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Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025

5:56am EST

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PORCH PONDERINGS

by QueenNormaJean snow finally!!!

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.

"All the resources we need are in the mind.” Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th President of the United States of America.

I am the Captain of my ship.
God is my co-pilot.
Often I sail stormy seas,
Am flung onto rocky shores.

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:

Beacon's Anchor

Jan 13, 2025 at 7:29pm
In response to "Everyone is mad about something"

Yup, the wildfires are still going and its really sad to see the families lose their homes. On the News, one woman said, her parents got fire insurance and the insurance company cancelled on them without them knowing about it. That made me wonder why the insurance did that.

We got winds for sure and we have driven on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH for short), well I loved going to Santa Barbara but on the way, I would admire the houses. Now since the wildfires burned the houses down, I know I'm going to cry, if we go back to Santa Barbara. It is sad to see it happening.

I was hoping MT. Wilson would not get into the wildfire because I wanted to go back up there and see the observatory again. From up there, on a clear day, you can see Downtown LA from up there. Also you can see LA from Griffith Park observatory near the Hollywood Sign.

If you ever come to California, you have to go to the Observatory because they hold history and it's really interesting to know the solar system.

An apple a day....

Jan 4, 2025 at 1:51pm
In response to "Lots of Snow - at last! "

I'm sure that knitting was difficult but it sounds like the sense of accomplishment made up for it. Good for you! I use to knit a lot but haven't for a long time now...make a simple shawl the last and need to wear it to get a sense of purpose!

I've never been to Montana but photos are beautiful...being in snow, not so much. I'm very used to and content in warm weather. We are having a cold snap at the moment...it is January and even winter here in Gainesville, Florida. Forecasters say next week is to be colder...brrr. I'm looking forward to spring!

Wordsmitty ✍️

Jan 4, 2025 at 2:42am
In response to "Lots of Snow - at last! "

And here I thought you just sat around staring out the window wishing for snow. Guess wishes come true.

Sounds like a happy new year is starting. Glad to see your hand is much better. Hopefully, the more knitting you do will get it back like the good old days.

Wordsmitty ✍️

Dec 30, 2024 at 2:40pm
In response to "Snow at last"

Snow falling gently without a wind is so relaxing. Hope it lasts. Enjoy.

lucky dog

Dec 26, 2024 at 9:49pm
In response to "Day After "

It Christmas sounds a like ours. No gifts only for one daughter small trinket kind of stuff. We're not looking for snow, we in a drought so were looking for rain. We had a good Christmas and I enjoyed reading about yours.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 22, 2024 at 8:37pm
In response to "Blood Draw "

They could 'get the blood out but not back in' or something to that effect. Darn.

... as every vampire well knows ...

1 Like

Lazy Writer est 4/24/2008

Dec 18, 2024 at 6:03pm
In response to "Dry eyes!"

I have dry eyes also plus macular dystrophy. Seeing eye dr tomorrow will ask about it. Never knew it could be that serious.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 3, 2024 at 9:43pm
In response to "Epic Snow"

Yes. I remember those snows.

Maybe 1 inch in Missoula but what would I know?

No snow in Thailand.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Nov 22, 2024 at 11:42am
In response to "Strolling and Trolling"

Plenty warm in Malaysia. Steamy. Met Elycia for lunch. Jet lag and sore leg... but a very good day.

Arrival yesterday had potential drama but it all dissipated.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Nov 12, 2024 at 2:07am
In response to "Crazy Talk"

I'm too focused on my trip. Reservations and aisle seats on the plane. Buttttt... I did find my other pair of shoes.

1 Like

February 27, 2024 at 10:13pm

#1065046

Free for works for me

I've discovered quite a wonderful little perk. Amazon prime video Free videos - yep - free. Right now I'm into MGM classic movies. Clark Gable in 'Mutiny on the Bounty". Ah, Gable's dimples. Sigh. But then Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh. Ugh.

Anyway, this 1935 film is a grand spectacle. The H.M.S. Bounty is sailing to Tahiti by way of Cape Horn. What a trip that must have been. And all the sailors dressed in their sailing finery with those three cornered hats. Amusing.

Of course every now and then there are commercials, but that's okay. Free works for me.

3 Like • Comment • View 3 comments

February 23, 2024 at 11:00am

#1064738

Leap Year

So far I've had four articles published in the local paper. It's a start. I am working on another for an event this Saturday.

I also thought of writing one for Leap Year, since the paper is out once a week, and this next week it comes out around February 29th.

Perhaps I could bring in some history, some culture, some tidbits people aren't aware of. Such as, the calendar we use and why. Maybe touch on the different calendars tossed about throughout the ages.

The French tried a 10 day calendar for some years. Here's the skinny from Wikipedia:
The French Republican calendar (French: calendrier républicain français), also commonly called the French Revolutionary calendar (calendrier révolutionnaire français), was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871, and meant to replace the Gregorian calendar.[1]
The revolutionary system was designed in part to remove all religious and royalist influences from the calendar, and it was part of a larger attempt at decimalisation in France (which also included decimal time of day, decimalisation of currency, and metrication). It was used in government records in France and other areas under French rule, including Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Malta, and Italy.

Since we aren't on that system here in the US, or elsewhere, we follow the Gregorian calendar of 7 days.

I found this about Leap Year:
The rule for leap years is:
Every year that is exactly divisible by four is a leap year, except for years that are exactly divisible by 100, but these centurial years are leap years if they are exactly divisible by 400. For example, the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 are not leap years, but the year 2000 is.
— United States Naval Observatory[2]

Leap year has to do with the sun and its movements. If you are geeky, check this out
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_year#/media/File:Gregoriancalendarleap_solsti...

1 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

February 13, 2024 at 11:33am

#1064121

Mardi Gras remembered

Happy Mardi Gras! Fat Tuesday - King Cake - parades - all that rigamarole...

When hubby and I were doing our full-time RV gig, we spent some time managing a campground in New Orleans. As a result, we also got to go to a Mardi Gras parade. And this one was not that big deal you hear about. It was more a family affair. If I remember right, it was on St. Charles Avenue. I still have some memorabilia from that.

Groups, called 'krewes' get together, create the most wonderful, or sometimes, crude, floats. Quite the deal.

King Cake - brightly colored cake - traditionally with a plastic baby baked inside. Find the baby - good luck.

So all this frivolity is to get all your drinking and gluttonous eating done before Lent - which starts tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. Lent is the Christian time of penitence and fasting to remember Christ's crucifixion before the Christian holiday of Easter.

The day after Mardi Gras we drove all the way down as far south as we could to the end of pavement. Ground an inch or two above the gulf then the ocean.. A number of small towns along the way, each one poorer than the next.

Good memories...

2 Like • Comment

February 8, 2024 at 9:17pm

#1063794

Update

I don't want to be a whiner, but mercy sakes. This hand is NOT getting much better. But I do have an appointment with my old friend the neurologist next week. Dr. Echeverri and I have been seeing each other since 2013 or so. He's been with me after two brain surgeries.

My primary doctor sent a referral to the neurologist group for someone to see my hand. So they called and I see him next week. After we did our 'Meals on Wheels' yesterday, this hand gave me the worst pains. I used it too much, I guess. Today I had a physical therapy appointment and we talked. The therapist did another treatment, a wrapping with kinesiology tape, and gave me a different exercise to do. I'm also taking a nerve drug, gabapentin. I've been on that before. Nothing really seems to help.

Let me see if I can tell you what is happening here. On my left hand, on the outside where my hand meets the wrist, right on that edge where a little bone sticks out is where the pain is. So my entire hand is still swollen a bit. I can barely extend my last two fingers. At times this hand feels cold, or I feel shooting pains from elbow to fingertips. Huh. Rubbing it seems to help, for a little while. Working on the exercises the PT gives me such pain, but I try. I really am over this.

So, just a two broken bones. Right. Like I said to someone, "It was like the devil picked me up and threw me down." And I heard the sound of glass breaking. Those were those bones.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of giving away $18 thousand to charities in town. The fundraiser I'm chairperson for gathered and I passed out checks. Now I have to go back and get that checkbook in order.

I also have had two stories published in the local paper. And more in the works! Hurrah!

Now let's get this stupid hand fixed, folks. I'm over this. And the car, let's get that done too.

2 Like • Comment • View 2 comments

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