walking around the city trying to get a room. The head person looked relieved and told another woman that she could share with me. We introduced ourselves and took a lovely elevator to almost the top floor. When we opened the door, we saw a room that was so beautiful. There were two beds, a small refrigerator, and a big television set. Indeed, this was better than what I had hoped for. The other fencer felt the same way. She took the bed near the window. I obviously took the other one and we unpacked a few things. Our equipment was on a table like seat at the end of the bed. To cut the story short, we did not have any other problems. And also took time to get to know each other. We fenced. I toured the city. I think it was New York City. And also took time to get to know each other. She was out with her friends while I bought some new weapons and a nicer book on fencing than I had seen before. A friend's father took us around NYC. He was so nice. So this is the memorable experience with a hotel for me. This was also probably the best hotel I have ever been in. I paid my bill and as I flew home, I said 'Good bye" to the city that my mother grew up in. You know, she never completely lost her New York accent. But that's okay. I have never lost my Southern drawl. |
Day 4104 March 4 What am I reading? Do I enjoy it? I have picked up from my mountain of unread books, THE MOUNTAIN IS YOU by Brianna Wiest. Now, do I enjoy it? Well I have just started it. The first few pages, or introduction is alright but with this and other books, I have not read much because: a.) I am busy b.) I am a little lazy c.) I need to finish some stories I started d.) this late at night, I feel sleepy and go to sleep e.) all of the above The intro and summary on the back seems interesting. I am trying to get back on track with my goals. And I hurt my right arm and hand a little while ago. Typing is slow. So ask me again in a couple of weeks. There might be progress. And then again 'e.' will be the correct answer. Have a great day. Reading really is fun. Let the dice roll. Bye!!!! |
A Memorable Experience. Day 4101 High school is filled with times in which boys tease girls and girls ignore boys. If a girl said that she liked someone, she might get teased for her choice. If the boy found out that he was liked, he would totally ignore the girl. But on the last day of the year, my mother forgot to give me money for lunch. I did not carry much money. And in the class before lunch, math, I began to check. inside my purse for lunch money. Oh no! My mother forgot. And under my breath I muttered, "Oh no! My mother forgot to give me lunch money for today." The boy across the aisle heard me and reached into his back pocket and pulled out a dollar. He said quietly, as he handed me the dollar, "Here. Go have lunch." and then returned his attention to class. I was surprised and speechless. Boys usually did not pay much attention to me because I was not in any special group.. I also thought boys avoided me because of my red hair. But I got lunch and forgot it all about it.I did not see this boy again for a long time. I guess I could have found out his address and mailed the money with a thank you note, but I didn't. Now this is the reason that was important to me. Later I saw this schoolmate's name and post on Facebook. He was telling the world who was on Facebook of his love for a wonderful woman he had been married for a long time. I thought that was so sweet. (Truely did.) And then it clicked. I owe him money, with interest. So I asked a good friend to find his address and let me know so I could send him a nice gift box of fruit with a thank you note. I asked this friend to not tell him my plan but if his wife thought I was looking for a man, to tell her. I did not want to break up a great marriage. The plan was set into motion. And the surprise was received without any bad problems. I plan to call him when he says it is their anniversary to congratulate them both. But here is the bonus from this event of kindness. As a teacher for about 28 years I saw many of my students in the cafeteria with no food to eat at lunchtime. I paid for any of my class students to have lunch. Hunger was not going to happen to my 'kids'. And if I heard that one school I went to as a substitute had kids without food, the same plan was put into action. My belief is that NO KID should ever go hungry. Not when I am around. And the other day it hit me, I was doing the same thing that my fellow classmate did for me. Help someone to have a good lunch. I must clarify that it was a school lunch I bought, not candy or pizza or canned drinks. I knew that most schools had a specialist to developed good meals. The other items were not what the kids needed. Wanted, yes. Needed, no. I am thankful for the nice friend who showed kindness. We can all do the same. |
Something that caught my eye is an answer to a question of "How to get rid of goose poop." Our subdivision's HOA is divided on the subject of geese. There are those who hate them because of the noise, the aggressiveness and the poop. They are demanding that all people STOP feeding those 'dirty little animals' immediately. But you can guess which side I am on. I can't help it. I was a science teacher and love animals. The lovely waterfowl swim so gracefully on our pond that is behind our house. A few other people agree. And for those who are the 'haters', well, they have tried once to remove them all. But low and behold, each one returned. Who can blame them! The geese and a few ducks have been in this area for many, many years. This was their home first. And they met their mates there . They also had their babies there. And they taught them to swim there. The geese and ducks are helpful in the fact that they eat mosquito larvae. Secondly, they are good watchdogs, er... watchgeese for strangers walking through the area or unwanted coyotes, skunks and raccoons. Sounds pretty good to me. But the most bothersome reason is the poop that seems to be everywhere. People do not like stepping on it. They could slip and fall. And the geese are impolite and poop on places that are hard to clean. And finally the complainer said that the poop had e.coli bacteria which could make a person very sick. Now who would pick up the stuff and not wash their hands. Not me! One could wash their hands or use the wipes from the cans. Tell your kids to don't touch. As if they listen to adults anywayl. So I looked up on-line if there was an occupation called goose poop cleaner. And there was. But the best recommendation is that the poop is a good fertilizer if matured and composted. It is even better that the most expensive kind in stores. But my thought or suggestion was to just get rid of it. Take the smelly and often gooey stuff away. We have another meeting soon. I will prepare my rebuttal for this group. But thanks to the internet, I should have info to save them and their poop. One very important thing. These goose do not live here all of the time. They live also in Canada and are protected by the Migratory Bird Act. Hurting one could win you an all free trip to prison and a lovely fine. Geese and egg harming is a big "NO, no!" Let the lovely geese have peace and quiet. Enjoy their beautiful swimming. And don't touch! |
Day 4088 I did see Dracula with the famous Bella Lagosi. Jack Palance was someone I think could carry off the part as well. And, um, the last actor listed I have not heard of. So I liked number one. No I have not read the book. And I think that the part is really too scary for me. He would not want my blood because it would not taste good. Oh well. Interesting prompt. |
Day 4086 Do You Remember....The Cookie Bridge A true story from one of my observations at the school I worked at. This school was made up of 3 different groups. It was primarily obtained to house the hearing impaired/deaf population, ages 3 to 16. The next was Vanguard intelligent student ages 6 to 14. While the third group was the multi-impaired students ages 6 to about 16. All of the students had their own great teachers and classrooms. The only time any of the classes were mixed was for some PE classes and some fine arts classes. The students ate in a large cafeteria. They rode their own buses or were transported by parents. The first few weeks were spent in getting to know the campus and the divisions of the population. As time progressed, things were simple and easy for each group since we had a psychologist on campus who would smooth things out with meetings to hear complaints and help iron problems. We were so lucky that everyone wanted this to work and gave a little . Time would only be for us since we had one year and some of the best teachers in this school district. Here is the story: The Cookie Bridge. As I ate with my students, I witnessed a small, young white Vanguard boy going through the things in his lunch box. He did not seem to like his mother's choice of cookies. He walked up to a large black MH student. "Hello George. My mother put these cookies in my lunchbox. I don't like these. Would you like them?" "Hi, Patrick. Oh yes. They are good." Patrick responded, "Well you can have them.' George nodded and added, "That is nice. Tell your mother, good cookies. "Ok. I will" added Patrick and walked back to his seat. George had a big smile on his face as he looked at the cookies. The next day the two students had another conversation. George walked up to where Patrick was sitting."Hello Patrick. My mom made some cookies last night." He paused to wait for Patrick to finish his chocolate milk. "Would you like some?" Patrick look a little surprised but answered quickly, "Oh yes. Those are the good kind. Thank you." And George walked back to his place to finish eating. I felt a little choked up because of the differences of these students did not matter. They were nice to each other. No ridicule. Only friendly exchanges. I observed these two students talk and be nice to each other for the rest of the year. Then George, because of his age had to go to another place in which he had to learn work skills and how to fill out an application. He had maxed out of multi-impaired school time. And because they exchanged cookies, that was something they both can remember and look back upon. This was about 25 years ago. The students had different futures and goals, I am sure. I wonder if they ever met one more time. No one can ever say or think that friends always have to be the same. It did not matter to George or Patrick. |
Day 4085 The Olympics-Facts and History There are two sets or variations of the most admired and watched athletic event. They were the Summer and Winter Olympics. The original Olympics were designed to honor the god Zeus in 776BC. I thinks it must have been in warm weather because the colder Olympics, the Winter Olympics would be hard to prepare for and conduct. They were held in ancient Greece and for the most part, the athletes were in the nude. This was to make sure that men were in the men's section and women were in the women's section. I did not find out about the timing and the other facts but I am sure it was all worked out. Today's Olympics, held every 4 years for each Winter and Summer Olympics are eagerly waited for. Athletes work in their training very hard. And for the US the trials to make it to the Olympics are very important. I enjoy watching both kinds of Olympics. The events are in cities that change every next event. Now we have the opportunity to see the glamor and wonder of the winter events. This is in Italy. The 2024 summer olympics was in Paris, France. I am sure that to go to any event, one would have to pay a small fortune. For Me I am a little partial to the Summer Olympics since I participate in a sport called fencing. It is compared to mental chess games. I love the quickness and finesse of the sport. A long time ago women could only fence in foil. Today women can fence foil, epee and saber. It is the same as the men fence. A competitor can only qualify for one weapon. There is a team part with women fencing another country's team. However the women and men cannot fence opposite gender's opponents. I have fenced for about 14 years and qualified for the US National Championships in fencing for 13 years. Each year was in a different city in the US. That was fun for me, but expensive. And when a weapon broke, that resulted in more expenses. I did have the pleasure to fence former Olympians in Houston when I lived there. Let's just say I was good, but not enough to beat the well coached and trained fencer. And I enjoyed the long and exhausting footwork. To me it was a great way to meet people and work on keeping my body trim. I could go on but like other athletes, one must work hard, and put a lot of time into this sport. Coaches are good to have. Practice 2-3 times a week are valuable. And the relaxation afterwards at Pizza Hut allowed us to be friends instead of opponents. Talk was about the upcoming tournaments. And the best part was these people were friends for a long time. I miss those days. If a young person wanted to learn fencing, I would let him/her know that this sport is fun and special. One can get hurt, in which case I did. But to see a smile on someone's face when they held up the trophy, was heartwarming. You can see fencing in some of the old time movies. And yes the actors had to learn the sport because most directors wanted scenes to be authentic. I was offered to take a lesson in California with the teacher of Basil Rathbone and Errol Flynn. He was old and took students only on referral by someone he knew. Yes that was a long time ago but that was when I fenced. I'd go back in a heartbeat if my legs could do a proper En Garde. But time has given me a few changes I'd like to undo. Take care everyone. If you want to fence, find a club and check it out. It will be fun. |
Day 4078 Question: "...you are what ..." and so forth. "You are what you are." I think that I have heard that first part many times. Could we interject as a further thinking part, "Are we influenced by nature or nurture?" Then the question would take a lot more time to think what is the answer. A few times scientists have studied twins who have been separated. (Divorce with each twin going to a parent.) Or maybe if the children had lost their parents due to an accident or just adopted by other people. One twin goes to a wealthy set of parents/people/gay couple who wish to adopt. And the other twin waits a few years because of some birth defect and is not appealing to people. STOP: Fact is that Louis Armstrong the best jazz and trumpet player in history and my opinion was adopted by white Jewish people. They gave him excellent care. He even used some of the Jewish language in some of his songs. Later, after getting a trumpet, he went on to become this best in music. His name is still mentioned among the 'greats' today. (Maybe I will tell the story of how he got the name 'Satchmo'. But for other children, there is no one who reached the status and acclaim that Mr. Armstrong did. (Love that man and music!) This could fall under the category of nurture. Now maybe nature is harder. It could be climate. It could be where the person lived. Or it could be a person's intelligence with another factor. (See I told you that this might be harder.) Climates determine the food you can get to eat, the clothes you wear, or place you live in. Most of the days, there are different number of hours of the day. A cold front that comes along can kill plants you might want to grow for food. Animals of this particular climate might have thick hair or thin coats. Now I am not a scientist of professions that have studied the prompt "....you are who you..." I have happy where and who I am. I have lived in one place and went to school for another place. I just know that if I was not ready, I would not be comfortable and have to ADAPT. If I was less intelligent or an animal in the lower group of animals , then it would be 'here today, and (sniff) gone tomorrow.' Thanks for this prompt. Maybe I'll read some articles about this and be better prepared for the next prompt like this one. You asked for it and.........you got my opinion. Have a good day. |
| Day 4077 (As in the TV show MASH, one of my favorites) According to Punxsutawney Phil the renown forecasting animal, we will have more winter. Oh that is not good new for people who don't like cold weather. Those who have high gas or electric bills must feel the pain as well. But this little groundhog has been popular for many years, or at least his predecessors until now are. PETA wants this custom to be ended since the people who are assisting with the forecast has not been careful with this little guy. He was dropped once recently. Whatever the answer is, I have a reasonable sized closet in which hot or cold weather garments are hung in appropriate spots according to the forecast of the day and maybe the whole week as well. I used to work in Sears and put 'tried on' clothes back on the selection spots. We were told to put sizes, all colors together and then according to long or short sleeves. When you get the (uh hum) hang of the job then it becomes easier. But for now, I am watching very carefully what is going to happen because my husband and I walk our Siberian husky, Balto. He loves this cold weather and the snow if it has happened to be part of the cold front passing through. This dog is quite a good helper in reminding us for his walk. He likes to see if the other dogs in the neighborhood are out. Balto, also gives us plenty of exercise and fresh air. So since I have things to do, I sometimes skip the walk and get breakfast ready. Balto usually gets fed first. He has earned it. PS Balto is named for the husky who was leader in a sled that carried medicine to an Alaskan city to stop an epidemic. There were a few other dog heroes. They were in a Walt Disney cartoon for children. It is quite good. |
Day 4071 February Story When I was in the fifth grade, the teacher I had was young, fresh out of college and fun to learn from. (That doesn't happen often.) And the time was February 12th, Valentine's day party on a Friday, February 12th. But before we could have our party, we had one small test to take. It was not hard, if one had studied, but this is fifth grade with another special event that outweighed anything else. We had decorated our shoe boxes and made sure that we brought our Valentine's Day cards for the other members of the class. Some students even brought candy to give to Ms T. It looked like it might snow. The class students all murmured that they wanted snow and lots of it by Ms T. said that she thought it was just a light snow that would not last. This was in a town north of Houston and Ms T was from a little farther north. She was no doubt an expert. But as the afternoon progressed, the snow fall continued, and we continued to get ready for our Valentine's Day party that would begin after all of the tests were in. Oh what excitement! Snow and a party! This was a double treat day. No one misbehaved and the mood was so happy and fun. But as the day progressed, the snow continued. We were allowed to look out the window after we had handed in our tests. If one question was not answered, we had to sit and finish the test. Then the moment we all waited for. The last test was in and Ms T. smiled as she gave us the new directions on what to do. The chatter began and everyone sorted out the valentines. Part of the earlier instructions were for each student to make his or her box look like a mailbox that had hearts on it. One student did not have some materials at home so we gave him a few minutes to fix his shoe box. And when that was done, the valentines were 'mailed' to the name on the envelope that the card was in. That was done in quick time. As the cards were being delivered, Ms T went to her closet and took out the cookies that some mothers had made and sent to school. Ms T. supplied punch drink that was poured into a bowl that she brought to school. She also had received some cups from another friend who loved donating things. And the happy voices could be heard around the classroom. The snow continued to fall. Ms T. was worried because it looked like there might be a foot of snow and she did not have shoes that she could easily walk in. Time passed and we needed to clean up to get ready for home. No homework was the final delight of the day. And as it happened, we finished cleaning up as the announcement was made on the PA system. "The buses are here early to take you students home. Those who have parents to receive them, go to the regular pick up area. Bus students wait 5 minutes and leave quietly to your buses. Please do not run outside because you might slip." So this is my favorite February story with one more detail. Our electricity was out so the family stayed at a motel until late the next day. I guess snow can be good and bad at the same time. |
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