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 |  Day to day stuff....a memoir without order. |
 Imagination is described by Webster as...The act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses in reality. Albert Einstein said "Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere."  I never realized it until I read it somewhere but there are ways to boost one's imagination: Create a visual journal Draw whatever you see for 15 minutes a day. You don't need to be an artist. Think like an artist Cut out pictures from magazines & piece them together to create an original image. Listen to Bach Close your eyes while playing your favorite music. Or listen to the sounds of nature on a CD or in the great outdoors. Play word games Try thinking of as many words as you can that begin with MAR...or you pick. Daydream Let your mind wander, or focus on a single object & study its characteristics.     Everyone has a story....here's mine.....c   |
I continue to work on my transcription for the oral history program. This file is a little over an hour long, and each ten minutes of it is taking me about one hour and forty-five minutes to transcribe. You may say...wow, are you slow...and I probably am slower than the average bear, but in defense, I do have to back up and listen over many times. The gentleman is eighty-nine years old and speaks with a little bit of a slur. Perhaps, he's had some tiny strokes. In addition, he speaks of places in France and England, and you know me, I have to Google to make sure I have the correct spelling. Then I have to see exactly where the places are  .Today, I learned he was flying a mission when our troops were landing for D-Day, specifically a mission over Utah Beach. He saw the men as they stepped onto French soil. It makes the hair stand up on my arms and gives me chills to listen! I am so glad he made it home and has made this tape to give people new insight into the many aspects of war. Here's one for all you doughnut lovers out there, today is National Doughnut Day. Yep, and it came into being in 1938 when the Salvation Army wanted to raise funds to honor the female volunteers who supported the troops on the front lines during WWI by serving them hot meals and...yep, doughnuts. Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts are supposed to be giving out free ones today. Sorry I'm so late getting this out, but there's still time . Enjoy.until next time...c |
| Unfortunately, my memoir class was cancelled today, bummer. Bad weather. And even worse, our next scheduled meeting is July 4th, and the library is closed. That's where we have all our meetings. I guess I have plenty of time to write more stories before August 1st...hmmmm. We have had normal rain so far today, but the storm has not made landfall yet. I just talked to my sister-in-law who lives about twenty-five miles southwest, and it is raining very hard there, like someone is dumping buckets of water on them, she says. She lives on a lake that was dried up until this week. We had been having a drought, sort of. I was so bummed when I got the email cancelling our meeting today, I haven't even gotten out of my jammies. No reason to, can't go outside in the rain. Ah, the life. Just spending all my time on the computer ...until next time...c |
We have our first named tropical storm of 2013, T.S.Andrea. She should be traveling over my area sometime late tomorrow or early Friday morning. Our rain forecast is 100%, duh? Hopefully, she will fly by and not be too windy. Flooding along the coast is the biggest threat now unless something terrible happens. It has been raining here ever since I said my yard was under an umbrella. Guess I learned my lesson  . Hurricane season has begun . . . right on time. Andrea promises a stream of rain up the east coast, hopefully, no tornadic activity.I continued on my transcribing today. My current WW II vet was a radioman/gunner on a B24. Because flights lasted ten to twelve hours, two men with these positions were necessary on each flight, and they interchanged duties as required by fatigue. Whoa! That sounds scary. When asked why he chose this (which he did volunteer for), he said he just wanted to fly in a plane and was not at all scared. He was eighteen at the time. Ah, youth. Since he was Navy, he started out at the Great Lakes, then went to Alameda, Ca., then to Jacksonville, Fl. After training between there and Bermuda, he flew to NYC and then to England. That was my cut-off point for today. I have to make myself quit.so that aggravating trapezius muscle doesn't swell up anymore! I've nicknamed it Livie (who knows why), my neck/shoulder typing lump. I read somewhere in my Google roamings that today is National Gingerbread Day. Really? Okay, I can have a gingersnap! until next time...c |
| I visited our Senior Recreation Center today. I've passed it often but never felt the need to check it out until someone (in my memoir class) told me about their Zumba Gold class. The lady at the sign-up desk says it's their most popular class and that I should come early to be sure of a parking spot. And they have a huge parking lot! Who knew? It's offered twice a week, Monday and Wednesday so surely I can make one of those. Sounds like a lot of fun. Lots of other things going on there, too. We are in the midst of another thunderstorm, and I just heard on the news we have a tree down on University Avenue tying up traffic. Glad I'm at home. Traffic is probably backed up for miles since it's quitting time and dinnertime .I am in the middle of a good book on my Kindle, Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. Yes, it is a romance novel, and her son, Robin, is also a writer so I guess it runs in the family. The setting is England and Scotland, and since I have read The Shell Seekers and Coming Home, I thought this one would be good, too. I think it is . She has a FB fan page which is very interesting. In 2000 at the young age of 76, she retired from writing, but apparently is giving advice to her son. Wish I had a relative like that .I've worked some on my new transcription. This one is a World War II veteran, born in the U.P. of Michigan, transplanted to Wausau, Wisconsin, one of four children, whose father ran a tavern. It's all so interesting, and I am addicted! until next time...c |
| The very best way to get some rain is to say your yard is under an umbrella. Yep, it rained off and on all day, buckets of it. I can see my grass turning green again and growing . I was so wound up from my excursion yesterday (driving around in Jacksonville does that to me), I didn't go to sleep until 4 o'clock this morning, and then Mopsy woke me up at 6:30. Needless to say, I have had numerous naps throughout the day. I received a new oral history file (via email) today from Ann. And she has invited me to go on a "field trip" to the oral history department on campus and to lunch afterwards! I haven't had a chance to listen to any of the new file yet, but will tonight. While browsing at the library last Saturday, something interesting jumped out at me, Hard Times by Studs Terkel, advertised as an "oral history of the Great Depression" although it is in printed form (a book, of course). I'm thinking this ties in with my war transcriptions. This is all so interesting and came about from a chance meeting with Ann at my Memoir II class. Funny how things happen when you just take that first step. My memoir class has a meeting this Thursday (first Thursday of each month). I have a story to read this time. Last time I didn't. I got a little shy for some reason, that happens to me sometimes. But I am prepared for this one .The reason I was at the library last Saturday was because J.T. Glisson, a local author, who actually lived (still does) near and was friends with Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, was scheduled to speak. Rawlings' home at Cross Creek is only around fifteen miles from me. It is now a State site and maintained by the University here with a docent as a tour guide, very interesting. But, unfortunately, Mr. Glisson had to have some sort of emergency surgery and the speaking engagement at the library was cancelled. I hope he is okay and gets rescheduled. And it's time for another WAG (Writers' Alliance of Gainesville) meeting this Sunday. Cassie Dandridge Selleck, who has a new book out titled The Pecan Man, is the scheduled speaker. Lots of wonderful things going on to keep me busy. Hope everyone is having a good week after "Manic Monday".... until next time...c |
| I went to Jacksonville today for a graduation pool party for my granddaughter. She will be 18 in July, time is flying by. She has already had some courses and is enrolled in a community college in Jax hoping to come to UF in two years to study in a nursing anesthetist program. That's a mouthful. I am so proud of her! On the way home I got caught in a terrible rainstorm, so bad I could barely see in front of me. I trailed the guy ahead of me who had his hazard lights flashing. Otherwise I would have had to pull over. The sky was so black toward home, I just knew I would have trees down, limbs everywhere and a freaked out kitty when I got home. But no, not one drop of rain fell on my parched grass! Sorry, not much energy left to write tonight. I am pooped so... until next time...c |
| I've been getting some annoying headaches lately, unusual for me since I hardly ever get one, but I didn't think much about it. Then this morning as I sat here doing my normal thing with wdc, I realized my neck and right shoulder were hurting so I placed my hand on the spot and, yikes, there is this lump between my neck and shoulder. First to the mirror, yep, it's a lump all right and tender to the touch, then to Google, my old standby for everything. Well, it's the upper trapezius muscle which apparently I have strained from too much typing at the computer. Did I mention that yesterday I finished my most recent transcript for the Sam Proctor Oral History Program? I guess I should have paced myself more and stretched more with breaks. Oh, but it was so interesting. So now I have this nagging neck and shoulder pain. I have looked up some exercises and am trying to work it out. Different sites say the tension from sitting in one position too long decreases oxygen to that particular spot and the muscle is screaming for it, oxygen, that is. Yep, that sounds right. And then I was thinking about that new blade I put on my edger a few days ago and how I had a heck of a time getting the old one off. Bet that didn't help any either. Damn, it's crappy getting old! My neck is saying, "Stop, now!" So... until next time...c |
| I have been avoiding my blog so as not to hex the results of my biopsies (isn't that silly?). It will be two weeks tomorrow since they were done, and I thought surely it will be good news. Not! Andrea called this morning. They are the same as before and must be excised. I am set up for 6/20 and 7/2 . . . ugh! The good news is that they are both on my back where I won't have to look at them . This is getting to be a habit, a bad one. I guess I should be thankful they are not melanomas...yet...only potential ones. Hopefully, I will reach that degree of calmness soon. My new transcription for the Sam Proctor Oral History Program is a Vietnam Vet. She (yes, she) is a surgical nurse, and I am learning a lot about what went on in that aspect of the war. One thing I was astonished at since I was perfectly present during the time period was that it lasted twenty-one years, the longest war in our history. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and I can certainly understand why. I knew war was bad and now I specifically know why. I am so glad I volunteered for this and hope that getting the stories out there may in some way help keep Congress's finger off the trigger. My God...what has to happen to do that? We do not need to react to violence with violence. How can we train our young people to kill in six weeks, send them to war with our blessing, and think they will come back with the same outlook on life that we have? If they come back at all. I know it is all done in the name of peace, but there has to be another way. How many dead soldiers did we honor yesterday? Cemeteries and cemeteries of them. My Jim was discharged from the Air Force in 1965 just before the Vietnam War started. I am so thankful for the forty-nine years we had together. until next time...c |
| My birdbath outside my computer window has cracked. Why? I don't know. The water runs out almost as fast as I can put it in. I found a low flower pot, put some stones in the bottom to make it less deep, and filled it with water, but so far nary a bird in sight. I think they have to get used to it. I miss the chatter. I keep my window open during the day to enjoy the perfect temps we are having. These will not last long, and I will be closed up in the air conditioning within days I am certain. After all, it's almost June in Florida. Open windows are a real treat for May. My neighbor, Jennifer, who is renting, tells me the owners plan to move back in at the end of her lease in July. Not that they are bad or anything, but I have developed a very good rapport with her and her mom and cousin. Secretly, I hope the owners, my former neighbors, change their mind. Jennifer guesses she will move farther south to be closer to her mom, and smiles when she talks of finding a house with a pool for her doggies. That is one of her attributes . . . making lemonade out of lemons. I will be so sad if she has to move. I am on the last few pages of proofing my Scottish war bride transcription, shall send it off to Ann today. She says she already has another waiting for me. They are in dire need of volunteers now that school (UF) is letting out for the summer. Lucky for me. I opted not to go to the play Sunday, maybe next weekend. The weather was just too nice to spend two and a half hours inside in the middle of the afternoon. I got some much needed trimming done and cleaned the backporch floor of the yellow pine pollen that had built up. The only answer is mopping or hosing. I chose mopping. I need the exercise .Such a sad time for the people in the storm area in Oklahoma. My heart, thoughts, and prayers are of them. until next time...c |
| Our sweltering weather has arrived, 90 something today and very warm, thankfully a little overcast but no rain yet. Yard work is in full swing, trimming shrubs, edging, mowing, a vicious circle until late October, maybe even November. Oh, well, I've yearned for it all winter and I am happy . I continue to work on my volunteer transcription piece, not as easy a task as I had assumed. I listened to the tape in its entirety before I started and I think that was a mistake. It may have been better to be surprised as I went along with the transcribing. Now I know what is coming and there is no anticipation...won't do that again. Plus, the interviewee and interviewer are beginning to sound like they are very tired, too. I can only do about one-half hour at a stretch, and they did all theirs at one sitting. It does remain enjoyable, though, learning about how it really was with people during World War II. This Scottish war bride (the interviewee) actually came to the States on the Queen Mary. Can you imagine? I can think of so many questions to ask her that the interviewer never got to. What a story, and she tells it like it's nothing. People just don't realize what interesting lives they have lived...just living them. I may go to a play tomorrow, haven't decided for sure, yet. It's called "Moonlight and Magnolias", a comedy about writing plays. I need to go by the cemetery anyway and check on those fresh flowers. They won't last long in this heat without fresh water, and maybe not even with fresh water. There was a local watermelon festival nearby today, but it was too hot for me to go, and I heard they were trucking in the watermelons because of the cold snap we had awhile back. Seems it killed all the tender plants and the ones in our county had to be replanted and will not be ready until June sometime. I have been to them in the past and they are fun, seed spitting contests, all the free watermelon you can eat, but I am getting too old for that anyway. The good news is blueberries are ripe...I love blueberries. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and until next time...c |
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