244 Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous Thoughts 

Hello, Readers. First, a thank you to Teri Merrill for being out guest blogger last week. I liked and identified with the Merrill’s family games. I wanted to offer her a word our family uses: ASSORTERATE. This created word means to our family--get it sorted, get it in priority order, and with the right tone of voice, also means “how about doing it now.” Dear husband and I are beginning to assorterate--getting ready to go to our accountant for the annual tax appointment. We have piles and folders. The folders become filled; the piles begin to diminish. Good feeling!

Next, I wonder with all the political news and ads, why, when I went to the polls to vote in Virginia’s Super Tuesday, there were only three (3) voters there in the space that was for two precincts.

I had expected the Republicans to make a big concerted effort to get all their people out to vote for the Democratic candidate they felt was the weakest against Trump. And, as you may remember, last Tuesday was a 64-degree, sunny afternoon before a brief thunderstorm. Where was everyone? Do we not exercise our right (and responsibility) of voting? Do people in my home area feel Trump is a “slam, dunk” and no need to participate? Leaves me wondering. 

Then, I read on AOL’s news of the day that superb New York Yankee Derek Jeter’s first jersey with the Yankees sold at Goldin Auctions for $369,000!

When you read below, I don’t think the game sounds particularly impressive.

“The grey away jersey sold for a whopping $369,000. The jersey includes an autograph and a handwritten note that reads, "Game-used 5-29-95 MLB debut." Jeter wore this very jersey back in 1995 on May 29 against the Seattle Mariners at the Kingdome. The Yankees lost that game 8-7 in 12 innings. Jeter, who was 21 at the time, went 0 for 5 with a strikeout and started at shortstop because Tony Fernandez was on the disabled list.” (CBSsport.com/MLB/news, 2/25/20)

Sometimes – maybe too often – I feel out of control of what happens in my life. For instance, our bank. If the first of the month falls on a holiday or a Sunday, the pending deposit shows up the next business day, but is still pending until the following day. If I am due my money on the first day of the month, I truly would like it to be there on the FIRST OF THE MONTH. A computer program is running my financial life. 

I called the bank: “Sorry, that’s the way our program is set up.” I had no late charges, but I was miffed at how my money seems not my own. If every deposit were NOT direct deposit, I think I would put the proverbial sock under the mattress. Then there is our pharmacy who can’t seem to understand that I do NOT want automatic refills. Every month they call; every month I talk to a human (after listening to much music and ads) to tell them to take me off of auto-refill. How many times do I need to do this???

What to do about dinner? I hate to cook. If there were a room in our house I could live without, it would be the kitchen. A small refrigerator would suffice. Dear husband is a little better than I about this but not much! 

 At about 5:30 p.m. each evening, we look at one another and ask “What do you want for dinner?” The standard replies are either “I don’t know” or “I don’t care.” I am “saladed (is that word?) out.” No, thank you anyway, don’t send me recipes to cook ahead of time and freeze. I do NOT want to go to the grocery store either.

 I would like to invest in a fast-food, drive-through with nutritious inexpensive food. We share pizzas, eat Chinese (two nights each from our orders), and sometimes soup and sandwiches. 

I wish our area has what NYC has: daughter and son-in-law don’t cook at all (in fact, I think our daughter keeps high heels that don’t fit the shoe rack in the oven). They have a big folder on their computer and just tap in what they want for the evening. Half an hour later, there it is – a decent dinner at the door! Hmmmpf! I am jealous. 

Well, it’s 6 p.m. Guess I will head to the kitchen!

Glenne           

243 The bad & the somewhat good

The bad and the somewhat good

Here we are with a health crisis that was unheard of just a few weeks ago. Coronavirus was not in the headlines at least in this country until recently. Now it is consuming the air waves and stopping us in our tracks.

Every day there are more outbreaks and deaths. What could it possibly have been like on those cruise ships that were quarantined for weeks. I know I would have lost my mind and probably caused a panic. Finally, those poor people have been released and sent home to countries that really didn’t want them. Hopefully, they are recovering if they got the virus or are back to normal lives very soon. 

What can we do as this is progressing throughout the world? They say to take precautions such as washing of hands, but surely, we have all been doing this. Wear a mask to travel or it could be come commonplace. They say some of the masks are really not that helpful to stopping germs. If traveling, be careful on planes or in any public area. Gloves would probably be a good idea. (Masks can be ordered or picked up at local stores – although some have seen sold out.)

I have always been careful when touching railings when going up and down steps. Any spot that others touch can be germy. When I used to work, I would spray the work area with a disinfectant regularly especially light switches, printer buttons, water fountain buttons, and anywhere we all touched. This was years ago when someone would have a cold or seem sick. I am not sure it helped but it made me feel a little safer. Others would joke that they could smell the spray and knew I was on patrol. 

Surely our leaders and those throughout the world will take the necessary steps to make sure this is stopped in its tracks. It is hard to believe that one little shop in China that sells animals for consumption started this world event. The bats that are believed to have been the culprits were shown on the news the other evening. Startling to see how this could have happened.

And it that isn’t alarming enough, we have one political party debating to the point of ad nauseum. How much can we take of this? It is time to stop this constant barrage of barbs and zingers that only hurt the party. Surely, this group will realize it is detrimental to those running for office and disgusting to those of us who will be voting. 

When did we start debating almost every week? Was this decided by someone who loves to torture the average citizen? Disrupting our TV watching and keeping us all upset one way or another didn’t use to be the norm (at least I don’t remember).

This would certainly be a novel way to stem the tide of crime--just play the debates hour after hour and see how fast they would beg for mercy with cries of please, no more debates!! 

I am not blaming one party or the other--several years ago the name calling was heightened as the present administration debated fiercely and frequently.

If the goal is to inform the electorate, it is not accomplishing it. Hopefully, we are smarter than they think and know what is needed and who can achieve it. Please give us a break! At least the field has narrowed, but it needs to be narrowed even more.

The good that came out last week was the conviction of a sex predator who has a long history of assaults. Of course, he said he was not guilty but the jury found otherwise. When will powerful men realize, they cannot continue the history of physical domination over women.

Another good thing that takes place this week is February is finally over! The shortest month always seems to be one of the longest. While we haven’t had a cold winter, it seems to be a long one with constant ups and downs! Spring weather pops up one day or two and then back to the cold. The flowers are popping up on the good days and freezing on the bad. I am sure they are as confused as the rest of us.

My advice to everyone--stay safe, wash hands, don’t touch public surfaces, wear gloves, turn off the debates, read about the candidates, react to any unwanted touches (I have been known to punch or elbow), and try to stay healthy!

If I have offended anyone, I apologize. My words come from frustration and exasperation of times that are beyond control.

Frustrated Fran      

242 Teri Merrill on family quirks

Family quirks and crazy stories: Do other people do that?

By Teri S. Merrill 

“Madeline…come Madeline,” I called out the other day. I was trying to get the attention of my 8-pound Chihuahua. Was she ignoring me because her name isn’t Madeline? 

I was calling Dixie by my daughter’s name, for what may have been the 100th time since adopting her (the dog, not the daughter). And in that moment I had to wonder: do other people do that? 

That, dear reader, has been the common refrain in my family when we do something we think may be singular to us.

Do other people, for example, spend the better part of an hour at dinner trying to figure out the difference between a personality trait and a quirk? And then try to determine who in the family has the most quirks (turns out, I do). Do other people discuss which family member they would eat first on a deserted island? Or which scenario is preferable: facing a leopard on a hiking trail or in a boxing ring? Do other people spend time discussing similarly esoteric topics, with no conclusions but a lot of heated debate and laughter?

Do other people, on long car drives, entertain themselves by creating an ad to sell high-end purses to clients in the Middle East? No one in my family remembers why we started this offbeat line of discussion, but soon we had a company named “Dooney and Burqa.” 

Our target market would be the “Ladies of the Euphrates.” We would offer limited colors: camel, sand and camo. We entertained ourselves with this random idea, and laughed ourselves into fits, all the while wondering, as we sat in post-holiday traffic, if other families were doing the same.

So much about raising children includes storytelling, either real or imagined. Have other couples made up fantastical stories about their pre-parenting era? My husband and I created an impossible tale about our dating years, in which we both worked at a circus, he as the ringleader, and I as an acrobat who rode a magnificent horse—rider and equine both adorned with large, billowy plumes.

No matter that it was completely untrue, my kids loved the story. Naturally, we continued to embellish it over the years, with my athletic feats on the horse becoming more daring as the years passed. The only disappointment my kids had with the story as they grew older was that there would be no horse for a pet.

Does anyone else make up words and refrains to songs that they know are just plain wrong but make more sense than the original? Do other people dance in the kitchen to a mix of songs and artists, from Brad Paisley to Lake Street Dive to Alabama Shakes? 

Do other people play “Parcheesi” or “Clue” or “Jenga” with the laser focus of a gambler on a lucky streak in Las Vegas, because no one in the family wants to lose? Do other people use words like “beckon” and “perchance” and “shan’t” in casual conversation?

I’ve found that whenever my family stops and asks that question, it’s typically because we’re having a particularly happy moment when everyone is joining in the conversation or activity and feels safe to say what they think.

So when we ponder: Do other people do that, I know it’s because we have given each family member enough love, respect and space to be themselves. Every family is stronger when it’s made up of strong individuals.

Do other people do that? I sure hope so.

241 This & That

This & That*

*Or topics I could not stretch out for an entire blog & I am sure you will be happy I didn't!




On Science Friday (one of my favorite NPR shows) a week ago, I heard about another "hidden figure." Alice Bath, an African-American chemist, discovered a treatment for leprosy in 1914 or 1915. She died soon after and others took credit for her research. It wasn't until the 1970s that she received recognition for her work. 

                                       **********************

Just suppose someone put a baggie (that happened to be in the pocket of that someone's jeans) of hot tamale cinnamon candy in the wash. 

Who would guess that the candy pieces would come out of the dryer intact except completely devoid of their bright red color? And no red on any other clothes!

                                       **********************

As I continue my research on Judge Parker, I find many obscure individuals whose names show up in documents I am transcribing. I am amazed at how many I can identify using the web. This line about the rental of the slave Webb was in Parker's account book:

Feb 8, 1847 

Snickerville—recs from Moore & Luke $65, hire of Webb for last year

No first names. Were these last names? I searched for the words snickerville, moore and luke in Google and found something!

Google Books has the text of History of the Lower Shenandoah Valley Counties of Frederick, Berkeley, Jefferson and Clarke, 1890 by Norris, available online. From this information, I was able to go to Ancestry and Find A Grave, to fully identify these two men. Remarkable!

                                       **********************

I have stopped looking up each disease I may have or treatment I may need when Facebook prompts me to "click to see the symptoms, etc."

I clicked because I was curious about what disease ZTL (or whatever) is. Now I am overwhelmed with human and canine diseases and treatments:
chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Joubert Syndrome, MBC, for example. Or should I try lapiplasty bunion correction? What is robotic pancreas surgery? Is that freckle melanoma? Facebook has a much wider variety of diseases and treatments than television. No more clicking for me!

There you have it--chemistry, history, medicine AND HOT TAMALES!

Trish        

240 About Valentines

Time to Talk Valentines

Well, my friends, I guess it is time that all the Christmas decorations are neatly boxed and stored. The Ground Hog has done his thing. The time of love is upon us.

Dear husband and I will be celebrating with only cards this year as our new water heater has eaten up the “discretionary funds.” Hot water is good!! (The plumber was amazed that the old water heater had been working--it’s 30 years old. “Amazing,” he said.) 

But for you who have spouses, significant others, or friends and family you want to reach out to with a sweet note, Valentine’s Day is a very appropriate time to do so. And don’t forget dog treats. I am reminded of this as I have two mini Schnauzers lying across my feet as I type. 

My friend Google and I looked up some fun trivia about this special day for you. Here are our findings that I thought interesting or had forgotten. 

• Over 36 million boxes of candy will be sold (1800flowers.com)

• 54% of all Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day (abcNews)

• $18.2 billion anticipated spending for 2020 (National Retail Federation; NRF.com)

• Roses – estimated sales of 1,400,000 (myglobalflowers.com)

• 190 million cards is the sales estimate for an approximate $1 billion – top sellers are for teachers and classmates (romantic love cards second) (NRF.com)

• “Sexpectations” – according to a Florida Sun-Sentinel survey 90% of all men surveyed said that sex was the preferred gift for Valentines; 39% of the women agreed! [Wonder if there will be a follow-up survey?  😃]

• Hallmark was not the first to produce Valentines. In 1849, a Massachusetts woman, Esther Howland, became known as the “Mother of the American Valentine.” Each card was a hand-made collage of paper, ribbon, paint, ink, and snippets from pictures in magazines. She grew her cottage industry with the help of friends into a $100,000 industry when she sold to stationery shop. (scrapbook.com/articles)

• Hallmark got into the Valentine card business in 1913! BUT the Hallmark cards estimate is an amount they will not disclose. (I tried, I really tried). Here is my response: "Hallmark is a privately held company so we don't release sales data," Kristi Ernsting, public relations spokeswoman for Hallmark. [Hmmpf!] (Hallmark.com)

• Let’s talk those little Necco message hearts. Necco sold to Spangler Candy Company in 2018. There were no little hearts from them last year. Here is what is on the Spangler website today . So maybe, maybe not.
• Brach’s Candy is in the stores.

I believe Google, Hallmark, Necco/Spangler companies and I have spent enough time together. Will look for a card idea for dear husband! 

Signing off as one of the Savvy 

 Broads wishing you a happy 

       February 14th!        

239 Silent screams & terrifying surprises

Silent screams and terrifying surprises

I am not a skittish person but will let go with an extremely loud shriek if I am surprised--sometimes terrifying those nearby. But lately, it seems as if many things I have read, watched, or observed, have put me over the proverbial edge with silent screams (and sometimes not so silent)!

It is bad enough that we have been bombarded with impeachment news daily so our regular TV time has been interrupted. Of course, this news is important, but it can be frightening and terrifying too on another level, so this adds to my frustration. 

This time of year, we often take in movies to break up the monotony of the long winter days. This is where my dilemma begins. We watched The Irishman which we knew was about organized crime. I won’t go into the specifics, but there are shocking parts that will keep one wondering what in the world!! For those who want to know more about Jimmy Hoffa, this is the film for you.

Moving on to 1917 which we knew was a World War I movie. It was very well-done and took a great deal of work with all the battle scenes. By the end, I was hoping the soldier would hurry up and get to where he needed to go! Again, the horrors of it stay with you for many days.

One of my favorite TV shows, This Is Us, just had to join in my frustrations with a terrifying ending to one of its episodes. We record the shows, so we can watch them when we want. I was catching up with a recent episode when it ends with one of the main characters coming face to face with a dark, scary intruder wielding a knife. His family is upstairs so he luckily diffuses the situation and the home invader runs out. I am surprised I didn’t let go with a full, blown scream. 

 Of course, it was at the end of the show so it was not explained in that episode. Luckily, I had the next one recorded so I could watch. This gave me chills for days. Dealing with the situation continues through the next couple of episodes and continues this scary scenario. Hopefully, it will end soon.

In the midst of all of this, I am reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I could have stopped at any time, but I am stubborn about finishing once I start a book, I have to get through it even if I despise it. This book would have been upsetting reading it at any time, but with the other episodes I have explained above, it was even more disturbing with hangings, executions, etc. I kept hoping things would change and they did gradually. I am reading the next book that is set later when the world established in this book starts to fail. Can’t wait to finish it. 

But now, we should have learned our lesson, but no! We were trying to watch the movies nominated for Academy Awards. Thus, we watched Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood. Innocent enough sounding but not at all! We are taken back to the late 1960s and Sharon Tate shows up in the movie so guess what--Manson and his cult are part of it. I won’t spoil the movie for our readers, but it doesn’t end the way it actually did. There is some pretty scary stuff in the film as well as some pretty violent events.

Continuing on, I had seen Tyler Perry on a talk show, where he had discussed his new movie A Fall from Grace. I just had to see it. It does involve fraud and abuse but ends with a shocking revelation. That is one ending that startled me, and I let out one of my blood-curdling screams. It does resolve with appropriate action, but what a shocker.

I am not recommending staying away from any of these, but be warned. I knew what I was getting into in most cases but it just seems more severe. 

A couple of reprieves from these very real dramas--Little Women, a film adaptation of the novel by Louisa May Alcott, and the sixth season of Grace and Frankie on Netflix. No murders, frauds, or other atrocities, so relax and take them in when you can.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Screaming savvy Frances         

238 Richard Parker, Slave Owner

Richard Parker, Slave Owner

I continue my research on Judge Richard Parker, the judge at John Brown’s trial in 1860. The chapter I am working on now is titled, “Richard Parker, Slave Owner.”

I want to like and respect the person I am writing about, but I cannot. Richard Parker owned slaves, as did most of the landed aristocracy of the locality. Researching the documents about the slaves he owned has made real to me the terrible tragedy of slavery and the seeming indifference of slaveholders to the plight of fellow human beings.

From a modern perspective, it is shocking and tragic to see men, women, and children listed as property along with cattle and ricks of hay in the appraisal of the estate of Parker’s father. Top of list one: Henry, a negro boy, $300. Top of continuation of the list: Ref heifer, $10.

Likewise, Richard Parker shows little empathy for the fate of a fellow human being in a comment on the sale of the slave Henry who would not stop running away: “Was forced to sell Henry on yesterday to Mr. Coons for $600. He had been thrown into jail and I was also told that he would certainly run off, if not sold—a melancholy duty in one having charge of slaves.”

He kept careful records in his journals of the revenues he received from the slaves he rented out to others. Only a few journals survive, but they provide the names and monies received for each. 

Records of the slaves he and his parents owned also show in the United States Census Slave Schedules. From 1840 to 1860, they owned up to 23 slaves.

Records of sales of slaves, show that both parties in the transactions were careful to note that the slave in question was “a slave for life.” His second cousin John Elliott Parker Daingerfield bought Milly from Parker in 1852 and sent him this letter:

"Dear Parker,
Servant Milly arrived safely on yesterday & I have today deposited four hundred & seventy-five ($475) dollars to your credit in the Bank of the Valley at Charlestown--being payment in full for Said Servant.

Enclosed herewith please find certificate of deposit for the above amt. on receipt of which please send me a bill of sale--stating the age--that she is a slave for life & that she is sold as sound and healthy. These precautions are not probably necessary between you & I, but in the event of my death it might be wise to have a bill of sale as above."

The only time that Richard Parker is on record helping slaves gain their freedom is in the case of Bennett Russell and Others vs. Negroes Juliet and Others, and I believe he was merely following the law. Jesse Russell has done excellent research in the Clarke and Frederick county court records as well as other sources to document the story of Juliet in his book, Juliet, from Slavery to Inspiration. (https://store.bookbaby.com/book/Juliet)

Parker represented the slaves that had been owned by John Russell Crafton (an ancestor of Jesse), who died in 1848. (It is unclear when Russell dropped the Crafton surname.) Russell stipulated in his 1839 will that his slaves be freed. 

His son, Bennett Russell, and siblings produced an 1842 Articles of Agreement that retracted the manumission. There is doubt about the authenticity of the articles. Parker represented Juliet in trials in 1849 and 1850 that both ended with a hung jury. By the time the case went to trial again in 1856, Parker had become a judge and could no longer serve as legal counsel in the case. The 1856 verdict was in favor of the heirs, and the slaves were sold.

It is difficult for me to view these documents in their historical context.
Generations of Christian God-fearing slave owners (as well as those engaged in the slave trade) could not acknowledge the hypocrisy of their lives. I can't be too sanctimonious. With many mediums informing us of all the problems and tragedies of our world, how will history judge our response?   

Trish               

238 Death Cleaning

“Death Cleaning” and What I Found

Hello, Readers, although I have no premonition of imminent demise, I found this Swedish idea of “death cleaning” a remarkable solution to get rid of all those items that I thought someday a child or a grandchild might want, but they don’t. 

What I am realizing is that the next generation just doesn’t want our stuff. That mahogany banquet table--yeah, right, it really fits in an NYC apartment! China? Good grief--we have enough china plates to serve 143 people--dear husband’s grandmother’s, one grandmother of mine, my mother’s, mine from my “starter” marriage, plus sets of four or five matching plates that seem to have sprung from nowhere. They are in the attic over the garage gathering dust! What the heck does anyone do with 143 plates? Actually, we keep 16 plates in our kitchen closet--eight every day and eight edged with forest green and gold for dinner in the dining room. Of course, the only one with a chip is the green and gold!

The premise of “death cleaning” is basically decluttering and saying goodbye to stuff--clothes, dishes, furniture, photos, knickknacks, etc. It is a good old-fashioned let’s get rid of this stuff! In 2017 a Swede named Margareta Magnusson wrote The Gentle Art of Death Cleaning. Get organized so no one else has to clean up after you are gone! What a grand idea.

So far, dear husband and I have set up in the garage a large table of “stuff” to take to Goodwill or some charitable shop. I have been through one (yes, just one) closet of clothes. We had our daughter help us go through 15 bags (grocery store size) of photos. Why did we ever have duplicates made? We literally have rid ourselves of a 30-gallon trash bag plus a clothes hamper of photos about whom/which NO ONE CARES! Some we had no idea who they were.

This past week, we decided to clean out the vinyl, 45 rpm records, tapes, and CDs. Behind one faded, covered-in-dust zippered case of tapes, we found a 6”x10” accordion file about 1½ inches thick. It was on the bottom shelf of a small closet below a set of bookshelves. Neither of us recognized it. It is off-white--essentially the color of the inside of the closet. We have lived in this house now for 20 plus years and neither of us admits to ever having seen it before!

The file is filled with ephemera from the past two-three generations on dear husband’s side of the family. The following is a photo gallery of some of the items in the file. I hope you enjoy it. It’s been a poignant journey through the past and fun as well.

We have no knowledge of this padlock or what it went to or even when-–dear husband thinks it is his grandmother’s writing. 

And this should come in handy – never! 

Dear husband’s step-grandfather flew in 1915. Guessing that was brave! 

Interesting mainly for date of 1924 and the one-cent cost. The back reads: “Dear Mother, I am having fun and thank you for the box you sent me. Your son, Ridge.” It is written in pencil and the 10-year-old likely had a supply of pre-addressed cards to send home.

Amazing prose for this 1927 wedding announcement . . . hard to read but I think “the bride looked radiant” would be edited out.

And why was this saved?

And our very favorite is from a letter to dear husband’s grandmother from her friend who was the travel agent. This agent made all the grandparents’ arrangements--even an around-the-world tour by ship. Seems the travel agent’s driver left her to become Cole Porter’s driver. No more details….

There are many more bits and pieces spread across the office table. Births, obituaries, photos (one with only the name Larry, 1937, on the back), cartoons, random newspaper clippings. We spent a whole evening reading and sorting. Okay, I am having a really hard time with “death cleaning” now. It makes me sad to see these thrown away. I must continue to think on this! I do like interesting “stuff.”

Savvy Glenne           

237 Books to start the decade

Books to start the 2020 decade

The last week few weeks have been filled with conversations about the new year and more specifically the new decade--2020. Here we are embarking on a new decade that will bring so much to our lives, and of course, we have no idea what some of it will be.

My reading during this time has included some history and some fiction that has brought many issues to light. The importance of family, how we handle what we must, what lies ahead, and where to go next are few of the themes that have surfaced.

I guess I should begin with the here and now rather than the look back at history. I have read all of the works by author Elizabeth Strout so when her new novel about the irascible character Olive Kitteridge came out, I had to purchase a copy. 

At first, I wasn’t sure I liked it as much as the first novel about Olive which was followed by a film of the same name, but as I continued reading, I realized I really did find merit in the book. 

The author includes chapters about people who encounter Olive and how that affects their lives. I won’t give away too much, but it brings in the family themes as well as coping mechanisms, as aging impacts her life and others she knows. I did like the ending which was one I could not have predicted. It leaves an opening for a possible third book about this character whom readers love to hate.

This summer I had purchased a book – “Mary Lincoln, Wife and Widow” by Carl Sandburg when we visited Sandburg’s home in Flat Rock, N.C. It was on my stack of those to be read soon. It did not disappoint.

It is not an easy read and is compiled from letters she wrote and others who wrote to her. It was originally published in 1932 and was out of print for many years. The most recent publication date is 2008, but there were several paperback printings in the 1980s and 1990s. It is available now at booksellers online and in stores so a trip to Flat Rock is not necessary, but it is a fascinating place to visit.

I had read about her and heard about her for decades so it was interesting to read her own words and those of people who knew her. It is a sad and tragic story of course, but this does shed light on her mental capacity and how this type of illness was treated in those days. There are strides in that area for sure, but it often seems as if we have a long way to go.

Her tremendous capacity to love not only her husband but her dear children is evident and the loss of all of them but one child would shake most people to their core.

Her shopping exploits were especially interesting when considering the era and how people lived. Ordering online was not even a tiny glimmer in those days, but I bet she would have loved it. She did manage to find what she wanted and run up tremendous debt. At the end, that was something that consumed her with thoughts of poverty and starvation.

It is certainly worth a read, but it takes concentration. I had to find a time with few distractions to take in all the observations that were so compelling.

Last but certainly not least is the book “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” by Shirley Jackson. I have always been a fan of Jackson’s who writes some unusual stories (“The Lottery” is one of her most famous), and this one did not disappoint. 

This was her final novel and is considered her greatest by many writers and experts. First published in 1962, other editions are still available.

She takes the reader into a world that is unsettling with characters and events that shake the core of what would be considered normal. The surprise comes close to the end, but I am sure many readers figured it out sooner. 

The family is peculiar in every way possible, and the story unfolds slowly and methodically. I don’t want to give away any more of the story, but it will stay with the reader for quite some time.

There it is – the 2020 decade and what I have been reading so far. All three present women who are memorable. Some are real and some are not. Those that are not real could easily be. What we chose to read is definitely a matter of taste. Not sure what this says about me but I do seem to veer towards certain writers and types. Happy reading this decade! 

Savvy Frances         

236 Diversions from football watching

Diversions from Football Watching

Football games galore--from Christmas to New Years--football games abound. And the pro play-offs and ACC league basketball are yet to come!

I have many schemes to keep hubby company and to sort of watch the games:

1. Write this blog!

2. Dust--although not a good idea to do directly in front of the screen!

Please throw
my toy, NOW!

3. Sort Laundry.

4. Pay bills online.

5. Play with Tootsie. Actually, any time Tootsie has the two of us as a captive audience (for her, not the TV), she expects playing.

6. Edit documents.

7. Read Facebook postings. Hubby is not usually interested in looking at cute dog videos, "Aren't you watching the game?"  [in my own way]

8. Load or unload the dishwasher.

9. Play solitaire. If I actually want to pay attention to a game, any version of solitaire will work. Sudoku, particularly if I play against the clock, takes me away from the game completely.

 

10. Watch a second game on my tablet. While we both watched Va Tech play basketball on the big screen, I watched Florida State on the handheld. Both teams won.

When a game, usually basketball, gets very tight at the end,(In fact, my philosophy on basketball is not to pay much attention to most of the game because the score can change so quickly.) I cannot stand the tension. I pull out the broom and sweep nearby, peaking around the corner to see if the Hokies can save the day.

As I have explained to Harry dozens of times, I never miss anything because all the important stuff is on instant replay!

Sport Savvy Trish