WHAT'S HAPPENING TO MY WORLD???

 

Just when did the country/world decide to go absolutely insane??? I mean, really, China is doing this, North Korea that, Russia continues its war with Ukraine, and now the United States has gone so far beyond bombing potential drug carrying boats to invading Venezuela, kidnapping the elected leader and his wife. If that’s not enough, the United States wants Greenland and is toying with the idea of an invasion there.

          I also saw a cartoon/meme where the idiot in the White House and his cronies in China and Russia are talking about “spheres of influence.” Seriously, what happened to the United States of America being a leader that provides a democratic example of how a country should be governed??? What happened to, “…by the people, for the people….”???

          Since I live in a “blue” state, perhaps that’s why I see so much information that’s totally negative about what’s happening. I wonder if folks who live in red states see the same information; and if so, why aren’t they terribly concerned about where the United States is headed? I just DO. NOT. GET. IT!!!

          I lived through and participated (to an extent) in the Vietnam war protests and know it was my hope, and that of so many others, that there would be no more war in our lifetimes. Of course, it didn’t happen because it wasn’t long before the Mideast erupted and the United States just had to get involved. From that point on, it seems to me that my country has participated, in one way or another, to promote overseas difficulties. Perhaps I’m just terribly naïve, but is there some huge reason why we cannot have peace.

          Writing this blog piece, I thought of a book I read a very long time ago. I’m sure if my 286 grinds long and hard enough, the title and author will come to me, but for here and now, I’m just going to share the book’s ultimate message. There was a cabal of powerful and wealthy men (billionaires now) who met infrequently to talk about where the world needed to go next in order to continue their ability to amass wealth. This group would decide what needed to happen, and then find and fund a way to make it happen. Since it was fiction (but was it really???), the long term goals weren’t easily  had, and heros and  heroines saved the day/year/century.

          I feel like this author’s message is coming to fruition. My question is where are those heros and heroines today…we need them desperately.

BLOG CONCERNS

 

When I decided I’d try to post something to my blog every single day, I had no idea how difficult it might turn out to be. It’s not like I want to just blog about normal, ordinary things. I’d like to blog about things that really matter. Unfortunately, at my age, the things that matter seem to have disappeared.

I mean, seriously, it’s not like I have a love interest and activities with which I could titillate your imaginations because I don’t. And, I don’t want one either. So, what on earth should I blog about that would bring you to this site every single day to see just what on earth I had to say about whatever.

What it all boils down to is just my day-to-day stuff. Okay, Monday, I went to Costco and bought what I needed to replenish my pantry. Now when I need a can of tomato paste, it’s there, waiting to be used. I also went to QFC where I stocked up on a variety of beans so I can make soup/chili whenever I choose. How exciting is that when it comes to publishing a blog…not very at all. And, wouldn’t you know, when I was contemplating making something just Tuesday, I discovered I didn’t have all the ingredients…$300.00 later and my cupboard is still lacking.

I seriously wish I could find an agreeable male with whom I could perform all kinds of sexual acts with which I could regale you, my favorite reader; however, I don’t want another male in my life and don’t really have the energy to satisfy myself on my very own and then write about it.

If you, my faithful, or even now and then reader, would like to provide some subjects about which you’d like me to provide my opinion or blog about, please don’t hesitate to share that with me.

I’ve a feeling my life is far too boring to actually sustain a blog in any fashion. I’m probably just kidding myself when I think I have something to say about my life in general or whatever is happening in the world in general to share with my readers…all three, maybe four of them.

Seriously, I have no idea how many people actually read the blog posts I make. I have no idea whether those folks think I’m clever, funny, or just plain boring. That’s mostly because I don’t know how many people actually look at my blog. It could be like fifty, but only one or two post some kind of a response, so I’ve no idea if what I post actually gets read. 

I guess it’s a good thing I post mainly for my own pleasure/amusement. Folks who read this and post some kind of comment are actually icing on the cake…and I thank you.

THANKFUL FOR AJ

 

It’s great to have a son who’s willing to lend a hand when needed. If I had a ton of money, I’d just hire someone to do the stuff I ask him to do, i.e., change the water filter under the sink and replace a light in the laundry room. That was on the list for his visit this past Sunday.

AJ doesn’t come weekly, and I don’t always have a project on which he needs to work. Lord knows, I’m sure I could make a “Honey Do!” list that would have him busy each and every time. But, I don’t because I don’t want to impose too heavily on his good graces. In return, I try to give him whatever soup I’ve made or some other gift of “Mom’s cooking.”

Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do without AJ’s assistance. I’m genuinely grateful.

MOLES, THE SCOURGE OF MY GARDEN

           

Moles…I hate moles; not the kind on your body although if I had a lot of them, I’d probably hate those too. I’m talking about the ones that love to make a mess of my garden. I believe that for the moment, they are dormant; at least none of the decorations planted in the garden have been knocked over recently due to the tunnels beneath.

          The woman next door calls some mole removal service; and while I haven’t checked into that, I believe it wouldn’t fit into my budget. Years ago, I went to a seminar about gardening and the man giving the talk said that having a man pee (women don’t have the right smell/hormones) on the mounds will chase the moles away.

          You laugh, but I told the man who lived across the street and when he had to get up in the middle of the night, he’d go out and pee on the mounds. The moles left and have not returned to that yard and that was years ago. John wasn’t able to get out there to do that to my mole hills back then, so I had him pee in a bottle. Apparently, the pee has to be fresh, or John’s pee was wrong because it didn’t work.

          I receive a gardening catalog from some company, the name of which escapes me right this second. They advertised a method of eliminating the moles. I ordered it, two bags actually. It’s kind of like slug bait in composition. You sprinkle it all about your garden and the moles leave. Well, it worked the first time, but the moles must become habituated to it because this past year it did not work. I’m currently trying to decide if I should order a bunch more and spread it every single place in both the front and back yards.

          One year I tried ordering nematodes. Supposedly, they would take care of the “bugs” in the soil that the moles love to eat. This was expensive and very messy. The nematodes arrived dry and I had to put them into a spray container with water. Then I sprayed them all over the place. Again, I’m not sure they worked.

          Supposedly, the only mole deterrent that really works is catching them. I’m sorry, but I’m old and the idea of digging down to the tunnel, setting a trap and then going back to remove the, hopefully, dead mole seems just a bit beyond my abilities.

          The fact I have a greenbelt on the other side of my fence doesn’t help matters either. I’m sure the moles run rampant back there and eventually decide a trip into my garden for a potentially better menu is the way to go. Well, I’d really like them to just GO!!!

Meanwhile I guess I’ll check with the neighbor and get her mole catching firm’s name. It really sucks to work hard in my garden only to get up the next morning and find new mounds and tunnels…I hate that.

HYENA COMMERCIALS

           

For last couple of weeks, I’ve been sick with a cold and sore throat. As a result of that and lack of energy, I’ve watched a lot of television. I mostly watched old episodes of Criminal Minds, Law and Order, and whatever else caught my eye. I didn’t have the energy or focus ability to find something on Netflicks or Prime or HBO.

          Once good thing about being older is my ability to remember whether I’d seen the episodes before. There were a few where I knew what was going to happen, but so many others were just like new episodes to me. What really caught my eye/attention; however, were the commercials.

          These ads were for a wide variety of what had to be nonprofit companies trying to raise money for their cause whether it was dogs, cats, elephants or children or fixing the country in some way. I hate these commercials and wouldn’t donate a penny to any one of them and here’s why.

          Every single ad asks the viewer to pledge $19.00 every single month forever. Why $19.00? Has some ad reviewer reached the conclusion that this amount will really resonate with the viewer? I have no idea. Another aspect of these commercials is how they portray the immediacy of what my $19.00 will prevent, i.e., the animal won’t starve, especially if I pledge right now. Seriously, how is my pledge going to save an animal that’s on the verge of death? By the time the organization acquired my first $19.00, the animal would be long gone.

          The final thing that irritated the hell out of me was the “gift” I’d receive once I pledged, i.e., a plush or t-shirt. Why can’t these organization utilize those funds to feed the poor starving creatures? And, okay, the cost of these “gifts” is probably minimal, but if you put all those pennies together, you’d have enough to buy some dog food.

          These commercials must work; however, because they play over and over; sometimes more than once in the hour-long program. So, there must be people out there who take a photo of the QR code and sign up to provide $19.00 to that organization forever.

          I don’t have a lot of “disposable” income, but should I choose to make a gift to an organization, you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll check them out on Charity Navigator first. I tried that with a couple of the ones I saw and they weren’t rated…wonder why???

         I used a photo of a hyena because, while these organizations weren't asking me for funds to save them, in my opinion, they are closely related to this animal. 

SEARCHING FOR....

 

          For the last few months I’ve been going through stuff in the house. I think it was October when Thor and Xander came and hauled away all the boxes I’d filled. I think I blogged about this effort the end of October. In any case, it’s stuff that’s GONE.

          Just this past week, I was unable to find two pieces of paper I thought I needed, i.e., the property tax valuation card and the property tax notice. The excellent result of this fruitless search was two bags of shredded documents and clean files to begin 2026. Imagine my chagrin when I unclipped the papers that required these documents only to discover both documents attached behind. To add insult to injury, once I read over the document I planned to fill out, it became clear I receive too much money to qualify for old age assistance. Ah well.

          What brought me to write this post was one of the finds I made while searching…Kuma’s baby teeth. There they were, at least the ones I found/saved in a little plastic envelope. Looking at those and comparing them to his adult teeth, it doesn’t seem possible Kuma was ever that small. I don’t have all of them, only eight and am wondering if I couldn’t turn them into a piece of jewelry? You know, encase them in clear liquid plastic and make a bracelet or earrings. Seriously, do you know anyone who has their puppy’s baby teeth in some kind of format like this? Me neither…perhaps I could start one of those do it at home businesses I read about on Facebook.

          In the process of cleaning out drawers, I also pulled out all the connecting cords for I don’t know how many electronic devices. I’m sure I don’t even own some of the recipient pieces. They’re currently in a big pile on the counter with the exception of two which I was smart enough to identify at some point. I guess I need to spend a bit of time figuring out which cord goes to which gadget and eliminate the ones that no longer have a partner.

          Ah, the joy in my life is simply indescribable…can you tell???

LOOKING AHEAD

           

Looking forward from the lofty perch of the second day of the year, I’m feeling just a bit concerned financially. This is because I may have to make several purchases before the year ends. It’s funds I’m not too happy about spending, but the spending may become necessity.

          First, it’s this computer on which I’m currently typing. It was bought around 2016 or so, I think. I remember I had to buy two computers then (John needed one too) because there was a major glitch caused by Seattle City Light. That glitch paid for the computers and a couple of other things that were broken by a huge power surge. In any case, it’s been a good computer and is still working just fine.

          Why replace my computer you ask if it’s working just fine. Well, it has an old Microsoft Windows program and Microsoft has informed me, now almost on a daily basis, that this program is no longer supported. I guess that means I could lose everything that’s on this computer, but I’m not exactly sure. I guess I’ll need to do a bit of research before it gives up the ghost permanently.

          Still, I hate the thought of a new computer and having to figure out all the ins and outs. And yes, I know, it will be a learning challenge and at my age, I should welcome these challenges. But I don’t, really. I find myself preferring things not change AT ALL.

          The second purchase, which I’ve been aware of for some time, is a new refrigerator. Again, the one I have is working just fine. It freezes stuff in the freezer compartment and keeps the stuff cold in the other part. So, what’s the problem you ask.

          The problem is that there is water leaking down the back wall of the inside. It’s not a flood, but does require I use a couple of towels to soak it up when the puddle in the bottom of the fridge becomes large enough to want to run out onto the floor. This happens about every two weeks and it’s not a huge chore to rectify. I Remove one of the vegetable drawers and soak the water up with towels. The water isn’t stinky or discolored, merely COLD.

          My son, at some point last year, investigated the problem, thinking the drain line was plugged. It was not and he couldn’t figure out where or how the water was originating. It’s more of an annoyance than a problem, but it could definitely become one which would require the purchase of a new refrigerator.

          There are other things that could potentially require large monetary expenditures, but I’m choosing to be an ostrich; and, while I cannot actually stick my head in the sand, I am choosing not to think of those other large potential monetary necessities on this, the second day of the new year.