Archive for September, 2008
A friend recently asked several of us which songs she thought best represent us. She asked because had picked what songs she thought we were and used those as her cell phone rings for when we call; for me, she picked Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back.”
I like it. I think it works.
For herself, she picked three: Genesis’ “I Can’t Dance,” Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” and Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” These are interesting and rather fitting in an humorously ironic way because unfortunately, after a bad car accident about 12 years ago, she now needs a wheelchair to get around in public; as evidenced by the songs, she can have a pretty good sense of humor about it. Some days.
Before my friend had picked such a fitting song for me, I liked some other ones for myself. Like Love and Rockets’ “I’m Alive,” but mainly for one particular verse…
I don’t know what color your eyes are baby but your hair is long and brown, Your legs are strong, and oh so long, And you don’t come from this town.
For some reason, that just screams “me.” My eyes are an indescribable blue-hazel-gray and seem to change color on a daily basis. My hair is brown and at one time was much longer. I do have long, strong legs that I am particularly happy with, and I’m not originally from Michigan.
Okay, so that’s a stretch. So here’s the other one I think can be My Song. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. It’s a little ditty by this band called The Beatles:
I want to be a paperback writer. Paperback writer!
What’s your song?
September 28th, 2008
to give Wapak a little room, I hereby present for your musicial edification the lyrics to that lovely little ditty, “Good Morning Starshine.” They don’t write lyrics like this anymore.
Good morning starshine
The earth says hello
You twinkle above us
We twinkle below
Good morning starshine
You lead us along
My love and me as we sing
Our early morning singing song
Gliddy glub gloopy
Nibby nabby noopy
La la la lo lo
Sabba sibby sabba
Nooby abba nabba
Le le lo lo
Tooby ooby walla
Nooby abba naba
Early morning singing song
Good morning starshine
The earth says hello
You twinkle above us
We twinkle below
Good morning starshine
You lead us along
My love and me as we sing
Our early morning singing song
Gliddy glub gloopy
Nibby nabby noopy
La la la lo lo
Sabba sibby sabba
Nooby abba nabba
Le le lo lo
Tooby ooby walla
Nooby abba naba
Early morning singing song
Singing a song
Humming a song
Singing a song
Loving a song
Laughing a song
Singing a song
Sing the song
Song song song sing
Sing sing sing sing song
September 25th, 2008
Memories, the stuff our lives are made of. Looking back on good memories can be a life-affirming experience. Memories are stored in our minds by many different avenues. Sight, smell, touch, emotion… The smell of wood smoke from a fireplace on a winter evening can send a kaleidoscope of pictures flipping through the mind. A familiar touch can resurrect those wonderful warm and fuzzy feelings. However, it’s quite a revelation to me* that memories can and do become skewed with time. I expect emotional memories to fade or change, but pictures in the head?
For instance, I lived in southern Oregon for 4 years from 1989 to 1993. I drove back and forth between Eagle Point, OR and Berkeley, CA several times because my Mom lived in Berkeley. I also, on an incredibly stormy night when it was raining so much I could hardly see, drove to Sacramento, CA, because my friend in Texas sent me a puppy, and it was too darn expensive to fly the little thing into Medford, OR (which used to be the most expensive city in the US to fly into). So, I had memories of the drive – steep hills, fabulous views, Shasta Lake, etc.
When it was decided that some of us would caravan from California to Oregon for summer solstice, I told edelweiss of the incredible view from the summit of the Siskiyous into the valley on the opposite side of the freeway from Ashland (Oregon) and promised that we would stop at the summit so that she could take pictures. Then I regaled OH with tales of the Oregon Highway Patrol and how they didn’t like cars with CA licenses and would pull a person over for any infraction of the rules, especially speeding (I was once pulled over for a broken tail light – mind you no one else was on the road at the time).
So, edelweiss and OH arrived at my house, we set out the next morning and drove through CA… Because the scenery between the flatlands and the mountains is uninspired, it seemed like a long time before we got to the climb up the Siskyous. Finally, we start up the mountains. Hummm..I don’t remember driving down into this canyon before we had to drive up the next hill. And… I thought the hill before the summit was one straight line on the CA side – apparently not. And… where is the view from the summit?? Ah, there it is halfway down the other side, but… ack – there’s no place to pull over to take pictures.
Meanwhile, I don’t see an Oregon Highway Patrolman anywhere. Where are those California license hating cops?? Nary a one in sight… So instead of driving the speed limit, I go faster, thus confusing OH who is still looking out for OR cops. Then, I thought I had a clear memory of the placement of certain cities (like Eugene), but my memory wasn’t as clear as I thought it was. Huh…
We all know that places change with time, that’s a given. But placement of views, hills, and entire cities usually don’t. Do you ever have what you are certain are clear memories, then revisit and find that the road doesn’t curve the way you remember, or there’s an extra hill you forgot about, or the river is on the right side of the road instead of the left?
September 19th, 2008
Was going to do books and documents then I realized how long the documents document was and decided I didn’t want to write a book about books. I’ll do that some other time.
I’m blatantly stealing from resources available on the website of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and augmenting them with my own experience. Please keep in mind I live and work in an arid climate and have nominal hands on in a humid environment. Also, these are guidelines. Please consult with a trained conservator for items that need serious help.
The AIC has brochures on caring for a variety of treasures.
A few things to keep in mind as you are looking at where and how to store and display your treasures:
- If it was once living it needs to breathe. If you don’t want to be there, neither does it.
- Light is hard on documents and books. It fades the ink and degrades the paper and other binding materials.
- In a perfect world things are stored at 72 degrees and 50% relative humidity. In real life try to avoid radical changes in temperatures and humidity.
- Plastics that you can smell are off gassing, this is damaging to documents. Many places sell plastic page protectors that they say are acid free, and they are correct; but it’s not acids you are worrying about with plastic, it’s all the other chemicals involved in the process.
Documents
Tape bad
Clean hands good
Light bad
Support good
Don’t use pressure sensitive tape on documents. This includes Scotch, masking, duct, and binding tapes used to repair circulating books in some libraries.
Wash your hands often when working with paper items. I use Ivory soap. Whatever you use make sure it isn’t perfumy or lotiony. You don’t want any kind of residue on your hands. You can use lotion after you’re done playing with old things.
Light is hard on documents. It fades inks and paints and degrades paper. Items that are heritage, or you would like to keep for more than a few years, should be displayed out of direct sunlight and harsh artificial light. Use UV shielding curtains, window film and frame glass to help protect displayed items.
Items that are being stored should be supported in storage. If you only have a few items they can be gently stacked on each other. With more items use an appropriate box.
Items in storage should be stored individually. This can be in their own window mat board, folder, envelope, or polyester enclosure.
If items are going to be handled frequently they need to be stored in a manner where they can be viewed without being touched. Polyester encapsulation or high quality page protectors are good for this.
Resources
Here are some resources. Even though these items sell to professionals and carry high quality items some weird things still slip through, so think and ask questions before buying anything with too grandiose a guarantee.
AIC Brochures http://aic.stanford.edu/library/online/brochures/index.html
Supplies
Hollinger http://www.hollingercorp.com/
University Products http://www.archivalsuppliers.com/
Gaylord Brothers http://www.gaylordmart.com/listing.asp?H=3
Metal Edge http://www.metaledgeinc.com/
Light Impressions http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/
Archival Methods http://www.archivalmethods.com/
Talas http://www.talas-nyc.com/
Conservation Resources http://www.conservationresources.com/
Inner Armor http://www.innerarmorind.com/Mainframe.htm
Paige Company http://www.paigecompany.com/
And no matter what the chicky at Kinko’s says, DO NOT LAMINATE anything you care about and want to last. Lamination is for bookmarks and posters in the kid’s rooms.
September 17th, 2008
If we use psychology on someone to bring them around to our way of thinking, or get them to do something they don’t want to, we’re accused of messing with their heads, playing mind games, and it’s considered a bad thing. But for all that we don’t like being accused of it, everybody still does it. Yes, you do. Especially if you have kids. What? You never told your kids their face would freeze that way? Or that there were kids starving someplace so they had to eat those brussel sprouts? Maybe not those specific examples, but I’m betting on some variation of the same. For the most part it’s a tactic you want to use only for good and never for evil because eventually, probably soon than later, the kid figures out that they’ve been had and you’ve lost one of the best weapons in your arsenal.
But it’s not just with kids. Politicians use it all the time on the general public, telling us what we want to hear. We get angry when they do it, but most of the time people fall for it willingly. An old boss of mine use to have an annoying tendency to say “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Meaning, that if you once fall for something without examining the logic, maybe you can rationalize that they tricked you. But if you fall for the same trick a second time, then you pretty much deserve what you get. And boy do we ever get it!
In my opinion, though, the best use of mind games is when we use it on ourselves. For example, if you’re like me you’ve probably been faced at one time or another with an unpleasant task which, however necessary, you avoided doing until it took on mythic proportions. Like getting myself out of bed during the work week. I finally set the clock in my bedroom ahead by 10 minutes and put a small desktop clock in the bathroom which I set about 12 minutes ahead. Why? Pizzy-chology, and who knows how my mind works better than I do? Even though I know the time isn’t accurate, maybe because I know it isn’t accurate, I’m motivated to move a little faster and dawdle a little less.
Another example is housework. I detest it; who doesn’t? But I love a clean house. It’s not so much the cleaning part I dread but rather the time-consuming ritual of taking a room apart and putting it back together, the dragging out of rags and chemicals that have to be put back. Fortunately the companies that make cleaning products know how my mind works, too. These days they make these nifty disposable thingies that can do the job in a jiffy. I can fool myself that I’m just “wiping up,” it only takes a fraction of the time, and it’s disposable so there’s nothing to put back. Is it the same as really cleaning? Of course not. The rags and noxious fumes still have to come out eventually. But it won’t be as big a job because I didn’t procratinate. Hardly. I’ve also been known to flat out bribe myself. If I’ve been putting off a task, such as cleaning out the basement, I dangle a little incentive in front of my own nose: if I get this done, I’ll have earned a treat.
I don’t know whether these little tricks mean that I’m clever or gullible. I don’t think it matters as long as it works. And I’m sure you have your own little mind game you play. What is it?
September 13th, 2008
As you know we’ve been busy installing new awnings, windows, 
screen doors
and fences 
as well as scraping and painting the porches. 
But by far the biggest change as been this addition to the family.
His name is Whitney but for some reason we all want to call him Casey. We’re fostering him while the Ky-ropractor attempts to save his leg. He was scheduled to have it amputated this morning. He loves Ky and Tara.
She’s getting used to him.
Whitney was hit by a car three weeks ago. The owner called the police(this was a small town in the Far North) to shoot him. They didn’t have the heart to do so. Instead they found a rescue organization to take him in. He was flown down then treated by a vet. The original injury was to his shoulder but his paw curled in and they waited for the nerves to heal. About a week ago, it was determined that the bones had fused right above his paw and that the best course of action was to amputate. Scope read that and called me*. I spoke with the Ky-ropractor and she asked several key qustions about the paw. I called the rescue organization and together we came up with a plan. We are fostering him while we take him for alternative treatment. He had his first consult last night and while initially it seemed the vet up north was on the right track, after some treatment there was a deep nerve response. The foot is not dead. We’re in the process of having that paw x-rayed and consulting on options. I will be doing hydrotherapy with him this weekend in my brother’s pool. I’m researching how to keep myself warm as the temperature has really dropped up here. I haven’t been able to find wetsuit rentals 
I’ll keep you all posted.
September 10th, 2008
Happy birthday to me*! Of course, since this is the magic six five, AARP and Social Security and every person that can get at my vital statistics has been wishing me well and wanting my business since early summer.
We did have a lovely family Thanksgiving dinner last weekend while DD#2 was here. Yes, I did all the cooking, since no one else in the family can cook worth a plug nickel. Although DD#1 did make a very fine German chocolate pie. So she’s exempted from that plug nickel list.
Every year I fix DH a chocolate Bavarian cream pie. That’s chocolate crumb crust filled with a vanilla custard enhanced with whipped egg whites and whipped cream. His mother used to make everyone a pie and him an extra one all to himself. So I continue the tradition.
I also remember DD#1’s birthday party that I slaved over when she was about 6. She’s a January baby, and I wanted something different. So we had a swimming party at the local Y. What I remember is being blessed out by another mother who had to search all over town to get her daughter a fancy new bathing suit. Mine just wore what they had from the summer. No one noticed the girl’s chi chi bathing suit. Oh, well. That was the last January swimming party.
And this summer we had a luncheon at a restaurant for MIL’s 93rd birthday. As much of her family came as possibly could get here. Never mind that three there couldn’t remember much after, oh, say 30 seconds.
A theme? Mostly eat. None of that alcoholic drinking stuff, though. These family get-togethers are Baptist based. Not much tea or coffee either. Most of us are getting more caffeine-intolerant.
So how do other CBs celebrate birthdays?
September 6th, 2008
Continuing the theme started by CC in the last post…
Given that at heart we all are a bunch of reading addicts, I figure this is the place to ask this question. (Well, ok, any question really, but this is one that’s been plaguing me* for a while now.) How do you make yourself put down a book that you’re into when you need to go to bed, or go grocery shopping, or feed your family, or go to work, or really do just about anything else?
This is something I find really, really hard. Really. Hard. I regularly stay up too late reading, which quite often means I’ll be getting a beaut of headache the next day. I’ve been known to binge read 3-4 books on a weekend, ignoring the need to do laundry, feed myself, or interact with human beings outside my own head.
And this is not a new thing. As I child, my mom would call us to dinner, and I would reluctantly walk to the table in slow motion, reading my book along the way. I wouldn’t put my book down until the very last minute before the prayer. At night, I would often pretend to sleep, but have my book smuggled under the covers, ready to read by my night light once the coast was clear. No wonder I’ve always had lots of headaches.
So how do you do it? How do you make yourself put a book down? Because short of hiring a hunk to forcibly remove a book from my hands when needed, I’m out of ideas.
September 4th, 2008
If I’m reading the schedule right I think Dr. T posts tomorrow/later today/whatever the Scottish equivalent of Wednesday is and since we’re over 100….
I have a parent question. I am going in to get tested this fall to see if I have a learning disability. Will telling the folks be seen as a slap in the face, “Why didn’t you take care of this when I was a kid?” type of thing. Should I wait and tell them only if my suspicions are fulfilled? Should I ignore it all together? If my suspicions are proven correct then it will go far in explaining why I process things weird and differently than others. I know this is something no one would have thought to look at when I was a kid so I’m not blaming anyone, I’m just wanting parental feedback. So, what do you say parents?
And if this doesn’t appeal to you then I would like to submit KL’s pic from the comments in the previous post as a topic for discussion.
September 2nd, 2008