Sunday, May 31, 2020

256 Shell shocked


Shell shocked

The beauty and magic of the beach include the amazing shells that are free for the taking. I have always collected them no matter the country, continent, or beach. Their uniqueness is what attracts me to pick them up and make the effort to get them home unscathed.

I never paid a great deal of attention to the lines on the outer part of the shell until a few years ago.

Someone was looking for what was called a Pawleys Island shell, which has horizontal lines rather than vertical, when we were on a recent trip. We frequent that area several times a year.

It was shocking to find we may have overlooked the prized possessions. According to local legend, this shell can only be found on this island. Finding one means your presence has been blessed.

That may sound simple but it isn’t! Once we were made aware of this type of shell we began a quest to find some or just one. But none were to be had. We definitely were not blessed. 

After researching the topic, I found a jewelry store that made sterling silver images of the shells. What would be better than the real shell but a great piece of jewelry! Of course, I visited the jewelry store to check it out. Needless to say, the silver shell became a birthday present a few months later. Plus the store gave me a real Pawleys Island shell with the purchase. This was especially nice since we had never found one.


Who would have known that those blasted horizontal lines would show up when we least expected them to show their curves across the front of a shell a few years later.

On a recent trip to Jekyll Island in Georgia, I found similar shells with the horizontal lines. How exciting. 


They were not exactly like the Pawleys Island shell but unique enough to make my day. There weren’t many of them but I found several that kept me searching during our stay.

I have always searched for specimens that are reminiscent of the beach to enjoy once we return home. It is so memorable to revisit the shells and think about where we had been and when we would go again.

I can’t write this blog without mentioning another sea treasure that is not so surprising or shocking--the sand dollar. 
For some reason, my husband has always valued it. He would give the grandchildren a monetary reward if they could find one. (Maybe because the name has the word dollar in it!!) They would bring in the oddest shapes and often smallest of contributions to his quest. Finding a whole one was never easy but the persistent searcher was rewarded nicely. 

This sea urchin sand dollar is often found in the water and not the bright white that is usually associated with the popular sea souvenir. It turns white as it dies and is no longer wet and part of the sea. Don’t take one unless it is dead--the back will not have any hairy protrusions and it will start to turn white.

On another recent trip to the beach, I came across some shells that were quite larger than the usual finds -- five by six inches. I couldn’t pass them up on my morning walk so I ended up filling my pockets and hands with what I was finding. Every few yards, I would find another. I managed to get them all back to the house, but that was the last time I found these monsters of the sea. 

No matter what I find on each trip, I enjoy every single one of them. I am not very knowledgeable about the scientific names, but I sure love them all. It is a delight once we return home to reflect on where we have been and where each shell was found. They seem to bring the peace of the ocean and the beach back to the top of Virginia.

Frances      

Sunday, May 24, 2020

255 Virtual mystery reading

Virtual Mystery Reading

There are many great titles available for download from Handley Regional Library, other public libraries, or commercial services.

I will be sharing some of my favorite mysteries that are available virtually from HRL. Since none of these are current bestsellers, many should be available for download.

I like a mystery that has an interesting protagonist and a sense of place.



For instance, Nevada Barr's Anna Pidgeon is a National Park ranger. Anna is in parks all over the country, running into murder and mystery. I have learned much about parks that I would never visit. Liberty Falling is set, of course, at Ellis Island and the Statue of Library. Anna goes into areas visitors never see to solve a murder.









Steve Berry sets his novels in historic sites. In fact, to quote his webpage: 

"Steve Berry and his wife, Elizabeth,
travel the world both researching and promoting his books. One comment they hear repeatedly concerns the dwindling supply of funds available to preserve our heritage. So Steve and Elizabeth launched History Matters to assist communities around the world with restoration and preservation."


This is somewhat ironic because the title I chose to showcase: The Jefferson Key centers its mystery around Thomas Jefferson. In the course of a battle to save the world from some evil families, Monticello takes a beating! But the tie to our locality is great!




Another series of books with a keen sense of place is the Dave Robicheaux novels that mainly center in the Louisiana bayous. A good choice is In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead, which is kind of weird but great! This one is available as a downloadable audiobook. I love hearing the narrator say "Robicheaux!" There was a movie made of the book, but I have not seen it. Handley owns it.





Another series of mystery novels that should be heard, not read, are the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. Set in "The Berg" in Trenton, these books are like potato chips--you cannot put them down once you start, but in the end there is not much depth (or nutrition) in them. This series features the misadventures of Plum, a likable but inept bounty hunter. There is a great cast of characters, including the Lulu, the ex-prostitute file clerk who would rather go with Plum to collect people who did not show in court (and eat donuts or fried chicken on the way) than tend her filing.  Plum's boyfriends and family are also a hoot! I chose this one because it is available to download in the audio version, which is a necessity just to hear Lulu!

I also enjoy Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski books. V.I., a private investigator, gets the award from me as the protagonist most likely to be seriously injured in every book. Somehow that works in the mean streets of Chicago. 

I hope you will enjoy exploring some of these authors. What mystery novels do you enjoy? 

Trish      

Sunday, May 17, 2020

254 Mini-blogs from isolation


What's on My Isolated Mind 

This Week: A Few Mini-Blogs

Hello, my friends. It is likely that I have had an anxiety attack or two or maybe I am just learning to be a recluse. Sometimes I get upset at not having my usual routine. 

Other times, I, like Frances, feel such empathy for those who do not have, cannot get, or are absolutely out of options. So, here are a few of my one paragraph thoughts on varied topics that have been on my mind.

THE HEROES and COVID-19
Indeed, there are many heroes out there. We know who they are and we should deeply and sincerely appreciate them as they put their lives on the line from doctors to food delivery folks. But--I wonder what lasting impacts their professions will have on their families? Will there be children growing up with PTDS because of the isolation? I know one doctor’s elementary school child who has been shunned by her neighbor peers because parents are afraid the doctor is bringing the virus into their neighborhood.

I realize it may be a leap: but I fear a changed America--one that is NOT nicer, but more separated by philosophy, by the difference between the “haves and have-nots,” and more separated by faiths, by politics, social values, and by education. Will we appreciate the heroes when the pandemic finally ends? I can’t help but compare this pandemic to 1918. Though we should not be comparing them in medical science analysis, I can not help but remember that the flu of 1918 lasted two--yes, two!--years.

PETS
Most of you have, at some point or another, heard about our two mini- Schnauzers--Max (age eight) and Bogie (age five). Two bouncing, barking, racing, funny, and loving small white terriers. They have kept dear husband and me entertained and loved. They sense that something is different as we are at home with them. They come to check on us – where are we--which room. Bogie follows dear husband around like a
shadow. In the middle of racing through the house and sliding on rugs, if he hears one of dear husband get up, he just STOPS! He must go check it out. 

They both curl up on the bed with me when I read. Some books have doggy footprints in them and the blanket on the bed now has a few teeth marks from their rearranging it for their most comfortable nests. They give such love. 

NEWSPAPERS
Applause to the print media! The New York Times provides us with in-depth reports on the virus worldwide. The extra crossword puzzles, the photographs of empty streets usually teeming with energy, the continued up-to-date reporting of what’s happening in the rest of the world (including Kim Jong-Un and the election) has been superb in my opinion. 

The local paper has a column of what has been staying open. This paper also helped us celebrate our non-Apple Blossom with reports and photos of the pink and green that has decorated our town for 92 years to celebrate spring and bring a sense of community in the Shenandoah Valley. Thank you, print media and journalists!



I LIKE TO EAT; I HATE TO COOK

This, dear friends, is the entire mini-blog on this topic!!!







COMEDIES TO STREAM
Yes, most of us have given in to the convenience and variety of Amazon. Yes, I should probably be in a commercial for them. I do NOT want to examine my AMEX bill for the amount of money I have spent with them. Well, there are a lot of spring birthdays in our family. Anyway, to the point--however you stream--here are some of my favorite movies to help you relax and chuckle a bit:

The Bird Cage. Nathan Lane and Robin Williams--a young straight man brings home his girlfriend and her parents to meet his gay father and his partner. Yep, really funny!
Chef. Dustin Hoffman, Amy Sedaris, Sofia Vegara, John Platt--top chef gets ousted by the restaurant owner--opens a food truck. Clever!

Clue. Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn--I bet you’ll get up and try to do the “time warp”--one of my favorites as was/is the board game.

American Pie. Jason Biggs--embarrassingly funny! Watch for the apple pie if you’ve never seen this one.

Best in Show. Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, and Parker Posey--it’s a dog show! One of my very favorites!

Four Weddings and A Funeral. Hugh Grant and Andie McDowell--she’s engaged; he’s afraid of commitment. Witty.

These are my choices – I know I’ll think of more when I finish this blog!

We’d love to hear from you! What have you been doing? How are you holding up?

Trying to stay savvy, Glenne          





Sunday, May 10, 2020

253 Let the tears flow



Let the tears flow

I cry every day.
I cry for those working so hard on the front lines.
I cry for those who have lost loved ones.
I cry for those who have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet.
I cry for the life we all had and may not have again.

I never know when the tears will flow.
Some mornings it happens when the numbers of deaths are announced.  Other times it is when emotional stories are shared. Tears are a relief that eases some of the pain of this pandemic that has stopped the world and changed lives forever. Stories of heroism feel our hearts with hopefulness that all will be better eventually. 

We remain somewhat safe here in Virginia so far, compared to other parts of the U.S., but Coronavirus cases and deaths are ongoing. A friend has been diagnosed and tested positive for COVID-19 but she is doing fine--not a serious case, thank goodness.






New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo is a beacon in the darkness, giving us calm, thoughtful messages in the middle of tragedy in his state. 

Virginia’s governor Ralph Northam is a soothing voice in uncertain times. He acted swiftly when the virus showed its head in other parts of the country, enacting shutdowns that helped slow the arrival here.

Maryland’s governor and District of Columbia’s mayor have also provided rational, resourceful voices in this time of uncertainty.

I take solace in all their messages and updates but can’t help but tear up as every day things are no longer commonplace.

Areas we visit often are closed with no time frame for change. Travel is put off indefinitely.  Even if areas do open, will we feel comfortable visiting?  I doubt it. Impactful stories that have resonated include the group of people who took action to get food that farmers could not harvest to those who need it. They are so impressive. I am in awe of those who can take action and accomplish amazing tasks.


Also, the many people who have sewed facial masks to help medical staff as well as average citizens--they are heroes!  These masks are a way of life for the foreseeable future.

Another group of heroes that deserve praise is a group of factory workers who stayed on the job for 28 days to make the material for protective gear! They resided there until the job was done.

So here we are now with businesses starting to open. Not sure if I will venture out to services I think I can live without. Others can’t wait to go to nail spas and beauty shops.  Good luck with that--hope everyone will stay safe.

I continue to cry some each day as the stories continue to unfold. have been far more patient than I ever thought I could be. I am adjusting to being home and not making plans while missing family and friends.  Phone calls, text messages, and FaceTime make it easier.  This new life is not anything we ever imagined, but I predict that it will get better, not as quickly as we would like. 

Feel free to join me in crying a little each day to help ease the pain and empathize with those who are on the front lines or who have lost loved ones.  I am eternally grateful!

Frances    


Sunday, May 3, 2020

252 Virtual vacation

A Virtual Vacation

Since we are all sheltering in place, I thought a virtual visit to Florida might be fun. After reviewing my photos of Florida, I realized that I mainly photograph flora and fauna and Tootsie! The lovely beach scene that is featured in our blog header is courtesy of Frances!

Many of my walks with Tootsie are in the evening. No, I do not get up for sunrises but I have some nice sunset shots.


Then there are birds at sunset.


There wasn't much light for this one.
Here is a sandhill crane parent (the other is nearby) and babies in sunlight.

The babies got bigger!
Hope this isn't worse than your parents' slideshows! 

Anyway, a little bit of flora. Here is Tootsie with a blooming hibiscus and next is a blooming firecracker bush.



Remember the Roaming Gnome? He has been retired from advertising and is living in Florida!


Stay safe and find enjoyment in all the vicarious pleasures you can!

Trish